Written Answers of 17 June 1993

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

  Probate Service
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, pursuant to his answer of 26 October,Official Report, columns 436–37, if he will list the progress made in attaining improvements to the probate service in England and Wales in respect of each of the proposals in the Comptroller and Auditor-General's report "Probate—Service to the Public"; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  Following the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General in February 1992, an internal review was commissioned to report on such matters as staffing levels, the organisation of the service, storage of records and computerisation. That review reported in April 1993 and made several recommendations which are presently under consideration, although, like the Comptroller and Auditor General's report, it confirmed that the structure and organisation of the probate service were generally sound. When further information is available, I will make a statement, but the hon. Member for Dundee, East can be assured that the high standard of service provided by staff in the probate service will be maintained.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  Stefan Kiszko
  Ms Lynne
  To ask the Attorney-General when the report into the West Yorkshire police's handling of the Stefan Kiszko case by the Lancashire constabulary was completed and handed to the West Yorkshire police; and when the report was submitted to the Director of Public Prosecutions.

  The Attorney-General
  The report was submitted to the West Yorkshire police on 2 June 1993 and to the Director of Public Prosecutions on 3 June 1993.

  Ms Lynne
  To ask the Attorney-General how Stefan Kiszko and the family of Lesley Molseed have been kept up to date with the progress of the investigation, and whether they have been informed of the contents and conclusions of the Lancashire constabulary report, on the handling of the Stefan Kiszko case by the West Yorkshire police.

  The Attorney-General
  The police service rather than the Crown Prosecution Service has the responsibility for maintaining appropriate contact with victims and others affected by crime. I understand that the investigating officer and his team have kept the legal representative of Stefan Kiszko and the family of Lesley Molseed informed 664
  in general terms as to the progress of their investigation. The contents of police reports relating to investigations are, however, confidential.

  Asil Nadir
  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Attorney-General, pursuant to his answer of 10 June,Official Report, column 334,(1) how many Ministers were among those who made representations to him over Polly Peck prosecution;

  (2) what action he took regarding the (a) written representations and (b) oral representations over the Polly Peck prosecution; if he advised those making oral representation to put those representations to him in writing; and in how many cases was this done;

  (3) how many representations he has received from right hon. and hon. Members in the past two years over prosecutions relating to fraud where no court proceedings had yet taken place, excluding representations connected with the Polly Peck and Maxwell cases.

  Mr. Darling
  To ask the Attorney-General, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Walsall, North (Mr. Winnick) on 10 June,Official Report, column 334, on Asil Nadir, how many of the representations received were (a) from Ministers and (b) from other hon. Members; and if he will make a statement.

  The Attorney-General
  I receive many representations from hon. Members of all parties, both written and oral, about matters within my ministerial responsibility which they believe raise points either of general concern or of concern to particular constituents. Statistics are not maintained for either the overall number of such representations or the particular class mentioned by the hon. Members.

  In some cases where the representations are informal or insufficiently precise, I may invite the hon. Member to write to me.

  Whenever the representations are sufficiently formal and particularised I consider the points raised carefully and dispassionately, causing inquiries to be made as necessary, before responding to the hon. Member.

  I do not intend to expand on my answer to the hon. Member for Walsall, North of 10 June, Official Report, column 334; about representations made about the case of Mr. Nadir.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Football Offences
  Ms Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many offences under section 3(1) of the Football (Offences) Act 1991 were reported in 1992; and how many resulted in(a) prosecutions and (b) convictions.

  Mr. Maclean
  Offences committed under the Football Offences Act 1991 are not notifiable. However, the football unit of the National Criminal Intelligence Service has advised that there were 76 arrests at Football League matches under section 3 of the Football Offences Act 1991, which came into force on 10 August 1991, for the 1991–92—August-May—season.

  In England and Wales in 1991, there were six prosecutions under section 3 of the Act, five of which resulted in a conviction.
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  1992 data will not be available until the autumn.

  Racial Incidents
  Ms Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many racial incidents were reported to each police division in 1992; what proportion of those incidents involved assault or violence; and how many resulted in(a) prosecutions and (b) convictions.

  Mr. Maclean
  The only information held centrally relates to the number of reported racial incidents and I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to a question from the hon. Member for Walthamstow (Mr. Gerrard) on 26 April,Official Report, column 266.

  Number of "known offenders" (those cautioned and found guilty) and the number of defendants prosecuted at magistrates' courts and found guilty at all courts for prostitution related offences 1991

  England and Wales

  Offence

  Known offenders

  Prosecutions

  Convictions

  Indictable offences

  Procuring female for immoral purposes, or using drugs to obtain or facilitate sexual intercourse (Sexual Offences Act 1956, sections 2, 3, 4, 22 and 23)

  5

  13

  4

  Householder permitting unlawful sexual intercourse with girl under 16 (Sexual Offences Act 1956, sections 25 and 26)

  1

  3

  1

  Detention of female in brothel or other premises (Sexual Offences Act 1956, section 24)

  1

  —

  —

  Persons responsible for girl under 16 causing or encouraging her prostitution etc. (Sexual Offences Act 1956, section 28)

  2

  2

  2

  Living on earnings of prostitution or exercising control over prostitute (Sexual Offences Act 1956, sections 30 and 31)

  81

  106

  79

  Procuring, permitting or causing the prostitution etc. of female defective (Sexual Offences Act 1956, sections 9, 27 and 29)

  1

  —

  1

  Man or woman living wholly or in part on the earnings of male prostitution (Sexual Offences Act 1967, section 5(1))

  —

  —

  —

  Summary offences

  Kerb crawling (Sexual Offences Act 1985, section 1)

  1,291

  1,323

  1,140

  Persistent soliciting of women for the purpose of prostitution (Sexual Offences Act 1985,section 2)

  186

  71

  51

  Common prostitute behaving in a riotous and indecent manner in a public place (Vagrancy Act 1824, section 3; and section 4 so far as it relates to this offence when committed by a person who has been convicted as an idle and disorderly person)

  6

  6

  6

  Common prostitute loitering or soliciting for the purposes of prostitution (Street Offences Act 1959, section 1)

  13,491

  10,262

  9,651

  Any other similar offences

  —

  —

  —

  Persons aiding and abetting offences by prostitutes

  —

  —

  —

  North Wales Police
  Mr. Richards
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures have been taken to improve the quality of service provided by the North Wales police force; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  The quality of service provided by North Wales police is the responsibility of the chief constable.

  Prostitution
  Ms Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prostitution-related offences were recorded in 1992; and how many resulted in(a) prosecutions and (b) convictions.

  Mr. Maclean
  Information on the number of prostitution related offences is not recorded centrally.

  The table shows the number of "known offenders"—those cautioned and found guilty—and the number of defendants prosecuted and convicted in England and Wales for prostitution-related offences in 1991.

  1992 data will not be available until the autumn.

  Ruislip Kennels, Bracknell
  Mr. Bowden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of whether Ruislip kennels, Bracknell, is conforming with the Animal Boarding Establishment Act 1963; and when they were last inspected.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  Enforcement of the Animal Boarding Establishments Act 1963 is a matter for local authorities, which have powers to inspect licensed boarding establishments at all reasonable times and, if they wish, may nominate a veterinary surgeon or veterinary practitioner to do so.
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  I understand that Ruislip kennels were last inspected by the local authority on 15 December 1992, prior to the issue of a licence under the 1963 Act.

  Bail Hostels
  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many bail hostels there are within 50 miles of York; how many beds each of these hostels have; and on how many nights in the past 12 months(a) all or (b) 90 per cent. of those beds have been occupied.

  Mr. Maclean
  There are four approved bail hostels within a 50-mile radius of York:

  Places

  South Bank, Cleveland

  24

  Howden House, West Yorkshire

  27

  Walmer Villas, West Yorkshire

  18

  Town Moor, South Yorkshire

  25

  Total

  94

  Statistics on the occupancy of hostels are collected centrally in terms of a monthly average percentage and not on a daily basis, but in none of the four hostels concerned was average occupancy 90 per cent. or above during the last 12 months.

  Home Affairs Council
  Mr. Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Nottingham, North (Mr. Allen) of 9 June,Official Report, column 246, what were the voting figures for each member state recorded in the meeting of the EC Home Affairs Council held on 2 to 3 June.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  Work in the field of intergovernmental co-operation proceeds by consensus; decisions at the meeting of Immigration and Trevi Ministers on 1 and 2 June therefore required the agreement of all member states.

  Prisons, Wales
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to establish new penal institutions in Wales; where such prisons would be situated and for what complement of prisoners; whether such institutions would be run by the private or public sector; and if he will make a statement.

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

  Letter from Derek Lewis to Mr. Alex Carlile, dated June 1993:

  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent question about plans to build new Prison Service establishments in Wales; where such prisons would be situated and their size; and whether such establishments would be run by the private or public sector.

  Work which has been carried out on the long term planning of the Prison Service estate has shown that there is a need for additional accommodation in Wales. We have already decided to increase the capacity of both Swansea and
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  Cardiff prisons by the provision of new houseblocks. But this expansion will not be sufficient to meet the demand for places, indicating the need for a further, new establishment. A final decision has not yet been made about such an establishment.

  We are also concerned that all prisoners whose homes are in North Wales have to be held in establishments in England. But the numbers concerned are relatively small, and there are other areas which are under greater pressure and which must therefore have higher priority for relief.

  On the question of whether any new establishment would be run by the private or public sector, no decision has yet been taken on the approach to be taken to the provision and management of new establishments.

ENVIRONMENT

  Local Government Finance
  Sir Rhodes Boyson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the total amount of credit approvals/capital allocations given to local authorities in(a) England, (b) Greater London and (c) the south-east, excluding Greater London, for each year since 1982–83; and what is his estimate for 1992–93.

  Mr. Curry
  The information is as follows:

  Local authority capital allocations

  £ million

  Year

  England

  Greater London

  South-east1

  1982–83

  4,288

  1,179

  593

  1983–84

  4,101

  1,041

  605

  1984–85

  3,730

  1,014

  554

  1985–86

  3,209

  739

  512

  1986–87

  2,977

  680

  474

  1987–88

  2,975

  671

  455

  1988–89

  3,094

  740

  475

  1989–90

  2,904

  635

  454

  1 Excluding Greater London.

  Local authority credit approvals

  £ million

  Year

  Issued1 England

  England

  Used2 Greater London

  South-east3

  1990–91

  2,827

  2,786

  744

  386

  41991–92

  3,222

  3,139

  752

  544

  51992–93

  3,287

  3,171

  707

  531

  1 Total credit approvals issued to local authorities by central Government Departments. Excludes credit approvals issued by Department of Transport to certain local authority owned airport companies. A breakdown of credit approvals issued by region is not readily available.

  2 Total credit approvals used, as reported by local authorities to the Department. Figures may differ from credit approval issued because of under-use of credit approvals and because authorities may have underestimated credit approvals.

  3 Excluding Greater London.

  4 Outturn (provisional).

  5 Estimate.

  Limehouse Link
  Ms Gordon
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the estimated annual cost of maintenance of the Limehouse link in respect of(a) ventilation, (b) electricity, (c) surface repairs and (d) other expenses by category.

  Mr. Baldry
  The estimated annual cost of maintenance for the Limehouse link tunnel is as follows:
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  £

  (a) Ventilation

  72,000

  (b) Electricity

  584,000

  (c) Surface repairs

  60,000

  (d) Other costs

  —Pumps

  20,000

  —Lighting and Lamps

  50,000

  —Electrical equipment

  50,000

  —Service building (Depot)

  48,000

  —Salaries of tunnel operating staff

  461,000

  Total

  £1,345,000

  Methane Emissions
  Ms Short
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he will publish the report by the energy technology support unit assessing methane emissions from landfills.

  Mr. Yeo
  The report is being prepared as part of a series of reports from the controlled waste management research programme. It should be available within two months.

  Council Tax
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many residential care homes are liable for council tax in each local authority; what consideration he has given to allowing council tax discounts to such homes if there are resident staff; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Baldry
  The total number of residential care homes in the area of each social services authority as at 31 March 1992 is set out in the table. No information is available on the distribution of these between districts in non-metropolitan areas or on the council tax liabilities relating to them.

  People receiving care in registered homes are not counted towards the personal element of the council tax. The council tax bill for a dwelling where all the residents are recipients of care will therefore be subject to a 50 per cent. council tax discount—the tax payable will be the same as that due for any empty property. Members of staff with accommodation in the home will not affect this discount provided that their main home is elsewhere. If separate, self-contained accommodation is provided for staff, this will be subject to a separate council tax bill, and will not affect the tax payable in respect of the care home itself.

  If, on the other hand, a member of staff has his sole or main residence in the care home itself, discount entitlement may be lost. But where this is the case, the discount forgone is likely to be smaller than the council tax for which the person would have been liable if he or she had lived elsewhere. It is also very likely to be smaller than the community charge which the member of staff will have paid in previous years.

  Social services authority

  Number of care homes

  Avon

  410

  Barking

  13

  Barnet

  83

  Barnsley

  48

  Bedfordshire

  133

  Berkshire

  195

  670

  Social services authority

  Number of care homes

  Bexley

  21

  Birmingham

  291

  Bolton

  53

  Bradford

  151

  Brent

  38

  Bromley

  81

  Buckinghamshire

  129

  Bury

  61

  Calderdale

  71

  Cambridgeshire

  147

  Camden

  39

  Cheshire

  220

  City of London

  0

  Cleveland

  120

  Cornwall

  265

  Coventry

  128

  Croydon

  99

  Cumbria

  175

  Derbyshire

  255

  Devon

  846

  Doncaster

  69

  Dorset

  453

  Dudley

  85

  Durham

  152

  Ealing

  56

  East Sussex

  589

  Enfield

  68

  Essex

  433

  Gateshead

  58

  Gloucestershire

  182

  Greenwich

  24

  Hackney

  31

  Hammersmith

  27

  Hampshire

  654

  Haringey

  64

  Harrow

  54

  Havering

  55

  Hereford and Worcester

  282

  Hertfordshire

  166

  Hillingdon

  48

  Hounslow

  23

  Humberside

  407

  Isle of Wight

  120

  Isles of Scilly

  2

  Islington

  38

  Kensington

  23

  Kent

  707

  Kingston upon Thames

  39

  Kirklees

  103

  Knowsley

  24

  Lambeth

  84

  Lancashire

  823

  Leeds

  167

  Leicestershire

  247

  Lewisham

  70

  Lincolnshire

  233

  Liverpool

  99

  Manchester

  121

  Merton

  33

  Newcastle upon Tyne

  74

  Newham

  25

  Norfolk

  319

  North Yorkshire

  350

  North Tyneside

  80

  Northamptonshire

  190

  Northumberland

  98

  Nottinghamshire

  259

  Oldham

  63

  Oxfordshire

  121

  Redbridge

  47

  Richmond upon Thames

  35

  Rochdale

  53

  Rotherham

  39

  Salford

  56

  Sandwell

  54

  Sefton

  201

  Sheffield

  116

  671

  Social services authority

  Number of care homes

  Shropshire

  151

  Solihull

  26

  Somerset

  205

  South Tyneside

  42

  Southwark

  38

  St. Helens

  33

  Staffordshire

  255

  Stockport

  72

  Suffolk

  196

  Sunderland

  73

  Surrey

  311

  Sutton

  36

  Tameside

  48

  Tower Hamlets

  17

  Trafford

  77

  Wakefield

  69

  Walsall

  63

  Waltham Forest

  53

  Wandsworth

  59

  Warwickshire

  148

  West Sussex

  435

  Westminster

  31

  Wigan

  61

  Wiltshire

  196

  Wirral

  145

  Wolverhampton

  68

  TOTAL ENGLAND

  16,073

  Mineral Planning Permission
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to introduce legislation to ensure that all mineral planning permission is reviewed at intervals of no longer than five years; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Baldry
  We consulted last year on options for the updating and review of old mineral permissions. I hope to issue a further consultation paper on detailed proposals for change later in the summer. It would be wrong to pre-empt the content of that paper or to prejudge the outcome of further consultations.

  Unitary Authorities
  Mr. Matthew Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the procedure for an area coterminous with a shire county to be considered for unitary authority status by the Local Government Commission.

  Mr. Baldry
  If people living in localities bordering on an area being reviewed by the Local Government Commission feel that their area should be included in that review, they may make representations to the commission. Where the commission judges that there is strong community support for a review to be extended across a county boundary, it may ask the Secretary of State for a direction to widen the scope of the review.

  Housing (Compulsory Competitive Tendering)
  Mr. Hawksley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the development of compulsory competitive tendering of housing management.

  Sir George Young
  I have today issued a consultation paper to all housing authorities in England, the local 672
  authority associations and other interested organisations. The paper sets out the Government's detailed proposals on some of the key components of compulsory competitive tendering—CCT—of housing management. I am placing copies in the Library.

  The consultation paper follows discussion with the local authority associations and the eight local authorities which are piloting housing management CCT. It also takes account of work done by consultants in co-operation with the pilot authorities.

  The proposals in the consultation paper address the scope of the defined activity, which lists the functions which authorities will have to subject to CCT, unless they contract them out voluntarily, the timetable that authorities will have to meet when they are introducing housing management CCT, and the size of contract packages. It is intended that the orders implementing the first two components should be in place from 1 April 1994. The third component will be implemented by way of guidance.

  I hope that issuing our proposals at this stage will help authorities in their detailed preparations for the introduction of housing management CCT. In addition, I am keen to have authorities' comments on the practical implications of the proposals, so that the final package takes account of the different circumstances prevailing in different authorities.

  CCT represents a new direction and opportunity for the management of local authority housing. Competition will improve quality of service and value for money by testing the market. It will expand the opportunities for the involvement of the private sector in housing management, while ensuring that local authorities themselves have every opportunity to compete. The consultation provisions of the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Bill, currently before Parliament, will ensure that tenants are fully involved throughout this process.

  The Government want tenants to secure the benefits of CCT as soon as possible, allowing for the healthy development of the market. It is intended therefore that housing management CCT should be phased in over three years with the first contracts in operation from 1 April 1996. The proposals contained in this consultation paper are at the centre of housing management CCT and represent a major step towards its successful introduction.

  London Docklands
  Mr. Straw
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Bow and Poplar (Ms Gordon) of 8 June,Official Report, column 191, how many people attended the London Docklands development corporation banquet on 7 May; what proportion of the total cost was met from public funds; who were the catering contractors; and if he will place a list of those attending in the Library.

  Sir George Young
  Approximately 650 people attended the Limehouse link dinner on 14 May. The London Docklands development corporation paid £27,750 to-wards the cost, the remaining £21,950 was contributed by a variety of companies and individuals. The catering contractors were Crown Catering Group of Romford, Essex. I have asked the LDDC to send a list of participants to the hon. Member.

  Local Government Finance
  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will publish the scheme council tax, used in calculating the transitional reduction for 1993–94, for each local authority in England;

  (2) if he will publish the amount of other adjustments which formed part of the personal community charge in 1992–93 for each local authority in England;

  (3) if he will publish the amount of the collection fund deficit at the most recent available date for each local authority in England.

  Mr. Baldry
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Environment, my hon. Friend the Member for Hornchurch (Mr. Squire), on 24 May,Official Report, column 369.

  Westminster City Council
  Mr. Straw
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations Ministers or officials in his Department have received from, or on behalf of councillors, former councillors or officers who are the subject of the investigation by the district auditor into the designated sales programme of Westminister city council; and how many such representations were made by right hon. and hon. Members of this House.

  Mr. Curry
  I am not aware of any such representations.

  Local Government Commission (Lancashire)
  Mr. Matthew Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when the Local Government Commission will commence its inquiry into the county of Lancashire.

  Mr. Baldry
  On 20 September 1993.

  THORP
  Mrs. Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received calling for a public inquiry to consider the potential environmental impact of planned radioactive discharges from BNFL's thermal oxide reprocessing plant at Sellafield; what is his policy on holding such an inquiry; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Yeo
  [holding answer 16 June 1993]: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has received a number of representations calling for a public inquiry into the draft authorisations for the disposal of radioactive waste from BNFL's Sellafield site. He has received the regulators' report on the public consultation and is considering it and, in accordance with the Radioactive Substances Act 1960, is considering whether to call in the applications for authorisation and if so whether to cause a local inquiry to be held.

  Mrs. Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what recent discussions he has had with, and what representations he has received from, senior management at BNFL on draft discharge authorisations for BNFL's thermal oxide reprocessing plant at Sellafield; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Yeo
  [holding answer 16 June 1993]: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has had no recent discussions
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  with senior management at British Nuclear Fuels plc. The chairman of BNFL has written to the Secretary of State on one recent occasion, about the timing of the issue of new authorisations for BNFL's Sellafield site.

  Mrs. Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations the Government have received calling for a joint Department of the Environment and Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food hearing to consider the potential environmental impact of planned radioactive discharges from BNFL's thermal oxide reprocessing plant at Sellafield; what is his policy on holding such an inquiry; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Yeo
  [holding answer 16 June 1993]: The Government have received a number of representations calling for a hearing into the draft authorisations for the disposal of radioactive waste from BNFL's Sellafield site. My right hon. Friends the Secretary of State and the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food have received the regulators' report on the public consultation and are considering it and, in accordance with the Radioactive Substances Act 1960, are considering whether to afford a hearing.

TRANSPORT

  M1-M62 Link Road
  Mr. Harvey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what is the current timetable for the establishment of an M1 to M62 link road; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) what plans he has, following the formal consultation process, to alter or abandon the proposals for the M1 to M62 link road.

  Mr. Key
  We expect to be in a position to make an announcement about the way forward on this scheme before the autumn.

  Market Testing
  Ms Mowlam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 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. Norris
  The Department of Transport's market-testing programme for the year from October 1992 to September 1993 was set out in the first report on the citizens charter. None of the cases has yet reached award stage.

  Transport Council
  Mr. Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for St. Ives (Mr. Harris) of 11 June,Official Report, columns 383–84, what were the voting figures for each member state recorded in the meeting of the European Community's Transport Council held on 7 to 8 June.

  Mr. MacGregor
  No formal votes were taken.

  M25
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to make announcements on the subject of increasing the capacity of the M25 in(a) Kent, (b) Surrey, (c) Buckinghamshire, (d) Hertfordshire and (e) Essex.

  Mr. Key
  My right hon. Friend will make a statement in due course.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

  Civil Service College
  Mr. Garrett
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much has been spent on building works, maintenance and equipment at the Civil Service College, Sunningdale in each of the last five years.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  The information requested covering college expenditure at the Sunningdale site is as follows:

  Year

  Building Works £ thousands

  Maintenance £ thousands

  Equipment £ thousands

  1988–89

  130

  436

  351

  1989–90

  367

  509

  492

  1990–91

  2,072

  519

  863

  1991–92

  1,960

  567

  996

  1992–93

  3,891

  632

  357

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT

  Overseas Aid
  Mr. Nigel Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the total monetary value of overseas aid distributed in the 1992–93 financial year.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  The provisional outturn of gross domestic expenditure on the Overseas Development Administration's external assistance programmes for developing countries and for eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union in 1992–93, including the United Kingdom's share of European community aid expen-diture, is £2,098,886,000.

  Aid and Trade Provision
  Mr. Ottaway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about the future of the aid and trade provision.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  The Government have concluded their review of the aid and trade provision—ATP. They have decided that the scheme should continue. It will help finance sound projects that will contribute to sustainable development and that are of particular industrial and commercial importance to Britain. The ATP budget for 1993–94 of £110 million will be enhanced by £7 million subject to parliamentary approval. The scheme will in future focus on creditworthy, low-income—income per head under $700—developing countries.

  There will he a transitional period during which a few projects already at an advanced stage of consideration,
  676
  which would not be eligible under the revised scheme, will exceptionally be taken forward. The selection of projects under the revised scheme will take account of the new OECD rules governing the use of tied aid which came into force in 1992. Specific measures to improve the effectiveness of ATP and achieve better value for money will be implemented immediately.

  This revised scheme will provide a clearer framework for industry within which companies should be able to obtain an early indication of the prospects for ATP funding for individual projects.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Human Rights
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what consultation between Her Majesty's Government and the United Nations took place prior to the withdrawal by the United Nations of invitations to British-based human rights organisations concerned with human rights in(a) the Punjab, (b) Kashmir and (c) Assam, to attend a United Nations conference on human rights in Vienna; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The secretariat of the United Nations world conference on human rights was informed in advance of the conference that we had no objection to any British-based human rights non-governmental organisation being invited to participate. On learning of the withdrawal of the invitations to those organisations referred to by the hon. Member, we protested to the secretariat. As a direct result of this pressure, the invitations were reinstated.

  Burma
  Mr. Trimble
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps have been taken to persuade the Government of Burma to comply with the European Community statement of 12 March.

  Mr. Goodlad
  With our European Community partners, we continue to monitor closely the human rights situation in Burma, and take every opportunity to underline our concern to the Burmese and in the appropriate international bodies.

  Xanana Gusmao
  Mr. Trimble
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations have been made to the Government of Indonesia concerning the trial and imprisonment of Xanana Gusmao.

  Mr. Goodlad
  Following the trial's conclusion, Her Majesty's ambassador, together with other European Community representatives in Jakarta on 10 June, impressed on the Indonesian Government the importance the Community attach to humane treatment of Gusmao, including regular access by the International Committee of the Red Cross.

  East Timor
  Mr. Trimble
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations have been made to the Government of Indonesia to urge it to meet the requirements of the International Committee of the Red Cross with regard to prison visits in East Timor.

  Mr. Goodlad
  Our ambassador in Jakarta with his European Community colleagues have urged the Indonesian authorities—most recently in representations this month—to facilitate the early resumption of International Committee of the Red Cross access to prisoners in East Timor.

  Market Testing
  Ms Mowlam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 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. Goodlad
  Of the activities to be investigated for market testing in the diplomatic wing of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, decisions have been reached on three. The client function for the television facilities unit has been transferred to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office from the Central Office of Information; installation of local radio networks and satellite communications by in-house teams will effectively be abolished in 1994; and supply services for office stationery and machinery are being contracted out. Of the activities scheduled to be market tested in the aid wing, one, administration of overseas pensions, has almost been completed. The service is to be retained in-house.

  Guatemala
  Mr. Donohoe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations his Department has made to the Government of Guatemala about human rights abuses against its indigenous peoples; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  We take every opportunity to make clear to the Guatemalan authorities the concern felt in this country about observance of human rights, including those of the indigenous people. We welcome President Ramiro de Leon Carpio's commitment to improve matters.

  Libya
  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what consequences in terms of the availability of consular and other services are imposed on United Kingdom citizens who take up work in Libya against the advice of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  The United Kingdom has no diplomatic relations with Libya. As a result, the small British interests section of the embassy of our protecting power, Italy, can offer only limited consular services to British nationals in Libya.
  678
  We advise British nationals planning visits to Libya to consider whether their journey is really necessary, and the resident British community to consider whether they need to remain.

  I am sending the hon. Member a copy of the FCO's "Travel Advice on Libya".

  Karyn Smith and Patricia Cahill
  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what evidence he has received on whether the drugs found in the possession of Karyn Smith and Patricia Cahill, currently serving gaol sentences in Bangkok, could have physically fitted in the luggage of the two women, as alleged in court; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  The solicitor for the family of Karyn Smith has provided documentation to support his view that the drugs could not have fitted into the suitcases. HM Customs and Excise have reviewed this documentation. They have examined the photographs of the luggage and the drug containers. They are satisfied that the compressed heroin could have fitted into the luggage.

  Child Abduction
  Sir John Stanley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which members of the European Community have not signed(a) The Hague and (b) the European conventions on child abduction.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  Ten countries of the European Community have ratified The Hague convention; Italy and Begium have yet to ratify the convention.

  Eleven countries have signed and ratified the European convention. Italy has yet to ratify.

  Foreign Affairs Council
  Mr. Jonathan Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the outcome of the Foreign Affairs Council held on 7 and 9 June.

  Mr. Hurd
  My hon. Friend the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and I represented the United Kingdom at the Foreign Affairs Council in Luxembourg on 7 to 9 June.

  At an inter-institutional meeting between the Council, the European Parliament and the Commission on 7 June, no agreement was reached either on an inter-institutional agreement on subsidiarity or on a decision by the European Parliament on procedures for the ombudsman to be appointed by the Parliament. Both issues were blocked by the Parliament. Ministerial sessions of the accession negotiations with Norway, Austria, Sweden and Finland were held in the margins of the Council. These registered useful progress.

  Ministers had a substantial discussion on former Yugoslavia. They reaffirmed the overriding importance of efforts to achieve a lasting and equitable peace in co-operation with the rest of the international community, their full support for Lord Owen and Mr. Stoltenberg in their contacts with the parties, and their commitment to the Vance/Owen peace plan. They agreed that measures contained in the joint action programme set out by the United States, France, Spain, Russia and the United

  679
  Kingdom on 22 May should be followed up: they will support the United Nations Secretary-General's efforts to attract further troops and funding to implement United Nations Security Council resolution 836 on safe areas. They called for an increase in the international presence in Kosovo and Macedonia to help pre-empt possible spillover of the conflict.

  The Council heard a report by Sir Leon Brittan on recent developments related to the GATT Uruguay round negotiations. The French Foreign Minister presented his Government's recent memorandum setting out the French position on the round. The Council had a thorough exchange of views on both of these statements. We share the Commission's hope that it will be possible to agree the outline of an agreement on market access and services by the time of the economic summit in Tokyo in July.

  The Council also approved the EC/United States oilseeds agreement, which was negotiated as part of the Blair House agriculture package last November.

  Over lunch, Ministers discussed the humanitarian situation in northern Iraq, the continuing need for emergency aid, and the requirement for longer term development assistance. Ministers agreed the EC response to the establishment of the transitional executive council in South Africa. This will include the lifting of some of the remaining restrictions other than those related to the United Nations arms embargo, and the launch of the new EC development initiative. Sir Leon Brittan reported on his recent visit to Moscow.

  In the afternoon, the Council discussed the Commission's paper for the Copenhagen European Council on strengthening relations with the central European associate countries.

  The Council then discussed a Commission paper on openness access to information, summarising progress made since the Edinburgh European Council.

  The Council discussed the revision of the regulations governing the EC structural funds. The Commission reaffirmed its inclusion of Merseyside and the highlands and islands of Scotland in its proposed list of objective 1 regions. The Minister of State argued for further regions in the United Kingdom to be added to the list of areas in the Community classified as objective 1. There was also discussion of how objective 2 and 5b areas should be determined. In the discussion of the proposed new objective 4, the United Kingdom reiterated its reserve of principle and argued against the diversion of European social fund money away from helping the long-term unemployed. The question of greater Council involvement in decisions relating to Community initiatives under the structural funds was also raised. It was agreed that an extraordinary General Affairs Council be held on 2 July to discuss these matters further.

  The Danish presidency briefed the Council on its plans for the Copenhagen European Council. The main agenda items are likely to be economic growth and unemployment, the Community's relations with central and eastern Europe, the Community's relations with Russia, the progress of the enlargement negotiations, subsidiarity and the situation in the former Yugoslavia.

  No formal votes were taken.

EDUCATION

  Early Years Education
  Mrs. Bridget Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has to safeguard high-quality early years education; and what measures he will take to ensure the continued provision of suitably qualified graduate teachers for this age group.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  The Government's policies are designed to improve standards at all levels of education, including pupils' early years in school. My right hon. Friend has recently issued for consultation proposals for an additional route into early years teaching, to allow those who are sufficiently able and experienced to reach the necessary standards in one year; this will complement and not replace existing routes into teaching. The Government believe that schools should be able to decide for themselves among teachers with different academic qualifications who have the required knowledge and skills for effective teaching.

  School Tests
  Lady Olga Maitland
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education on what date he plans to send to schools plans for next year's tests.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  My right hon. Friend has written to all chairmen of governors and head teachers advising them of the streamlined arrangements for the 1994 tests for seven and 14-year-olds, which he announced to the House on 11 May. Detailed decisions on the scope and coverage of the tests will be made in the light of recommendations from Sir Ron Dearing, which are expected in July. Further information will be sent to schools as soon as possible thereafter.

  Head Teachers
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will make a statement on the statutory duties and responsibilities on head teachers; and what monitoring is carried out to see they are fulfilled.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  Head teachers of maintained schools, including self-governing—grant-maintained—schools, have statutory responsibility for a number of functions relating to the organisation and management of the school, the discipline of its pupils and the curriculum. In undertaking these functions, they are accountable in the first instance to the governing body of the school and to the local education authority in those schools which it maintains. Parents also have a formal opportunity to discuss the way the head teacher has carried out his or her duties, at the annual meeting which governors must hold for parents. Independent inspections of schools every four years under the Education (Schools) Act 1992 will report on quality and standards in schools, including how effectively they discharge their statutory functions. Reports and governors' action plans will be published.

  Top-up Fees
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what representations he has received on the subject of top-up fees for university students; and if he will make a statement.
  681
  Mr. Boswell
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave to hon. and learned Member for Montgomery (Mr. Carlile) on 14 June,Official Report, column 420.

  Pre-school Places
  Ms Estelle Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many pre-school places for three to five-year-olds are provided in England and Wales by(a) local authorities, (b) private sector employees, (c) central Government for their own employees and (d) the private sector.

  Mr. Bowis
  I have been asked to reply.

  The information held centrally covers places for children aged under five in day nurseries, playgroups and with childminders. This shows local authority provision, registered and non-registered provision and is recorded in the publication "Children's Day Care Facilities at 31 March 1991, England", copies of which are available in the Library. The number of pre-school places provided in Wales is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Terrorism
  Mr. Maginnis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what were the figures for(a) killings by terrorists, (b) terrorist shooting incidents and (c) terrorist bombs, including explosions and defusings in 1985; and in which of the subsequent years the number of offences in each category has been lower.

  Mr. Mates
  In 1985, there were 47 murders believed to have been carried out by terrorist organisations, 237 terrorist shooting incidents and 215 terrorist bombs, including explosions and defusings. The number of terrorist incidents in each of these three categories has not been lower in any subsequent year.

  Mr. Maginnis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many persons were charged with terrorist offences in 1985; and in which of the subsequent years the number of such persons has been higher.

  Mr. Mates
  A total of 522 persons were charged with terrorist offences in 1985. The only subsequent year in which the number of such persons has been higher is 1986.

  Compensation Agency
  Sir James Kilfedder
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when the business plan for 1993–94 for the Compensation Agency will be published.

  Mr. Mates
  The Compensation Agency's business plan for 1993–94 will be published today. The plan explains the agency's business and organisation and sets out assumptions about workloads and resources which underpin the plans and targets identified for the agency this year. I have made arrangements for copies to be placed in the Library.

PRIME MINISTER

  UN Commission on Sustainable Development
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer of 7 June,Official Report, column 13, if he will list the organisations or individuals to whom the United Kingdom report to the UN Commission on Sustainable Development has been or will be distributed.

  The Prime Minister
  Copies of the progress report have been sent to the commission's secretariat and copies are available for delegates attending the commission's meeting this week and next in New York. Copies were also made available to delegates who attended an Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development meeting in Paris last week.

  Colombia
  Mr. Caborn
  To ask the Prime Minister when he plans to meet the President of Colombia.

  The Prime Minister
  I look forward to meeting President Gaviria again during his planned visit to this country from 26 to 30 July

  Voluntary Bodies (Grants)
  Mr. Moss
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the total amount paid in grants by central Government Departments to voluntary bodies during the financial year 1991–92; and if he will make a statement.

  The Prime Minister
  Central Government funding to voluntary organisations in 1991–92 amounted to £3,387 million. Of this, £2,897 million consisted of payments to voluntary housing associations and £490 million went directly to a variety of voluntary organisations to support provision of services and a wide range of activities and projects.

  The amount spent under individual departmental programmes was as follows:

  Voluntary bodies

  £

  Agriculture, Fisheries and Food

  178,486

  Defence

  11,038,930

  Education and Science

  5,503,286

  Sports Council

  14,255,000

  Employment

  32,693,716

  Environment (including Energy Efficiency Office)

  Direct grants

  24,854,376

  Urban programme

  54,400,000

  Housing corporation

  2,459,327,000

  Countryside Commission

  1,115,000

  English Nature

  1,057,000

  Rural Development Commission

  5,554,000

  UK 2000 initiative

  508,000

  Derelict Land Grant

  857,000

  Foreign and Commonwealth Office

  1,717,114

  Overseas Development Administration

  123,657,933

  Health

  Direct grants

  43,010,863

  Health Education Authority

  1,263,546

  Home Office

  Direct grants

  40,124,942

  Equal Opportunities Commission

  20,000

  Commission for Racial Equality

  773,740

  Northern Ireland Office

  Direct grants

  14,586,795

  Housing associations and societies

  40,538,706

  Sports Council for Northern Ireland

  657,954

  683

  Voluntary bodies

  £

  Scottish Office

  Direct grants

  20,722,515

  Urban programme

  41,932,000

  Housing Associations

  234,000,000

  Scottish Natural Heritage

  1,660,000

  Highland and Islands Enterprise

  1,200,000

  Sports Council for Scotland

  1,510,621

  Social Security

  16,303,257

  Trade and Industry

  12,472,500

  Transport

  532,017

  Welsh Office

  Direct grants

  10,431,725

  Urban programme

  2,957,865

  Joint Finance/Care in the community

  224,455

  Development Board for Rural Wales

  423,000

  Housing for Wales (Tai Cymru)—grants to housing associations

  163,690,067

  Sports Council for Wales and Play Wales

  Management Committee

  1,435,988

  GRAND TOTAL

  3,387,209,397

  I am placing in the Library of the House a list of voluntary bodies funded by the Government in 1991–92 other than those funded under housing programmes and the urban programme or via non-departmental public bodies.

  Engagements
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 17 June.

  Sir Peter Tapsell
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 17 June.

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

  Teaching Company
  Dr. Moonie
  To ask the Prime Minister to which Cabinet Minister the Teaching Company management committee reports.

  The Prime Minister
  [holding answer 16 June 1993]: The Teaching Company management committee is a subcommittee of the Science and Engineering Research Council—SERC—and, therefore, formally reports to my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. However, the terms of reference of this committee require it, inter alia, to report to the engineering board of SERC and to the Department of Trade and Industry, as well as to other funding bodies, and to advise SERC's engineering board, the DTI and others on the development of the scheme.

NATIONAL HERITAGE

  Theatres
  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what information he has on the number of theatres that have closed in(a) England, (b) Scotland, (c) Wales and (d) Northern Ireland since 1979.

  Mr. Brooke
  The information requested is not held centrally. I am however advised by the Theatres Trust that 684
  the rate of loss of theatres has slowed significantly since the mid-1970s; indeed, a number of theatres referred to as being closed in the report of a 1982 survey have subsequently reopened.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

  Cutlery and Silverware
  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Chairman of the Catering Committee (1) whether compensation has been sought from the firm which failed to scrap or remove the two portcullis engravings from the two consignments of House of Commons cutlery and silverware as agreed;

  (2) which firm failed to carry out the undertaking either to remove all marks or scrap the two recent consignments of House of Commons cutlery and silverware; and to which firm the items were subsequently sold.

  Mr. Colin Shepherd
  This is a matter for the Director of Catering Services and I shall ask her to write to the hon. Member.

HEALTH

  Adoption
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what was the average time spent in fostered care/social service care prior to adoption by children adopted in each of the last 15 years;

  (2) what was the average time spent in foster care/social service care prior to adoption in each of the last 15 years for children adopted at the age of less than one year, one to four, five to nine, 10 to 14 and 15 to 17 years.

  Mr. Bowis
  Information held centrally relates to the length of time a child was in care under the last legal status before leaving care. This will often be less than the total time he or she was in care. Averages for children leaving care on adoption or being freed for adoption for the year ending 31 March 1991 are shown in the table; figures for earlier years could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The number of children leaving care in six duration bands are published in "Children in Care of Local Authorities, England", of which copies are available in the Library. Statistics on the total time looked after are being collected from 14 October 1991, but processing for the period ended 31 March 1992 is not yet complete.

  Number of children leaving care on adoption or on being freed for adoption in the year ending 31 March 1991; England

  Age on leaving care

  Number of children leaving care

  Average duration of last legal status on leaving care (years)

  All ages

  2,439

  3·4

  Under 1

  469

  0·5

  1 and under 5

  899

  2·1

  5 and under 10

  701

  4·1

  10 and under 15

  275

  7·4

  16 and over

  98

  11·5

  Children who were readmitted to care subsequently in the year ended 31 March 1991 are excluded. For children subject to a parental rights resolution, the duration of legal status relates to their time in care under section 2 of the Child Care Act 1980, not since the resolution.

  Trent Hospital Trusts
  Mr. Tipping
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will give for each of the hospital trusts in the Trent region, the names of the chairman and non-executive directors, their occupations or professions and details of any allowances or remuneration payable.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The names of chairmen and non-executive directors of national health service trusts in Trent region and the most up-to-date information about their occupations are shown in the table:

  NOTTINGHAM COMMUNITY HEALTH NHS TRUST

  Chairman:

  Mr. I. Maclean—Group Director

  Non-executive directors:

  Mr. A. Ripley—Retired Director

  Mr. B. Cooke—Former Bank Manager

  Mrs. J. Sterck—Voluntary Service Worker

  Mr. M. Rudge—Housing Association, Deputy Director

  Professor C. Chilvers—Professor of Epidemiology, University of Nottingham

  BASSETLAW HOSPITAL AND COMMUNITY HEALTH SERVICES NHS TRUST

  Chairman:

  Mrs. V. Dickinson—Housewife

  Non-executive directors:

  Mrs. J. Lee—General Manager

  Mr. L. Taylor—Solicitor

  Mr. P. Reynard—Former Company Director

  Mrs. L. Turner—Librarian

  Mr. R. Hassett—Chartered Surveyor

  BARNSLEY COMMUNITY AND PRIORITY SERVICES NHS TRUST

  Chairman:

  Mr. D. Anderson—Managing Director

  Non-executive directors:

  Mr. P. Kefford—Management Consultant

  Mr. P. Goldie—Building Society Manager

  Mrs. J. R. Lees—Solicitor

  Mr. K. Ellis—Community Worker

  Mrs. M. Michaels—Local Government Manager

  MULBERRY NHS TRUST

  Chairman:

  Mrs. D. L. Miller—Solicitor

  Non-executive directors:

  Mr. M. Beacham—Former Company Director

  Mr. W. Carter—Company Director

  Mr. M. Hewings—Accountant

  Mr. M. Chappell—Farmer/Businessman

  Mrs. L. Scrimshaw—Former Social Worker

  SOUTH YORKSHIRE METROPOLITAN AND PARAMEDIC SERVICE NHS TRUST

  Chairman:

  Dr. B. Kingston—Director of Careers Advisory Service

  Non-executive directors:

  Mr. J. Chambers—Former Banker

  Mr. S. Mahon—Accountant

  Mrs. B. Godber—Former Red Cross Director

  Mr. P. Threlfall—Retired Headteacher

  Mrs. P. Battersby—Solicitor

  WESTON PARK. HOSPITAL NHS TRUST

  Chairman:

  Mr. R. J. Prest—Company Chairman

  Non-executive directors:

  Mr. B. Winston—Accountant

  Professor B. Hancock—Professor of Clinical Oncology,

  686

  University of Sheffield

  Mr. W. Macdonald—Broadcast Consultant

  Mrs. E. Hutton—Housewife

  Mrs. A. Freemantle—Housewife

  NOTTINGHAM CITY HOSPITAL NHS TRUST

  Chairman:

  Mr. N. Deakin—Chartered Accountant

  Non-executive directors:

  Mr. A. Walker—Consultant (housing area)

  Mrs. R. Waite—Area Organiser WRVS

  Professor I. Johnson—Professor, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Nottingham University

  Mr. G. Martin—Management Consultant

  Mr. R. Illingworth—Former Bank Executive

  DONCASTER ROYAL INFIRMARY AND MONTAGU HOSPITAL NHS TRUST

  Chairman:

  Mr. C. Bryant—Corporate Business Solicitor

  Non-executive directors:

  Mr. G. Brown—Engineer

  Mr. M. Mitchell—Director

  Mr. J. Pickup—Surveyor

  Mrs. R. Cottrell—Teacher

  Mrs. E. Sparrow—Consultant

  NORTHERN GENERAL HOSPITAL NHS TRUST

  Chairman:

  Mr. H. Stokes—Polytechnic Chairman

  Non-executive directors:

  Mr. B. Smith—Chartered Accountant

  Mrs. J. Morris Cleasby—Marketing Consultant

  Professor F. Sharp—Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Sheffield

  Mr. O. Lawn—Retired Civil Servant

  Mrs. J. Short—Secretary

  SHEFFIELD CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL NHS TRUST

  Chairman:

  Mr. A. Wood—Chartered Accountant

  Non-executive directors:

  Mr. R. Pickford—Solicitor

  Vacancy—

  Professor M. Tanner—Professor of Paediatrics, University of Sheffield

  Mrs. B. Barr—Company Director

  Vacancy—

  CENTRAL SHEFFIELD UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL NHS TRUST

  Chairman:

  Dr. G. Tolley—Principal of Sheffield Polytechnic

  Non-executive directors:

  Mr. S. Hamilton—Businessman

  Mr. A. Staniforth—Accountant

  Dr. I. Rennie—Lecturer

  Mrs. E. Swynnerton—Headteacher

  Mrs. J. Lee—Social Worker

  DONCASTER HEALTHCARE NHS TRUST

  Chairman:

  Mr. P. Horsburgh—Company Chairman and Managing Director

  Non-executive directors:

  Mr. J. Lucas—Accountant

  Mr. J. Millar—General Manager

  Mrs. M. Spencer—Magistrate

  Mr. J. Liversedge—Chartered Valuation Surveyor

  Miss C. Fleming—Solicitor

  BARNSLEY DISTRICT GENERAL HOSPITAL NHS TRUST

  Chairman:

  Mr. A. Sherriff—Managing Director

  687
  Non-executive director:

  Mr. M. Robbins—Retired Consultant

  Mr. R. Cave—Accountant

  Mrs. M. Young—Solicitor

  Miss L. Ambler—Teacher

  Mr. B. Levitt—Development Director

  CENTRAL NOTTINGHAMSHIRE HEALTHCARE NHS TRUST

  Chairman:

  Mr. G. Vere-Laurie—Managing Director

  Non-executive directors:

  Ms L. Hamer—Treasurer

  Ms A. Vintner—Managing Director

  Mr. S. Brown—Company Director

  Mr. A. Slade—Solicitor

  Mrs. E. Hanson—Proprietor Interior Decorating Service

  ROTHERHAM PRIORITY HEALTH SERVICES NHS TRUST

  Chairman:

  Mrs. L. Shelton

  Non-executive directors:

  Mr. T. Palmer—Property Manager

  Mrs. R. Rusby—Farm Manager

  Mrs. P. Qureshi—Community Volunteer

  Mr. J. Hyde—Solicitor

  Mr. J. Salmon—Company Director

  CHESTERFIELD AND NORTH DERBYSHIRE ROYAL HOSPITAL NHS TRUST

  Chairman:

  Mr. P. Heaps—Company Managing Director

  Non-executive directors:

  Mr. P. Lindley—Chartered Accountant

  Mrs. S. Cutt—Housewife

  Mrs. G. Goucher—Director, Chamber Of Commerce

  Mr. T. Barker—Personnel Director

  Vacancy—

  GLENFIELD HOSPITAL NHS TRUST

  Chairman:

  Mr. E. Stanger—Company Director

  Non-executive directors:

  Professor D. De Bono—Professor of Cardiology, University of Leicester

  Mr. P. Cusack—Director, Age Concern

  Mrs. F. Hussain—College Principal

  Mrs. J. Beaver—Lecturer

  Mr. P. Dobson—Managing Director

  LEICESTER ROYAL INFIRMARY NHS TRUST

  Chairman:

  Mr. P. Hammersley—Commercial Director

  Non-executive directors:

  Mr. D. Ayres—Chairman & Co. Founder

  Mrs. H. Gilfoy—Company Director

  Professor D. Barnett—Head of Clinical Pharmacology Leicester University

  Professor D. Chiddick—Executive Pro Vice Chancellor and Managing Director

  Mrs. P. Mansfield—WRVS Organiser

  SOUTH LINCOLNSHIRE COMMUNITY AND MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES NHS TRUST'

  Chairman:

  Mrs. E. Allison—Trustee of Lincolnshire Red Cross

  Non-executive directors:

  Cllr E. Hopkins—Chairman of Builders Merchants

  Mrs. M. Moorhouse—Headteacher

  Miss M. Le-Hair—Solicitor

  Mr. R. Blackbourn—Architect

  Mr. S. Sydall—Chartered Accountant

  FOSSE HEALTH, LEICESTERSHIRE COMMUNITY NHS TRUST
  688
  Chairman:

  Mrs. W. Hickling—Proprietor, Pre-school Playgroup

  Non-executive directors:

  Mr. J. Butterfield—Accountant

  Mr. R. Harris—Managing Director

  Mr. J. Kapasi—Accountant

  Mrs. J. Paraskeva—Director, National Youth Agency

  Mrs. G. Parker—Assistant Director, Social Policy Research Unit

  QUEEN'S MEDICAL CENTRE, NOTTINGHAM UNIVERSITY HOSPITALNHS TRUST

  Chairman:

  Mr. M. Suthers—Solicitor

  Non-executive directors:

  Mr. G. Longbottom—Company Chief Executive and Chairman

  Professor E. Symonds—Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Nottingham University

  Mrs. C. Bowering—Headteacher

  Mrs. P. Richards—Chief Executive, TEC

  DERBY CITY GENERAL HOSPITAL NHS TRUST

  Chairman:

  Mr. N. Woods—Solicitor

  Non-executive directors:

  Mrs. B. Gildea—Personnel Manager

  Mr. G. White—Chief Executive

  Mrs. F. Cannon—Part Time PA

  Mr. P. Dobby—Consultant

  Mrs. N. Billing—Deputy College Principal

  LEICESTER GENERAL HOSPITAL NHS TRUST

  Chairman:

  Mr. P. Stephens—Retired Financial Director

  Non-executive directors:

  Mr. G. Walker—Retired Managing Director

  Mrs. C. Macpherson—Solicitor

  Professor M. Clarke—Professor of Epidemiology, University of Leicester

  Mrs. E. Carter—Property Consultant/Chartered Surveyor

  Mr. S. Bathia—Accountant

  NOTTINGHAMSHIRE AMBULANCE SERVICE NHS TRUST

  Chairman:

  Mr. P. Featherby—Chartered Surveyor

  Non-executive directors:

  Mrs. J. Varnam—Chairman, Consumer Council

  Mrs. G. Coppell—Citizens Advice Bureau Worker

  Mr. A. Baines—Chartered Accountant

  Mr. M. Panchal—Business Development Officer

  ROTHERHAM GENERAL HOSPITALS NHS TRUST

  Chairman:

  Mr. A. Baker—Steel Company Executive

  Non-executive directors:

  Mr. J. Welch—Chartered Accountant

  Mr. I. Stephen—Solicitor

  Mr. M. Colbear—Company Chairman

  Mrs. G. Brooke—Magistrate

  Mrs. R. Muntus—Housewife

  SOUTHERN DERBYSHIRE MENTAL HEALTH UNIT NHS TRUST

  Chairman:

  Ms J. Street—Chief Executive, Southern Derbyshire TEC

  Non-executive directors:

  Mr. J. Bowler—Chartered Accountant

  Mr. M. Ludlow—Senior Economic Development Officer

  Miss K. Johnson—Personnel Director

  Mr. A. Morgan—Headteacher

  Mr. W. Barron—Owner, Embroidery Business

  689
  COMMUNITY HEALTH SERVICES, SOUTHERN DERBYSHIRE NHS TRUST

  Chairman:

  Mrs. P. Zadora—Management Consultant

  Non-executive directors:

  Mr. C. Marsland—Company Chairman

  Mr. J. Byrne—Solicitor

  Mr. R. Brooksbank—Chartered Accountant

  Mrs. J. Denton—Area Manager

  Mr. B. Billings—Company Director

  GAINBOROUGH & DISTRICT HEALTH CARE NHS TRUST

  Chairman:

  Mr. S. Buchanan-Parker—Marketing Consultant

  Non-executive directors:

  Mr. A. Roberts—Financial Director

  Mr. D. Weir—Assistant Director of Resources

  Mr. J. Jenkinson—Managing Director

  Dr. V. Stanton—Managing Director

  Mrs. E. LeMay—Housewife

  LINCOLNSHIRE AMBULANCE & HEALTH TRANSPORT SERVICE NHS TRUST

  Chairman:

  Mr. A. Bell—Business & Training Consultant

  Non-executive directors:

  Mr. J. Robinson—Partner in Family Business

  Mr. A. Gilpin—Banker

  Mr. J. Hill—Engineer

  Mrs. M. Lewis—Housewife

  Mrs. Z. Scoley—

  NHS trust chairmen are remunerated according to the unit turnover in 1988–89. The present annual rates are:

  Unit turnover 1988–89

  Band

  Rates PA £

  In excess of £50 million

  Band 1

  19,285

  Between £20 million and £50 million

  Band 2

  17,145

  Less than £20 million

  Band 3

  15,125

  Non-executive directors of NHS trusts are remunerated at the rate of £5,000 per annum.

  Chairmen and non-executive directors may also receive appropriate travelling and subsistence allowances.

  Sports Injuries
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many deaths and severe injuries were caused by sport in each of the last five years; and if she will publish figures for the number of such incidents for each main sport.

  Mr. Sackville
  The Office of Population Censuses and Surveys publishes statistics on sporting deaths in the monitor "Fatal accidents during sporting and leisure activities", series DH4, a copy of which is available in the Library. The latest year for which information is available is 1991. The information for 1987 to 1991 has been summarised and will be placed in the Library. More detailed information may be obtained from the monitor.

  The information for severe injuries is published by the Department of Trade and Industry. Copies of the table will be placed in the Library.

  Mental Illness
  Mrs. Anne Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the total number of residential places available for people with mental illness in the most recent year available; and how many of these were family placements or provided respite care or housing.

  Mr. Bowis
  The information available centrally shows that at 31 March 1992 in England there were 11,569 places in staffed local authority and independent sector residential homes, primarily for people with mental illness and 1,997 places in unstaffed local authority homes. Information is not available centrally for unstaffed homes in the independent sector. Information on places is not broken down by the type of care.

  In addition, there were 284 staffed residential homes reported at 31 March 1992 as serving mentally ill people as a second or third client group within the home, but information is not available on the number of places specifically designated for mentally ill people in these homes.

  Patients Charters
  Dr. Wright
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what redress and compensation are available to patients when health authorities and trusts fail to meet service commitments made in local and national patients charters.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Health authorities and hospitals are responsible on a day-to-day basis for delivering patients charter rights and standards and are expected to ensure that service commitments are fully met.

  In two specific instances the patients charter offers redress. Under the citizens charter, patients are guaranteed treatment within a maximum of two years—18 months for hip and knee replacement and cataract operations—from the date when their consultant places them on a waiting list. Where a hospital cannot give treatment within the guaranteed maximum waiting time, then health authorities should make alternative arrangements with another provider.

  Also operations should not be cancelled on the day a patient is due to arrive in hospital. If this happens twice, then treatment should be arranged within one month of the date of the second cancellation.

  Battens Disease
  Mr. Nigel Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what measures are being taken to ensure that all children who suffer from Battens disease are treated before they are three years of age;

  (2) how many cases of Battens disease have been recorded in each year since 1983.

  Mr. Bowis
  Battens disease is extremely rare, and its prevalence is not precisely known. There is no known effective treatment for Battens disease. In the infantile forms, with onset before the age of three, the health care of the children is guided by the basic principles which apply to all types of progressive disorder with handicap.

  NHS Employmnent Contracts
  Mr. Spellar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what advice her Department gives to health authorities and trusts regarding employment contracts with particular reference to clauses designated to prevent staff speaking to the media.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Where explicit clauses on safeguarding confidentiality are included in individual contracts of employment, they must not conflict with the principles set out in the advice "Guidance for staff on relations with the public and the media" EL(93)51, issued recently by Sir Duncan Nichol to all health authorities and trusts. A copy of the guidance is available in the Library.

  Children's Health Records
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what percentage of chldren now have parent-held records;

  (2) what percentage of purchasing authorities are contracting for parent-held records.

  Mr. Bowis
  Information from the British Paediatric Association, which has produced a model personal child health record, shows that 107 district health authorities are contracting for the record. Information on the number of children who have been issued with the record is not available centrally.

  GP Fund Holders
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of general medical service funds is for budget holding in(a) 1990–91, (b) 1991–92, (c) 1992–93, (d) 1993–94 and (e) 1994–95.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The main component of spending on the general medical services—GMS—non-cash-limited element, consists of the payment of general practitioners fees and expenses. Arrangements are identical for fund holders and non-fund holders and no special allocations are made to the former. For the cash-limited component, the proportion of funds allocated by the Department to regional health authorities specifically for GP fund holders is shown in the table. Regional health authorities can supplement the national funding from their revenue allocations for hospital and community health services. Information on supplementary funding is not available centrally. No decisions have been taken on the funding to be made available in 1994–95.

  Funds allocated to Regional Health Authorities for Practice Fund Management Allowance and GP Fund holder Practice Staff as a proportion of total GMS cash-limited allocation

  Per cent.

  1990–91

  1

  1991–92

  8

  1992–93

  11

  1993–94

  118

  1 Estimated as 1993–94 allocations have not yet been finalised.

  Hospital Admission Times
  Dr. Wright
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will publish the guaranteed admission times for hospital treatment for each health authority.
  692
  Dr. Mawhinney
  As purchasers of health care, district health authorities will shortly be publishing their first annual report on performance achieved by their providers against all patients charter standards.

  Junior Doctors (Working Hours)
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health further to her answer of 7 June,Official Report, column 44, what plans she has to assess the actual hours worked over 83 per week by junior doctors; and if she will make a statement.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  We continue to make clear to health authorities and trusts that, as well as monitoring reductions in the contracted hours of junior doctors and dentists, they should ensure that actual hours of duty do not exceed contracted hours. We are determined to ensure that junior doctors and dentists see real improvements in their working lives from the new deal.

  Learning Disabilities
  Dr. Wright
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many adult training centres exist in each local authority for people with learning disabilities; what places are available; and what figures she has on the number of people assessed as suitable for admission to an adult training centre for whom there are currently no places available.

  Mr. Bowis
  The latest available information on the number of adult training centres, and the number of places available in them, by local authority, is published in "Adult Training Centres for People with Learning Disabilities and Local Authority Day Centres for Adults, at 31 March 1991, England", a copy of which is available in the Library.

  Information on the number of people assessed as suitable for admission to an adult training centre for whom there are currently no places available is not available centrally.

  Corporate Affairs Intelligence Unit
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will give the budget for the corporate affairs intelligence unit for 1992–93, 1993–94 and 1994–95.

  Mr. Sackville
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Bradford, West (Mr. Madden) on 22 February at columns 482–83.

  Dental Health
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if she will make a statement on how the dental health care of children is being improved; and what further plans she will bring forward;

  (2) what monitoring of adult and child dental health care her Department is now doing; and if she will make a statement.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The provision of dental treatment and the monitoring of the dental health of all age groups of the population is a matter for district health authorities to undertake jointly with family health services authorities. Health authorities also arrange for the screening of teeth of children in state-funded schools at least three times in each child's school life.
  693
  The Department conducts decennial surveys of the dental health of adults and children alternately each five years. The last survey of adults was carried out in 1988. A survey of children is now in progress. The 1983 child dental health survey, copies of which are available in the Library, showed that among eight-year-olds, the proportion with some active decay in their permanent dentition had decreased from 40 per cent. in 1973 to 17 per cent. in 1983 and among 14-year-olds from 61 per cent. to 37 per cent.

  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she expects to bring forward new proposals for dental remuneration; and if she will make a statement.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  We shall announce our proposals in due course.

  Water Fluoridation
  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what indemnities have been given by Yorkshire regional health authority to Yorkshire Water plc against all claims

  Name and Position in authority

  Occupation/Profession

  SOUTH WESTERN REGIONAL HEALTH AUTHORITY

  Regional Chairman:

  Ms R. Fritchie

  Company Director

  Non-executive members:

  Mr. U. Woodburn

  Solicitor and Partner

  Mr. D. Strachan

  Management Consultant

  Dame M. Fry

  Former Chairman

  Sir J. Kingman

  Vice Chancellor, University of Bristol

  Vacancy

  —

  GLOUCESTERSHIRE ROYAL NHS TRUST

  Chairman:

  Lady S. Beesley

  Journalist/Personnel Manager

  Non-executive directors:

  Mr. A. Eve

  Partner and Retired Chartered Accountan

  Mr. G. Lane

  Director of Operations

  Mr. G. Simon

  Solicitor/Consultant

  Mr. P. Beloe

  Food Service Director

  Mrs. M. Melling

  Freelance Training Consultant

  EAST SOMERSET NHS TRUST

  Chairman:

  Mr. M. Carter

  Company Director

  Non-executive directors:

  Mr. T. Chappell

  Managing Director

  Mr. T. George

  Solicitor

  Mr. J. Keegan

  Senior Lecturer in Military History

  Mrs. P. Clark

  —

  Vacancy

  —

  CORNWALL AND ISLES OF SCILLY MENTAL HANDICAP NHS TRUST

  Chairman:

  Reverend T. McCabe

  Clergyman

  Non-executive directors:

  Mrs. M. Bristow

  Counsellor

  Mr. A. Bell

  Shipping Consultant

  Ms F. Hunt

  Freelance Writer and Supply Teacher

  Mr. R. Stephens

  Solicitor

  SOUTH DEVON HEALTH CARE NHS TRUST

  Chairman:

  Mr. A. Boyce

  Solicitor

  Non-executive directors:

  Mr. M. Hawkins

  Engineer

  Mr. M. Dobson

  Chartered Accountant

  Mrs. M. Ridgway

  Secretary

  Mr. K. Holmes

  Chartered Accountant

  Mr. G. Crosscombe

  Civil Engineering Manager

  EAST GLOUCESTERSHIRE NHS TRUST

  Chairman:

  Mr. C. Thomson

  Financial Consultant

  Non-executive directors:

  Mrs. S. Pullen

  Secretary

  Mrs. J. Ralph

  Voluntary Worker

  Mrs. M. Baynham

  Secretary

  Mr. T. Griffin

  Surveyor

  Dr. G. Shephard

  Retired General Practitioner

  694
  arising from fluoridation of water supplies; if she will place a copy of the indemnity in the Library; and if she will make a statement.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Though indemnities against liabilities arising from fluoridation may be provided, Yorkshire Water plc has not yet sought them.

  South-West Health Authorities
  Mr. Tyler
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will give details of the chairmen and non-executive members appointed to the South West regional health authority and to NHS trusts in the south-west, listing their current occupations and whether their main residence is within the authority or trust area.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  A list of all such appointees and the most recent information about their occupations, where this is held, is shown in the table. Where possible, people appointed to health authorities and national health service trusts are expected either to live or work in, or have other connections with the area served by the authority or trust.
  695

  Name and Position in authority

  Occupation! Profession

  TAUNTON AND SOMERSET NHS TRUST

  Chairman:

  Mr. J. Stocks

  Company Chairman

  Non-executive directors:

  Mr. R. Clark

  Executive Director

  Mr. P. Swan

  Group Finance Director

  Dr. P. Mason

  Retired Medical Officer

  Mrs. J. Barrie

  Stockbroker

  Mrs. M. Pollard

  Voluntary Worker

  WESTERN AREA NHS TRUST

  Chairman:

  Mr. J. Dickson

  Engineer

  Non-executive directors:

  Mr. R. Norton-Collins

  Plant Director

  Mr. J. Williams

  Chartered Accountant

  Mr. M. Marsh

  Architect

  Mr. J. Bailey

  Solicitor

  Mrs. G. Lewis

  Retired Secretary

  CORNWALL HEALTHCARE NHS TRUST

  Chairman

  Capt. Mrs. A. Kirby-Harris

  Army Education Officer

  Non-executive directors:

  Lady F. Banham

  Voluntary Worker

  Mr. A. Wilkes

  Chartered Accountant

  Mrs. J. Dunkley

  Part-time Lecturer

  Maj. Gen. I. Baxter

  Retired Army Officer

  Mr. S. Young

  Chartered Accountant

  UNITED BRISTOL HEALTHCARE NHS TRUST

  Chairman.

  Mr. T. Durie

  Lay Member of Bristol University Council

  Non-executive directors:

  Professor B. Pickering

  Professor of Anatomy

  Mr. J. Woolley

  Chief Executive

  Mr. H. Harrison

  Farmer

  Mr. P. Sherwood

  Retired Chief Executive

  Mrs. V. Cox

  Nurse

  NORTHERN DEVON HEALTHCARE NHS TRUST

  Chairman:

  Sir M. Knight

  Defence and Security Consultant

  Non-executive directors:

  Mr. G. Andrews

  Consultant

  Mr. S. Pearce

  Chartered Accountant

  Mr. J. Nash

  Retired Schoolmaster

  Miss D. Dibble

  Retired Manager/Buyer

  Mr. J. Urquhart

  Pharmacist

  FRENCHAY HEALTHCARE NHS TRUST

  Chairman:

  Councillor C. Williams

  Chartered Accountant

  Non-executive directors:

  Dr. D. Fox

  Retired Medical Practitioner

  Mr. J. Kendal

  Former Deputy Managing Director

  Professor P. Parsloe

  Pro Vice Chancellor

  Mr. T. Bishop

  Strategic Planning Manager

  Mr. D. Moffat

  Businessman

  THE ROYAL CORNWALL HOSPITALS AND WEST CORNWALL HOSPITALS NHS TRUST

  Chairman:

  Mr. A. Galsworthy

  Businessman

  Non-executive directors:

  Mr. J. Williams

  Solicitor

  Mr. G. McCabe

  —

  Mr. E. Latham

  Retired Chairman

  Mrs. D. Henderson

  Former Manager

  Mr. C. Micklewright

  Finance Director

  PHOENIX NHS TRUST

  Chairman:

  Mr. D. Smith

  University Director

  Non-executive directors:

  Mr. R. Maggs

  External Affairs Manager

  Mr. K. Oxtoby

  Chartered Electrical Engineer

  Mrs. J. Stevens

  Occupational Psychologist and Management Consultant

  Mr. T. Kent

  Redeployment Manager

  Mrs. J. Nation

  Housewife

  PLYMOUTH COMMUNITY SERVICES NHS TRUST

  Chairman:

  Mr. A. Beauchamp

  Solicitor

  Non-executive directors:

  Mrs. G. Beeching

  Business Counsellor

  Mr. J. Nicholas

  Property Developer

  Mr. E. Distin

  Chartered Surveyor

  Mrs. I. Miles

  Manager

  Vacancy

  —

  696 697

  Name and Position in authority

  Occupation/ Profession

  GLOUCESTERSHIRE AMBULANCE SERVICE NHS TRUST

  Chairman:

  Mrs. J. Guillebaud

  Magistrate

  Non-executive directors:

  Mrs. J. Soutter

  Accountant

  Mr. M. Warner

  Managing Director

  Mr. R. Bretherton

  Solicitor

  Mr. C. Raymond

  Independent Financial Broker

  SOUTHMEAD HEALTH SERVICES NHS TRUST

  Chairman:

  Professor I. Silver

  Professor of Comparative Pathology

  Non-executive directors:

  Mr. A. Checkley

  Retired Manager

  Mr. J. Portch

  Company Director

  Ms K Lyon

  Lecturer

  Mrs. R. Frankham

  Chartered Accountant

  Mr. R. Johnson

  Solicitor

  AVON AMBULANCE SERVICE NHS TRUST

  Chairman:

  Mr. D. Miller

  Retired Regional Manager

  Non-executive directors:

  Dr. A. Antonelli

  Management Development Adviser

  Mr. S. Johnson

  Financial Consultant

  Mrs. A. Foot

  Adult Education Tutor

  Mr. J. King

  Retired Journalist

  WEST COUNTRY AMBULANCE SERVICE NHS TRUST

  Chairman:

  Mr. J. Pease-Watkin

  Personnel Director

  Non-executive directors:

  Mrs. H. Bucklar

  Partner in a Company

  Mr. J. Luttrell

  Farmer and Forester

  Mrs. B. Collard

  Locum Pharmacist

  Lt. Col. R. Perkins

  Farmer

  Mr. P. Egan

  Chartered Accountant

  EXETER AND DISTRICT COMMUNITY HEALTH NHS TRUST

  Chairman:

  Mrs. S. Russell

  Former Hotelier

  Non-executive directors:

  Mrs. A. Halse

  Housewife

  Mr. M. Domaille

  Proprietor of Residential Home

  Miss M. Stokes

  Retired Midwife

  Mr. A. Acton

  Chartered Accountant

  Professor A. Roy

  Retired Chief of Surgical Services

  AVALON NHS TRUST

  Chairman:

  Mrs. M. Topp

  Voluntary Worker

  Non-executive directors:

  Sir D. Allen

  Former Defence Services Secretary HM The Queen

  Ms C. Baron

  Part-time Lecturer

  Mr. J. White

  Partner in Company

  Lady E. Gass

  Committee Member

  Mr. M. Pleeth

  Retired Chief Executive

  SEVERN NHS TRUST

  Chairman:

  Mr. P. Parkhouse

  Retired Civil Servant

  Non-executive directors:

  Mr. T. Boore

  Joint Managing Director

  Mr. J. Colquhoun

  Solicitor

  Ms S. Thame

  Trainer and Management Consultant

  Mrs. C. Elwes

  Commissioner

  Mr. C. Manners

  Industrial Consultant

  ROYAL DEVON AND EXETER NHS TRUST

  Chairman:

  Professor Dame

  Former President of Royal College of

  M. Turner-Warwick

  Physicians

  Non-executive directors:

  Mr. D. Lamb

  Area Director

  Mrs. E. Tranah

  Solicitor

  Mr. J. Wendover

  Deputy Diretor

  Mr. H. Ball

  Director

  Mrs. A. Mayes

  Lecturer

  698

  Pharmacists
  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will place in the Library copies of her correspondence with the chairman of the Pharmaceutical Services National Committee concerning the modification or withdrawal of proposals for changes in the remuneration for pharmacists.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Yes.

  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the outcome of her meeting with the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee on Tuesday 15 June.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The Department had a short, constructive meeting about the longer-term arrangements for pharmacists' remuneration and the elements of the settlement for 1993–94. Another formal meeting has been arranged for next month, with less formal joint working in the meantime to develop options further.

  Neo-natal Units
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what action she is taking to ensure adequate provision of lung surfactant in NHS neo-natal intensive care units; and if she will make a statement;

  (2) what action is being taken by her Department to improve nursing staff levels in NHS neo-natal units; and if she will make a statement;

  (3) what new resources or policy initiatives are being devoted by her Department to increasing the number of temperature monitors, blood pressure monitors. ventilators and incubators available in NHS neo-natal units, and to updating existing equipment; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Sackville
  Allocations of funds to health authorities for purchasing health care services including neo-natal services are made on the basis of the size, age, distribution and relative health of their resident populations. Specific arrangements about staffing and equipment are matters for local decision. The Clinical Standards Advisory Group, set up by the United Kingdom Health Ministers, was asked to examine access to and availability of a number of specialised services, including neo-natal intensive care following the introduction of the national health service reforms. Its report and the Government's response will be published shortly. Health care purchasers and providers will need to take account of these in making decisions about future provision.

  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations she has received from the British Association of Perinatal Medicine on the appropriate provision of paediatric consultants for each neonatal unit; what response she has made; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Sackville
  No recent representations have been received from the British Association of Perinatal Medicine.

  Young Smokers
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information she has for each year since 1988 on the prevalence of 11 to 15-year-old smokers.
  700
  Mr. Sackville
  Information relating to the prevalence of smoking among 11 to 15-year-olds is available from the biennial Office of Population Censuses and Surveys "Smoking Among Secondary School Children", as shown in the table. A copy of the publication IN available in the Library.

  Prevalence of smoking cigarettes among secondary school children, by sex England 1988–90

  Per cent.

  Age

  All Pupils

  11

  12

  13

  14

  15

  Boys 1988

  Regular

  7

  —

  2

  5

  8

  17

  Occasional

  5

  3

  2

  5

  7

  7

  1990

  Regular

  9

  —

  2

  6

  10

  25

  Occasional

  6

  4

  4

  5

  8

  10

  Girls 1988

  Regular

  9

  —

  —

  4

  12

  22

  Occasional

  5

  1

  1

  5

  7

  9

  1990

  Regular

  11

  1

  2

  9

  16

  25

  Occasional

  6

  1

  3

  6

  8

  12

  Notes:

  1. Percentages rounded to the nearest whole figure.

  2. "—": nil or less than 0·5.

  Source: OPCS Smoking Among Secondary School Children. Definitions: Regular smokers are those pupils who smoke at least one cigarette a week. Current smokers who smoke less than one cigarette a week are classified as occasional smokers.

  "Help Us to Help You"
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the budget for the "Help Us to Help You" campaign.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  All regional and district health authorities, family health services authorities, national health service trusts, directly managed hospital units and community health councils have been sent copies of a "Help Us to Help You" information pack, which gives advice about how to develop a local campaign. The total cost of producing the packs was £31,870. Copies of the packs will be placed in the Library.

  Paediatric Beds
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many intensive therapy unit beds for children there were in each of the last five years; and what was the total child population in each of those years;

  (2) how many times in each of the last five years a child has been refused admission to children intensive therapy unit beds; and how many child intensive therapy unit beds are closed at present;

  (3) what information she has on the children intensive therapy unit beds in each other EC country, and the total number of children in each of those countries;

  (4) what was the number of (a) paediatric beds and (b) intensive care paediatric beds in each region in each of the last 10 years.
  701
  Mr. Sackville
  [holding answer 10 June 1993]: Figures showing the number of beds allocated for paediatric care in each regional health authority from 1987–88 to 1991–92 are shown in the table with details of the population. For earlier years, from 1981, statistics were calculated on a different basis and are not comparable.

  Although the figures show a decline in bed numbers in the period, patient activity has increased, due to the extended use of day surgery, decreases in lengths of stay, and developments in medical practice. Although the child population has remained fairly constant at around 9·5 million—under 16—patient activity in paediatrics increased by 58 per cent. between 1981 and 1988–89 and by 11·3 per cent. between 1988–89 and 1991–92.

  Information on the number or management of designated paediatric intensive therapy beds here or in other European community countries is not available centrally. However, the Department has funded an independent survey of the beds currently available within the national health service as part of a review of the need for intensive care facilities for critically ill children which a working party established by the British Paediatric Association is carrying out. Its report is due in the autumn. We expect that it will help health authorities in assessing the needs of their child population and negotiating contracts with hospital provider units to meet these needs.

  Health visitors employed at district level by clinical grade September 1991 (whole-time equivalent)

  Region/district health authority

  Scale F

  Scale G

  Scale H

  Scale I

  Total

  ENGLAND TOTAL

  230

  8,230

  1,620

  300

  10,380

  Northern RHA

  10

  550

  100

  20

  680

  Yorkshire RHA

  30

  630

  140

  20

  820

  Trent RHA

  10

  810

  150

  40

  1,000

  East Anglian RHA

  0

  300

  60

  20

  370

  North West Thames RHA

  40

  590

  150

  30

  820

  North East Thames RHA

  10

  570

  140

  30

  750

  South East Thames RHA

  0

  540

  130

  30

  700

  South West Thames RHA

  10

  510

  60

  10

  590

  Wessex RHA

  20

  530

  80

  20

  650

  Oxford RHA

  10

  470

  90

  20

  580

  South Western RHA

  20

  530 '

  110

  0

  670

  West Midlands RHA

  20

  890

  160

  40

  1,110

  Mersey RHA

  10

  380

  90

  10

  500

  North Western RHA

  40

  940

  150

  10

  1,150

  FHSA

  —

  0

  —

  —

  0

  Northern RHA

  10

  550

  100

  20

  680

  HQ and Units

  0

  100

  20

  10

  120

  Hartlepool

  0

  30

  10

  0

  40

  North Tees

  0

  30

  0

  0

  30

  South Tees

  —

  0

  0

  —

  0

  East Cumbria

  0

  30

  0

  —

  30

  South Cumbria

  —

  30

  10

  —

  40

  West Cumbria

  —

  20

  10

  0

  30

  Darlington

  —

  20

  0

  —

  20

  Durham

  —

  20

  10

  —

  30

  North West Durham

  —

  20

  0

  0

  20

  South West Durham

  —

  20

  10

  —

  30

  Northumberland

  0

  70

  10

  —

  70

  Gateshead

  —

  40

  10

  0

  50

  Newcastle

  0

  40

  10

  10

  60

  North Tyneside

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  South Tyneside

  —

  30

  0

  0

  30

  Sunderland

  —

  60

  10

  0

  70

  Yorkshire RHA

  30

  630

  140

  20

  820

  Hull

  0

  50

  10

  —

  60

  702

  Average of daily number of available paediatric beds

  Region

  1987–88

  1988–89

  1989–90

  1990–91

  Northern

  825

  778

  742

  714

  Yorkshire

  949

  897

  885

  871

  Trent

  1,058

  979

  936

  883

  East Anglian

  291

  295

  293

  289

  North West Thames

  737

  659

  620

  587

  North East Thames

  783

  728

  605

  620

  South East Thames

  906

  817

  812

  810

  South West Thames

  n/a

  546

  526

  492

  Wessex

  444

  494

  495

  472

  Oxford

  363

  428

  426

  413

  South Western

  617

  577

  554

  548

  West Midlands

  1,227

  1,194

  1,145

  1,120

  Mersey

  810

  775

  715

  673

  North Western

  1,284

  1,263

  1,256

  1,177

  Special Health Authorities

  520

  485

  469

  445

  England:

  Total paediatric beds

  110,814

  10,894

  10,479

  10,127

  Child (under 16) (000s) Population

  9,528·1

  9,507·4

  9,528·8

  9,593·8

  1 Excludes figure for South West Thames—n/a 1987–88.

  Health Visitors
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list by clinical grade and specialty for each district health authority and regional health authority the number of health visitor staff employed as at 1 April.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  [holding answer 11 June 1993]: The latest information available is shown in the table.
  703

  Region/district health authority

  Scale F

  Scale G

  Scale H

  Scale I

  Total

  East Yorkshire

  0

  30

  10

  —

  40

  Grimsby

  —

  30

  0

  —

  30

  Scunthorpe

  0

  30

  10

  0

  50

  Northallerton

  —

  20

  0

  0

  20

  York

  —

  50

  0

  0

  50

  Scarborough

  0

  30

  10

  0

  40

  Harrogate

  —

  10

  0

  0

  20

  Bradford

  —

  70

  10

  0

  90

  Airedale

  0

  30

  10

  —

  40

  Calderdale

  10

  50

  10

  0

  60

  Huddersfield

  —

  40

  10

  —

  50

  Dewsbury

  0

  —

  10

  0

  10

  Leeds

  10

  120

  40

  0

  170

  Wakefield

  0

  30

  0

  10

  40

  Pontefract

  0

  30

  10

  0

  40

  Trent RHA

  10

  810

  150

  40

  1,000

  North Derbyshire

  —

  60

  10

  0

  70

  Southern Derbyshire

  —

  80

  10

  10

  100

  Leicestershire

  —

  160

  30

  10

  200

  North Lincolnshire

  —

  40

  0

  0

  50

  South Lincolnshire

  —

  40

  10

  —

  50

  Bassetlaw

  —

  10

  0

  0

  20

  Central Nottinghamshire

  0

  40

  20

  0

  60

  Nottingham

  0

  120

  20

  10

  150

  Barnsley

  0

  50

  10

  —

  50

  Doncaster

  10

  60

  10

  —

  70

  Rotherham

  0

  50

  10

  0

  70

  Sheffield

  —

  90

  10

  10

  110

  East Anglian RHA

  0

  300

  60

  20

  370

  Cambridge

  —

  40

  10

  0

  50

  Peterborough

  —

  40

  10

  —

  40

  West Suffolk

  —

  40

  10

  0

  50

  East Suffolk

  —

  50

  10

  0

  60

  Norwich

  0

  50

  20

  0

  80

  Great Yarmouth and Waveney

  —

  30

  0

  0

  40

  West Norfolk and Wisbech

  0

  30

  10

  0

  40

  Huntingdon

  —

  20

  0

  —

  20

  North West Thames RHA

  40

  590

  150

  30

  820

  North Bedfordshire

  0

  40

  10

  —

  50

  South Bedfordshire

  —

  40

  20

  —

  60

  North Hertfordshire

  —

  30

  10

  0

  40

  East Hertfordshire

  10

  50

  10

  0

  80

  North West Hertfordshire

  —

  40

  10

  —

  50

  South West Hertfordshire

  0

  30

  10

  —

  40

  Barnet

  0

  10

  10

  0

  20

  Harrow

  —

  30

  10

  0

  40

  Hillingdon

  0

  30

  10

  0

  40

  Hounslow and Spelthorne

  20

  50

  30

  0

  90

  Ealing

  —

  60

  20

  10

  90

  Riverside

  0

  60

  10

  10

  90

  Parkside

  10

  100

  20

  0

  120

  North East Thames RHA

  10

  570

  140

  30

  750

  Basildon and Thurrock

  0

  40

  10

  0

  50

  Mid Essex

  —

  40

  10

  0

  50

  North East Essex

  —

  50

  10

  0

  50

  West Essex

  —

  40

  0

  —

  40

  Southend

  —

  30

  10

  0

  50

  Barking Havering and Brentwood

  0

  50

  10

  0

  70

  Hampstead

  —

  20

  10

  —

  30

  City and Hackney

  0

  40

  10

  0

  50

  Newham

  —

  40

  10

  10

  60

  Tower Hamlets

  0

  50

  20

  0

  70

  Enfield

  0

  30

  10

  0

  40

  Haringey

  0

  20

  10

  0

  40

  Redbridge

  —

  30

  10

  0

  40

  Waltham Forest

  0

  30

  10

  0

  40

  Bloomsbury and Islington

  0

  60

  20

  0

  80

  South East Thames RHA

  0

  540

  130

  30

  700

  Brighton

  —

  30

  10

  —

  40

  Eastbourne

  —

  50

  10

  0

  60

  Hastings

  —

  20

  0

  0

  30

  South East Kent

  —

  40

  10

  0

  50

  Canterbury and Thanet

  —

  50

  0

  0

  50

  704 705

  Region/district health authority

  Scale F

  Scale G

  Scale H

  Scale I

  Total

  Dartford and Gravesham

  —

  40

  10

  —

  40

  Maidstone

  —

  30

  10

  0

  40

  Medway

  0

  50

  10

  —

  60

  Tunbridge Wells

  —

  30

  0

  0

  40

  Bexley

  —

  40

  10

  —

  40

  Greenwich

  0

  30

  20

  0

  50

  Bromley

  —

  40

  10

  10

  60

  West Lambeth

  —

  20

  10

  0

  30

  Camberwell

  —

  20

  10

  —

  40

  Lewisham and North Southwark

  0

  50

  20

  10

  80

  South West Thames RHA

  10

  510

  60

  10

  590

  North West Surrey

  —

  0

  —

  —

  0

  West Surrey and North East Hampshire

  —

  60

  10

  0

  60

  South West Surrey

  0

  40

  0

  —

  40

  Mid Surrey

  0

  40

  0

  0

  40

  East Surrey

  —

  40

  10

  0

  40

  Chichester

  —

  30

  0

  —

  40

  Mid Downs

  0

  60

  10

  0

  70

  Worthing District

  —

  40

  10

  0

  50

  Croydon

  —

  60

  0

  0

  60

  Kingston and Esher

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Richmond, Twickenham and Roehampton

  —

  50

  10

  0

  60

  Wandsworth

  —

  30

  10

  —

  40

  Merton and Sutton

  —

  70

  10

  —

  80

  Wessex RHA

  20

  530

  80

  20

  650

  East Dorset

  0

  90

  10

  10

  100

  West Dorset

  —

  40

  10

  —

  40

  Portsmouth and South East Hampshire

  0

  90

  10

  —

  100

  Southampton and South West Hampshire

  10

  70

  20

  0

  110

  Winchester

  —

  30

  0

  —

  40

  Basingstoke and North Hampshire

  —

  30

  10

  0

  40

  Salisbury

  0

  30

  0

  0

  40

  Swindon

  —

  50

  10

  0

  50

  Bath District

  0

  80

  10

  0

  100

  Isle of Wight

  —

  20

  0

  —

  20

  Oxford RHA

  10

  470

  90

  20

  580

  East Berkshire

  0

  60

  10

  0

  80

  West Berkshire

  0

  80

  10

  10

  100

  Aylesbury Vale

  —

  30

  0

  —

  30

  Wycombe

  —

  50

  10

  0

  60

  Milton Keynes

  0

  40

  10

  0

  50

  Kettering

  —

  40

  10

  0

  50

  Northampton

  0

  60

  10

  0

  80

  Oxfordshire

  —

  100

  20

  10

  130

  South Western RHA

  20

  530

  110

  0

  670

  Bristol and District

  10

  170

  20

  0

  210

  Cornwall and Isles of Scilly

  —

  60

  30

  —

  90

  Exeter

  0

  40

  0

  —

  50

  North Devon

  —

  20

  0

  —

  30

  Plymouth

  —

  50

  20

  —

  70

  Torbay

  —

  40

  10

  —

  40

  Cheltenham and District

  0

  30

  10

  —

  40

  Gloucester

  0

  60

  10

  0

  70

  Somerset

  0

  50

  10

  —

  70

  West Midlands RHA

  20

  890

  160

  40

  1,110

  HQ and Units

  —

  0

  0

  —

  0

  Bromsgrove and Redditch

  0

  40

  0

  0

  40

  Herefordshire

  —

  30

  0

  0

  40

  Kidderminster and District

  0

  30

  0

  —

  30

  Worcester and District

  10

  40

  10

  —

  60

  Shropshire

  —

  80

  10

  0

  90

  Mid Staffordshire

  0

  40

  10

  —

  50

  North Staffordshire

  —

  80

  10

  0

  90

  South East Staffordshire

  —

  50

  10

  0

  50

  South Warwickshire

  0

  30

  0

  0

  40

  East Birmingham

  0

  30

  10

  0

  40

  North Birmingham

  —

  30

  10

  0

  40

  West Birmingham

  —

  30

  10

  0

  40

  Coventry

  —

  50

  0

  0

  50

  Dudley

  0

  60

  0

  0

  70

  Sandwell

  —

  50

  10

  0

  70

  706 707

  Region/district health authority

  Scale F

  Scale G

  Scale H

  Scale I

  Total

  Solihull

  —

  70

  10

  0

  80

  Walsall

  —

  20

  20

  10

  50

  Wolverhampton

  —

  50

  10

  0

  60

  North East Warwickshire

  0

  20

  0

  0

  20

  South Birmingham

  0

  70

  20

  10

  100

  Mersey RHA

  10

  380

  90

  10

  500

  Chester

  —

  —

  0

  —

  0

  Crewe

  —

  30

  10

  —

  40

  Halton

  —

  60

  0

  0

  70

  Macclesfield

  —

  20

  10

  —

  30

  Warrington

  0

  30

  10

  0

  40

  Liverpool

  0

  60

  30

  0

  90

  St. Helens and Knowsley

  0

  60

  10

  0

  80

  Southport and Formby

  —

  20

  0

  0

  30

  South Sefton

  —

  30

  10

  0

  40

  Wirral

  0

  70

  10

  0

  80

  North Western RHA

  40

  940

  150

  10

  1,150

  Lancaster

  —

  30

  0

  0

  30

  Blackpool, Wyre and Fylde

  20

  70

  20

  —

  110

  Preston

  —

  40

  0

  —

  40

  Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley

  0

  70

  10

  —

  80

  Burnley, F'endle and Rossendale

  —

  60

  10

  0

  70

  West Lancashire

  0

  30

  10

  —

  40

  Chorley and South Ribble

  —

  50

  10

  —

  50

  Bolton

  0

  60

  10

  —

  70

  Bury

  0

  30

  10

  —

  40

  North Manchester

  0

  40

  10

  0

  50

  Central Manchester

  0

  30

  10

  0

  40

  Oldham

  l0

  50

  10

  —

  70

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Product Marking
  Mr. Riddick
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what proposals his Department has to require all retail products(a) to be labelled in metric units and (b) to be labelled with their price per metric unit of weight.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  All existing requirements for retail products to be marked with their weight or volume and for unit prices to be displayed are to be amended in accordance with the Units of Measurement Directive 1989.

  Package Tours
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what representations he has had from the Association of British Travel Agents regarding the consequences of the EC package tour directive on its members.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  My Department maintained close contact with ABTA during the negotiation of the directive and during the preparation of the implementing regulations.

  Wood
  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the total annual value of imports into the United Kingdom of wood and wood-related products.

  Mr. Needham
  In 1992, total United Kingdom imports of wood and wood-related products were valued at £2·6708
  billion.

  UKAEA Constabulary
  Mr. Bermingham
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans he has for the future of the UKAEA constabulary; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Eggar
  The future of the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority constabulary will need to be considered in the context of the study I have set in hand to advise on options for the future of the Atomic Energy Authority. I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Harlow (Mr. Hayes) on 1 April 1993,Official Report, column 407.

  Anti-dumping Cases
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the anti-dumping and countervailing action cases filed against British companies by United States steel companies; what progress has been made in each case; and what representations have been made by the DTI to the European Community and to the Government of the USA.

  Mr. Needham
  On 19 January 1993, the US Department of Commerce—DOC—imposed final duties on certain United Kingdom lead and bismuth carbon steel products as follows:

  Company

  Countervailing Duty Per cent.

  Anti-Dumping Duty Per cent.

  United Engineering Steels

  12·69

  25·82

  Allied Steel and Wire

  20·33

  25·82

  Glynwed

  00·00

  25·82

  Folowing this decision, the US International Trade Commission—ITC—upheld the United States steel

  709
  However, in a separate anti-dumping case concerning steel rails exported by British Steel plc, the ITC rejected the United States industry's allegations of injury.

  The US DOC have also imposed provisional countervailing and anti-dumping duties of 19·13 per cent. and 109·22 per cent. respectively on plate products produced by British Steel plc. Final determinations are expected on 21 June.

  The Government are particularly concerned about countervailing duties imposed on the grounds that British Steel and others are still benefiting from subsidies paid prior to privatisation. We totally reject this allegation and have argued our case strenuously and in detail with the United States authorities. The European Commission has also taken up our case in its actions against the United States under the GATT subsidies and anti-dumping codes.

  My right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade has raised the privatisation issue on several occasions in writing with Ron Brown, the US Secretary of Commerce, and his predecessor. My right hon. Friend the Minister for Industry also raised the subject with Mr. Brown in Paris on 2 June.

  Space Planes
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what policy he has towards the development of space planes; and what studies, research or demonstration projects he supported in 1992–93 and proposes to support in 1993–94.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The Government recognise the importance of securing access to space for satellite manufacturers at the most economical cost and the role which reusable launchers, such as spaceplanes, might play in reducing those costs. The Government believe that the case for the development of such vehicles would need to be judged in the context of the likely international competition for the supply of launch services, the evolution of the uses of space and the costs of development.

  The Government firmly believe that the development of such vehicles could only be afforded on an international collaborative basis and recognise the efforts made by United Kingdom companies to establish collaborative links with European and other industrial partners. The Government supported studies of winged launchers and spaceplanes through the European Space Agency—ESA—during 1992–93 and are supporting ESA studies of a rocket-assisted demonstration vehicle during 1993–94.

  Textiles
  Mr. Callaghan
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade which issues he will raise in relation to the international trade in textiles when he next meets his EEC counterparts.

  Mr. Needham
  The provisional GATT agreement on future arrangements for international trade in textiles forms part of the continuing Uruguay round negotiations which are regularly discussed by the EC Council of Ministers.

  Bankruptcies
  Mr. Callaghan
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what are the latest figures for bankruptcies.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  Information on insolvencies is regularly published by the Association of British Chambers of Commerce, on behalf of the Department of Trade and Industry, in "Business Briefing"; copies are available in the Library of the House. Figures for the first quarter of 1993 were published on 14 May 1993.

  Post Office
  Mr. Callaghan
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he last met the chairman of the Post Office; and what was discussed.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  My right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade last met Michael Heron, the chairman of the Post Office, on 19 May. They discussed various matters relating to the Post office and the Post Office review.

  I had an introductory meeting with the chairman on 8 June.

  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many sub-post offices and post offices in the United Kingdom receive(a) remuneration in the form of basic payment and (b) payment for transactions carried out of less than £5,000, £6,000, £7,000, £8,000, £9,000, £10,000, £11,000 and £12,000 a year.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  [holding answer 16 June 1993]: Some 2,700 offices receive remuneration in the form of fixed payment, rather than on a scale reflecting units of work transacted. The vast majority of these are paid less than £5,000. The remaining offices are paid on a sliding scale. Of these, some 4,150 offices are paid less than £10,900, and 8,240 offices between £10,900 and £30,150. Precise information is not available in the form requested on numbers of offices falling into £1,000 bands.

  Radioactive Sand
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the application of(a) the export licence regime and (b) radioactive materials transport regulations to the export of sand from beaches and estuaries found to be radioactively contaminated.

  Mr. Needham
  There is no requirement for an export licence for sand under the Export of Goods (Control) Order 1992 unless it contains radioactive materials or properties as specified in the order. Equally, if sand or other material falls within the International Atomic Energy Agency definition of radioactive material, its transport would need to comply with that organisation's standards and international regulations for the transport of hazardous cargoes by air or sea.

  EC Technology Report
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he received a copy of the European Commission report EUR 14456 of 1992, "Technology and the Future of Europe"; and what assessment he has made of the relevance of the report to the impact of emerging technologies on the British industrial economy.
  711
  Mr. McLoughlin
  This report, which has only recently been brought to my attention, offers a useful analysis of how we have got to where we are in Europe, what challenges we are facing, what technologies are becoming important, what effects these technologies are having on us and what changes we are likely to see in future years.

  Thus the report makes a useful contribution to the debate on how emerging technologies are affecting the economies of Europe.

  Nuclear Safety
  Mr. Hood
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make available the paper submitted to the Advisory Committee on the Safety of Nuclear Installations by the nuclear installations inspectorate on generic safety issues in Magnox nuclear reactors.

  Mr. Eggar
  No. However, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Pembroke (Mr. Ainger) on 25 May 1993,Official Report, column 488. I understand that the Health and Safety Executive's nuclear installations inspectorate proposes to place a copy of its report on generic Magnox power station issues in the Library of the House in due course.

  Steel Imports
  Mr. Oppenheim
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the cost to British industry of trading restraints on steel imports.

  Mr. Needham
  A precise estimate cannot readily be made, but the cost is likely to be small. In 1992 United Kingdom steel imports were unrestricted except from North Korea. For 1993, Community-wide quotas or tariff quotas are also in force against the Commonwealth of Independent States, Georgia, Bulgaria and the Czech and Slovak Republics, but United Kingdom imports of the products concerned from these sources accounted last year for only 1·17 per cent. of total United Kingdom steel consumption. The Government have made it clear in the Community that such measures should not be applied after this year unless they are clearly justified.

  Assisted Areas
  Mr. Devlin
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade whether he has yet submitted to the European Commission the Government's proposal for a new assisted areas map.

  Mr. Heseltine
  The Government's proposals for a new assisted areas map were submitted to the European Commission on 15 June for approval. As soon as Commission approval has been received, the proposed new map will be published. In order not to prejudice

  Cash value of guaranteed loans (£ million)

  1988–89

  1989–90

  1990–91

  1991–92

  1992–93

  North East

  4·46

  5·19

  4·64

  3·61

  2·15

  North West

  6·76

  10·13

  8·59

  5·43

  3·55

  Yorks and Humberside

  5·25

  7·47

  5·13

  3·33

  3·75

  West Midlands

  4·95

  6·32

  5·93

  4·71

  3·56

  East Midlands and Eastern

  3·85

  4·85

  5·12

  7·17

  6·32

  London and South East

  22·01

  41·62

  36·90

  27·32

  17·74

  South West

  5·62

  9·89

  9·13

  9·76

  7·15

  Scotland

  4·14

  7·67

  4·44

  4·29

  4·33

  Wales

  5·45

  5·34

  3·47

  3·28

  3·39

  712
  negotiation with the Commission and to avoid uncertainty, no information on the proposed map will be released until Commission approval has been received.

  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his answer of 7 June,Official Report, column 171, if it is his intention to publish the outcome of his Department's assisted areas review before the end of July.

  Mr. Heseltine
  [holding answer 16 June 1993]: I hope to announce the outcome of the review before the House rises for the summer recess.

  Loan Guarantee Scheme
  Mr. Hutton
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the average time taken to approve applications under the loan guarantee scheme in each of the last five years.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  No information is held on the average time taken to approve applications prior to January 1992. Since that time, 99 per cent. of applications were cleared by the Department of Trade and Industry within five working days of receipt.

  Mr. Hutton
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many applications under the loan guarantee scheme were successful in each of the last five years; and what was the average value of the loan guaranteed expressed in constant 1993 prices.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  Information on the scheme is held by financial year. The number of applications guaranteed in the last five years with their average value expressed in constant 1993 prices is as follows:

  Year

  Loans guaranteed

  Average value (£) (constant 1993 prices)

  1988–89

  2,266

  35,071

  1989–90

  3,204

  36,323

  1990–91

  3,387

  27,582

  1991–92

  2,933

  24,515

  1992–93

  2,342

  22,350

  Mr. Hutton
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the total value of loans secured under the loan guarantee scheme in each region of Britain in each of the last five years, expressed in(a) cash and (b) constant 1993 prices.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  Information on the scheme is held by financial year. The total value of loans guaranteed in each region of Britain in each of the last five years, expressed in(a) cash and (b) constant 1993 prices is as follows:
  713

  1988–89

  1989–90

  1990–91

  1991–92

  1992–93

  Northern Ireland

  1·12

  ·92

  1·21

  ·58

  ·41

  Value of guaranteed loans by constant 1993 prices (£ million)

  North East

  5·57

  6·08

  5·12

  3·73

  2·15

  North West

  8·44

  11·87

  9·48

  5·62

  3·55

  Yorks and Humberside

  6·55

  8·75

  5·66

  3·44

  3·75

  West Midlands

  6·18

  7·41

  6·54

  4·87

  3·56

  East Midlands and Eastern

  4·81

  5·68

  5·65

  7·42

  6·32

  London and South East

  27·47

  48·77

  40·71

  28·26

  17·74

  South West

  7·01

  11·59

  10·07

  10·10

  7·15

  Scotland

  5·17

  8·99

  4·9

  4·44

  4·33

  Wales

  6·8

  6·26

  3·83

  3·39

  3·39

  Northern Ireland

  1·4

  1·08

  1·33

  ·60

  ·41

  Trade Associations
  Mr. Page
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what steps he is taking to encourage trade associations to provide an effective voice in representing the needs of business to Government.

  Mr. Heseltine
  I want trade associations to be effective organizations—in representing the views of members to Government Departments, the European Commission and other bodies, in promoting the international competitiveness of their member companies and in providing a strong point of focus for their industry. The principal responsibility for ensuring that this is the case falls on the companies that are their members.

  But the CBI also has a role to play. And so do the Government. We must be open in our discussions with companies and industrialists about our perceptions of the effectiveness of the organisations which represent them.

  In light of this, I am considering adopting a new approach to representations from trade associations to my Department. Where a lead association has emerged in a sector and the subject of proposls was relevant to the sector as a whole, I would ask the lead association to co-ordinate representations received from other associations in that sector before submitting them to me.

  To support the efforts of the trade associations to promote the competitiveness of their sectors, I am inviting them to submit proposals for "competitiveness clubs" to carry out benchmarking studies of processes important to their sectors. I propose allocating up to £0·5 million to support the 10 or so most attractive schemes.

  I will be setting out my views in a speech which I am delivering at the CBI today. I am placing copies of my speech in the House of Commons Library.

  Post Offices
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what steps he proposes to take to allow post offices to widen the range of activities and businesses they undertake.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  [holding answer 15 June 1993]: Sub-post offices may undertake an almost unlimited range of activities on the private side of their shops. Requests by Post Office Counters Ltd. to widen the range of activities undertaken by them through the post office network are considered on their merits. We have recently announced that Post Office Counters will be allowed to take on work in connection with the national lottery. More generally, we
  714
  are considering the question of Counters' activities as part of our review of the structure and organisation of the Post Office.

  Parcelforce
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans he has for the future of Parcelforce; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  [holding answer 15 June 1993]: My right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade announced on 15 July 1992 his intention of privatising Parcelforce—Official Report, column 1137. Decisions on the most appropriate method and timing for the sale will be announced in due course.

  Shipbuilding
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the shipbuilding yards in the United Kingdom which have access to intervention funding; and where Her Majesty's Government have wholly or partly placed warship orders since 1985.

  Mr. Heseltine
  [holding answer 15 June 1993]: The following shipbuilders yards in the United Kingdom have access to the shipbuilding intervention fund:

  Appledore Shipbuilders Ltd.

  Richard Dunston (Hessle) Ltd.

  FBM Marine Ltd.

  Ferguson Shipbuilders Ltd.

  Harland and Wolff Shipbuilding & Heavy Industries Ltd.

  Kvaerner Govan Ltd.

  John Mowlem Construction plc—McTay Marine Division Richards (Shipbuilders) Ltd.

  Yorkshire Dry Dock Co Ltd.

  All yards listed, with the exception of Appledore Shipbuilders Ltd., Ferguson Shipbuilders Ltd. and Yorkshire Dry Dock Ltd have received orders from the Ministry of Defence since 1985. However, as the shipbuilding intervention fund does not apply to orders placed by the Ministry of Defence, no support has been provided in respect of those orders.

  Research and Development
  Dr. Moonie
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade 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. McLoughlin
  [holding answer 16 June 1993]: The three schemes of support specifically for small and medium sized enterprises for research and development projects continue to be popular. The small firms merit award for

  715
  research and technology—SMART—and support for products under research—SPUR—have maintained their levels of activity and I expect all the available funds to be committed. Regional innovation grants—RIN—have experienced a dramatic increase in take up since May 1992

  Scheme

  SMART (Stages 1 and 2)

  SPUR

  RIN

  1991–92

  1992–93

  1991–92

  1992–93

  1991–92

  1992–93

  Applications

  1,453

  1,416

  281

  210

  454

  887

  Awards

  286

  288

  140

  139

  1193

  1432

  1 Offers accepted.

  Innovation Support
  Dr. Moonie
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what steps he is taking to improve the ease of access to innovation support programmes by small and medium-sized enterprises.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  [holding answer 16 June 1993]: I refer the hon. Member to paragraph 2·18 of the recent White Paper "Realising Our Potential—Strategy for Science, Engineering and Technology" and to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade to my hon. Friend the Member for Elmet (Mr. Batiste) on 26 May, Official Report, columns 583–86.One-stop shops will play a key role in providing access for smaller and medium-sized businesses to innovation support both from my Department and from other organisations.

  Science and Engineering Research Council
  Dr. Moonie
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what steps he is taking to draw up a concordat of co-operation between his Department and the Science and Engineering Research Council.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  [holding answer 16 June 1993]: 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 each of the Government Departments in which they have a significant policy connection to draw up and publish concordats. In the case of the Department of Trade and Industry, work to conclude concordats with the existing research councils has been under-way for a number of months.

  "Forward Look"
  Dr. Moonie
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade 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. McLoughlin
  [holding answer 16 June 1993]: 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, arid the participation of Government Departments through the existing, well-established machinery of the official and ministerial Cabinet committees on science and technology.
  716
  when the scheme was expanded to additional geographical areas, the upper limit on the size of business was raised to fewer than 50 employees and the restriction of one grant per business was removed. In the financial years 1991–92 and 1992–93 the take-up of the schemes was as follows:

  Refrigerators
  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the annual number of second-hand refrigerators and freezers exported to South Africa; what precautions are taken to prevent leakage of harmful gases; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  [holding answer 15 June 1993]: Information on the export of second-hand refrigerators and freezers to South Africa is not available. Under section 33 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, it is illegal to treat, keep or dispose of controlled waste, which includes chlorofluorocarbon refrigerants, in a manner likely to cause pollution to the environment. There is no United Kingdom legislation covering discharges from refrigerators outside the United Kingdom.

  Near-market Research
  Dr. Moonie
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what his Department's policy is with regard to the funding of near-market research.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  [holding answer 16 June 1993]: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the recent Government White Paper "Realising Our Potential—A Strategy for Science, Engineering and Technology" (HMSO Cm 2250), sections 2.20 to 2.22.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Taxation and Benefits (Merger)
  Sir Thomas Arnold
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what recent progress has been made towards merging the taxation and benefit systems; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Burt
  There are no plans to merge the tax and benefit systems. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has, however, recently set up a working group to identify options for reducing the administrative difficulties for business caused by the difference in the rules for national insurance and income tax, which he announced in his reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Colne Valley (Mr. Riddick) on 26 May 1993 at column 638.

  Independent Living Fund
  Mr. Rooker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when the independent living fund ceased accepting applications under the special rules covering the terminally ill; and what are the financial savings from this decision.
  717
  Mr. Scott
  The former independent living fund ceased to operate on 31 March 1993. At the same time two new bodies were established, one of which was the independent living (1993) fund. This fund is an independent trust. Within the discretion accorded them by the trust deed, the trustees are responsible for deciding the fund's priorities.

  The trustees have recently decided that the fund's resources should be targeted on the most severely disabled people in order to allow them to live as full a life as possible in the community, rather than on terminally ill people, for whom separate provision is made both by this Department and the Department of Health as well as a number of charitable and voluntary bodies. Because the fund is cash limited, no financial savings arise from the trustees' decision.

  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on the decision of the independent living fund not to give help to new applicants who are terminally ill.

  Mr. Scott
  The former independent living fund ceased to operate on 31 March 1993. At the same time, two new bodies were established, one of which was the independent living (1993) fund. This fund is an independent trust. Within the discretion accorded them by the trust deed, the trustees are responsible for deciding the fund's priorities.

  The trustees have recently decided that the fund's resources should be targeted on the most severely disabled people in order to allow them to live as full a life as possible in the community, rather than on terminally ill people, for whom separate provision is made both by this Department and the Department of Health as well as a number of charitable and voluntary bodies.

  Disability Allowances
  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people are in receipt of the mobility component of the disability living allowance in(a) Orkney and (b) Scotland.

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

  Compensation Scheme
  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if the clearance target used in the new compensation scheme, announced on 4 May, will be the target for the year the payment should have been made or the target for the year the payment was finally made.

  Mr. Hague
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply to him on 21 May at columns 326–27.

  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) if he will publish a leaflet for the public setting out the rules governing the new compensation scheme for late payment of social security benefits announced on 4 May, to include the clearance targets relevant to each benefit;

  (2) if he will publish the full rules governing the award and calculation of compensation in the new compensation scheme for late payment of social security benefits announced on 4 May.

  Mr. Hague
  The special payment arrangements to compensate for late payment of benefit are not new but 718
  were introduced several years ago. We have, however, recently significantly improved the arrangements by reducing, in the majority of cases, the period before which payment of compensation is considered and linking it with the relevant clearance targets.

  The arrangements are ex-gratia and so it is not considered appropriate to publish the internal guidance. However, the criteria under which payment of compensa-tion is considered are:
  The delay must be six months plus the relevant target clearance time set for the majority of claims (usually between 85 per cent. and 95 per cent.);
  The delay must be caused by official error;
  The arrears must be £50 or more.
  There are no plans to publish a leaflet.

  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the clearance target for each social security benefit which will be used in the calculation of the new compensation scheme announced on 4 May.

  Mr. Hague
  The targets will be used in the calculation of the revised compensation arrangements will be the Secretary of State secondary targets for the clearance of new claims to the relevant benefit as published in the Benefits Agency business plan. For those benefits which do not have a Secretary of State clearance target the target will be the operational or internal target set by the BA. In the case of those benefits which do not have a secondary clearance target, the primary target will be used.

  Spending Statistics
  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his estimate of the change in social security spending in real terms between 1979 and 1992–93 and the proportion of this rise due to(a) increased benefits levels, (b) changes in demographic and family patterns and (c) changes in levels of unemployment.

  Mr. Scott
  Information in the form requested is not available, but the 1993 departmental report contains information about benefit expenditure on certain categories of beneficiaries. A copy of the report is in the Library. In real terms, social security spending, at 1992–93 prices, has risen from £46,341 million in 1978–79 to £78,343 million in 1992–93.

SCOTLAND

  Timex
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish the sum total of Government grants received by Timex Corporation and Timex Electronic Corporation in relation to their Dundee factories since 1980, indicating the year, amount and nature of each grant.

  Mr. Stewart
  The principal sources of Government grants available to Timex Corporation and subsequently Timex Electronics Corporation since 1980 have comprised regional development grant—RDG—and regional selec-tive assistance—RSA. Comprehensive records on the RDG 1 scheme, which was terminated in 1984, are not retained. No grants were made in respect of the RDG II scheme which was terminated in 1988. Offers of RSA under which payments were made were as follows:
  719

  Year of offer

  Amount offered

  1983

  £700,000

  1985

  £270,000

  1987

  £865,000

  Ms Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish a table showing the number and proportion of children receiving school meals broken down into(a) paid and (b) free in (i) primary schools, (ii) secondary schools and (iii) special schools in each year since 1987–88.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 16 June 1993]: The information requested, taken from the annual school meals census returns for each year since 1987–88, is as follows:

  School Meals Survey: Schools/Departments

  Meals paid

  Meals free

  Total

  Pupils

  1Per cent.

  Pupils

  1Per cent.

  Pupils

  1Per cent.

  Primary

  1987–88

  106,319

  26·3

  126,303

  31·2

  232,622

  57·5

  1988–89

  134,411

  33·8

  71,257

  17·7

  207,668

  51·4

  1989–90

  142,737

  35·4

  69,862

  17·3

  212,599

  52·7

  1990–91

  141,612

  35·0

  72,437

  17·9

  214,049

  52·9

  1991–92

  135,871

  33·8

  76,792

  19·1

  212,663

  52·9

  Secondary

  1987–88

  75,573

  26·9

  41,853

  14·9

  117,426

  41·8

  1988–89

  73,318

  27·9

  27,384

  10·4

  100,702

  38·3

  1989–90

  83,894

  33·1

  23,449

  9·2

  107,343

  42·2

  1990–91

  85,249

  34·7

  23,505

  9·6

  108,754

  44·2

  1991–92

  88,680

  36·1

  24,809

  10·1

  113,489

  46·1

  Special

  1987–88

  1,603

  20·5

  5,856

  74·8

  7,459

  95·2

  1988–89

  1,940

  25·3

  4,868

  63·4

  6,808

  88·7

  1989–90

  2,068

  28·8

  4,343

  60·6

  6,411

  89·4

  1990–91

  1,881

  26·7

  4,418

  62·7

  6,299

  89·4

  1991–92

  1,710

  24·5

  4,275

  61·2

  5,985

  85·7

  1 Percentage of pupils present on day of survey.

  Note: In a number of cases, figures for special classes or units forming part of a primary or secondary school are included with the figures for that primary or secondary.

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

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 16 June 1993]: 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".

EMPLOYMENT

  Youth Training, Newham
  Mr. Leighton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the number of young people on the youth training scheme in the London borough of Newham in each of the last five years; and what percentage(a) finished their course and (b) left early.

  Miss Widdecombe
  Information is not available for the London borough of Newham. Results available are for 720
  east London area office, which later became London East training and enterprise council—LETEC—and includes the London borough of Newham.

  Table 1 gives the number of youth training and table 2 gives completers and early leavers information, for each of the last five years.

  Table 1

  Youth Training Scheme/Youth Training Numbers In-Training March 1989 to March 1993 East London Area Office1/London East TEC2

  Number

  1March 1989

  3,510

  1March 1990

  3,600

  1 2March 1991

  3,180

  3March 1992

  4,760

  3 4March 1993

  4,380

  Source: SPECTRUM, Management Information, TEC Operating Agreement (Annex J).

  1 East London area office.

  2 Excludes Tower Hamlets. Excludes trainees in training with National Providers.

  3 London East TEC (includes Tower Hamlets).

  4 March 1993 figure is provisional.

  Table 2

  Youth training scheme/youth training completers and early leavers (percentage) April 1988 to January 1993 London East TEC area

  Completers

  Early leavers1

  Not stated/not known

  Per cent.

  Per cent.

  Per cent.

  April 1988 to March 1989

  31

  69

  —

  April 1989 to March 1990

  26

  74

  —

  April 1990 to March 1991

  27

  67

  6

  April 1991 to March 1992

  25

  68

  7

  April 1992 to January 19932

  24

  66

  9

  Source: Youth Training Leavers Database.

  1 Early Leavers' are those whose actual completion date was earlier than anticipated at the time they started training. This group will include those starting employment and those who subsequently take up another Youth Training course or a full-time course elsewhere.

  2 1992–93 figures are provisional.

  Market Testing
  Ms Mowlam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment 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. Michael Forsyth
  Four tests have been completed since November 1992, all of which are included in the Employment Department headquarters' 1992–93 market-testing programme:

  (i) van service—3 van service runs were tested, 2 were contracted out and 1 remained in-house;

  (ii) travel service—was contracted out;

  (iii) the Field System—was contracted out;

  (iv) TECs and National Providers Unit—was con-tracted out.

  Benlate
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what discussions are taking place with the United States Government on the investigation being undertaken by the Federal National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health into the use and effects of Benlate; and if he will make a statement.
  721
  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  [holding answer 16 June 1993]: No discussions are taking place with the United States Government on any investigation by the Federal National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health into the use and effects of Benlate.

  Government Departments with responsibility for pesticides maintain a watching brief on the scientific and technical literature and assess the results of relevant research. Where appropriate, the results are forwarded to the independent Advisory Committee on Pesticides—ACP.

  The ACP reviewed benomyl, the active ingredient in the pesticide product Benlate, in 1992 and considered further information from a university of California study in March 1993. The ACP concluded that there was no cause for concern over the continued use of benomyl in the United Kingdom.

WALES

  Open-Heart Surgery
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many adults resident in Wales had open-heart surgery outside Wales in 1992.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The latest available information is given as follows:

  Patients treated in English NHS hospitals: Finished consultant episodes, by main operation, 1991–921 2

  Aged 16 and over

  Age not known

  431

  88

  1 Excludes patients recorded as being under 16 years of age.

  2 Includes operations of heart valves and adjacent structures, operations on coronary artery and other open heart operations.

  Cancer
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many cancer cases were confirmed per 1,000 population in each county in Wales in 1972, 1977, 1982, 1987 and 1992.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  Data on cancer registrations in Wales for the current district health authorities are only available from 1974. Prior to this date, the Welsh Cancer Registry only collated data for the previous districts of south and mid Wales. Data for 1992 have not yet been processed. The latest available recorded number of cases of malignant cancers per 1,000 population for each health authority in Wales for 1977, 1982 and 1987 are given in the following table:

  19971

  19821 2

  1987

  Clwyd

  4·65

  5·10

  5·07

  East Dyfed

  4·85

  4·67

  6·23

  Pembrokeshire

  4·35

  3·86

  5·20

  Gwent

  3·73

  4·19

  5·58

  Gwynedd

  4·73

  5·10

  6·24

  Mid Glamorgan

  3·52

  4·06

  5·01

  Powys

  4·29

  4·48

  5·35

  South Glamorgan

  3·98

  4·35

  4·35

  West Glamorgan

  4·65

  4·98

  6·36

  Wales

  4·19

  4·53

  5·41

  722
  Source: Welsh Cancer Registry

  1 Data for these years have been revised since previous publication.

  2 1982 data may be under-recorded due to industrial action in medical records departments at that time.

  Firms (Receivership)
  Mr. Richards
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the percentage change in the number of Welsh firms going into receivership between the first four months of 1993 and the first four months of 1992; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  Official statistics on companies placed into receivership are not available separately for Wales.

  Strategic Planning Guidance
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he expects to receive the strategic planning guidance document commissioned from the Assembly of Welsh Counties; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Redwood
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply my predecessor gave to him on 27 May at column 716.

  Solvent Abuse
  Mr. Richards
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many people in Wales have died from solvent abuse in each county in Wales in each year since 1979; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The number of deaths to residents of Wales associated with abuse of volatile substances in each year since 1979 are given in the following table. Information at county level is not available for reasons of confidentiality.

  Deaths to residents

  1979

  1

  1980

  1

  1981

  2

  1982

  3

  1983

  2

  1984

  7

  1985

  2

  1986

  4

  1987

  8

  1988

  4

  1989

  2

  1990

  7

  Source: St. George's Hospital Medical School.

  Radon
  Mr. Richards
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what measures are being taken to help those people in Clwyd whose homes are at risk from radon seepage; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The results of further research, to delineate more accurately areas where radon levels may be higher than average, are expected in the spring of 1994. In the meantime, free measurement of radon levels is available to concerned householders living in areas where concentrations may be elevated. Home renovation grants may be available for homes where radon concentrations are found to be above the Government action level of 200 bq/cu m.

  Rural Schools
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many rural schools have been closed in each county in each year since 1979; and if he will make a statement.

  Number of maintained primary schools

  Clwyd

  Dyfed

  Gwent

  Gwynedd

  Mid-Glamorgan

  Powys

  South Glamorgan

  West Glamorgan

  Wales

  1979–80

  264

  355

  278

  200

  321

  131

  178

  198

  1,925

  1980–81

  263

  353

  275

  200

  317

  129

  175

  196

  1,908

  1981–82

  260

  347

  265

  199

  315

  125

  171

  191

  1,873

  1982–83

  258

  342

  264

  198

  317

  122

  164

  179

  1,844

  1983–84

  253

  338

  261

  198

  314

  121

  161

  175

  1,821

  1984–85

  252

  335

  253

  98

  309

  119

  158

  172

  1,796

  1985–86

  251

  329

  239

  198

  312

  117

  156

  172

  1,774

  1986–87

  251

  323

  238

  198

  312

  115

  156

  169

  1,762

  1987–88

  252

  323

  232

  196

  312

  114

  156

  168

  1,753

  1988–89

  251

  319

  228

  195

  312

  114

  157

  167

  1,743

  1989–90

  248

  315

  226

  194

  312

  113

  157

  164

  1,729

  1990–91

  246

  315

  225

  193

  305

  112

  157

  164

  1,717

  1991–92

  245

  315

  215

  192

  306

  109

  158

  164

  1,704

  (a) Excludes pupils in special schools

  Number of maintained secondary schools1

  1979–80

  1980–81

  1981–82

  1982–83

  1983–84

  1984–85

  1985–86

  1986–87

  1987–88

  1988–89

  1989–90

  1990–91

  1991–92

  Clwyd

  34

  34

  34

  34

  33

  33

  33

  33

  33

  33

  33

  33

  33

  Dyfed

  35

  35

  35

  35

  34

  34

  34

  33

  33

  32

  31

  31

  31

  Gwent

  40

  38

  38

  35

  35

  35

  35

  33

  33

  34

  34

  34

  33

  Gwynedd

  23

  23

  24

  24

  24

  24

  24

  24

  24

  23

  23

  23

  23

  Mid-Glamorgan

  41

  41

  42

  42

  42

  42

  42

  42

  42

  42

  42

  42

  42

  Powys

  12

  12

  12

  12

  13

  13

  13

  13

  13

  13

  13

  13

  13

  South Glamorgan

  30

  30

  30

  29

  29

  29

  29

  29

  28

  28

  28

  27

  27

  West Glamorgan

  26

  26

  26

  27

  26

  27

  27

  27

  27

  27

  27

  27

  27

  Wales

  241

  239

  241

  238

  236

  237

  237

  234

  233

  232

  231

  230

  229

  1 Includes Grant Maintained schools.

  Bathing Beaches
  Mr. Richards
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what measures are being taken to ensure that the bathing beaches at Kimnel bay and Rhyl comply with the mandatory coliform standards as laid down by the EC; and when they are expected to meet these standards.

  Mr. Redwood
  As part of its major investment programme, Dwr Cymru is constructing a long sea outfall and a new sewage treatment works in the area which, on completion in 1995, should ensure compliance of the bathing waters at Kimnel bay and Rhyl with the mandatory bacteriological standards of the EC bathing waters directive.

  Coastal Erosion
  Mr. Richards
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what measures are being taken to protect vulnerable areas of the Welsh coast from damaging erosion; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  District councils in Wales have spent over £32 million during the past 10 years protecting vulnerable areas of the Welsh coast from erosion, with some £21 million of this being provided by the Welsh Office as grant aid under the Coast Protection Act 1949.

  Maritime district councils, the National Rivers Authority and other bodies whose interests involve coastal defence have formed themselves into coastal groups
  724
  Sir Wyn Roberts
  Information is not collected in the form requested. The available information is as follows:

  extending around the Welsh coast. These groups ensure that protection of the coastline is managed strategically. The Welsh office is working closely with these groups to co-ordinate a new survey of the complete Welsh coastline and its defences.

  Welsh Development Agency (Chairman)
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he expects to fill the vacancy of chairman of the Welsh Development Agency.

  Mr. Redwood
  I expect to make an announcement about Dr. Jones' successor shortly.

  Autism
  Mr. Richards
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many people in Wales are known to suffer from autism; what measures are being taken to provide support and treatment to those children in Wales who suffer from autism; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  Although detailed information is not held centrally, it is believed that autistic disorders affect between 2,500 and 5,000 people in Wales.

  Financial assistance is provided, under the mental handicap strategy, for the development of services for people with autism where these have been identified as priorities by county joint planning teams.

  Public Bodies
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his answer of 24 May,Official Report, column 467, how many vacancies there are in Welsh non-departmental public bodies.

  Mr. Redwood
  As at 11 June, there were 18 vacancies among appointments which I make.

  Tourism
  Mr. Richards
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what has been the contribution from tourism to the gross domestic product of Wales in each year since 1979; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  Current data do not allow such an assessment to be made, but the available information on expenditure by overnight and day visitors to Wales is listed as follows. Comparable figures prior to 1989 are not available.

  Estimated expenditure by overnight and day visitors to Wales

  £ million1

  1989

  1,330

  1990

  1,260

  1991

  1,255

  Source: Wales Tourist Board.

  1To the nearest £5 million. Estimated expenditure by day visitors in 1988–89 is used for all years.

  Details of Wales' gross domestic product at factor cost were published in the December 1992 edition of "Economic Trends" (No. 470), available in the Library of the House.

  Regional Assistance
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether Aberconwy will be given priority in his discussions regarding allocation of objective 5(b) status in Wales; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Redwood
  My overriding objective for the current review of the structural funds is to both retain and extend our present geographical coverage in Wales. The omission of Aberconwy from objective 5(b) status is widely recognised as an anomaly which needs to be rectified and my predecessor drew the attention of the relevant EC Commissioners to this fact earlier this year. I propose to continue to pursue vigorously its case for future eligibility.

  Mental Health Act 1983
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many people from Wales have been detained under section 2 of the Mental Health Act 1983 in each year since 1985.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The information is in the following table:

  Admissions to hospitals and units in Wales under section 2 of the Mental Health Act 19831

  Year

  1985

  275

  1986

  357

  1987

  329

  726

  Year

  1988

  320

  1989

  327

  1990

  415

  1991–92

  380

  1 Prior to 30 September 1983 Section 2 was classified as Section 25 of the Mental Health Act 1959. The data collection system was revised in April 1991. Financial year figures are given for 1991–92.

  NHS Staff
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many(a) district nurses and (b) community midwifery staff have been employed by the NHS in Wales in each year since 1987.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  Detailed breakdowns of nursing staff employed by health authorities and NHS trusts into occupational groups such as those requested are not considered reliable. However, information on the whole-time equivalent numbers of all nursing and midwifery staff is as follows.

  Staff in post as at 30 September

  Number

  1987

  27,764

  1988

  27,920

  1989

  28,037

  1990

  28,093

  1991

  27,962

  19921

  27,583

  1 In addition there are about 1,000 student nurses who have been reclassified as students from nurses following the introduction of Project 2000 nursing education reforms.

  Trawsfynydd Lake
  Mr. Richards
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the importance of Trawsfynydd lake as a centre for recreation in North Wales.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  Trawsfynydd lake is used for watersports, but has no particular significance as a centre for active recreation.

  Market Testing
  Ms Mowlam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales 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. Redwood
  The contract for building management services previously undertaken by the Property Services Agency has been market tested and awarded to Kirkham, Williams and Lewis.

  The catering service to the Welsh Office has also been market tested. The contract was retained by Forward Catering Service.

  Landfill Sites
  Mr. Richards
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many landfill sites have closed in Wales in each year since 1985; and what measures are being taken to prevent them leaking toxic liquids and explosive gases.
  727
  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  This information is not maintained centrally, but is available from the individual district councils.

  Local Government
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many private representations he has so far received on the reorganisation of local government in Wales; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Redwood
  It was made clear in the White Paper that all responses received would, unless otherwise requested, be placed in the Welsh Office's library and the Library of the House. No respondents sending in representations to the Welsh Office have indicated that they want their comments to be private.

  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what closing date he has set for comments on the White Paper on the reorganisation of local government in Wales; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Redwood
  I have not set a formal closing date. But I have made it clear that I would find it helpful to receive comments by the end of June. That will be four months after the publication of the White Paper.

  Cockle Pickers
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent representations he has received from cockle pickers in Wales about access to cockles; if he will seek to introduce legislation to license cockle pickers in Wales; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Redwood
  None. Responsibility for managing inshore fisheries in Wales, including the licensing of cockle pickers, rests with sea fisheries committees, whose management regimes are enforced in accordance with byelaws which require my confirmation.

  Minister for Women
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his assessment so far of the consequences of his decision to designate, in his Department, a Minister having responsibilities for women; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Redwood
  My right hon. Friend the Minister of State has had special responsibility for issue relating to women in Wales for some years. He has been a member of the Cabinet Sub-Committee on Women's Issues since April 1992; and prior to that was a member of the ministerial group on women's issues.

  The present ministerial sub committee aims to focus Government thinking and policy on women's issues and allows my Department to contribute to the overall range of Government activity affecting women.

  My right hon. Friend's role also ensures that policy measures across the wide spectrum of my Department's own responsibilities are co-ordinated to take full account of the needs of women in Wales.

  Urban Investment Grants
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his answer of 11 June,Official Report, columns 346–48, if he will list the public bodies, other than the
  728
  Welsh Office, which can offer urban investment grants; what are the maximum thresholds of grants above which the Welsh Office has to give separate approval; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Redwood
  Cardiff Bay development corporation is the only public sector body in Wales, other than the Welsh Office, which offers urban investment grants. Welsh Office approval is required if the development corporation proposes to make an offer of grant which is greater than the current delegation threshold for projects of £250,000. These delegation arrangements are no different from those which apply to other types of project.

  Minister for Children
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will appoint a Minister for Children at his Department; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Redwood
  No.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Abattoirs
  Mr. Harvey
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what progress has been made in considering the practical implications of the new regulations concerning small abattoirs.

  Mr. Soames
  I refer my hon. Friend to the reply which my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales gave to the hon. Member for Caerphilly (Mr. Davies) on 27 May,Official Report, column 715.

  Multi-annual Guidance Programme
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will list the minimum and maximum number of half days provided under the multi-annual guidance programme obligation and the average for each segment of the fleet; and what relations those figures bear to the provisions made under the Sea Fish Conservation Act 1992 for(a) England, (b) Wales, (c) Scotland and (d) Northern Ireland, and by each port.

  Mr. Jack
  The United Kingdom's multi-annual guidance programme is expressed primarily in terms of capacity. The United Kingdom's target is a 19 per cent. reduction in capacity—45 per cent. of which can be achieved by reductions in time at sea. Time at sea will be controlled on an individual basis and initially the Sea Fish Licensing (Time at Sea) (Principles) Order will restrict fishing patterns to 1991 levels.

  Fish Catches (Monitoring)
  Mr. Nigel Evans
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many EC fishery officers are employed to monitor fish catches in each EC country that possesses an ocean fishing fleet.

  Mr. Jack
  The most recent information on numbers of fisheries officers employed in member states with ocean fishing fleets is contained in a Commission report on
  729
  monitoring implementation of the common fisheries policy, published in March 1992 a copy of which has been placed in the Library of the House.

  Floods
  Mr. Harvey
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans she has to provide additional funding to help meet the costs resulting from the recent floods in Devon and Cornwall.

  Mr. Jack
  Local authorities that have incurred an exceptional financial burden as a consequence of the recent flooding events can apply to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment for activation of the Bellwin scheme of emergency financial assistance. Each case is considered on its merits.

  Grant aid is available to local authorities and the National Rivers Authority from the Ministry for new and improved flood defence works. Grant provision has increased in recent years and priority is given to flood warning and urban flood and sea defence works.

NATIONAL FINANCE

  Shipping and Shipbuilding
  Mr. Kilfoyle
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what measures are under consideration to arrest the decline of the British shipping and shipbuilding industries.

  Mr. Dorrell
  Along with the rest of United Kingdom industry, ship owners and builders are operating with the lowest rate of inflation for 30 years; the lowest interest rates in the EC; and the lowest rate of corporation tax in the EC. My hon. Friend the Economic Secretary will be meeting the Chamber of Shipping shortly to examine their case for special measures.

  Unemployment
  Ms Short
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effect on the public sector borrowing requirement of a halving of the rate of unemployment.

  Mr. Portillo
  I refer the hon. Lady to the reply given earlier to the hon. Member for Knowsley, South (Mr. O'Hara).

  Any attempt to quantify the effect of changes in unemployment on the PSBR would depend on a large number of assumptions, and would be subject to great uncertainty. In particular, there are no reliable estimates of the effects of unemployment on tax revenues.

  Mr. William O'Brien
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effects of Government economic policies on unemployment over the past year; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The Government's success in bringing down underlying inflation to its lowest levels for 25 years has created a secure foundation for sustained recovery. Interest rates are at their lowest levels for 15 years, and manufacturing unit wage cost performance is the best on record. These developments; combined with the measures for business and the unemployed in the March Budget,730
  provide the basis for sustainable, non-inflationary growth and improving employment prospects, as recent labour market indicators show.

  Public Sector Pay
  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the Government's intentions for public sector pay for 1993–94.

  Mr. Portillo
  As announced in the last autumn statement, public sector pay restraint, which limits all settlement within the range zero to 1·5 per cent., will be applied for one year. There can be no catching-up settlements following that. Public sector pay is an important part of public expenditure and will obviously have to be kept under tight control.

  Manufacturing (Unit Wage Growth)
  Mr. Spring
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are his latest figures for unit wage growth in manufacturing in the United Kingdom, Germany and Japan.

  Sir John Cope
  Over the last year unit wage costs in Britain fell by almost 3 per cent. In comparison, they rose by 9 per cent. in Japan and 10 per cent. in Germany.

  Tax Changes
  Mr. Wareing
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the impact of recent tax changes on economic recovery.

  Mr. Dorrell
  I have every confidence that the measures announced in the Budget will ensure recovery is sustainable. They demonstrate the Government's commitment to low inflation and sound public finances.

  Unemployed People (Tax Burden)
  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the direct and indirect tax burden is on a single person in receipt of unemployment benefit.

  Mr. Dorrell
  A single person receiving unemployment benefit with no other source of income will pay no income tax. The amount of indirect tax paid will depend on his pattern of spending.

  Financial Policy
  Mr. Robert Ainsworth
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he last met the Governor of the Bank of England to discuss financial policy.

  Mr. Hanson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has recently held with the Governor of the Bank of England to discuss financial policy.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  I meet the Governor from time to time to discuss a range of issues.

  Taxation
  Mr. Davidson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the latest estimate he has about the income distribution of the direct and indirect tax burden.
  731
  Mr. Dorrell
  The latest information is given in the May 1993 edition of "Economic Trends".

  11 Downing Street (Rental Value)
  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the rental value of the residential accommodation at 11 Downing street.

  Sir John Cope
  The Treasury is charged a rent of £139,359 per annum for No. 11 Downing street through the Government's internal charging, property repayment system. The residential element is not separately assessed.

  G7 Summit
  Mr. Luff
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what measures he will be proposing at the G7 summit in Tokyo in July to enhance international economic growth.

  Sir John Cope
  The continuing weakness of the world economy is a serious cause for concern. Tackling the problem will require short-term national measures to boost confidence and promote recovery and medium-term measures to strengthen the sustainable rate of growth. The appropriate medium-term measures include a reduction of budget deficits and structural reform to make markets work better. However, the one single measure that will do most to promote non-inflationary growth is a successful outcome to the GATT negotiations.

  Ministerial Responsibilities
  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to reorganise the responsibilities undertaken by Ministers in his Department.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  I have no plans at present.

  Unemployment Benefit
  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his latest estimate of the proportion of public spending accounted for by unemployment benefit.

  Mr. Portillo
  In 1992–93, unemployment benefit accounted for 0·7 per cent. of general Government expenditure, excluding privatisation proceeds.

  VAT (Fuel)
  Mr. Gapes
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the impact of VAT on domestic fuel on inflation; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir John Cope
  The extension of VAT to domestic fuel and power is estimated to add just under 0·4 per cent. to the retail prices index in 1994–95, and just over 0·4 per cent. further in 1995–96.

  Government Borrowing
  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what measures he intends to take to reduce Government borrowing.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  The economic recovery will reduce Government borrowing. We shall also maintain firm control of public expenditure and implement the tax measures announced in the Budget.

  Trinidad Terms
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Ynys Mon (Mr. Jones) of II February 1993,Official Report, column 719, what reasons underlie the treatment of levels of debt of other countries as confidential; and if such treatment has been requested by all the countries concerned.

  Mr. Nelson
  The answer to the hon. Member for Ynys Môn related to bilateral debt reduction undertaken by all of the Paris club group of creditor countries. We do not hold details of bilateral obligations between all debtor and creditor countries. Moreover, on United Kingdom bilateral debt, the details of individual debtors' positions are confidential to the country concerned and we cannot publish these figures without the consent of the authorities.

  Bank of England
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has recently held with the Governor of the Bank of England about the state of the economy.

  Mr. Nelson
  My right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer meets the Governor from time to time to discuss a range of issues.

  Income Tax
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the expected current annual yield from income tax at the basic, lower and higher rates; what are the comparable figures for 10 and 15 years ago; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Dorrell
  Estimates of taxpayers' income tax liabilities at the various rate bands are as follows:

  £ billion

  1978–791

  1983–841

  1993–94

  Lower rate

  4·4

  —

  10·8

  Basic rate

  13·7

  29·7

  36·5

  Higher rate

  1·9

  3·5

  12·8

  Investment income surcharge

  0·2

  0·2

  —

  Total income tax liability

  20·2

  33·4

  60·1

  1 For years prior to 1990–91 liability is determined by the taxable income of the tax unit (ie single person or married couple). From 1990–91 onwards following the introduction of Independent Taxation each individual's liability is calculated separately.

  Open-ended Investment Companies
  Mr. Watts
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress has been made on legislation to allow the introduction of open-ended investment companies.

  Mr. Nelson
  Following informal consultations with the unit trust industry and others, the Treasury intends to publish later this year a consultation document on the proposed structure of onshore open-ended investment companies. This will discuss proposals for regulations under section 2(2) of the European Communities Act 1972 to permit, as a first step, the introduction of open-ended investment companies which fulfil the requirements of EC Council directive 85/611—the UCITS directive.

DEFENCE

  School of Aeronautical Engineering
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to move the School of Aeronautical Engineering to Arborfield.

  Mr. Hanley
  The principles on which the further restructuring of the Army's training organisation were to be based were announced on 16 December 1992. Much detailed work has been done to identify the future training locations for the Army, but no decisions have yet been taken.

  British Army of the Rhine
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many British soldiers are currently serving in Germany.

  Mr. Hanley
  The current military strength of the British Army of the Rhine is some 39,000.

  Army Recruitment
  Mrs. Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Regular Army recruiting offices operate a capping system whereby a top figure of potential recruits has been allocated irrespective of the number of potential applicants.

  Mr. Hanley
  Individual Army careers information offices do not operate capping systems. The total number 734
  of recruits into the Army is, however, limited by the number of vacancies which are forecast to arise. The acceptance of any potential recruit into the Army is therefore determined centrally and on merit, regardless of the Army careers information office to which he or she applied.

  House Sales
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will establish a specific housing trust to oversee the disposal of MOD houses to local authorities and housing associations.

  Mr. Hanley
  There are no plans to set up such a body. It remains our policy to dispose of surplus married quarters as quickly as possible, with priority given to the services discount scheme.

  Ulverston Drill Hall
  Mr. Hutton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many offers were received for the purchase of the Ulverston drill hall; and when his Department intends to arrive at a decision as to which offer to accept.

  Mr. Hanley
  Four offers have been received and all are still being considered. A final decision will not be taken on which offer to accept until an alternative training venue has been found for the cadets who use the hall at present.

  FOREIGN AFFAIRS COUNCIL, 7th—9th JUNE
  FOREIGN AFFAIRS COUNCIL, 7th—9th JUNE
  AID AND TRADE PROVISIONS
  AID AND TRADE PROVISIONS
  SARAJEVO: PROTECTION BY UNPROFOR
  SARAJEVO: PROTECTION BY UNPROFOR
  BOSNIA: ALLEGED GENOCIDE
  BOSNIA: ALLEGED GENOCIDE
  NEPAL: ARUN III PROJECT
  NEPAL: ARUN III PROJECT
  NHS: ASSESSMENT OF PRIORITY FOR TREATMENT
  NHS: ASSESSMENT OF PRIORITY FOR TREATMENT
  MoT CERTIFICATES: FRAUD
  MoT CERTIFICATES: FRAUD
  HOUSING MANAGEMENT AND CCT
  HOUSING MANAGEMENT AND CCT
  THE VOLUNTEER RESERVES
  THE VOLUNTEER RESERVES