Written Answers of 8 December 1993

NATIONAL HERITAGE

  Government Car Service
  Mr. Alan Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what is the annual cost to the Department of the car service for Ministers; and how many vehicles are involved.

  Mr. Brooke
  In the financial year 1992–93, the cost to the Department of the Government car service for Ministers was £167,000. Two vehicles were involved.

  Mr. Alan Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what was the annual cost to the Department of the car service for Ministers in 1990–91; and how many vehicles were involved.

  Mr. Brooke
  The Department of National Heritage was not formed until April 1992, therefore data in the form requested are not available.

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

  Legal Aid
  Mr. Fraser
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what is the budget for criminal legal aid for the current financial year; and what amount it is estimated will be spent.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The net provision for criminal legal aid for the current financial year is £564 million, inclusive of the duty solicitor schemes and criminal green form. Latest forecasts suggest an outturn of around £535 million.

  Courts
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department on how many court sitting days recorders were engaged in 1989–90, 1990–91, 1991–92 and 1992–93; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The total number of court days sat by recorders in the years 1989–90, 1990–91, 1991–92 and 1992–93 was 16,251, 17,898, 17,046 and 18,056 respectively.

  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department on how many court sitting days deputy registrars, latterly deputy district judges, were engaged in 1989–90, 1990–91, 1991–92 and 1992–93; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The total number of court days sat by deputy registrars, latterly deputy district judges, during the years 1989–90, 1990–91, 1991–92 and 1992–93 was 10,750, 13,642, 18,407 and 20,012 respectively.
  216
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department on how many court sitting days deputy recorders were engaged in 1989–90, 1990–91, 1991–92 and 1992–93; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The total number of court days sat by assistant recorders in the years 1989–90, 1990–91, 1991–92 and 1992–93 was 8,804, 9,296, 9,209 and 9,618 respectively.

  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary Lord Chancellor's Department on how many court sitting days deputy circuit jud es were engaged in 1989–90, 1990–91, 1991–92 and 1992–93; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The total number of court days sat by deputy circuit judges in the years 1989–90, 1990–91, 1991–92 and 1992–93 was 1,455, 1,817, 1,546 and 1,119 respectively.

  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how much was paid by the public in plaint fees and issue fees in the High Court registries and county courts in the years 1988–89, 1989–90, 1990–91, 1991–92 and during 1992–93; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The information requested is not all readily available. Data on district registry fee income are not disagregated, so no separate data are held for issue fees in High Court registries. Plaint and issue fee income in the county courts for the years requested was as follows:

  £

  1988–89

  59,317,960·34

  1989–90

  71,177,637·85

  1990–91

  85,882,609·11

  1991–92

  99,954,524·94

  1992–93

  98,647,663·98

EDUCATION

  Religious Education
  Mr. Ashdown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many responses he has received from the standing advisory councils for religious education to the draft DFE circular 10/93.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  None. DFE circular 10/93 deals with the grants for education support and training programme for 1994–95, and seeks responses only from local education authorities.

  The Department has received 42 responses from the standing advisory councils for religious education to the draft circular "Religious Education and Collective Worship", which issued on 11 October.

  Legal Courses
  Mr. Byers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) how many discretionary grants have been awarded by local education authorities to enable students to pursue(a) the legal practice course and (b) the bar finals;

  (2) what is the standard level of discretionary grant given by local authorities for (a) legal practice course and (b) the bar finals course.
  217
  Mr. Boswell
  The information requested is not collected centrally. The provision of discretionary awards is a matter for local education authorities, as is the value of such awards.

  Mr. Byers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) how many students are currently taking(a) the legal practice course and (b) the bar finals course;

  (2) how many self-financing students are currently taking (a) the legal practice course and (b) the bar finals course.

  Mr. Boswell
  Information from the Law Society shows that 6,566 students were enrolled on the legal practice course for 1993–94. For the bar finals course, the Council of Legal Education's statistics show that 1,022 students took the course in 1992–93. Figures for numbers of self-financing students are available only for the bar finals course. These show that during 1992–93 618 out of 1,022 students received no local authority grant.

  Office for Standards in Education
  Ms Janet Anderson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will make a statement on the relationship between Ofsted and the Department for Education.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  Ofsted is a non-ministerial Government Department established by the Education (Schools) Act 1992. It is headed by Her Majesty's Chief Inspector for Schools, Professor Stewart Sutherland, who is required to advise my right hon. Friend on the quality of education and standards achieved in schools and to oversee the new system of independent four-yearly inspections of schools.

  My right hon. Friend wrote to all hon. Members on 11 November 1992 explaining the work of Ofsted and its relationship with the Department.

  Sex Education
  Ms Janet Anderson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether local education authorities will be required to monitor the numbers of parents exercising their right to withdraw their children from sex education lessons.

  Mr. Forth
  No.

  Mr. Jon Owen Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) what plans he has to introduce mandatory sex education and at what ages;

  (2) what he is doing to introduce compulsory AIDS tuition into schools.

  Mr. Forth
  Under the Education Act 1993, all maintained secondary schools will from autumn 1994 be required to provide sex education for all their registered pupils, including education about HIV and AIDS. All maintained special schools will be required to provide such education for all their pupils of secondary age.

  Mr. Jon Owen Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many parents exercised the right to exclude their children from sex education lessons in the years 1990, 1991 and 1992.

  Mr. Forth
  There was no statutory right for parents to withdraw their children from sex education lessons in the 218
  years in question. Under section 241 of the Education Act 1993 we are introducing, from September 1994, the right for the parent of a pupil in attendance at any maintained school to withdraw that pupil from all or part of the school's sex education provision other than those elements which are a requirement of the national curriculum.

  Union Flag
  Mr. Grocott
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what was the cost of purchasing and installing the Union flag in the foyer of the Department for Education.

  Mr. Forth
  The cost of purchasing the flag, the flagstaff and base was £150, excluding VAT.

PRIME MINISTER

  Bomb-proofing
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Prime Minister what has been the cost of bomb-proofing(a) No. 10 and (b) No. 11 Downing street.

  The Prime Minister
  On security grounds, I do not propose to give this information.

  Government Car Service
  Mr. Alan Williams
  To ask the Prime Minister what is the annual cost to the Department of the car service for Ministers; and how many vehicles are involved.

  The Prime Minister
  r: The charge to my office for ministerial use of the Government car service during 1992–93 was £107,395. Two vehicles are involved.

  EU Summit
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Prime Minister what matters in regard to environmental protection he intends to raise at the European Union Heads of Government summit in Brussels on 10 to 11 December.

  The Prime Minister
  The Council will focus on the European economy and the Commission White Paper on growth, competitiveness and employment. It will also consider the Commission's report on subsidiarity. I shall continue to emphasise the importance of properly sustainable development, in accordance with the treaty provisions.

TRANSPORT

  Trans-European Road Network
  Mr. Lidington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if the route and construction of United Kingdom roads included in the trans-European road network are subject to the planning process; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Key
  All schemes in the Department's roads programme, including any on routes in the trans-European road network, are subject to the same procedures.

  Motorway Cones
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proposals his Department has to improve the safe and secure laying of cones and the removal of unnecessary cones on motorways; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Key
  The laying out of traffic cones has to follow procedures laid down in chapter 8 of the Traffic Signs Manual. This sets out British standards requirements for the cones themselves, how they should be positioned at roadworks—in the interests of road workers' safety as well as road users—and how they should be removed as soon as they are no longer required. It is a condition of highway contracts on motorways and other trunk roads that contractors, and their traffic management sub-contractors, adopt the requirement of chapter 8. Together with Health and Safety at Work etc. Act legislation, this already imposes considerable safety obligations on all those concerned with the placement, management and removal of traffic cones. Nevertheless, the Department is constantly reviewing its safety procedures and guidance.

  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many accidents have occurred on motorways as a result of stray motorway cones in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Key
  My Department does not keep records or statistics which show whether any motorway accidents have been caused by stray traffic cones.

  East and West Coast Main Lines
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what are the estimated repayments which will need to be made on capital raised for improvements to the west coast main line; how these costs will be recouped; what estimate he has as to the average extra cost per journey for passengers and carriers of freight imposed by the need to make these repayments; and what are the equivalent projected costs on the east coast line.

  Mr. Freeman
  My right hon. Friend announced on 1 December that Railtrack will be working with the private sector to devise new performance standards for the west coast main line and that a private sector consortium will be selected by competition to build and maintain the line.

  The precise cost of the project, and therefore the level of repayments, will not be known in advance of that competition.

  Cost comparisons with the east coast main line are inappropriate. The east coast main line project, from commencement of planning to the start of the new service in 1991, took some 10 years to complete. The lines also have different patterns of use.

  Roads, Southport
  Mr. Matthew Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) when he next expects to visit Southport to inspect the site of proposed improvements to the trunk road network to Preston;

  (2) when he expects to visit Southport to inspect the site of the A565 proposed road improvements;

  (3) when he expects to visit Southport to inspect the site of the A570 Ormskirk to Southport bypass.
  220
  Mr. Key
  It would be a pleasure to visit my hon. Friend's constituency, but I have no plans to visit the sites of these proposed schemes. I shall, though, consider carefully the response to public consultation on the proposed improvements to the A570 and A59 trunk roads.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Advertising
  Mr. Grocott
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security 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. Scott
  Such information as is available is in the table.

  Television

  Radio

  Press

  £

  £

  £

  1989–90

  4,911,000

  402,000

  1,486,000

  1991–92

  4,396,000

  626,000

  772,000

  1992–93

  1,792,000

  429,000

  2,296,000

  Notes:

  1. The total spend in 1990–91 was £4,360,000 but a breakdown is not immediately available.

  2. The Department did not exist independently prior to August 1988.

  Child Support Agency
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will set out the average length of time taken by the Child Support Agency to reply in full to a letter from an hon. Member.

  Mr. Burt
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Aylesbury (Mr. Lidington) by the chief executive of the Child Support Agency on 29 November at column 429.

  Benefit Fraud
  Mr. French
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what information he has on dealers at car boot sales fraudulently claiming benefits;

  (2) if he will list the occupations most frequently claimed by those fraudulently claiming benefit.

  Mr. Hague
  The administration of benefit fraud is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to my hon. Friend with such information as is available.

  Letter from Michael Bichard to Mr. Douglas French, dated 7 December 1993:
  The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your Parliamentary Questions about the occupations of people fraudulently claiming benefit; including in particular dealers at car boot sales.
  I regret that I am unable to provide the information you request as statistics are not kept on the occupations of those who are found to be fraudulently claiming benefit.
  I can tell you, however, that from October this year I have established a new Security Branch with a responsibility to ensure a co-ordinated and strategic approach to fraud and security matters; and to protect future expenditure against fraud and abuse.

  221
  Part of this co-ordinated response is to maintain statistics that allow analysis of the fraud effort in terms of prevention, deterrence and detection. At the same time we must ensure that statistics are not kept for their own sake and to this end the new Branch is currently examining what statistics are necessary to achieve the three aims I have outlined.
  I am sorry that on this occasion I cannot be more helpful.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Industrial Development Boards
  Mr. Nicholas Brown
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the total budget allocated by his Department to industrial development boards in 1992–93 in(a) the Northern region and (b) the United Kingdom as a whole.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The industrial development boards advise my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade on applications for selective financial assistance and on industrial opportunities within their areas. The boards do not have budgetary responsibility for schemes providing selective financial assistance which have centrally held budgets.

  Country

  Year of visit

  Saudi Arabia:

  Secretary of State (then Mr. Ridley)

  November 1989

  President

  January 1993

  Minister for Energy

  May 1993

  Malaysia:

  Minister for Energy

  September 1993

  Minister for Trade

  September and November 1993

  Singapore:

  Minister for Trade (then Lord Trefgarne)

  July 1990

  Minister for Industry (then Lord Reay)

  February 1992

  Baroness Denton

  May and September 1993

  Minister for Trade

  June and December 1993

  South Africa:

  Minister for Trade (then Mr. Sainsbury)

  November 1991

  There is no record of whether these visits included party political activities.

  Tobacco
  Sir Russell Johnston
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the value of(a)imports of tobacco and tobacco paper and (b) exports of finished tobacco products in the last year for which figures are available.

  Mr. Needham
  Information on the topic is regularly published by the Central Statistical Office in Business Monitor MA20, Overseas Trade Statistics of the United Kingdom, a copy of which is available in the Library of the House. Unmanufactured and manufactured tobacco are classified to headings 121 and 122 respectively of the Standard International Trade Classification, while cigarette paper is classified under headings 641.55 and 642.41.

  Consultants
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what are the names of the consultants employed to review the future of(a) the Patent Office, (b) Warren Springs Laboratory and (c) AEA Technology and the costs of employing such consultants in the year 1992–93, with the sum estimated for 1993–94.

  Mr. Heseltine
  The consultants employed in each case were(a) Price Waterhouse, (b) PA Consulting and (c) BZW. The fees paid to these firms are confidential for commercial reasons.

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

  Mr. Heseltine
  A central record of official ministerial visits overseas during the period in question has not been kept for all markets. The list that follows may therefore not be comprehensive.

  Textiles
  Sir David Knox
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will give details of the lowest and highest rates of EC customs import duties for both textile and clothing products.

  Mr. Needham
  The common customs tariff charged on imports into the Community ranges from 0 per cent. to 17 per cent. for textiles and from 6.3 per cent. to 14 per cent. for clothing.

  Hosiery Industry
  Mr. Garnier
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what representations he has received from the hosiery industry about the level of sock imports from Indonesia and from whom; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Needham
  On 25 October the Knitting Industries Federation wrote to my Department to request action to restrict sock imports from Indonesia. The case is being evaluated and my officials will contact the federation shortly.
  223
  Mr. Garnier
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the total of all imports of socks into the United Kingdom (category 12 of the multi-fibre arrangement)(a) in total and (b) from Indonesia, in terms of quantity, value and average price for each of the years from 1990 for which figures are available.

  Mr. Needham
  The information that my hon. Friend has requested for multi-fibre arrangement category 12 is given in the table.

  MFA category 12 imports

  From Indonesia

  United Kingdom total

  Year

  quantity million pairs

  value £ million

  price pence per pair

  quantity million pairs

  value £ million

  price pence per pair

  1990

  12·2

  3·1

  25

  89·7

  52·4

  58

  1991

  16·7

  5·0

  30

  117·4

  67·9

  58

  1992

  38·9

  11·4

  29

  187·9

  93·6

  50

  Bonding
  Sir Cranley Onslow
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what studies his Department has made of the extent to which bonding requirements act as a barrier to exports by small and medium-sized United Kingdom companies; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Needham
  I am not aware of any studies made by my Department into bonding requirements on exporters. Funding bonds is a matter for the private commercial sector, but I would be interested to see details of any particular cases the hon. Member may have.

  Agency Agreements
  Sir Cranley Onslow
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what action his Department is taking to advise United Kingdom companies of the effect of EC directives on the formalisation of agency agreements; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. McLoughlin

  A commercial agent is a
  "self-employed intermediary who has continuing authority to negotiate the sale or purchase of goods on behalf of another person (the 'principal') or to negotiate and conclude the 'sale or purchase of goods on behalf of and in the name of that principal".

  The regulations are designed to lay down minimum requirements governing the contracts between commercial agents and their principals. In particular, they provide the agent with additional benefits which may not currently be available under United Kingdom common law, for example the right to a written contract if he requests one. The regulations have been the subject of consultations with industry in 1987, 1990 and in June this year. A number of revisions to the regulations have been made. The major amendments are:—
  (i) Applicable Law: The regulations lay down the basic rule that it is where the agent is, rather than the principal, that determines whether the regulations apply but also enable the parties to opt for the law of another member State to govern the contract.
  (ii) Secondary Activities: The regulations now define the core or essential activities of a commercial agent and
  224
  provide for those who do not satisfy these criteria to be excluded. Such activities would be secondary. There are specific exclusions for mail order agents and consumer credit agents.
  (iii) Indemnity/Compensation: Following comments received from industry, the regulations now provide for the parties to choose either an indemnity or compensation payment upon termination of an agency contract. This will allow greater flexibility.

  A cost compliance assessment on the possible costs to industry of implementing the EC directive is being made available. In addition, guidance notes will be issued in the near future, detailing what we believe is the intention behind the directive. Copies of this guidance note and the cost compliance assessment will be available from the following address:—

  Consumer Affairs Division 2a

  Room 325

  10-18 Victoria Street

  London

  SW1H ONN

  Copies of the regulations themselves will be available from HMSO bookshops.

  Fur
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the value of fur and fur product exports from the United Kingdom in each year since 1984.

  Mr. Needham
  The available information is given in the following table.

  Value of United Kingdom Exports of fur and fur products

  Year

  £ million

  1984

  268·0

  1985

  231·7

  1986

  227·9

  1987

  267·6

  1988

  192·1

  1989

  141·8

  1990

  63·4

  1991

  44·7

  1992

  45·9

  Fur and fur products are defined by headings 212, 613 and 848·31 of the Standard International Trade Classification.

  Source: Overseas Trade Statistics of the United Kingdom.

  Nuclear Safety
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how his Department was represented at the test to simulate a meltdown accident at a pressurised water reactor, held in France on 3 December; and what are the implications of the results of this test in regard to the future safety of the Sizewell B power plant.

  Mr. Eggar
  My Department was not represented at the test carried out at Cadarache by the Commissariat a l'Engergie Atomique—the French nuclear safety R and D organisation. However, I understand that the Atomic Energy Authority is involved by means of an exchange agreement with the CEA under the nuclear safety R and D programme which is sponsored by the Health and Safety Executive. Both the HSE's nuclear installations inspectorate and Nuclear Electric will be informed of the results through the CEA-AEA agreement. It is not expected that the test will produce results which would affect the safety case prepared for Sizewell B.

  Regional Assistance
  Mr. Straw
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the target population set by the European Commission for objective 2 status for areas in the United Kingdom; and by what percentage of the population the list submitted by Her Majesty's Government either exceeds or falls short of their target.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  There is no target population set by the Commission for United Kingdom objective 2 areas. The procedure is governed by article 9 of Council Regulation 2081/93 which, among other things, sets out various statistical criteria, requires member states to propose areas, and requires the Commission to establish the list taking into account national priorities in consultation with the member state concerned.

  One of the recitals to the regulation, which is not legally binding, states that objective 2
  "could cover up to 15 per cent. of the Community population".

  The Government's proposals for the United Kingdom amount to approximately 23·5 million population. I understand that the proposals of all member states together amount to 22·5 per cent. of the Community population. I am discussing our proposals with the Commissioner responsible. Our consultation will be governed by article 9 of the Council regulation.

  Mr. Straw
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade whether Her Majesty's Government are differentiating between areas which had first obtained assisted area status before 1993 from those areas which have recently acquired this status, in their representations for objective 2 status.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  No. The Government's proposals for objective 2 are based on the criteria in article 9 of Council regulation 2081/93.

NATIONAL FINANCE

  Private Health Insurance
  Mr. Nicholas Brown
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people are claiming tax relief for private health insurance; and what proportion of these are higher rate taxpayers in (i) Great Britain and (ii) Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Dorrell
  It is estimated that about 350,000 people in the United Kingdom receive tax relief on their private medical insurance premiums for those aged 60 or more. About 1 per cent. are higher rate taxpayers. Separate information for Northern Ireland is not available.

  Taxation
  Mr. Nicholas Brown
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the loss in revenue resulting from an increase in the single person's tax allowance of(a) £50, (b) £100, (c) £150, (d) £200, (e) £250 and (f) £300; and how many people would be taken out of tax in each case.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The estimated cost in a full year at 1994–95 income levels from the specified increases in the personal allowance and the number of people taken out of tax are given in the table.226

  Personal allowance

  Revenue cost (£ million)

  Individuals taken out of tax (thousands)

  Increased by £50

  320

  120

  Increased by £100

  650

  220

  Increased by £150

  970

  330

  Increased by £200

  1,290

  470

  Increased by £250

  1,610

  580

  Increased by £300

  1,920

  680

  Mr. Nicholas Brown
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what is the latest estimate of the number of(a) basic rate and (b) higher rate taxpayers; and how many taxpayers are (i) male and (ii) female;

  (2) what is his latest estimate of the total number of top rate taxpayers;

  (3) what is the latest estimate he has for the number of people who pay income tax at a rate of (a) 20 per cent., (b) 25 per cent. and (c) 40 per cent.

  Mr. Dorrell
  Latest estimates for 1993–94 based on projections from the 1991–92 Survey of Personal Incomes are given in the table.

  Millions

  Taxpayers liable at

  Male

  Female

  Total

  Lower rate only

  1·8

  3·0

  4·8

  Basic rate but not higher rate

  11·4

  7·1

  18·4

  Higher rate

  1·6

  0·3

  1·9

  All taxpayers

  14·8

  10·3

  25·1

  Mr. Nicholas Brown
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are the current numbers of(a) corporate taxpayers and (b) income taxpayers in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Dorrell
  About 350,000 companies pay corporation tax and 25·1 million individuals pay income tax in the United Kingdom.

  Companies
  Mr. Nicholas Brown
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the percentage of Britain's companies that are working at full capacity.

  Mr. Portillo
  According to the October CBI quarterly industrial trends survey 39 per cent. of manufacturing firms were working at capacity. Estimates are not available for the whole company sector.

  Students
  Mr. Nicholas Brown
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many students pay income tax; and what is the total number of students who pay VAT.

  Mr. Dorrell
  Information on the number of students who pay income tax is not available centrally and could be collected only at disproportionate cost.

  VAT is chargeable on a wide range of consumer expenditure and it is likely that everybody has to pay some in the course of a year.

  North Sea Oil
  Mr. Nicholas Brown
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what were the total revenues to the Exchequer from North sea oil since May 1979, expressed in 1992 prices.

  Mr. Dorrell
  Total revenues to the Exchequer from the North sea since 1979–80 at 1992–93 prices have been £114 billion.

  ECOFIN
  Mr. Burns
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the most recent meeting of European Economic and Finance Ministers.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  The Economic and Finance Council of the European Union met in Brussels on 5 December. I represented the United Kingdom.

  ECOFIN discussed the Commission's recommendation for the broad guidelines for the economic policies of member states and of the Community under the new procedures of article 103 of the treaty. ECOFIN agreed a report to the European Council containing the draft guidelines. The treaty requires the European Council to agree conclusions on the basis of this report which will then be translated into a formal Council recommendation at a subsequent meeting of Finance Ministers. The recommendation will not have legally binding force.

  There was a short discussion on the likely content of the Commission White Book on growth, competitiveness and employment. I said that it was unfortunate that the Commission had been unable to prepare a full draft of its White Book in time for it to be considered by the ECOFIN before the European Council. The Commission circulated the text on 6 December and copies have been placed in the Library of the House.

  There were no formal votes.

  Privatisation (Consultants' Fees)
  Mr. Hain
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will provide details of all fees to consultants and brokers associated with privatisation and share sales of(a) BT since 1982, (b) British Gas since 1986, (c) all regional electric companies since 1998–89, (d) all regional water companies since 1988–89 and (e) the total.

  Mr. Dorrell
  No. Fees paid to consultants, brokers, and so on as part of the privatisation programme are treated as commercially confidential. Total fees paid to advisers are quantified within the relevant National Audit Office reports published by the Comptroller and Auditor General. For the sales requested, the total fees paid to advisers were:

  £ million

  BT

  1984

  6

  British Gas

  1986

  5

  Water

  1989

  125·8

  BT

  1991

  7·4

  BT

  1993

  25·4

  1 Ex VAT.

  2 To date.

  Civil Servants
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 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.

  Sir John Cope
  The information requested is shown in the table. Figures are given in terms of grade levels which include equivalent grades, and reflects the position as at October 1993. The figures cover only non-industrial staff in post, exclude agency staff and are calculated on a head count basis with part-timers counted as one. The figures are based on the Department's ethnic origin questionnaire which drew a 93 per cent. response rate.

  (a)

  (b)

  (c)

  Total staff

  Black respondents

  Asian respondents

  Grade level

  1

  5

  —

  —

  2

  6

  —

  —

  3

  22

  —

  —

  4

  2

  —

  —

  5

  70

  —

  —

  6

  19

  —

  —

  7

  191

  —

  3

  SEO

  90

  1

  2

  HEO

  222

  4

  2

  EO

  301

  12

  9

  AO

  407

  32

  37

  AA

  281

  20

  19

  Value Added Tax
  Ms Rachel Squire
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his policy that value added tax will not be levied on community care transfer moneys in Scotland.

  Sir John Cope
  Community care transfer funds are exempt from VAT when used by recipient bodies to provide welfare services.

  European Investment Fund
  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if, with reference to the Act to amend the statutes of the European investment bank permitting the establishment of a European investment fund—Cm 2359—approved by Parliament on 29 November, he will state(a) the maximum permitted liability of the fund in guarantees, (b) the initial contributed capital subscribed by the European Community as such, by member states, and by others respectively, (c) who will be inviting others to become members of the fund, and what qualifications they are likely to possess, (d) the limitations placed on the fund in respect of the purposes of the enterprises to which assistance is given, (e) when he expects the statutes of the fund to be decided and how and by whom they will be published and (f) who will appoint its governing body, and by what means, and to whom the person representing the interests of Her Majesty's Government on that body will be responsible.

  Mr. Nelson
  [holding answer 7 December 1993]: The rules of operation of the proposed new European Investment Fund are set out in the fund's statute. At

  229
  present, this document exists only in draft form, but it will be adopted by the governors of the European investment bank immediately after they establish the fund itself. If the draft statute is adopted in the form in which it now stands, the situation would be as follows:

  (a) The fund would initially be limited to providing guarantees with a total value of no more than three times the amount of its subscribed capital. Since the fund's subscribed capital is fixed at 2 billion ecu, £1·511 billion, this would mean that it could grant guarantees worth up to 6 billion ecu, £4·534 billion.

  (b) It is envisaged that 40 per cent.—800 million ecu or £605 million—of the fund's initial subscribed capital would be held by the European Investment Bank, 30 per cent.—600 mecu or £453 million—by the European Community, with the remaining 30 per cent.—600 mecu or £453 million—contributed by banks and financial institutions, which operate within the Community, and which agree to become members of the fund.

  (c) It is for the board of governors of the EIB to invite institutions to become members of the fund. So far as participation by banks is concerned, the EIB has approached institutions which are well established, and well known to it as clients, with invitations to take part.

  (d) The fund will operate through the Community in support of small and medium-sized enterprises, and of projects which form part of trans-European networks.

  (e) The statute of the fund will be adopted by the
  governors of the European investment bank immediately after the fund is established. Establishment, in turn, will take place as soon as the treaty amendment which enables this to happen has been ratified by all 12 EC member states. This is expected to occur early in the new year. Once the fund becomes operational it will of course publish its own statute, but in order to avoid delay it may be possible to arrange for the EIB, or the European Commission, to publish the statute in advance of this.

  (f) The fund's supreme governing body will be the annual general meeting. The membership of this body will be fixed by the fund's statute, with all three classes of shareholders participating. The European Community's representative at the meeting will be one of the members of the Commission, and the EIB will be represented by its president. Both of these will be responsible for safeguarding and representing the interests of Her Majesty's Government, by virtue of the United Kingdom's position as a member state of the Community, and a shareholder in the EIB, respectively.

  All figures converted at 30 November 1993 £-ecu conversion rate (£=1·3232 ecu).

  Private Finance Projects
  Ms Harman
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many of the 78 private finance projects listed in the appendix to the text of the Chancellor's speech to CBI Scotland's annual dinner issued on 9 September are currently under construction.

  Mr. Dorrell
  [holding answer 7 December 1993]: Of the projects listed, 12 have been completed-or, in the case of services, contracts signed-and there are 17 which are under construction or for which contracts have been signed.

  Personal Pensions
  Mr. Denham
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what action he is taking to ensure that those individuals who have been wrongly sold personal pension plans are identified and given full redress;

  (2) what is his estimate of the total number of individuals who have been wrongly sold personal pension plans (a) in each of the last five years and (b) since the introduction of the Financial Services Act 1986;

  (3) what is his estimate of the total value of personal pension plans that have been wrongly sold (a) in each of the last five years and (b) since the introduction of the Financial Services Act 1986.

  Mr. Tim Smith
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the marketing of personal pensions.

  Mr. Nelson
  [holding answer 6 December 1993]: The responsibility for regulating the marketing of personal pensions and other investment products rests primarily with the Securities and Investments Board, as lead regulator under the Financial Services Act.

  Following the intial findings of a survey commissioned in September into the selling of personal pensions to clients transferring from occupational pension schemes, the chairman of SIB has today set out the action the regulators are taking to establish the extent of any problems that may have resulted from poor compliance with the marketing rules made under the FSA; to rectify any shortcomings; and to obtain remedy for any disadvantage to investors that may have resulted.

  SIB is leading this regulatory action, working closely with the other regulators concerned and with the life insurance industry to establish the extent of the problem and any financial implications for personal pension policyholders. The evidence relates to non-compliance with the regulatory standards. Further detailed work will be needed to assess whether the non-compliance has resulted in poor advice and disadvantage to investors.

  I welcome this initiative, together with the actions already taken by SIB to improve the guidance on the selling of personal pensions. Should the further investigations now under way reveal that any clients have suffered financial loss as a result of bad advice, I have made it clear to SIB that the Government expect effective remedies to be put in place promptly.

  Personal pensions have proved their popularity, combining as they do an opportunity for a flexible career with the security of an income in retirement.

  But as with other investment products people must be able to rely on high standards of professionalism and competence on the part of salesmen and advisers, and be confident that they will not be sold products unsuitable for their requirements.

  I have asked the chairman of SIB to keep me closely informed as this work develops.

WALES

  Unitary Authorities
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the current estimate of the cost of establishing unitary authorities in Wales; and if he will make a statement.
  231
  Mr. Redwood
  The measures in the Local Government (Wales) Bill will result in transitional costs estimated on the basis of a report prepared by consultants to be between £65 million and £150 million over 15 years. The level of these costs will depend on decisions to be taken by the new councils on such matters as staffing levels and management structures. I intend to encourage tight control of costs and believe the consultants' higher figures would be reached only if councils decide to make a large number of existing employees redundant, leading to substantial subsequent revenue savings.

  Advertising
  Mr. Grocott
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales 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. Redwood
  There is no average annual spend on advertising, but the figures for the two specific years 1979 and 1985, and for the lastest available year 1992–93, are as follows:

  Welsh office publicity spend

  £, 000

  Year

  Radio

  TV

  Press

  Joint1 press and TV

  1979–80

  Nil

  —

  —

  61

  1985–86

  Nil

  Nil

  31

  —

  1992–93

  Nil

  77

  350

  —

  1 Television and Press advertising for the years 1979–85 cannot be readily separated.

  Note:
  In 1992–93 it was decided to advertise the Organ Donor Scheme on TV, which accounted for £70,000 out of the £77,000.

  Schools in existence as at January 1993

  1979–80

  1980–81

  1981–82

  1982–83

  1983–84

  1984–85

  1985–86

  1986–87

  1987–88

  1988–89

  1989–90

  1990–91

  1991–92

  1992–93

  Special

  Clwyd

  14

  13

  13

  13

  11

  11

  11

  11

  11

  11

  11

  11

  11

  11

  Dyfed

  6

  6

  6

  6

  6

  6

  5

  5

  5

  5

  5

  5

  5

  5

  Gwent

  7

  7

  7

  7

  7

  7

  7

  7

  7

  7

  6

  6

  6

  6

  Gwynedd

  8

  7

  7

  7

  7

  7

  7

  6

  6

  6

  6

  5

  5

  5

  Mid Glamorgan

  10

  10

  10

  10

  10

  10

  10

  10

  10

  10

  10

  10

  10

  10

  Powys

  4

  4

  4

  4

  4

  4

  4

  4

  4

  4

  4

  4

  4

  4

  South Glamorgan

  19

  19

  19

  17

  17

  16

  16

  16

  16

  15

  15

  15

  15

  15

  West Glamorgan

  7

  7

  7

  7

  7

  7

  7

  6

  6

  6

  5

  5

  5

  5

  Wales

  75

  73

  73

  71

  69

  68

  67

  65

  65

  64

  62

  61

  61

  61

  All LEA/GM Schools

  Clwyd

  316

  314

  311

  309

  302

  301

  300

  300

  300

  299

  296

  293

  292

  292

  Dyfed

  400

  398

  392

  387

  382

  379

  372

  365

  365

  359

  354

  354

  354

  352

  Gwent

  343

  338

  328

  324

  321

  312

  296

  293

  287

  283

  279

  278

  265

  263

  Gwynedd

  231

  230

  230

  229

  229

  229

  229

  228

  226

  224

  223

  221

  220

  219

  Mid Glamorgan

  396

  392

  391

  393

  390

  384

  387

  387

  387

  387

  387

  380

  381

  379

  Powys

  147

  145

  141

  138

  138

  136

  134

  132

  131

  131

  130

  129

  126

  126

  South Glamorgan

  239

  236

  232

  222

  219

  213

  211

  211

  210

  210

  210

  209

  210

  210

  West Glamorgan

  238

  236

  226

  215

  210

  208

  208

  204

  203

  202

  198

  198

  198

  198

  Wales

  2,310

  2,289

  2,251

  2,217

  2,191

  2,162

  2,137

  2,120

  2,109

  2,095

  2,077

  2,062

  2,046

  2,039

  Housing Revenue Account
  Mr. Raynsford
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publi9sh a table showing the total amount of housing revenue account subsidy payable to local housing

  Hospital Closures
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many hospitals have closed in each of the counties of Wales since 1980.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The information, which relates to hospitals which have closed since 1 January 1980 and are still closed, is given in the following table. During the same period nine hospitals were opened.

  Health authority

  Number of hospitals closed

  Clwyd

  6

  East Dyfed

  3

  Gwent

  2

  Gwynedd

  9

  Mid Glamorgan

  9

  Pembrokeshire

  —

  Powys

  1

  South Glamorgan

  4

  West Glamorgan

  4

  TOTAL

  38

  Since 1980 the numbers of patients being treated by the national health service in Wales has increased from 848,432 to 1,248,356 in 1992–93 or 47 per cent.

  School Closures
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many schools have closed in each Welsh local education authority since 1980.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  The information is not collected in the form requested. The available information is as follows:

  authorities in Wales in 1992–93, and his estimates for 1993–94 and 1994–95, indicating separately the housing and housing benefit components and showing the difference between the actual subsidy payable and the amount which would have been payable if expenditure on rent rebates had qualified in full for subsidy.
  233
  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The available information is set out as follows. The Welsh Office is consulting authorities on subsidy proposals for 1994–95 upon which decisions have yet to be taken.

  £ million

  1992–931 Estimated Outturn

  1993–942 Provisional Outturn

  Housing Element3

  5·1

  3·9

  Rent Rebate Subsidy4 Entitlement

  184·7

  192·3

  Total Housing Revenue Account Subsidy

  189·8

  196·2

  Gross Rent Rebate5 Expenditure by local authorities

  212·9

  228·9

  1Local authorities Housing Revenue Account Subsidy 1992–93 Advance Final Claims.

  2Local authorities Housing Revenue Account Subsidy 1993–94 Second Advance Claims.

  3Positive entitlement to housing subsidy.

  4Gross rent rebate expenditure by authorities less incentive area deductions, adjustments for benefit period over-runs and negative housing subsidy entitlements.

  5Rent Rebate expenditure awarded by housing authorities.

  Diabetes
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will arrange for a copy of the British Diabetic Association booklet "Recommendations for Management of Diabetes in Primary Care" to be sent to every general practitioner practice in Wales.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The British Diabetic Association has written to all family health services, as managers of primary care services, offering supplies of this booklet for distribution to GP practices. To date, I understand that three authorities in Wales—Clwyd, Powys and West Glamorgan—are arranging for copies to be distributed to practices in their area.

  House Condition Survey
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when the house condition survey for Wales will be published.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The results of the Welsh House Condition Survey are expected to be published in spring 1994.

  Forestry
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list all the Forestry Commission forests and woods in each of the counties of Wales.

  Mr. Tipping
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list for each separate piece of land currently owned or leased by the Forestry Commission in Clwyd (a) its name, (b) its area in hectares; and if he will place a map in the Library which names and identifies each of these pieces of land.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  The Forestry Commission manages the following areas of land in each county in Wales.234

  County

  Area (hectares)

  Clwyd

  9,457

  Dyfed

  31,002

  Gwent

  8,787

  Gwynedd

  27,954

  Mid Glamorgan

  13,038

  Powys

  31,292

  South Glamorgan

  486

  West Glamorgan

  14,399

  Details of individual forests and woodlands are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  I have, however, made arrangements for a map showing the location of the individual areas to be placed in the Library of the House as soon as possible.

  Political Adviser
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales on what date, on what terms and at what cost to public funds his political adviser Hywell Williams will commence employment; if he will place a copy of his terms of reference in the Library; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Redwood
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply given to the hon. Gentleman for Newport, West (Mr. Flynn) on 4 November 1993, c.334.

  Trawsfynydd Nuclear Power Station
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what action he is taking to create jobs for the former workers of the Trawsfynydd nuclear power station; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Redwood
  I have announced a range of measures, attracting Welsh Office support of over £700,000, to assist with economic development in the wake of the closure of Trawsfynydd nuclear power station. These include the funding of the project manager for the South Gwynedd Partnership; improvements to Blaenau Ffestiniog community centre; the development of land at Llanystumdwy; and land acquisition at Penamser business park at Porthmadog. I am also considering the scope to accelerate some of the more important schemes in my forward roads programme and the South Gwynedd Partnership is preparing a case for an enterprise zone in the area.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) Act 1991
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he expects to announce the appointment of a new reviewer of the Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) Act 1991.

  Sir Patrick Mayhew
  I am pleased to announce that Mr. John J. Rowe QC has accepted my invitation to succeed Viscount Colville of Culross QC in carrying out the annual review of the Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) Act 1991. Mr. Rowe is a highly respected and senior Queen's counsel who will bring considerable experience to the post.

  Departmental Files
  Mr. Alan Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many files marked "Not for National Audit Office eyes" are held by the Department; and how many are marked "Not for Public Accounts Committee eyes."

  Mr. Byers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many files marked "Not for National Audit Office eyes" are held by his Department.

  Sir John Wheeler
  [holding answer 3–6 December 1993]The responsibility of the National Audit Office does not extend to the six Northern Ireland Departments which have their own similarly appointed body—the Northern Ireland Audit office. There are eight files marked "Not for Northern Ireland Audit Office eyes".

  The marking "Not for NIAO eyes" is used in accordance with an agreement between the Department of Finance and Personnel and the Northern Ireland Audit Office under which documents relating to the handling of relations between Departments and the NIAO and PAC are not automatically available to the NIAO while they are current.

  There is no marking, "Not for PAC eyes".

  Government Car Service
  Mr. Alan Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the annual cost to the Department of the car service for Ministers; and how many vehicles are involved.

  Sir John Wheeler
  The cost of providing cars for Ministers during the 1992–93 financial year was just over £856,000. Ministers do not all have exclusive use of a car; these costs therefore include private hire cars and supplement the four cars provided by the Government car service. They also include the cost of cars provided by the Royal Ulster Constabulary for Ministers when they are in Northern Ireland.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

  Electricity and Gas
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Chairman of the Finance and Services Committee what was the total cost of electricity and gas supplied to the Palace of Westminster in the eight current years to date; and what is his estimate of the extra costs arising from the imposition of VAT on fuel at(a) eight per cent. and (b) 17·5 per cent.

  Mr. Paul Channon
  Until 1 April 1992, the cost of electricity and gas supplied to the Palace of Westminster was met by the Department of the Environment. In 1992–93, the first year that fuel and utilities were met by

  Staff in post in ED Group as at 1 October 1993

  Ethnic group

  Grade level

  Black respondents

  Asian respondents

  Other ethnic minority respondents

  Total staff

  AA level

  243

  186

  18

  4,375

  AO level

  1,157

  1,362

  159

  32,362

  EO level

  233

  355

  65

  17,073

  HEO level

  30

  41

  24

  4,770

  236
  the votes of the Houses of Parliament, gas and electricity accounted for some £740,000, of which the House of Commons paid 60 per cent. So far in the current financial year £365,000 has been spent.

  No extra costs arise from the imposition of VAT on fuel as the tax is already applied in respect of commercial use.

  Christmas Tree
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Chairman of the Accommodation and Works Committee what was the total cost of purchasing and decorating the Christmas tree located in New Palace Yard together with the total cost of installing the tree, including the cost of crane hire; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Ray Powell
  The Christmas tree in New Palace Yard has been presented to the House by the Forestry Commission. The cost of its installation and decoration, including labour and crane hire, was £800.

  Refreshment Department
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Lord President of the Council if he will make arrangements for any food not required each day by the Refreshment Department to be passed to suitable charities for distribution, including to the homeless.

  Mr. Colin Shepherd
  I have been asked to reply.

  This is a matter for the Director of Catering Services.

EMPLOYMENT

  Access to Work Scheme
  Mr. Robert Ainsworth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment when he will announce the upper limits on(a) help to a disabled person and (b) the contribution expected from the employer in a five-year period under his proposed access to work scheme.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State will make an announcement as soon as possible about details of the access to work scheme, including the upper limits on(a) help to a disabled person and (b) the contribution expected from the employer in a five-year period.

  Civil Servants
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment 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.

  Miss Widdecombe
  The figures are given in the following table:
  237

  Ethnic group

  Grade level

  Black respondents

  Asian respondents

  Other ethnic minority respondents

  Total staff

  SEO level

  7

  18

  3

  1,975

  Grade 7 level

  2

  11

  3

  1,257

  Grade 6 level

  1

  4

  1

  270

  Grade 5 level

  0

  0

  0

  160

  Grade 4 level

  0

  0

  1

  59

  Grade 3 level

  0

  0

  0

  66

  Grade 2 level

  0

  0

  0

  12

  Grade 1 level

  0

  0

  0

  2

  Industrials

  1

  0

  0

  50

  TOTAL

  1,674

  1,977

  274

  62,431

  Part-time staff have been counted as whole units.

  Only permanent staff have been included. Casuals and period appointees have been excluded.

  Grade levels include equivalent grades.

  Figures quoted include Employment Service agency staff.

  The total staff figures include non-respondents to the Ethnic Origin Survey, from which the other figures have been compiled.

  Asbestos
  Mr. Nicholas Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement summarising the provisions of those regulations which seek to control the use of asbestos in roofing and other building materials; and if he will indicate the means through which those regulations should be enforced.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  [holding answer 6 December 1993]The Asbestos (Prohibitions) Regulations 1992 which came into force on 1 January 1993 impose major restrictions on the use of asbestos, including its use for some building materials. They prohibit the import, supply and use of all types of amphibole asbestos, including corcidolite—blue asbestos—and amosite—brown asbestos —the two forms most commonly associated with asbestos—related disease. The regulations also prohibit asbestos spraying and the installation of asbestos insulation and a range of building products containing chrysotile—white asbestos—including low—density insulating and sound-proofing materials and roofing felt.

  The Control of Asbestos at Work (Amendment) Regulations 1992 which came into force on 1 January 1993 include a requirement for the substitution of products containing asbestos when practicable and provided the alternative creates a lesser risk.

  The regulations are enforced by Health and Safety Executive inspectors, and local authority inspectors who have powers under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.

  Mr. Nicholas Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many cases have been identified by the appropriate enforcement authorities in each of the last 10 Years for which figures are available, of the use of asbestos materials in building and roofing work contrary to the relevant regulations.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  [holding answer 6 December 1993]The information requested is not available. However, the figures in the following tables show the numbers of informations laid and the number of convictions secured in the construction industry, under the Asbestos Regulations 1969 and the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 1987,as amended, which replaced them. The Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations cover 238
  all work with asbestos. There were no informations laid during the period under the Asbestos (Prohibitions) Regulations 1985 or the Asbestos (Prohibitions) Regulations 1992.

  Year

  Informations laid

  Conviction

  The Asbestos Regulations 1969

  1983

  26

  25

  1984

  41

  32

  1985

  23

  18

  1986–87

  11

  7

  1987–88

  8

  8

  1988–89

  4

  3

  The Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 1987

  1988–89

  13

  13

  1989–90

  33

  32

  1990–91

  50

  41

  1991–92

  32

  25

  1992–931

  24

  23

  1Provisional.

  Notes:

  1. The figures above include informations laid and convictions for those in the construction industry involved in asbestos stripping.

  2. The Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 1987 came into force on I March 1988.

  Mr. Nicholas Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what steps he is taking to ensure compliance with regulation 8(1A) of the Control of Asbestos Work (Amendment) Regulations 1992 and with its associated approved code of practice; and if he will make statement.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  [holding answer 6 December 1993]Regulation 8(1A) of the Control of Asbestos (Amendment) Regulations 1992 has been in force since 1 January 1993.Health and Safety Executive inspectors and local authority inspectors enforce these provisions. At their visits to Workplaces, inspectors give high priority to encouraging the use of asbestos substitutes as the principal means of preventing any exposure to asbestos whenever this is appropriate.

  Mr. Nicholas Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if the Health and Safety Commission will review the effectiveness of the regulations governing the use of asbestos products in roofing and other building work; and if he will make a statement.
  239
  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  [holding answer 6 December 1993]Current regulations governing the use of asbestos products in roofing and other building work are considered to be effective with regard to the protection of the health of workers and the Public. There are no plans at present to extend them, but, in common with other health and safety legislation, there is an ongoing process of monitoring and review by the Health and Safety Commission.

  Mr. Nicholas Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what recent representations he has received concerning the effectiveness of the regulations governing the use of asbestos products in roofing and other building work; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  [holding answer 6 December 1993]; The letter from my hon. Friend, dated 24 November 1993, addressed to me is the only representation received on this matter.

  North Norfolk Action
  Sir Ralph Howell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment, Pursuant to his answer of 29 November,Official Report, Columns 355-56, if he will estimate the savings on benefits incurred due to persons leaving the unemployment register after interviews and to persons obtaining employment after participating in the North Norfolk Action scheme, stating the number in each case and percentage this represents in each case to the number engaged on the scheme; what was the overall expenditure on North Norfolk Action to 31 October; how much expenditure has been incurred on (a) provider fees,(b) extra allowances, (c)fates to work,(d) publicity, (e) evaluation and (f)Employment Service running costs, showing overall figures and how the provider fees and extra allowances were arrived at; and what is the net saving to the public funds which has resulted from the first six months of North Norfolk Action.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  [holding answer 6 December 1993]Responsibility for the subject of the question has been delegated to the Employment Service Agency under its chief executive. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter from M. E. G. Fogden to Sir Ralph Howell, dated 8 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 about the savings on benefits incurred due to persons leaving the unemployment register after interviews and to persons obtaining employment after participating in the North Norfolk Action Scheme, stating the number in each case and the percentage this represents in each case to the number engaged on the scheme; what was the overall expenditure on North Norfolk Action up to 31 October; how much expenditure has been incurred on (a) provider fees, (b) extra allowances, (c) fares to work, (d) publicity, (e) evaluation and (f) employment service running costs showing overall figures and how the provider fees and extra allowances were arrived at; and what is the net saving to the public funds which has resulted from the first six months of North Norfolk Action.
  Up to 31 October 16 people had found work following participation on the North Norfolk Action programme which represents 13·3 per cent. of all participants. The number leaving the register to go into work following Supportive Caseload interviews was 120 representing 35 per cent. of all those given such interviews.
  240
  Overall expenditure on North Norfolk Action which had been brought to account by 31 October was £205,182. This was made up as follows:
  (a)Provider fees—£87,349.
  1,770 trainee weeks at £49·34 (average cost) per week.
  (b) Allowances—£85,178.
  741 payments (made fortnightly) x £114·94 (average fortnightly payment: represents £47·47 plus £10 per week).
  This does not include other payments such as Housing Benefit, Council Tax Benefit etc., which are not paid by the Employment Service.
  (c) Fares to work—£2,455.
  (d) Publicity—£1,500.
  (e) Evaluation—Work to start in 1994.
  (f) Running costs—£28,700.
  It is not yet possible to estimate what, if any, benefit savings have resulted from North Norfolk Action. This is because such savings would be achieved only if people leave unemployment quicker than they would have otherwise have done, but without displacing others, and remain out of unemployment for longer. These effects can be estimated only when we have the full results of our planned evaluation. An evaluation exercise of supportive caseload is being conducted by my Research and Evaluation Branch and external contractors will shortly be appointed to assess the effects of participation in North Norfolk Action. Results should be available during 1994.
  Nor is it possible to make an estimate of the net effect of North Norfolk Action on the exchequer. For example this would require information about how expenditure on North Norfolk Action might have affected unemployment if it had been used in other ways.
  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.

  Trawsfynydd Power Station
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment when the defuelling process will be completed at the Trawsfynydd nuclear power station; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Eggar
  I have been asked to reply.

  This is a matter for Nuclear Electric plc subject to the Health and Safety Executive's nuclear installations inspectorates's requirements as to safety.

HEALTH

  Concorde (Staff Flights)
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the use of Concorde flights by health staff.

  Mr. Sackville
  Information about the use of Concorde by NHS staff is not collected centrally. We expect health staff to make proper and economic use of public funds when travelling at public expense.

  NHS Senior Managers
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if she will order the chairmen of all health authorities to initiate action to recover all irregular severance payments to NHS senior managers;

  (2) when she expects to be able to present to Parliament a report on investigations into irregular payments to arid by NHS senior managers.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Health authorities are required to make payments in accordance with their statutory powers.
  241
  If any payments are found to be irregular we would expect health authorities to consider, in the light of legal advice, to what extent they are recoverable. We supply to the Public Accounts Committee such information as they require following reports from the Comptroller and Auditor General giving cause to do so.

  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will request the Audit Commission to make a special audit report on the regularity of severance payments to senior managers.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  No.

  GP Fundholders
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many general practitioners expressed an interest in fundholding and received the start-up management and then did not proceed to become a fundholder in 1990–91, 1991–92 and 1992–93.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Information for 1990–91 is not available. A total of 310 practices expressed an interest in becoming fundholders in 1991–92 with 253 joining the scheme the following April. Six hundred and sixty-eight practices expressed an interest in 1992–93 with 580 joining the following April. Practices are reimbursed for the additional expenditure involved in preparing to manage a fund.

  Government Car Service
  Mr. Alan Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the annual cost to the Department of the car service for Ministers; and how many vehicles are involved.

  Mr. Sackville
  There are five cars and the basic projected annual cost for the current financial year is £253,626.

  Respite Care
  Mr. Jon Owen Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many families with children with disabilities have received respite care in each year since 1990; and what are the proposed figures for 1993.

  Mr. Bowis
  Information about the number of children receiving respite care was first collected centrally, following the implementation of the Children Act 1989, for the period 14 October 1991 to 31 March 1992. No information is collected centrally on the number of families. It is estimated that the number of children with disabilities looked after in England who received respite care during this period, specifically because their parents need relief from problems of stress of caring for them was 2,500.

  The decision to offer respite care is a matter for local authorities. Information for the year ending 31 March 1993 is not yet available centrally.

  Mr. Jon Owen Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to increase the number of respite carers for families of children with disabilities.

  Mr. Bowis
  Plans for respite services are a matter for local authority social services departments, according to local need, resources and priorities.

  Guy's and Lewisham NHS Trust
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was paid to Peter Griffiths, former chief executive of the Guy's and Lewisham NHS trust, upon his departure from that post.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Mr. Griffiths is still employed by the Lewisham National Health Service Trust, which is the successor authority to the Guy's and Lewisham NHS Trust.

  NHS Trusts (Salaries)
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance she has issued, or is planning to issue, to NHS trusts, regarding pay norms for 1994–95.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  There is no pay norm in 1994–95.

  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance has been issued to trust boards, regarding the need to observe a limit on pay rises for trust employees for the current year.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  On 12 November 1992, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State wrote to the chairmen of all health service employing bodies setting out arrangements for restraining public sector pay in the coming year. On 20 January 1993, the chief executive of the National Health Service Management Executive also wrote to general managers and chief executives giving guidance on the application of this policy.

  Copies of both letters are available in the Library.

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

  Mr. Sackville
  The number of press and publicity officers currently employed is as follows:

  Press —13 full time

  Publicity—20 full time and 1 part time

  Publicity officers are responsible for devising, developing, managing and monitoring a wide range of paid publicity campaigns to further the health promotion and other aims of the Department and the national health service. They are professional buyers of all forms of publicity, for example, advertising, videos, publications and research using around 300 different suppliers.

  Information for the years 1979 and 1985 is not available in the form requested.

  Human Corpses
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is her Department's policy towards the use by hospitals or medical research institutes of human corpses for scientific research into road accidents.

  Mr. Sackville
  Bodies may be donated to licensed medical schools, either in accordance with donors' wishes or when the family has agreed, under the terms of the Anatomy Act 1984. This Act makes provision for the use of such bodies for the purposes of anatomical examination, which is defined in the Act as examination by dissection
  243
  for the purposes of teaching or studying or researching into morphology, that is, the study of the form—anatomy—of the body. This precludes the use of such bodies for scientific research into road accidents.

  The Human Tissue Act 1961, which in specified circumstances and subject to the consent of the donor permits the use of bodies or parts of bodies for therapeutic purposes or for the purposes of medical education or research, does not preclude the use of bodies for medical research into road accidents.

  However, many people will regard the placing of bodies in cars which are then crashed, which is reported to have happened in other countries, as unacceptable as part of medical research. Local research ethics committees, which would have to consider any proposed medical research into road accidents, would be expected to take this viewpoint into account.

  Myodil
  Mrs. Mahon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action she is taking to help those suffering from arachnoiditis following treatment by Myodil used in spinal investigations to claim compensation from Glaxo; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Sackville
  The Medicines Control Agency complied with a High Court order for discovery of documents relating to Myodil in 1991, but has had no further involvement. Myodil has not been marketed since 1987 when it was withdrawn by its manufacturer.

  Broadmoor
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations she has received relating to the extent of racism at Broadmoor; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Bowis
  We have received no specific representations about racism at Broadmoor hospital, but we recognise, as does the Special Hospitals Service Authority, the importance of ensuring that the needs of black and other ethnic minority patients both there and in the other special hospitals receive proper attention. The recent report of the inquiry into the death of Mr. Orville Blackwood while a patient at Broadmoor made a number of recommendations directed to this. The report was welcomed by the SHSA, which will be reporting to me under the accountability review procedure on progress in implementing the recommendations. Broadmoor hospital has already introduced a strategy for improving services for black and other ethnic minority patients and has appointed a consultant to help establish closer links with relevant community and support organisations. Copies of the report are available in the Library.

  Waltham Forest District Health Authority
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proposals she has received relating to Waltham Forest from(a) the London initiative zone and (b) the London implementation group; and what is the estimated cost of each.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Waltham Forest has submitted to the London Implementation Group, primary health care development plans for the years 1993–94 and 1994–95. The plans contain proposals for improving Waltham Forest's244
  primary care infrastructure and for developing innovative practice in primary and community care. The estimated cost of the 1993–94 and 1994–95 proposals is £5 million.

  Health Benefit Claims
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1), pursuant to her answer of 29 November,Official Report, column 301, on the low income scheme, how many applications in 1992–93 for health benefits were (a) incorrectly filled in and returned to the claimant and (b) not successful in receiving help towards the item claimed; and what is the average financial help awarded to the claimants;

  (2) if she will publish the proposals made by the review into health benefits in respect of reforming or simplifying the AG1 claim form.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Proposals for simplifying the national health service low income scheme claim form AG1 remain under consideration. Implementation of any changes will be discussed with those who contributed to the review, including the National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux, before they are introduced. During 1992–93, approximately 18 per cent. of all claim forms were returned to the claimant for additional information or clarification. Full or partial help was offered on each completed claim form except for 3,000 where a capital holding in excess of £8,000 precluded an award. It is not possible to quantify the average financial help awarded. Holders of low income scheme certificates are entitled to receive national health service services free or at a reduced cost as and when these are needed during the currency of a certificate; they do not receive a specified financial award.

  Hospital Admissions
  Mr. Rendel
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of patients admitted so far in 1993 to hospitals in Berkshire as(a) emergency and (b) non-emergency cases were registered at (i) fund-holding and (ii) non-fund-holding general practices.

  Mr. Sackville
  This information is not available centrally. The hon. Member may wish to contact Mr. Richard Eassie, the chairman of Berkshire health authority, for details.

  Consultants
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many consultants have been suspended in each of the last 15 years; and how many from each year are still under suspension by regional health authority, district health authority and provider unit.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  ; This information is not available centrally.

  Self-medication
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimates she has made of the savings possible from her initiative to encourage self-medication.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  None.

  GPs
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the total number of patients deregistered by their general practitioners in each of the past five years, nationally and by region.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  This information is not available centrally.

  NHS Psychogeriatric Care Beds
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what consideration she has given to the report, "NHS Psychogeriatric Continuing Care Beds" published by the Alzheimer's Disease Society, copies of which have been sent to her Department; what action she is taking; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Bowis
  The report, which makes a number of recommendations for Government action, will be given full and careful consideration.

  NHS Sight Tests
  Dame Jill Knight
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what consultations she has had with optometrists concerning the level of expenses to be included in the NHS sight test fee for 1993–94.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The optometrists have been consulted as normal, through the established Whitley machinery, about the level of the national health service sight test fee.

  Dame Jill Knight
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what amount of the current NHS sight test fee is attributable to the reimbursement of optometrists' expenses.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The national health service sight test fee contains both a remuneration and expenses element. These components are not separately identifiable.

  Estates Information Systems Group
  Mr. Ainger
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what are the responsibilities and terms of reference of the national health service estates information systems group;

  (2) when the national health service estates information systems group was established; and to whom it reports.

  Mr. Sackville
  The group was established on 1 April 1992 and is part of National Health Service Estates, an

  Clients

  Potentially permanent accommodation

  Lost

  Focus team (Bloomsbury and Islington)

  280

  100

  30

  Mental health team (South East London)

  349

  102

  28

  Joint homelessness team (Westminster)

  443

  66

  92

  HELP team (East London and City)

  150

  33

  32

  Totals

  1,222

  301

  182

  Notes:

  1. The figures provided by the FOCUS team are estimates.

  2. A fifth team set up for Kensington and Chelsea has been running for less than one year. Valid data for this team are not yet available.

  3. The category 'potentially permanent accommodation' has not been taken to include the hostels which have been set up under the HMI.

  4. The exact definition of 'client' varies between teams.

  246
  executive agency of the Department of Health. It provides services to the NHS and other clients on a range of estates information systems and software products on a recover of cost basis. It also contributes to reducing the net cost of the agency's services by marketing activity. As part of the agency it is accountable to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State.

  Mr. Ainger
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many staff the national health service estates information systems group employs; and what has been its annual budget since it was established, in the current year and its projected annual budgets.

  Mr. Sackville
  The group employs 16 full-time staff.

  Since the group was established its annual budgets have been:—

  £ million

  1992–93

  1·5

  1993–94

  1·6

  As the service is provided on a recovery of cost basis, projected annual budgets will be in line with anticipated demands for its services.

  Mentally Ill People (Housing)
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many active clients the four mental health teams have set up under the homeless mentally ill initiative; and of these, how many have moved into potentially permanent accommodation;

  (2) if she will list for each of the four mental health teams set up under the homeless mentally ill initiative (a) the number of active clients, (b) how many have moved into potentially permanent accommodation and (c) how many clients were lost.

  Mr. Bowis
  [holding answer 2 December 1993]: The four community psychiatric teams set up under the homeless mentally ill initiative, for which figures are available, have had continuing contact over a period of time, with 1,222 clients; 301 of these have moved into potentially permanent accommodation.

  These figures are broken down by each of the teams in the table, which also shows the number of clients lost.
  247
  The figures indicate that the HMI has been very successful in making contact with this vulnerable group of people and bringing a significant proportion of them into care.

  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people entered a registered care home under the homeless mentally ill initiative(a) before and (b) after April 1993.

  Mr. Bowis
  [holding answer 2 December 1993]: Some homeless mentally ill initiative hostels have been set up as residential care homes. These hostels admitted 33 homeless mentally ill people before April 1993 and 27 after that date. In addition 49 homeless mentally ill people identified by the HMI community psychiatric teams entered other residential care homes before April 1993 and 19 after that date.

  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many units of permanent accommodation have been provided as part of the homeless mentally ill initiative announced in July 1990.

  Mr. Bowis
  [holding answer 2 December 1993]: We have funded up to 150 specialist short-stay hostel places: five hostels are already open providing 61 places. More hostels are being developed.

  Negotiations are currently taking place with interested parties, including the Housing Corporation, over the provision of permanent places to accommodate homeless mentally ill people in London.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  Regina v.Brown
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Attorney-General whether he will place a transcript of the Regina v. Brown appeal in the Library; and whether the case is being sent to further appeal.

  The Attorney-General
  No transcript of the judgment of the Court of Appeal is yet available.

  The Director of Public Prosecutions has invited the Court of Appeal to certify that a point of general public importance arises in relation to the meaning to be attached to the word "use" when applied to personal data within section 5 of the Data Protection Act 1984, and to grant leave to appeal on this point to the House of Lords. It is expected that the matter will be listed in the Court of Appeal before Christmas 1993 in order that the court may consider the application made by the Director of Public Prosecutions.

  Advertising
  Mr. Grocott
  To ask the Attorney-General 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.

  The Attorney-General
  The expenditure on press advertising by the Departments for which I am responsible in the financial year 1992–93 was £330,360. Corresponding figures for 1979–80 and 1985–86 can be provided only at disproportionate cost. There was no expenditure on either television or radio advertising in any of the years in question.

  Press and Publicity Officers
  Mr. Grocott
  To ask the Attorney-General how many press and publicity officers are currently employed in his Department; and how many were employed in(a) 1985 and (b)

  The Attorney-General
  There are currently eight full-time and one part-time press and publicity officers employed in the Departments for which I am responsible. There were no such officers employed in 1985 or 1979.

  Jonathan Goldberg QC
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Attorney-General if the Serious Fraud Office intends to refer the conduct of Jonathan Goldberg QC in the Levitt case to the Bar Council.

  The Attorney-General
  No. I understand that the matter has already been referred to the Bar Council.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

  Information Security
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 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. David Davis
  The Cabinet Office has no "sensitive documents unit". However, all Cabinet Office records are reviewed for continuing sensitivity in the period before their release by a team of up to four part-time reviewers who form part of the Cabinet Office records section. Records are reviewed in accordance with the guidelines contained in chapter 9 of the Open Government White Paper (Cmnd. 2290) of July 1993. Records that are withheld are subject to regular re-review. Approximately 100 linear feet of records are dealt with during a year.

  Advertising
  Mr. Grocott
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 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. David Davis
  Expenditure by the Office of Public Service and Science on press advertising in the last financial year was £608,957, of which £589,838 was incurred in connection with the citizens charter. There was no expenditure in this period on television or radio advertising.

  The corresponding information for 1985 and 1979 is not available in the form requested.

  Government Car Service
  Mr. Alan Williams
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what is the annual cost to the Department of the car service for Ministers; and how many vehicles are involved.

  Mr. David Davis
  During 1992–93, the charge to the Office of Public Service and Science for use of the Government Car Service by its departmental Ministers and the Government Whips was £420,088.

  Cloud Research
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what help he gives to encourage research(a) on how clouds modulate the climate system, (b) on cloud radiation problems and (c) on cloud profiling radar.

  Mr. David Davis
  The Government make funds available under the science budget to the research councils, which determine their priorities in accordance with the terms of their royal charters. Such research is supported by the Natural Environment Research Council and the Science and Engineering Research Council.

  The NERC is paying specific attention to these matters through a special topic called "Clouds, Aerosols and Radiation", at a total cost of £733,000. It is also supporting four training awards and four research grants, at a total estimated cost of approximately £700,000.

  31 March 1989

  20 February 1990

  As at;20 February 1991

  12 March 1992

  22 July 1993

  Buckinghamshire

  1

  1

  —

  —

  —

  Cheshire

  2

  1

  1

  1

  —

  Cornwall

  2

  2

  1

  2

  1

  Dorset

  1

  1

  1

  —

  —

  Gloucestershire

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Greater Manchester

  1

  1

  —

  —

  —

  Hampshire

  2

  2

  1

  1

  1

  Hertfordshire

  1

  1

  —

  —

  —

  Humberside

  2

  2

  2

  1

  —

  Isle of Wight

  1

  1

  1

  1

  1

  Lancashire

  14

  12

  9

  8

  4

  Lincolnshire

  1

  1

  —

  —

  —

  Norfolk

  1

  1

  1

  1

  —

  North Yorkshire

  1

  1

  —

  1

  —

  Northumberland

  1

  1

  1

  1

  1

  South Yorkshire

  1

  1

  1

  1

  1

  Staffordshire

  1

  1

  1

  1

  1

  Suffolk

  4

  4

  3

  3

  2

  West Sussex

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  West Yorkshire

  11

  8

  2

  3

  2

  Wiltshire

  2

  1

  —

  —

  —

  Totals

  52

  43

  25

  25

  13

  Fur Farms
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what animals other than mink or Arctic fox are kept on fur farms in the United Kingdom; what county or region they are in; what number of each particular animal are kept; and what is the minimum statutory cage size for the particular animals concerned.

  Mr. Soames
  No information is kept on the numbers or locations of particular species kept for fur farming except in respect of mink in the United Kingdom and Arctic foxes in Northern Ireland. There is no legislation governing the minimum cage size for fur-bearing animals.

  Rare Breeds
  Mr. Pickthall
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps her Department is taking to assess the effectiveness of rare breeds in conservation grazing schemes, with particular reference to the Hebridean sheep; and if she will study the means by which set-aside arrangements can be adjusted to help conserve rare breeds and control pernicious weeds.
  250
  The SERC has assisted in some preliminary studies for a spaceborne profiling radar, as a contribution to the global energy and water experiment of the world climate research programme. It is not possible to disaggregate the cost of this work from other SERC operations.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Mink Farms
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many mink farms have operated in each county in England in each year since 1984; and what is the current figure.

  Mr. Soames
  Information is readily available only for the last five years. The number of licensed mink farms in England by county, from 1989 to 1993, is shown in the table.

  Mr. Jack
  Our current research on conservation grazing does not include any work specific to Hebridean or other rare breeds of sheep. However a recent change to the EC set-aside rules has introduced the possibility of limited grazing of set-aside land in the autumn, including grazing by rare breeds.

  Incinerators
  Mr. Pickthall
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will list the incinerators in the north-west licensed to incinerate BSE-infected cattle and scrapie-infected sheep; and how many such carcases were destroyed in each of the last 12 months at each incinerator.

  Mr. Soames
  Incinerators are not specifically licensed for this purpose. One incinerator plant in the north-west in Derbyshire has held a contract with the Ministry for the disposal of carcases of cattle suspected of being affected with BSE since 1 July 1993. Specific information relating to this incineration plant as with all others contracted to the Ministry is classed as commercial-in-confidence.

  Mr. Pickthall
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what progress her Department is making to implement measures to conform to EC
  251
  Regulation 2078/92 regarding premium payments for the preservation of rare breeds of domestic animals; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Jack
  [holding answer 7 December 1993]: Our proposals for implementing EC regulation 2078/92 are based on a careful assessment of environmental priorities and the needs of the countryside. They do not include premium payments for the preservation of rare breeds of domestic animals but do include measures which will benefit local breeds such as, for example, Exmoor ponies in the case of the Exmoor environmentally sensitive area.

  Potatoes
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is her estimate of the tonnage of(a) seed potatoes of each variety and (b) ware potatoes by market description growing in England and Wales in (i) 1992 and (ii) 1993; what tonnages of each were sold for (x) home and (y) foreign seeds, and for human consumption by category; and what was the estimate made in 1992 in each case.

  Mr. Jack
  The total amount of certified seed grown in England and Wales in 1992 was 35,000 tonnes. A breakdown by variety is given in the table. For 1993 the estimate is 48,000 tonnes, but no varietal split is yet available. However, a breakdown by area grown is given in the table:

  Tonnage of certified seed by variety grown in 1992

  Tonnes

  Accent

  112·1

  Ailsa

  77·5

  Alcmaria

  52·9

  Aminca

  18·9

  Arran Cornet

  140·4

  Arran Pilot

  23·9

  Asterix

  3·3

  Ausonia

  535·4

  Balmoral

  119·4

  Bintje

  77·5

  Cara

  4,547·2

  Cleopatra

  50·0

  Colmo

  328·2

  Concorde

  65·6

  Concurrent

  85·0

  Costella

  1·0

  Cultra

  22·0

  Desiree

  1,350·7

  Duke of York

  0·9

  Dundrod

  12·0

  Epicure

  0·3

  Estima

  -6,120·2

  Fambo

  110·0

  Fianna

  3·5

  Foremost

  0·7

  Hermes

  —

  Home Guard

  93·2

  Kennebec

  44·3

  King Edward

  675·6

  Kondor

  150·9

  Lady Rosetta

  45·0

  Manna

  4·0

  Marfona

  3,491·0

  Marianna

  —

  Maris Bard

  1,364·9

  Maris Peer

  602·1

  Maris Piper

  1,415·8

  Minerva

  362·8

  Morene

  5·0

  Nadine

  910·0

  Obelix

  212·3

  Ostara

  223·6

  252

  Tonnes

  Penta

  128·6

  Pentland Crown

  121·4

  Pentland Dell

  1,002·4

  Pentland Hawk

  14·4

  Pentland Ivory

  4·0

  Pentland Javelin

  378·2

  Pentland Lustre

  1·2

  Pentland Squire

  698·8

  Pink Fir Apple

  25·0

  Premiere

  588·0

  Record

  1,157·4

  Red Pontiac

  29·2

  Rocket

  —

  Romano

  3,189·5

  Russet Burbank

  —

  Sante

  445·0

  Saturna

  2,419·6

  Sharpes Express

  6·3

  Shula

  —

  Stroma

  158·5

  Ulster Chieftain

  3·0

  Ulster Sceptre

  43·0

  Vanessa

  214·2

  Wilja

  1,200·6

  TOTAL

  35,287·2

  Area of certified seed by variety grown in 1993.

  Variety

  Hectacres

  First early

  Accent

  2·6

  Alcmaria

  1·6

  Aminca

  0·4

  Arran Comet

  5·8

  Arran Pilot

  0·9

  Colmo1

  13·6

  Concorde

  4·4

  Concurrent

  2·8

  Duke of York1

  2·9

  Dundrod

  1·2

  Foremost

  0·6

  Home Guard

  5·3

  Manna

  0·2

  Maris Bard

  110·1

  Minerva

  19·2

  Nikita

  0·2

  Ostara

  19·2

  Pentland Javelin

  24·2

  Premiere1

  20·3

  Provost

  0·7

  Rocket

  0·5

  Sharpes Express1

  0·6

  Ulster Sceptre

  0·1

  Vanessa

  6·8

  Second early maincrop

  Ausonia

  14·2

  Baillie

  0·4

  Balmoral

  1·6

  Bintje1

  6·0

  Brodick

  2·0

  Cara

  232·0

  Cornado

  0·8

  Desiree

  75·2

  Estima

  196·9

  Fambo

  21·0

  Fianna

  2·3

  Kerr's Pink

  0·4

  King Edward1

  28·8

  Kingston

  1·7

  Kondor

  7·2

  lady Rosetta

  30·5

  Marfona

  131·5

  Maris Peer

  43·4

  Maris Piper

  55·0

  253

  Variety

  Hectacres

  Morene1

  3·5

  Nadine

  58·0

  Obelix

  3·0

  Panda

  5·5

  Pentland Crown

  6·6

  Pentland Dell

  54·2

  Pentland Hawk

  2·0

  Pentland Squire

  53·0

  Picasso

  10·9

  Pink Fir Apple

  0·4

  Record

  17·5

  Red King Edward1

  1·3

  Remarka

  0·6

  Romano

  102·9

  Sante

  4·1

  Saturna

  107·2

  Stroma

  11·5

  Wilja

  58·5

  Total

  1,595·5

  1 Denotes non-immune variety

  Estimates of England and Wales seed tonnages sold for (x) home and (y) foreign use are not available. However, current estimates for the United Kingdom are:

  Seed (tonnes)

  Year grown

  1992

  11993

  21992

  (x) home use

  515,000

  488,000

  n/a

  (y) foreign use (exports)

  30,000

  42,000

  69,000

  1 Estimate.

  2 Estimated in 1992.

  A breakdown by market description of the ware potatoes grown in 1992 and 1993 is not available at the England and Wales level. However, utilisation of potato crops marketed in 1992 and 1993 calendar years is given below. These figures are subject to revision.

  Ware (tonnes)

  Year

  1992

  11993

  21992

  Ware for human consumption

  6,821,000

  6,026,000

  6,902,000

  of which:

  Ware for foreign market: raw

  120,000

  113,000

  98,000

  Ware for foreign market: processed (raw equivalent)

  76,000

  63,000

  76,000

  1 Estimate.

  2 Estimated in 1992.

  Agricultural Tenancy
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many representations she has received on reform of the law relating to agricultural tenancy; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Jack
  Since we published proposals for reform in February 1991, my right hon. Friend has received around 300 representations, almost all of which have expressed support for reform of the kind proposed.

  Advertising
  Mr. Grocott
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much her 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. Jack
  Expenditure on advertising by MAFF in the financial years 1985–86 and 1992–93 was as follows:254

  (a) TV

  (b) Radio

  (c) Press

  1985–86

  nil

  nil

  £29,000

  1992–93

  £475,000

  nil

  £19,000

  Figures prior to 1982–83 are not available in this form since they do not distinguish between expenditure on advertising and other paid publicity.

  Sheep Dip
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many representations she has received over the past 12 months on the use of organophosphate sheep dip; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Soames
  The Minister has received a number of representations over the past 12 months on the use of organophosphate sheep dip. I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Wellingborough (Mr. Fry) on 1 December.

  Press and Publicity Officers
  Mr. Grocott
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many press and publicity officers are currently employed in her Department; and how many were employed in(a) 1985 and (b)

  Mr. Jack
  The number of press and publicity officer currently employed by MAFF is 33. The corresponding figure for 1985 is 30. A figure for 1979 is not readily available.

  Information Security
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food 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. Jack
  The security requirements for IT systems and services used by central Government Departments including MAFF, 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 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 in 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.

  Fishing Licences
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many fishing licences have been issued in England and Wales to(a) under 10 m vessels and (b) over 10 m vessels up to the most recently available date.

  Mr. Jack
  As at 1 December some 3,900 10 m and under licences had been approved, or were likely to be
  255
  approved, for issue to fishing vessel owners in England and Wales. There were some 1,690 licensed vessels over 10 m in overall length in the English and Welsh fleet.

  Animals (Transit)
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will indicate how many animals were found at ports to be unfit to travel further in(a) 1992 and (b) so far in 1993.

  Mr. Soames
  In 1992 the number of farm animals inspected at portal lairages in Great Britain and found unfit for their international journey was 28,070. Since 1 January this year veterinary inspection of animals for journeys extending beyond United Kingdom territory has been carried out at the point of origin. Numbers of animals so inspected and found to be unfit for their journey are not recorded centrally.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many letters she has received from members of the public indicating that they have seen unsatisfactory treatment of animals in transit so far this year; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Soames
  Very few representations are received giving first-hand accounts of unsatisfactory treatment of animals in transit. The great majority of the letters received about the transport of animals are the result of general campaigns by animal welfare organisations.

  Mr. Dowd
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many representations have been received on the subject of the transportation of live animals since 1 November.

  Mr. Soames
  Since 1 November the Government have received nearly 17,000 pieces of correspondence, and 10 petitions representing 740 signatures, on the transportation of animals.

  Ministers (Foreign Visits)
  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will list the Ministers in her 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. Jack
  In 1988 the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food my right hon. Friend the Member for Norfolk, South (Mr. MacGregor) visited Malaysia and Singapore, in 1991 the Minister of State, Baroness Trumpington visited Saudi Arabia and in 1992 the Parliamentary Secretary, Earl Howe, visited South Africa on official business. None of these visits included party political activities.

  Fishing (Prosecutions)
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many prosecutions there have been since 1988 under the provisions of the Merchant Shipping Acts in respect of vessels that fish for profit in England and Wales.

  Mr. Jack
  Two owners of vessels in England and Wales have been prosecuted for fishing for profit while unregistered under the Merchant Shipping Act 1988.

  Toxic Waste
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment she has made of the extent of the unlicensed dumping of toxic waste off the coast of south Wales.

  Mr. Jack
  I have no information concerning any illegal dumping of toxic waste off the coast of south Wales. If the hon. Member has suspicions that such an operation is taking or has taken place I would welcome any details he may have and I will arrange for the matter to be fully investigated.

  Badger Setts
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many licences have been granted to disturb badger setts in each of the last five years; and where were the setts concerned.

  Mr. Soames
  Legislation requiring the issue of licences to allow interference with badger setts came into force in October 1991. The first licences were issued in February 1992 and the number issued since for each of the Ministry's regions is as follows:

  February to December 1992

  January to October 1993

  Northern Region

  1

  1

  North East Region

  5

  3

  North Mercia Region

  28

  18

  South Mercia Region

  13

  19

  East Midlands Region

  11

  11

  Anglia Region

  4

  3

  South East Region

  18

  25

  Wessex Region

  56

  105

  South West Region

  18

  23

  Total

  154

  208

  Mrs. Browning
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will make a statement about the link between badgers and tuberculosis in cattle generally, and in the south-west of England in particular, and about her Department's response to the prevalence of TB breakdowns.

  Mr. Soames
  Tuberculosis in cattle in some areas and particularly in the south-west of England remains a worrying problem. It has serious implications for animal health and for those farmers who have disease breakdowns in their herds. In the south-west of England this year there have been 197 new confirmed breakdowns up until the end of November, significantly exceeding 121 for 1992 as a whole.

  Two independent inquiries have looked into the question of bovine TB and concluded that one of the significant factors is the reservoir of infection in the wild badger population. The second enquiry by Professor Dunnet in 1986 recommended that the Department develop a diagnostic test to detect TB infection in the live badger. This has now been done and the test has been evaluated in field conditions.

  The results were presented to a meeting of the consultative panel on badgers and bovine tuberculosis which met on 18 November. While the panel was not unanimous in its views on the way forward, there was

  257
  general recognition that the Government needed to address the increased incidence of badger-related TB breakdowns. Agriculture Ministers have taken into account the views expressed at the meeting and have decided to set in place an action programme of six measures:

  1. research to develop effective vaccines for TB in badgers;

  2. research to develop new or improved diagnostic tests for the presence of infection in cattle and badgers;

  3. continued monitoring of infection in the wild badger population where appropriate;

  4. continued support for research into ways of avoiding transmission of disease from badgers to cattle;

  5. co-operation with university departments on proposed studies on the effects of badger removal operations on the badger population and its impact on the subsequent spread of disease within the badger population; and importantly,

  6. a trial of a new badger control strategy based on the application of the test for tuberculosis in the live badger.

  The trial will be undertaken in the areas of the south-west of England which have the greatest disease problem. The trial will have to run for at least five years to generate scientifically valid results and will look at the effect on the incidence of TB in cattle in the areas surrounding the farm where a TB breakdown occurs.

  There will be three approaches: no action at all against badgers where the farmer who has suffered the herd breakdown decides that no action should be taken; the application of the existing strategy of trapping and killing badgers on the farm or part of the farm were the disease outbreak occurrred; and finally, in about half the high-risk areas, an extension beyond the farm to apply the live test and to trap and test badgers on neighbouring farms. The trapping and testing will be carried out on a sett-by-sett basis: where a sett is found to contain one or more badgers positive to TB in the test then the positive badgers and any other badgers caught from that sett will be killed. Setts which test negative will not be disturbed. As in the current strategy no action will be taken if there is no evidence to suggest that the original breakdown in the cattle herd was related to badgers. Agriculture Ministers have also decided to continue the existing policy of not killing any lactating sows which are trapped because of the resulting impact on the cubs which are dependent on her.

  In areas outside the trial the existing arrangements will continue which will mean that no action will be taken against badgers on any farm in those areas where there has been a tuberculosis breakdown unless it has been specifically sanctioned by a sub-Committee of the consultative panel on badgers and bovine tuberculosis.

  I will be depositing a note in the Library of the House today.

  Civil Servants
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will list for each civil service grade in her Department(a) the total number of people employed, (b) the total number of black people and (c) the total number of Asians.

  Mr. Jack
  The information set out in the table as at 1 October 1993 relates to non-industrial staff in MAFF and its agencies and is derived from responses to a voluntary questionnaire completed by 95 per cent. of staff.

  By grade

  Total staff

  Black

  Asian

  1

  1

  —

  —

  2

  6

  —

  —

  3

  27

  —

  —

  4

  12

  —

  —

  258

  By grade

  Total staff

  Black

  Asian

  5

  120

  —

  1

  6

  163

  —

  1

  7

  920

  —

  11

  SEO

  985

  4

  9

  HEO

  1,875

  8

  14

  EO

  1,839

  16

  24

  AO

  2,330

  68

  76

  AA

  2,056

  85

  62

  Total

  10,334

  181

  198

  The figures are given by grade equivalent and include all permanent staff, excluding casuals. Part-time staff are counted as one. These figures do not include staff who have classified themselves as "other ethnic minority" when responding to the questionnaire.

  Equine Viral Arteritis
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps she is taking to combat and eliminate equine viral arteritis; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Soames
  I am meeting representatives of the equine industry on Thursday 9 December in order to discuss possible action that might be taken to combat future outbreaks of the disease.

  Mink
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food which type of premises other than fur farms are licensed to keep mink; how many of each type of premises there are; and where they are.

  Mr. Soames
  For the period 1 April 1992 to 31 March 1993, the most recent for which information is available, licences to keep mink on premises other than a fur farm have been issued to a wildlife centre in Staffordshire and a country park in Lancashire.

  Wages Board
  Dr. Strang
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will place in the Library the responses to the consultation on the future of the Agricultural wages board.

  Mr. Gillian Shephard
  [holding answer 3 December 1993]: Copies of all the responses to the consultation have been placed in the Library of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and are available to public scrutiny.

  I am still considering the responses to the consultation. Once I have reached conclusion, a summary of the responses will be made available in the Library of the House.

ENVIRONMENT

  Ozone Working Group (Montreal Protocol)
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what decisions were taken at the meeting of the Ozone working group of the parties to the Montreal protocol held in Bangkok from 8 to 9 November; and what assessment he has made of the effect on halon production and use in the United Kingdom.
  259
  Mr. Yeo
  The fifth meeting of the parties to the Montreal protocol took place in Bangkok from 17 to 19 November. The main issue at the meeting was replenishment of the protocol's multilateral fund, and it was agreed that the fund's budget for 1994–96 should be $510 million, which, after taking account of uncommitted resources, implies a $455 million replenishment.

  It was also agreed that there should be no continued production of halons in developed countries in 1994 to meet essential uses. This means that there will be no production or supply of new halons in the United Kingdom in 1994.

  Durham (Boundary Commission Inquiry)
  Ms Armstrong
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the estimated costs of reopening the Boundary Commission inquiry into County Durham; what is the estimated cost to local authorities in Durham; and what additional finance he will make available to them.

  Mr. Baldry
  The resources which we are making available to the Local Government Commission, £5·124 million in 1993–94 and £8·300 million in 1994–95, should be adequate to enable it to complete all the reviews of local government structure in the shire counties of England by the end of 1994. My right hon. Friend has announced proposals for the arrangements for any start-up costs of local government reorganisation incurred by authorities in 1994–95.

  Council Tax
  Mr. Spellar
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what advice his Department has given to local authorities regarding computer systems for operating the council tax.

  Mr. Baldry
  To assist authorities in specifying the requirements of their computer systems to their suppliers, the Department has funded the production of a council tax requirement specification which was distributed to authorities in March 1992. The Department has also produced detailed guidance on the operation of the tax in the form of nine practice notes and a continuing series of implementation letters.

  Homelessness
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what discussions he has had with organisations that look after homeless people In(a) London and (b) other major cities of the United Kingdom as to what help his Department will be giving to such organisations during the Christmas and new year period; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir George Young
  As part of the Government's rough sleepers initiative, £1·5 million has been allocated to fund seven cold weather shelters in central London this winter. These will provide around 360 bed spaces, open from 1 December to 31 March, for people who would otherwise spend the winter months sleeping on the streets of the capital. A further 280 beds are also available at short notice in the event of particularly severe weather. My officials have been in regular contact with the voluntary sector since July to plan this and to ensure that the programme proceeds smoothly.
  260
  In England—the extent of the Department of the Environment's remit-outside central London, housing responsibility for all homeless people properly rests with local authorities, who should include within their housing strategies measures to meet the accommodation needs of people sleeping rough on the streets. To complement these measures the Department is paying £6·45 million in grants this year to over 170 projects around the country run by voluntary organisations to prevent and relieve homelessness.

  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his estimate of the number of elderly homeless people at risk in central London who do not have access to suitable accommodation.

  Sir George Young
  The most recent count, undertaken by the voluntary sector in June 1993, found nearly 360 people sleeping rough in central London, of whom about 40 were believed to be aged over 60. Most of these older rough sleepers had been on the streets for at least five years. They will have received several offers of accommodation and resettlement support under the Government's rough sleepers initiative in central London, which will continue for a further two years.

  Community Care
  Mr. Hendry
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what evidence he has to support the view that the measures contained in the National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990 which allow social services authorities to sponsor individual residents of housing association homes will eliminate the need for special needs management allowance and transitional special needs management allowance.

  Sir George Young
  Local authorities have long had the power to sponsor clients placed in homes run by housing associations. One of the basic rules of the Housing Corporation's distribution of the resources available for revenue grants to such homes has been that Exchequer grant should not be paid in cases where clients are sponsored by their social services authority. To help with the introduction of the new community care arrangements, however, the Government agreed with the Housing Corporation that for the current financial year this "sponsorship" rule should be relaxed. No decisions have been taken yet about the arrangements beyond this financial year, but before they are taken we will take into account the representations which housing associations and others have made about this issue.

  Mr. Raynsford
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what response he has given to the findings contained in the report of the National Federation of Housing Associations, "Funding of Registered Care Homes", a copy of which has been sent to him.

  Sir George Young
  I plan to meet the chairman and director of the NFHA later this month to discuss the issues raised in its report.

  Local Government Review
  Mrs. Helen Jackson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received from the teacher trade unions with regard to their employment conditions in the light of the local government review.
  261
  Mr. Baldry
  We have received no direct representations from the teacher trade unions, but I have discussed with the Trade Union Congress's local government committee the implications of the review for local government employees in general.

  Environmental Reports
  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he will issue his reports on(a) the third annual review of progress on "This Common Inheritance", (b) sustainable development, (c) biodiversity and (d) climate change; and if he will ensure that each report is issued separately for consideration by Parliament.

  Mr. Yeo
  Regarding publication of the Government's sustainable development strategy for the United Kingdom and the other documents following the earth summit at Rio, I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend to the hon. Member for Stroud (Mr. Knapman) on 2 December 1993, at column 656. The third report in the series, "This Common Inheritance", which will take account of the strategy, will be published shortly afterwards. We shall lay the documents before the House in the normal way.

  Climate Change Convention
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what arrangements have been made for the ratification by the United Kingdom, before the end of 1993, of the climate change convention.

  Mr. Yeo
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Finchley (Mr. Booth) on 3 December,Official Report, column 764.

  Disabled Facilities
  Sir John Hannam
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to put an upper limit on disabled facilities grants; what the limit will be; and if it will include value added tax and professional fees.

  Sir George Young
  I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Stamford and Spalding (Mr. Davies) on 3 November 1993,Official Report, column 206. The £20,000 limit will apply to all mandatory renovation grants, including grants for disabled facilities, for which applications are submitted to local authorities on or after 14 January 1994.

  The limit is inclusive of any VAT chargeable on works carried out and professional fees and other ancillary costs incurred by applicants in undertaking grant-aided works. However, works qualifying for mandatory disabled facilities grant are zero rated for VAT purposes.

  There is no limit to the size of discretionary disabled facilities grants given by local authorities under part VIII of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989.

  The Solent
  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to lay before the House the revised regulations and designated sites for the Solent under the Ramsar convention.

  Mr. Yeo
  We are waiting for detailed proposals from English Nature for the listing of Southampton Water and the Solent as a Ramsar site.

  Environmental Assessment Summit
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if his Department will participate in the international summit on environmental assessment, to be held in Quebec city in June 1994.

  Mr. Yeo
  Yes.

  Global Warming
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what research he is grant-aiding in relation to the vertical and horizontal measurements of the distribution of greenhouse gases in his global warming programme; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Yeo
  Global atmospheric research is detailed in "Department of the Environment Global Atmosphere Research Programme 1992–93, Contract Information Schedules", copies of which have been placed in the Library. The research programme includes measurements of the vertical distribution of ozone, monitoring of a range of greenhouse gases, including a contribution to the international global atmospheric gases experiment, and modelling studies of greenhouse gas distribution. The work is carried out in collaboration with the atmospheric sciences programme of the Natural Environment Research Council and is aimed at improving the representation of greenhouse gases in climate models of the Department's climate prediction programme at the Hadley centre, Bracknell.

  Thermal Oxide Reprocessing Plant
  Mr. Alan W. Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many representations his Department received on the consultation exercise on THORP before 4 October; how many of them were in favour of THORP going ahead and how many against; and if he will summarise the conclusions of the exercise.

  Mr. Yeo
  About 42,500 responses were received during the consultation exercise. They are still being assessed. Detailed information about the responses will be made available once they have all been considered.

  Nitrogen Dioxide Monitoring Stations
  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his oral answer to the hon. Member for Pontypridd (Dr. Howells) of 1 December,Official Report, columns 1034-35, what are the precise locations of the nitrogen dioxide monitoring stations.

  Mr. Yeo
  The Department of the Environment which monitors nitrogen dioxide continuously at 21 stations. These are located as follows:

  Site name and area

  Grid reference

  1. Stevenage, Hertfordshire

  TL237225

  2. Cromwell Road, London Kerbside

  TQ264789

  3. West London, London Earls Court

  TQ251788

  4. Glasgow, Strathclyde

  NS595653

  5. Manchester, Greater Manchester

  SJ838980

  6. Walsall, West Midlands

  SO995985

  7. Billingham, Teesside

  NZ470237

  8. Sheffield, South Yorkshire

  SK403905

  9. Bridge Place, London Victoria

  TQ289788

  263

  Site name and area

  Grid reference

  10. Lullington Heath, East Sussex

  TQ538016

  11. Strath Vaich, North Scotland

  NH347750

  12. Ladybower, Derbyshire

  SK164892

  13. Central London 2, London Bloomsbury

  TQ302820

  14. Cardiff Centre, South Glamorgan

  ST184765

  15. Belfast 2, Belfast Centre

  J339744

  16. Birmingham Centre, West Midlands

  SP064868

  17. Edinburgh Centre, Lothian

  NT254738

  18. Newcastle Centre, Tyne and Wear

  NZ250646

  19. Leeds Centre, West Yorkshire

  SE299343

  20. Bristol Centre, Avon

  ST594732

  21. Liverpool Centre, Merseyside

  SJ349908

  Merseyside Housing
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many grants for house improvement grants were awarded in the five Merseyside boroughs last year; how many applications are outstanding:, what representations his Department has received about targeting resources for house improvements and the redesignation of districts as housing action areas; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir George Young
  Figures showing the number of house renovation grants paid in the Knowsley, Liverpool, St. Helens, Sefton and Wirral local authority areas in 1992 and for the first half of 1993 under the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 and under the Housing Act 1985 are in the quarterly publication "Local Housing Statistics", issues No. 107, tables 3(a) and 3(b). Figures for the first half of 1993 are provisional. A copy of the publication is in the Library.

  The Department does not collect data on the number of house renovation grant applications outstanding.

  Over 400 written responses were received following the issue of the consultation paper on the future of private housing renewal programmes on 21 June 1993. I announced short-term changes arising from that consultation on 3 November and I refer the hon. Member to the Official Report, column 206.

  Liverpool Airport (Planning Application)
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will call in the Liverpool airport planning application, consider it in tandem with the Manchester application, appoint the same inspector to consider both and base a decision on a coherent approach to the north-west region as a whole.

  Mr. Baldry
  I understand that the application was submitted to the relevant local planning authorities on 3 December. It is for those authorities in the first instance to undertake statutory and other consultations and reach a preliminary view on the proposals, before the question of intervention by the Secretary of State would be considered.

  Environment Council
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what matters were discussed; what decisions were taken; and what was the voting record of each member state at the Environment Council in Brussels on 2 December.
  264
  Mr. Yeo
  [holding answer 3 December 1993]: I attended the Environment Council meeting on 2 December in Brussels. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment attended on 3 December.

  A common position was reached unanimously on a directive to set further reductions in passenger car emissions. It will apply to all cars sold in the EU as from 1 January 1997. The directive also commits the Commission to come forward, by the end of 1994, with proposals for further substantial reductions in emissions from the year 2000.

  The Council agreed that the Community will ratify the Copenhagen amendment to the Montreal protocol. Member states will ratify, as far as possible, simultaneously and not later than 30 June 1994. Political agreement was reached on the proposed regulation on substances that deplete the ozone layer. The production and use of methyl bromide is to be frozen in 1995 at 1991 levels, with a 25 per cent. cut by 1998. The consumption of hydrochlorofluorocarbons is to be capped in 1995, with a cut of 35 per cent. in 2004. The level of the cap will be 2·6 per cent. of the chlorofluorocarbon consumption plus all HCFC consumption in 1989. The production and import of HCFC's will be controlled by quotas once 80 per cent. of the cap, or the year 2000, has been reached. Use controls of HCFC's will be introduced. There will be a duty to recover and to prevent leakages of controlled substances in certain circumstances.

  A common position was reached on an amendment to the hazardous waste directive deferring implementation to spring 1995. The United Kingdom abstained because of concern over the definition of hazardous waste which would have had the effect of making all wastes contained on the list deemed hazardous in all circumstances.

  The Council discussed progress reports on the amended proposals for directives on waste landfill and the disposal of polychlorinated biphenyls and PCTs. There was an open debate about the Commission Green Paper on remedying environmental damage. My right hon. Friend made clear the Government's concerns about over-restrictive liability regimes. Progress on the follow-up to the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development was briefly discussed.

  In discussion of implementation and enforcement of Community environmental legislation, the Council agreed to work for the consistent and effective application of legislation in all member states. The Council will review the position in specific sectors at future meetings.

  The amended proposals for a directive on packaging and packaging waste and the Community strategy for climate change were discussed at length; the Council will resume discussions on these on 13 December.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT

  Aid Budget
  Mr. Tom Clarke
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the implications of the spending plans and the projections of economic growth and inflation announced on 30 November for the level of aid to developing countries.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  The spending plans announced on 30 November reflect the Government's firm commitment
  265
  to a substantial and effective aid programme. The aid budget, covering aid to developing countries and assistance to central and eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, is planned to rise by £83 million by 1996–97, compared with the 1993–94 provision. The Government do not forecast future aid/GNP ratios. The DAC ratios are calculated on calendar year expenditure.

  Mr. Tom Clarke
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much of the combined aid budget for the current financial year announced on 30 November will be devoted to assistance to(a) central and eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union and (b) developing countries, as defined by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  The provision for 1993–94, announced last year, is £1,900 million for aid to developing countries and £232 million for assistance to central and eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. From 1994–95 there will be a combined aid budget. Details of expenditure by country and region will continue to be shown in the annual British aid statistics.

  Mr. Tom Clarke
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much of the combined aid budget announced on 30 November for each of the years 1994–95, 1995–96 and 1996–97 will be devoted to assistance to(a) central and eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union and (b) developing countries, as defined by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  The combined aid budget will allow the Government to allocate aid more effectively in response to the needs of countries individually. The main focus of our aid programme will continue to be to reduce poverty and suffering in the poorest countries, particularly those in Africa and Asia, as well as to provide know-how assistance for countries in central and eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. The levels of our assistance are carefully reviewed each year in the light of the public expenditure survey outcome. Details of expenditure by country and region will continue to be shown in the annual British aid statistics.

  Non-governmental Organisations
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what criteria are used in allocating Government funds to non-governmental organisations working overseas.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  For humanitarian aid we require proposals addressing the assessed needs. The key objective in allocating Government funds in such circumstances is saving lives. The size and scope of the disaster, steps being taken by the local government or by the Red Cross or Red Crescent Society and action taken or proposed by United Nations organisations and other non-governmental organisations are also important factors affecting our decisions.

  Funds for long-term development are allocated for activities which are judged to contribute to our aim of promoting sustainable economic and social development and improving the quality of life for poor people generally. Organisations must proviede evidence that they have the
  266
  capacity to carry out the projects or programmes for which they have sought support. They must also demonstrate that they are able to account properly for the funds.

  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what methods are used to monitor the spending of non-governmental organisations working overseas that receive financial grants from Her Majesty's Government.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  For disaster relief we receive both narrative and financial reports from non-governmental organisations on the spending of grants. The regularity of reporting depends on the period covered by the grant.

  Organisations receiving funds for long-term development work submit regular financial and progress reports and a final report is submitted on completion of the work.

  We also undertaken periodic evaluations, in cooperation with NGOs, of their development work and their systems for assessing its effectiveness.

  United Nations High Commission for Refugees
  Mr. Patrick Thompson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance he is giving to enable the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to respond to emergency situations in the current year.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  My noble Friend the Minister for Overseas Development has approved an additional contribution to UNHCR of £1·35 million—equivalent to $2 million—to help replenish its emergency fund. This will enable UNHCR to continue to make initial responses to emergencies, in advance of putting together a longer-term assistance programme.

  Britain's overall contributions to UNHCR activities this year now amounts to £50·75 million.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Iraq
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has as to the use of chemical weapons against the marsh Arabs; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Reports of the use of chemical weapons in the southern marshes of Iraq last September caused us great concern. We immediately offered resources to the United Nations Special Commission to help it investigate the allegations and a British scientist took part in the UNSCOM 65 mission to the marshes in November. UNSCOM could find no immediate evidence that chemical weapons had been used at the sites visited. However, the mission took a large number of soil, water, fauna and flora samples which are now being analysed. Conclusive results will not be known for some months. We remain committed to supporting UNSCOM in its search and destruction of Iraqi weapons of mass destruction.

  Hong Kong
  Mr. Waterson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the People's Republic of China about the
  267
  freedom of movement of Hong Kong residents who are holders of BN(O) passports after 1997; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Goodlad
  The terms of memoranda exchanged by the United Kingdom and Chinese sides and associated with the Joint Declaration enable Hong Kong residents with British National (Overseas) Passports to use these passports as travel documents after 1997. Under the Joint Declaration and the Basic Law all Hong Kong residents, including BNO passport holders, will enjoy freedom of travel.

  Common Foreign and Security Policy
  Mr. Cash
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will set out in detail the procedures and new mechanisms for co-operation in the field of common foreign and security policy to which he referred in his speech in Bologna on 29 November; and if he will indicate under which specific provisions of the Maastricht treaty each of these procedures and mechanisms is established.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  The provisions of title V—common foreign and security policy—of the treaty on European Union, which came into force on 1 November, introduce some new mechanisms to make intergovernmental co-operation among the member states on foreign policy more efficient. Chapter IV of the report on implementation of the treaty on European Union, which was agreed at the Brussels European Council on 29 October, sets out some of the practical details of implementation of the provisions of title V. The report is available in the Library of the House.

  Council of Ministers
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether Her Majesty's Government support the proposals by the Belgian presidency of the EU seeking to implement a common code on the publicity given to documents provided to or initiated by the Council of Ministers; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  The Foreign Affairs Council on 6 December agreed a code of conduct for the Council and the Commission to follow in responding to requests by members of the public for access to documents held by the Council or the Commission. We supported the presidency's proposals, which fulfilled a commitment entered into at Maastricht.

  World Service
  Mr. Ainger
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the current position of the new relay station for the World Service in Thailand; and when he expects it to be completed.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  We have reached agreement in principle with the Thai authorities for the construction of the new relay station. Detailed site survey work, which is required before final project approval can be given, is close to completion. The target date for completion of the project is 1996.

  Mr. Ainger
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what will be the impact of the 268
  reduction in his Department's grant to the World Service of the BBC on the range of language services; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  The funding provision for the World Service from 1994–95 to 1996–97 will enable it to introduce two new language services, Uzbek and Azeri. There are no plans at present to discontinue any existing language service, but small reductions are likely in the hours of broadcast of a few services.

  Mr. Ainger
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the BBC on the practical impact of reductions in his Department's grant to the World Service.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  The planned funding levels for the 1994–95 to 1996–97 triennium, discussed in advance with the BBC, have been protected despite the toughest expenditure round for years. Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials and the World Service have already provisionally discussed resource allocation for the triennium on the basis of these planned figures. Now that the figures have been confirmed, we will agree with the World Service a more detailed plan for the triennium.

  CSCE Meeting
  Mr. Atkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the meeting of the CSCE Ministers in Rome.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  [pursuant to his reply 7 December 1993]: The fourth paragraph should read:
  "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."
  Unfortunately no agreement was reached at the Rome Council on Nagorno-Karabakh and the Minsk process.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Car Parks
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what steps he is taking or considering to ensure that the large car-parking providers offer a more secure environment for the parking of vehicles;

  (2) what steps he is taking to stimulate awareness and activity among car-parking providers on security matters so as to bring their efforts up to those of vehicle manufacturers;

  (3) what steps he is taking to ensure that local government car parking providers ensure a higher degree of security in their car parks;

  (4) what consultations he is planning with major car parking companies to encourage greater security of car parking facilities;

  (5) what consideration he has given to introducing a system by which car owners and drivers can evaluate the safety of available car parking facilities;

  (6) what discussions he has had with his European counterparts on the way in which car parking providers can be made more responsible for vehicles parked in their premises for a fee;

  (7) what steps he is considering to increase the degree of responsibility borne by car parking providers for the safety of vehicles in their care.
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  Mr. Charles Wardle
  Last year, the Home Office published crime prevention unit paper No. 34, "Preventing Car Crime in Car Parks", a copy of which is in the Library. This was widely distributed.

  My predecessor, my hon. Friend the Member for Fylde (Mr. Jack), met the major car parking operators, local authority associations, consumer bodies and others in January to discuss what could be done to improve car park security. I intend to have a further meeting early next year to review progress.

  We urge all car park operators to support the national secured car park scheme, which was launched by the police in September 1992, with Home Office support. Under that scheme, operators can apply for an award if their premises meet prescribed security standards. This enables motorists to identify car parks with good security. Both local authorities and private operators are participating in the scheme. Awards have been made to more than 150 car parks and many more are pending.

  There have been no specific discussions with our European counterparts on this matter.

  Life Sentences
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many inmates serving life sentences are at present being detained in any open prison establishment in England and Wales.

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

  Letter from A. J. Butler to Mr. Tom Cox, dated December 1993:
  The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question about the number of inmates serving life sentences being detained in any open Prison Service establishment.
  On 31 October 1993, the latest date for which information is available, there were 274 life sentence prisoners detained in open Prison Service establishments in England and Wales.

  Prisons
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what extra money and staffing is now under consideration by his Department to meet the cost of his policy on prison population; and if he will make a statement.

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

  Letter from Derek Lewis to Mr. Tom Cox, dated December 1993:
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about resources for dealing with the projected prison population.
  Following the recently announced Unified Budget decisions, the Prison Service will give priority to providing and staffing additional places. These include over 2000 new houseblock places in existing prisons by 1996–97, at a total cost of £120m, and approximately 3600 places in six new prisons. The first two of these are expected to be completed in 1997–98. It is intended that they should be privately financed and the costs will depend on the size, design, role, site and ground conditions.
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  Directly employed staff numbers are planned to increase by 1200 between 1993–94 and 1996–97, at an approximate cost of £30m. It will be for the private contractors to decide the staffing of the new prisons.

  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the current year's budget for each London prison; how much will be spent in the current year in each London prison; and if he will make a statement.

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

  Letter from Derek Lewis to Mr. Tom Cox, dated December 1993:
  Budgets of London Prisons
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the current year's budget for each London prison and how much will be spent in the current year.

  The position is set out in the following table:

  Establishment

  Annual budget year 1993–94

  Forecast Outturn as year 1993–94

  Outturn as percentage of budget

  £

  £

  Belmarsh

  20,931,948

  20,722,799

  99·1

  Brixton1

  21,226,193

  20,732,800

  97·6

  Holloway

  15,194,894

  14,917,646

  98·1

  Latchmere House

  2,199,317

  2,174,693

  98·8

  Pentonville

  15,292,359

  15,183,192

  99·2

  Wandsworth

  21,022,124

  20,859,075

  99·2

  Wormwood Scrubs

  20,029,785

  19,776,811

  98·7

  1 Includes the addition of £376,000 for plated meals because the kitchen has been closed.

  The figures suggest that there will be an underspend at each of the London prisons but the forecast totals are likely to increase as the prison population is rising during the second half of the financial year. Adjustments may be made to allocations in the year.

  DNA Genetic Profiling
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will estimate the number of individuals who will provide a non-intimate sample for DNA genetic profiling purposes by the year 2000, 2010 and 2020 under his proposals; and whether he will make a statement.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  The numbers will depend upon the extent to which police forces make use of the powers that the Government propose to give to them.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what period he intends that DNA genetic profiles will be retained; and whether the length of time will be affected by the nature of the offence.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  The Government do not propose to set any statutory limit on the period during which the DNA records of those convicted of recordable offences can be retained.

  Prisons (Hospital Beds)
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the number of hospital beds at each of the London prisons on 15 November; and what was the number of prison inmates being held in each of the prison hospital wings.
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  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the director general of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply.

  Letter from Derek Lewis to Mr. Tom Cox, dated December 1993:
  I have been asked to reply to your recent Question about prison hospital beds at each of the London prisons on 15 November.
  I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to his earlier Question on 2 December 1993 (column 671).

  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how costs are borne in respect of inmates treated at the hospital of a prison other than the one on whose roll they are counted.

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

  Letter from Derek Lewis to Mr. Tom Cox, dated December 1993:
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about costs in respect of inmates treated at the hospital of a prison other than the one on whose roll they are counted.
  When a prisoner is transferred to another prison for medical reasons, the accommodation, treatment and related costs are customarily borne by the receiving prison. The transport costs are borne by the sending prison.

  Baroness Thatcher
  Mr. Hain
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the cost of police security provided for Baroness Thatcher to sign copies of her memoirs at bookshops.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  This information is not held centrally.

  Car Boot Sales
  Mr. French
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which police forces regularly patrol car boot sales where the sale of stolen goods is suspected.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  This information is not available centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Decisions about the deployment of officers are operational matters for chief officers.

  Computer Pornography
  Mr. French
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information he has on the most frequent means of distribution of computer pornography to children.

  Mr. Maclean
  I am aware of reports of cases where computer disks containing pornography have exchanged hands in school playgrounds, although it is impossible to estimate reliably how many children may have been exposed to computer pornography in this way. In such cases the police are able to act under the Obscene Publications Acts 1959 and 1964. There is also evidence of pornographic material being transmitted along public telephone lines from computer bulletin boards. Such activity is an offence under the Telecommunications Act 1984.

  Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1989
  Sir Ivan Lawrence
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what arrangements he has made for the current year's review of the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1989; and how observations from interested persons or organisations should be submitted for consideration.

  Mr. Howard
  I am glad to say that Mr. J. J. Rowe QC, this year's chairman of the Bar Council, has accepted my invitation to succeed Viscount Colville of Culross QC in carrying out this annual review. Viscount Colville has performed this task with great dedication and integrity and has deservedly won widespread respect. I am extremely grateful to him for this invaluable public service.

  Written observations about the operation of the Act should be submitted to Mr. Rowe, do Room 647, Home Office, 50 Queen Anne's Gate, London SW1H 9AT by 15 January 1994.

  Prison Deaths
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will make a statement on the death of Nauwit Zinzuwadia at Her Majesty's prison Welford road, Leicester;

  (2) how many deaths there have been in each year and in which prisons in each of the last 15 years; what percentage of those deaths have been suicides; and what other categories of death have been registered;

  (3) what steps he is taking to reduce the number of deaths in prison.

  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.

  Letter from A. J. Butler to Mr. Keith Vaz, dated December 1993:
  The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your three recent Parliamentary Questions about deaths in custody.

  Death of Nauwit Zinzuwadia at Leicester Prison
  You asked for a statement about the death of Mr. Zinzuwadia in Leicester prison on 16 June this year. I will endeavour to explain the sequence of events, but may I say at the outset how very saddened we in the Prison Service are by this tragedy.
  Mr. Zinzuwadia was received into Leicester prison from Leicester Magistrates' Court on 24 July 1991 charged with burglary, threats to kill, affray, and having an imitation firearm with intent.
  Upon reception, Mr. Zinzuwadia did not display any suicidal tendencies although he did report a history of alcoholism, and treatment for depression at Leicester General Hospital.
  Mr. Zinzuwadia was granted bail on 11 September 1991. On 7 January 1992 he was committed for trial to Leicester Crown Court, and on 5 October 1992 he was convicted of affray and possessing an imitation firearm with intent, and was remanded for pre-sentence reports.
  On 30 October 1992 he was sentenced to 30 months' imprisonment, and on 10 November 1992 he was transferred to Ashwell Prison.
  At Ashwell Mr. Zinzuwadia was treated for various minor physical complaints, but did not show any psychiatric symptoms until 18 May 1993, when he was diagnosed as depressed and paranoid but not suicidal. Anti-depressive medication was prescribed and Mr. Zinzuwadia was to be seen again the following day.
  It appears from the medical records that Mr. Zinzuwacdia

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  expressed dislike of the open regime at Ashwell. On 19 May consideration was given to transferring Mr. Zinzuwadia to Leicester after his condition was reviewed and continued to cause concern. Initially, Dr. de Silva at Leicester was not prepared to accept Mr. Zinzuwadia due to pressure on accommodation in the small health care centre at that prison. After discussions with the Duty Principal Medical Officer, however, the transfer was agreed. On arrival at Leicester Mr. Zinzuwadia was located in the ward and he was seen by Dr. de Silva on 20 May. Mr. Zinzuwadia indicated that he was being "got at" by other inmates at Ashwell and felt unable to cope with prison. He displayed no suicidal
  Mr. Zinzuwadia settled well at Leicester and associated normally with other prisoners. On 24 May his medical condition was reviewed. He was assessed by Dr. de Silva as stable, level in mood and displaying no evidence of serious mental disorder or suicidal ideation, and was returned to Ashwell. His symptoms are ascribed to cannabis abuse, and he was warned about this.
  On 15 June Mr. Zinzuwadia became disturbed, assaulted a member of staff and had to be restrained using Control and Restraint techniques. He appeared to have become paranoid about staff. Dr. Moore, the medical officer at Ashwell, was concerned about Mr. Zinzuwaida's disturbed mental state and contacted Dr. de Silva to see whether Mr. Zinzuwadia could be returned to Leicester. She considered he needed further psychiatric assessment at the parent health care facility at Leicester. It was agreed that Mr. Zinzuwadia was suitable for transfer. On arrival back at Leicester Mr. Zinzuwadia was placed in single furnished accommodation in the health care centre under normal observation.
  At 8.30 hours on 16 June Mr. Zinzuwadia made a phone call to his wife, and was permitted to make further calls on the official line as his phonecard had been used up. A Health Care Officer noted that the phone conversation seemed normal.
  Later that morning Dr. de Silva interviewed Mr. Zinzuwadia and concluded that he was displaying symptoms of an acute paranoid psychosis. He prescribed 100mgs of Largactil to be taken three times a day. No suicidal tendencies or fears of injury from anyone else were identified. Mr. Zinzuwadia was located in single accommodation as a precaution, as he had recently been displaying paranoid tendencies and had assaulted staff only 24 hours previously.
  Later on 16 June Mr. Zinzuwadia requested a family visit for the following day, and this request was agreed by Dr. de Silva, who noted that he did not seem in a depressed mood at this time. Dr. de Silva saw him again on the landing of the health care centre at around 15·30 and noted no signs of distress.
  At 18.30 on 16 June both a Health Care Officer and an inmate cleaner spoke to Mr. Zinzuwadia after the evening meal and he gave no obvious indications of any distress, although the Health Care Officer formed the view that Mr. Zinzuwadia "didn't seem talkative".
  At 19.10 on 16 June the same Health Care Officer looked in to Mr. Zinzuwadia's cell and saw that he was standing against the window bars, opposite the cell door. He was looking towards the floor, and his arms were hanging down by his side. The Health Care Officer spoke to Mr. Zinzuwadia, who did not reply, so he entered the cell and established that Mr. Zinzuwadia was hanging from the window bars by a ligature made of white cord. He supported Mr. Zinzuwadia by using his own body to wedge Mr. Zinzuwadia's body against the window bars while he unhooked the ligature from around the neck. He carried Mr. Zinzuwadia to the bed, shouted for help, and began resuscitation. No pulse was detected.
  An inmate responded to the shouts, ran to the cell and at the Health Care Officer's request ran to the office to summon help. The inmate also collected a resuscitation box from the treatment room.
  Another officer then arrived with Dr. Chahal, and resuscitation was continued. An external ambulance crew also arrived and attempted to monitor Mr. Zinzuwadia's respiration. After discussion between Dr. Chahal and the ambulance crew, resuscitation was discontinued, and Mr. Zinzuwadia was pronounced dead at 19.30 hours.
  At the inquest, the jury concluded that he died from suicide whilst the balance of his mind was disturbed. There was no finding of any lack of care on the part of the Prison Service.

  Deaths in custody 1978–1993
  You asked for a breakdown of deaths in custody by Prison Service establishment since 1978, distinguishing suicides from
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  other deaths. The information is set out in the attached tables. Information about suicides includes all apparent self-inflicted deaths.

  Measures to reduce deaths in prisons
  There are generally around 70–80 deaths in Prison Service custody each year. A little over half of these (41 in 1992) are self-inflicted. Most of the remainder are by natural causes. I shall assume that our interest lies principally in self-inflicted deaths.
  Suicide is a very complex problem, to which there is no simple or single solution. There are many vulnerable people in prison, and we cannot remove all the causes of distress which lead to emotional crisis. Identifying prisoners at risk is an imprecise science, and much depends on the willingness of prisoners to confide their feelings in staff or volunteer befrienders. It is also extremely difficult, without resort to oppressive measures, to prevent a prisoner who is absolutely determined to kill himself from doing so.
  The Prison Service is, however, committed to the care of prisoners and we are taking a wide range of measures to enhance the quality of care. Our strategy involves both "primary care" to create an environment which helps prisoners to cope with problems, combined with "special care" to identify and support prisoners in times of crisis. The strategy aims to minimise the risk of suicide though it cannot eliminate it.
  The key elements of primary care are good relationships between staff and prisoners, active regimes, decent physical conditions and maintaining a safe and ordered environment. This includes action to reduce bullying: one of the main causes of suicidal crisis, particularly among young prisoners. We issued an anti-bullying guide to establishments in June.
  Personal officer schemes have now been introduced into the vast majority of establishments. The relationship between the personal officer and the prisoner is the crucial first line of help with the prisoner's problems.
  Our approach to the provision of special care is multi-disciplinary. Suicide is far from being simply a medical problem and we aim to involve the whole prison community. All establishments have Suicide Awareness Teams which meet regularly to review local policy, monitor incidents and develop new ideas. They also maintain staff and prisoner awareness and identify training needs. We have a dedicated Suicide Awareness Support Unit in Prison Service Headquarters to develop national policy and spread good practice.
  Branches of the Samaritans are represented on local Suicide Awareness Teams and at most establishments visit prisoners regularly. Some also have special phone links. Samaritan services to prisoners are co-ordinated by a national liaison officer.
  "Listener" Schemes, in which selected prisoners are trained by the Samaritans to befriend other prisoners in distress, are now established in 40 prisons and planned in many others. You may be aware that Leicester prison is currently introducing a Listener scheme.
  Staff training in suicide awareness has been reviewed in the light of new research, and a new package recently issued to establishments, together with a video ("Misadventures") which was produced in collaboration with the Samaritans.
  We have also carried out a thorough review of our procedures and documentation for managing prisoners identified as at risk. This review has taken as its starting-point Judge Tumim's conclusion in his report of 1990 that the existing procedures relied too heavily on medical assessment and treatment. New procedures, which will be introduced by 1 April 1994, aim to improve communication and teamwork, and particularly to make greater use of the skills of prison officers in identifying, counselling and supervising those at risk.
  A new screening form will also be introduced, aimed at improving the way prisoners' health care needs—both physical and mental health—are identified on reception. Assessment of suicide risk will continue to be part of the new reception procedure.
  The provision of specialist health care services remains an important aspect of the strategy, particularly where suicide risk is related to treatable psychiatric problems. The Director of Health Care is carrying out a comprehensive programme of development aimed at ensuring that prisoners have access to the same standards of health care in prison as people in the community. Where prisoners are suffering from mental disorders under the Mental Health Act 1983 the policy of the Government is that they should be cared for within the NHS rather than the penal system.

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  The Prison Service, the Criminal Department of the Home Office and the Department of Health are together taking a range of measures aimed at diverting mentally disordered people from prison, improving the psychiatric assessment of prisoners and facilitating transfers to hospital under the 1983 Act in appropriate cases.
  As the tables accompanying this letter are too lengthy to be produced in Hansard, copies have been placed in the House of Commons Library.

SCOTLAND

  Common Fisheries Policy
  Mrs. Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last attended a meeting of the Fisheries Council to discuss developments in the common fisheries policy as they affect the Scottish fleet; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir Hector Monro
  I attend Fisheries Councils regularly, the most recent being the Luxembourg Council in October, and will do so again on December 20.

  Hospital Waiting Lists
  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last met representatives of the health service in Scotland to discuss hospital waiting lists.

  Mr. Stewart
  My noble and learned Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Health last discussed hospital waiting lists with health board chairmen on 25 June. Departmental officials last discussed the matter with health board general managers on 27 October.

  Lecturers and teachers, by local education authority area in Scotland March 1986 to March 1993

  Full-time equivalents

  1986

  1987

  1988

  1989

  1990

  1991

  1992

  1993

  Borders

  1,202

  1,187

  1,190

  1,178

  1,189

  1,225

  1,252

  1,281

  Central

  3,358

  3,301

  3,310

  3,307

  3,208

  2,956

  2,959

  2,951

  Dumfries and Galloway

  1,753

  1,748

  1,748

  1,722

  1,696

  1,713

  1,713

  1.713

  Fife

  4,287

  4,228

  4,248

  4,259

  4,247

  4,264

  4,215

  4.443

  Grampian

  5,888

  5,871

  5,827

  5,571

  5,898

  5,878

  6,205

  6.015

  Highland

  2,396

  2,632

  2,657

  2,644

  2,703

  2,786

  2,859

  2,892

  Lothian

  7,787

  7,970

  7,856

  7,868

  7,855

  7,887

  7,705

  7,912

  Strathclyde

  27,643

  27,746

  27,396

  27,286

  28,102

  27,442

  27,389

  27,351

  Tayside

  4,609

  4,580

  4,634

  4,711

  4,820

  4,733

  4,618

  4,630

  Orkney

  260

  267

  263

  281

  287

  286

  291

  302

  Shetland

  398

  398

  400

  409

  421

  442

  451

  481

  Western Isles

  501

  513

  517

  488

  495

  472

  476

  444

  SCOTLAND

  60,083

  60,441

  60,045

  59,724

  60,919

  60,085

  60,133

  60,415

  Health Care (Glasgow)
  Mr. Dunnachie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will meet the chairman of the Greater Glasgow health board to discuss health issues in the Glasgow area.

  Mr. Lang
  I refer the Gentleman to the reply I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Hillhead (Mr. Galloway).

  Mr. David Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he next intends to meet the chairman and the board of Greater Glasgow health board to discuss health matters in Glasgow; and if he will make a statement.

  Sport and Recreation
  Mr. Canavan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has for the development of sport and recreation in Scotland.

  Sir Hector Monro
  The Government's policies for sport and recreation in Scotland are implemented principally through the Scottish Sports Council, which receives annual grant-in-aid from my right hon. Friend. The council's objectives are to increase participation and improve performance in sport and recreation at all levels.

  Education (Administration)
  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list in respect of each local education authority area in Scotland in each year since 1986 the number of people who are(a) wholly engaged in administration, (b) engaged in administration and teaching and (c) wholly engaged in teaching.

  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 1 December 1993]The table details the full-time equivalent number of lecturers and teachers employed in Scottish local education authority areas as at March in the respective years. No information is held centrally on the number of lecturers, teachers and other staff who, either wholly or partly, carry out an administrative role. The information is taken from the joint staffing watch, a survey run jointly by the Scottish Office and the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities. Specific information on the numbers of school teachers can be found in the statistical bulletin "Pupils and Teachers in Education Authority Primary and Secondary Schools".

  Mr. Lang
  I would be happy to meet the chairman of Greater Glasgow health board on a mutually convenient date to discuss health matters in Glasgow.

  Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh
  Mr. Eric Clarke
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the starting date of the proposed new Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh.

  Mr. Stewart
  Lothian health board's acute services strategy, which includes proposals for a new Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, is currently out to public consultation. My right hon. Friend looks forward to
  277
  considering the proposals in detail once public consultation is complete and the board has submitted its final plans to him for approval.

  Jetstream Factory, Prestwick
  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with other Departments concerning the future of the Jetstream factory at Prestwick; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Stewart
  The Scottish Office has been in close touch with colleagues in other Departments, in particular the Department of Trade and Industry, about Jetstream Aircraft. The Government's commitment to the future development of the Prestwick manufacturing factory is evidenced by a substantial offer of regional selective assistance—one of the largest offers ever made in Scotland.

  Structural Plans
  Sir David Steel
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his policy on accepting or amending draft structural plans from regional councils.

  Mr. Lang
  Policy guidance on structure plans is set out in SDD circular 32/1983 and planning advice note 37, a copy of which is available in the Library.

  European Regional Development Fund
  Sir David Knox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the total value of grants that Scotland has received from the European regional development fund since its inception.

  Mr. Stewart
  Since the inception of the European regional development fund in 1975, Scotland has benefited from awards totalling almost £1·2 billion.

  Scottish Enterprise
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the budget of Scottish Enterprise.

  Mr. Stewart
  Scottish Enterprise's budget for 1993–94 stands at £451·3 million. My right hon. Friend shall be announcing shortly Scottish Enterprise's budget for 1994–95 in his statement on public expenditure in Scotland.

  Drugs-related Deaths (Glasgow)
  Mr. Watson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will establish a full public inquiry into drugs-related deaths in Glasgow.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  No. A conjoined fatal accident inquiry was held into four of these deaths on 1 and 2 November. To enable consideration to be given to the wider policy issues, the Crown Office has made available to the Scottish Office information collected by the procurator fiscal about these four and other similar deaths during the past two years. This information is being studied by the drugs task force under the chairmanship of my noble and learned Friend the Minister of State which is currently reviewing policies to tackle drug misuse in Scotland.

  Salmon
  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what further measures he proposes to take to assist the Scottish salmon farming industry.

  Sir Hector Monro
  The minimum import price for Atlantic salmon introduced by the European Commission with effect from 20 November provides a temporary floor to the EC market. I hope that the industry will respond quickly to the Commission's invitation to update the information it submitted in 1991 in support of allegations of dumping on to the EC market by Norwegian exporters, so as to allow a further investigation to proceed. In addition, Scottish Office officials have met the Commission Services about the introduction from 1 January 1994 of a reference price for salmon to provide a basis for any future safeguard action, as well as discussing with the industry the possible establishment of producer organisations and other measures to reduce cyclical fluctuations and market imbalance for salmon.

  Mr. Kynoch
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the number of rod-caught Salmon on Scottish east coast rivers in the last recorded year and five years ago.

  Sir Hector Monro
  My Department's catch statistics show that 64,124 salmon and grisle were caught by rod and line on Scottish east coast rivers in 1992 as compared with 69,439 in 1988.

  Set-aside
  Mr. Bill Walker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received about the European Union set-aside rules and payments for Scotland.

  Sir Hector Monro
  Since the introduction of the arable area payments scheme my right hon. Friend and I have received representations about the set-aside rules and about payments from a number of organisations and individuals.

  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement about the arable set-aside scheme.

  Sir Hector Monro
  The main purpose of the set-aside element of the arable area payments scheme is to reduce arable production in all member states. It therefore has an important role to play in meeting the objectives of reform of the common agricultural policy.

  River Clyde (Dredging)
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when his officials last met representatives of Clydeport Ltd. to discuss the dredging of the River Clyde.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Scottish Office officials meet Clydeport Ltd. from time to time. Such contacts cover a range of topics.

  Local Government (Monklands)
  Mr. David Shaw
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last discussed the standard and quality of local government in the Monklands area of Scotland.

  Mr. Stewart
  My colleagues and I continue to take a close interest in the provision of local government in the Monklands area, as elsewhere in Scotland.

  Howie Report
  Mr. Raymond S. Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what progress is being made with regard to the consideration of the Howie report in view of the representations which have been received.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  I am still considering the Howie committee's proposals for the reform of upper secondary school awards in Scotland in the light of the representations which have been received. Decisions will be announced as soon as possible.

  House Building
  Mr. Chisholm
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many public sector houses were built in Scotland last year.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The information requested is contained in table 5 of the Scottish Office Statistical Bulletin (Housing Series) No. HSG/1993/8— "Housing Trends in Scotland"—which is available in the House Library.

  Industrial Waste
  Mr. McAvoy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has for making safe sites contaminated by industrial waste; and what will be the cost to the Exchequer.

  Sir Hector Monro
  Responsibility for dealing with contaminated sites rests with the site owners. Any Government contribution towards the cost of decontamination is likely to come mainly through the Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise networks, which have between them £95 million to devote to environmental activity, including decontamination work. The level of priority and resources to be allocated to such work is a matter for the local enterprise companies to decide.

  As far as local authorities are concerned, the capital allocation to their general services budget is not targeted and it is for each council to determine its own priorities for expenditure on any such work.

  Homelessness
  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what further steps he is taking to tackle homelessness in Scotland.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Housing authorities have the statutory responsibility for dealing with homelessness. On 1 December I announced £4.35 million extra resources for expenditure on 36 homelessness projects by housing authorities in 1993–94.

  This is in addition to the £513 million allocated to housing authorities in March for investment in public and private housing in 1993–94. Homelessness is one of the three priorities which housing authorities have been asked to address in their housing strategies and output targets.

  Agriculture
  Mr. Welsh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last met the National Farmers Union to discuss current financial problems in Scottish agriculture.
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  Sir Hector Monro
  I have regular meetings with the National Farmers Union of Scotland at which we discuss current issues and prospects for the fanning industry. The last such meeting took place on 13 October. My right hon. Friend last met the SNFU on 24 November.

  Fatal Accident Inquiries (Payment)
  Mr. Robert Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will now review the regulations and rules governing eligibility for payment from public funds to those represented at fatal accident inquiries.

  Mr. Lang
  I have no plans to do so.

  Irvine Development Corporation
  Mr. Donohoe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what further consideration he has given to the wind-up programme for Irvine development corporation.

  Mr. Stewart
  The consultation exercise on the making of wind-up orders for Irvine, Cumbernauld and Livingston development corporations has now been completed. After giving careful consideration to the responses received, I have now made wind-up orders for all three corporations. These orders will come into effect on 1 January 1994 and will provide for the wind-up of the corporations to commence on 1 January 1994 and be completed by 31 December 1996. They also include provision for the revocation of the corporations' special development orders on 31 March 1996 with protection to preserve the effect of any certificate of authorised development for a further period of five years.

  Firth of Forth (Road Bridge)
  Mr. Darling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what public consultation he proposes to hold on whether a second road bridge should be built across the Firth of Forth at Queensferry; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The proposal for a new bridge across the Firth of Forth is part of a package of proposals which includes improvements to road, bus and rail services in the cross-Forth and west of Edinburgh areas.

  Other proposals were identified in the Government's paper "Setting Forth" which was the subject of wide-ranging public consultation in 1992. A scheme to build a new bridge would be subject to the usual statutory procedures, which would include formal consultation before a possible public inquiry.

  Forestry Commission Land
  Mr. Tipping
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland in respect of which areas of Forestry Commission land assurances have been issued that they will not be privatised; and according to what criteria these decisions are made.

  Sir Hector Monro
  [holding answer 25 November 1993]Ministers will await the advice of the Forestry Review Group before considering what action, if any, should be taken in respect of the ownership and management of Forestry Commission woodlands.

  Mr. Laurence Peterken
  Mr. George Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what conditions were attached to the appointment of Mr. Laurence Peterken to the NHS executive.

  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 2 December 1993]A condition of Mr. Laurence Peterken's appointment as special projects director was that he agreed not to pursue any action against Greater Glasgow health board.

DEFENCE

  Eurofighter 2000
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what stage of development has been reached in the Eurofighter 2000 project; and if he will make a statement with particular reference to the partnership between the Government and the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany.

  Mr. Aitken
  I met my German opposite number, State Secretary Schönbohm, in Munich last month. We reviewed the progress of the EF 2000 development programme with the senior management of the German and United Kingdom partner companies in the Eurofighter consortium, and were assured that first flight would occur in April 1994 and that there are no major technical problems affecting this or other aspects of the development programme. We agreed on the importance of the project to both countries.

  Information Security
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 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. Aitken
  The code of practice for information security management has been developed by, and established for use by, commercial organisations; it does not specifically address the requirements for the protection of official information. The security requirements for IT systems and services used by central Government Departments have been developed specifically for use within Government, and are reviewed regularly to ensure best practice.

  Defence Radiological Protection Service
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the unclassified reports produced by the Defence Radiological Protection Service since January 1992; and if he will place copies of each unclassified report in the Library.

  Mr. Hanley
  The list of reports is given:

  Title

  Report number

  Marine Environmental Radioactivity Surveys at Nuclear Submarine Berths in United Kingdom—1991.

  ISBN 0 11 772746 6 (Available from HMSO at £10·50)

  282

  Title

  Report number

  Survey of the Garden at 1 and 2 Repository Road, Woolwich

  1/92

  DRPS Compendium of PQs and Answers for 1990 and 1991

  2/92

  Marine Environmental Radioactivity Survey—Hong Kong

  3/92

  HMNB Chatham—Dose Statistics 1970–1989

  4/92

  Marine Environmental Radioactivity Survey of the Falkland Islands

  5/92

  Determination of the Neutron Sensitivity of Thermoluminescent Detectors

  6/92

  Response of the MD 3 Radiac Instrument

  7/92

  Marine Environmental Radioactivity Survey—Gibraltar 1992

  12/92

  MOD Tritium Inventory

  13/92

  DRPS RADON Dosimetry Service—Investment Appraisal

  14/92

  Acceptance Testing of Temperature Controlled Baths

  15/92

  Laboratory Support to RAF St. Athan

  16/92

  RPA Group Performance Indicators

  17/92

  Laboratory Support to RAF Carlisle—12/92

  1/93

  RAF Carlisle Clearance Survey

  2/93

  Laboratory Support to RAF Carlisle—1/93

  3/93

  Laboratory Support to RAF Brize Norton 2/93

  4/93

  Generic and Inherited Effects of Radiation

  5/93

  Marine Environmental Radioactivity Survey—Bermuda 10/92

  6/93

  Radiofrequency Survey of Little Content Farm

  7/93

  Laboratory Support to RAF Carlisle—3/93

  8/93

  Marine Environmental Radioactivity Survey of Holy Loch 1992.

  ISBN 0 11 772764 4 (Available from HMSO at £8·50)

  Marine Environmental Radioactivity Survey—Diego Garcia 11/92

  10/93

  Dose Statistics 1992

  11/93

  Training of Health Physics at DRPS

  12/93

  Investigation to Determine Background Levels of Radon in DRPS Radon Dosimetry Laboratory

  14/93

  Laboratory Support to RAF Carlisle—8/93

  15/93

  Etch Envelope Investigation for Radon CR-39 Elements

  16/93

  Ditton Park Surveys

  17/93

  18/93

  19/93

  Laboratory Support to INM Training

  20/93

  Flushing of CR-39 Storage Cabinets

  21/93

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  Title

  Report number

  Marine Environmental Radioactivity Surveys at Nuclear Submarine Berths in United Kingdom—1992

  1—

  1To be published by HMSO at end of 1993.

  I will arrange for copies to be placed in the Library.

  Radioactivity Surveys
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statment on the findings of(a) the marine environmental radioactivity survey of Gibraltar, DRPS report 12/92, (b) the marine environmental radioactivity survey of Hong Kong, DRPS report 3/92, (c) the marine environmental radioactivity survey of Bermuda, DRPS report 10/92 and (d) the marine environmental radioactivity survey of Diego Garcia DRPS report 11/92.

  Mr. Hanley
  The reports referred to are part of a routine programme of environmental radioactivity surveys which is carried out by the Defence Radiological Protection Service around all berths in the United Kingdom and dependent territories that are used by nuclear powered warships. In each case, the findings demonstrate that there has been no radiological hazard to any member of the public as a result of nuclear powered warship operation.

  Sea Harrier Squadrons
  Mr. McFall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for Royal Navy Sea Harrier squadrons to request participation in flag exercises in north America.

  Mr. Hanley
  There are no plans to request participation by Royal Navy Sea Harriers in flag exercises in north America.

  Mr. McFall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for Royal Navy Sea Harrier squadrons to conduct training at Canadian forces base Goose Bay.

  Mr. Hanley
  There are plans for Royal Navy Sea Harriers to conduct training at Goose Bay.

  RAF Aircraft (Goose Bay)
  Mr. McFall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many weapons, and of what types, were dropped by Royal Air Force aircraft during training from Canadian forces base Goose bay in each year since 1989.

  Mr. Hanley
  Numbers of practice weapons dropped in the southern low-level training area weapons range are as follows:

  1992

  1993

  Inert 1,000 lb bombs

  285

  100

  Inert 28 lb practice bombs

  315

  180

  There is no regulatory requirement to hold records of weapons expended for more than one year; details of weapons dropped in the years before 1992 are therefore not available.
  284
  Mr. McFall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the requirements of(a) Royal Air Force Tornado GR1 units and (b) Royal Air Force Tornado F3 units for use of medium level airspace for training at Canadian forces base Goose bay.

  Mr. Hanley
  The RAF's principal requirement for training at Goose bay is to enable Tornado GR1s to practice operational low flying and to conduct day/night, all-weather, terrain-following radar operations. There is, therefore, no requirement for Tornado GR1s to operate in medium-level airspace other than on the rare occasions when aircraft require an air test. Tornado F3s deployed to Goose bay would not plan to operate regularly at medium level, although they may do so from time to time in support of the low-level training sorties of other aircraft.

  Military Aircraft (Practice Interceptions)
  Mr. McFall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what are the minimum horizontal ranges to which a military aircraft carrying out a practice interception on a non-co-operating civil aircraft is permitted to approach its target;

  (2) if he will make a statement on the changes made to procedures for practice interceptions of civil airliners, following the aircraft proximity hazard incident off Fife on 22 October 1992;

  (3) what instructions are contained in the group air staff orders of No. 11 Group Royal Air Force, concerning the procedures to be followed by RAF aircraft conducting practice interceptions of non-co-operating civil aircraft.

  Mr. Hanley
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire (Mr. Kirkwood) on 29 November 1993,Official Report, column 369.

  Armed Forces (Commitment)
  Lady Olga Maitland
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made on the ability of the armed forces, on the completion of "Options for Change", to meet all the commitments in NATO, Northern Ireland, Bosnia, Falklands, Cyprus and emergency duties; what areas will have priority; and which areas will have to be reassessed.

  Mr. Hanley
  The Government's plans for force restructuring are set out in "Defending Our Future", the 1993 Statement on the Defence Estimates. They are kept under constant review to ensure that Britain's armed forces remain well placed to meet our commitments at home and overseas. We have demonstrated our readiness to make adjustments to our plans to ensure that this remains the case.

  Fife (Aircraft Proximity Hazard Incidents)
  Mr. McFall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what access the joint airmiss working group had to the recordings of radio communication between the RAF Buchan air defence radar unit and the RAF Tornado involved in an aircraft proximity hazard incident with an Air UK BAe 146 aircraft off Fife on 22 October 1992, for the purposes of their investigation into that incident.

  Mr. Hanley
  The joint airmiss working group did not investigate this incident, which was reported under the
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  parallel aircraft proximity hazard—APHAZ—scheme. APHAZ reports are investigated initially by the Civil Aviation Authority and analysed by an independent body of aviation, civil and military specialists known as the joint APHAZ assessment panel—JAAP. In this case, the JAAP had no access to the radio recordings or transcripts from RAF Buchan since these were classified. The JAAP did, however, receive reports from RAF Buchan and RAF Leuchars, the home base of the Tornado aircraft involved in the incident.

  Information Security
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 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. Hanley
  MOD records are reviewed for continuing sensitivity in accordance with the guidelines set out in the open government White Paper—Cm 2290.

  There are 27 mostly part-time reviewers—equivalent to 15 full time—five of which—three full time—are employed on sensitivity review. Records reviewed are accounted for in linear footage. In the 12 months to 31 October 1993, some 340 linear feet of records were examined by the sensitivity reviewers.

  Nitro-cellulose and Nitro-glycerine
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether there is a strategic requirement for the United Kingdom to retain the capability to produce nitro-cellulose and nitro-glycerine for small arms ammunition; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Aitken
  We do not regard the maintenance of this capability in the United Kingdom as a strategic necessity. As with all elements of the defence industrial base, however, we monitor developments in the industry carefully.

  Bosnia
  Mr. Robert Ainsworth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many vehicles are currently in use by British forces in Bosnia; how many offer full armoured protection to the occupants; and how many are soft skinned.

  Mr. Hanley
  There are currently 917 vehicles of all types deployed in the United Kingdom within the former Yugoslavia. Of that number 190, including 65 Warriors, are armoured, giving all-round protection. The remaining 727 vehicles consist of trucks, bulk fuel vehicles, Land Rovers, engineers' plant and mechanical handling equipment. Not all of those vehicles will be in use at any one time.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what requests he has received to provide assistance in the investigation of alleged war crimes in Bosnia; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hanley
  None, although British forces in Bosnia have facilitated investigation by providing armed escorts and armoured transport to United Nations investigators of alleged war crimes. They gave similar assistance to Dame 286
  Anne Warburton during her investigation earlier this year into the treatment of Muslim women in the former Yugoslavia.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his policy regarding the provision of assistance by British forces in the investigation of allegations of war crimes in Bosnia; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hanley
  British forces in Bosnia provide assistance where possible to the United Nations or other official investigators of alleged war crimes on request.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which units have been identified to replace United Kingdom forces currently serving in Bosnia when their tours of duty expire; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hanley
  No decisions have been taken about a further roulement of British forces in Bosnia in April-May next year. As a matter of sensible contingency planning, however, the 2nd Battalion, Royal Anglian Regiment has been identified and warned off as a possible replacement for 1st Battalion, Coldstream Guards, if a further six months deployment were to be undertaken.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information on alleged war crimes committed in Bosnia has been gathered by British forces deployed in the area; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hanley
  Any information British forces come across during the course of their duties is passed to the relevant United Nations authorities for investigation.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what policy developments have occurred in relation to the provision of assistance by British forces in the investigation of allegations of war crimes in bosnia in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hanley
  None.

  Defence Support Agencies
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish the criteria that he uses to assess the quality of work carried out by defence support agencies.

  Mr. Hanley
  The quality of the service delivered by defence agencies is measured in a number of ways which are tailored to the particular circumstances of each agency. Typically, these include key performance targets and agency reports and accounts, all of which are published annually, and the close involvement of the end user either through customer satisfaction surveys or formal boards, where representatives can ensure that their requirements are met and highlight any concerns. In some cases, defence agencies have achieved accreditation to BS5750 or have adopted a total quality approach to their activities—both giving my Department additional measures or quality or performance.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will provide a list of all the performance targets that have been established for defence support agencies.
  287
  Mr. Hanley
  This is a matter of public record.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what defence support agencies he intends to establish in the next 12 months.

  Mr. Hanley
  Areas under review for defence agency status in the next 12 months are the Ministry of Defence police; RAF Training Group; the Fleet Maintenance and Repair Organisation; the Naval Marine Services Organisation; Army Logistic Information Systems; Army Engineer Services; RAF Signals; test and evaluation; Sales (Disposals); Service Children's Schools abroad but outside the Service Children's Schools (North West Europe) defence agency.

  This process will involve, inter alia, consideration of operational implications and of prior options, including privatisation and contracting out. Final decisions will be taken case-by-case if it is clear that the best solution is to retain the activity within the Ministry of Defence.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the weighted number of allied quality assurance publication non-conformances by the Naval Aircraft Repair Organisation defence support agency in 1992–93; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hanley
  This matter falls within the responsibilities of the chief executive of the Naval Aircraft Repair Organisation defence agency under its framework document. I have asked the chief executive to write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from Captain D. Symonds, Royal Navy, to Dr. David Clark dated 7 December 1993:
  In response to your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Defence concerning the weighted number of allied Quality Assurance publication Non-conformances by the Naval Aircraft Repair Organisation Defence Agency (NARO DA) in 1992–93:
  The weighted number of allied Quality Assurance publication non-conformance by the NARO DA in 1992–93 was:

  Number

  Fleetlands

  548

  Almondbank

  124

  NARO Total

  672

  The ratio of weighted non-conformances per audit showed a 19·6 per cent. improvement over the year in 1992–93.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what policy developments have occurred in respect of defence support agencies in the last two years; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hanley
  In 1992 the Department conducted an internal review of next steps in the Ministry of Defence. Four main conclusions were reached: that greater attention needed to be paid to the Department's ownership role vis-a-vis its agencies; that programmes of training and education needed to be developed; that reviews for agency status should place much greater emphasis on strategic and management planning; and that resources should be provided for the development of agency accounting and management information systems.

  Action has been taken or is in train under each of these headings. In addition, it was decided that the distinction
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  formerly drawn between executive agencies in defence and defence support agencies had become counterproductive as it meant that agencies were viewed as falling into one or the other and as defence support agencies report to the Secretary of State through military or management channels of command rather than directly, this led to the retention of unnecessary central control. Accordingly, all next steps agencies in defence are known as defence agencies.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will provide details of all of the penalties that he has imposed on defence support agencies for non-performance in each of the last two years.

  Mr. Hanley
  Each year all the defence agencies are set clear and challenging key targets. They are required to demonstrate their performance against targets in their annual report. In the assessment of performance and setting of revised targets a judgment is made by agency owners as to whether the targets set for the previous year have been too demanding or not challenging enough. The question of imposing penalties has not arisen.

  Devonport and Rosyth
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) when he intends to take decisions about ownership restrictions relating to the sale of Devonport and Rosyth dockyards;

  (2) if he will publish full details of ownership restrictions relating to the sale of Devonport and Rosyth dockyards; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Aitken
  I have nothing to add to my answer of 2 November to the hon. Member for Plymouth, Devonport (Mr. Jamieson),Official Report, column 132, and my right hon. and learned Friend's comments to the House on 18 October, Official Report, column 41.

  Ammunition and Propellant
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which foreign companies currently supply the armed services with ammunition and propellant.

  Mr. Aitken
  My Department does not procure propellant separately. Overseas companies who currently supply the Ministry of Defence with ammunition are:

  GIAT, France;

  Hirtenberger, Austria;

  Muiden Chemie, The Netherlands;

  Simmel, Italy;

  Borletti, Italy;

  De Kruithoorn, The Netherlands;

  Nico, Germany; and

  La Crox, France.

  Married Quarters
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Ministry of Defence married quarters were empty on(a) 30 September 1993, (b) 30 September 1992, (c) 30 September 1991, (d) 30 September 1990 and (e) 30 September 1989.

  Mr. Hanley
  The number of vacant Ministry of Defence married quarters on the dates requested was as follows:
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  Vacant Service MQs

  Surplus MQs in the process of sale

  30 September 1993

  10,124

  1,106

  30 September 1992

  9,167

  1,560

  30 September 1991

  9,834

  1,461

  30 September 1990

  10,934

  1,711

  31 July 19891

  13,505

  1,798

  1 Figures in 1989 were collected over a different reporting period.

  The majority of vacant quarters at any one time are either undergoing or awaiting major maintenance work or modernisation, held for future developments or already allotted to service families who are due to move in shortly.

  Operation Deny Flight
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the cost of British participation in Operation Deny Flight.

  Mr. Hanley
  The additional cost to the Defence budget for this financial year is currently estimated to be about £30 million.

  NAAFI
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 2 December,Official Report, column 686, what (a) management and (b) disciplinary action was taken as a result of the letter to Aims of Industry sent by James Rucker of 14 March 1991; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hanley
  None. Mr. Rucker's letter indicated correctly that NAAFI is a non-political organisation and could have no relationship with Aims of Industry.

  Mine Clearance
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people were trained by the British Army mine clearance training team during its participation in the recent United Nations operation in Cambodia; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hanley
  The United Kingdom's mine clearance training team trained a total of 42 Cambodians. The United Nations assigned the team to an area dominated by the Khmer Rouge, which withdrew its co-operation with the United Nations operation at an early stage and refused to permit further training. By the time the United Kingdom team had been relocated, this first training stage of the United Nations mine clearance operation was largely complete. The United Kingdom team was, however, able to participate fully in the subsequent United Nations supervision of mine clearance work by Cambodian teams which cleared over 45,000 mines and pieces of unexploded ordnance.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the cost of deploying the British Army mine clearance training team as part of the recent United Nations operation in Cambodia.

  Mr. Hanley
  It is not possible to identify costs for specific elements of the British contingent deployed to Cambodia. The final cost of the United Kingdom deployment is not yet available, but to the end of September, some £2.5 million has been reported for the current financial year.
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  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the source of financing for the deployment of the British Army mine clearance training team as part of the recent United Nations operation in Cambodia.

  Mr. Hanley
  The cost of British military involvement in the United Nations peacekeeping operation in Cambodia is in accordance with established interdepartmental arrangements whereby the Foreign and Commonwealth Office meet the extra costs of any deployment for the first 12 months and the full costs thereafter. The United Nations has overall financial responsibility and reimburses admissible national costs.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consideration he has given to the future deployment of mine clearance training teams; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hanley
  The Government remain ready to consider requests for help with mine clearance training, as with all other forms of assistance in peace support operations.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with United Nations officials about the level of international demand for mine clearance training teams; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hanley
  None, but the United Nations has appointed a demining expert with whom the military adviser to the United Kingdom mission to the United Nations has had general discussions, as have officials from my Department and their counterparts at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

  Morale
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his assessment of changes in general service morale over the last three years; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hanley
  There is no evidence of any significant change in service morale over the past three years. This has been a period of considerable uncertainty for service personnel, but they continue to carry out their duties in a thoroughly professional manner. We aim to relieve uncertainty by making early announcements, whenever possible, of decisions concerning their future.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his assessment of the current state of morale amongst the chiefs of staff; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hanley
  The chiefs of staff accept the need for changes in the size and shape of our armed forces, and the reasons behind those changes. They recognise the considerable challenges posed by the changes and have a number of understandable concerns about the magnitude of the task and the uncertainties for their services. They are nevertheless fully committed to the Government's objective of preserving front-line capability through improvements to the cost-effectiveness and efficiency of its support.

  Officers and Other Routes
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what assessment he has made of the change in the ratio between officer and other ranks between 1980 and 1992; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) what was the ratio of officers to other ranks in each of the three armed services in 1970 and 1979.

  Mr. Hanley
  The ratios of officers to other ranks on the dates specified are as follows:

  Date

  RN

  Army

  RAF

  All

  1 April 1970

  1: 6·60

  1: 7·79

  1: 4·55

  1: 6·25

  1 April 1979

  1: 6·23

  1: 8·11

  1: 4·92

  1: 6·54

  1 April 1980

  1: 6·10

  1: 8·33

  1: 5·06

  1: 6·64

  1 April 1992

  1: 5·15

  1: 7·43

  1: 4·71

  1: 5·92

  These figures exclude locally enlisted personnel.

  The ratios are based on strengths and reflect the requirement for officers and other ranks at the particular time. In the 12 years between 1980 and 1992 there has been a substantial restructuring of the armed forces to reflect changing requirements, notably those arising from the end of the cold war. This restructuring continues and further proposals may result from the defence costs study which is currently examining all aspects of support to the front line. The Ministry of Defence does not use officer:other ranks ratios as a control mechanism.

  Racial Harassment
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information he holds centrally of the number of complaints of racial harassment in the armed forces; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hanley
  The Army and Royal Air Force maintain central records of complaints of racial discrimination and ill-treatment involving a racial element. During the period 1 January 1993 to 30 November 1993, there were five such complaints in the Army and two in the Royal Air Force. One complaint in the Army has been resolved and the remaining four are under investigation. Neither of the complaints in the Royal Air Force was substantiated. The Royal Navy expects to introduce a system to record complaints involving a racial element by spring 1994.

  Expenditure
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his policy regarding the release of information on future expenditure plans; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hanley
  Defence expenditure plans are published annually in the Financial Statement and Budget Report and cover the next financial year and the two following.

  Arms Transfers
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent (Mr. Smith), of 29 November,Official Report, column 370, what criteria have been agreed with the EC and P5 concerning the export of defence equipment; and if he will make a statement.
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  Mr. Aitken
  Copies of the EC criteria and P5 guidelines concerning the export of defence equipment have been placed in the Library.

  Release of Information
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what policy developments in relation to the release of information have occurred in the last 18 months.

  Mr. Hanley
  The Ministry of Defence is committed to the open Government initiative, and releases as much information into the public domain as possible without compromising security. Major examples include: the December 1992 announcement that, in future, service board of inquiry reports will be released to next of kin; the ongoing review of closed departmental records to assess suitability for release to the Public Records Office—some 2,500 have been released to date—and the implementation this August, in conjunction with members of the media, of a new defence advisory notices system, replacing the old D notice system. This year's Statement on the Defence Estimates, "Defending Our Future", also represents a significant step forward in increasing openness, giving unprecedented access to the defence planner's perspective and to the way in which force structures are determined.

  Light Armoured Vehicles
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent progress has been made on the planned procurement of a new range of light armoured vehicles; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Aitken
  Our future light armoured vehicle programme is still in its early stages. Feasibility studies are currently being carried out by three consortia for a new tactical reconnaissance armoured combat vehicle—TRACER. Our requirements and procurement strategies for other future vehicles have yet to be determined.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent discussions his officials have had with foreign companies regarding the planned procurement of a new range of light armoured vehicles; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Aitken
  The most recent discussions about our future light armoured vehicle programme, involving representatives of foreign companies, have been progress meetings between officials and the consortia who are carrying our feasibility studies for the tactical reconnaissance armoured combat equipment requirement—TRACER.

  Reserve Forces
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library copies of all of the representations he has received relating to his proposals on new legislation for the reserve forces; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hanley
  Our consultative document "Britain's Reserve Forces: A Framework for the Future" was published on 12 October 1993. The period for responses closed on 23 November, but late replies are still arriving. By Monday 6 December, some 133 responses had been received. Many of the letters reveal the private addresses
  293
  and service affiliations of individuals, and it would therefore be inappropriate to publish them. I will, however, arrange for a factual summary of the responses, supported by appropriate extracts from the replies themselves, to be placed in the Library.

  Separately, more than 400 further replies have been received by Sir Alexander Graham, the chairman of the National Employers' Liaison Committee for the Reserve Forces, in response to a request from him to employers for views. He has undertaken to prepare a consolidated response from NELC which will also be placed in the Library.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information he has regarding the policies of other NATO countries towards their reserve forces; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hanley
  The policy of NATO countries towards their reserve forces is a matter for their respective Governments. All member countries, except Iceland which has no armed forces, are able to mobilise their reserve forces in times of crisis and war.

  There are, however, regular exchanges of views between representatives of the reserve forces of member countries under the auspices of the Confederation Inter-Alliée des Officiers de Réserve, and between the respective heads of the reserve forces in the National Reserve Forces Committee.

  Conservative Party Conference
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what costs were incurred on defence votes in respect of staff from non-Defence Ministers' private offices visiting Blackpool during the Conservative party conference; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hanley
  None.

  Ethnic Origins
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to monitor the ethnic origins of those leaving the armed forces.
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  Mr. Hanley
  The ethnic origins of personnel leaving the armed forces will be monitored as part of the ethnic monitoring of all regular serving personnel.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Leicester, East (Mr. Vaz),Official Report, 29 November, column 364, if his proposed survey of the ethnic origins of serving personnel will provide a detailed breakdown of (a) rank and (b) regimental or other unit affiliation; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hanley
  It will be possible to produce a breakdown of the ethnic origins of serving personnel by rank, regiment or unit from the information obtained in the ethnic origin survey. It is our intention to publish a breakdown by service and rank in defence statistics in due course.

  Nuclear Tests
  Sir Paul Beresford
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what announcements he has to make about nuclear tests following the United States Government's anouncement on 7 December.

  Mr. Aitken
  The United Kingdom has carried out no secret nuclear tests. However, a British nuclear test at the Nevada test site on 25 September 1964 did not proceed as planned and did not produce a nuclear yield. For this reason it has not been included in lists of nuclear tests carried out by the United Kingdom.

  RAF Training (Germany)
  Lady Olga Maitland
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the current training arrangements for the RAF based in Germany, what training areas are used; how many flying hours are planned per month and how many are achieved; how often and where alternative training takes place; and how often training runs fail to take place due to shortage of spares.

  Mr. Hanley
  I will write to the hon. Member.

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