Written Answers of 27 January 1993

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Iraq
  Mr. Harvey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 15 January,Official Report, columns 853–54, what consultations he had with the United Nations prior to allowing the visas to be issued; and what opinion they gave as to whether these discussions contravened agreed sanctions.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  As I said in my answer to the hon. Member for Coventry, North-East (Mr. Ainsworth) on 19 January, there is no reason why British firms should not hold such discussions with the Iraqis. But we made clear to GEC that, since Iraq is in breach of the terms of United Nations Security Council Resolution 687 setting out the terms of the formal ceasefire at the end of the Gulf war, there is no immediate prospect of sanctions being lifted and therefore no prospect of GPT being in a position to fulfil any contract with the Iraqis. We also told them that we were not therefore ready to put an application to the United Nations Sanctions Committee. There was therefore no need for discussions with the United Nations prior to granting visas.

  Mr. Harvey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 15 January,Official Report, columns 853–54, what investigations he has made as to the military ranks or civil positions held by D. Jallo, M. Abdul Razak, B. Sabae, D. Yasin, A. Saad Gismail, M. Saddin, M. Abdul Sadar and C. Stefanou.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Seven of the eight applicants sponsored by GPT were described as engineers. The eighth was a merchant. All applications were fully investigated by relevant FCO departments and inquiries made of other Government Departments which have an interest.

  Biological Weapons
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will publish the full text of his and his United States counterpart's letter to President Yeltsin on the Russian biological weapons research programme; and what response he has received.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  There has been a series of exchanges over the last two years between the United Kingdom, the United States and Russia (formerly the Soviet Union) about the Russian biological weapons programme. These exchanges took place on a confidential basis. We have no plans to publish them.

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

  Legal Aid
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what was the sum paid out in legal aid in the six most expensive fraud cases in each of the last five years.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  Currently, interim payments cannot all be linked on the computer to the individual cases in which they are made. However, the position with regard to the most prominent fraud cases in recent times is as follows:

  Guinness trials

  Total costs have yet to be determined. Around £1·7 million has been paid to date in respect of the first and second trials.

  Barlow Clowes

  Total costs were £5·3 million.

  Blue Arrow

  Not all claims have been determined. £9·7 million has been paid out to date.

  Britannia Park

  Total cost yet to be determined.

  Marconi Defence

  Total cost yet to be determined.

  The above costs include payments made from central funds in addition to payments from the legal aid fund.

  Housing Repossessions
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many actions for possession for 1992 were initiated by(a) building societies, (b) banks and (c) other lenders in each county court area.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The information is not available in this form. The only available breakdown of possession actions taken by county court is between those taken by local authorities and those initiated by private lenders. The latter includes banks, building societies and other private lenders.

  Trial Delays
  Mr. John Morris
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what is the current delay for trials in the commercial court, other courts of the High Court and the Court of Appeal, civil and criminal divisions, and as regards the latter, distinguishing between cases involving custody and non-custodial cases.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  For longer cases the current waiting time in the commercial court is 10 to 11 months though urgent cases may be expedited. Shorter cases can be listed for hearing within three months. Cases are generally fixtures and a date for hearing is supplied to the parties, taking account of the time they need to prepare.

  In the Queens Bench Division waiting times vary between one month for warned list cases and 13 months for fixtures likely to last over two months.

  In the Family Division the average waiting time for cases likely to last between a half day and one day is six weeks in the High Court list. Cases of five days or more in duration can be heard within 20 weeks.

  In the Chancery Division the waiting times vary between eight months for cases under three days in duration and 23 months for long cases in the part I list.

  In the Court of Appeal (Civil Division) the average waiting time between set down and disposal is 7·7 months.

  703
  At present there are no figures available to show the time between receipt of a case within the Criminal Appeal Office and final disposal in that court. However, from receipt in the list office to final disposal, the approximate waiting times for appellants in custody were, at the end of December 1992, 4·3 months for appeals against conviction and 2·3 months for appeals against sentence. For those not in custody, the waiting times were 6·6 months and 3·9 months respectively.

  In the crown office the waiting times are available only from the date of entry into the warned list to the date of hearing. They are, for the divisional court list 8·3 months, for the single judge list 16·5 months and for the planning court list 9·3 months.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Rail Services
  Rev. Ian Paisley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made towards implementation of the recommendation contained in the Monopolies and Mergers Commission report of December 1990 on rail services in Northern Ireland provided by Northern Ireland Railways Limited; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Atkins
  The initial response, announced to the House on 3 July 1991, indicated that there had been a positive reaction to the Commission's recommendations and that none of them had been rejected. The follow-up response, which I have today placed in the Library of the House, confirms that 22 of the 34 recommendations have already been implemented and that the remaining 12 are in the process of implementation. The response was produced in consultation with the Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company and Northern Ireland Railways.

  There have been several important developments since the initial response. Northern Ireland Railways appointed a new managing director in August 1992. A total of 22 salaried posts have now been abolished. To fulfil the commitment in the Northern Ireland citizens charter, the Government have commissioned a study into the scope for introducing a private element into the management and operation of Northern Ireland Railways. Substantial progress has been made by management and the trade unions as regards industrial relations. Northern Ireland Railways published a more challenging passengers charter in November 1992. Together, these, and the other matters dealt with in the response, should result in a significant improvement of services to the public and the management of the company.

  The Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland will continue in dialogue with the Transport Holding Company and Northern Ireland Railways about the implementation of the recommendations and I shall report on progress to the House in due course.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  Racial Attacks
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Attorney-General if he will establish a review of the procedures for ensuring that the Crown prosecution service handles race attack cases without racial prejudice.

  The Solicitor-General
  In all its actions the Crown prosecution service is committed to avoiding discrimination on the ground of race. A system is currently being established to monitor the implementation of its policy guidance on racial attack cases.

  Crown Prosecution Service
  Mr. Raynsford
  To ask the Attorney-General how many cases involving allegations of criminal offences have been considered in each of the past three years by the Crown prosecution service; and how many of these resulted in prosecutions being brought.

  The Solicitor-General
  Statistics at present available relate to cases handled in the 31 areas of the service but do not include the numbers of cases of specialist work undertaken at Crown prosecution service headquarters. The table sets out in respect of each of the past three years the number of cases received (column 1), the number of cases which were proceeded with (column 2), and the number of cases not proceeded with (column 3). The figures for 1992 are for the first nine months only.

  Column 1 Case received

  Column 2 proceeded with

  Column 3 Not proceeded with

  1990

  1,638,751

  1,298,158

  301,048

  1991

  1,575,021

  1,241,434

  351,090

  1992

  1,193,294

  895,582

  285,181

  The number of cases received in a particular period does not equal the number of cases finalised in that period (column 2 and 3) because incomplete cases are carried forward from period to period. The term "not proceeded with" includes cases discontinued, cases in which no evidence was offered, cases adjourned sine die and those not concluded because the defendant could not be traced. The figures also include cases submitted for advice only and some non-criminal proceedings (eg forfeiture under section 3 of the Obscene Publications Act 1959).

  Mr. Bashir Uddin
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Attorney-General what examination he has made of the accuracy of the statements concerning witnesses in the case made by the Crown prosecution service to lawyers representing Mr. Bashir Uddin in connection with a case heard at Inner London crown court in mid-January.

  The Attorney-General
  The Director of Public Prosecutions has received a full report on the case concerning Mr. Bashir Uddin and a letter explaining statements made by the Crown prosecution service concerning witnesses has been sent to his solicitors. A copy of this letter has been placed in the Library.

  Miss Lindi St. Clair
  Mr. Waterson
  To ask the Attorney-General what consideration is being given to the prosecution of Miss Lindi St. Clair for wasting police time.

  The Solicitor-General
  I understand that the Sussex police are conducting an investigation into certain matters relating to Miss Lindi St. Clair. The question of prosecution will be considered at the conclusion of that investigation. At this stage I cannot predict whether any prosecution will be initiated.

  UDR Four
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Attorney-General what was the date of the Appeal Court hearing in Northern Ireland at which three of the UDR Four were released; what were the recommendations of the court about prosecutions of persons involved in the case; and what action is being taken by the Director of Public Prosecutions for Northern Ireland.

  The Attorney-General
  The Court of Appeal for Northern Ireland delivered its judgment in the appeal of Rv. Neil Fraser Latimer, James Irwin Hegan, Noel Richmond Bell and Alfred Winston Allen on 29 July 1992.

  The court made no recommendations in respect of prosecutions. The court directed that its judgment be sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions for Northern Ireland so that he may consider the bringing of prosecutions against officers who he considers committed criminal offences in connection with the trial of the appellants.

  The Director of Public Prosecutions for Northern Ireland issued an interim direction on 5 August 1992 to the Chief Constable of the Royal Ulster Constabulary requesting that certain reports and information be obtained. When these matters have been received and considered the director will take decisions as to whether or not to institute proceedings. I refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave to the hon. Member for Sunderland, South (Mr. Mullin) on 11 November 1992 at columns 835–36.

TRANSPORT

  Passenger Rolling Stock
  Mr. Dickens
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proposals he has for the provision of passenger rolling stock after the privatisation of British Rail.

  Mr. Freeman
  The private sector must ultimately take the lead in providing rolling stock. Using its financing and management skills is the best way to ensure the right rolling stock is available at the right time for the best possible price.

  The Government recognise that there may be some uncertainty in the market until the railway is established in the private sector. In a consultation document "Railway Privatisation: Passenger Rolling Stock" published today, we indicate that we are considering a number of measures which will help to get a rolling stock market up and running. There must be no hiatus in railway investment during the transition to a franchised railway.

  M1-M62 Link
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to decide a timetable for proposals for an M1-M62 link road; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  The results of the public consultation for this complex scheme are being assessed. An announcement about the scheme will be made after the completion of the assessment.

  Community Transport
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what budgets were available, for each passenger transport authority, for community transport provision in the last year for which figures are available.

  Mr. Freeman
  This is a matter for the Passenger Transport Executives. The PTE's three-year plans indicate that 1991–92 expenditure was:

  £ million

  Greater Manchester

  2.900

  Merseyside

  0.676

  South Yorkshire

  1.300

  Tyne and Wear

  1.460

  West Midlands

  1.782

  West Yorkshire

  0.764

  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what level of direct grant funding for community transport is provided, by region, in England.

  Mr. Freeman
  This is a matter for local authorities. Separated details are not available.

  Roads, Manchester
  Mr. Lewis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if it remains his policy that public consultation on the three separate stages of the Greater Manchester western and northern relief road will be undertaken together.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  No. Public consultation on stage 2 of the relief road (M56-M62) is underway. It is hoped to follow with consultation on route options for stage 3 (M62 Eccles to Whitefield) in late spring.

  Consultation on stage 1 (M6-M56) took place during 1989. Statutory orders for this section have now been published.

  Mr. Lewis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will extend the period of public consultation on the proposed Greater Manchester western and northern relief road (M56-M62 link) so as to allow consultation with residents of Irlam and Cadishead.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport will consider all comments made—including those received after the close of consultation—before deciding whether to proceed with a scheme.

  M3 Extension
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will estimate at current prices the total amount of separately identifiable expenditure by Her
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  Majesty's Government over the last 25 years relating to all aspects of the proposed M3 extension; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  The information requested is not readily available for the period prior to the financial year 1981–82. The total amount of expenditure since that date to end December 1992 on all aspects of the proposed M3 extension between Bar End and Compton at current prices is as follows:

  £ million

  Design and supervision

  10·6

  Works

  6·2

  Land

  0·3

  Total

  17·1

  Oil Spills
  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information he has regarding the status and use in other European Community and European Economic Area nations of the oil dispersants(a) Dispolene 34S, (b) Dasic Slickgone LTSW and (c) BP Enersperse 1037; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Norris
  The Department does not hold information on the status of particular dispersants in other countries. During the Braer incident it was established that Dispolene 34S was approved for use in Norway but, as in the United Kingdom, this dispersant expired from the list of approved products in September 1990 when it was re-submitted for testing by the manufacturer who had changed the proportions of the constituents and designated its dispersant Dispolene 36S—which is currently approved. It has not been necessary to withdraw previously approved stocks, which still meet current standards. The contracting parties to the Bonn agreement—United Kingdom, France, Netherlands, Belgium,

  From

  'L' test

  Motorcycle test

  Vocational tests

  (£)

  Accompanied (£)

  Part I (£)

  Lorry (£)

  Bus (£)

  1 March 1982

  13·00

  —

  12·60

  159·50

  236·00

  12 December 1983

  14·40

  —

  15·60 + VAT

  365·00

  36·00

  1 July 1986

  14·40

  —

  15·60 + VAT

  40·00

  27 April 1987

  15·00

  —

  15·60 + VAT

  40·00

  27 June 1988

  16·50

  —

  15·60 + VAT

  42·00

  5 June 1989

  18·00

  424·00

  15·60 + VAT

  42·00

  18 June 1990

  19·50

  26·00

  15·60 + VAT

  45·00

  3 June 1991

  21·50

  28·50

  15·60 + VAT

  48·00

  14 August 1992

  23·50

  34·00

  5—

  55·50

  1 This fee came into effect on 27 September 1982.

  2 This fee came into effect on 1 September 1982.

  3 This fee came into effect on 12 March 1984;

  4 The accompanied motorcycle test was introduced on 2 October 1989· Prior to that the fee for the part II motorcycle test was the same as for the 'L' test.

  5 The part I motorcycle test was phased out after the introduction of compulsory basic training in December 1990 with a six month overlap period ending on 31 May 1991.

  Shipping
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he makes of the risk to the shore and to marine life in the North sea of cargoes carried
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  Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Norway, and the EEC—share a common approach for the selection and approval of the particular dispersants which may be used. They have also agreed in principle on a mutual acceptance of individually approved dispersants in the case of an emergency.

  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information he has on the amount of oil spilled off the Kent coast in the last six months; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Norris
  There were no major oil pollution incidents off the Kent coast during the last six months. Motor tanker Perfecto spilled some 200 gallons of gasoil during an incident at Shellhaven on 20 July 1992, and the fishing vessel Our Sarah Jane spilled 600 gallons of diesel at Whitstable on 18 July 1992. Both these incidents were dealt with by the appropriate port authorities who also investigated them with a view to prosecution. The marine pollution control unit monitored these and 21 reports of possible minor pollution by ships in the United Kingdom waters off the Kent coast. The majority concerned the sighting of oil-like sheens in the wakes of suspect ships and almost all were reported by other vessels or aircraft. It is impossible to quantify reliably the small amounts of oil discharged in the wakes of ships. As a result of MPCU action, four vessels were given port state control inspections at their next ports of call and two, bound for remote parts of the world, were put on the European register for inspection should they return to north European waters.

  Driving Test Costs
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what was the cost of a driving test in each of the last 10 years.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  The cost for each type of driving test over the last ten years is given in the following table:

  by ships lost by accident; what steps he is taking to implement regulations to reduce the risks; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Norris
  [holding answer 25 January 1993]: The risk to the shore and marine life resulting from the loss of ships' cargoes is taken into account when developing international regulations for the design of ships and their

  709
  equipment and national procedures for dealing with pollution incidents. International convention requirements are implemented in the United Kingdom through merchant shipping legislation.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Offences Against Business
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total value of(a) business frauds, (b) cheque, credit and cash card frauds, (c) thefts from companies, (d) thefts from employees, (e) offences of shoplifting and (f) offences of vandalism against business in the most recent year for which information is available and for each of the previous 10 years.

  Mr. Jack
  The only available Home Office statistics on value are for certain types of theft offences, as recorded by the police. Figures for 1981–1990 have been published annually in chapter 2 of "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales"—copies of which are available in the Library. For 1991, the total value of property stolen in offences of theft by an employee was £29,848,000. The corresponding figure for offences of theft from shops was £20,902,000.

  The Association for Payment Clearing Services (APACS) estimates credit card, cheque and cash card fraud losses by major retail banks at over £165 million in 1991. Corresponding figures for 1988–90 were published in crime prevention unit paper 26 entitled "The Prevention of Cheque and Credit Card Fraud" (also available in the Library). In addition, we have not received detailed accounts of losses to building societies, to finance houses who manage storecards, from fraudulent purchase of goods by phone, and from unguaranteed cheques in excess of the guarantee limit.

  However, the British Retail Consortium has estimated that internal and external crime costs the retail industry in the region of £2.5 billion each year.

  Safer Cities Projects
  Mr. Tipping
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will set out the budget of the safer cities programme at a constant price basis for each year since its inception, together with a forecast for 1993–94.

  Mr. Jack
  The expenditure on the safer cities programme for each year since it began in 1988 is as follows:

  Cash £

  1993–94 prices £

  1988–89

  211,000

  278,000

  1989–90

  3,295,000

  4,074,000

  1990–91

  6,349,000

  7,270,000

  1991–92

  7,217,000

  7,730,000

  1992–93

  17,358,000

  7,560,000

  1993–94

  25,785,000

  5,785,000

  1 estimated.

  2 planned.

  In 1993–94 expenditure is reduced while existing projects are winding down. It is expected to rise in later years as new projects come on stream.
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  Mr. Tipping
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what evaluation has been made of the current safer cities projects; what external consultants are involved in this process; and if he will place a copy in the Library.

  Mr. Jack
  Evaluation is being carried out at three levels: of individual crime prevention schemes, of each project and of the programme as a whole. Project co-ordinators monitor the individual schemes promoted by their projects and assess effectiveness as work progresses. Thematic reviews drawing on this information are planned, the first of which, on the use of closed circuit television in car parks, is to be published shortly and will be placed in the Library. At project level, a study of the progress of projects in promoting local community safety strategies was published in December 1992 ("Safer Cities and Community Safety Strategies", crime prevention unit paper No. 38), a copy of which is in the Library. For the programme as a whole, an evaluation by the Home Office research and statistics department is in progress, focusing primarily on the impact of safer cities on crime rates and the fear of crime.

  The report "Safer Cities and Community Safety Strategies" was written by Mr. Nicholas Tilley of Nottingham Polytechnic. Professor K. Pease (Manchester university), Professor Murray Stewart (Bristol university) act as external academic consultants to the programme level evaluation. Dr. R. Wiggins (City university) provides advice on data analysis.

  Mr. Tipping
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the current safer cities projects, indicating when they commenced and their planned completion dates.

  Mr. Jack
  The information requested is as follows:

  Safer Cities Programme

  Project

  Date established

  Date of planned completion of HO funding1

  Birmingham

  August 1989

  March 1994

  Bradford

  November 1988

  March 1994

  Bristol

  January 1990

  March 1994

  Coventry

  October 1989

  March 1994

  Derby

  October 1991

  September 1995

  Hammersmith and Fulham

  December 1991

  September 1995

  Hartlepool

  September 1989

  March 1994

  Hull

  October 1989

  March 1994

  Islington

  January 1990

  March 1994

  Leicester

  October 1991

  September 1995

  Lewisham

  July 1989

  March 1994

  Middlesbrough

  October 1991

  September 1995

  Nottingham

  April 1989

  March 1994

  Rochdale

  August 1989

  March 1994

  Salford

  February 1990

  March 1994

  Sunderland

  August 1989

  March 1994

  Tower Hamlets

  December 1989

  March 1994

  Wandsworth

  January 1990

  March 1994

  Wirral

  September 1989

  March 1994

  Wolverhampton

  February 1989

  March 1994

  1 This is the date by which, on present planning, Home Office funding is due to cease. Projects may continue beyond this date if other resources can be secured locally to support them.

  Metropolitan Police Overtime
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the estimated expenditure on overtime for the Metropolitan police for 1992–93.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  A total of £71.2 million.

  Prison Education
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what have been the costs incurred by prison establishments and prison headquarters in mounting the exercise "competing for quality" in connection with competitive tendering in prison education.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The need for competitive tendering for the future provision of education services in prison establishments is consequent upon the changes in the responsibilities of local education authorities under the Further and Higher Education Act 1992. The exercise is also wholly consistent with the Government's policy on competition.

  Information on the staffing and other costs that have been incurred in establishments is not held centrally. In establishments and at prison service headquarters for the most part existing resources have been re-deployed to undertake the exercise. The current estimate of those additional costs which can be identified is £96,000. This comprises consultancy costs, legal costs, staff and travel and subsistence costs, the hire of accommodation, photocopying and postage.

  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what provision was made for prison education in 1992–93; what are the forecast costs for 1993–94; which vote will bear the costs of the 1993–94 provision; and what forecast he has made of the change in the number of hours of education provided in 1993–94 over 1992–93.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Provision for prison education in England and Wales is as shown:

  Budget 1992–93 £ million

  Provisional budget 1993–94 £ million

  33·3

  35·5

  The 1993–94 costs will be borne on the prisons, England and Wales vote, class VIII, vote 2. The provisional budget for 1993–94 is based on maintaining the existing volume of education provision.

  Ms. Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) which organisations will be contracted to provide education in prisons between 1 April and 30 September;

  (2) which organisations will be contracted to provide education in Her Majesty's prison Maidstone between 1 April and 30 September; for how many prisoners classes will be provided; and what will be the average number of hours education per prisoner per week.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The information is not yet available. Existing providers of education in prison establishments 712
  have been asked to let the prison service know by 29 January whether or not they are willing to continue with present arrangements until 31 August 1993.

  Life Sentence Prisoners
  Ms. Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to introduce a tribunal system for mandatory life sentence prisoners along the lines of the tribunals for discretionary life sentence prisoners; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Jack
  We have no plans at present to introduce a tribunal system for mandatory life sentence prisoners.

  Drug Misuse Services
  Mr. Rathbone
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if partnership arrangements between the probation service and community services will apply to all drug services(a) generally or (b) where a health service-managed drug misuse service is the only local specialist provision.

  Mr. Jack
  We envisage that each probation service will be responsible for developing plans with the voluntary and private sector to ensure that there is a wide and effective range of schemes in the area for dealing with offenders in the community, and funding them accordingly. Guidance on the implementation of these partnership arrangements is still be prepared in consultation with the relevant representative bodies. It is not the intention that statutory services should be funded by these arrangements. Voluntary and private sector schemes directed at the needs of drug misusing offenders will however be within their scope.

  Mr. Rathbone
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how he plans to fund probation orders with conditions of residence for drug misusers from 1 April.

  Mr. Jack
  A probation order may include a requirement to receive treatment for drug or alcohol misuse only if the court is satisfied that arrangements have been made for such treatment to be given. A wide variety of possible treatments may be covered by such a requirement, with funding from different sources. Where treatment is to be provided under community care arrangements, which come into effect on 1 April 1993, the probation service will need to liaise with the appropriate local authority over the provision of resources to meet the offender's social care costs. Alcohol and drug misusers who are receiving treatment prior to 1 April and are eligible for income support will generally have preserved rights after 1 April to their existing level of benefit.

  When an additional requirement of a probation order is that an offender should reside at an approved probation hostel, a weekly charge for the accommodation will be payable by the person concerned, for which benefits may be available in the usual way.

  Prisoner Escorts
  Mr. Hain
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what conditions to guarantee security he requires when he invites tenders from private contractors to contract for work escorting prisoners being transported; and if he will make a statement.
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  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  A copy of the operational specification for the court escort service in the east midlands and Humberside area has been placed in the Library of the House. It outlines general principles which cover all aspects of running a secure service. Once appointed, a contractor is obliged to submit his detailed operating procedures for approval by the Home Office. The standards required of contractors are no less than those applicable to the escorting of prisoners by police and prison officers. In addition, the extensive use of custom built cellular vehicles will give an improved level of security.

  Yugoslav Entrants
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many people from the former Yugoslavia seeking to enter the United Kingdom as dependent relatives have been refused entry since January 1992; how many have lodged appeals against such refusal; what representations he has received concerning policy matters affecting the definition of dependency; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) what recommendations he has made regarding policy in defining dependency with particular regard to those from the former Yugoslavia seeking to obtain visas to join relatives in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement;

  (3) how many dependent relatives originating from the former Yugoslavia have been permitted to enter or join other relatives in the United Kingdom since January 1992; how he defines the categories of dependents permitted to enter the United Kingdom, within or outside the immigration rules, to join relatives in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  [holding answer 19 January 1993]: In the period 1 January to 30 November 1992 a total of 1,160 dependants accompanied principal asylum applicants from the former Yugoslavia who applied at the ports, and about 400 dependants were associated with applicants who were already in the United Kingdom at the time of their applications. Except for cases refused on safe third-country grounds, all these principal applicants and dependants are being allowed to stay while their applications are considered.

  There is no entitlement under the immigration rules for a person to come to the United Kingdom, whether from former Yugoslavia or elsewhere, as the dependent relative of a person who is here as a visitor or as any asylum applicant. Dependent relatives are not normally permitted to join an asylum applicant until either he or she has been recognised as a refugee under the terms of the 1951 United Nations convention on the status of refugees or has completed a period of four years' residence in the United Kingdom with exceptional leave to remain.

  My right hon. and learned Friend the Home Secretary has, however, decided that close dependants of the 1,000 former detainees will be allowed to join them for the duration of their stay. Generally, close dependants are regarded as the spouse and children under 18. However, in respect of the former detainees we are also prepared to consider applications for visas from fully dependent and unmarried daughters over 18 and under 21; from elderly or sick parents; and from other relatives living in the most exceptional compelling compassionate circumstances.
  714
  The available information on other dependants of asylum applicants is that since the introduction of the visa requirement for nationals of certain parts of the former Yugoslavia on 6 November 1992 about 20 people from the former Yugoslavia have been granted entry clearance to join relatives in asylum-related cases.

  In addition, under the arrangements I announced to the House on 30 November 1992, 130 close dependants of former detainees have so far been granted clearance to come to the United Kingdom. Sixty-five applications by more distant relatives have been refused.

  Applications from other people from the former Yugoslavia for a visa to join a relative in the United Kingdom will be decided in accordance with the immigration rules.

  Available information on other people from the former Yugoslavia admitted to the United Kingdom as spouses or dependants is given in the following table. Information on refusals and appeals is not identifiable separately in the statistics.

  Persons1 from the former Yugoslavia admitted2
  to the United Kingdom as spouses and dependants
  in non-asylum related cases by certain3 categories January to July4 1992

  Numbers

  Spouses admitted for probationary year prior to settlement

  Wives

  20

  Husbands

  15

  Children

  5

  Fiancé(e)s

  15

  Elderly relatives

  —

  Dependants accompanying work permit holders

  70

  Dependants accompanying students

  25

  1 Figures rounded to nearest 5.

  2 Including also those accepted for settlement on arrival.

  3 Information for other categories is not separately identifiable.

  4 Information since July 1992 is not yet available.

  Squatting
  Mrs. Mahon
  To ask the Secreatry of State for the Home Department (1) what steps have been taken to reduce squatting by increasing housing provision;

  (2) what consideration has been given to providing alternative accommodation for squatters if squatting is criminalised;

  (3) what study he has made of the measures taken by local authorities to secure homes and otherwise deter squatting through damaging their properties.

  Mr. Baldry
  I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Secretary of State for the Home Department.

  We do not accept that there are valid arguments in favour of squatting; it is wrong that legitimate occupants should be deprived of the use of their property by squatters. If squatters meet the criteria of priority need under the homelessness legislation, they will be entitled to be found accommodation by the local authority in the same way as any other homeless applicant. There are no plans to change this. No study has been made of measures taken by local authorities to discourage squatters.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Food Hygiene
  Mrs. Jane Kennedy
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will visit the Stanley wholesale meat market, Prescot road, Liverpool, in order to discuss the impact of EC food hygiene legislation.

  Mr. Soames
  No. The Department is currently considering an application from the Stanley wholesale market for a licence under the Fresh Meat (Hygiene and Inspection) Regulations 1992 and I shall write to the hon. Member about it.

  CAP Prices
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on how CAP prices are affected by a realignment of currencies in the exchange rate mechanism.

  Mr. Curry
  Under the previous agrimonetary system, large monetary gaps between green rates and market exchange rates could build up in the period between two realignments within the exchange rate mechanism and these were automatically eliminated by green rate devaluations over a period of up to four years. Under the new agrimonetary arrangements which came into force on 1 January, green rates are kept broadly in line with market rates, so monetary gaps are limited in size. Any gaps that are created by an ERM realignment will be reduced according to the rules of the new system: these are different for currencies within the narrow-band of the ERM and for other currencies but in both cases are designed to prevent the retention of monetary gaps in excess of two percentage points. The resulting green rate devaluations will increase CAP support prices.

  Salmon
  Mr. Bellingham
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many salmon were caught in England, Scotland and Wales during the season 1991 and the season 1992, by(a) rod and line, (b) commercial nets and (c) north-east coast drift net fishing.

  Mr. Curry
  Details of reported salmon catches in 1991 are given in the table. Comparable data for 1992 are not yet available.

  Reported Catches of Salmon in England, Scotland and Wales in 1991 by Method of Capture

  England

  Scotland

  Wales

  Rod and line

  9,452

  45,136

  4,522

  Commercial nets1

  34,631

  20,057

  3,044

  (of which N.E. coast drift nets)

  (22.463)

  Total

  44,083

  65,193

  7,566

  1 Includes reported catches of salmon by all methods other than by rod and line.

  Common Agricultural Policy Prices
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what effect the fall in the rate of exchange since the pound sterling left the European monetary system has had on common agricultural policy 716
  prices in terms of the pound sterling; and if he will publish a table showing for each CAP commodity the sterling price (i) immediately prior to the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the EMS and (ii) currently.

  Mr. Curry
  The devaluations of the green pound since the pound sterling left the exchange rate mechanism have increased CAP support prices by 18 per cent. The information requested on the sterling prices of CAP commodities is given in the table:

  to 16 September 1992

  from 1 January 1993

  Common Wheat (buying-in price per tonne)

  122·24

  1148·54

  Feed Wheat/Barley (buying in price per tonne)

  116·14

  1141·34

  Beef (intervention price per 100 kg)

  272·83

  322·09

  Beef Special Premium Scheme (per head)

  31·82

  256·34

  Butter (intervention price per 100kg)

  232·88

  274·94

  Target price for milk (pence per litre)

  21·96

  25·93

  Sheep Basic Price3 (per 100 kg)

  336·42

  4392·97

  White Sugar Intervention Price (per tonne)

  431·28

  509·15

  Basic Sugar Beet Price (per tonne)

  31·82

  37·56

  'A' Quota Minimum Sugar Beet Price (per tonne)

  32·43

  38·29

  'B' Quota Minimum Sugar Beet Price (per tonne)

  20·50

  24·20

  1These buying-in prices reflect monthly variations as well as green rate changes.

  2The increase in the Beef Special Premium reflects an increase in the amount of the premium in ECU as well as the changes in the green rate.

  3The final rate of annual ewe premium payable for 1992, calculated according to the basic price in effect on 3 January 1993, will be decided on in March. The basic price for 1–3 January 1993 was £397.17 per 100/kg.

  4Price wef 4 January 1993.

  Scottish Fishing Fleet
  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if he will give details of the methodology used to determine how much of the £25 million decommissioning package announced for the United Kingdom fishing fleet is to be allocated to the Scottish fishing fleet; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) if he will give details of how the £11.25 million of the decommissioning package allocated to the Scottish fleet is to be divided between sectors; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if he will publish the basis of the calculations on which the proportion of the £25 million decommissioning fund to be allocated was decided as between English and Scottish allocations; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) how the proportion of his decommissioning package allocated to the English fleet is to be divided (a) between sectors and (b) between ports; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Curry
  The Government will shortly be laying a statutory instrument before Parliament setting out the rules for the decommissioning scheme. It is proposed that,
  717
  in order to secure the best value for money, vessel owners should be invited to submit tenders, and funds will be allocated accordingly irrespective of port of registration. It follows that there will be no sub-division of the funds on a territorial basis.

  Farm Incomes
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what has been the average farm income in each of the last three years in England and Wales.

  Mr. Curry
  There are a number of measures of farm incomes which are published on a regular basis in "Farm Incomes in the United Kingdom". "Net farm income" is the measure for which there is the longest series. This is a measure which represents the returns to the farmer and spouse for their manual and managerial input and a return on tenant type capital. It is not comparable with the cash income from employment. The following table shows estimates of the average level of net farm income for all farm types derived from survey results. It should be borne in mind that there is considerable variation around these averages.

  Average Net farm income for all farm types

  £'000

  England

  Wales

  1989–90

  17·2

  12·3

  1990–91

  16·3

  10·5

  1991–92

  17·3

  14·0

  Milk Quota Transfers
  Mr. Sweeney
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will set a final date for the notification of milk quota transfers in England and Wales in 1992–93.

  Mr. Curry
  Following consultations with the industry and in exercise of powers provided by the Dairy Produce Quotas Regulations I have decided that transfers of unused milk quota notified after 16 April will have no effect on the calculation of supplementary levy liability for 1992–93, even if they are notified as having occurred during that year.

  Similar deadlines have operated for the past four years. These have encouraged producers to notify quota transfers in good time and have thus assisted in the smooth running of the quota system.

HEALTH

  National Health Service Staff
  Mrs. Bridget Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of national health service staff in London are women.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The information available centrally is given in the table.
  718

  National Health Service directly employed staff in Thames Regions as at 30 September 1991

  Total number

  Female number

  Female per cent.

  Professional staff

  186,866

  151,582

  81.1

  Whole-time equivalents

  Whole-time equivalents

  Non-professional staff

  76,394

  49,825

  65.2

  Notes:

  1. Excludes agency staff and locums.

  2. Includes National Health Service trusts.

  Abortion
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the total number of maternal deaths following abortion since 1968, together with the causes of death.

  Mr. Sackville
  In the period 1968 to 1987 a total of 98 maternal deaths related to legal abortion were recorded in England and Wales by the confidential inquiry into maternal deaths. Of these, 27 were due to embolism, 12 were due to haemorrhage and related conditions, 14 were associated with the use of anaesthetic, and the remaining 45 were attributed to various other causes. Full details are given in the reports of the confidential inquiry into maternal deaths, copies of which are available in the Library.

  Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the incidence of pelvic inflammatory disease for 1967, 1972, 1977, 1982, 1987 and the last year for which figures are available.

  Mr. Sackville
  The available data are of new cases of pelvic infection and epididymitis reported by genitourinary medicine clinics. In England in 1990–91 there were 5,700 cases. Data for 1987 and earlier years are not available.

  Dentistry
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients have been de-registered by their dentists for NHS treatment in Leeds to date.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  During the period 3 July 1992 to 15 January 1993, 2,484 adult patients and 59 child patients were deregistered by their dentist in Leeds. In the period 30 June 1992 to 30 November 1992, the total number of adults and children registered with a national health service dentist in Leeds increased by over 12,000 to 451,268. Anyone who needs help in obtaining NHS dental treatment should contact Leeds family health services authority, who have been able to arrange NHS dental treatment for anyone who has approached them.

  Remand Prisoners (Escorts)
  Mr. Byers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what was the cost to the health service in the latest year for which information is available of hiring police or other security personnel to escort remand prisoners from hospital to court;
  719
  (2) on how many occasions in the latest year for which information is available remand prisoners were escorted from hospital to court by nurses without any police presence.

  Mr. Yeo
  This information is not collected centrally.

  Drug Addicts
  Ms. Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of the population were notified drug addicts in(a) Riverside, (b) Parkside, (c) Bloomsbury, (d) Islington, (e) City and Hackney, (f) Newham, (g)

  Number of Notifications to the Home Office; England and selected District Health Authorities1, January to December 1991; and rate per million population

  District Health Authority

  All notifications

  Mid 1991 population

  Rate per million population

  Riverside

  621

  290,500

  2,138

  Parkside

  821

  432,600

  1,898

  Bloomsbury and Islington2

  862

  242,400

  3,556

  The City and Hackney

  358

  187,700

  1,907

  Newham

  36

  217,000

  166

  Tower Hamlets

  280

  165,000

  1,697

  West Lambeth

  542

  161,800

  3,350

  Lewisham and North Southwark

  273

  327,900

  833

  England

  18,827

  48,068,400

  392

  Source: Addicts Index 1991

  Home Office

  Department of Health (SD2C)

  1 Note that an addict included under a particular district may not actually live there as the district quoted refers to the address of the notifying doctor.

  2 Bloomsbury and Islington merged in September 1990.

  Nursery and Child Care
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations she has received about the impact of the Children Act 1989 on private sector nursery and child care provision; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Yeo
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Fulham (Mr. Carrington) on 11 January at columns 604–05. In 1992 we replied to over 300 representations from hon. Members about the impact of the Children Act on private and voluntary providers of day nurseries, playgroups, out of school clubs and holiday schemes and on childminders.

  Psychiatric Hospitals
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether she will list(a) which psychiatric hospitals and units have been sold since April 1990, (b) the value of the sales and (c) the purchasers of each hospital or unit.

  Mr. Sackville
  The management of the national health service estate and the disposal of surplus assets has been delegated to health authorities and trusts. The information requested is therefore not available centrally.

  NHS Trusts
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what obligation is laid on each newly-established NHS trust to establish an inventory of physical assets; and if she will make a statement.
  720
  Tower Hamlets, (h) West Lambeth, (i) Lewisham and North Southwark and (j) England at the latest available date.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The table shows the number of notifications received to the addicts index by the Home Office from doctors during 1991 (the latest year for which figures for district health authorities are available centrally), and the number expressed as a rate per million population.

  The addicts index includes only those drug addicts who are notifiable under the terms of the Misuse of Drugs (Notification and Supply to Addicts) Regulations 1973. This covers 14 controlled drugs, mainly opiates and cocaine, which are specified in the regulations.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  There is no specific obligation but trusts have to draw up inventories for two practical reasons, one as part of the system of transferring assets from a health authority to a national health service trust and the other for valuation purposes to facilitate the assessment of the trusts' originating capital debt.

  GP Fund Holders
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the general practices which are fund holding in the Leeds area.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The management of the general practitioner fund holding scheme in Leeds is the responsibility of the Yorkshire regional health authority. The hon. Member may wish to contact the chairman, Sir Bryan Askew, for details.

  Hypothermia
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many deaths from hypothermia took place in each region in 1992 among(a) men aged 65 years and over and (b) women aged 60 years and over.

  Mr. Sackville
  The information requested will not be available before the end of April 1993.

  Hospital Deaths
  Mr. Loyden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the procedure for the issuing of a death certificate to bereaved families in cases when the death occurs in hospital; and if she will make a statement.
  721
  Dr. Mawhinney
  The medical certificate of cause of death is issued by the doctor who attended the patient whilst in hospital or, if this is not possible, by Her Majesty's coroner. Departmental guidance suggests that hospitals should provide written local instructions, and appropriate training, to help staff advise bereaved families on such issues as collection of death and cremation certificates, registration of death and cases which require referral to the coroner.

  Joint Consultative Committees
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what guidance has been issued to joint consultative committees in respect of implementing community care policies;

  (2) what roles joint consultative committees will fulfil in the future operation of health and community care management;

  (3) what guidance has been issued governing the make up of the joint consultative committees in areas where opt out hospitals, purchasing authorities and health authorities co-exist;

  (4) what steps she plans to improve joint planning and joint working arrangements between local authorities and health care providers;

  (5) if joint consultative committees' rules and responsibility are uniform throughout England and Wales; and if she will make a statement;

  (6) what steps she proposes to avoid duplication of
  722
  function between health provider and local authority joint consultative committee arrangements and other management mechanisms for health and community care delivery.

  Mr. Yeo
  The community care reforms introduce new incentives and requirements for joint planning and working between health and local authorities both for purchasers and providers. Detailed guidance has been issued to authorities to enable them to develop their arrangements.

  The policy guidance issued in 1990, which followed up the White Paper "Caring for People", made it clear that authorities should find the framework for developing joint planning and joint working which best suited them. Joint consultative committees will continue to advise health authorities and local authorities on the planning and operation of services which are of common concern to both. Their functions include making recommendations for payments by health authorities in connection with community care and other projects promoted by local authorities and other bodies.

  The statutory provisions relating to joint consultative committees including their composition are set out in Sections 22 and 28A of the National Health Service Act 1977 and in the Joint Consultative Committees Order 1985 (SI 1985 No. 305) which have effect in England and Wales. Recent guidance concerning joint consultative committees and their functions has been issued in circulars HSG(92)43 and LAC(92)17. Copies of all these documents are available in the Library.

NATIONAL HERITAGE

  Battersea Power Station
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage when officials from English Heritage last inspected Battersea power station.

  Mr. Brooke
  An inspection took place on 7 October. A further inspection is being arranged and is likely to take place next month.

  B Sky B
  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he has anything to add to his oral answer of 7 December 1992 regarding the market share of B Sky B,Official Report, columns 584–85.

  Mr. Brooke
  No.

  Concessionary TV Licences
  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage (1) what recent representations have been received by his Department from local authorities and others regarding the concessionary television licence fee;

  (2) what representations have been received regarding the disparity of treatment for concessionary television licences for pensioners who moved into accommodation before and after May 1988.

  Mr. Brooke
  I have received 108 letters from right hon. and hon. Members, 12 from local authorities and 174 from members of the public about the concessionary television

  Description of item

  Valuation £

  Outcome

  A painting, 'Landscape with Ruth and Boaz', by Joseph Anton Koch

  343,000.00

  Export licence granted

  An illustrated book of carbon prints, 'Foochow and the River Min', by John Thomson (1873)

  26,200.00

  Purchased by the National Museum of Photography, Film and Television

  A drawing, 'A bearded man seated at a table', by Baccio Bandinelli

  50,000.00

  Export licence granted

  An ormolu and ivory mounted bureau cabinet, with marquetry of kingwood, by Pietro Piffetti, c.1770

  899,980.00

  Export licence granted

  A drawing, 'A peasant family going to market', by Thomas Gainsborough (late 1760s-early 1770s)

  357,600.00

  Purchased by Gainsborough's House

  Three albums of photographs by Bourne, Shepherd and Robertson, c.1870

  32,407.50

  Export licence refused

  An English 13th Century gold and sapphire mounted clasp

  45,000.00

  Decision deferred until after 22 February 1993

  Details of the items on which decisions were deferred were given in press notices issued at the time the reviewing committee's recommendations were accepted.

  Windsor Castle (Fire)
  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage on what criteria Sir Alan Bailey has been appointed to head the inquiry into the fire at Windsor castle; what are his qualifications; and what will be the scale and basis of his remuneration and expenses.
  724
  licence scheme. Some of these will have raised the effect of the preserved rights provisions of the 1988 regulations but separate figures are not readily available.

  Cable Franchise (Stockport)
  Mr. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will take steps to ensure the cable franchise for Stockport is proceeded with rapidly.

  Mr. Leigh
  I have been asked to reply.

  Responsibility for monitoring and, if appropriate, enforcing compliance with the build obligations contained in a cable operator's licence issued under the Telecommunications Act 1984 is a matter for the Director General of Telecommunications.

  Works of Art
  Mr. Faulds
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will list the items for which the issuing of export licences was withheld on the recommendation of the Reviewing Commitee on the Export of Works of Art during the half year ended 31 December 1992, specifying in each case the valuation and whether an item was exported or retained, with particulars in the latter event of the acquiring institution; whether he will list any items for which licences have been withheld but the final disposal of which is not yet decided, specifying in each case(a) the valuation and (b) the relevant time limit; and if a press notice will be issued by his Department covering the information given in his reply, including that relating to the outcome in individual cases.

  Mr. Brooke
  [holding answer 19 January 1993]: The information is as follows:

  Mr. Key
  [holding answer 25 January 1993]: Sir Alan Bailey has been appointed to chair the inquiry into the adequacy of fire protection measures at all the royal palaces for which the Department of National Heritage has financial responsibility. His professional experience as a senior civil servant fits appropriately with the requirement for this inquiry, as others, to bring together, analyse, assess, and advise on, the variety of issues involved. In particular, Sir Alan, as Permanent Secretary at the Department of Transport, was closely involved in

  725
  the response to the recommendations of the Fennell inquiry following the Kings Cross fire. Sir Alan will be paid on a daily fee basis of £398 plus expenses.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

  Serjeant at Arms Residence
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Chairman of the Accommodation and Works Committee if he will make a statement on the policy adopted towards the removal of panelling from the former residence of the Serjeant at Arms in Speakers Court as part of the conversion process to offices; what was the decision-taking authority for such removals; and how such panelling has been disposed of.

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

  Doorkeepers
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the right hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed, representing the House of Commons Commission, if he will make a statement on the implementation of the review of doorkeepers' responsibilities; and if the Commission will carry out a review of hours worked by doorkeepers.

  Mr. Beith
  The House of Commons Commission approved the recommendations of the Board of Management on the report of the staff inspector on the Doorkeeper grades on 9 December 1991. The recommendations did not cover doorkeepers' responsibilities as such, although they did propose changes concerning their manning levels. Subsequently detailed discussions were held between management and trade union representatives and agreement was reached on the implementation of the staff inspector's review.

  The agreement included a reduction in manning levels, to be achieved by natural wastage over a period of time. I understand this has still some way to go. It also made provision for close monitoring of the working hours of doorkeepers, particularly if and when the House sat very late on frequent occasions. The Commission has asked the Serjeant to keep working patterns of doorkeepers under review, and has received no representations from him that the manning reductions are not working satisfactorily. Until the full implementation of the recommended reductions has been achieved, it does not seem appropriate to carry out a further review.

PRIME MINISTER

  India
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will make it his policy during his visit to India to raise the matter of the conditions under which India would join the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.

  Mr. Newton
  I have been asked to reply.

  During his visit my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, has discussed with Prime Minister Rao the attitude of the Indian Government towards the treaty on the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, and has emphasised the importance we attach to universal membership of the treaty.

  Machine Tools (Iraq)
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Amber Valley (Mr. Oppenheim), of 11 January,Official Report, column 555, what information he has on the sale of machine tools from Germany to Iraq in 1987, 1988 and 1989, based on the standard international trade classification.

  Mr. Newton
  I have been asked to reply.

  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade to the hon. Member for Newcastle upon Tyne, Central (Mr. Cousins) on 26 January.

  Genetically Modified Material
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Prime Minister which Department has the responsibility for the licensing and control of premises using genetically modified material for research, development and production purposes for industrial, medical or educational uses.

  Mr. Newton
  I have been asked to reply.

  The Secretary of State for Employment has responsibility for the Genetic Manipulation Regulations 1989, which require all those intending to use premises for the first time for genetic modification work to notify the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Notification requirements also apply to the subsequent activities involving genetic modification.

  A range of additional requirements, which are the responsibility of a number of Departments, apply to specific products which may be genetically modified. The products include medicines, plant pathogens, food additives, veterinary medicines and agricultural pesticides.

  Correspondence
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Prime Minister when he expects to provide a substantive reply to the letter sent to him by Mr. Barrington of Clist road, Bettws, Newport, on 30 November 1992.

  Mr. Newton
  I have been asked to reply.

  A reply was sent by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister's office on 10 December 1992. A reply to the hon. Member's constituent's letter of 13 January 1993 will be sent in due course.

  Iraq
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will seek time at the United Nations for reconsideration of sanctions against Iraq.

  Mr. Newton
  [holding answer 26 January 1993]: I have been asked to reply.

  The Security Council reviews sanctions against Iraq every 60 days in compliance with United Nations Security Council resolution 687.

  The most recent review meeting took place on 25 January at which the Security Council concluded that conditions did not exist for the modification or lifting of sanctions against Iraq.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION

  International Rescue Corps
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what financial and other support he gives to the international rescue operation dealing with the immediate aftermath of natural catastrophes; and if he will meet their representatives to discuss a programme to assist them.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  The International Rescue Corps is an independent organisation which has not sought financial assistance since September 1989 when ODA funds were provided to move an IRC team to Montserrat after Hurricane Hugo. ODA regularly offers assistance through our embassies in clarifying IRC's status and bona fides when it is aware IRC services are being offered to an overseas country. ODA and IRC officials are in frequent contact.

  Baltic States
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what new proposals he has to extend the use of the know-how funds to the Baltic states.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  We are considering a range of new proposals within our priority sectors, which are food processing and distribution, financial services, small business creation and energy.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

  Chartermark Awards
  Ms. Mowlam
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will commission the National Accreditation Council for Certification Bodies to examine the Government's running of the Chartermark award scheme.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  I have no plans at present to involve the National Accreditation Council for Certification Bodies in the accreditation of the Chartermark scheme.

  Following the 1992 scheme, MORI was commissioned to carry out an independent review of the Chartermark scheme to find out reactions to the scheme, and to highlight any areas where improvements could be made for future years. MORI concluded its research at the end of November and its findings have been used in devising the 1993 Chartermark scheme; details of which will be published next month.

  Citizens Charters
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list and summarise briefly each of the initial commitments in the citizens charters which are environmental standards or targets; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  The citizens charter commitment to high quality services also extends to a clean and safe environment—for example:

  Explanatory guides on "Green Rights and Responsibilities" have been published in England,
  728
  Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. These explain citizens' rights and responsibilities on environmental issues; and offer guidance on how to complain if standards are not being met.

  Under the council tenants charter all local authorities are expected to publish a statement advising tenants how their individual councils deal with environmental nuisances, such as graffiti and noisy parties.

  In addition the Government intend to publish a local environment charter in the spring which will detail citizens, rights to high environmental standards from their local authority.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Correspondence
  Mr. Oppenheim
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he expects to reply to the letter of 23 October 1992 from the hon. Member for Amber Valley about redundancy arrangements for miners.

  Mr. Eggar
  I replied to my hon. Friend on 25 January.

  Chemical Weapons
  Mr. Robin Cook
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what examination he has given to whether the United Kingdom national authority under the chemical weapons convention will require additional powers in order to examine work and scientific research in the chemical industry.

  Mr. Heseltine
  The United Kingdom national authority will not have the role of verifying compliance with the chemical weapons convention, and it will therefore not require powers to examine work and scientific research in the chemical industry. Verification will be the responsibility of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), an international body to be set up under the United Nations' auspices. Primary legislation will be required to allow the OPCW to verify compliance in the United Kingdom.

  Coal Industry
  Mr. Cummings
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will ensure that British Coal provides recent analysis of reserves at Vane Tempest and Easington collieries to companies charged by his Department to investigate current reserves under the terms of the energy review.

  Mr. Eggar
  As part of the coal review, Boyds have undertaken assessments of the viability of each of the 21 pits included in the coal review, including Easington. Their report was published on 22 January.

  British Coal provided Boyds with recent information on coal reserves at each of the pits concerned, for use in this work. I understand that British Coal is providing similar information to Boyds for use in the assessment we have commissioned from them of the 10 pits currently the subject of consultation, which includes Vane Tempest.

  Nuclear Industry
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what recent meeting he has had with the chairman or other officials of British Nuclear Fuels plc to discuss the present and future financing of Sellafield.

  Mr. Eggar
  I meet the chairman and other board members of British Nuclear Fuels plc from time to time and discuss a range of matters on these occasions. The question of financing the company's business, both at Sellafield and elsewhere, is considered in the context of BNFL's corporate plan.

  Miners' Redundancy Payments
  Mr. Cummings
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what effect the extension of the consultation period will have upon the guarantees applied to redundancy payments for miners at the 10 pits currently undergoing the 90-day statutory consultation period.

  Mr. Eggar
  None. The current redundancy terms will remain available throughout the consultation period.

  Endangered Species
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make it his policy to prohibit the import into the United Kingdom of all species defined as endangered or threatened under the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.

  Mr. Needham
  No. The principal instrument for the regulation of international trade in wildlife species is the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). However, in considering proposals to bring further species within the scope of CITES controls, the Government would take account of any designations made by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature together with any other relevant scientific information.

  Membrane Technology
  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what reasons underlay his refusal of a grant of £150,000 to the Coal Research Establishment for the development of membrane technology for the clean burning of coal.

  Mr. Eggar
  My Department has considered a proposal from the Coal Research Establishment of the British Coal

  G6 and Swiss exports of machine tools to Iraq 1985–1990

  US$ 000s

  USA

  Japan

  France

  Germany

  Italy

  Switzerland

  United Kingdom

  1990

  728.1

  0

  0

  0

  2,124

  1,270

  578

  570

  731

  537

  645

  1,279

  22,209

  2,783

  7,666

  8,278

  733

  5,891

  911

  499

  6,992

  1,070

  2,762

  246

  735

  2,377

  39

  1,331

  6,286

  10,824

  1,743

  2,955

  TOTAL

  8,805

  1,595

  3,109

  37,611

  15,947

  12,749

  12,049

  1989

  728.1

  43

  N/A

  61

  1,530

  1,601

  69

  991

  731

  2,272

  2,816

  609

  57,486

  1,545

  20,505

  18,990

  733

  1,857

  2,268

  1,385

  18,948

  6,890

  3,375

  1,208

  735

  7,080

  451

  2,637

  20,007

  4,391

  13,203

  3,138

  TOTAL

  11,252

  5,535

  4,692

  97,971

  14,427

  37,152

  24,327

  730
  Corporation for development of membrane technology for the separation of hydrogen from carbon dioxide, as a method of capturing carbon dioxide formed during the combustion of coal or other fuels. It was concluded that in advance of the results of a major study which includes an assessment of a range of technical options for separation of carbon dioxide, it would be inappropriate for my Department to fund development work on one particular approach. The £1.8 million major study (involving 14 countries and the Commission of the European Community) is being carried out under the auspices of the International Energy Agency, with British Coal as the operating agent. My Department and British Coal took the lead in setting up this study, and National Power and PowerGen are also participating.

  Uruguay Round
  Mr. Fry
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will take steps to ensure a fairer international trade environment for the British and other European Community footwear manufacturing industries before the conclusion of the Uruguay round of GATT negotiations.

  Mr. Needham
  We and our Community partners fully support the objectives of the Uruguay round of multilateral trade negotiations in GATT, which include the specific aim of the reduction or elimination by all participants of high tariffs and non-tariff measures.

  The European Commission negotiates for the Community in GATT. It has details of all the concerns expressed to us by the United Kingdom footwear industry, and these have been carefully taken into account in the formulation of the Community's position in the negotiations.

  Iraq (Machine Tools)
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his answer of 11 January to the hon. Member for Amber Valley (Mr. Oppenheim) at column 555, if he will supply the corresponding information about the export of machine tools to Iraq in(a) 1985, (b) 1986 and (c)

  Mr. Needham
  [holding answer 18 January 1993]: For ease of reference the information requested for the major countries supplying machine tools to Iraq from 1985 to 1990 is set out as follows:
  731

  USA

  Japan

  France

  Germany

  Italy

  Switzerland

  United Kingdom

  1988

  728·1

  168

  504

  111

  832

  1,287

  550

  529

  731

  N/A

  77

  239

  59,372

  10,920

  21,772

  53,951

  733

  N/A

  1,627

  5,922

  34,316

  7,306

  594

  2,160

  735

  N/A

  263

  4,711

  21,166

  2,754

  20,497

  6,436

  TOTAL

  168

  2,471

  10,983

  115,686

  22,267

  43,413

  63,076

  1987

  728.1

  116

  39

  63

  135

  208

  55

  359

  7361

  33

  1,991

  1,161

  16,740

  5,244

  13,871

  5,130

  TOTAL

  149

  2,030

  1,224

  16,875

  5,432

  13,926

  5,489

  1986

  728.1

  294

  15

  117

  674

  1,040

  10

  334

  7361

  267

  3,054

  812

  7,886

  1,358

  3,176

  2,078

  TOTAL

  561

  3,069

  929

  8,560

  2,398

  3,186

  2,412

  1985

  728.1

  510

  56

  483

  464

  1,323

  18

  137

  7361

  50

  2,903

  3,915

  10,578

  3,090

  3,902

  5,249

  TOTAL

  560

  2,959

  4,398

  11,042

  4,413

  3,920

  5,386

  Code

  Description

  728.1

  Machine tools specialised for particular industries.

  731

  Machine tools operated by laser or other light beam process.

  733

  Forgoing or die-stamping machines (inc. presses)and hammers.

  735

  Tools holders and self-opening dieheads.

  736

  Metal working machine tools.

  1SITC Rev 2—Replaced by codes 731, 733 and 735 from 1988 onwards.

  Manufacturing Industry
  Mr. Nicholas Winterton
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement outlining those steps which have been taken by his Department since 9 April 1992 specifically to assist the United Kingdom manufacturing industry; and what future action he intends to take to assist manufacturing industry.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  [holding answer 26 January 1993]: My right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade, my ministerial colleagues and I have ensured that manufacturing industry's concerns are fully taken into account across the full range of the Government's decisions, and we shall continue to do so.

  Particular initiatives since 9 April have included:
  the re-organisation of the DTI so as to relate more closely to individual sectors of industry and facilitate an informed dialogue between Government and industry, and the creation of a unit on industrial competitiveness;
  the launch of the one-stop shops competition, where bids are due by noon on 29 January;
  the strengthening of DTI's support for exporters including recruiting 100 export promoters from the private sector;
  the launch of the Business in Europe campaign;
  steering the single market to completion;
  a full and active part in working for an early and successful completion of the Uruguay round of trade talks;
  a further £700 million of ECGD cover;
  co-ordination across Whitehall of the enhanced deregulation initiative to identify and remove unnecessary burdens on business; and
  numerous specific individual decisions and actions have also been taken in the light of the Government's interest in manufacturing industry.

  The Government fully appreciate the part played by manufacturing industry in securing the United Kingdom's long-term prosperity.

  Nuclear Installations
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans he has to improve the off-site emergency plan regulations for areas adjacent to nuclear installations.

  Mr. Eggar
  [holding answer 25 January 1993]: My right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade, together with the Secretary of State for Scotland, has responsibility for the proposed Off-Site Emergency Plan (Licensed Nuclear Installations) Regulations. Following the Health and Safety Commission's consultations, consideration is being given to possible changes. I await HSC's advice on the matter.

  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what communications have been sent to local authorities from his Department concerning changes to the detailed emergency planning zones in areas adjacent to nuclear installations.

  Mr. Eggar
  [holding answer 25 January 1993]: There have been no recent changes in detailed emergency planning zones or resulting communications with local authorities. These zones are however kept under continuous review by HSE's HMNII as part of the licensing process for nuclear installations. I understand that HSE will set out the existing arrangements in the guidance to accompany the proposed Off-Site Emergency Plan (Licenced Nuclear Installations) Regulations.

  Hinckley Point A
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans he has to introduce new safety regulations following the decision to re-license Hinckley Point A Magnox reactor.

  Mr. Eggar
  [holding answer 25 January 1993]: I am informed by the Health and Safety Executive's Nuclear

  733
  Installations Inspectorate (NII) that there is no specific requirement to re-licence or introduce new safety regulations at Hinckley Point A. However, following assessment of Nuclear Electric's (NE) long term safety review of Hinckley Point A the NII agreed (in December 1991) that the station could continue in operation up to 30 years (ie 1995) subject to completion of the programme of work specified in its assessment and compliance with NII safety requirements.

  British Coal
  Mr. Tipping
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what budget provisions exist in the financial year 1993–94 to extend British Coal's present enhanced redundancy scheme.

  Mr. Eggar
  [holding answer 26 January 1993]: It was announced at the time of the autumn statement that a provisional external finance limit of £1,900 million had been set for British Coal for 1993–94. The limit will be re-assessed in the light of the outcome of the coal review but the provisional increase of £1,400 million above previous plans for 1993–94 reflects provision being made on a prudent basis for higher restructuring and/or operating costs than previously assumed, including payments under the terms of British Coal's present redundancy scheme.

  Criminal Liability (Companies)
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans he has to introduce legislation to extend the circumstances in which a company may be held criminally liable for the acts of its officers.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton

  [holding answer 26 January 1993]: I have no plans to introduce such legislation.

  Industrial Innovation Support
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the funding of the club research and development programme; and what proportion of funding for industrial innovation support schemes remains uncommitted(a) for the remainder of the present financial year and (b) for the year 1993–94.

  Mr. Leigh
  [holding answer 14 January 1993]: Club research and development is one of a number of forms of collaboration accepted by the Department of Trade and Industry when providing financial assistance towards innovative research and development carried out by companies. It caters for collaborative efforts where one organisation undertakes the work on behalf of a number of others who contribute to the costs. It does not constitute a scheme on which separate expenditure figures are collected.

  Research and Development
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will publish a list of each research and development scheme grant-aided through the Club research and development scheme, the LINK scheme, the SMART—small firms merit award for research and technology—scheme and the SPUR—support for products under research—scheme.
  734
  Mr. Leigh
  [holding answer 15 January 1993]: The Department's schemes for supporting industrial R and D are: LINK, EUREKA, advanced technology programmes (ATP), general industrial collaborative programmes (including Club research and development), technology transfer, SMART and SPUR.

  Further support for industrial R and D is available from the SPACE budget, energy budgets, and civil aircraft and aeroengine research and demonstration budget (CARAD).

WALES

  Mental Illness
  Mr. Richards
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what resources are allocated for the support and treatment of those who suffer from schizophrenia.

  Mr. Richards
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what resources are available to provide support for Alzheimer victims and their families; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  It is not possible to separately identify resources allocated to schizophrenia or to the support of people with Alzheimer's Disease and their families. An estimated £211 million is being spent on mental illness services in Wales and an additional £6.3 million is available this year through the mental illness strategy. The Welsh Office is also making available some £110,000 to enable the National Schizophrenia Fellowship to operate in Wales and some £26,000 similarly for the Alzheimer's Disease Society.

  Secondary School Places, Mid-Glamorgan
  Mr. Rowlands
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what estimate is available to his Department of the number of secondary school places required in Mid-Glamorgan in each school year between now and 2000; and what is the existing number of places.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  I currently have no forward estimates of the number of secondary school places required by local authorities. However, the Education Bill includes proposals which would require local authorities and the Schools Funding Council to review school provision annually and to report the results to my right hon. Friend.

  My current estimate of the number of places in maintained secondary schools in Mid Glamorgan is 43,308.

  Mr. Richards
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many known Alzheimer sufferers live in Wales.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  Alzheimer's disease is often indistinguishable during life from other forms of dementia. The estimated number of dementia sufferers in Wales is 29,000.

  Citizen's Advice Bureaux Budgets
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will increase his allocation of cash to local authorities in Wales for funding of citizen's advice bureaux budgets; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The local authority revenue settlement covers all local authority expenditure. It is for individual
  735
  authorities to decide how to apportion those resources between and within services in accordance with their statutory obligations and their own priorities. I will shortly be presenting my final proposals for the 1993–94 settlement for the approval of the House.

  Schools (Surplus Places)
  Mr. Rowlands
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the latest estimate of the number of surplus places in(a) primary and (b) secondary schools in Mid Glamorgan; and on what basis such estimates are made.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  My estimate of surplus school places (as at 1 January 1991) for Mid Glamorgan is shown as follows:

  Primary

  13,416

  Secondary

  7,409

  The data is based on information provided by the local authority, and is currently being updated.

  HIV
  Mr. Richards
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many children were born HIV positive in Wales in each year since 1980.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  Since reporting of HIV/AIDS began in 1984, 10 children have been reported from Wales as born to an HIV infected mother, three in 1989, two in 1990, three in 1991 and two in 1992. In two of the 10, one of whom has developed AIDS, HIV infection has been established, and another two have been shown to be uninfected. The infection status for the remaining six is unknown as it is not yet possible to determine whether these children are infected or whether their seropositivity is due to passive transfer of maternal antibody.

  Schools (Excluded Pupils)
  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many local education authorities have schools with conditional re-entry agreements as a means of re-admitting excluded pupils to schools; and what assessment he has made of their effectiveness.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  This information is not available centrally.

  Elton Report
  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many local education authorities have formal systems of communication within their schools and between schools and parents, governors, their communities and outside agencies, as recommended in the Elton report on discipline in schools; what percentage of schools have such systems of communication; and to what extent they meet the standards expected by his Department.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  This information is not available centrally.

  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what consideration he has given to the need for further legislation to clarify the legal basis of teachers' authority referred to in the Elton report on discipline in schools.
  736
  Sir Wyn Roberts
  None. The position of teachers is sufficiently safeguarded by existing legislation.

  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made, following the Elton report on discipline in schools, of the equitable distribution of teaching and other resources across the ability range in schools and of how local education authorities are taking this recommendation into account when funding schools.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  No assessment has been made of these matters.

  School Governors
  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many local education authorities provide regular training courses for school governors which meet the standards expected by his Department.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  All local education authorities provide training courses for school governors. The content of these courses is primarily a matter for the authority concerned. The Department has not set down standards in connection with such training.

  Teaching Hours
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the length of the school teaching day.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  The length of the school day is a matter for school governing bodies. Current advice on this and related issues are contained in Welsh Office Circular 43/90 "Management of the School Day" a copy of which is in the Library of the House.

  Educational Psychologists
  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many local education authorities have developed working relationships between schools and educational psychologists to provide advice on the management of behaviour in groups and in schools as a whole which meet with the standards expected by his Department.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  This information is not available centrally.

  Local Authority Borrowing
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list for each of the boroughs and districts the borrowing limit for householders for 1991–92, 1992–93 and 1993–94, giving the increase or decrease as a percentage.

  Mr. David Hunt
  Details of Welsh local authorities' annual borrowing are not held centrally. The Local Government and Housing Act 1989 and regulations specify the sources from which each local authority may borrow and set parameters for temporary and longer term borrowing. The legislation requires the authority to determine annually the cash figure within which its borrowing is to be kept and the extent to which that may come from short term loans and from variable interest borrowing.

  School Management
  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many local education authorities have schools which take formal account of ascertaining the views of pupils on matters relating to school management; and whether these arrangements meet the standards expected by his Department.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  This information is not available centrally.

  Schools (Police Liaison Projects)
  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what steps he has taken to monitor the way in which local education authorities have assessed the number of schools in their areas which would particularly benefit from school-police liaison projects; and what percentage of such schools in each local education authority have these projects.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  The Education (No. 2) Act 1986 requires governing bodies to report annually to parents on steps taken to strengthen links with the community, including the police. Generally, I would expect them to foster good relationships with their local police force.

  Education Targets
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make it his policy to establish national education and training targets for Wales to cover(a) foundation and (b) lifetime learning.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The national education and training targets, proposed by the CBI and others, have been endorsed by the Government. I shall be sending a letter today to education, training and employers' organisations throughout Wales emphasising the importance of the targets to the Welsh economy. My letter declares the need for Wales to sustain an ambitious rate of progress towards the Great Britain targets, and explains that I shall be encouraging progress and reviewing the position annually. A copy of my letter is being placed in the Library of the House.

  Engineering and Technology Courses
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the courses on engineering and technology available within each university college in Wales indicating the number of applicants for each course in each of the last five years.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  The Department does not collect information on the applicants to courses for the University of Wales.

  However, this information can be found in the guide "University Entrance" produced by the Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals of the Universities of the United Kingdom from information supplied by the Universities Central Council on Admissions (UCCA), a copy of which is in the Library of the House.

  Partnership Sourcing Initiatives
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the partnership sourcing initiatives currently established involving companies from Wales.
  738
  Mr. David Hunt
  This information is not readily available but the Welsh Development Agency administer a major relevant intiative known as Source Wales.

  Counselling Skills
  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many LEAs have provided courses on basic counselling skills in the last two years; what information he has on the percentage of staff in each LEA which have been on such courses; and what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of such courses.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  In the academic year 1991–92 nineteen counselling-related courses were run by colleges in seven local authorities in Wales. This is the latest year for which information is available.

  No information is available centrally about the percentage of LEA staff which have been on such courses or about their effectiveness.

  Rail Privatisation
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the representations he has received from individuals and organisations in Wales in support of the Government's rail privatisation proposals.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  There has been a fair degree of interest in the franchising of services in Wales but no details can be provided, for reasons of commercial confidentiality.

  Grant-maintained Schools
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list those schools in Wales which have(a) balloted parents in pursuit of grant-maintained status, (b) received approval to pursue grant-maintained status from such a ballot and (c) been granted grant-maintained status.

  Mr. David Hunt
  Fifteen schools have held a ballot of parents. They are:

  i. Primary Schools

  Cefnpennar Infants, Mid Glamorgan

  Llanerfyl, Powys

  Caergeiliog, Gwynedd

  Derwen, Clwyd

  Penybryn, Clwyd

  ii. Secondary Schools

  Queens, Gwent

  Cwmcarn, Gwent

  Bishop Vaughan, West Glamorgan

  Gowerton, West Glamorgan

  Olchfa, West Glamorgan

  Brynmawr, Gwent

  Emrys ap Iwan, Clwyd (twice)

  Maelor, Clwyd

  Stanwell, South Glamorgan

  John Beddoes, Powys

  I refer the hon. Gentleman to my right hon. Friend the Minister of State's reply of 19 January 1993 to the hon. Member for Alyn and Deeside (Mr. Jones), Official Report, columns. 193–94, for details of those schools where the ballot was in favour of seeking grant-maintained status and of those schools whose proposals have been approved by my right hon. Friend.

  Municipal Waste Water Directive
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he expects to publish a list of the sensitive areas defined under the European municipal waste water directive.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  Under the terms of the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive member states must identify sensitive areas by 31 December 1993.

EDUCATION

  Higher Education
  Mr. Rooker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will make a statement outlining the mechanism by which tuition fees for students in higher education institutions are transferred from his Department via local authorities to the institutions, setting out the costs involved, and time scale of payments; and if he will estimate the moneys outstanding to the institutions at the latest available date.

  Mr. Boswell
  The Education (Mandatory Awards) Regulations specify the tuition fees to be paid by local education authorities on behalf of award-holding students. For most courses, the regulations require the fees to be paid promptly in termly instalments by specified dates or within one month of the receipt of a valid request for payment, whichever is the later. For academic year 1992–93, the specified dates are 10 December 1992, 10 February 1993 and 30 April 1993, and the total amount of fees payable is estimated to be nearly £1,590 million. Information is not routinely collected by the Department on the amounts of any fees outstanding at a particular date.

  The Department reimburses the whole of authorities' mandatory awards payments, under section 209 of the Education Reform Act 1988. Specific grant is paid to authorities in termly instalments for the fee elements, shortly before each specified date. The Department's administrative costs are met from within its overrall running cost provision. Authorities bear their own administrative costs. No current estimate is available of the administrative costs attributable to the payment of fees.

  Mr. Rooker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to his answer of 7 December 1992,Official Report, column 477, if he will make a statement on the reasons why he has not been able to publish an updated version of the table in annex 2 of "Higher Education: A New Framework" (Cm 1541), setting out projections of home student numbers in Great Britain.

  Mr. Boswell
  The Government's policy, as set out at the time of the autumn statement, is to maintain the current record level of participation by young people in higher education over the next three years. The figures given by my predecessor, my hon. Friend the Member for Carshalton and Wallington (Mr. Forman) in his reply of 7 December 1992 at column 477 are consistent with that. Progress to a participation rate of one in three by 2000 will be at a rate determined in future public expenditure rounds.

  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to his answers of 20 January,Official
  740
  Report, columns 280–82, if he will list institutions not referred to in his answers which are funded by the Polytechnics and Colleges Funding Council or Universities Funding Council together with the authorities which are authorised to award (a) degrees for higher courses and (b) degrees for research courses which commenced in September 1992 at those institutions.

  Mr. Boswell
  The following institutions, all of which are funded by the Polytechnics and Colleges Funding Council, were not referred to in my reply of 20 January—Official Report, columns 280–81.

  Bishop Grosseteste College

  Bretton Hall

  Buckinghamshire College of Higher Education

  Camborne School of Mines

  Central School of Speech and Drama

  Chester College of Higher Education

  Christ Church College of Higher Education

  College of Ripon and York St. John

  College of St. Mark and St. John

  Dartington College of Arts

  Edge Hill College of Higher Education

  Falmouth School of Art and Design

  Harper Adams Agricultural College

  Homerton College

  Kent Institute of Art and Design

  King Alfred's College

  La Sainte Union College of Higher Education

  Liverpool Institute of Higher Education

  Loughborough College of Art and Design

  Nene College, Northampton

  Newman College

  North Riding College

  Ravensbourne College of Design and Communication

  Roehampton Institute of Higher Education

  Rose Bruford College of Speech and Drama

  Royal Northern College of Music

  Royal Academy of Music

  Salford College of Technology

  Southampton Institute of Higher Education

  St. Martin's College

  St. Mary's College

  The London Institute

  Trinity and All Saints' College, Horsforth

  Trinity College of Music

  West London Institute of Higher Education

  West Sussex Institute of Higher Education

  Westhill College

  Westminster College

  Winchester School of Art

  Worcester College of Higher Education

  The Secretary of State publishes a list of recognised degree awarding bodies in The Education (Recognised Bodies) Order. Bodies listed in that order are authorised to award degrees in relation to any of the above institutions. The Education (Recognised Bodies) Order is currently being revised and we expect it to be re-issued by the end of February.

  Dronfield School
  Mr. Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he will be acknowledging and replying to the letter of 3 January from the hon. Member for Derbyshire, North-East headed Dronfield school.

  Mr. Forth
  A fully reply has now been sent. The Department has not called for a report on the ballot at Dronfield. Any correspondence which the Department considers requires the comments of the governors will be sent to the chairman of governors for comment.

  Primary Education, Brent
  Mr. Boateng
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will carry out an investigation into primary school education in the London borough of Brent.

  Mr. Forth
  My right hon. Friend has no plans to carry out such an investigation.

  Mr. Boateng
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what representations he has received from Brent primary schools head teachers as to the adequacy of the budget from Brent council for the education service in Brent in 1993–94; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Forth
  My right hon. Friend has received a small number of such representations. Brent council is solely responsible for determining its education budget, and within that total, the proportion of resources allocated to primary schools.

  University Education
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will give details of the charges made for the last five years to those applying through Universities Central Council on Admissions for university education; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Boswell
  The application fees (including VAT) charged by UCCA to those applying for admission to universities for the last five academic years are as follows:

  Application Fee

  Year of Admission

  £6

  1989–90

  £6

  1990–91

  £6

  1991–92

  £7

  1992–93

  £7

  1993–94

  UCCA is to merge with PCAS later this year to establish a joint admission system to be called the universities and colleges admissions service (UCAS). The application fee for admission in 1994–95 has yet to be determined.

  Nursery Education
  Mrs. Currie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will list for each local education authority in England in rank order(a) the number of nursery school places per 1,000 population and (b) the spending on nursery school places per 1,000 population.

  Mr. Forth
  Information on the expenditure on nursery places or on the numbers of nursery places available is not collected centrally. I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that I gave on 21 January 1993 to the hon. Member for Wallsend (Mr. Byers) at column 353, on the latest available information on the numbers of pupils in nursery classes and schools in each local education authority, expressed as rates per 100 population aged three and four.

EMPLOYMENT

  Health and Safety
  Ms. Quin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if she will make a statement on Government policy towards the proposed Council regulation establishing a European agency for safety and health at work and the location of such an agency.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The United Kingdom believes that the European Community has an important role in disseminating best practice on health and safety in areas such as risk assessment, new health and safety techniques, research and the impact of Community legislation. A wide range of views was expressed at the Labour and Social Affairs Council on 3 December 1992, which my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State chaired, as to whether it was desirable to establish a new agency to take this work forward or whether alternatively it could be pursued through existing institutions or bodies, through Community programmes, through intergovernmental co-operation or otherwise. There was no discussion of the location of a possible agency. The Government's view is that the case for such an agency has yet to be clearly demonstrated.

  Youth Training
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many eligible young people in Leeds have currently been unable to obtain a place on a youth training scheme.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  Information on the total number of young people eligible for youth training is not available. It is not, therefore, possible to say how many of this group are unable to obtain a place.

  Low Pay
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what were the levels of pay of the lowest decile of(a) male and (b) female workers in (i) Wales and (ii) England at the latest available date.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The information requested is published in part E of the 1992 New Earnings Survey, tables 116.2 and 116.3. A copy is available in the Library.

SCOTLAND

  Hospital Waiting Times
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what provisions are made within the citizens charter programme to ensure that the waiting times of outpatients is minimised.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  In accordance with the provisions of the patients charter all health boards introduced, with effect from 1 April 1992, local targets for waiting times for first appointments at outpatient clinics. Health boards are at present reviewing these targets with the objective of converting them into guarantees to take effect from 1 April 1993. The patients charter also included the commitment that patients should be seen within 30 minutes of the appointment time they have been given or should expect to receive an explanation for the delay and an idea of how much longer the wait is likely to be.

  Folk Music
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on his Department's policy on conserving, developing and promoting the cultural heritage of Scotland through folk music.

  Mr. Brooke
  I have been asked to reply.

  Support for Scottish folk music is the responsibility of the Scottish Arts Council. Since 1984 the council has provided annual revenue support for the Traditional Music and Song Association of Scotland. Financial assistance has also been given to a growing number of traditional music and folk festivals. This year, the sum allocated was £53,385.

  In addition, in 1992 the council established a traditional music development fund which, as well as supporting a number of education projects, supports the Greentrax Record Company which is re-releasing valuable traditional music source material. The fund totals £50,000.

  This year the council also provided financial support for Gaelic arts amounting to £73,880.

  Disabled Employees
  Mr. Elletson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many(a) physically disabled and (b) sensorily disabled people are employed in his Department; and what percentage they are of the total work force.

  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 14 December 1992]: There are currently 94 disabled staff employed by my Department, which represents 1.4 per cent. of the total work force. Of these, 78 are physically disabled and 16 sensorily disabled.

NATIONAL FINANCE

  Mortgage Interest
  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to introduce measures to compel mortgage lenders to renegotiate fixed interest rates arrangements with mortgagors.

  Mr. Nelson
  No. The terms on which mortgage lenders make loans are matters for their commercial judgment.

  Ministerial Cars
  Mr. Beith
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what special tax provisions apply to Ministers of the Crown in respect of(a) availability of a car for private use, (b) provision of a chauffeur in connection with a car made available for private use and (c) provision of any amount of petrol for private use of the car described in (a) above and in what aspects these provisions differ from that set out in chapters 11 and 15 of booklet 480, detailing the relevant statutory or extrastatutory concessions for Ministers of the Crown.

  Mr. Lamont
  There are no special tax provisions for cars, chauffeurs or fuel provided for Ministers of the Crown. They are subject to the same tax rules as employees generally.

  Competitive Tendering
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has had from business organisations representing health service and local authority private 744
  contractors to underwrite losses on contracts secured under compulsory competitive tendering legislation where the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 1981 were ruled to apply after the commencement of the contract; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Portillo
  I have received no representations on the matter. Contracting out has taken place for many years with no question of any losses being underwritten by the Exchequer.

  NHS Trusts
  Mr. Davidson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what reasons underlay his introduction of a new national accounts adjustment for NHS trusts' debt remuneration in table 2B.1 of his 1992 "Autumn Statement" (Cm 2096) and the treatment of hospital trusts as public corporations outside general Government; and if he will publish an analysis of this national accounts adjustment by the programmes for Health, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, together with the underlying calculations of interest payments on outstanding debt and of dividends on public dividend capital.

  Mr. Portillo
  The reasons are set out in paragraphs 2B.19 to 2B.23 of the 1992 "Autumn Statement" (Cm 2096). The forecasts of provision for debt interest and dividends are the responsibility of the individual health departments.

  Vehicle Excise Duty
  Mr. Simon Coombs
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received calling for a reduction in vehicle excise duty for commercial vehicles.

  Sir John Cope
  My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer has received a number of representations on this subject which he will consider carefully during the run up to the Budget.

  Investment
  Mr. Hain
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the amount for each year since 1979 invested in(a) property and (b) manufacturing industry; and what was the cumulative total over the period for each category, at constant prices.

  Mr. Portillo
  Estimates of manufacturing investment may be obtained from the Central Statistical Office database accessible through the House of Commons Library. Figures showing investment by the property sector are not available separately; these are combined on the CSO database with other industries in the financial sector.

  Value Added Tax
  Dr. Marek
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which countries in the EC impose a standard rate of VAT on books, newspapers and magazines.

  Sir John Cope
  Denmark is the only EC country to apply a standard rate of VAT to books and magazines. No EC country applies a standard rate of VAT to newspapers.

  Mr. Olner
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many businesses have been fined for late payment of VAT in each of the last four years; and how much revenue has been raised by the Treasury by these means.
  745
  Sir John Cope
  [holding answer 26 January 1993]: Information is held about the number of VAT default surcharge assessments issued but not of the number of businesses which have been surcharged which will be smaller, as a business may be surcharged more than once in any year. The available information is as follows:

  Number of surcharge assessments issued

  Number

  April 1988–March 1989

  426,000

  April 1989–March 1990

  415,000

  April 1990–March 1991

  451,000

  April 1991–March 1992

  490,000

  The amount of default surcharge paid in the period from 1 April 1988 to 31 March 1992 was £337 million.

  Textile Imports
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 20 January,Official Report, column 260, when he expects to make a determination of country of origin of the textile products imported by Dewhursts of Driffield which were held at port in December 1992.

  Sir John Cope
  Customs tell me that inquiries are continuing. I will therefore let the hon. Member have a full reply when matters are finalised.

  Departmental Returns
  Mr. Burns
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects the 1993 departmental reports to be published.

  Mr. Portillo
  Proposed publication dates for 1993 departmental reports are as follows:

  Date

  Statistical Supplement to the Autumn Statement

  Friday 29 January

  Department of Health and Office of Population Censuses and Surveys

  Tuesday 2 February

  Cabinet Office

  Wednesday 3 February

  Department for Education

  Tuesday 9 February

  Chancellor of the Exchequer's departments and net payments to EC institutions

  Tuesday 9 February

  Ministry of Defence

  Wednesday 10 February

  Foreign and Commonwealth Office (including ODA)

  Wednesday 10 February

  Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and Intervention Board

  Wednesday 10 February

  Home Office (including Charity Commission)

  Wednesday 10 February

  Department of the Environment

  Wednesday 10 February

  Department of Trade and Industry

  Wednesday 10 February

  Department of Employment

  Thursday 11 February

  Department of Social Security

  Thursday 11 February

  746

  Date

  Department of Transport

  Thursday 11 February

  Lord Chancellor's and Law Officers' departments

  Friday 12 February

  National Heritage

  Friday 12 February

  Scotland

  Friday 12 February

  Northern Ireland

  Friday 12 February

  Wales

  Monday 15 February

  Copies will be made available in the Vote Office.

  House Prices
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 10 December 1992,Official Report, column 777, if he will publish figures for the percentage change in regional house prices to earnings ratios in each region between the third quarter of 1992 and the third quarter of 1991.

  Mr. Nelson
  [holding answer 26 January 1993]: Information on average earnings is collected each April for both Great Britain and Northern Ireland through the new earnings survey. Until April 1992, quarterly data were not available. Since then, quarterly estimates for Great Britain have been produced by projecting the results of the April survey by the monthly average earnings index (AEI). There are no quarterly estimates for Northern Ireland because the AEI covers Great Britain only. The following table therefore only shows regional figures for the third quarter of 1992. For Great Britain as a whole, the average earnings to house price ratio was 3.89, some 9 per cent. lower than in the third quarter of 1991.

  Average house price to earnings ratio third quarter 1992

  Region

  Great Britain

  3·89

  North

  3·24

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  3·72

  East Midlands

  3·86

  East Anglia

  3·92

  South East

  Greater London

  3·79

  Rest of South East

  4·49

  South West

  4·28

  West Midlands

  3·93

  North West

  3·84

  England

  3·95

  Wales

  3·44

  Scotland

  3·43

  Industrial Investment
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what amounts of money have been invested in British manufacturing industry in cash and real terms in each year since 1979.

  Mr. Nelson
  [holding answer 26 January 1993]: Estimates of manufacturing investment at current and

  747
  constant prices may be obtained from the Central Statistical Office database accessible through the House of Commons Library.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the source of investment funds for British manufacturing industry in percentage terms from(a) banks, (b) the stock exchange, (c) self-generated and (d) other in each year since 1979.

  Mr. Nelson
  [holding answer 26 January 1993]: A statement of sources and uses of capital funds for all United Kingdom industrial and commercial companies is published in "Financial Statistics" table 8.2. Manufacturing companies are included in industrial and commercial companies but statements of sources and uses of capital funds for manufacturing companies, or for manufacturing industry, are not available.

  Mr. Nicholas Winterton
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the total level of industrial investment as a percentage of national output in each of the last 20 years for which figures are available.

  Mr. Nelson
  [holding answer 26 January 1993]: Estimates of industrial investment and of gross domestic product may be obtained from the Central Statistical Office database accessible through the House of Commons Library. Consistent information is available only from 1978.

  Inflation
  Mr. Nicholas Winterton
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer What information he has concerning the average level of inflation experienced by each member country of the European Community, by the United States of America, and by Japan, over the last five-year period for which figures are available; and if he will rank those countries by order of magnitude of the level of inflation.

  Mr. Nelson
  [holding answer 26 January 1993]: Consumer price inflation data are published in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's "Main Economic Indicators" and the Central Statistical Office's "Economic Trends".

  Stock Exchange
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what amount and percentage of the funds invested on the stock exchange goes into new issues or rights issues; and how this has changed in each year since 1979.

  Mr. Nelson
  [holding answer 26 January 1993]: Details of money raised on the stock exchange are published by the stock exchange in the Stock Exchange Quarterly.

DEFENCE

  European Defence
  Mr. Ancram
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what forecast he has made of the number of jobs in the defence industry that will be gained or lost as a result of the new proposals for European defence.

  Mr. Aitken
  I am unaware of any new proposals for European defence which are likely in themselves to affect employment in the defence industry.

  Correspondence
  Mr. Temple-Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when Ms. Gill Linscott of Wood View, Hope-under-Dinmore, Hertfordshire HR6 0PP, can expect a reply to her oral and written complaint to his Department on 14 October 1992, concerning low flying RAF aircraft under Ministry reference SEC(AS) 92/10/280.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Officials from my Department will write to Ms. Linscott once the investigation into her complaint being conducted by the RAF police has been completed.

  Bosnia
  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the additional 89 personnel to be deployed with British Forces in Bosnia as set out in his oral statement of 14 January,Official Report, column 1057, will be under United Nations command; and which vote will meet the costs of their deployment will be met by the Foreign Office vote.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Yes. The additional specialist personnel deployed to Bosnia are an integral part of the British force and as such subject to the same command arrangments as currently apply to the battalion group as part of the United Nations protection force. The same will apply to the forces now available with the carrier group led by HMS Ark Royal if these have to be deployed ashore. It has not yet been decided which Government Department will meet the cost of this deployment.

  Tracked Vehicles
  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many tracked vehicles, and of what type, are to be deployed as part of the artillery contingent to be sent to the Adriatic on Argus; and what armoured protection such vehicles possess.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Seven armoured personnel carriers and 29 vehicles designed for cross country use in winter conditions are deploying to the Adriatic. While it is not our practice to comment on the detail, they have the armoured protection assessed as necessary to enable them to undertake their tasks.

  RAF Kemble
  Mr. Clifton-Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the future plans for RAF Kemble, Gloucestershire; what consideration is being given to maintaining its present use; and what plans there are to sell all or part of the base.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Current plans envisage the Army continuing to use RAF Kemble for the temporary storage of vehicles until 31 March 1994. Further defence used of RAF Kemble after this date is currently under review. No decisions are expected until later this year. In the light of the Army's current use and the longer term uncertainty no plans exist to sell all or part of the base although we continue to liaise with the local authorities to determine their views against the eventuality that the site may be declared surplus to defence requirements in due course.

  Nuclear Weapons
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what further plans Her Majesty's Government have to provide technical and operational assurance to Russia to assist in the safe dismantlement of nuclear weapons following the START II agreement.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  We have no plans to provide assistance to Russia beyond that announced by my hon. Friend the Minister of State for Defence Procurement on 11 November at column 823. We will however continue to discuss issues relating to dismantling surplus nuclear warheads with the Russian authorities as necessary.

  Experimental Establishments
  Mr. Alan W. Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of the turnover at the Ministry of Defence proof and experimental establishment at Pendine is work carried out for the Ministry of Defence; and what percentage is for work carried out for private companies.

  Mr. Aitken
  The proof and experimental establishments (P and EEs) are maintained primarily for the conduct of proof and trials work for the Ministry of Defence; work for private companies at Pendine, and at the other P and EEs, accounts for less than 10 per cent. of their turnover.

  Mr. Alan W. Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what would be the estimated cost of relocation of the work now being carried out at the Ministry of Defence proof and experimental establishment at Pendine.

  Mr. Aitken
  The estimates of relocation costs for the work now being carried out at each of the proof and experimental establishments are not yet complete. They will be an important factor in our review of test and evaluation activities.

  Mr. Alan W. Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which proof and experimental establishments (land systems) are being considered for closures.

  Mr. Aitken
  The Director General of Test and Evaluation (DGT&E) is conducting a wide-ranging review of the Department's test and evaluation activities and facilities. This will look at each of his 40 test and evaluation establishments, including all the proof and experimental establishments. DGT and E is due to report his findings in May. Decisions on his recommendations will be taken by Ministers after full consultation with the trade unions, hon. Members and others.

  Mr. Alan W. Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the turnover for 1991–92 and forecast turnover for 1992–93 for each of the five Ministry of Defence proof and experimental establishments (land systems); and what comparisons he has made of their cost effectiveness.

  Mr. Aitken
  It is not possible to produce figures on an exactly comparable basis for the two years in question because of changes in the Department's accounting practice and some rationalisation of facilities.

  Subject to these provisos, the running cost details are as follows:
  750

  £ million

  1991–92

  11992–93

  Cold Meece

  1·8

  2·4

  Eskmeals

  8·0

  8·0

  Environmental Test Centre Foulness

  3·6

  4·5

  Pendine

  7·6

  7·0

  Shoeburyness

  11·7

  17·2

  1 Projected.

  The figures for Shoeburyness include P and EE Lavington which is a satellite of the former.

  Cold Meece is scheduled to close on 31 March 1993.

  Each establishment has different specialist capabilities and whilst the Department seeks to ensure that all are cost effective, comparisons on a purely financial basis would be misleading.

  Mr. Alan W. Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the construction cost in today's prices of building a facility to the same specifications as the 1500-metre test track at the Ministry of Defence proof and experimental establishment at Pendine.

  Mr. Aitken
  We are assessing our exact requirements for test-track facilities, and the cost of re-providing them should that prove necessary, as part of the review of test and evaluation facilities. Accurate cost figures are not yet available.

  Mr. Alan W. Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will give individual cash estimates as to the amount of work carried out for customers in the private sector at the Ministry of Defence proof and experimental establishment in Pendine in the last financial year.

  Mr. Aitken
  Estimates of the cost of work undertaken for private customers are confidential to the Department and the companies concerned.

  Job Losses
  Mr. Alan W. Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the total number of jobs lost at Ministry of Defence establishments for each year since 1989–90 to the present and projected to 1996–97 for(a) Dyfed, (b) Wales and (c) Great Britain.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The information requested is set out in the table.

  Net changes in the number of posts since 1989–90 in Dyfed, Wales and the United Kingdom

  Dyfed

  Wales (including Dyfed)

  United Kingdom (including Wales)

  1989–90

  -81

  +11

  +56

  1990–91

  -102

  -54

  -1,173

  1991–92

  -103

  -9

  -745

  11992–93

  -50

  -27

  -3,300

  11993–94

  +35

  +17

  -4,000

  11994–95

  -176

  -109

  -2,900

  11995–96

  -205

  -135

  -4,750

  11996–97

  0

  +73

  -800

  1These figures are based upon announcements made to date; they are therefore susceptible to change. It should also be noted that as establishments and units are Market Tested further changes may occur.

  Nuclear Fuel Cores
  Mrs. Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish the conclusions of the studies carried out into the relative safety of keeping used fuel cores on board decommissioned submarines or storing on land.

  Mr. Aitken
  The safety of used fuel cores, both on board decommissioned submarines and stored on land, has been confirmed by rigorous independent safety assessments.

  Mrs. Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when it is expected that the used fuel core from HMS Revenge will be removed; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Aitken
  I refer the hon. Lady to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Leyton (Mr. Cohen) on 14 December at column 81.

  Mrs. Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans there are for the long-term disposal of used fuel cores from nuclear-powered submarines which are currently stored at Sellafield.

  Mr. Aitken
  It is planned to continue with the safe storage of nuclear submarine used fuel cores currently held at BNFL Sellafield. No decisions have been taken on their long-term disposal.

  Mrs. Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the usual time scale for submarines taken to Rosyth for decommissioning before being defuelled; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Aitken
  There is no usual timescale; we have only previously taken one submarine to Rosyth for decommissioning.

  Mrs. Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will give details of the minimum and maximum time period which submarines taken to Rosyth for decommissioning have had to wait before being defuelled; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Aitken
  Only one submarine has been taken to Rosyth for decommissioning and defuelling has not yet commenced.

  Mrs. Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the expected time scale for any submarines taken to Rosyth in the future for decommissioning before being defuelled; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Aitken
  We plan for a six-month timescale, but this will depend on the availability of docks for defuelling.

  HMS Valiant
  Mrs. Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when HMS Valiant is expected to return into service on completion of repairs at Rosyth dockyard; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Aitken
  This is expected in May 1993.

  HMS Renown
  Mrs. Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the cost of the recent refit of HMS Renown at the time the contract was placed; what the final cost was on completion; and what are the reasons for the difference.
  752
  Mr. Aitken
  The total estimated cost of the project at the time the contract was placed was just over £152 million at 1992–93 prices. Final cost certificates have not yet been presented but the current estimate of cost is in the region of £200 million.

  The difference between these figures is due mainly to a change in the method of assessing costs following commercialisation—this refit straddled vesting day—programme delays and additional equipment improvements.

  Weapons Proliferation
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his current assessment of the likely course of Iraq's nuclear weapons programme had they not been interrupted, in the light of information received from the United Nations inspection teams.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The United Nations inspection teams have found incontrovertible evidence that Iraq was developing a crude nuclear warhead design. The earliest that Iraq could have completed its first nuclear weapon, had its programme not been interrupted, would have been by 1993.

  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the countries which in his judgment currently possess(a) nuclear and (b) ballistic missiles.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Currently, strategic nuclear weapons are deployed in the United Kingdom, United States, France, China, Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan. Countries possessing ballistic missiles, excluding NATO members, include Afghanistan, Belarus, Bulgaria, China, the Czech Republic, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Kazakhstan, Libya, North Korea, Poland, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, South Korea, Syria, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, Vietnam and Yemen.

  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his current assessment of the countries who(a) possess chemical weapons, (b) possess biological weapons and (c) are engaged in research in developing chemical and biological weapons.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  It is assessed that approximately 20 countries either possess or may be developing an offensive chemical warfare capability. It is assessed that about 10 countries either possess or seek to acquire an offensive biological weapons capability.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  London Weighting
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what London weightings are applied to social security benefits.

  Mr. Burt
  The social security system provides a comprehensive set of national benefits. Regional variations are therefore not generally appropriate, except where benefits reflect actual expenditure, such as those offering help with housing costs. A Greater London extension is available in income support for people in nursing and residential care homes.

  Ozone Depletion
  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many catastrophic leaks of ozone-depleting substances have occurred within his Department's buildings in the last five years.

  Miss Widdecombe
  Our records do not show that any such incident has occurred.

  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how much funding has been allocated or spent to specifically deal with measures to reduce his Department's consumption of ozone-depleting substances.

  Miss Widdecombe
  Expenditure is mainly incurred as part of the capital works and building maintenance programmes. It is not possible to identify the extent to which environmental measures formed part of these programmes.

  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what the latest available figures are for his Department's total purchase of CFCs and HCFCs;

  (2) how many CFC and HCFC installations are contained within his Department's buildings.

  Miss Widdecombe
  The information requested is currently not available. We are considering how this information can be collected to enable us to meet the commitment, in our green housekeeping strategy, to eliminate the use of ozone-depleting substances.

  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many portable halon fire extinguishers are contained within departmental buildings; and what measures are being taken to ensure their recycling and replacement.

  Miss Widdecombe
  Information about the number held is not available. Replacement of extinguishers is being undertaken by contractors who are working to professional codes of practice.

  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many CFC domestic fridges are contained within his Department's building.

  Miss Widdecombe
  Information about domestic fridges is not available centrally.

  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what guidance has been sought and received on alternatives or substitutes to the ozone-destroying chemicals in use by his Department.

  Miss Widdecombe
  Advice and guidance on the environmental aspects of ozone-depleting substances in buildings is provided by the Department of the Environment. Advice relating to particular buildings is provided by the managing contractors or agents responsible for the maintenance of the building or the suitably qualified consultants.

  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what proportion of his Department's consumption of ozone-depleting substances become controlled waste in terms of section 33 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990;
  754
  (2) what action has been taken to ensure that ozone-destroying substances consumed by his Department are identified as controlled wastes when they are no longer in use;

  (3) what measures have been taken to ensure that ozone-destroying substances in use by his Department identified as controlled waste under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 do not reach the atmosphere.

  Miss Widdecombe
  Information about the quantity of ozone-depleting substances in use in the Department is not available. Such substances, when no longer in use, are removed by contractors who are required to comply with the relevant legislation and associated codes of practice.

  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how the departmental Green Minister has promoted protection of the ozone layer with specific policy measures; which possible measures have been considered and rejected; and on what grounds;

  (2) what targets have been set for the recycling of ozone-depleting chemicals within departmental buildings.

  Miss Widdecombe
  A green housekeeping strategy, setting out the Department's policy for the use of its resources and designed to ensure that full account is taken of the needs of the environment, was adopted in 1992. All members of staff have been made aware of the strategy and an action plan for its implementation will be in place by the end of March. This will include, wherever possible, targets for the various measures. The policy will be reviewed periodically, and no possible measure has been rejected.

  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many refrigeration and air conditioning systems in his Department are equipped with automatic leak detection systems.

  Miss Widdecombe
  There is refrigerant leakage detection installed on some equipment but information on the number is not readily available.

  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what is the quantity of ozone-depleting substances recycled within his Department and returned to the manufacturer;

  (2) if he will provide details from the maintenance and servicing record of the quantity and type of ozone-destroying chemicals used annually in his Department's refrigeration and air conditioning equipment for servicing and in leakages; and what proportion is removed for recycling.

  Miss. Widdecombe
  The information requested is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Our policy is to eliminate the use of these substances.

  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security by what date his Department's use of ozone-depleting chemicals will conform to EC regulations on limits on these chemicals.

  Miss Widdecombe
  Target dates for the recovery, recycling and phasing out of ozone depleting substances will be included in the Department's action plan, which will be in place by the end of March, for the implementation of our green housekeeping strategy. The
  755
  aim will be to have taken all the appropriate measures to meet the phase out dates agreed at the European Council of Ministers on 15 December.

  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security which current uses of ozone-depleting chemicals by his Department are considered essential.

  Miss Widdecombe
  Information is not currently available, but we will be identifying uses of ozone-depleting substances in implementing our green housekeeping strategy.

  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make it his policy to purchase only ozone-friendly fridges that do not contain CFCs or HCFCs for his Department.

  Miss Widdecombe
  It is our existing policy to ensure that our purchasing activities take environmental considerations fully into account.

  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what quantity of HCFC 22 is purchased by his Department per annum.

  Miss Widdecombe
  The information is not available but it is our policy to purchase environmentally-friendly products where appropriate.

  Means-tested Benefits
  Mr. Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimate he has made of the number of people made eligible for means-tested benefits because of the Government's imposition of a 1.5 per cent. pay limit for public sector workers; and what will be the total cost of payments of these extra benefits.

  Mr. Burt
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Cumbernauld and Kilsyth (Mr.Hogg) on 30 November 1992 at column 68.

  Cold Weather Payments
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on the period of cold weather between 10 and 14 January; what was the average temperature during the period; what was the lowest temperature during the period; in which areas the payment of cold weather allowances was triggered; and what was the cost to the Exchequer.

  Mr. Scott
  The information is available in the Library.

  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the current level of cold weather payments; how it is calculated; how often it is uprated; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Scott
  Payments of £6 are made automatically to eligible people for every period of seven days where the average temperature is 0°C or below. The amount is designed to provide a significant contribution to extra heating costs and is kept under review. The main source of help with heating costs is provided through income support, and is uprated annually.

  Income Support
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what extra money is to be given from April 1993 to those who currently receive the terminal-illness level of income support and are cared for by registered private nursing homes.

  Mr. Burt
  The income support personal expenses allowance will be uprated by the Rossi index (retail prices index less certain housing costs.) In addition £1 million has been transferred from the Social Security budget to the Department of Health for 1993–94 to ensure that additional funds are directed specifically to terminally ill people in hospices. This is in addition to the £1 million transferred for each of the years 1992–93 to 1994–95.

  From April 1993, under the community care scheme, all new residents of nursing homes who need public support will have their needs assessed by the local authority who will contract with individual homes for their fees.

  Invalid Care Allowances
  Mr. Burden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people would benefit each year and what is his estimate of the cost, of amending the present contribution conditions so as to allow contributions paid in any previous tax year, instead of the previous two, to count towards invalid care allowance recipients' entitlement to unemployment benefit.

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

  Claimants, Liverpool
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how much unemployment benefit has been paid to claimants in the Liverpool travel-to-work area in the last 12 months and for each of the previous years for which figures are available.

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

  Industrial Diseases
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what recent representations he has had in regard to the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council's recommendation to him in August 1992 to prescribe emphysema and chronic bronchitis in relation to underground coalminers; what replies he is sending; what action he has so far taken in regard to the report; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Scott
  We have received a number of inquiries from Members of Parliament and members of the public about the council's recommendation and its implementation. Our response and the action we are taking are summarised in my reply to the right hon. Member on 14 December 1992 at column 76.

  Actors
  Mr. Burden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether work within the acting profession may be classified as full time for the purposes of his Department's rules and regulations concerning income support and unemployment benefit claims.

  Mr. Burt
  People working less than 16 hours a week may qualify for income support provided they are available for work for not less than 24 hours a week. The rules apply in the same way to people who are employed or self-employed, whatever type of work they are engaged in.

  Unemployment benefit may be payable for each day of unemployment in which a person earns £2 or less. But it is not payable for any week in which a person earns not less than £54 (the weekly earnings limit for national insurance contributions).

ENVIRONMENT

  Construction Industry
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what discussions he has had with representatives of the construction industry as to possible changes in the present system of holding retention moneys; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Baldry
  I have had no discussions about the general system of retention money. I am aware of concerns about this matter and welcome moves within the industry to examine alternatives. This is one of the matters that we expect to be considered in the proposed joint Government-industry review of contracting and procurement arrangements in the construction industry.

  Sir Michael Neubert
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of increased activity in the housing and construction industry following the Chancellor of the Exchequer's autumn statement.

  Sir George Young
  Depending on the way local authorities spend the funds available, and the extent of the private sector funding attracted, we estimate that the additional spending generated by the autumn statement could generate between 40,000 and 90,000 employees years of employment in the construction industry in 1993–94.

  We also estimate that the 1 per cent. cut in interest rates announced in the statement could result in an increase of 1 per cent. in construction output on all private works. In the short-term, with interest rates at their lowest since 1978, this will mainly benefit the housing sector.

  Mr. Nicholas Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement outlining those steps which have been taken by his Department since 9 April 1992 specifically to assist the United Kingdom construction industry; and what future action he intends to take to assist the construction industry.

  Mr. Baldry
  [holding answer 26 January 1993]: During this year's public expenditure round my Department was active in making the case for maintaining capital spending and infrastructure spending. Measures which will assist the industry include:
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  £750 million to support the Housing Corporation
  £1.75 billion of spending from local authority capital receipts
  retention of provision for the Jubilee line extension
  relaxation of the rules for private and joint financing of infrastructure and other projects
  a capital partnership scheme to assist local authorities in levering private sector contributions to projects
  special tax and capital allowances

  We have supported export efforts by the industry. Ministers led trade delegations to Indonesia and Vietnam. We have worked with industry and the DTI to support building material task forces for specific countries.

  We have maintained an active research programme and increased industry collaboration during the year. We have established working groups with the industry to improve knowledge and understanding of new legislative developments—here and in the European Community. We have established an advisory committee to improve the coverage of construction statistics and the use made of them.

  We have continued to advance the interest of building material producers in the development of the Construction Products Directive and other associated European standards.

  We have introduced new building regulations which reduce the regulatory burden on the industry while giving greater flexibility for designers.

  I have also established a fortnightly series of meetings at which representatives of the industry can put to me any matters of concern to them.

  Superquarries
  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his Department's policy in respect of superquarries; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Baldry
  I believe that coastal superquarries could provide an increasing contribution to aggregates supplies in England. Their potential has been taken into account in the current review of "Mineral Planning Guidance Note 6" which is now the subject of public consultation.

  Local Authority Fraud
  Mr. Bellingham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what estimate he has made of the cost to public funds of local authority fraud; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Redwood
  Auditors of local authorities report to the Audit Commission all cases of fraud of £500 or over. On this basis, the amount reported for 1991–92 was £930,000; and for the first nine months of 1992–93 is estimated at £2.5 million.

  Armed Forces (Housing)
  Mr. Viggers
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the impact on the demand for local authority housing of the acceleration of retirement from the armed forces under the "Options for Change" programme.

  Sir George Young
  Inquiries by my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Defence about the intentions of people leaving the armed forces under the "Options for Change" programme indicate that they will be dispersing around the country. This means that the
  759
  number of housing applications to any individual authority is unlikely to be significant. Officials will continue to monitor the position in succeeding phases of the programme.

  Aggregate Mining
  Mr. Rathbone
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received in respect of the recently issued new guidelines on aggregate mining in England.

  Mr. Baldry
  No representations have yet been received. The consultation period runs until the end of March.

  Sewerage
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress he has made on fulfilling undertakings made at the North sea conference regarding treatment of sewerage prior to discharge into the sea.

  Mr. Maclean
  The United Kingdom will be fulfilling the North sea conference commitments through complying with the 1991 EC Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive. This requires the provision of sewage treatment at dates between 1998 and 2005. The Department, the National Rivers Authority and the water industry have for 18 months been working together very closely on the action needed to implement the directive.

  House Building
  Mr. Chisholm
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many council houses and how many housing association houses were built in 1979 and in the latest year for which figures are available.

  Sir George Young
  The Department's latest estimates show that housing associations completed 23,400 dwellings in Great Britain during the 12 months ending November 1992, and local authorities and new towns completed 4,400 dwellings. Housing association completions are due to rise to over 66,000 in the financial year 1992–93.

  The comparable figures for 1979 are 17,800 completions by housing associations and 85,000 by local authorities and new towns.

  Local Government Finance
  Mr. Illsley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make adjustments to standard spending assessments for the financial year 1993–94.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  We have now completed the formal period of consultation in respect of the proposals for the 1993–94 settlement which were announced by my right hon. Friend on 26 November 1992. The Government's final decisions based on a careful consideration of all of the representations received will be laid before the House shortly.

  Mr. Hall
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received from the local authority associations about the standard spending assessments for each local authority since 26 November 1992.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  The Secretary of State has received detailed representations from each of the local authority 760
  associations. Full consideration has been given to all of the issues raised by them together with those raised by individual local authorities. The "Local Government Finance Report for 1993–94" incorporating final decisions on standard spending assessments will be laid before the House very shortly.

  Mr. Clifton-Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what criteria are used in assessing the area costs allowance of standard spending assessments for local authorities; and if he will make a statement on their application to Gloucestershire.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  The area cost adjustment is based on an analysis of relative earnings in different parts of the country using the new earnings survey. The analysis focuses on those occupational groups which are most relevant to the labour markets in which local authorities operate. The information is adjusted to remove any distortions which might arise from variations in the mix of occupational groups in different areas. The area cost adjustment also allows for the assumed proportion of expenditure on each service likely to be related to labour costs.

  Because the new earnings survey is based on a relatively small sample, the underlying analysis can provide sufficiently robust results only at regional level. This analysis has shown that only London and the south-east face labour costs which are consistently and significantly above the national average. Hence Gloucestershire, along with all other authorities outside the south-east, does not benefit from the area cost adjustment.

  Gulf War (Ecological Recovery)
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment his Department has now made of the length of time taken for the Gulf environment to make a full ecological recovery from military action in the Gulf war.

  Mr. Maclean
  My Department has made no specific assessment. The June 1992 report of the United Nations Secretary General—a copy of which has been placed in the Library—summarised the results of action to assess and ameliorate the Gulf ecology. It notes some quick and effective recovery in air quality and vegetation. On the details of the impact on the marine environment we await the report of a three-month research vessel cruise carried out in 1992.

  Air Quality
  Ms. Quin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what new proposals he is considering to tackle the problems of air quality affecting British cities.

  Mr. Maclean
  We set out our proposals in chapter 11 of the White Paper "This Common Inheritance: The Second Year Report" (Cm. 2068), published last October. They include tighter standards on emissions from vehicles and industry, increased effort on air quality monitoring in our cities, and development of new standards and guidelines for a range of pollutants.

  Oil Transport
  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how he intends to ensure that environmental considerations are in future taken into account in establishing rules for maritime transport of oil.

  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how he intends to ensure that environmental considerations are in future taken into account in establishing rules for the maritime transport of oil.

  Mr. Howard
  The International Maritime Organisation has been taking environmental considerations into account in establishing rules for maritime transport since at least the time of the Torrey Canyon disaster in 1967. In the United Kingdom, we shall be considering what further changes are desirable in the light of the report of the inquiry by Lord Donaldson of Lymington into the further measures needed to protect the United Kingdom coastline from pollution from merchant shipping. At the European level, following Monday's extraordinary joint Environment/Transport Council, both Ministers of the Environment and the Ministers of Transport will be considering how to improve the regulation of shipping in the light of proposals from the EC Commission.

  Rented Accommodation
  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what recent representations he has received over the shortage of affordable rented accommodation.

  Sir George Young
  We receive many representations about provision of affordable rented housing, we are pursuing a number of policies, both through provision of new units and through measures to maximise use of existing property, to ensure that a decent home is in reach of every family.

  Council Tax
  Mr. Gill
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proportion of local government expenditure in 1993–94 it is estimated will be financed by the council tax.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  The precise proportion of local government expenditure which will be financed by the council tax in 1993–94 will not be known until all local authorities have set their budgets.

  Lead-free Petrol
  Mr. Simon Coombs
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his estimate of the current percentage of lead-free petrol sales; and how this figure compares with the three previous years.

  Mr. Maclean
  At the end of November last year, sales of unleaded petrol accounted for 49.2 per cent. of the United Kingdom market, compared with an average of 19 per cent. in 1989, 34 per cent. in 1990 and 41 per cent. in 1991.

  House Building
  Mr. Skinner
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the latest figures for house building in the public sector.
  762
  Mr. Baldry
  It is provisionally estimated that housing associations completed 6,700 new dwellings in England during the three months from September to November 1992. Over the same period some 500 new dwellings were completed by English local authorities. The number of completions by housing associations is due to rise to 66,000 in the financial year 1992–93.

  River Pollution
  Mr. Tipping
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he has taken to ensure that any proposals to close collieries do not lead to river pollution.

  Mr. Maclean
  It is for the British Coal and the National Rivers Authority, in the first place, to assess any environmental effects of pit closures and what measures might need to be taken to avoid pollution. My officials and the staff of the NRA have been in frequent contact about pollution from closed mines, and arrangements have been made between British Coal and the NRA for effective liaison over any proposed closures.

  Recycling, Chelmsford
  Mr. Burns
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the development of recycling in the Chelmsford local authority area.

  Mr. Maclean
  The Government are responsible for national policy on recycling but it is the duty of each waste collection authority to produce a recycling plan for its area. Chelmsford district council has submitted such a plan to my Department. The Department told the council on 11 November 1992 that it could publish its plan, which should now be made available for public inspection. I suggest that my hon. Friend contacts the council and asks to see its plan, if he has not already done so.

  Local Government Employees
  Mr. Clelland
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the total number of employees in local government in England and Wales.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  There were 2,406,383 employees in local government in England at June 1992. This is the equivalent of 1,848,607 full-time staff.

  Staffing levels of local authorities in Wales are a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.

  Local Government Finance, Barnet
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received about the standard spending assessment and capping limits of Barnet council for 1993–94.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  I met a delegation consisting of councillors and officials from Barnet council on Monday 21 December. I have given careful consideration to the various points which Barnet has raised, both at that meeting and in correspondence, as I have to all representations received during the consultation period, before reaching final decisions on the revenue support grant settlement and relevant notional amounts, which I intend to announce very shortly.

  Environmental Protection
  Mr. Tim Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress has been made in environmental protection over the last year.

  Mr. Maclean
  The second year report on the 1990 Environment White Paper, published in October 1992, describes progress made over the last year on over 400 environmental commitments.

  Local Authority Corruption
  Mr. Couchman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on his plans to eliminate local authority corruption.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave earlier today,Official Report, col. 1022, to my hon. Friends the Members for Colne Valley (Mr. Riddick) and for Elmet (Mr. Batiste).

  House Condition Survey
  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he will publish the English house condition survey.

  Sir George Young
  The results of the English house condition survey will be published this year.

  Colleges, Nottingham
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what has been the reduction in financial support for Nottinghamshire county council as a result of colleges funding themselves; and what has been the effect on Nottingham of the area cost adjustment.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  The Education element of the standard spending assessment (SSA) for Nottinghamshire county council for 1993–94 reflects the responsibilities which remain with the authority following the transfer of further education. I estimate that in 1992–93 the education SSA element in Nottinghamshire would have been £47.8 million less if the transfer had taken place in that financial year.

  Nottinghamshire do as not benefit from the area cost adjustment. Analysis has shown that only London and the south-east face labour costs which are significantly above the national average.

  Timber Species
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to support the listing of threatened tropical timber species under the proposed revision of the European Community regulation relating to the implementation of the convention on international trade in endangered species, flora and forna; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maclean
  Those species of tropical timber which are listed on CITES are already controlled under EC regulations implementing the convention in the Community. We shall seek to ensure that these species are given at least the same level of protection in the new regulation. We shall also support the inclusion of further tropical timber species whenever this is justified by the application of sound scientific criteria relating to their conservation status.
  764
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will seek to secure that all timber species are included within annex D of the new EC regulation on the trade in wild plants and animals.

  Mr. Maclean
  We support the European Commission's proposal to list timber species already protected under CITES in annexes A, B and C of the new regulation. We are also prepared to support the listing of further species in these annexes or in annex D if they meet relevant scientific criteria.

  Radioactive Waste
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what account his decision on the authorisation for the licensing of the thermal oxide reprocessing plant at Sellafield will take of the letter sent to him in October 1992 by the chairman of the Radioactive Waste Management Advisory Committee, on the ways in which radioactive waste arising from reprocessing foreign spent fuel at Sellafield will be handled.

  Mr. Maclean
  In accordance with the provisions of the Radioactive Substances Act 1960, there has been extensive consultation on the draft authorisations for the Sellafield site. All representations will be taken into account by the chief inspector of Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution, my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, and my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State in exercising their powers under the Act.

  Hydrochlorofluorocarbons
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will outline the main recommendations which will be submitted by his Department to the Council of Ministers in June 1993 concerning the phasing-out of hydrochlorofluorocarbons by chemical companies.

  Mr. Maclean
  In discussions on hydrochlorofluorocarbons control within the European Community, the Government will continue to press for stricter controls than those in Copenhagen. These will include a 2015 phase out, and a consumption cap of 2.5 per cent.

  Ferro-Alloys, Glossop
  Mr. Hendry
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what have been the results, on a week-by-week basis, of the monitoring that has been carried out by his Department of the emissions from the Ferro-Alloys chimney in Glossop, Derbyshire, since August 1992.

  Mr. Maclean
  Ferro-Alloys Ltd., Glossop is required to monitor continuously the emission from its stack for the rate of release of sulphur dioxide. The maximum permitted emission is 113 kg per hour. Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution (HMIP) is provided with the monitoring results on a monthly basis. The results so far are as follows:

  September average for the month 97 kg/hr

  October average for the month 105 kg/hr

  November average for the month 105 kg/hr

  December average for the month 98 kg/hr

  Check monitoring carried out by HMIP suggests that the monitor over-estimates the actual emission by 10 per cent. This is considered to give a generous safety factor.

  Chlorofluorocarbons
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it his policy to place a ban on the manufacture and import of foams made with chlorofluorocarbons.

  Mr. Maclean
  The Government's policy on CFCs, which follows the approach in the Montreal Protocol and the relevant EC legislation, is to eliminate them by controlling their production and supply rather than their use. We therefore have no plans to ban products containing CFCs.

  Project Assessment
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to extend the range of projects for which an environmental assessment will be required.

  Sir George Young
  We hope to lay regulations before Easter to implement the proposals announced on 16 December 1992 in my answer to the hon. Member for Windsor and Maidenhead (Mr. Trend).

  Local Government, Liverpool
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many people were employed(a) full time and (b) part time in local government in Liverpool in each year since 1987.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  The information is as follows:

  Numbers employed in local government in Liverpool At June of each year

  (a) Full-time

  (b) Part-time

  1987

  20,912

  10,356

  1988

  20,680

  10,394

  1989

  19,360

  10,394

  1990

  19,085

  9,705

  1991

  18,887

  9,797

  1992

  17,532

  9,659

  Source: Joint Staffing Watch for England

  Environmental Statements
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he plans to publish the proposed new good practice guide on the improvement of the quality of environmental statements.

  Sir George Young
  We expect to issue guidance later this year on the preparation of environmental statements for projects subject to planning control.

  Wild Plants and Animals
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to seek to amend clauses on proof monitoring and the list of species included within the European Community regulations on the trade in wild plants and animals.

  Mr. Maclean
  Negotiations on the proposed new EC regulation on the wildlife trade are continuing. The lists of species to be included on the annexes have yet to be 766
  considered in detail. We hold that the principal controls should be extended to non-CITES species where there are sound scientific reasons, and support a simple system of wider monitoring. The system adopted, including the requirements for proof, must be enforceable and kept as simple as possible.

  Planning Policy
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement outlining the Government's response to the recommendations on planning policy contained in the CBI report "Shaping the Nation".

  Mr. Baldry
  The Government's response to this report was set out in the speech my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment gave at the CBI's national conference on 9 November 1992. In that speech, he welcomed the CBI's report and endorsed most of its recommendations. In particular, he welcomed the recommendations on the need for business and local planning authorities to work more closely together, on the importance of a strategic approach based on regional planning guidance and flexible development plans, and on the need for local authorities to set out clear statements of the service they propose to offer to their customers. He indicated that the Government could not agree to the proposal for an annual policy paper with a five-year forward core funding commitment on infrastructure expenditure. A copy of the speech is available in the Library of the House.

  Homelessness
  Mr. Simpson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many families are in temporary accommodation in Nottingham as a result of mortgage repossessions; and what proportion this constitutes of the overall figure for homelessness in Nottingham.

  Mr. Baldry
  During the year ending September 1992, 5 per cent. of homeless families accepted in priority need at Nottingham had been the subject of mortgage repossession. The number of such families currently in temporary accommodation is not available.

  Mr. Simpson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to reduce homelessness among single people without children who are below the age of retirement and other groups of people not accepted as statutorily homeless by local authorities.

  Mr. Baldry
  Under the Government's rough sleepers initiative in central London we have made £96 million available over three years to provide 950 new places in hostels for people sleeping rough, and 2,900 places in more permanent accommodation for people in hostels to move on to.

  My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced in his autumn statement that further resources of £86 million would be made available over the next three years to build on the success of the rough sleepers initiative in assisting people who sleep rough in central London. On 18 January my hon. Friend the Minister for Housing and Planning issued a discussion paper on the future of the initiative to groups in the voluntary sector and other

  767
  interested parties. An announcement about the future of the initiative will be made in the light of responses to that paper.

  Nationally, the Department makes grants under section 73 of the Housing Act 1985 to support the national homelessness advice service and some 150 projects run by voluntary organisations throughout England that provide direct, practical help to homeless people. Resources in 1993–94 will be increased to £6.5 million, from £6.1 million this year.

  Mr. Simpson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the average cost for keeping families in(a) permanent council accommodation and (b) temporary accommodation in Nottingham in each of the last three years.

  Mr. Baldry
  I regret that this information is not available to the Department.

  Mr. Simpson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has on which local authorities in Great Britain have voluntary appeals procedures for people to appeal against a council's decision to turn them away as not meeting statutory homeless criteria; and if he will issue model criteria for assessing those appeals.

  Mr. Baldry
  The Department does not hold the information requested. Our code of guidance to local authorities about operating the homelessness legislation recommends that authorities should have appeals procedures in place; that any review of a decision should be carried out by a senior officer who should ensure that the case has been properly processed; and that authorities should consider establishing appeals panels at member level with a chairman who is independent of the decision process. Decisions by local authorities about homelessness applications are open to challenge in the courts.

  Urban Regeneration
  Mrs. Helen Jackson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if the financial memorandum which he proposes to issue to the urban regeneration agency requires the agency to consult(a) training and enterprise councils, (b) urban development corporations or (c) chambers of commerce in areas affected by its proposals before the preparation of its corporate plan;

  (2) if the financial memorandum which he proposes to issue to the urban regeneration agency requires the agency to consult local authorities affected by its proposals before the preparation of its corporate plan.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  We will be issuing clear guidance to the agency about consultation with local authorities, the private sector and other bodies involved in regeneration. It will be for the agency to decide how to put that into effect.

  Dr. Kim Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will provide a breakdown of urban regeneration expenditure by region in the most recent year for which data is available.

  (2) if he will publish a breakdown of urban regeneration expenditure, by category of expenditure, for each year since 1980 in constant prices.

  Mr.Robin Squire
  Since 1980, my Department's urban group of programmes has spent as follows:
  768

  Outturn prices £ million

  At 1992–93 constant prices £ million

  1981–82

  162

  303

  1982–83

  283

  494

  1983–84

  325

  542

  1984–85

  450

  715

  1985–86

  436

  656

  1986–87

  442

  644

  1987–88

  1514

  711

  1988–89

  598

  771

  1989–90

  2816

  987

  1990–91

  969

  1,083

  1991–92

  987

  1,031

  31992–93

  1,016

  1,016

  1 Includes task forces and Docklands light railway operating costs from 1987–88 onwards.

  2 Includes city action teams from 1989–90 onwards.

  3 Estimated.

  Individual programme expenditure for 1992–93 is expected to be as follows:

  Estimated outturn £ million

  City challenge1

  63·5

  Urban programme

  243·1

  City grants

  59·6

  Derelict land (net of receipts)2

  94·6

  Urban development corporations and Docklands light railway (net of receipts)

  514·5

  Manchester Olympic bid

  13·1

  Task forces

  23·0

  City action teams

  4·4

  1,015·8

  1 Programme also supported by £19 million a year from the Housing Corporation.

  2 Includes provision for derelict land research.

  Programme information for previous years is available in relevant Public Expenditure White Papers and the Department's annual reports; the 1993 annual report will be published shortly.

  Mrs. Helen Jackson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish an estimated breakdown of the total urban home expenditure for 1993–94 between(a) city challenge, (b) urban programme, (c) urban development corporations and (d) other.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  In 1993–94, my Department will be providing specific urban resources as follows:

  1993–94 £ million

  (a) City challenge1

  213·5

  (b) Urban programme

  175·6

  (c) Urban development corporations and Docklands light railway

  337·4

  (d) Other2

  225·9

  1Programme also supported by £19 million a year from the Housing Corporation.

  2Includes city grants, derelict land grant, Manchester olympic bid, task forces and city action teams.

  Further information will be published shortly in the Department's 1993 annual report.
  769
  Mrs. Helen Jackson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if the resources for the constituent programmes of the urban regeneration agency next year will be subsumed within the total urban block expenditure of his Department.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  Following the autumn statement, my right hon. and learned Friend announced that £177 million would be made available from within the urban block for city grant and derelict land grant programmes in 1993–94, including DLG receipts and administrative set up costs for the urban regeneration agency. These programmes, together with DTI's English Estates, will transfer to the new agency when it comes into being.

  Mrs. Helen Jackson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish a breakdown of the proposed urban block expenditure in the current year and next year by region.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  Expected breakdown of proposed urban block expenditure, for the current year, is as follows:

  Region

  £ million

  North West

  166·1

  Northern

  148·5

  Eastern

  4·0

  South East

  1·2

  South West

  30·4

  London

  1318·2

  East Midlands

  33·8

  Merseyside

  62·7

  Yorkshire/Humberside

  94·9

  West Midlands

  142·1

  Not yet attributable

  28·3

  Total

  21,030·2

  1 Includes Dockland Light Railway operating costs.

  Total for city challenge pacemakers excludes £19 million from the Housing Corporation.

  2Total includes £14·4 million derelict land grant receipts.

  A regional breakdown of 1993–94 urban block expenditure is not yet available.

  Nottinghamshire (Funding)
  Mr. Heppell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what method of calculation has been used to establish the reduction in funding for Nottinghamshire county council arising from further education colleges funding themselves in future.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  The standing spending assessment (SSA) element for education in 1993–94 reflects the responsibilities of local authorities for all aspects of education, including those of further education which will remain the responsibility of authorities. There has been no reduction in the 1993–94 SSA. for 1992–93, £2.3 billion was implicitly allowed for further education within SSAs of which it is estimated that £47.7 million was attributable to Nottinghamshire.

  Mr. Heppell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how long it is planned to take for affected areas in Nottinghamshire to receive proposed extra money to deal with their special needs in the event of pit closures going ahead.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  My Department is making available £5 million under the coalfield areas fund and considering 770
  enterprise zone designations for areas which may be affected by possible closures. We have already received bids in respect of the coalfield areas fund from local authorities in Nottingham and elsewhere, in order that resources can be made available as soon as decisions are taken following the coal review.

  These initiatives are part of the substantial packages of measures announced by the President of the Board of Trade on 13 and 19 October 1992. Decisions on the implementation of these measures will be taken in the light of the outcome of the coal review.

  Housing Associations
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will take steps to prevent housing associations from buying new commercially built property; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Baldry
  We have no plans to prevent housing associations from buying new commercially built property, providing such property offers good value for money in addressing local housing needs.

  As part of the £750 million package to boost the housing market in the United Kingdom, which was announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in the autumn statement, £580 million was made available to the Housing Corporation to enable housing associations to purchase new, empty and repossessed properties in England.

  The proportion of new properties bought so far is high, but this is because these are the deals which can be completed most quickly. The corporation expects the proportion of private treaty and repossession sales to increase significantly. All purchases will reduce the current over-supply of homes on the market and so have a beneficial effect in stabilising prices and stimulating confidence.

  I am delighted with the rapid progress of the package so far, which has seen 11,812 purchases approved by 22 January. I congratulate the Housing Corporation and the housing associations involved.

  Housing, Hampshire
  Mr. Denham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the total number of housing starts in Hampshire in each year since 1987 by(a) local authorities, (b) housing associations and (c) private companies.

  Mr. Baldry
  Estimates of housebuilding starts by sector for each local authority area in Hampshire are shown in the publication "Local Housing Statistics". Figures for 1987 to 1991 are shown in tables 1(c) to 1(g) of the October 1992 edition—issue number 103. A copy of this publication is in the Library.

  Mr. Denham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many households were accepted as homeless and in priority need in each Hampshire district council area in each year since 1987.

  Mr. Baldry
  Local authorities in England report the number of households they accept as homeless and in priority need in their annual housing investment programme (HIP1) returns.

  The available information for individual authorities in Hampshire for 1987, 1988 and 1989 are in column CIB of

  771
  the "HIP1 All Items Prints" for those years, for 1990 and 1991 in column C2D1 of the "HIP1 All Items Prints" for those years and for 1992 in column C2A1 of the "1992 HIP1 All Items Print".

  Copies of all documents are in the Library.

  £ per week including services

  Fair rents

  Assured tenancies

  Actual prices £

  1989 prices £

  Actual prices £

  1989 prices £

  1987

  26·96

  30·48

  n/a

  n/a

  1988

  26·81

  28·89

  n/a

  n/a

  1989

  32·28

  32·28

  n/a

  n/a

  1990

  33·79

  30·87

  39·91

  36·46

  1991

  39·33

  33·94

  45·29

  39·08

  19921

  41·71

  34·79

  50·46

  42·09

  Source: Fair rents; DOE Rent Officers' Statistics.

  Assured tenancies; National Federation of Housing.

  Associations CORE data base.

  1 January—September.

  Mr. Denham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the average level of local authority rents in Hampshire in each of the years 1987 to 1992 expressed in(a) actual prices and (b) 1987 prices.

  Mr. Baldry
  Information for Hampshire is as follows:

  Average weekly unrebated local authority rents (£ per week)

  In April:

  Actual prices £

  1987 prices £

  1987

  19·63

  19·63

  1988

  21·18

  20·38

  1989

  23·18

  20·65

  1990

  26·61

  21·65

  1991

  30·66

  23·45

  1992

  33·89

  24·86

  Sulphur Dioxide Emissions
  Mr. Cann
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the current level of sulphur dioxide emissions in the United Kingdom; and what the level was two years ago.

  Mr. Maclean
  I refer the hon. Member to the oral answer that I gave to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Govan (Mr. Davidson) earlier today.

  Repossession Orders
  Mr. Raynsford
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many mortgage possession actions were entered in county courts in England and Wales in 1992; how many suspended orders were made; and how many outright orders were made.

  Mr. Baldry
  The information has been published today and placed in the Library.

  Manchester Housing Committee
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what reply the Minister for Housing and Planning is making to the letter sent to him on 18 January by the chairman of Manchester's housing committee; and if he will make a statement.
  772
  Mr. Denham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the average level of housing association rents in Hampshire in each of the years 1987 to 1992 expressed in(a) actual prices and (b) 1989 prices.

  Mr. Baldry
  The averages on a weekly basis of registered fair rents for unfurnished housing association accommodation, and of assured tenancy rents for housing association lettings, in Hampshire are as follows:

  Mr. Baldry
  My hon. Friend the Minister for Housing and Planning has today written to the chairman of Manchester city council's housing committee explaining that the figure of 5,000 empty council homes in Manchester, which he quoted in his interview with Brian Walden on 17 January, is based on the council's own returns. It represents the total number of vacant council properties and does not distinguish between capital voids (ie properties awaiting demolition or improvement) and management voids (ie. units of accommodation which became vacant through the movement of tenants).

  Landfill Pricing
  Mr. Tim Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he will publish the report on landfill pricing commissioned by his Department in the summer of 1992.

  Mr. Maclean
  I intend that the report will be published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office next month.

  Crime Prevention
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Leicester, East (Mr. Vaz) of 11 January,Official Report, column 656, how much of the funding of each urban programme authority listed was spent on crime prevention work for each of the last three years.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  This information is not available.

  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much funding each city challenge authority received at 1992 prices for each of the last three years; and how much of this was spent on crime prevention work.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  A total of £7.5 million will be made available to each city challenge authority in 1992–93, which is the first year of city challenge funding.

  City challenge expenditure covers a wide range of activities contributing to urban regeneration. Each city challenge action plan reflects local needs and opportunities. Some plans place high priority on crime

  773
  prevention expenditure. However, it is not possible to quantify accurately expenditure directed solely at crime prevention.

  HIP Allocations
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what housing improvement programme bid was made by Darlington borough council, and what was the actual allocation given for each year since 1983.

  Mr. Baldry
  Information on the housing investment programme is given in the table. The figures for 1990–91 and subsequent years are not directly comparable with those for earlier years because of the revisions to the capital finance system introduced in April 1990.

  Housing investment programme (HIP) bids by Darlington borough council, HIP allocations and housing capital expenditure, 1983–84 to
  1992–93

  £ thousand

  HIP bids

  HIP allocations1

  Housing capital expenditure

  1983–84

  4,475

  2,502

  4,186

  1984–85

  4,678

  2,387

  4,221

  1985–86

  4,869

  2,052

  3,474

  1986–87

  5,749

  1,689

  2,865

  1987–88

  6,950

  1,639

  3,569

  1988–89

  5,485

  1,538

  3,974

  1989–90

  6,373

  1,156

  3,883

  New capital finance system2

  1990–91

  5,468

  2,081

  2,476

  1991–92

  6,253

  2,124

  32,989

  1992–93

  6,785

  1,643

  43,623

  1 Allocations for 1989–90 and earlier years are final allocations, i.e., the initial allocation plus any increases to the initial allocation made in-year. The allocations figures for 1990–91 and subsequent years are the HIP allocations (housing annual capital guidelines plus specified capital grants) issued prior to the start of the financial year. These figures do not include any supplementary credit approvals issued during the year.

  2 From 1990–91, under the new capital finance system, the HIP allocation is an assessment of relative need for housing capital expenditure rather than a directly borrowing approval. Borrowing approval is now conveyed by the single, all service, basic credit approval.

  3 Provisional.

  4 Estimated.

  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will show by region the housing improvement programme bids made and the allocation given for each year since 1982–83.

  Mr. Baldry
  Information on the housing investment programme is given in the table. The figures for 1990–91 and subsequent years are not directly comparable with those for earlier years because of the revisions to the capital finance system introduced in April 1990.
  774

  Housing Investment Programme (HIP) bids, HIP allocations1 2 and local authority housing capital expenditure by region 1982–83 to 1992–93

  £ thousand

  1982–83

  DOE regions

  HIP bids

  HIP allocations

  Housing capital expenditure

  Northern (excluding Cumbria)

  211,149

  129,696

  196,623

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  322,229

  214,813

  286,583

  East Midlands

  222,136

  152,916

  242,192

  Eastern

  249,754

  152,985

  281,711

  Greater London

  834,883

  630,961

  848,027

  South East

  316,018

  211,882

  338,330

  South West

  174,509

  138,691

  213,634

  West Midlands

  375,445

  204,601

  300,064

  North West (including Cumbria)

  492,519

  355,393

  452,269

  Unallocated3

  —

  —

  75,067

  England

  3,198,642

  2,191,938

  3,234,500

  £ thousand

  1983–84

  DOE regions

  HIP bids

  HIP allocations

  Housing capital expenditure

  Northern (excluding Cumbria)

  214,825

  119,543

  196,784

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  350,644

  210,798

  302,454

  East Midlands

  237,306

  159,257

  254,429

  Eastern

  280,535

  161,744

  313,747

  Greater London

  891,165

  596,308

  913,378

  South East

  331,701

  235,447

  406,041

  South West

  210,503

  147,620

  250,040

  West Midlands

  335,101

  243,155

  354,800

  North West (including Cumbria)

  517,041

  359,275

  499,611

  Unallocated3

  —

  —

  80,116

  England

  3,368,821

  2,233,147

  3,571,400

  £ thousand

  1984–85

  DOE regions

  HIP bids

  HIP allocations

  Housing capital expenditure

  Northern (excluding Cumbria)

  252,633

  95,803

  174,094

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  448,391

  166,769

  250,978

  East Midlands

  279,750

  114,769

  219,408

  Eastern

  359,215

  138,040

  343,076

  Greater London

  1,076,208

  559,831

  982,768

  South East

  446,847

  187,414

  418,363

  South West

  282,544

  113,760

  226,543

  West Midlands

  429,431

  186,170

  313,648

  North West (including Cumbria)

  609,042

  289,927

  441,485

  Unallocated3

  —

  —

  130,537

  England

  4,184,061

  1,852,483

  3,500,900

  775

  £ thousand

  1985–86

  DOE regions

  HIP bids

  HIP allocations

  Housing capital expenditure

  Northern (excluding Cumbria)

  257,956

  80,132

  145,260

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  375,035

  140,326

  233,733

  East Midlands

  277,908

  96,812

  179,738

  Eastern

  404,675

  123,705

  309,108

  Greater London

  1,223,525

  487,500

  779,899

  South East

  494,149

  166,480

  354,171

  South West

  287,601

  101,021

  193,600

  West Midlands

  458,472

  165,767

  274,663

  North West (including Cumbria)

  685,710

  243,720

  407,237

  Unallocated3

  —

  —

  145,391

  England

  4,465,031

  1,605,463

  3,022,800

  £ thousand

  1986–87

  DOE regions

  HIP bids

  HIP allocations

  Housing capital expenditure

  Northern (excluding Cumbria)

  311,178

  75,476

  152,889

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  561,179

  125,312

  222,429

  East Midlands

  274,588

  85,471

  196,831

  Eastern

  429,795

  106,760

  302,005

  Greater London

  1,616,891

  445,505

  838,249

  South East

  506,657

  148,141

  363,876

  South West

  305,507

  101,617

  197,307

  West Midlands

  645,585

  154,398

  274,508

  North West (including Cumbria)

  730,052

  215,950

  382,852

  Unallocated3

  —

  —

  86,354

  England

  5,381,432

  1,458,630

  3,017,300

  1987–88

  £ thousand

  DOE regions

  HIP bids

  HIP allocations

  Housing capital expenditure

  Northern (excluding Cumbria)

  293,575

  72,539

  174,314

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  617,966

  125,103

  264,620

  East Midlands

  297,703

  84,685

  201,358

  Eastern

  478,892

  102,705

  327,060

  Greater London

  1,935,446

  415,560

  890,413

  South East

  554,364

  138,627

  430,473

  South West

  319,253

  89,290

  213,439

  West Midlands

  691,951

  149,253

  286,251

  North West (including Cumbria)

  790,314

  222,296

  431,672

  Unallocated3

  —

  —

  52,100

  England

  5,979,464

  1,400,058

  3,271,700

  776

  1988–89

  £ thousand

  DOE regions

  HIP bids

  HIP allocations

  Housing capital expenditure

  Northern (excluding Cumbria)

  306,112

  73,907

  166,471

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  555,697

  123,706

  288,502

  East Midlands

  273,526

  72,983

  212,383

  Eastern

  536,860

  81,935

  427,654

  Greater London

  2,053,119

  427,422

  908,759

  South East

  644,217

  116,224

  533,282

  South West

  309,316

  79,033

  257,817

  West Midlands

  710,821

  142,301

  309,323

  North West (including Cumbria)

  838,917

  213,130

  434,326

  Unallocated3

  —

  —

  65,783

  England

  6,228,585

  1,330,640

  3,604,300

  £ thousand

  1989–90

  DOE regions

  HIP bids

  HIP allocations

  Housing capital expenditure

  Northern (excluding Cumbria)

  338,007

  62,061

  185,597

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  544,419

  106,288

  360,977

  East Midlands

  299,017

  60,687

  291,868

  Eastern

  562,632

  63,720

  572,188

  Greater London

  2,024,910

  329,458

  1,504,462

  South East

  717,437

  85,479

  662,952

  South West

  360,668

  62,319

  411,579

  West Midlands

  603,263

  127,808

  423,342

  North West (including Cumbria)

  855,083

  197,055

  531,995

  Unallocated3

  —

  —

  181,040

  England

  6,305,436

  1,094,874

  5,126,000

  £ thousand

  1990–91

  DOE regions

  HIP bids

  HIP allocations

  Housing capital expenditure

  Northern (excluding Cumbria)

  329,145

  99,103

  142,000

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  573,678

  171,199

  271,000

  East Midlands

  319,611

  104,420

  185,000

  Eastern

  574,225

  159,256

  347,000

  Greater London

  2,109,436

  538,872

  791,000

  South East

  702,528

  199,806

  416,000

  South West

  383,869

  153,269

  250,000

  West Midlands

  665,650

  198,040

  313,000

  North West (including Cumbria)

  693,061

  265,035

  386,000

  Unallocated3

  —

  —

  63,000

  England

  6,351,203

  1,889,000

  3,164,000

  1991–924

  £ thousand

  DOE regions

  HIP bids

  HIP allocations

  Housing capital expenditure

  Northern (excluding Cumbria)

  332,577

  99,184

  148,000

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  603,789

  169,217

  244,000

  East Midlands

  282,427

  111,815

  177,000

  777

  DOE regions

  HIP bids

  HIP allocations

  Housing capital expenditure

  Eastern

  499,846

  151,559

  318,000

  Greater London

  1,823,538

  528,064

  625,000

  South East

  655,862

  195,103

  314,000

  South West

  380,114

  155,399

  220,000

  West Midlands

  743,105

  204,137

  269,000

  North West (including Cumbria)

  764,503

  246,615

  354,000

  Unallocated3

  —

  —

  51,000

  England

  6,085,761

  1,861,093

  2,720,000

  £ thousand

  1992–93

  DOE regions

  HIP bids

  HIP allocations

  Housing capital expenditure

  Northern (excluding Cumbria)

  331,845

  88,263

  n/a

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  545,798

  162,516

  n/a

  East Midlands

  266,485

  117,693

  n/a

  Eastern

  512,101

  142,478

  n/a

  Greater London

  1,860,531

  548,158

  n/a

  South East

  633,802

  181,966

  n/a

  South West

  359,321

  140,473

  n/a

  West Midlands

  696,595

  201,916

  n/a

  North West (including Cumbria)

  818,779

  243,249

  n/a

  Unallocated3

  —

  —

  n/a

  England

  6,025,257

  1,826,712

  2,600,000

  1 Allocations for the years up to and including 1989–90 are final allocations, ie the initial allocation plus any increases to the initial allocation made in-year. The allocations figures for 1990–91 and subsequent years are the HIP allocations (housing annual capital guidelines plus specified capital grants) issued prior to the start of the financial year. These figures do not include any supplementary credit approvals issued during the year.

  2From 1990–91, under the new capital finance system, the HIP allocation is an assessment of relative need for housing capital expenditure rather than a directly borrowing approval. Borrowing approval is now conveyed by the single, all service, basic credit approval.

  3 The regional expenditure totals do not sum to the overall England totals as these totals include some expenditure (eg the housing element of the urban programme, leasing) for which regional estimates are not available and because the England totals have been reconciled with other expenditure data reported by authorities.

  4 Provisional.

  5 Estimated.

  City Grant
  Mrs. Helen Jackson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list by region the city grant projects funded in each of the last three years, and the amount of funding allocated.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  I have today placed in the Library of the House details of city grant projects approved in each of the last three financial years by region. The list excludes projects which were approved but where the applicant did not proceed.

  Chemical Industry
  Mr. Bellingham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when the first tranche of the process guidance notes for the chemical industry sector processes prescribed under part I of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 will be available.

  Mr. Maclean
  I am pleased to report that nine notes, which are the first tranche of the chief inspector's guidance to inspectors in the chemical industry sector, are published today. These notes cover organic chemical processes, and have been drawn up following completion of research reviews. Relevant industries and other bodies have been given the opportunity to put forward their comments. The notes will provide a sound network within which inspectors can assess applications for the authorisation of new processes and existing processes. They represent a further stage in the introduction of integrated pollution control.

  A set of the notes will be placed in the Library of the House as soon as they are published.

  The preparation of guidance notes for the second and third tranches of chemical industry processes to come under control is well advanced. Further notes will be published later in the year.

  House Purchases
  Mr. Madel
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many houses have so far been purchased under the special package announced in the autumn statement; and from whom they have been brought.

  Mr. Howard
  Of the £750 million announced in the autumn statement to boost the housing market in the United Kingdom, £577 million went to the Housing Corporation to enable housing associations to purchase new, empty and repossessed properties in England. The latest figures from the corporation show that by 22 January approvals had been granted for the purchase of 11,812 properties; 3,394 from private individuals; 425 from mortgage lenders in possession; 7,724 from builders or developers, and 269 from other sources.

  Another £20 million was made available to the corporation to support the tenants' incentive scheme and £30 million to local authorities to support the cash incentive scheme, to encourage housing association and local authority tenants in England to move out and buy their own homes.

  Waste Disconnections
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many families with children were disconnected from water supplies due to non-payment of water rates in 1992.

  Mr. Maclean
  [holding answer 25 January 1993]: Information on disconnections of water supplies to families with children is not available. Total numbers of domestic disconnections for 1991–92 were given in my answer to the hon. Member for Sheffield, Hillsborough (Mrs. Jackson) on 4 November 1992, Official Report, columns 234–35. Information on domestic disconnections for the six month period from 1 April to 30 September

  779
  1992 was given in my answer to the hon. Member for Bow and Poplar (Ms. Gordon) on 18 November 1992, Official Report, columns 204–5.

  Productivity Statistics
  Mr. Nicholas Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has concerning the average annual percentage growth in productivity in the(a) manufacturing and (b) construction industry in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available in each member country of the European Community.

  (a) Manufacturing

  (Year-on-year changes: Percentages)

  Belgium

  France

  Italy

  Luxembourg

  Denmark

  West Germany

  Spain

  1982

  6·76

  2·24

  1·88

  3·00

  2·01

  0·55

  n/a

  1983

  8·00

  2·46

  4·92

  7·42

  6·53

  4·62

  n/a

  1984

  3·76

  1·24

  9·41

  12·52

  -0·44

  3·20

  n/a

  1985

  2·51

  2·59

  4·40

  5·88

  -2·36

  2·10

  n/a

  1986

  1·95

  1·79

  2·84

  -0·04

  -3·42

  -1·56

  n/a

  1987

  4·88

  2·36

  4·88

  3·18

  -2·78

  -2·94

  0·87

  1988

  7·24

  5·33

  6·16

  15·16

  2·13

  3·13

  9·51

  1989

  2·63

  3·82

  2·57

  7·69

  1·48

  3·12

  0·14

  Note: Manufacturing is defined in terms of sections 5 to 8 of the Standard International Trade Classifications.

  (b) Construction industry

  (Year-on-year changes: Percentages)

  Belgium

  France

  Italy

  Luxembourg

  Denmark

  West Germany

  Spain

  Netherlands

  United Kingdom

  1982

  3·1

  1·8

  -3·2

  -2·0

  1·3

  0·6

  n/a

  6·0

  13·2

  1983

  2·2

  1·9

  -1·3

  2·7

  -1·7

  4·1

  n/a

  5·9

  11·4

  1984

  2·0

  4·2

  2·6

  0·7

  1·4

  0·7

  n/a

  3·4

  2·1

  1985

  0·9

  3·5

  1·4

  0·2

  2·7

  -0·9

  n/a

  -0·1

  0·2

  1986

  2·8

  2·8

  1·8

  4·9

  8·1

  2·7

  n/a

  -1·7

  9·2

  1987

  2·5

  0·2

  2·5

  -0·3

  1·5

  -0·3

  -3·2

  -1·4

  2·2

  1988

  6·8

  3·2

  2·9

  5·6

  -4·4

  2·2

  0·2

  8·4

  -0·7

  1989

  0·0

  0·5

  4·4

  1·4

  -2·5

  2·0

  2·4

  2·8

  -8·6

  1990

  1·2

  0·2

  -0·2

  -0·8

  2·0

  0·0

  1·8

  2·2

  n/a

  Notes:

  Figures for Ireland, Greece and Portugal are not available.

  This table has been compiled using OECD data on the construction industry contribution to GDP, expressed in constant prices, divided by OECD data on all persons in the industry. OECD data for the United Kingdom has been expressed at constant prices using the DOE All New Construction Output Price Index.

  Contaminated Land
  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Islington, South and Finsbury of 20 January,Official Report, column 264, for what reasons he has decided not to place copies of responses to the first consultation exercise on contaminated land in the Library prior to his decision being announced.
  780
  Mr. Baldry
  [holding answer 26 January 1993]: A comparison of labour productivity in the manufacturing industry between the United Kingdom and its major trading partners can be found in the Treasury Bulletin dated summer 1992, a copy of which can be found in the Library of the House. The available figures for other members of the European Community are set out in the table:

  For the construction industry, the available figures are:

  Mr. Maclean
  [holding answer 26 January 1993]: In my previous answer of 20 January, Official Report, column 264, I indicated that we are still considering the way forward on the proposals. We are still receiving representations on the issues set out in our first consultation paper, which were subsequently modified in our second paper. We will publish responses once a final decision has been taken on the whole question of registers.

  COCOM FORUM: NOVEMBER 1992 MEETING
  COCOM FORUM: NOVEMBER 1992 MEETING
  TOPAZ 2 SPACE NUCLEAR POWER SYSTEM
  TOPAZ 2 SPACE NUCLEAR POWER SYSTEM
  RAILWAY PRIVATISATION: PASSENGER ROLLING STOCK
  RAILWAY PRIVATISATION: PASSENGER ROLLING STOCK
  RENT A ROOM SCHEME
  RENT A ROOM SCHEME
  JUBILEE LINE EXTENSION
  JUBILEE LINE EXTENSION
  DORKING ST. MARTIN'S AND OTTERSHAW SCHOOLS: SALE PROCEEDS
  DORKING ST. MARTIN'S AND OTTERSHAW SCHOOLS: SALE PROCEEDS
  ORGANOPHOSPHATE SHEEP DIP POISONING
  ORGANOPHOSPHATE SHEEP DIP POISONING