Written Answers of 24 February 1993

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

  High Court Judges
  Mr. Ottaway
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when he received a copy of the Kennedy working party report on High Court judges; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The report was received by the Lord Chancellor on 10 February 1993.

  Legal Aid
  Mr. John Morris
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department whether he will publish the advice given to the Lord Chancellor by the Legal Aid Advisory Committee on his proposed changes in legal aid.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The Legal Aid Advisory Committee has itself already made public its advice to the Lord Chancellor on the proposed eligibility changes and the Lord Chancellor's response to its advice. I have placed copies of the correspondence in the Library.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  European Communities (Amendment) Bill
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the legal issues in connection with the European Communities (Amendment) Bill on which he has made public statements, indicating on which of them he sought advice from(a) his Department's lawyers, (b) Crown Law Officers and (c) European Court legal advisers.

  Mr. Garel-Jones
  We have taken legal advice from various sources during the passage of the European Communities (Amendment) Bill. It is neither customary nor appropriate for me to reveal these sources.

  Mr. John Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether legal advice was sought before 20 January on the effects of amending the European Communities (Amendment) Bill.

  Mr. Garel-Jones
  Yes.

  Whitehead Detention Camp, Hong Kong
  Mr. David Atkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many reported incidents there have been of(a) total number of crimes reported, (b) murders, (c) attempts to escape, (d) incidents of rape, (e) incidents of child sex abuse, (f) drug abuse, (g) abortions and (h) suicides for each year at the Whitehead detention camp in Hong Kong.

  Mr. Goodlad
  The figures for 1991 and 1992 are as follows:
  572

  1991

  1992

  (a) Total number of crimes reported

  844

  588

  (b) Murder cases

  4

  4

  (c) Escapes

  419

  263

  (d) Rape cases reported

  2

  2

  (e) Reports of sex abuse

  0

  0

  (f) Arrests involving dangerous drugs

  5

  7

  (g) Illegal abortions

  0

  0

  (h) Suicides

  10

  1

  1 And two attempts.

  Population of Whitehead Detention Centre

  Number

  1 January 1991

  22,528

  1 January 1992

  24,856

  Official Entertainment
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much was spent on official entertainment in his Department during 1991–92 and 1992–93 to date.

  Mr. Goodlad
  The following was spent on entertainment by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Overseas Development Administration:

  £

  1991–92

  5,700,606

  11992–93

  3,943,940

  1 To date.

  Angola
  Mr. Burden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will support mandatory sanctions against UNITA, including the banning of all lethal and non-lethal supplies and all flights to and from UNITA-controlled areas of Angola.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  Resolution 804, adopted by the United Nations Security Council on 29 January, urged members to cease the supply of lethal material to any Angolan party. We keep the situation under review, but do not believe that mandatory sanctions could be effectively applied against UNITA.

  Mr. Burden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what efforts he is making to promote the ending of the current conflict in Angola through the implementation of the peace accords which were agreed with the Angolan Government on 31 May 1991.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  The Government fully support United Nations efforts to promote dialogue between the Government of Angola and UNITA with a view to agreeing a ceasefire and full implementation of the Bicesse peace accords. With our EC partners, we have urged UNITA to agree a date for a further meeting with the Government of Angola to be held under United Nations auspices in Addis Ababa, and to agree to a truce in the besieged city of Huambo.

  Kenya
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of(a) the treatment of ethnic and political minorities in Kenya and (b) other aspects of the present human rights situation; and what advice he has given to the Kenyan Government about the necessary human rights provisions in Kenya for the continued provision of aid.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  We have expressed concern at the highest levels over recent renewed outbreaks of ethnic clashes and have stressed the importance of the Kenyan Government providing security for all Kenyan citizens. My right hon. and noble Friend the Minister for Overseas Development has also raised concerns over Kenya's human rights performance, a key factor which Her Majesty's Government take into account when allocating aid.

  South Africa
  Mr. Caborn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement concerning the European Community observer mission in South Africa.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  The European Community observer mission in South Africa—ECOMSA—is making a valuable contribution to defusing violence and reducing tensions. ECOMSA, together with the Commonwealth team, has been particularly praised for its professionalism, and has rapidly built extensive relations with, for example, local political organisations, peace accord structures and the South African police. They have the advantage of comprising several senior serving police officers with experience in, for example, community policing.

  Mr. Caborn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what are the terms of reference of the European Community observer mission in South Africa; what is the period of the mandate of the mission; what is the size of the mission; what is the number of members from each EC member state; and in which areas of South Africa it is operating.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  The European Community observer mission in South Africa was deployed in accordance with the terms of Security Council resolution 772 to work in association with other international observer groups and the structures of the national peace accord as part of their efforts to reduce tension and end violence.

  The mission was initially deployed for six months, with effect from October 1992, and comprises 15 members contributed from member states as follows:

  Number

  United Kingdom

  2

  Denmark

  2

  France

  1

  Germany

  2

  Greece

  1

  Ireland

  2

  Netherlands

  2

  Portugal

  1

  EC Commission

  2

  574
  The EC observers are at present deployed with six members at the ECOMSA headquarters in Johannesberg, four members in Durban and two members in East London and Cape Town respectively.

  Mr. Caborn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans there are to extend the period of the mandate of the European Community observer mission in South Africa beyond the current expiry date.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  This is under consideration among the Twelve. A decision is expected shortly.

  Mr. Caborn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what arrangements have been made for the European Community observer mission in South Africa to report to(a) the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, (b) the Council of Ministers, (c) the structures of European political co-operation, (d) the Commission of the European Communities, (e) the European Parliament and (f) the national parliaments of the member states of the European Community.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  Regular reports are submitted to the presidency. These are made available for discussion as necessary by European Community Foreign Ministers. They are also circulated to all member states and can be drawn on to inform their parliaments as appropriate.

  Mr. Caborn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recommendations the European Community observer mission in South Africa has made to(a) the presidency and (b) the Council of Ministers.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  To date, the reports of the European Community observer mission in South Africa have been factual commentaries on the situation and about action engaged in by team members.

  Mr. Caborn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on which dates the Council of Ministers has discussed the question of the European Community observer mission to South Africa since October 1992.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  This matter has not been discussed by the Council of Ministers since October 1992.

  Mr. Caborn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what consideration the Council of Ministers has given to the possibility of expanding the European Community observer mission to South Africa and extending its mandate when agreement is reached on the calling of one person one vote elections.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  This question has not yet been considered by the Council of Ministers. Any election-monitoring mission would be different in nature, and would probably have to operate separately, from the current observer exercise.

  Mr. Caborn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many United Kingdom citizens are currently attached to(a) the United Nations observer mission to South Africa, (b) the European Community observer mission to South Africa, (c) the Commonwealth observer group to South Africa and (d) the Goldstone commission.
  575
  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  There are three United Kingdom citizens currently serving with the United Nations observer mission to South Africa, two with the European Community observer mission, one with the Commonwealth observer group to South Africa, and one with the Goldstone commission.

TRANSPORT

  Suffolk Railways
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the money to be spent on(a) safety and (b) capital investment by regional railways in Suffolk in the next financial year.

  Mr. Freeman
  The disaggregation of expenditure at this level is a matter for British Rail. It is for BR to determine what safety-related expenditure is required in each area and how the available capital investment resources should be shared out.

  Consultants
  Ms. Mowlam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the contracts awarded by his Department to(a) Coopers and Lybrand management consultants, (b) Touche Ross management consultants, (c) Price Waterhouse management consultants, (d) Ernst and Young management consultants, (e) Chrichton Roberts Ltd., (f) KPMG management consultants and (g) Leopold Joseph management consultants, with the total cost of the contracts with each contractor, for (i) the past 12 months and (ii) 1991–92.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  The following contracts were awarded by the Department of Transport:

  (i) THE PAST 12 MONTHS:

  (a) Coopers Lybrand Management Consultants—

  A Review of the Inspectorate's Performance Measures.

  DVOIT Job Costing.

  TRL's Temporary Finance Director.

  Independent Assessment and Review of Sale of Marks —Market Testing Assignment.

  Total cost £178,000.

  b. Touche-Ross Management Consultants—

  HQ Accommodation Study.

  Preparation of an Operation Requirement for Design and Development of a Property Management Information System for PMT.

  Preparation of an OR for a Property Management Information System.

  Total cost £143,000.

  c. Price Waterhouse Management Consultants—

  Advice on personnel arrangements.

  Total cost £68,000.

  d. Ernst and Young Management Consultants—

  Development of Decision Framework to Assist DOT with European Standardisation.

  Commission to Design, Develop and Implement a Payroll Modelling System.

  HQ Accommodation Management Implementation Study.

  IS/IT Scoping Study.

  IS/IT Full Study.

  Total cost £380,000.

  576

  e. Chrichton Roberts Ltd.

  Total cost Nil.

  f KPMG Management Consultants—

  Pilot Implementation of Project Software.

  Implementation Study—Business Analysis—Extension to cover Local Authority Issues.

  Advice on Networking Policy.

  Network referencing Phase 1

  Total cost £403,000.

  g. Leopold Joseph Management Consultants

  Total cost Nil.

  ii. 1991–92

  a. Coopers Lybrand Management Consultants—

  DVOIT Agency Implementation Support.

  Study of EC Directive and Rail Liberalisation.

  Total cost £591,000.

  b. Touche-Ross Management Consultants—

  Accommodation Management Information Study.

  Property management information system for AOSD.

  Total cost £105,000.

  c. Price Waterhouse Management Consultants

  Total cost Nil.

  d. Ernst Young Management Consultants—

  Study of the Options of a Payroll Modelling System for PMT.

  Preparation for the Design and Development of Payroll Modelling System.

  Total cost £66,000.

  e. Chrichton Roberts Ltd.

  Total cost Nil.

  f. KPMG Management Consultants—

  Assisting in Developing a Management Accounting Model.

  PMS DOT Implementation Study—Business Analysis.

  Information Systems Strategy for the Vehicle Inspectorate.

  Total cost £205,000.

  g. Leopold Joseph Management Consultants—

  Total cost Nil.

  Ms. Mowlam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many contracts for consultancies were awarded by his Department over(a) the last 12 months and (b) 1991–92.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  The following consultancy contracts, including management consultancies, were awarded by the Department of Transport over:

  (a) Last 12 months: 298 and (b) 1991–92: 288.

  In the case of both (a) and (b) the majority of contracts are in the general and research areas—management consultancy contracts are not a high proportion of the total numbers.

  Publicity
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 2 June 1992 to the hon. Member for Holborn and St. Pancras (Mr. Dobson),Official Report, columns 510–11, what is his Department's (a) current outturn estimate for publicity expenditure for 1992–93 and (b) budgeted publicity expenditure for 1993–94.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  The current estimated outturn for publicity expenditure for 1992–93 by my Department is £8–78 million. The 1993–94 estimates will be considered by Parliament on 9 March, after which budgets will be published. The budget for 1993–94 is expected to be in line with 1992–93 expenditure in real terms. These estimates do not include publicity expenditure by the Department's executive agencies.

  Cyclists
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if his Department will introduce a public campaign on the need for cyclists to have both a front and rear light when riding a pedal cycle during the hours of darkness; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  My Department is planning to launch a cycling safety campaign in March and our publicity material will include advice on the use of lights by cyclists.

  Mr. Hall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he proposes to introduce to stop motorists driving too close to motor cyclists and pedal cyclists.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  Advice to motorists to give cyclists plenty of room is contained in the "Highway Code", "The Driving Manual", "Your Driving Test" and a leaflet currently being issued with vehicle excise duty reminders.

  Pedestrian Crossings
  Mr. Clifton-Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what conclusions the Transport Research Laboratory has come to for the criteria which need to be applied to the installation of pedestrian crossings and islands to meet the needs of vulnerable people; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  The Transport Research Laboratory has carried out research into pedestrians' use of crossings, the effectiveness of the crossings and accidents which occur.

  As a result, the assessment criteria for the provision of pedestrian crossing facilities are being revised to remove the existing numerical criteria and encourage more account to be taken of local needs.

  The new Puffin pedestrian crossing which is being developed makes it easier and safer for all pedestrians. it automatically extends the crossing time as needed for elderly and disabled pedestrians. The TRL is continuing to monitor and assess the new crossing design.

  Advice has been issued to local authorities on the provision of dropped kerbs and tactile paving at pedestrian crossing points to improve the safe and independent mobility of wheelchair users and visually impaired people.

  Severn Crossing
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many representations he has received since May 1992 concerning developing(a) the current Severn bridge and (b) the second Severn crossing as toll-free bridges.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  We have received since May 1992 some 150 representations about the reduction or removal of the tolls specified in the Severn Bridges Act 1992. Very few of them distinguish between the two bridges.

  Electric Cars
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what research has been undertaken by his Department on the possible use and development of electric cars in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  The Transport Research Laboratory is soon to complete a review of worldwide research and experience in the use and environmental impact of alternative fuels including electricity. This covers various road vehicles including cars. It will draw on earlier TRL work on electric vehicles which included published reports on their market prospects, energy consumption and refuelling infrastructure.

  The Department is also funding a study examining the feasibility of limited in-service field trials of vehicles using a range of alternative fuels including electricity.

  In addition, engineers in the Department continue to keep abreast of electric vehicle developments worldwide, and I welcome the continuing efforts by manufacturers to develop advanced batteries and more competitive electric vehicles.

  British Rail (Public Service Obligation)
  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the relationship between the public service obligation grant for 1993–94 and the 1988 public service obligation directive to British Rail; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Freeman
  Public service obligation grant is paid to meet the cost to British Rail of compliance with the obligation laid down, which is currently defined in the Secretary of State's direction of 30 March 1988. Payments made in the years since the direction was issued have varied according to need. The Government's initial estimate of grant needed for 1993–94 is £850 million, but the amount to be paid will be settled in the light of the board's budget, still in preparation, and may be subject to subsequent adjustment.

  Coaches
  Mrs. Anne Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the difference between the minimum standards of construction for coaches registered in the United Kingdom for coaches which do not exceed 60 mph and those for coaches which travel at speeds up to 70 mph; and if he will exempt coaches which do not exceed 60 mph from the requirement to have seat belts fitted even in exposed seats.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  Coaches and large buses that can exceed 60 mph are required to have anti-lock brakes and
  579
  seat belts on exposed seats and, from 1 April 1993, to comply with European superstructure strength requirements.

  These features are not required for large buses that cannot exceed 60 mph. They operate normally at low speed on short town and city routes. The need for belts and the likelihood of their being used are less than on faster long-distance coaches and we have no plans to make them compulsory.

  Mrs. Anne Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make it his policy to tighten up regulations on the construction of coaches registered in the United Kingdom which travel at speeds not exceeding 60 mph.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  No, but I intend to monitor the situation. If it becomes apparent that coach operators are generally using vehicles of lower than appropriate safety standards, I will consider new measures.

  Mrs. Anne Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport from what year coaches will be restricted to a maximum speed of 100 kilometres per hour(a) on the continent and (b) in the United Kingdom; what effect these restrictions will have on the safety standards of coaches manufactured in the United Kingdom; and what representations he has received from coach manufacturers on this subject.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  EC directive 92/6 requires speed limiters on new coaches to be set at 100 km/h from 1 January 1994. It will also apply to coaches registered after 1 January 1988 from 1 January 1995 if the coach is used for international transport and from 1 January 1996 if the coach is used for national transport. We will be consulting shortly on draft regulations to implement the directive.

  The safety standards applying to the construction of coaches are not directly affected by the directive.

  I have been approached on the subject of safety by one United Kingdom coach manufacturer.

  Rail Privatisation
  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what are the costs so far to(a) British Rail and (b) his Department of preparing for the privatisation of railways;

  (2) what are (a) the staff costs and (b) the consultancy fees he expects (i) British Rail and (ii) his Department to incur in 1992–93 and 1993–94 in preparing for privatisation;

  (3) what sums (a) British Rail and (b) his Department have budgeted for 1993–94 to meet the cost of preparing for rail privatisation.

  Mr. Freeman
  The Department of Transport's internal BR privatisation costs cannot be separately identified before September 1991. The following costs include those of special advisers where appropriate:

  £ million

  1991–92

  0.5

  1992–93 estimated outturn

  1.5

  1993–94 expected expenditure

  9.5

  Consultants' costs:

  1991–92

  0.5

  1992–93 estimated outturn

  5.2

  1993–94 expected expenditure

  12.0

  580
  British Rail's costs and estimates are a matter for British Rail.

NATIONAL HERITAGE

  Listed Buildings
  Mrs. Anne Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what plans he has to transfer the responsibility for grade I listed buildings from English Heritage to local authorities.

  Mr. Brooke
  English Heritage's forward strategy, published last October, proposed certain changes to responsibilities for grade II listed building and conservation area casework in London. Revised proposals have recently been put to me following public consultation, and I am considering them. The strategy proposed no change in current responsibilities for grade II buildings outside London.

  Football Licensing Authority
  Mr. Brazier
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage when the Football Licensing Authority will begin to issue licences; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Brooke
  Licensing will be introduced in time for the start of the 1993–94 football season in August. Accordingly, section 9 of the Football Spectators Act, which creates the offence of admitting spectators to unlicensed premises, will be brought into force during the close season.

  I also intend to use the powers conferred on me by section 11 of the 1989 Act to make an order ensuring that clubs in the Premier League and first division meet the August 1994 deadline for all-seater stadiums. I will therefore begin shortly the statutory consultations which will lead to the inclusion of seating requirements in next year's licences.

  Initially, I intend to levy only a nominal fee of £100. The level of the fee will be kept under review, and is likely later to be raised to reflect more closely the full costs involved in determining the licence conditions.

  The Government continue to support the principles of spectator safety and comfort as set out in the Taylor report. We remain firmly committed to the all seater requirement for the top two divisions, and to the implementation of safe terracing for those in the lower divisions that choose not to provide all-seating. The introduction of licensing will be a major step in achieving these aims.

HEALTH

  Nursing Care Beds
  Ms. Lynne
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many nursing care beds for elderly people were available in hospitals in each regional health authority in each of the last 10 years.

  Mr. Yeo
  [holding answer 19 February 1993]: The average number of available beds in wards caring for elderly patients is given in the table. There is no separate classification of "nursing care beds".
  581

  Average number of available beds in wards caring for elderly patients

  1982

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987–88

  1988–89

  1989–90

  1990–91

  1991–92

  England

  55,646

  55,801

  55,571

  55,320

  54,588

  53,275

  51,042

  48,733

  45,902

  42,107

  Northern

  3,809

  3,885

  3,894

  3,940

  3,949

  4,075

  3,958

  3,834

  3,683

  3,435

  Yorkshire

  5,090

  5,041

  4,938

  4,960

  4,827

  4,621

  4,291

  4,136

  3,909

  3,575

  Trent

  5,204

  5,229

  5,233

  5,237

  5,263

  5,116

  4,901

  4,655

  4,411

  4,050

  East Anglian

  2,372

  2,417

  2,452

  2,467

  2,497

  2,539

  2,500

  2,432

  2,373

  2,240

  North West Thames

  3,366

  3,329

  3,380

  3,417

  3,460

  3,386

  3,305

  3,329

  3,173

  2,808

  North East Thames

  4,555

  4,574

  4,635

  4,636

  4,614

  4,260

  3,972

  3,878

  3,483

  3,179

  South East Thames

  4,237

  4,233

  4,088

  3,985

  3,740

  3,535

  3,384

  3,324

  3,212

  2,903

  South West Thames

  3,064

  3,035

  2,975

  2,907

  2,878

  2,832

  2,834

  2,555

  2,566

  2,422

  Wessex

  3,543

  3,510

  3,477

  3,468

  3,433

  3,203

  3,022

  2,923

  2,780

  2,765

  Oxford

  2,027

  2,006

  1,974

  1,866

  1,825

  2,054

  1,832

  1,819

  1,647

  1,457

  South Western

  3,771

  3,848

  3,807

  3,782

  3,720

  3,486

  3,464

  3,366

  3,240

  2,925

  West Midlands

  6,256

  6,230

  6,235

  6,176

  6,054

  6,004

  5,665

  5,084

  4,846

  4,434

  Mersey

  3,136

  3,171

  3,180

  3,120

  3,042

  2,909

  2,786

  2,523

  2,047

  1,870

  North Western

  5,135

  5,193

  5,175

  5,230

  5,161

  5,128

  5,001

  4,747

  4,406

  3,916

  Special Health Authorities

  80

  102

  127

  130

  126

  128

  128

  128

  127

  127

  Source: SH3 1982–1986

  KHO3 1987–88 to 1991–92

NATIONAL FINANCE

  Alcohol Imports
  Mr. Nigel Evans
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would the average tax saving be in(a) excise duty and (b) VAT to an individual buying the full indicative allowance of beer in France and importing into the United Kingdom for personal consumption, compared with purchasing the same amount in the United Kingdom.

  Sir John Cope
  The guidance level for duty paid beer is 110 litres. On beer of typical strength, the excise duty in the United Kingdom is 41p per litre or £45.10 for 110 litres compared with £2–57 for 110 litres in France. French duty is due to rise from 2p to 7.5p a litre or £8.25 for 110 litres in May. The United Kingdom applies a VAT rate of 17.5 per cent. on beer compared with 18.6 per cent. in France. The amount of VAT that is liable on 110 litres of beer in either country will vary according to the product.

  Mr. Nigel Evans
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many arrests have been made by Her Majesty's Customs and Excise verification officers since 1 January of persons illegally selling alcohol bought in France or Belgium at lower excise duty rates and imported to the United Kingdom ostensibly for personal use.

  Sir John Cope
  In January, Customs detected 36 cases of illegal sales of excise goods. Of these, 13 related to alcohol. Customs take legal proceedings by way of arrest when appropriate, but other options, such as proceeding by way of information and summons, are also available. Two arrests were made. Other forms of offence action have been taken or are being considered in the remaining cases.

  Manufacturing Investment
  Ms. Harman
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what information he has about the level of manufacturing investment in(a) 1990, (b) 1991 and (c) 1992; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Nelson
  Estimates of manufacturing investment for 1990, 1991 and 1992 at constant prices were published in the 1992 fourth quarter capital expenditure press notice 582
  released by the Central Statistical Office on 11 February 1993. The 1992 figure is provisional. Copies of the press notice are available in the House of Commons Library.

  Monetary Policy
  Ms. Harman
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which monetary aggregate takes precedence in the formation of policy in the event of M0 rising above and M4 falling below their respective target ranges.

  Mr. Nelson
  Current spending in the economy has in the past been more closely related to M0 than to M4. The authorities also take account of a number of other domestic indicators, as well as the exchange rate, in their monetary policy decisions.

  Bank Notes
  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the cost of redesigning and issuing the new £5, £10 and £20 Bank of England notes; and what will be the cost of redesigning and reissuing revised notes which are easier to distinguish from each other.

  Mr. Nelson
  The cost of designing the new £5, £10 and £20 Bank of England notes, including subsequent changes in design, falls within the normal research and development expenditure of the Bank of England printing works which amounts to some £750,000 a year.

  In introducing the new series of banknotes, the opportunity was taken to incorporate features in the design and in the printing processes which reduced the cost of producing notes. The cost of printing and issuing banknotes amounts to some £60 million a year. The revised versions of the new notes will be issued in the normal course of replacing worn notes, so there will be no additional issuing costs.

  Imports
  Ms. Harman
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the effect of the change in the value of the pound sterling since 14 September 1992 on the cost of imports in the last quarter of 1992.

  Mr. Nelson
  In addition to the external value of the pound, import prices depend on world prices and importers' profit margins. Thus, it is not possible precisely to isolate the impact of the change in the exchange rate.

  Publicity
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 2 June 1992 to the hon. Member for Holborn and St. Pancras (Mr. Dobson),Official Report, column 397, what is his Department's (a) current outturn estimate for publicity expenditure for 1992–93 and (b) budgeted publicity expenditure for 1993–94.

  Mr. Nelson
  The estimated spending on publicity during 1992–93 is £32,000. This is lower than the figure given on 2 June and the difference mainly results from the transfer of Chessington computer centre from the Treasury to the Office of Public Service and Science. Budgeted expenditure for 1993–94 is £50,000.

  Retail Sales
  Ms. Harman
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what information he has about the level of retail sales in(a) November 1992 and (b) January 1993; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Nelson
  The estimate of the volume of retail sales —seasonally adjusted—in November 1992 is 121.6; 1985 = 100. The provisional estimate for January 1993 is 122=3. The level of sales volumes in the three months to January equalled the record level recorded in the three months to November.

  Environmental Protection
  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the impact on environmental protection of a windfall tax on the utility companies.

  Mr. Dorrell
  None, but in the absence of other changes, an increase in the tax burden on utilities would reduce the resources available to them.

  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the scope and value of tax incentives for companies for environmental protection projects for the last year for which figures are available.

  Mr. Dorrell
  There are no specific incentives for companies' environmental projects, but the taxation system as a whole contains many incentives to protect the environment. These include the level of hydrocarbon oils duties and capital allowances which already cover energy saving investment.

  Windfall Tax
  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many times a windfall tax has been levied since 1961; which types of companies were affected; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The term "windfall tax" is not clearly defined. Development gains tax–1973—development land tax–1976—the tax on banks' interest—free deposits –1981—and supplementary petroleum duty–1981—were introduced in response to what were seen as exceptionally high profits. The first two applied to gains on disposals of development land by firms in any sector, the third to the banking sector and the last to the oil industry.

  Environmental Variables
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what efforts have been made to date to integrate environmental variables into national accounting systems.

  Mr. Nelson
  1 refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Southwark and Bermondsey (Mr. Hughes) on 8 December 1992, at columns 571–72.

  Cycle Helmets
  Miss Lestor
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received about zero rating cycle helmets for VAT purposes; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir John Cope
  My right hon. Friend has received a number of representations on this subject and these will be carefully considered in the run-up to the Budget. The hon. Member will appreciate that it would be inappropriate for me to comment further at this stage.

  EC Abatement Procedure
  Mr. Booth
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer by how much the abatement procedure has reduced the United Kingdom net payments to the European Community since 1985.

  Sir John Cope
  By the end of 1992, the abatement had reduced the United Kingdom's net payments to the European Community budget by £11,843 million. The table shows the level of abatement received each year since 1985.

  £ million

  Year

  Abatement

  1985

  166

  1986

  1,701

  1987

  1,153

  1988

  1,594

  1989

  1,154

  1990

  1,697

  1991

  2,497

  1992

  1,881

  Capital Gains Tax
  Mr. Jenkin
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the annual yield from capital gains tax in each year since 1979–80.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The requested information is given in table 1.2 of the 1992 edition of "Inland Revenue Statistics". A revised estimate for the yield in 1992–93 will be published on Budget day in the "Financial Statement and Budget Report 1993–94".

  RPI Advisory Committee
  Mr. Burns
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects to receive a report from the Retail Prices Index Advisory Committee.

  Mr. Lamont
  [pursuant to the reply, 21 January 1993, c. 344]: I have today received a supplementary report from the Retail Prices Index Advisory Committee on the

  585
  treatment in the index of council tax transitional relief. The supplementary report is being published this afternoon as Cm 2153 and copies are available in the Vote Office.

  Personal Income Tax
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the net revenue forgone in each financial year as a result of the reductions in personal income tax for higher rate taxpayers introduced by the Finance Act 1988 in the light of Government receipts since then.

  Mr. Dorrell
  [holding answer 22 February 1993]: The table shows the direct revenue costs in a full year compared with reintroduced tax rates of 45, 50, 55 and 60 per cent. The band widths for the tax rate schedule have been calculated by uprating the corresponding parts of the 1987–88 regime by movements in the retail prices index as in the statutory indexation formula. The estimates take account of the introduction of independent taxation from 1990–91 and the restriction of mortgage interest relief to the basic rate from 1991–92.

  Latest inflation1

  Budget balance2

  General government debt3

  Long-term bond yield4

  Belgium

  2.8

  -6.7

  130.6

  7.7

  Denmark

  1.5

  -2.3

  72.7

  8.7

  France

  2.0

  -2.8

  49.1

  7.8

  Germany5

  4.4

  -3.2

  47.6

  6.9

  Greece

  14.4

  -13.4

  104.0

  n.a.

  Ireland

  2.3

  -2.7

  96.4

  9.9

  Italy

  4.3

  -10.5

  105.4

  13.0

  Luxembourg

  2.6

  -0.4

  5.3

  7.7

  Netherlands

  2.5

  -3.5

  80.6

  6.8

  Portugal

  8.5

  -5.6

  66.7

  11.3

  Spain

  5.4

  -4.6

  46.6

  11.5

  United Kingdom

  1.7

  -6.1

  43.7

  7.9

  1 Latest percentage change in consumer prices on year ago.

  2 1992 general government financial balance (as a percentage of GDP), European Economy (January/February 1993).

  3 1992 gross debt of general government (as a percentage of GDP), estimates taken from European Economy (May 1992).

  4 Yield on fixed interest government securities on February 18th 1993, except Ireland (December 1992) and Portugal (November 1992).

  5 Inflation and government debt figures are for western Germany.

  Source: OECD and Eurostat.

  Public Expenditure Programme
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what meetings he or his departmental officials have had with representatives of the International Monetary Fund in the United Kingdom at which he or they have discussed with them the Government's public expenditure programmes.

  Mr. Nelson
  [holding answer 23 February 1993]: Under article IV of the articles of agreement of the International Monetary Fund, fund staff carry out regular surveillance of the economies of the member countries. Fund staff visited the United Kingdom on 1 to 11 December 1992 for its annual article IV consultation. This consultation covered all aspects of the Government's economic policy, including public expenditure.
  586

  Estimated change in tax revenue at rates in excess of 40 per cent.

  Year

  £ billion

  1988–89

  2.6

  1989–90

  3.2

  1990–91

  3.7

  11991–92

  3.9

  11992–93

  3.8

  1 Provisional estimates.

  The estimates do not allow for any behavioural effect that might have resulted had the tax rates above 40 per cent. been retained, and do not include capital gains tax.

  Maastricht Treaty
  Sir Trevor Skeet
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will update the table given in his answer of 21 January,Official Report, columns 339–40, relating to the convergence criteria of the Maastricht treaty.

  Mr. Nelson
  [holding answer 23 February 1993]: Following is the updated table as requested.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Flood Prevention, Stanmore
  Mr. Dykes
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will hold urgent discussions with the National Rivers Authority and the London borough of Harrow on the need for flood prevention remedial measures to protect residents in certain areas of Stanmore, Middlesex.

  Mr. Curry
  The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food makes grant available to the National Rivers Authority, local authorities and other bodies towards the cost of flood defence schemes which are technically sound, economically worth while and environmentally sympathetic. In the case referred to, the Ministry has indicated that any scheme put forward by the responsible local bodies will be sympathetically considered against the criteria laid down. I understand that the National Rivers Authority is working on designing a suitable scheme and is in contact with the Ministry's river and coastal engineers.

  Marine Laboratories
  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what consultations he has had with(a) staff, (b) the fishing industry, (c) local councils, and (d) hon. or right hon. Members regarding the possibility of conferring next steps agency status on the marine laboratory in Lowestoft; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) what consideration he has given to conferring next steps agency status on the marine laboratory in Lowestoft; and if he will make a statement;

  (3) what plans he has for the rationalisation or amalgamation of services provided by the marine laboratory facilities in Aberdeen and Lowestoft; and if he will make a statement;

  (4) what assessment has been made of the implications for organisational and departmental responsibilities of the assumption of next steps agency status by one or both of the present marine laboratory facilities in Aberdeen and Lowestoft; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Curry
  Staff representatives were informed last July that a study group had been established to review the merits of a move to next steps agency status for the MAFF directorate of fisheries research. My right hon. Friend is currently considering the issues raised by this review in consultation with colleagues and will report his decision to the House in the normal way.

  Salmonella
  Mr. Spring
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what further advice he has on salmonella in eggs; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gummer
  [pursuant to his reply, 9 February 1993, c. 556–58]: 1 have today made an order revoking the Poultry Laying Flocks (Testing and Registration etc) Order 1989, as amended. Commercial egg laying flocks will no longer be required to be registered or tested for the presence of salmonella.

  I previously announced that, in the light of the expert advice from the committee chaired by Professor Heather Dick, and in accordance with the new EC zoonoses directive, the compulsory slaughter of commercial egg-laying flocks infected with salmonella enteritidis would no longer be required: this change will take effect tomorrow.

  Pea Crop
  Mr. Clifton-Brown
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what are the precise criteria for the derogation for this season's vining pea crop from the set-aside regime.

  Country

  Debt agreement

  Signed

  Value (£)

  Senegal

  "United Kingdom/Senegal retrospective terms agreement 1988"

  29 August 1988

  1,070,878.57

  Guyana

  "United Kingdom/Guyana debt rescheduling arrangement 1989"

  29 August 1990

  5,457,440.55

  Egypt

  "United Kingdom/Egypt retrospective terms agreement 1991"

  25 July 1991

  7,020,961.00

  Jamaica

  "United Kingdom/Jamaica debt waiver arrangement 1991"

  30 April 1992

  9,541,265.73

  Bolivia

  "United Kingdom/Bolivia retrospective terms agreement 1992"

  9 June 1992

  1,053,256.48

  Honduras

  "United Kingdom/Honduras retrospective terms agreement 1992"

  21 August 1992

  5,000,000.00

  Total

  29,143,802.33

  In addition we have agreed to write off £56 million of Zambia's aid debt with effect from 1 April 1993, provided
  588
  Mr. Curry
  Vining peas are not covered by the arable area payments scheme, which includes provision for set aside. However, there is a derogation for those who can demonstrate that they had sown, or were committed to sowing, vining peas before 17 November 1992 and who wish to claim aid on their vining peas for 1993. Any such growers will have to apply to their regional service centre or local area office for a vining pea claim form and to return it by 15 May 1993. They will have to confirm that they have sown by that date and to sign the following undertaking and provide the supporting information mentioned.

  DECLARATION ON VINING PEAS

  1. I understand that vining peas have been removed from the list of crops eligible for arable area aid. I am, however, claiming aid in 1993 for vining peas under the derogation in Commission Regulation 3738/92 which permits me to do so. I certify that prior to 17 November 1992, I was already committed to growing vining peas in the expectation of receiving area payments, because either:

  2. I had prior to that date already entered into a binding contract with a buyer or processor for vining peas which is still in force, and had therefore committed myself to setting aside land in the expectation of planting vining peas on other land and receiving aid in respect of them and could not have changed my plans on or after 17 November 1992 without suffering adverse financial consequences: I attach a copy of the contract: or

  3. Although I had not entered into a contract as referred to in (2) above, I can demonstrate that before 17 November 1992 I had made a farm plan committing myself to setting aside particular land in the expectation of planting vining peas on other land and receiving aid in respect of them and could not have changed my plans on or after 17 November 1992 without suffering adverse financial consequences. I attach a copy of the dated farm plan covering all arable crops and intended set aside land and an explanation of my claim that, had I changed my plans on or after 17 November 1992, I would have necessarily suffered adverse financial consequences.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION

  Aid Debt
  Mr. William Powell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list each write-off of aid debt approved since 1 January 1987, with the date and sum involved.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  The following aid debt agreements have been signed since 1 January 1987:

  that Zambia's economic reform programme stays on track. Aid agreements with a number of other countries were signed prior to 1 January 1987.
  589
  The forgiveness of aid debt has in recent years been only a small part of our wider initiatives through Toronto and Trinidad terms to relieve debt and debt servicing payment by developing countries.

  Thailand
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much aid per year the British Government give to Thailand, how much aid is given(a) to the Government and (b) to nongovernmental organisations; and what the aid is used for.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  In the last three years for which figures are available, gross United Kingdom bilateral aid expenditure to Thailand was as follows:

  (£'000)

  1989–90

  1990–91

  1991–92

  (a) Official channels

  11,318

  9,071

  3,644

  (b) Non-governmental Organisations (NGOs)

  362

  458

  423

  11,680

  9,529

  4,067

  Multilateral aid to Thailand attributed to the United Kingdom is estimated to have been £3,320,000 in 1989, the latest available figure.

  The totals at (a) comprise assistance under the aid and trade provision, principally the supply of locomotives, funds from the Commonwealth Development Corporation—present coverage includes development finance, housing, industry and natural resources—disaster relief, drug-related aid, and technical co-operation projects focused on United Kingdom training, English language teaching, flax processing, water, sanitation and public administration.

  The aid through NGOs (b) covers a host of sectors including social and women's development, environmental conservation, income generation, education, health and agriculture, and includes work with prostitutes and street children through Christian Aid.

  Angola
  Mr. Burden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what efforts are being made to supply emergency aid to Angola.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  We maintain close contact with British non-governmental organisations which are assessing how best to help meet current needs. Security problems are making assessment difficult.

  Following the destruction of Luanda's water treatment works, we have contributed £45,000 to One World Action, a non-governmental organisation, which is running a community-based cholera prevention programme.

  Poland and Hungary (Assistance for Economic Restructuring)
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will publish a list of the current application of the PHARE funds by(a)
  590
  cost, (b) purpose of each project, (c) country where funds are to be used and (d) the British firms or institutions involved.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  The list of current PHARE-funded projects is extensive. EC Commission documents containing information on their cost, purpose and recipient country have been placed in the Libraries of the House. Details of the involvement of British firms and institutions are not available in the form requested.

  Kenya (Elections)
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) how many ballot papers were supplied by the British Government for the recent Kenyan elections; and how many were necessary for meeting the legitimate voting needs of the Kenyan electorate;

  (2) for what reasons the ballot papers for the recent Kenyan elections were supplied by the British Government rather than by the European Community.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  The British Government did not supply any ballot papers for the recent Kenyan elections.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many ballot boxes were supplied by the British Government for the recent elections in Kenya; how many were calculated as necessary for the elections; and how many were thought to be surplus to immediate requirements.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  The British Government supplied 35,000 ballot boxes in accordance with the requirement for the elections calculated by the Kenyan electoral commission.

  Commonwealth of Independent States
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will publish a list of the current application of TACIS—technical assistance for the Commonwealth of Independent States—funds by(a) cost, (b) purpose of each project, (c) destination for funds and (d) the British firms or institutions involved.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  The list of current TACIS-funded projects is extensive. EC Commission documents containing information on their cost, purpose and recipient country are now available in the Libraries of the House. Details of the involvement of British firms and institutions are not available in the form requested.

  Development Banks
  Mr. Denham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proportion of the capital of(a) the World bank, (b) the Latin American development bank, (c) the African development bank and (d) the Asian development bank is held by the United Kingdom; and what sum has been paid in.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  The United Kingdom's present shareholdings are detailed in the table.
  591

  Bank

  Total United Kingdom shares

  Percentage of total subscribed capital

  Value (US$ million)

  Cumulative amount paid in (USS million)

  Cumulative percentage shareholding paid in

  World bank

  69,397

  5.50

  8,372

  539.5

  6.44

  Inter-American

  32,839

  0.97

  580.4

  25.2

  4.34

  Asian

  36,131

  2.24

  516.8

  62.

  11.99

  African1

  22,564

  1. 39

  225.6

  28.2

  12.58

  SDRsmn

  SDRsmn

  Notes:

  1 African Development Bank shareholdings are expressed in Bank Units of Account (BUA) which are equivalent to Special Drawing Rights (SDRs).

  NB: These figures do not include the funds the United Kingdom has contributed to the concessional lending funds of the banks.

  Mr. Denham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the level of arrears owed to(a) the World bank, (b) the Latin American

  Institution

  Arrears at end 1990 US $ million

  Arrears at end 1991 US $ million

  Arrears at end 1992 US $ million

  World Bank

  2,420

  1,937

  1,974

  Inter-American Development Bank

  704

  190

  13

  Asian Development Bank

  31

  33

  31

  African Development Bank

  1143

  1177

  1282

  1 African Development Bank Group arrears are expressed in Special Drawing Rights (SDRs).

  Mr. Denham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what proportion of the funds disbursed under the auspices of the World bank's special programme for Africa originate from(a) the European Community and (b) the United Kingdom bilateral aid program.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  According to information from the World bank, 7.3 per cent. of the funds disbursed under the auspices of the World bank's special programme for Africa up to June 1992 came from the European Community and 6.4 per cent. from the United Kingdom bilateral aid programme.

  pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Clydebank and Milngavie (Mr. Worthington), of 11 December 1992, Official Report, column 816, on access to information about the World bank, which body has made a proposal to make World bank environmental assessments more widely available; which body considered that proposal; what were the details of that proposal; when and what was the outcome; and what further initiatives he will take to pursue this proposal.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Ceredigion (Mr. Dafis) on 11 February at column 727. The bank's executive directors are expected to consider this recommendation soon.

  Mr. Denham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps are being taken to ensure that World bank staff implement fully and efficiently the decisions taken by the World bank board.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  The World bank board regularly reviews the bank's performance in implementing policies and in implementing programmes in its borrowing member countries. In addition individual World bank
  592
  development bank, (c) the African development bank and (d) the Asian development bank in each of the past three years.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  The information requested is detailed in the table:

  operations are subject after completion to evaluation of their effectiveness in meeting approved objectives; evaluation findings are submitted to the board.

  Mr. Denham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the names of each local Zambian non-governmental organisation which will be consulted on each of the World bank projects under consideration in Zambia; on what date consultation was initiated; and on what date it is due to be concluded.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  We do not have the information requested.

  Mr. Denham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects the World bank to conclude the review of the implementation of the Narmada dam project.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  As agreed at the bank's board meeting last October, a World bank mission is due to review in April the progress made against a set of performance benchmarks agreed with the Indian authorities.

  Mr. Denham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what subjects will be on the agenda of the next general meeting of the World bank.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  The next annual meeting of the World bank will be held in October. The agenda is not yet available.

  Mr. Denham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs by what methods and using what criteria the United Kingdom contribution to the World bank in 1991–92 is assessed for effectiveness.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  Our contributions to the World bank form part of the British aid programme and are judged against the objectives set out in the annual departmental report, Cm. 2202. The greater part of our
  593
  contributions are made to the International Development Association on the basis of the reports agreed by donors for each replenishment.

  Wappenhans Report
  Mr. Denham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the progress of discussion concerning the Wappenhans report.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Ceredigion (Mr. Dafis) on 11 February, at column 727.

  Sardar Sarovar Project
  Mr. Denham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what account has been taken of human rights violations associated with the Sardar Sarovar project in considering United Kingdom involvement in funding the project.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  We are well aware of reports of such incidents. Our position on the continuation of external support for the project is that we shall take into account all the relevant issues.

  International Development Association
  Mr. Denham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what were the conditions attached to the ninth replenishment of IDA; and what steps have been taken to ensure they were met prior to the 10th replenishment of IDA.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  The report on the ninth replenishment of the International Development Association was published as Cm. 1325 in November 1990. Annual progress reports on implementation are presented to the World bank's board of directors, and were considered by IDA donors in the course of negotiations on the 10th replenishment.

  Mr. Denham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the United Kingdom's contribution in current prices, and as a proportion of the total, to the International Development Association on its establishment and on each successive replenishment, including the proposed 10th replenishment; and what reasons there have been for changes in the proportion.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  United Kingdom contributions to IDA replenishments have been:

  US dollars millions

  Share

  IDA 1

  Initial Subscription

  131.4

  17.33

  Supplementary Contribution

  96.60

  12.97

  IDA 2

  155.52

  12.96

  Special Contribution

  103.68

  12.23

  IDA 3

  311.4

  12.74

  594

  £ sterling million

  Share

  IDA 4

  206.46

  11.10

  IDA 5

  475.40

  10.60

  IDA 6

  554.97

  10.0

  Special Contribution

  105.0

  n/a

  IDA 7

  401.52

  6.70

  IDA 8

  524.16

  6.70

  IDA 9

  619.03

  6.70

  IDA 101

  620.0

  6.15

  1 Proposed contribution

  n/a =Not available.

  The United Kingdom share is affected by the number of donors and the outcome of discussions among donors on burden sharing during the replenishment negotiations.

PRIME MINISTER

  Ministers' Homes (Security)
  Mr. Hain
  To ask the Prime Minister what was the cost of work carried out at public expense at the home of the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food since 1989.

  Mr. Newton
  I have been asked to reply.

  Security work is carried out at the home of Ministers on the advice of the security authorities. Its cost is kept to the minimum necessary to provide proper protection.

  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will list those Ministers entitled to assistance from public funds in respect of security facilities at their private homes.

  Mr. Alan Williams
  To ask the Prime Minister in how many cases since 1979 permanent accommodation for security staff has been provided at public cost for Ministers in or on property owned by Ministers.

  Mr. Newton
  I have been asked to reply.

  It is not in the public interest to disclose or aid the identification of security arrangements relating to public figures.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Young Offenders
  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals he has to reduce the levels of those juvenile offences linked to substance abuse or drug or gambling addiction.

  Mr. Jack
  It is not possible to estimate precisely how much juvenile crime is linked with substance abuse or drug addiction, although it is known that many offenders, including juvenile offenders, may have problems with alcohol or drugs, and all action to reduce misuse may, accordingly, help to prevent crime.

  The Department of Health organises extensive publicity campaigns against the misuse of drugs and other substances. The national curriculum incorporates aspects of health education, including the dangers of drugs,

  595
  solvents and alcohol misuse. which schools are statutorily required to teach. The Home Office drugs prevention initiative, which was launched in 1989, has established 20 local drug prevention teams around Great Britain. The main purpose of the teams is to work with the community to promote the prevention of drug misuse and young people are targeted as the principal group at risk.

  Home Office research has shown that there is no evidence of any association between the playing of amusement machines, which is the only form of gambling to which juveniles have ready access, and delinquency.

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on evidence from the Magistrates Association on the extent to which teenage offenders commit frequent crimes over a relatively short period as a result of a sudden traumatic incident in their lives; and if he will outline his proposals for dealing with such cases.

  Mr. Jack
  We have noted the contents of the evidence to which the hon. Member refers. This is currently before the Home Affairs Select Committee for consideration in its inquiry. Courts and criminal justice agencies are already able to take account of the circumstances which give rise to offending behaviour in determining the most appropriate course of action in particular cases: relevant advice on this should be included in a pre-sentence report, which is required before imposing any custodial sentence in the magistrates or youth courts, or one of the more demanding community sentences.

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what proportion of cleared-up offences were committed by juveniles in 1979, 1981, 1985, 1991 and 1992;

  (2) what is the amount of crime for which juveniles are known to have been responsible in 1979, 1985 and 1992;

  (3) how many offences committed by juveniles were dealt with by way of caution in 1979 and 1992.

  Mr. Jack
  Although overall clear-up figures are collected centrally, it is not possible to separately identify those offences committed by juveniles.

  Information on "known offenders"—those found guilty or cautioned—by age is published annually in chapter 5 of the Command Paper "Criminal statistics England and Wales". 1992 data will not be published until the autumn. Copies of the annual publication are available in the Library.

  Table 2.21

  Notifiable offences of fraud and forgery recorded by the police by offence England and Wales

  Number of offences

  Offence

  51

  52

  53

  60

  61

  Fraud by company director etc.

  False accounting

  Other Fraud

  forgery, or use of, false drug description

  Other forgery etc.

  Total fraud and forgery

  Offences recorded

  1981

  30

  2,415

  96,065

  964

  7,197

  106,671

  1982

  24

  2,667

  111,290

  987

  8,133

  123,101

  1983

  45

  2,292

  109,615

  976

  8,863

  121,791

  1984

  71

  1,883

  112,214

  1,070

  10,855

  126,093

  1985

  37

  1,823

  120,758

  880

  11,269

  134,767

  1986

  25

  1,854

  120,923

  912

  9,717

  133,431

  1987

  43

  1,816

  119,893

  1,114

  10,110

  132,976

  Bail Offenders
  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of offences were committed by persons on bail in(a) 1978 and (b)

  Mr. Jack
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Vale of Glamorgan (Mr. Sweeney) on 22 February 1993, at column 427.

  Prison Assaults
  Mr. Steinberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the number of convictions of assault on(a) male prison officers and (b) female prison officers at Durham prison, Frankland prison and Low Newton centre for the past 10 years.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Information about prisoners found guilty on adjudication of an assault on an officer or member of staff is available only from 1 April 1989 and is given in the table. The sex of the officer or member of staff is not recorded centrally.

  Assaults1 on a prison officer or member of staff

  Establishment2

  31989

  1990

  1991

  41992

  Male establishments

  Low Newton

  2

  5

  16

  9

  Durham

  16

  32

  43

  40

  Frankland

  24

  75

  53

  32

  Female establishments

  Low Newton

  8

  11

  9

  8

  Durham

  1

  —

  —

  —

  1 Including attempts.

  2 At which the adjudication was held.

  3 April to December.

  4 Provisional.

  Crime (Clear-up Statistics)
  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what were the clear-up rates for crime in(a) 1979 and (b)

  Mr. Jack
  The requested information for 1979 is published in table 2.21 of "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales 1989". Information for 1992 is not yet available but information for 1991, which is the latest published figure, has just been published in table 2.11 of "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales 1991". Copies of both are available in the Library.
  597

  Offence

  51

  52

  53

  60

  61

  Fraud by company director etc.

  False accounting

  Other fraud

  Forgery, or use of, false drug prescription

  Other forgery etc.

  Total fraud and forgery

  1988

  40

  2,075

  119,645

  1,307

  10,806

  133,873

  1989

  25

  2,106

  121,756

  1,196

  9,407

  134,490

  1990

  53

  2,001

  133,866

  1,009

  10,980

  147,909

  1991

  24

  1,623

  159,136

  968

  12,991

  174,742

  Offences cleared up 1991

  Number

  20

  1,535

  84,630

  775

  10,007

  96,967

  Percentage

  1(83)

  95

  53

  80

  77

  55

  1 () Percentages in brackets are based on totals of less than 100.

  Police (Stabbings)
  Mr. Boyes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers in each police authority area have been injured or killed by stabbing in each year since 1979.

  Mr. Jack
  Information on the number of police officers injured by stabbing is not collected centrally.

  The number of police officers who were the victims of offences currently recorded as homicide where a sharp instrument was used, including knives, by police force in England and Wales since 1979 is a follows:

  Police Force

  Year

  Number

  Wiltshire

  1979

  1

  Metropolitan

  1980

  1

  West Yorkshire

  1981

  1

  Greater Manchester

  1982

  1

  1983

  —

  1984

  —

  Kent and Metropolitan

  1985

  2

  1986

  —

  1987

  —

  Offences currently recorded as homicide involving the use of a sharp instrument, England and Wales 1982 to 1991

  1982

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  1989

  1990

  1991

  MPD

  72

  44

  62

  72

  75

  70

  57

  59

  52

  73

  Cumbria

  3

  0

  0

  1

  2

  0

  0

  0

  3

  0

  Lancashire

  2

  5

  7

  5

  6

  9

  5

  5

  6

  3

  Merseyside

  5

  4

  7

  3

  9

  3

  7

  4

  6

  11

  Greater Manchester

  10

  8

  6

  6

  19

  14

  12

  8

  4

  7

  Cheshire

  1

  3

  3

  1

  1

  1

  2

  2

  3

  2

  Northumbria

  3

  3

  5

  4

  2

  5

  3

  6

  6

  5

  Durham

  0

  2

  2

  0

  2

  1

  0

  0

  3

  0

  North Yorkshire

  3

  0

  0

  1

  1

  2

  1

  4

  2

  2

  West Yorkshire

  10

  6

  6

  9

  10

  10

  7

  13

  10

  15

  South Yorkshire

  6

  10

  4

  4

  3

  4

  7

  3

  5

  8

  Humberside

  7

  2

  2

  1

  2

  3

  4

  2

  3

  2

  Cleveland

  4

  1

  3

  3

  1

  0

  3

  6

  3

  3

  West Midlands

  15

  10

  17

  18

  12

  15

  9

  10

  8

  12

  Staffordshire

  0

  2

  1

  0

  2

  2

  3

  2

  3

  3

  West Mercia

  1

  1

  1

  2

  5

  1

  1

  0

  2

  1

  Warwickshire

  1

  1

  0

  1

  0

  2

  0

  1

  0

  1

  Derbyshire

  1

  2

  1

  0

  1

  0

  2

  4

  2

  3

  Nottinghamshire

  3

  0

  6

  4

  5

  5

  1

  0

  4

  5

  Lincolnshire

  2

  0

  2

  0

  0

  2

  0

  2

  0

  2

  Leicestershire

  2

  1

  1

  4

  3

  0

  0

  1

  5

  3

  Northamptonshire

  0

  5

  3

  1

  3

  5

  4

  1

  1

  0

  Cambridgeshire

  1

  0

  1

  1

  0

  2

  2

  1

  1

  2

  Norfolk

  0

  0

  3

  0

  5

  1

  1

  1

  7

  8

  Suffolk

  2

  1

  0

  1

  0

  0

  0

  4

  2

  2

  Bedfordshire

  2

  4

  0

  1

  2

  4

  3

  2

  2

  3

  Hertfordshire

  1

  1

  5

  0

  4

  0

  7

  2

  1

  5

  Essex

  4

  1

  7

  3

  6

  3

  6

  5

  1

  7

  Thames Valley

  4

  7

  3

  7

  4

  2

  6

  7

  5

  7

  Hampshire

  3

  4

  0

  4

  5

  4

  1

  2

  6

  3

  Surrey

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  3

  2

  2

  1

  2

  598

  Police Force

  Year

  Number

  1988

  —

  1989

  —

  1990

  —

  Metropolitan

  1991

  2

  Mr. Boyes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many stabbings resulted in either maiming or death in each police authority area in each year since 1979.

  Mr. Jack
  Statistics on the proportion of offences where a sharp instrument or knife were involved were published for those forces where they were available for the years 1986 to 1989 in tables 2.23 and 2.24 of "Criminal Statistics, 1989, England and Wales", Cm. 1322, a copy of which is in the Library. The number of offences currently recorded as homicide where a sharp instrument, including a knife, was involved is shown by police force in the table. Information for the years 1979 to 1981 is not available except at disproportionate cost and information for 1992 is not yet available.
  599

  1982

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  1989

  1990

  1991

  Kent

  6

  4

  9

  4

  7

  4

  6

  2

  4

  2

  Sussex

  0

  2

  4

  4

  5

  1

  2

  4

  4

  3

  Devon and Cornwall

  1

  0

  4

  2

  1

  4

  6

  1

  3

  3

  Avon and Somerset

  3

  5

  2

  3

  3

  9

  2

  2

  2

  3

  Gloucestershire

  0

  0

  1

  2

  0

  0

  1

  3

  1

  3

  Wiltshire

  2

  2

  1

  0

  2

  2

  1

  4

  1

  3

  Dorset

  1

  2

  3

  0

  4

  0

  1

  0

  1

  2

  North Wales

  4

  2

  3

  1

  0

  1

  4

  0

  0

  2

  Gwent

  3

  1

  1

  4

  1

  2

  3

  1

  0

  0

  South Wales

  2

  3

  1

  2

  7

  3

  6

  6

  11

  1

  Dyfed-Powys

  1

  1

  0

  1

  0

  2

  2

  0

  0

  1

  Total

  191

  150

  187

  180

  220

  201

  190

  182

  184

  223

  Police Forces
  Sir John Wheeler
  To ask the Secretrary of State for the Home Department if he will list the police forces in England and Wales which include more than one county administration; and if he will set out the numbers on the combined police authority, in each case, from each constituent local authority and petty sessions.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  The following police forces in England and Wales include more than one county administration:

  Avon and Somerset, Devon and Cornwall, Hampshire, Sussex, Thames Valley, West Mercia, Dyfed Powys, North Wales and South Wales.

  The numbers on the combined police authorities are as follows:

  County

  Local Authority Members

  Magistrates

  Avon and Somerset

  Avon

  18

  9

  Somerset

  8

  4

  Devon and Cornwall

  Devon

  20

  10

  Cornwall

  9

  5

  Isles of Scilly

  1

  0

  Hampshire

  Hampshire

  20

  10

  Isle of Wight

  4

  2

  Sussex

  East Sussex

  10

  5

  West Sussex

  10

  5

  Thames Valley

  Berkshire

  10

  5

  Buckinghamshire

  8

  4

  Oxfordshire

  8

  4

  West Mercia

  Hereford and Worcester

  14

  7

  Shropshire

  8

  4

  Dyfed Powys

  Dyfed

  12

  5

  Powys

  5

  3

  North Wales

  Clwyd

  12

  8

  Gwynedd

  8

  4

  South Wales

  Mid Glamorgan

  10

  5

  South Glamorgan

  8

  4

  West Glamorgan

  8

  4

  Prisoner Statistics
  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the number of prisoners in custody in each of the last six months.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to a question from the hon. Member for Cardiff, South and Penarth (Mr. Michael) on 12 February, at columns 811–12.

  Immigration
  Mr. Fraser
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what financial contribution is made by Her Majesty's Government to the work of the ad hoc group, immigration, including the cost of time of civil servants spent at meetings, allocations for travel costs and any other specific allocations; and on which vote the costs fall.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  Except during the United Kingdom presidency, there have been no direct financial subventions from United Kingdom funds to the work of the ad hoc working group on immigration.

  Meetings of the ad hoc group, usually in the presidency capital, and of its subgroups, usually in Brussels, are serviced by the secretariat of the Council of the European Communities, and accommodation and so on are provided by the presidency or the secretariat respectively.

  Attendance at the preparation for meetings forms part of the normal duties of officials, most of whom are from the immigration and nationality department, their salary and so on and travelling subsistence costs form part of the overall expenditure of the Department, which is met from class IX vote 3.

  A detailed breakdown of the staff costs of all those involved in this work could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Animal Experiments
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to bring forward amendments to the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 to permit members of the Animal Procedures Committee to disclose information currently restricted.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  The Government have no plans to amend section 24 of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986.

  Betting Shops
  Mr. Devlin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will make it her policy to extend the provisions of the Shops Act 1950 to cover betting shops, before 1 March.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  No, we have no plans to extend the provisions of the Shops Act 1950 to cover licensed betting offices.

  Mr. Devlin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals he has for tackling juvenile crime in Cleveland.

  Mr. Jack
  The Government have already introduced a wide range of measures which aim to prevent young people from committing crime. In Cleveland, safer cities projects in Hartlepool and Middlesbrough provide grants for a number of local initiatives aimed at tackling juvenile crime. These link, in turn, with the work being undertaken at local level by the police, probation, local authority education and social services, which is co-ordinated through an inter-agency strategy group.

  In the Criminal Justice Act 1991, implemented on 1 October 1992, Parliament strengthened the powers of the court in relation to defendants under the age of 18. The Government are presently considering additional measures to help the courts to deal more effectively with the small number of juveniles who persistently re-offend and for whom existing measures appear not to be working.

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to give local authorities the power forcefully to detain juveniles remanded or serving a sentence in their care.

  Mr. Yeo
  I have been asked to reply.

  Following consultation, we are considering what further guidance may need to be given about the control and restraint of young people in residential care.

  Name of company

  Date of publication of report

  Payments to accountant inspector and support staff from his firm (£)

  Disbursements including VAT (£)

  Payments to legal inspector and legal staff (£)

  Disbursements including VAT (£)

  Westminster Property Group plc1

  28 November 1985

  —

  1,882

  —

  —

  Aldershot Football Club Ltd.

  2 July 1987

  84,602

  19,625

  16,042

  2,488

  Milbury plc

  27 October 1988

  723,736

  157,672

  221,440

  33,215

  Westminster Property Group Ltd.

  Emray plc (now Equity and General plc)2

  4 May 1988

  313,538

  9,477

  —

  —

  Greenbank Trust plc1

  4 August 1988

  —

  3,237

  —

  —

  Summer International plc (formerly Sumrie Clothes plc)

  14 October 1988

  37,925

  12,551

  7,725

  —

  Bremner plc

  7 June 1989

  58,193

  14,731

  63,443

  16,708

  County NatWest Ltd.

  20 July 1989

  770,370

  205,921

  116,437

  17,494

  County NatWest Securities Ltd.

  Consolidated Gold Fields plc

  6 September 1989

  118,522

  19,775

  10,776

  1,697

  House of Fraser Holdings plc

  7 March 1990

  1,015,992

  244,194

  218,500

  33,818

  Alexander Howden Group plc

  29 August 1990

  784,763

  187,421

  71,134

  12,382

  Minet Holdings plc (Interim)

  24 July 1986

  885,457

  227,633

  132,220

  23,110

  Minet Holdings plc

  29 August 1990

  WMD Underwriting Agencies Ltd.

  Aldermanbury Trust plc

  20 March 1991

  370,321

  58,798

  448,825

  94,913

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Companies House
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what checks his Department makes when a company files its annual return at Companies House.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  This is a matter for Companies House. I have asked the chief executive to write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from David Durham to Mr. Austin Mitchell, dated 22 February 1993:
  You tabled a Parliamentary Question regarding the checks made when a company delivers its annual return to Companies House.
  My examiners carry out two types of check. First, they ensure that the company's name, registered number and registered office are consistent with the information already held.
  Secondly, they check that all the necessary details have been provided regarding company type, principal business activities, location of registers, secretary, directors, issued capital and members and that the form has been signed and dated.
  This process is simplified if the company uses a "shuttle" annual return form provided by Companies House. In this case, most of the information will be pre-printed and it would only be necessary to check additions or amendments to that information.

  Department Inspectors
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will publish a table showing the amounts paid to each of his Department's inspectors for the reports published since 1985.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  The information requested by the hon. Member is as follows:
  603

  Name of company

  Date of publication of report

  Payments to accountant inspector and support staff from his firm (£)

  Disbursements including VAT (£)

  Payments to legal inspector and legal staff (£)

  Disbursements including VAT (£)

  The Animal Defence Society Ltd.

  17 April 1991

  28,705

  8,916

  15,762

  2,726

  Sound Diffusion plc

  1 May 1991

  783,478

  142,928

  53,265

  8,010

  Rotaprint plc

  24 July 1991

  580,412

  140,170

  125,105

  18,766

  The Milford Docks Company

  16 January 1992

  382,980

  92,782

  130,556

  20,212

  BOM Holdings plc

  27 February 1992

  807,244

  182,690

  168,322

  27,622

  Blue Arrow plc

  24 September 1992

  2,312,296

  572,292

  597,936

  91,864

  National Westminster Bank plc

  14 January 1993

  1,612,272

  476,880

  405,907

  71,309

  James Neill Holdings plc

  21 January 1993

  105,134

  23,308

  100,926

  21,447

  Francis Industries Ltd.

  FH Lloyd Holdings plc

  The Mersey Docks and Harbour Company

  Metal Closures Group plc

  Winchmore plc

  Edencorp Leisure plc1

  18 February 1993

  —

  14,222

  —

  —

  1 Reports by departmental officers.

  2 Departmental officer appointed with non-departmental inspector.

  3 Stockbroker (inspector) and support staff.

  Audit Companies
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will introduce proposals under which all auditing firms carrying out the audit of a public limited company would be required to publish the profits made from its overall auditing business.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  No.

  Car Registrations
  Ms. Harman
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what information he has about the number of new car registrations in each year after 1988; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  New car registrations between 1988 and 1992 are as follows:

  Year

  1988

  2,215,574

  1989

  2,300,944

  1990

  2,008,934

  1991

  1,592,326

  1992

  1,593,601

  Highlands and Islands
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what representations his Department has made to the European Commission with regard to objective I status for the highlands and islands of Scotland; what decision he has reached about whether Merseyside should be put forward; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  I refer to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Falmouth and Camborne (Mr. Coe) on 17 February,Official Report, column 269.

  Cleaner Technology
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the agencies represented on his liaison group on cleaner technology; how many meetings this group has had; and what new initiatives have flowed from its work.

  Mr. Eggar
  The interdepartmental liaison group on cleaner technology has representatives from Department of the Environment, Science and Engineering Research Council, Health and Safety Executive, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Office of Science and Techology, and the Royal Academy of Engineering, under the chairmanship of Department of Trade and Industry. The group has now had three meetings. The group has been exchanging information on the separate initiatives that the different Departments are pursuing and the scope for co-operation between them. The Department of Trade and Industry and the Department of the Environment are working together to promote waste minimisation and energy efficiency.

  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade whether his inquiry into United Kingdom output of, and trade in, environmental and clean technology industry has been completed; and if he will place its conclusions in the Library.

  Mr. Eggar
  Work within the DTI to identify and extract relevant data on output of, and trade in, environmental and clean technology is continuing.

  European Companies (Accounts Regulation)
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade whether subsidiaries of European companies are subject to home or host country accountancy regulation; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  Companies incorporated in Great Britain, whether or not they are subsidiaries of companies
  605
  incorporated in other European countries, are required to prepare and file accounts in accordance with part VII of the Companies Act 1985.

  Military Equipment
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade whether military equipment made as a result of collaboration between a British and an overseas company needs a United Kingdom export licence before it can be sold to a third country.

  Mr. Needham
  Military equipment made as a result of collaboration between a British company and an overseas company requires a United Kingdom export licence if exported from the United. Kingdom. Exports of such equipment from overseas countries are the responsibility of those countries.

  Weaving Industry
  Mr. Martlew
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what investment has taken place in the cotton and man-made fibre weaving industry, statistical class 4322, in the last five years for which figures are available; and to what extent this investment benefited from Government grants.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The available information for investment for standard industrial classification activity heading 4322 is given in the table.

  Investment in the cotton, man-made fibres weaving silk and industry

  £ million

  1986

  29.3

  1987

  21.7

  1988

  36.4

  1989

  36.3

  1990

  40.9

  The annual amounts of Government grants paid in support of investment in the cotton and man-made fibre weaving industry in the United Kingdom for the years 1986 to 1990 were:

  £ thousands

  1986

  920

  1987

  1,480

  1988

  469

  1989

  685

  1990

  953

  In Great Britain grants were paid under the regional selective assistance scheme and the revised regional developments grants scheme. Information about grants paid to this industry under the original regional grants scheme is available only at disproportionate cost. In Northern Ireland grants were made available from the Industrial Development Board for Northern Ireland under the Industrial Development (NI) Order 1982.

  Single Market
  Mr. Clapham
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many complaints were referred to the single market compliance unit in 1992; and how many were satisfactorily resolved.
  606
  Mr. Needham
  The single market compliance unit— SMCU—receives inquiries daily. At any one time the SMCU is dealing with some 30 to 40 cases. However, in practice, after detailed examination, only a minority of these, about 10 per cent. turn out to be breaches of EC law. Those not involving breaches are normally passed on to the Department's sectoral or trade divisions which are better able to assist with such inquiries.

  In 1992 the SMCU dealt with 23 new cases involving actual breaches of the EC law to add to the 16 which it was already dealing with. Typically, a case takes at least six months and sometimes over three years to resolve. This is due to the lengthy process of compiling sufficient evidence, normally with the help of British embassies, together with the time it takes to raise a complaint with a member state or the European Commission. Of the cases dealt with last year by the SMCU, nine so far have been successfully resolved.

  Mr. Clapham
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans he has to expand the number of desks at the single market compliance unit; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Needham
  In line with my Department's new "Business in Europe" initiative, the single market compliance unit is to expand. Expressed in terms of man years, the level of resources allocated to the SMCU is to rise from 2.5 to 4.5.

  Internal Market Council
  Mr. Rowe
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the outcome of the Internal Market Council held on 8 February.

  Mr. Needham
  I attended this first Council of the Danish presidency under the chairmanship of the new Danish Industry Minister, Mr. Troejborg. It was also the first Council for Commissioner Vanni d'Archirafi.

  The meeting had a short agenda which it completed in half a day. A review of the completion of the internal market confirmed that some 95 per cent. of the original White Paper had been agreed, with few problems reported on the free movement of goods since the 1 January deadline. An updated "league table" of implementation of White Paper measures by member states showed that the United Kingdom had risen to third position, with an 85 per cent. implementation record.

  There was general agreement on carrying forward the initiative on "Making the Single Market Work", in the light of the Commission's response to the Sutherland report. It is hoped that specific proposals on, for example, improving exchange of information between member states on single market issues will be considered by future Councils during the Danish presidency.

  The Council adopted a regulation providing for checks for product safety at the Community's external border, as well as food law directives covering fruit juices and food contaminants. The Commission was requested by the Council to introduce specific proposals for safety standards covering motor cycle helmets, in addition to the existing powers available under the personal protective equipment directive.

  One-stop Shops
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the progress on his pilot scheme for one-stop shops.

  Mr. Leigh
  [holding answer 22 February 1993]Fifty-seven partnerships have submitted bids for funding pilot one-stop shops. The bids cover a wide geographical area and many make proposals for establishing One Stop Shops in more than one local area. This is an excellent reponse and these bids are now being examined.

  I will announce the winning bids within the next two months.

  EC Development Assistance
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what representations his Department has made to the European Commission with regard to objective 1 status; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  [holding answer 23 February 1993]I refer to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Falmouth and Camborne (Mr. Coe) on 17 February,Official Report, column 269.

  Post Office
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many post offices and sub-post offices closed in the United Kingdom and in each region and county each year since 1988.

  Mr. Leigh
  [holding answer 22 February 1993]: The number of post offices closed in the United Kingdom in each year since 1988 is as follows:

  Year

  Number

  1988–89

  76

  1989–90

  242

  1990–91

  372

  1991–92

  303

  The majority of these closures were in rural areas where, due to the decline in the number of village shops, it has not been possible to find suitable candidates for subpostmasterships. A breakdown of this information by region or by county could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is his estimate of the value of the privately owned assets that form the branch service network of Post Office Counters Ltd.

  Mr. Leigh
  [holding answer 22 February 1993]: Neither the Government nor the Post Office have any records of the privately owned assets within the branch network of Post Office Counters Ltd. and have no authoritative basis on which to estimate the value of those assets.

  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the Government Departments and other agencies having contracts with Post Office Counters Ltd.; and what is the duration of the contract period in each case.

  Mr. Leigh
  [holding answer 22 February 1993]: The following Government Department and agencies have contracts with Post Office Counters Ltd.:
  608

  Department/Agency

  Duration of current contract (years)

  Department for National Savings

  3

  Benefits Agency

  3

  United Kingdom Passport Agency

  2

  Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency

  3

  In addition Post Office Counters has contracts with the BBC, Girobank, Royal Mail, Parcelforce, British Telecom, British Gas, regional and Scottish electricity companies and some 100 local authorities. The duration of the current contracts with these bodies varies between six months and five years.

  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the cost of franchises for franchised post offices and the income generated from the sale of franchises.

  Mr. Leigh
  [holding answer 22 February 1993]: The cost of each franchise for franchised post offices varies with the circumstances of sale. Cumulative income from the sale of franchises to December 1992 amounted to some £5.5 million.

  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the profit or loss on Post Office Counters Ltd. in each year since the separation of its accounts; and what was the value of the direct assets of Post Office Counters in each of these years.

  Mr. Leigh
  [holding answer 22 February 1993]: The profits after taxation and net assets of Post Office Counters Ltd. in each year since the separation of its accounts were as follows:

  Year

  Profits after taxation £ million

  Net Assets £ million

  1986–87

  13.6

  455.4

  1987–88

  20.9

  493.7

  1988–89

  31.3

  517.9

  1989–90

  10.7

  1251.7

  1990–91

  22.0

  244.0

  1991–92

  16.0

  254.0

  1 As part of the introduction of return on capital employed targets, a special dividend, representing funds accumulated as a result of previous years' activities and amounting to £276.3 million, was paid to the holding company.

  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many post offices and sub-post offices, showing community post offices separately, opened in the United Kingdom and in each region and county in each year since 1988.

  Mr. Leigh
  [holding answer 22 February 1993]: The number of post offices opened in the United Kingdom in each year since 1988 is as follows:

  Year

  Number

  1988–89

  35

  1989–90

  21

  1990–91

  63

  1991–92

  1157

  1 includes 74 satellite offices.

  609
  The number of community and restricted hours offices operating in rural areas at the end of each financial year was as follows:

  Community offices

  Restricted hours

  March 1989

  724

  0

  March 1990

  1,413

  23

  March 1991

  1,511

  55

  March 1992

  1,626

  90

  A breakdown of this information by region or by county could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the licence fee for new sub-post offices in each year since 1989; and what income those fees generated in each year.

  Mr. Leigh
  [holding answer 22 February 1993]: For franchised offices a commercially confidential and individual franchise fee is negotiated with each agency partner. For other new or recited post offices an initial fee equivalent to 12 months' remuneration in England and nine months' remuneration in other parts of the United Kingdom is levied. All rural offices are exempted from paying such fees. Since April 1992 initial fees have no longer been levied on transfer of sub-post offices at their existing site.

  The overall yield to Post Office Counters Ltd. from franchise and initial fees has been £3.9 million in 1989–90, £9.6 million in 1990–91 and £10.5 million in 1991–92.

  Cornwall and Devon
  Mr. Tyler
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) what criteria he used to substantiate the application for designation of(a) Cornwall and (b) Devon as economically deprived regions requiring objective 1 status for European Community development assistance; and what effect a separate or joint submission will have on Cornwall's chances of success;

  (2) if he will publish his submission to the European Commission seeking designation of Cornwall and Devon as economically deprived regions requiring objective 1 status for development assistance.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  [holding answer 23 February 1993]: The European Council decided at Edinburgh that the future coverage of objective I should be determined as article 8(1) of Council regulation (EEC) 2052/88. This states that objective I regions shall be regions at NUTS II level whose per capita GDP is less than 75 per cent. of the Community average. It also provides for the inclusion of Northern Ireland and, for special reasons, of other regions whose GDP figure is close to 75 per cent.

  Devon and Cornwall together form a NUTS II level region with GDP assessed as being 82 per cent. of the Community average. My right hon. Friend has written to the responsible Commissioner proposing this NUTS II region for objective 1 on the grounds of its relatively low GDP coupled with its peripherality, the effect of defence changes and declining employment in agriculture. I do not consider that it would be appropriate to publish my right hon. Friend's letter.

  Cornwall alone is classified as a NUTS III region. Its estimated per capita GDP exceeds not only 75 per cent. of the Community average, but the estimated figures of more
  610
  then 60 other NUTS III regions in the Community, which are not part of NUTS II regions, likely to be eligible for objective 1 status.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Market Testing
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list all the market tests that have taken place in his Department since November 1991; whether the result was the maintenance of in-house provision or whether the service was contracted out; what was the name of the successful contractor where appropriate; and if he will make a statement.

  Miss Widdecombe
  Market tests for the following services have taken place:

  Travel services
  A contract for a new national travel service to this Department and the Department of Health was awarded to Wagons-Lits in January 1993.

  Facilities management and the provision of office services at Quarry House, the Department's new headquarters building in Leeds shared with Department of Health.
  There was no existing in-house provision, but in-house bids were made for office support services. The contract was awarded to Manpower UK Ltd in June 1992.

  Cleaning services for North Fylde Central Offices, Norcross, Blackpool.

  Contract awarded to Care Cleaning Services in April 1992.

  Building maintenance and works. Contracts for services previously provided by Property Services Agency (PSA) have been awarded to:

  Tarmac Construction in April 1992 and June 1992

  Henry Boot in May 1992

  Laing Management in April 1992

  The contract for services to the Fylde Benefit Directorate was won by PSA in April 1992.

  Contributions Agency's microfilming and retrievals service.

  The contract was awarded to the in-house team in February 1993.

  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many staff in his Department are assigned to the market testing programme; how much the programme has cost his Department since November 1991; and if he will make a statement.

  Miss Widdecombe
  Currently there are some 150 staff assigned to the market-testing programme. The total cost since November 1991 has been some £1,480,000.

  Lambeth (Rent Rebates)
  Mr. Fraser
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what sum was recovered from Lambeth council in respect of rent rebates in June and July 1992; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Burt
  Lambeth's payments on account of non-housing revenue account—HRA—rent rebate subsidy were adjusted for these months to reflect the Department's revised estimate for the 1991–92 year. The recovered amounts were offset against the authority's total payments on account. The information is in the table:
  611

  1992

  Gross payment due (£)

  Amount recovered1 (£)

  Net payment due (£)

  June

  Rent Rebates (non-HRA)

  330,750

  1,116,940

  -786,190

  Rent Allowances

  2,516,687

  0

  2,516,687

  Community Charge Benefit

  895,446

  2,752,322

  -1,856,876

  Administration

  126,379

  0

  126,379

  Total

  3,869,262

  3,869,262

  0

  July

  Rent Rebates (non-HRA)

  330,750

  1,507,869

  -1,177,119

  Rent Allowances

  2,516,687

  0

  2,516,687

  Community Charge Benefit

  895,446

  2,361,393

  -1,465,947

  Administration

  126,379

  0

  126,379

  Total

  3,869,262

  3,869,262

  0

  1 Prior year adjustments (1991–92).

  Publicity
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 2 June 1992 to the hon. Member for Holborn and St. Pancras, (Mr. Dobson)Official Report, column 469, what is his Department's (a) current outturn estimate for publicity expenditure for 1992–93 and (b) budgeted publicity expenditure for 1993–94.

  Miss Widdecombe
  The Department's current estimate for publicity expenditure in 1992–93 is as follows:—

  £ million

  Headquarters DSS

  9

  Benefits Agency

  7.8

  Contributions Agency

  1.8

  Estimated publicity expenditure for 1993–94 is as follows:—

  £ million

  Headquarters DSS

  7.6

  Benefits Agency

  9.5

  Child Support Agency

  4.1

  Contributions Agency

  1.3

  Independent Living Fund
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what reply is being made to the letter sent on 4 February by the Terrence Higgins Trust to the Minister for Social Security and Disabled People in regard to the independent living fund; what action he is taking; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Scott
  I will be replying to the letter in due course.

  Official Entertainment
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how much was spent on official entertainment in his Department during 1991–92 and 1992–93 to date.

  Mr. Scott
  Total expenditure was £91,934 in 1991–92 and £94,850 so far in 1992–93.

  Disability Allowances
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was(a) the total number of people in receipt of either mobility allowance or attendance allowance or both as at the end of March 1992 and (b) the total number of people in receipt of either disability living allowance or attendance allowance at the latest available date.

  Mr. Scott
  [holding answer 22 February 1993]: The information requested is estimated as follows:

  (a) 31 March 1992

  Thousands

  Benefit

  Number of recipients

  Attendance Allowance (all ages)

  1,059

  Mobility Allowance

  1685

  Both Attendance Allowance and Mobility Allowance

  2170

  Total

  1,574

  (b) Latest available date

  Thousands

  Benefit

  Number of recipients

  Attendance Allowance (over 65)

  3719

  Disability Living Allownce

  41,103

  Total

  1,822

  1 Figure excludes small number of cases already converted over to Disability Living Allowance.

  2 Figure includes small number of Attendance Allowance cases that have been suspended eg because of hospitalisation.

  3 As at 31 March 1992-the latest date for which data is available. 3

  4 All data provisional. Figures based on a 5 per cent, sample of live cases on the Disability Living Allowance system at 30 November 1992 with estimates made of both Attendance Allowance and Mobility Allowance cases awaiting conversion. It will include a small number of suspended cases.

EDUCATION

  Newall Green School, Manchester
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what representations he has received from the governors of Newall Green high school in Manchester in regard to key stage III assessments; what reply he is sending; what action he is taking; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Forth
  My right hon. Friend received a letter from the governors of Newall Green high school on 27 January. The Department gave a full reply on 22 February.

  The tests are well prepared and will go ahead. My right hon. Friend has recognised that some schools and teachers need a year to get used to the tests. He has, therefore, decided that in future test results will be included in school performance tables from the second year of their introduction nationally. This means that the secondary school performance tables will include the results of the tests in English and technology from 1994.

  Student Grants
  Mr. Byers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has to remove from local authority control the responsibility to allocate grants and tuition fees to students; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Boswell
  My right hon. Friend keeps the arrangements for administering student awards under periodic review. If he has any plans for changes, he will announce them at the appropriate time.

  Grant-maintained Schools
  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Vale of Glamorgan (Mr. Sweeney) of 17 February,Official Report, column 213, what criteria he will take into account in deciding whether to agree grant-maintained status to an existing indpendent school.

  Mr. Forth
  In reaching a decision, the Secretary of State will take account of a number of factors similar to those currently applied in respect of applications for new voluntary schools. These will include:

  (i) the school's ability to deliver the National Curriculum;

  (ii) the suitability of the premises;

  (iii) the need, including denominational need, for additional places in the maintained and grant-maintained sectors;

  (iv) whether the school will offer equal opportunities for girls and boys;

  (v) whether the Funding Authority supports the proposal.

  Primary Classes
  Dr. Wright
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) if he will give the figures for the average size of all classes in primary schools in England for each year since 1984;

  (2) if he will give the figures for the average size of class taught by one teacher in primary schools in England for each year since 1983.

  Mr. Forth
  Information about class sizes in maintained primary schools in England for years 1983 to 1992 is given in the table.

  Average size of classes in maintained primary schools in England Position as at Janauary each year

  Year

  Classes taught by one teacher

  All classes

  1992

  26.4

  26.8

  1991

  26.3

  26.8

  1990

  25.9

  26.4

  1989

  25.7

  26.1

  1988

  25.4

  25.9

  1987

  25.4

  25.8

  1986

  25.5

  25.9

  1985

  24.9

  25.2

  1984

  24.7

  25.0

  1983

  24.8

  25.1

  Dr. Wright
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will give the figures for the percentage of classes taught by one teacher with a class size of over 30 pupils in England in 1991.
  614
  Mr. Forth
  The percentages of classes with more than 30 pupils being taught by one teacher in maintained primary and secondary schools in England in January 1991 were 20 per cent. and 4 per cent. respectively.

  Education Authority Budgets
  Mr. Jopling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will list all education authorities for which he is responsible in order, expressing the percentage of their budget which is not distributed to schools and held back for central administration.

  Mr. Forth
  I refer my right hon. Friend to the reply that I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Billericay (Mrs. Gorman) on 19 October 1992,Official Report, columns 8–12.

  Schools Statistics
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what is the percentage in schools of(a) governors, (b) administrators, (c) inspectors and (d) teachers who are of ethnic minority origins.

  Mr. Forth
  A survey carried out by the National Foundation for Educational Research in 1990 found that just over 1 per cent. of governors were from ethnic minority groups.

  Information on the ethnic origins of administrators and inspectors is not centrally available.

  The Government introduced ethnic monitoring of teachers in January 1990 following recommendations by the Swann committee, but response so far has been poor, although it is improving. As a result it is not yet possible to draw conclusions about the percentage of teachers nationally who are from ethnic minorities.

  "Choice and Diversity"
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education on how many occasions he has met Church representatives on matters referred to in the Government White Paper "Choice and Diversity" since its publication; and on what dates.

  Mr. Forth
  My right hon. Friend met the president of the Methodist Conference on 5 November 1992 and the Bishop of Guildford, chairman of the General Synod board of education, on 9 February to discuss the Government's proposals, set out in the White Paper and embodied in the Education Bill currently before Parliament. He is also scheduled to meet the Churches' Joint Education Policy Committee on 8 March. This is in addition to meetings between my right hon. and noble Friend the Minister of State and representatives of the churches and meetings of the churches with my officials.

  English Tests
  Mr. Godsiff
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many pupils of key stage 3 age were involved in the pilot studies conducted by the University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate for key stage 3 English on which the proposed tests for 1993 are based.

  Mr. Forth
  The University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate conducted pilot tests in November 1992 and January this year. Three thousand pupils were involved in the first pilot and 2,700 in the second.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Training
  Ms. Short
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people were participating in(a) Action for Community Employment, (b) the youth training programme, (c) the job training programme, (d) the enterprise allowance scheme, (e) job clubs and (f) Restart courses, at the latest available date and in each year since 1990; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Atkins
  Restart courses were discontinued in Northern Ireland in March 1989. Otherwise the information is as follows:

  1990–91

  1991–92

  1992–932

  Action for Community Employment

  10,073

  10,072

  9,660

  Youth training programme

  12,914

  15,480

  14,079

  Job training programme

  3,000

  3,840

  4,398

  Job clubs

  1,427

  1,933

  1,675

  Enterprise allowance scheme

  818

  537

  1—

  1 Since 1 April 1992 the enterprise allowance scheme has been replaced by the business start programme which is an amalgamation of the enterprise allowance and the Local Enterprise Development Unit's enterprise grant scheme.

  2 April to January.

  Newry and Armagh
  Mr. Mallon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the total population in each ward within the constituency of Newry and Armagh.

  Mr. Hanley
  The most recent estimates of the total resident population in each of the local government wards covered by the Newry and Armagh constituency are set out in the table. The information is taken from the "Summary Report of the Northern Ireland Census 1991", a copy of which is in the Library.

  Ward

  Usually resident population

  District of Armagh

  Abbey Park

  2,389

  Ballymartin

  2,039

  Callan Bridge

  2,377

  Carrigatuke

  2,150

  Charlemont

  2,184

  Demesne

  2,737

  Derrynoose

  2,010

  Downs

  2,260

  Hamiltonsbawn

  2,504

  Hockley

  2,395

  Keady

  2,405

  Killeen

  2,539

  Killylea

  2,260

  Laurelvale

  2,537

  Loughgall

  2,301

  Markethill

  2,257

  Milford

  2,328

  Observatory

  2,570

  Poyntz Pass

  2,028

  Rich Hill

  3,005

  Tandragee

  2,503

  The Mall

  2,039

  District of Newry and Mourne

  Ballybot

  2,041

  Bessbrook

  2,888

  616

  Ward

  Usually resident population

  Camlough

  2,508

  Creggan

  2,464

  Crossmaglen

  2,423

  Daisy Hill

  2,876

  Derrymore

  2,948

  Drumalane

  3,450

  Drumgullion

  3,028

  Fathom

  2,868

  Forkhill

  2,578

  Newtownhamilton

  2,322

  St. Mary's

  2,772

  St. Patrick's

  2,534

  Silver Bridge

  2,607

  Tullyhappy

  2,120

  Windsor Hill

  3,341

  Total

  97,585

  Further Education
  Mr. Mallon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the total number of(a) full-time and (b) part-time students at each third-level education facility in Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Hanley
  The information requested is as follows:

  Full-time

  Part-time

  Total

  Universities1

  Queen's University

  9,880

  2,623

  12,503

  University of Ulster

  10,972

  5,221

  16,193

  Colleges of Education1

  St. Mary's

  698

  —

  698

  Stranmillis

  689

  —

  689

  Further Education Colleges2

  Belfast Institute of Further and Higher Education

  3,959

  17,509

  21,468

  North-West College

  2,063

  3,846

  5,909

  Fermanagh

  811

  1,971

  2,782

  Limavady

  556

  880

  1,436

  Omagh

  923

  1,208

  2,131

  Antrim

  379

  1,522

  1,901

  Ballymena

  1,131

  2,592

  3,723

  Newtownabbey

  786

  2,780

  3,566

  New Technical Ballymoney

  308

  1,075

  1,383

  Coleraine

  671

  1,193

  1,864

  Magherafelt

  514

  797

  1,311

  Larne

  303

  898

  1,201

  Northern Ireland Hotel and Catering College

  223

  69

  292

  Lisburn

  757

  2,473

  3,230

  Down

  880

  2,081

  2,961

  Newcastle

  368

  742

  1,110

  Castlereagh

  693

  2,429

  3,122

  North Down

  1,218

  4,654

  5,872

  Lurgan

  528

  1,033

  1,561

  Portadown

  876

  2,120

  2,996

  Armagh

  1,002

  1,048

  2,050

  Banbridge

  337

  1,159

  1,496

  East Tyrone

  867

  1,558

  2,425

  Newry/Kilkeel

  1,284

  2,947

  4,231

  1 Provisional 1992–93 figures.

  2 1991–92 figures (latest available). Of the 21,437 full-time and 58,584 part-time students at Institutions of Further Education, 951 are following full-time higher education courses and 3,144 are following part-time higher education courses.

  Births
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many babies were born at each of the hospitals in Londonderry, Omagh, Dungannon, Enniskillen, Armagh, Newry and Craigavon in 1992; and how many of the mothers at each hospital were domiciled in the Republic of Ireland.

  Mr. Hanley
  The information is not available in the exact form requested. The table shows the number of live and still births at hospitals in Londonderry, Omagh, Dungannon, Enniskillen, Newry and Craigavon for the financial year 1991–92. The number of mothers at each hospital domiciled in the Republic of Ireland is shown in brackets. Armagh community hospital provides obstetric out-patient clinics only.

  Hospital

  Live

  Still

  Total

  Craigavon Area (Craigavon)

  2,287 (12)

  12 (0)

  2,299 (12)

  Daisy Hill (Newry)

  1,668 (5)

  7 (0)

  1,675 (5)

  South Tyrone (Dungannon)

  895 (1)

  3 (0)

  898 (1)

  Grants Office

  Received

  Refused

  Under consideration

  Approved

  Withdrawn

  North East Region

  Ballymena

  477

  46

  431

  —

  —

  Ballyclare

  627

  149

  476

  —

  2

  Coleraine

  271

  38

  217

  —

  16

  West Region

  Omagh

  6S3

  22

  592

  —

  39

  Fermanagh

  628

  44

  581

  —

  3

  Derry

  1,078

  29

  1,024

  —

  25

  South Region

  Craigavon

  712

  68

  641

  —

  3

  Newry

  799

  98

  701

  —

  —

  South East Region

  Lisburn

  670

  72

  596

  2

  —

  Newtownards

  793

  33

  741

  —

  19

  Belfast Region

  Belfast District 1

  645

  100

  528

  —

  17

  Belfast District 2

  855

  24

  810

  —

  21

  Belfast District 3

  875

  19

  837

  —

  19

  Total

  9,083

  742

  8,175

  2

  164

  The executive is giving priority to dealing with the backing of cases received prior to the introduction of the new scheme on 1 October 1992. This must be cleared by the end of March.

  Mr. Mallon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) if he will give details of the formulae employed as part of the income assessment of Northern Ireland Housing Executive grant applicants;

  (2) if he will give details of the income levels which are acceptable to the Northern Ireland Housing Executive for grant purposes.

  Mr. Atkins
  If a grant applicant and all other relevant persons are in receipt of income support, full grant up to the cost of the approved works is payable.

  In all other cases, a test of resources is applied to determine how much, if anything, an applicant and other relevant persons may have to contribute towards the cost of the approved works. The balance of the costs will be met by grant.
  618

  Hospital

  Live

  Still

  Total

  Altnagelvin (Londonderry)

  2,846 (50)

  11 (0)

  2,857 (50)

  Erne (Enniskillen)

  732 (4)

  4 (0)

  736 (4)

  Tyrone County (Omagh)

  970 (0)

  4(0)

  974 (0)

  Housing Grants
  Mr. Mallon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many grant applications were received in each Northern Ireland Housing Executive grants office since the commencement of the provision in the Housing Order 1992; and how many applications were (i) approved, (ii) refused and (iii) under consideration.

  Mr. Atkins
  This is a matter for the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, but the chief executive has advised me that the information requested is as follows:—

  The test sets income and capital returns against appropriate allowances. Any resultant excess of income over allowances is translated into a borrowing power, to determine the amount which individual grant applicants are deemed to be able to contribute towards the cost of the works. The treatment of income and capital, the various allowances and the formula for arriving at the borrowing power, are contained in the House Renovation etc. Grants (Reduction of Grant) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1992—statutory rule 1992 No. 412—copies of which are available in the House of Commons Library. There is no income bar on applications for housing grant.

  Housing Waiting Lists
  Mr. Mallon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the average waiting period for a housing applicant in the Al priority category in each district office of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive; and what were the comaprable waiting periods for each of the past five years.
  619
  Mr. Atkins
  This is a matter for the Northern Ireland Housing Executive. I am advised by the chief executive that the information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Mortgage Repossessions
  Mr. Mallon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many orders for mortgage repossessions have occurred in each constituency in Northern Ireland in the past 12 months.

  Mr. Atkins
  Statistics show that in Northern Ireland as a whole 633 orders to repossess both domestic and commercial mortgaged properties were issued in 1992, compared with 832 in 1991.

  A breakdown by constituency is not available

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

  Quangos
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, pursuant to his oral reply of 15 February,Official Report, column 15, if he will list the 800 quangos abolished by the Government.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  The figure 800 refers to the difference between the number of non-departmental public bodies in 1979–2,167 and 1992–1,412. It does not correspond to a single list of abolished bodies because there have been both creations and abolitions throughout the period. Further information is given in "Public Bodies", published annually since 1982 and available in the Library of the House.

  Research and Development
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, pursuant to his answer of 18 February,Official Report, columns 300–4, about the framework research development programmes, what were the values in pounds sterling of the payments shown in tables B and C at the time the payments were made.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  The information given in table B in my answer of 18 February,Official Report, columns 300–4, is the breakdown of expenditure for the third framework programme covering the period 1990–94. The amounts deemed necessary for the specific areas were agreed in April 1990. The supplementary funding was agreed in December 1992. Table 1 sets out the sums for the programme as it was initially adopted in April 1990 in pounds sterling at the rate of exchange prevailing at that time—£1 = 1.351 ecu—and for the supplementary funding at the exchange rate prevailing in December 1992—£1 = 1.253 ecu. The drawing down of these sums will take place over a period extending beyond 1994.

  The information on payments made to date under the third framework programme was shown in table D of my previous answer. These payments took place between October and December 1991 and table 2 shows their value in pounds sterling based on the average rate of exchange over that period—£1 = 1.413 ecu.

  Table C of my answer of 18 February contains information on thousands of contracts let at different times during the period 1987–1991. Information on
  620
  payments in pounds sterling, at the time each specific payment was made, would be obtainable only at disproportionate cost.

  Table 1

  Third framework programme of Community activities on research and development (1990–94)

  Breakdown of the amount deemed necessary between the various activities

  Framework programme agreed April 1990 1£million

  Breakdown of supplement agreed December 1992 2£ million

  Information technology

  1,000.7

  143.7

  Communication technology

  362.0

  51 9

  Telematics

  281.3

  39.9

  Industrial and materials

  553.7

  79.8

  Measurement and testing

  103.6

  15.2

  Environment

  306.4

  43.9

  Marine sciences and technology

  77.0

  11.2

  Biotechnology

  121.4

  17.6

  Agri and agro-industrial

  246.5

  35.1

  Biomedicine and health

  98.4

  14.4

  Life sciences for development

  82.2

  12.0

  Non-nuclear energies

  116.2

  347.9

  Nuclear fission

  147.3

  23.1

  Fusion

  339.0

  87.8

  Human capital and mobility

  383.4

  55.1

  Total

  4,219.0

  3718.5

  1 £1 = 1 351 ecu.

  2 £1 = 1 253 ecu.

  3 £39.9 million in reserve with priority for non-nuclear energy.

  Table 2

  Payments under the third framework programme for European Community research and development (1990–94)

  Programme

  Germany £ million

  United Kingdom £ million

  Total EC funding £ million

  Communication technologies

  5.862

  5.206

  30.323

  Telematics

  2.281

  3.292

  18.250

  Environment

  .854

  .204

  1.449

  Total (nearest 50,000)

  9.00

  8.70

  50.02

  Note: exchange rate: £1=1.413 ecu.

  Consultants
  Ms. Mowlam
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many contracts for consultancies were awarded by his Department over(a) the last 12 months and (b) 1991–92.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  The number of consultancy contracts awarded by the Office of Public Service and Science and its agencies(a) in the last 12 months, 1 February 1992 to 31 January 1993, and (b) in the financial year 1991–92 are as follows:

  (a) 358

  (b) 272.

  Ms. Mowlam
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list the contracts awarded by his Department to(a) Coopers and Lybrand management consultants, (b) Touche Ross management consultants, (c) Price Waterhouse management consultants, (d) Ernst and Young management consultants, (e) Chrichton

  621
  Roberts Ltd, (f) KPMG management consultants and (g) Leopold Joseph management consultants, with the total cost of the contracts with each contractor, for (i) the past 12 months and (ii) 1991–92.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  The information on total costs of contracts awarded by my Department, including its agencies, HMSO and COI to the management consultants listed is as follows:

  (a) Coopers and Lybrand

  Past 12 months (total cost £177,039)—

  Supercomputing

  COI Customer feedback system

  Consultancy extension for Strategic Assignments

  Consultancy Service

  Chartermark Marking Framework

  1991–92 (Total cost nil)—

  No Contracts

  (b) Touche-Ross

  Past 12 months (Total cost £125,335)—

  Review of Financial Information Systems

  Market Testing Catering at the London Centre

  Sunningdale Park Facilities Management Contract

  Strategy

  2 Financial Management Information System (CCTA) Consultancy Support: Full Study (Two contracts)

  Developing an in-house bid strategy for Market

  Testing Information Systems/Information

  Technology

  Case and the Issues for Management—Quality

  Assurance

  2 Financial Management Information System (CCTA) Acceptance Testing

  Market Testing experiences

  Managing Information Systems Provision

  1991–92 (Total cost £80,605)—

  2 Financial Management Information system (CCTA) Acceptance Testing (Two contracts) Specification for GEMINI Standard Notation

  2 Financial Management Information System (CCTA) Consultancy: Full Study

  (c) Price Waterhouse

  Past 12 months (Total cost £444,711)—

  Objective Setting in Personal Review

  Charterline

  Bristol Warehouse Market Testing

  1991–92 (Total cost1)—

  Core Performance Profiles Grades 5–7

  (d) Ernst and Young

  Past 12 months (Total cost £546,272)—

  2 FMS on Purchasing at AFRC

  COI Framework Study

  Review 3 years performance as an Executive Agency

  Review of Purchasing Practices

  Study of Electronic Funds Transfer

  OPSS Business Unit

  Market Testing Workshops; Case for Speakers

  Developing an in-house bid strategy for Market Testing Information Systems/Information Technology

  622

  Development of Generic Guidance for Market

  Testing (two contracts)

  Information Technology Infrastructure Library—

  Information Technology services organisation module improvement/development

  2Appraisal and evaluation library development of exec. information systems volume

  Managing Information Systems Provision

  1991–92 (Total cost £413,650)—

  1 FMS on Purchasing at AFRC

  Market Testing

  Report on International data on Science and Technology

  1 Appraisal and Evaluation library development of executive Information Systems Volume

  Prioritisation of Information Systems—Tool Support

  GEMINI handbook Technical edition

  Validation Technical Framework Activity Model

  Replacement Consultants in Strategic Assignments Consultancy Service

  Consultancy Support for Government Data Network/CSS

  Information Technology Infrastructure Library

  Information Technology Services Organisation Module

  (e) Chrichton Roberts Ltd.

  Past 12 months (Total cost nil)—

  No Contracts

  1991–92 (Total cost nil)—

  No Contracts

  (f) KPMG

  Past 12 months (Total cost f116,804)—

  FMS on costing of Research Council contracts with OGDs

  Future Financial Options for the College

  1 Infrastructure Management Scoping Study

  1Business Transformation Scoping Study

  Speaker for Managing Change Workshop

  1991–92 (total cost £201,495)—

  Information Systems Strategy Study

  Distributed Information Technology Infrastructure Scoping Study

  1Infrastructure Management Scoping Study

  1Business Transformation Scoping Study

  Management Consultancy Support for Telecommunications Division

  Report on International Data on Science and Technology

  Standards in Competence Frameworks

  A Management Matters Survey

  (g) Leopold Joseph

  Past 12 months (total cost nil)—

  No contracts

  1991–92 (Total cost nil)—

  No contracts

  1The cost of single contracts is commercial in confidence.

  2These contracts were awarded in either February or March 1992 and therefore are included under both the past 12 months and 1991–92.

  Publicity
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, pursuant to his answer of 2 June 1992 to the hon. Member for Holborn and St. Pancras (Mr. Dobson),
  623
  Official Report, column 419, what is his Office's (a) current outturn estimate for publicity expenditure for 1992–93 and (b) budgeted publicity expenditure for 1993–94.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  The Duchy of Lancaster's expenditure on advertising for qualifying beneficiaries in connection with the administration of intestacies in the duchy area for the year ending 30 September 1992 was £25,676–89. Estimated expenditure for 1993 is £24,500 and for 1994 is £25,000.

  Estimated expenditure on advertising for the recruitment of magistrates in the duchy area for 1993 is £2,500.

WALES

  Public Bodies
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will specify the cost of administering all non-departmental public bodies broken down by(a) executive bodies, (b) advisory bodies, (c) tribunals and (d) national health service bodies for which his Department has responsibility in Wales, during each of the last three years.

  Mr. David Hunt
  Expenditure directly incurred by the Welsh Office on administering its executive and advisory non-departmental public bodies and tribunals for the relevant years is shown in the annual publication, "Public Bodies" for 1990, 1991 and 1992. Copies are available in the Library of the House. Comparable figures in respect of national health service bodies are not readily available, and I will write to the hon. Gentleman shortly.

  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make it his policy to instruct all non-departmental public bodies operational in Wales to(a) consult community and town councils in Wales regarding finance for schemes affecting their communities and (b) provide reasons in writing to community and town councils when their representations to such bodies are not accepted.

  Mr. David Hunt
  No. This is a matter for the bodies themselves.

  Consultants
  Ms. Mowlam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the contracts awarded by his Department to(a) Coopers and Lybrand management consultants, (b) Touche Ross management consultants, (c) Price Waterhouse management consultants, (d) Ernst and Young management consultants, (e) Chrichton Roberts Ltd., (f) KPMG management consultants and (g) Leopold Joseph management consultants, with the total cost of the contracts with each contractor, for (i) the past 12 months and (ii) 1991–92.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The Welsh Office has awarded contracts to five of the firms mentioned. These are as follows:

  i. OVER THE PAST 12 MONTHS

  Coopers and Lybrand Management Consultants

  Assistance with the preparation of the market testing programme.

  Touche Ross Management Consultants

  Evaluation of the Teamcare Valleys project.

  624

  Investment appraisal: cancer treatment services in North Wales.

  Financial modelling of local government reorganisation.

  Welsh Office Internal Audit: assistance with market test.

  Review of the transfer of regional oral plastic and maxillo facial surgery services.

  Option appraisal: acquisition of property for the Health Promotion Authority for Wales.

  Price Waterhouse Management Consultants

  Assistance with 1992–93 Market testing programme.

  KPMG Management Consultants

  Innovation Network Wales: assessment of innovation encouragement in Wales.

  Adequacy and accuracy of agent authority (roads) accounts.

  Study into the future of the Welsh Office's in-house computer bureau.

  Advice on commercial, legal and financial issues arising from the establishment of local authority waste disposal companies.

  Appraisal of applications for NHS Trust status in 1993.

  ii. 1991–92

  Coopers and Lybrand Management Consultants

  Review of local management of schools in Wales.

  Assistance with the preparation of the market testing programme.

  Health Intelligence Unit: preparation of business plan.

  Touche Ross Management Consultants

  Survey of financial control and management arrange-ments in further and higher education establishments.

  Feasibility study into a school of public health.

  Option appraisal: cardiac services in South Wales.

  Breast Test Wales: preparation of business procurement plans.

  Ernst and Young Management Consultants

  End-year procedures for the Department's AS400 computer system.

  KPMG Management Consultants

  New product development study.

  Details of costs cannot be disclosed for reasons of commercial confidentiality.

  South Wales Valleys (Development)
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make it his policy to initiate a community development strategy for the south Wales valley areas.

  Mr. David Hunt
  I will be announcing my intentions shortly on what will succeed the programme for the valleys. Community development will continue to play an important part in my proposals.

  Social Care Planning
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will amend the guidance notes for social care planning to secure that specific forums are established by local authorities to examine local housing demands.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  I have no plans to do so.

  Bed-and-Breakfast Accommodation
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many people are currently accommodated in bed-andbreakfast accommodation in each rural local authority area in Wales.
  625
  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The information is not available centrally.

  University Hospital of Wales (Catering)
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the state of the proceedings relating to the South Glamorgan health authority catering contract at the University hospital of Wales.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The application for leave to apply for judicial review is the subject of continuing correspondence between the solicitors for the applicants and the Treasury Solicitors Department acting for the Secretary of State and the South Glamorgan health authority.

  Business Rate
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make it his policy to adjust the poundage rates applied to the uniform business rate in Wales in line with the poundage levels set for England.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  No. The poundage for Wales and England were set in 1990 at a level which ensured that the overall yield from non-domestic ratepayers remained at the 1989–90 level in real terms. The Welsh poundage was set at a higher rate than the English poundage in 1990 because of lower rateable values in Wales. Since 1990, the poundages in Wales and England have been uprated each year in line with the annual increase in the retail prices index as at September of the preceding year.

  The loss of revenue consequent on a real-terms reduction in the Welsh poundage would have to be met from either increased revenue support grant or by the imposition of higher council tax bills on the people of Wales.

  Social Care Plans
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make it his policy to issue guidelines to local authorities on the involvement of housing providers in the formulation of social care plans.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  Appropriate guidance has been issued, notably as regards the preparation of housing strategies and operational plans.

  Environmental Protection
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish further cost details of the commitments and actions on the environment listed at figure 7.02 of his Department's annual report, 1993, Cm 221.

  Mr. David Hunt
  Cost details of most of these commitments and actions were set out within the publication "The Environment in Wales: Second Report", and further details have recently been given in the various relevant chapters of the departmental report for 1993–94 to 1995–96. It is not yet possible to attribute specific costs to the remainder of the commitments and actions.

  Reservoirs
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to make adaptations to drinking water reservoirs in Wales to enable them to be connected into dual-purpose hydro-generators.
  626
  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  This is a matter for the commercial judgment and decision of the relevant water companies.

  European Environmental Agency
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make representations to the European Community to advocate Wales as a possible location for the new European Environmental Agency.

  Mr. David Hunt
  Cambridge was chosen as the United Kingdom bid for the location of the new European Environmental Agency in 1990, after a long consultation process. There are no plans to reconsider this decision.

  Manufacturing Jobs
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many skilled or semi-skilled jobs have been lost in the manufacturing sector in each local authority area in Wales in each of the last two years.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The information is not available.

  Truancy
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the absence rate in each of the local education authorities in Wales in the secondary section; what measures he proposes to reduce these rates; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  Although information about absence rates is not collected centrally, details of attendance rates can be found in table 1.09 of "Statistics of Education and Training in Wales: Schools No. 1 1993", a copy of which is in the Library of the House. It is our intention for details of absence rates on an individual school basis to be published and we will shortly be issuing a consultation paper which addresses this issue amongst others.

  It is, however, for local education authorities to ensure that parents are fulfilling their statutory obligations as to their children's education.

  Training
  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give, in 1992–93 prices and cash terms, the total amount spent of the budget for training for Wales in each year since 1989–90, the expected outturn in 1992–93 and plans for 1993–94.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  The information requested is given in the following table:

  Wales training expenditure in cash and real terms (1992–93 prices) 1989–90 to 1991–92 and expected outturns in 1992–93 and plans for 1993–94

  £millions

  1989–90

  Cash

  148.406

  Real terms

  178.607

  1990–91

  Cash

  146.132

  Real terms

  162.869

  1991–92

  Cash

  145.773

  Real terms

  151.968

  627

  £millions

  1992–93

  Estimated outturn

  150.095

  1993–94

  Cash

  146.700

  Real terms

  150.734

  Local Government
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will place in the Library the latest conclusions of the sub-group on internal management submitted to the Welsh Consultative Council on local government reform.

  Mr. David Hunt
  [pursuant to his reply, 4 February 1993, column 337]: The final report of the internal management sub-group has now been considered by the Welsh Consultative Council on Local Government. I have placed a copy of this report in the Library of the House.

  Assisted Areas
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he expects to publish the results of his review of regional assisted areas in Wales.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The representations received about the review of assisted areas are currently being considered. The Government hope to be able to make an announcement on the result of the review as soon as possible, taking into account the outcome of the coal review and subject to receiving European Commission clearance.

ENVIRONMENT

  Compulsory Competitive Tendering
  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress has been made in putting out local services to compulsory competitive tendering.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  A wide range of local authority services are subject to CCT, including highway and building construction and maintenance, refuse collection, street sweeping, grounds maintenance, and catering. Last November my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced the extension of CCT to a further range of local authority professional and corporate services.

  Mr. Waterson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the development of compulsory competitive tendering on housing management.

  Sir Paul Beresford
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the development of compulsory competitive tendering on housing management.

  Sir George Young
  The Housing and Urban Development Bill contains provisions which pave the way for the introduction of compulsory competitive tendering to local authority housing management. It is anticipated that regulations governing the detailed operation and implementation of local authority housing management CCT will be introduced later this year.
  628
  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will take steps to ensure that all local authorities apply compulsory competitive tendering with equal rigour; and which county councils are in the bottom quartile of performance in this area.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Vale of Glamorgan (Mr. Sweeney) earlier today.

  Urban Programme
  Mr. Mandelson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a further statement on the effects of the abolition of the urban programme on his inner-city strategy.

  Mr. Howard
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the Member for Bristol, East (Ms. Corston) earlier today.

  Mr. Mudie
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received from the Leeds area on the effects of the abolition of the urban programme on his inner-city strategy.

  Mr. Howard
  The urban programme has not been abolished. There will be a substantial programme in 1993–94 amounting to £176 million, which will enable us to honour in full existing commitments and provide £20 million for urban partnership fund projects as part of the new capital partnership programme. Planned resources for my Department's urban group of programmes for 1993–94 will increase by over £90 million; total spending will be over £1 billion.

  Mineral Planning
  Mr. Jack Thompson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement about the outcome of the consultations relating to the mineral planning guidance note 3.

  Mr. Baldry
  I announced on 15 July 1992 the Government's intention to revise the current planning guidelines on opencast coal which are contained in minerals planning guidance note 3. Draft revised guidance will be issued for public consultation as soon as possible following the outcome of the coal review.

  Eco-labelling
  Mr. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects the first EC eco-labels to be issued in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Maclean
  The European Commission recently announced that the eco-labelling scheme would be launched in June and that they expected to have agreed the criteria for a range of product groups by then. The number and timing of awards will depend on industry's response to the scheme and whether there are any objections to the proposed awards.

  Retail Development
  Mr. Bill Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received regarding his Department's draft planning policy guidance PPG6 (revised) on town centres and retail development; and if he will make a statement.
  629
  Mr. Baldry
  We have received about 550 responses to the draft, and I expect to publish the revised guidance in the spring.

  Empty Council Properties
  Mr. Willetts
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the 10 local authorities with the highest number of empty council homes.

  Mr. Baldry
  In the latest housing investment programme returns, the 10 councils reporting the highest percentage of their council house stock empty on 1 April 1992 were:

  Empty dwellings

  Liverpool

  5,552

  Hackney

  2,432

  Burnley

  368

  Manchester

  4,938

  Salford

  1,661

  North Tyneside

  1,082

  Redbridge

  373

  Tower Hamlets

  1,703

  Easington

  619

  Newcastle upon Tyne

  1,562

  These figures cover management vacants and those which are empty awaiting sale, major repairs or demolition.

  I am considering whether to put greater emphasis on a more selective definition that would better reflect underlying trends in local authorities' management performance.

  Rented Accommodation
  Mr. Nicholas Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what further steps he intends to announce to increase the availability of specialist and low-cost accommodation for rent in areas of high house prices.

  Sir George Young
  Housing associations are now the main providers of new social housing for rent. The Government make capital resources available to them through the approved development programme (ADP) of the Housing Corporation, which also provides revenue support to special needs schemes.

  The allocation of the ADP between and within regions is determined by the housing needs indicator (HNI), a composite, relative indicator of the incidence of housing needs which takes account of many factors, including the number of people unable to afford to buy their own homes.

  The corporation estimates that over the three years from 1992–93 to 1994–95, 170,000 new social homes will be provided by housing associations in England—far more than the 153,000 originally forecast. Measures taken to encourage the private rented sector and to make better use of empty homes within the public sector should also increase the supply of housing for rent.

  Housing Associations
  Mr. Hendry
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many properties have been bought by housing associations using the additional sums allocated to them in the autumn statement.
  630
  Mr. Baldry
  The latest figures from the Housing Corporation show that by 19 February approvals for the purchase of 16,666 properties had been granted, with 5,755 purchases actually completed. This means that already our original target of 16,000 purchases has been exceeded, using only 93 per cent. of the funds allocated. The corporation now estimates that housing associations in England will be able to buy over 17,000 homes for those in need as a result of the allocation in the autumn statement. Another 3,500 purchases will be made possible through cash grants to tenants to become home owners. I congratulate the corporation and housing associations involved on their excellent work.

  Mr. Clapham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the future funding of small and medium-sized housing associations.

  Sir George Young
  The Housing Corporation's allocations are made in response to competitive bidding by housing associations. In 1992–93, just over half the Housing Corporation's main programme funds were allocated to housing associations with fewer than 2,500 units of stock. The allocations for 1993–94 will be announced shortly and I fully expect small and medium-sized associations to continue to be well represented among developing associations.

  Mr. Ian Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he is in a position to announce the distribution among local authority areas of the Housing Corporation's allocations to housing associations in 1993–94.

  Sir George Young
  I am pleased to announce the allocation to local authority areas of new approvals to be made by the Housing Corporation under its 1993–94 approved development programme. Copies of a table containing the information have been placed in the Library of the House. The corporation is itself writing to individual housing associations with details of their 1993–94 allocations.

  The corporation estimates that, next year, the ADP will fund the completion of 54,500 homes, including 10,000 for low-cost home ownership. This is an increase of 3,300 on the 51,200 completions anticipated for 1993–94 a year ago. In addition, the housing market package announced in the autumn statement has added an extra 19,000 units to this year's programme to achieve a total of 120,000 new housing association lettings across these two years, compared with the 94,600 anticipated at the time of the 1992–93 ADP.

  The ADP continues to provide good value for money. Competitive bidding between housing associations, consortium deals with developers, and the provision by local authorities of land at nil or reduced cost mean that the corporation expects to approve between 10 per cent. and 20 per cent. more units in 1993–94 than was estimated when decisions were announced in December about the national breakdown of the ADP. This would mean an additional 4,240 to 8,480 new homes for people in need.

  Decisions on the ADP and local authority housing investment programmes (HIPs) are now taken within a co-ordinated framework. As I announced at the time of the HIP settlement in December, local authorities, the Housing Corporation and local housing associations have

  631
  co-operated closely in preparing local programmes as part of a single housing strategy, and we have been able to consider the two programmes in parallel.

  Local Government Finance
  Mr. French
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many local authorities have increased their indebtedness in the last 10 years.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  A total of 249 local authorities are known to have increased their external debt between March 1982 and March 1992. This represents 69 per cent. of authorities for whom figures are available; data are unavailable for 40 authorities.

  Local Government (Corruption)
  Mr. Oppenheim
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on corruption in local government.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given earlier today by my hon. Friend the Minister for Local Government and Inner Cities, to my hon. Friend the member for Norfolk, North-West (Mr. Bellingham).

  Local Government Restructuring (Lancashire)
  Mr. Elletson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will visit Blackpool to discuss the restructuring of local government in Lancashire.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  My right hon. and learned Friend has no plans to visit Blackpool in the immediate future.

  House Building
  Mr. Skinner
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the latest year-on-year figures for public sector house building; and what is the comparative figure for 1979.

  Mr. Baldry
  Provisional figures show that in England in 1992 there were 20,700 housebuilding completions by housing associations and 2,900 completions by local authorities, new towns and Government Departments. The comparative figures for 1979 are 16,300 by housing associations, and 74,800 by local authorities, new towns and Government Departments.

  These figures are derived from records for building control purposes. It is sometimes difficult for local authorities, or the National House Building Council, which is responsible for building control, to identify whether a dwelling is being built for a housing association or for a private developer. This may lead to an understatement of housing association starts.

  In addition the figures cover only the construction of new dwellings, and exclude rehabilitation, purchases of existing stock and incentive payments made to tenants in order to release homes for reletting. If these are included, new units of social housing made available through housing associations funded by the Housing Corporation's approved development programme is expected to total 65,000 units in this financial year, together with around 5,000 units funded by local authority housing association grant and some 3,400 local authority units freed by the cash incentive scheme of grants to enable local authority tenants to become home owners.

  Refurbishment
  Mr. Gerrard
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received from the National Federation of Council Leaseholders regarding costs of refurbishment schemes; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Baldry
  The federation has made representations concerning the level of contributions demanded from council leaseholders towards costs of major works.

  I am aware that in some areas high service charge bills can cause difficulties and I have commissioned research to find out how widespread the problem is.

  Market Testing
  Mr. Lidington
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will consider extending market testing to a range of his own Department's activities.

  Mr. Howard
  My Department is already market testing a range of its own activities, of which the main ones are listed in the citizens charter first report (Cm 2101). But that list also includes the testing of some services which have been provided to the Department by hitherto monopoly suppliers.

  Planning Applications (Objectors)
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to give objectors to planning applications a right of appeal to the Secretary of State.

  Mr. Baldry
  My right hon. and learned Friend has no such plans.

  Crime Prevention
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what account is taken in the current year's revenue grant settlement to local authorities of their responsibilities in crime prevention.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  There is no provision in the revenue support grant settlement which is earmarked specifically for crime prevention. Within the overall resources provided, however, police and probation services do undertake a range of functions directed towards crime prevention and reduction.

  Local Government Employment
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his Department's estimate of changes in employment in local government between 1990–91 and 1992–93.

  Mr. Howard
  Over the period I estimate that the number of people employed by local government has reduced by about 75,000, the equivalent of 52,000 full-time posts or 2.8 per cent.

  Nitrate Pollution
  Sir Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the impact on public water supplies of nitrate pollution.
  633
  Mr. Maclean
  Water supplies in the 2,577 water supply zones in England and Wales are routinely monitored to check their levels of nitrate against the standard of 50 milligrams per litre which is set in the relevant regulations of 1989. Most zones comply fully with this standard but, in 1991, breaches of this standard were found in 94 zones. The water companies have in place improvement programmes to secure compliance with the standard for nitrate by the end of 1995 at the latest.

  House Condition Survey
  Ms. Janet Anderson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when the results of the English house condition survey 1991 will be made available; and what will be their role in the allocation of specified capital grant resources for the English regions in 1994–95.

  Mr. Baldry
  Results from the 1991 English house condition survey will be published this year. It is planned that, for 1994–95, figures from the 1991 survey will replace the 1986 figures currently used in the formulae for the allocation of specific capital grant to English regions.

  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he now expects the house condition survey; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Baldry
  The results of the English house condition survey will be published this year.

  Watch Your Waste Week
  Mr. Robathan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans his Department has to mark Watch Your Waste Week in March; and what proposals he has for the future of the event.

  Mr. Maclean
  The Department, in conjunction with Waste Watch, has been encouraging local authorities, voluntary groups and industry to participate in Watch Your Waste Week. The week is being launched in London on 18 March and a range of events is being planned throughout the country.

  The Department also plans to have a stand at the ideal home exhibition, March 18 to April 12, which will focus, amongst other issues, on recycling.

  I would encourage all hon. Members to participate in the week. I have put details about the week in the Library of the House.

  Our aims for the campaign are to increase awareness of how people can reduce, re-use and recycle their waste and also to encourage them to buy products which minimise waste or are made from recycled products. We will consider, in the light of its effectiveness, whether or not the week should be repeated.

  Empty Properties
  Ms. Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has on the number of empty properties purchased by housing associations or other bodies as a result of the policy changes announced in the autumn statement and the number which have been used to provide additional social housing.

  Mr. Baldry
  The latest figures from the Housing Corporation show that by 19 February approvals for the purchase of 16,666 properties had been granted, with 5,755 634
  purchases actually completed. This means that already our original target of 16,000 purchases has been exceeded, using only 93 per cent. of the funds allocated, and nearly 6,000 families have been housed. The corporation now estimates that housing associations in England will be able to buy over 17,000 homes for those in need as a result of the allocation in the autumn statement. Another 3,500 purchases will be made possible through cash grants to local authority and housing association tenants to become home owners. All the homes purchased by housing associations or freed by existing tenants will be used to provide additional social housing. I congratulate the corporation and housing associations involved on their excellent work.

  National Parks
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it his policy to bring forward legislation concerning the national parks in England and Wales.

  Mr. Maclean
  Our policy statement on the national parks, published in January 1992, promised legislation to create independent authorities for the eight national parks in England and Wales currently run as county council committees. I fully recognise the importance of introducing national park legislation at the earliest opportunity and I have repeatedly said that we will do so.

  Urban Partnership
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer of 12 February to the hon. Member for Wyre Forest, (Mr. Coombs),Official Report, column 835, what was the total value of the bids put forward for urban partnership; and if he will list the successful authorities with (a) the value of the bids put forward, (b) the number of projects put forward, (c) the value of bids accepted and (d) the number of projects supported.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  The total value of the bids submitted for a share of the urban partnership fund (UPF) was £82.1 million. The table lists for the successful authorities(a) the value of bids submitted, and (b) the number of projects/packages of projects submitted. A full list of proposed projects, together with the amount of UPF support which has been agreed in principle for each, has been placed in the Library of the House. It is open to local authorities to take forward proposals which have not been offered UPF support using their capital receipts and any private sector or other contributions.

  Total value of UPF bids (£ million)

  Total number of projects/packages of projects submitted for UPF support

  Birmingham

  2.550

  14

  Bolton

  0.799

  4

  Brent

  0.750

  7

  Bristol

  0.500

  1

  Burnley

  0.395

  7

  Coventry

  7.510

  6

  Derby

  0.532

  7

  Doncaster

  1.124

  3

  Dudley

  0.775

  8

  Gateshead

  0.907

  2

  Greenwich

  1.242

  7

  Hackney

  0.498

  7

  635

  Total value of UPF bids (£ million)

  Total number of projects/packages of projects submitted for UPF support

  Hammersmith and Fulham

  0.817

  12

  Hartlepool

  0.765

  6

  Hull

  0.398

  3

  Islington

  1.107

  3

  Kirklees

  2.500

  1

  Knowsley

  3.982

  3

  Leeds

  6.020

  4

  Leicester

  0.583

  14

  Lambeth

  1.085

  4

  Langbaurgh

  0.430

  2

  Liverpool

  3.175

  2

  Manchester

  2.495

  21

  Middlesbrough

  0.896

  2

  Newcastle

  2.866

  12

  Newham

  0.807

  2

  North Tyneside

  1.862

  6

  Nottingham

  0.550

  11

  Oldham

  1.240

  4

  Plymouth

  1.794

  5

  Preston

  0.582

  3

  Rochdale

  0.840

  9

  Rotherham

  0.740

  1

  Salford

  1.657

  16

  Sandwell

  2.281

  12

  Sefton

  0.395

  2

  Sheffield

  5.320

  5

  South Tyneside

  0.710

  3

  Southwark

  1.230

  2

  Stockton

  0.177

  6

  Sunderland

  1.300

  4

  Wandsworth

  0.670

  1

  Wigan

  0.500

  3

  Wirral

  1.115

  2

  Wolverhampton

  2.000

  23

  Water Disconnections
  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of the operation of the law relating to the powers for a water company or others to cause a disconnection of a domestic consumer's water supply.

  Mr. Maclean
  The Director General of Water Services issued guidelines to water companies last year on a consistent and fair approach towards customers with unpaid charges. This followed a review of companies' policy and practice. He is now considering reports from the regional customer service committees on the effectiveness of the guidelines and will be considering what further action may be necessary. It is right that bills should be paid, but equally that water companies should provide every assistance to customers who are having difficulty meeting their bills.

  Construction Industry
  Mr. Devlin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action is being taken to assist the construction industry.

  Mr. Baldry
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 27 January 1993 to my hon. Friend the Member for Macclesfield (Mr. Winterton) at columns 762–63.

  Carbon Dioxide Emissions
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what percentage of total carbon dioxide emissions is accounted for by domestic consumption of energy; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maclean
  Emissions of carbon dioxide from domestic sources in the United Kingdom have been estimated at 14 per cent. of total emissions in 1990.

  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the level of output of carbon dioxide in the United Kingdom in(a) 1992 and (b) 1991; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maclean
  Estimated emissions of CO2 in the United Kingdom in 1991 and 1992 are not yet available. My Department aims to publish 1991 figures, broken down by emission source, by type of fuel, and by final user of energy, in April in the annual "Digest of Environmental Protection and Water Statistics (No. 15)".

  Housing Action Trusts
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment which tenants' groups have put forward proposals for housing action trusts since the announcement of the citizens charter.

  Sir George Young
  We have had approaches from:

  Norris Green Tenants and Homeowners Association, Liverpool

  Fern Lodge Estate Tenants and Residents Association, Streatham, London

  St. George's Residents Association, Gloucester Grove Estate, Peckham, London

  Harris Street Neighbourhood Forum (Elmington Estate), Camberwell, London

  Norfolk Park Tenants and Residents Association and St. Aidan's Tenants Association, Norfolk Park Estate, Sheffield

  Departmental Publicity
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will provide details of the breakdown of expenditure on departmental publicity relating to housing matters for 1992–93.

  Sir George Young
  As at 23 February 1993 my Department has committed £1.86 million for publicity expenditure on housing and urban programme policies. The breakdown is as follows:

  £

  Advertising—media and production

  1,007,500

  Printing—design and production

  474,400

  Exhibitions—stand space and production

  127,300

  Audio Visual—design and production

  13,300

  Promotions

  65,000

  Fulfilment—response and postages

  53,200

  Conferences—room hire and organisation

  117,800

  Miscellaneous—small items, badges, etc.

  1,500

  Darwin Initiative
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many meetings of his advisory committee under the chairmanship of Sir Crispin Tickell on the Darwin initiative have taken place; and if he will make a statement on the progress of the Darwin initiative.

  Mr. Maclean
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment gave to the hon. Member for Eastleigh (Mr. Milligan) on 17 February at column 282.

  Ministers' Private Residences
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the Ministers who have received public funds for approved work on their private residences arising from their ministerial duties.

  Mr. Howard
  I can answer only in respect of my own Department. There has been no such expenditure on the homes of current DOE Ministers other than strictly for security purposes. It is not in the public interest to disclose or aid the identification of security arrangements relating to public figures.

  EC Eco-audit Scheme
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress has been made on the EC eco-audit scheme.

  Mr. Maclean
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. and learned Friend on 20 January 1993 to my hon. Friend the Member for Rutland and Melton (Mr. Duncan) at column 267, in which he reported that the Council had reached broad agreement to the proposal.

  The Government hope that the proposal will be adopted during the Danish presidency.

  Housing Legislation
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list, in order, all the primary housing legislation passed by the Government since 1979.

  Sir George Young
  The table lists, in order, the Acts directly related to housing in England passed by Parliament since 1979.

  1980—Housing Act

  1983—Mobile Homes Act

  1984—Housing and Building Control Act

  1984—Housing Defects Act

  1985—Housing Act1

  1985—Housing Associations Act1

  1985—Housing (Consequential Provisions) Act1

  1985—Landlord and Tenant Act1

  1985—Rent (Amendment) Act

  1986—Housing and Planning Act

  1987—Landlord and Tenant Act

  1988—Housing Act

  1989—Local Government and Housing Act

  1Consolidation not new legislation.

  Other primary legislation indirectly related to housing includes:

  1980—Local Government, Planning and Land Act

  1982—Social Security and Housing Benefits Act

  1983—Matrimonial Homes Act

  638

  1983—Social Security and Housing Benefits Act

  1984—Building Act

  1984—Registered Homes Act

  1986—Building Societies Act

  1986—Social Security Act

  1987—Access to Personal Files Act

  1988—Landlord and Tenant Act

  1989—Social Security Act

  1990—Social Security Act

  1991—Registered Homes (Amendment) Act

  1992—Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act

  1992—Social Security Administration Act.

  Drinking Water
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many prosecutions have been taken out by the drinking water inspectorate against water supply companies for failure of drinking water standards.

  Mr. Maclean
  Legislation does not provide for water companies to be prosecuted for failure to meet drinking water quality standards. A criminal offence has been created of supplying water unfit for human consumption. There have been no prosecutions of water companies to date, but the drinking water inspectorate is investigating a small number of incidents which may lead to prosecution.

  Revenue Support Grant
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the level of revenue support grant per head in(a) Pendle, (b) Ribble Valley, (c) the City of Westminster, (d) Wandsworth and (e) the City of London for 1992–93 and 1993–94.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  The information requested is as follows:

  RSG per head 1992–93

  RSG per head 1993–94

  £

  £

  Pendle

  325.65

  49.62

  Ribble Valley

  292.92

  13.64

  City of Westminster

  958.85

  802.79

  Wandsworth

  714.59

  619.18

  City of London

  10,771.14

  11,225.31

  The figures for the two years are not comparable since revenue support grant for the year 1993–94 is to be paid direct to each billing and major precepting authority, whereas in 1992–93 it was all paid into the collection fund administered by the charging authority.

  Mr. Betts
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much rate or revenue support grant per head of population has been given in total to each of the metropolitan authorities since 1980; and how much extra grant Sheffield would have received over that period if it had received(a) the grant per head of the highest recipient authority and (b) the grant per head of the average of all authorities.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  [holding answer 2 February 1993]The amount of rate or revenue support grant in total for each metropolitan district authority for the period 1980–81 to 1993–94 inclusive divided by the average resident population over that period is given in the table. Sheffield would have received an extra £918 million if it had received the grant per head of the highest recipient authority and an
  639
  extra £286 million an average of £20.4 million for each year if it had received the average grant per head of the metropolitan districts. Sheffield's total RSG over the period was £1,535.2 million.

  Average rate or revenue support grant per head for metropolitan authorities since 1980–81

  Local authority

  Grant per head (£ head)

  Barnsley

  3,188

  Birmingham

  3,878

  Bolton

  3,680

  Bradford

  4,488

  Bury

  2,815

  Calderdale

  3,670

  Coventry

  3,352

  Doncaster

  3,318

  Dudley

  2,125

  Gateshead

  3,457

  Kirklees

  3,820

  Knowsley

  4,374

  Leeds

  2,888

  Liverpool

  4,557

  Manchester

  4,509

  Newcastle upon Tyne

  2,910

  North Tyneside

  3,241

  Oldham

  4,182

  Rochdale

  4,015

  Rotherham

  3,366

  Salford

  3,742

  Sandwell

  3,159

  Sefton

  2,870

  Sheffield

  2,851

  Solihull

  2,263

  South Tyneside

  4,037

  St. Helens

  3,355

  Stockport

  2,407

  Sunderland

  3,696

  Tameside

  3,496

  Trafford

  2,254

  Wakefield

  2,800

  Walsall

  2,979

  Wigan

  3,139

  Wirral

  3,229

  Wolverhampton

  3,633

SCOTLAND

  Gartnavel Hospital (Deaths)
  Mr. McFall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many deaths have occurred in the past five years after patients placed under supervision in Gartnavel hospital, Glasgow, have left the hospital.

  Mr. Stewart
  On the understanding that all in-patients are under supervision during their stay in hospital, four Gartnavel Royal patients have died in the past five years having left the hospital without being discharged.

  Nurses
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many agency nurses were employed in each health board in each year since 1989.

  Mr. Stewart
  The information is not available centrally in the form requested. The table shows the average whole-time equivalent of the agency nurses working in health boards at 30 September each year.
  640

  Average whole time equivalents at 30 September

  Health board

  11989

  11990

  21991

  21992

  Scotland3

  211.5

  266.1

  247.4

  279.2

  Argyll and Clyde

  2.3

  2.0

  0.6

  0.3

  Ayrshire and Arran

  7.7

  2.1

  2.9

  40.9

  Borders

  4.2

  0.3

  0.0

  0.0

  Dumfries and Galloway

  0.0

  0.0

  0.4

  0.4

  Fife

  0.0

  1.1

  0.7

  0.3

  Forth Valley

  0.6

  6.8

  2.3

  0.0

  Grampian

  7.1

  6.5

  11.9

  531.4

  Greater Glasgow

  85.0

  153.4

  117.1

  164.9

  Highland

  0.0

  0.5

  0.3

  0.8

  Lanarkshire

  0.0

  0.1

  0.0

  0.0

  Lothian

  104.2

  91.4

  109.0

  80.2

  Orkney

  0.0

  0.0

  0.0

  0.0

  Shetland

  0.4

  2.7

  2.3

  0.0

  Tayside

  0.0

  0.2

  0.1

  0.0

  Western Isles

  0.0

  0.0

  0.0

  0.0

  1 Whole time equivalents calculated on the estimated total hours worked by agency nurses based on the six months data that are available.

  2 Whole time equivalents calculated on the total hours worked by agency nurses during the year ending 30 September.

  3 Rounding of individual figures may produce slight differences between the sum of constituent items and totals.

  4 Ayrshire and Arran Health Board includes agency hours at the South Ayrshire Hospitals NHS Trust.

  5 Grampian Health Board includes agency hours at Aberdeen Royal Hospitals NHS Trust.

  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what guidance has been given to health boards to ensure that student nurses are not unemployed when they qualify.

  Mr. Stewart
  None. The matching of newly qualified nurses to vacancies is best handled at local level. The majority of newly qualified nurses find employment on completion of their training, but student nurses are made aware at the start of their training that employment is not guaranteed at the end of their course.

  Set-aside Land
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what area of agricultural land in(a) Strathclyde and (b) Scoland as a whole is set aside under the common agricultural policy; and what is its annual value.

  Sir Hector Monro
  In 1991–92, 674 hectares in Strathclyde and 27,415 hectares in Scotland were set aside under the provisions of the common agricultural policy. Set-aside grant payments in respect of those areas amounted to £103,573 and £4,706,725 respectively. Details of land set aside in 1992–93 are not yet available.

  Marine Laboratory, Aberdeen
  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what consideration he has given to conferring next steps agency status on the marine laboratory in Aberdeen; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) what consultations he has had with (a) staff, (b) the fishing industry, (c) local councils and (d) right hon. or hon. Members, regarding the possibility of conferring next steps agency status on the marine laboratory in Aberdeen; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir Hector Monro
  I refer the hon. Member to the written answer given by my right hon. Friend on 18
  641
  November 1992 at column 271, stating that the Scottish Office's fisheries research service (FRS) is being considered as a candidate for next steps agency status. The senior management of FRS are fully engaged in this consideration, and staff are being kept informed. The House will be informed of any final decision, in the normal way.

  Archaeological Sites
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what is his assessment of the damage caused by the recent strong gales on archaeological sites in(a) Orkney, (b) Shetland, (c) St. Ninian's Isle and (d) the Western Isles;

  (2) what action he proposes to take to help rescue-archaeology in the Scottish islands;

  (3) what is the preliminary assessment on materials from Jarlshof sent by his Department for expert analysis in Aberdeen in relation to oil films.

  Sir Hector Monro
  Responsibility for the subject of the questions has been delegated to Historic Scotland under its chief executive Mr. Graeme Munro. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter from Graeme N. Munro to Mr. Tam Dalyell, dated 24 February 1993.
  As Chief Executive of Historic Scotland I am writing in response to your three Parliamentary Questions of 23 February to the Secretary of State for Scotland about rescue archaeology in the Scottish islands, the effect of the recent storms on archaeological sites in the Western Isles, Orkney and Shetland (including St. Ninian's Isle) and the preliminary assessment by the Robert Gordon University of the impact of oil from the Braer on stones from Jarlshof.
  Coastal erosion is the most serious single issue facing archaeological sites in the Scottish islands. In addition (and principally in Orkney) agricultural improvement operations in recent decades have resulted in destruction of or damage to a number of sites. However, with changes to agricultural and crofting grant schemes in the last few years such damage has reduced. Further, section 17 of the 1986 Agriculture Act effectively requires the Minister to take account of archaeological features when assessing agricultural and grant proposals. Historic Scotland has participated in Scottish Office Agriculture and Fisheries Department training courses on section 17 to ensure that staff have an awareness of archaeological features and give them appropriate consideration in terms of the statutory requirements. Historic Scotland has included in its programme of archaeological work for 1993/4 an investigation of those small burial mounds in Orkney particularly vulnerable to destruction through agricultural improvements. Other threats do arise; for instance, Historic Scotland commissioned excavation of the neolithic settlement at Barnhouse, near Stenness in Orkney, to help prevent further damage by agricultural ploughing of long-ploughed ground. I hope that publication of the proposed National Planning Policy Guideline and associated Planning Advice Note on archaeology will lead to prevention of damage to archaeological sites through development, or at least to its mitigation. On most issues, we rely largely on liaison with Islands archaeologists to alert us to sites where rescue excavation may be desirable. In addition, scheduled sites are inspected regularly by Historic Scotland monument wardens.
  Coastal erosion is unpredictable. Sites can be stable for decades; but can at almost any time be damaged by a conjunction of unfavourable tides, barometric pressures and windes. Historic Scotland and its predecessors have over the past 15 years arranged rescue surveys (Table 1) and excavations at many sites in the Scottish islands, and in particular at 35 archaeological sites and groups of sites in response to the threat of coastal erosion (Table 2). We are
  642
  giving priority now to completing publication of the majority of those surveys and excavations before embarking on any further major works to protect or excavate sites.
  Local Authorities are the lead organisations for coastal protection, and future protective measures or excavations should be considered along with other coastal issues: archaeology has been included in the brief for consultants reporting to the Scottish Office on coastal issues prior to preparation of a Review of Scottish Coastal Issues.
  The recent storms are but one episode in a continuing story of damage to archaeological sites in the coastal erosion zone. Our response illustrates the way in which, pending further consideration of coastal issues, Historic Scotland can build on previous work to react to such episodes. Inspectors from Historic Scotland have visited a selection of sites damaged by the January storms on Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles. The Orkney Islands Archaeologist plans detailed inspection of damage to sites in Orkney with financial support from Historic Scotland. Historic Scotland will fund at least one small excavation in Orkney (at Tuquoy, supplementing previous work) and plans further detailed assessment at the Brough of Birsay as a consequence of storm damage.
  Historic Scotland has arranged sampling at one damaged site in the Western Isles; other sites visited by an Inspector and damaged in the storms had been sampled previously; no systematic survey is planned at this time but this positiion will be reviewed in April following submission of reports covering survey and excavations in the Western Isles (see Table 2).
  Historic Scotland has had no request from the Shetland Islands archaeologist for emergency assessment of sites following the January storms; no systematic survey is planned. A further inspection by officers of Historic Scotland is planned for late February when I shall myself be visiting Shetland.
  Assessment of the effects of pollution from oil spilled from the Braer wreck on Jarlshof and neighbouring sites has already commenced. We sent one soil and 9 stone samples from the Jarlshof site to the Robert Gordon University Faculty of Science and Technology on 20 January to enable them to undertake a preliminary analysis of the extent of pollution. The intention was to help Historic Scotland clarify its position regarding a possible clean up of the site following the Braer oil tanker wreck and to assist in determining what appropriate conservation measures should be taken.
  The preliminary results indicate that the site is contaminated with crude oil residues. In the absence of an authentic sample of the Braer's cargo, it has not yet been possible to confirm that the ship was the source of the contamination, though the circumstances very strongly suggest it.
  There is as yet insufficient information upon which to decide the most appropriate course of action. A programme of further short, and longer term, monitoring is needed. This will look at the effects of the contamination on the biological growth on the stonework, the way it affects the weathering of the stone, and how it may alter the aesthetic appearance.
  To undertake this effectively, an on site monitoring programme is envisaged which would run in parallel with a detailed literature search. This would help put the study into a broader scientific context. In addition, laboratory and field studies of the effects of remedial or preventative actions would also be instigated. The work would be carried out in conjunction with other research programmes instigated by The Scottish Office and undertaken by the Macaulay Land Use Research Institute.
  I believe that Historic Scotland's record of activity at sites suffering from coastal erosion and other threats in the Scottish islands, summarised in the attached tables, demonstrates our concern and our willingness to respond. By its very nature, rescue excavation is reactive. We are seeking to ensure that wherever possible responses are made within a strategic framework.
  Thus the actions which Historic Scotland on behalf of the Secretary of State for Scotland proposes to take to help rescue-archaeology in the Scottish Islands build on those which Historic Scotland has taken in the past. Historic Scotland is putting considerable effort into publication of those sites which have already been excavated, and it is reviewing the relative cost-effectiveness of further rescue excavations and protection. It is also taking measures to

  643
  increase awareness of archaeological sites in other Scottish Office departments and to improve the coordination of protection and rescue activities and to ensure harmonisation with the work of other agencies.

  Table 1—Scottish islands: A list of coastal archaeological surveys commissioned by Historic Scotland plus archives with a high coastal component

  Region and source

  Proportion covered

  Comments

  Orkney

  Lamb

  Good cover

  In archive

  Shetland

  Turner

  Good cover

  In archive

  Western Isles

  Cowie

  More than half the west coast

  Formal report due March 1993, interim reports received

  Shepherd

  Barber

  Branigan

  Table 2

  Scottish Islands: Excavations in advance of marine and aeolian erosion in the coastal erosion zone commissioned or sponsored by historic Scotland between 1977 and 1992

  Excavator

  Last field season

  Submission to Historic Scotland

  ORKNEY

  Birsay Bay proj. 1

  Morris et al

  81

  published

  Birsay Bay proj. 2

  Morris et al

  83

  93

  Brough of Birsay 1

  Morris et al

  83

  93

  Brough of Birsay 2

  Hunter

  81

  published

  Hurnips Point

  Hunter

  91

  published

  Noltland

  Clarke

  81

  95 to 96

  Point of Cott

  Barber

  85

  93

  Pool

  Hunter

  88

  93

  Scar

  Dalland

  91

  93

  St. Boniface

  Lowe

  90

  94 to 95

  Skara Brae II

  Clarke

  77

  95 to 96

  Tresness

  Smith

  83

  archive

  Tuquoy

  Owen

  88

  93 to 95

  Warebeth

  Bell

  88

  published

  SHETLAND

  Burland

  Barber et al

  83

  93 to 94

  Cunningsburgh

  Barber et al

  90

  93 to 94

  Eastshore

  Barber et al

  83

  93 to 94

  Fair Isle Harbour

  Barber et al

  83

  93 to 94

  Ness of Burgie

  Barber et al

  83

  93 to 94

  Sands of Breckon

  Barber et al

  83

  93 to 94

  Scantness

  Barber et al

  83

  93 to 94

  WESTERN ISLES

  Balelone

  Barber et all

  83

  93

  Baleshare

  Barber et all

  90

  93

  Barvas

  Cowie

  79

  93

  Callanish Leobag

  Cowie

  79

  93

  Dalmore

  Ponting

  83

  93 to 94

  Dalmore

  Sharpies Parker-

  83

  93 to 94

  Dun Vulan

  Pearson

  93

  field still

  Hornish

  Barber et al

  84

  93

  Kneep

  Close-Brooks

  78

  93 to 94

  Kneep

  Armit

  92

  92

  Newton Ferry

  Barber et al

  84

  93

  Rosinish

  Shepherd

  77

  94

  South Glendale

  Barber

  83

  94

  Udal RUX6

  Crawford

  83

  94 to 95

  Drugs
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has held with organisations in(a) Inverclyde and (b) Strathclyde in relation to ways of dealing with drug problems; what proposals he has put forward for Scottish Office assistance; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 12 February 1993]Drug misuse in Strathclyde is a matter of continuing concern to my right hon. Friend; and the Scottish Office is in regular contact with statutory and voluntary bodies in the area. Assistance, through funding, in tackling drug misuse is provided directly and indirectly by the Scottish Office in a number of ways. In particular, Strathclyde regional council is receiving support through the urban programme for drug-related projects, including the Inverclyde Drugline.

  Student Housing
  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the total cost of payments from Scottish Homes to the student housing sector in each year since 1988.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 18 February 1993]Scottish Homes estimates that nearly £1.2 million was paid in 1990–91 and £0.9 million in 1991–92 towards providing accommodation specifically for students. Students may also have access to other general needs housing funded by Scottish Homes.

  Superquarries
  Mr. Martlew
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the sites which have been identified in Scotland as having potential for the development of superquarries; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 22 February 1993]The Scottish Development Department's 1977 national planning guidelines on aggregate working provisionally identified five potential locations for superquarry development: Peterhead, Loch Linnhe, Helmsdale, Harris and the Ross of Mull. In 1980 a subsequent preliminary research report entitled "Potential for a Large Coastal Quarry in Scotland" produced a short-list of five locations with suitable mineral deposits and marine access. These were South Harris, Loch Ewe, Loch Linnhe, Kentallen, and Walls (Shetland Isles). In addition, the Highland region structure plan (approved in 1990) identified Loch Eriboll. More recently a study by ARUP consultants for the Department of the Environment identified a number of broad locations in Scotland where the geological and other technical criteria exist for the development of coastal superquarries ie Shetland, the Western Isles and parts of the west and north coast. The draft national planning policy guidelines on land for mineral working published in 1992 do not specify any other locations.

  Any proposals for the development of coastal superquarries will be assessed on their merits and full regard will be had to their possible environmental impact.

  Fishing Vessels
  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the vessels and tonnage of vessels owned or operated by the Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency; and which are registerd on the fishing vessel register.

  Sir Hector Monro
  [holding answer 23 February 1993]The Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency owns seven fishery protection vessels and two research vessels as follows:

  Gross tonnage

  Fishery Protection Vessels

  Norna

  1,385

  Vigilant

  1,250

  Sulisker

  1,250

  Westra

  885

  Moidart

  65

  Morven

  65

  Skua

  7

  Research Vessels

  Scotia

  1,521

  Clupea

  176

  The fishery protection vessels are operated by the agency while the research vessels are operated by a private contractor. None of the vessels is on the fishing vessel register.

  European Structural Funds
  Mr. Maclennan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer of 12 January to the hon. Member for Caithness and Sutherland,Official Report, column 718, what progress he has made towards the recognition of the highlands and islands in the list of objective 1 areas for the allocation of European structural funds; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 23 February 1993]The gross domestic product figure for the highlands and islands has been agreed with Eurostat to be 79 per cent. of the Community average, and the Government have made representations to the Commission seeking objective 1 status for the highlands and islands. We expect the Commission's proposals to be published shortly and will be arguing the case strongly in the Council of Ministers when these are considered.

  Harbour Closure, Greenock
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when the hon. Member for Greenock and Port Glasgow can expect a response to his letter, dated 23 December 1992, about a proposal submitted by Renfrewshire Enterprise for the closure of East India harbour, Greenock.

  Sir Hector Monro
  [holding answer 23 February 1993]An acknowledgement was sent to the hon. Member's letter on 21 January 1993. The application from Renfrewshire Enterprise raises complex issues which the Scottish Office Agriculture and Fisheries Department is considering as quickly as possible. I hope to send the hon. Member a full reply in the near future.

  Sheltered Placement Schemes
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish a table itemising how the budget for sheltered placement schemes was expended in Scotland in the financial year 1991–92; what provisions have been made in the financial year 1992–93; how this compares with the previous year in(a) real and (b) per capita terms; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 27 January 1993]Expenditure on the sheltered placement scheme in Scotland for the financial year 1991–92 was as follows:

  £

  Local Authority contribution

  525,845

  Employment Service contribution

  1,274,689

  Total

  1,800,534

  Working years on sheltered placement schemes claimed were 411.190, and expenditure per worker was £4,379.

  Figures for 1992–93 are not yet available.

  Hospital Incinerators
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish a list of the hospital incinerators in Scotland that(a) burn less than 25 kg of clinical waste per hour and (b) burn less than 1 tonne of clinical waste per hour.

  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 17 February 1993]The following is a schedule of clinical waste incinerators presently in use within the NHS in Scotland:

  Hospital Incinerators

    Hospitals with incinerators with a capacity of less than 25kG/HR
    Dumfries and Galloway Health Board

    Thomas Hope Hospital, Langholm

    Moffat Hospital

    Newton Stewart Hospital

    Thornhill Hospital

    Highland Health Board

    Portree Hospital

    Tayside Health Board

    Montrose Royal Infirmary

    Arbroath Infirmary

    Hospitals with incinerators with a capacity greater than 25 kG/hr and less than 1 tonne/hr
    Argyll and Clyde Health Board

    Royal Alexandra Hospital, Paisley

    Inverclyde Royal Hospital, Greenock

    Islay Hospital, Bowmore

    Ayrshire and Arran Health Board

    Crosshouse Hospital, Kilmarnock

    Ailsa Hospital, Ayr

    Borders Health Board

    Borders General Hospital

    Dumfries and Galloway Health Board

    Castle Douglas Hospital

    Kirkcudbright Hospital

    Garrick Hospital, Stranraer

    Cresswell Maternity Hospital, Dumfries

    Lochmaben Hospital

    Crichton Royal Hospital, Dumfries

    647

    Dalrymple Hospital, Stranraer

    Annan Hospital, Annan

    Fife Health Board

    Cameron Hospital, Windygates

    Stratheden Hospital, Cupar

    Victoria Hospital, Kirkcaldy

    West Fife District General Hospital (Phase I), Dunfermline

    Dunfermline and West Fife Hospital, Dunfermline

    West Fife District General Hospital (Phase II), Dunfermline

    Forth Valley Health Board

    Falkirk Royal Infirmary

    Stirling Royal Infirmary

    Greater Glasgow Health Board

    Cowglen Hospital, Glasgow

    Gartnavel General Hospital, Glasgow

    Glasgow Royal Infirmary

    Ruchill Hospital, Glasgow

    Southern General Hospital, Glasgow

    Stobhill General Hospital, Glasgow

    Western Infirmary, Glasgow

    Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Glasgow

    Highland Health Board

    Raigmore Hospital, Inverness

    Craig Dunain Hospital, Inverness

    Belford Hospital, Fort William

    Caithness General Hospital, Wick

    Lothian Health Board

    Western General Hospital, Edinburgh

    Eastern General Hospital, Edinburgh

    City Hospital, Edinburgh

    St. John's Hospital, Howden

    Tayside Health Board

    Sunnyside Royal Hospital, Montrose

    Stracathro Hospital, Brechin

    Murray Royal Hospital, Perth

    Ninewells Hospital, Dundee

    Western Isles Health Board

    Western Isles Hospital, Isle of Lewis

    Daliburgh Hospital, Isle of South Lewis

    Orkney Health Board

    Balfour Hospital, Orkney

DEFENCE

  Consultants
  Ms. Mowlam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many contracts for consultancies were awarded by his Department over(a) the last 12 months and (b) 1991–92.

  Mr. Aitken
  In the 12 months from 1 February 1992 to 31 January 1993, my Department placed at least 582 contracts which involved some form of consultancy; the exact figure may be a little higher, since contracts placed towards the end of January have not been recorded centrally. The exact figure for 1991–92 was 563.

  These figures include various forms of technical consultancy, as well as management consultancy; it is not possible to differentiate them from the figures available.

  Ms. Mowlam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the contracts awarded by his Department to(a) Coopers and Lybrand management consultants, (b) Touche Ross management consultants, (c) Price Waterhouse management consultants, (d) Ernst and Young management consultants, (e) Chrichton Roberts Ltd., (f) KPMG management consultants and (g)
  648
  Leopold Joseph management consultants, with the total cost of the contracts with each contractor for (i) the past 12 months and (ii) 1991–92.

  Mr. Aitken
  My Department has no record of any contracts having been placed with Chrichton Roberts Ltd. or Leopold Joseph Management Consultants Ltd. The number and value of contracts placed with the other five companies is as follows. Contracts placed in February/ March 1992 will, of course, appear in both columns:

  February 1992/January 19931

  1991/1992

  Coopers and Lybrand2

  12 contracts £8,740,330

  12 contracts £4,624,622

  Touche Ross Management Consultants

  11 contracts £1,412,831

  13 contracts £802,305

  Price Waterhouse2

  9 contracts £1,136,039

  8 contracts £471,122

  Ernst and Young Management Consultants

  4 contracts £335,300

  5 contracts £559,653

  KPMG Management Consulting

  1 contract3

  Nil

  1 May be subject to revision, as contracts placed towards the end of January may not yet have been recorded centrally.

  2 Available statistics do not indentify "Management Consultants" separately from other parts of these firms. Consequently some of these contracts may be for services other than management consultancy.

  3 This is the contract mentioned in my answer to the hon. Lady on 25 January 1993 (Official Report, Column 560). As it is our practice to treat values of individual contracts as "Commercial in Confidence", I am not able to reveal the value of this contract.

  It is not possible to list the subject of each and every one of these contracts without disproportionate effort.

  Land Mines
  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had regarding the United States Government's embargo on the export of land mines.

  Mr. Aitken
  We have had no such discussions.

  RAF Chivenor and Brawdy
  Mr. Ainger
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many military training sorties were flown in each year since 1986 within 120 nautical miles of RAF Chivenor;

  (2) how many military training sorties were flown in each year since 1986 within 40 nautical miles of RAF Chivenor;

  (3) how many military training sorties were flown in each year since 1986 within 40 nautical miles of RAF Brawdy;

  (4) how many military training sorties were flown in each year since 1986 within 120 nautical miles of RAF Brawdy.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The information requested is not available.

  Mr. Ainger
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many non-military incidents search and rescue helicopters based at (i) RAF Brawdy and (ii) RAF Chivenor have responded to in(a) daylight and (b) night-time in each of the last five years.
  649
  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The information requested is set out in the table.

  1988

  1989

  1990

  1991

  1992

  RAF Brawdy

  Day

  110

  115

  121

  111

  107

  Night

  31

  28

  42

  44

  43

  Total

  141

  143

  163

  155

  150

  RAF Chivenor

  Day

  151

  160

  140

  134

  158

  Night

  18

  16

  5

  5

  6

  Total

  169

  176

  145

  139

  164

  With effect from 1 October 1989 RAF Chivenor moved from a 24-hour search and rescue service to day time only. The figures shown for night-time against Chivenor in 1990–92 relate to cases where SAR helicopters responded in daylight but returned to base after dark.

  Military Flying
  Mr. Ainger
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what areas of the United Kingdom are classified as areas of high intensity military flying; and what are the criteria it uses to decide that classification.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  I refer the hon. Member to information contained in the Civil Aviation Authority publication "United Kingdom Aeronautical Information Publication", a relevant extract of which I am placing in the House of Commons Library.

  Official Entertainment
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much was spent on official entertainment in his Department during 1991–92 and 1992–93 to date.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  In the financial year 1991–92, £4.007 million was spent. As at 31 January 1993, £3.283 million has been spent in financial year 1992–93. This figure includes expenditure incurred by the Ministry of Defence itself, by formations and establishments of the armed forces at home and abroad, and by individual officers occupying command and international appointments for which entertainment allowances are payable.

  Redundancy Payments
  Mr. Boyce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 9 February,Official Report, column 575, what was the total bill for redundancy payments paid to the service personnel who left the armed forces on or before 31 December 1992 as a result of "Options for Change".

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Expenditure up to 31 December 1992 on special capital payments to personnel who left the services on redundancy terms under "Options for Change" was £83.743 million. In addition, these personnel qualified for immediate terminal grants and pensions/retired pay which would normally have become payable on completion of their engagements/commissions. Up to 31 December 1992 expenditure on terminal grants was £64–647 million and on pensions/retired pay, including lump sum commutation payments, was £46.037 million.

  Gulf War
  Mr. Jacques Arnold
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on whether ships, regiments and squadrons which took part in the Gulf campaign will be able to include the campaign in their battle honours.

  Mr. Rifkind
  Her Majesty the Queen has graciously approved the award of battle honours to ships, regiments and squadrons of the three services which took part in the campaign to liberate Kuwait.

  The award of the battle honour "Kuwait 1991" is to be made to those of Her Majesty's ships, Royal Naval air squadrons and Royal fleet auxiliaries which were either actively engaged in operations against Iraqi forces or engaged in logistic support duties in the central and northern Gulf to the west of the meridian 51E at any time between 17 January and 28 February 1991. The ships and naval air squadrons which qualify are as listed.

  The theatre honour "Gulf 1991" and battle honours "Wadi Al Batin" and "Western Iraq" have been approved for the Army. Those Army regiments and the Army air corps which took part in the campaign will be entitled to claim these honours in accordance with normal practice in the Army.

  The battle honour "Gulf 1991" has been approved for the Royal Air Force. Squadrons which took part in the campaign will be selected by the Air Force Board to receive this honour.

  After claims by regiments and the Army Air Corps have been considered by the Army Board, and Royal Air Force squadrons have been selected by the Air Force Board, recommendations will be submitted to Her Majesty the Queen for approval. I am therefore not able at this stage to list the regiments and squadrons that will be honoured, but these will be reported to the House in due course.

  Her Majesty's Ships, Naval Air Squadrons and Royal Fleet Auxiliaries to receive the battle honour "Kuwait 1991"

  Her Majesty's Ships

  HMS Atherstone

  HMS Gloucester

  HMS Brave

  HMS Hecla

  HMS Brazen

  HMS Herald

  HMS Brilliant

  HMS Hurworth

  HMS Cardiff

  HMS Ledbury

  HMS Cattistock

  HMS London

  HMS Dulverton

  HMS Manchester

  HMS Exeter

  Royal Navy Air Squadrons

  815

  845

  826

  846

  829

  848

  Royal Fleet Auxiliaries

  RFA Argus

  RFA Resource

  RFA Bayleaf

  RFA Sir Bedivere

  RFA Diligence

  RFA Sir Galahad

  RFA Fort Grange

  RFA Sir Percivale

  RFA Olna

  RFA Sir Tristram

  Bosnia
  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Mercedes-Benz tractor-trailer units are being used by United Kingdom forces in Bosnia; and what arrangements have been made for their servicing.
  651
  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  [holding answer 20 January 1993]Routine servicing is carried out by the REME personnel. Any major repairs necessary would be carried out by the local Mercedes-Benz agent.

EMPLOYMENT

  Industrial Tribunals
  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if she will set targets for faster access to hearings at industrial tribunals and to the employment appeal tribunal in England and Wales.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The Government aim to reduce the current time taken for cases to reach a hearing at the industrial tribunals and the employment appeal tribunal in England and Wales, and to help achieve this have increased the number of judges, chairmen, lay members and administrative staff and have expanded the premises. In addition, the Trade Union Reform and Employment Rights Bill provides that chairmen and judges may sit alone in certain cases.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the time taken for an appeal to come to hearing at the employment appeal tribunal in(a) England and Wales and (b) Scotland; and what assessment has been made of the reason for the difference between the figures.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  As regards the waiting times. I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 16 February 1993,Official Report, columns 190–91. One reason for the difference in waiting times is the lower workload in Scotland. There are also procedural differences in the handling of notices of appeal. However, additional judges have been appointed to the employment appeal tribunal and I expect this to be reflected in the waiting time in England and Wales.

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. Garnier
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what are the latest white collar unemployment figures for the(a) Leicester, (b) Luton, (c) York, (d) Exeter, (e) Chester, (f) Ashton-under-Lyne, (g) Stanmore and (h) Glasgow travel-to-work areas.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The information requested is not available. Information on unemployment by occupation groups can be obtained from the Labour Force Survey, but only disaggregated to the level of standard regions.

  Asbestos
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment when the existing legislation as to the handling of asbestos in its manufacture or removal from buildings was last reviewed; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  All work with asbestos is governed by the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 1987. These were reviewed in 1992, together with their associated approved code of practice—ACoP—when regulations were being prepared to implement a European directive amending the 1983 asbestos worker protection directive. The Health and Safety Commission published a652
  consultative document on the revisions last June. The new asbestos regulations came into force on 1 January 1993, and the revised ACoP will be published in early March.

  Work with asbestos insulation and coating, including their removal, is also subject to the Asbestos (Licensing) Regulations 1983. These were last formally reviewed in 1986–87, although the Health and Safety Executive monitors their day-to-day effectiveness. Practical guidance on all work with asbestos insulation and coating materials is set out in a second asbestos ACoP which was also reviewed in 1992 and is due to be published in early March. This strongly encourages the adoption of work methods which are designed to limit the amount of dust that can be generated during asbestos removal activities.

  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many companies have been charged with not providing adequate safety facilities for workers employed by them in the removal of asbestos from buildings in the last five years; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  Statistics collected by the Health and Safety Executive do not separately identify charges relating specifically to the removal of asbestos from buildings. The following table shows all informations laid and convictions secured by the HSE under the Asbestos Regulations 1969, the Asbestos (Licensing) Regulations 1983 and the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 1987. The period covered by the table is for the latest five-year period for which figures are available. Those for 1991–92 are provisional. Details of charges brought by individual local authorities are not collated centrally and so are not readily available, but cases are likely to be rare.

  Prosecution action taken under the Asbestos Regulations 1969

  Informations laid

  Convictions

  1987–88

  14

  8

  1988–89

  4

  3

  Regulations revoked from 1 March 1988.

  Prosecution action taken under the Asbestos (Licensing) Regulations 1983

  Informations laid

  Convictions

  1987–88

  32

  27

  1988–89

  14

  13

  1989–90

  14

  7

  1990–91

  7

  7

  1991–92

  8

  7

  Prosecution action taken under the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 1987

  Informations laid

  Convictions

  1987–88

  1—

  1—

  1988–89

  21

  21

  1989–90

  52

  47

  1990–91

  57

  48

  1991–92

  45

  39

  1 Regulations not in force.

  Wages Councils
  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if she will estimate the effect on pay of a 1 per cent. change in the level of employment in industries covered by wages councils; and if she will estimate the effect on levels of employment of a 10 per cent. change in the level of pay in wages councils industries.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The relationship between pay and employment is determined by a large number of factors and it is not possible to make precise estimates for individual industries. However, the evidence clearly suggests that, whatever the industry, uneconomic pay increases have a significant and damaging effect on employment.

  Mine Safety
  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if she will make it her policy to refrain from granting exemptions from mine safety regulations which allow underground development to advance without roof support beyond 2 m or whose advance extends to distances at which safety cannot be guaranteed or gas cannot be tested with the approved apparatus.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  Exemptions from certain of the requirements of mining legislation may only be granted by the Health and Safety Executive inspectorate of mines.

  An HSE inspector of mines may exempt a mine, or part of a mine, from the requirements of a particular Act or regulation providing that the inspector is satisfied that the safety of persons employed at the mine will not be prejudiced by the granting of the exemption.

  Fixed-term Contracts
  Mr. Denham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what estimate she has made of the number of employees on fixed-term contracts in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The latest estimate for the United Kingdom from the spring, March to May, 1992 labour force survey, is that there were 581,000 employees on fixed-term contracts in the United Kingdom.

  Training
  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the total amount spent by her Department of the budget for training, for England in each year, since 1989–90, the expected outturn in 1992–93 and plans for 1993–94 in 1992–93 prices and cash terms.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The information requested is given in the following table. The figures include training programme expenditure and administrative/running costs. The figures are also published in the 1992–93 departmental report.

  England training expenditure in cash and real terms (1992–93 prices) 1989–90 to 1991–92 and expected outturn in 1992–93 and plans for 1993–94

  £ million

  1989–90

  Cash

  2,240

  Real terms

  2,696

  654

  £ million

  1990–91

  Cash

  2,053

  Real terms

  2,288

  1991–92

  Cash

  1,906

  Real terms

  1,987

  1992–93

  Estimated

  2,367

  Outturn

  1(2,019)

  2(1,771)

  1993–94

  Cash

  2,142

  3(1,963)

  Real terms

  2,201

  1 Net ESF.

  2 Net ESF and admin/running costs.

  3 Net admin/running costs.

  Notes:

  1. Does not include European Social Fund except 1992–93.

  2. Does not include admin/running costs for 1989–90, 1990–91, 1991–92.

  3. Plans for 1993–94 include, under Training for Work, funds which in 1991–92 and 1992–93 were allocated to Employment Action, a non-training programme.

  4. Source for 1992–93 running costs outturn is the Spring Supplementary Estimate.

  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the total amount spent by her Department of the budget for training, for Great Britain, in each year since 1989–90, the expected outturn in 1992–93 and plans for 1993–94 in 1992–93 prices and cash terms.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The information requested is given in the following table. The figure includes training programme expenditure and administrative/running costs. The figures are also published in the 1992–93 departmental report.

  Training expenditure 1989–90 to 1992–93 and plans for 1993–94 at 1992–93 prices, Great Britain

  £ million

  1989–90

  Cash

  2,940

  Real terms

  3,538

  1990–91

  Cash

  2,802

  Real terms

  3,123

  1991–92

  Cash

  2,694

  Real terms

  2,808

  1992–93

  Estimated Outturn

  2,761

  1993–94

  Cash

  2,557

  Real Terms

  2,627

  Source:

  Appropiation Accounts 1993 Spring Supplementary Estimate.

  Note:

  Administrative and Running Costs are not available for 1993–94.

  Redundancy Payments
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many cases in each of the last four years were processed through the redundancy payments service in situations of enterprise solvency in each region and county and for the United Kingdom as a whole.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The number of claims processed by the redundancy payments service in Great Britain for the last four complete financial years was:

  Claims

  1991–92

  305,574

  1990–91

  189,185

  1989–90

  110,132

  1988–89

  100,934

  Information on a regional or county basis is not available. Separate arrangements apply in Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the current average processing time of redundancy payment claims; what was the time in the circumstances of the insolvency of enterprises in each of the last four years; and in how many cases the delay in claim exceeded 12 weeks.

  £ million

  1991–92

  1990–91

  1989–90

  1988–89

  Payments

  To employees, in respect of arrears of pay, holiday pay, compensation for pay in lieu of notice and certain other payments

  148.0

  75.9

  33.1

  29.7

  To occupational pension schemes in respect of unpaid contributions

  2.9

  0.9

  0.5

  0.6

  TOTAL PAYMENTS

  150.9

  76.8

  33.6

  30.3

  Debt recovery

  Recovery of debts in insolvency

  12.2

  7.9

  9.0

  9.5

  Note: Because of the delay between the making of payments and the eventual settlement of claims in the insolvency, the sums recovered do not correspond directly to the year in which payments were made.

  Small Firms (Regulations)
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if she will list all those regulations affecting small firms which have been abolished by her Department in each year since 1979.
  656
  Mr. McLoughlin
  The information is not available in the precise form requested. The current average time taken by the redundancy payments service to process claims for redundancy and insolvency payments is six weeks. The comparable figure for 1991–92 was 7.6 weeks.

  In the period 1 April 1992 to 31 January 1993, 88.7 per cent. of claims were processed by the redundancy payments service within 12 weeks. In 1991–92, the figure was 79.7 per cent. Information is not available for previous years.

  Up to 10 working days is allowed for payment by the Department's finance office after approval of a claim.

  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if she will give for each of the last four years the cost to the redundancy payments service of meeting payment shortfalls due to the insolvency of enterprises; and how much of this was subsequently recovered.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The Employment Protection (Consolidation) Act 1978 provides for various payments out of the national insurance fund when an employer is unable to make them by reason of insolvency. Payments made and sums recovered in the last four years were as follows:

  Mr. McLoughlin
  [holding answer 23 February 1993]I shall arrange for a list of regulations affecting business which have been abolished by the Department to be placed in the Library by early March.

ASTRA HOLDINGS PLC
  ASTRA HOLDINGS PLC
  ASTRA HOLDINGS PLC
HIGHWAY CODE: HALTING ON ZIG-ZAG LINES
  HIGHWAY CODE: HALTING ON ZIG-ZAG LINES
  HIGHWAY CODE: HALTING ON ZIG-ZAG LINES
NUCLEAR WARHEADS: DISMANTLING
  NUCLEAR WARHEADS: DISMANTLING
  NUCLEAR WARHEADS: DISMANTLING
GULF CAMPAIGN BATTLE HONOURS
  GULF CAMPAIGN BATTLE HONOURS
  GULF CAMPAIGN BATTLE HONOURS
NORTHERN IRELAND: EC STRUCTURAL FUNDS
  NORTHERN IRELAND: EC STRUCTURAL FUNDS
  NORTHERN IRELAND: EC STRUCTURAL FUNDS