Written Answers of 16 June 1993

TRANSPORT

  Red Star Parcel Service
  Mr. Dunn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the sale of the British Rail Board's Red Star Parcels business will commence.

  Mr. MacGregor
  The board has today invited prospective purchasers of its Red Star parcels business to apply for an information memorandum describing the business and the proposed basis for sale. The closure date for receipt of detailed proposals is 13 August 1993.

  Mersey Ferries
  Ms Eagle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what requests he has received to end the royal charter which currently covers ferry services across the River Mersey.

  Mr. Freeman
  None.

  Train Accident, York
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what was the cause of the train accident at York on 23 April which involved hospital treatment of injured persons; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Freeman
  British Rail is at present conducting an inquiry into the events which led to this accident. Until conclusions are reached, I am unable to comment on the cause, but I understand that the Health and Safety Executive's railway inspectorate is keeping closely in touch with BR on this matter. The inspectorate will consider the report of the BR inquiry in due course and take any necessary action.

  M1 to M62 Link Road
  Mr. Harvey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what account was taken of the desirability of reducing carbon dioxide emissions in the cost benefit analysis for the M1 to M62 link road.

  Mr. Key
  The reduction of carbon dioxide emissions is not a factor in the Department's cost benefit economic analysis.

  Mr. Harvey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has had from hon. Members, lobby groups, businesses and the general public with regard to the M1 to M62 link road.

  Mr. Key
  The public consultation has so far resulted in:

  58 parliamentary questions

  137 letters from hon. Members to Ministers

  718 letters from the public to Ministers over 1,500 letters to officials

  550

  12 petitions containing over 20,000 signatures

  Mr. Harvey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to seek private sector finance for the M1 to M62 link road.

  Mr. Key
  Although this scheme is at an early developmental stage, we would be willing to consider any approaches from the private sector about financial involvement.

  Mr. Harvey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received since the formal consultation process ended from local authorities with regard to the M1 to M62 link road.

  Mr. Key
  Representations have so far been received from Kirklees metropolitan district council and the City of Wakefield MDC since the end of the consultation period.

  Railway Centre, York
  Mr. John Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will establish a permanent working group incorporating(a) his Department, (b) British Rail, (c) York Chamber of Commerce, (d) relevant local authorities and (e) other relevant interests for the promotion and protection of the Greater York area as a railway centre.

  Mr. Freeman
  I would be happy to meet hon. Members and representatives of the local authorities and the York Chamber of Commerce to discuss the impact of our proposals for the railways on the York area. I will write to the hon. Member and other hon. Members concerned with proposals for such a meeting.

  "Is Your Flight Affected by a Royal Flight"
  Dr. Spink
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with the Civil Airports Authority regarding the leaflet it has distributed to airfields entitled "Is Your Flight Affected by a Royal Flight"; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Norris
  None. The leaflet advertises a free telephone service which provides aviators with up-to-date information on temporarily restricted airspace which they should avoid, for their own safety and the safety of others. Royal flights are not the only reason why a temporary restriction might be imposed, as the leaflet indicates.

  Forward Look
  Dr. Moonie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he will designate one of his Ministers to be responsible for his Department's contribution to the Government's science and technology Forward Look.

  Mr. MacGregor
  Paragraph 2.37 of the recent White Paper "Realising Our Potential—A Strategy for Science, Engineering and Technology" describes the preparation of the Forward Look by the Office of Science and Technology, and the participation of Government Departments through the existing, well-established machinery of the official and ministerial Cabinet Committees on Science and Technology.

  Near-market Research
  Dr. Moonie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his Department's policy is with regard to the funding of near-market research.
  551
  Mr. MacGregor
  I refer the hon. Member to paragraphs 2.20 to 2.22 of the White Paper "Realising Our Potential—A Strategy for Science, Engineering, and Technology".

  Coastguard
  Mr. Ainger
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many auxiliary coastguard(a) patrol hours and (b) training hours were worked in each coastguard district in the United Kingdom in each year since 1979; and how many are expected to be worked in the current year.

  Mr. Norris
  The historic information on the patrol and training hours could be given only at disproportionate cost. The estimate for the current years figures for the coastguard districts are as follows:

  District

  Patrol hours

  Training hours

  Aberdeen

  1,644

  3,982

  Shetland

  0

  2,500

  Pentland

  972

  4,860

  Forth

  1,284

  3,144

  Tyne Tees

  1,560

  2,860

  Humber

  2,540

  4,672

  Yarmouth

  2,424

  3,840

  Thames

  6,160

  3,500

  Dover

  4,778

  4,040

  Solent

  8,250

  4,422

  Portland

  7,354

  5,163

  Brixham

  10,362

  3,850

  Flamouth

  8,758

  9,120

  Swansea

  3,990

  5,620

  Milford Haven

  1,272

  3,700

  Holyhead

  2,210

  3,060

  Liverpool

  3,363

  3,540

  Clyde

  2,200

  2,667

  Oban

  5,892

  4,320

  Stornoway

  2,612

  7,136

  Belfast

  2,904

  2,208

  Mr. Ainger
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much money his Department has provided for auxiliary coastguard pay and allowances(a) excluding and (b) including training costs in each coastguard region in the United Kingdom in each year since 1979 at 1979 values.

  Mr. Norris
  The information in the form required is not readily available and could be given only at a disproportionate cost. The total auxiliary coastguard pay and allowances, including training costs, for coastguard regions for financial years in actual prices are as follows:

  Region

  1990–91 £

  1991–92 £

  1992–93 £

  Aberdeen

  201,889

  187,103

  200,123

  Yarmouth

  181,201

  181,597

  219,218

  Dover

  115,344

  149,805

  251,839

  Falmouth

  448,425

  439,077

  379,940

  Swansea

  297,384

  287,035

  337,332

  Clyde

  191,330

  221,988

  237,354

  Mr. Ainger
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many auxiliary coastguard(a) patrol hours and (b) training hours were worked in each coastguard region in the United Kingdom in each year since 1979; and how many are available in the current year.
  552
  Mr. Norris
  The historic information on the patrol and training hours could be given only at disproportional cost. The estimate for the current years figures for the coastguard regions are shown as follows:

  Region

  Patrol hours

  Training hours

  Aberdeen

  13,020

  14,486

  Yarmouth

  6,524

  11,372

  Dover

  19,188

  11,962

  Falmouth

  26,474

  18,133

  Swansea

  10,835

  15,920

  Clyde

  13,608

  16,331

  Railway Vandalism
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 27 May,Official Report, column 687, what information he has on how many of the offences of vandalism on rail lines received sentences of four years' imprisonment and on the nature of the offences in each such case.

  Mr. Freeman
  The information in the form requested could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  British Rail (Appointments)
  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many of Railtrack's senior appointments come from(a) BR, (b) his Department, and (c) elsewhere; and how pay levels for people in (a) and (b) have altered.

  Mr. Freeman
  [pursuant to his reply, 30 March 1993, column 165]: Mr. Horton's appointment as chairman-designate of Railtrack was announced by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State, on 2 February 1993, during the second reading debate of the current Railways Bill. With effect from 3 February, Mr. Horton's salary was increased from £28,640 to £120,000, in recognition of the extra work and responsibilities he was being asked to take on, in planning and implementing the creation of Railtrack, in addition to his ongoing duties as a member and vice-chairman of the BR board.

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

  High Court Judges
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list by year for the last five years, and for this year to date, the number of barristers asked but who have declined to become High Court judges.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  Set out below are the numbers of practitioners who have consented, and declined, to allow their names to be recommended to Her Majesty the Queen for immediate appointment to the High Court Bench in each of the last five years, and so far this year. All those who declined, with one exception, have made it clear that they hope to be considered again for appointment to the High Court Bench in the future.

  Numbers consented

  Numbers declined

  1988–89

  7

  —

  1989–90

  8

  —

  1990–91

  2

  —

  553

  Numbers consented

  Numbers declined

  1991–92

  7

  1

  1992–93

  19

  6

  11993–94

  8

  2

  1 to date.

  Legal Services Ombudsman
  Mr. Heald
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when he expects publication of the second annual report of the legal services ombudsman.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The legal services ombudsman has today published his second annual report and copies have been placed in the Library.

ENVIRONMENT

  Environment Statistics
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when his Department's 15th "Annual Digest of Environment Statistics" was published; how many copies were printed; at what cost; and to whom the digest is being distributed.

  Mr. Yeo
  The 15th annual "Digest of Environmental Protection and Water Statistics" was published on 27 May 1993. It is on sale through bookshops, priced £14·95. Her Majesty's Stationery Office has printed 1,500 copies, of which my Department has purchased 450. Copies have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses and have been sent to other Government Departments, to those who contributed data and information and to other contacts.

  Council Tenants
  Mr. Congdon
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list for each local authority the number and total value of cash incentive grants made to council tenants in 1992–93.

  Mr. Baldry
  The table shows the number of value of cash incentive scheme grants made to local authority tenants in 1992–93 under section 129 of the Housing Act 1988.

  Local Authority cash incentive schemes—grants and expenditure 1992–93

  Local authority

  Number of grants

  Total expenditure(£000)

  Eastern

  Aylesbury Vale1

  8

  154

  Basildon1

  14

  226

  Braintree1

  3

  22

  Broxbourne1

  10

  180

  Castle Point1

  6

  91

  Colchester1

  29

  491

  Dacorum

  29

  612

  East Hertfordshire1

  24

  531

  Epping Forest

  2

  24

  Huntingdon

  22

  177

  Luton1

  20

  344

  Maldon1

  5

  100

  Mid Bedfordshire1

  11

  160

  Milton Keynes1

  10

  150

  North Hertfordshire1

  6

  68

  554

  Local authority

  Number of grants

  Total expenditure (£000)

  Peterborough

  10

  101

  Rochford1

  8

  173

  St. Albans1

  19

  302

  Southend1

  8

  100

  South Norfolk

  4

  44

  Stevenage1

  9

  140

  Three Rivers1

  12

  86

  Watford1

  14

  167

  London

  Barnet1

  32

  1,250

  Bexley1

  20

  369

  Brent1

  221

  4,000

  Bromley

  17

  179

  Camden1

  52

  1,017

  City of London1

  5

  92

  Croydon1

  136

  2,337

  Ealing1

  87

  1,148

  Enfield1

  71

  1,368

  Greenwich1

  57

  583

  Hackney1

  73

  933

  Hammersmith and Fulham1

  69

  1,101

  Haringey1

  69

  1,449

  Harrow1

  47

  987

  Havering1

  17

  123

  Hillingdon1

  78

  1,846

  Hounslow1

  71

  1,034

  Islington1

  119

  2,759

  Kensington and Chelsea1

  41

  850

  Kingston upon Thames

  17

  299

  Lambeth1

  46

  920

  Lewisham1

  25

  328

  Merton1

  27

  475

  Newham1

  51

  750

  Redbridge1

  8

  149

  Richmond1

  84

  1,382

  Southwark1

  15

  198

  Sutton1

  26

  462

  Tower Hamlets1

  25

  412

  Waltham Forest1

  52

  796

  Wandsworth1

  125

  2,481

  Westminster1

  80

  1,598

  South East

  Adur1

  21

  302

  Arun1

  11

  110

  Brighton1

  21

  298

  Canterbury1

  20

  263

  Cherwell1

  5

  48

  Chichester1

  18

  214

  Dartford1

  9

  175

  Dover1

  24

  447

  Eastbourne1

  11

  176

  Eastleigh1

  16

  198

  East Hampshire1

  5

  80

  Elmbridge1

  3

  52

  Fareham1

  4

  76

  Gillingham1

  30

  359

  Gosport1

  6

  96

  Gravesham1

  6

  60

  Guildford1

  5

  132

  Hart1

  4

  92

  Hastings1

  13

  112

  Havant1

  10

  147

  Horsham1

  6

  102

  Hove1

  7

  88

  Lewes1

  15

  150

  Maidstone1

  5

  107

  Mole Valley1

  8

  112

  New Forest1

  16

  211

  Oxford1

  3

  41

  Portsmouth1

  162

  1,943

  Reading1

  23

  446

  Reigate and Banstead1

  11

  220

  555

  Local authority

  Number of grants

  Total expenditure (£)

  Rother1

  8

  130

  Runnymede1

  2

  40

  Rushmoor1

  28

  420

  Shepway1

  6

  111

  Slough1

  57

  580

  Southampton1

  68

  445

  Spelthorne1

  4

  321

  Tandridge1

  5

  60

  Test Valley1

  15

  215

  Thanet1

  8

  133

  Waverley1

  4

  76

  Wealden1

  10

  200

  West Oxfordshire1

  6

  107

  Windsor and Maidenhead1

  14

  150

  Woking1

  17

  365

  Wokingham1

  8

  160

  Worthing1

  5

  75

  EAST MIDLANDS

  Daventry

  7

  70

  East Northamptonshire

  20

  120

  South Kesteven

  6

  36

  West Midlands

  Malvern Hills

  1

  10

  Solihull

  4

  23

  Stafford

  12

  94

  Wyre Forest

  6

  50

  South West

  Bournemouth

  19

  165

  Cheltenham

  25

  249

  Cotswold

  5

  34

  Exeter

  5

  49

  Kennett

  4

  40

  Kerrier

  1

  5

  Kingswood

  1

  5

  Mendip

  10

  120

  Penwith

  5

  50

  Poole

  15

  103

  Purbeck

  2

  20

  Restormel

  1

  8

  Stroud

  10

  100

  Taunton Deane

  21

  162

  Teignbridge

  3

  22

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  Hambleton

  2

  18

  Total

  3,094

  50,226

  1 Expenditure fully or partially funded from additional £30 million made available to local authorities in London and South-East England as part of the autumn statement package to stimulate the housing market and help relieve homelessness.

  Water Charges
  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of the possibility of water companies using council tax banding rates for charging purposes.

  Mr. Baldry
  Many customers have expressed the view that the fairest way of paying for water and sewerage services is in relation to the amount used. There is no evidence as yet that council tax banding provides a reasonable proxy for water usage.

  Air Pollution, London
  Mr. Leighton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the level of air pollution in London; what targets he has for reducing it; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Yeo
  Air quality is currently monitored automatically at four sites in London by my Department.

  So far this year the air quality measured at these four sites has been "good" or "very good" on at least 96 per cent of days. On occasions particularly during hot sunny weather, photochemical smog may be produced which can lead to poor air quality.

  The main source of air pollution in London is vehicle exhaust emissions. Measures to deal with such emissions include the requirement for catalytic converters on new cars from 1 January this year. This will reduce emissions from each car by at least 80 per cent. In addition, the MOT emission check introduced for cars from 1 November 1991 should secure substantial reductions in carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons. A metered smoke test was introduced in the annual test for heavy diesels on 1 September this year.

  Council Tax, Harlow
  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the substance of representations he received other than from Harlow district council in deciding on the limits to be imposed on the council's rates for council tax for 1993–94.

  Mr. Baldry
  We received representations from both of the main opposition groups on Harlow council, and from the hon. Member for Harlow (Mr. Hayes). The Conservative group suggested various options for reducing the authority's expenditure, criticised a number of policy decisions taken by the authority and considered that a budget of about 11·5 million for 1993–94 would be achievable. These representations were supported by the hon. Member for Harlow.

  The Liberal Democrat group considered that the final cap should be higher than our proposed cap but lower than the authority's alternative.

  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment which representations made on behalf of Harlow district council in relation to the probable consequences of reductions in net expenditure contemplated by his proposed council tax cap he has rejected.

  Mr. Baldry
  Before taking his decision on the level of the final cap for Harlow my right hon. Friend took account of all the relevant available information, including all representations, both written and oral, made by and on behalf of the authority in support of its alternative cap.

  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment from which hon. Members he has received representations about council tax capping for(a) Harlow and (b) Castle Point for 1993–94.

  Mr. Baldry
  We have received representations from the hon. Members for Harlow (Mr. Hayes) and for Castle Point (Dr. Spink) on capping for 1993–94 in relation to Harlow and Castle Point respectively.

  Radon
  Sir Roger Moate
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what advice he has received from the National Radiological Protection Board about the number of deaths and incidence of lung cancer attributable to the presence of radon in houses; what assessment he has made of the results of the programme to tackle the radon problem; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Yeo
  The National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB) estimates that 2,000 cases of lung cancer per annum are attributable to the presence of radon in houses. Measurements of radon have been made in 140,000 houses and 35,000 more are being processed. The Government's programme to identify homes with radon levels above the action level is continuing, and is subject to continuous assessment.

  Local Government Finance
  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps are taken to ensure that expenditure and revenue controls imposed on a local authority by his Department are not so substantial or at such short notice as to make the reduction unreasonably difficult to achieve.

  Mr. Baldry
  In recent years, as local authorities themselves requested, we have announced our provisional capping criteria well in advance of the date by which they must set their budgets.

  Before proposing a cap for any authority designated for capping, my right hon. Friend takes into account all available relevant information. It is then open to an authority to challenge its proposed cap and to suggest some higher alternative. The supporting case made by the authority and all other relevant available information about its circumstances is carefully considered before a decision is taken on its final cap. That final cap must in the view of my right hon. Friend be reasonable, achievable and appropriate in all the circumstances of the authority.

  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the five highest year-on-year reductions in net expenditure required of a local authority to bring its budget into conformity with the controls imposed under the Local Government, Planning and Land Act 1980, since the Act came into force.

  Mr. Baldry
  The Local Government, Planning and Land Act 1980 contains no provisions relating to the reduction of local authorities' expenditure.

  Merseyside Development Corporation
  Mr. Kilfoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what major developments are projected within the Merseyside development corporation area for the next five years.

  Mr. Baldry
  Merseyside development corporation has a substantial programme of encouraging major developments throughout the designated area. MDC's policies are discussed at the ministerial corporate plan meeting and with officials at Merseyside task force throughout the year. MDC's strategy is to secure the self-sustaining regeneration of Merseyside and great emphasis is placed on 558
  attracting investment to the area. Twenty-two major developments are projected within MDC's area over the next five years. These include five developments on land not owned by the corporation but which could require MDC support.

  The list is as follows:
  South Liverpool

  Riverside Housing Area

  Herculaneum—Commercial Development

  Brunswick Business Park—Further refurbishment of industrial/commercial units

  East Brunswick Housing Site

  South Ferry Island—Commercial/residential development

  Liverpool Waterfront

  Kings Dock—Leisure development

  Princes Dock1—Commercial/residential/leisure

  Baltic Triangle—Office development

  Albert Dock—Commercial/leisure

  North Liverpool

  Sandhills Business Park—Industrial development

  BEOCO Site1—Mixed use/office/business park/retail

  North Liverpool Industrial Area—Industrial development

  Vauxhall Housing Area—Social/low cost housing

  Waterloo Dock1—Further housing

  Birkenhead

  12 Quays

  Rose Brae Phases I and II—Residential development

  Scottsfield—Commercial/industrial development by Hanks Group plc.

  Green Lane—Commercial/industrial development

  Cammell Lairds1—In ownership of VSEL

  New Brighton Area

  Kings Esplanade Site—Leisure

  Victoria Parade Site–60 residential units

  Bootle

  Port expansion1—Port related activities, warehousing etc.

  1 Non-M DC land/property.

  Wall Insulation
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what consideration he gave to proposing improvements to wall insulation in his Department's consultative document on building regulations (conservation of fuel and power); and what public guidance he gives on cavity wall insulation.

  Mr. Baldry
  The current proposals for revising part l of the Building Regulations would significantly improve wall insulation taking the fabric of the wall as a whole. In particular the proposals would no longer allow lower standards of wall insulation where double glazing is fitted.

  The Department's Building Research Establishment has produced a number of publications over the years on cavity wall insulation and made contributions to publications produced by for example the British Standards Institution, and the National House-Building Council. Two of its publications are:
  Report No. 143 "Thermal insulation avoiding risks"; and NHBC Good Practice Guide: "Thermal insulation and ventilation".

  Chlorofluorocarbons
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will introduce legislation to make it illegal for recycled CFCs to be used except where proof is demonstrated that none will be used to service leakages.

  Mr. Yeo
  No.
  559
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it his policy to establish an annual audit indicating the amount of CFCs and hydrochlorofluorocarbons purchased by United Kingdom companies.

  Mr. Yeo
  No, this would impose an unnecessary burden on business, given the tight controls on the supply of CFCs and the supply and use controls we will be negotiating for HCFCs.

  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will bring forward legislation to ban the sale of CFC and hydrochlorofluorocarbons technology and equipment.

  Mr. Yeo
  Production and supply of new CFCs will end in the European Community by 1 January 1995, with an 85 per cent. cut from 1986 levels by 1 January 1994.

  HCFCs are necessary in the short to medium term in some applications to phase out CFCs quickly. Within the EC we will be pressing for strict controls to ensure that HCFCs are used only where other more environmentally suitable alternatives are not available.

  Mr. Nigel Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many people will be enforcing the phase out of CFC 113 in the United Kingdom; and what information he has as to how many staff will be involved in each of the other European Community countries.

  Mr. Yeo
  CFC 113 is no longer produced in the United Kingdom. Enforcement of the controls on its importation is carried out by HM Customs and Excise. No officers are exclusively engaged on this work which is carried out alongside their enforcement of other prohibitions and restrictions. I have no information on staff involved in other member states.

  Ozone Depletion
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to establish an information hotline to advise on emissions of ozone-depleting substances.

  Mr. Yeo
  None.

  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will introduce legislation to ensure that all products made with or containing any ozone depleting substances are clearly marked.

  Mr. Yeo
  The Government strongly support the European Community eco-labelling scheme which looks at all the effects of products on the environment. There are no plans to have a separate scheme for products containing or made with ozone-depleting substances.

  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to introduce a more rigorous regime of fines and penalties for the emission of ozone depleting substances.

  Mr. Yeo
  None. The disposal of waste ozone-depleting substances by releasing them to the atmosphere is an offence under section 33(1)(c) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. The penalties available to the courts for that offence are, on summary conviction, up to £20,000
  560
  fine or six months' imprisonment or, on conviction on indictment, an unlimited fine or up to two years' imprisonment.

  Leeds Development Corporation
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list, by local authority ward, the numbers of jobs created by the Leeds development corporation in each year since its creation.

  Mr. Baldry
  Official statistics for employees in employment are made available for local authority wards and aggregations of them by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Employment. The area covered by the Leeds development corporation does not coincide with ward boundaries.

  Information on the numbers of jobs created within the area covered by Leeds development corporation is compiled by the development corporation. The numbers of jobs created within its development area in each year since its designation are:

  Year

  Number

  1988–89

  1,526

  1989–90

  2,458

  1990–91

  2,320

  1991–92

  210

  1992–93

  830

  Science and Technology
  Dr. Moonie
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will designate one of his Ministers to be responsible for his Department's contribution to the Government's science and technology "Forward Look."

  Mr. Yeo
  Paragraph 2.37 of the recent White Paper "Realising Our Potential: A Strategy for Science, Engineering and Technology" describes the preparation of the Forward Look by the Office of Science and Technology, and the participation of Government Departments through the existing, well-established machinery of the official and ministerial Cabinet Committees on Science and Technology.

  Natural Environment Research Council
  Dr. Moonie
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he is taking to draw up a concordat of co-operation between his Department and the Natural Environment Research Council.

  Mr. Yeo
  As the recent White Paper "Realising Our Potential: A Strategy for Science and Technology" makes clear, a new system of research councils will come into effect on 1 April 1994. The Government have proposed that each of these new research councils should work with the Government Departments with which they have a significant policy connection to draw up and publish concordats.

  Near-market Research
  Dr. Moonie
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what his Department's policy is with regard to the funding of near-market research.
  561
  Mr. Yeo
  I refer the hon. Member to paragraphs 2.20 to 2.22 of the White Paper "Realising Our Potential: A Strategy for Science, Engineering and Technology".

  Planning Appeals
  Ms Quin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) pursuant to his answer of 8 June,Official Report, column 197–98, concerning planning appeals, if he will name each project listed.

  (2) pursuant to his answer of 8 June, Official Report, column 197–98, concerning planning appeals, if he will list the parliamentary constituencies in which the projects were located;

  Proposed development

  Planning permission given (Y)es (N)o

  Parliamentary constituency

  1986–87

  Microwave radio station—Chichester

  Y

  Chichester

  Residential development—Hayle

  Y

  St. Ives

  Residential development—Bramcote

  N

  Broxtowe

  Residential development—Alcester

  N

  Stratford upon Avon

  Residential development—Maidstone

  Y

  Maidstone

  Residential development—Pinner

  N

  Harrow West

  Commercial development—St. Albans

  N

  St. Albuns

  Residential development—Bromley

  Y

  Lewisham West

  Change of Use of land to playing fields—Stafford

  Y

  Stafford

  Residential development—Welwyn Garden City

  N

  Welwyn Hatfield

  Sheltered dwellings—Horsham

  N

  Horsham

  Residential development—Backwell, Avon

  N

  woodspring

  Office development—Bromley

  Y

  Ravenborough

  Retail warehouse, garden centre—Peterborough

  Y

  Peterborough

  Residential development—Colchester

  N

  South Colchester and Maldon

  Residential development—Calderdale

  Y

  Calder Valley

  Residential development—Calderdale

  Y

  Calder Valley

  Residential caravan site for gypsy families—Berkshire

  N

  Reading East

  Retail development—Benson, Oxon

  N

  Henley

  Residential development—Weybridge

  N

  Chertsey and Walton

  Retail stores—Cobham

  Y

  Esher

  Industrial development—Rayleigh

  Y

  Castle Point

  Showroom and office development—Westminster

  Y

  Islington North

  Hypermarket—Nottingham

  Y

  Nottingham East

  Commercial development—Cambridge

  N

  Cambridge

  Commercial development—Cambridge

  N

  Cambridge

  1987–88

  Residential development—Totton, Hants

  N

  Romsey and Waterside

  Residential development—Monks Park, Avon

  N

  Bristol, North West

  Retirement homes, warden accommodation—Horsmonden, Kent

  N

  Tunbridge Wells

  Restaurent and petrol station—Brentwood

  N

  Brentwood and Ongar

  Restaurant and petrol station—Brentwood

  N

  Brentwood and Ongar

  Residential development—Fareham

  N

  Fareham

  Retail superstore—Luton

  N

  North Luton

  Retail industrial and warehousing—Doncaster

  Y

  Doncaster, Central

  Residential development—Hexham

  Y

  Hexham

  Residential development—Exminster

  Y

  Tiverton

  Offices development—Lambeth

  Y

  Vauxhall

  Offices development—Lambeth

  Y

  Vauxhall

  Mineral extraction—County Durham

  Y

  North Durham

  Supermarket and filling station—Newcastle upon Tyne

  N

  Newcastle upon Tyne, North

  Retail food store—Newcastle upon Tyne

  N

  Newcastle upon Tyne, North

  Retail superstore—Gosforth

  N

  Newcastle upon Tyne, North

  Retail superstore—Milton Keynes

  N

  Milton Keynes, South West

  Residential dwellings—Alvanley, Cheshire

  Y

  Eddisbury

  1988–89

  Development of a business park—Crawley

  N

  Crawley

  Business, retail park and residential development—Crawley

  N

  Crawley

  Residential development—Hanham

  N

  Wansdyke

  Residential development—Edenbridge, Kent

  N

  Sevenoaks

  562
  (3) pursuant to his answer of 8 June, Official Report, column 197–98, concerning planning appeals, how many and which of the projects went ahead; and in which parliamentary constituency each was situated.

  Mr. Baldry
  The following information is given for the 113 planning appeals decided by the Secretary of State between 1 April 1986 and 31 December 1992 following a local inquiry and contrary to the recommendations of the planning inspector. It is not possible to say whether the projects listed went ahead but the nature of the decision made is indicated. Aggregate data on the outcome of earlier planning appeals has been included in successive reports of the chief planning inspector (copies of which are placed in the House Library) but details of those individual projects could be provided now only at disproportionate cost.
  563

  Proposed development

  Planning permission given(Y)es/(N)o

  Parliamentary constituency

  Residential development, nursing homes and residential care homes—Formby, Lancashire

  N

  Crosby

  Residential development—Alton

  N

  Winchester

  Residential development—Weybridge

  Y

  Chartey and Walton

  Residential development—Weybridge

  Y

  Chartey and Walton

  Residential development—Weybridge

  Y

  Chartey and Walton

  Re-alignment of link road and residential development —Hart, Hampshire

  N

  Aldershot

  Residential development—Kempston, Bedfordshire

  N

  Mid Bedfordshire

  Residential and retail development—Bramley, Hampshire

  N

  Basingstoke

  Residential development—Bramley, Hampshire

  N

  Basingstoke

  Service buildings and offices—Waterloo, SE1.

  Y

  Vauxhall

  Residential development—Cleveleys

  Y

  Wyre

  Residential development—Cleveleys

  Y

  Wyre

  Residential development—Long Ashton, Avon

  N

  Woodspring

  Retail warehouse and garden centre—Coventry

  Y

  Coventry, North East

  Residential development—North Morley, Yorkshire

  Y

  Morley and Leeds, South

  1989–90

  Trunk-Road Service Area—Swanley, Kent

  N

  Sevenoaks

  Industrial development—Guildford

  N

  Guildford

  Industrial development—Guildford

  N

  Guildford

  Industrial development—Guildford

  N

  Guildford

  Residential, leisure and industrial development— Stratford upon Avon

  Y

  Stratford upon Avon

  Residential development—Codnor, Derbyshire

  N

  Amber Valley

  Residential development—Rochester, Kent

  Y

  Tonbridge and Mailing

  Minerals extraction—Thatcham, Berkshire

  Y

  Newbury

  Residential development—Dawlish

  Y

  Tiverton

  Leisure development—Stevenage, Hertfordshire

  Y

  Stevenage

  Leisure development—Stevenage, Hertfordshire

  Y

  Stevenage

  Leisure development—Stevenage, Hertfordshire

  Y

  Stevenage

  Leisure development—Stevenage, Hertfordshire

  Y

  Stevenage

  Office development—Islington, EC1

  N

  Hackney South and Shoreditch

  Offices development—Windsor

  N

  Windsor and Maidenhead

  Offices development—Windsor

  N

  Windsor and Maidenhead

  Retail development—Test Valley, Hampshire

  N

  Romsey and Waterside

  Hotel development—Hendlip, Worcestershire

  Y

  Mid Worcestershire

  Residential development—East Sussex

  N

  Hastings and Rye

  Residential development—East Sussex

  N

  Hastings and Rye

  Retail development—Staines

  N

  Spelthorne

  1990–91

  Housing, leisure, warehouse development—Ashford, Kent

  N

  Ashford

  Mobile homes and caravans—Milton, Cambridgeshire

  N

  South East Cambridgeshire

  Petrol station and restaurant—Northamptonshire

  N

  Northampon South

  Retail development—Northamptonshire

  N

  Northampton South

  Retail development—Thame, Oxfordshire

  Y

  Henley

  Residential and industrial developments—Westbere, Kent

  N

  Canterbury

  Retail and residential development—Amberside, Cumbria

  N

  Westmorland and Lonsdale

  Business park—Oxfordshire

  N

  Henley

  Retail development—Bromley

  N

  Ravensborough

  Retail development—Feltham, L.B. Hounslow

  N

  Feltham and Heston

  Leisure development—Near Swindon, Wiltshire

  N

  Swindon

  Residential development—Downton, Wiltshire

  N

  Salisbury

  Hotel development—Ardeley, Oxfordshire

  N

  Banbury

  Hotel development—Ardeley, Oxfordshire

  N

  Banbury

  Hotel development—Ardeley, Oxfordshire

  N

  Banbury

  Residential development—Cookham, Berkshire

  N

  Windsor and Maidenhead

  Residential development—Peacehaven, East Sussex

  N

  Lewes

  1991–92

  Residential and Office development—Datchet, Berkshire

  N

  East Berkshire

  Residential development—Bognor Regis.

  N

  Chichester

  Industrial development—Vale Royal, Cheshire.

  Y

  Tatton

  Industrial development—South Bedfordshire.

  N

  South West Bedfordshire

  Retail development—Greenwich

  N

  Greenwich

  Residential and industrial development—Kent.

  N

  Canterbury

  Hotel development—Wilmslow, Cheshire.

  N

  Tatton

  1992–93

  564 565

  Proposed development

  Planning permission given (Y)es/(N)o

  Parliamentary constituency

  Industrial development—Reading.

  N

  Reading East

  Industrial development—Fareham.

  N

  Fareham

  Retention of caravan—South Norfolk.

  N

  South Norfolk

  Industrial development—Cinderford, Gloucester.

  Y

  West Gloucestershire

  Leisure development—Bromley.

  N

  Ravensbourne

  Ms Quin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer of 8 June,Official Report, column 197–98, concerning planning appeals, what proportion of the total number of public inquiries the figures represent.

  Mr. Baldry
  The following is the information:

  A

  B

  C

  D

  Year

  Total number of appeal decisions following an inquiry

  Of which decisions by Secretary of State following inquiry

  Of which decisions by Secretary of State contrary to the Inspector's recommendation

  Proportion of column C to column B per cent.

  1979

  2,599

  861

  17

  2·0

  1980

  2,786

  845

  15

  1·8

  1981

  2,913

  919

  34

  3·7

  1982

  2,723

  596

  20

  3·4

  1983

  2,257

  370

  13

  3·5

  1984

  1,551

  253

  16

  6·3

  1985–861

  2,114

  362

  25

  6·5

  1986–872

  2,098

  451

  26

  5·8

  1987–88

  1,960

  356

  18

  5·1

  1988–89

  2,204

  267

  19

  7·1

  1989–90

  2,347

  299

  21

  7·0

  1990–91

  1,960

  172

  17

  9·9

  1991–92

  1,808

  99

  7

  7·1

  1992–933

  1,505

  166

  5

  3·0

  1From 1 January 1985 to 31 March 1986

  21986–87 and subsequent years are 1 April to 31 March

  3Data available to 31 December 1992

  Benomyl
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what investigations are being carried out into the impact of the use of Benomyl and related products on the environment.

  Mr. Yeo
  Benomyl and related fungicides are used on a wide variety of crops to prevent certain fungal diseases. They have been used for many years without any detrimental effects on the environment being observed. The pesticide will be reviewed in due course at European Community level under the new Pesticides Directive, 91/414/EEC.

  Rough Sleepers
  Mr. Fishburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the outcome of the recent consultation exercise on the next phase of the Government's rough sleepers initiative; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir George Young
  Under the first phase of the rough sleepers initiative, from 1990–91 to 1992–93, the Government provided resources of £96 million to assist people sleeping rough in central London.
  566
  Independent research, funded by this Department, into the effectiveness of the rough sleepers initiative, shows that it has been a success. Through the initiative, several thousand people with a history of sleeping rough have been provided with accommodation. The number of people sleeping rough in central London has fallen by more than a half, from estimates of over 1,000 before the initiative began, to around 420 at a count in November 1992.

  The Government have made available a further £86 million over the next three financial years, 1993–94 to 1995–96, to continue the rough sleepers initiative in central London. On 18 January 1993 I issued a discussion paper, "The Rough Sleepers Initiative: The Next Three Years". It contained a range of proposals, based on recommendations from the independent research, aiming to ensure closer targeting of resources on central London's street homeless.

  Almost 100 organisations responded to the paper. There has been a broad measure of support for the main thrust of our proposals. In the light of those responses, I am today issuing a strategy document that outlines the way forward for the rough sleepers initiative over the next three financial years until 1995–96, to assist our aim to make it unnecessary for people to sleep rough in central London.

  We will continue to concentrate on funding permanent accommodation in houses and flats, with outreach work and resettlement support from voluntary organisations, to allow people sleeping rough to make a successful transition to a settled life. To ensure the better targeting of resources we are concentrating help on a limited number of specialist agencies with referral rights into RSI permanent accommodation; making referral agencies responsible for upholding the eligibility criteria; focusing some of the resources on zones, commencing with the Strand, with particular encouragement for consortia to come forward with proposals to reduce significantly the numbers sleeping rough in a specific area; and reducing the number of housing associations to develop permanent move-on accommodation under the initiative. Also, we are aiming to move towards a more contractual relationship with agencies, in the form of grants with tight, clearly-defined objectives. This, along with regular counts of the number of people sleeping rough in central London, will assist the better monitoring of the initiative.

  The further £86 million made available for this initiative, and the proposals in the strategy document to target resources more closely on those in need, will ensure that people sleeping rough in central London will continue to be helped to start a new life away from the streets. I am keen that this initiative should make a further significant impact on the problem of people sleeping rough in the capital.

  I have arranged for copies of the strategy document to be placed in the Libraries of this House and the other place.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Bail Hostels
  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what percentage of(a) residents of bail hostels and (b) people remanded in the community for a similar range of offences have been convicted subsequently of an offence committed while they were on remand, in the latest year for which figures are available.

  Mr. Maclean
  Information is not available in the form requested. RPU report 65 "Offending while on bail; a survey of recent studies" is available in the Library. However, this report does not give detail on bail hostels alone; no such study has been published.

  Juvenile Offenders
  Sir Anthony Durant
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received regarding current measures to deal with persistent juvenile offenders.

  Mr. Maclean
  Representations have been received from a wide range of agencies and individuals. Since 2 March 1993, when my right hon. and learned Friend, the Member for Rushcliffe (Mr. Clarke), made his statement at columns 139–42 in which, inter alia, he outlined the Government's proposals for a new secure training order, most representations have agreed with the Government's conclusion that the existing arrangements are unsatisfactory and have given general support to the new measures which we have proposed.

  Firearms Control Board
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he now expects to make a statement as to the date that the Firearms Control Board will be set up.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  No decision has yet been taken on whether to establish a new civilian firearms control board. My right hon. and learned Friend will make an announcement as soon as possible.

  Drugs-related Offences
  Ms Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many drugs-related offences were reported in the Metropolitan police area in January-December 1992; and how many resulted in prosecutions and convictions respectively.

  Mr. Maclean
  Information for 1992 is not yet available. Information on drug seizures and offenders dealt with in 1992 will be published later this year in the Home Office Statistical Bulletin "Statistics of drugs seizures and offenders dealt with, United Kingdom, 1992" (area tables), a copy of which will be placed in the Library.

  New Age Travellers
  Mr. Aspinwall
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he intends to introduce measures to deal with serious types of illegal trespassing and threats to the public by new age travellers.
  568
  Mr. Charles Wardle
  The proposals which were announced on 31 March to strengthen section 39 of the Public Order Act 1986 and to give the police new powers to deal with illegal rave parties will be introduced as soon as a legislative opportunity arises.

  Mr. Aspinwall
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the chief constables of the forces involved on the cost of the police operation code-named Haystack over the recent bank holiday weekend to control convoys of new age travellers; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  Operation Haystack was the police operation mounted by Gloucestershire constabulary to deal with the activities of new age travellers in its area over the May bank holiday. I understand from the chief constable that the cost of the operation, including the deployment of officers who would have been on duty anyway, was approximately £200,000.

  Police, Wales
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many policemen there are in each Welsh police authority indicating(a) the number from ethnic backgrounds, (b) who are Welsh speakers and (c) in total; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  Information on numbers of officers who speak Welsh is not held centrally. The other information requested is set out in the table.

  As at 28 February 1993

  Total police officers

  Officers from ethnic minorities

  Dyfed-Powys

  961

  Nil

  Gwent

  1,004

  9

  North Wales

  1,366

  1

  South Wales

  3,175

  22

  TOTAL

  6,506

  32

  Paul Malone
  Mr. Miller
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what costs were incurred by the West Yorkshire police in carrying out the first investigation into allegations of a possible miscarriage of justice concerning the case of Paul Malone.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  This is a matter for the chief constable of the West Yorkshire police.

  Mr. Miller
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what costs have been incurred to date by the Metropolitan police in carrying out the current investigation into allegations of a possible miscarriage of justice concerning the case of Paul Malone.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  This is a matter for the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis.

  Police Retirements
  Mr. Miller
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will state the reasons for the retirement of(a) Chief Superintendent McQuoid of the West Yorkshire police and (b) detective chief inspector Howard Jones of the Metropolitan police force.
  569
  Mr. Charles Wardle
  These are matters for the individual officers. Under the terms of the Police Pension Regulations 1987 a police officer may retire with full pension rights payable immediately after 30 years pensionable service. Both officers had completed 30 years service with the police at the time of their retirements in March 1990 and May 1993 respectively.

  Mr. Miller
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement detailing the policies relating to retirement of senior police officers during lengthy internal police investigations; and what consideration is given to potential retirements when appointing particular officers to inquiries.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  These are matters for police authorities and chief officers in individual cases.

  Table A

  Number and percentage of 'known offenders' (those cautioned and found guilty) in the Metropolitan police district (including the City of London) by age group and offence 1991

  Aged 10 to under 17

  Aged 17 to under 21

  Offence group

  Number

  Per cent.

  Number

  Per cent.

  Indictable offences

  Vehicle crime1 indictable

  511

  5

  679

  4

  Summary

  1,117

  3—

  1,225

  3—

  TOTAL

  1,628

  3—

  1,904

  3—

  Drug offences

  894

  8

  4,397

  25

  Robbery

  353

  3

  400

  2

  Violent crimes2

  1,327

  12

  1,652

  9

  Other indictable

  7,550

  71

  10,328

  59

  Total indictable offences

  10,635

  100

  17,456

  100

  1 Includes the indictable offence of stealing a motor vehicle (Theft Act 1968 Section 1); and the summary offences of stealing and unauthorised taking of a motor vehicle (Theft Act 1968 Section 12(1) as amended by Criminal Justice Act 1988 Section 37).

  2 Includes indictable offence groups 'Violence against the person' and 'Sexual offences'.

  3— Not applicable.

  Table B

  Number of defendants prosecuted at magistrates courts and convicted at all courts in the Metropolitan police district (including the City of London) by age group and offence 1991.

  Aged 10 to under 17

  Aged 17 to under 21

  Offence group

  Prosecutions

  Convictions

  Prosecutions

  Convictions

  Indictable offences

  Vehicle crime1 indictable

  185

  132

  705

  484

  Summary

  459

  324

  1,336

  1,070

  TOTAL

  644

  456

  2,041

  1,554

  Drug offences

  130

  86

  1,631

  1,405

  Robbery

  471

  236

  636

  400

  Violent crimes2

  718

  395

  1,974

  1,144

  Other indictable

  2,546

  1,694

  10,213

  7,706

  Total indicable offences

  4,050

  2,543

  15,159

  11,139

  1 Includes the indictable offence of stealing a motor vehicle (Theft Act 1968 Section 1); and the summary offences of stealing and unauthorised taking of a motor vehicle (Theft Act 1968 Section 12(1) as amended by Criminal Justice Act 1988 Section 37).

  2 Includes indictable offence groups 'Violence against the person' and 'Sexual offences'.

  Crime Statistics
  Ms Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many offences in the Metropolitan police area were committed by(a) juveniles up to the age of 16 years and (b) young people aged 17–20 years in January to December 1992; what proportion of total offences were (i) car-related, (ii) drugs-related, (iii) robbery, (iv) violent crimes and (v) other; and how many resulted in prosecutions and convictions respectively.

  Mr. Maclean
  Information is not collected centrally on the number of offences committed by offenders.

  Table A shows the number and percentage of "known offenders" (those cautioned and found guilty) by age group in the Metropolitan police district (including City of London) for the offences listed in 1991. Table B shows the number of defendants prosecuted and convicted in the Metropolitan police district (including City of London) for the same offences by age group in 1991.

  Data for 1992 will not be available until the autumn.

  Domestic Violence
  Ms Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many incidents of domestic violence were reported in the Metropolitan police area in January to December 1992; and how many resulted in(a) prosecutions and (b) convictions, respectively.

  Mr. Maclean
  Provisional figures provided by the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis show that there were approximately 9,800 incidents of domestic violence reported in the Metropolitan police district in 1992. Information on prosecutions and convictions is not available.

  Police (Racial Discrimination)
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many representations he has received on the subject of racial discrimination within the police authorities over the past 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  None.

  Notifiable Offences
  Ms Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many notifiable offences in total were recorded in the Metropolitan police area in 1963, 1970, 1979, 1990, 1991 and 1992; what proportion the offences were per thousand population respectively; and what has been the percentage change in notifiable offences since 1963 and 1979 respectively.

  Mr. Maclean
  Information on the number of offences recorded in the Metropolitan police district and the number per thousand population is contained in the following table. The percentage increase between 1963 and 1992 was 412 per cent. and between 1979 and 1992 it was 169 per cent.

  Number of offences and number per 1,000 population Metropolitan Police District

  Year

  Number of offences

  Number per 1,000 population

  1963

  229,107

  29

  1970

  321,156

  42

  1979

  557,378

  76

  1990

  834,324

  115

  1991

  926,203

  128

  1992

  942,878

  130

  Car-related Offences
  Ms Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many car-related offences were reported in the Metropolitan police area in January to December 1992; and how many resulted in prosecutions and convictions respectively.

  Mr. Maclean
  The available information on notifiable offences relates to vehicle crime which includes offences of theft of and from a vehicle and aggravated vehicle taking. In the Metropolitan police district in 1992, there were 241,437 recorded offences.

  Information on the number of defendants prosecuted and convicted in 1991 is given in the following table. Data for 1992 will not be available until the autumn.
  572

  Number of defendants prosecuted at magistrates' courts and found guilty at all courts for vehicle crime offences in the Metropolitan police district1 1991

  Offence

  Prosecutions

  Convictions

  Theft of a motor vehicle2

  3,177

  2,324

  Theft from a motor vehicle

  1,126

  794

  Aggravated vehicle taking3

  4—

  4—

  Vehicle crime

  4,303

  3,118

  1 Including City of London.

  2 Including stealing a motor vehicle (Theft Act 1968 Section 1); and stealing and unauthorised taking of a vehicle (Theft Act 1968 Section 12(1) as amended by Criminal Justice Act 1988 Section 37).

  3 The Aggravated Vehicle Taking Act 1991 came into force on 1 April 1992.

  4 Not applicable.

  Security Firms
  Mr. Callaghan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the names of all the private security firms currently employed by his Department, the number of employees for each firm on the contract, the total value of each contract and the total value of all contracts for each financial year since 1987.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  The following private security firms are currently employed by the Home Office:

  Airline Security Consultants Limited

  Burns International Security Services Limited

  Group 4 Court Escort Services Limited

  Group 4 Remand Services Limited

  Group 4 Total Security Limited

  Grundig International Limited

  Harlow Security Systems Limited

  Lisburn Security Services

  Maritime Aviation Security Services

  Reliance Security Service Limited

  SDA (1979) Limited

  Securicor Security Services Limited

  Securiguard Services Limited

  Security Wales Limited

  UK Detention Services Limited

  The value of each contract is a matter of commercial and contractual confidentiality. Information about the total value of such contracts for each financial year since 1987 is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Information about the number of staff employed on each contract is also not readily available; in some cases the number varies from day to day according to operational requirements.

  Strip Searching
  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the amount of drugs and explosives detected for each of the past five years as a result of(a) strip searching of convicted and remand prisoners and (b) strip searching of other people.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The information requested in part(a) of the question was collected centrally only from mid November 1990. Information prior to that date could be gathered only by a manual search at disproportionate cost. Additionally it is not possible to give the quantity of drugs found, only the number of occasions when drugs were found on a prisoner's person.

  The total numbers of such incidents are as follows:

  573

  Drug finds (incidents)

  19901

  59

  1991

  269

  1992

  289

  19932

  184

  1 From mid November 1990.

  2To end May 1993.

  There are no recorded incidents of explosives being found as a result of the strip searching of convicted and remand prisoners.

  I regret that the information requested in part (b) of the question is not collected centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Fire Service, Wales
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will visit(a) Queensferry fire station, Deeside and (b) Buchley fire station, Clwyd;

  (2) if he will make a statement on the future of the fire service in (a) Clwyd and (b) Wales;

  (3) if he will visit Clwyd county council headquarters, Mold to discuss the future of the fire service; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  My right hon. and learned Friend has no plans at present to visit Clwyd. Our proposals for the future structure of the fire service in Wales are set out in the White Paper on the future of local government in Wales (Cm. 2155), which was published on 1 March 1993, and on which we are still receiving comments.

  Criminal Injuries (Compensation)
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 8 June,Official Report, column 182, how many awards of between £550 and £799 were made by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board in each year since 1986–87.

  Mr. Maclean
  The published reports of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board do not give data about numbers of awards in the band requested. The following table accordingly summarises data about the nearest equivalent bands.

  Awards

  £500–599

  £600–799

  Below £750

  £750–999

  1986–87

  2,3622

  3,479

  —

  —

  1987–88

  2,271

  3,428

  —

  —

  1988–89

  3,499

  5,275

  —

  —

  1989–90

  3,179

  5,085

  —

  —

  1990–91

  3,096

  5,886

  —

  —

  1991–92

  n/a

  n/a

  3,893

  8,685

  Voting Rights
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what plans he has to publicise the extension of voting rights in European and local elections of EC nationals resident in this country once the Maastricht treaty has been ratified prior to the deadline for inclusion on electoral registers for voting in the European elections of 20 April 1994; and if he will make a statement;
  574
  (2) what was the outcome of his most recent meeting with electoral registration officers to discuss the arrangements for the extension of voting rights to EC nationals; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  My officials have had an informal discussion with some electoral registration officers on the practicalities of implementing the new voting rights provided by the Maastricht treaty. We shall bring forward legislative proposals to give effect to the new voting rights once the Maastricht treaty has been ratified in all the member states. We shall take steps to publicise the new voting rights at that time.

  Electoral Registers
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will issue updated guidance notes to electoral registration offices on the use of alternative sources of information for the purposes of cross-referencing the draft electoral register subsequent to the abolition of the community charge register; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Electoral registration officers use a number of different sources of information to assist them in their task of drawing up registers of electors. We regularly issue guidance for electoral registration officers but have no plans to issue advice following the replacement of the community charge.

  Prisoners (Costs)
  Sir Nicholas Fairbairn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the cost per week, month or year of keeping a prisoner in the various categories of prison.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the director general of the prison service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter from A. J. Butler to Sir Nicholas Fairbairn, dated 16 June 1993:

  The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General, Mr. Lewis, from the office, to reply to your recent Question about the cost of keeping a prisoner in the various categories of prison.

  The average weekly cost of keeping prisoners in the financial year 1991–92—the latest year for which information has been published—was as follows:

  Weekly cost

  Type of establishment

  £ per prisoner per week

  Local prisons and adult remand centers

  437

  Dispersal prisons

  807

  Category B training prisons

  438

  Category C training prisons

  363

  Open adult prisons

  316

  Closed youth establishments

  452

  Open youth establishments

  551

  Female establishments

  629

  All operational establishments

  442

  Ticket Touts
  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a further statement with respect to his policy on the introduction of legislation to outlaw ticket touting at sporting and entertainment events.

  Mr. Maclean
  [holding answer 14 June 1993]: The Government are committed to implementing the Taylor report's recommendation that there should be a new criminal offence of ticket touting at football matches. This is because of the implications such touting may have for public order and public safety. We intend to introduce the appropriate legislation when there is a suitable opportunity in the parliamentary timetable.

  More generally we believe that, although some may find touting objectionable, it would not be appropriate for the criminal law to prohibit people from re-selling tickets which they have lawfully obtained, any more than it would be appropriate to forbid people to sell their other possessions. Such an offence would in any event be unenforceable. Neither would it be appropriate for the Government to attempt to regulate the price at which tickets may be resold. It is, however, already an offence for touts to deceive their customers as to the type of tickets they are selling, or obtain tickets by theft, fraud or intimidation. It is also open to the organisers of sporting or other entertainment events to impose contractual conditions on the sale of their tickets, forbidding resale and invalidating the tickets if they are sold on to third parties.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  School Meals
  Mr. Wicks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the level of public expenditure on the school meal service in each year since 1979 in cash and real terms.

  Mr. Ancram
  Net expenditure on school meals and milk (figures for which are not recorded separately) is as follows:

  Financial year

  Cash £000

  AT 1992–93 prices £000

  1978–79

  17,031

  47,538

  1979–80

  19,670

  47,056

  1980–81

  18,088

  36,568

  1981–82

  17,381

  32,044

  1982–83

  19,152

  32,961

  1983–84

  21,572

  35,484

  1984–85

  22,417

  35,094

  Date

  Prison

  Sentenced or Remand

  Drugs found

  18 April 1990

  Belfast

  Remand

  Cannabis

  22 November 1990

  YOC

  Sentenced

  Cannabis Resin

  22 November 1990

  YOC

  Sentenced

  Cannabis Resin

  22 November 1990

  YOC

  Sentenced

  Cannabis Resin

  13 December 1990

  Belfast

  Remand

  Cannabis Resin

  15 March 1991

  Belfast

  Sentenced

  Cannabis Resin

  3 August 1991

  YOC

  Sentenced

  Cannabis

  6 August 1991

  Magilligan

  Sentenced

  Cannabis

  27 September 1991

  Belfast

  Sentenced

  Cannabis Resin

  30 September 1991

  Belfast

  Remand

  Cannabis

  3 January 1992

  YOC

  Sentenced

  Cannabis

  576

  Financial year

  Cash £000

  AT 1992–93 prices £000

  1985–86

  24,739

  36,724

  1986–87

  25,580

  36,789

  1987–88

  23,950

  32,650

  1988–89

  22,318

  28,361

  1989–90

  23,865

  28,456

  1990–91

  24,152

  26,663

  1991–92

  26,564

  27,494

  1992–93

  127,110

  27,110

  1 Actual expenditure not available: figure relates to approved expenditure.

  Mr. Wicks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the average price of a school meal in(a) primary schools and (b) secondary schools in cash and real terms in each year since 1979.

  Mr. Ancram
  The information is available only for fixed price meals and is as follows:

  Primary

  Secondary

  Year

  Cash (Pence)

  Real Terms (Pence)

  Cash (Pence)

  Real Terms (Pence)

  1979

  25

  60

  25

  60

  1980

  35

  71

  35

  71

  1981

  45

  83

  45

  83

  1982

  50

  86

  50

  86

  1983

  55

  90

  55

  90

  1984

  55

  86

  55

  86

  1985

  60

  89

  60

  89

  1986

  60

  86

  60

  86

  1987

  70

  95

  75

  102

  1988

  75

  95

  80

  102

  1989

  80

  95

  85

  101

  1990

  85

  94

  90

  99

  1991

  90

  93

  95

  98

  1992

  90

  90

  100

  100

  Strip Searching
  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the amount of drugs and explosives that have been detected for each of the past five years as a result of(a) strip searching of convicted and remand persons and (b) strip searching of other people.

  Mr. Mates
  Only prisoners are full-searched within the Northern Ireland prison service. Records of finds of drugs and explosives in prisons in Northern Ireland have not been maintained for the whole of the past five years or in such detail as to quantify amounts of various items detected. The following list details only those finds of drugs clearly identified as resulting from full searches. No explosives have been detected. Other illicit items found in full searches are not included.
  577

  Date

  Prison

  Sentenced or Remand

  Drugs found

  3 January 1992

  YOC

  Sentenced

  Cannabis

  21 February 1992

  YOC

  Sentenced

  Amphetamine Sulphates

  21 February 1992

  YOC

  Sentenced

  Amphetamine Sulphates

  4 July 1992

  Maze

  Sentenced

  Alcohol

  2 August 1992

  Belfast

  Sentenced

  Cannabis

  6 August 1992

  Belfast

  Sentenced

  Cannabis Resin

  20 August 1992

  Magilligan

  Sentenced

  10 Tablets

  28 August 1992

  Belfast

  Remand

  Cannabis Resin

  27 September 1992

  YOC

  Remand

  Methylamphetamine Cannabis 42 Tablets

  30 October 1992

  Maghaberry

  Sentenced

  45 Capsules

  19 December 1992

  YOC

  Remand

  Cannabis

  23 December 1992

  Belfast

  Remand

  Cannabis

  23 December 1992

  Belfast

  Remand

  Cannabis

  5 January 1993

  Magilligan

  Sentenced

  Cannabis

  9 February 1993

  Belfast

  Sentenced

  Cannabis Resin

  26 March 1993

  Belfast

  Sentenced

  Cannabis

  GP Practices
  Mr. Duncan Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many single-handed general practitioner practices there are in Northern Ireland; and what is their average patient holding.

  Mr. Ancram
  At 1 May there were 85 single-handed general medical practices in Northern Ireland, with an average patient list size of 2,014.

  Health Authorities and Trusts
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many(a) health authorities and (b) trusts were in existence in Northern Ireland on 1 April; and what is his forecast of the number on 1 April 1994.

  Mr. Ancram
  On 1 April there were in existence in Northern Ireland four health and social services boards and six HSS trusts and I do not expect there to be any change in the number of authorities purchasing services on behalf of their resident populations by 1 April 1994. However an additional four units have already been approved for trust status and it is intended that they, together with any units which make successful applications in the current third round, will be established to come into operation on 1 April 1994 when necessary changes to the law have been made.

  Innovation Support
  Dr. Moonie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he is taking to improve the ease of access to innovation support programmes by small and medium-sized enterprises.

  Mr. Atkins
  In 1992 the Government published a regional research and development strategy for Northern Ireland "Innovation 2000". That strategy specifically recognised the need to promote research and development, collaboration and innovation in small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs). Government also established the industrial research and technology unit (IRTU) which provides single door access to an extensive range of support facilities for industry. These facilities include access to the SMART and teaching company schemes, product development programmes and EC support 578
  mechanisms for SMEs. IRTU also provides technical and scientific support services and delivers a programme of promotional initiatives designed to increase competitiveness and innovation. The recently published IRTU corporate plan emphasises the particular importance of technology transfer, awareness programmes and collaboration at local, national and international level.

  Near-market Research
  Dr. Moonie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what his Department's policy is with regard to the funding of near-market research.

  Mr. Atkins
  I refer the hon. Member to paragraphs 2.20 to 2.22 of the White Paper "Realising Our Potential—A Survey for Science, Engineering and Technology".

  Research and Development
  Dr. Moonie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he is taking to improve the take up of grants and other incentives for research and development by small and medium enterprises.

  Mr. Atkins
  Given their importance in the region's economy, Northern Ireland's research and development strategy and the corporate plan and activities of its industrial research and technology unit are focused on increasing innovation and competitiveness in small to medium enterprises. A range of consultancy and technology transfer services are available; there is a programme of support for research and development, including the SMART awards and product development; and sustained promotional and awareness raising initiatives are undertaken. The SMART awards and teaching company scheme have been particularly successful in the region.

  Science and Technology
  Dr. Moonie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he will designate one of his Ministers to be responsible for his Department's contribution to the Government's science and technology "Forward Look."

  Mr. Atkins
  Paragraph 2.37 of the recent White Paper "Realising Our Potential—A Strategy for Science, Engineering and Technology" describes the preparation of
  579
  the Forward Look by the Office of Science and Technology and the participation of Government Departments through the existing, well-established machinery of the official and ministerial Cabinet Committees on Science and Technology.

PRIME MINISTER

  THORP
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Prime Minister what recent representations he has had on the thermal oxide reprocessing plant at Sellafield.

  The Prime Minister
  I have received a number of representations.

  LINK Scheme
  Dr. Moonie
  To ask the Prime Minister what proportion of the LINK scheme budget is being transferred from the Department of Trade and Industry to the Office of the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.

  The Prime Minister
  LINK is an interdepartmental mechanism for promoting collaborative, precompetitive research involving industry and the science base. As such there is no distinct LINK scheme budget. The Department of Trade and Industry, like other participating Departments, uses money from its overall research and development budget to support LINK programmes and projects where these provide a way of meeting its departmental objectives. The Department's financial commitment to LINK will continue to be substantial and is unaffected by the transfer of responsibility for the LINK steering group and its secretariat to the Office of Science and Technology.

  Teaching Company Scheme
  Dr. Moonie
  To ask the Prime Minister if lead responsibility for the teaching company scheme is being transferred from the Department of Trade and Industry to the Office of the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.

  The Prime Minister
  At present, no single Department of state or research council has lead responsibility for the teaching company scheme and no decision has been taken to change this arrangement.

EMPLOYMENT

  Market Testing
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what evaluation he has made of the effect on the number of jobs on Merseyside of the introduction of market testing; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  None.

  The information requested on the effect of the Government's market testing programme on the number of jobs on Merseyside can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  As far as the Employment Department group is concerned, the current market testing programme affects a total of about 118 staff in Merseyside county, 108 based at the Health and Safety Executive's site in Bootle, and about
  580
  10 Employment Service staff involved in the delivery of job clubs on Merseyside. There will be opportunities for both private sector companies and in-house teams to bid for the departmental work concerned. This will encourage enterprise and the economy generally and Merseyside will benefit from this as much as anywhere else.

  EC Social Fund
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many(a) men and (b) women were on European social fund training courses in each of the regions of the United Kingdom at the latest available date.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Comprehensive details of the breakdown of European social fund applicants are not readily available at regional level and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Social Affairs Council
  Mr. Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment pursuant to his answer of 7 June,Official Report, columns 95–96, what were the voting figures for each member state recorded in the meeting of the European Community Social Affairs Council held on 1 June.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  No formal votes were taken at this Council meeting.

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. Betts
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list for each constituency(a) the latest unemployment figures, (b) the latest figures for those who have been out of work for at least one year and (c) the latest figures for those who have been out of work for at least five years; and if he will give the percentage rates for each category by travel-to-work area.

  Miss Widdecombe
  Information showing unadjusted claimant unemployment by duration and as a percentage of the total work force can be obtained from the NOMIS database in the Library.

  Industrial Injury
  Mr. Callaghan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the number of working hours lost as a result of industrial injury in 1992.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The figures for 1992 are not available. An estimate of absence from work due to workplace injury is available for the year 1989–90 from the special supplement of questions on accidents to the 1990 Labour Force Survey. An estimated 23·2 million days absence occurred in Great Britain in 1989–90. This figure is equivalent to about 170 million hours lost for a five day working week of 37 hours.

SCOTLAND

  Health Authorities and Trusts
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many(a) health authorities and (b) trusts were in existence in Scotland on 1 April; and what is his forecast for 1 April 1994.
  581
  Mr. Stewart
  On 1 April 1993 there were 15 health boards, and 17 NHS trusts in Scotland. There are no plans to change the number of health boards but a further 23 hospitals units have applied to become NHS trusts on 1 April 1994. These applications have been released for public consultation.

  GP Practices
  Mr. Duncan Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many single-handed general practitioner practices there are in Scotland; and what is their average patient holding.

  Mr. Stewart
  There were 228 unrestricted principals in single handed practices in Scotland at 1 October 1992, the latest date for which information is available centrally. Their average list size was 1,440.

  Islands (Subsidies)
  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will place in the Library the Halcrow Fox report on Government subsidies to the Scottish islands.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Once the final report on the findings and conclusions of the ferry subsidies impact study has been completed and submitted to the Scottish Office by Halcrow Fox, St. Andrews Economic Consultants and PA Cambridge Economic Consultants, my right hon. Friend will arrange to have a copy placed in the Library of the House.

  Housing, Edinburgh
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish available details of Scottish Homes' major Edinburgh initiative to stimulate existing and new housing suppliers to produce new homes for the private rental market.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Scottish Homes has recently approved 143 houses for market rent in Edinburgh. Its total investment to the end of 1992–93 was around £.1·3 million.

  Housing Associations
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many housing association tenants in Scotland have now vacated housing association tenancies under the tenant's incentive scheme.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Since April 1990 a total of 267 tenants have received a grant under the tenants incentive scheme.

  Shared Equity Housing
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what progress Scottish Homes has made with the development of its share equity pilot; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Scottish Homes is examining a number of new ways of promoting low cost home ownership, including the possibility of shared equity arrangements. It hopes to run a pilot later this year.

  Public Transport
  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he is taking on the Scottish Consumer Council's recommendations following the recent survey of the facilities for babies and children travelling on public transport.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  It is for the relevant transport operators to consider the Scottish Consumer Council's recommendations. The Government are, however, committed to the development of a fully accessible transport system and are concerned that account should be taken of the particular need for adequate and safe facilities for babies and children.

  Housing
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what sums have been(a) spent in 1992–93 and (b) committed in 1993–94 by Scottish Homes to (i) the provision of furnished accommodation, (ii) the development and piloting of lead tenancies and (iii) the promotion of the tenant's incentive scheme.

  Lord James Douglas Hamilton
  The information is set out in the table:

  £ million

  1992–93

  1993–941

  Furnished accommodation2

  0·110

  0·850

  Lead tenancies3

  —

  0·043

  Grants paid under the tenants incentive scheme

  1·336

  1·500

  1 Estimated expenditure.

  2 1992–93 expenditure covers Scottish Homes' own stock only: estimated expenditure for 1993–94 covers own stock and grants to housing associations.

  3 Covers only development costs, not funding of actual units.

  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proportion of housing associations and housing co-operatives funded by Scottish Homes have agreements whereby local authorities have 50 per cent. nomination rights.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Performance standards for housing associations, issued jointly by Scottish Homes and the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations, requires associations and co-operatives to seek nomination arrangements with district councils in whose area they operate but details of individual arrangements are not held centrally.

  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether(a) research on housing matters and (b) professional postgraduate courses related to housing are funded from the housing or the education budget.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 14 June 1993]: The Scottish Office environment department funds research on housing matters; and student support for postgraduate diplomas in housing is shared between the Scottish Office environment department and the Scottish Office education department.

  Criminal Justice System
  Mr. Gallie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proposals he has to improve the operation of the Scottish criminal justice system.
  583
  Mr. Lang
  The first report of the groups which have been reviewing court programming under the chairmanship of Sheriff Principal Gordon Nicholson, QC and Sheriff Graham Cox was published on 11 June. Copies of the report, which contains proposals for improving court programming mainly within the existing legislative framework, have been placed in the House Libraries. Copies have also been sent to the various interests and comments requested by the end of September.

  The Government have also been considering measures which would involve statutory change and is publishing today a report entitled "Review of Criminal Evidence and Criminal Procedure", together with a consultation paper seeking the public's views on the proposals in the report. Copies of both have also been placed in the House Libraries.

  The proposals in the report aim to secure a substantial reduction in the time wasted by both civilian and police witnesses in attending court for trials which do not take place and in giving evidence which is not contested. They include pre-trial hearings to ensure cases are ready to go to trial; more active management of the pre-trial period; a new form of disclosure of the prosecution case; and the possibility of reduced sentences for those who plead guilty early. The results would include a better deal for thousands of civilian witnesses and more police time released for other duties. The consultation period will last until 30 September and I look forward to receiving views on the proposals from a wide range of interests.

  The publication of this report marks the first stage of the process. Later in the year the Government intend to embark on a second round of consultations. This will look at the function and verdicts of the jury in criminal trials, the way in which appeals against conviction and sentence in the criminal courts are dealt with and any matters arising from the report of the Royal Commission on Criminal Justice which have implications for the Scottish criminal justice system. Any proposals for legislative change will be formulated in the light of responses to these two wide-ranging consultation exercises.

  Shetland Oil Spill
  Mr. Raymond S. Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what progress has been made by the ecological steering group he announced on 26 January in relation to the Shetland oil spill.

  Sir Hector Monro
  The steering group expects to make an interim report on 17 June. I shall arrange for copies to be placed in the Libraries of the House.

  Compulsory Competitive Tendering
  Mr. Raymond S. Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has for de minimis thresholds for white collar compulsory competitive tendering.

  Mr. Stewart
  Current compulsory competitive tendering activities under the Local Government, Planning and Land Act 1980 and the Local Government Act 1988 are subject to de minimis thresholds. Where the amount of work falls below these thresholds, authorities are not obliged to seek competitive tenders, though they can do so voluntarily if they wish.

  The Government accept the principle that de minimis arrangements should apply to CCT activities for
  584
  professional and corporate services. We also accept that a local authority needs to perform adequately the core client roles which may not be suitable for competitive tendering and that de minimis arrangements should address these issues.

  It is our view that different de minimis thresholds may be appropriate for different services and that different bases for calculating these thresholds may be appropriate. For instance for some services a threshold based on the total value of the service may be appropriate, for others one based on the number of staff employed or a combination of the two may better meet authorities needs. The details of the arrangements to be applied will form part of the current discussions with local authority interests on the implementation of CCT extension. Further announcements will be made in due course.

  As with the existing services, local authorities will of course be free to tender services below threshold levels voluntarily.

  Prisoners
  Sir Nicholas Fairbairn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the cost per week, month or year of keeping a prisoner in the various categories of prison.

  Mr. Lang
  The approximate cost per year of keeping a prisoner in the various main categories of prison in Scotland for 1992–93, calculated as total current expenditure, divided by average prisoner numbers, was as follows. For the remand category, the figure was £22,500, for the secure young offenders institution category, £23,000 and for adult secure prisoners the figure was £24,550. This compared to a figure of £31,000 for open and semi open adult prisons and £31,500 for the open and semi open young offenders institution category.

  Shipping Services
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pusuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Aberdeen, South (Mr. Robertson) of 26 May,Official Report, column 589, on shipping services to Scottish islands, what consideration will be given in his review to the need for public sector support for private sector investment.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 14 June 1993]: The Government remain committed to continuing to support essential shipping services to the Scottish islands whether these services are provided by public or private sector operators. The shipping subsidies review will consider a range of different financing and ownership options.

  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Aberdeen, South (Mr. Robertson) of 26 May,Official Report, column 589, on shipping services to Scottish islands, whether his review will include bulk shipping services.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 14 June 1993]: Yes.

  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Aberdeen, South (Mr. Robertson) of 26 May,Official Report, column 589, on shipping services to Orkney and Shetland, what plans he has to extend the principle of giving additional

  585
  assistance to P & O Scottish Ferries Ltd. to enable net tariffs of users of the service to remain unchanged to services to islands provided by other operators.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 14 June 1993 ]: My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Scotland, announced that he intended to make available a further £1·934 million in the current year to increase the amount of subsidy available for services provided by P&O to Orkney and Shetland. The additional assistance is to be provided to P&O Scottish Ferries Ltd. to enable it to maintain the present level of roll-on/roll-off services in respect of passengers and cars. I have no plans to increase further the level of support for shipping services in the current year.

  Conservation Sites
  Mr. Galbraith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list, by habitat category, sites which in the opinion of Scottish Natural Heritage qualify for designation as special protection areas under the EC directive on the conservation of wild birds (79/409/EEC); which of these are awaiting designation; and if he will indicate a timetable for their designation.

  Sir Hector Monro
  [holding answer 8 June 1993]: The information is set out in the table. The sites have not been selected by reference to any habitat category but to their ornithological importance. The Government are working closely with Scottish Natural Heritage with a view to accelerating the rate of designation of special protection areas and to completing the designation programme as soon as possible.

  List of sites which in the opinion of Scottish Natural Heritage qualify for special protection area status

  Site

  Local Authority

  North Rona and Sula Sgeir

  Western Isles

  Flannan Isles

  Western Isles1

  St. Kilda

  Western Isles1

  Shiant Isles

  Western Isles1

  West Sound of Harris

  Western Isles

  Monach Islands

  Western Isles

  Loch Druidibeg/Loch a' Machair

  Western Isles1

  South Uist Machair and Lochs

  Western Isles

  West Sound of Barra

  Western Isles

  Mingulay and Berneray

  Western Isles

  Pentland Firth Islands

  Highland

  Orkney

  The Peatlands

  Highland

  Caithness Lochs

  Highland

  Caithness Cliffs

  Highland

  Cape Wrath

  Highland

  Handa

  Highland1

  Priest Island

  Highland1

  Rum

  Highland1

  Balranald

  Western Isles

  Baleshare and Kirkibost

  Western Isles

  Loch Scadavay

  Western Isles

  Inverpolly, Loch Urigill and Nearby Lochs

  Highland

  Loch Maree

  Highland

  Loch Ruthven and Nearby Lochs

  Highland

  Central Highland Hills and Glens

  Highland

  Lewis Peatlands

  Western Isles

  North Harris Mountains

  Western Isles

  Assynt Lochs

  Highland

  Loch Stack, Loch Nam Brac and Nearby Lochs

  Highland

  Loch Shin and Nearby Lochs

  Highland

  Loch Eye

  Highland1

  Moray Basin Firths and Bays

  Grampian

  Highland

  Beinn Dearg

  Highland

  Ben Wyvis

  Highland

  586

  Site

  Local Authority

  Glangarry Lochs

  Highland

  Loch Tarff and Nearby Lochs

  Highland

  North Inverness Lochs

  Highland

  Hermaness and Saxa Vord, Unst

  Shetland

  Ramna Stacks and Gruney

  Shetland

  Fetlar

  Shetland

  North Roe and Tingon, Mainland Shetland

  Shetland

  Papa Stour

  Shetland

  Foula

  Shetland

  Noss

  Shetland

  Fair Isle

  Shetland

  West Westray

  Orkney

  Papa Westray (North Hill and Holm)

  Orkney

  Marwick Head

  Orkney

  Lochs of Harray and Stenness

  Orkney

  Hoy

  Orkney

  Copinsay

  Orkney

  Sule Skerry and Stack

  Orkney

  Loch Spynie

  Grampian1

  Loch of Strathbeg

  Grampian

  Ythan Estuary, Sands of Forvie and Meikle Lochs

  Grampian

  River Spey-Insh Marshes

  Highland

  Cairngorms

  Highland

  Grampian

  Loch of Skene

  Grampian1

  Fowlsheugh

  Grampian1

  Lochnagar

  Grampian

  Drumochter Hills

  Highland

  Tayside

  West Mainland Moors

  Orkney

  North Mainland Coast

  Orkney

  South Westray Coast

  Orkney

  East Sanday

  Orkney

  Croussa Field and the Heogs

  Shetland

  Mousa

  Shetland

  Rousay (part)

  Orkney

  North Ronaldsay Coast

  Orkney

  Southeastern Stronsay

  Orkney

  Eday

  Orkney

  Troup, Pennan and Lion Heads

  Grampian

  St. Cyrus

  Grampian

  Buchan Ness to Collieston Coast

  Grampian

  Sumburgh Head

  Shetland

  Monadhliath

  Highland

  Alvie

  Highland

  Ben Alder

  Highland

  Abernethy Forest

  Highland1

  Kinveachy

  Highland

  Creag Meagaidh

  Highland

  Lochs of Spiggie and Brow

  Shetland

  Mill Dam, Shapinsay

  Orkney

  Rosehearty to Fraserburgh Coast

  Grampian

  Orphir and Stenness Hills

  Orkney

  Keelylang

  Orkney

  Loch of Isbister

  Orkney

  Blackpark and Gutcher, Yell

  Shetland

  Loch Oire

  Grampian

  Loch Vaa

  Highland

  Glen Tanar

  Grampian

  Muir of Dinnet

  Grampian

  Moorland Areas, Central Shetland

  Shetland

  West Burrafirth, Shetland

  Shetland

  Hill of Colvadale and Sobul

  Shetland

  An Socach-Carn a Gheoidh

  Grampian

  Loch Lomond

  Strathclyde

  Central

  Tiree and Coll

  Strathclyde

  Treshnish Isles

  Strathclyde

  Gruinart Flats, Islay

  Strathclyde1

  Bridgend Flats, Islay

  Strathclyde1

  Laggan Peninsula, Islay

  Strathclyde1

  Eilean na Muice Duibhe, Islay

  Strathclyde1

  Glac na Criche, Islay

  Strathclyde1

  Feur Lochain, Islay

  Strathclyde1

  Rhinns of Islay

  Strathclyde

  Islay; the Oa

  Strathclyde

  Inner Clyde Estuary

  Strathclyde

  587

  Site

  Local Authority

  Rhunahaorine Point

  Strathclyde

  Machrihanish and Tangy Loch

  Strathclyde

  Ailsa Craig

  Strathclyde1

  Loch Ken and Dee Marshes

  Dumfries and Galloway1

  Lochinch and Torrs Warren

  Dumfries and Galloway

  Wigtown Bay

  Dumfries and Galloway

  North Colonsay and Western Cliffs

  Strathclyde

  Sanda

  Strathclyde

  Castle Loch Lochmaben

  Dumfries and Galloway

  Caenlochan

  Tayside

  Grampian

  Montrose Basin

  Tayside

  Loch of Kinnordy

  Tayside

  Loch of Lintrathen

  Tayside1

  Tay-Isla Valley

  Tayside

  Loch Leven

  Tayside

  Firth of Tay

  Tayside

  Fife

  Cameron Reservoir

  Fife

  Eden Estuary, Tentsmuir Point and Abertay Sands

  Fife

  Tayside

  Forth Islands

  Lothian1

  Fife

  Flanders Moss and Lake of Menteith

  Central

  Gladhouse Reservoir

  Lothian1

  Fala Flow

  Lothian

  Westwater

  Borders

  St. Abb's Head to Fast Castle

  Borders

  Greenlaw Moor and Hule Moss

  Borders

  Hoselaw Loch

  Borders1

  South Tayside Goose Roosts

  Tayside1

  Firth of Forth

  Lothian

  Fife

  Central

  Upper Solway Flats and Marches

  Dumfries and Galloway1

  1 Indicates designated site.

  HIV/AIDS and Drug Abuse
  Mr. Darling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will set out the criteria used by him in allocation resources to health boards for their work in(a) HIV/AIDS and (b) drug misuse including the criteria in respect of (i) education and (ii) prevention in these areas; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 7 June 1993]: Allocations to assist health boards in responding to the extra burdens imposed by HIV and AIDS are being made in 1993–94 by means of service agreements with the management executive of the national health service in Scotland. The agreements take into account the number of HIV and AIDS cases in each health board area and the estimated costs of treatment and care. For prevention activity, including public education campaigns, the allocations include an amount calculated according to weighted capitation principles. HIV and AIDS allocations may also be used for relevant activities to counter drug misuse; but in addition some £2·4 million is being made available in 1993–94 specifically for drug misuse purposes. Of this amount, some £1·3 million has been allocated to four health boards in support of specific projects. The remainder has been divided among all health boards on the weighted capitation basis.

  Social Housing (Transfers)
  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the organisations awarded grants to help those in the social housing sector to move from one area to another, the sums awarded in each case, and the nature of the work that each grant will pay for.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 14 June 1993]: Grant is given to HOMES—Housing Organisations Mobility and Exchange Services—which is a national organisation acting as a clearing house for public sector tenants who wish to move between one local authority area and another. It operates two schemes—a national mobility scheme under which members agree to commit 1 per cent. of their net lettings in any one year to mobility applicants, and a tenants exchange scheme which facilitates swaps between council tenants. Grant is provided by the Department of the Environment, the Scottish Office, the Welsh Office and the Department of the Environment in Northern Ireland, and the Scottish contribution in 1993–94, calculated on a formula related to the activity taking place in Scotland, will be a maximum of £121,015.

  This grant will facilitate national mobility scheme moves and exchanges involving moves of tenants within, or to and from, Scotland, and will also assist towards funding of a development worker for Scotland who is to be appointed during the course of 1993–94.

  Housing and Community Care
  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list those projects awarded a grant for 1993–94 which promote or develop effective links between housing services and community care, and the amount awarded to each.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 14 June 1993]: Support for projects combining housing and community care will come from a number of Government programmes in 1993–94. Grants totalling £514,000 have been awarded through the mental illness specific grant, to projects designed to increase community based mental health facilities, including special housing. In addition, £15 million of bridging finance has been made available to health boards for community care projects, some of which may well involve housing. Grants totalling £5·978 million have already been made under the urban programme for hostel and other accommodation, day care services, and home care for the elderly; and further grants may be made during 1993–94. A total of £135,000 has been made available to voluntary housing bodies for community care, including provision for the elderly.

  In addition, Scottish Homes makes grants to housing associations which promote effective links between housing and community care including in particular grants made under the new revenue funding arrangements known as the special needs allowance package (SNAP) to meet the additional housing management costs involved in providing for people with special needs. It is estimated that SNAP grants in 1993–94 will amount to around £4 million.

  Forestry Commission
  Mr. Denham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) who are the members of the review body currently considering the further sale of assets of the Forestry Commission; and when she expects the review body to report;

  (2) what consideration is being given to the further sale of assets of the Forestry Commission; and if she will make a statement.

  Sir Hector Monro
  [holding answer 14 June 1993]: I refer the hon. Member to the replies I gave to the hon. Member for Islington, South and Finsbury (Mr. Smith) on 20 April 1993 at column 89.

  In respect of current disposals, I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for the Western Isles (Mr. Macdonald) on 1 April 1993 at column 392.

  Prescribed Process Regulations
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer of 19 May,Official Report, column 218, what prosecutions have been undertaken resulting from breach of the prescribed process regulations since 31 July 1992.

  Sir Hector Monro
  [holding answer 14 June 1993]: The results of a survey on the operation of local authority air pollution control in Scotland during its first year (1 April 1992 to 31 March 1993) are currently being analysed. From 54 returns so far received from the 56 district and islands councils, the survey indicates that no prosecutions were undertaken during that period.

  Dounreay
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the radiological and economic consequences of the spillage of radioactive thorium at building D1203 at the nuclear power development establishment at Dounreay on 27 March.

  Sir Hector Monro
  [holding answer 14 June 1993]: The spillage of radioactive thorium at building D1203 at the AEA technology plant at Dounreay on 27 March was contained entirely within the plant. It did not result in any increased radiation exposure of plant personnel and had no environmental effects.

  The economic consequences of the incident are a matter for the management of AEA Technology.

EDUCATION

  Special Needs
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will make it his policy to continue to make provision for local education authorities to plan and review the education of all children with special needs within their area.

  Mr. Forth
  The Education Bill currently before Parliament would strengthen provision for all pupils with special educational needs in an area. It would put duties on the funding agency and on the local education authority to take account of the need for making suitable SEN provision where they have responsibility for planning 590
  school places in an area. It provides for further co-operative arrangements between the sectors over local SEN provision

  Responsibility for making provision for the majority of pupils with SEN rests with school governors, who will be required to formulate and report on their policies for children with SEN. Schools' performance will be systematically inspected against their policies by independent inspectors. The Bill would require the Secretary of State to issue a code of practice to which local education authorities and all maintained school must have regard in respect of pupils with SEN. It provides for local education authorities to make available SEN support services to grant-maintained and local education authority-maintained schools to assist governors.

  The duties of local education authorities towards pupils who may need an assessment and a statement and their duty to review all the arrangements for pupils with SEN are reinforced in the Bill.

  Teachers (Clerical Support)
  Ms Estelle Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much money was spent in each of the last five years on clerical support for teachers in schools.

  Mr. Forth
  Information is collected centrally only for schools' expenditure on administration and clerical staff combined. For the five years up to 1991–92, the latest year for which information on actual spending is available, this expenditure was as follows:

  Local education authority-maintained nursery, primary, secondary and special schools England

  Year

  Total expenditure1 £ thousand

  1987–88

  196,520

  1988–89

  219,020

  1989–90

  260,678

  1990–91

  335,181

  1991–92

  2404,267

  1 Total expenditure on administrative and clerical staff, cash, £ thousands.

  2 Provisional.

  Note:

  "Administrative and clerical staff' includes such staff as school secretaries, clerks, typists, receptionists and telephonists. Details on premises related staff (caretakers, etc.) and education support staff (such as laboratory technicians) are collected separately.

  London School of Economics (Fees)
  Sir Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what representations he has received on the plans by the London School of Economics to charge fees for university tuition; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Boswell
  I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that I gave to the hon. and learned Member for Montgomery (Mr. Carlile) on 14 June,Official Report, column 420.

  Market Testing
  Ms Mowlam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will list all the market tests that have taken place in his Department since November 1992 and
  591
  indicate, in each case, whether the result was the maintenance of in-house provision, or whether the service was contracted out.

  Mr. Boswell
  The Department's market tests listed in Cmnd. 2101 for completion by 30 September 1993 are still in progress.

  Science and Technology
  Dr. Moonie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether he will designate one of his Ministers to be responsible for his Department's contribution to the Government's science and technology "Forward Look."

  Mr. Boswell
  Paragraph 2.37 of the recent White Paper "Realising Our Potential—A Strategy for Science, Engineering and Technology" describes the preparation of the "Forward Look" by the Office of Science and Technology, and the participation of Government Departments through the existing, well-established machinery of the official and ministerial Cabinet Committees on Science and Technology.

  Industrial Research
  Dr. Moonie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether the Higher Education Funding Council for England will take industrially relevant research into account in future research assessment exercises.

  Mr. Boswell
  Universities and colleges were free to submit evidence of the full range of their research in the assessment exercise undertaken last year by the Universities Funding Council. This included research related to the needs of industry. The White Paper "Realising our Potential: A Strategy for Science, Engineering and Technology" indicates that the Government will expect research relevant to industrial and other users to be taken into account in future assessment exercises.

  Near-market Research
  Dr. Moonie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what his Department's policy is with regard to the funding of near-market research.

  Education SSAs and Education budget figures for 1992–93 (in £ million)

  Local education authority

  Budget

  Education SSA

  Difference

  Percentage difference

  Corporation of London

  2·12

  0·65

  1

  225

  Camden

  70·04

  64·92

  5

  8

  Greenwich

  105·98

  107·46

  -1

  -1

  Hackney

  112·93

  117·39

  -4

  -4

  Hammersmith

  61·19

  57·75

  3

  6

  Islington

  85·07

  86·45

  -1

  -2

  Kensington

  47·22

  38·33

  9

  23

  Lambeth

  132·04

  139·39

  -7

  -5

  Lewisham

  112·63

  114·07

  -1

  -1

  Southwark

  103·23

  112·36

  -9

  -8

  Tower Hamlets

  118·55

  123·69

  -5

  -4

  Wandsworth

  105·83

  100·62

  5

  5

  Westminster

  77·25

  55·93

  21

  38

  Barking

  66·26

  61·55

  5

  8

  Barnet

  110·16

  113·29

  -3

  -3

  Bexley

  77·33

  86·54

  -9

  -11

  Brent

  125·90

  134·22

  -8

  -6

  Bromley

  93·29

  97·61

  -4

  -4

  Croydon

  132·56

  129·40

  3

  2

  592
  Mr. Boswell
  I refer the hon. Member to paragraphs 2.20 to 2.22 of the White Paper "Realising Our Potential —A Strategy for Science, Engineering and Technology". Funding for research through the Higher Education Funding Council for England is intended to support mainly basic and strategic research.

  Education Expenditure
  Mr. Betts
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what has been the real increase in education expenditure on matters within the responsibility of local education authorities since 1979, in money and percentage terms; and what is(a) the level by which LEAs in total and (b) the extent to which each individual LEA currently spends beyond its education standard spending assessment SSA, according to the latest expenditure figures available, in money and percentage terms.

  Mr. Forth
  Total local authority expenditure on education in England has increased by £3,197 million or 17·6 per cent., in real terms between 1979–80 and 1991–92, the latest year for which data are available. This comparison does not allow for the transfer or responsibility for about £900 million—in 1992–93 prices —of expenditure on local authority higher education to the Polytechnics and Colleges Funding Council from 1 April 1989.

  Information on LEAs' budgeted expenditure is taken from returns to the Department of Environment. The figures for English LEAs' education budgets for 1992–93, both individually and in total, together with the figures for their overall education standard spending assessments and the differences in cash and percentage terms, are set out in the table.

  For several reasons, it is necessary to be cautious about drawing conclusions from the figures. Education SSAs are not spending targets as LEAs are free to determine their own spending priorities. The budget figures were provided at the beginning of the 1992–93 financial year. Outturn expenditure may well be different. LEAs may also not recognise the budget figures because their budget returns have been adjusted by the Department of Environment to make them comparable with their education SSAs.
  593

  Local education authority

  Budget

  Education SSA

  Difference

  Percentage difference

  Ealing

  122·72

  130·81

  -8

  -6

  Enfield

  115·86

  113·70

  2

  2

  Haringey

  96·20

  103·80

  -8

  -7

  Harrow

  80·81

  79·91

  1

  1

  Havering

  89·57

  89·17

  0

  0

  Hillingdon

  87·97

  88·11

  0

  0

  Hounslow

  86·55

  90·25

  -4

  -4

  Kingston

  50·16

  46·18

  4

  9

  Merton

  61·47

  59·31

  2

  4

  Newham

  111·28

  133·21

  -22

  -16

  Redbridge

  90·02

  92·45

  -2

  -3

  Richmond

  44·56

  44·36

  0

  0

  Sutton

  55·39

  61·32

  -6

  -10

  Waltham Forest

  100·55

  104·85

  -4

  -4

  Birmingham

  428·05

  485·14

  -57

  -12

  Coventry

  132·46

  122·99

  9

  8

  Dudley

  117·67

  108·75

  9

  8

  Sandwell

  128·19

  125·30

  3

  2

  Solihull

  73·29

  72·26

  1

  1

  Walsall

  106·39

  107·18

  -1

  -1

  Wolverhampton

  112·80

  110·65

  2

  2

  Knowsley

  74·56

  78·89

  -4

  -5

  Liverpool

  206·93

  214·97

  -8

  -4

  St· Helens

  76·65

  73·34

  3

  0

  Sefton

  110·25

  110·45

  0

  0

  Wirral

  132·23

  135·67

  -3

  -3

  Bolton

  105·87

  105·65

  0

  0

  Bury

  68·74

  63·93

  5

  8

  Manchester

  198·76

  203·67

  -5

  -2

  Oldham

  95·63

  94·07

  2

  2

  Rochdale

  84·40

  86·46

  -2

  -2

  Salford

  87·54

  89·33

  -2

  -2

  Stockport

  105·97

  99·82

  6

  6

  Tameside

  82·69

  85·35

  -3

  -3

  Trafford

  78·55

  77·58

  1

  1

  Wigan

  124·23

  116·64

  8

  7

  Barnsley

  77·08

  80·67

  -4

  -4

  Doncaster

  121·43

  119·05

  2

  2

  Rotherham

  104·55

  101·40

  3

  3

  Sheffield

  190·79

  180·80

  10

  6

  Bradford

  213·28

  221·85

  -9

  -4

  Calderdale

  77·61

  77·24

  0

  0

  Kirklees

  153·04

  157·65

  -5

  -3

  Leeds

  267·68

  261·96

  6

  2

  Wakefield

  120·62

  114·54

  6

  5

  Gateshead

  80·07

  72·77

  7

  10

  Newcastle

  104·88

  99·42

  5

  5

  North Tyneside

  75·25

  73·66

  2

  2

  South Tyneside

  63·62

  60·54

  3

  5

  Sunderland

  113·41

  118·37

  -5

  -4

  Isles of Scilly

  1·36

  1·30

  0

  4

  Avon

  350·59

  315·24

  35

  11

  Bedfordshire

  220·25

  222·71

  -2

  -1

  Berkshire

  272·03

  287·14

  -15

  -5

  Buckinghamshire

  255·58

  259·97

  -4

  -2

  Cambridgeshire

  249·28

  242·20

  7

  3

  Cheshire

  370·99

  359·37

  12

  3

  Cleveland

  253·42

  247·82

  6

  2

  Cornwall

  170·01

  175·42

  -5

  -3

  Cumbria

  183·70

  173·35

  10

  6

  Derbyshire

  370·13

  329·86

  40

  12

  Devon

  347·72

  343·10

  5

  1

  Dorset

  203·35

  200·12

  3

  2

  Durham

  234·13

  223·95

  10

  5

  East Sussex

  224·66

  216·96

  8

  4

  Essex

  557·99

  580·81

  -23

  -4

  Gloucestershire

  192·54

  183·41

  9

  5

  Hampshire

  576·19

  562·64

  14

  2

  Hereford and Worcester

  241·87

  241·88

  0

  0

  Hertfordshire

  383·25

  370·18

  13

  4

  Humberside

  361·53

  341·30

  20

  6

  Isle of Wight

  46·24

  47·54

  -1

  -3

  Kent

  539·75

  568·13

  -28

  -5

  Lancashire

  563·79

  553·25

  11

  2

  Leicestershire

  361·69

  344·49

  17

  5

  Lincolnshire

  219·32

  221·98

  -3

  -1

  Norfolk

  261·97

  260·61

  1

  1

  594 595

  Local education authority

  Budget

  Education SSA

  Difference

  Percentage difference

  North Yorkshire

  252·93

  243·84

  9

  4

  Northamptonshire

  225·98

  223·80

  2

  1

  Northumberland

  119·79

  111·40

  8

  8

  Nottinghamshire

  402·22

  383·42

  19

  5

  Oxfordshire

  201·34

  187·52

  14

  7

  Shropshire

  164·61

  154·01

  11

  7

  Somerset

  172·71

  159·23

  13

  8

  Staffordshire

  380·42

  374·64

  6

  2

  Suffolk

  229·66

  215·27

  14

  7

  Surrey

  327·78

  326·54

  1

  0

  Warwickshire

  182·07

  172·77

  9

  5

  West Sussex

  225·49

  236·04

  -11

  -4

  Wiltshire

  210·12

  202·44

  8

  4

  Total

  18,536·21

  18,352·70

  184

  1

  Notes:

  1 Information on budgeted expenditure is taken from Local Authorities' returns to the Department of Environment on forms RA92/93 and RA(SG)92/93. Figures have been repriced to outturn.

  2 The education budgets for Inner London authorities have been adjusted so as to exclude expenditure funded through education grant for Inner London authorities, and make them comparable with education SSAs. Inner London education grants are paid to provide, through the support of expenditure on education, transitional help to local tax-payers in Inner London boroughs and in the City of London where the authorities inherited responsibility for the education service from the Inner London Education Authority.

  3 Figures on budgets and education SSAs have been rounded to 2 decimal places.

  Further and Higher Education Funding Councils
  Mr. Illsley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will list the names of the members of the regional committees of the further education and higher education funding councils who have already been nominated, together with the regional committees to which no appointment has yet been made and the date on which any outstanding appointment will be made; which organisations were consulted on the appointments; and what was the form and nature of any such consultation.

  Mr. Boswell
  My right hon. Friend announced on 14 April the appointment of the chairmen of seven of the nine regional advisory committees of the Further Education Funding Council. The chairmen are:

  Greater London:—Mr. Trevor Thomas CBE

  Northern:—Mr. Haydn Biddle

  North West:—Mr. Peter Blount

  Yorkshire and Humberside:—Mr. Terry Bramall

  East Midlands:—Dr. Eric Cliffe

  Eastern:—Councillor Paul White

  South East:—Mr. Harry Morris CBE

  The chairmen of the West Midlands and the South West regional committees will be announced shortly.

  My right hon. Friend intends that there should be 12 members of each regional committee, who will be appointed in a personal capacity apart from the two members of each committee who will be representatives of the training and enterprise councils in each region. The membership will be announced as soon as possible.

  Suggestions for members have been received from a variety of sources, including a number of bodies which were invited to suggest candidates from a business, local authority, special educational needs and adult learners' background, in order to supplement the names already submitted. These bodies were the CBI, the Association of British Chambers of Commerce, the Engineering Employers Federation, the local authority associations, SKILL, the National Bureau for Students with Disabilities, and the National Institute of Adult and Continuing Education.

  The Higher Education Funding Council for England does not have regional committees.
  596
  Mr. Illsley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what remuneration is to be paid to the chairmen and members of the regional committees of the further and higher education funding councils.

  Mr. Boswell
  There is no salary or fee for the chairmen and members of the Further Education Funding Council's regional committees. Travelling and subsistence allowances are paid by the Funding Council under the usual arrangements. The Higher Education Funding Council for England does not have regional committees.

  Physical Education
  Mr. Pendry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will make a statement on the Government's policy on maintaining physical education as an integral part of the national curriculum.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  The importance of physical education in our schools is not in doubt. As a foundation subject of the national curriculum physical education is compulsory for all pupils aged five to 16 in maintained schools in England and Wales.

  EC Education Council
  Mr. Duncan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what was the outcome of the Council of EC Education Ministers which met on Friday 11 June.

  Mr. Boswell
  The Council adopted a resolution on vocational education and training in the 1990s; the Council and the Ministers of Education meeting within the Council adopted conclusions on co-operation in higher education, agreed to extend by a year the mandate of a sub-committee of the Education Committee concerning long-term arrangements for the European Schools, exchanged views on the entry of all young people into working life and society, and discussed the Commission's guidelines for Community action in the field of education and training.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Structural Steel
  Mr. Spellar
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what representations he has received about the dumping of structural steel in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Heseltine
  Whilst I have received representations about the dumping of steel in the United Kingdom I have received no representations about dumping of structural steel from countries outside the Community.

  Ceramic Industry
  Ms Walley
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what negotiations in the current general agreement on tariffs and trade round affect the ceramic industry; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Needham
  The ceramic industry is primarily affected by the market access negotiations on reductions in customs duties. My Department was made aware of the industry's interests at an earlier stage of the negotiations, in particular as regards the very high duties on some imports into the United States, and these are being addressed by the European Commission in the negotiations.

  Fuel Cell Research
  Mr. Alan W. Williams
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list all the projects supported by his Department since 1990 involving research into fuel cell technology giving the amount of money involved in each project.

  Mr. Eggar
  Since 1990 the DTI has supported 16 projects on advanced fuel cells worth over £4 million in total. They are:

  £

  Composite Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) Membrane Development

  910,000

  System Integration Study for SOFC Combined Heat and Power (CHP) Systems

  64,000

  Internal Reforming on SOFC Anodes

  219,000

  Evaluation of Integral Planar SOFC Concept—Phase 1

  49,000

  Evaluation of Fuel Cell Components

  85,000

  Development of Membrane Electrode Assemblies

  216,000

  Experimental Studies on Low Cost Solid Polymer Fuel Cells (SPFCs)

  2,000,000

  Development of Cathode Material for SOFCs

  79,000

  Development of High Temperature Bonds for SOFCs

  50,000

  Scale up of Components for SOFCs

  70,000

  SPFC Applications Study

  50,000

  SOFC Design Study

  62,000

  Initial Studies on MEAs

  127,000

  Fuel Cell Membrane Testing

  13,000

  SPFC Design Study

  51,000

  Implications of Design, Materials and Fabrication for SOFCs

  55,000

  A further 13 projects, worth about £5 million in total, are currently being considered.

  In addition, the DTI has funded several consultancy studies related to fuel cells.

  Export Control
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what steps he has taken to ensure that the policy described in the British Overseas Trade Board's forward plan published on 9 June will take into account current export control regulations on sensitive technology and equipment exports.

  Mr. Needham
  The opportunities outlined in the British Overseas Trade Board's "Forward Plan" take full account of current export control regulations. On page 84, exporters are reminded of export controls and are encouraged to contact the DTI's Export Control Organisation to ensure that they are not breaching any current regulations. Copies of the "Forward Plan" are available in the Library of the House.

  Market Testing
  Ms Mowlam
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list all the market tests that have taken place in his Department since November 1992 and indicate, in each case, whether the result was the maintenance of in-house provision, or whether the service was contracted out.

  Mr. Eggar
  In my Department's current market testing programme no market tests, involving competition between the existing in-house service providers and the private sector, have been completed as yet. However, invitations to tender are now beginning to be issued.

  Export Promotion
  Mrs. Ewing
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what role and responsibilities he envisages for the 100 business people he plans to recruit from the private sector to assist with export promotion; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr Needham
  I expect the export promoters recruited from business to go out and encourage companies throughout the country to take advantage of opportunities to export. With their business skills and experience, and their first-hand knowledge of specific overseas markets, the export promoters will be able to offer informed advice and assistance which will add to and complement our existing export services. I am sure they will help us to deliver our best ever service to British exporters.

  Mrs. Ewing
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many of the 100 business people he plans to recruit from the private sector to assist the DTI with export promotion have been secured; and when he expects to have completed the recruitment process.

  Mr. Needham
  We now have 31 export promoters on secondment from the private sector, including a few who are still in the process of joining my Department. In addition more than 20 other candidates are currently under consideration, and more offers come in every day. We have also received assurances from a number of companies that they are actively identifying high-calibre people to put forward as they become available. We intend to complete the recruitment process by the end of the year.
  599
  Mrs. Ewing
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what recent initiatives he has undertaken and intends to take to assist the promotion of British exports; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Needham
  In addition to policies to improve the climate for business, such as the deregulation initiative, we have taken a number of steps to improve the already excellent services the Government offers businesses wishing to export.

  Under the newly created post of director general of export promotion, we have set up two new divisions concentrating solely on promotional work. They will have up to 60 extra staff to allow individual coverage of the United Kingdom's top 80 export markets. We are also recruiting 100 men and women from the private sector on secondment to bring their skills and experience to assist these divisions in their export promotion work.

  Under the overseas projects board, we are establishing sector task forces chaired by senior business people to co-ordinate our efforts to secure the business that flows from major overseas projects. The Government have also made available to United Kingdom exporters more than £2 billion of additional export credit cover for key markets over the next three years, and ECGD has reduced its premium rates by an average of more than 25 per cent. over the last year.

  These initiatives will build substantially on the current matrix of support available to help our exporters under the joint DTI and FCO overseas trade services operation worldwide, to ensure that ever greater numbers of United Kingdom exporters get the additional support they deserve to help them win in world markets.

  Lumsden Machine Co.
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what monitoring has been carried out by the insolvency service since receivers were called in to the Lumsden Machine Co., Gateshead; and whether the receiver has subcontracted work in the company back to enterprises in which the original beneficial owners of the company have an interest.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  My Department's insolvency service has no power to intervene in the day to day conduct of receiverships and does not, therefore, monitor such cases on an individual basis.

  In this case, officials have spoken to the receiver's office who have confirmd that one of the company's contracts which remained incomplete at the date of the receiver's appointment required a small amount of further work involving specialised equipment. The receiver has confirmed that he sub-contracted this work to an associated company, but the sub-contract was on a commercial basis and at a proper market price and enabled the expeditious completion of the contract for the benefit of the receivership.

  Coal Industry
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement regarding developments in the Government's policies relating to the coal industry since publication of the White Paper on coal.

  Mr. Eggar
  Subsidy. The Government indicated in the White Paper "The Prospects for Coal" that it was willing 600
  to offer financial support to both British Coal and private sector coal producers who could secure a genuinely additional market for United Kingdom underground coal for electricity generation at world-related prices where this was consistent with the relevant European Community provisions.

  Evidence received by the coal review, and the separate review conducted by the Trade and Industry Select Committee, argued that there was potential for an additional market for coal for electricity generation, and that a subsidy related to the difference between world-related prices and production costs could offer the United Kingdom coal industry the chance to secure that market.

  The Government have offered to enable the industry to explore this opportunity by being prepared to offer such a subsidy. It is now up to the United Kingdom coal industry to demonstrate that it can achieve additional sales.

  We invite underground coal producers, and prospective coal producers who are seeking licences for closing British Coal pits, to provide us with firm evidence of the additional sales for electricity generation they believe they can secure, and the amount of subsidy they require. This should be backed by supporting information including a comparison of the proposed price with world market prices, expected production costs etc. Once we have had time to assess the information provided we shall make a further announcement on arrangements for the subsidy.

  Generators' Coal Stocks

  The Government have issued directions under section 34 of the Electricity Act 1989 to National Power and PowerGen, requiring them to hold stocks of coal at power stations sufficient to enable normal electricity supplies to be maintained for a period of nine months in the event of a complete interruption of supplies from British Coal. In 1992–93 the stock levels required varied from some 10 million to 20 million tonnes depending on the time of year. The stocks held by the two electricity generators at the end of May 1993 stood at approximately 31 million tonnes.

  The Government are reviewing the required stocking level for 1993–94 and subsequent years with the electricity generators.

  Working Practices
  Coal Mines Regulation Act 1908
  The White Paper "The Prospects for Coal" announced the Government's intention, subject to a consultation process, to remove the impediment to efficiency represented by the limits placed on undergound working hours by the Coal Mines Regulation Act 1908. The Department issued a consultation document inviting representations by 28 May 1993. The Department expects to make its decision known in the course of the summer.
  150 Man Limit
  In the White Paper "The Prospects of Coal", the Government set out their intention to legislate, as soon as opportunity allowed, to remove the restriction in section 36(2) of the Coal Industry Nationalisation Act 1946 under which British Coal is only able to license mines at which the number of persons employed to work below ground is at no time likely to exceed, or greatly to exceed, 150. The Government's present intention is that such legislation should enable this restriction to be lifted, where

  601
  appropriate, in respect of licences that are in existence at the time the legislation comes into force as well as future licences.
  Matters Consequent on Privatisation
  The White Paper "The Prospects for Coal" reaffirmed the Government's intention to bring forward the legislation necessary to privatise the coal industry as rapidly as possible, and set out the Government's proposal to establish a new public sector body, to be known as the Coal Authority, which would be responsible for licensing all coal mining activity, including that in existing British Coal mines and all current and future private sector mining operations, but which would itself be prohibited from mining.
  The Government's present intention is that licences issued by British Coal under current legislation, and the associated agreements, should be allowed to run their term, with the terms materially unchanged except by agreement. The coal authority would take over British Coal's role as licensor under these licences and its title to the land, property, coal mines and coal reserves concerned. Where British Coal has rights and obligations as mine operator in relation to licensees in respect of interaction between mines the Government's present intention is that those rights and obligations should attach to whoever is licensed by the coal authority to operate the British Coal mine concerned—which might for a time continue to be British Coal.

  Refractory Industry
  Mr. Ashton
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade on what grounds he has changed his policy on the EC anti-dumping action with regard to the importing of sintered magnesite refractory materials from China; what studies he has made of the effect of his change in policy on the British refractory industry; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Needham
  [holding answer 15 June 1993]: My Department is currently consulting interested parties in the United Kingdom about a European Commission proposal for a definitive anti-dumping duty on dead-burned (sintered) magnesite from China. I shall then decide the United Kingdom's response to the proposal.

  PA Management Consultants
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the projects undertaken by PA management consultants for his Department in the last three years.

  Mr. Eggar
  [holding answer 15 June 1993]: The consultancy contracts awarded by the DTI to PA Management Consultants over the last three years are as listed.
  List of projects undertaken by PA Management Consultants for the DTI in the last three years

  Telecommunications Market Advisor

  Visiting Engineers scheme

  Esprit—CIME support services

  Study of washing machine: drafting specification for ECO label

  Evaluation of Regional Selective Assistance

  Eureka response handling unit ADW's successor

  Successful purchaser/suppliers relationships studies portfolio

  Cleaner Technologies stage 11 study

  Environmental legislation: future of batteries and fuel cells

  602

  Micromechanics: invitation of Eureka projects

  Enterprise Counsellor training sessions

  Evaluation of Regional Selective Assistance—second stage

  Evaluation of Task Force programme

  Environment Northern seas conference

  DTI communications strategy study

  Personnel management strategy study

  Evaluation of NPL programme on conformance

  ITS Quality management services (QMS) project

  Departmental IS strategy study

  IS strategy scoping study in DTI's regulatory business area

  Business seminar for DTI/ITS staff

  United States biotechnology report

  Study to measure, monitor and evaluate the open systems phase 2 programme

  Regional policy research

  Audit of communications study

  Support to UK Eureka unit

  New managing '90s lead booklet

  Materials Matter 11: Thematic proposal: stereo lithography

  Feasibility study—Factory of the future

  Update of the report manufacturing into the 90's Emerging generic technologies

  Quality initiative in the services Eastcote computer centre BS5750 certification

  Network security study

  Wan development project

  Activities for generic technologies pilot study

  ITS quality management services (QMS) project—second stage

  Support and assistance in the production of a series of six videos

  Market advisor to Telecommunications and Posts division of DTI

  Resource account for DTI

  Market testing of DTI's central training function

  Barriers inhibiting the development and growth of small and medium sized businesses and identification of research gaps

  Study on the requirements for calibration of Coordinate measuring machines

  Future of Warren Spring Laboratory

  Eureka feasibility study

  Review of client management systems

  Report of Warren Spring investigation

  The figures do not include contracts issued by those executive agencies which have delegated authority to engage consultants.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

  Civil Servants (Directorships)
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what conditions or guidelines have been set down relating to the appointment of former civil servants, on or shortly after taking early retirement, to non-executive directorships of executive agencies.

  Mr. David Davis
  No special conditions or guidelines have been set down concerning the appointment of retired civil servants as non-executive members of executive agency boards. The normal scheme of rules relating to payments made under the principal civil service pension scheme (PCSPS) in the event of re-employment would apply as appropriate.

  Market Testing
  Dr. Wright
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1) if he will give details for each of the services provided externally as a result of market testing(a) the

  603
  cost saving, (b) the quality of service charges and (c) the change in the number of people employed, compared with the in-house provision of the service;

  (2) how many market-testing initiatives have (a) now been completed, (b) are currently under way and (c) are planned; and if he will give details of the initiatives in each category;

  (3) if he will give details of the results of the market-testing exercises undertaken to date; and whether each testing exercise indicated that the service should be provided in-house or externally.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  Comprehensive information is not held centrally. But when the current market testing programme for the period to September 1993 is completed, I shall publish aggregated results for the civil service as a whole in line with the citizens charter principle of providing more information on Government activities.

  Research Councils
  Dr. Moonie
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster who will conduct the study he is commissioning of the detailed allocation of responsibilities between the new research councils.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  I have asked Sir David Phillips to conduct the study, backed by the full resources of the Office of Science and Technology. He will be working closely with the research councils, other Government Departments, and representatives of industry and the scientific community.

  Dr. Moonie
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what steps he is taking to ensure that more research council staff are recruited from industry.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  The recruitment of more senior staff from industry will be a matter in due course for individual research councils, having regard to their charter obligations and mission statements.

  Dr. Moonie
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what steps he is taking to encourage industrially oriented research organisations to strengthen their links with their local business communities.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  I and my officials are in frequent contact with members of the Association of Independent Research and Technology Organisations (AIRTO). I am impressed by their current links with local business communities. AIRTO members are fully behind the plans for a network of one stop shops being progressed by the President of the Board of Trade and are also actively engaged in the postgraduate training partnerships which have strong local links.

  Dr. Moonie
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when he expects to appoint the Director General of Research Councils; and if the appointment will be the subject of advertisement and open competition.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  The post of director general of the research councils will be advertised and the appointment made in due course through open competition.

  Dr. Moonie
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when he expects to announce the membership and remit of the Director General of Research Councils expert group.
  604
  Mr. Waldegrave
  An announcement will be made at the appropriate time, following appointment of the director general.

  Dr. Moonie
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if the posts of chairman and chief executive of the new research councils will be subject to advertisement and open competition.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  I shall inform Parliament in due course of the arrangements made for these appointments.

  Dr. Moonie
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if advice tendered by the Director General of Research Councils expert group will be made public.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  I will discuss the best way of structuring the relationship between the director general and his expert group with the former, when he is appointed.

  Science and Technology
  Dr. Moonie
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when he expects to announce the membership and remit of the new Council for Science and Technology.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  In due course.

  Dr. Moonie
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will provide additional funds for his science and technology public awareness campaign in addition to money supplied from existing budgets.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  The Government have made clear that they will continue to allocate public resources on the scale necessary to finance the policies in the White Paper.

  Dr. Moonie
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster under what circumstances he expects reports of the Council for Science and Technology to be withheld from publication.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  Reports generated by the council will normally be made openly available. The need to respect commercially sensitive information would be one factor which might prevent this.

  Dr. Moonie
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what criteria he uses for the commission of external advice on science and technology matters.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  Commissioning external advice is considered on a case-by-case basis when policy decisions on science or technology issues would benefit from an informed contribution from high-quality independent experts.

  Scientists and Engineers
  Dr. Moonie
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what research was commissioned by his office on the future supply of and demand for scientists and engineers qualified to PhD level prior to the publication of the White Paper, "Realising our Potential".

  Mr. Waldegrave
  A list of the research studies which informed the White Paper on the supply of scientific manpower is provided in section G of the bibliography.

  Dr. Moonie
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when he expects to announce the membership and remit of the new co-ordinating committee for the science and engineering research base.
  605
  Mr. Waldegrave
  In due course.

  Dr. Moonie
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list the component parts of the science and engineering base as defined in his recent White Paper, "Realising our Potential", and their level of funding in each year since 1979 in cash terms and at constant prices.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  The science and engineering base of the United Kingdom may be considered in terms of the research and postgraduate training capacity of:

  (a) Universities and colleges of higher education (HEIs),

  (b) Research councils and their institutes and units,

  (c) Research Council central facilities available to researchers,

  (d) Internationally-based Research Council-supported facilities available to researchers

  Tables 1 and 2 provide information on the basic funding provided to the separate components of the science and engineering base from the science budget and the block grants from the higher education funding councils. It has been necessary to group items (b) and (c) in the tables as disaggregated data is not consistently available over the time period requested.

  Universities and research councils also receive significant funding from other sources including charities, Government Departments, industry and the EC.

  Table 1: Funding of the science and engineering base (£m)

  Universities and HEIs:1

  Research Councils, Institutes and central facilities:1

  Research Council support for international facilities

  Block funding2

  Science Budget3

  Science Budget3

  Science Budget3

  1979–80

  4359·2

  125·5

  147·7

  44·6

  1980–81

  4441·3

  158·7

  182·4

  42·3

  1981–82

  4494·7

  173·5

  223·5

  42·3

  1982–83

  4600·0

  186·0

  237·7

  45·1

  1983–84

  4616·0

  201·2

  247·5

  54·3

  1984–85

  563·5

  217·4

  257·5

  59·5

  1985–86

  598·3

  230·8

  274·5

  65·9

  1986–87

  655·0

  246·4

  282·8

  73·8

  1987–88

  695·0

  276·0

  291·5

  90·4

  1988–89

  754·9

  292·8

  317·5

  93·8

  1989–90

  758·2

  353·4

  367·0

  93·6

  1990–91

  788·7

  402·7

  400·4

  100·7

  1991–92

  880·8

  414·2

  406·2

  105·5

  51992–93

  895·9

  519·5

  426·9

  107·7

  51993–94

  857·3

  618·4

  430·9

  114·0

  1Research Council Institutes and HEIs also receive fundingb from other sources including charities, EC, Government Departments and industry.

  2Source: Annual Review of Government-funded Research and Development 1992.

  Note that the resources assigned to research are based on an estimated split of universities' spending between research and other activities; the uncertainties inherent in this process mean that the figures can only be regarded as accurate to within ±10 per cent.

  3Source: Annual accounts/Supply Estimates.

  4Figures include humanities research—disaggregated data is not available prior to 1984–85 when £66·4 million was attributed to humanities research.

  5Estimate.

  606

  Table 2: Funding of the science and engineering base at constant (1991–92) prices (£m)6

  Universities and HEls:1

  Research councils, institutes and central facilities:1

  Research council supper for international facilities:

  block funding2

  science budget3

  science budget3

  science budget3

  1979–80

  4829·6

  289·8

  341·1

  103·0

  1980–81

  4861·9

  310·0

  356·3

  83·8

  1981–82

  4881·8

  309·3

  398·0

  75·4

  1982–83

  4998·3

  309·5

  395·5

  75·0

  1983–84

  4979·3

  319·9

  393·5

  86·3

  1984–85

  852·5

  328·9

  389·6

  90·0

  1985–86

  858·4

  331·1

  393·8

  94·5

  1986–87

  909·7

  342·2

  392·8

  102·5

  1987–88

  915·7

  363·6

  384·1

  119·1

  1988–89

  927·4

  359·7

  390·0

  115·2

  1989–90

  873·5

  407·1

  422·8

  107·8

  1990–91

  840·9

  429·3

  426·9

  107·4

  1991–92

  880·8

  414·2

  406·2

  105·5

  51992–93

  865·6

  501·9

  412·5

  104·1

  51993–94

  1806·5

  581·7

  405·4

  107·2

  1 Research Council Institutes and HEls also receive funding from other sources including charities, EC, Government departments and industry.

  2 Source: Annual review of Government-funded research and development 1992.

  Note that the resources assigned to research are based on an estimated split of universities' spending between research and other activities; the uncertainties inherent in this process means that the figures can only be regarded as accurate to within ±10 per cent.

  3 Source: Annual accounts/supply estimates.

  4 Figures include humanities research—disaggregated data is not available prior to 1984–85.

  5 Estimate.

  6 GDP deflators used are as follows:

  Year

  Percentage

  1979–80

  43·3

  1980–81

  51·2

  1981–82

  56·1

  1982–83

  60·1

  1983–84

  62·9

  1984–85

  66·1

  1985–86

  69·7

  1986–87

  72·0

  1987–88

  75·9

  1988–89

  81·4

  1989–90

  86·8

  1990–91

  93·8

  1991–92

  100·0

  1992–93

  103·5

  1993–94

  106·3

  Foresight Programme
  Dr. Moonie
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when he expects to announce the membership of the foresight programme steering group.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  In due course.

  Dr. Moonie
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what will be the relationship between the panels of experts of the foresight programme and sector advisory bodies of the Department of Trade and Industry.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  The Office of Science and Technology and the Department of Trade and Industry will work
  607
  closely to ensure that the technology foresight programme receives technological and market information from technical experts and from the industrial sectors sponsored by the Department.

  Dr. Moonie
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if the reports of the foresight programme steering group and the panels of experts will be made public.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  Yes.

  Postgraduate Research
  Dr. Moonie
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what steps he is taking to encourage industrial and academic partnerships in the provision of postgraduate research and training.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  The Government would like to see more research students undertaking work in industrial and commercial settings. There are already a number of initiatives promoting such industrial and academic partnerships, including CASE awards, postgraduate training partnerships and engineering doctorates, and the White Paper encourages these developments.

  Public Research Establishments
  Dr. Moonie
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster who is to undertake the Government's review of the public research establishments; what the timescale of the review will be; and if the review will be made public.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  The scrutiny of public sector research establishments will be undertaken over the coming months by the efficiency unit, in conjunction with Government Departments. It is normal for efficiency unit reports to be published.

  Research and Development
  Dr. Moonie
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list the total Government expenditure on research and development in each year since 1979 in cash terms and at constant prices.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  The table lists the expenditure (in cash and constant prices) by Government on research and development as defined in the annual review of Government funded research and development 1992. Information on expenditure on this basis is not available before 1982–83.

  Year

  Cash (£ million)

  Constant prices1 (£ million)

  Deflator (per cent.)

  1982–83

  3,476·0

  5,783·7

  60·2

  1983–84

  3,725·0

  5,920·1

  62·9

  1984–85

  3,960·0

  5,989·8

  66·1

  1985–86

  4,248·3

  6,093·2

  69·7

  1986–87

  4,258·0

  5,916·7

  72·0

  1987–88

  4,304·6

  5,669·9

  75·9

  1988–89

  4,382·0

  5,380·1

  81·4

  1989–90

  4,629·4

  5,333·3

  86·8

  1990–91

  4,826·8

  5,148·4

  93·8

  608

  Year

  Cash (£ million)

  Constant prices1 (£ million)

  Deflator (Per cent.)

  1991–92

  5,069·7

  5,069·7

  100·0

  1992–93

  25,394·3

  5,211·9

  103·5

  1993–94

  35,442·0

  5,117·3

  106·3

  1 Base year 1991–92.

  2 Estimated otturn.

  3 Planned expenditure.

NATIONAL FINANCE

  Royal Family
  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the application of the value added tax regime to(a) members of the royal family, (b) transactions relating to private residences of the royal family and (c) transactions relating to royal palaces.

  Sir John Cope
  Members of the royal family, their private residences and royal palaces are subject to value added tax like private citizens and other buildings with the exception that gifts to reigning monarchs are relieved from tax on importation.

  Relocation and Amalgamation
  Mr. Robert Banks
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the sections and organisations within his Department for which there are plans for relocation or amalgamation.

  Mr. Nelson
  There are no current plans permanently to relocate any part of the Department. The organisation of the Treasury is kept under regular review and new sections are created and existing ones amalgamated from time to time.

  Monetary Policy
  Mr. Wareing
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what changes in monetary policy he plans in the light of recent discussions at the OECD; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Nelson
  The Government have no such plans.

  The United Kingdom's monetary policy is set to meet the Government's objective of keeping underlying inflation within the range of 1 to 4 per cent. and to bring it down to the lower part of that range by the end of the current Parliament. The level of base interest rates is consistent with sustainable growth and the Government's inflation objective.

  Public Sector Borrowing Requirement
  Mr. Betts
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list for each year since 1980–81 the level of the PSBR; what was the contribution of the sale of assets in each year; and what were the main sources of these asset proceeds.

  Mr. Portillo
  The information requested is set out in the table.
  609

  PSBR (£ million)

  Including privatization proceeds of: (£ million)

  Main contributors

  (£ million)

  1980–81

  12,519

  210

  National Enterprise Board

  83

  British Aerospace

  43

  1981–82

  8,631

  493

  Cable and Wireless

  181

  Amersham International

  64

  1982–83

  8,904

  455

  Britoil

  334

  Associated British Ports

  46

  1983–84

  9,678

  1,139

  BP

  543

  Britoil (2nd instalment)

  293

  Cable and Wireless

  263

  1984–85

  10,134

  2,050

  BT

  1,358

  Enterprise Oil

  384

  National Enterprise Board

  168

  1985–86

  5,622

  2,706

  BT (2nd instalment)

  1,246

  Cable and Wireless

  577

  Britoil

  426

  British Aerospace

  347

  1986–87

  3,559

  4,458

  British Gas

  2,570

  BT (3rd instalment)

  1,081

  British Airways

  435

  1987–88

  –3,406

  5,140

  British Gas (2nd instalment

  1,758

  Rolls-Royce

  1,029

  BP

  863

  BAA

  534

  British Airways (2nd instalment)

  419

  1988–89

  –14,657

  7,069

  BP (2nd instalment)

  3,030

  British Gas

  1,555

  British Steel

  1,138

  BAA (2nd instalment)

  689

  1989–90

  –7,932

  4,219

  BP (3rd instalment)

  1,363

  British Steel (2nd instalment)

  1,289

  British Gas (debentures)

  800

  Water

  496

  1990–91

  –456

  5,345

  Electricity (E&W)

  3,134

  Water (2nd instalment)

  1,487

  1991–92

  13,731

  7,923

  Electricity (E&W) (2nd instalment)

  2,329

  BT

  1,666

  Water (3rd instalment)

  1,483

  Electricity (Scotland)

  1,112

  Electricity (debentures)

  1,106

  1992–93

  36,527

  8,116

  BT (2nd and 3rd instalments)

  3,487

  Electricity (E&W)

  1,460

  Electricity (Scotland)

  899

  Debt Auctions

  1,337

  Sterling
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the effect of the depreciation of sterling against the ecu since September 1992 on the sterling value of European Community funding for regional and social policy initiatives; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir John Cope
  The main sources of funding for the Community's regional and social policies are the structural funds. Structural fund allocations are made in ecus; and the depreciation of sterling against the ecu since September 1992 is likely to result in a higher level of sterling receipts than otherwise would have been the case.

  Mr. Peter Clowes
  Mr. Burns
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the latest position with regard to the Government's litigation against Mr. Peter Clowes and Mrs. Pamela Clowes.
  610
  Mr. Nelson
  On 8 June, the High Court granted in favour of the Government an order for damages awarded against Mr. and Mrs. Clowes to the sum of £31 million. This meets the Government's claim against them for damages in full; the Government will pursue all available assets to meet the claim by all means available.

  The Government continue to pursue vigorously any claims which show the prospect of reducing the cost to the taxpayer of the ex-gratia payments scheme for Barlow Clowes investors.

HEALTH

  Teenage Pregnancy
  Ms Gordon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many(a) births and (b) abortions took place for women aged (i) under 16 years and (ii) between 16 and 19 years in each year since 1980.

  Mr. Sackville
  The information is shown in the table:

  611

  Live births, Stillbirths and Abortions and Conceptions in England and Wales 1980–1992

  Year

  Age

  Live births

  Stillbirths

  Abortions

  Conceptions2

  1980

  under 16

  1,281

  8

  4,143

  8,580

  16–19

  59,473

  500

  37,120

  108,672

  1981

  under 16

  1,180

  12

  3,949

  8,561

  16–19

  55,380

  444

  36,623

  106,611

  1982

  under 16

  1,169

  8

  4,343

  8,999

  16–19

  54,266

  389

  36,694

  104,933

  1983

  under 16

  1,249

  17

  4,566

  9,369

  16–19

  52,810

  380

  36,512

  102,982

  1984

  under 16

  1,323

  10

  4,609

  9,649

  16–19

  53,185

  385

  38,492

  108,579

  1985

  under 16

  1,402

  7

  4,427

  9,406

  16–19

  55,527

  354

  39,105

  109,861

  1986

  under 16

  1,366

  13

  4,240

  9,194

  16–19

  56,040

  354

  39,897

  109,583

  1987

  under 16

  1,305

  10

  4,075

  9,135

  16–19

  56,240

  310

  38,482

  114,017

  1988

  under 16

  1,261

  12

  3,804

  8,782

  16–19

  57,480

  324

  40,840

  111,927

  1989

  under 16

  1,317

  6

  3,576

  8,382

  16–19

  54,226

  319

  38,821

  109,117

  1990

  under 16

  1,306

  5

  3,622

  8,634

  16–19

  54,235

  327

  37,950

  106,421

  1991

  under 16

  1,426

  9

  3,317

  n/a

  16–19

  50,970

  269

  33,401

  19921

  under 16

  1,314

  11

  n/a

  n/a

  16–19

  46,547

  216

  Conception figures for 1991 and 1992 and abortion figures for 1992 are not yet available.

  1 The figures given for 1992 include 17 stillbirths of 24 to 27 weeks gestation which occurred between 1 October and 31 December. On 1 October 1992, the legal definition of a stillbirth was altered: from a baby born dead after 28 weeks of completed gestation or more, to one born dead after 24 completed weeks gestation or more.

  2 The number of conceptions to girls under 16 is greater than the number of births and abortions to girls under 16, because many girls who become pregnant at age 15 will have the birth or abortion at age 16. Further, a conception in one calendar year can lead to a birth or abortion in the next calendar year.

  Consultant Psychiatrists
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the number of consultant psychiatrists in each region and in London; and what is the number per head of population.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The regional information requested is shown in the table. In inner London there were 205

  Numbers of hospital staff in accident and emergency in the Inner London area and Thames regions–30 September 1991

  Inner London

  North West Thames

  North East Thames

  South East Thames

  South West Thames

  SHAs

  House Officer

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Senior House Officer

  141

  140

  147

  108

  89

  0

  Registrar

  8

  6

  7

  4

  4

  0

  Senior Registrar

  n.a.

  4

  6

  5

  3

  1

  Assistant Specialist

  1

  0

  5

  6

  2

  0

  Staff Grade

  3

  9

  6

  3

  2

  0

  Consultant

  13

  20

  19

  14

  12

  1

  TOTAL

  166

  179

  190

  140

  112

  2

  Notes:

  (a) An element of duplication may exist in the above figures since doctors are entitled to hold contracts in more than one region.

  (b) The number of senior registrars in accident and emergency in inner London is not available-contracts held at a regional level only.

  (c) The consultant data for inner London do not include Newham and Haringey district health authorities, for which contracts are held at
  612
  consultant psychiatrists at 30 September 1991, or 8·8 per 1,000 population. These figures do not include data for the Newham and Haringey district health authorities, for which consultant data are not available, and exclude consultants working in the special health authorities.

  Numbers of consultant psychiatrists by region England–30 September 1991

  Consultant psychiatrists

  Consultants per 100,000 population

  Northern

  116

  3·8

  Yorkshire

  101

  2·8

  Trent

  184

  3·9

  East Anglia

  87

  4·1

  North West Thames

  197

  5·7

  North East Thames

  200

  5·3

  South East Thames

  165

  4·5

  South West Thames

  157

  5·3

  Wessex

  107

  3·6

  Oxford

  111

  4·3

  South Western

  131

  4·0

  West Midlands

  176

  3·4

  Mersey

  98

  4·1

  North Western

  149

  3·7

  SHAs

  88

  n/a

  ENGLAND

  2,025

  4·2

  Notes:

  (a) Figures calculated using unadjusted population figures.

  (b) Since consultants are entitled to hold contracts in more than one region, an element of duplication exists in the above regional figures, in a element of duplication exists in the above regional figures, ie a consultant psychiatrist can be shown in more than one region. The England figures does NOT include any such duplications.

  Accident and Emergency Departments, London
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health

  how many house officers, senior house officers, registrars, senior registrars, associate specialists, staff grade and consultants are working in accident and emergency departments in London and each of the Thames regions.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The information is shown in the table.
  613
  regional level only.

  (d) Thames regions figures include inner London figures.

  (e) Pre-registration house officers are not contracted to work in accident and emergency departments.

  Acute Psychiatric Beds
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the number of acute psychiatric beds, by region and in London.

  Mr. Bowis
  The information is shown in the table. Psychiatric beds are classified as short or long stay rather than acute or non-acute.

  Average daily number of available short stay beds, psychiatric wards 1991–92

  Number

  England

  22,159

  Northern RHA

  1,610

  Yorkshire RHA

  1,750

  Trent RHA

  1,964

  East Anglian RHA

  790

  North West Thames RHA

  1,350

  North East Thames RHA

  1,786

  South East Thames RHA

  1,366

  South West Thames RHA

  1,509

  Wessex RHA

  1,186

  Oxford RHA

  906

  South Western RHA

  1,735

  West Midlands RHA

  2,263

  Mersey RHA

  1,323

  North Western RHA

  2,156

  Special health authorities

  466

  London

  3,9831

  1 Figure also included in Thames RHAs.

  Regional totals may not add up to the England total due to rounding.

  Sports Remedial Therapists
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health in what circumstances fund-holding general practitioners may refer patients for treatment to sports remedial therapists who are not registered practitioners.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  General practitioner fund holders are free to make referrals, within the scope of the scheme, provided they are satisfied that the practitioner to whom the referral is made is suitably qualified.

  NHS Trusts
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list for each regional health authority, the national health service units that will not have trust status after the fourth wave of applications.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The number of units not applying for trust status in the fourth wave is shown in the table. The precise number of directly managed units remaining after the fourth wave will depend on the number of fourth wave candidates approved.

  Number of directly managed units (DMUs) by region not applying for trust status in the fourth wave

  Region

  Number

  East Anglian1

  0

  Mersey1

  0

  Northern1

  0

  North East Thames

  16

  614

  Region

  Number

  North West Thames

  2

  North Western1

  0

  Oxford1

  0

  South East Thames

  10

  South West Thames

  5

  South Western1

  0

  Trent

  7

  Wessex1

  0

  West Midlands

  3

  Yorkshire

  1

  1 All remaining DMUs have submitted applications for the fourth wave.

  Psychiatric Hospitals
  Mrs. Anne Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what study she has made of the results of the closure of psychiatric hospitals in the United States of America; and what plans she has to modify Government policy in the light of this study.

  Mr. Bowis
  The Government are aware and keep abreast of mental health developments in the United States of America and other parts of the world and takes account of relevant experience in formulating policy.

  Personal Social Services
  Mr. Steinberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much, in real cash terms, was available to councils in the Northern region, for spending on personal social services in 1979; what is the amount provided for 1993–94; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Bowis
  The system employed for the distribution of central Government support for local authority services has changed substantially since 1979; it is not possible therefore to give comparable figures on how much was available in that year and the current year. Expenditure in 1978–79 by local authorities in the northern region, and resources available for 1993–94, including community care, are shown in the table. Increases over the 15-year period will have been subject to population and boundary changes. For the region as a whole, the increase in expenditure reflects that for England and demonstrates the Government's commitment to the development of personal social services.

  Local authority personal social services—Resources

  £ million

  1978–79 Outturn

  1993–94 Standard spending1

  Real terms increase (per cent.)

  Cleveland

  12·8

  62·9

  71·3

  Cumbria

  8·2

  46·6

  98·1

  Durham

  12·1

  62·6

  80·4

  Gateshead

  5·3

  24·8

  63·2

  Newcastle

  11·4

  37·6

  15·0

  Northumberland

  5·7

  28·0

  71·3

  North Tyneside

  5·1

  22·4

  53·1

  South Tyneside

  4·4

  19·5

  54·5

  Sunderland

  7·9

  32·7

  44·3

  Total

  72·9

  337·1

  61·2

  1 Including community care.

  615

  Hospital Beds, Durham
  Mr. Steinberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if she will make a statement on the implementation of the patients charter waiting time guarantee in the City of Durham;

  (2) how many people are currently waiting for a hospital bed in the City of Durham.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Waiting time information is collected centrally by health authority rather than metropolitan area. The North Durham health authority has been extremely successful in meeting the waiting time commitments in the patients charter. None of its patients have to wait more than two years for any in-patient or day case treatment or 18 months for hip or knee replacement or a cataract operation. Latest figures for 30 September 1992 show that 89 per cent. of North Durham patients had been waiting for less than a year.

  Dentistry, Durham
  Mr. Steinberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many courses of dental treatment were carried out in the Durham area under the NHS in 1979; and what were the equivalent figures for the last 12-month period for which figures are available.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The information is shown in the table.

  Courses of treatment carried out in the Durham Family Health Services Authority area under the General Dental Service during 1979 and 1992–93

  Year

  Under 181

  18 and over

  Total1

  1979

  103,630

  153,160

  256,790

  1992–93

  42,476

  269,315

  311,791

  1 Under the new dental contract introduced on 1 October 1990, most child treatment is undertaken under capitation where no separate course of treatment is identified. These figures are therefore not comparable.

  Mr. Steinberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement about the availability of NHS dental treatment in the Durham area.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  We are advised that patients in the Durham area have had no difficulty in registering with a national health service dentist.

  Lung Cancer
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the difference in percentage terms, in lung cancer in women living in Liverpool compared with the national average; what money her Department has made available for the study of the causes of Liverpool's lung cancer cases; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Sackville
  Statistics on the prevalence of particular forms of cancer are not calculated. The mortality rate from a malignant neoplasm of the trachea, bronchus and lung —International Classification of Diseases, ninth revision code 162—in women normally resident in Liverpool is approximately 80 per cent. greater than the rate in England as a whole. The Department has not funded any studies of the causes of lung cancer in Liverpool. Nationally, at least 80 per cent. of deaths from lung cancer are caused by smoking.

  Patient Deaths
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients died while on the waiting list for cardiac surgery in each of the last two years for which figures are available.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for State—my hon. Friend the Member for Bolton, West (Mr. Sackville)— gave to her on 14 April at column 608. The waiting list information requested is not available centrally.

  Urgent Operations
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to place specific maximum waiting times on specific urgent operations; and if she will make a statement.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  None at present. As part of the 1993–94 waiting time initiative, the national health service management executive is holding discussions with the medical professions about procedures and protocols for prioritising waiting list conditions. The usefulness of setting maximum waiting times for specific operations is an option which will be explored at these meetings.

  Ambulances
  Mr. Nigel Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many ambulances were operating in each health authority in England in each year since 1983.

  Mr. Sackville
  This information is not available centrally.

  Traffic Casualties
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much has been paid to the NHS under section 158 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 in each of the last five years; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Sackville
  This information is not available centrally.

  NHS Staff (Holidays)
  Sir Ralph Howell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many statutory and public holidays, in addition to bank holidays, are enjoyed by employees of the national health service.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Staff employed on national health service Whitley terms and conditions of service are entitled to two additional days paid holiday each year.

  GP Fund Holders
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many general practitioner fund holders in the Yorkshire region overspent their budgets in(a) 1991–92 and (b) in 1992–93.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Five out of the 34 fund-holding units in Yorkshire region overspent their budgets in 1991–92. Information for 1992–93 is not yet available.

  Tobacco Advertising
  Mr. Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer of 7 June,Official Report. column 44, what was the Government's position on the Commission's directive on advertising of tobacco products.

  Mr. Sackville
  At the Health Council meeting on 27 May, the Government restated their position that adoption of the draft European Community directive on tobacco advertising is not necessary for the completion of the internal market.

  Benomyl and Carbendazim
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what data exist within the Department as to the effects of Benomyl and Carbendazim—related products on women immediately prior to childbirth;

  (2) what links have been established between the use of Benomyl and Carbendazim in fungicides and the incidence of anophthalmic and microphthalmic conditions in humans;

  (3) what proposals the Government have for scientific inquiries into the use and effects of Benomyl and related products; and what inquiries have taken place so far.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Data on the metabolic effects on animals of pesticides are produced from experiments using laboratory animals and evaluated by the independent and Government scientists who advise Ministers before any pesticide is approved for use. I refer the hon. Member to the reply the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State—my hon. Friend the Member for Bolton, West (Mr. Sackville) —gave the hon. Member for Rochdale (Ms Lynne) on 8 February at columns 478–79, for an explanation of the approval process and the assessment of the data seen.

  The data available to the Department do not indicate that Benomyl and Carbendazim-related products used as fungicides in the United Kingdom are likely to cause any adverse health effects to women or to their unborn children immediately before childbirth or throughout their pregnancies. Nor has the Department seen or been notified of any scientific reports that indicate that these products are causing adverse health effects on women or on children.

  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Sheffield, Brightside (Mr. Blunkett) on 20 May at column 259, which stated that the Department is commissioning research into the incidence of anophthalmia in Great Britain from the environmental epidemiological unit at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. The results of this work and the research now being undertaken by Moorfields hospital will be very carefully considered and any necessary action taken.

  Alcohol Problems
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether generic monitoring of the implementation of community care will include the gathering of information on services for people with alcohol problems.

  Mr. Bowls
  Yes.

  Benlate
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions she has held with Dupont in the United Kingdom on the payment of the Dupont Company of compensation in the case of damage to users of Benlate.

  Mr. Sackville
  None. Such matters should be resolved between an individual and the relevant manufacturer.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT

  Eastern Bloc (Training)
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what resources are currently being devoted to the Chancellor of the Exchequer's financial sector scheme for extending work experience and training in the United Kingdom and other OECD countries to assist in modernising the financial services industry in ex-eastern bloc countries; and if he will list Britain's financial services industry organisations participating in the scheme and the locations of current secondees and the lengths of their approximate periods of secondment.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  [holding answer 14 June 1993]: The sum of £9·3 million is allocated to the scheme covering selection costs, air fares, induction training in Britain and British Council management charges. Training is not offered outside the United Kingdom and the scheme is limited to participants from the former Soviet Union and the Baltic states.

  I am placing a list with the further details the hon. Member requested in the Library of the House.

  United Kingdom Know How Fund Chancellor's financial sector scheme

  Host companies

  Town

  3I plc

  London

  Abbey National plc

  Milton Keynes

  Bank of Scotland

  Edinburgh

  Bank of Wales

  Cardiff

  Barclays Bank

  London

  Baring Brothers and Co. Ltd.

  London

  BDO Binder

  London

  Beachcroft Stanleys

  London

  Bradford and Bingley Building Society

  Bingley

  Close Brothers Ltd.

  London

  Clydesdale Bank plc

  Glasgow

  D. C. Gardner Group plc

  London

  D. K. Ray and Co.

  Beaconsfield

  Deutch Bank AG

  London

  Eagle Star Insurance Company Ltd.

  Cheltenham

  Equitable Life Assurance Society

  Aylesbury

  Equity and Law Life Assurance

  High Wycombe

  Ernst and Young

  London

  Financial Research Associates

  London

  Friends' Provident Life Office

  Dorking

  Girobank plc

  Bootle

  Heart of England Building Society

  Warwick

  Herbert Smith

  London

  Hogg Robinson Financial Services Ltd.

  Reading

  Invesco MIM Holdings Ltd.

  London

  Italian International Bank plc

  London

  Kingston Smith

  London

  Lazard Brothers and Co. Ltd.

  London

  Legal and General Group plc

  London

  Linklaters and Paines

  London

  Lloyds Bank plc

  London

  Maclay Murray and Spens

  Edinburgh

  Marsden Building Society

  Nelson

  619

  Host companies

  Town

  Martin Currie Investment Management Ltd.

  Edinburgh

  Mercury Asset Management Ltd.

  London

  Midland Montagu

  London

  Morgan Grenfell and Co. Ltd.

  London

  N. M. Rothschild and Sons Ltd.

  London

  Nabarro Nathonson

  London

  National Provincial Building Society

  Bradford

  National Provident Institution (NPI)

  Tonbridge Wells

  National Westminster Bank plc

  London

  Nationwide Building Society

  Northampton

  Newcastle Building Society

  Newcastle-upon-Tyne

  Northern Rock Building Society

  Newcastle-upon-Tyne

  Norton Rose

  London

  Principality Building Society

  Cardiff

  Rabin Leacock Lipman

  London

  Royal Bank of Scotland plc

  Edinburgh

  RYDEN

  Edinburgh

  Scottish Equitable Life Assurance Society

  Edinburgh

  Sedgwick Group plc

  London

  Shoosmiths and Harrison Solicitors

  Northampton

  Singer and Friedlander Ltd.

  London

  Slaughter and May

  London

  Smith New Court Securities

  London

  Sphere Drake Underwriting Management Ltd.

  Brighton

  Standard Chartered Bank

  London

  Stephenson Harwood

  London

  Sun Alliance Group

  London

  SunLife Assurance Society plc

  London

  Svenska Handelsbanken

  London

  Swiss Bank Corporation

  London

  Tods Murray WS

  Edinburgh

  Touche Ross

  London

  Woolwich Building Society

  Bexleyheath

  Wragge and Co.

  Birmingham

  Geographical distribution of current CFSS participants

  Town

  Count of town

  Aylesbury

  2

  Beaconsfield

  1

  Bexleyheath

  1

  Bootle

  2

  Bradford

  1

  Brighton

  1

  Cardiff

  1

  Cheltenham

  1

  Edinburgh

  3

  620

  Town

  Count of town

  London

  18

  Milton Keynes

  2

  Nelson

  1

  Newcastle-upon-Tyne

  1

  Northampton

  2

  Reading

  1

  Average lengths of current CFSS attachments

  Duration range

  Count of duration range

  3 months

  8

  4–6 months

  8

  6–12 months

  22

NATIONAL HERITAGE

  Dartmoor
  Ms Emma Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will make a statement on the new arrangements for the management of three field monuments on Dartmoor which are in the guardianship of English Heritage.

  Mr. Brooke
  Yes. I am fully satisfied with the terms of the proposed agreement under which management responsibility for Grimspound, Hound Tor medieval village and Merrivale prehistoric site will be transferred to the Dartmoor National Park Authority from 1 July. These sites are the first to be transferred to local management under English Heritage's forward strategy. The park authority, with its proximity to the monuments, specialised knowledge and volunteer network, is well placed to provide the best care for these evocative sites and the best value for public money. This well illustrates the potential benefits of local management in appropriate cases.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Retirement Pensions
  Mr. Denham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what percentage of the national insurance fund has been paid out in national insurance rebates, tax reliefs and other incentives in respect of personal pensions contracted out of the state earnings-related pension scheme for 1992–93; and what is the equivalent expected percentage for the years 1993–94 and 1994–95;

  (2) what was the cost of the national insurance rebates, tax reliefs and other incentives paid in respect of personal pensions contracted out of the state earnings-related pension scheme for 1992–93; and what are the equivalent expected costs for 1993–94 and 1994–95.

  Mr. Hague
  The information is in the table. Tax relief is not a cost to the national insurance fund and has not been included in the figures. The percentages are the estimated cost of the rebates and incentives as a percentage of the estimated gross contribution income to the national insurance fund.

  Personal Pensions

  Year

  Cost (£ billion)

  Per cent.

  1992–93

  2·50

  7

  1993–94

  2·65

  7

  1994–95

  1·80

  5

  Source: Government Actuary's Department.

  Mr. Denham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what are the average annual earnings of those who have contracted out of the state earnings-related pension scheme(a) via an occupational pension scheme and (b) in favour of a personal pension plan.

  Mr. Hague
  Information on those contracting out of the state earnings related scheme via an occupational pension scheme is not immediately available. I will write to the hon. Member as soon as it is. Such information as is available is that the average earnings of members of occupational pension schemes (including those which are not contracted out of the state earnings related scheme) in calendar year 1991, were £16,200 per annum. Average earnings of personal pension optants in the tax year 1990–91 are estimated to be £10,300 per annum.

  Sources: Occupational Pension Schemes—General Household Survey. Personal Pension Schemes—1 per cent. of National Insurance contributors.

  Post Offices
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his oral statement of 7 June,Official Report, column 23, how many of the post offices referred to receive remuneration for work carried out in addition to the basic flat-rate payment.

  Mr. Hague
  A number of the approximately 2,700 sub-postmasters referred to may additionally receive some 622
  small one-off payments for minor items of business which occur only intermittently and on a small scale, such as payment for the issue of concessionary bus passes. The numbers receiving such payments fluctuate considerably, but because of their intermittent nature, no central record is kept of the total number of sub-postmasters who receive them at any given time.

  Alcohol Residential Centres
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security to whom housing benefit payments should be made for alcohol residential centre clients.

  Mr. Burt
  The same provisions governing direct payment of housing benefit apply to alcohol residential centre clients as to all other tenants. Usually the benefit is paid to tenants, although it must be paid direct to landlords if a tenant has eight weeks or more rent arrears or direct payments of income support are being made. Local authorities may also pay housing benefit direct with the claimant's consent, or if it is in the claimant's best interests to do so, or if a claimant has left a property owing rent.

  Disability Benefits
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many(a) new disability living allowance claims and (b) top-up claims have been refused, broken down by the reasons for refusal, in each month since February 1992 at each disability benefit centre and for the country as a whole.

  Mr. Scott
  The administration of disability living allowance is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard the chief executive of the benefits agency. He will write to the hon. Member and a copy will be placed in the Library.

  Letter from Michael Bichard to Mr. Paul Flynn, dated 15 June 1993.

  As Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency it is my responsibility to answer questions about relevant operational matters. I am therefore replying to the points raised in your recent Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security asking how many (a) new disability living allowance claims and (b) top-up claims have been refused, broken down by the reasons for refusal, in each month since February 1992 at each disability benefit centre and for the country as a whole.

  Firstly, it may be helpful for me to say at this stage that new Disability Living Allowance (DLA) claims are dealt with by the regional Disability Benefit Centres (DBCs) and top-up claims are dealt with by the Claims Conversion Unit (CCU).

  Annex A shows a breakdown of the number of DLA claims that have been refused, and the reasons for refusal by DBC since February 1992.

  A breakdown of refusals on top-up claims by DBC is not available. However, Annex B details the number of top-up claims that have been refused by the CCU, and the reasons for refusal.

  I hope you find this reply helpful. A copy will appear in the Official Report and a copy will also be placed in the Library.
  623

  Annex A: Refusals on new claims for DLA by DBC February 1992

  Lay grounds

  Medical grounds

  (a)

  (b)

  (c)

  Total

  Edinburgh

  5

  0

  32

  0

  37

  Newcastle

  57

  0

  35

  0

  92

  Leeds

  19

  0

  54

  0

  73

  Manchester

  10

  0

  32

  0

  42

  Bootle

  3

  0

  34

  0

  37

  Birmingham

  17

  0

  16

  0

  33

  Bristol

  7

  0

  26

  0

  33

  Cardiff

  11

  0

  13

  0

  24

  Wembley

  33

  0

  61

  0

  94

  Sutton

  21

  0

  56

  0

  77

  Glasgow

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Dlau Warbreck House

  1

  0

  3

  0

  4

  Other MUs

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Great Britain

  184

  0

  362

  0

  546

  March 1992

  Lay grounds

  Medical grounds

  (a)

  (b)

  (c)

  Total

  Edinburgh

  206

  0

  122

  0

  328

  Newcastle

  498

  0

  179

  0

  677

  Leeds

  282

  0

  334

  0

  616

  Manchester

  239

  0

  146

  0

  385

  Bootle

  129

  0

  141

  0

  270

  Birmingham

  194

  0

  1

  0

  195

  Bristol

  171

  0

  157

  0

  328

  Cardiff

  194

  0

  128

  0

  322

  Wembley

  263

  1

  374

  0

  638

  Sutton

  406

  1

  368

  0

  775

  Glasgow

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Dlau Warbreck House

  3

  0

  17

  0

  20

  Other MUs

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Great Britain

  2,585

  2

  1,967

  0

  4,554

  Annex A: Refusals on new claims for DLA by DBC April 1992

  Lay grounds

  Medical grounds

  (a)

  (b)

  (c)

  Total

  Edinburgh

  412

  0

  87

  0

  499

  Newcastle

  1,263

  1

  134

  0

  1,398

  Leeds

  459

  0

  207

  0

  666

  Manchester

  715

  0

  138

  0

  853

  Bootle

  280

  0

  120

  0

  400

  Birmingham

  225

  0

  58

  0

  283

  Bristol

  330

  0

  141

  0

  471

  Cardiff

  254

  0

  86

  0

  340

  Wembley

  695

  3

  305

  0

  1,003

  Sutton

  628

  0

  237

  0

  865

  Glasgow

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Dlau Warbreck House

  8

  0

  5

  0

  13

  Other MUs

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Great Britain

  5,269

  4

  1,518

  0

  6,791

  May 1992

  Lay grounds

  Medical grounds

  (a)

  (b)

  (c)

  Total

  Edinburgh

  552

  1

  107

  0

  660

  Newcastle

  1,087

  0

  64

  0

  1,151

  Leeds

  631

  0

  156

  0

  787

  Manchester

  810

  0

  126

  0

  936

  624 625

  Lay grounds

  Medical grounds

  (a)

  (b)

  (c)

  Total

  Bootle

  528

  1

  73

  2

  604

  Birmingham

  356

  0

  161

  0

  517

  Bristol

  340

  0

  143

  2

  485

  Cardiff

  641

  0

  110

  2

  753

  Wembley

  704

  1

  163

  1

  869

  Sutton

  404

  2

  149

  0

  555

  Glasgow

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Dlau Warbreack House

  3

  0

  9

  1

  13

  Other MUs

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Great Britain

  6,056

  5

  1,261

  8

  7,330

  Annex A: Refusals on new claims for DLA by DBC June 1992

  Lay grounds

  Medical grounds

  (a)

  (b)

  (c)

  Total

  Edinburgh

  928

  0

  298

  3

  1,229

  Newcastle

  1,002

  0

  77

  0

  1,079

  Leeds

  1,661

  2

  159

  2

  1,824

  Manchester

  1,114

  1

  104

  3

  1,222

  Bootle

  657

  0

  130

  0

  787

  Birmingham

  978

  1

  201

  0

  1,180

  Bristol

  559

  0

  135

  0

  694

  Cardiff

  801

  0

  170

  0

  971

  Wembley

  895

  3

  180

  0

  1,078

  Sutton

  843

  4

  168

  4

  1,019

  Glasgow

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Dlau Warbreck House

  31

  0

  75

  0

  106

  Other MUs

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Great Britain

  9,469

  11

  1,697

  12

  11,189

  July 1992

  Lay grounds

  Medical grounds

  (a)

  (b)

  (c)

  Total

  Edinburgh

  1,979

  2

  253

  5

  2,239

  Newcastle

  1,450

  1

  67

  1

  1,519

  Leeds

  1,579

  3

  151

  2

  1,735

  Manchester

  1,864

  2

  93

  3

  1,962

  Bootle

  1,071

  0

  141

  3

  1,215

  Birmingham

  1,296

  1

  338

  0

  1,635

  Bristol

  872

  0

  81

  1

  954

  Cardiff

  1,345

  0

  129

  1

  1,475

  Wembley

  1,431

  5

  229

  1

  1,666

  Sutton

  2,333

  11

  192

  14

  2,550

  Glasgow

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Dlau Warbreck House

  105

  0

  91

  1

  197

  Other MUs

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Great Britain

  15,235

  25

  1,765

  32

  17,147

  Annex A: Refusals on new claims for DLA by DBC August 1992

  Lay grounds

  Medical grounds

  (a)

  (b)

  (c)

  Total

  Edinburgh

  1,086

  2

  195

  2

  1,285

  Newcastle

  1,253

  2

  51

  0

  1,306

  Leeds

  1,864

  6

  117

  1

  1,988

  Manchester

  2,838

  5

  117

  2

  2,962

  Bootle

  1,567

  0

  111

  1

  1,679

  Birmingham

  1,423

  3

  305

  2

  1,733

  Bristol

  895

  4

  68

  2

  969

  Cardiff

  1,396

  1

  68

  1

  1,466

  Wembley

  1,449

  5

  194

  4

  1,652

  626 627

  Lay grounds

  Medical grounds

  (a)

  (b)

  (c)

  Total

  Sutton

  1,717

  17

  141

  4

  1,879

  Glasgow

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  DLAU Warbreck House

  180

  1

  76

  3

  260

  Other MUs

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Great Britain

  15,668

  46

  1,443

  22

  17,179

  September 1992

  Lay grounds

  Medical grounds

  (a)

  (b)

  (c)

  Total

  Edinburgh

  2,020

  0

  206

  4

  2,230

  Newcastle

  1,505

  0

  73

  0

  1,578

  Leeds

  2,123

  6

  146

  5

  2,280

  Manchester

  2,343

  10

  111

  0

  2,464

  Bootle

  1,774

  3

  95

  1

  1,873

  Birmingham

  2,918

  3

  265

  6

  3,192

  Bristol

  1,115

  5

  78

  6

  1,204

  Cardiff

  2,227

  2

  147

  0

  2,376

  Wembley

  1,964

  11

  242

  8

  2,225

  Sutton

  1,539

  4

  179

  3

  1,725

  Glasgow

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  DLAU Warbreck House

  190

  1

  78

  2

  271

  Other MUs

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Great Britain

  19,718

  45

  1,620

  35

  21,418

  Annex A: Refusals on new claims for DLA by DBC October 1992

  Lay grounds

  Medical grounds

  (a)

  (b)

  (c)

  Total

  Edinburgh

  4,316

  3

  193

  6

  4,518

  Newcastle

  1,194

  2

  58

  1

  1,255

  Leeds

  2,270

  10

  118

  1

  2,399

  Manchester

  2,051

  5

  90

  3

  2,149

  Bootle

  2,034

  2

  107

  0

  2,143

  Birmingham

  3,473

  12

  255

  5

  3,745

  Bristol

  1,102

  4

  83

  5

  1,194

  Cardiff

  1,423

  4

  116

  2

  1,545

  Wembley

  1,960

  22

  153

  2

  2,137

  Sutton

  1,578

  4

  164

  8

  1,754

  Glasgow

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Dlau Warbreck House

  520

  2

  97

  4

  623

  Other M Us

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Great Britain

  21,921

  70

  1,434

  37

  23,462

  November 1992

  Lay grounds

  Medical grounds

  (a)

  (b)

  (c)

  Total

  Edinburgh

  2,618

  11

  154

  6

  2,789

  Newcastle

  1,239

  2

  67

  1

  1,309

  Leeds

  1,781

  4

  107

  1

  1,893

  Manchester

  1,780

  4

  102

  1

  1,887

  Bootle

  1,287

  2

  119

  4

  1,412

  Birmingham

  2,412

  8

  224

  4

  2,648

  Bristol

  549

  4

  100

  0

  653

  Cardiff

  969

  1

  63

  0

  1,033

  Wembley

  1,395

  16

  140

  3

  1,554

  Sutton

  1,216

  5

  145

  5

  1,373

  Glasgow

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Dlau Warbreck House

  394

  1

  63

  3

  461

  Other MUs

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  628 629

  Lay grounds

  Medical grounds

  (a)

  (b)

  (c)

  Total

  Great Britain

  15,642

  58

  1,284

  28

  17,012

  Annex A: Refusals on new claims for DLA by DBC December 1992

  Lay grounds

  Medical grounds

  (a)

  (b)

  (c)

  Total

  Edinburgh

  2,853

  2

  161

  5

  3,021

  Newcastle

  786

  0

  33

  0

  819

  Leeds

  1,870

  6

  88

  2

  1,966

  Manchester

  1,121

  8

  70

  2

  1,201

  Bootle

  1,048

  5

  79

  0

  1,132

  Birmingham

  2,149

  18

  167

  8

  2,342

  Bristol

  666

  5

  43

  0

  714

  Cardiff

  1,009

  2

  70

  0

  1,081

  Wembley

  1,083

  8

  87

  3

  1,181

  Sutton

  1,165

  5

  105

  2

  1,277

  Glasgow

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  DLAU Warbeck House

  535

  3

  45

  2

  585

  Other MUs

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Great Britain

  14,285

  62

  984

  24

  15,319

  January 1993

  Lay grounds

  Medical grounds

  (a)

  (b)

  (c)

  Total

  Edinburgh

  1,932

  2

  104

  3

  2,041

  Newcastle

  862

  2

  50

  1

  915

  Leeds

  2,272

  8

  87

  0

  2,367

  Manchester

  1,582

  9

  115

  0

  1,706

  Bootle

  1,425

  1

  98

  0

  1,524

  Birmingham

  1,883

  10

  145

  4

  2,042

  Bristol

  650

  6

  56

  0

  712

  Cardiff

  1,229

  0

  96

  0

  1,325

  Wembley

  1,223

  6

  261

  0

  1,490

  Sutton

  1,196

  8

  127

  5

  1,336

  Glasgow

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  DLAU Warbeck House

  943

  4

  99

  8

  1,054

  Other MUs

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Great Britain

  15,197

  56

  1,238

  21

  16,512

  Annex A: Refusals on new claims for DLA by DBC February 1993

  Lay grounds

  Medical grounds

  (a)

  (b)

  (c)

  Total

  Edinburgh

  1,010

  6

  78

  4

  1,098

  Newcastle

  851

  0

  62

  0

  913

  Leeds

  2,419

  7

  195

  2

  2,623

  Manchester

  1,624

  10

  96

  0

  1,730

  Bootle

  1,569

  1

  139

  2

  1,711

  Birmingham

  1,937

  7

  312

  2

  2,258

  Bristol

  841

  10

  51

  3

  905

  Cardiff

  1,109

  2

  94

  2

  1,207

  Wembley

  1,564

  8

  138

  0

  1,710

  Sutton

  1,410

  7

  117

  6

  1,540

  Glasgow

  1,093

  0

  56

  1

  1,150

  DLAU Warbreck House

  2,379

  23

  464

  5

  2,871

  Other MUs

  3

  0

  0

  0

  3

  Great Britain

  17,809

  81

  1,802

  27

  19,719

  630 631

  March 1993

  Lay grounds

  Medical grounds

  (a)

  (b)

  (c)

  Total

  Edinburgh

  1,042

  5

  89

  5

  1,141

  Newcastle

  974

  2

  51

  1

  1,028

  Leeds

  2,707

  8

  172

  5

  2,892

  Manchester

  1,893

  14

  89

  1

  1,997

  Bootle

  1,799

  5

  148

  1

  1,953

  Birmingham

  2,467

  10

  266

  3

  2,746

  Bristol

  1,030

  2

  67

  2

  1,101

  Cardiff

  1,775

  2

  90

  3

  1,870

  Wembley

  2,078

  16

  209

  1

  2,304

  Sutton

  1,454

  7

  185

  3

  1,649

  Glasgow

  1,827

  2

  86

  0

  1,915

  DLAU Warbreck House

  1,080

  13

  257

  8

  1,358

  Other MUs

  13

  0

  0

  0

  13

  Great Britain

  20,139

  86

  1,709

  33

  21,967

  Annex A: Refusals on new claims for DLA by DBC April 1993

  Lay grounds

  Medical grounds

  (a)

  (b)

  (c)

  Total

  Edinburgh

  1,015

  2

  68

  1

  1,086

  Newcastle

  940

  0

  64

  0

  1,004

  Leeds

  2,375

  6

  131

  1

  2,513

  Manchester

  1,519

  7

  85

  2

  1,613

  Bootle

  1,728

  1

  115

  1

  1,845

  Birmingham

  2,546

  14

  216

  2

  2,778

  Bristol

  882

  1

  63

  1

  947

  Cardiff

  1,298

  0

  76

  2

  1,376

  Wembley

  1,601

  17

  170

  3

  1,791

  Sutton

  1,617

  7

  142

  3

  1,769

  Glasgow

  1,623

  0

  61

  0

  1,684

  Dlau Warbreck House

  274

  13

  92

  4

  383

  Other MUs

  9

  0

  0

  0

  9

  Great Britain

  17,427

  68

  1,283

  20

  18,798

  May 1993

  Lay grounds

  Medical grounds

  (a)

  (b)

  (c)

  Total

  Edinburgh

  868

  0

  52

  1

  921

  Newcastle

  960

  1

  59

  2

  1,022

  Leeds

  2,228

  3

  115

  2

  2,348

  Manchester

  1,414

  4

  63

  1

  1,482

  Bootle

  1,453

  2

  71

  0

  1,526

  Birmingham

  2,003

  3

  182

  4

  2,192

  Bristol

  729

  4

  67

  1

  801

  Cardiff

  2,136

  1

  98

  1

  2,236

  Wembley

  1,529

  15

  147

  2

  1,693

  Sutton

  1,758

  5

  127

  3

  1,893

  Glasgow

  1,990

  0

  63

  0

  2,053

  Dlau Warbreck House

  103

  1

  42

  0

  146

  Other MUs

  11

  0

  0

  0

  11

  Great Britain

  17,182

  39

  1,086

  17

  18,324

  Annex A: Other refusals during 19921

  Lay grounds

  Medical grounds

  (a)

  (b)

  (c)

  Total

  Edinburgh

  1,021

  3

  46

  2

  1,072

  Newcastle

  746

  1

  23

  0

  770

  Leeds

  918

  5

  44

  0

  967

  Manchester

  973

  4

  30

  0

  1,007

  Bootle

  675

  1

  30

  1

  707

  Birmingham

  971

  5

  51

  1

  1,028

  632 633

  Lay grounds

  Medical grounds

  (a)

  (b)

  (c)

  Total

  Bristol

  441

  3

  28

  1

  473

  Cardiff

  668

  1

  29

  0

  698

  Wembley

  806

  11

  57

  2

  876

  Sutton

  791

  8

  50

  3

  852

  Glasgow

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Dlau Warbreck House

  112

  4

  13

  4

  133

  Other MUs

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Great Britain

  8,122

  46

  401

  14

  8,583

  1 These cases were decided in 1992 but the exact month is not known.

  (Figures are for cases cleared by a scan of the database during December 1992.)

  Annex A: Cumulative up to end of May 1993

  Lay grounds

  Medical grounds

  (a)

  (b)

  (c)

  Total

  Edinburgh

  23,863

  39

  2,245

  47

  26,194

  Newcastle

  16,667

  14

  1,147

  7

  17,835

  Leeds

  27,458

  74

  2,381

  24

  29,937

  Manchester

  23,890

  83

  1,607

  18

  25,598

  Bootle

  19,027

  24

  1,751

  16

  20,818

  Birmingham

  27,248

  95

  3,163

  41

  30,547

  Bristol

  11,179

  48

  1,387

  24

  12,638

  Cardiff

  18,485

  16

  1,583

  14

  20,098

  Wembley

  20,673

  148

  3,110

  30

  23,961

  Sutton

  20,078

  95

  2,652

  63

  22,888

  Glasgow

  6,533

  2

  266

  1

  6,802

  Dlau Warbreck House

  6,861

  66

  1,526

  45

  8,498

  Other MUs

  36

  0

  0

  0

  36

  Great Britain

  221,998

  704

  22,818

  330

  245,850

  Reasons for refusal on lay grounds are:

  (a)—on grounds of age.

  (b)—on grounds of residence and presence.

  (c)—other reasons.

  Annex B: Refusals on top up claims for DLA for Great Britain

  MobA Beneficiaries

  AA Beneficiaries

  Month

  Medical Grounds

  Lay Grounds

  Medical Grounds

  Lay Grounds

  Month

  Age

  Other

  Total

  1992

  February

  11

  0

  4

  0

  0

  15

  March

  106

  0

  62

  8

  0

  176

  April

  478

  0

  100

  1

  0

  579

  May

  1,240

  3

  211

  1

  2

  1,457

  June

  2,597

  19

  393

  1

  7

  3,017

  July

  3,882

  22

  523

  4

  4

  4,435

  August

  5,896

  5

  736

  18

  2

  6,657

  September

  5,690

  7

  713

  1

  2

  6,413

  October

  4,441

  18

  905

  9

  10

  5,383

  November

  2,592

  8

  578

  1

  2

  3,181

  December

  2,269

  7

  356

  4

  2

  2,638

  Others1

  1,813

  5

  481

  82

  3

  2,384

  1993

  January

  1,907

  6

  446

  58

  0

  2,417

  February

  2,073

  18

  425

  35

  1

  2,552

  March

  2,215

  27

  480

  19

  4

  2,745

  April

  1,869

  25

  581

  25

  5

  2,505

  May

  1,055

  0

  315

  14

  1

  1,385

  TOTAL

  40,134

  170

  7,309

  281

  45

  47,939

  1 These cases were decided in 1992 but the exact month is riot known.

  Figures are for cases cleared by a scan of the database during December 1992.

  634
  Sir John Hannam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) whether the Benefits Agency has now completed its report on the differences in adjudication standards between disability benefit centres;
  635
  (2) what steps the Benefits Agency has taken to ensure consistency in adjudication decisions on disability living allowance between disability benefits centres.

  Mr. Scott
  The administration of disability living allowance is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to my hon. Friend and a copy will be placed in the Library.

  Letter from Michael Bichard to Sir John Hannam, dated 15 June 1993.

  As Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency, it is my responsibility to answer questions about relevant operational matters. I am therefore replying to the points raised in your recent Parliamentary Questions to the Secretary of State for Social Security asking (i) whether the Benefits Agency has now completed its report on the differences in adjudication standards between Disability Benefits Centres and (ii) what steps the Benefits Agency has taken to ensure consistency in adjudication decisions on Disability Living Allowance between Disability Benefits Centres.

  A study concerning standards of adjudication in Disability Benefits Centres is still in progress and findings are not expected to become available until late August 1993. Thereafter, recommendations will be carefully analysed before any changes are implemented.

  The aim of the study is to assess standards of adjudication, including variations, across the Disability Benefits Centres and the main Disability Living Allowance Unit(s) at Blackpool. It includes a physical examination of casework, research among staff and an analysis of data arising from Review and Appeals activities.

  I hope that you find this reply helpful. A copy of this reply will appear in the Official Report and a copy will also be placed in the Library.

  National Insurance
  Mr. Nicholas Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimate he has as to how many people below the basic rate income tax threshold will pay more national insurance contributions during the 1994–95 financial year as a result of the changes announced in the Budget.

  Mr. Hague
  [pursuant to his reply, 7 June 1993, column 140]: The following information was incorrect:

  "It is estimated that in 1994–95 about million people whose earnings fall below the basic rate income tax threshold will pay slightly more in national insurance contributions."

  The correct information is as follows:

  It is estimated that in 1994–95 about 2¼ million people whose earnings fall below the threshold for basic rate income tax of 25 per cent. will pay slightly more in national insurance contributions.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Human Rights
  Dr. Wright
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will support proposals for an international human rights tribunal.

  Mr. Hurd
  The world conference on human rights will review the range of international mechanisms for the protection of human rights. We understand that there may be a proposal for an international human rights tribunal. We will give careful consideration to this, and to all other matters before the conference.

  Israel
  Mr. Evennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what indications he has received from Arab countries about their willingness to call off the Arab trade boycott of Israel.

  Mr. Hurd
  The response by Arab countries to numerous approaches on this subject—including an EC demarche—has been uneven. There has been no collective formal response. But there is evidence that some relaxations have been made and the Kuwait Government have this month signalled their intention to discontinue the application of the boycott to third countries. We shall continue to press Arab Governments on this.

  Mr. Nigel Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects to meet the Israeli Foreign Minister to discuss matters pertaining to the peace process.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has no immediate plans to meet the Israeli Foreign Minister.

  Hong Kong
  Mr. Jonathan Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next plans to meet the Governor of Hong Kong to discuss relations with China.

  Mr. Goodlad
  We keep in the closest touch with the governor of Hong Kong about our discussions with the Chinese authorities on Hong Kong. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and I will next meet the governor when he comes to London on 30 of June for one of his regular visits for consultations. As is customary, the governor will also have discussions with my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister as well as other Ministers and senior officials.

  South Africa
  Sir David Knox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress is being made towards the holding of multiracial elections in South Africa.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  The Negotiating Council has agreed on an election date of 27 April 1994, subject to ratification by the larger negotiating forum on 25 June.

  Mr. Robert Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with parties involved in constitutional negotiations in South Africa.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs held useful talks with Nelson Mandela and Chief Buthelezi during their recent visits to London.

  Pakistan
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received from the Pakistani authorities concerning the progress of the police investigations into the murder of Mohammed Afzal in Juarah village, Pakistan, on 4 October 1992.
  637
  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  The high commission in Islamabad has still not had a full report from the Pakistan authorities about the murder of Mohammed Afzal. It has, however, been told by the Pakistan police that the men accused of the murder have been declared "permanent absconders". The high commission will stay in close touch with the Pakistan authorities.

  Angola
  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government have taken to put pressure on UNITA to abide by the terms of the Bicesse accord and the Angolan election results.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  We have actively supported United Nations efforts to secure a dialogue between UNITA and the Angolan Government leading to a ceasefire and full implementation of the Bicesse peace accords.

  Mongolia
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what new proposals he has to improve relationships between the United Kingdom and Mongolia.

  Mr. Goodlad
  Relations with Mongolia are very good. January marked the 30th anniversary of the establishment of our diplomatic relations. Last year saw the introduction of a bilateral aid programme for Mongolia of £2·7 million over three years. This is aimed at helping the Mongolians with their economic reform programme, which is being carried out in the face of considerable hardship.

  A bilateral cultural exchange programme, renewed on 11 June, will facilitate cultural and academic contacts and exchanges, English language teaching and joint research projects. Her Royal Highness the Princess Royal, accompanied by Commander Timothy Laurence, RN, will visit Mongolia from 11 to 14 July. A bilateral round table meeting is scheduled to take place in Britain this October.

  Cambodia
  Mr. Luff
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received about the political situation in Cambodia; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Goodlad
  We welcome the successful holding of elections in Cambodia last month and congratulate UNTAC on its preparation and conduct. The result is a clear sign that the Cambodian people want to decide their own future. We are encouraging the successful parties to work together constructively to facilitate the emergence of a new Government after a constitution has been adopted.

  Rev. Martin Smyth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the situation in Cambodia following the elections.

  Mr. Goodlad
  The high turnout of the Cambodian electorate (89 per cent.) in the elections to the Constituent Assembly last month is a clear sign that the Cambodian people want to decide their own future. We are committed to recognising the results when they are certified as free and fair. Under the terms of the Paris agreements, the 638
  newly elected Constituent Assembly will draft and approve a new constitution before transforming itself into a legislative assembly which will form a new Cambodian Government. This is due to take place within three months. Meanwhile we are encouraging the successful parties to work together constructively to facilitate the emergence of a new Government.

  Bosnia
  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his proposals to secure an end to the conflict in Bosnia.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The Washington agreement of 22 May set out the immediate steps to be taken by the international community to effectively tackle the conflict in Bosnia. It is intended to help establish conditions for a lasting and equitable settlement, in accordance with the principles of the Vance-Owen peace plan, to the appalling conflict in Bosnia. Some of these steps have already been achieved, for example the adoption of United Nations Security Council resolutions on safe areas in Bosnia and the creation of a war crimes tribunal. Action continues within the United Nations and NATO to follow up other elements of the Washington agreement. Lord Owen and Mr. Stoltenberg are continuing their negotiations with great determination.

  Mr. Raynsford
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is proposing to take to restore the territorial integrity of Bosnia.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  United Nations Security Council resolution No. 836 reaffirms the sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the responsibility of the Security Council in this regard. The principles of the Vance-Owen peace plan for Bosnia provide the framework for securing this.

  Mr. Watson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs by what means, following the Washington agreement, he envisages the implementation of the Vance-Owen plan for Bosnia.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The principles contained within the Vance-Owen peace plan provide the framework for securing a political settlement to the conflict in Bosnia. The Washington agreement of 22 May established a series of immediate steps to alleviate the suffering on the ground while work continues to find a lasting and fair political settlement.

  Mr. Wareing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to President Izetbegovic in respect of Bosnian Muslim breaches in the ceasefires and the destruction of Croat villages by his forces in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

  Mr. Goodlad
  [holding answer 14 June 1993]: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs met Bosnian President Izetbegovic on 14 June. One of the issues that they discussed was the recent Bosnian-Muslim offensive in central Bosnia, particularly around Travnik. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State underlined our concern at reports of Muslim brutality and ethnic cleansing of Bosnian Croats,

  639
  and urged President Izetbegovic to order an end to this offensive and begin implementation of the Vance-Owen peace plan.

  Global Security
  Mr. Gapes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next plans to visit the United Nations to discuss global security.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs expects to visit the United Nations to attend the United Nations General Assembly general debate in September. No dates have yet been fixed.

  Exports Promotion
  Mr. Congdon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will detail measures his Department takes to promote United Kingdom exports overseas.

  Mr. Goodlad
  It is a key objective of the Department to promote United Kingdom exports. Seventeen per cent. of frontline diplomatic staff and 48 per cent. of senior locally engaged staff working in 196 missions overseas are employed full-time on this task. In total, nearly a quarter of frontline diplomatic staff time (calculated on the basis of regular returns from posts) is expended on commercial work.

  Middle East
  Mr. Carrington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress is being made towards peace in the middle east.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Another round of bilateral negotiations between the parties is beginning in Washington this week. There were encouraging signs at the end of the last round in May that the Israelis and Palestinians were beginning to address in detail issues of substance. We continue to urge on all parties the urgent need for further progress.

  Social Chapter
  Ms Quin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his EC counterparts about the social chapter of the Maastricht treaty.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  The social chapter has not featured in recent discussions with other member states.

  Iraq
  Chisholm
  33. Mr. To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he intends to review the policy of imposing sanctions on Iraq.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The Security Council reviewed the sanctions in force against Iraq on 24 May. The Council concluded that Iraq had not complied with United Nations resolutions, and that there was therefore no justification for change.

  Yugoslavia
  Mr. Austin Walker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the impact of sanctions against Serbia on other countries of the former Yugoslavia and neighbouring countries; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  United Nations sanctions against Serbia and Montenegro place a significant economic burden on neighbouring states. The recent visits of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs to Bulgaria, Macedonia and Romania enabled him to discuss this issue with the Governments of those most acutely affected. The international financial institutions are best placed to assess the needs of those affected and provide appropriate support to help these countries develop a suitable policy response.

  Iran
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what response Her Majesty's Government have made to the proposal put to foreign Ministers of the European Community member states by the United States Secretary of State on 9 June relating to trade and export restrictions on Iran.

  Mr. Goodlad
  We shall be considering carefully the issues discussed by the EC and United States foreign Ministers with our EC partners. We shall continue to support international efforts to promote a harmonised approach to effective controls on the export of dual use goods to countries of particular concern, including Iran.

  Kurdistan
  Sir David Steel
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the Turkish Government to cease all military operations in Kurdistan and accept the Kurdish PKK's unilateral ceasefire, and work towards a political solution.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the then Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, the hon. Member for Watford (Mr. Garel-Jones), to the hon. Member for Halifax (Mrs. Mahon) on 28 April at column 440.

  We regret the PKK's decision to end the ceasefire, and condemn the recent upsurge of violence in south-east Turkey. We frequently make clear to the Turkish Government the importance we attach to combating terrorism within a legal framework and with full respect for human rights.

  Captain John Bashforth
  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Indonesian authorities regarding the murder by pirates of Captain John Bashforth; and with what result.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs raised the
  641
  death of Captain Bashforth with the Indonesian authorities when he visited Indonesia at the beginning of April. Also Her Majesty's Embassy in Jakarta has been in frequent touch with the Indonesian authorities. Since April they have obtained further evidence from the Indonesian authorities which we have passed to the coroner in Buxted for the inquest on 21 June.

  Kashmir
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the human rights committee of the European Parliament on the issue of Kashmir; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  None. However, together with our European Community partners, we have emphasised to the Indian Government the importance of respecting human rights in Kashmir.

  Eritrea
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the policy towards the new independent state of Eritrea.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  We recognised Eritrea as an independent sovereign state on 14 May. We have had a warm relationship with the former provisional Government, now the Government of Eritrea, and have proposed entering into diplomatic relations. We have committed £12 million of humanitarian aid since January 1992 and also run a modest bilateral aid programme.

  Royal Family
  Mr. Alan Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 7 June,Official Report, column 82–83, what was the cost to his Department of each of the visits by the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh; and what were the sums involved in categories of expenditure within the cost of each visit.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  [holding answer 14 June 1993]: The costs to date to the Department of the overseas visits undertaken by the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh during the financial year 1992–93 at the request of Government Departments are as follows:

  Country

  Date

  £

  France

  12 May

  nil

  Malta

  27 to 31 May

  26,900

  France

  9 to 12 June

  47,600

  United States of America

  13 to 14 July

  nil

  Germany

  19 to 23 October

  82,700

  Dominica, Montserrat,

  Anguilla,

  British Virgin Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands

  11 to 20 March

  nil

  It is not possible to provide details of each category of expenditure without disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Alan Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 7 June,Official Report, columns 82–83, if he will list the official engagements undertaken on each visit by (a) Princess Alexandra, (b) the Duke of Kent, (c) the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester and (d) Princess Margaret.
  642
  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  [holding answer 14 June 1993]:The main official engagements undertaken during these visits were as follows:

  a. Princess Alexandra

  USA

  60th anniversary celebrations of Folger Shakespeare Library, Washington.

  Reception to honour cooperation between UK and US armed forces.

  Columbia lighthouse for the blind.

  Corcoran gallery of art.

  Trinidad and Tobago, Grenada

  Red Cross headquarters

  Centre for physically handicapped children.

  Fort King George and fine arts centre.

  Newlo children's rehabilitation centre.

  Workshop for the blind.

  b. The Duke of Kent Japan

  Priority Japan campaign—export promotions visits in Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya including visits to department stores, meetings with local government, tour of airport, visits to factories, visit to exhibition, meetings with senior businessmen and British Chamber of Commerce, visit to research laboratories and meetings with politicians and members of Japanese Royal family.

  Italy

  Columbus 1992 ships and the sea exhibition.

  Genoa metro project.

  Germany

  Munich Electronica Trade Fair.

  c. The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester

  Belgium

  British Chamber of Commerce in Belgium.

  1992 Britain in Brussels festival:

  —Industrial design exhibition;

  —Scottish silver exhibition.

  d. The Princess Margaret

  Netherlands

  International garden festival, Zoetermeer Het Loo (Palace).

DEFENCE

  Defamation Cases
  Mr. Gamier
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list by number and title the actions for defamation brought by or against serving members of Her Majesty's armed forces in each year since 1989 in which the Department has provided all or a contribution to one or both sides' legal costs and damages; and at what total cost in each case.

  Mr. Hanley
  Since 1989 there has been only one such case. It involved the legal costs of a junior NCO who was the subject of an action for defamation arising from a
  643
  report he made to the military police about alleged assaults on him by another soldier. The full costs of the case are not yet known.

  Hercules
  Mr. McFall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the route flown at low level by Hercules XV193 on 27 May was a standard route established for use by RAF Hercules.

  Mr. Hanley
  The Hercules fleet do not fly fixed or standard low-flying routes.

  Mr. McFall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) by what means are potential fixed low-flying routes for training of RAF Hercules aircrew surveyed prior to adoption;

  Birdstrikes to RAF Hercules 1980 to 1992

  Category

  1980

  1981

  1982

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  1989

  1990

  1991

  1992

  1 and 2

  32

  47

  37

  53

  51

  60

  50

  67

  61

  33

  36

  37

  46

  3

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  1

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  1

  0

  4

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  5

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Total

  32

  47

  37

  53

  51

  61

  50

  67

  61

  33

  36

  38

  46

  Note: Breakdown of damage in categories 1 and 2 is not available.

  Mr. McFall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the minimum authorised altitude for the low-level training sortie undertaken by Hercules XV193 on 27 May.

  Mr. Hanley
  It was 250 ft.

  Mr. McFall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the minimum flying experience required from an RAF Hercules captain to fly the aircraft at(a) 500 ft minimum separation distance, (b) 250 ft minimum separation distance and (c) 100 ft minimum separation distance.

  Mr. Hanley
  After at least six months service on operational Hercules squadrons, crews are trained, in preparation for specific operational commitments, to fly aircraft at 500 ft minimum separation distance (MSD); the training requires four sorties, totalling 12 flying hours. Subsequently, after six months service on tactical support squadrons, crews are selected for training to fly at 250 ft MSD; the training comprises 20 sorties, totalling 41 flying hours. Approximately six months after qualifying to fly at 250 ft MSD crews undergo a further course of five sorties lasting 12 hours in total. Of these crews, a very small number of specifically selected crews are permitted to fly below 250 ft MSD.

  Mr. McFall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the areas in which RAF Hercules are authorised to fly at less than 250 ft.

  Mr. Hanley
  Fixed-wing flying below 250 ft in the United Kingdom low flying system is restricted to three sparsely populated areas in northern Scotland, central Wales and the Borders which are designated as tactical training areas.

  Mr. McFall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what further precautionary measures have been adopted in the operation of the RAF Hercules fleet since 27 May.
  644
  (2) how many fixed low-flying routes in the United Kingdom are currently in use by the RAF Hercules fleet; and what is the established periodicity for reviewing and changing any such fixed low-flying routes.

  Mr. Hanley
  The RAF Hercules do not fly fixed low-flying routes.

  Mr. McFall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many bird strikes have occurred to RAF Hercules aircraft in each year since 1980; and how many were in each of the damage categories 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5.

  Mr. Hanley
  The information requested is as follows:

  Mr. Hanley
  There is no reason to doubt the validity and safety of current operating procedures and thus no further precautionary measures have been adopted.

  Mr. McFall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the maximum bank angle permitted for turns by RAF Hercules flying at(a) 500 ft minimum separation distance, (b) 250 ft minimum separation distance and (c) 100 ft minimum separation distance.

  Mr. Hanley
  The maximum permitted bank angle for RAF Hercules flying is 60 deg subject to the aircraft maintaining its authorised minimum separation distance.

  Mr. McFall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many RAF Hercules sorties at less than 250 ft were authorised in each year since 1980.

  Mr. Hanley
  The numbers of movements authorised into the tactical training areas for flying below 250 ft by Hercules aircraft are as follows:

  Number

  1980

  1

  1981

  2

  1982

  10

  1983

  17

  1984

  28

  1985

  0

  1986

  15

  1987

  13

  1988

  7

  1989

  9

  1990

  28

  1991

  16

  1992

  9

  11993

  4

  1 To 30 April.

  Mr. McFall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the route flown at low level by Hercules XV193 on 27 May was also flown by the other aircraft in the formation.
  645
  Mr. Hanley
  On 27 May Hercules XV193 flew the first part of the low-level element of its route in formation with other aircraft. As planned, the aircraft then broke formation to fly different routes for the final stage of the sortie.

  Mr. McFall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the design bird strike impact strength of the windscreen of the RAF Hercules; and what measures have been introduced to increase the protection of Hercules aircrew against bird strikes since the aircraft's entry in service.

  Mr. Hanley
  Information on the design bird strike impact strength is not available within my Department. In 26 years of service in the RAF no Hercules crew member or passenger has been injured a a result of bird strikes. As a result no measures to increase the crew's protection have been introduced since the aircraft entered service.

  Mr. McFall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many(a) sorties and (b) flying hours are devoted to low-level flying training in the training syllabus of No. 242 Operational Conversion Unit and in the continuation training programmes of operational Hercules squadrons.

  Mr. Hanley
  No. 242 Operational Conversion Unit is now 57 (Reserve) Squadron. After six months' service on tactical support squadrons, crews are selected for a five-week low-level flying course comprising 20 sorties and totalling 41 flying hours. Approximately six months after initial qualification crews undergo a further five-day low-flying course comprising five sorties and 12 flying hours.

  Explosive devices
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many bombs have been removed or rendered harmless on the coast of England and Wales by the Royal Navy in 1992.

  Mr. Hanley
  A total of 19 bombs, some of which dated back to the second world war and earlier, were recovered from the coast of England and Wales by the Royal Navy in 1992.

  Royal Clarence Yard, Gosport
  Mr. Viggers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will take steps to ensure that the gate of the Royal Clarence yard at Gosport is maintained in a state appropriate for its historical importance.

  Mr. Hanley
  The gate to Royal Clarence yard is being examined by consultants to determine what renovation work might be required.

  Horse Guards Parade
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the cost of the Life Guards and Blues and Royals attending the Horse Guards parade ceremony on Thursday 27 May; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hanley
  Guidelines covering the presentation of new standards, guidons and colours to regiments of the Army are contained in The Queens Regulations for the Army 1975. It is customary that the Sovereign personally 646
  presents new standards or colours to the regiments of the Household Divisions in the case of the Household Cavalry on Horse Guards Parade. The men, horses and armoured cars participating in the ceremony on 27 May did so at no extra cost to the defence budget. The cost of transportation of troops to the ceremony was approximately £3,000.

  Shells (Uranium)
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence at which sites his Department has tested armour-piercing shells tipped with depleted uranium.

  Mr. Aitken
  Since the programme was first authorised and announced to the House,Official Report, 8 March 1979, cols. 777–78 and 25 January 1980, col 395, all United Kingdom depleted uranium firings, with the exception of a few small calibre rounds trialled at West Freugh in the late 1980s, have taken place at the Eskmeals and Kirkcudbright ranges. My Department has also test-fired DU armour-piercing shells at White Sands, New Mexico and Aberdeen proving ground, Maryland in the United States of America and at Gramat in France.

  Science and Technology
  Dr. Moonie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will designate one of his Ministers to be responsible for his Department's contribution to the Government's science and technology "Forward Look."

  Mr. Aitken
  Paragraph 2.37 of the White Paper "Realising Our Potential—A Strategy for Science, Engineering and Technology" describes the preparation of the "Forward Look" by the Office of Science and Technology, and the participation of Government Departments through the existing, well-established machinery of the official and ministerial Cabinet Committees on Science and Technology.

  Near-Market Research
  Dr. Moonie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his Department's policy is with regard to the funding of near-market research.

  Mr. Aitken
  I refer the hon. Member to paragraphs 2.20 to 2.22 of the White Paper "Realising Our Potential—A Strategy for Science, Engineering and Technology".

  Belize
  Mr. Ainger
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consideration was given by his Ministry prior to the decision to withdraw British forces from Belize being taken, to basing Gurkha regiments being transferred from Hong Kong in Belize rather than the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Hanley
  We have no current plans to increase the number of Gurkha battalions stationed in the United Kingdom as a result of the rundown of the Hong Kong garrison. A Gurkha infantry battalion from Hong Kong will, however, be deployed to Belize on a six-month tour in October.

  German Units (Repatriation)
  Mr. Ainger
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list those units due to be repatriated from Germany as a result of "Options for Change" that have not yet been found facilities in which to be based in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Hanley
  Accommodation, in one case albeit only temporary, has been identified for all the units redeploying to the United Kingdom from Germany. In some cases the exact nature of unit and location has not yet been decided.

  Lumsden Road Estate, Portsmouth
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the sale price of the Lumsden Road estate, Portsmouth, to European Developments; and what was the net total value of the bid submitted by Swaything Housing Society and Portsmouth Housing Association taking into account the value of nominal rights given back to the Ministry of Defence.

  Mr. Hanley
  This information is commercial in confidence.

  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the reasons for his decision to dispose of the Lumsden Road site in Portsmouth to European Developments; and what precautions he has taken to ensure that the land is made safe for future use.

  Mr. Hanley
  The marketing of the Lumsden Road site involved the full disclosure of the site's history to all potential purchasers. The decision was taken to sell to European Developments because it submitted the highest compliant bid. It is now a matter for European Developments and Portsmouth city council to ensure that the site is suitable for the purpose for which it will be used.

  "Options for Change"
  Mr. Ainger
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list all the United Kingdom Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force bases that(a) have been made redundant and (b) are due to be made redundant as a result of "Options and Change".

  Mr. Hanley
  A list of the defence estate which has become, or could become, redundant as a consequence of the "Options for Change" is set out.

  Alternative defence uses are sought in all cases where an activity ends at a defence establishment and this search continues until the site is disposed of. It does not necessarily follow, therefore, that all the sites listed will be disposed of.

  RN Diesel Repair Depot Blackbrooke Farm

  HMS St Vincent (Furse House)

  Royal Navy Stores Depot Lathalmond

  HMS Daedalus

  Royal Navy Armaments Depot Trecwn

  Oil Fuel Depot Invergordon HMS Nelson Gunwharf

  Royal Navy Stores Depot Exeter (Top Site)

  HM Naval Base Portland

  Royal Navy Hospital Stonehouse

  Royal Navy Air Yard Wroughton

  HMS Royal Arthur

  Oil Fuel Depot Rosyth

  Royal Navy Stores Depot Copenacre—Closure of all underground storage

  648

  Uniake Barracks, Harrogate

  Richie Barracks, Kirknewton

  Kings Barracks, Kirkcudbright

  41 District Workshop Strensall

  Royal Artillery Barracks Woolwich

  Simpson Barracks Northampton

  Old Park Barracks, Dover

  Kitchener Barracks, Chatham

  Oakington Barracks

  Albermarle Barracks, Ouston

  Queen Elizabeth Barracks Strensall

  Sir John More Barracks Shorncliffe

  Gamecock Barracks, Bramcote

  Queen Elizabeth Barracks Guildford

  RAF Hospital Ely

  RAF Stanbridge

  RAF Harrogate

  RAF Swanton Morley

  RAF Hullavington

  RAF Swinderby

  RAF West Raynham

  RAF Church Fenton

  RAF Brawdy

  RAF Hospital Halton

  RAF Hereford

  Central Stores Depot Swanmore

  Proof and Experimental Establishment Inchterf

  Proof and Experimental Establishment Cold Meece

  Land Sales
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence in what circumstances, when disposing of publicly owned land, he will not accept the highest bid.

  Mr. Hanley
  When disposing of surplus property on the open market it is the Department's policy to accept the highest bid, provided that we are satisfied that the bidder is capable of honouring the conditions of the sale.

  Directorate General of Defence Accounts
  Mr. Brazier
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what performance targets have been set for the Directorate General of Defence Accounts for 1993–94.

  Mr. Hanley
  Under the terms of the agency's framework document, a range of revised targets for 1993–94 has been set which will ensure continuing improvements in the quality of service that the agency provides to its customers, as well as reflecting the continuing need to secure economies in defence spending.

  The targets for the period 1993–94 are:

  a. to complete the Agency's planned workload, as agreed with our customers, within the funds allocated for this purpose and to cope with any unforeseen requirements in the year;

  b. to maintain the Agency's quality of service as defined in the Service Level Agreements and secondary targets;

  c. to seek further efficiencies in the use of resources to the advantage of the Agency and its customers, thereby making efficiency savings of at least 1·5 per cent. of the total cash budget (excluding those savings arising directly from centrally managed efficiency measures);

  d. to compete for payroll work offered through the Government's Market Testing programme and to win all that is competed for;

  e. to carry out a study into the incidence of cost in the Agency so that fixed costs and variable costs are clearly and separately identifiable, with the further aim of reducing fixed costs.

WALES

  House Prices
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish figures showing(a) average house prices paid by all buyers, (b) percentage changes in cash prices in prices relative to the preceding year and (c) percentage changes in prices relative to the preceding year after allowing for the effects of retail price inflation in Wales in each year from 1979.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  Information on average house prices for the years 1979 to 1991 is published in "Welsh Housing Statistics and Housing and Construction Statistics", copies of which are in the Library of the House.

  Health Authorities (Administration)
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish for the most recent year that figures are available(a) the percentage of total revenue expenditure on health services that each health authority spent on headquarters' administration and (b) the actual expenditure that each health authority spent on headquarters' administration.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The amount that each health authority spent on headquarters administration in 1991–92 together with its percentage share of total revenue expenditure was as follows:

  Expenditure on headquarters administration

  Expenditure on headquarters administration as a percentage of total revenue expenditure

  Health authority

  £ thousands

  Per cent.

  Clwyd

  2,581

  1·6

  East Dyfed

  2,997

  2·7

  Gwent

  1,557

  0·9

  Gwynedd

  2,050

  2·1

  Mid Glamorgan

  2,385

  1·1

  Pembrokeshire

  478

  1·1

  Powys

  1,955

  3·4

  South Glamorgan

  6,542

  3·1

  West Glamorgan

  2,036

  1·3

  Source: Summarised accounts of health authorities in Wales.

  Notes:

  (1) 1991–92 data is latest available.

  (2) The figure for expenditure on headquarters administration is taken to be that covering authority administration and purchasing expenses.

  (3) Excludes special health authorities (Welsh Health Common Services Authority and Health Promotion Authority for Wales) and family health services authorities which, by the nature of their functions, are not comparable with the above.

  GP Practices
  Mr. Duncan Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many single-handed general practitioner practices there are in Wales; and what is their average patient holding.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  At 1 October 1992 there were 126 single-handed general practitioner practices in Wales. The average list size for this type of practitioner was 2,015 as at 1 April 1992 (the latest date for which data are available).

  Health Authorities and Trusts
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many(a) health authorities and (b) trusts were in existence on 1 April; and what is his forecast of the number on 1 April 1994.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  There were nine health authorities, eight family health service authorities and 14 NHS trusts in Wales on 1 April 1993. The creation of further trusts will depend on decisions due to be made later this year, following public consultation on formal applications submitted for NHS trust status from April 1994.

  Unemployment
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what measures he proposes to tackle unemployment in Wales; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. John Redwood
  It is the job of Government to create the right conditions in which business might thrive, and a wide range of measures designed to create a self-sustaining market economy and thereby help unemployed people find work is already in place. Our strategy for growth is bearing fruit with four consecutive monthly falls in unemployment.

  Hospital Beds
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) how many acute beds have been lost in Wales since 1979, expressed by number and as a percentage;

  (2) how many (a) hospital beds and (b) acute hospital beds there were in Wales in (i) 1979 and (ii) at the latest date for which figures are available; and what is (ii) as a percentage of (i);

  (3) how many hospital beds have been closed since 1979.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The information is as follows:

  Average daily beds in NHS hospitals

  Change

  1979

  1991–92

  Number

  Per cent.

  Acute beds1

  10,133·3

  8,834·7

  -1,298·6

  -12·8

  All hospital beds

  23,456·1

  18,640·3

  -4,815·8

  -20·5

  Acute beds as a percentage of all beds

  43·2

  47·4

  —

  —

  Inpatient cases treated

  349,695

  500,336

  150,641

  43·1

  1 Excludes geriatric, maternity, mental handicap and mental illness beds.

  Adoption and Fostering
  Mr. Richards
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what measures he is taking to encourage more people to become foster parents; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  Guidance has been given to local social services authorities on recruitment of foster parents at paragraphs 3.7–3.11 of volume 3, "Family Placements", in "The Children Act Guidance and Regulations" series (HMSO). A copy is in the Library of the House.

  Grant is given to the Wales Centre of the British Agencies for Adoption and Fostering Organisation, one of whose activities is to run an annual "Find a Family" campaign in co-operation with local social services authorities.
  651
  Mr. Richards
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many children have been(a) adopted and (b) fostered in each year and in each county in Wales since 1979; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The total number of adoption orders made each year in England and Wales since 1979 is

  1. Number of children placed under private foster arrangements in Wales1

  Clwyd

  Dyfed

  Gwent

  Gwynedd

  Mid Glam

  Powys

  South Glam

  West Glam

  Wales

  1979

  21

  14

  3

  2

  22

  2

  30

  —

  94

  1980

  28

  10

  3

  4

  17

  29

  40

  1

  132

  1981

  24

  4

  3

  7

  19

  26

  17

  3

  103

  1982

  9

  4

  12

  6

  17

  4

  12

  3

  67

  1983

  15

  6

  13

  5

  21

  4

  14

  1

  79

  1984

  7

  6

  6

  5

  17

  2

  18

  2

  63

  1985

  8

  6

  9

  2

  13

  1

  15

  1

  55

  1986

  15

  6

  6

  6

  16

  1

  17

  —

  67

  1987

  12

  11

  8

  9

  13

  —

  16

  —

  69

  1988

  16

  4

  11

  14

  —

  1

  16

  —

  62

  1989

  18

  12

  6

  6

  1

  2

  11

  —

  56

  1990

  15

  6

  8

  5

  —

  6

  6

  —

  46

  1991

  15

  8

  5

  7

  1

  3

  4

  —

  43

  1 At 31 March each year.

  Data for 1979 and 1980 relates to children in foster homes supervised under the Children Act 1958.

  Data for 1981 onwards relates to private fostering arrangements supervised under the Foster Children Act 1980.

  2.Number of children in local authority foster care in Wales1

  1979

  1980

  1981

  1982

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  1989

  1990

  1991

  Clwyd

  245

  269

  258

  245

  229

  219

  200

  227

  227

  224

  207

  220

  210

  Dyfed

  143

  146

  139

  155

  130

  134

  128

  128

  134

  151

  172

  175

  214

  Gwent

  292

  288

  278

  301

  308

  297

  291

  302

  307

  325

  323

  377

  341

  Gwynedd

  134

  134

  141

  166

  176

  179

  176

  181

  173

  173

  178

  162

  155

  Powys

  271

  310

  347

  372

  355

  363

  377

  389

  393

  386

  377

  423

  378

  Mid Glamorgan

  33

  33

  41

  50

  54

  44

  29

  30

  35

  35

  46

  36

  33

  South Glamorgan

  288

  307

  299

  306

  292

  303

  330

  354

  341

  352

  301

  306

  316

  West Glamorgan

  213

  222

  221

  228

  255

  258

  266

  280

  295

  326

  293

  295

  303

  Wales

  1,619

  1,709

  1,724

  1,823

  1,799

  1,797

  1,797

  1,891

  1,905

  1,972

  1,897

  1,994

  1,950

  1 At 31 March each year.

  Cardiac Centre
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to announce the establishment of a second cardiac centre in south Wales; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The option appraisal dealing with cardiac services in south Wales has been completed and an announcement will be made very shortly.

  Timber
  Mr. Richards
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much board feet of timber has been harvested from Welsh forests in each year since 1979; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  The volumes of timber harvested from Welsh forests since 1979 are shown in the following table, in thousands of cubic metres. The quantity of sawn wood produced from this timber would depend on the end-use and the efficiency of the conversion process, but each cubic metre is likely to produce about 220 board feet of sawnwood.
  652
  published by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys in its series FM2 "Marriage and Divorce Statistics" (HMSO). A copy is in the Library of the House.

  The following tables show the numbers of children entering fostering arrangements by country in Wales since 1979.

  Year

  Volume ('000 m3)

  1979

  560

  1980

  630

  1981

  680

  1982

  730

  1983

  760

  1984

  780

  1985

  840

  1986

  930

  1987

  960

  1988

  905

  1989

  925

  1990

  920

  1991

  975

  1992

  1,020

  Spine Cancer
  Mr. Richards
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many people in Wales died from cancer of the spine in each year since 1987.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The number of deaths to residents of Wales where the underlying cause was cancer of the spine is not available separately. However, the number of deaths where the underlying cause was cancer of the vertebral column (main part of the spine), excluding sacrum and coccyx and the number of deaths where the
  653
  underlying cause was cancer of the pelvis and the lower part of the spine (pelvic bones, sacrum and coccyx) are given in the following table:

  Residents of Wales

  Main part of spine1

  Lower part of spine and pelvis2

  1987

  4

  4

  1988

  1

  2

  1989

  1

  3

  1990

  2

  3

  1991

  2

  3

  1992

  0

  2

  1 170.2.

  2 170. 6

  Source:

  Office of Population Censuses and Surveys.

  International Classification of Diseases (9th revision).

  Mature Students
  Mr. Richards
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many mature students entered into full-time or part-time education in Wales for each year since 1979; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  The numbers of mature students who commenced full or part-time courses at maintained and grant-aided further and higher education colleges in Wales and at the University of Wales each year since 1981 are shown in the following table. Comprehensive information for earlier years is not available.

  Mature students1 entered first year of course2

  Year3

  Full-time4

  Part-time5

  1981

  5,500

  16,400

  1982

  5,400

  16,900

  1983

  5,200

  19,600

  1984

  5,200

  19,700

  1985

  5,500

  21,100

  1986

  5,800

  24,000

  1987

  5,800

  26,700

  1988

  5,900

  30,300

  1989

  6,900

  35,500

  1990

  7,900

  37,400

  1991

  10,600

  40,400

  1992

  not yet available

  1 Students aged 21 or over at at 31 August preceding the academic year except in the case of postgraduates where the age taken is 25 or over.

  2 All courses regardless of level and including those of a recreational nature.

  3 Student count at December for University of Wales, November for other colleges.

  4 Includes sandwich students.

  5 Includes part-time day, block release, evening only and open/distance learning.

  Sources:

  Further Education Student Record and Universities' Statistical Record.

  Investment
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what work is currently undertaken by his Department to attract increased levels of investment into Wales by venture capital houses.

  Mr. Redwood
  Every encouragement is given to venture capital houses to increase their investment in Wales.654
  Through the financial services initiative and other means, my Department and the WDA have regular contact with providers of finance and their representative bodies, and all possible support is given for them to take advantage of the excellent investment opportunities available in Wales.

  Corporate Jets
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions his Department has had with potential bidders for Corporate Jets; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Redwood
  All such matters are commercial in confidence.

  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will visit the Corporate Jets factory, Broughton, Clwyd.

  Mr. Redwood
  I have no current plans to do so.

  Central Heating Grants
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has received from Maplewood avenue in Alyn and Deeside about the introduction of grants for the installation of central heating.

  Mr. Redwood
  None.

  South Llanelli
  Mr. Denzil Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what percentage of the total(a) receipts arising out of and (b) expenditure incurred on the development of south Llanelli has fallen to the Welsh Development Agency;

  (2) what has been the total (a) expenditure incurred and (b) receipts by the Welsh Development Agency in respect of its joint venture with Llanelli borough council for the development of south Llanelli.

  Mr. Redwood
  A provisional figure for WDA expenditure in respect of the re-development of south Llanelli up to the beginning of May 1993 is £14·1 million. Income due to the WDA for the same period is around £188,000. I am not in a position to advise on the borough council's income and expenditure as it is a matter for the local authority.

  Enterprise in Wales
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make it his policy to designate 1994 as a year for enhancing enterprise in Wales.

  Mr. Redwood
  My policy is that every year is a year for enhancing enterprise in Wales.

  In the last 10 years, the number of self-employed people in Wales has risen by over a third.

  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to develop a Welsh enterprise foundation; and what efforts are currently undertaken by his Department to encourage an enterprise culture within Wales.

  Mr. Redwood
  My Department works closely with a range of bodies including the WDA, DBRW TECs, local
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  enterprise agencies, colleges and schools to promote enterprise in Wales. I am considering the Institute of Welsh Affairs' report "Wales 2010" including its proposal that the institute should act as the catalyst in establishing a Welsh enterprise foundation.

  Cancer
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many cancer cases diagnosed among people living in Gwynedd were analysed by the various indentifiable categories of cancers for the latest available period; and if he will publish corresponding figures for five, 10, 15 and 20 years previously.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The latest available data on cancer registrations in Wales are for 1988 and are published at health authority level in table 9·03 of "Health and Personal Social Services Statistics for Wales, No 19, 1992". Reliable data on cancer registrations in Wales are available only from 1974. Data for Gwynedd for 1974 to 1983 are contained in table 2·8 of "Cancer Registration in Wales: 1974–84". Data for 1984 to 1986 are contained in table 1 of "Cancer Registration in Wales: 1984–86". Each of the above publications is available from the Library of the House.

  Flu Vaccinations
  Mr. Richards
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what measures are being taken to encourage people in Wales to receive flu vaccinations; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  In September of each year the Chief Medical Officer reminds all doctors of those groups of patients for whom immunisation against influenza is recommended. Further details are given in the 1992 edition of the Memorandum "Immunisation Against Infectious Disease" which is issued to all doctors in Wales. Posters are also issued to family health services authorities and health authorities for display in surgeries and other relevant patient areas.

  Solvent Abuse
  Mr. Richards
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what measures are being taken to tackle the problem of solvent abuse in Wales; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  Initiatives in Wales to combat drug misuse, including solvent abuse, are undertaken locally by the health authorities and county councils. Nationally the Health Departments' anti-solvent campaign launched in February 1992 is still providing material to support the local campaigns.

  The prevention working group of the advisory council for the Misuse of Drugs is currently examining the whole area of volatile substance abuse and hopes to make recommendations during the course of next year.

  Tourism
  Mr. Richards
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many recognised visitor attractions there are in Wales; and how many of them are located in Clwyd.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  The Wales tourist board knows of 421 tourist attractions in the Principality of which 53 are located in Clwyd. However there is no requirement for visitor attractions to be formally recognised.

  Research and Development
  Dr. Moonie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what steps he is taking to improve the take up of grants and other incentives for research and development by small and medium enterprises;

  (2) what steps he is taking to improve the ease of access to innovation support programmes by small and medium sized enterprises.

  Mr. Redwood
  The Welsh Office carries out a range of promotional activities, working with other bodies including the training and enterprise councils, the Welsh development agency, the Design Council and the Development Board for Rural Wales, to encourage small and medium sized companies in Wales to take advantage of the support available for research and development both from the United Kingdom Government and the European Commission.

  The climate for innovation and take-up of grants for research and development are encouraged through the work of local initiatives such as information technology Wales and the Welsh medical technology forum.

  In addition my officials are now working closely with the Welsh relay centre which will play a central role in ensuring the results emanating from the EC's framework research and development programme are used effectively, particularly by small and medium enterprises.

  In order to build effectively on these and other initiatives to encourage innovation, we are consulting on how best to improve access to and delivery of business services in Wales.

  Forward Look
  Dr. Moonie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether he will designate one of his Ministers to be responsible for his Department's contribution to the Government's science and technology Forward Look.

  Mr. Redwood
  Paragraph 2.37 of the recent White Paper "Realising Our Potential—A Strategy for Science, Engineering and Technology" describes the preparation of the Forward Look by the Office of Science and Technology, and the participation of Government Departments through the existing, well-established machinery of the official and ministerial Cabinet Committees on Science and Technology.

  Near-market Research
  Dr. Moonie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what his Department's policy is with regard to the funding of near-market research.

  Mr. Redwood
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to paragraphs 2.20 to 2.22 of the White Paper "Realising Our Potential—A Strategy for Science, Engineering, and Technology".

  Incomes
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many(a) men and (b) women aged over 16 years have an income of less than £75 per week.

  Mr. Redwood
  Estimates from the "New Earnings Survey" and "Employees in Employment" at April 1992
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  are that, in Wales, 1,500 full-time male and 2,000 full-time female employees on adult rates had gross weekly earnings below £75 per week. Comprehensive information for part-time employees is not available.

  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many people in Wales aged over 16 years who work(a) part-time and (b) full-time have an income of less than £75 per week.

  Mr. Redwood
  It is estimated from the "New Earnings Survey" and "Employees in Employment" at April 1992 that, in Wales, 3,500 full-time employees on adult rates had gross weekly earnings below £75. Comprehensive information for part-time employees is not available.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Viral Haemorrhagic Disease
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many cases of viral haemorrhagic disease there were in each year since 1985.

  Mr. Soames
  Since 1985 there have been four recorded cases of viral haemorrhagic disease of rabbits in Great Britain, all of which occurred in 1992.

  Agriculture and Food Research Council
  Dr. Moonie
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps she is taking to draw up a concordat of co-operation between her Department and the Agriculture and Food Research Council.

  Mr. Jack
  As the recent White Paper "Realising Our Potential—A Strategy for Science, Engineering and Technology" makes clear, a new system of research councils will come into effect on 1 April 1994. The Government have proposed that each of these new research councils should work with the Government Departments with which they have a significant policy connection to draw up and publish concordats.

  Near-market Research
  Dr. Moonie
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what her Department's policy is with regard to the funding of near-market research.

  Mr. Jack
  I refer the hon. Member to paragraphs 2.20 to 2.22 of the White Paper "Realising our Potential—A Strategy for Science, Engineering and Technology".

  Science and Technology
  Dr. Moonie
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether she will designate one of her Ministers to be responsible for her Department's contribution to the Government's science and technology Forward Look.

  Mr. Jack
  Paragraph 2.37 of the recent White Paper "Realising Our Potential—A Strategy for Science, Engineering and Technology" describes the preparation of the Foward Look by the Office of Science and Technology, and the participation of Government Departments through the existing, well-established machinery of the official and ministerial Cabinet Committees on Science and Technology.

  Benomyl and Cardendazim
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what formulations related to Benomyl or Cardendazim have been withdrawn from the market over the last 12 years.

  Mr. Soames
  Formulations of pesticide products are commercially sensitive. However, two products containing benomyl and 53 products containing carbendazim have been withdrawn since 1981. The benomyl products were Benlate T and Polycote Pedigree 3.

  Those containing carbendazim were Derosal 50 per cent. WP, Kombat, Delsene Flowable, Delsene 75, Midox Carbendazim, Battal WP, Bolda, CME 10288, Cosmic, Konker, Bavistin M, Bavistin WG, Mastiff, Corbel Duo, Cosmic FL B, Cosmic FL C, Fisons Garden Disease Spray, Focal Flowable (00910), Focal Flowable (03927), Septal, Septal Flowable, Focal WDG, Starlate, Carbate, Bio One-Shot for Diseases, Multi W, Multi W Flowable, Systemic Fungicide (carbendazim), Gammalex Liquid, Mystic Systemic Garden Fungicide, Mystic General Garden Insecticide/Fungicide, Chafer Carbendazim 511, Headland Suppress Plus, Tripart Defensor WP, Hispor 225L, Mantle 370 FW, Clifton Carbendazim, H115, DKB Tecnazene/Carbendazim Dust, Ashlade Carbonil, Ashlade M, Cosmic FL A, Ashlade Carbendazim Flowable, Ashlade Mancarb FL, Delsene M Flowable, Compo Carbendazim, Maximate, Sheen 362 SW, Arena Plus, Ashlade Mancarb Plus, Murphy Zap Cap Vegetable Care, 200 Plus and Bayfidan BM.

  In all cases the products were withdrawn or approval allowed to lapse because of commercial considerations.

  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what labelling arrangements apply to the use of Benomyl-related products indicating whether precautions should be used by pregnant women.

  Mr. Soames
  All pesticide products, including those containing benomyl and related active ingredients, are approved on the advice of the independent advisory committee on pesticides, only if the Government are satisfied that they can be used without risk to the public—whether users, consumers of treated produce, or those in the vicinity of the spraying operations. Labelling arrangements are covered by the approvals process and labels of benomyl products include warning to keep off skin, to wash after use and, for the home garden product, to store away from children. They do not include specific precautions to be taken by pregnant women.

  Clenbuterol
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to her answer of 7 June,Official Report, column 30, if she will make a statement on the abuse of clenbuterol outside Great Britain.

  Mr. Soames
  I am aware of reports from other member states which allege that clenbuterol is being used illegally for growth promotion purposes. Ministers spoke to their counterparts in the Irish and Belgian Governments about these reports at the time and received assurances that every effort was being made to stamp out the misuse of this substance. The authorities concerned can be confident of our full support in their efforts to this end.
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  Nevertheless surveillance for clenbuterol in imported meat has been increased this year as indicated in my right hon. Friend's reply to the hon. Member for Langbaurgh (Mr. Bates) on 2 March 1993 at columns 78–9.

  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will list the number of recorded incidents of clenbuterol abuse in each EC member state for each of the last three years.

  Mr. Soames
  In the United Kingdom over the past three years, 1,780 random samples taken under the national surveillance scheme from cattle, sheep and pigs have been analysed for the presence of clenbuterol. No positives have been found under this scheme for clenbuterol in Great Britain, but as indicated in my reply to the Member for Glandford and Scunthorpe on 7 June (Official Report, column 29–30), two clenbuterol positive samples were reported in 1992 from samples taken under the separate arrangements directed at retail and wholesale premises.

  In Northern Ireland three positives were found in 1991 (two in 1992) under the national surveillance scheme random sampling arrangements. In addition under intensive meat sampling procedures which have operated in Northern Ireland since 1991, and which are capable of detecting residue traces up to 120 days after administration has ceased, 965 suspect animals were detained and tested in 1991 (1,482 in 1992) of which 68 were found positive (112 in 1992) involving 28 producers (32 in 1992) out of a total of 36,000 producer herds. All levels detected were below the maximum residue level and thus presented no risk to human health. Nevertheless all carcases were condemned as the drug was used in unlicensed form.

  I regret that comparable information from other member states is not available from the EC Commission.

  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many incidents of clenbuterol abuse in meat imported into Britain from non-EC countries were recorded in each of the last three years.

  Mr. Soames
  Ongoing surveillance in Great Britain for clenbuterol in imported meat is carried out under a scheme, co-ordinated by the working party on veterinary residues in animal products, which is directed at retail and wholesale premises. All of the samples taken under the scheme since it was established in January 1990, from meat imported into Britain from non-EC countries and tested for the presence of clenbuterol, have proved to be negative.

  Benlate DF
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what imports have taken place into the United Kingdom of Benlate DF over the last 12 years.

  Mr. Soames
  We have no record of any imports of Benlate DF.

  Pesticides
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the names of those persons who sit on the Advisory Committee on Pesticides and their sponsoring or employing organisations.
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  Mr. Soames
  The members of the advisory committee on pesticides and their sponsoring or employing organisations are as follows:

  Chairman

  Professor Sir Colin Berry:—DSc, MD, PhD, FRCPath, FFPM, Professor of Morbid Anatomy, Consultant in Histopathology and Director of the Pathological Institute at the Royal London Hospital.

  Deputy Chairman

  Professor Geoffrey Sagar:—CBE, BA, MA, DPhil(Oxon), Professor of Agricultural Botany and Vice Principal of the University College of North Wales.

  Independent Members

  Dr. Andree Carter
  —BSc, MlSoilSci, MIWEM, Principal Research Scientist and Laboratory Manager, Soil Survey and Land Research Centre, Cranfield Institute of Technology.

  Professor Nicola Cherry:—BSc, MSc, MPhil, PhD, MD, Senior Lecturer, Centre for Occupational Health, University of Manchester.

  Professor Anthony Dayan:—BSc(Hons), MD. FRCP, FRCPath, FFPM, FIBiol, Professor of the DH Toxicology Laboratory, St. Bartholomews Hospital Medical College, University of London.

  Professor Gareth Jones:—BSc, MSc, PhD, DSc, MIBiol, FhS, Professor of Microbiology and Director of Research, Portsmouth University.

  Mr. John Leahy:—MA, CChem, MRSC, General Manager of Severn Trent Laboratories.

  Professor Donald Lee:—BSc, PhD, FIBiol, FRSA, Professor of Agricultural Zoology, University of Leeds.

  Dr. Alexander Proudfoot:—BSc(Hons), MB, ChB, FRCPE, Consultant Physician, Edinburgh Royal Infirmary and Director of the Scottish Poisons Information Bureau.

  Mr. Roger Tayler:—BSc(Agric), Postgrad Dip Agric (Reading), NDA, CBiol, MIBiol, Senior Tutor in the Faculty of Agriculture and Food and Senior Lecturer in Crop Production, Department of Agriculture, University of Reading.

  Professor Paul Webster:—BSc, PhD, FBIM, FRSA, Head of Department, Department of Agricultural Economics, Wye College, University of London, Ashford, Kent.

  Members are reminded at the start of every committee meeting of the necessity for them to disclose any interests they may have (personal or nonpersonal, specific or non-specific) or financial in any item under discussion. Members with interests may only participate in so far as the chairman will allow by way of answering questions.

  THORP
  Mrs. Ewing
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what consideration he has given to the public responses received by 23 January in response to draft discharge authorisations for the BNFL thermal oxide reprocessing plant at Sellafield; and how many were(a) against and (b) in favour of granting such authorisation.

  Mr. Jack
  My right hon. Friend is currently considering a report on the representations received in response to consultation on draft radioactive discharge authorisations for BNFL Sellafield. 64,514 responses were against issuing the authorisations as drafted and 19,217 were in favour of granting them.

  Mrs. Ewing
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what recent discussions she has had with, and what representations she has received from, senior management at BNFL on draft authorisations for BNFL's thermal oxide reprocessing plant at Sellafield; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Jack
  In dealing with this matter the Minister and the chief inspector of Her Majesty's inspectorate of
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  pollution act jointly under the Radioactive Substances Act 1960 in regulating radioactive discharges from sites licensed under the Nuclear Installations Act 1965. They have therefore received detailed applications from BNFL for new radioactive discharge authorisations for Sellafield, including THORP. BNFL has since written to emphasise the commercial importance it attaches to reaching a decision on the draft discharge authorisations 'without undue delay.

  Mrs. Ewing
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether the application from BNFL 662
  for authorisation for proposed new radioactive discharge limits from the thermal oxide reprocessing plant at Sellafield fulfils the requirements of environmental assessment; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Jack
  The information supplied by BNFL in support of its application for new radioactive discharge authorisations for Sellafield, including the thermal oxide reprocessing plant, has been sufficient for the purposes of the radiological assessments carried out by this Department.

  LEGAL SERVICES OMBUDSMAN'S REPORT
  LEGAL SERVICES OMBUDSMAN'S REPORT
  ROUGH SLEEPERS INITIATIVE
  ROUGH SLEEPERS INITIATIVE
  SCOTLAND: CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM
  SCOTLAND: CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM
  A.9 PITLOCHRY TO INVERNESS ROAD: ACCIDENTS
  A.9 PITLOCHRY TO INVERNESS ROAD: ACCIDENTS
  DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF DEFENCE ACCOUNTS: KEY TARGETS
  DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF DEFENCE ACCOUNTS: KEY TARGETS