Written Answers of 21 June 1993

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Sunday Trading
  Dame Angela Rumbold
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the compatibility of the tribunal of Sunday trading legislation policy proposed by the Keep Sunday Special campaign and Retailers for Shop Act Reform with the Government's policy on reducing bureaucracy and burdens on business; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  We shall publish in the next few weeks a draft Sunday trading Bill, together with a covering text explaining the options for reform. Hon. Members will no doubt weigh the effect of each of the options on businesses before choosing from among them.

  Greyhound Racing
  Mr. Hargreaves
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much of the quarter per cent. betting duty reduction announced in the Budget in 1992 has been received by the British Greyhound Racing Trust Fund for the 1992–93 financial year; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  I understand that the British Greyhound Racing Trust fund has, to date, received voluntary payments from the betting industry totalling £1,058,504 for the financial year 1992–93.

  Terrorists
  Mr. Maginnis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the cost of IRA terrorist bombings in Great Britain in each year since 1985; and what is his estimate for 1993 up to 31 May.

  Mr. Howard
  The information is not available.

  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the number of(a) men and (b) women at present serving prison sentences in England and Wales for terrorist offences.

  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 D. Lewis to Mr. Tom Cox, dated June 1993.
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the number of (a) men and (b) women at present serving prison sentences in England and Wales for terrorist offences.
  Readily available information on the number of prisoners serving sentences in England and Wales whose offences were related to terrorism is limited to those classified as Category A.
  2
  There were 37 such men and 2 such women on 14 June 1993.

  Mr. Maginnis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the number of killings by IRA terrorists in Great Britain in each year since 1985.

  Mr. Howard
  Since 1 January 1985, 26 people have been killed in Great Britain as a result of terrorist activity attributed to the Provisional IRA. The numbers of people killed in each year are as follows:

  Number of people killed by the Provisional IRA

  Year

  Number

  1985

  0

  1986

  0

  1987

  0

  1988

  1

  1989

  11

  1990

  3

  1991

  3

  1992

  5

  19931

  3

  1 To date.

  Appeals
  Mr. Gunnell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions he has had of possible reforms to the appeal system.

  Mr. Maclean
  Various aspects of the appeal system fall within the remit of the Royal Commission on criminal justice, to which my predecessor gave evidence. We shall consider whether any changes may be needed in the light of the commission's report.

  Tobacco Sales (Children)
  Dr. Spink
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions there were in the last year for which figures are available for selling tobacco products to under-age children.

  Mr. Maclean
  In 1991, in England and Wales there were 101 prosecutions for the offence of selling tobacco to juveniles.

  1992 data will not be available until the autumn.

  Police Batons
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will agree to institute an extended pilot project on the use of the expandable side-handled baton.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  On 16 June, my right hon. and learned Friend agreed to a scientific evaluation of the expandable side-handled baton. Decisions about trialling this piece of equipment will be taken following the evaluation.

  Crown Court Cases
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was(a) the number and (b) the proportion of triable-either-way cases committed to the Crown court in 1979, 1983 and in each year from 1987 to 1992.
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  Mr. Maclean
  The numbers and proportions of persons aged 17 and over committed to the Crown court for triable-either-way offences for 1979 and 1983 and 1987–1991 are given below. Data for 1992 are unavailable until the autumn.

  Persons aged 17 and over committed for trial at the Crown court for triable-either-way offences in England and Wales

  Committed for trial

  Year

  Number (thousands)

  Percentage

  1979

  55·3

  15

  1983

  79·6

  18

  1987

  93·5

  23

  1988

  93·1

  22

  1989

  80·4

  21

  1990

  80·4

  20

  1991

  81·3

  19

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

  Citizens Charter
  Dr. Wright
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will give details of the initiatives taken under the citizens charter programme to develop user consultation, representation and participation in public services.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  The citizens charter calls on all public services to consult their customers on a regular and systematic basis. Survey programmes are being carried out across the public sector, and many organisations recognise and consult groups who represent their customers. There are numerous initiatives nationally and locally. These include:Charter Mark Scheme: organisations that apply must demonstrate that they consult customers on a regular and systematic basis and take their views into account when service standards arc set or revised. Thirty-six awards were made in 1992.
  Inland Revenue: has conducted a major survey of taxpayers to find out views on their service and are also surveying employers. Inland Revenue is considering how to improve services in response to these results.
  Customs and Excise: work is in hand on two national surveys of travellers and VAT traders. Results of a qualitative survey of travellers carried out last year were used when redrafting the travellers charter.
  London Underground: customers are surveyed on a four-weekly basis on over 20 performances indicators, including the five key targets set out in the customer charter.
  Police: the results of a survey of public satisfaction with police services were published in December 1992. A number of police services also use local customer satisfaction surveys or questionnaires.
  National Health Service: the patients charter encourages all health authorities to seek the views of local people on local services in a variety of ways. In Scotland, an independent survey of NHS users was undertaken to measure progress towards the achievement of charter commitments and identity problems and priorities for further action. In Wales, health authorities regularly carry out consumer research through patient satisfaction surveys, focus groups and local consultations.
  Education: all school governing bodies arc required to have elected parental governors. Since 1986, school governors are required to produce an annual report for parents and hold annual parents' meetings where parents can pass resolutions concerning the school. The parents charter has extended these rights to require schools to provide parents with annual reports on children, including exam and test results.
  4
  Benefits Agency: carries out an annual independent customer survey to ask customers what they think of services, and publishes the results; holds regular meetings with customer representative groups; and has received nearly 600 written submissions on its discussion paper "One Stop" about service delivery.
  Employment Service: conducts an independent national customer satisfaction survey, and has piloted local surveys.
  Under the Council Tenants Charter, tenants have the following rights to: be consulted on changes to the management of their homes; annual information on how the council has managed its housing stock; attend meetings of the housing committee and to see the records of its meetings; transfer to a new landlord, and increased opportunities to get involved in the management of estates, for example, through tenant management co-operatives. The Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Bill includes a right to manage for council tenants.
  United Kingdom Passport Agency: surveys customers by post and in person to find out their views and satisfaction levels. A consultative panel of users is planned for the future.
  Land Registry: users' customer views obtained from a programme of: meetings with user groups, surveys of regular customers, open days, visits and exhibitions to review targets to reflect customers' needs and wishes.

  Market Testing
  Ms Mowlam
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 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. Waldegrave
  The market tests completed since November 1992 by the Office of Public Service and Science, including its agencies, HMSO and the Central Office of Information and the outcome of these tests are as follows:

  Activity tested (and area)

  Outcome

  Bristol distribution centre (HMSO)

  Retained in-house

  Distribution of College 1993–94 prospectus (Civil Service College)

  Contracted out

  Elements of payroll development (Chessington computer centre)

  Contracted out

  Manchester forms centre (HMSO)

  Retained in-house

  Reprographic unit Basildon (HMSO)

  Part contracted out.

  part retained in-house

  Reprographic unit Manchester (HMSO)

  Retained in-house

  Security guarding (Recruitment and Assessment Services)

  Retained in-house

  Stationery store (COI)

  Service abandoned

  Telephonist service for Downing street (OPSS)

  Contracted out

  Typing services at publications centre (HMSO)

  Contracted out

ENVIRONMENT

  Warren Spring Laboratory
  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what will be the impact on his budgets for research into air quality, marine pollution, and waste management of the recent announcements relating to Warren Spring Laboratory.

  Mr. Gummer
  The transitional costs of the merger of WSL with the Atomic Energy Authority to form the National Environment Technology Centre will not fall on
  5
  my budgets in these areas of research. In the longer term, the Government believe that the merged organisation will be able to offer better value for money to all its customers.

  Housing (Elderly People)
  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what procedures he has introduced to ensure that the housing needs of elderly people are fully met by local social services departments.

  Mr. Baldry
  Circular 10/92 "Housing and Community Care", issued jointly by my Department and the Department of Health on 24 September last year, advises social services and housing authorities of their roles under community care. Social service authorities have a statutory duty to assess an individual's needs for community care services and are advised to co-operate with housing authorities where appropriate, in making that assessment.

  Air Pollution (Standing Conference)
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to continue meetings of the investigation of the air pollution standing conference following the closure of Warren Spring Laboratory.

  Mr. Yeo
  I intend to continue meetings of the investigation of air pollution standing conference.

  Benlate
  Mr. Dunnachie
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will introduce measures to ban the pesticide Benlate; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Yeo
  The Advisory Committee on Pesticides (ACP), the independent statutory committee which advises Ministers on the approval of pesticides, has examined data relating to benomyl—the active ingredient in the product Benlate—on two occasions in the past 15 months. On both occasions, the ACP advised that there was no need for concern over its continued use in the United Kingdom. A ban would, therefore, not be appropriate.

  House Renovation Grant
  Mr. Brazier
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to make changes to the private house renovation grant system; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir George Young
  I have placed in the Library copies of a consultation paper published today discussing the performance and effectiveness of present private house renewal programmes, including the renovation grant system, and outlining a variety of options for change. These include both changes that might be made in the short term, by adjustments to secondary legislation, and those that could be introduced longer term, subject to primary legislation.

  The Government are keen that there should be a full public dialogue on how policies in this area should develop and, accordingly, the consultation paper has been given wide distribution with three months for comment.

  I am also publishing today a preliminary report from the 1991 English house condition survey providing
  6
  information on the number of unfit dwellings in the English housing stock. Between 1986, the date of the last survey, and 1991 there has been a welcome decline in the number of unfit dwellings whether measured against the fitness standard in force in 1986 or against the new, higher standard introduced under the Local Government and Housing Act 1989. Under the old standard, 3·9 per cent. of dwellings—0·753 million—were unfit in 1991 compared with 4·8 per cent.—0·909 million—in 1986; under the new standard, 7·4 per cent. of dwellings—1·456 million—were unfit in 1991 compared with 8·8 per cent.—1·643 million—in 1986.

  The report also reveals that most progress has been made in those sectors of the stock which have the highest proportions of unfit dwellings, namely pre-1991 housing and the private rented sector. It further shows that, under the new standard, over half of all unfit dwellings fail to meet only one requirement in the standard. Many of these may be remedied relatively easily.

  We also plan to publish during the consultation period the first main report from the survey, which will give fuller information about the condition of the stock and household characteristics.

  Building Research Establishment
  Mr. Whittingdale
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish key performance targets for the Building Research Establishment.

  Mr. Baldry
  The Building Research Establishment is working to the following provisional key targets for 1993–94 in its strategic plan:

  £96,000 net contribution to the Exchequer.

  Income to cover full economic costs of a trading basis.

  Non-Exchequer component to be 10·9 per cent. of total net research commissions.

  An improvement of 5 per cent. in the unit cost ratio of research output on the target for 1992–93.

  The strategic plan is subject to further discussion with my Department. If, as a result, there are any changes to these targets, revised targets will be published.

  Local Government Finance
  Sir Rhodes Boyson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish the total amount of revenue expenditure by local authorities in(a) England, (b) Greater London and (c) the south-east, excluding Greater London, for each year from 1982–83 to 1992–93, estimated.

  Mr. Curry
  The latest information is:

  Local authority revenue expenditure1

  £ million

  Year

  England

  2Greater London

  South East (excluding Greater London)

  1982–83

  19,737

  4,111

  3,541

  1983–84

  20,809

  4,677

  3,691

  1984–85

  21,312

  5,000

  3,768

  1985–86

  21,661

  4,676

  3,933

  1986–87

  23,760

  5,128

  4,201

  1987–88

  25,686

  5,408

  4,582

  1988–89

  27,667

  5,553

  5,162

  1989–90

  29,404

  5,969

  5,395

  1990–91

  32,493

  6,371

  6,041

  31991–92

  36,416

  6,956

  6,999

  31992–93

  38,945

  7,392

  7,628

  7
  1Total expenditure figures are given for 1982–83 to 1989–90. Net revenue expenditure figures are given for 1990–91 to 1992–93. Although both are net of spending met by specific and supplementary grants, direct comparisons cannot be made as figures derive from two different financial systems.

  2Includes Metropolitan police, which covers small areas outside Greater London.

  3Revised estimates.

  Capital expenditure by local authorities in England

  £ million

  Net expenditure

  Gross expenditure

  Year

  Total England

  Greater London

  South East (excluding GL)

  Total England

  Greater London

  South East (excluding GL)

  1986–87

  3,033

  522

  285

  5,846

  1,362

  1,147

  1987–88

  2,488

  470

  120

  6,224

  1,433

  1,265

  1988–89

  1,964

  145

  106

  7,206

  1,592

  1,648

  1989–90

  4,837

  1,215

  910

  9,822

  2,593

  2,103

  1990–91

  3,755

  695

  691

  6,924

  1,473

  1,542

  1991–92

  4,316

  776

  882

  6,571

  1,306

  1,401

  1992–931

  4,977

  665

  1,030

  6,921

  1,267

  1,449

  1 Local authority forecast.

  Source: Local authority capital outturn and capital payments returns.

  (a) Outturn (provisional).

  (b) Estimate.

  Mr. Straw
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what estimate has been made of the amount of transitional relief each authority will pay in 1993–94; and if he will express this figure as(a) a percentage of total provision for transitional relief and (b) an amount per council tax payer.

  Mr. Gummer
  [holding answer 18 June 1993]: I am arranging for the available information to be placed in the Library of the House.

  Market Testing
  Ms Mowlam
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment 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. Baldry
  Only one of the projects in the Department's market-testing programme which involves exposing in-house functions to competition has yet reached the stage where a contract or service level agreement has been awarded. The market testing of a research project commissioned by the Department from the Building Research Establishment has resulted in the award of a contract to an outside bidder.

  New Age Travellers
  Mr. Aspinwall
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the total estimated cost of establishing a site of 15 pitches for new age travellers at Gipsy lane, Burnett, Avon.

  Mr. Baldry
  The cost of providing an authorised site for gipsies, as defined in section 16 of the Caravan Sites Act 1968, has been estimated by Avon county council as £795,500.
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  Sir Rhodes Boyson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish the total amount of(a) net and (b) gross capital expenditure by local authorities in (i) England, (ii) Greater London and (iii) the south-east, excluding Greater London, for each year from 1982–83 to 1992–93, estimated.

  Mr. Curry
  The available information is as follows:

  Liverpool Housing Action Trust
  Mr. George Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what factors were taken into account in determining which tenders were acceptable for shortlisting for the housing management contracts for the Liverpool HAT; what(a) guidelines and (b) procedures were used for evaluating the tenders; and if he will publish them;

  (2) what information will be given to those organisations or individuals who submitted tenders for management contracts for Liverpool HAT which were rejected as to why they were not acceptable;

  (3) if he will list those organisations or individuals which have been shortlisted for the management contracts for Liverpool HAT, indicating which are black-based associations.

  Mr. Baldry
  [holding answer 18 June 1993]: Responsibility for awarding the contracts rests with the Liverpool housing action trust. The HAT board is evaluating tenders received in accordance with standard public procurement procedures and against the criteria in the information pack sent to prospective tenderers and in the tender document. I am arranging for copies to be placed in the Library.

  Any future discussion between the HAT and tenderers on tenders not selected for shortlisting is a matter for the HAT board.

  I shall write to the hon. Member with the names of those shortlisted organisations which agree to the release of their names. Information was not sought in the tender process on the ethnic backgrounds of tenderers.

EDUCATION

  Access Funds, Liverpool University
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what representations he has received from Liverpool university about access funds; and if he will make a statement.
  9
  Mr. Boswell
  One, from the assistant registrar of Liverpool university. I announced on 14 June that a total of £23·8 million will be available for access funds in England for the 1993–94 academic year. This represents an increase of over £2 million—nearly 10 per cent.—over 1992–93. We believe that if properly targeted to genuinely needy students, this should be sufficient for the purpose of supplementing an already generous student support package of grants and loans.

  Grant-maintained Schools
  Dr. Wright
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many(a) county primary schools and (b) voluntary-aided primary schools have applied for and been granted grant-maintained status; and what percentage these are of all schools in these categories.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  The information requested is given in the table.

  Primary schools operating/approved for self-governing governing status

  As a percentage of all schools in the category

  TOTAL

  139

  0·7

  of which county or former county

  96

  0·8

  voluntary or former voluntary

  43

  0·7

  of which VA1 or former VA and SA2 or former SA

  23

  0·6

  VC3or former VC

  20

  0·7

  1 Voluntary aided.

  2 Special agreement.

  3 Voluntary controlled.

  School Governors
  Dr. Wright
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will bring forward proposals to clarify the legal liabilities of individual governors of(a) local education authority maintained schools, (b) voluntary-aided schools and (c) grant-maintained schools; and what plans he has to underwrite the legal liabilities of school governors.

  Mr. Forth
  The Education Bill currently before Parliament provides for the incorporation of governing bodies of LEA-maintained schools. This will ensure that governors do not incur any personal liability for decisions taken in good faith. Subject to Royal Assent, the Department will be issuing guidance on incorporation later this year. A separate fact sheet on legal liabilities is available on request to governing bodies of self-governing—grant-maintained—schools.

  It is for local education authorities and governing bodies to cover legal liabilities with their own insurers.

  Assisted Places
  Mr. Nigel Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what is the lowest, highest and average sum of money paid for an assisted place in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Forth
  In 1991–92, the lowest fee charged by a school participating in the scheme was £2,025. However,10
  assisted places are subject to a means-tested contribution from parents. Hence the lowest cost to the Exchequer is nil where the parental contribution exceeds the fees charged. The highest cost to the Exchequer would be a pupil at the school charging the highest fee—£8,595—accepted under the scheme, who for reasons of low parental means was entitled to full fee remission. The average cost to the Exchequer for an assisted place was £3,100. These figures relate to England only.

  Mr. Nigel Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many children received assisted places at schools in 1990, 1991, 1992 and the current year to date.

  Mr. Forth
  There were 26,740 children on assisted places in the academic year 1990–91, 27,641 in academic year 1991–92 and an estimated 28,670 assisted pupils in the current academic year 1992–93. These figures relate to pupils in England only.

  First-choice Schools
  Dr. Wright
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what percentage of parents secured the school of their first choice for their children in(a) 1979 and (b) the last year for which figures are available (i) nationally and (ii) for each local education authority, and for (1) primary and (2) secondary schools.

  Mr Robin Squire
  This information is not collected centrally.

  National Curriculum
  Mr. Clapham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he intends to extend the national curriculum and tests to the private education sector.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  My right hon. Friend has no plans to extend the national curriculum and the associated testing and assessment arrangements to schools in the independent sector. It is for independent schools themselves to decide whether to implement the national curriculum. Some have already decided to do so. As the arrangements become better established, I expect many more to follow.

  Religious and Physical Education
  Lady Olga Maitland
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what are the principal religions in Great Britain for the purposes of section 8(3) of the Education Reform Act 1988.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  It is not for my right hon. Friend, but for each local agreed syllabus conference, to determine the religions to be included in its syllabus for religious education in the light of the requirements of the law.

  Youth Service
  Mr. Austin-Walker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proposals he has to provide local authorities with appropriate guidelines on providing a youth service; and if he will make a statement on the policy and the priority to be attached to a youth service by local authorities.

  Mr. Boswell
  The Department's circular 1/93 of 5 January 1993, "The Further and Higher Education Act
  11
  1992", made it clear that local education authorities have a duty to secure the provision of adequate facilities for further education, including the youth service. The duty is placed on LEAs, and it is primarily for them to decide on their policies and the priority to be given to their local youth services in the light of local needs and circumstances.

  Mr. Austin-Walker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what was the expenditure on the youth service for(a) 1990–91, (b) 1991–92 and (c) 1992–93; and what is his forecast for expenditure in 1993–94.

  Mr. Boswell
  Expenditure by LEAs in England on the youth service in 1990–91 was £241·7 million (cash). For 1991–92, the provisional total is £248·8 million (cash). This total includes provisional figures for six LEAs and excludes one outstanding LEA return. Outturn figures are not yet available for 1992–93, and forecasts are not made for future years' expenditure on the youth service.

  Disabled Students
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many students in each of the universities and institutions of higher education in England and Wales are registered disabled; and what proportion they represent of the student population in(a) Wales, (b) England and (c) Wales and England combined.

  Mr. Boswell
  Disability is not currently recorded on the statistical records of higher education students.

PRIME MINISTER

  Mr. Asil Nadir
  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his oral answers to the right hon. and learned Member for Monklands, East (Mr. Smith) on 8 June,Official Report, column 138, when and where the Minister of State, Northern Ireland Office, the hon. Member for East Hampshire (Mr. Mates), met Mr. Asil Nadir during the 10 days prior to Mr. Nadir travelling to northern Cyprus.

  The Prime Minister
  That is a matter for my hon. Friend.

  Registration Campaigns
  Mr. Barnes
  To ask the Prime Minister what the budgets are or were for the operation of the most recent registration campaigns for(a) the sale of British Telecom shares, (b) overseas voters and (c) electoral registration by United Kingdom residents.

  The Prime Minister
  Details of the costs of the BT3 share offer will be reported to Parliament in due course, following completion of the sale. These will include, and separately identify, the costs of marketing and the share information office. The sum of £672,000 was spent in the 1992–93 financial year in Great Britain on advertising to encourage people to register to vote. Advertising in support of electoral registration is not carried out in Northern Ireland. A publicity campaign to make British citizens living abroad aware of their new voting rights wasd carried out in 1990 only, at a cost of £705,000.
  12

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

  The Prime Minister
  [holding answer 16 June 1993]: None.

NATIONAL FINANCE

  Value Added Tax
  Mr. Denzil Davies
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the total official revenue that will accrue to the Exchequer in a full year of the imposition of VAT at the rate of 5 per cent. on(a) domestic fuel and power and (b) categories one, three, six, seven, eight, 10, 11, 12 and 13 contained in annex H of directive 92/77/EEC.

  Sir John Cope
  Estimates of the effect on VAT revenue that would occur in a full year from a 5 per cent. rate are as follows:

  £ million

  (a) Domestic fuel and power—yield

  740

  (b) Annex H selected items—cost

  -450

  These estimates are for 1992–93 and, unlike those published in the "Financial Statement and Budget Report", make no allowance for behavioural change.

  Invalidity Benefit
  Mr. Dewar
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what is his best estimate of the number of recipients of invalidity benefit who would have an increased tax bill if invalidity benefit was taxed as income; and what would be the average increase;

  (2) what is his best estimate of the number of recipients of invalidity benefit who would pay tax whose only income was invalidity benefit if that benefit was taxed as income; and what the average tax bill would be for that group;

  (3) what is his best estimate of the yield to the Treasury in a full year of taxing invalidity benefit as income.

  Mr. Dorrell
  Approximate estimates are that the yield at 1993–94 levels, from making invalidity benefit taxable would be about £500 million.

  The estimated number of recipients who would have an income tax liability and the average increase in tax is shown in the table:

  Number of taxpayers with invalidity benefit liable to tax

  Average increase in tax with invalidity benefit liable to tax (£ a year)

  All recipients of invalidity benefit

  1900,000

  550

  Invalidity benefit recipients with no other income

  200,000

  100

  1 Of which some 250,000 already have an income tax liability.

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  Child Benefit
  Mr. Dewar
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his best estimate of the yield to the Treasury in a full year of treating child benefit as income for income tax purposes

  Mr. Dorrell
  At 1993–94 levels the revenue yield would be about £600 million, assuming that the benefit was taxed as the mother's—or lone father's—income.

  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will estimate what the saving would be of taxing child benefit as part of the woman's income in 1993–94 and 1994–95;

  (2) if he will estimate what the saving would be of taxing child benefit as part of the man's income in 1993–94 and 1994–95.

  Mr. Dorrell
  [holding answer 17 June 1993]: The revenue yield at 1993–94 levels would be about £1·3 billion if child benefit was taxed as the father's—or lone mother's—income and about £0·6 billion if taxed as mother's—or lone father's—income.

  Estimates for 1994–95 will depend on the levels of child benefit and on tax rates and allowances for that year.

  Government Employees (Holidays)
  Mr. Ralph Howell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many privilege holidays in addition to bank holidays are enjoyed by employees in central Government.

  Mr. Dorrell
  Civil servants receive 21½ days' holidays, in addition to the eight public and bank holidays in the calendar year. These holidays are fixed by tradition and taken as follows: a half-day on Maundy Thursday afternoon, a day for the Queen's birthday and an additional day at Christmas.

  Workplace Nurseries
  Mr. Callaghan
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what further representations he has received on tax relief for workplace nurseries.

  Mr. Dorrell
  We have received a number of representations on this subject, as we have on many other tax reliefs. They have ranged from suggestions to give tax relief for all child care to representations that there should be no change.

  Privatisation Revenue
  Mr. Callaghan
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what he estimates privatisation revenue will be in 1993–94.

  Mr. Dorrell
  In his autumn statement of 12 November 1992, the former Chancellor, my right hon. Friend the Member for Kingston-upon-Thames (Mr. Lamont), announced that the privatisation proceeds for 1993–94 are estimated to be £5·5 billion.

  Income Tax
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give the estimated full-year costs or savings of changing income tax by(a) raising the upper
  14
  limit of the 20p band to £2,750, (b) raising the 25p rate by 1 p, (c) introducing a 35p in the pound rate for taxable income from £23,700 to £28,700, (d) raising the 40p in the pound rate to 45p on taxable income over £35,000 and (e) introducing a 50p in the pound rate on taxable income over £45,000.

  Mr. Dorrell
  Latest estimates of the cost or savings of each measure compared with the regime announced in the March 1993 Budget are as follows:

  Direct revenue yield ( + ) or cost ( - ) in full year at 1993–94 income levels

  £ million

  (a) Increasing width of the lower rate band to £2,750

  -240

  (b) Raising the basic rate of tax by 1 per cent.

  1,500

  (c) Charging 35 per cent, tax rate on taxable income between £23,700 and £28,700

  -330

  (d) Charging 45 per cent, tax rate on taxable income in excess of £35,000

  1,000

  (e) Charging 50 per cent, tax rate on taxable income in excess of £45,000

  1,500

  The estimates do not allow for any behavioural effect that might result from such changes to the tax system and do not include capital gains tax.

  Forward: Civil Service Catering
  Mr. Burns
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has for the future of Forward: Civil Service Catering.

  Mr. Nelson
  My right hon. Friend the former Chancellor told the House on 27 March 1991,Official Report, columns 410–11, that he had decided that the Civil Service Catering Organisation—as it was then known—should be reorganised with the aim of transferring it into the private sector.

  Since the announcement, substantial changes have been made, including renaming the organisation as Forward: Civil Service Catering, and I believe it is now ready for privatisation. Financial advisers have been appointed to assist in this process. Parliamentary approval to this new service will be sought in a supplementary estimate for Her Majesty's Treasury vote—class XVII, vote 1. Pending that approval, urgent expenditure of up to £400,000 on preliminary expenses will be met by repayable advances from the Contingencies Fund.

  Forward is profitable and has shown its ability to win business in a fully competitive situation. Privatisation will open the way for it to compete for business outside the public sector.

  On privatisation, Forward staff would transfer on their existing terms and conditions in accordance with the Transfer of Undertakings (Employment Protections) Regulations 1981.

  There will be full consultation with the trade unions involved.

  Pensioners (Income Tax)
  Mr. Jenkin
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his latest estimate of the number of pensioners above income support level who do not pay income tax.
  15
  Mr. Dorrell
  About 4·5 million at 1993–94 levels.

  Sterling
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 16 June,Official Report, column 613, what estimates his Department has made of the effect of the depreciation of sterling against the ecu since September 1992 in terms of the level of sterling receipts; and if he will list those receipts, by European Community programme.

  Sir John Cope
  The level of sterling receipts which the United Kingdom will receive as a result of the depreciation of sterling against the ecu since September 1992 cannot be estimated with any precision. It depends on various uncertainties, including continuing exchange rate changes, the timing of receipts from the Community and the availability of projects providing value for money.

  Lottery Duty
  Mr. Mandelson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the direct effect on revenue in the years 1993–94, 1994–95 and 1995–96 of introduction of the clauses in chapter II of part I of the Finance (No. 2) Bill had they come into effect from 6 April.

  Sir John Cope
  The revenue yield depends on the turnover of the national lottery, which is difficult to estimate. Annual turnover in the region of £1·5 billion would provide a duty yield of £180 million. This would be broadly offset by reductions in the yield of other taxes including those on other forms of gambling.

  Gross Domestic Product
  Dr. Marek
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the gross domestic product per capita for(a) Hong Kong and (b) the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Nelson
  Figures for Hong Kong are published in the United Nations "Statistical Yearbook for Asia and the Pacific".

  Figures for the United Kingdom are published in table 8 of "Economic Trends". Copies of both publications are available from the Library of the House.

  Excise Duty
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the operation of the new rules governing the calculation of excise duty on beer.

  Sir John Cope
  The first indications from official and trade sources are that the new beer duty system, which was introduced on 1 June, is working well. Customs is continuing to liaise closely with the trade to ensure that the new arrangements are implemented as smoothly as possible. At a late stage, the Brewers Society has claimed that the new rate is not likely to prove fiscally neutral and Customs is studying its submissions. In the meanwhile, we have no reason to alter the estimate that the change involves a shortfall of duty to the Exchequer, for 1993–94 only, of about £200 million.
  16

NORTHERN IRELAND

  "Unfinished Business"
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what amount of funding was given by the Community Relations Council to the film "Unfinished Business".

  Mr. Ancram
  £6,000.

  Library Services (Charges)
  Mr. McGrady
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) what representations he has received in connection with the proposed introduction of charges for library services;

  (2) what steps he will take to review article 45 from the Library Services (Northern Ireland) Order in relation to the charges for library services.

  Mr. Ancram
  Following publication, for consultation purposes, of the draft Education and Libraries (Northern Ireland) Order 1993, nine responses were received about article 45, together with a letter from the hon. Gentleman. For the most part, these representations sought to ensure that the basic library lending service would remain free of charge and I am happy to give that assurance.

  I have no plans to review article 45 at present.

  Cattle (Tuberculosis)
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the current situation regarding additional or alternative cattle tuberculosis tests in Northern Ireland; and what steps he has taken to secure derogation powers under EC directives to use such tests.

  Mr. Ancram
  The Department of Agriculture is currently seeking to develop a blood test suitable to detect bovine tuberculosis. A pilot trial was carried out in 1990–91 with encouraging results and a larger scale field trial is now under way.

  This trial will be completed later this year and until the results of the trial have been fully analysed it will not be possible to seek EC agreement to the use of a blood test to detect TB.

  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many cattle were slaughtered in each of the last five years as reactors to tuberculosis testing; and if he will show how many of these were subsequently shown to actually have tuberculosis.

  Mr. Ancram
  The information is as follows:

  Year

  Number of reactor cattle slaughtered

  Number of cattle confirmed to have tuberculosis1

  1988

  1,470

  731

  1989

  2,493

  1,337

  1990

  3,124

  1,409

  1991

  4,108

  1,586

  1992

  4,601

  1,653

  1 Post-mortem findings and/or laboratory examination.

  While all the slaughtered cattle were given a post-mortem examination, only visible lesions indicating

  17
  an advanced stage of TB can be detected in this way. The presence of TB is more readily detected in live animals by the tuberculin test.

  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what significance is given to badgers as a factor in the epidemiology of cattle tuberculosis in Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Ancram
  Badgers are not believed to be a significant source of TB infection in cattle in Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Samuel Devenney
  Mr. Canavan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will now re-open inquiries into the death of Mr. Samuel Devenney, following information forwarded to him by the hon. Member for Falkirk. West.

  Mr. Mates
  This is a matter for the Chief Constable of the Royal Ulster Constabulary, to whom I have passed the correspondence received from the hon. Member.

  Phosphorus Flares
  Mr. Beggs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many phosphorus flares or incendiary devices have been washed up on the Northern Ireland coastline in the past year; and what action he has taken to identify the source of these phosphorus flares and to prevent more being deposited on Northern Ireland beaches.

  Mr. Mates
  [holding answer 14 June 1993]: I am advised that up to 7 June 1993, a total of 205 phosphorus flares had been washed up on the Northern Ireland coastline. A contract has been let to a waste disposal company for the collection and disposal of any of these flares which are identified and notified to the Department of the Environment (Northern Ireland). It is believed that the majority of the flares are from private vessels and merchant shipping which have been washed or thrown overboard; in addition, a proportion may have been illegally dumped.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  World Service
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has on the number of listeners to the World Service expressed per kilowatt of transmitter power.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  The latest information indicates that some 4,895 people listen to World Service direct broadcasts for every kilowatt of power transmitted. This figure does not include listeners to World Service programmes transmitted by other broadcasters under rebroadcasting arrangements.

  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many FCO staff working for the communications engineering department at transmitter sites in the United Kingdom and overseas have been transferred to the World Service; and what was the impact on the grant in aid of the transfer of CED transmitter sites and Ascension island services.
  18
  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  No FCO staff were transferred to the World Service, but four engineering and two industrial staff employed by the FCO were transferred to BBC Transmission, a separate body. The impact on the grant in aid of these and other transfers was cost neutral since, where necessary, funds to cover the costs of the additional responsibilities were transferred from the FCO to the World Service grant in aid. The total amount transferred was £6·43 million.

  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much of the World Service increase in budget since 1980 has been spent on upgrading and replacing old transmitters.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  The amount spent by the World Service on such projects under the 1981–1991 audibility improvement programme was £96·4 million—at outturn costs. Between 1980–81 and 1991–92 the annual total World Service grants in aid rose from £55 million to £159·6 million.

  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has on hours broadcast per employee in the World Service.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  The latest information available indicates that the World Service achieved 15·3 hours of broadcasting output per employee in 1992–93.

  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has on audience figures for World Service broadcasting in(a) China, (b) eastern Europe, (c) Africa and (d) the rest of the world.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  The latest audience figures for World Service broadcasts for these areas are as follows:

  (a) Eastern Europe, excluding countries of the former Soviet Union: 4· million

  (b) Africa (South of Sahara): 26 million

  (c) Rest of the world: 93· million, of which 50· million are in the sub-continent and 12 million in the middle east and north Africa.

  No data are available for mainland China.

  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which language services it is presently planned to cease broadcasting from the World Service.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  There are no plans at present for the World Service to discontinue any language services.

  Turkey
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received from the Kurdish information centre regarding the subject of human rights in Turkey; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  The Foreign and Commonwealth Office recently received a copy of a circular letter from the "Kurdistan Information Centre", a London-based organisation. The letter listed Kurdish Workers Party (PK K) conditions for an extension of its March ceasefire in Turkey.

  We regret the PKK's decision to end its unilaterally declared ceasefire and the subsequent escalation of

  19
  violence in Turkey's southeast. We frequently make clear to the Turkish Government the importance we attach to combating terrorism within a legal framework and with full respect for human rights.

  East Timor
  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Indonesian Government on the implementation of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights resolution calling for the United Nations special rapporteur on torture and extrajudicial executions and the United Nations working groups on arbitary detention and on enforced and involuntary disappearances to be allowed to conduct investigations in East Timor.

  Mr. Goodlad
  We have urged the Indonesians—most recently during the visit to Indonesia in April by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs—to co-operate with the United Nations in implementing the resolution.

  Seal Culls (Russia)
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what evidence or information his Department has received on the number of baby seals culled in the Arklane region of Russia for(a) the current year to date, (b) 1992 and (c) 1991; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 15 January,Official Report, column 822.

  Gibraltar
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proposals he has to secure for Gibraltar a place on the European Committee of the Regions.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  Final decisions on the allocation of seats on the European Committee of the Regions have yet to be taken. Nomination of representatives will be made in good time before the coming into force of the Maastricht treaty.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  EC Assistance, London
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he supports the proposal for European Community assistance for inner London.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  Negotiations on the Commission's proposed amendments to the current regulations of the European structural funds, including the eligibility criteria and method of selection of objective 2 areas, are unlikely to be agreed before the end of July. Only when revised regulations have been agreed by the Council of Ministers can consideration be given to the designation of particular areas for assistance in the subsequent period.

  Fuel Cell Research
  Mr. Alan W. Williams
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the total amount invested in fuel cell research by his Department for 1993–94; and what are 20
  the totals invested in such research (i) in the European Community, and (ii) for all Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development members.

  Mr. Eggar
  My Department's expected expenditure of about £0·8 million this year on advance fuel cell research provides a focus for United Kingdom activity and assists companies to participate in European programmes. Under the last EC Joule round, about £10 million of public funding was allocated to 17 projects on fuel cells recommended for support of which 10 involved at least one United Kingdom participant.

  The total research expenditure—industry and government—on fuel cell research is estimated to be about £50 million a year for the EEC and about £100 million a year for all OECD countries.

  National Welsh Omnibus Services Ltd.
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his answer of 21 April,Official Report, column 118, if he will make a statement on the progress of consideration by the Insolvency Service of the national Welsh bus company.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  The report on the conduct of the directors of National Welsh Omnibus Services Ltd. is still under consideration. The Secretary of State has until 2 January 1994 to bring proceedings should it be decided that it is in the public interest to do so.

  Warren Spring Laboratory
  Mrs. Anne Campbell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what assessment he has made of the economic and public expenditure effects, and effects on research expertise in environmental technology in Britain, of closing Warren Spring Laboratory.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  I refer the hon. Member to my right hon. Friend's pursuant reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Blaby (Mr. Robathan) on 10 June 1993,Official Report, column 303. My right hon. Friend made a long-term assessment of all these matters and concluded that they favoured the creation of the National Environmental Technology Centre as announced on 10 June.

  Mrs. Anne Campbell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what consideration he gave to PA consultancy group's position as a business rival to Warren Spring Laboratory at the time PA consultancy group was appointed to review the future of Warren Spring Laboratory.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The PA consultancy group was selected after a process of competitive tendering and with the knowledge that it is a company with an international reputation which could be relied upon to act with complete integrity.

  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many staff, and what present Warren Spring Laboratory functions, he proposes to transfer to Harwell.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  [holding answer 15 June 1993]: My aims with regard to both the staff and the business activities of the Warren Spring Laboratory were given in my right hon. Friend's pursuant reply to my hon. Friend

  21
  the Member for Blaby (Mr. Robathan) on 10 June 1993, Official Report, column 303. The precise details and numbers are still being decided.

  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade ( 1 ) what plans he has for the revenue received from Glaxo for the sale of the former site of Warren Spring Laboratory in Stevenage;

  (2) if he will make a statement on (a) the sum paid by Glaxo for the Warren Spring Laboratory site in Stevenage and (b) if the revenue will be used to secure the future of the laboratory's expertise and staff.

  Mr. McLouglin
  I refer the hon. Member to my right hon. Friend's pursuant reply to my hon. Friend the Member for 13Iaby (Mr. Robathan), on 10 June 1993,Official Report, column 303.

  Eastern and Central Europe
  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his answer of 22 March,Official Report, column 485, ( 1 ) if he will list those institutions currently receiving funding or other assistance from his Department for work undertaken in eastern and central Europe; if he will specify the nature of the assistance involved; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) if he will list the assistance programmes available to British institutions involved in work in eastern and central Europe;

  (3) what assistance his Department is currently providing to the British engineering sector involved in work in eastern and central Europe; if he will specify the nature of the assistance involved; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  My Department provides a comprehensive range of services to assist the very many United Kingdom companies and other bodies which are interested in the region, including support for outward missions—sometimes led ministerially—and participation in overseas trade fairs as well as the provision of general and specific information about the markets and the opportunities in them. Information about export and consultancy projects under bilateral, EC and multilateral-funded assistance programmes is also available and my Department encourages United Kingdom bodies to exploit such opportunities.

  The major reorganisation of the DTI's export services which was recently announced by my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade will enhance the service provided by the Department.

  A detailed list of all DTI assistance for exporters is included in the latest British Overseas Trade Board annual report 1992–93. A copy of the report has been placed in the House of Commons Library.

  A large number of British engineering companies are already active in central and eastern Europe and avail themselves of the services already mentioned.

  Information on the number of individual British institutions which receive funding or assistance from the Department is not available, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Electricity
  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is his Department's latest estimate of total electricity generating capacity for the year 2000.
  22
  Mr. Eggar
  The Department does not prepare estimates of future generating capacity. The National Grid Company is required by its licence to prepare each year a statement known as the seven-year statement. The most recent statement includes an assessment of electricity demand up to the year 2000 and several scenarios of generation capacity.

  Softwood Imports
  Mr. Gallie
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what proportion of current United Kingdom imports of timber is of softwoods.

  Mr. Needham
  In 1992, 76·5 per cent. of United Kingdom imports of timber were softwoods.

  Saudia Arabia
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what were the total value of United Kingdom exports to Saudi Arabia for each year from 1980, broken down into civil and defence-related exports.

  Mr. Needham
  Information on United Kingdom visible trade is published in "Monthly Review of External Trade Statistics", a copy of which is available in the Library.

  For reasons of commercial confidentiality, it has been the consistent policy of successive Governments not to disclose particulars of defence trade with other countries. It is therefore not possible to provide a breakdown into civil and defence-related exports.

  Bilateral Trade Agreements
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what monitoring his Department is doing into the extent of bilateral trade agreements by individual EC member states with the United States of America; if he will make it his policy to enter into such agreements separately from the European Commission negotiating rounds; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Needham
  There is an annual decision by the Council of the European Community listing previous bilateral agreements between individual member states and third countries which remain in operation to the extent that their provisions do not conflict with Community law. The European Commission is responsible for negotiating the Community's trade agreements—in consultation with the member states, which approve the outcome—since such matters fall within the Community's common commercial policy. The United Kingdom cannot deviate from Community law in this respect.

  Beer Orders
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he expects to publish his Department's response to the fourth report of the Agriculture Select Committee of the current Session on the "Effects of the Beer Orders on the Brewing Industry and Consumers", HC 402; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  My Department is considering this report carefully and intends to respond to the Agriculture Select Committee within the usual two-month period, that is, by 20 July. It will be for the Committee to decide whether to make that response public.
  23

  Atomic Energy Authority
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what assessment he has made of the ability of the Atomic Energy Authority at Harwell to provide a full environmental intergrated research service covering physical, biological, chemical and engineering subjects.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  [holding answer 15 June 1993]: I refer the hon. Member to my right hon. Friend's pursuant reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Blaby (Mr. Robathan) on 10 June 1993, Official Report, column 303. I expect the new National Environmental Technology Centre to provide such services.

  Inntrepreneur Estates Ltd.
  Mr. Tyler
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will arrange for the publication of an interim report of his Department's investigation of the pub leasing policies and practices of Inntrepreneur Estates Ltd. as soon as possible, and thereafter consider initiating a full and public inquiry; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  [holding answer 14 June 1993]: My right hon. Friend, the President of the Board of Trade and I have received a number of representations about Inntrepreneur Estates Ltd. pub leasing arrangements. My Department has been looking into the specific points raised and I expect replies to be sent shortly.

  Mr. Wareing
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his answer of 7 June,Official Report, columns 161–62, what investigations he has initiated into the Inntrepreneur scheme operated by Grand Metropolitan Enterprises within the brewery industry; upon what basis these investigations were begun; who is being consulted; to whom evidence can be submitted; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  [holding answer 10 June 1993]: My right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade and I have received a number of representations about Inntrepreneur Estates Ltd. pub leasing arrangements. My Department has been looking into the specific points raised and I expect replies to be sent shortly.

  Libyan Technicians
  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what action his Department is taking to ensure that United Kingdom companies do not breach the UN embargo on Libya by training Libyan technicians to maintain airframes, engines and avionics which have significant military as well as civil potential.

  Mr. Needham
  [holding answer 17 June 1993]: The Libya (United Nations Sanctions) Order—"the order"—1992, which came into effect from 15 April, prohibits the provision of any technical advice, assistance or training related to the supply, delivery, manufacture, maintenance or use of any goods specified in part A of Schedule 1 to the order to any persons connected with Libya except under the authority of a licence granted by the Secretary of State.

  Any applications to undertake training courses or seminars for Libyan nationals whether within the United Kingdom or elsewhere are considered on a case by case basis. It is not our practice to disclose details of licence applications.
  24

  Departmental Company Reports
  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade when his Department expects to publish their report on the Atlantic and B and C companies.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  [holding answer 18 June 1993]: Inspectors were appointed on 15 June 1990 under section 432 of the Companies Act 1985 to investigate and report on the affairs of Atlantic Computers plc and Atlantic Computer Systems, plc, both major companies in the British and Commonwealth group. The inspectors are in the final stages of their investigation but have not yet submitted their report; I will consider publication when it is received.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT

  Western Sahara
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what further plans there are to provide aid for the people of the Western Sahara.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  We have no plans to provide bilateral aid for the people of the Western Sahara, but continue to contribute finance and personnel to the United Nations mission responsible for organisation and conduct of the referendum which we hope will take place this year.

  Vietnam
  Mr. David Atkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on aid to Vietnam.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  We have committed some £8 million in aid to Vietnam since our programme resumed in 1990. It is focused on reintegration of the returning migrants and support for economic reform. We are sending a mission to Vietnam next month to discuss an expansion of technical co-operation.

  Bosnia
  Mr. Gunnell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what limitations have been placed on humanitarian aid to Bosnia following the Washington agreement.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  The joint action programme agreed in Washington on 22 May 1993 has placed no limitations on humanitarian aid to Bosnia.

  Forestry
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received on the forestry implications of aid projects.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  We have received representations on the forestry aspects of the aid programme from Members of Parliament, agencies and individuals.

  Environmentally Sustainable Projects
  Mr. Mans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps are taken by his Department to ensure that its aid projects are environmentally sustainable.
  25
  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  All Overseas Development Administration projects are subject to environmental assessment according to the guidelines and procedures described in the Overseas Development Administration's "Manual of Environmental Appraisal".

  AIDS (Africa)
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what additional resources he plans to make available to combat the spread of AIDS in Africa.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  To date, over £16 million has been spent in support of programmes in Africa to prevent the spread of HIV and AIDS. We have committed a further £2 million this year and we are ready to do more. Other initiatives are being considered.

  Nigeria
  Mr. Hain
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what United Kingdom assistance has been given to the construction of Abuja, Nigeria; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  No United Kingdom assistance has been given to the construction of Abuja.

  Indonesia and Tanzania
  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the amount of aid granted to(a) Indonesia and (b) Tanzania in each of the last 10 years; and what proportion was used to finance the purchase of British goods.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  United Kingdom gross bilateral aid to Tanzania and Indonesia from 1983 to the end of the financial year 1991–92 was as follows:

  £'000

  Tanzania

  Indonesia

  1983

  30,384

  12,358

  1984

  33,033

  28,292

  1985

  17,967

  33,649

  1986

  12,715

  8,898

  1987

  28,789

  12,223

  1987–88

  33,617

  14,660

  1988–89

  31,956

  17,366

  1989–90

  20,060

  21,616

  1990–91

  41,403

  24,600

  1991–92

  32,454

  34,425

  The basis on which these figures are recorded was changed from calendar to financial years with effect from 1992; the previous four financial years have been included above for ease of comparison.

  Statistics on the proportion used to finance the purchase of British goods and services are not available on a country basis.

  Soviet Union (Contamination)
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent initiatives have been taken by the overseas development administration to assist countries of the former Soviet Union in cleaning up environmental contamination.
  26
  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  The know-how fund has financed two projects in Ukraine; the first to study environmental clean up priorities in the Kiev region post Chernobyl; and the second to provide equipment and training to help measure radioactivity levels in food products in the Kiev region.

  In May 1993, we financed a study visit to Britain by Russians involved in radioactive waste management. The know-how fund hopes to begin several further environmental projects in Russia in the coming months.

  Sudan
  Mr. Matthew Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the United Kingdom's contribution to the international relief effort in south Sudan; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  Britain has committed almost £21 million in humanitarian assistance to southern Sudan since the international relief effort, Operation Lifeline Sudan was established in 1989. More than £2 million of this has been committed this year.

  A senior ODA official is participating in an EC troika visit to the area from 18 to 23 June to assess the situation and consider how further help can best be provided.

NATIONAL HERITAGE

  Market Testing
  Ms Mowlam
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage 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. Sproat
  Since November 1992, my Department has contracted out a range of new central services, including mailroom services, minor maintenance, office cleaning, reprographics, security, central typing and secretarial cover. The Department has also contracted out the provision of computer equipment and new associated services.

  Subject to a tendering exercise, the Historic Royal Palaces agency will contract out unskilled ground maintenance work at Hampton Court palace. The manning of vehicle entrances, ticket checking and security control room at the Tower of London has been contracted out and staff redeployed.

  The other agency, the Royal Parks, is currently market testing building works services and estates management and an announcement on the outcome will be made shortly.

  Non-terrestrial Broadcasting
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what representations he has received regarding the ownership regulations on non-terrestrial broadcasting.

  Mr. Brooke
  The subject has been raised at meetings with broadcasters and in letters this year from two hon. Members and from members of the public.
  27

  Television Licence Fee
  Mr. Ian Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what are his plans for setting future increases in the television licence fee.

  Mr. Brooke
  In January 1991, following a study by Price Waterhouse, the Home Secretary announced a five-year television licence fee strategy: the licence fee increase for April 1991 would be set at retail prices index (RPI) minus 3 per cent., followed by increases at RPI for the next four years. In addition, the Government gave an undertaking to reassess the position before the increase due in April 1994.

  Today I have appointed Touche Ross to assess the BBC's progress in achieving the efficiency and revenue gains identified by Price Waterhouse in 1990; to advise me on the scope for any further gains; and to advise whether RPI linkage is appropriate for the licence fee increases in the next three years until the renewal of the charter.

  The longer-term future of the television licence fee will be considered as part of the review of the BBC's royal charter.

HEALTH

  Birth Statistics
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the number of live births per year in each of the last five years; and what percentage of live births required special care in a neo-natal unit in each of those years.

  Mr. Sackville
  Live births in England 1988–92.

  Year

  Live births

  1988

  654,363

  1989

  649,357

  1990

  666,920

  1991

  660,806

  1992

  651,784

  Approximately 6 to 10 per cent. of new-born babies require care exceeding normal routine care at some stage.

  Consultants
  Ms Primaraolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what were the numbers of(a) consultants in neonatology and (b) neo-natal intensive care beds in each of the last five years.

  Mr. Sackville
  The available information is shown in the tables.

  Consultant neonatologists are not identified separately in the Department's census of medical staff, but are included under paediatrics.

  Consultants employed during the past 5 years England (whole-time equivalent) 30 September 1987 to 1991.

  Year

  Paediatrics

  1987

  571·5

  1988

  597·2

  1989

  678·8

  1990

  699·1

  1991

  723·0

  28

  Neo-natal cots in regionally designated intensive care wards and non-maternity wards.

  Year

  Cots

  1987–88

  3,567

  1988–89

  3,512

  1989–90

  3,451

  1990–91

  3,374

  1991–92

  3,424

  Note:—Figures include cots used for various levels of care; from the most intensive level for seriously ill babies to special care—which is needed for babies who need attention exceeding normal routine care.

  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 18 March,Official Report, column 347, what is the mean age at which doctors achieve consultant status in England.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The mean age of consultants appointed during the year ending 30 September 1991 in England was 39.

  Intensive Care Cots
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what are her Department's recommendations on the number of nurses needed per cot, and the number of neo-natal intensive care cots required nationally.

  Mr. Sackville
  This is a matter for local decision, taking account of professional guidelines and particular local circumstances.

  Nurses
  Mr. Sims
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will publish the evidence for the statement in a Department of Health press release (H93/707) of 20 April that the turnover rate among nurses has dropped substantially.

  Mr. Sackville
  Better pay and better conditions have resulted in a more stable workforce, which in turn enhances quality of care. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State's statement that there is recent encouraging evidence which shows that the turnover rate amongst nurses has dropped substantially, to less than 10 per cent. overall and to as low as 3 per cent. in some areas, was based on information exchanged during the normal course of meetings and discussions with regional health authorities.

  Mr. Sims
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will publish details of the numbers of qualified, unqualified and learner nursing staff who joined the NHS in 1991 and 1992.

  Mr. Sackville
  The available information is shown in the tables.

  1991

  1992

  Qualified

  120,230

  116,540

  Unqualified

  15,390

  Not collected

  Notes:

  1 Year ending 31 March 1991 excludes 27 data suppliers—regional health authority headquarters, district health authorities and the London ambulance service who either did not supply data or whose data were unusable. Data for 1992 excludes three regions where complete information was not available.
  29
  239 per cent. (1991) of all unqualified joiners and 27 per cent. (1991) of all qualified joiners were recorded as "source of recruitment not known". 19 per cent. (1992) of all joiners were recorded as "Others".

  Source of data: KM45 return 1991 and 1990. KM48 1992.

  Pre-registration nursing Initial entries and re-entries, years ending 31 March

  Level 1

  1990–91

  1991–92

  Traditional

  10,618

  7,623

  P20001

  4,834

  9,241

  1 Project 2000 learners are regarded as supernumerary and are not included in work force numbers.

  Source: English National Board annual reports 1990–91 and 1991–92.

  Mr. Sims
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will publish details of the total number and whole-time

  Qualified Nursing and Midwifery Staff joining NHS; Years ending 31 March

  1990

  1991

  1992

  (a) Newly qualified student nurses with employed status

  Not separately identifiable

  Not separately identifiable

  6,610 (not possible to separate (a) and (b))

  (b) Newly qualifying project 2000 students

  Not separately identifiable

  Not separately identifiable

  See (a)

  (c) Registered nurses entering the NHS after a period of unemployment

  Not separately identifiable

  Not separately identifiable

  2,050

  (d) Joined NHS units directly after being employed by another NHS unit

  21,600

  18,490

  Not separately identifiable

  (e) Joined NHS units directly after being employed in nursing

  6,790

  5,350

  Not separately identifiable. This would come under the categories of other

  Notes:

  1. For year ending 31 March 1990 information was not available from 11 data suppliers—regional health authority headquarters, district health authorities and the London ambulance service. Information for 1991 excludes 27 data suppliers who either did not supply data or whose data were unusable. Data for 1992 exclude three regions where complete information was not available.

  2. 32 per cent. (1990) and 39 per cent. (1991) of all joiners were recorded as sources not known. 19 per cent. (1992) of all joiners were recorded as "others". Data for 1992 exclude three regional health authorities where full recording was not possible.

  Source of data: KM45 return 1991 and 1990. KM48 1992.

  Mr. Sims
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will publish details of the average gross weekly earnings

  Nurses, Midwives and Health Visitors estimated average weekly gross earnings of full time staff

  1991–92

  1992–93

  Grade

  Total1

  Basic pay

  Allowances

  Total1

  Basic pay

  Allowance

  £

  £

  £

  £

  £

  £

  £

  Clinical Grade A

  169·3

  137·0

  32·3

  186·0

  151·3

  34·7

  Clinical Grade B

  194·4

  155·3

  39·1

  203·8

  163·4

  40·4

  Clinical Grade C

  230·0

  198·4

  31·6

  256·4

  220·1

  36·3

  Clinical Grade D

  234·8

  201·1

  33·7

  250·3

  215·0

  35·3

  Clinical Grade E

  272·4

  232·2

  40·2

  294·2

  250·7

  43·5

  Clinical Grade F

  320·2

  275·3

  44·9

  340·8

  294·6

  46·2

  Clinical Grade G

  354·7

  324·1

  30·6

  381·3

  349·3

  32·0

  Clinical Grade H

  376·6

  356·1

  20·5

  397·9

  378·8

  19·1

  Clinical Grade I

  428·7

  408·3

  20·5

  459·9

  439·3

  20·6

  1 Totals may not add up due to rounding.

  Mr. Sims
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will publish details of the numbers of unqualified NHS 30
  equivalent number of health care assistants or health care support workers employed wholly or primarily in nursing roles by the NHS in 1990, 1991 and 1992.

  Mr. Sackville
  This information is not available centrally.

  Mr. Sims
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will publish details of the numbers of qualified nursing or midwifery staff joining the NHS in 1990, 1991 and 1992 who(a) were newly qualifying student nurses with employed status, (b) were newly qualifying project 2000 students, (c) were registered nurses entering the NHS after a period of non-employment, (d) joined NHS units directly after being employed by another NHS unit and (e) joined NHS units directly after being employed in other nursing, such as general practitioner nursing, nursing homes, independent hospitals, etcetera.

  Mr. Sackville
  The available information is shown in the table.

  and make-up of pay by type of pay or allowances for each of the clinical grades for nursing and midwifery staff in 1991 and 1992.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The information is shown in the table:

  nursing staff joining the NHS in 1990, 1991 and 1992, who were (a) joining directly after completing full-time education, (b) aged under 21 years, (c) joining from other

  31
  NHS units, (d) joining from other care sector employment, (e) joining from other employment, (f) joining from non-activity in the labour market and (g) joining from unemployment.

  Mr. Sackville
  The available information is shown in the table.

  Unqualified nursing staff joining the National Health Service; years ending 31 March:

  1990

  1991

  1992

  Joining from other NHS units

  2,680

  2,340

  1—

  Joining from other care sector employment

  3,370

  2,810

  1—

  Joining from other employment

  4,070

  3,130

  1—

  1 Not collected.

  Notes:

  1. For year ending 31 March 1990 information was not available from 11 data suppliers—regional health authority headquarters, district health authorities and the London ambulance service. Information for 1991 excludes 27 data suppliers who either did not supply data or whose data were unusable.

  2. Some 32 per cent. (1990) and 39 per cent. (1991) of all joiners were recorded as "source of recruitment not known".

  Source of data: KM45 return 1991 and 1990.

  Number of dentists who have given notice to deregister adult and child patients—week ending 3 July 1992 to week ending 11 June 1993

  Family health services authority

  Number of dentists1 at 30 June 1992

  Number of dentists

  Adults

  Children

  Cleveland

  176

  7

  0

  Cumbria

  150

  23

  10

  Durham

  170

  5

  0

  Northumberland

  99

  5

  0

  Gateshead

  81

  4

  2

  Newcastle-upon-Tyne

  125

  0

  0

  North Tyneside

  75

  0

  0

  South Tyneside

  51

  0

  0

  Sunderland

  88

  0

  0

  Humberside

  223

  47

  6

  North Yorkshire

  259

  46

  0

  Bradford

  175

  0

  0

  Calderdale

  65

  13

  5

  Kirklees

  135

  23

  0

  Leeds

  293

  61

  14

  Wakefield

  95

  2

  0

  Derbyshire

  286

  35

  0

  Leicestershire

  253

  15

  1

  Lincolnshire

  133

  0

  0

  Nottinghamshire

  300

  77

  17

  Barnsley

  74

  0

  0

  Doncaster

  102

  6

  0

  Rotherham

  84

  6

  1

  Sheffield

  204

  0

  0

  Cambridgeshire

  183

  14

  0

  Norfolk

  225

  51

  7

  Suffolk

  215

  7

  2

  Bedfordshire

  154

  4

  0

  Hertfordshire

  438

  23

  2

  Barnet

  176

  25

  2

  Brent and Harrow

  222

  4

  2

  Ealing, Hammersmith and Hounslow

  320

  1

  0

  Hillingdon

  98

  0

  0

  Kensington, Westminster and Chelsea

  268

  5

  0

  Essex

  456

  40

  5

  Barking and Havering

  112

  8

  1

  Camden and Islington

  197

  2

  0

  City and East London

  214

  16

  0

  Enfield and Haringey

  214

  3

  2

  Redbridge and Waltham Forest

  183

  8

  1

  East Sussex

  291

  26

  1

  32

  Prescribed Items (Cost)
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the estimated percentage of prescribed items dispensed by community pharmacists and appliance contractors which cost less than 20p.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Approximately 5 per cent.

  Dental Health
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the number of dentists by family health services authority and in total who have given notice of their intention to deregister adults and children in the last two years.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The information available centrally is the number of dentists, by family health services authority and in total, who have given notice to deregister patients since 3 July 1992. This is shown in the table. We are advised by family health services authorities that they are able to assist patients who seek their help in obtaining national health service dentistry. Since July 1992 total registrations have increased by 2·63 per cent. from 27,314,952 to 28,034,677 as at 30 April 1993.

  Deregistration can occur for a number of reasons for example, patients moving away from the area, or dentists retiring and can be instigated by dentists or patients.
  33

  Family health services authority

  Number of dentists1 at 30 June 1992

  Number of dentists

  Adults

  Children

  Kent

  526

  206

  20

  Greenwich and Bexley

  170

  19

  0

  Bromley

  142

  38

  1

  Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham

  351

  28

  0

  Surrey

  496

  63

  0

  West Sussex

  298

  21

  0

  Croydon

  146

  18

  0

  Kingston and Richmond

  146

  5

  0

  Merton, Sutton and Wandsworth

  289

  30

  1

  Dorset

  235

  34

  0

  Hampshire

  531

  51

  1

  Wiltshire

  179

  15

  0

  Isle of Wight

  47

  12

  0

  Berkshire

  274

  55

  1

  Buckinghamshire

  256

  67

  0

  Northamptonshire

  144

  0

  0

  Oxfordshire

  208

  35

  2

  Avon

  375

  14

  0

  Cornwall and Isles of Scilly

  146

  65

  11

  Devon

  373

  151

  19

  Gloucestershire

  211

  48

  1

  Somerset

  152

  0

  0

  Hereford and Worcester

  237

  14

  0

  Shropshire

  138

  6

  0

  Staffordshire

  268

  17

  5

  Warwickshire

  142

  5

  0

  Birmingham

  344

  7

  0

  Coventry

  94

  13

  1

  Dudley

  89

  0

  0

  Sandwell

  97

  0

  0

  Solihull

  70

  6

  1

  Walsall

  71

  0

  0

  Wolverhampton

  69

  0

  0

  Cheshire

  371

  17

  2

  Liverpool

  176

  54

  1

  St. Helens and Knowsley

  107

  7

  0

  Sefton

  116

  1

  0

  Wirral

  140

  15

  1

  Lancashire

  446

  155

  53

  Bolton

  93

  7

  2

  Bury

  77

  6

  2

  Manchester

  226

  1

  0

  Oldham

  91

  0

  0

  Rochdale

  73

  0

  0

  Salford

  95

  4

  0

  Stockport

  123

  4

  0

  Tameside

  81

  1

  0

  Trafford

  100

  14

  5

  Wigan

  109

  0

  0

  ENGLAND—TOTAL

  17,400

  1,941

  211

  1 Includes dentists who have a contract with more than one family health services authority.

  Dryburn Hospital
  Mr. Steinberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the fulfilment of the statutory consultation period in respect of the scheme by Dryburn hospital to convert one of two paediatric wards into a day ward; how much money has so far been spent; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Sackville
  We understand that the North Durham district health authority is considering the future of these wards and will consult the community health council on any proposals for substantial variations to sevices, as required by the Community Health Council Regulations 1985.
  34

  Voluntary Organisations
  Mr. David Shaw
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the awards given to voluntary organisations under the section 64 general scheme of the Health Services and Public Health Act 1968 during the financial year 1992–93.

  Mr. Bowis
  In 1992–93, grants totalling £18·3 million were awarded under the section 64 general scheme to 312 voluntary organisations in England. This represents a real terms increase of nearly 8 per cent. over 1991–92 and of 47·5 per cent. over 1978–79. Details are given in the table.
  35

  Grants to voluntary organisations under S64 of the Health Services and Public Health Act 1968—General Scheme (1992–93 Provisional Outturn)

  Organisation

  £

  Access Committee (England)

  155,000

  Action for Dysphasic Adults

  30,000

  Action for Sick Children

  70,000

  Action for Victims of Medical Accidents

  20,000

  Action on Disability and Development

  13,000

  Action on Smoking and Health

  241,500

  Action Resource Centre

  5,000

  ADFAM (Families and Friends of Drug Misusers)

  22,700

  Age Concern

  355,000

  Age Exchange Theatre Trust

  18,000

  Aid for Children with Tracheostomies

  9,930

  AIDS Ahead

  40,000

  AIDS and Housing Project

  29,000

  AIDS Care Education and Training (ACET)

  150,000

  AIDS Education and Research Trust

  10,000

  Alcohol Concern

  618,000

  Alzheimer's Disease Society

  168,000

  Amarant Trust

  9,000

  Amnesia Association

  6,000

  Angel Project

  6,500

  Arthritis Care

  15,000

  Association for All Speech Impaired Children

  5,000

  Association for Prevention of Drug Addiction

  7,878

  Association for Professionals in Services for Adolescents

  48,700

  Association for Residential Care

  42,635

  Association for Stammerers

  17,000

  Association of Breastfeeding Mothers

  6,000

  Association of Disabled Professionals

  3,000

  Association to Aid the Sexual and Personal Relationships of People with a Disability

  39,500

  Babylife Support Systems (BLISS)

  11,000

  Barnados

  105,000

  Black HIV/AIDS Network (BHAN)

  40,000

  Blackliners

  40,050

  Bobath Centre

  18,000

  Body Positive

  50,000

  Brandon Centre

  15,000

  Breakthrough Trust

  40,000

  Breastcare and Mastectomy Association of GB

  25,000

  Bridge

  80,834

  Bridges

  5,000

  British Agencies for Adoption and Fostering

  300,000

  British Association for Services to the Elderly

  12,000

  British Association for the Study and Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (BASPCAN)

  27,500

  British Association of Cancer United Patients (BACUP)

  16,000

  British Association of the Hard of Hearing

  55,000

  Britich Council of Organisations of Disabled People

  45,000

  British Deaf Association

  10,000

  British Fluoridation Society

  33,000

  British Institute of Industrial Therapy

  25,000

  British Institute of Mental Handicap

  30,000

  British Kidney Patient Association

  15,000

  British Organ Donor Society (BODY)

  5,000

  British Red Cross Society

  54,750

  Brook Advisory Centres

  111,500

  Cancer Relief MacMillan Fund

  30,050

  Cancer Research Campaign

  15,000

  Cancerlink

  43,900

  Care Resources for People Affected by AIDS/HIV (CARA)

  15,000

  Carers National Association

  220,000

  Catholic Child Welfare Council

  3,000

  Catholic Marriage Advisory Council

  44,310

  Centre for Accessible Environment

  70,000

  Centre for Applied Psychology of Social Care

  37,020

  Child Accident Prevention Trust

  103,000

  Child Care

  231,957

  Child Poverty Action Group

  18,000

  Child Psychotherapy Trust

  28,417

  Childline

  82,200

  Children's Legal Centre

  50,000

  Choices in Childcare

  17,996

  36

  Organisation

  £

  College of Occupational Therapists

  4,000

  Community Drugs Project

  6,500

  Community Hygiene Concern

  10,000

  Community Network

  10,000

  Compassionate Friends

  22,000

  Contact

  32,000

  Contact a Family

  80,000

  Continence Foundation

  26,250

  Coronary Prevention Group

  87,500

  Cot Death Society

  4,000

  Council for the Advancement of Communication with Deaf People

  60,000

  Council for Disabled Children

  60,000

  Counsel and Care

  60,000

  Crohns in Childhood Research Association

  5,000

  Crossroads Care Attendant Schemes Ltd.

  130,000

  Crusaid

  10,000

  Cruse

  114,000

  Cystic Fibrosis Research Trust

  18,000

  Dark Horse Venture

  4,500

  David Hobman Charitable Trust

  5,000

  Daycare Trust

  30,000

  Dial UK

  45,000

  Disability Alliance

  30,000

  Disabled Housing Trust

  17,000

  Disabled Living Centres Council

  57,000

  Disabled Living Foundation

  337,000

  Disablement Income Group

  45,000

  Downs Syndrome Association

  15,000

  Dystonia Society

  2,304

  Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa Research Association (DEBRA)

  11,000

  East London Asian Counselling

  24,000

  Eating Disorders Association

  29,000

  Elizabeth Fitzory Homes

  20,000

  Endometriosis Society

  15,000

  Enuresis Resource and Information Centre

  30,000

  Excel Employment

  20,000

  Exploring Parenthood

  14,000

  Extend

  20,000

  Family Heart Association

  27,400

  Family Planning Association

  120,000

  Family Policy Studies Centre

  140,000

  Family Rights Group

  48,995

  Family Service Units

  290,000

  Family Welfare Association

  106,000

  First Key

  118,832

  Foundation for Conductive Education

  20,000

  Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths

  34,500

  Foundation for Women's Health Research and Development (FORWARD)

  30,000

  Friends for the Young Deaf

  10,000

  Genetic Interest Group

  11,000

  Gingerbread

  78,000

  Globe Centre

  31,500

  Good Practices in Mental Health

  60,000

  Greater London Association of Alcohol Services

  6,196

  Guillain-Barre Syndrome Support Group

  9,000

  Haemophilia Society

  24,000

  Headway Association

  55,000

  Health Information for Nottingham Teenagers (HINT)

  36,000

  Heartline Association

  5,000

  Herpes Association

  18,500

  High/Scope UK

  8,000

  Holiday Care Service

  35,000

  Home Farm Trust

  20,000

  Home Start Consultancy

  100,000

  Homes for Homeless People

  48,000

  Hornsey Trust for Handicapped Children

  15,000

  Horticultural Therapy

  57,000

  Housing Campaign for Single Homeless

  36,500

  Hyperactive Childrens Support Group

  7,000

  Impact Foundation

  20,000

  In Touch

  3,000

  Independent Representation of Children in Need (IRCHIN)

  30,000

  Institute for the Study of Drug Dependence

  424,155

  37

  Organisation

  £

  Institute of Transcultural Health Care

  22,000

  International Social Service

  53,500

  ISSUE (was National Association for the Children)

  47,250

  Joint Committee on Mobility for the Disabled

  1,110

  Jubilee Sailing Trust

  20,000

  Kids

  15,000

  Kids Club Netword

  97,000

  Kings Fund Centre for Health Services Development

  129,500

  La Leche League of Great Britain

  10,000

  Landmark South London HIV Centre

  60,000

  Leisure Link

  15,000

  Leonard Cheshire Foundation

  75,000

  London Chinese Health Resource Centre

  45,840

  London East AIDS Network

  25,000

  London Lighthouse

  300,000

  London Voluntary Service Council

  31,000

  MacFarlane Trust

  155,233

  Mainliners

  40,000

  Manic Depression Fellowship

  16,000

  Marfan Association

  3,000

  Marie Curie Memorial Foundation

  20,000

  Maternity Alliance

  37,695

  MENCAP

  250,000

  Menieres Society

  8,000

  Mental After Care Association

  50,000

  Mental Health Foundation

  347,500

  Mental Health Media Council

  30,000

  Merseyside Drugs Council (Wirral)

  10,000

  Migraine Trust

  10,000

  Mildmay Mission Hospital

  150,000

  Miscarriage Association

  15,000

  Mobility Information Service

  13,000

  Motor Neurone Disease Association

  15,000

  Myalgic Encephalomyelitis Association

  15,000

  NAFSIYAT (Intercultural Psychiatry)

  15,000

  National Aids Manual Charitable Trust

  25,000

  National AIDS Trust

  225,000

  National Association of Children with Congenital Abnormalities of the Lower Limbs

  11,000

  National Association for Maternal and Child Welfare

  17,000

  National Association for Mental Health (MIND)

  475,000

  National Association for Patient Participation

  7,000

  National Association for the Care and Resettlement of Offenders (NACRO)

  302,400

  National Association for the Limbless Disabled

  22,500

  National Association of Family Based Respite Care

  13,000

  National Association of Leagues of Hospital Friends

  20,000

  National Association of Toy and Leisure Libraries

  55,000

  National Association of Young People in Care (NAYPIC)

  20,900

  National Asthma Campaign

  15,000

  National Back Pain Association

  21,000

  National Childbirth Trust

  65,826

  National Childminding Association

  127,000

  National Children's Bureau

  414,800

  National Citizens Advocacy

  10,000

  National Community Health Resource

  8,000

  National Council for one Parent Families

  150,000

  National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO)

  125,000

  National Counselling and Welfare Service for Sick Doctors

  2,650

  National Development Team

  567,000

  National Federation of Kidney Patients

  12,500

  National Food Alliance

  31,000

  National Fostercare Assocation

  105,000

  National Information for Parents of Prematures (NIPPERS)

  11,000

  National Information Forum

  16,000

  National Institute for Social Work

  100,000

  National Meningitis Trust

  15,000

  National Organisation for Counselling Adoptees & Parents (NORCAP)

  8,000

  National Osteoporosis Society

  40,000

  National Playbus Association

  54,000

  National Schizophrenia Fellowship

  204,000

  National Self Help Support Centre

  47,500

  38

  Organisation

  £

  National Society for Phenileketonuria (United Kingdom) Ltd.

  6,000

  National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC)

  150,000

  National Society for Non Smokers (QUIT)

  85,380

  National Stepfamily Association

  20,000

  Naz Project

  27,000

  Neurofibromatosis Association (LINK)

  14,000

  New Horizons Trust

  7,000

  New Parent Infant Network (NEWPIN)

  60,000

  North Regional Association for the Blind

  69,391

  One to One

  15,000

  Outset

  25,000

  Overseas Doctors Association

  17,000

  Parent Network

  10,000

  Parent to Parent Information on Adoption Services

  6,500

  Parentline Opus

  40,000

  Parents against Injustice (PAIN)

  35,000

  Parents for Children

  12,000

  Parkinsons Disease Society

  25,162

  Partially Sighted Society

  10,000

  Patients Association

  20,000

  People First

  17,000

  Phobic Action

  20,000

  Phobics Society

  7,500

  Physically Handicapped and Able Bodied (PHAB)

  30,000

  Positively Women

  70,000

  Post Adoption Centre

  5,000

  Post Adoption Services

  5,000

  Prader Willi Syndrome Association UK

  4,000

  Pre-Retirement Association

  20,000

  Pre-School Playgroups Association

  570,000

  Primary Immunodeficiency Association

  8,000

  Prince of Wales Advisory Group on Disability

  112,500

  Queen Elizabeth Foundation for the Disabled

  54,000

  Rainer Foundation

  18,700

  Rape Counselling and Research Project

  20,000

  Relatives Association

  13,000

  Release

  2,958

  Remap Great Britain

  12,000

  Repetitive Strain Injury Association

  6,000

  Rescare

  15,000

  Research Trust for Metabolic Diseases in Children

  10,000

  Restricted Growth Association

  10,000

  Richmond Fellowship

  97,000

  Royal Association for Disability and Rehabilitation (RADAR)

  225,000

  Royal National Institute for the Blind

  246,600

  Royal National Institute for the Deaf

  105,870

  Royal Philanthropic Society

  6,000

  Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (ROSPA)

  53,000

  Samaritans

  160,000

  Save the Children Fund

  20,000

  Schizophrenia A National Emergency (SANE)

  67,849

  Scoliosis Association UK

  2,000

  Sense (NADBRH)

  95,000

  Sequal

  25,000

  Sickle Cell Society

  30,000

  Skills for People

  11,000

  Society for Mucopolysaccharide Diseases

  4,000

  South Regional Association for the Blind

  145,000

  St. John Ambulance

  53,000

  Standing Committee on Sexual Abuse of Children (SCOSAC)

  20,000

  Standing Conference Ethnic Minority Senior Citizen (SCEMSC)

  20,000

  Standing Conference on Drug Abuse (SCODA)

  310,730

  Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Society (SANDS)

  61,000

  Streetwise Youth

  20,000

  Stroke Association

  46,562

  Strutton Housing Association

  12,000

  Support After Termination for Abnormality (SATFA)

  21,250

  Tacade

  8,500

  Tavistock Clinic Foundation

  6,030

  Tay Sachs and Allied Diseases Association

  3,000

  Terence Higgins Trust

  450,000

  39

  Organisation

  £

  Tibbie Trust

  1,500

  Toxoplasmosis Trust

  10,000

  Tracheo Oesophageal Fistula Support (TOFS)

  2,000

  Tripscope

  4,000

  Tuberous Sclerosis Association

  9,000

  Turning Point

  148,200

  Twins and Multiple Births Association (TAMBA)

  18,000

  UK Association for the International Year of the Family 1994

  20,000

  UK Health for All Network

  30,000

  UK Rett Syndrome Association

  20,000

  UK Thalassaemia Society

  28,000

  United Response

  29,845

  Values Into Action

  15,000

  Vietnamese Mental Health Project

  10,000

  Vision Aid

  13,000

  Vocal

  28,750

  Voluntary Organisations Liaison Committee for Under Fives (VOLCUF)

  62,000

  Voluntary Aid Societies Emergency Committee

  23,901

  Walsingham Community Homes

  10,000

  Westminster Pastoral Foundation

  70,000

  Widows Advisory Trust

  18,000

  Winged Fellowship Trust

  10,000

  Women's Aid Federation (England)

  154,200

  Women's Health Concern

  22,000

  Women's Nationwide Cancer Control Campaign

  34,200

  Women's Therapy Centre

  25,000

  Working Mothers Association

  35,000

  Young Minds

  10,000

  Total Paid

  18,298,241

  Residential Care
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will raise the capital or savings limit of £8,000 over which a person must pay the full cost of a place in residential care; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Bowis
  The capital limit is kept under review, but we have no current plans for change.

  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have had to sell their homes in order to pay for the costs of care in a residential or nursing home since the implementation of community care on 1 April; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Bowis
  This information is not available centrally.

  Cancer and Diet
  Mr. Shersby
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement about the setting up of a Committee on Medical Aspects of Food Policy (COMA) committee on cancer and diet, giving details of the terms of reference and the name of the chairman and members.

  Mr. Sackville
  The Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Kenneth Calman, in his role as chairman of the Committee on Medical Aspects of Food (COMA), has asked Professor Alan Jackson, from the department of human nutrition at the university of Southampton, to chair a new working group. Its terms of reference are"To advise on the relationship between nutrition and the development of cancer and to make recommendations."

  Members of the COMA working group on diet and cancer will include:

  Dr. Sheila Bingham—Medical Research Council Dunn Clinical Nutrition Centre, Cambridge

  40

  Professor Nicholas Day—Professor of Public Health, University of Cambridge

  Professor Anthony Dayan—Department of Toxicology, St. Bartholomew's Hospital Medical School, London

  Dr. Michael Kemp—Medical Research Council, London (representing the secretariat of the UK Cancer Co-ordinating Committee)

  Dr. Barrie Margetts—Department of Human Nutrition, University of Southampton

  Professor James Parry—Department of Genetics, University of Swansea

  Dr. Stanley Vennit—Institute of Cancer Research Sutton

  Dr. Christine Williams—Nutritional Metabolism Group, School of Biological Sciences, University of Surrey

  The first meeting of the working group will be in July and the chairman hopes that the report will be ready in 1996.

  NHS Trusts
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer of 22 February,Official Report, columns 483–84, what information on NHS trusts her Department intends to include in the summarised accounts; and when she expects them to be published.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The summarised accounts of national health service trusts in England for 1991–92 comprise an income and expenditure account, a balance sheet and a cash flow statement together with notes to the accounts.

  Responsibility for the audit and publication of the accounts lies with the National Audit Office.

  GP Fund Holders
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer of 16 June,Official Report, column 620, if she will list those GP fund-holding units in the Yorkshire region which overspent their budgets in 1991–92; and what consequent action was taken by her Department.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  This information is not available centrally. It is for the Yorkshire regional health authority to take any action it considers appropriate.

  Anophthalmia and Microphthalmia
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what research is being carried out into the existence of clusters of anophthalmic and microphthalmic suffering children in areas where Benomyl, Carbendazim or related products are being used; how many clusters of anophthalmic children have been located in the United Kingdom and in what areas; and how many children are affected;

  (2) what surveys she has commissioned as to what proportion of cases of anophthalmia and microphthalmia are caused by environmental factors.

  Mr. Sackville
  [holding answer 16 June 1993]: On the basis of available data, the evidence does not suggest an increase in anophthalmia or confirm the existence of clusters; nor is there any evidence to link Benomyl or similar products to these conditions. I refer the hon. Member to the reply my hon. Friend the Minister for Health gave the hon. Member for Sheffield, Brightside (Mr. Blunkett) on 20 May at column 259, for details of the research proposal. As designed, the research proposal will seek to examine cases of anophthalmia in Great Britain over the last five years so that an assessment can be made

  41
  about any differences between urban and rural areas and the geographical distribution of cases. The proposed study is restricted to anophthalmia because of the eKtreme difficulty in diagnosing the severity of microphthalmia in early life. The researchers intend to keep in close contact with colleagues at Moorfields eye hospital, who see a large proportion of these cases and are carrying out their own study into anophthalmia and microphthalmia, including geographical factors. This is due to be completed in October. This information will provide a sampling frame for any further studies which may be necessary.

  These studies will help us to find out more about these rare and tragic conditions, including any possible environmental factors.

  Information obtained from the register of congenital malformations maintained by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys (OPCS), which maintains a record of congenital malformations registered in the first seven days of life, is contained in the table.

  Registrations of anophthalmia and microphthalmia in the first seven days of life

  (England and Wales)

  Year

  Anophthalmia

  Microphthalmia

  1976

  22

  17

  1977

  19

  10

  1978

  22

  11

  1979

  15

  7

  1980

  26

  8

  1981

  13

  15

  1982

  15

  12

  1983

  11

  11

  1984

  20

  14

  1985

  15

  17

  1986

  9

  9

  1987

  15

  9

  1988

  13

  5

  1989

  14

  13

  1990

  7

  8

  1991

  5

  10

  Source: OPCS congenital malformations register, unpublished.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  Prosecutions
  Mr. Rathbone
  To ask the Attorney-General if he will initiate a review of the Crown Prosecution Service guidelines on whether or not to prosecute.

  The Attorney-General
  The guidelines are set out in the code for Crown prosecutors. They are regularly reviewed by the Director of Public Prosecutions in consultation with the Law Officers.

  Mr. Hendry
  To ask the Attorney-General if he will make a statement on the extent to which the CPS consults the police before it decides to discontinue a case.

  The Solicitor-General
  When considering discontinuance, Crown Prosecution Service lawyers are instructed to consult the police in all save the most exceptional circumstances.

  Police (Paperwork)
  Mr. Brazier
  To ask the Attorney-General what steps he is taking to reduce the volume of paperwork imposed on the police by the Crown Prosecution Service.
  42
  The Solicitor-General
  The Crown Prosecution Service is committed to requiring from the police only such paperwork as the interests of justice dictate.

  Mr. Asil Nadir
  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Attorney-General how many representations he has had from other hon. Members about the case of Mr. Asil Nadir.

  The Attorney-General
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave to the hon. Member for Walsall, North (Mr. Winnick) on 10 June, column 334.

  Lenient Sentences
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Attorney-General if he will make a statement about the use of his power to appeal against lenient sentences.

  The Attorney-General
  Since 1989, when the power to refer unduly lenient sentences was introduced, 117 references have been made to the Court of Appeal, which has increased just over 82 per cent. of the sentences it has reviewed.

SCOTLAND

  Market Testing
  Ms Mowlam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland 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. Lang
  No market tests involving in-house bids have been completed since November 1992. Work is continuing on the market tests in my 1992–93 programme and I expect to make an announcement on the results of the programme later in the year.

  Drug Dealing (Evictions)
  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what information he has on how many persons since 1980 have been evicted from local authority or other public sector housing because of drug-dealing activities.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  This information is not held centrally.

  Science and Technology
  Dr. Moonie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland 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. Lang
  [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. Government Departments will participate through the existing, well-established machinery of the official and ministerial Cabinet committees on science and technology.

WALES

  Tourism
  Mr. Simon Coombs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his estimate of the income from tourism in Wales in 1992: and if he will make a statement.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  About £1·3 billion.

  Drug Misuse
  Mr. Rathbone
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his assessment of the success of the World Health Organisation/Council of Europe initiatives to reduce drug misuse in Wales.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The fight against drug misuse in Wales is carried out on many fronts including the European Drug Prevention Week last November, which I judge to have made a very worthwhile contribution to all our efforts.

  Economy
  Mr. Alan W. Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on prospects for the Welsh economy during 1993–94.

  Mr. Redwood
  The prospects are good: unemployment has started to fall, output is up and business confidence is high. The recovery is under way in Wales.

  Hospital Treatment
  Sir David Knox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many(a) in-patients and (b) out-patients were treated in NHS hospitals in Wales in the most recent year for which figures are available; and what the figures were in 1979.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  In 1991–92, the NHS in Wales treated 500,340 in-patients and 554,680 new out-patients compared to 349,700 and 428,740 respectively in 1979.

  NHS Trusts
  Mr. Richards
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what progress is being made in the setting up of NHS trusts in Wales; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  There are currently 14 operational NHS trusts in Wales. My right hon. Friend has today initiated formal public consultation on 10 applications which he has received seeking NHS trust status from 1 April 1994.

  Hospital Beds
  Dr. Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he last met representatives of area health authorities in Wales to discuss future provision of hospital beds.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  I am in continual contact with representatives of all health authorities in Wales and the former Secretary of State for Wales, my right hon. Friend the Member for Wirral, West (Mr. Hunt), and I met all chairmen on 15 April.
  44

  Assisted Areas
  Mr. Ainger
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent representations he has received on alterations to assisted areas in Wales.

  Mr. Redwood
  Since taking office, I have received several representations on the assisted areas review. We hope to make an announcement before the parliamentary recess, following the necessary clearance by the European Commission.

  Youth Training
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to meet the chairman of Targed to discuss the need to improve youth training opportunities in north-west Wales.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  The former Secretary of State met the chairmen of the Welsh training and enterprise councils regularly to discuss a range of issues and my right hon. Friend intends to continue that practice.

  Inward Investment
  Mr. Jonathan Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what are the latest figures for inward investment from overseas into Wales; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Redwood
  Wales continues to attract high levels of inward investment. In the 12 months to 31 May 1993, the 195 projects recorded promise in excess of 13,500 jobs, and a capital investment of almost £900 million.

  Welsh Development Agency
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to increase the financial resources of the Welsh Development Agency; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Redwood
  Decisions on the agency's resources for future years will be decided in the course of the public expenditure survey in the usual way.

  Beach Pollution
  Mr. Sweeney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the awards by the Tidy Britain Group to Welsh resorts; and what steps are being taken to reduce sewage pollution on Welsh beaches which have failed to comply with mandatory EC coliform standards.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  Over 90 per cent. of beaches nominated by Welsh local authorities were credited with national seaside awards by the Tidy Britain Group. This is a significant increase over the number of awards made last year and represents a substantial achievement requiring exacting standards of water quality and beach management.

  The large majority of bathing waters in Wales identified under the European Commission bathing waters directive already meet the directive's mandatory standards. A major investment programme is in hand by Dwn Cymru, most of which will be in place by the end of 1995, to enable all designated bathing waters in Wales regularly to meet these standards.
  45

  Constitutional Change
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many representations he has received about constitutional change.

  Mr. Redwood
  None.

  Ponty Brenin Primary School
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will visit Ponty Brenin primary school in Gorseinon, Swansea to meet pupils and teachers to discuss his education policies.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  My right hon. Friend has no plans at present to do so, but I shall bear the suggestion in mind in considering my next programme of school visits.

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. Jon Owen Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the Welsh unemployment figures.

  Mr. Redwood
  I welcome the four consecutive months of falling unemployment in Wales.

  National Eisteddfod
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what.plans he has to visit the national eisteddfod in Builth Wells; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Redwood
  I have received an invitation to the eisteddfod and will decide whether to attend nearer the time.

  Sex Discrimination
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many claims were made to tribunals in. Wales under the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 for each year since 1979; how many separate employers were involved; how many of these claims were successful; and what was the average amount of compensation awarded in each year.

  Mr. Redwood
  The information requested is not available prior to 1991–92. That which is available is given in the table:

  Claims made to tribunals under Sex Discrimination Act 1975 in Wales1

  1991–92

  1992–93

  Applications registered

  78

  106

  Number of respondents2

  70

  58

  Number of successful cases

  4

  0

  Average award

  £3,535

  —

  1 Provisional.

  2 The number of firms or individuals named in a case. There may be more than one per claim.

  Source:

  Central Office of the Industrial Tribunals.

  Head Injuries
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many deaths have occurred in each year since 1979 in Wales where the underlying cause of death was recorded as being from a head injury.
  46
  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The number of deaths to residents of Wales in each year since 1979 where the underlying cause of death was recorded as being from a head injury are shown in the following table:

  Number

  1979

  295

  1980

  276

  1981

  231

  1982

  232

  1983

  210

  1984

  223

  1985

  242

  1986

  252

  1987

  227

  1988

  191

  1989

  236

  1990

  230

  1991

  218

  1992

  225

  Source:——Office of Population Censuses and Surveys

  ICD 800–804 Fracture of skull

  ICD 850–854 Intracranial injury, excluding those with skull fracture International Classification of Diseases (9th Revision)

  Hepatitis C
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many cases of hepatitis C have been recorded(a) amongst registered drug users and (b) in total in Wales in each year since 1989.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The information requested is not available. Cases of hepatitis C are not separately notifiable.

  Infant Mortality
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish figures showing(a) the infant mortality rate per 1,000 live births and (b) the perinatal mortality rate per 1,000 total births in (i) Wales and (ii) each district health authority in Wales.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The information requested is published for the years 1986 to 1991 in the Welsh Office publication "Health and Personal Social Services Statistics for Wales", No. 19 1992, a copy of which is in the Library of the House.

  Council of Ministers
  Mr. Denzil Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list, together with the respective dates, those meetings of the EC Council of Ministers which were attended by ministers in his Department in the latest 12 months.

  Mr. Redwood
  Over the last year Welsh Office interests have been represented at EC meetings by ministerial colleagues from the lead department in the subject area concerned, and where relevant by senior officials from the Welsh Office to advise those Ministers. I will be visiting Commissioners in Brussels soon to pursue Welsh interests.

  NHS Staff
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) if he will give details of the number of unqualified NHS nursing staff joining the NHS in 1990,
  47
  1991 and 1992, who were (a) joining directly after completing full-time education, (b) aged under 21 years, (c) joining from other NHS units, (d) joining from other care sector employment, (e) joining from other employment, (f) joining from non-activity in the labour market or (g) joining from unemployment;

  (2) if he will give details of the number of qualified nursing or midwifery staff joining the NHS in 1990, 1991 and 1992 who were (a) newly qualifing student nurses with employment status, (b) newly qualifying Project 2000 students, (c) registered nurses entering the NHS after a period of non-employment, (d) joining NHS units directly after being employed by another NHS unit or (e) joining NHS units directly after being employed in other nursing;

  (3) how many qualified, unqualified and learner nursing staff joined the NHS in 1991 and 1992.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The information requested is not held centrally.

  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) if he will give details of the distribution of average gross weekly earnings per person for each of the NHS clinical nursing and midwifery grades, listing the percentages of each grade earning under(a) £140, (b) £150, (c) £170, (d) £180, (e) £190, (f) £200, (g) £210, (h) £220, (i) £230, (j) £240, (k) £250, (l) £275, (m) £300 and (n) those earning £300 and over, in 1991 and 1992;

  (2) what were the average gross weekly earnings and make-up of pay by type or allowance for each of the clinical grades for nursing and midwifery staff in 1991 and 1992.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The information requested is not held centrally.

  Mr Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many qualified NHS nurses and midwives, unqualified NHS nursing staff, nursing learners there were in 1989, 1990, 1991 and 1992 in(a) numbers and (b) as a percentage of the total NHS nursing and midwifery staff.

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

  Nursing and midwifery staff in post (whole-time equivalents (WTE)) as at 30 September

  Qualified

  Unqualified

  Learners

  Year

  WTE

  Per cent.

  WTE

  Per cent.

  WTE

  Per cent.

  1989

  17,850

  63·7

  7,069

  25·2

  3,118

  11·1

  1990

  17,986

  6·40

  7,031

  25·0

  3,075

  10·9

  1991

  18,010

  64·4

  7,019

  25·1

  2,934

  10·5

  11992

  18,096

  65·8

  7,355

  26·7

  2,069

  7·5

  1 Unqualified staff are staff paid as grade A, B or nursery nurses. The 1992 figures exclude about 64 whole-time equivalent nursing and midwifery staff employed by Pembrokeshire NHS trust for whom details of grade are not known centrally. In addition there are about 1,000 student nurses who have been reclassified as students following the introduction of Project 2000 nursing education reforms.

  Junior Doctors
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the number of junior doctors working an average of more than 83 hours a week in Wales on 1 April.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  No junior doctors were contracted to work more than 83 hours per week on average, on 1 April 1993.
  48

  River Pollution
  Mr. Richards
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what measures are being taken to ensure that disused coal and metal mines do not leak dangerous chemicals into Welsh rivers; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The National rivers Authority has been reviewing the extent of the problem of pollution from abandoned mines in England and Wales. The Government are, at the same time, considering the framework of legal responsibility for this pollution. Separately the authority's Welsh region is undertaking a survey, to which the Welsh Office is contributing, the objectives of which are to identify all ferruginous discharges emanating from or connected with abandoned coal mines in the region and to determine their impacts on the water quality, biological quality and fishery status of the receiving waters.

  Disused Quarries
  Mr. Richards
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what measures are being taken in Wales to encourage the owners of disused quarries to restore them to a natural state; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Redwood
  Advice on the reclamation of mineral workings is given in the joint Department of the Environment/Welsh Office minerals planning guidance note 7 (MPG7). MPG7 refers to the derelict land grant scheme, administered by the Welsh Development Agency, which encourages the reclamation of derelict land to bring it back into beneficial use or to improve its appearance. The grant is available to private individuals and others.

  Council Tax
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will estimate the average council tax payment due in each district council area in Wales in the current financial year.

  Mr. Redwood
  The average council tax set in each district council area in 1993–94 is given in the following table. The average amount due to be paid in each area will be reduced by the average council tax benefit granted for that area. Information on district benefit levels is not held centrally.

  £

  Alyn and Deeside

  366

  Colwyn

  352

  Delyn

  370

  Glyndwr

  355

  Rhuddlan

  354

  Wrexham Maelor

  343

  Carmarthen

  342

  Ceredigion

  356

  Dinefwr

  327

  Llanelli

  334

  Preseli Pembrokeshire

  326

  South Pembrokeshire

  315

  Blaenau Gwent

  230

  Islwyn

  254

  Monmouth

  363

  Newport

  285

  Torfaen

  268

  Aberconwy

  322

  Arfon

  283

  Dwyfor

  301

  Meirionnydd

  308

  Ynys Mon

  319

  Cynon Valley

  218

  49

  £

  Merthyr Tydfil

  214

  Ogwr

  261

  Rhondda

  203

  Rhymney Valley

  235

  Taff Ely

  277

  Brecknock

  322

  Montgomeryshire

  296

  Radnorshire

  301

  Cardiff

  283

  Vale of Glamorgan

  316

  Port Talbot

  291

  Lliw Valley

  311

  Neath

  325

  Swansea

  334

  Total Wales

  301

  Mr. Murphy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what local authorities in Wales he intends to cap in respect of council tax.

  Mr. Redwood
  I have today laid before the House a draft order, under section 57 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, setting out my decision on the final cap for Aberconwy borough council.

  On 26 April my predecessor announced that he proposed to designate Aberconwy borough council for capping. He proposed a cap of £8,566,950, a reduction of £167,745 on the authority's budget of £8,734,695. On 21 May, Aberconwy wrote to challenge the proposed cap and suggested an alternative amount of £8,734,695—the same as its original budget.

  In taking my decision, I have considered all the available relevant information, including the case made by

  Local Authority Budget Requirements, Non-Domestic Rales and Council Tax Income, 1993–94

  Budget requirement

  Income1 from non-domestic rates

  Income1 from Council Tax

  as a percentage of Budget requirement

  £000

  £000

  %

  £000

  Alyn and Deeside

  10,240

  2,256

  22

  1,784

  Colwyn

  7,709

  1,769

  23

  1,056

  Delyn

  9,016

  2,066

  23

  1,653

  Glyndwr

  5,347

  1,306

  24

  731

  Rhuddlan

  8,795

  1,721

  20

  1,226

  Wrexham Maelor

  16,453

  3,530

  21

  2,616

  Carmarthen

  7,818

  1,737

  22

  1,108

  Ceredigion

  10,063

  2,101

  21

  1,611

  Dinefwr

  5,675

  1,211

  21

  753

  Llanelli

  13,807

  2,331

  17

  2,471

  Preseli Pembrokeshire

  10,844

  2,161

  20

  1,157

  South Pembrokeshire

  7,034

  1,286

  18

  529

  Blaenau Gwent

  15,004

  2,339

  16

  988

  Islwyn

  11,133

  2,026

  18

  967

  Monmouth

  9,725

  2,351

  24

  1,932

  Newport

  22,929

  4,068

  18

  2,664

  Torfaen

  13,811

  2,742

  20

  1,594

  Aberconwy

  8,890

  1,709

  19

  1,434

  Arfon

  9,519

  1,713

  18

  1,117

  Dwyfor

  5,958

  859

  14

  613

  Meirionnydd

  6,175

  1,029

  17

  1,086

  Ynys Mon

  11,490

  2,117

  18

  1,954

  Cynon Valley

  12,992

  1,983

  15

  909

  Merthyr Tydfil

  11,986

  1,785

  15

  754

  Ogwr

  20,603

  4,056

  20

  1,988

  Rhondda

  17,225

  2,406

  14

  914

  Rhymney Valley

  15,707

  3,079

  20

  1,437

  Taff Ely

  14,977

  2,960

  20

  2,157

  Brecknock

  6,279

  1,282

  20

  1,123

  50
  the authority in support of a higher cap, and the impact of the flooding in the borough as a result of the severe weather between 10 June and 12 June 1993.

  As a result, I have decided that in the current circumstances of the authority it would not be reasonable to proceed with the cap proposed by my predecessor and I have therefore decided to set the cap at £8,734,695—the level of Aberconwy borough council's original budget.

  My decision arises from wholly exceptional circumstances in Aberconwy because of the flooding and the substantial unforeseen costs which the authority will have to bear, even allowing for assistance under the Bellwin scheme which I announced on 14 June. In the absence of the flooding, I would have proceeded to cap the borough council's budget at the proposed level and on the basis of the estimates it has given me, I still expect the council to draw on its reserves and make savings on its original budget to pay for the extra expenditure and revenue loss caused by the floods. The council and other authorities in Wales should be clear therefore that I am determined to ensure that all local authorities in Wales budget in line with my plans in future years.

  Local Government Finance
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish figures showing(a) the budget requirement, including parish precepts of all local authorities in Wales, (b) the income per council from non-domestic rates as a total figure and as a percentage figure and (c) the income in respect of council tax.

  Mr. Redwood
  The information requested is given in the table:
  51

  Budget requirement

  Income1 from non-domestic rates

  Income1 from Council Tax

  as a percentage of Budget requirement

  £000

  £000

  %

  £000

  Montgomeryshire

  6,863

  1,638

  24

  1,136

  Radnorshire

  3,346

  744

  22

  506

  Cardiff

  45,949

  8,809

  19

  6,153

  Vale of Glamorgan

  15,981

  3,482

  22

  2,988

  Port Talbot

  8,817

  1,567

  18

  688

  Lliw Valley

  8,638

  1,923

  22

  914

  Neath

  10,693

  2,030

  19

  1,578

  Swansea

  32,839

  5,774

  18

  3,267

  Clwyd

  278,044

  54,972

  20

  42,305

  Dyfed

  254,100

  47,060

  19

  36,586

  Gwent

  298,182

  58,790

  20

  35,172

  Gwynedd

  166,715

  32,285

  19

  23,310

  Mid Glamorgan

  384,800

  70,710

  18

  36,533

  Powys

  91,966

  15,927

  17

  11,031

  South Glamorgan

  271,855

  53,424

  20

  31,576

  West Glamorgan

  255,681

  49,089

  19

  34,847

  Total Districts

  460,330

  87,944

  19

  57,556

  Total Counties

  2,001,343

  382,256

  19

  251,360

  Total Wales

  2,461,673

  470,200

  19

  308,916

  1 Including community council precepts.

  Housing Management
  Mr. Murphy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales by what date he plans to implement compulsory competitive tendering of local authority housing management in Wales.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply given by my right hon. Friend to the hon. Member for Clwyd, North-West (Mr. Richards) on 17 December 1992,Official Report, columns 313–14.

  Toxic Waste
  Mr. Murphy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what further representations he has made to the German Government over the proposed transport of toxic waste from Germany to the ReChem incineration plant at Pontypool.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The Government have made no further representations.

  NHS Trusts (Chief Executives)
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will place in the Library a copy of the advertisements placed in the press by his Department for each of the positions of NHS trust chief executives in Wales.

  Annual average daily flows

  Road

  Section

  1988

  1989

  1990

  1991

  1992

  M4

  Newhouse to Magor

  39,200

  44,000

  44,300

  43,400

  45,100

  M4

  Magor to Coldra

  —

  45,900

  45,800

  45,200

  47,000

  M4

  Coldra to Caerleon

  —

  64,650

  71,600

  66,700

  67,500

  M4

  Caerleon to Malpas

  67,200

  74,900

  76,900

  76,950

  77,500

  M4

  Malpas to Tredegar Park

  —

  78,900

  81,100

  81,000

  81,800

  M4

  Tredegar Park to Castleton

  —

  66,000

  71,400

  68,500

  74,200

  M4

  Castleton to Coryton

  35,000

  38,000

  43,000

  40,850

  42,700

  Note: All flows 24 hour annual average daily flows.
  52
  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The responsibility for the placing of any such advertisement rests with the individual NHS trust.

  Local Government Reorganisation
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to assess the views of the public on the extent of the historical and community links between Blaenau Gwent and Merthyr in relation to the proposed new unitary authority combining the two district boroughs.

  Mr. Redwood
  I shall give very careful consideration to all the views that have been received.

  M4
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what are the latest figures of traffic flows on the M4 from(a) New House roundabout to Coldra, (b) Coldra to Malpas interchange, (c) Malpas to Tredegar park and (d) Tredegar park to Tongwynlais; and what they were for the previous four years.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  Traffic flows on the M4 between Newhouse and Coryton are as follows:
  53

DEFENCE

  RAF Flying Hours
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish the figures for the average number of hours flown by RAF crews indicating time spent at(a) low-level flying and (b) medium-level flying in each year since 1985; and if he will make a statement.

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

  Nuclear Test Veterans
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many representations he has received on the subject of compensation for members of the British Nuclear Test Veterans Association; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hanley
  About 40 representations have been received on this matter from hon. Members since the beginning of the year.

  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make it his Department's policy to compensate those veterans who were exposed to damaging levels of radiation during testing between 1952 and 1967; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hanley
  The Government would consider sympathetically a claim for compensation on behalf of any ex-service man who suffered illness from radiation through participation in the British atmospheric nuclear test programme. Not a single case of illness, however, has ever been shown to have been so caused. Almost all the personnel involved received little or no radiation from the nuclear tests. There is no evidence of increased mortality or of increased overall cancer incidence among British nuclear test veterans.

  Crown Proceedings (Armed Forces) Act 1987
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to amend the Crown Proceedings (Armed Forces) Act 1987 so that claims would be permissible for accidents that occurred before 15 May 1987; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hanley
  The Government have no plans to amend the Crown Proceedings (Armed Forces) Act 1987.

  The question of whether the change made in 1987 should be retrospective was fully debated in the House at the time. It was decided that the new Act would not be retrospective. I see no reason to take a different view now.

  Intellectual Property Rights
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what response he has made to requests to protect intellectual property rights after contractorisation.

  Mr. Aitken
  Any information transferred to a contractor is subject to a standard obligation of confidence which limits the use of the information to the purposes of the contract.
  54

  Anti-Missile Systems
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what projects he is engaged in, and with which partners, to explore the possibility of theatre anti-missile protection systems.

  Mr. Aitken
  We are currently engaged in a NATO ballistic missile defence (BMD) study based on a postulated risk of accidental or deliberate ballistic missile attack against NATO in the post-cold war era. We are also defining an internal pre-feasibility study into possible BMD systems to counter potential threats against the United Kingdom and our forces deployed overseas.

  Upholder Submarine
  Mr. Viggers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence upon what date it was decided not to proceed with the planned expenditure of £3·5 million on moving the Upholder class of submarine from Gosport to Devonport.

  Mr. Hanley
  No such decision has been taken, but no further expenditure will be committed until the future of the Upholder class has been decided.

  Apprenticeships
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many officially recognised apprenticeships have been completed by persons employed by his Department in each of the past 10 years.

  Mr. Aitken
  The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, over the past 10 years the Ministry of Defence has recruited some 8,300 civilian apprentices into disciplines recognised by the national trade unions.

  The intake numbers were as follows:

  Number

  1983

  1,257

  1984

  1,260

  1985

  1,034

  1986

  1,025

  1987

  674

  1988

  691

  1989

  683

  1990

  708

  1991

  574

  1992

  393

  Aircraft Incident (Taunton)
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will ensure that the hon. Member for Taunton is sent a report on the outcome of the inquiry into the incident over the Taunton area on 15 June, when a Royal Navy aircraft dropped its fuel tanks; and if he will make an interim statement.

  Mr. Hanky
  I can confirm that a Navy Sea Harrier operating in the Taunton area on 15 June suffered an electrical fault which caused its two external fuel tanks to be released. The tanks landed in fields. There were no injuries. An investigation is currently in hand and my noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence will write to the hon. Member when this has been completed.
  55

  Gulf Trust Fund
  Mr. Hanson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much money has been released to date from the Gulf Trust fund; and to how many recipients.

  Mr. Hanley
  Total expenditure to date from the Gulf Trust is £753,857, some of which has been in the form of loans on beneficial terms. Recent payments made by the benevolent funds have yet to be reimbursed from the Gulf Trust. 161 beneficiaries have so far been provided with assistance from the trust together with four charitable bodies and three charitable funds.

EMPLOYMENT

  Training
  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what plans he has to review the supervision of the advice given on training to clients of his Department by departmental offices and by agencies to whom clients are recommended for training.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Employment Service (ES) advisers are trained in techniques to diagnose client need so that they may suggest a suitable job or training opportunity. If a client feels they have been misinformed, the ES operates an easy to use complaints system.

  Someone who is interested in training and enterprise council (TEC) provided training will be given more detailed guidance by the training body or an independent guidance agency appointed by the TEC. TECs are required to operate quality control procedures and will take up any complaint made to them by a client.

  I have been advised that these procedures are working in a broadly satisfactory way and there is no need for a fundamental review. Guidance can, however, be a complex area and clients are occasionally misinformed. Where these cases are brought to our attention the matter is always investigated.

  Mr. Byers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what plans he has to increase the allowances paid to young people on the youth training scheme; and if he will make a statement.

  Miss Widdecombe
  There are no plans to increase minimum youth training (YT) allowances. Minimum YT allowances are set at levels which reflect the fact that trainees are involved in the learning process and I believe current levels are sufficient to meet the normal requirements of trainees living in the parental home.

  Trainees who live independently may apply for income support if they consider their income is insufficient to meet their needs. Employers are the main beneficiaries of the Government's investment in training and are strongly encouraged to supplement trainee incomes—an estimated 30 per cent. of YT trainees are employed and receive wages.

  Training and Enterprise Councils
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will take steps to ensure that representatives of district and borough councils are appointed to the boards of the TECs; and if he will make a statement.
  56
  Miss Widdecombe
  It is for TECs themselves to decide the membership of their boards within the broad framework set out in their contract with my Department. I am satisfied that TEC boards have adequate representation of their local authorities.

  Apprenticeships
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Warley, West (Mr. Spellar), of 14 June,Official Report, column 452, what definition of apprenticeships was used in in his answer; and if he will make a statement.

  Miss Widdecombe
  Respondents to the Labour Force Survey self-classify themselves when answering appropriate questions about apprenticeships. However, if clarification is needed interviewers are provided with the following guidance note:'Normally an apprenticeship commences at the age of 16 or 17 and is usually completed by the age of 21 after a minimum of three years.

  Include:

  Indentured apprenticeships;

  Those registered with a national body, eg. National Joint Council for the Building Industry;

  Persons with an employer's certificate of completion;

  Those recognised by an industrial training board or by a trade union for membership purposes;

  Articled clerks—those serving a period of training as accountants, solicitors etc;

  Hairdressers who are undergoing a planned training programme.

  Exclude:

  Persons who have been upgraded through informal (or formal) training and/or experience;

  Architectural draughtsmen.'

  Apprenticeships are only part of the system of delivering vocational training. The 1980s saw the introduction, and expansion, of training for young people through the youth training initiatives. In addition, many young people opt to acquire vocational training through the further education system.

  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) how many fully indentured apprenticeships have been completed in each of the past 10 years; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) how many of those persons who are recognised by the labour force survey as having completed an apprenticeship in 1992 had taken in excess of two years' training to achieve it.

  Miss Widdecombe
  The information is not available.

  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment in what circumstances TECs finance apprenticeships which take in excess of two years to complete; and how many such apprenticeships were funded by TECs during 1991.

  Miss Widdecombe
  Training and enterprise councils (TECs) provide training opportunities under youth training (YT) for young people leading to approved qualifications at or above national vocational qualification level 2 standard. A TEC may support a young person undergoing apprenticeship training for the duration of the apprenticeship period, subject to the trainee remaining under 25 years of age. The Labour Force Survey shows that some 52,000 apprenticeships were operating under YT in the spring of 1991.
  57

  Federation of Economic Development Authorities
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he has now replied to the letter dated 20 May to his Department from the Federation of Economic Development Authorities in relation to each of the points raised with him in that letter; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Yes. I replied on 3 June.

TRANSPORT

  East London River Crossing
  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if ho will place in the Library a copy of the European Commission's reasoned opinion on the environmental impact of the proposed east London river crossing and its effect on Oxleas wood.

  Mr. MacGregor
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Minister for Transport in London to the hon. Member for Woolwich (Mr. Austin-Walker) on 18 May 1993,Official Report, columns 92–93.

  Underground Rail Systems
  Ms Hoey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information he has as to which other major European cities have underground rail systems which either break even or make an operating profit.

  Mr. Norris
  Detailed information on the financial performance of underground railway systems outside Britain is not collected by the Government. In any case, direct comparisons between complex systems operating under very different financial regimes are extremely difficult to make.

  Public Transport Demand
  Ms Hoey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what consideration in his evaluation of the potential application of road pricing to inner London has been given to the impact on public transport demand, particularly on London Underground; and if road pricing assessments will include an evaluation of how far the public transport system can cope with the additional demand without significant modernisation.

  Mr. Norris
  The likely impacts on public transport demand will be estimated as part of the evaluation exercise on city congestion charging in London.

  West Coast Line
  Mr. Nigel Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what are the plans for the upgrading of the west coast line.

  Mr. Freeman
  Re-equipping the west coast main line is an investment priority. I understand that British Rail has set aside funds for design work and plans to begin renewing the infrastructure next year. Decisions on the precise phasing of the renewal programme will need to have regard to public expenditure constraints.
  58

  Channel Tunnel Rail Link
  Mr. Rowe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what steps he is taking to ensure that contractors constructing the channel tunnel rail link use main arterial routes only;

  (2) what steps he is taking to ensure that contractors constructing the channel tunnel rail link locate their work sites so as to avoid disturbance to homes.

  Mr. Freeman
  Union Railways is currently preparing a code of practice for construction as part of its environmental handbook, which will be published in due course.

  Motor Cycles
  Mr. Fraser
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will continue to resist proposals for outlawing motor-cycles by the European Community where the power is in excess of 100 brake horse power.

  Mr. Key
  The EC Council of Ministers adopted on 14 June a common position on the proposal for a directive on motor cycle power, which will permit higher powered motor cycles up to a limit of 94kW (125bhp) to be approved for registration in the United Kingdom until the end of the century. The proposal will now go to the European Parliament for Second Reading. It would be premature to speculate on the outcome.

  Traffic Regulation Conditions (Buses)
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how many traffic regulation conditions involving bus services have been recommended by the traffic commissioners, and how many he has refused, in each year since 1985;

  (2) what factors he takes into account when determining his response to a traffic regulation condition involving bus services.

  Mr. Freeman
  Traffic regulation conditions are determined without reference to the Secretary of State, by traffic commissioners, who are quasi-judicial independent bodies. They may only be imposed if commissioners are satisfied that they are required to prevent danger to road users or to reduce severe traffic congestion.

  An appeal may be made to the Secretary of State against the determination of the traffic commissioner. Factors to be taken into account in deciding the appeal will vary according to the nature of the appeal, but a pre-condition is that the traffic commissioner has acted within his powers.

  The number of traffic regulation conditions imposed each year since 1985 is as follows:

  Number

  1985

  Nil

  1986

  2

  1987

  9

  1988

  5

  1989

  1

  1990

  1

  1991

  1

  1992

  3

  TOTAL

  22

  59
  There have been five appeals against traffic regulation conditions made to the Secretary of State since 1985. Three were dismissed; one was allowed; and one was allowed in part, but the traffic regulation condition was varied.

  Heavy Goods Vehicles
  Mr. Matthew Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what consideration he has given to the financial and environmental benefits of increasing weight limitations on heavy goods vehicles;

  (2) what plans he has to increase weight limitations on heavy goods vehicles.

  Mr. Key
  We are considering the responses to a consultation paper we issued on a proposal to increase the maximum gross weight to 44 tonnes for six-axle articulated lorries and drawbar trailer combinations carrying goods to and from railheads. Some respondents have argued that there are benefits in allowing such a weight increase more widely. The financial and environmental factors are among those that we shall take into account in coming to a decision.

  Transport Council
  Mr. Harris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what was the result of the Transport Council held in Luxembourg on 7 and 8 June 1993.

  Mr. MacGregor
  [pursuant to his reply, 11 June 1993, c. 383–84]: The Transport Council resumed on 19 June the meeting that it had held on 7 and 8 June. I represented the United Kingdom.

  The Council resolved the long-standing issues of road freight vehicle taxation and charging of road freight cabotage. This agreement was fundamentally based, as the Danish presidency acknowledged, on work carried out by the United Kingdom presidency. I am delighted to say that this completes the single market in transport and that British interests were fully protected. This agreement will provide a significant opportunity for British hauliers in European markets.

  The Council agreed that the definitive Community arrangements on road haulage cabotage—the right to carry loads within another country—will come into force on 1 July 1998. The present Community cabotage authorisation and quota system will continue until then, with the total quota for the Community for two month cabotage authorisations being increased on 1 January 1994 to 30,000, and annually from 1 January 1995 by 30 per cent.

  The Council agreed on a broad framework to be applied by all countries in introducing permits, as indicated as one option in our Green Paper "Paying for Better Motorways". The details of this are entirely consistent with the options I set out in the Green Paper.

  The Council agreed that the maximum annual user charge for road freight vehicles should be 1,250 ecu, to be reviewed every two years, with the first review by I January 1997. The definition of roads that may be covered is essentially motorways and similar roads, with a possible extension to other roads under a Community procedure.

  The Belgian, Danish, German, Luxembourg and Netherlands delegations announced that they had reached an agreement on a common user charge system for their territories, under which one permit will cover the use of roads in all five countries. This will be better for British
  60
  hauliers than individual charges in each of the member states. The agreement provides for charging to start from 1 January 1995, with reduced charges for the first three years for Greek transport operators and for the first two years for Irish and Portuguese.

  The Council agreed on minimum rates of vehicle tax, and that until the end of 1997 five member states can apply rates up to 50 per cent. below the minimum rates.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Pensioners (Mortgages)
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimate he has of the number of pensioners who own their own homes and have repaid their mortgage.

  Mr. Hague
  In 1989, the latest year for which figures are available, over half of all pensioners owned their own homes, Of these, 94 per cent—or 3·5 million—owned their own homes outright with no mortgage commitments.

  Unemployment
  Sir David Steel
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to re-include 16 to 18-year-olds who are out of work and not in education into unemployment registers.

  Mr. Burt
  None. All 16 to 18-year-olds have available to them either employment, further education or a guaranteed training place.

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

  Mr. Hague
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Dundee, East (Mr. McAllion) on 24 February at column 618. There have been no further market tests completed by this Department since that date.

  Independent Living Fund
  Mr. Alan Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) whether sufferers from Huntington's disease, motor neurone disease and ataxia are to be excluded from eligibility for assistance by the independent living (1993) fund; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) what criteria will be used to identify those terminally ill disabled people who are to be excluded from assistance by the independent living (1993) fund.

  Mr. Scott
  Questions of eligibility for assistance from the independent living (1993) fund are a matter for the trustees of the fund.

  Mr. Alan Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what steps he will take to provide support for severely disabled people who are terminally ill following the decision to exclude them from assistance by the independent living (1993) fund.
  61
  Mr. Scott
  Support for people who are terminally ill is already provided in many forms by statutory, voluntary and charitable agencies.

  Pensions
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many married women between the ages of(a) 60 to 65 years, (b) 65 to 75 years and (c) 75 to 85 years do not qualify for a retirement pension or occupational pension;

  (2) how many married men between the ages of (a) 60 to 65 years, (b) 65 to 75 years and (c) 75 to 85 years are receiving a retirement pension or an occupational pension;

  (3) how many married couples over 65 years are dependent on the husband's retirement or occupational pension.

  Mr. Hague
  The information is not available. Neither the retirement pension statistics nor the family expenditure survey—upon which the pensioner income series is based—provide reliable information on both the state retirement pension and the occupational pension received by members of married couples.

  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the cost of raising the basic state retirement pension to a level at which income support and housing benefit would cease to be payable to pensioners; and by how much the standard rate of income tax would have to be raised to raise the same sum.

  Mr. Hague
  The additional cost of increasing the basic retirement pension to the higher pensioner rate of income support would be £3·4 billion. This represents a full-year extra cost in 1993–94 net of savings made by the consequent reduction in spending on income related benefits.

  The basic rate of income tax would have to be increased by 8p to raise this amount.

  It is not possible to estimate a level of retirement pension at which all pensioners cease to be eligible for housing benefit as entitlement depends on the level or rent paid, and rents vary widely. As an illustration of the cost involved I estimate that it would cost £11·2 billion net in 1993–94 to increase retirement pensions to a level vihere income support and housing benefit entitlement would cease for pensioners paying the average local authority weekly rent paid by pensioners in receipt of housing benefit—£26·64 in May 1991, the latest available figures.

  Myalgic Encephalomyelitis
  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) if he will revise the current disability handbook on myalgic encephalomyelitis to reflect(a) its severe disabling nature and (b) recent research findings;

  (2) if he will transfer the entry on myalgic encephalomyelitis in the disability handbook from the chapter on chronic fatigue syndromes to the chapter on certain neurological disorders.

  Mr. Scott
  The entry on myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) in the "Disability Handbook" is currently being revised and will be transferred to the chapter on "Certain Neurological Disorders", when the revision is complete. It will reflect the consensus view of the nature and severity of the condition, taking into account recent research evidence.
  62

  National Insurance
  Mr. Denham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many employed earners paid national insurance contributions at the contracted-out standard rate; and how many people earned above that year's upper earnings limit for national insurance purposes, in the latest year for which figures are available.

  Mr. Hague
  About 9·6 million employed earners paid some national insurance contributions at the standard contracted-out rate in 1990–91.

  In the same year, 1·8 million of all contributors who paid class 1 contributions had earnings at or above the annual earnings limit.

  Source: DSS internal sample of 1 per cent. of national insurance contributors.

  State Earnings-related Pension Scheme
  Mr. Denham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many individuals currently(a) contribute towards a state earnings-related pension, (b) do not pay SERPS because they are in an occupational scheme, and (c) do not pay SERPS because they are in a personal pension scheme.

  Mr. Hague
  During 1990–91, the latest year for which information is available, employed earners paid national insurance contributions as follows:

  Great Britain millions

  (i) At the standard not contracted out rate

  11·6

  (ii) At the contracted out rate because of membership of an occupational pension scheme

  8·2

  (iii) A mixture of both (i) and (ii) above

  1·4

  (iv) At the standard not contracted out rate (included in (i) and (iii)) but subsequently had a rebate of contributions paid into an appropriate personal pension

  4·1

  Source: 1 per cent. sample of national insurance contribution records.

  Mr. Denham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many members of personal pension schemes who have opted out of the state earnings-related pension scheme he expects to opt back into SERPS over the next five years;

  (2) how many members of personal pension schemes who opted out of the state earnings-related pension scheme have opted back into SERPS.

  Mr. Hague
  It is not possible to estimate the numbers of people likely to opt back into the state earnings-related pension scheme (SERPS), since the decision as to whether or not to opt back depends on an individual's particular circumstances.

  We estimate that some 76,500 United Kingdom personal pension holders had rejoined SERPS by the end of 1990–91, the latest year for which figures are available. This estimate is based on a 1 per cent. sample of national insurance contributors and may include people who have left and rejoined SERPS more than once.
  63

  Social Fund (Rent Deposits)
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he expects the pilot scheme enabling people to receive payments from the social fund for rent deposits to report on the pilot project.

  Mr. Scott
  There is no such scheme. However, the Department of the Environment is currently funding a pilot rent deposit scheme as part of the rough sleepers initiative in central London.

  Housing Benefit
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to study the implications of the transfer of housing benefit administration from local authorities to the Benefits Agency.

  Mr. Burt
  There are no proposals for such a transfer. In March this year the Department issued guidelines designed to help individual local authorities to make informed decisions about whether or not to contract out those aspects of benefit administration which the law permits.

  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what steps his Department are taking to increase the take-up of housing benefit.

  Mr. Burt
  Information on housing benefit is available at all Benefits Agency and unemployment benefit offices, although, as responsibility for the administration of housing benefit lies with individual local authorities, they are in the best position to undertake local publicity and initiatives to improve local take-up.

  Latest estimates of housing benefit take-up, for 1989, which were published earlier this year, show 91 per cent. of available benefit being claimed.

  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to introduce compensation to tenants when local authorities do not issue interim payments for housing benefit purposes.

  Mr. Burt
  We have no such plans. Local authorities are responsible for the administration of housing benefit and it is for them to decide whether any recompense should be made following their investigation of individual complaints. In addition, if the local government ombudsman finds maladministration and injustice in a particular case, the judgement can include a recommendation about financial compensation.

  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to issue a national form for reporting change of circumstances for housing benefit.

  Mr. Burt
  We have no such plans. Full statutory responsibility for the administration of the housing benefit scheme rests with local authorities. That responsibility extends to the design and production of appropriate claim forms. Authorities may produce supplementary forms where they consider it would help to streamline benefit administration.

  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will set out in a table for every year since 1984 the amount of housing benefit going to tenants(a) in local authority housing, (b) in housing association properties and (c) in private rented housing; and if he will make a statement.
  64
  Mr. Hague
  The available information is in the table.

  1 2Rent Rebates

  1 3Rent Allowance

  £ million

  £ million

  1983–84

  1,980

  536

  1984–85

  2,146

  687

  1985–86

  2,296

  881

  1986–87

  2,419

  996

  1987–88

  2,506

  1,030

  1988–89

  2,718

  1,055

  1989–90

  2,946

  1,337

  1990–91

  3,345

  1,596

  1991–92

  3,659

  2,399

  41992–93

  4,445

  2,903

  Source:—The source of the data is the departmental report.

  1 Rent rebates are housing benefit in respect of local authority tenants; rent allowances are housing benefit paid to tenants in privately rented accommodation.

  2 Includes transitional payments introduced when the responsibility for housing benefit was fully transferred from supplementary benefit to housing benefit. (1983–84)

  3 Separate information for housing associations is not available; information for these properties is included with rent allowance.

  4 Estimated outturn.

  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what percentage of the average council rent is the maximum non-dependant deduction for housing benefit.

  Mr. Burt
  The maximum non-dependant deduction in 1993–94 is estimated to represent approximately 65 per cent. of the average local authority rent in Great Britain.

  Fraud
  Mr. Matthew Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what progress his Department has made in encouraging local authorities to reduce council tax and housing benefit fraud; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Burt
  The Department has recently undertaken several initiatives to heighten fraud awareness amongst local authority staff and to encourage local authorities in their anti-fraud work:From April 1993 authorities will not only receive an increase in benefit subsidy, from 25 per cent. to full rate, for overpayments resulting from fraud but authorities will also share in benefit savings they achieve above specific baseline figures.
  In May 1993, a model national fraud service level agreement was signed, which had been prepared by the Department, in consultation with the local authority associations and the Benefits Agency. The agreement provides a framework for effective two-way liaison between fraud sections in local authorities and Benefits Agency sector fraud.
  In 1992–93, the Department, in conjuction with the Benefits Agency training unit, offered free fraud training to authorities and funds have now been secured for further training in 1993–94.
  The Department will be involved in and do all it can to support the newly formed London-wide team of local authority specialists which has been set o up to co-ordinate authorities' anti-fraud efforts across borough boundaries.

  Local Authorities (Rents)
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to implement the Audit Commission's recommendation that local authorities should be able to apply to the rent officer every six months.

  Mr. Burt
  Under current arrangements, local authorities cannot normally refer to the rent officer for a fresh
  65
  determination within a period of 12 months, but there are circumstances in which referral within this period is permitted. We have no plans to amend the general 12-month referral period.

  Income Support (Mortgage Interest)
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many claimants were paid income support for mortgage interest in each year since 1988(a) as a total, (b) who were pensioners, (c) who were unemployed and (d) who were disability premium recipients; and if he will provide an annual cost for each category in both current prices and 1988 prices.

  Mr. Burt
  The information is in the table.

  Income support recipients with mortgage interests considered in their assessments

  Number of cases

  Annual equivalent amount of mortgage interest

  £

  1988

  Total

  300

  285,600

  Pensioners

  75

  37,300

  Unemployed

  125

  138,200

  Disability premium recipients

  26

  25,700

  Others

  —

  —

  1988–89 prices

  Total

  300

  285,600

  Pensioners

  75

  37,300

  Unemployed

  125

  138,200

  Disability premium recipients

  26

  25,700

  Others

  —

  —

  1993–94 prices

  Total

  300

  372,906

  Pensioners

  75

  48,702

  Unemployed

  125

  180,447

  Disability premium recipients

  26

  33,556

  Others

  —

  —

  1989

  Total

  281

  353,000

  Pensioners

  74

  51,200

  Unemployed

  91

  135,700

  Disability premium recipients

  31

  38,100

  Others

  85

  128,000

  1988–89 prices

  Total

  281

  331,2270

  Pensioners

  74

  48,042

  Unemployed

  91

  127,330

  Disability premium recipients

  31

  35,750

  Others

  85

  120,105

  1993–94 prices

  Total

  281

  432,480

  Pensioners

  74

  62,728

  Unemployed

  91

  166,254

  Disability premium recipients

  31

  46,678

  Others

  85

  156,820

  1990

  Total

  310

  553,400

  Pensioners

  88

  81,200

  Unemployed

  87

  194,500

  Disability premium recipients

  37

  62,600

  Others

  99

  215,100

  1988–89 prices

  Total

  310

  480,772

  Pensioners

  88

  70,543

  66

  Number of cases

  Annual equivalent amount of mortgage interest

  £

  Unemployed

  87

  168,974

  Disability premium recipients

  37

  54,384

  Others

  99

  186,870

  1993–94 prices

  Total

  310

  627,740

  Pensioners

  88

  92,108

  Unemployed

  87

  220,628

  Disability premium recipients

  37

  71,009

  Others

  99

  243,995

  1991

  Total

  411

  949,200

  Pensioners

  87

  93,100

  Unemployed

  161

  442,000

  Disability premium recipients

  45

  94,700

  Others

  118

  319,500

  1988–89 prices

  Total

  411

  773,104

  Pensioners

  87

  75,828

  Unemployed

  161

  360,000

  Disability premium recipients

  45

  77,131

  Others

  118

  260,226

  1993–94 prices

  Total

  411

  1,009,436

  Pensioners

  87

  99,008

  Unemployed

  161

  470,049

  Disability premium recipients

  45

  100,710

  Others

  118

  339,775

  1992

  Total

  499

  1,143,200

  Pensioners

  90

  94,100

  Unemployed

  216

  596,800

  Disability premium recipients

  53

  104,600

  Others

  141

  347,800

  1988–89 prices

  Total

  499

  899,627

  Pensioners

  90

  74,051

  Unemployed

  216

  469,644

  Disability premium recipients

  53

  82,314

  Others

  141

  273,697

  1993–94 prices

  Total

  499

  1,174,635

  Pensioners

  90

  96,688

  Unemployed

  216

  613,211

  Disability premium recipients

  53

  107,476

  Others

  141

  357,364

  Source: Income Support Statistics Annual Inquiries, May 1988 to 1992.

  Notes:

  1. The figures have been rounded to the nearest thousand. Cost figures are given to the nearest hundred thousand pounds.

  2. Figures are given for the numbers of income support recipients who have mortgage interest considered iri their assessment. The annual costs have been estimated from the weekly amount of mortgage interest considered in the assessment. In practice the amount of income support paid to the recipient may be reduced due to assumed contributions from non-dependants living in the household.

  3. Some "Pensioners" may also receive a disability premium. These people have been counted as "Pensioners" rather than "Disability premium recipients".

  4. Costs at 1988 prices have been calculated using the gross domestic product deflator.
  67

  Walsall Council (Bus Passes)
  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 10 June,Official Report, column 333, when he expects to conclude his discussions with Walsall council over its refusal to comply with legislation allowing blind people in receipt of the disability living allowance to have the concessionary bus pass; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Scott
  We remain engaged in discussions with the council and hope to conclude them in the near future. I will write to the hon. Member as soon as the discussions are completed to let him know their outcome.

  Industrial Deafness
  Mr. Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people were in receipt of(a) invalidity pension and (b) invalidity allowance owing to being incapable to work because of industrial-induced deafness in each year since 1979.

  Mr. Scott
  The information requested is not available.

  Invalidity Benefit
  Mr. Boateng
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many claimants of invalidity benefit in each constituency in the London borough of Brent are aged to(a) 18 to 30 years, (b) 31 to 40 years, (c) 41 to 50 years and (d) 51 to 65 years;

  (2) how many claimants of invalidty benefit there were in (a) the London borough of Brent and (b) the Brent, South parliamentary constituency at the latest available date.

  Mr. Scott
  I understand from Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency, that the information requested is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many male and female claimants of invalidity benefit there were in Pendle in each year since 1990.

  Mr. Scott
  I understand from Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency, that the information requested is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many claimants of invalidity benefit in Pendle are aged(a) 18–30 years, (b) 31–40 years, (c) 41–50 years and (d) 51–65 years.

  Mr. Scott
  I understand from Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency, that the information requested is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people currently in residential care are in receipt of invalidity benefit.

  Mr. Scott
  The information requested is not available.

  Mr. Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the proportion of registered disabled persons currently in receipt of invalidity benefit.
  68
  Mr. Scott
  The information requested is not available.

  Mr. Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people were in receipt of(a) invalidity pension and (b) invalidity allowance for each year since 1979.

  Mr. Scott
  The information is in the table.

  Numbers receiving invalidity pension and invalidity allowance

  Date

  Invalidity pension

  Invalidity allowance

  2 June 1979

  609,900

  505,100

  31 May 1980

  614,500

  512,100

  30 May 1981

  632,600

  533,000

  29 May 1982

  683,100

  575,400

  2 April 1983

  736,800

  364,000

  31 March 1984

  797,000

  665,500

  30 March 1985

  848,900

  708,200

  5 April 1986

  899,200

  516,400

  4 April 1987

  967,900

  508,400

  2 April 1988

  1,047,500

  509,100

  1 April 1989

  1,126,000

  518,100

  31 March 1990

  1,208,900

  523,300

  30 March 1991

  1,306,000

  534,600

  Notes:

  1. Based on a 1 per cent. sample of claimants; the latest date for which information is available is 30 March 1991.

  2. The estimated average number of people receiving invalidity benefit at any one time during 1992–93 is 1,490,000 (source: departmental report).

  Mr. Byers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will give for each benefit office the number of claimants in receipt of invalidity benefit in May 1979 and at the most recent date for which figures are available.

  Mr. Scott
  I understand from Mr. Michael Bichard the chief executive of the Benefits Agency, that the information is not available.

  Industrial Disablement Pension
  Mr. Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people received industrial disablement pension in each year since 1979.

  Mr. Scott
  The information requested is in the table:

  Estimated average numbers of recipients1 at any one time

  Thousands

  Period

  Number

  1979–80

  270

  1980–81

  265

  1981–82

  260

  1982–83

  265

  1983–84

  265

  1984–85

  260

  1985–86

  265

  1986–87

  285

  1987–88

  290

  1988–89

  295

  1989–90

  295

  1990–91

  305

  1991–92

  295

  1992–93

  295

  1 The information is taken from departmental reports. The figures include recipients of industrial injuries disablement pension and/or reduced earnings allowance.

  69

  DSS Employees (Fraud)
  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many DSS employees have been charged with fraud in each year since 1979; what was the value of this fraud; and what is the estimated total value of frauds committed by DSS employees for each of those years.

  Mr. Hague
  The information is in the table.

  Information is not available for the period 1979 to 1983, and only partial details are available for the period 1984 to 1987. There is no basis on which to estimate the total value of unknown fraud committed. The figures in column 4 relate to the value of fraud on the part of DSS employees detected each year. Where criminal prosecution was not considered to be appropriate the incidents were dealt with by internal disciplinary measures.

  Year

  Number of staff prosecuted

  Amount of fraud involved (£)

  Known total value of internal fraud

  1984

  9

  35,816·39

  —

  1985

  4

  41,484·88

  —

  1986

  3

  13,563·27

  —

  1987

  10

  22,911·09

  —

  1988

  1

  4,206·05

  7,802·33

  1989

  1

  42,924·80

  57,628·31

  1990

  1

  34,084·90

  55,933·91

  1991

  1

  46,649·07

  160,040·53

  1992

  3

  106,961·35

  160,276·76

  1993

  3

  93,617·25

  195,635·93

  Mr. Terry Green
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what consideration he gave in deciding to appoint Mr. Terry Green as a non-executive director with the Benefits Agency to his immediately preceding status as a civil servant in the agency;

  (2) if he will publish the terms and conditions relating to the recent appointment of Mr. Terry Green as a non-executive director of the Benefits Agency.

  Mr. Hague
  The appointment of non-executive members of the Benefits Agency management team is matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member with such information as is available and a copy will be placed in the Library.

  Letter from M. Richard to Mr. John McAllion, dated 18 June 1993:
  As Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency, it is my responsibility to answer questions about relevant operational matters. I am therefore replying to your recent Parliamentary Questions to the Secretary of State for Social Security asking what consideration he gave in deciding to appoint Mr. Terry Green as a non-executive director with the Benefits Agency to his immediately preceding status as a civil servant in the Agency and if he will publish the terms and conditions relating to his appointment of Mr. Terry Green as a non-executive director of the Benefits Agency.
  We have recently been looking, within the Benefits Agency, at the roles and responsibilities of the directors who form the Benefits Agency Management Team. We concluded that it would be appropriate to reduce the number of full-time executive directors from six to five, but that it would also be desirable to appoint two part-time non-executive members of
  70
  the Team, particularly to contribute to the strategic thinking of the Agency. I have been very pleased to appoint Terry Green as a non-executive member of the Management Team with a special interest in customer service issues. In that role he will be able to develop the work he led on customer service when he was employed by the Agency.
  The terms and conditions relating to this appointment are not yet the subject of a formal contract but it has been agreed that Mr. Green will work for three days a month. Details of an individual's remuneration are regarded as confidential, but the daily fee payable to Mr. Green is well within the normal range for this type of appointment. He will also be reimbursed travel and subsistence expenses in accordance with the normal Benefits Agency rules. His immediately preceding status as a civil servant was relevant only to the extent that he is able to bring to our deliberations considerable knowledge of customer services issues in the Benefits Agency. The normal rules of the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme relating to re-employment will be applied.
  I hope you find this reply helpful. A copy of this letter will appear in the Official Report and a copy will also be placed in the Library.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Comfrey
  Mr. Hain
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if individuals may import comfrey products for their private use; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Soames
  The advice of the Government's independent expert committees is that consumption of comfrey products containing high levels of pyrrolizidine alkaloids may give rise to toxic effects in humans. With the co-operation of the principal health food trade associations, I have taken action to protect consumers by securing the removal of relevant products from sale. However, this is not a legislative prohibition.

  Tobacco Subsidy
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the EC subsidy for tobacco growing in ecu and sterling for 1991 and 1992; and what is the estimated level for 1993.

  Mr. Jack
  Community expenditure on tobacco amounted to 1,330 mecu (£931 million)1 in 1991 and 1,233 mecu (£873 million)2 in 1992. For 1993, the last year in which the unreformed regime applies, it is forecast at 1,401 mecu (£1,110 million)3.

  1 £1 = 1·4291 ecu

  2 £1 = 1·4130 ecu

  3 £1=1·2617 ecu

  Agriculture Council (Voting)
  Mr. Barnes
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to her answer of 27 May,Official Report, columns 687–88, what were the voting figures for each decision taken at the Agriculture Council held in Brussels on 24 and 25 May; and if she will make it her policy to include in future statements on council meetings information on whether formal votes were taken.

  Mr. Jack
  The Agriculture Council, which met from 24 to 27 May, reached agreement in principle on the 1993 price proposals and related measures; no formal vote was taken. The various measures were adopted at the subsequent Council on 14 June. No formal vote was taken
  71
  but five member states registered votes against a measure increasing milk quotas and one against a measure extending the sugar regime. My right hon. Friend and I will in future indicate in statements on Council meetings whether formal votes were taken.

  Coastal Protection
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what are the current criteria for grant-aiding coast protection and sea defence works; what changes she is expecting to make in the criteria; how much of the East Anglian coastline she expects to meet the criteria in the next two years; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Jack
  The basic criteria for grant-aiding coast protection and sea defence works are that they should be technically sound, economically worth while and environmentally acceptable. The protection of life is the paramount objective, but in considering applications for grant aid, there is a presumption that natural coastal processes should not be disrupted except where life or important natural or man-made assets are at risk. In recent months, the Ministry has published revised and expanded guidance on project appraisal and new guidance on environmental aspects of coastal defences, so that operating authorities are aware of how the criteria are applied. Application of the criteria is kept under review, but no changes are foreseen at present.

  The need for improvements to some coastal defences in East Anglia is recognised. Several major grant-aided schemes are already under way or in the course of preparation. It is not possible to say how much of the East Anglian coastline will meet the critera for grant aid in the next two years, as it is for the local operating authorities, in the first instance, to decide what schemes to bring forward for approval. However, it is likely that a major part of the Ministry's grant provision will continue to be directed to the Anglian region.

  Sea Level
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what studies her Department has conducted in the last five years into the impact to the British coast which would be caused by a rise in the sea level of a quarter of a metre; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Jack
  The Ministry continues to fund a number of flood and coastal defence research projects relating to climate change and possible sea level rise, designed to ensure that we are in a position to assess the likely impact on the coast and to plan our response. These include the assessment of changes in the probability of sea levels in storms and of the impact of any changes in wave and storm climate on beaches. In addition, the Ministry funds a national system of tide gauges and recent work has been carried out to relate these to a global reference system so that changes in sea level and geological movements can be separately identified.

  A further item of research the Ministry has sponsored in the period mentioned involved an economic appraisal of the consequences of climate-induced sea level rise for the East Anglian coast between Hunstanton and Felixstowe, which was carried out by the university of East Anglia. The research indicated that a strategy of raising defences
  72
  as required would be economically worth while and current Ministry advice is that new or improved defences should include an allowance for future sea level rise based on estimates by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

  Equine Viral Arteritis
  Dr. Strang
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to her answer to the hon. Member for Bury St. Edmunds (Mr. Spring) of 10 June,Official Report, columns 307–8, whether national provisions in force at the time the stallion which was possibly infected with equine viral arteritis was imported into the United Kingdom afford the same degree of protection to the United Kingdom as the provision set out in article 20(2) of the EC directive 90/496/EEC, (a) against inadequate third country veterinary certification and (b) when equidae are, or are suspected of being, infected with or contaminated by an infectious or contagious disease.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  The animal health rules applicable to the import of horses into Great Britain at the time the stallion was imported were of at least equivalent effect to those now required under EC rules. Where there is evidence of inadequate veterinary certification, this is always taken up with the country concerned.

  Dr. Strang
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, when regulation No. 3295 implementing Council directive 90/496/EEC came into force; on what date article 27 of that directive stipulates that it should have been brought into force in the United Kingdom; what are the reasons for the difference in dates; and if she will make a statement.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  The Animals and Animal Products (Import and Export) Regulations 1992 (SI 1992 No. 3295) came into force on 1 January 1993.

  Article 27 of directive 90/426/EEC required member states to bring into force implementing laws, regulations and administrative procedures from 1 January 1992. The provisions were implemented in Great Britain under existing legislation pending the coming into force of SI 1992 No. 3295.

  Dr. Strang
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when her Ministry first received representations from the Animal Health Trust that a relaxation in the rules governing the import of horses and farmed livestock would make the United Kingdom vulnerable to equine viral arteritis.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  As soon as it was realised that specific provisions in relation to EVA were not to be included in the EC animal health rules of equidae, the industry was advised to strengthen the existing voluntary code of practice designed to guard against the introduction of disease into the breeding stock.

  Dr. Strang
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what effect the timing of the implementation of directive 90/496/EEC, on animal health conditions governing the movement and import from third countries of equidae, had with respect to the importation of horses infected with equine viral arteritis and farmed livestock testing sero-positive to foot and mouth.
  73
  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  The timing of implementation of directive 90/426/EEC, which does not apply to farmed livestock, has had no effect on the importation of horses infected with EVA.

  Dr. Strang
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what measures are presently in place, or are due to be implemented, which might restrict the United Kingdom's ability to halt the importation of animals infected with equine viral arteritis or other non-notifiable diseases;

  (2) whether the United Kingdom is able to act independently of other EC nations within the context of the European single market, to protect against the importation of equidae infected with equine viral arteritis and farmed livestock testing sero-positive to foot and mouth.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  EC rules require that animals entering the Community or moving between member states must be certified as free from clinical signs of disease. Member states may return animals not complying with this requirement.

  Dr. Strang
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what action the Government are taking to ensure that equine viral arteritis is included on the list of notifiable diseases listed in schedule 5 to the Animals and Animal Products (Import and Export) Regulation 1992.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  None, because EVA is not required under EC rules to be notifiable in member states.

  Dr. Strang
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when a vaccine will be available to tackle equine viral arteritis virus; and why stocks were not available in the United Kingdom for immediate use.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  An application for an inactivated vaccine has recently been received by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate and is being assessed as quickly as possible.

  Dr. Strang
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what are the most recent figures on the number of premises and horses known to have been infected with equine viral arteritis.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  According to information provided by the Animal Health Trust, active infection has been found on six of 14 premises currently under voluntary movement restrictions. Eighty-eight horses have, to date, tested seropositive.

  Dr. Strang
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what national rules have been in force pending the implementation of directive 90/496/EEC; and what protection these rules provided against the importation of equidae infected with equine viral arteritis.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  National rules in force prior to implementation of directive 90/426/EEC required horses to be tested seronegative to equine viral arteritis prior to importation.

  Dr. Strang
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what action her Department is taking to assist in the eradication of equine viral arteritis from the United Kingdom; and by when she expects eradication to have been achieved.
  74
  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Bury St. Edmunds (Mr. Spring) on 10 June 1993, columns 307–308.

  Dr. Strang
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what research her Ministry has financed towards the development of a genetically engineered killed vaccine for equine viral arteritis.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  None, although research into the equine viral arteritis virus is currently taking place at the Central Veterinary Laboratory, Weybridge and the Animal Health Trust, Newmarket for which a total of £0–25 million has been allocated over three years.

  Animal Imports
  Dr. Strang
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will list each country from which horses and cattle cannot be imported into the United Kingdom until a quarantine requirement has been fully met.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  Current animal health rules for imports of horses and cattle into the United Kingdom do not include any quarantine requirements, although imports from a number of countries are subject to pre-export or post-import isolation.

  Animal Diseases
  Dr. Strang
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will list those animal diseases currently present in the EC but not in the United Kingdom, which are not listed as notifiable diseases, and against which the United Kingdom is, or will be, prevented by EC legislation from imposing import restrictions on horses and farmed livestock.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  Member states are only required to report to the Commission and each other outbreaks of diseases which are notifiable under EC rules. Information on non-notifiable diseases is only available from a variety of sources and is not comprehensive or necessarily current.

  Food From Britain
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will list the level of funding given to Food From Britain for each of the last five years and the projected funding for each of the next three years.

  Mr. Jack
  [holding answer 18 June 1993]: The information is as follows:

  Government grant to Food From Britain

  £000

  1988–89

  4,186

  1989–90

  4,500

  1990–91

  4,500

  1991–92

  4,500

  1992–93

  4,757

  1993–94

  15,010

  1994–95

  25,249

  1995–96

  25,400

  1 Estimate.

  2 Provision.

  Sheep Quotas
  Mr. Tyler
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what financial support she plans to provide for those farmers deprived of sheep quota after the national reserve is exhausted; and if she will make a statement;

  (2) when she expects to announce details of the distribution of reserve sheep quotas;

  (3) if she will publish, on a regional basis, the number of farmers deprived of quota as a result of the new sheep quota regulations.
  76
  Mr. Jack
  [holding answer 17 June 1993]: Producers who received sheep annual premium in 1991 and claimed in 1992 have an automatic entitlement to sheep quota. Where producers are not covered by the automatic rules, they will be able to apply for quota to the national reserve, if they fall into certain priority categories. All farmers, including those who are unsuccessful in obtaining quota from the national reserve, will be able to acquire quota through the transfer and leasing provisions the Government have negotiated. It is expected that details of the distribution of the national reserve quota for sheep will be made available later in the summer.

  CROWN ESTATE COMMISSIONERS: NETTING REVENUE, SCOTLAND
  CROWN ESTATE COMMISSIONERS: NETTING REVENUE, SCOTLAND
  MoT CERTIFICATES: FRAUD
  MoT CERTIFICATES: FRAUD
  BANK OF ENGLAND: SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES
  BANK OF ENGLAND: SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES
  DUTCH BANKS: ALLEGED FRAUDS BY LONDON BRANCHES
  DUTCH BANKS: ALLEGED FRAUDS BY LONDON BRANCHES
  EC COSMETICS DIRECTIVE
  EC COSMETICS DIRECTIVE
  PRIVATE HOUSE RENOVATION GRANT SYSTEM
  PRIVATE HOUSE RENOVATION GRANT SYSTEM
  TRIDENT REFIT
  TRIDENT REFIT