Written Answers of 14 December 1993

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Mrs. Naheem Ejaz
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what attempts the Home Office made to legally deprive Mrs. Naheem Ejaz of Bracknell, Berkshire, of her citizenship before moving to deport her;

  (2) what is the total cost to the taxpayer of the failed attempt to deport Mrs. Naheem Ejaz of Bracknell, Berkshire.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  One of the requirements for naturalisation under section 6(2) of the British Nationality Act 1981 is that the applicant is married to a British citizen. Mrs. Ejaz's husband has never been such a British citizen. When this came to light, Mrs. Ejaz was informed that her naturalisation was a nullity. Since her certificate on naturalisation was considered not to have been granted to her lawfully in the first place, it was not thought necessary to proceed to formal deprivation of citizenship under section 40 of the 1981 Act.

  It is not the practice of the immigration and nationality department routinely to record the administrative costs of individual case handling. The cost of detaining Mrs. Ejaz prior to her planned removal in September 1992 was £550. The legal costs in her case have not yet been finally determined.

  Sexual Offences
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to bring the sentences available for non-consensual buggery in line with those for rape.

  Mr. Mclean
  The law in this area is kept under review, but there are no current plans to amend it.

  Overseas Police Training
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what foreign police personnel are at present on training programmes with police forces in the United Kingdom; and if he will list each country, the number of personnnel involved and the courses they are taking.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  I regret that this information is not available.

  M11 Link Road
  Mr. Gapes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the cost of the police operation against the anti-M11 link campaigners in Wanstead on 7 December.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  I understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that the 528
  additional manpower costs of the operation were £97,532. Information on the cost of support services and other resources involved is not available.

  Mr. Gapes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers and from which divisions were involved in the operation against MI1 link road protestors in Wanstead on 7 December.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  I understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that 371 officers from all parts of the Metropolitan police district were involved in the operation.

  Shotguns
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many shotgun certificates were on issue at 31 December in each year from 1985 in each police force area.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  Statistics of shotgun certificates on issue in each police force in England and Wales have been published annually since 1986 in Home Office statistical bulletins "Firearm Certificate Statistics"—prior to 1991, "Statistics on the operation of the Firearms Acts 1968 to 1988"—copies of which are available in the Library. Figures for 1985 are not readily available by police force area.

  The bulletin issue numbers are as follows: 2/88, 33/88, 18/89, 26/90, 23/91, 19/92, 23/93.

  Prisoners' Work (Pay)
  Lady Olga Maitland
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what consideration he has given to establishing projects for prisoners' work to justify a competitive wage of a nature to enable them to contribute to the costs of their keep, their families and victim support;

  (2) what plans there are to review paid work undertaken by prisoners in gaol.

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

  Letter from Derek Lewis to Lady Olga Maitland, dated 14 December 1993:
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Questions about paid work undertaken by prisoners in jail.
  A high priority for the Prison Service is to ensure that prisoners participate in active and demanding regimes centred on work, training and education. Improvements in the quantity, quality, productivity and realism of work form an important part of the Service's plans.
  Prisoners are paid for engaging productively in work and other activities. This includes participation in education and training programmes, manufacturing goods in prison workshops and duties directly contributing to the running of an establishment such as cleaning and working in prison kitchens.
  To extend the range and quality of work available pilot schemes are in progress where prisoners are paid closer to market rates. The wider introduction of higher rates of pay for prisoners as suggested in the White Paper "Custody, Care and Justice, the Way Ahead for the Prison Service in England and Wales' is under consideration.
  It may be possible in the longer term to increase pay for productive work more generally. If so payments would be made from increased wages towards accommodation and maintenance costs in prison, compulsory compensation payments to victims

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  and maintenance payments for family and dependents outside. Currently the Secretary of State has a legal obligation to meet the costs of imprisonment for all prisoners.

  Elderly Prisons
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many(a) male and (b) female prison inmates held in prisons in England and Wales were over the age of 80 years as of 1 December.

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

  Letter from Derek Lewis to Mr. Tom Cox, dated 14 December 1993:
  Inmates over 80 years of age in prison service establishments
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the number of (a) men and (b) women in Prison Service establishments who were over the age of 80 years on 1 December.
  The lastest available information is for 31 October 1993. On that date there were four inmates (all of whom were male) aged over 80 in Prison Service establishments in England and Wales.

  Horserace Betting Levy Board
  Mr. Meale
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what discussions his Department has entered into with Opposition parties over the recent appointments of persons to the Horserace Betting Levy Board;

  (2) what are the reasons for and criteria behind his decision to reappoint Mrs. Anna McCurley to membership of the Horserace Betting Levy Board;

  (3) if he will list the necessary qualifications and qualities necessary for an appointment to membership of the Horserace Betting Levy Board.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  We have had no discussion with Opposition parties about recent appointments of members to the Horserace Betting Levy Board. The Government-appointed members of the levy board are expected to have skills relevant to the work of the board, which this year included trying to reach agreement on the levy payable by bookmakers.

  Mrs. McCurley has wide experience of the board's work and her commitment to its affairs is valued by the chairman and the Home Secretary.

  Crime
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what analysis his Department has made of the relationship between the level of house burglaries in England and Wales and the levels of unemployment, since 1979; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) what analysis his Department has conducted into the relationship between the level of car crime in England and Wales and the levels of unemployment since 1979.

  Mr. Maclean
  Work on these subjects was covered in the Home Office research study "Trends in Crime and their Interpretation" published in 1990. The study found that, once the strong effect of personal consumption growth on 530
  car crime and household burglary were taken into account, no separate relationship with unemployment could be identified.

  Bodybelts
  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) after what period of detention in a bodybelt a prisoner is entitled to a review of the situation;

  (2) in which prisons bodybelts are allowed to be used;

  (3) for what length of time prisoners are allowed to be detained in a bodybelt.

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

  Letter from Derek Lewis to Mrs. Barbara Roche, dated 14 December 1993:
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Questions about the conditions governing the use of body belts.
  Prison Standing Order 3E sets out the general condittions applying to the use of force, special accommodation and mechanical restraints, including body belts, in the management of violent prisoners.
  Body belts may be used in any prisons, as an exceptional measure.
  The use of the body belt must be monitored regularly and be removed as soon a there is no longer a risk of self injury or violence. An officer must observe the prisoner every 15 minutes. The Medical Officer must medically examine the prisoner as soon as possible after the restraint is applied and certify that there are. no clinical contra-indications. The Medical Officer must personally visit the prisoner twice in every 24 hours to review the position. The Governor in charge must either personally see the prisoner before ordering the use of the body belt or immediately after and must see the prisoner at least twice in every 24 hours.
  The Standing Order also provides that the Board of Visitors must be notified of any use of a body belt as soon as it is practicable and must approve in writing any continuation of its use for a period beyond 24 hours.

  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether bodybelts are used in police stations.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  Bodybelts are not normally used in police stations.

  Deportation
  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many children aged under 18 years have accompanied a parent being deported from the United Kingdom in the last year for which figures are available; and what ages those children were;

  (2) how many people, accompanied by how many children, were deported from this country in the last year for which figures are available; and what proportion of each of these categories received appropriate immunisations for the country to which they were travelling.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  In the 12 months to June 1993, about 2,600 people were removed under deportation powers. The other information requested is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 7 December,Official Report, column 171, what arrangements are made

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  for immunisation to be provided for any deportee who requests it; and what steps his Department takes to inform deportees that they and any children accompanying them are entitled to the appropriate immunisations recommended for the country to which they are travelling.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  Where the deportee is detained, vaccinations would be provided, if requested, by the qualified medical staff employed at the place of detention. Otherwise, the deportee would be advised to consult his or her general practitioner.

  There are no formal arrangements for the Department to advise deportees about immunisation, but any relevant advice given by the agency issuing travel tickets would be passed on.

  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) in what proportion of deportations in the last year for which figures are available(a) a private security firm, (b) more than one private security firm, (c) the police and (d) police and a private security firm were used;

  (2) what was the total cost of employing private security firms to participate in deportations from the United Kingdom in (a) 1979, (b) 1985 and (c) the last year for which figures are available;

  (3) in what proportion of deportations in the last year for which figures are available were (a) handcuffs, (b) luggage tape, (c) bodybelts and (d) other forms of restraint used; and in each case who authorised the use of such restraints.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  The information requested is not readily available. I will write to the hon. Member.

  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the(a) average, (b) highest and (c) lowest cost to public funds of a deportation from the United Kingdom in the last year for which figures are available.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  I will write to the hon. Member with the available information.

  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department during how many deportations in the last year for which figures are available drugs have been offered to deportees; in what proportion of those cases the drugs were accepted; what were the drugs involved; if they were administered under the guidance of a qualified medical officer; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  The information is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. It is, however, not normal practice for drugs to be offered or administered to deportees.

  Baroness Thatcher (Security)
  Mr. Hain
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 8 December,Official Report, column 275, what was the cost of police security provided for Baroness Thatcher to sign copies of her memoirs at bookshops within the Metropolitan policing area.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  It is a long-standing practice not to reveal the costs of security operations.

  Metropolitan Police
  Mr. Richards
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals he has received from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis about reorganising the senior management structure of the Metropolitan police; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Howard
  Yes. The Commissioner is, with my support, undertaking a thorough and fundamental review of the structure of the Metropolitan police. This review is also taking into account the decisions which I announced on 28 October about the recommendations of the inquiry into police responsibilities and rewards.

  A principal aim of the review is to release and apply the energy of senior staff to meeting operational needs. An early outcome is a proposal, which I have approved, to reduce the number of area commands within the Metroplitan police district from eight to five and to streamline the senior management structure.

  This will involve abolishing, in stages, the existing 14 deputy Assistant Commissioner posts and putting each of the five new areas under the command of an Assistant Commissioner. Only two of the existing five central Assistant Commissioner posts will remain, one to deputise for the Commissioner and carry out other functional responsibilities and a second to take overall charge of operational functions organised centrally.

  I shall bring forward proposals for necessary adjustments to existing legislation about Assistant Commissioners in the forthcoming Police and Magistrates' Courts Bill.

  Fire Authority (Swansea)
  Sir Ivan Lawrence
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in which proposed combined lire authority Swansea will be included.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  In the light of representations, I have received in response to proposals in the White Paper, "Local Government in Wales: A Charter for the Future", of advice received from the Central Fire Brigades Advisory Council, and of advice received from Her Majesty's chief inspector of fire services, I have decided that it would be in the best interests of operational efficiency not to split the area of the existing West Glamorgan county fire brigade between different combined fire authorities. I propose, in drawing up combination schemes under the Fire Services Act 1947, to take effect when local government in Wales is reorganised, to include the proposed new unitary authorities of Swansea and of Neath and Port Talbot in the combined fire authority which will cover Mid and West Wales. The Mid and West Wales combined fire authority will include the following unitary authorities:Cardiganshire (Sir Abertefi); Carmarthenshire (Sir Gaerfyddin); Pembrokeshire (Sir Benfro); Mid Wales (Canolbarth Cymru); Swansea (Abertawe); and Neath and Port Talbot (Castellnedd a Phort Talbot).

  The North Wales combined fire authority will include all those Welsh unitary authorities to the north of that group; and the South Wales combined fire authority will include all those to the south.

  Mr. Joseph Elliot
  Sir Ivan Lawrence
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what conclusions he has reached as a result of his examination of the circumstances surrounding the acquittal of Mr. Joseph Elliot; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Howard
  It would not be proper for me to make any statement about the particular circumstances of this case. Nevertheless, my examination provided a useful insight into some of the general issues facing the criminal justice system. In particular, it has helped to confirm my belief in the wide-ranging programme of reform on which the Government have embarked. That programme is designed to ensure that people never have cause to feel so exasperated about crime and the response of the criminal justice system that they feel driven to take the law into their own hands; that young people in particular are deterred and helped to desist from a life style of idleness and petty crime; and that the criminal justice system as a whole works efficiently and effectively, allowing courts full and prompt access to relevant evidence. It is vital that people have confidence in the system and are encouraged to come forward to help it work better.

  Specifically on the law on self-defence, I am satisfied that the individual should always be able to defend himself, his family and his property, as long as he only uses force that is both reasonable and necessary. I am not currently persuaded that there is a need to change the law. However, I intend to study the Law Commission's recent report on offences against the person very carefully and will be interested in the public reaction to its recommendations.

ENVIRONMENT

  Risk and Policy Analysts Ltd.
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the cost of the risk benefit study carried out by Risk and Policy Analysts Ltd; what was the subject of its analysis; and if he will place its report in the Library.

  Mr. Yeo
  The risk benefit study was commissioned by my Department last year at a cost of £38,000 excluding VAT. The report of the study was published by Risk and Policy Analysts Ltd. under HMSO licence and I have arranged for copies to be placed in the Library.

  The purpose of the study was to develop a methodology for the application of risk benefit analysis techniques to the control of hazardous substances, and to demonstrate the applicability of that methodology for two particular substances.

  Housing Investment Programme
  Ms Estelle Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish the criteria used by regional Department of the Environment offices for determining the allocation of the discretionary part of the housing investment programme allocation.

  Sir George Young
  A list of factors that Ministers will bear in mind in allocating the discretionary portion of housing investment programme—HIP—resources was published in May, as a component of the guidance to local authorities on the 1993 HIP round. I have placed a copy of this document in the Library.

  Construction Industry Review
  Mr. Clifton-Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action his Department is taking to publicise the review of procurement and contracting arrangements in the construction industry by Sir Michael Latham; what plans he has to extend the review; and when his Department expects to produce a response to the Latham review.

  Mr. Baldry
  I refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave to my hon. Friend Member for Chislehurst (Mr. Sims) on 13 December 1993,Official Report, column 454. The construction industry and its clients are already aware of the review of procurement and contracting arrangements by Sir Michael Latham and he has received many representations from them. The terms of reference are broad and there are no plans to extend the review further. My Department will consider how best to respond to Sir Michael Latham's final report after it has been presented in July 1994, and in the light of its contents and after any necessary consultation.

  Nuclear Waste
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Islington, South and Finsbury (Mr. Smith) by the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on 30 November,Official Report, column 494, if he will set out the criteria his Department will adopt to judge the best practicable environmental option for the long-term handling of decommissioning wastes from nuclear facilities.

  Mr. Yeo
  Decision about the management of decommissioning wastes from nuclear facilities will be taken in accordance with criteria relevant at the time.

  Temporary Accommodation
  Mr. Hendry
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the latest information he has on the number of families currently in temporary accommodation.

  Sir George Young
  A total of 56,900 households for which local authorities had accepted responsibility to secure permanent accommodation were in temporary accommodation on 30 September 1993, the latest date for which a figure is available.

  This is the fourth successive quarter in which the number of households in temporary accommodation has fallen; the current figure is some 8,530—13 per cent.—less than a year earlier.

  Empty Dwellings
  Mr. Hendry
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many empty dwellings there are in England and Wales.

  Sir George Young
  Local authorities in England provide estimates of the number of vacant dwellings in their area in their annual housing investment programme—HIP1—returns. On the basis of these data, it is estimated that there were around 850,000 vacant dwellings on 1 April 1993.
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  For information about Wales, I would refer my hon. Friend to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.

  Environmental Protection
  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has for a successor to the environmental protection technology scheme; what level of finance he will make available to the body; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Yeo
  As my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade announced to the House on 7 December, there will be a new environmental technology best practice programme operated jointly by the Department of Trade and Industry and the Department of the Environment. This programme will build on earlier schemes including the joint DOE/DTI environmental technology innovation scheme, previously the environmental protection technology scheme. The budget for the new programme is £16 million over five years, shared between the Departments.

  Rural Development
  Mr. Lidington
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when the outcome of the Rural Development Commission's consultation on the designation of the rural development areas will be announced.

  Mr. Yeo
  The Rural Development Commission will be announcing the new rural development areas on 15 December. Details of the new areas and copies of the maps will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

  Local Government
  Mr. Mans
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action he has decided to take against Warrington borough council following the notice served on the authority on 10 June under section 13 of the Local Government Act 1988, in respect of ground maintenance work; and what action he has decided to take against Bradford metropolitan city council following the notice served on that authority on 10 September, under section 19A of the Local Government, Planning and Land Act 1980, in respect of highway maintenance work.

  Mr. Baldry
  My right hon. Friend has considered carefully the responses which Warrington borough council and Bradford metropolitan city council have made to the notices served on them on 10 June and 10 September respectively, and has today given directions to both authorities. The directions, given to Warrington borough council under section 14 of the Local Government Act 1988 and to Bradford metropolitan city council under section 19B of the Local Government, Planning and Land Act 1980, require the authorities to retender the work which has been the subject of the notices and to seek my right hon. Friend's consent should they wish to reassign this work to their direct services organisations.

  Coal Extraction
  Mr. Trotter
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he intends to publish revised planning guidelines on coal extraction; and if he will make a statement.
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  Mr. Baldry
  We have today published revised planning guidelines for public consultation for England and Wales. Separate consultations are being carried out in Wales. The guidelines deal with both deep mine and opencast coal and with the disposal of colliery spoil.

  As foreshadowed in the announcement by my right hon. and learned Friend the then Secretary of State for the Environment, on 25 March 1993, the guidelines aim to strike a balance between the economic importance of this indigenous energy resource and the protection of the environment in a way that is fully compatible with the principles of sustainable development. The draft guidelines set tough environmental tests for the industry. I am confident that, with careful planning and a sensitive approach to local concerns, they can come forward with proposals that contribute to economic growth and provide an environmentally sound foundation for the future. The guidelines are based on three broad principles:

  1. It is not the function of the planning system to seek to set national limits on or targets for any particular source or level of energy supply. Nevertheless, low-cost coal is an important indigenous energy resource and it would be against the national interest to prevent its extraction where that can be done in an environmentally acceptable way and consistent with wider environmental objectives, including the principles of sustainable development.

  2. It is also relevant to consider whether a particular proposal would itself provide national, regional or local benefits to the community to offset the disturbance occasioned during development and restoration—eg through contributing to United Kingdom employment, the clearance of dereliction or other improvements to the quality of land, the creation of nature reserves or the provision of other benefits.

  3. Mineral planning authorities should draw up development plan policies which reflect that approach and must prepare mineral local plans which carry forward those policies and indicate in detail those areas where provision is made for coal extraction and the disposal of colliery spoil, as well as those areas where working or disposal is not likely to be acceptable and where coal resources are to be safeguarded for future working. The preparation of these plans is now an urgent requirement.

  Halons
  Mr. Duncan Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether the United Kingdom will be requesting continued production of halons in 1995 to meet essential users.

  Mr. Yeo
  The Government do not believe that any production of new halons will be necessary in 1995 to meet essential uses.

  We welcome the decision of the fifth meeting of the parties to the Montreal protocol not to allow any continued production of halon for essential uses in 1994. This decision reflects the success of halon banking, both nationally and internationally.

  The Government commend the work of the Halon Users National Consortium—HUNC—and would urge all halon users to join HUNC to ensure that the bank continues to be a success.

  North Sea Pollution
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will place in the Library a copy of the quality status report of the North sea, prepared for the signatory states to the convention on the prevention of pollution to the North sea.

  Mr. Yeo
  A pre-print version of the quality status report was considered at the North sea conference meeting which
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  I attended last week. However, there is still some final editing to be done before the document is published in February 1994. Copies will be placed in the Library as soon as the final version is available.

  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the matters discussed and decisions taken at the ministerial meeting reviewing the convention protecting the North sea against pollution, held in Copenhagen on 7 and 8 December.

  Mr. Yeo
  [holding answer 9 December 1993]: The third North sea conference in 1990 decided that there should be an interim meeting of Ministers to review progress on specific questions considered at that conference. This was the meeting that took place in Copenhagen on 7 and 8 December. Ministers or other representatives from Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the European Commission took part. My noble Friend Earl Howe and I represented the United Kingdom. A number of intergovernmental and international non-governmental organisations were also present.

  The first task of the meeting was to review the report on the quality status of the North sea, which is taken to include the English channel, recently completed by the North sea task force. The Ministers congratulated the North sea task force on the successful completion of the report. We agreed to refer the recommendations in the quality status report to appropriate bodies for further consideration, but identified some areas for immediate attention—including the impact of fisheries, further controls on tributyl tin, reduction of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon inputs and a review of the strategy for achieving the goals set by the 1990 conference for inputs of toxic, persistent and bioaccumulative substances.

  The second topic was the impact of shipping. We welcomed the achievement through the International Maritime Organisation—IMO—on the initiative of the North sea states, of stricter standards worldwide for oil discharges from shipping, the work under way in the IMO on chemical discharges and the action being taken by the EC Transport and Environment Councils to improve the protection of the seas against maritime pollution. Further action was agreed on shore reception facilities, enforcement and air pollution from ships. On the initiative of the United Kingdom, the Ministers decided on joint efforts to achieve early agreement within the International Maritime Organisation to a convention on liability and compensation for damage caused by accidents involving ships carrying hazardous or noxious cargoes, and to review the question at the 1995 North sea conference in order to find other solutions if progress in the IMO is insufficient.

  The third topic was the input of nutrients to the North sea. The 1990 conference had called for a 50 per cent. reduction by 1995 in inputs of nutrients to areas where they were likely, directly or indirectly, to cause pollution. In the case of the United Kingdom, however, only a few estuaries in United Kingdom waters are under investigation as possible problem areas. Inputs from the continent, on the other hand, affect substantial problem areas along much of the continental coast. The meeting noted that the reductions in nitrate inputs to these problem areas by 1995 were, in general, unlikely to be achieved, mainly because of the difficulties of achieving sufficient reduction in agricultural inputs. Ministers therefore agreed on the need for the countries concerned to implement, or improve their
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  implementation, of all the necessary measures. One promising approach was the application of the concept of balanced fertilisation. Agreement was reached on work to define this and related concepts. It proved impossible, however, to reach agreement on the form of a commitment to their application. The United Kingdom and France considered that it was premature to set a fixed date for achieving balanced fertilisation before the concept was defined and it was clear what was involved.

  The final topic was the effects of pesticides on the North sea. The meeting concluded that much progress had been made towards the targets for the reduction of pesticide inputs set in 1990, but that for eight substances this progress was insufficient and further efforts were required. On the initiative of the United Kingdom, Ministers confirmed that measures had to address non-agricultural, as well as agricultural, uses of pesticides. The meeting also stressed the need to address all uses of pesticides causing environmental harm and to promote environmentally friendly approaches to agricultural production; steps were agreed to take all this forward.

  A copy of the statement of conclusions adopted by the Ministers will be placed in the Library.

  Office Space (Housing)
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what measures he is taking to encourage local government groups to convert unrentable city centre office space into housing; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir George Young
  [holding answer 13 December 1993]: We aim to encourage the reuse of vacant office buildings for housing and to be flexible in the application of planning policies and standards. Our planning policy guidance note 3 and the draft explanatory note on affordable housing recommend that local authorities view such applications sympathetically.

  Sulphur Dioxide Emissions
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what measures he is taking to further reduce sulphur dioxide emissions from United Kingdom power stations; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Yeo
  [holding answer 13 December 1993]: In December 1990, the Government published the United Kingdom's programme and national plan for reducing emissions of sulphur dioxide and oxides of nitrogen from existing large combustion plants, including power stations. Under that national plan the United Kingdom is committed to reducting sulphur dioxide emissions from existing power stations by 60 per cent. by 2003 compared with 1980 levels. A copy of the plan is available in the Library of the House. Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution is currently agreeing new authorisations with the generators, in accordance with the requirement of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 for best available technology not entailing excessive costs to be applied to emissions from all power plant.

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

  Magistrates Courts
  Dr. Goodson-Wickes
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what savings have been achieved in the management of magistrates courts since the publication of the magistrates courts report of January 1989.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  Spending on the magistrates courts service has increased every year since 1989. Neither the Government nor the service accepted the recommendation of the 1989 scrutiny of the administration of the magistrates courts that they be run as a national agency. However, the Government accepted that reform was needed and published their own proposals in the White Paper "A New Framework for Local Justice" in February 1992. Our objectives are to provide clearer lines of accountability, to secure maximum management cooperation with other parts of the justice system and to guarantee the judicial independence of magistrates and their legal advisers, as well as to yield improvements in the efficiency and effectiveness of the service. The level of savings made will largely depend on the decisions taken by local management on the way they implement the changes.

  Dr. Goodson-Wickes
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what estimated savings on magistrates courts services in London will result from the decision announced in the White Paper "A New Framework for Local Justice".

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The purpose of the proposals in the White Paper, including any reorganisation of the service in London, is to provide clearer lines of accountability, to secure maximum management cooperation with other parts of the justice system and to guarantee the judicial independence of magistrates and their legal advisers, as well as to yield improvements in the efficiency and effectiveness of the service. As the efficiency gains which each magistrates courts committee—MCC—achieves by implementing the White Paper reforms will depend largely on decisions taken at local level, it is difficult for the Government to estimate with any accuracy the total savings to be made. However, evidence from those MCCs that have already implemented some of the White Paper's proposals suggest that, within each MCC, the resulting improvements in value for money exceed the transitional costs.

EMPLOYMENT

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people were employed in manufacturing industries in the Greater London area on 1 November 1979 and 1 November 1993; and if he will make a statement.

  Miss Widdecombe
  Regional employment estimates are available only for March, June, September and December of each year. The numbers in manufacturing employment in Greater London were:

  Employees in manufacturing: Greater London (unadjusted)

  Number

  September 1981

  681,0001

  September 1993

  338,0002

  540
  1Employment estimates are not available for Greater London as a separate standard region prior to September 1981.

  2Latest information available.

  Fireworks
  Mrs. Bridget Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what tests are conducted to ascertain the safety standards of fireworks which are manufactured abroad and imported into Britain.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  All fireworks that are imported into Britain are required to comply with the tests set out in British Standard 7114 on firework safety. Additionally, fireworks containing certain compositions: for example, sulphur/chlorate admixtures are prohibited under the Explosives Act 1875.

  Mrs. Bridget Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment from which countries pemission to import fireworks to Britain has been refused on the grounds of safety over the last 15 years.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  No country has been banned from supplying fireworks to Britain. Refusals are not aimed at specific countries but at products, or batches of products, that fail to meet the British Standard 7114 standard or equivalent standard. The onus is on the importer to ensure that the requirements are met. The Health and Safety Executive is not automatically informed of rejected products and, therefore, comprehensive figures are not available.

  Mrs. Bridget Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment which countries are the major exporters of fireworks to Britain; what proportion of fireworks sold in Britain were manufactured abroad for each year since 1990; if fireworks that have been manufactured abroad have to meet British safety standards; and which countries which export fireworks to Britain have domestic safety standards which do not meet the safety standards for British manufactured fireworks.

  Mr. Michal Forsyth
  On the first and the second points raised, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave her on 6 December, at column 39, and also to the letter sent to her on 9 December by my hon. Friend the Minister for Trade and Technology. All fireworks which are imported into Great Britain have to meet the British Standard 7114 or equivalent standard. We do not have detailed information on the domestic safety standards for fireworks manufactured outside Britain.

  Business Start-up Scheme
  Mr. Byers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people are presently in employment due to the business start-up scheme; and of these how many places have been taken up since 16 March.

  Miss Widdecombe
  On 15 August 1993, there were 34,900 participants on the business start-up scheme in Great Britian. Over the period 28 March 1993 to 15 August 1993, 15,600 people started on the scheme.

  Offshore Safety
  Mr. Brazier
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if all the offshore oil and gas safety cases were received by the deadline of 30 November; and if he will make a statement.
  541
  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Under the Offshore Installations (Safety Case) Regulations 1992, all existing fixed and mobile offshore installations operating on the United Kingdom continental shelf were required to submit a safety case to the Health and Safety Executive by 30 November. As at 1 December, all the expected 215 safety cases had been received; 214 arrived on or before 30 November; one was delayed in transit from Norway.

  The number of installations originally expected to be covered was 221; however, some of the safety cases received cover more than one installation; for example, unmanned installations linked to another central installation.

  One mobile installation was not expected to submit a safety case because it was due to leave the United Kingdom continental shelf before 30 November. Its departure has been slightly delayed because of operating requirements but it will be leaving shortly. It is not being asked to submit a safety case.

WALES

  Heritage
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to set up within the Welsh Office a separate department dedicated to heritage provision, including both human and natural heritage; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  I have no plans to do so.

  Wind Power
  Mr. Jon Owen Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many wind power stations there are in Wales.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  There are currently five operational wind farms in Wales.

  Mr. Jon Owen Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what proposals he has to increase the number of wind power stations in the Principality.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  None.

  Care Provision
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will set up a monitor of continuing care provision across the country.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The need for continuing care provision is established, arranged and monitored through the local strategies for health and health plans prepared by health authorities, the social care plans prepared by local authorities and, through the Welsh strategies for the mentally handicapped and the mentally ill.

  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will issue more detailed guidance to health authorities on future standards of continuing care and respite care for people with dementia.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  Guidance has been issued to health authorities in the form of the "Protocol for Investment in Health Gain: Mental Health, the Health and Social Gain for Older People" publication and the Welsh strategy for mental illness. I have no proposals to issue further guidance to health authorities at present.
  542
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will review and investigate those areas in Wales where no psychogeriatric continuing care beds are available.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The provision of continuing care beds for the elderly mentally ill is a matter for health authorities.

  All health authorities in Wales provide continuing care beds for this group with the exception of Pembrokeshire health authority which uses patient beds provided by other agencies within Dyfed.

  It is for each health authority to make appropriate provision in line with its own assessment of local need.

  Hospital Waiting Lists
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the current waiting list for elective surgery at Ysbyty Gwynedd, Bangor; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The latest available hospital waiting lists are for 31 March 1993, when the waiting lists for all surgical specialties at Ysbyty Gwynedd were 2,286 for in-patient treatment and 460 for day cases.

  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the average waiting time for elective surgery at Ysbyty Gwynedd, Bangor for the year from April 1992 to April 1993.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The median waiting time for patients admitted from the waiting list for surgical specialties in Ysbyty Gwynedd for the period April 1992 to March 1993 was 49 days.

  Nurses' Grading
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if all the appeals of nurses in Wales regarding their salary grading have now been determined.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  No. There are fewer than 100 cases outstanding at employing authority level; some 1,100 at the Welsh appeals committee level; and 228 cases at the national level. I am optimistic that recent discussions between both sides of the Nursing and Midwifery Staffs Negotiating Council will shortly result in new procedures for clearing all outstanding cases at the Welsh and national levels.

  Health Promotion
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what information he has as to health promotion campaigns in Wales; and how successful they have been.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  Each year, I approve the operational plan of the Health Promotion Authority for Wales and the authority reports on progress at its annual reviews conducted by the Department.

  In addition, the authority commissions a number of regular surveys to measure changes in people's behaviour. "Plans for Action 3: The Agenda for 1992–94", published in July 1992, showed progress towards meeting the targets set out in the authority's health promotion strategy, based on surveys undertaken in 1990. A further progress report will be published during 1994–95, drawing upon the results of the 1993–94 surveys. The authority is also due to publish an evaluation report of the Heartbeat Wales initiative during 1994.

  Oystermouth Square Development Scheme
  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give a detailed account of the progress so far of the Oystermouth square development scheme in Mumbles and the next stages of the planning process it needs to go through.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The Secretary of State called in for his own determination the application for the Oystermouth square development scheme because it raised planning issues of more than local importance. A public local 544
  inquiry was arranged for 30 March 1993, but was postponed to permit the applicant to submit revised plans to take account of the line of a main sewer which would have made the original plans impossible to implement. The revised plans were submitted in June 1993 and were the subject of wide consultation and publicity. The public local inquiry opened on 23 November 1993 and is scheduled to be completed by the end of December. The inspector will then make his report and recommendation to the Secretary of State who will consider them before reaching his decision.

  Welsh Development Agency
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what changes he proposes in the internal structure of the Welsh Development Agency; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Redwood
  The chairman of the Welsh Development Agency announced in October that he is undertaking a comprehensive review of the agency's organisation and management structure.

  While the issues of organisation and management are essentially matters for the agency, its senior management structure is subject to approval and the agency will be submitting its proposals shortly.

  Because of the chairman's close involvement in this review and its implementation I have temporarily increased his time commitment from two and a half days per week to four days per week.

  Housing
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he will commission an update of the 1985 Welsh housing survey.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The results of the latest Welsh house condition survey are expected to be published in the spring 1994.

  Home Renovation Grants
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will discuss with the Council of the Welsh Districts the consequences of the introduction on 14 January of the new £24,000 ceiling on home renovation grants.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  My officials have discussed the new upper limit for mandatory grants with representatives of the Council of Welsh Districts.

  Forestry Commission Land
  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 Dyfed, Gwent, Gwynedd and Powys(a) its name and (b) its area in hectares; and whether he will place a map in the Library which names and identifies each of these pieces of land.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave him on 8 December 1993, at columns 237–

  Mr. Alan Trew
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what consultations he has had with the South Glamorgan health authority in relation to the compensation offer made to Mr. Alan Trew, former unit manager of the Cardiff Royal group of hospitals; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  My right hon. Friend has had no consultations with the South Glamorgan health authority on this matter: this is an individual staffing issue entirely for the authority to resolve.

  Welsh Historic Monuments
  Mr. Richards
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he intends to publish the Cadw: Welsh Historic Monuments annual report and accounts for 1992–93.
  546
  Sir Wyn Roberts
  The report has been published today.

  Further and Higher Education
  Mr. Richards
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement about financial provision for further and higher education in Wales in 1994–95.

  Mr. Redwood
  I intend to make £144·403 million recurrent and £15·615 million capital grant in aid available to the Further Education Funding Council for Wales in 1994–95. This is an increase of 11·2 per cent. over provision in 1993–94. Grant in aid to the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales will be £199-973 million recurrent and £22·840 million capital. Total recurrent resources for the HE sector in Wales will be 6·7 per cent. higher than in 1993–94 and capital resources 6·1 per cent. higher.

  These increases in resources will enable the universities and colleges to provide places for substantially higher number of students than the record levels achieved this year, while maintaining the quality of course provision.

  I am placing in the Library of the House copies of letters which are being sent today to the chief executive of the funding councils.

  Wales Tourist Board
  Mr. Richards
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales
  what resources he will give to the Wales tourist board for 1994–95.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  Additional money is being allocated to the Wales tourist board for 1994–95, which will increase the board's budget by 4 per cent. to £14·204 million.

  Health and Safety
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on his policy concerning health and safety.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  I have been asked to reply. I am advised on health and safety policy by the Health and Safety Commission, HSC.

  Government policy is to create a legislative framework and supporting safety systems which protect people from workplace risks. Within that system, the primary responsibility for ensuring the safety of workers and public rests with employers and others who create those risks. The function of the HSC and the Health and Safety Executive—the HSE—is to stimulate action and to set, advise on and enforce standards. It is the Government's policy to ensure the greatest possible value for money is achieved in the work of the HSE.

  The HSC is also currently undertaking a review of health and safety legislation, designed to simplify, clarify and update it. The Government expect this to result in improved health and safety standards for workers.

HEALTH

  Non-urgent Surgery
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make it her policy to hold records on the names of hospitals and health authorities which have ceased non-urgent surgery; and if she will make a statement.
  547
  Dr. Mawhinney
  The organisation of workload and the delivery of contracts are matters for local managers and clinicians. There are no plans to add to the burdens of managers and other staff by requiring additional statistical returns to the centre on this subject.

  Influenza Vaccine
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has in future to ensure that there are sufficient supplies of influenza vaccine when demand increases in response to advice on immunisation given by her chief medical officer.

  Mr. Sackville
  The Department will continue to liaise with the influenza vaccine manufacturers each year, in advance of the issue of the chief medical officer's letter to doctors, to ensure that their production intentions are to total at least the previous year's usage plus an increment for year on year increases in uptake.

  The CMO's advice for 1993–94 was the same as for 1992–93. Doses of vaccine distributed in 1992–93 totalled just under 4-7 million. For 1993–94 they have exceeded 5 million despite the fact that a fifth of our expected supply did not become available.

  Copies of the letter, PL/CMO(93)13, will be placed in the Library.

  NHS Trusts
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the salary of each chief executive of each trust in 1992–93 and 1993–94.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  This information is not available centrally.

  Nicotine Patches
  Dr. Marek
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what advice she has received from the specialist independent sub-committee chaired by Professor Sir William Asscher on the effectiveness of nicotine patches in helping patients to give up smoking; and if she proposes to accept it.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  A special committee chaired by Sir William Asscher was asked to advise on whether a decision to remove a particular nicotine patch product from national health service prescription should be reviewed. The committee advised that the product should be available on the NHS at a reduced price. After careful consideration of all the facts, including the advice of the committee, it has been decided that the supply of nicotine patches is not a priority for the use of the limited resources available to the NHS.

  Dr. Marek
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recommendations have been made in the publication "Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin", on the availability of nicotine patches on NHS prescription in order to help patients give up smoking.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The drug and therapeutics bulletin of 22 November concluded, in an article about nicotine patches, that the use of"nicotine patches plus advice and support, should be provided by the NHS."

  Copies of the bulletin are available in the Library.

  Ambulance Statistics
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what reasons underlie the classification of Doncaster as rural for the purpose of publishing ambulance statistics.

  Mr. Sackville
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 30 November at columns 461–62.

  Continence Products
  Mr. Jon Owen Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the amount spent on continence products in each year since 1988; and what is the projected spending for 1994, 1995 and 1996.

  Mr. Bowis
  Expenditure on continence products since 1988 is shown in the table.

  Calendar Year

  Net ingredient cost £ million

  1988

  14·8

  1989

  14·0

  1990

  16·0

  1991

  20·7

  1992

  23·2

  Projected expenditure forecasts for the years 1993 to 1996 are not available.

  Notes:

  1. 1988 to 1990 data are based on a I in 200 sample and cover prescriptions dispensed by community pharmacists and appliance contractors only.

  2. The data for 1991 and 1992 cover all prescriptions dispensed by community pharmacists and appliance contractors, dispensing doctors, and prescriptions submitted by prescribing doctors for items personally administered.

  NHS Medicines
  Dr. Marek
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the grounds on which she can reject recommendations by independent expert committees, including the Advisory Committee on NHS Drugs and the Advisory Committee on Borderline Substances so as to make decisions on the availability of NHS medicines at variance with the expert committees' recommendations.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Decisions about whether or noit products should be available on national health service prescription are made by Ministers after taking account of expert advice, including any recommendation of the Advisory Committee on NHS Drugs and the Advisory Committee on Borderline Substances. The basis on which such decisions are made reflect the particular circumstan ces of individual products. The grounds for deciding to exclude a product from NHS prescription, whether or not this is in line with a recommendation of a committee, are always explained to the manufacturer who is given an opportunity to make representations before the final decision.

  Maintenance Backlog
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list by region the maintenance backlog as at 31 March.

  Mr. Sackville
  The information is shown in the table.
  549
  The figures are the estimated costs, as at March 1993, of clearing outstanding repairs and upkeep required to bring the estate up to a satisfactory physical condition, and now includes an estimate of the cost required to meet statutory and safety standards.

  The figures are for all trusts and directly managed units within the regional boundaries

  Region

  Cost

  £'000

  Northern

  142,129

  Yorkshire

  125,987

  Trent

  119,383

  East Anglian

  83,462

  North West Thames

  84,049

  North East Thames

  331,467

  South East Thames

  264,256

  South West Thames

  176,176

  Wessex

  111,461

  Oxford

  89,925

  South Western

  123,605

  West Midlands

  307,229

  Mersey

  64,310

  North Western

  144,011

  Worcester Health Authority
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to call for a report on the use of Concorde flights by staff of Worcester district health authority.

  Mr. Sackville
  We have no such plans. This is a matter for Worcester and district health authority and the hon. Member may wish to contact the chairman, Mr. A. J. Prescott, for details.

  Cancer Screening
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will instruct health authorities to ensure that their publicity on cancer screening includes a statement that those aged over 65 years are not screened routinely but can request both smear and mammography examinations.

  Mr. Sackville
  The management of local health promotion strategies is a matter for local discussion and decision.

  Drugs Company Incentives
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations she has received about drug companies offering incentives to general practitioners to prescribe their products; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Sackville
  We have received a number of representations following press reports.

  The Government deplore any attempt by drugs companies improperly to influence doctors' prescribing practice and are already taking steps to tighten controls on hospitality and other inducements offered by drugs companies. Consultation has just ended on proposed new provisions which would bring breaches of hospitality norms within the scope of the Medicines Act 1968, and render offending companies or their sales representatives liable to criminal prosecution. Regulations to give effect to these proposals will be laid before Parliament shortly.

  The pharmaceutical industry in this country has a strict code of practice, probably the strictest in Europe, which
  550
  lays down very clear guidelines as to what is acceptable behaviour by sales representatives. The Prescription Medicines Code of Practice Authority, which administers the code of practice on behalf of the pharmaceutical industry, is already investigating the allegations which have been made and will report its findings to the Department's Medicines Control Agency. It will also apply appropriate sanctions where allegations are substantiated.

  Asthma
  Mr. Gapes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what studies her Department has carried out of the effect of increasing traffic volumes on levels of asthma among children and adults.

  Mr. Sackville
  The Department is funding a research project which will examine the health effects, including effects on asthmatics, of the December 1991 air pollution episode in London when the highest recorded peak of nitrogen dioxide occurred.

  In addition, the Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollution which was established by the chief medical officer last year has set up a sub-group on asthma which will investigate the relationships between air pollution and trends in asthma incidence, and will make recommendations on research relating to asthma and air pollution.

  The main agency through which the Government support biomedical and clinical research is the Medical Research Council—MRC—which receives its grant in aid from the office of my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. The MRC is sponsoring some research into factors contributing to the rise of asthma and has set up a working party to examine the aetiology of asthma under the chairmanship of Professor A. J. Newman Taylor. It is considering a range of possible contributory factors to current levels of asthma including air pollution. The Department is represented on the working party and on the MRC committee on toxic hazards in the workplace and the environment, both of which will consider areas of need for further research.

  St. Cross Hospital, Rugby
  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations she has so far received about the consultation document issued by the Warwickshire health authority and the hospital of St. Cross in Rugby.

  Mr. Sackville
  We have received correspondence from a number of people in the west midlands, including my hon. Friend, about this issue.

  Oral Contraceptives
  Mr. Whittingdale
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the cost to the consumer in each EC country of a prescription of oral contraceptives.

  Mr. Sackville
  There is no charge for contraceptives under the national health service in the United Kingdom. Detailed information about arrangements in other European countries is not available centrally.

  Residential Care Homes
  Mr. Robert Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of elderly people living in residential care homes in North Yorkshire county council are accommodated in(a) private sector homes and (b) council-owned homes.

  Mr. Bowis
  The latest available figures are for 31 March 1992. The percentage of residents aged 65 and over in staffed residential care homes for elderly and younger physically disabled people, in the North Yorkshire local authority were, 59 per cent. in private homes and 28 per cent. in local authority homes. The remaining 13 per cent. of residents are living in homes run by voluntary bodies.

  Mr. Robert Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many units of accommodation are provided by residential care homes owned by North Yorkshire county council; and how many vacancies remain.

  Mr. Bowis
  The latest figures available are for 31 March 1992. There were 1,797 places in staffed residential care homes for all client groups, of which 267 were not occupied.

  Neurosurgery
  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information is available to her on whether the secondhand magnetic resonance imaging scanner at the Brook hospital has(a) ever been given electrical safety approval and (b) been used on a patient; and whether doctors are able to clear the backlog by using another machine.

  Mr. Sackville
  The installation and use of the MRI scanner at the Brook hospital is a matter for Greenwich Healthcare national health service trust. My hon. Friend may wish to contact Mr. Neville Thompson, chairman of the trust, for details.

  Dental Services
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will now publish the proposed oral health strategy and the White Paper on dental services; and if she will make a statement.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Proposals for an oral health strategy for England and for the future remuneration arrangements in the general dental services will be announced in due course.

  Newcastle Hospitals
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she proposes to give a decision on the proposals for Newcastle hospitals submitted to her by Newcastle health authority; and whether she proposes to respond in detail to the points put to her in a letter dated 26 November from the hon. Member for Newcastle upon Tyne, Central, (Mr. Cousins).

  Mr. Sackville
  I agreed to the proposals set out in "The future of health care in Newcastle" on 9 December. On the same day I wrote to the hon. Member informing him of the decision and responding to the points he made in his letter. Copies of the proposals and my letter will be placed in the Library.

  Haemochromatosis
  Mr. Pickthall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the numbers of British people suffering from haemochromatosis.

  Mr. Sackville
  Information is not available on which to base an estimate.

  Mr. Pickthall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the number of publicly funded research programmes studying the connection between haemochromatosis and diabetes; if she will make a statement about the results from such research; and what is the cost of programmes of research.

  Mr. Sackville
  The Department is not currently undertaking any such studies into the connection between haemochromatosis and diabetes.

  The main agency through which the Government conduct biomedical and clinical research is the Medical Research Council which receives its grant in aid from the office of my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. We understand that the MRC is not currently funding any research into the connection between haemochromatosis and diabetes.

  Active Termination of Life
  Mrs. Ann Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action she proposes to take following the inquiries by Mr. Richard Turner of the western European department of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office into the practice of non-voluntary active termination of life.

  Mr. Sackville
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to her by my right hon. Friend the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office today.

  Community Care Grant
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the formula used in calculating the distribution of the special transitional community care grant to individual authorities for 1994–95.

  Mr. Bowis
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Eastbourne (Mr. Waterson) on 2 December, at column 707. The methodology of the transfer is set out in LASSL(93)19, copies of which are available in the Library.

  Health and Personal Social Services
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the top 10 sales that are categorisecl as "other" in the health and personal social services statistics for England; and if she will list the income from this category for 1992 and 1993.

  Mr. Sackville
  The components of the "other" category were not separately identified in the returns made to the Department. No information was available centrally for 1992 and 1993.

  Non-NHS Bodies
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list for each year since 1990 the expenditure on the purchase of health care from non-NHS bodies for(a) regions, (b) districts and (c) trusts.
  553
  Mr. Sackville
  Expenditure on the purchase of health care from non-national health service bodies for years 1991–92 and 1992–93 is shown in the table. Figures for 1990–91 are not available centrally.

  1991–92

  1992–93

  £000

  £000

  Regional Health Authorities

  32,746

  21,421

  District Health Authorities

  159,818

  187,335

  NHS Trusts

  12,204

  44,543

  Source: Annual Financial Returns of regional health authorities, district health authorities and NHS Trusts.

  Note: Figures for 1992–93 are provisional.

  Baby Foods
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list for each year since 1990 the income from the sale of proprietary baby foods for(a) regions, (b) districts and (c) trusts.

  Mr. Sackville
  Income from the sale of proprietary baby foods, and so on for 1990–91 is given in the "Health and Personal Social Services Statistics for England", 1992 edition, table 2.9 as £12,657,163 In that year, only district health authorities reported an income from the sale of these goods. The information has not been collected centrally in subsequent years, in accordance with our policy of reducing the administrative burden on health authorities and national health service trusts. Copies of the health and personal social services statistics are available in the Library.

  GP Fundholders
  Mr. David Young
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many general practitioner fundholders in Bolton(a) are and (b) are not overspent in the current financial year;

  (2) how many general practitioner fundholders in Bolton have asked that non-urgent admissions are delayed to Bolton or other hospitals; how many patients are involved; and what is the effect of this on their position on the waiting lists.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  This information is not collected centrally. Regional health authorities are responsible for managing the general practitioner fundholding scheme in their areas.

  Mr. David Young
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will ensure that no patient will suffer a lack of drugs or treatment because the fundholder is overspent.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Regional health authorities manage any general practitioner fundholder overspends from within contingency reserves and patient care is unaffected. However, where a GP fundholder overspends because of inadequate budgetary management, the responsible regional health authority will consider the suitability of the practice to remain in the scheme.

  Car Mileage Allowances
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much car mileage allowance was claimed by NHS staff in(a) regional health authorities, (b) district health authorities, (c) trusts and(d) the NHS as a whole for 1991–92 and 1992–93.
  554
  Dr. Mawhinney
  This information is not available centrally.

  Management Consultants
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the expenditure on management consultants for each year since 1980 for(a) regions, (b) districts and (c) trusts.

  Mr. Sackville
  This information is not available centrally.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  Government Car Service
  Mr. Alan Williams
  To ask the Attorney-General what was the annual cost to the Department of the car service for Ministers in 1990–91; and how many vehicles were involved.

  The Attorney-General
  The total cost to the Department of the Government car service for Ministers for the financial year 1990–91 was approximately £120,000. Two vehicles were involved.

  Active Termination of Life
  Mrs. Ann Winterton
  To ask the Attorney-General what consideration is being given to bringing prosecutions in those cases referred to in the statement of 11 November by Mr. Richard Turner of the western European department of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in a letter a copy of which has been drawn to his attention, that non-voluntary active termination of life is a practice which occurs in the United Kingdom, although it is illegal; and if he will make a statement.

  The Attorney-General
  I understand that the letter by the official in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office referred to by my hon. Friend was misleading and that the FCO does not have any evidence suggesting the commission of offences of unlawful killing.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT

  Aid
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress he has made in collating and publishing information on the proportion of British aid directly focused on the alleviation of poverty.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  My reply to the hon. Member for Southampton, Itchen (Mr. Denham) on 29 November, at column 313, described the Overseas Development Administration's policy information marker system—PIMS—designed to monitor performance against the seven priority objectives announced by my noble Friend the Minister for Overseas Development, in her speech at the Royal Institute of International Affairs on 18 October. Data from PIMS, including data on performance against ODA' s priority objective of direct poverty reduction, will appear in the ODA section of the "Foreign and Commonwealth Office Departmental Report 1994".

  Street Children
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to support the consortium of charities for street children launched by the Prime Minister on 18 November.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  We have indicated to the consortium our willingness to provide support, subject to appraisal, and have asked them to submit a proposal.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what initiatives he has taken under the United Nation's convention on the rights of the child to protect the world's street children; and what estimates he has made of how many such children there are.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  The United Kingdom attaches importance to promoting and protecting the rights of the child. We raise human rights abuses against children with the authorities of those countries concerned. The resolutions on street children at the Commission on Human Rights and at the United Nations General Assembly this year stem from a United Kingdom initiative during our presidency of the EU in 1992.

  The Overseas Development Administration supports non-governmental organisations in their work with street children in Latin America, India, the Philippines, South Africa and other parts of Africa. We have committed over £225,000 to such projects this year. We are also supporting projects in Albania, Bulgaria and Romania through the charity know-how fund.

  Estimates of the global numbers of street children vary according to definition. Some estimates are confined to children actually living on the street while others include those who work on the street while living partly at home. The United Kingdom has not attempted to make an independent estimate.

  Grenada
  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list details of existing and proposed investments by the Commonwealth Development Corporation in Grenada.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  The Commonwealth Development Corporation—CDC—has a single investment in Grenada. Since 1991, it has invested £1·938 million in Liberty Club Ltd. The CDC is considering possible involvement in Grenada Electricity Services Ltd.

  Overseas Aid
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if it is the practice of his Department to conduct an annual opinion poll on the public's attitude to overseas aid and development; what were the results of this survey in the latest year for which figures are available; and where they can be seen.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  It is not the practice of the Department to conduct an annual opinion poll on the public's attitude to overseas aid.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will publish a list by country of all projects currently being funded from the British bilateral aid programme, detailing project title, expected duration and main objectives.
  556
  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  Nearly 4,000 projects, many very small, are currently being funded by the Overseas Development Administration from the bilateral aid programme. It would be disproportionately expensive to list for each of them the data sought by the hon. Member.

  Aggregated information on the main objectives of projects will be published in the "Foreign and Commonwealth Office Departmental Report 1994".

  Some details of the major projects in a range of countries are available in the partners in development booklets published by the ODA. These and a list of projects funded from the know-how fund for eastern and central Europe and the former Soviet Union are in the Libraries of the House.

  Development Projects (Confidentiality)
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs to what extent details of long-term development projects submitted in support and evaluation of successful applications for funds from his Department are treated by his Department as confidential; and what access to this information is provided.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  I refer the hon. Member to the replies I gave him on 8 December at columns 269-70. Proposals, reports and evaluations submitted to the ODA under the joint funding scheme for non-governmental organisations can be made available on request and by agreement between the ODA and the organisation concerned.

  Commonwealth Development Corporation
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the Commonwealth Development Corporation has been authorised to operate in additional countries.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  Following a request from the corporation, approval has been given for the CDC to operate in Guatemala. In pursuing investment opportunities we expect CDC to give priority to promoting private sector development.

  Population Conference
  Mr. Coe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will place in the Library copies of the United Kingdom national report on population for the international conference on population and development, taking place in Cairo in September 1994.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  Copies of the United Kingdom national report have been placed in the Libraries of the House.

PRIME MINISTER

  Government Car Service
  Mr. Alan Williams
  To ask the Prime Minister what was the annual cost to the Department of the car service for Ministers in 1990–91; and how many vehicles were involved.

  The Prime Minister
  The charge to my office for ministerial use of the Government car service during 1990–91 was £117,952. Two vehicles were involved.

  Special Advisers
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Prime Minister what arrangements are made to ensure that special advisers to Ministers in his Department Do not have access to the kind of information, and are not involved in the type of business, that would be likely to create suspicion of impropriety in relation to subsequent employment.

  The Prime Minister
  Care is taken to ensure that special advisers do not have access to the kind of information likely to create suspicion of impropriety. They are not involved in evaluating tenders or letting contracts.

  Identification Numbers
  Sir Ralph Howell
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the smallest number of separate identification numbers in use by any Government department that a person with a driving licence and a passport can have; and how many persons are employed in the various Departments of state to administer these separate registers, giving the number employed in each case.

  The Prime Minister
  A person with a driving licence and a passport would have a driver number, a passport number, a national health service number and is likely to have a national insurance number.

  Driver numbers are automatically generated by computer when a licence is issued and require no additional staff effort. The Passport Agency employs 32 people at the central records unit at Hayes whose job it is to administer passport records. National insurance numbers are issued in two ways: 70 per cent. are issued centrally by the Department of Social Security in an automated process and the remainder are issued locally. The issuing of a national insurance number and the administration of records are part of the general work of departmental staff. The Office of Population Censuses and Surveys employs 180 staff at the national health service central register in Southport whose duties include administration of national health records as well as other responsibilities.

  Local Government Review
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Prime Minister what guidance he has given to the Minister for Local Government and Planning in relation to the announcements anticipating the Government's response to the Local Government Commission's final report on the North Yorkshire review.

  The Prime Minister
  I have nothing further to add to the reply I gave the hon. Member on 29 November,Official Report, column 325.

  Nursery Places
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Prime Minister if it is Government policy to provide nursery places for all three and four-year-olds whose parents want it.

  The Prime Minister
  The Government's policy is to promote choice and diversity of educational and other forms of provision for the under-fives, within the resources available. The scale and pattern of provision locally are matters for individual local authorities and other local providers.

  Departmental Refrigerators
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will make it his policy to direct all Departments of State to purchase ozone-friendly fridges when replacing existing stocks of departmental refrigerators.

  The Prime Minister
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment emphasised the importance of phasing out the use of ozone-depleting substances at a recent meeting of green Ministers. Information on ozone-friendly fridges was circulated to all departments in July this year. Each Department is responsible for its own environmental strategy and purchasing decisions.

  Employment Policy
  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Prime Minister what is the Government's policy on trying to ensure that full employment exists in Britain.

  The Prime Minister
  Economic growth and jobs are generated by businesses and their employees, not by Governments. But Governments do have a responsibility for ensuring that markets work properly and that the regulatory and tax burden on business is kept to an absolute minimum.

  The Government also have the essential task of establishing a macroeconomic framework, which provides the stability that businesses need to plan for the future. This means that inflation and public finances need to be kept under control.

  These are the policies that the Government believe will create wealth and jobs, not just in the United Kingdom, but in the European Community as a whole.

  Engagements
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 14 December.

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

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Public Expenditure
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement about the allocation to individual programmes in Northern Ireland of the public expenditure totals announced on 30 November.

  Sir Patrick Mayhew
  In his unified Budget Statement on 30 November, my right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced total public expenditure planning figures for the Northern Ireland programme. I have now decided on the allocations to individual programmes as shown in the table. Copies of a more detailed statement have been placed in the Library. These allocations reflect my assessment of how best to distribute the Northern Ireland public expenditure totals in response to local needs and circumstances.
  559

  £ million

  1994–95

  1995–96

  1996–97

  PROGRAMME

  Northern Ireland Office:

  Law, Order, protective and Miscellaneous Services

  —

  —

  —

  Northern Ireland Departments

  Northern Ireland Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Services and Support

  —

  —

  —

  Industry, Trade and Employment

  —

  —

  —

  Energy

  —

  —

  —

  Roads and Transport

  —

  —

  —

  Housing

  —

  —

  —

  Environmental and Miscellaneous Services

  —

  —

  —

  Law, Order and Protective Services (Fire Service)

  —

  —

  —

  Education, Arts and Libraries

  —

  —

  —

  Health and Personal Social Services

  —

  —

  —

  Social Security Administration

  —

  —

  —

  Other Public Services

  —

  —

  —

  Northern Ireland Block (excluding Social Security Benefits)

  5,172

  5,360

  5,420

  Social Security Benefits

  2,052

  2,200

  2,330

  Northern Ireland Block

  7,224

  7,550

  7,750

  National Agriculture and Fisheries Support

  166

  190

  190

  Northern Ireland Programme

  7,390

  7,440

  7,940

  1. Figures are presented on the New Control Total basis an explanation of which was given in the Chancellor's Autumn Statement on 12 November 1992. They exclude cyclical Social Security Benefits of £544m, £580m and £610m.

  2. Figures are rounded to nearest £1m in 1994–95 and to nearest £10m in 1995–96 and 1996–97.

  3. The figures for 1994–95 will form the basis for preparation by Northern Ireland Departments and the Northern Ireland Office of Main Estimates for the coming year. These will be presented to Parliament in due course.

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

  Sir John Wheeler
  The cost of providing cars for Ministers during the 1990–91 financial year was around £680,000.

  For most of the year, only four cars were provided by the Government car service, but this was increased to five when the number of Ministers of State increased.

  Not all Ministers had the exclusive use of a car; these costs therefore include private hire cars to supplement the five cars provided by the Government car service. They
  560
  also include the cost of cars provided on duty by the Royal Ulster Constabulary for Ministers when they were in Northern Ireland.

  Pensioners
  Mr. William O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people of pensionable age were living in Northern Ireland during 1991, 1992 and 1993; what percentage they represent of the overall. population in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Ancram
  The information, taken from the provisional 1991 and 1992 mid-year estimates of population, is as follows:

  Numbers

  Per cent.

  1991

  239,600

  15

  1992

  241,600

  15

  Comparable data for 1993 are not yet available.

  Overseas Investment
  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will place in the Library a copy of the Ernst and Young report which was commissioned by the Industrial Development Board into the reasons why overseas companies have invested in Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Atkins
  Ernst and Young were not commissioned to produce a report for the Industrial Development Board into the reasons why overseas companies have invested in Northern Ireland. They were used, however, by the IDB to extend the work undertaken for the Invest in Britain Bureau to produce a reference document which could help the IDB sell the Northern Ireland business opportunity in a very competitive environment. I regret that this information is for internal use only and it would not be appropriate to have the document placed in the Library.

  Arts Council
  Mr. William O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the current level of funding for the Arts Council in Northern Ireland; what the projected grants to the Council will be for 1994–96 and 1995–97; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Ancram
  In the current financial year, funding for the Arts Council of Northern Ireland is £6·379 million. My right hon. and learned Friend has today announced the allocations to programmes for 1994–95 and I will provide further details, including the funding of the Arts Council, shortly.

  Rural Planning Policy
  Mr. William O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what representations he has received regarding the recently published review of rural planning policy in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Atkins
  I announced the outcome of the review of planning policy for rural Northern Ireland on 23 September 1993. Since then the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and Environment Link have asked for further information on the effect of the strategy.

  Marketing and Management
  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what funding is available in 1993–94 for(a) the export marketing programme and (b) the graduate management development programme; and what funds he proposes to make available in 1994–95.

  Mr. Atkins
  Responsibility for the subject in question has been delegated to the Training and Employment Agency under its chief executive, Mr. J. S. Crozier. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter from J. S. Crozier to Mr. Andrew Hunter, dated 10 December 1993:
  You asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland about the funding for the Export Marketing and Graduate Management Development Programmes in the years 1993–94 and 1994–95. As the Training and Employment Agency has responsibility for these programmes, I am writing to you directly in response.
  In the year 1993–94, £668,000 has been allocated to the Export Marketing Programme and £1,951,000 to the Graduate Management Programme.
  With regard to 1994–95, I am unable at present to provide figures for the proposed funding as the Public Expenditure Survey allocations have not been completed. However, I envisage that sufficient funding will be made available from within the overall allocation to enable the programmes to be operated at least at the current level of activity and in the light of the outcome of the imminent competitive tendering process to which both programmes are subject.
  I regret I cannot be more specific at this stage.

  Environmental Protection Agency
  Mr. William O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to introduce an environmental protection agency to Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Atkins
  In Northern Ireland, most of the intended functions of the proposed agency in England and Wales already lie within central Government, in the environment service of the Department of the Environment. When final details of the agency are available, I will decide whether any proposals for change in Northern Ireland should be made.

  Gaming Licences
  Mr. William O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what restrictions currently exist governing the granting of licences to gaming and amusement establishments in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Ancram
  The detailed restrictions are contained in parts III and V of the Betting, Gaming, Lotteries and Amusements (Northern Ireland) Order 1985 and related regulations made under it. These relate mainly to the status and fitness of the applicant and to the suitability of the premises in which the business is to be conducted.

  Rural Hospitals
  Mr. William O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many rural hospitals were operational in Northern Ireland in 1990, 1991, 1992 and 1993; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Ancram
  Hospitals are not classified into the categories "rural" and "urban".

  Housing
  Mr. William O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he intends to introduce compulsory competitive tendering to housing executive management in the Northern Ireland Housing Executive; what representations he has received about such proposals; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Atkins
  The Government are committed to the introduction of compulsory competitive tendering for housing management. They will take some time to consider the exact form of competitive tendering appropriate to Northern Ireland, taking into account the particular local circumstances and background against which the Northern Ireland Housing Executive operates. I have received a number of representations directly and indirectly from elected representatives. It will be at least 1995 before the necessary enabling legislative provisions are in place and the normal consultative process will take place in bringing forward that legislation.

  Sinn Fein (Contacts)
  Mr. Trimble
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what instructions or advice are or have been given to the Royal Ulster Constabulary, with regard to investigations concerning leading members of IRA or Sinn Fein with whom Her Majesty's Government were in contact, on the arrest or questioning of such persons(a) during the period February to November 1993 and (b) at present.

  Sir John Wheeler
  None. Criminal investigations are entirely an operational matter for the Chief Constable.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  South Africa
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information his Department received on the breach of the United Nations embargo on arms sales to South Africa by the International Signal and Control company(a) from 1975 to 1986 and (b) from 1987 onwards; and whether the role of ISC in circumventing the arms embargo was brought to the attention of Her Majesty's Government when ISC was bought by Ferranti.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  We understand that the alleged breaches of the United Nations arms embargo did not involve exports from the United Kingdom. The allegations were reported to the Security Council 421 committee which oversees compliance with the United Nations arms embargo against South Africa. Legal proceedings have been taken against ISC officials and others in the United States.

  Korean Peninsula
  Mr. Parry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the European Council of Ministers last discussed the situation on the Korean peninsula; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Goodlad
  The European Council has not discussed the situation on the Korean peninsula in the last two years.
  563
  Mr. Parry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his policy on the peaceful reunification of the Korean peninsula.

  Mr. Goodlad
  We have consistently supported efforts to achieve this through direct contact between North and South Korea. We hope that these contacts will soon resume and make progress.

  Mr. Parry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the current situation on the Korean peninsula; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Goodlad
  The situation on the Korean peninsula gives cause for concern. Contacts between North and South Korea to follow up their 1991 agreement on reconciliation, non-aggression, exchanges and cooperation seem to have stalled. North Korea has not co-operated with the International Atomic Energy Agency on all the necessary inspections of its nuclear facilities. North Korea's attitude has serious implications for stability in the region. We hope that early progress can be made on both these issues.

  GATT
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to make available to hon. Members copies of the renegotiated proposals for the multilateral trade organisations, prior to the deadline for the signing of the GATT Uruguay round on 15 December.

  Mr. Goodlad
  A copy of the latest draft of the multilateral trade organisation—MTO—agreement has been deposited in the Library of the House of Commons, in response to a question from the hon. Member for Southampton, Itchen (Mr. Denham) on 1 December,Official Report, column 533. A copy of the final draft of the MTO agreement will be deposited in the House Library as soon as it is available in London.

  High Commissions and Embassies
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what were the staffing levels and staff gradings for each British high commission and embassy in Africa in 1983; and what they are in the current year.

  Mr. Goodlad
  A comparison of staffing levels and staff gradings at FCO missions in Africa between 1983 and 1993 is given in the tables.

  Foreign and Commonwealth Office staffing levels in Africa 1983 to 1993

  Country, post and grade

  1983

  Totals

  1993

  Totals

  ALGERIA

  Algiers

  DS 3

  1

  1

  DS 4

  1

  2

  DS 5

  1

  —

  DS 7M

  2

  3

  DS 9

  1

  3

  S 1

  1

  1

  DS 10

  2

  1

  S 2

  2

  3

  Locally engaged

  24·25

  35·25

  33·50

  47·5

  564

  Country, post and grade

  1983

  Totals

  1993

  Totals

  ANGOLA

  Luanda

  DS 3

  1

  1

  DS 5

  1

  3

  DS 7M

  2

  2

  DS 9

  1

  1

  DS 10

  1

  2

  S 2

  1

  2

  Locally engaged

  12·50

  19·50

  12·00

  23·0

  BOTSWANA

  Garborone

  DS 4

  1

  1

  DS 5

  1

  —

  DS 6

  —

  1

  DS 7M

  1

  1

  DS 8C

  1

  —

  DS 9

  2

  2

  DS 10

  1

  1

  S 2

  1

  1

  Locally engaged

  20·00

  28·00

  17·50

  24·5

  CAMEROON

  Douala

  DS 6

  1

  —

  DS 7M

  —

  1

  DS 9

  1

  —

  DS 10

  1

  —

  Locally engaged

  6·50

  9·50

  2·50

  3·5

  Yaounde

  DS 4

  1

  1

  DS 6

  2

  1

  DS 7M

  1

  —

  DS 9

  1

  1

  DS 10

  2

  —

  S2

  1

  1

  Locally engaged

  13·50

  21·50

  20·00

  24·0

  EGYPT

  Alexandria

  DS 5

  1

  —

  DS 6

  —

  1

  DS 9

  1

  —

  Locally engaged

  14·00

  16·00

  13·50

  14·50

  Cairo

  DS 2

  1

  1

  DS 4

  2

  2

  DS 5

  1

  5

  DS 6

  4

  2

  DS 7M

  1

  1

  DS 7D8

  1

  2

  CSO

  —

  1

  HPTO

  —

  2

  DS 8C

  1

  —

  DS 8T

  —

  1

  DS 9

  7

  8

  DS 9C

  1

  —

  DS 9T

  —

  1

  S 1

  1

  1

  SO

  5

  4

  DS 10

  3

  2

  S 2

  1

  4

  Locally engaged

  103·45

  132·45

  118·50

  155·50

  ETHIOPIA

  Addis Ababa

  DS 3

  1

  1

  DS 4

  1

  —

  DS 5

  1

  2

  DS 6

  —

  1

  DS 7M

  5

  1

  DS 9

  —

  2

  S 1

  1

  —

  DS 10

  2

  1

  S 2

  1

  2

  Locally engaged

  75·50

  87·50

  74·10

  84·10

  565

  Country, post and grade

  1983

  Totals

  1993

  Totals

  GAMBIA

  Banjul

  DS 4

  1

  1

  DS 6

  1

  —

  DS 7M

  —

  1

  DS 9

  2

  1

  DS 10

  —

  1

  S 2

  1

  1

  Locally engaged

  27·00

  32·00

  35·50

  40·50

  GHANA

  Accra

  DS 3

  1

  1

  DS 4

  1

  1

  DS 5

  1

  2

  DS 6

  —

  2

  DS 7M

  5

  3

  DS 9

  1

  1

  DS 10

  4

  —

  S 2

  1

  3

  Locally engaged

  56·00

  70·00

  90·50

  103·50

  IVORY COAST

  Abidjan

  DS 4

  1

  1

  DS 5

  1

  1

  DS 7M

  1

  1

  DS 9

  2

  2

  DS 10

  1

  1

  S 2

  1

  1

  Locally engaged

  14·00

  21·00

  13·50

  20·50

  KENYA

  Nairobi

  DS 2

  1

  1

  DS 4

  1

  2

  DS 5

  3

  3

  DS 6

  3

  3

  DS 7M

  2

  4

  DS 7D8

  1

  3

  DS 8C

  1

  —

  DS 8T

  2

  —

  DS 9C

  1

  —

  DS 9

  5

  3

  S 1

  1

  1

  DS 10

  1

  2

  S 2

  2

  4

  Locally engaged

  77·50

  101·50

  68·50

  94·50

  LESOTHO

  Maseru

  DS 4

  1

  1

  DS 6

  1

  1

  DS 7M

  —

  1

  DS 9

  1

  1

  DS 10

  1

  1

  S 2

  1

  1

  Locally engaged

  18·00

  23·00

  15·50

  21·50

  LIBYA

  Tripoli

  DS 3

  1

  —

  DS 4

  1

  —

  DS 5

  —

  1

  DS 7M

  3

  —

  DS 8C

  1

  —

  DS 9

  3

  1

  DS 10

  4

  —

  S 2

  2

  —

  SO

  2

  —

  Locally engaged

  37·00

  54·00

  13·00

  15·00

  MADAGASCAR

  Antananarivo

  DS 4

  1

  1

  DS 6

  1

  —

  566

  Country, Post and grade

  1983

  Totals

  1993

  Totals

  DS 7M

  —

  1

  Locally engaged

  10·50

  12·50

  13·55

  15·55

  MALAWI

  Lilongwe

  DS 3

  1

  1

  DS 5

  1

  1

  DS 6

  —

  1

  DS 7M

  4

  2

  DS 8C

  1

  —

  DS 8T

  1

  —

  DS 9

  —

  2

  DS 10

  2

  3

  S 2

  2

  1

  SO

  1

  —

  Locally engaged

  26·00

  39·00

  58·25

  69·25

  MAURITIUS

  Port Louis

  DS 4

  1

  1

  DS 5

  —

  1

  DS 6

  1

  —

  DS 7M

  1

  —

  DS 9

  3

  3

  DS 10

  1

  —

  S 2A

  —

  1

  Locally engaged

  23·00

  30·00

  22·75

  28·75

  MOROCCO

  Casablanca

  DS 4

  1

  1

  DS 7M

  1

  1

  DS 9

  —

  2

  Locally engaged

  11·00

  13·00

  14·60

  18³60

  Rabat

  DS 3

  1

  1

  DS 5

  1

  1

  DS 7M

  1

  2

  DS 9

  1

  —

  DS 10

  2

  1

  S 2

  2

  2

  Locally engaged

  21·50

  29·50

  17·00

  24·00

  MOZAMBIQUE

  Maputo

  DS 3

  1

  1

  DS 5

  1

  3

  DS 7M

  2

  1

  DS 7D8

  —

  1

  DS 9

  —

  2

  DS 10

  2

  1

  S 2

  1

  2

  Locally engaged

  20·00

  27·00

  24·00

  35·00

  NAMIBIA

  Windhoek

  DS 4

  1

  1

  DS 6

  —

  1

  DS 7M

  1

  1

  Ds 9

  —

  1

  Ds 10

  —

  1

  S 2

  —

  1

  Locally engaged

  0·00

  2·00

  5·00

  11·00

  NIGERIA

  Abuja

  DS 2

  —

  0

  DS 4

  —

  0

  DS 5

  —

  0

  DS 6

  —

  2

  DS 7M

  —

  0

  Ds 7D8

  —

  1

  DS 9

  —

  0

  S 1

  —

  0

  Ds 10

  —

  1

  S 2

  —

  1

  Locally engaged

  0·00

  0·00

  59·00

  64·00

  567

  Country, post and grade

  1983

  Totals

  1993

  Totals

  Ibadan

  Locally engaged

  5·00

  5·00

  4·00

  4·00

  Kaduna

  DS 4

  1

  1

  DS 6

  1

  1

  DS 7M

  1

  —

  DS 9

  3

  1

  DS 10

  1

  —

  S 2

  —

  1

  Locally engaged

  19·00

  26·00

  20·00

  24·00

  Logas

  Ds 2

  1

  1

  DS 3

  1

  —

  DS 4

  2

  3

  DS 5

  4

  3

  DS 6

  2

  1

  DS 7M

  4

  3

  DS 7D8

  2

  2

  DS 8C

  1

  —

  DS 8T

  1

  —

  DS 9C

  1

  —

  DS 9T

  1

  —

  Ds 9

  11

  5

  S 1

  1

  1

  DS 10

  3

  3

  S 2

  3

  2

  S 2A

  —

  1

  Locally engaged

  123·

  161·10

  194·00

  219·00

  SENEGAL

  Dakar

  DS 3

  1

  —

  DS 4

  —

  1

  DS 5

  1

  —

  DS 6

  —

  1

  DS 7M

  1

  —

  DS 7D8

  1

  —

  DS 9

  1

  2

  DS 10

  2

  1

  S 2

  1

  1

  Locally engaged

  24·00

  32·00

  25·75

  31·75

  SEYCHELLES

  Victoria

  DS 4

  1

  1

  DS 7M

  1

  1

  DS 9

  1

  —

  DS 10

  1

  —

  S 2

  1

  1

  Locally engaged

  15·50

  20·50

  14·50

  17·50

  SIERRA LEONE

  Freetown

  DS 3

  1

  —

  DS 4

  —

  1

  DS 5

  1

  —

  DS 7M

  1

  1

  DS 9

  2

  1

  DS 10

  2

  0

  S 2

  2

  1

  Locally engaged

  41·00

  49·00

  27·00

  31·00

  SOUTH AFRICA

  Cape Town

  DS 5

  1

  1

  DS 7M

  3

  3

  DS 9

  1

  —

  Locally engaged

  22·00

  27·00

  17·00

  21·00

  Durban

  DS 6

  1

  1

  DS 9

  —

  1

  Locally engaged

  11·00

  12·00

  6·60

  8·60

  568

  Country, post and grade

  1983

  Totals

  1993

  Totals

  Johannesburg

  DS 3

  1

  —

  DS 4

  —

  2

  DS 5

  2

  2

  DS 6

  1

  —

  DS 7M

  4

  2

  DS 7D8

  —

  2

  Ds 9

  2

  2

  S 2

  —

  3

  Locally engaged

  50·25

  60·25

  49·00

  62·00

  Pretoria

  DS 2

  1

  1

  DS 3

  1

  —

  DS 4

  1

  2

  DS 5

  2

  5

  DS 6

  1

  —

  DS 7M

  —

  1

  DS 7D8

  1

  1

  DS 7C

  1

  —

  DS 7T

  1

  —

  DS 8T

  1

  —

  DS 9C

  2

  —

  DS 9T

  1

  —

  DS 9

  2

  3

  S 1

  1

  1

  DS 10

  1

  3

  S 2

  3

  4

  Locally engaged

  34·10

  54·10

  30·00

  113·00

  SUDAN

  Khartoum

  DS 3

  1

  1

  DS 4

  1

  —

  DS 5

  —

  1

  DS 6

  3

  —

  DS 7M

  1

  1

  DS 7D8

  1

  1

  DS 9

  5

  2

  SO

  —

  1

  DS 10

  3

  1

  S 2

  2

  1

  Locally engaged

  39·50

  56·50

  39·20

  48·20

  SWAZILAND

  Mbabane

  DS 4

  1

  1

  DS 6

  1

  1

  DS 9

  2

  2

  DS 10

  1

  —

  S 2

  1

  1

  Locally engaged

  17·00

  23·00

  13·70

  18·70

  TANZANIA

  Dar Es Salaam

  DS 3

  1

  1

  DS 4

  1

  —

  DS 5

  1

  2

  DS 7M

  4

  3

  DS 7D8

  1

  1

  DS 9

  2

  2

  S 1

  1

  1

  DS 10

  2

  1

  S 2

  1

  1

  Locally engaged

  40·50

  54·50

  38·00

  50·00

  TUNISIA

  Tunis

  DS 3

  1

  1

  DS 5

  1

  2

  DS 7M

  —

  2

  DS 9

  2

  1

  SO

  —

  1

  DS 10

  1

  1

  S 2

  1

  2

  Locally engaged

  25·00

  31·00

  29·65

  39·65

  569

  Country, post and grade

  1983

  Totals

  1993

  Totals

  UGANDA

  Kampala

  DS 3

  1

  1

  DS 5

  1

  2

  DS 6

  —

  2

  DS 7M

  2

  2

  DS 9

  2

  2

  DS 10

  1

  1

  SO

  1

  —

  S 2

  1

  2

  Locally engaged

  32·00

  41·00

  51·10

  63·10

  ZAIRE

  Kinshasa

  DS 3

  1

  —

  DS 5

  1

  1

  DS 7M

  2

  1

  DS 9

  1

  —

  DS 10

  1

  1

  S 2

  1

  —

  Locally engaged

  19·00

  26·00

  33·00

  36·00

  ZAMBIA

  Lusaka

  DS 3

  1

  1

  DS 4

  1

  1

  DS 5

  1

  2

  DS 6

  2

  2

  DS 7M

  2

  2

  DS 8C

  1

  —

  DS 9

  4

  3

  DS 10

  2

  1

  S 2

  2

  2

  S 2A

  —

  1

  Locally engaged

  35·00

  51·00

  38·00

  53·00

  ZIMBABWE

  Harare

  DS 3

  1

  1

  DS 4

  1

  2

  DS 5

  2

  2

  DS 6

  2

  3

  DS 7M

  5

  1

  DS 7D8

  1

  1

  DS 8C

  1

  —

  DS 9C

  1

  —

  DS 9

  3

  4

  S 1

  1

  1

  DS 10

  2

  1

  S 2

  2

  3

  SO

  2

  —

  Locally engaged

  35·50

  59·50

  34·00

  53·00

  Missions closed since 1983

  SOMALIA

  Mogadishu

  DS 4

  1

  DS 6

  1

  DS 8C

  1

  DS 9

  2

  S 2

  1

  Locally engaged

  24·00

  30·00

  MALAWI

  Blantyre

  DS 9

  1

  Locally engaged

  7·50

  8·50

  GABON

  Libreville

  DS 4

  1

  DS 6

  1

  Locally engaged

  7·25

  9·25

  CONGO

  Brazzaville

  DS 6

  1

  Locally engaged

  1·50

  2·50

  570

  Country, post and grade

  1983

  Totals

  1993

  Totals

  LIBERIA

  Monrovia

  DS 4

  1

  DS 6

  1

  DS 10

  1

  S 2

  1

  Locally engaged

  19·00

  23·00

  Active Termination of Life
  Mrs. Ann Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the inquiries made and referred to in the statement of 11 November by Mr. Richard Turner of the western European department of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, that non-voluntary active termination of life is a practice which occurs in the United Kingdom, although it is illegal; and if he will identify the incidents of such murder to which the statement refers.

  Mr. Goodlad
  Having made prior inquiries of the Home Office and Department of Health, an FCO officer referred to non-voluntary active termination of life in his reply of 11 November to a letter from a member of the public. He made clear that this practice is not condoned by Her Majesty's Government.

  Deliberate killing will in the absence of a lawful defence amount either to murder or manslaughter and the perpetrator of such an act would be liable to prosecution under the criminal law. Between 1988 and 1992, four offences of homicide relating to deliberate killing of a patient by a member of the health professions were notified to the police. All four of these offences were crimes committed by the nurse, Beverley Allitt. We have no further evidence of any unlawful killing of this sort occurring in this country.

  Mr. Richard Turner
  Mrs. Ann Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the grade, position, and salary of Mr. Richard Turner of the western European department of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office; how long he has been in post; and what are his responsibilities.

  Mr. Goodlad
  Mr. Turner is a Grade DS7M officer in the diplomatic service. The pay scale for DSM7, as for HEOs in the home civil service, is from £16,000 to £20,218 per annum. Mr. Turner has been the desk officer an responsible for relations with Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands in the western European department since April 1993.

  Iraq
  Mr. David Young
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action Her Majesty's Government are taking to gain the release of prisoners of war and other foreign detainees held in Iraq; if he will list the numbers by nationality of those prisoners and detainees; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  We have attended the two meetings in Geneva held this year between the
  571
  International Committee of the Red Cross, the tripartite commission—USA, United Kingdom and France—Kuwait and Saudi Arabia to discuss the detainees. We have also continued to raise the plight of Kuwaiti and other detainees at the United Nations whenever the Security Council reviews sanctions against Iraq. We last did so on 18 November. We will continue to do so until Iraq fulfils all its obligations under Security Council resolutions 686 and 687.

  According to the Kuwaiti National Committee for Missing and POW Affairs, there are 627 detainees in Iraq, of whom 592 are Kuwaitis and 35 other nationalities—13 Saudis, five Iranians, four Egyptians, four Syrians, three Indians, three Lebanese, one Bahraini, one Omani and one Filipino.

  One German and one Frenchman are also in detention for illegal entry. We hope they will be released soon.

  Gibraltar
  Mr. Rooker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will bring forward proposals for citizens of Gibraltar to be able to vote in the 1994 European Parliament elections.

  Mr. Goodlad
  We do not plan to do so. Annex II of the EC Act on direct elections of 1976 limits the franchise in European parliamentary elections to the United Kingdom.

  Unidentified Flying Objects
  Sir Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the treaty powers which enabled the European Parliament's trade, research and technology committee to study and spend public resources on unidentified flying objects and the possibility of aliens being present in the asteroid belt; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Goodlad
  I understand that a member of the energy, research and technology committee has reported to the Committee on research being undertaken in Europe on unidentified flying objects and related phenomena, following a European Parliament resolution on the subject. A proposal for Community research in this field has not been put forward; nor would I expect one to be unless such research were shown to be consistent with treaty objectives.

  Sir Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the proposal by the EC trade, research and technology committee that an organisation on the consideration of unidentified flying objects should be assigned Community status and funding will be subject to a decision of the Council of Ministers.

  Mr. Goodlad
  The Commission has not made a proposal for the establishment of an unidentified flying objects research observatory. Were it to do so, I can assure my hon. Friend that the Council of Ministers would have to agree rules concerning implementation, funding and duration of the programme, in accordance with the treaty articles concerning research activities.

  Sir Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the EC Commission has the powers on its own initiative to give funding to the Euro-unidentified flying objects observation centre 572
  recommended by the European Parliament's trade, research and technology committee; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Goodlad
  No. Detailed rules concerning implementation, funding and duration of specific Community research programmes must be agreed by the Council of Ministers. The Commission could not fund a Euro unidentified flying objects observation centre in the absence of a Council decision to do so.

  European Parliament
  Sir Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the total cost of the European Parliament in the most recent year for which figures are available; and what estimate he has made of the costs borne from United Kingdom public funds on the basis of the net contributions of member states to the European Union.

  Mr. Goodlad
  Expenditure under the European Parliament's budget for 1992, net of receipts, was 538·241 mecu, approx £419,882,000. Member states contribute to the European Community budget as a whole, not to individual programmes. The net United Kingdom contribution in 1992 was 2,387 mecu.

  Sir Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what procedures are available to determine the limits of the consideration of issues by the European Parliament.

  Mr. Goodlad
  The issues considered by the European Parliament will generally be determined by its role as set out in the EC treaties and the treaty on European Union. It is for the Parliament itself to regulate its internal procedures.

NATIONAL HERITAGE

  St. James's Palace
  Mr. Alan Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what refurbishment, at what cost, has taken place in St. James's palace since April 1992.

  Mr. Sproat
  The information is as follows: cleaning and repair of brick and stonework—£820,000; refurbishment of six residential apartments, including relocation of changing facilities for the yeoman of the guard-£250,000; a number of small projects including redecoration of some areas of the state apartments, external redecorations, renewal of windows, water cisterns and other minor works—£100,000.

  Total £1,170,000.

  TV (Wales)
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will discuss with the Independent Broadcasting Authority and television operators how to ensure that all parts of Wales can receive all television channels originating from within Wales; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Brooke
  At present, 98·3 per cent. of the population of Wales can receive television from either a transmitter in Wales or England or both.
  573
  Responsibility for coverage of terrestrial television services lies with the broadcasters, who determine their own engineering priorities in the light of available resources, taking account of local factors and availability of frequencies. The Government do not seek to influence their judgments.

  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary for State of National Heritage which communities within Wales are at present unable to receive a reasonable reception of programmes transmitted by HTV, BBC Wales or S4C.

  Mr. Brooke
  I understand that, in the following areas, some communities of more than 200 people may not have a reasonable reception of Welsh television services:

  Pembroke Dock

  Pontyminster

  Cwrtnewydd

  Penrhyn-coch

  Mawddach Valley

  Presteigne

  Chirk

  Llanpumpsaint

  Penstrowed

  Llanrwst

  Beffws Gwerfil Goch

  Painscastle

  Llanwddyn

  New Radnor

  Rhydargaeau

  Flint Area

  Holywell

  Ffynnongroew West

  Knucklas

  Beaumaris

  Abersychan

  Llangranog

  Erwood

  Ely (Cardiff)

  Llanfachreth

  Newcastle Emlyn

  Dovey Valley

  Llanllugan

  Citycwm

  Brechfa

  Parkmill

  Pont-Rhyd-y-Groes

  Llyswen

  Solva

  Abersoch

  Bagillt Area

  Taxpayers1liable at higher rate

  (Thousands)

  Tax rate2

  40

  45

  50

  55

  60

  65

  70

  75

  83

  Total

  1978–79

  235

  158

  86

  84

  54

  45

  32

  36

  33

  763

  1979–80

  302

  168

  108

  43

  53

  —

  —

  —

  —

  674

  1980–81

  334

  216

  129

  52

  65

  —

  —

  —

  —

  796

  1981–82

  445

  305

  170

  75

  95

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1,090

  1982–83

  435

  245

  155

  65

  83

  —

  —

  —

  —

  983

  1983–84

  355

  245

  140

  55

  65

  —

  —

  —

  —

  860

  1984–85

  380

  255

  145

  65

  85

  —

  —

  —

  —

  930

  1985–86

  380

  250

  150

  70

  100

  —

  —

  —

  —

  950

  1986–87

  400

  300

  210

  90

  120

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1,120

  1987–88

  360

  320

  240

  110

  160

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1,190

  1988–89

  1,350

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1,350

  1989–90

  1,500

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1,500

  1990–91

  1,700

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1,700

  1991–92

  1,620

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1,620

  31992–93

  1,800

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1,800

  31993–94

  1,900

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1,900

  1 Single people and married couples for years up to and including 1989–90, individuals from 1990–91.

  2 Tax rate applicable to earned income. This excludes any liability to the investment income surcharge for years up to 1983–84.

  3 Provisional estimates projected from the 1991–92 Survey of Personal Incomes.

  574

  Usk

  Upper Cwmbran

  Tintern

  Crew Green/Criggion

  Llandenny

  St. David's

  Caernarfon

  Newport

  Trewem

  Tonyrefail

  Merthyr Tydfil

  Knighton

  Margam

  Manafon

  Abergynolwyn

  Milford Haven

  Capel Curig

  Stepaside

  Llwyndafydd

  Ruabon

  Barry

  Caergwrle

  Mostyn/Glan-y-Don

  Llanover

  Raglan

  In all, there are some 91,000 people who cannot receive Welsh television services, but many of them, about 43,000, can receive English television services.

NATIONAL FINANCE

  Taxation
  Mr. Nicholas Brown
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people faced marginal tax rates(a) including and (b) excluding national insurance payments, of (i) over 40 per cent., (ii) over 50 per cent., (iii) over 60 per cent., (iv) over 70 per cent., (v) over 80 per cent., (vi) over 90 per cent. and (vii) over 100 per cent. in every year since 1978–79, in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Dorrell
  Estimated numbers of taxpayers liable to income tax at rates above the basic rate are in the table. Estimates of the numbers with marginal net income deduction rates, taking account of the withdrawal of social security benefits, at or above certain levels were published in figure 19 of "Social Security: The Government's expenditure plans 1993–94 to 1995–96", Cm 2213.
  575
  Mr. Nicholas Brown
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate for 1993–94 the number of basic rate and higher rate taxpayers with earned incomes above the national insurance contributions upper earnings limit, giving figures separately for(a) husbands, (b) wives, (c) single men and (d) single women and distinguishing between pensioners and non-pensioners.

  Mr. Dorrell
  Latest estimates of individuals aged under 65 with earned incomes above the national insurance contributions upper earnings limit for 1993–94 are given in the table. About 20,000 individuals aged 65 or over have earnings above this limit.

  (000s)

  Individuals

  Basic rate

  Higher rate

  Single males

  260

  260

  Single females

  130

  80

  Husbands

  1,010

  920

  Wives

  100

  70

  Total

  1,500

  1,300

  Mr. Nicholas Brown
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate for(a) April 1994 and (b) April 1995 the percentage change in after-tax incomes for each decile of the population.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The change in after-tax incomes will depend on a range of factors that will affect what happens to the gross incomes and tax payments of those in each decile and cannot reliably be estimated.

  Mr. Nicholas Brown
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people with earnings so low that they do not pay income tax will be affected by the increases in indirect taxation announced in November's Budget.

  Mr. Dorrell
  It is estimated that there are about 3½ million individuals with some earnings who are not paying income tax. It is not possible to determine the proportion of these people who will be affected by the increases in indirect taxation announced in the November Budget.

  Mr. Nicholas Brown
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people will be affected by his decision to reduce(a) the married couple's income tax allowance to 15 per cent. in 1994–95 and (b) mortgage interest relief to 15 per cent. from April 1995.

  Mr. Dorrell
  It is estimated that 10·3 million individuals benefiting from the married couple's allowance and related allowances in 1994–95 would be affected by the restriction of these allowances to 15 per cent. in 1995–96. The restriction of these allowances to 20 per cent. in 1994–95 will affect 9·6 million individuals. A total of 10·1 million single people and married couples will be affected by the restrictions of mortgage interest relief to 15 per cent. in 1995–96.

  No account has been taken of possible behavioural changes resulting from such restrictions.

  Disability Benefit
  Mr. Nicholas Brown
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what, in the latest year for which information is available, is the total number of people in receipt of disability benefit who pay income tax; and how many pay VAT.
  576
  Mr. Dorrell
  It is estimated that in 1991–92 there were 200,000 tax-paying recipients of attendance allowance or mobility allowance.

  This estimate is based on Department of Social Security estimates of the total numbers in receipt of each benefit and estimates from the 1991 family expenditure survey of the proportions who were taxpayers.

  The change from mobility allowance to disability living allowance and disability working allowance in 1992–93 means that information for later years is not yet available. The results of the 1993 family expenditure survey will provide data on these allowances when they are available.

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

  Personal Allowances
  Mr. Nicholas Brown
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much his decision not to uprate the personal allowance in 1994–95 will cost(a) 20 per cent. taxpayers and (b) basic-rate taxpayers per year; and how much not uprating the personal allowance and the higher-rate band will cost top-rate taxpayers per year.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The additional tax liability for a person aged under 65 in 1994–95 compared with statutory indexation of the personal allowance and basic rate limit are as follows.

  Marginal rate of tax

  Additional tax liability

  £

  Lower

  14

  Basic

  17·50

  Higher

  103

  Mr. Nicholas Brown
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much he estimates will be raised by the Treasury in(a) 1994–95, (b) 1995–96 and (c) 1996–97 from the freezing of personal income tax allowances; and how many more people he estimates will have to pay income tax by December 1994 as a result.

  Mr. Dorrell
  Latest estimates of the revenue yield in each of the three years, compared with statutory indexation, are as follows:

  Revenue yield, £ million

  1994–95

  1995–96

  1996–97

  Allowances unchanged

  430

  550

  560

  In 1994–95,no one will be brought into income tax as a result of the November Budget changes. However, about 180,000 more people will pay tax in 1994–95 compared with statutory indexation of personal allowances.

  Forward Catering Services
  Mr. Welsh
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his policy to ensure that employment rights under the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 1981 are to be honoured by the successful purchaser of Forward Catering Services; if the Astra clause will be included as a condition of sale; and if he will make a statement.
  577
  Mr. Nelson
  The four companies which have been short listed as prospective purchasers of Forward understand that TUPE will apply to this transfer. All have indicated that they would be willing to give an undertaking to staff about their redundancy entitlements, although it was made clear that that would not be a condition of sale.

  European Investment Bank
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he(a) last attended and (b) next expects to attend a meeting of the board of directors of the European investment bank.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  I am a member of the bank's board of governors, not of the board of directors. Consequently, I have never attended, nor do I expect in the future to attend, any meetings of the board of directors.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the current level of the United Kingdom's Government shareholding in the European investment bank; what proportion it constitutes of the total shareholding; what changes in its level there have been in the past(a) 10, (b) five and (c) one year; and what proposals there are to amend it in either direction.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  The total subscribed share capital of the European investment bank is currently set at 57,600,000,000 ecus—£43,530,834,341*. Of this, the United Kingdom holds 11,017,450,000 ecus— £8,326,367,896*—or approximately 19·1 per cent. of the total.

  The bank's capital was fixed at its present amount on 1 January 1991, when it was doubled from its then level of 28,800 mecu. The previous increase in capital, which was the only other change during the past 10 years, occurred on 1 January 1986. At that time the capital was raised from 14,400 mecu to 28,800 mecu.

  There are at present no proposals to either decrease or increase the capital of the bank.
  *Figures converted at 30 November 1993 £/ecu conversion rate (£1=1·3232 ecu).

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will now resign from the board of directors of the European investment bank.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  Since I am not, nor have I ever been, a member of the bank's board of directors, there can be no question of my resigning from this body. I have no intention of resigning my position on the bank's board of governors.

  Share Sales
  Mr. Hain
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 8 December,Official Report, column 231, if he will provide details of fees paid to underwriters associated with the share sales of British Telecom, British Gas and the regional water companies.

  Mr. Dorrell
  No. Fees paid to underwriters as part of the privatisation programme are treated as commercially confidential. Total fees paid to underwriters are quantified within the relevant National Audit Office reports published by the Comptroller and Auditor General. For the sales requested, with the exception of the BT secondary sales which were not underwritten, the total fees paid to underwriters were:578

  £million

  BT

  1984

  74·0

  British Gas

  1986

  60·0

  Water

  1989

  33·2

  Mr. Hain
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 8 December,Official Report, column 231, if he will provide details of fees paid to advisers and underwriters associated with the privatisation and share sales of the regional electricity boards, Powergen and National Power.

  Mr. Dorrell
  No. Fees paid to advisers, underwriters, 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, excluding VAT, paid to advisers and underwriters up to 31 December 1991 were:

  £million

  Advisers

  Underwriters

  Regional Electricity Companies 1990

  28·8

  36·6

  Generating Companies 1991

  17·2

  14·9

  Unemployment (Costs)
  Sir Ralph Howell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the latest estimate of the overall cost of unemployment including all expenditure on training and all Government initiatives to reduce unemployment and also including all state support such as housing benefit, mortgage interest relief and all passport benefits paid whilst unemployed or undertaking unemployment reducing training and other programmes.

  Mr. Portillo
  The overall cost of unemployment is highly sensitive to the factors which cause that unemployment and cannot be estimated on the basis specified in the question.

TRANSPORT

  Coastal Safety, Shetlands
  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what resources are currently available for port state control inspection in Shetland;

  (2) what resources were available in Shetland for ship inspection for port state control up until 22 November;

  (3) what extra resources he intends to make available for futher port state control inspections of Klondyker ships (a) off Shetland, (b) off Ullapool and (c) elsewhere; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Norris
  The inspection resources of the east of Scotland district in which Shetland lies are available as necessary for port state control inspection in Scotland. Resources from other districts are also available as necessary. In addition to the one surveyor permanently based in Shetland, three surveyors are currently carrying out inspections in Shetland.
  579
  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what response he has given to Shetland Islands council's request for financial support for(a) radar surveillance, (b) aerial surveillance and (c) salvage provision around the coast of Shetland; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Norris
  I will send the hon. Member a copy of the correspondence.

  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list all short-term measures taken by his department since the sinking of the Braer to improve safety of shipping around the coast of Shetland.

  Mr. Norris
  Measures, which applied more widely than in the Shetland islands, were implemented quickly and will remain in operation. A voluntary code produced by the United Kingdom Chamber of Shipping after consultation with industry and others set out specific navigational recommendations for the routeing of ships around the United Kingdom coast.

  In addition, the Department made specific proposals to the International Maritime Organisation which entered into force on 28 November. The measures, summarised as follows, now apply to vessels of all flags:

  (a) for vessels over 5,000 gross tonnes carrying oil or other hazardous cargoes in bulk:

  (i) amended "areas to be avoided" to the north south, and west of the Shetland Islands;

  (ii) new "areas to be avoided" off the Orkney Islands and around Fair Isle;

  (b) "precautionary areas" in the northern and south-eastern approaches to Yell Sound, and in the approaches to Lerwick;

  (c) recommendations on navigation for laden tankers in the Pentland Firth;

  (d) recommendations to report to the coastguard for all laden vessels in the Pentland Firth, and off Fair Isle.

  Recommended routes will be introduced for the Fair Isle channel subject to the successful completion in 1994 of further hydrographic surveys at an estimated cost of around £2 million.

  Name

  Date

  Location

  Action

  Stasys Girenas

  22 January 1993

  In port

  Master instructed to rectify deficiencies found

  Alderbaran

  25 May 1993

  In port

  Master instructed to rectify deficiencies found

  Birsk

  1 June 1993

  In port

  Master instructed to rectify deficiencies found

  Chernomorskaya Slava

  12 July 1993

  In port

  Master instructed to rectify deficiencies found

  Pomor

  29 July 1993

  In port

  Master instructed to rectify deficiencies and flag state consulted

  Chernomorskaya Slava

  3 August 1993

  In port

  Detained during fire on board

  Akvamarin

  6 August 1993

  In port

  Detained

  Kandalasksha

  31 August 1993

  In port

  Flag state informed of deficiencies following grounding

  Kandalasksha

  4 October 1993

  In port

  Detained in drydock for repair

  Klondyker Ships
  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what loopholes in respect of ship safety regulation he has identified in relation to Klondyker ships inside United Kingdom territorial waters, but outside harbour boundaries; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Norris
  We are considering the lessons to be drawn from recent incidents involving Klondykers. The subject is also relevant to the Donaldson inquiry, which has agreed to consider submissions on the subject, and we shall want to see the report before drawing firm conclusions.

  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proposals he has for(a) monitoring and (b) enforcing, the intermediate recommendations of the marine accident investigation branch inquiry into Klondyker ships within Lerwick harbour in respect of (1) bunker fuel and (2) maintenance of vessels; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Norris
  The inspections being carried out are monitoring bunker levels and general maintenance on each vessel. Evidence is emerging that these efforts have already brought about an improvement in the fleet in this respect. The code of practice now being prepared will specify particular requirements for bunker levels and maintenance.

  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proposals he intends to submit to the EC concerning improved safety arrangements for Klondyker fleets.

  Mr. Norris
  My right hon. Friend is taking action under the powers available to him in domestic legislation. We shall involve our colleagues in the European Community when that is appropriate.

  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list by name the Klondyker ships inspected by his Department in 1993 and include date of inspection, together with details of recommendations and in each case, whether the vessel was(a) in harbour or (b) outside the harbour boundary.

  Mr. Norris
  Fish factory ships inspected in United Kingdom between 1 January 1993 and 7 December 1993 were as follows:
  581

  Name

  Date

  Location

  Action

  Kapitan Kononov

  16 November 1993

  In port

  Detained

  Mys Frunze

  22 November 1993

  At anchor

  Master instructed to rectify deficiencies. Flag state informed

  Dneprodzerhinsk

  23 November 1993

  At anchor

  Master instructed to rectify deficiencies. Flag state informed

  Petrozavodsk

  23 November 1993

  At anchor

  Master instructed to rectify deficiencies. Flag state informed

  Plutoniy

  24 November 1993

  In port

  Detained

  Limoza

  24 November 1993

  At anchor

  Master instructed to rectify deficiencies. Flag state informed

  Vasiliy Filippon

  24 November 1993

  At anchor

  Master instructed to rectify deficiencies

  Serebryansk

  24 November 1993

  At anchor

  Master instructed to rectify deficiencies. Flag state informed

  Pyotr Shafranov

  25 November 1993

  At anchor

  Master instructed to rectify deficiencies. Flag state informed

  Novocheboksarsk

  25 November 1993

  At anchor

  Master instructed to rectify deficiencies

  Dzintarkrasts

  25 November 1993

  At anchor

  Master instructed to rectify deficiencies. Flag state informed

  Aktinia

  26 November 1993

  At anchor

  Master instructed to rectify deficiencies. Flag state informed

  President Pik

  30 November 1993

  At anchor

  Master instructed to rectify deficiencies. Flag state informed

  Navigator

  30 November 1993

  At anchor

  Master instructed to rectify deficiencies. Flag state informed

  Novator

  30 November 1993

  At anchor

  Master instructed to rectify deficiencies. Flag state informed

  Ofelia

  1 December 1993

  At anchor

  Master instructed to rectify deficiencies. Flag state informed

  Kazan

  1 December 1993

  At anchor

  Master instructed to rectify deficiencies. Flag state informed

  Aleksandrit

  1 December 1993

  At anchor

  Master instructed to rectify deficiencies. Flag state informed

  Sevryba

  2 December 1993

  At anchor

  Master instructed to rectify deficiencies

  Rus

  2 December 1993

  At anchor

  None

  Korunds

  2 December 1993

  At anchor

  Master instructed to rectify deficiencies. Flag state informed

  Kolomenskoe

  3 December 1993

  At anchor

  Master instructed to rectify deficiencies

  Zakavkazye

  6 December 1993

  At anchor

  Master instructed to rectify deficiencies. Flag state informed

  Aleksey Grachev

  7 December 1993

  At anchor

  Master instructed to rectify deficiencies. Flag state informed

  Geroi Eltgena

  7 December 1993

  At anchor

  Master instructed to rectify deficiencies. Flag state informed Gantiadi

  Gantiadi

  7 December 1993

  At anchor

  Master instructed to rectify deficiencies. Flag state informed

  Pruzani

  7 December 1993

  At anchor

  Master instructed to rectify deficiencies. Flag state informed

  582 583
  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proposals he has to ensure the continued safety through inspection of the Klondyker fleet.
  584
  Mr. Norris
  A team of surveyors is currently inspecting the fleet of Klondykers anchored off Lerwick to ensure, in particular, their safety at anchor. Other marine districts will inspect Klondykers as and when they enter ports in their area.

  M11 Link Road
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if his Department have indemnified Norwest-Hoist Construction Ltd. in respect of(a) compensation payments should the M11 link road contract be cancelled or delayed and (b) the costs of security on site; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Norris
  In common with other construction contracts let by my Department, the usual Institution of Civil Engineers conditions of contract apply. These provide that claims may be made for actual loss incurred through delay. This contract also provides for specific and contingency security measures, the cost of which is included in the contract price.

  Mr. Gapes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what studies have been carried out by his Department of the impact of the M11 link road in generating additional traffic to neighbouring areas; and if he will publish the results;

  (2) what estimate he has made of the likely increase in traffic volume along the Al2 Eastern avenue as a result of the building of the M11 link road for each of the next five years.

  Mr. Norris
  During construction of the A12 Hackney Wick to M11 link road, temporary traffic management measures may mean that traffic will be diverted from present routes, and increase in some areas. There could be extra traffic on A12 due to removal of waste and delivery of materials.

  The long-term aim of the link road is to remove traffic from existing roads and so provide the opportunity for traffic-calming measures in neighbouring areas.

  Mr. Gapes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport for what purpose his Department employs the private security firm of Norwest Holst in connection with the M11 link road.

  Mr. Norris
  Norwest Holst Ltd. is a civil engineering contractor and as such is the main contractor for contract 4 of the A12 Hackney Wick to M11 link road. Among the contractor's duties are the maintenance of the security of their sites and workings.

  Mr. Gapes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what private security firms have been employed by his Department in connection with the M11 link road through Wanstead.

  Mr. Norris
  Essential Security Services have been employed to safeguard unoccupied properties in the Department's ownership.

  Vehicle Inspectorate
  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he has received the Price Waterhouse report on the potential privatisation of part of the Vehicle Inspectorate; and when he expects to make an announcement;

  (2) what proposals he has for separate legislation to privatise the testing side of the Vehicle Inspectorate.

  Mr. Key
  My right hon. Friend received this report only recently and is considering its findings. He will make an announcement on future plans for the Vehicle Inspectorate's testing function, and legislative implications, in due course.

  Regional Airports
  Mr. Harvey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the Government's policy towards the expansion of regional airports in the light of the planning applications submitted by Liverpool airport and Manchester airport.

  Mr. Norris
  The recent runway capacity in the south-east report shows that there are better prospects for growth in traffic at regional airports with a greater range of direct services becoming available than is the case for airports in the south-east. This is good for travellers. We are encouraging local authority-owned regional airports to involve the private sector in their development plans.

  The application for Manchester airport was called in by the Secretary of State for the Environment in October and will be for joint decision by him and the Secretary of State for Transport. In view of this quasi-judicial role it would not be appropriate to comment on the proposal. Consideration of Liverpool airport's recent application is a matter in the first instance for the local planning authorities.

  Home Working
  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list(a) by region, (b) division and (c) office location all home working initiatives operating in his Department and the grades involved.

  Mr. Norris
  At present, this Department has no staff working wholly from home. From time to time, temporary local arrangements are made to allow individuals who have health or other difficulties to work part of the week from home, but central records of these arrangements are not kept.

  Salvage Tugs
  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he now expects to introduce legislation to ratify the International Maritime Organisation convention on salvage tugs; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Norris
  It is the Government's intention that legislation should be introduced which will enable ratification of the international convention on salvage 1989 at the earliest possible opportunity.

  Asthma
  Mr. Gapes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what studies his Department has carried out of the effect of increasing traffic volumes on levels of asthma among children and adults.

  Mr. Key
  The Department of Health is funding research into the health effects of air pollution, including those relating to asthma.

  Special Advisers
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what arrangements are made to ensure that special advisers to Ministers in his Department do not have access to the kind of information, and are not involved in the type of business, that would be likely to create suspicion of impropriety in relation to subsequent employment.
  587
  Mr. MacGregor
  Special advisers in my Department are appointed following consultation with and approval from the Prime Minister and the Treasury. They have direct access to me and stand outside the departmental hierarchy.

  Special advisers in my Department are members of the the civil service and have the same conditions of service and are subject to the same rules of conduct as other civil servants except that they are not subject to the business appointment rules, when they leave the Department. Their terms of appointment include the following:
  "All civil servants owe duties of confidentiality and loyal service to the Crown. These require civil servants to exercise care in the use of official information which they acquire in the course of their official duties and to protect information which is held in confidence."

  Their appointment letters also draw attention to the rules governing the use of official information and related activities and those governing participation in outside activities involving the use of official information or experience and the general principles of conduct to which all civil servants are expected to adhere at all times.

  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the names and job descriptions of each special ministerial adviser employed in his Department showing any particular outputs for which each adviser is responsible.

  Mr. MacGregor
  I currently employ two special advisers in the Department of Transport.

  Mrs. E. F. Laing has been my special political adviser in this Department since 13 April 1992.

  Sir Idris Pearce has been employed as a part-time special adviser on property matters concerned with British Railways privatisation since 16 June 1992.

  Transport Research Laboratory
  Mr. Mills
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what percentage of projects undertaken by the Transport Research Laboratory in Crowthorne were instigated by direct commercial or industrial demand in 1980, 1990 and 1993.

  Mr. Key
  Percentage of projects undertaken on a commercial basis by the Transport Research Laboratory.1979–80 No records but probably 0 per cent. as TRL's resources were fully committed to DOT and ODA.
  1989–90 5 per cent. of projects—40 projects—producing 2 per cent. of income—£600,000.
  1992–93 21 per cent. of projects—150 projects—producing 5 per cent. of income—Key£2 million.

  Parking
  Mr. Robert Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what action his Department is taking to combat the problem of parking on pavements.

  Mr. Key
  While there is a general ban on parking heavy goods vehicles on the pavement, parking other kinds of vehicles there is banned only where it is prohibited by a local Act of Parliament, as in London, where it contravenes a traffic order made by the local traffic authority, or if the vehicle is parked in a dangerous or obstructive position. Responses to the consultation document "Curbing an Abuse", which we published in 1987, showed that a complete ban would not be practical. It would create severe difficulties for many local traffic authorities, and the police do not have the resources that would be necessary to enforce it effectively.
  588
  I accept that the current situation is not entirely satisfactory, but expect it to improve as local authorities take on responsibility for parking enforcement under the arrangements in the Road Traffic Act 1991.

  In addition, we are about to publish guidance detailing the engineering measures available to local traffic authorities to prevent vehicles mounting the pavement. Such measures have the advantage that they are largely self-enforcing.

  M1
  Mr. Skinner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will hold discussions with the relevant local authorities and other interested parties in the area covered by the scheme to widen the M1 between junctions 28 and 32.

  Mr. Key
  These proposals are generally at an early stage. Opportunities will be offered for discussion throughout their progress and there will be other occasions for comment, as usual.

  Goods Vehicle Licensing
  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will list the organisations that were invited to submit comments on his consultation paper on the deregulation of goods vehicle operator licensing;

  (2) if he will list the names of the individuals and organisations who also responded to his consultation paper on the deregulation of goods vehicle licensing.

  Mr. Key
  Sixty-three representative organisations were invited to submit comments to the consultation document. I am placing a full list of the organisations in the Library. Fifteen of them responded to the consultation.

  In addition I refer the hon. Member to my previous answer of 27 October, Official Report, column 542, which gives the main organisations that replied. It is not our normal practice to publish the names of individuals who have responded to consultation exercises of this sort.

  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how often utility emergency vehicles exempt from goods vehicle operator licensing have to be used for emergency work to gain an exemption.

  Mr. Key
  There are no minimum levels of use to qualify for exemption.

  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what are the reasons for the difference between vehicles exempted from goods vehicle operator licensing and exempt vehicles as listed in the "Annual Abstract of Statistics 1993", page 191 table 10.5; and how it is possible to accurately count exempt vehicles in table 10.5 but not to supply information on the number of vehicles exempt from goods vehicle operator licensing.

  Mr. Key
  The table referred to concerns vehicle licensing rather than operator licensing, and the exemptions mentioned are those for vehicles requiring licensing but exempt from the payment of vehicle excise duty, VED. The records kept by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency of licensed vehicles show whether or not they are exempt from VED, so it is possible to count such vehicles. There are no records of vehicles not subject to operator licensing.
  589
  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will now carry out a study into whether vehicles exempt from goods vehicles operator licensing are more or less likely to be involved in accidents than licensed vehicles; and if he will collect accident statistics in such a way that those accidents involving exempt vehicles are easily distinguishable.

  Mr. Key
  The number of exempt vehicles over 3·5 tonnes is estimated to be relatively small compared to the total vehicle population. I have no indications that they are disproportionately involved in accidents. Collecting data on accident rates as proposed would be expensive and I do not regard it as justified.

  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the definition of a local authority weights and measures vehicle; and for what reasons such vehicles are exempt from goods vehicle operator licensing.

  Mr. Key
  For the purposes of goods vehicle operator licensing, it is a vehicle which is being used by a local authority for the purposes of the enactments relating to weights and measures or the sale of food and drugs. We see no need for operator licensing for minor categories of vehicles, unlikely to pose safety or other problems.

  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what consideration he has given to extending goods vehicle operator licensing to electrically propelled vehicles.

  Mr. Key
  We are currently reviewing the list of exemptions from operator licensing and will consider both whether to add additional categories such as electrically propelled vehicles or to exempt further categories.

  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if recovery vehicles exempt from goods vehicle operator licensing have to be used solely for recovery work to gain exemption.

  Mr. Key
  Yes.

  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if vehicles used to carry materials for road and motorway construction are exempt from goods vehicle operator licensing if used for other work; and if he will consider extending operator licensing regulations to such vehicles.

  Mr. Key
  The exemption applies to trailers only, in cases where they are not constructed primarily for the carriage of goods but are being used incidentally for that purpose in connection with the construction, maintenance or repair of roads. This exemption would for instance cover trailers incorporating road-building machinery which carry specialised road-building materials in order to perform their functions. We are currently reviewing the list of exemptions.

  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if ambulances operated by private sector companies are exempt from goods vehicle operator licensing.

  Mr. Key
  Yes, so long as they are used for ambulance purposes.

  City Centre Motor Races
  Mr. Bates
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what statutory requirements and assurances he requires before granting approval for a city town centre formula 2 motor race.
  590
  Mr. Key
  Section 12 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 prohibits races or trials of speed on public ways. However, the Birmingham City Council Act 1985 allows Birmingham city council to close specified roads on specified dates for motor racing purposes.

  Channel Tunnel Rail Link
  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what provision has been made in the Government's public spending plans for 1994–95, 1995–96 and 1996–97 for expenditure on the channel tunnel rail link.

  Mr. Freeman
  We have made provision for public expenditure of £40 million in 1994–95, £20 million in 1995–96 and £10 million in 1996–97. Total expenditure on the project in this period will be substantially greater, and will be made up by funding from the private sector following the appointment of the private sector promoter.

  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what provision has been made in the Government's spending plans for the substantial public sector support for the channel rail link to which he committed the Government in his statement of 22 March.

  Mr. Freeman
  Substantial public sector support will be provided by making British Rail's European passenger services subsidiary part of the project, as my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced on 11 November. Whether any further support is required, and if so its amount and timing, will be determined by the results of the competition to select the private sector promoter.

  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what portion of the provision for public expenditure on the channel tunnel rail link during 1994–95 to 1996–97 is intended to cover the compensation that the Government will have to pay to owners of properties affected from January 1994 when the route is safeguarded.

  Mr. Freeman
  The provision required for property purchase will depend upon the route chosen and the terms adopted for property purchase. The Government are giving careful consideration to these issues in the light of Union Railways' 29 October report and the comments received from consultees. We intend to make a statement next month.

  Tracker Devices
  Mr. French
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to make the fitting of tracker devices to cars mandatory.

  Mr. Key
  None.

  Roads, London
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what public consultation his Department has had during the last 12 months with boroughs in the Greater London area where major road development projects are under discussion; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Norris
  My Department has included the appropriate London boroughs in the public consultations which have been held in the last 12 months on the following major road development projects:
  591
  M25 Junctions 15-16 link road proposals;
  Heathrow Terminal 5 Access M25 Spur Road and M4 Junctions 3 to 4b improvements;
  A2 Kidbrooke Park Road interchange improvement;
  A13/A112 junction improvement;
  Blackwall Tunnel 3rd crossing proposal, and
  Heathrow Access and Southwest London Quadrant Study (HASQUAD)

  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will set out the new roads building programme for the Greater London area that has been approved and for which funding has been allocated by his Department.

  Mr. Norris
  New starts on national road construction for 1994–95 will be announced in the new year.

  Trans-European Road
  Mr. Walden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what consideration he is giving to providing an environmental impact assessement of the trans-European road from Felixstowe to its final destination in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Key
  An environmental impact assessment will be undertaken in accordance with the normal procedures for any new road scheme which is proposed within the United Kingdom along this route if it is likely to have a significant effect on the environment.

  Marchioness Disaster
  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will name the persons who were responsible for the report on the Marchioness disaster together with their official positions, experience and qualifications.

  Mr. Norris
  [holding answer 13 December 1993]: The report is that of the Chief Inspector of Marine Accidents, Captain P. B. Marriott. Prior to his appointment as chief inspector, Captain Marriott worked in the shipping industry for 33 years and is a fully qualified and experienced master mariner.

  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what relevant facts he now has in his possession, or have been drawn to his attention, which in his opinion are additional to those set out in the report of the marine accident investigation branch concerning the Marchioness disaster.

  Mr. Norris
  [holding answer 13 December 1993]: None.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Pesticides
  Mrs. Lait
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the total expenditure by the MAFF pesticides safety directorate on registering and monitoring the use of pesticides under the Food and Environment Protection Act 1985, and what was the total income from fees charged for all approval submissions and the levy on United Kingdom sales, in the last year for which figures are available.

  Mr. Soames
  In the financial year 1992–93, the total expenditure by the MAFF pesticides safety directorate on 592
  registering and monitoring the use of pesticides under the Food and Environment Protection Act 1985 was £6·7 million. In the same year, the total income from fees was £0·5 million and the levy on United Kingdom sales was £6·2 million.

  Days-at-Sea Restrictions
  Mr. Hicks
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what action she intends to take in the light of the decision by the High Court to refer the National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations' application for judicial review of the Government's days-at-sea policy to the European Court of Justice.

  Mr. Jack
  The hon. Member will be aware of the recent High Court judgment in the NFFO's judicial review proceedings. The court, while noting that there is total agreement on the need to prevent overfishing of certain stocks, has concluded that there are various points of Community law which it felt unable to resolve without a reference to the European Court of Justice.

  My right hon. Friends and I have considered carefully how to proceed in this situation. We have weighed on the one hand the pressing need for conservation action. On the other hand, we must recognise that the effect of the reference is to cast doubt on the operation of the scheme in the meantime. We have concluded that the most straightforward course is to suspend the implementation of days at sea restrictions pending the European Court's judgment—which we shall seek to have expedited.

  Days-at-sea controls are one element of a package of measures designed to conserve the stocks and meet our Community targets, while securing value for money. Other elements are various new licensing rules and a £25 million decommissioning scheme.

  Those fishermen whose bids have been accepted under the decommissioning scheme will receive their grants, provided that, in accordance with the scheme, they scrap their vessels and submit the necessary documentation to the Ministry before 1 March 1994.

  Beyond that we need to review the way forward and as a first step I shall be speaking to the EC Commissioner about what needs to be done. I shall also speak to the industry. And I shall present further proposals to the House in due course.

  Forestry Commission
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will list all the land owned in Lancashire by the Forestry Commission.

  Mr. Jack
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Sherwood (Mr. Tipping) on 13 December 1993.

  Mrs. Anne Campbell
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment she has made of the effect on the freedom to roam on Forestry Commission land of decisions to be made following the report of the Forestry Review Group.

  Mr. Jack
  We have asked the forestry review group to ensure that, in carrying out its work, it takes full account of the need to safeguard existing public benefits such as access and recreation. When the group's report is received this aspect of its findings will be looked at very carefully indeed.
  593
  Mr. Tipping
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will list, for each separate piece of land currently owned or leased by the Forestry Commission in Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Gloucestershire(a) its name and (b) its area in hectares; and if she will place a map in the Library which names and identifies each of these pieces of land.

  Mr. Jack
  [holding answer 9 December 1993]: The Forestry Commission manages the following areas of land in Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Gloucestershire:

  County

  Area (hectares)

  Bedfordshire

  798

  Berkshire

  512

  Buckinghamshire

  2,075

  Gloucestershire

  10,376

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

  The more detailed information requested on the individual areas is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Tipping
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will list for each separate piece of land currently owned or leased by the Forestry Commission in Hertfordshire, Kent, Surrey and Wiltshire(a) its name and (b) its area in hectares; and if she will place a map in the Library which names and identifies each of these pieces of land.

  Mr. Jack
  [holding answer 14 December 1993]: The Forestry Commission manages the following areas of land in Hertfordshire, Kent, Surrey and Wiltshire.

  County

  Area (hectares)

  Hertfordshire

  567

  Kent

  3,676

  Surrey

  1,627

  Wiltrshire

  3,955

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

  The more detailed information requested on the individual areas is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Tipping
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when the hon. Member for Sherwood will receive an answer to his questions of 25 November relating to the Forestry Commission.

  Mr. Michael Jack
  I answered the hon. Member's questions on 13 December.

  Mr. Tipping
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will list, for each separate piece of land currently owned or leased by the Forestry Commission in Cheshire, Cumbria and Lancashire(a) its name and (b) its area in hectares; and whether she will place a map in the Library which names and identifies each of these pieces of land.
  594
  Mr. Jack
  [holding answer 6 December 1993]: The Forestry Commission manages the following areas of land in Cheshire, Cumbria and Lancashire:

  County

  Area (hectares)

  Cheshire

  948

  Cumbria

  26,508

  Lancashire

  1,816

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

  The more detailed information requested on the individual areas is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Tipping
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will list, for each separate piece of land currently owned or leased by the Forestry Commission in Hereford and Worcester, Oxfordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire(a) its name and (b) its area in hectares; and if she will place a map in the Library which names and identifies each of these pieces of land.

  Mr. Jack
  [holding answer 9 December 1993]: The Forestry Commission manages the following areas of land in Hereford and Worcester, Oxfordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire and Warwickshire.

  County

  Area (hectares)

  Hereford and Worcester

  5,072

  Oxfordshire

  632

  Shropshire

  4,612

  Staffordshire

  4,501

  Warwickshire

  639

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

  The more detailed information requested on the individual areas is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Dioxins, Derbyshire
  Mr. Skinner
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what information her Department has as to which geographical area the dioxin contamination on the farm closest to the Coalite works in Derbyshire is spreading.

  Mr. Soames
  The Ministry has undertaken further studies of dioxins in cows' milk from farms in the Bolsover area of Derbyshire. Milk taken from five farms in September was tested, including milk from the farm in question. In all cases the levels of dioxins found were lower than in similar samples taken in 1991 and 1992, indicating that the degree of contamination in the area is continuing to decrease. There is no evidence that the original contamination is spreading.

  Mr. Skinner
  ; To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will now publish the research undertaken by her Department which follows on from the third report on dioxins in Derbyshire; and if she will make a statement.
  595
  Mr. Soames
  A summary of the results of the September survey of dioxins in milk from farms in the Bolsover area of Derbyshire was published in the November edition of the MAFF food safety directorate information bulletin. An explanatory note giving full details of the survey was also made available on request. The small amount of research data obtained recently is currently subject to statistical analysis and the results will be published in due course. All other data from our research in the Bolsover area has been published in line with our earlier commitments.

  Mr. Skinner
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what action is being taken by her Department to study and limit the continuing dioxin contamination on the farm closest to the Coalite works in Derbyshire.

  Mr. Soames
  Dioxins in milk from suckling cows on this farm are falling, but are still in excess of a maximum tolerable concentration of 0·7 ng TEO/kg set by the Ministry and the Department of Health. This milk is not produced for human consumption and there is no direct risk to human health from the milk. The Ministry will continue its surveillance programme on dioxins in milk from this and other farms in the area to monitor the situation. This will ensure that no milk supplied for human comsumption contains unacceptable concentrations of dioxins.

  Milk Industry
  Mrs. Peacock
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will make it her policy not to allow Milk Marque to retain responsibility for national milk records, animal health data and livestock improvements.

  Mr. Jack
  The Milk Marketing Board's reorganisation scheme contains the board's proposals for the transfer of certain of its assets to Milk Marque. My right hon. Friends the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Secretary of State for Wales have yet to decide whether to approve the reorganisation scheme under the terms of the Agriculture Act 1993.

  Mrs. Peacock
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will direct the Milk Marketing Board forthwith to cease to use its funds and staff and those of its subsidiaries to recruit members for Milk Marque.

  Mr. Jack
  My right hon. Friend has no powers so to direct.

  Mrs. Peacock
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will provide an estimate of the funds and total staff time of both the Milk Marketing Board and its subsidiary organisations which have been employed on touring farms to recruit milk producers as members of its successor, Milk Marque.

  Mr. Jack
  I have no basis on which to make such an estimate.

  Mrs. Peacock
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much of milk producers' assets vested in the Milk Marketing Board have so far been expended by the Milk Marketing Board in establishing Milk Marque; and with those permission these funds have been employed.
  596
  Mr. Jack
  The EC Commission has approved, as a state aid, expenditure by the Milk Marketing Board on the establishment and promotion of Milk Marque totalling about £1·5 million.

  Illegal Fishing
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the best estimated number of British fishing vessels that are illegally fishing in United Kingdom waters in contravention of either licensing arrangements under the Sea Fish Licensing Order 1992—SI, 1992 No. 2633—as varied by SI 1993 No. 188 and SI 1993 No. 2291, or registration arrangements under the Merchant Shipping Act 1988.

  Mr. Jack
  It is impossible to estimate the numbers of vessels that are fishing without licences or while unregistered. Any that come to light will be investigated. The Sea Fish Licensing Order 1992 came into force on 13 November 1992. Since that date, we have taken no prosecutions for fishing without a licence nor for contravention of registration arrangements under the Merchant Shipping Act, but one case is pending.

  Cormorants
  Sir Cranley Onslow
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many applications her Department has received in the last 12 months for licences to control cormorant numbers on English fisheries; and how many of these have been approved.

  Mr. Soames
  [holding answer 13 December 1993]: From 1 December 1992 to 30 November 1993, 49 applications for licences to shoot cormorants were received and 23 licences were granted.

  Bovine Somatotropin
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what measures she is taking to retain the EC moratorium on the use of BST; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will make it her policy to secure a seven-year moratorium on the use of bovine somatotropin.

  Mr. Soames
  [holding answer 13 December 1993]: The United Kingdom has always taken the view that the final Community decision on BST should be based on the scientific criteria of safety, quality and efficacy, taking account also of the need to avoid international trading problems, to encourage Community based research industries and to maintain the competitiveness of the Community's agriculture and food based sector. We are considering very carefully the European Commission's recommendation for a ban on the marketing and use of BST against these criteria, and taking into account the representations we have received both for and against a ban, before coming to a view on the matter.

  Bananas
  Mr. Bernie Grant
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessments he has made of the effectiveness of the new banana régime in benefiting the
  597
  banana farmers in African, Caribbean and Pacific countries, with particular relevance to the eastern Caribbean; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Jack
  [holding answer 10 December 1993]: The new regime has only been in force for a few months and the Community market is taking time to settle down. We hope for a greater degree of stability once the system enters its first full year in January 1994. I am being kept fully aware of developments in the United Kingdom and Community markets and am meeting representatives of the Caribbean Banana Exporters Association next week.

SCOTLAND

  Local Government Finance
  Mr. Raymond S. Robertson
  To ask the Secretary for Scotland if he will announce the 1994–95 grant-aided expenditure figures for each Scottish local authority.

  Mr. Gallie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will announce the 1994–95 grant-aided expenditure figures for each Scottish local authority.

  Mr. Lang
  The GAE figure in respect of each local authority for 1994–95 is set out in the table. Each authority's allocation of the GAE total has been determined having regard to the client group methodology which is agreed with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities in the distribution committee of the working party on local government finance. The table excludes figures for urban programmes GAE which is not allocated to individual authorities. The addition of this amount, £63·4 million, brings the GAE total to the previously announced sum of £5,260·1 million.

  GAE 1994–95

  Regions and Islands

  (£000s)

  Borders

  96,686

  Central

  229,442

  Dumfries and Galloway

  136,603

  Fife

  291,319

  Grampian

  421,408

  Highland

  206,839

  Lothian

  599,587

  Strathclyde

  2,051,153

  Tayside

  343,594

  Orkney

  27,678

  Shetland

  28,823

  Western Isles

  43,266

  Total

  4,476,400

  GAE 1994–95

  Districts

  (£000s)

  Berwick

  2,205

  Ettrick and Lauderdale

  4,020

  Roxburgh

  4,133

  Tweeddale

  1,758

  Clackmannan

  7,287

  Falkirk

  18,594

  Stirling

  12,854

  Annandale and Eskdale

  4,062

  Nithsdale

  6,765

  Stewartry

  2,870

  Wigtown

  3,567

  Dunfermline

  17,741

  Kirkcaldy

  20,110

  North East Fife

  10,182

  598

  Districts

  (£000s)

  Aberdeen

  29,242

  Banff and Buchan

  11,813

  Gordon

  10,795

  Kincardine and Deeside

  7,138

  Moray

  11,947

  Badenoch and Strathspey

  1,561

  Caithness

  3,144

  Inverness

  7,559

  Lochaber

  2,520

  Nairn

  1,235

  Ross and Cromarty

  6,319

  Skye and Lochalsh

  1,688

  Sutherland

  1,897

  East Lothian

  12,184

  Edinburgh

  62,789

  Midlothian

  10,563

  West Lothian

  20,488

  Argyll and Bute

  10,306

  Bearsden and Milngavie

  5,523

  Clydebank

  5,549

  Clydesdale

  8,284

  Cumbernauld and Kilsyth

  8,246

  Cumnock and Doon Valley

  5,866

  Cunninghame

  19,028

  Dumbarton

  10,336

  East Kilbride

  11,010

  Eastwood

  7,393

  Glasgow

  125,469

  Hamilton

  14,142

  Inverclyde

  11,910

  Kilmarnock and Loudoun

  10,510

  Kyle and Carrick

  15,778

  Monklands

  14,754

  Motherwell

  19,586

  Renfrew

  28,969

  Strathkelvin

  11,429

  Angus

  13,032

  Dundee

  25,747

  Perth and Kinross

  18,395

  Total

  720,293

  All Scotland Total

  5,196,693

  Drinking Water
  Mr. Kynoch
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to publish a report on drinking water quality in Scotland in 1992; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir Hector Monro
  A report has been published today by the Scottish Office Environment Department which gives an overview of drinking water quality in Scotland in 1992. I have arranged for copies to be placed in the Library.

  The report shows that drinking water quality in 1992 has improved since 1991 as a result of the action taken by authorities to deal with water quality problems. In 1992, 98·4 per cent. of all regulatory determinants met the prescribed standards compared with 98 per cent. in 1991. Reported data also showed that for 45 out of 55 numerical standards, 99·7 per cent. of analytical results complied; this is very similar to the results achieved in 1991.

  The failures to meet quality standards fully did not represent a risk to public health.

  Greater Glasgow Health Board
  Mr. George Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects to answer the questions from the hon. Member for Hamilton relating to Greater Glasgow health board tabled for answer on 2 December.

  Mr. Lang
  The honourable Member's questions were answered on Wednesday 8 December—Official Report, column 285—and today, 14 December.

  Intensive Care Units
  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when the hon. Member for Glasgow, Maryhill may expect an answer to her questions for written answer on 1 December relating to intensive care units.

  Mr. Stewart
  The honourable Member's question was answered on 9 December 1993, column 353.

  Hunterston
  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will arrange for documents held in the Scottish Record Office, currently subject to the 30-year rule, on the subject of steelwork and terminal facilities at Hunterston to be made available for early inspection.

  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 30 November 1993]: In accordance with the changes to the criteria governing the closure and retention of files announced in the White Paper on Open Government (Cm 2290), the files in question may be made available for inspection subject to prior approval on a file-by-file basis by the Scottish Office. Such access would also be subject to a commitment on the part of inquirer that any material extracted from the files would be cleared by the Department prior to its delivery, publication or broadcast.

  Hospital Services, Glasgow
  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the arrangement between Greater Glasgow health board and the Bon Secours hospital for the treatment of patients requiring non-urgent cosmetic surgery, with particular reference to determine(a) whether this work could have been done within the national health service, (b) how much Dr. Peter Summers will be paid, (c) how much the additional plastic surgeon in Canniesburn hospital will be paid, (d) what was the amount of the successful bid from Bon Secours hospital and what was the amount of the next lowest hid and (e) how many patients to be treated at Bon Secours are on Greater Glasgow's health board's waiting list, and how many from other health board areas.

  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 6 December 1993]: The answers to points (a) and (e) are set out later. The other points raised over commercial arrangements between the Greater Glasgow health board and the provider. I have arranged for officials of the Scottish Office Home and Health Department to write to the chairman of Greater Glasgow health board to invite him to look into these issues and to respond direct to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Maryhill.

  (a) Canniesburn hospital recruited an additional consultant plastic surgeon and would therefore be able to
  600
  treat an extra 800 patients. However, to deliver the waiting time guarantees to all the long waiters more patients would need to be treated and therefore the board sought to establish whether other providers could meet this need. The pre-tendering stage of the competitive tendering exercise carried out by the Greater Glasgow health board attracted 43 expressions of interest from 25 private sector and 18 national health service would-be providers north and south of the border.

  (e) The number of patients for whom treatment has been secured under the contract with the Bon Secours Health System are as follows:

  Residents of

  Number of Patients

  Greater Glasgow Health Board

  309

  Lanarkshire

  144

  Ayrshire and Arran

  33

  Argyll and Clyde

  60

  Forth Valley

  19

  Dumfries and Galloway

  7

  TOTAL

  572

  Mr. Laurence Peterken
  Mr. George Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland on what date his Department was advised on the intention of Greater Glasgow health board to dismiss its general manager.

  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 2 December 1993]: Officials of the Scottish Office learned very late on 2 November that it appeared that Greater Glasgow health board had dismissed its general manager. Formal notification was received on 3 November 1993.

  Mr. George Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what payment has been offered to Mr. Laurence Peterken in compensation for leaving Greater Glasgow health board prematurely; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 2 December 1993]: No payment has been made to Mr. Peterken.

  Mr. George Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland on what day Mr. Lawrence Peterken was offered a post with the national health service executive board.

  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 2 December 1993]: Mr. Laurence Peterken was offered the post of special projects director on 12 November 1993.

  Court Hearings
  Mr. McFall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proportion of initial hearings in(a) the Crown courts and (b) in sheriff courts were heard on the scheduled date and at the scheduled time in each year since 1985.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 9 December 1993]: Among other performance targets, sheriff court staff are required to submit for the approval of their sheriff principal programmes which are designed to provide that the number of summary criminal trials adjourned due to lack of court time do not exceed 5 per

  601
  cent. of the total number of trials set down. This target was introduced in 1988; and the percentage of sheriff courts meeting the target in the subsequent years is as follows:

  Per cent

  Year to 31 March 1989

  91

  Year to 31 March 1990

  91

  Year to 31 March 1991

  86

  Year to 31 March 1992

  86

  Year to 31 March 1993

  87

  Information on performance against this and the other targets for the sheriff courts is published annually following the commitments given in the justice charter for Scotland.

  Judges
  Mr. McFall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what consideration is being given to methods of making the appointment of judges more open and democratic; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 9 December 1993]: The procedures adopted for making judicial appointments are kept under constant review. These procedures are designed to identify in respect of each vacancy the best-fitted candidate. They were recently extended, on a trial basis, by inviting applications for two current vacancies on the shrieval bench through an intimation in the Scots Law Times.

  Angling
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many persons are employed in angling-related occupations, including those employed in the manufacture and sale of angling equipment, hotels, river keepers, gillies and persons involved in sea angling; how many(a) salmon and grilse, (b) sea trout, (c) brown and rainbow trout, (d) coarse fish and (e) sea fish were taken by anglers in each of the last three years for which figures are available; and what is his estimate of the latest value of such items to the Scottish economy.

  Sir Hector Monro
  [holding answer 9 December 1993]: The only statistics collected by my Department on these subjects relate to salmon and grilse, and sea trout. The rod and line catches over the last three years are as follows:

  Surpluses on DLO/DSO activity in 1990–91

  Local authority

  New construction >£50,000

  New construction <£50,000

  Building maintenance

  General highways work

  General water and sewerage work

  Refuse collection1

  Building cleaning

  Other cleaning1

  School and welfare catering

  Other catering

  Ground maintenance

  Vehicle maintenance

  Leisure services management

  Aberdeen DC

  —

  —

  966,479

  —

  —

  144,863

  12,571

  —

  —

  3,877

  745,816

  3,211

  —

  Angus DC

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  61,269

  —

  41,694

  —

  —

  172,187

  33,578

  —

  Annandale and Eskdale DC

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  35,704

  —

  10,247

  —

  —

  5,996

  —

  —

  Argyll and Bute DC

  —

  —

  -81,000

  —

  —

  4,000

  —

  24,000

  —

  —

  6,000

  6,000

  —

  Badenoch and Strathspey DC

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  21,805

  —

  —

  —

  —

  23,888

  —

  —

  Banff and Buchan DC

  —

  —

  40,570

  —

  —

  10,730

  —

  —

  —

  —

  35,016

  10,985

  —

  Bearsden and Milngavie DC

  —

  —

  8,501

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  16,184

  —

  —

  Berwickshire DC

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  10,050

  —

  42,652

  —

  —

  42,652

  —

  —

  Borders RC

  —

  —

  —

  616,000

  —

  —

  81,000

  —

  7,000

  —

  —

  15,000

  —

  Caithness DC

  —

  —

  20,611

  —

  —

  79,041

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  90,856

  Central RC

  -32,574

  —

  95,238

  224,923

  -3,332

  —

  —

  —

  150,839

  -17,156

  —

  12,741

  —

  Clackmannan DC

  —

  —

  97,000

  —

  —

  1,000

  4,000

  1,000

  —

  —

  12,000

  —

  11,000

  Clydebank DC

  —

  —

  95,718

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Clydesdale DC

  —

  —

  -37,555

  —

  —

  —

  —

  13,585

  —

  —

  116,549

  —

  —

  Cumbernauld and Kilsyth DC

  —

  —

  36,686

  —

  —

  50,656

  —

  —

  —

  —

  14,020

  -38,495

  —

  Cumnock and Doon Valley DC

  —

  —

  40,059

  —

  —

  38,418

  —

  18,473

  —

  —

  3,659

  —

  —

  Cunningham DC

  —

  —

  49,000

  —

  —

  17,850

  402

  13,248

  —

  —

  3,870

  —

  —

  Dumbarton DC

  —

  —

  327,855

  —

  —

  75,098

  -7,299

  —

  —

  —

  34,442

  —

  —

  Dumfries and Galloway RC

  —

  —

  -50,075

  -408,666

  —

  —

  —

  —

  47,000

  —

  23,000

  48,000

  —

  Dundee DC

  12,116

  108,901

  206,961

  —

  —

  —

  2,669

  —

  —

  —

  366,147

  —

  —

  Dunfermline DC

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  214,631

  —

  —

  —

  —

  413,462

  100,458

  —

  East Kilbride DC

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  73,749

  —

  84,529

  —

  —

  20,661

  —

  —

  East Lothian DC

  —

  —

  89,923

  —

  —

  —

  -3

  96,813

  —

  —

  33,574

  —

  —

  Eastwood DC

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  18,413

  84,563

  64,265

  —

  —

  14,058

  —

  —

  602

  Salmon and Grilse

  Sea trout

  1990

  71,646

  27,830

  1991

  62,450

  27,500

  1992

  82,897

  34,315

  An independent consultancy report prepared for the Scottish Tourist Board and the Highland and Islands Development Board in 1989 estimated that salmon angling and netting contributed £53 million to the Scottish economy annually and supported 3,800 full-time equivalent jobs.

  Direct Service/Labour Organisations
  Mr. George Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will list, by authority, the surplus achieved since 1988 on trading accounts for(a) general highway work, (b) construction and maintenance of sewers, (c) works of new construction and (d) maintenance work delivered by direct service/labour organisations in Scotland;

  (2) if he will list, by authority, the surplus achieved since 1988 on trading accounts for (a) refuse collection, (b) street cleaning, (c) building cleaning, (d) schools and welfare catering, (e) other catering, (f) vehicle maintenance, (g) grounds maintenance and (h) sports and leisure management services delivered by direct service/labour organisations in Scotland;

  (3) if he will list by authority and service area, as defined by the Local Government Act 1988, the surpluses achieved by local authority direct service/labour organisations in Scotland;

  (4) if he will list by authority and service area, as defined by the Local Government Planning and Land Act 1980, the surpluses achieved by local authority direct service/labour organisations in Scotland since 1988.

  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 3 December 1993]: The information requested for financial years before 1990–91 could be made available only at disproportionate cost. The information set out in table 1 to 3 show for the years 1990–91 and 1991–92 the surpluses/deficits reported for each activity to which compulsory competitive tendering relates in terms of both the Local Government, Planning and Land Act 1980 and the Local Government Act 1988. For 1992–93 the figures provided reflect the reports for that year which have been received and processed.
  603

  Local authority

  New construction >£50,000

  New construction <£50,000

  Building maintenance

  General highways work

  General water and sewerage work

  Refuse collection1

  Building cleaning

  Other cleaning1

  School and welfare catering

  Other catering

  Ground maintenance

  Vehicle maintenance

  Leisure services management

  Edinburgh DC

  —

  —

  158,026

  —

  —

  —

  43,810

  165,799

  —

  9,154

  106,959

  161,490

  —

  Ettrick and Lauderdale DC

  —

  —

  97,815

  —

  —

  —

  —

  21,447

  —

  —

  51,600

  —

  —

  Falkirk DC

  —

  —

  85,000

  —

  —

  25,000

  3,000

  9,000

  —

  —

  84,000

  10,000

  —

  Fife RC

  9,000

  9,000

  398,000

  1,286,000

  37,000

  —

  56,000

  —

  630,000

  —

  —

  24,000

  —

  Glasgow DC

  —

  159,277

  7,134,357

  —

  —

  256,168

  11,320

  105,664

  —

  —

  169,741

  —

  —

  Gordon DC

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  11,000

  —

  23,000

  —

  —

  55,000

  —

  —

  Grampian RC

  —

  —

  —

  955,000

  57,000

  —

  —

  —

  —

  158,000

  18,000

  8,000

  —

  Hamilton DC

  —

  —

  -770,649

  —

  —

  —

  260

  —

  —

  —

  13,618

  —

  —

  Highland RC

  —

  —

  —

  1,132,738

  —

  —

  88,106

  —

  364,081

  —

  -84,375

  —

  —

  Inverclyde DC

  —

  —

  242,712

  —

  —

  32,533

  —

  38,233

  —

  —

  3,311

  -7,521

  —

  Inverness DC

  —

  —

  78,221

  —

  —

  134,725

  —

  73,045

  —

  —

  -10,494

  -1,740

  —

  Kilmarnock and Loudon DC

  —

  —

  191,542

  —

  —

  52,323

  3,442

  25,735

  —

  135

  31,270

  —

  —

  Kincardine and Deeside DC

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  -2,484

  —

  —

  —

  —

  76,172

  —

  —

  Kirkcaldy DC

  —

  —

  -234,472

  —

  —

  25,511

  947

  12,757

  —

  —

  94,728

  58,367

  —

  Kyle and Carrick DC

  —

  —

  151,699

  —

  —

  12,803

  —

  —

  —

  —

  20,879

  17,848

  —

  Lochaber DC

  —

  —

  33,210

  —

  —

  25,664

  —

  25,664

  —

  —

  2,759

  —

  —

  Lothian RC

  —

  —

  36,932

  473,113

  196,077

  —

  76,048

  —

  50,013

  6,203

  —

  36,346

  —

  Midlothian DC

  —

  —

  108,000

  —

  —

  133,000

  —

  —

  —

  —

  159,000

  —

  —

  Monklands DC

  —

  —

  57,690

  —

  —

  27,798

  19,025

  —

  —

  —

  5,631

  5,238

  —

  Moray DC

  —

  —

  405,564

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  -122,476

  —

  —

  Motherwell DC

  —

  —

  52,128

  —

  —

  —

  —

  313,937

  —

  2,809

  56,787

  39,537

  —

  Nairn DC

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Nithsdale DC

  —

  —

  97,976

  —

  —

  1

  —

  1

  —

  —

  2

  —

  —

  North East Fife DC

  —

  —

  30,000

  —

  —

  16,000

  —

  —

  —

  —

  72,000

  —

  —

  Orkney IC

  —

  10,000

  -47,000

  331,000

  51,000

  3,000

  165,000

  —

  81,000

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Perth and Kinross DC

  —

  —

  112,175

  —

  —

  —

  29,696

  —

  —

  —

  48,878

  0

  —

  Renfrew DC

  —

  —

  1,157,272

  —

  —

  57,987

  —

  44,510

  —

  —

  86,718

  21,106

  —

  Ross and Cromarty DC

  —

  —

  57,000

  —

  —

  21,000

  —

  —

  —

  —

  19,000

  —

  —

  Roxburgh DC

  —

  —

  21,000

  —

  —

  11,642

  —

  2,067

  —

  —

  16,059

  —

  —

  Shetland IC

  —

  —

  53,000

  180,000

  —

  —

  -13,000

  —

  44,000

  —

  —

  19,000

  —

  Skye and Lochalsh DC

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Stcwartry DC

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  41,556

  —

  —

  —

  —

  37,226

  —

  —

  Stirling DC

  —

  —

  70,700

  —

  —

  25,000

  —

  9,600

  —

  —

  -7,005

  2,300

  —

  Strathclyde RC

  109,518

  7,530

  544,269

  534,861

  35,350

  —

  84,983

  —

  725,277

  122,617

  27,640

  182,590

  —

  Strathkelvin DC

  —

  —

  205,692

  —

  —

  32,824

  —

  32,824

  —

  —

  -58,708

  —

  —

  Sutherland DC

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  20,281

  —

  —

  —

  —

  19,533

  —

  —

  Tayside RC

  —

  —

  5,000

  652,000

  —

  —

  110,000

  —

  473,000

  —

  —

  14,000

  —

  Tweeddale DC

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Western Isles IC

  —

  —

  801,554

  116,619

  —

  37,697

  —

  —

  —

  6,367

  35,144

  22,475

  —

  West Lothian DC

  —

  —

  159,867

  —

  —

  13,886

  —

  13,886

  —

  —

  20,829

  2,190

  —

  Wigtown DC

  —

  —

  99,473

  —

  —

  —

  —

  21,415

  —

  —

  37,598

  —

  —

  Cumbernauld NT

  —

  —

  48,000

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  13,000

  —

  —

  East Kilbride NT

  —

  —

  -385,000

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Glenrothes NT

  —

  —

  115,000

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  105,000

  —

  —

  Irvine NT

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  27,192

  —

  —

  Livingston NT

  —

  —

  109,000

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  5,000

  —

  —

  1 The accounts for refuse collection and other cleaning may have been combined by some authorities. The absence of an entry, therefore, does not necessarily indicate that the DSO has not carried out the activity in question.

  Surpluses on DLO/DSO activity in 1991–92

  Local authority

  New construction >£50,000

  New construction <£50,000

  Building maintenance

  General highways work

  General water and sewerage work

  Refuse collection1

  Building cleaning

  Other cleaning1

  School and welfare catering

  Other catering

  Ground maintenance

  Vehicle maintenance

  Leisure services management

  Aberdeen DC

  —

  —

  1,240,282

  —

  —

  101,713

  5,671

  —

  —

  9,191

  472,132

  80,453

  —

  Angus DC

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  89,219

  10,672

  37,640

  —

  —

  109,475

  11,859

  14,377

  Annandale and Eskdale DC

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  28,699

  —

  -24,223

  —

  —

  86,580

  —

  11,195

  Argyll and Bute DC

  —

  —

  0

  —

  —

  52,000

  —

  10,000

  —

  —

  22,000

  17,000

  4,000

  Badenoch and Strathspey DC

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  17,089

  —

  —

  —

  —

  7,574

  —

  —

  Banff and Buchan DC

  —

  —

  50,734

  —

  —

  53,714

  2,863

  —

  —

  —

  62,133

  18,877

  —

  Bearsden and Milngavie DC

  —

  —

  -17,095

  —

  —

  -66,295

  —

  -66,295

  —

  —

  -65,097

  —

  —

  Berwickshire DC

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  48,897

  —

  42,686

  —

  —

  42,686

  —

  403

  Borders RC

  —

  —

  —

  649,000

  —

  —

  72,000

  —

  24,000

  —

  —

  42,000

  —

  Caithness DC

  —

  —

  28,479

  —

  —

  119,835

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  116,623

  Central RC

  6,586

  1,759

  230,783

  209,555

  32,766

  —

  —

  —

  230,640

  11,272

  —

  60,947

  —

  Clackmannan DC

  —

  —

  76,000

  —

  —

  65,000

  —

  —

  —

  —

  33,000

  -2,000

  —

  Clydebank DC

  —

  —

  115,192

  —

  —

  36,907

  —

  —

  —

  —

  140,922

  —

  50,182

  Clydesdale DC

  —

  —

  -9,742

  —

  —

  6,727

  -12,633

  9,012

  —

  —

  48,621

  —

  33,289

  Cumbernauld and Kilsyth DC

  —

  —

  43,191

  —

  —

  4,811

  —

  —

  —

  —

  37,480

  930

  21,602

  Cumnock and Doon Valley DC

  —

  —

  35,329

  —

  —

  112,724

  —

  33,636

  —

  —

  5,961

  —

  1,790

  Cunninghame DC

  —

  —

  217,000

  —

  —

  16,828

  15,868

  26,455

  —

  —

  55,954

  20,016

  9,808

  Dumbarton DC

  —

  —

  -119,072

  —

  —

  96,117

  -66,438

  7,377

  —

  —

  93,801

  —

  32,798

  Dumfries and Galloway RC

  —

  —

  -102,137

  261,756

  —

  —

  —

  —

  108,000

  —

  66,000

  69,000

  —

  Dundee DC

  2,922

  17,314

  666,002

  —

  —

  146,472

  2,583

  25,572

  —

  —

  144,046

  —

  58,785

  Dunfermline DC

  75,219

  38,453

  192,741

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  East Kilbride DC

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  125,871

  —

  100,161

  —

  —

  32,372

  —

  20,000

  East Lothian DC

  —

  —

  44,963

  —

  —

  161,680

  4,916

  —

  —

  —

  115,216

  —

  47,085

  Eastwood DC

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  28,045

  81,042

  49,921

  —

  —

  6,074

  —

  12,812

  Edinburgh DC

  —

  —

  -708,635

  —

  —

  45,693

  66,747

  48,329

  —

  23

  56,041

  69,707

  45,426

  Ettrick and Lauderdale DC

  —

  —

  124,107

  —

  —

  —

  —

  60,560

  —

  —

  46,115

  —

  64,794

  Falkirk DC

  —

  —

  150,000

  —

  —

  66,000

  5,000

  114,000

  —

  —

  28,000

  9,000

  3,000

  Fife RC

  5,000

  6,000

  372,000

  279,000

  —

  —

  33,000

  —

  517,000

  —

  —

  101,000

  —

  Glasgow DC

  —

  9,789

  9,021,124

  —

  —

  1,061,873

  53,000

  466,561

  —

  71,402

  1,851,214

  96,497

  257,620

  Gordon DC

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  17,000

  —

  23,000

  —

  —

  47,000

  —

  —

  Grampian RC

  —

  —

  —

  431,000

  21,000

  —

  —

  43,000

  130,000

  12,000

  99,000

  191,000

  —

  Hamilton DC

  —

  —

  244,114

  —

  —

  179,149

  392

  —

  —

  —

  110,187

  —

  128,153

  Highland RC

  —

  —

  —

  1,227,229

  —

  —

  159,011

  —

  289,080

  —

  —

  301,341

  —

  Inverclyde DC

  —

  —

  208,530

  —

  —

  44,196

  —

  40,074

  —

  —

  58,563

  34,949

  21,371

  Inverness DC

  —

  —

  270,135

  —

  —

  219,186

  —

  49,426

  —

  —

  143,900

  55,362

  31,815

  Kilmarnock and London DC

  —

  —

  166,413

  —

  —

  104,776

  966

  54,970

  —

  4,337

  15,344

  44,102

  9,019

  Kincardine and Deeside DC

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  -13,113

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1,781

  —

  7,367

  Kirkcaldy DC

  —

  —

  -563,702

  —

  —

  65,767

  799

  25,693

  —

  —

  397,708

  98,926

  —

  Kyle and Carrick DC

  —

  —

  163,002

  —

  —

  23,338

  —

  —

  —

  —

  65,640

  19,826

  —

  Lochaber DC

  —

  —

  87,262

  —

  —

  21,433

  —

  21,433

  —

  —

  12,716

  —

  11,745

  Lothian RC

  —

  —

  2,699

  504,004

  242,555

  —

  —

  —

  417,701

  6,329

  —

  59,310

  —

  Midlothian DC

  —

  —

  26,000

  —

  —

  —

  —

  73,000

  —

  —

  246,000

  55,000

  3,000

  Monklands DC

  —

  —

  64,023

  —

  —

  31,248

  7,855

  8,826

  —

  —

  90,129

  61,845

  6,745

  Moray DC

  —

  —

  290,338

  —

  —

  37,885

  —

  27,558

  —

  —

  33,923

  42,823

  —

  Motherwell DC

  —

  —

  233,701

  —

  —

  —

  1,207

  500,293

  —

  7,224

  91,514

  91,670

  0

  Nairn DC

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Nithsdale DC

  —

  —

  -21,364

  —

  —

  1

  —

  1

  —

  —

  2

  —

  1

  North East Fife DC

  —

  —

  -176,000

  —

  —

  -24,000

  —

  38,000

  —

  —

  49,000

  —

  —

  Orkney IC

  —

  -16,000

  219,000

  89,000

  -30,000

  -6,000

  101,000

  —

  —

  70,000

  —

  14,000

  —

  Perth and Kinross DC

  —

  —

  30,207

  —

  —

  17,473

  23,767

  128,524

  —

  —

  —

  30,750

  41,927

  Renfrew DC

  —

  —

  1,155,000

  —

  —

  332,000

  —

  45,000

  -18,000

  —

  105,000

  51,000

  66,000

  Ross and Cromarty DC

  —

  —

  65,000

  —

  —

  14,000

  —

  —

  —

  —

  60,000

  —

  10,673

  Roxburgh DC

  —

  —

  13,000

  —

  —

  11,695

  —

  4,931

  —

  —

  76,408

  2,153

  —

  Shetland IC

  —

  —

  87,000

  573,000

  —

  3,000

  22,000

  —

  69,000

  —

  1,000

  55,000

  —

  604 605

  Local authority

  New construction >£50,000

  New construction <£50,000

  Building maintenance

  General highways work

  General water and sewerage work

  Refuse collection1

  Building cleaning

  Other cleaning1

  School and welfare catering

  Other catering

  Ground maintenance

  Vehicle maintenance

  Leisure services management

  Skye and Lochalsh DC

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Stewartry DC

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  46,614

  46,614

  46,614

  —

  —

  35,984

  —

  —

  Stirling DC

  —

  —

  105,200

  —

  —

  79,900

  4,400

  16,500

  —

  —

  -245,779

  -670

  2,703

  Strathclyde RC

  3,786

  11,626

  1,306,797

  493,053

  59,180

  —

  811,218

  —

  470,820

  21,601

  395,144

  124,699

  —

  Strathkelvin

  —

  —

  118,602

  —

  —

  114,356

  —

  —

  —

  —

  37,670

  —

  58,727

  Sutherland DC

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  11,536

  —

  —

  —

  —

  12,218

  —

  244

  Tayside RC

  —

  —

  143,000

  649,000

  —

  —

  12,000

  —

  170,000

  —

  —

  134,000

  —

  Tweeddale DC

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Western Isles IC

  —

  —

  260,443

  215,408

  —

  120,433

  39,037

  120,433

  —

  —

  38,259

  84,673

  —

  West Lothian DC

  —

  —

  104,129

  —

  —

  59,606

  —

  59,606

  —

  —

  160,790

  1,909,000

  28,302

  Wigtown DC

  —

  —

  228,159

  —

  —

  —

  —

  36,530

  —

  —

  71,321

  —

  42,333

  Cumbernauld NT

  —

  —

  49,000

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  21,000

  —

  —

  East Kilbride NT

  —

  —

  85,000

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Glenrothes NT

  —

  —

  25,000

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  105,000

  —

  —

  Irvine NT

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  36,754

  —

  —

  Livingston NT

  —

  —

  60,000

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  51,000

  —

  —

  1 The accounts for refuse collection and other cleaning may have been combined by some authorities. The absence of an entry, therefore, does not necessarily indicate that the DSO has not carried out the activity in question.

  Surpluses on DLO/DSO activity in 1992–93

  Local authority

  New construction >£50,000

  New construction <£50,000

  Building maintenance

  General highways work

  General water and sewerage work

  Refuse collection1

  Building cleaning

  Other cleaning1

  School and welfare catering

  Other catering

  Ground maintenance

  Vehicle maintenance

  Leisure services management

  Aberdeen DC

  —

  —

  276,110

  —

  —

  —

  8,882

  —

  —

  17,446

  591,314

  86,550

  443,877

  Angus DC

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  127,622

  17,266

  81,572

  —

  —

  194,384

  18,111

  16,139

  Annandale and Eskdale DC

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  93,432

  —

  20,734

  —

  —

  120,687

  —

  29,294

  Argyll and Bute DC

  —

  —

  57,391

  —

  —

  2,000

  —

  25,000

  —

  —

  95,331

  11,318

  3,000

  Badenoch and Strathspey DC

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  23,746

  —

  —

  —

  —

  28,981

  —

  —

  Banff and Buchan DC

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Bearsden and Milngavie DC

  —

  —

  28,915

  —

  —

  —

  —

  52,378

  —

  —

  98,020

  —

  5,749

  Berwickshire DC

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Borders RC

  —

  —

  —

  169,000

  —

  —

  -172,00

  —

  -51,000

  —

  —

  78,000

  —

  Caithness DC

  —

  —

  37,606

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  52,580

  —

  13,729

  Central RC

  1,378

  3,667

  49,703

  224,586

  24,535

  —

  556,453

  —

  163,181

  6,292

  —

  51,680

  —

  Clackmannan DC

  —

  —

  23,00

  —

  —

  40,000

  —

  —

  —

  —

  96,000

  16,000

  —

  Clydebank DC

  —

  —

  219,498

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  132,473

  —

  42,045

  Clydesdale DC

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Cumbemauld and Kilsyth DC

  —

  —

  57,918

  —

  —

  33,969

  —

  —

  —

  —

  5,198

  15,154

  7,787

  Cumnock and Doon Valley DC

  —

  —

  55,143

  —

  —

  40,420

  —

  18,755

  —

  —

  16,753

  —

  2,973

  Cunningharne DC

  —

  —

  366,000

  —

  —

  26,092

  19,254

  18,829

  —

  —

  106,047

  3,780

  71,252

  Dumbarton DC

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Dumfries and Galloway RC

  —

  —

  7,619

  109,780

  —

  —

  —

  406,000

  157,000

  —

  20,000

  59,000

  —

  Dundee DC

  4,667

  15,206

  430,356

  —

  —

  317,932

  2,924

  143,412

  —

  —

  250,551

  —

  72,000

  Dundermline DC

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  21,000

  —

  —

  —

  98,428

  7,926,000

  0

  East Kilbride DC

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  56,939

  —

  50,313

  —

  —

  51,648

  12,627

  401,280

  East Lothian DC

  —

  —

  67,271

  —

  —

  97,577

  10,158

  —

  —

  —

  60,093

  —

  134,658

  Eastwood DC

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  23,272

  1,142

  24,720

  —

  —

  24,881

  —

  27,187

  Edinburgh DC

  —

  —

  -448,750

  —

  —

  79,111

  63,097

  86,771

  —

  -34,966

  199,140

  100,524

  35,170

  Ettrick and Lauderdale DC

  —

  —

  19,104

  —

  —

  —

  —

  67,822

  —

  —

  54,235

  —

  66,748

  Falkirk DC

  —

  —

  325,000

  —

  —

  77,000

  4,000

  134,000

  —

  —

  305,000

  6,000

  65,000

  Fife RC

  10,000

  -358,000

  311,000

  1,000

  5,000

  —

  522,000

  —

  205,00

  2,000

  —

  19,000

  —

  Glasgow DC

  —

  —

  9,274,493

  —

  —

  914,896

  90,994

  265,576

  —

  148,629

  1,116,950

  129,212

  195,021

  Gordon DC

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  10,000

  —

  102,000

  —

  —

  57,000

  —

  —

  Grampian RC

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Hamilton DC

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  231,782

  —

  —

  —

  —

  135,682

  —

  246,906

  Highland RC

  —

  —

  —

  2,128,575

  —

  —

  295,722

  —

  465,010

  —

  391,917

  —

  —

  Inverclyde DC

  —

  —

  304,594

  —

  —

  186,367

  —

  131,010

  —

  —

  3,504

  66,154

  77,138

  Inverness DC

  —

  —

  94,194

  —

  —

  122,433

  —

  81,067

  —

  —

  66,633

  39,393

  77,582

  Kilmarnock and Loudon DC

  —

  —

  247,000

  —

  —

  125,000

  2,000

  63,000

  —

  6,000

  58,000

  32,000

  11,000

  Kincardine and Deeside DC

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  0

  Kirkcaldy DC

  —

  —

  68,224

  —

  —

  96,192

  15,048

  59,105

  —

  —

  229,085

  142,143

  156,093

  Kyle and Carrick DC

  —

  —

  60,454

  —

  —

  —

  30,408

  —

  —

  —

  38,993

  12,963

  159,246

  Lochaber DC

  —

  —

  64,113

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  6,533

  —

  12,394

  Lothian RC

  —

  —

  174,313

  451,113

  161,662

  —

  166,945

  —

  47,344

  12,125

  —

  69,701

  -290,516

  Midlothian DC

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Monklands DC

  —

  —

  51,000

  —

  —

  67,717

  23,028

  135,366

  —

  —

  157,920

  27,410

  —

  Moray DC

  —

  —

  95,100

  —

  —

  22,025

  —

  54,647

  —

  —

  61,418

  31,030

  —

  Motherwell DC

  —

  —

  200,159

  —

  —

  —

  6,937

  516,884

  —

  21,208

  134,065

  55,824

  219,195

  Nairn DC

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Nithsdale DC

  —

  —

  45,222

  —

  —

  700

  —

  200

  —

  —

  2,550

  —

  530,287

  North East Fife DC

  —

  —

  50,000

  —

  —

  45,000

  —

  203,000

  —

  —

  93,000

  —

  54,000

  Orkney IC

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Perth and Kinross DC

  —

  —

  67,703

  —

  —

  21,106

  26,349

  105,626

  —

  —

  —

  53,207

  147,714

  Renfrew DC

  —

  —

  748,622

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Ross and Cromarty DC

  —

  —

  96,000

  —

  —

  34,000

  —

  —

  —

  —

  -42,000

  —

  28,776

  Roxburgh DC

  —

  —

  10,000

  —

  —

  11,980

  —

  3,831

  —

  —

  76,574

  4,545

  30,180

  Shetland IC

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Sky and Lochalsh DC

  —

  —

  -45,022

  —

  —

  3,771

  4,705

  17,145

  —

  —

  -11,208

  —

  -12,007

  Stewarty DC

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Stirling DC

  —

  —

  92,500

  —

  —

  71,200

  1,300

  9,600

  —

  —

  84,800

  8,900

  4,700

  Strathclyde RC

  174,602

  7,734

  787,281

  339,025

  60,302

  —

  237,407

  —

  237,808

  11,243

  41,818

  84,377

  —

  Strathkelvin DC

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Sutherland DC

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  16,223

  —

  —

  —

  —

  43,554

  —

  7,238

  Tayside RC

  —

  —

  36,000

  1,497,00

  —

  —

  6,000

  —

  363,000

  —

  —

  102,000

  —

  Tweedale DC

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Western Isles IC

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  West Lothian DC

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  99,547

  —

  —

  —

  —

  205,915

  4,135

  122,874

  Wigtown DC

  —

  —

  118,208

  —

  —

  —

  —

  23,908

  —

  —

  141,701

  —

  156,222

  Cumbernauld NT

  —

  —

  144,000

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  77,000

  —

  —

  East Kilbride NT

  —

  —

  125,000

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Glenrothes NT

  —

  —

  77,000

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  133,000

  —

  —

  Irvine NT

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  43,036

  —

  —

  Livingston NT

  —

  —

  89,000

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  38,000

  —

  —

  1 The accounts for refuse collection and other cleaning may have been combined by some authorities. The absence of an entry. therefore, does not necessarily indicate that the DSO has not carried out the activity in question.

  Local Government Reorganisation
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the representations received from Ayrshire following the publication of his proposal to split the county 606
  into two parts in his reorganisation of local government under those who (a) support his proposal, (b) support an all Ayrshire authority and (c) support another option.

  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 6 December 1993]: Since publication of the White Paper "Shaping the Future—The

  607
  New Councils", a total of 43 representations about the restructuring proposals for Ayrshire have been received. One has supported the White Paper proposal; 18 a single Ayrshire authority; 12 other options; and 12 have expressed concern over the proposal without stating a preference.

  Forestry
  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions have been held during the past four months between the Secretary to the interdepartmental review group on the Forestry Commission and representatives of wood processing companies; what has been the context of these discussions; and what indications have been given to those companies about future contracts.

  Sir Hector Monro
  [holding answer 13 December 1993:] Members of the Forestry Review Group have, from time to time, met representatives of a variety of organisations which have interests of relevance to its work. In many cases, these discussions have been held on a confidential basis at the request of the organisations.

  NHS Trusts
  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make it his policy to collect information on the political affiliation of appointees to national health service trusts.

  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 10 December 1993]: No. Such information has no relevance to the contribution of appointees to the work of NHS trusts, although I did invite the leaders of all the Scottish parliamentary parties in July 1992 to submit nominations for trust membership.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Enterprise Allowance Scheme
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade whether rules allow for an enterprise allowance to be granted to an applicant who also takes up a loan guarantee scheme loan.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  No national restrictions exist to prevent applicants from receiving assistance under both schemes.

  Tributyl Trioxide
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the quantity and value of imports, exports and re-exports of tributyl trioxide into, and from, the United Kingdom in the year of the risk benefit study.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The information requested is not available as TBTO is not separately identified in the classification of overseas trade statistics.

  Innovation Unit
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade whether he intends to maintain a post of chief adviser on science and technology; and to which official he intends the innovation unit to report.
  608
  Mr. Heseltine
  I will make an announcement in due course.

  Communications Technologies
  Sir Donald Thompson
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what research the Government have conducted on self-trunking technologies in radio communications with a view to requiring less burdensome individual regulations.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The Government recognise the value of self-trunking technology in radiocommunications particularly as this could reduce the need for individual frequency assignments. A number of existing standards—such as CT2—cordless telephones—DECT—digital European cordless telecommunications—and DSRRdigital short range radio—are based on self-trun king principles.

  There are technical problems associated with the use of self-trunking for longer range services. The Radio-communications Agency has undertaken studies on the application of self-trunking for private mobile radio services and further work is being commissioned as part of the agency's programme of research to promote efficient use of the radio spectrum.

  Sir Donald Thompson
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the progress which has been made towards eliminating the need for licences in the case of low-power radio devices.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  Much progress has been made in eliminating the need for licensing these devices. The statutory instrument "The Wireless Telegraphy (Short Range Devices) (Exemption) Regulations 1993"—SI No. 1993/1591—consolidated previous such regulations and lists the 16 major categories of devices which are licence exempt. Other licensed services are continually reviewed as candidates for exemption.

  Bankruptcies
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many bankruptcies were registered by the Insolvency Service for each year since 1986 for(a) the United Kingdom and (b) each standard region; and if he will express these figures as a proportion of the total numbers of enterprises in each case.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  Details of the number of company and personal insolvencies are compiled for England arid Wales as a whole, and for Northern Ireland and Scotland. This information is given in the table. However, it should be noted that a minority of personal bankruptcies do not relate to the failure of enterprises. No regional breakdown of insolvencies in England and Wales is available.

  Estimates of the number of enterprises are made by DTI for the United Kingdom as a whole. None was made in 1987, and 1992 figures are not yet available. The table gives these data and expresses the number of insolvencies as a proportion of the number of enterprises. No breakdown of the number of enterprises below United Kingdom level is available.
  609

  Insolvencies of Enterprises in the United Kingdom

  United Kingdom enterprises (000s)

  England and Wales

  Scotland

  Northern Ireland

  Total United Kingdom insolvencies

  Per cent. Insolvencies

  (1)

  (2)

  (1)

  (3)

  (1)

  (2)

  1986

  2,481

  14,405

  7,093

  511

  437

  132

  193

  22,771

  0–92

  1987

  n/a

  11,439

  6,994

  456

  808

  165

  135

  19,997

  n/a

  1988

  2,806

  9,427

  7,717

  396

  1,401

  116

  162

  19,219

  0·68

  1989

  2,888

  10,456

  8,138

  428

  2.301

  144

  238

  21,705

  0·75

  1990

  2,834

  15,051

  12,058

  470

  4,350

  128

  286

  32,343

  1·14

  1991

  2,696

  21,827

  22,632

  616

  7,665

  181

  366

  53,287

  1·98

  1992

  n/a

  24,425

  32,106

  670

  10,845

  173

  404

  68,623

  n/a

  (1) Company compulsory liquidations and creditors' voluntary liquidations.

  (2) Individual bankruptcy orders. Note that a minority of personal bankruptcies do not relate to insolvencies of enterprises.

  (3) Sequestrations (equivalent in Scottish law to bankruptcy orders).

  Additionality
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what representations he has received during 1993 in support of adherence to the principle of additionality in allocating European Community funding.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  I and my ministerial colleagues have received a number of such representations. In all cases, we have been able to give the assurance that the United Kingdom adheres to the principle of additionality.

  RAF Chivenor
  Mr. Harvey
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what additional support he intends to allocate to North Devon for economic development in the light of the Government's proposal to run RAF Chivenor down to a care and maintenance programme.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  Both Barnstaple and Ilfracombe travel-to-work area—TTVVA—in which RAF Chivenor is located and the Bideford TTWA were designated as intermediate areas in August 1993. Since 1 August 1993, the Department of Trade and Industry has received six formal requests for regional selective assistance from applicants in north Devon which has already resulted in four offers of assitance. In addition, my officials are talking to several other companies about possible projects. The Government have also proposed to the EC that north Devon should be included in the objective 5(b) programme for Cornwall and Devon.

  North Devon will benefit from its share of the £736,779 which was recently allocated to Devon and Cornwall under the Konver programme; indeed, one of the projects which has been approved relates specifically to a "one-stop shop" to help people dependent on RAF Chivenor to find alternative employment.

  Thermal Oxide Reprocessing Plant
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade when Her Majesty's Government provided Euratom with(a) system performance demonstration documents and (b) commissioning worksheets for the THORP plant, as part of the establishing of safeguards plans by Euratom.

  Mr. Eggar
  Documents on safeguards implementation are supplied in confidence by British Nuclear Fuels plc to the parties concerned.

  Euratom
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what information Her Majesty's Government provided to the European Commission, pursuant to article 78(2) of the Euratom treaty.

  Mr. Eggar
  None. It is for the operators of facilities using source or special fissile materials to provide information to the European Commission in accordance with article 78 of the Euratom treaty.

  Granby Street Post Office, Liverpool
  Mr. Parry
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will meet the hon. Member for Liverpool, Riverside and members of the Granby Street Post Office Campaign Group before the Christmas adjournment to discuss the closure of the local post office; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The decision to close Granby Street sub-post office is an operational matter for Post Office Counters Ltd. and follows the decision of the sub-postmaster to resign. It would not, therefore, be appropriate for my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade to discuss the matter with the hon. Member and the Granby Street Campaign Group.

  Mr. Parry
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how the criteria of(a) social responsibility and (b) profitability have been applied to the closure of the Granby street post office, in Liverpool.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  A major factor in the planned closure of the Granby Street sub-post office in Liverpool is the wish of the proprietor of the privately owned business to resign, following repeated robberies in recent years, and the absence of suitable applicants to take over this office. The Post Office has therefore decided to relocate the nearby Lodge lane premises to larger premises some 600 yards from the existing Granby street site. This will accommodate the volume of business transacted at the two sub-post offices.

  Mr. Parry
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what representations he has had about the proposed closure of the Granby street post office, Liverpool 8, from the Liverpool city council, the Post Office Users Advisory Committee, local councillors and clergymen; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  In addition to representations from the hon. Member, my right hon. Friend the President of the
  611
  Board of Trade has received representations from the Liverpool Riverside constituency Labour party, Granby Labour party, Liverpool money advice support unit, Emmanuel holiness church, Princess Park health centre, Princes Park housing co-operative and the Granby Street post Office Campaign.

  Mr. Parry
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the representations which have been sent to the Post Office opposing the proposed closure of Granby street post office, Toxteth, Liverpool 8.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The Post Office informs me that it has received representations about the proposed closure of Granby Street sub-post office in Liverpool from the following representatives, bodies and organisations:

  Granby Street Campaign Group

  Emmanuel Holiness Church

  Granby Labour Party

  Robert Party MP

  Cllr. J. Rossington St. Michael's and Dingle Ward

  Adullam Homes Housing Corporation

  University of Liverpool

  Princes Park Health Centre

  Methodist Church: Liverpool South Central

  Cllr. G. Ben-Tovim

  English Churches Housing Group

  Liverpool Riverside Constituency Labour Party

  Liverpool Money Advice Support Unit

  Ponsonby Neighbourhood Centre

  Liverpool Federation of Council Tenants and Residents Associations

  Educational Opportunities Initiative in Liverpool 8

  Age Concern Liverpool

  Granby Liberal Democrats

  Princes Park Housing Co-operative Ltd.

  Cllr. P. Clein

  Father N. Postlethwaite

  Trafford Activities Group

  In addition, letters have been received from 46 members of the public.

  Post Office (Closures)
  Mr. Parry
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what appeal machinery is open against the closure of a post office.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  Post office closures are an operational matter for Post Office Counters Ltd.

  Mr. Parry
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what criteria are used for the closure of post offices in inner city areas.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The criteria used by Post Office Counters Ltd in considering the closure of post offices on the resignation of a subpostmaster or subpostmistress in urban areas are the proximity of other post offices; the difficulty customers would face in reaching another office; the amount and type of business done; the ability of nearby offices to absorb additional work and the likely future development of the area.

  Offshore Operators
  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what steps he will take to ensure that offshore operating companies are required to have insurance cover to indemnify them against the costs of fines associated with health and safety prosecutions when applying for operating licences; if he will ensure that such requirements are built into licence conditions; and if he will make a statement.
  612
  Mr. Eggar
  None.

  Collieries
  Mr. Tipping
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what estimate he has made of the number of collieries operated by(a) British Coal and (b) others immediately prior to the restructuring date specified in the Coal Industry Bill.

  Mr. Eggar
  The operation of collieries is a matter for British Coal Corporation and independent coal producers.

  Civil Nuclear Plants
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what steps he has taken to combat terrorist threats to civil nuclear plants.

  Mr. Eggar
  Strict physical protection measures which follow international recommendations are in force and these are kept under regular review to ensure their continuing effectiveness. It is Government policy not to disclose the detail of the measures which are taken.

  Electricity Imports
  Mrs. Ann Winterton
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will place in the Library copies of all correspondence and written agreements which he and his Department have had with Electricité de France or with the French Government about the import of electricity.

  Mr. Eggar
  [holding answer 10 December 1993]: The Government are not a party to the agreements governing trade in electricity between Britain and France, which are summarised in the coal review White Paper, Cm 2235, from paragraph 7.95. Since the publication of the White paper the Government have had further discussions with the French authorities on the non-leviable status of electricity imports from France, the transparency of the French energy market, and access for British generators to export electricity to and through France.

  Patent Office
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the future of the Patent Office.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  [holding answer 10 December 1993]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him on 9 December 1993, Official Report, column 348.

  Small Firms
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement about his Department's assistance to small firms to achieve BS5750 standards.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  [holding answer 13 December 1993]: BS5750 is a voluntary standard and the decision to seek certification is a matter for individual companies. However, help for small firms to achieve BS5750 is available through my Department's enterprise initiative consultancy scheme under which DTI will pay up to half the cost of specialist help lasting up to 15 days. Also, the relevance of the standard and its relationship to total quality management and company competitiveness is

  613
  highlighted in the "Managing in the 90s" programme; an awareness programme promoting an integrated approach to best management practice.

  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the total annual amount of public funds that is used to underwrite small firms finance loans through the banks; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  [holding answer 13 December 1993]: The net cost of the scheme for the period April 1982 to March 1993 was £185·5 million, shown below by financial year. No figures are available for the period June 1981 to March 1982.

  £m

  1982–83

  10·8

  1983–84

  27·2

  1984–85

  32·9

  1985–86

  27·1

  1986–87

  11·3

  1987–88

  3·6

  1988–89

  3·8

  1989–90

  5·6

  1990–91

  16·5

  1991–92

  27·5

  1992–93

  19·2

  National Measurement System
  Sir Keith Speed
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what his Department's expenditure was on the national measurement system in(a) 1991–92 and (b) 1992–93; what is the comparable forecast expenditure for the succeeding three years; and what is the comparable planned increased expenditure from 1991–92.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  [holding answer 13 December 1993]: My Department spent £41·2 million on the national measurement system in 1991–92, and £42·2 million in 1992–93. We expect an outturn of £42 million for 1993–94. The budgets for the following two years have not yet been finalised.

  Sir Keith Speed
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what representations have been received from industry calling for the national physical laboratory and the national measurement system to be retained and adequately funded; and what account will be taken of those views.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  [holding answer 13 December 1993]: The CBI and the instrumentation and control trade association, GAMBICA, have made clear their support for my Department's objective of providing a well-founded measurement infrastructure as an underpinning factor in UK competitiveness and the importance they attach to its continuation. A number of companies have made similar points to my Department. These views will be fully taken into account as we develop our policy in the area. My Department also engages consultants to canvas a wide range of opinion in industry on the appropriate areas of work under the national measurement system when the various programmes funded by the Department come up for renewal.

EDUCATION

  Hasmonean Preparatory School
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he expects to determine the application by Hasmonean prep school to become voluntary aided.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  My right hon. Friend expects to announce a decision shortly.

  Educational Performance, London
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what initiatives he plans to take to improve educational performance in London; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  Parents and pupils in London, as elsewhere, are benefiting from the Government's policies on the national curriculum, local management, and self-governing status for schools. The new four-yearly independent inspection cycle will enable us to monitor standards and take effective action where individual schools are proving inadequate.

  Truancy
  Mr. Pope
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has to reduce the level of truancy in schools.

  Mr. Patten
  Parents are responsible in law for securing their children's regular attendance at school and local education authorities are responsible for ensuring that they do so. The Department is supporting the work of LEAs and schools in this area under the reducing truancy programme of the grants for education support and training scheme. In 1993–94, projects are being funded in 71 LEAs to a value of £9·6 million.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will make a statement about his Department's policy on truancy.

  Mr. Forth
  My right hon. Friend expects local education authorities and schools to make maximising attendance one of their key tasks. To help them, the Department is currently supporting projects to a value of some £9·6 million in 71 English local education authorities under the reducing truancy component of the grants for education support and training scheme 1993–94.

  Mr. Merchant
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will list for each local education authority(a) the school population, (b) the number of prosecutions for truancy in the latest available year and (c) the average truancy rate for schools, excluding independent schools, in each area.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  The information requested on the school population and average rate of unauthorised absence for each LEA is published in the "National Unauthorised Absence Tables 1992–93", copies of which are available in the Library.

  Information on the number of prosecutions for truancy is not collected centrally.

  Student Loans
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what discussions he has had with the Student Loans Company regarding the ability of former students to repay their loans.

  Mr. Boswell
  I and my officials have frequent discussions with the Student Loans Company about a wide range of issues, including matters relating to the repayment of loans.

  Nursery Education
  Ms Janet Anderson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will meet the Association of County Councils to discuss the provision of nursery education.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  My right hon. Friend has not received any recent request from the Association of County Councils for a meeting to discuss nursery education. Department for Education officials are periodically in touch with the association on educational matters.

  Mr. Mudie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will make a statement on the provision of nursery education.

  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he is taking to extend the provision of nursery education.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  I refer the hon. Members to the reply that I gave earlier to the hon. Member for Edinburgh, Leith (Mr. Chisholm).

  Sixth Forms
  Mr. Moss
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he is taking to encourage more schools to develop the use of sixth forms.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  My right hon. Friend intends shortly to publish a framework of criteria to guide his future decisions on proposals for new sixth forms. The extension of choice and diversity will have a central place in this framework as well as need, effectiveness and cost.

  School Uniforms
  Lady Olga Maitland
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has to make uniforms compulsory in schools.

  Mr. Patten
  The Government believe that school uniforms can help foster a sense of responsibility and encourage high standards and good behaviour, but it is for individual governing bodies to decide whether to require the wearing of uniforms by their pupils. My right hon. Friend the Minister of State has no plans to make uniforms compulsory in maintained schools.

  Student Unions
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what representations he has received about Government proposals to remove automatic funding for student unions and student welfare services.

  Mr. Canavan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent representations he has had about his proposals regarding student unions.
  616
  Mr. Boswell
  My right hon. Friend has received about 3,000 representations since he announced the Government's proposals for student union reform on 1 July. Our proposals provide for core students union services, including welfare, to be available to all students and supported with public funds, where universities and colleges choose to provide those services in that way.

  Grant-maintained Schools
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many grant-maintained schools there are in Hampshire; how many have voted against grant-maintained status; and how many further applications there are.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  There are currently 25 self-governing schools in Hampshire and a further five which have been approved for self-governing status and will join the sector in January. One school has an application in the pipeline having voted yes. Six schools have returned a no vote in parental ballots to date, but one of these re-balloted and is self-governing. One school is due to hold a ballot before Christmas.

  Special Educational Needs
  Mr. Ainger
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the staffing implications for schools and local education authorities in implementing the draft code of practice for special educational needs.

  Mr. Forth
  The draft code of practice, which reflects expert advice and seeks to codify existing good practice, is presently subject to extensive consultation. My right hon. Friend and I will consider all representations received during the consultation process before laying a revised version of the code before Parliament.

  Teacher Training Agency
  Mr. Gunnell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what representations he has received concerning his proposals for the financing of educational research through the Teacher Training Agency.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  We have received some 60 representations on this issue from a wide range of bodies. Our proposals will be given full parliamentary scrutiny during the passage of the Education Bill which last week was given a Second Reading in another place.

  Parental Choice
  Dr. Wright
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will make a statement on parental choice of school.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  All parents have the right, in accordance with the principles of the parents charter, to express a preference for a choice of school. In an estimated 90 per cent. of cases that preference is met. The Government's policies aim to extend choice and diversity throughout the education system.

  Departmental Staff
  Mr. Miller
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what is his policy towards recruitment and retention of senior staff in his Department.
  617
  Mr. Boswell
  Most senior appointments in the Department are filled by internal moves and promotions or by staff transferring from other Departments. The Department for Education's personnel policies aim to retain and develop staff to do the work which is required in a Department of this size.

  The Government's response to the recommendations of the recent efficiency unit report on career management and succession planning, due in the spring, will have a bearing on future arrangements.

  Higher Education
  Mr. Jenkin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has to introduce a corporate levy as a means of funding expansion in higher education.

  Mr. Boswell
  The Government have no plans to do so. As announced in his statement at the time of the unified Budget on 30 November, my right hon. Friend has decided that the current level of participation in higher education, which is close to the target for the end of the decade, can be funded through an adjustment in the sharing of the overall cost of student maintenance between taxpayer and students.

  Technology Grants
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education on what criteria Stratford school was judged in its successful bid for a technology grant; what other schools in Newham made a bid; and which were successful.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  Bids for awards under the technology schools initiative, including the one from Stratford school, were judged on behalf of the Department by a team of professional technologists using the same national criteria. In the two years in which TSI awards were made, Newham local education authority put forward three bids on behalf of its schools. The bid from Sarah Bonnell school was successful.

  School Day
  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what is the length of the school day in, each European Union state; and what evidence he has about the link between the length of the school day and standards as achieved by students in each EU country.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  Comparable information on the length of the school day in other countries is not held centrally. Some relevant information can be found in the National Foundation for Educational Research's 1992 report "Learning Mathematics and Science: The Second International Assessment of Educational Progress in England", a copy of which is in the Library. Further information will be available in a forthcoming Eurydice publication, "Organisation of School Time in Member States of the European Community", which is expected to be published by the end of the year.

  Initial work carried out in my Department indicates on average a small but statistically significant positive correlation between the length of the taught week—as opposed to the length of the school day or week—and educational performance as measured by public examinations and national tests.
  618
  Details of relevant research carried out in other EU member states are not held centrally.

  Corporal Punishment
  Mr. Robathan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has to review the position of corporal punishment in local authority schools.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  None.

  Mr. Robathan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what representations he has received from parents requesting the reintroduction of corporal punishment into local authority schools.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  My right hon. Friend receives occasional representations from parents and others on the subject of corporal punishment, both for and against its reintroduction in maintained schools.

  Greater London Schools
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will list the schools he has visited in the Greater London area since his appointment as Secretary of State.

  Mr. Patten
  Since April 1992, I have visited eleven schools in the Greater London area. These are the Archbishop Tennison Secondary School, Croydon; Bishop Thomas Grant Secondary School, Streatham, Lambeth; Chingford Hall Primary School, Waltham Forest; Compton Secondary School, Finchley, Barnet; Greenvale Primary School, Croydon; The Hague Primary School, Tower Hamlets; Hasmonean School, Barnet; Islamia Primary School, Brent; Marymount International Secondary School, Kingston; Mulberry School for Girls, Tower Hamlets, and Wimbledon College, Merton.

  Further Education Funding Council
  Mr. Henderson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what was the total budget for the Further Education Funding Council for 1992–93 and for 1993–94; and what is the planned budget for 1994–95.

  Mr. Boswell
  The figures requested for grant to the Further Education Funding Council are as follows:

  1992–93

  1993–94

  £million 1994–95 (planned)

  Recurrent

  24·5

  2,549·2

  2,679·5

  Capital

  —

  151·8

  157·0

  TOTAL

  24·5

  2,701·0

  2,836·5

  The funding made available in 1992–93, prior to the establishment of the new further education sector on 1 April 1993, provided transitional funds to help institutions prepare for independence and to meet the costs of establishing the council.

  Sex Education (Primary Schools)
  Mr. Gill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what academic studies he has consulted on the effects on children of sex education in primary schools; and if these studies showed the effects on children of this age to have been beneficial or detrimental and over what period.
  619
  Mr. Robin Squire
  Research findings in this area show that the majority of parents support the provision of some form of sex education in primary school, but the evidence for its effects is inconclusive. We believe that in this sensitive area the decision whether, and from what age, to offer sex education in maintained primary schools is best left to the discretion of the governing body of each school and that parents should have the right to withdraw their children from sex education if they so wish.

  Higher Education Funding Council
  Mr. Henderson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what was the total budget for the Higher Education Funding Council for 1992–93 and 1993–94; and what is the planned budget for 1994–95.

  Mr. Boswell
  The Higher Education Funding Council for England assumed responsibility for funding universities and colleges in England from 1 April 1993. The planned capital and recurrent grant for the council announced in the Budget is £2,789 million for 1993–94 and £3,418 million for 1994–95. The latter includes compensation for the reduction in publicly funded tuition fees in 1994–95.

  School Inspection
  Mrs. Currie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education when the revision of the OFSTED framework for school inspection will be complete; what the policy for inspection of religious education will be; what the proposals are for the inspection of sex education within the framework; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  Inspections of schools under the Education (Schools) Act 1992, are required to report on the quality of education and standards achieved, and that in curricular and other matters, schools meet legal requirements.

  The detailed content of the framework for inspection is a matter for Professor Sutherland.

  I have asked Professor Sutherland to write to my hon. Friend.

  Grant-maintained Schools
  Mr. Henderson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what was the total budget for grant-maintained schools for(a) 1992–93 and (b) 1993–94; and what is the planned budget for 1994–95.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  The information is set out in the table.

  1992–93 (outturn)

  1993–94 (estimated outturn)

  1994–95 (projected outturn)

  £ million

  £ million

  £ million

  Total Spending on GM Schools1

  485

  1,150

  2,000

  1 Figures include annual maintenance grant, which is recovered from local authorities, special purpose grants and capital grants.

  2 Actual spending will depend on the number and size of grant maintained schools.

  Exam Results
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has to publish schools' GCSE and A-level results by chronological age rather than by school year; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  The 1993 school and college performance tables show the examination results of students at schools and further education sector colleges by age group only. My right hon. Friend will give further consideration in due course to this and other issues relating to the future publication of comparative tables, and will be consulting interested parties.

  Schools Visits, Bolton
  Mr. David Young
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education who issued the invitations to the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Schools to visit Bolton schools on 2 December; who was informed of the visit; and if he will set out the protocol for informing the local authority of future ministerial visits to Bolton.

  Mr. Forth
  I visited a number of schools in Bolton at the invitation of my hon. Friend the Member for Bolton, North-East (Mr. Thurnham). The programme for my visit was organised by my hon. Friend's office and I was very happy to follow it. The authority was informed of my forthcoming visit by a headteacher of one of the schools involved. If visits are arranged by my office, it is normal practice to involve the local education authority from the start.

  Tuition Fees
  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) what plans he has to make students responsible for meeting any or all of the costs of tuition fees; what is the time scale for these plans; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) what estimates his Department has made of the debt students are likely to incur during each year of their academic studies if they are required to take out additional loans to pay tuition fees; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Boswell
  The Government's plans for higher education were set out in the Budget. Public funding will be over £4·6 billion next year. The costs of higher education will in future be shared more fairly between graduates and the taxpayer by accelerating the shift in the balance of student maintenance support from grant to loan. The Government will continue to reimburse tuition fees through the mandatory awards system up to specified maximum levels. We have no plans to make students contribute to tuition fees.

  Voluntary-aided Schools (Transport)
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will take steps to prevent local education authorities from withdrawing financial assistance towards transport from children in voluntary-aided schools on purely denominational grounds.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  The Government attach importance to the preservation of the opportunity to choose a school in accordance with religious convictions. Since 1 October,
  621
  local education authorities have been obliged to have regard, in considering whether or not to provide a child with free school transport, to—among other things—the parent's wishes for him to attend a school of the denomination to which the parent adheres.

  Fitzherbert School, Brighton
  Mr. Byers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what legal and other expenses were incurred in acquiring and disposing of the site of the former Fitzherbert school, Brighton.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  The Department has reimbursed the CTC Trust some £91,300 for expenses connected with acquiring and disposing of this site.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Child Support Agency
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many representations he has received on the operation of the Child Support Agency; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Burt
  Between April 1993 and November 1993 the Department of Social Security headquarters and the Child Support Agency headquarters received in the region of 6,400 written representations covering a range of views about child support policy and Child Support Agency operations.

  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will instruct the Child Support Agency to take into account, when deciding maintenance payments, the costs of an absent parent's contact with their child; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Burt
  The assessment formula used by the Child Support Agency allows for essential expenses. To make allowances for specific items of expenditure would be to give these costs precedence over a child's basic maintenance. Most absent parents will retain between 70 per cent. and 85 per cent. of their net income after paying maintenance.

  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will give a breakdown of the representations received regarding the operation of the Child Support Agency on the basis of(a) sex of the applicant and (b) region; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Burt
  [pursuant to his reply, 30 November, col. 429]: The information given was incorrect. The Department received in the region of 6,400 written representations about child support, and not 3,000 as previously stated.

  Taxation
  Mr. Nicholas Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his estimate for 1993–94 of the numbers of(a) men and (b) women with earnings below (i) the tax threshold and (ii) the national insurance contribution thresholds, in (y) Great Britain and (z) Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Hague
  The information is in the table:622

  (thousands)

  Great Britain

  Northern Ireland

  (i) Men

  900

  30

  Women

  2,600

  70

  (ii) Men

  900

  30

  Women

  2,300

  60

  Note: Figures for Great Britain are rounded to the nearest hundred thousand.

  Young People
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many 16 and 17-year-olds received housing benefit in(a) Dundee and (b) Scotland in each of the past five years for which figures are available.

  Mr. Burt
  It is estimated that about 1,000 16 and 17-year-olds received housing benefit in Scotland in 1990, 1991 and 1992. Figures for Scotland prior to 1990 and for Dundee are not available.Source: Housing Benefit Management Information System annual 1 per cent. sample survey.

  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what are the amounts of income support to which(a) 16 and 17-year-olds with an automatic right to benefit, (b) 18 to 24-year-olds and (c) people aged 25 years or over were entitled in each of the past five years.

  Mr. Burt
  The information is in the table.

  Income Support Rate

  For 16 to 17-year-olds living at home

  For single 18 to 24 year-olds and 16 to 17-year olds living independently

  For people 25 years and over and 18 to 24-year-old lone parents

  £

  £

  £

  April 1989

  20·80

  27·40

  34·90

  April 1990

  21·90

  28·80

  36·70

  April 1991

  23·65

  31·15

  39·65

  October 1991

  23·90

  31·40

  39·65

  April 1992

  25·55

  33·60

  ·45

  April 1993

  26·45

  34·80

  44·00

  Notes: The higher rate of IS for 16 to 17-year-olds is available only if claimants are living independently out of necessity or if they are disabled. This rate became available to 16 to 17-year-olds on 10 July 1989.

  Industrial Injuries
  Mr. Miller
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many claims for industrial injuries disablement benefit as a result of vibration white finger have been rejected in each of the last five years because the process by which the claimant contracted the condition is not covered by the prescribed list of occupation diseases.

  Mr. Scott
  The information is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Miller
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he expects the report of the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council currently studying hand-arm vibration syndrome.

  Mr. Scott
  I understand that the council has not yet completed its study and does not expect to do so for some time.

  Lone Parents
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will consider introducing non-means-tested benefits for lone parents who are not covered by insurance contributions; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Burt
  One parent benefits is a non-means-tested and non-contributory supplement to child benefit which is already available to all lone parents. It is currently received by nearly 1 million families.

  Contributory Benefits
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will consider increasing contributory benefits for people aged over 80 years; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hague
  We have no plans to increase contributory benefits for this group of pensioners over and above the proposed general increase in state retirement pension announced by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State in his statement to the House on 1 December.

  Pensions
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will consider restoring the links between pensions and average earnings; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hague
  We have no such plans.

  Social Fund
  Sir Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many persons are now employed by the independent review service of the social fund; and what is the annual cost to public funds of the services provided by that body.

  Mr. Scott
  I am informed by the social fund commissioner that there are currently 162 staff employed by the independent review service. The estimated running cost expenditure for 1993–94 is £3,960,000. Available information on previous years' running costs is published in the social fund commissioner's annual reports.

  Sir Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many cases or appeals have been referred back to local offices by the independent review service in the most recent annual period for which figures are available; and how many of these referrals have resulted in a change in the decision of local social fund officers.

  Mr. Scott
  I am informed by the social fund commissioner that in 1993–94—April to November—2,370 cases were referred back to the Benefits Agency for redetermination. Information on the number of such referrals that resulted in a change in the original social fund officer's decision is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Family Credit
  Mr. Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what proportion of lone parents with a child aged under 11 years and in receipt of family credit are receiving the maximum amount of family credit;
  624
  (2) what proportion of lone parents with a child aged under 11 years receiving less than the maximum amount for family credit are receiving between the maximum amount and £28 less than the maximum amount.

  Mr. Burt
  The information is in the tables.

  All cases

  Number on maximum FC

  Percentage receiving maximum FC

  Family Credit lone parents with child aged under 11

  134,760

  42,380

  31·45

  All cases

  Number receiving between maximum FC and £28 less than maximum FC

  Percentage receiving between maximum FC and £28 less than maximum FC

  Family Credit lone parents with child aged under 11

  134,760

  55,260

  41·01

  Note: Information as at 30 April 1993. Based on 5 per cent. sample of awards.

  Nude Models
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social security what is his policy on the suggestion to benefit recipients that they should seek work as nude models; whether this policy applies to women only; how many(a) men and (b) women have received such advice from benefits office staff; and what information on vacancies for such work is held centrally.

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

  Letter from Tony Laurence to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 13 December 1993:
  As Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency, it is the responsibility of Mr. Michael Bichard to answer questions about relevant operational matters. However, as Mr. Bichard is away on annual leave at the moment, I am replying on his behalf to your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security, about the suggestion to benefit recipients that they should seek work as nude models.
  A person in receipt of an incapacity benefit may be considered capable of suitable work following a medical examination. Such decisions are made by Adjudication Officers (AO), who are independent adjudicating authorities.
  If the AO decides that a person is capable of work, then, as a result of a long standing Commissioner's decision, the AO is required to specify the type of work that person is considered capable of doing.
  Although a job description of "Artists model", which included that of nude modelling, was contained in a previous publication used by AOs as a source of job example, that source was superseded in February 1993 by the Standard Occupational Classification. This publication, which is in the Library, does not include a description of the variety of work possibly undertaken by an "Artists model".
  The specific information asked for is, therefore, not available in the format requested.
  I hope my reply has been helpful.

DEFENCE

  Plutonium
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make it his policy to raise the matter of the safeguarding of surplus military plutonium at the NATO defence ministers meeting in Brussels on 9 and 10 December.

  Mr. Aitken
  A range of issues was discussed at the Defence Planning Committee and Nuclear Planning Group meetings on 8 and 9 December. A copy of the communiqué issued after the meetings has been placed in the Library of the House.

  Artillery Systems
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for East Lothian (Mr. Home Robertson) of 1 December,Official Report, column 605, on 14 Calibre Artillery systems, if the SPLLS were delivered to the British Army of the Rhine via the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Aitken
  No.

  Aircraft Accidents
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what categories of damage are included in aircraft accident rates per 10,000 flying hours listed in "UK Defence Statistics 1993", table 3.8; and if the recalculation of the numbers of accidents referred to in footnote 1 to table 3.8 applies to Royal Navy and Army aircraft as well as those of the Royal Air Force.

  Mr. Hanley
  The categories of damage included in aircraft accident routes per 10,000 flying hours noted in UK Defence Statistics 1993, table 3.8, are categories 4 and 5. No recalculation was necessary for Royal Navy or Army aircraft.

  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence in what form the data on aircraft accidents and accident rates forming the basis of table 3·8 of the publication "United Kingdom Defence Statistics 1993" were supplied by the service safety organisations to his Department's statistical services; and what are the differences in format since the 1992 edition of the document.

  Mr. Hanley
  Data on serious aircraft accidents are passed to the Defence Analytical Services Agency by signal immediately after the event. Written confirmation of the contents of tables 3·8 and 3·9 is sought from the service flight safety organisations before publication of "Defence Statistics". Flying hours, by aircraft type, are provided by the services.

  There are no differences in the formats of table 3·8 and 3·9 since the 1992 edition.

  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence why aircraft accident rate information for the years 1975 and 1980, in table 3·8 of "United Kingdom Defence Statistics 1993", is only available for some aircraft types; what records exist within his Department on the number of flying hours and the number of major accidents for each aircraft type for the years 1975 and 626
  1980; and what plans he has to include additional information in the 1994 edition of "United Kingdom Defence Statistics".

  Mr. Hanley
  There are no plans to include additional information in table 3·8 of the 1994 edition of the United Kingdom Defence Statistics.

  The accident rate information for 1980 in table 3·8 of United Kingdom Defence Statistics 1993 is complete. The numbers of accidents in 1975 in each service are published in the first part of table 3·8. The flying hours for individual aircraft types flown by the Royal Navy and Army are not readily available.

  Upavon Army Base
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the designated role and purpose of the new Army base at Upavon, Wiltshire; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hanley
  The headquarters organisation of the Army's inspector general doctrine and training has collocated in Upavon from eight separate locations in the United Kingdom. The primary role and purpose of the organisation is to formulate a coherent military doctrine; to ensure the translation of that doctrine into training policy and the implementation of individual training and training support to meet it.

  Flying Hours
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the average number of flying hours flown per aircrew per year in RAF front-line strike/attack/ reconnaissance units in each year since 1987.

  Mr. Hanley
  The information is as follows:

  Year

  Strike/Attack

  Reconnaissance

  1987

  434

  228

  1988

  469

  245

  1989

  457

  241

  1990

  463

  251

  1991

  398

  218

  1992

  447

  235

  11993

  375

  199

  1 to end of Oct 93

  Nimrod
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what date the Nimrod aircraft was first certified to carry nuclear weapons; and whether this certification applied to the United Kingdom as well as United States weapons.

  Mr. Hanley
  The Nimrod aircraft was certified for carriage of American nuclear depth charges from its entry into service in 1969. It has never been certified to carry British nuclear weapons.

  Combat-ready Aircrew
  Mr. Llywd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if instructor aircrew in the Harrier, Jaguar, Tornado and Hawk reserve squadrons are required to maintain combat-ready status.

  Mr. Hanley
  Yes.

  Housing
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 7 December,Official Report, column 173, (1) on what consideration he bases his policy of not revealing the future expenditure plans of MoD budget holders at the level of detail requested;

  (2) whether he has considered changing his policy regarding the release of detailed information on the future expenditure plans of MoD budget holders; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hanley
  The 10-year costing of the defence programme, known as the long-term costing, upon which details of future expenditure plans are based, is designed for internal planning purposes only. Approval to commit expenditure is subject to separate procedures and endorsement by Ministers as appropriate. To avoid giving a misleading impression as to the firmness of our plans, therefore, we would not normally provide such details. My right hon. and learned Friend has no plans to change this policy.

  Defence Costs Study
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 7 December,Official report, column 176, if he will list each of the aspects of support that he will be looking at as part of the defence costs study; and if he will provide detailed information on their current functions and costs.

  Mr. Aitken
  At this stage, I have nothing to add to my previous answer.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 7 December,Official Report, column 176, how long the defence costs study will take; and if he will publish a declassified copy of their work once it has been completed.

  Mr. Aitken
  No overall timetable has been set, since the time needed to look at different areas of defence support will vary considerably. Work is, however, being taken forward as quickly as possible. We will decide how best to make public the results of the study as soon as we have had the opportunity to consider them.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 7 December,Official Report, column 176, what are (a) the current headquarters costs, (b) the current manpower costs and (c) current procurement practice; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Aitken
  Details of defence expenditure are given in the publication "UK Defence Statistics: 1993 Edition". Table 1.3 gives planned expenditure for 1993–94 in each of the management areas. The total figure for MOD headquarters and centrally managed expenditure is £1,886·3 million. Table 1.2 shows that anticipated expenditure on service and civilian personnel this year is £9,716 million. The fullest and most recent description of current procurement practice is in "Britain's Defence Procurement", a booklet published by my Department in July 1993. I am arranging for a copy to be placed in the Library of the House.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 7 December,Official Report, column 176, how many staff will be employed on a full-time basis on the defence costs study.
  628
  Mr. Aitken
  A secretariat with eight full-time members has been established to co-ordinate work on the study. The work itself will be carried out by a number of small study teams, each looking at different areas of support business. Some staff will work full-time on the study as members of these teams.

  Married Quarters
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much money he has spent over the last two years on upgrading the physical condition of married quarters; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hanley
  The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Atomic Weapons Establishment, Cardiff
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received and what consultations he has had in relation to the setting up of a local liaison committee for the atomic weapons establishment, Cardiff; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Aitken
  I have received one representation from the director of environmental services, Cardiff city council, concerning the setting up of a local liaison committee for AWE Cardiff. I am pleased to announce that following an exploratory meeting with local authority representatives the inaugural meeting of the local liaison committee for AWE Cardiff is scheduled for 24 January 1994.

  Nuclear Warhead Convoy (Breakdown)
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the breakdown on the M25 of the nuclear warhead convoy vehicle on 9 December.

  Mr. Hanley
  A military convoy stopped on the M25 on 9 December to allow the inspection of a suspected mechanical defect on one vehicle. As a precautionary safety measure, the civil police cordoned off the inner lane of the motorway.

  Following the inspection, the tractor unit of one of the vehicles was changed and the convoy continued its journey and arrived safely at its destination. It is a long-standing policy neither to confirm nor deny the presence of nuclear weapons at any particular place or time.

  Spent Polaris Warheads
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what guidelines he has agreed for the transportation by road, rail and shipping for spent Polaris nuclear warheads from Faslane to the atomic weapons establishment, Burghfield and for warheads of parts thereof to AWE Aldermaston and Cardiff; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Aitken
  Nuclear warheads, and their components, can be transported by road, sea or air. Appropriate safety and security procedures are applied to all such movements.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many shipments have taken place from Faslane to atomic weapons establishments at Burghfield, Aldermaston and Cardiff of spent Polaris nuclear warheads for decommissioning, decontamination and disposal; what
  629
  proposals he has for future programmes of this kind; and if he will make a statement on his proposals for amendments to the relevant nuclear site licences.

  Mr. Aitken
  It is not our policy to discuss movements of nuclear warheads. The question of licensing under the Nuclear Installations Act 1965 does not arise: under the AWE Act 1991, AWE sites are not subject to such licensing.

  Customs and Excise
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what Customs and Excise controls are exercised on the entry of aircraft or warships.

  Sir John Cope
  I have been asked to reply.

  Crew and any passengers on military aircraft and naval vessels declare goods as required and pay any charges due. Declarations are also provided of any cargo and stores. Customs and Excise perform selective anti-smuggling checks in conjunction with the relevant naval or military body.

  HOSPITAL WAITING LISTS
  HOSPITAL WAITING LISTS
  MR. JOHN GIBSON
  MR. JOHN GIBSON
  FINANCIAL SERVICES ACT (SECTION 47): ENFORCEMENT
  FINANCIAL SERVICES ACT (SECTION 47): ENFORCEMENT
  CRIMINAL TRIALS: PLEA BARGAINING
  CRIMINAL TRIALS: PLEA BARGAINING
  JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS COUNCIL (DECISIONS)
  JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS COUNCIL (DECISIONS)
  NUCLEAR WASTE: PACKAGING AND DISPOSAL
  NUCLEAR WASTE: PACKAGING AND DISPOSAL
  THORP
  THORP
  THORP: US CORRESPONDENCE
  THORP: US CORRESPONDENCE
  THORP: US RESOLUTION
  THORP: US RESOLUTION
  IRRADIATED NUCLEAR FUEL: RETURN OF WASTE
  IRRADIATED NUCLEAR FUEL: RETURN OF WASTE
  NUCLEAR POWER: REVIEW
  NUCLEAR POWER: REVIEW
  RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL
  RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL
  FAMILY CREDIT TAKE-UP
  FAMILY CREDIT TAKE-UP
  INCAPACITY BENEFIT: MEDICAL ASSESSMENT
  INCAPACITY BENEFIT: MEDICAL ASSESSMENT
  SERPENTINE GALLERY, KENSINGTON GARDENS
  SERPENTINE GALLERY, KENSINGTON GARDENS
  UK POPULATION: REPORT
  UK POPULATION: REPORT
  CDC: GUATEMALA
  CDC: GUATEMALA
  SOUTH KOREAN FORCES: COMMAND
  SOUTH KOREAN FORCES: COMMAND
  FISHERMEN: DAYS AT SEA CONTROLS
  FISHERMEN: DAYS AT SEA CONTROLS