Written Answers of 30 June 1993

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Dangerous Dogs Acts
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to review the role of magistrates in enforcing the Dangerous Dogs Acts.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  We continue to keep under review all aspects of the working of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991.

  Truth Drugs
  Mr. Gunnell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consideration has been given to the use of the so-called truth drug in criminal investigations within the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  In the Government's view, it is unlikely that evidence obtained using "truth drugs" would be admissible in English or Welsh courts. There are no plans to use such drugs in criminal investigations.

  Victim Support
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give details of the outstanding grant applications in Bradford under the victim support scheme; when a decision is to be taken on each application; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maclean
  I understand from the national office of Victim Support that the Bradford victim support scheme made an application to the local funding panel earlier this month for a third salary grant but that the panel has not yet considered it.

  The Government greatly appreciate the excellent work done by local victim support schemes and provide substantial funding for this purpose. Home Office grant to Victim Support this year will amount to £8·4 million. This is 15 per cent. more than last year's grant to the organisation, which itself was 28 per cent. more than the previous year's.

  The grant is paid to Victim Support's national office and is allocated to local schemes and branches by the Victim Support local funding panel. This is independent of both local schemes and the Home Office. The panel considers applications from local schemes in accordance with criteria agreed annually between the Home Office and Victim Support.

  Sheehy Inquiry
  Sir Ivan Lawrence
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the report of the Sheehy inquiry will he made available.

  Mr. Howard
  The report of Sir Patrick Sheehy's inquiry into police responsibilities and rewards is being published 494
  today. Copies have been placed in the Library of the House. I and the Secretaries of State for Scotland and Northern Ireland are most grateful to Sir Patrick and his team for their work. Before reaching any conclusions on their recommendations, we shall want to have the views of the police and other interests. We have invited written comments on the report by the end of September, but we shall, of course, be glad to have earlier views on all or any parts of the report from all those with an interest in its contents.

  Environmental Policy
  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his Department's policy on the purchase and use of(a) recycled paper, (b) low-energy light bulbs, (c) tropical hardwoods, (d) peat and (e) cars with catalytic converters.

  Mr. Howard
  In line with our aim of securing best value for money at the least possible cost to the environment, the Department's policy on the purchase and use of the products listed is as summarised below.

  (a) Recycled paper
  The Department will continue to promote effective and economic use of paper, using recycled stationery where possible and encouraging the development of new and existing paper recycling schemes.

  (b) Low-energy light bulbs
  The practice of replacing filament type light bulbs with low-energy bulbs where practicable, having been largely achieved in Prison Service establishments, is to he extended across the Department.

  (c) Tropical hardwoods
  So far as practicable, the use of tropical hardwoods is to he avoided in building projects and in the procurement of office furniture, etc.

  (d) Peat
  The use of peat is to he avoided where acceptable alternatives are available.

  Cars with catalytic converters
  The purchase and use of vehicles with diesel engines is preferred as the fuel is lead-free and more economical. Where petrol-engined vehicles are in use, they should run on unleaded petrol and be fitted with catalytic converters. Vehicles are to be checked annually to ensure that all emissions comply with statutory requirements.

  Correspondence
  Sir John Hunt
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the hon. Member for Ravensbourne may expect a reply to his letter of 8 March, acknowledged under the reference 06624/93, on the subject of police resources in Bromley; and if he will explain the reason for the delay which has occurred in respect of this correspondence.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  A reply was sent on Wednesday 23 June.

  Animal Procedures Committee
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when a chairman will be appointed to the Animal Procedures Committee.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  My right hon. and learned Friend hopes to be in a position to make an announcement shortly.

  Racially Motivated Crimes
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make it his policy to keep figures for murders in which race has been a factor.

  Mr. Maclean
  There are no plans to record information on murder in this way.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, further to his answer to the hon. Member for Lewisham, Deptford (Ms Ruddock) on 23 March,Official Report, column 529, if the figure for racially motivated incidents in 1992 is now available.

  Mr. Maclean
  The only information currently available relates to the number of reported racial incidents which are shown in the following table. These 1992 figures were provided in the reply given to a question from the hon. Member for Walthamstow (Mr. Gerrard) on 26 April, columns 266–67, except that the Kent figure for 1992 has now been corrected.

  Reported racial incidents

  Forces

  1992

  Avon and Somerset

  98

  Bedfordshire

  57

  Cambridgeshire

  110

  Cheshire

  29

  City of London

  0

  Cleveland

  73

  Cumbria

  13

  Derbyshire

  60

  Devon and Cornwall

  7

  Dorset

  10

  Durham

  40

  Dyfed Powys

  0

  Essex

  80

  Gloucestershire

  33

  Greater Manchester

  401

  Gwent

  31

  Hampshire

  139

  Hertfordshire

  106

  Humberside

  68

  Kent

  56

  Lancashire

  231

  Leicestershire

  338

  Lincolnshire

  5

  Merseyside

  134

  Norfolk

  30

  North Wales

  4

  North Yorkshire

  22

  Northamptonshire

  120

  Northumbria

  349

  Nottinghamshire

  222

  South Wales

  311

  South Yorkshire

  151

  Staffordshire

  95

  Suffolk

  55

  Surrey

  61

  Sussex

  98

  Thames Valley

  195

  Warwickshire

  35

  West Mercia

  19

  West Midlands

  379

  West Yorkshire

  218

  Wiltshire

  24

  Provincial total

  4,507

  Metropolitan police

  3,227

  England and Wales total

  7,734

  Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what consultation he is undertaking with regard to possible changes in the criminal injuries compensation scheme; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) what representations he has received regarding the criminal injuries compensation scheme this year; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maclean
  The Government announced last November their intention to replace the present criminal injuries compensation scheme with a tariff scheme in 1994. The aim is to offer a better, more straightforward service to claimants. Details of the new scheme will be set out in a White Paper later this year.

  No formal consultation exercise is being undertaken, but as my hon. Friend the Member for Fylde (Mr. Jack) explained to the House on 18 March, column 508, we will listen carefully to what people have to say about our proposals. We have already received helpful comments from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board and the national charity, Victim Support.

  We receive a steady stream of correspondence from hon. Members and members of the public about various aspects of the current scheme.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

  Parliamentary Counsel's Office
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what has been the cost of the Office of Parliamentary Counsel in each of the last five years.

  Mr. David Davis
  The cost of the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel in each of the last five years was:

  £

  1988–89

  1,898,000

  1989–90

  2,126,000

  1990–91

  2,303,000

  1991–92

  2,729,000

  1992–93

  2,763,000

  Citizens Charters
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what is the total amount of compensation the state paid out on all charters; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  [pursuant to his answer, 10 May 1993, c. 307–81]: I would like to correct the figure for British Rail compensation given in my answer of 10 May, Official Report, columns 307–8. That figure—£1 million—was based on information from British Rail which it has now revised. The final amount of compensation paid out in the first year of British Rail's passengers charter is £1·9 million. All other figures quoted in my original answer are correct.

  FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS UNHCR
  Mr. Stern
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will raise with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees the question of a further tranche of funding for the programme for national persecutees by the German Government.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  We have requested details of this programme from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and I will write to my hon. Friend as soon as the information is available.

  Ethnic Conflicts
  Mr. David Atkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which conference on security and co-operation in Europe mechanisms have been used to resolve the ethnic conflict in(a) Azerbaijan, (b) Bosnia-Herzegovina, (c) Croatia, (d) Georgia, (e) Moldavia. (f) Tajikistan and (g) Uzbekistan; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The CSCE committee of senior officials (CSO) dispatched fact-finding missions to Azerbaijan in February and March 1992 to report on the situation in and around Nagorno-Karabakh. In March 1992, the CSCE council provided for negotiations among the interested parties on a ceasefire and a settlement to the conflict, which have come to be known as the "Minsk Process". The CSCE recently secured agreement from all parties to a ceasefire monitoring mission. Negotiations continue in order to secure its deployment.

  In 1991, the CSCE mandated the European Community to lead the search for a solution to the problems in former Yugoslavia. The CSO has also sent rapporteur missions to investigate human rights abuses.

  The CSO has had a resident mission in Georgia since December 1992 to promote negotiations between conflicting parties in south Ossetia. A similar mission went to Moldova in April 1993 to assist in negotiations on the status of the Trans-Dniester area and the withdrawal of Russian troops.

  In Tajikistan a CSCE representative has been appointed to liaise with the United Nations and to recommend future action by CSCE. No special measures have been taken in respect of Uzbekistan. The chairman-in-office visited it during a tour of the five central Asian states and the CSO is now acting on several recommendations designed to achieve closer integration of these countries in the activities of CSCE.

  The CSCE should continue these and other efforts to prevent conflict by monitoring human rights and undertaking preventive diplomacy. The high commissioner on national minorities also plays an important role by identifying and seeking to defuse ethnic tensions which may develop into conflict.

  Yugoslavia
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to appropriate authorities in Belgrade about the treatment of parliamentarians during and after the public demonstrations in Belgrade on 1 and 2 June; and if he will make a statement.
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  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has urged President Milosevic to release Mr. and Mrs. Draskovic and meanwhile to ensure they are given proper medical treatment and access to visitors. Her Majesty's embassy in Belgrade continues to monitor the situation closely. We welcome the intervention with the President of the upper House of the Yugoslav Federal Parliament, Mr. Radulovic, by the hon. Gentleman and my right hon. Friend the Member for Arundel (Sir M. Marshall) on 21 June. We shall continue to keep up the pressure both bilaterally and through international organisations.

  Nuclear Non-proliferation
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proposals his Department has for strengthening the nuclear nonproliferation safeguards regime operated by the International Atomic Energy Agency.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  We are playing a full and active part in the consideration of recent proposals for the further strengthening of the international safeguards regime administered by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). We have agreed with European Community partners to provide the IAEA with information, on a voluntary basis, on imports and exports from the Community of certain nuclear materials and equipment not covered by existing agreements. This offer was referred to in the reply given by my hon. Friend the Minister for Energy on 24 June to a question from the hon. Member for Langbaurgh (Mr. Bates),Official Report, column 266.

  Israel
  Mr. Burden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has received regarding the shooting of Munir Abu-Nijmeh and Ismail Abu-Nijmeh on the Jerusalem/Ramaldah road on 31 May.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  One member of the Abu Nijmah family was shot dead and another injured, reportedly by an Israeli citizen, following a traffic dispute involving two vehicles on a main road on the outskirts of Jerusalem. It is our understanding that the matter is under investigation by the Israeli police and that there may be criminal charges.

  Mr. Sheik Riaz Ahmed
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, further to his letter to the hon. Member for Bradford, West, dated 5 March, concerning Mr. Sheik Riaz Ahmed, who was refused entry into France in December 1992, when he expects to receive a reply from the French authorities; when he expects to write again to the hon. Member for Bradford, West; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  The British embassy at Paris sent a formal note to the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 17 March to seek a satisfactory explanation as to why Mr. Ahmed was refused entry to France and raising the question of compensation. I will write to the hon. Gentleman as soon as I have a report.
  499
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has received about the circumstances in which Mr. Graham Noble, of Brighton, was arrested and detained by Serbs in the Krajina; what charges have been laid against him; what access the British ambassador in Zagreb has been allowed to Mr. Noble; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Mr. Noble was detained near Otocac in Croatia on 6 June and is being held in Knin. The Serbs say they are investigating his activities; we understand that no formal charges have so far been made against him. Her Majesty's ambassador in Zagreb has visited Knin but has not been allowed access to Mr. Noble. The ambassador continues to press for access; Her Majesty's embassy in Belgrade has asked the authorities there to use their influence with the Krajina Serbs to assist in this. The International Committee of the Red Cross is in touch with Her Majesty's embassy in Zagreb about Mr. Noble. Its representative in Knin has reported that Mr. Noble is in good health and is being well treated.

  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to appropriate authorities about the cases of missing persons arising from the abduction of wounded patients from hospitals in Vukovar in 1991; what progress has been made in securing the names of those abducted; what undertakings have been sought about the return of those abducted and about the return of the bodies of those who have died; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  On 17 to 19 December 1992 an international forensic team, working for the United Nations Commission of Experts, conducted a preliminary site exploration of a mass grave 6 km south-east of Vukovar. The team's findings were consistent with eye-witness testimony which alleges that the grave contains the bodies of patients and medical staff members of Vukovar hospital who disappeared during an evacuation of 20 November 1991. The commission plans to carry out a further investigation of the site but does not intend to attempt identification, exhumation and return of all the bodies. This is a matter for the Croatian authorities.

  Sir Keith Speed
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the nationality and description of those vessels reported to the United Nations as attempting to breach the embargo on the former Yugoslavia in the Adriatic and on the Danube.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for East Lothian (Mr. Home Robertson) on 23 April 1993,Official Report, columns 244–45. We now know that the Condor I and Mys Khnistalnyy breached sanctions in early April. Five barges have also been intercepted: Vihac, Kumanovo, Orasac, Velebit and Kaimakalan. All these vessels have been reported to the United Nations Sanctions Committee for investigation. No vessels have been reported to the United Nations for breaching the blockade since April.

  Burma
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations have been made to the Government of Burma concerning the imprisonment of opposition leaders; and if he will make a statement.
  500
  Mr. Goodlad
  With our European Community partners we have repeatedly urged the Burmese authorities, bliaterally and in the relevant international bodies, to release unconditionally all political detainees, including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

  Kuwait
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations have been made to the Government of Kuwait concerning human rights; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Since the liberation of Kuwait, we have made repeated representations to the Kuwaitis about the need to respect human rights. There have been welcome improvements in Kuwait in this regard.

  Western Sahara
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his oral answer of 16 June,Official Report, column 853, what meetings United Kingdom representatives have held with United Nations officials concerning the proposed referendum in the Western Sahara; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  British representatives are in contact regularly with United Nations officials in Western Sahara. The Secretary-General has just been to Western Sahara and we await his report to the Security Council on his visit.

  Turkey
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations have been made to the Government of Turkey concerning the treatment of Kurdish people; and if he will make a statement.

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

  We welcome the new Turkish Prime Minister's commitment to the free expression of different ethnic, cultural and linguistic characteristics.

  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.

  We regret the decision by the Kurdistan Workers Party to end the ceasefire and condemn the recent upsurge of violence in southeast Turkey, the attacks on hotels in Antalya and the actions against Turkish diplomatic and other premises in Western Europe.

  El Salvador
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what actions are being taken by Her Majesty's Government's representative to monitor the ceasefire and preparations for elections in El Salvador; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  Her Majesty's ambassador in San Salvador is in close contact with ONUSAL, the
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  United Nations observer mission which has been monitoring implemention of all aspects of the peace agreement signed on 16 January 1992. ONUSAL's mandate has now been enlarged to include supervision of preparations for the March 1994 elections.

NATIONAL HERITAGE

  Overseas Visitors
  Mr. Callaghan
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what is his estimate of the numbers and financial value of overseas visitors to the United Kingdom for 1990, 1991 and 1992; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Sproat
  Information on this topic is regularly published in Business Monitor MQ6 "Overseas Travel and Tourism," which is available in the Library of the House.

  Football Safety
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage, pursuant to his answer of 14 June,Official Report, column 460, what is the relationship between local authorities, police authorities and the Football Licensing Authority in determining the safe capacity of standing terraces in the second and third divisions of the Football League.

  Mr. Sproat
  The vast majority of second and third division football grounds are designated under the Safety of Sports Grounds Act 1975. It is the responsibility of the local authority to issue a safety certificate for such grounds, in consultation with the police and fire authorities. This sets out how many spectators may safely be admitted to each part of the ground. The terms and conditions of safety certificates are for local authorities to determine, although they are expected to take account of the advice contained in the Government's "Guide to Safety at Sports Grounds". The guide covers all aspects of sports ground safety, including the calculation of the safe capacity of terracing.

  The Football Licensing Authority was established under the Football Spectators Act 1989. Under section 13 of the 1989 Act, the FLA is charged with keeping under review the discharge by local authorities of their safety certification functions under the Safety of Sports Grounds Act 1975 in relation to sports grounds at which designated football matches are played. Specifically, the authority may, after due consultation, require a certifying authority to include in any safety certificate such terms and conditions as the FLA may specify in writing.

  Following the review of the Government's all-seater policy last summer, football clubs in the second and third divisions of the Football League were permitted to retain some standing accommodation, provided it was safe. The FLA subsequently commissioned a report on safe terracing by the Football Stadia Advisory Design Council. This document, which was published at the end of March, augments the advice already available to clubs in the "Guide to Safety at Sports Grounds". The FLA will, if necessary, use its powers under the Football Spectators Act to ensure that retained terracing meets the necessary safety standard and that the permitted capacities are set at a safe level.

  We are consulting the FLA about the extent to which clubs will be required to upgrade their terracing in line
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  with the recommendations of the Football Stadia Advisory Design Council's report. My right hon. Friend expects to make an announcement shortly.

NATIONAL FINANCE

  Construction Industry
  Mr. Nicholas Winterton
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he last met representatives of the Federation of Master Builders to discuss ways of assisting the construction industry.

  Mr. Nelson
  My right hon. and learned Friend intends to meet regularly representatives from all sectors of industry. He has no plans at present to meet the Federation of Master Builders.

  Contribution Holidays
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the total amount of pension fund surplus represented by(a)employer/employee contribution holidays, (b) improved benefits and (c) taxable refunds to the employer in each year since 1986; and what proportion of surplus reduction is represented by each method.

  Mr. Dorrell
  Information is not available in the form requested. The tables below give information on large self-administered pension funds reporting to the Inland Revenue on proposed action to remove surpluses following the provisions in the Finance Act 1986, and on total refunds to employers from occupational pension schemes.

  Large Self Administered Schemes, bv method of reduction of Surplus. 1987–88 to 1992–931

  £ million

  Method of reduction

  Amount of reduction

  Proportion of surplus reduction Per cent.

  Contributions holiday (employer)

  7,932

  38

  Contributions holiday (employee)

  155

  1

  Contributions reduction (employer)

  3,169

  15

  Contributions reduction (employee)

  566

  3

  Refund to employer2

  1,174

  6

  Increase in benefits

  7,471

  36

  New benefits

  106

  1

  Total

  20,574

  1The figures shown represent the total to be eliminated by each method. Some of the planned reductions are timed to fall in years subsequent to 1992–93. Amounts are based on the actuary's estimated reduction for each category.

  2 The figures for refunds to employers exclude amounts paid over by schemes reported to be wound up in each year.

  Refunds to the employer from all occupational pension schemes Schemes reporting in refunds

  £ million

  1987–88

  85

  1988–89

  208

  1989–90

  380

  1990–91

  578

  1991–92

  403

  1992–93

  235

  503

  Inland Revenue Special Office 2
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement about the former head of Inland Revenue special office 2; and on what date he was last performing his official duties.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The officer concerned was suspended from duty on 11 September 1992. Investigations were commenced by the Metropolitan and City police company fraud department and these investigations are continuing.

  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will identify the functions and purposes of Inland Revenue special office 2, together with its staff establishment and annual cost in 1992–93.

  Mr. Dorrell
  Special office 2 is one of 10 offices in the Inland Revenue which specialise in the investigation of difficult or complex cases which are outside the scope of other parts of the Department, involving mainly avoidance and non-compliance where large amounts of tax are at stake. Special office 2 is based in London.

  For 1992–93, there were 15 staff and the cost of running the office was £685,000.

  Value Added Tax
  Ms Lynne
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the rules governing VAT charges when a Government agency bids successfully to provide a commercial service to a Government Department.

  Sir John Cope
  Commercial services supplied by executive agencies to Government Departments are liable to VAT according to the normal rules.

  Market Testing
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much his Departments spent on legal advice regarding the implications of the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 1981 for the market-testing programme.

  Mr. Nelson
  [holding answer 29 June 1993]: The Chancellor's Departments have spent approximately £8,000 on such advice in connection with their 1992–93 market-testing programmes.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Environmental Policy
  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is his Department's policy on the purchase and use of(a) recycled paper, (b) low-energy light bulbs, (c) tropical hardwoods, (d) peat and (e) cars with catalytic converters.

  Mr. Atkins
  The Northern Ireland position was set out in the Secretary of State's policy statement on green housekeeping, a copy of which has been placed in the Library. This has been circulated to all staff in the Northern Ireland civil service and in the Northern Ireland Office.

  The policy statement specifically refers to recycled paper. hardwoods and peat. Although not specifically
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  mentioned, the use of low-energy light bulbs has been part of the energy conservation programme managed by the Department of the Environment and the Department of Economic Development. The position on cars is that for some years we have been specifying vehicles which are either diesel-powered or use lead-free petrol. Replacement cars are now specified with catalytic converters.

  Airport Police
  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on what dates Ministers in his Department held a formal meeting with the Northern Ireland Airports Police Association during the past five years.

  Mr. Atkins
  No such meetings of this nature have taken place during the period in question.

  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he proposes to meet representatives of the Northern Ireland Airport Police Association to discuss the changes in their force's management, control and duties consequent to the proposed privatisation of Belfast international airport.

  Mr. Atkins
  I plan to meet representatives of the Northern Ireland Airports Police Association to discuss such issues in the near future.

  Market Testing
  Ms Mowlam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much the market-testing programme has cost his Department since November 1992.

  Sir John Wheeler
  The information requested is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

EMPLOYMENT

  Health and Safety
  Mr. Callaghan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what proposals he has to improve health protection and safety conditions in the workplace.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 7 June 1993,Official Report, column 98. The Health and Safety Commission's plan of work for 1993–94 and beyond, to which I referred, will be published on 6 July and a copy will be placed in the Library.

  Market Testing
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how much his Department spent on legal advice regarding the implications of the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 1981 for the market-testing programme.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  [holding answer 29 June 1993]: Over the period of the market-testing programme announced in the White Paper, "Citizen's Charter: First Report 1992" (Cm 2102), advice on the implications of the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 1981 has been sought from in-house legal advisers. It is not possible to identify these costs separately.

  Disabled Employees
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) what consideration has been given by his Department to the provision of communication support in the workplace for deaf employees;

  (2) what action has been taken by his Department as a follow up to the "Evaluation of Special Schemes to Employment" report in October 1990.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  [ holding answer 29 June 1993]: As a follow-up to the evaluation of special schemes report, which was published in October 1990, we have asked the Employment Service to introduce in April 1994 a new major programme called "Access to Work". This will offer people with disabilities a wider range of assistance than is currently available, including communication support for deaf people in the workplace. I believe "Access to Work" will provide more people with disabilities with the help to take up opportunities of employment. In addition, from 5 July 1993, unemployed deaf people will be able to get help towards the cost of communicators at job interviews. Trials of other forms of communicator support will be taking place in four locations in 1993 and lessons learned will be taken into account in "Access to Work". Further details on "Access to Work" were provided in the reply from my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State to my hon. Friend the Member for Clwyd, North-West (Mr. Richards) on 22 June, Official Report, columns 102–103.

PRIME MINISTER

  Thermal Oxide Reprocessing Plant
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer of 16 June,Official Report, column 583, how many representations on THORP he has received this year; and what proportion were (a) in favour of and (b) opposed to the plant.

  The Prime Minister
  I have nothing further to add to the reply I gave the hon. Member on 16 June,Official Report, column 583.

  Civil List
  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Prime Minister what account is taken in drawing up the Civil List of contributions to the cost of the royal household received from(a) the Isle of Man, (b) the Channel Islands and (c) other countries where the Queen is Head of State.

  The Prime Minister
  None, as no such contributions are received for Her Majesty's Civil List.

  Treaties
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Prime Minister further to his answer of 5 May,Official Report, column 922, how many treaties, since 1 January 1979, have been debated by the House in advance of their ratification by Her Majesty's Government, and what is this figure as a percentage of total treaties ratified.

  The Prime Minister
  Her Majesty's Government have ratified 243 treaties since 1 January 1979. These have been laid before both Houses in the normal way. They cover a wide variety of subjects and fall to the appropriate 506
  Government Department to administer. The information sought is not centrally recorded and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

  Murder Trials
  Mr. Gunnell
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what arrangements are made during the period in which notes, tapes or transcripts of murder trials are held, for their safe storage and preservation.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The Lord Chancellor's Department is responsible for ensuring that a verbatim record is taken of all trials in the Crown court, as required by rule 18 of the Criminal Appeal Rules 1968. The record is taken by shorthand and/or mechanical means. Under open tender contracts with the private sector which came into effect on 1 April 1993, the responsibility for the safe storage and preservation of such records is that of the contractor whose staff took the record. The contractor is bound by the contract to ensure that the record is kept for not less than five years and to provide transcripts requested during that period. Transcripts are not automatically produced for cost reasons in any category of cases, but these may be purchased by the Department or the public from the contractor concerned.

  Child Abduction
  Sir John Stanley
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list the number of requests made to each EC country in each of the last three years for the return of British children believed to have been abducted to the EC country in question.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  [holding answer 17 June 1993]: The figures requested are as follows:

  Requests for return

  Country

  1991

  1992

  11993

  Belgium

  1

  0

  0

  Denmark

  0

  0

  1

  France

  7

  9

  5

  Germany

  8

  13

  1

  Greece

  0

  0

  0

  Ireland

  0

  13

  5

  Italy

  0

  0

  0

  Luxembourg

  0

  0

  0

  Netherlands

  8

  7

  2

  Portugal

  2

  0

  0

  Spain

  7

  12

  5

  1 Janurary-June

  Sir John Stanley
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list the number of British children(a) abducted from Britain who are currently believed to be in each EC country and (b) abducted from Britain who have been returned from each EC country over the last three years.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  [holding answer 17 June 1993]: The figures requested are as follows:

  507

  June 1990 to June 1993

  Country children

  (a) Number of children abducted

  (b) Number of children returned

  Belgium

  3

  1

  Denmark

  1

  0

  France

  35

  1

  Germany

  26

  4

  Greece

  1—

  1—

  Ireland

  26

  3

  Italy

  1 —

  1—

  Luxembourg

  1—

  1—

  Netherlands

  26

  4

  Portugal

  7

  1

  Spain

  47

  7

  1 Figures not available.

EDUCATION

  Grant-maintained Status
  Mr. Byers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what annual capital sums have been made available to St. Francis Xavier's college in Liverpool since it acquired grant-maintained status; what additional capital allocations have been made in each year; and for what reasons and purpose.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  The following capital grants have been made:

  Year and project description

  Formula capital allocation £

  Named capital allocation £

  1990–91

  Flat roof repairs

  19,000

  32,000

  Furnish and equip Design and technology block

  80,427

  Removal of asbestos

  188,724

  1991–92

  Laboratory refurbishments

  28,1

  201,372

  1992–93

  30,28

  nil

  1993–94

  New general and technical rooms

  Not yet claimed

  750,000

  1 Emergency capital grant.

  Mr. David Atkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he expects to respond to the application for grant-maintained status for St. Peter's Roman Catholic school, Bournemouth.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  My right hon. Friend expects shortly to announce his decision on this application.

  Market Testing
  Ms Mowlam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much the market-testing programme has cost his Department since November 1992.

  Mr. Boswell
  The cost of the programme—in direct staff costs and consultancy costs—has been some £188,000 since November 1992.

  Student Incomes
  Mr. Denham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what was the annual income available to a student in higher education receiving a full student grant and making full use of the student loan facility in each year since 1990.

  Mr. Boswell
  The following resources have been available through the mandatory award and student loan to students studying away from the parental home:

  Academic year

  Grant £

  Full-year loan £

  Total £

  1990–91

  2,265

  420

  2,685

  1991–92

  2,265

  580

  2,845

  1992–93

  2,265

  715

  2,980

  1993–94

  2,265

  800

  3,065

  Different rates of grant and loan apply to students living in the parental home or studying in London, and different rates of loan apply to the final year of most courses. The grants are means-tested, and additional allowances are available in certain circumstances.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Light Rail Projects
  Mr. Spellar
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his answer of 14 June,Official Report, column 405, when he expects to make an announcement regarding the light rail projects currently being considered by his Department.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The four light rail projects referred to in the reply of my right hon. Friend the Minister for Industry on 14 June are still being considered by my Department. For commercial reasons, I cannot disclose any information on individual projects supported. or being considered for support. by my Department. It is for the companies concerned to disseminate information as they see fit.

  Steel Imports
  Mr. Spellar
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his answer of 22 June,Official Report, column 138, what inquiries he has made regarding imports into the United Kingdom of allegedly subsidised structural steel from other EC member states.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  We have no evidence at present to suggest that structural steel producers in other EC member states are directly subsidised. Where we have evidence of illegal subsidisation we do not hesitate to press the European Commission to take action against those concerned, as we have done in the case of the Italian steel company, ILVA.

  Gathering the necessary evidence is difficult and we rely to a large extent on commercial sources. My officials have discussed this matter with the British Constructional Steelwork Association. If the association, its members or any other party can produce evidence to suggest that illegal subsidies are being paid to structural steel producers we will pursue the matter vigorously with the European Commission.

  Assisted Areas
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will take into account the level of public money invested in new and unoccupied industrial estates in current assisted areas when considering any change in status.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The criteria that have been used in the assisted areas map review were set out in the public consultation document issued last year. As we made clear, unemployment levels have been the main determinant, though a number of other relevant factors have also been taken into account. The availability of presently unoccupied, publicly funded industrial or commercial premises is not judged to be relevant in determining areas for inclusion in the assisted areas map.

  Coal Subsidies
  Mr. Cummings
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade to what extent the subsidies to be made available to coal producers are available for extra sales to the non-electricity supply industry market.

  Mr. Eggar
  As indicated in the White Paper "The Prospects for Coal", the subsidy is to be made available on genuinely additional sales for electricity generation. It is not available for coal sold into other markets.

  Companies Acts (Inspectors)
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what considerations were taken into account in deciding whether to appoint DTI inspectors under the Companies Acts in the cases of Maxwell Communications Corporation and Polly Peck International.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  Inspectors have not been appointed into either Maxwell Communications Corporation or Polly Peck International. However, inspectors were appointed last June to investigate and report on the affairs and membership of Mirror Group Newspapers plc. The inspectors have been asked to look in particular at the offer for sale of the company shares.

  In deciding whether or not to appoint inspectors, consideration is given to the criteria laid down by statute —principally sections 432 and 442 of the Companies Act 1985—and to whether the appointment of inspectors would be in the public interest.

  Sellafield
  Mr. Trimble
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a further statement on nuclear reprocessing at Sellafield.

  Mr. Eggar
  Nuclear reprocessing is a proven and safe technology for which there is a continuing demand. It is a commercial matter for the owners of the spent fuel to decide whether to reprocess or to seek alternative management options.

  Telecommunications Council
  Mr. Patrick Thompson
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the outcome of the Telecommunications Council on 16 June.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The Council reached unanimous agreement on the framework of an action plan to help 510
  launch widescreen television services. The four-year plan will be for Community funds, together with funds from othere sources, to be used to partially offset the additional costs to broadcasters and programme producers of broadcasting TV services, including high definition TV services, in the widescreen format. The settlement represents a considerable negotiating success for the United Kingdom. The 850 mecu Community subsidy originally proposed has been reduced to 228 mecu — £160 million; broadcasters and programme makers may use technologies other than the analogue MAC standards, such as PA LPlus or fully digital technologies; and the United Kingdom secured a valuable commitment that United Kingdom-based companies contributing to the action plan will be given due recognition of this in future European collaborative research and development and standardisation activities into digital TV.

  The Council agreed a resolution on the Commission's review of the Community telecoms market. This states that voice telephony services will be liberalised by 1 January 1998, with an additional derogation period of no more than five years for Spain, Portugal, Greece and Ireland and, if justified, no more than two years for Luxembourg. The Commission will produce, by 1995, a green paper on liberalisation of network infrastructure. The United Kingdom and three other member states urged them also to carry out studies by the end of 1993 on network provision for corporate users. A common position was agreed in principle on the Council directive on the approximation of the laws of the member states concerning satellite earth station equipment modifying the scope of Council directive 91/263/EEC, establishing harmonised procedures for type approval. There was also a short debate on the Green Paper on Postal Services during which the Commission set out a timetable for future work in preparing draft directives. The Commission also briefly reported progress in preparing a Community programme for support of trans-European networks in the tele-communications field.

  Patent Office
  Mr. Patrick Thompson
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement about the future of the Patent Office.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  Since its establishment as an executive agency of the DTI in 1990, and its subsequent move to trading fund status in 1991, the Patent Office has become a more commercially oriented organisation. I am now undertaking a review of its role to consider how best to build on this progress. Such reviews normally take place around three years after an agency has been established.

  The review will consider whether other forms of ownership and management might offer better value for money and enable the Patent Office to offer a better service to its customers. I will be asking independent consultants to assess the market in which the office operates; and to identify and consider as wide a range of options for its future as possible, including the possibility of putting some or all of it into the private sector, and of involving the private sector in running the office in ways which fall short of full privatisation. A number of consultancy firms have been invited to submit proposals. The chosen firm will be appointed shortly and will report later this year. I will report to the House on my conclusions.

  Russia
  Mr. Butler
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement about the arrangements for providing export credit facilities to Russia.

  Mr. Needham
  I have been advised by the Export Credits Guarantee Department's accounting officer that in his view the risks involved in giving guarantees for exports and investment in Russia under sections 1(1) and 2 of the Export and Investment Guarantees Act 1991 do not meet ECGD's normal underwriting criteria. However, in view of the importance which the Government attach to encouraging trade with Russia, I have instructed him to make arrangements for such guarantees to be issued. These guarantees will be excluded from ECGD's break-even objective for new business.

  EUREKA
  Mr. Butler
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on EUREKA and United Kingdom involvement in and support for the initiative.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  EUREKA is a pan-European initiative to encourage industrial collaboration in research and development; membership currently comprises the 12 EC countries, six EFTA countries, Turkey, Hungary and the EC Commission. The EUREKA ministerial conference which I attended in Paris on 24 June 1993 agreed that Russia should be admitted as soon as the last.appropriate technical elements have been completed.

  Of the l93 new projects announced at the conference, 46 involved United Kingdom participants, a record number for the United Kingdom. In addition there were three new United Kingdom participations in previously announced projects. Thirty-one of the overall United Kingdom total went ahead without Government support demonstrating the awareness by United Kingdom organisations of the wider benefits of EUREKA. I congratulate all those United Kingdom organisations taking part in these and other EUREKA projects which demonstrate that the United Kingdom remains a strongly committed participant in the initiative.

  On 26 May 1993, my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade announced a refocusing of the Department's science and technology policy. As part of that refocusing, from I September 1993, the DTI will provide support for United Kingdom organisations to enable them to take part in feasibility studies and other consortium building activities to generate new EUREKA projects. From that date, firms' eligibility for support for the implementation phase of EUREKA projects will be confined to small and medium-sized enterprises of under 250 employees in accordance with the EC definition.

  Market Testing
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how much his Department spent on legal advice regarding the implications of the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 1981 for the market-testing programme.

  Mr. Eggar
  [holding answer 29 June 1993]: During the period of the market-testing programme identified in the "Citizen's Charter" White Paper last November, the Department's solicitor has advised on this matter in the
  512
  normal course of his duties. We are not able to distinguish the cost of advice on the particular issue in question from other advice on establishments and market testing issues.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Invalidity Benefit
  Mr. Dewar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many and what proportion of people in receipt of invalidity benefit receive an additional pension; and if he will publish figures showing(a) the average weekly additional pension in payment and (b) the distribution of recipients rising in increments of £1, giving figures separately for men and women.

  Mr. Scott
  The latest information available is in the table.

  All persons

  Males

  Females

  Number in receipt of IVB

  1,306,000

  976,000

  330,000

  Number where AP in payment

  1,085,000

  817,000

  268,000

  Percentage in receipt of AP

  83·1

  83·7

  81·2

  Average AP in payment

  £11·08

  £12·48

  6·79

  AP up to £1

  147,000

  97,000

  49,000

  AP £1·01 to £2

  108,000

  71,000

  38,000

  AP £2·01 to £3

  81,000

  53,000

  28,000

  AP £3·01 to £4

  62,000

  38,000

  23,000

  AP £4·01 to £5

  44,000

  30,000

  14,000

  AP £5·01 to £6

  41,000

  28,000

  14,000

  AP £6·01 to £7

  37,000

  25,000

  12,000

  AP £7·0l to £8

  35,000

  25,000

  10,000

  AP £8·01 to £9

  34,000

  23,000

  11,000

  AP £9·01 to £10

  33,000

  25,000

  8,000

  AP £10·01 to £11

  29,000

  21,000

  7,000

  AP £11·01 to £12

  28,000

  22,000

  6,000

  AP £12·01 to £13

  27,000

  22,000

  5,000

  AP £13·01 to £14

  29,000

  23,000

  6,000

  AP £14·01 to £15

  25,000

  21,000

  4,000

  AP £15·01 to £16

  23,000

  18,000

  5,000

  AP £16·01 to £17

  22,000

  20,000

  2,000

  AP £17·01 to £18

  21,000

  18,000

  3,000

  AP £18·01 to £19

  22,000

  20,000

  2,000

  AP £19·01 to £20

  20,000

  18,000

  2,000

  AP £20·01 to £21

  15,000

  14,000

  1,000

  AP £21·01 to £22

  19,000

  16,000

  2,000

  AP £22·01 to £23

  17,000

  15,000

  1.000

  AP £23·01 to £24

  15,000

  14,000

  1,000

  AP £24·01 to £25

  16,000

  15,000

  1,000

  AP £25·01 to £26

  12,000

  11,000

  1,000

  AP £26·01 to £27

  13,000

  12,000

  1,000

  AP £27·01 to £28

  14,000

  13,000

  1,000

  AP £28·01 to £29

  12,000

  11,000

  1,000

  AP £29·01 to £30

  8,000

  7,000

  1,000

  AP £30·01 to £31

  10,000

  10,000

  1,000

  AP £31·01 to £32

  9,000

  8,000

  1,000

  AP £32·01 to £33

  8,000

  7,000

  1,000

  AP £33·01 to £34

  8,000

  7,000

  1,000

  AP £34·01 to £35

  4,000

  3,000

  *

  AP £35·01 to £36

  5,000

  5,000

  *

  AP £36·01 to £37

  5,000

  4,000

  1,000

  AP £37·01 to £38

  4,000

  3,000

  *

  AP £38·01 to £39

  5,000

  4,000

  *

  AP £39·01 to £40

  2,000

  2,000

  *

  AP £40·01 to £41

  3,000

  3,000

  *

  AP £41·01 to £42

  3,000

  3,000

  *

  AP £42·01 to £43

  3,000

  2,000

  *

  AP £43·01 to £44

  3,000

  3,000

  *

  AP £44·01 to £45

  1,000

  1,000

  *

  AP £45·01 to £46

  2,000

  1,000

  *

  513

  All persons

  Males

  Females

  AP £46·01 to £47

  1,000

  1,000

  *

  A P £47·01 to £48

  2,000

  2,000

  *

  AP £48·01 to £49

  3,000

  2,000

  *

  AP £49·01 to £50

  *

  *

  *

  AP £50·01 and over

  *

  *

  *

  Notes:

  1. Figures based on a I per cent. sample of Incapacity Benefit claimants at 30 March 1991.

  2. Figures rounded to the nearest thousand.

  *Indicates less than 500.

  4. IVB = Invalidity Benefit.

  AP = Additional Pension.

  Independent Living Fund
  Mr. Alan Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will discuss with the trustees of the Independent Living (1993) Fund the quality of the data available to them about the circumstances of severely disabled people and projections of their needs in reaching their decision to exclude the terminally ill, and others whose conditions are not stable, from the scope of the fund; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Scott
  The decision that the trustees took was on a question of policy and was therefore their sole responsibility.

  Mr. Alan Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security on how many occasions officials of his Department attended meetings of the board of trustees of the Independent Living (1993) Fund; and what role they played at these meetings.

  Mr. Scott
  Officials of my Department are invited to attend these meetings by the trustees. They attend as observers.

  Mr. Alan Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether reviews of individual cases funded by the Independent Living (1993) Fund will take place on a six-monthly basis in line with the trustees' intention to arrange six-monthly packages of care with local authorities; and what assessment he has made of the administrative and financial implications of this.

  Mr. Scott
  Administrative issues, such as the review of cases, are matters for the trustees and director of the Independent Living (1993) Fund.

  Quarry House, Leeds
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the insurance value of art works in Quarry house.

  Mr. Hague
  The Department is self-insuring which means that the art work in Quarry house has not been valued for insurance purposes.

  Housing Benefit (Students)
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what response he has made to the National Housing and Town Planning Council publication, entitled "Making a Difference-Housing Benefit for Students"; and if he will make a statement;
  514
  (2) what recent representations he has received regarding housing benefit for students in relation to the 1993 summer break.

  Mr. Burt
  I have received a number of representations from hon. Members and members of the public. I have seen the National Housing and Town Planning Council publication. In general, it is the educational maintenance system which is designed to provide support for students, not the social security system, and we have no plans to change this. Housing benefit is, however, available to vulnerable students such as lone parents, those who are disabled, and those with dependent children, not just during the summer vacation but throughout their course. In addition, non-student partners can claim on behalf of the couple if they satisfy the normal qualifying conditions.

  Household Income Statistics
  Mr. Jenkin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when the next edition of the households below average income statistics will be published.

  Mr. Lilley
  The new edition of the households below average income—H BA I—statistics covering the years 1979 to 1990–91, has been published today and copies have been placed in the Library.

  The figures show that average disposable household incomes have grown in real terms by 35 per cent. between 1979 and 1990–91. Increases were not confined to a few top earners, and there have been appreciable increases in average income for all family types and all economic status groups. Pensioners have done particularly well, with pensioner couples showing an increase in average income of 48 per cent. after housing costs.

  A complex picture emerges in the outcomes for the lower income groups. This is because of changes in the composition of the bottom 10 per cent. of income distribution, the particular point in the economic cycle captured by this edition, and the peculiarities in the way the incomes of the increasing number of self-employed are reported in the family expenditure survey from which this analysis is drawn. There are also strong indications that income results for the bottom 10 per cent. of the income distribution do not reflect their true standard of living. There has been a marked increase in their possession of consumer durables and three quarters of those who reported zero incomes spent more than the average for the population as a whole. The results shown in HBAI for the lowest income group cannot, therefore, be interpreted simply and should be treated with some caution.

  The new family resources survey, which is due to replace the family expenditure survey as the data source for HBAI, will place special emphasis on gathering information from households on low incomes and so should help to improve the reliability of the data.

  "Paying for Care: Lessons from Europe"
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what consideration he has given to the report of the Social Security Advisory Committee entitled "Paying for Care: Lessons from Europe"; and if he will make a statement on the report's findings.

  Mr. Scott
  The report provides interesting information about support provided for carers in other European countries. We will study it carefully as part of our ongoing consideration of provision for carers.
  515

  Disability Living Allowance
  Mr. Hawkins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 7 June,Official Report, column 8, how many claims for disability living allowance were received in 1992; what proportion were agreed to; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Scott
  A total of 705,000 claims to disability living allowance were received in 1992, these included new and top-up claims and transitional attendance allowance and mobility allowance cases. Virtually all these have since been cleared.

  Of the 553,000 claims cleared during the year 1992, 62 per cent. resulted in an award being made at the initial adjudication stage; this does not include transitional cases.

  Pensioners (Housing Benefit)
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the average level of pensioners' savings when they first apply for housing benefit; and what is the average expenditure of their savings before they qualify for such a benefit.

  Mr. Burt
  Average amount of pensioners' savings at time of successful claim for housing benefit is in the table.

  Overall £

  In receipt of Income Support £

  Not in receipt of Income Support £

  All pensioners

  880

  260

  1,280

  Pensioners with any savings

  1,900

  730

  2,290

  Note: Figures were derived from the HB and Community Charge Benefit (CCB) Management Information System (HBMIS) annual I per cent. sample of HB/CCB cases in Great Britain in May 1991.

  Information about savings of pensioners who did not qualify for HB and the average expenditure of pensioners' savings before they qualify for HB is not available.

ENVIRONMENT

  Standard Spending Assessments
  Miss Lestor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects his review of standard spending assessments to be concluded; and what consultation there will be with local authorities and hon. Members on the outcome of the review.

  Mr. Gummer
  Our review of standard spending assessments will be completed in time for any changes to be incorporated in SSAs for 1994–95.

  We have invited local authorities' views and my officials are consulting the local authority associations.

  I shall consult in the usual way on my proposals for the rate support grant settlement for 1994–95 including SSAs, in the late autumn.

  Centre for Accessible Environments
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he will next visit the Centre for Accessible Environments to discuss the built environment and problems facing people with a disability.
  516
  Mr. Baldry
  My right hon. Friend has no plans to visit the centre at present.

  Climate Change Convention
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he plans to ratify the climate change convention discussed at the UN Conference on Environment and Development.

  Mr. Yeo
  The United Kingdom has undertaken, along with our G7 and EC partners, to ratify the convention by the end of 1993.

  Audit Commission
  Mr. Illsley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to introduce legislation to strengthen the powers of the Audit Commission.

  Mr. Baldry
  The Audit Commission, and the auditors which it appoints, already has a wide range of powers under the Local Government Finance Act 1982 and the Local Government Act 1992. Nevertheless, if specific, soundly based measures to strengthen those powers were proposed, we would be willing to consider further legislation.

  Water Companies (Nitrates)
  Sir Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he is making of the total cost to water companies of removing nitrates and fertilisers from public water supplies in pursuance of the European Community directive; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Yeo
  Assessment of the financial impact of European directives and other obligations on water companies are carried out by the Director General of Water Services. I understand from him that to meet the costs of implementing the nitrate standards in the Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations in England and Wales, water companies' capital expenditure programmes have included –74 million to the year 1991–92 and are at present forecast to require a further £120 million to the year 2000—at 1992–93 prices.

  Water Metering
  Mr. Bill Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what discussions he has held with the Director General of the Office of Water Services on the issue of compulsory water metering.

  Mr. Yeo
  I have discussed a range of issues with the director general, including water metering. But it is for each water company to determine its method of charging, subject to the overriding requirement that they do not show undue preference to or unduly discriminate against any class or group of customers.

  River Pollution
  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what discussions he has had with British Coal and the National Rivers Authority regarding pollution of the River Wear arising from pit closures in County Durham.
  517
  Mr. Yeo
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given to him by my right hon. and learned Friend the Member for Folkestone and Hythe (Mr. Howard) on 28 April 1993,Official Report, column 429.

  Opencasting
  Mr. Gunnell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what new measures he is considering to limit the effect of opencasting on communities and their environments; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Baldry
  We have already announced the Government's intention to revise the planning guidelines on opencast coal. Following publication of the White Paper on the Government's coal review, we are proceeding as quickly as possible to public consultation. On 25 March, my right hon. and learned Friend the former Secretary of State issued interim planning guidance which will apply pending that revision.

  Housing Association Homes
  Mr. Ian Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he expects the Government's target of 153,000 housing association homes over the years 1992–93 to 1994–95 to be reached.

  Sir George Young
  The Housing Corporation estimates that over the period 1992–93 to 1994–95 its capital programme will provide 170,000 housing association homes. This is considerably more than the 153,000 promised in our election manifesto.

  National Parks
  Sir David Knox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the current administration of the national parks.

  Mr. Gummer
  Our policy statement on the national parks, published in January 1992, promised legislation to create independent authorities to administer the eight national parks in England and Wales currently run as county council committees. We remain fully committed to this proposal; the legislation will be introduced as soon as time permits.

  Council Tax
  Mr. William O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received proposing elimination of anomalies with band A in the new council tax provisions; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Curry
  My right hon. Friend has received some representations, but we are not persuaded that there is a case for changing the present arrangements.

  Water Disconnections
  Mr. McAvoy
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received on the levels of disconnection of domestic water supplies to recover debt.

  Mr. Yeo
  My right hon. Friend has received representations from a number of hon. Members and others, expressing concern about the number of domestic water supplies disconnected.

  District Auditors
  Mr. Heppell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to review the powers available to district auditors to require the prompt attendance of witnesses and to avoid the destruction of documentary evidence relevant to their investigations.

  Mr. Curry
  Auditors already have extensive powers, set out in section 16 of the Local Government Finance Act 1982, to obtain documents and interview persons to enable them to carry out their audits. Nevertheless, I would be willing to consider specific, soundly based proposals to review those powers.

  Mr. Dowd
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to review the powers available to district auditors to require the prompt attendance of witnesses and presentation of evidence relevant to their investigations.

  Mr. Baldry
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer my hon. Friend the Minister for Local Government and Planning gave to the hon. Member for Nottingham, East (Mr. Heppell).

  Water Charges
  Mrs. Helen Jackson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what discussions he has had this month with the Office of Water Services about the cost and method of charging for water.

  Mr. Yeo
  I met Mr. Byatt on 22 June to discuss a wide variety of topics, including progress on his periodic review of limits on water charges to apply from 1 April 1995 and the Department's consultation document "Using Water Wisely", which addressed methods of charging for water.

  Rented Accommodation
  Mr. Jenkin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of the availability of accommodation for rent in the private sector.

  Sir George Young
  Information from the housing trailer to the 1991 labour force survey indicates that around 1·8 million households were living in privately rented accommodation in England in 1991.

  Shared Ownership
  Mr. Jonathan Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proposals he has for extending shared ownership in the social housing sector.

  Mr. Gummer
  The Housing Corporation's plans provide for an increase in the resources devoted to shared ownership from £261 million this year to £330 million in 1995–96.

  Local Government
  Mr. Hall
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the financial methodology adopted by the Local Government Commission and its implications for decisions on future local government structures.
  519
  Mr. Curry
  We have said that change to local government structure should be worth while and cost-effective over time. This does not mean that the cheapest option should be selected everywhere, or that all changes must be cheaper than the status quo. But costs should be assessed on a consistent basis, as our guidance to the commission makes clear. A methodology for financial appraisals has been developed by the commission's advisers, Ernst and Young, and I understand that they have invited comments on it. We will be examining this methodology to ensure that it is in accordance with our guidance.

  London Docklands (Banquet)
  Mr. Robert Ainsworth
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received about the banquet the London Docklands development corporation held on 7 May.

  Mr. Baldry
  I have received one letter.

  Green House Programme
  Mrs. Gorman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what estimate he has made of the cost of the greenhouse programme.

  Mr. Baldry
  A total of £60 million is being spent under the programme between 1991–92 and 1993–94.

  Right to Buy
  Mr. Ian Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to encourage more sales under right to buy.

  Sir George Young
  The Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Bill will extend the opportunity of home ownership under the right to buy to a new group of tenants. Those who cannot afford to buy outright will be able to buy on rents-to-mortgage terms, paying no more in mortgage payments than they currently pay in rent.

  Council House Sales
  Mr. Duncan Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment which local authorities have sold off all their council housing stock.

  Mr. Gummer
  Twenty-three local authorities have, with the agreement of their tenants, disposed of the ownership of all or most of their housing stock through large-scale voluntary transfers to housing associations. Of these, the following fifteen have sold all their housing stock:

  East Dorset DC

  Hambleton DC

  Medina BC

  Mid Sussex DC

  Newbury DC

  North Bedfordshire BC

  Ryedale DC

  Sevenoaks DC

  South Buckinghamshire DC

  South Wight BC

  Suffolk Coastal DC

  Swale BC

  Tonbridge and Mailing BC

  Tunbridge Wells BC

  West Dorset DC

  The following eight local authorities have retained ownership of hostels or part shares in dwellings sold under shared ownership schemes:
  520

  Breckland DC

  Broadland DC

  Bromley BC

  Chiltern DC

  Christchurch BC

  East Cambridgeshire DC

  Rochester upon Medway CC

  Surrey Heath BC

  Urban Policy
  Mr. Boyce
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on Her Majesty's Government's current urban policy.

  Sir George Young
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave earlier to the hon. Members for Wallsend (Mr. Byers), for Birmingham, Small Heath (Mr. Godsiff) and for Liverpool, Broadgreen (Mrs. Kennedy).

  Darwin Initiative
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the reasons for the delays in implementation of the Darwin initiative announced at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development.

  Mr. Yeo
  Following the Prime Minister's initial announcement of the Darwin initiative and the announcement by the then Secretary of State for the Environment, my right hon. and learned Friend the Member for Folkestone and Hythe (Mr. Howard), about its funding a major consultation exercise elicited over 200 responses. An independent advisory committee examined the responses and recently reported its recommendations to Ministers. We hope very soon to invite bids for specific projects.

  Environmental Action Fund
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to contract out the management of the environmental action fund for 1993–94.

  Mr. Yeo
  I am considering plans to contract out management of the environmental action fund and hope to announce a decision shortly.

  Low-energy Lamps
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress has been made in drawing up an energy labelling scheme for low-energy lamps.

  Mr. Yeo
  All light bulbs, including low-energy bulbs, already show their electricity consumption in watts both on the bulb itself and on the packaging. In the case of low-energy bulbs, most manufacturers also show on the packaging the electricity consumption of an equivalent conventional tungsten bulb. The Energy Efficiency Office (EEO) has recently published a short consumer guide "Energy Saving Lightbulbs—The Facts" which has been widely distributed by the major retailers to shops where the bulbs are sold.

  The European Commission is investigating the need for a directive for the mandatory energy labelling of lighting as part of a plan to introduce energy labelling of all major electricity consuming appliances. The Government support these plans.

  Paris Commission
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the decision taken at the Paris Commission meeting in Berlin on 16 June; and if he will set out the reasons for the United Kingdom's position on each of the proposals voted upon.

  Mr. Yeo
  The following list shows the outcome on the proposals for decisions and recommendations considered at the 15th joint meeting of the Oslo and Paris commissions, held in Berlin from 14 to 19 June, and the position adopted by the United Kingdom on them:
  a. Recommendation concerning the limitation of pollution from existing primary iron and steel production installations (PARCOM recommendation 93/1): adopted by a three-quarters majority—Belgium, Portugal and Spain entered reservations—the United Kingdom accepted this recommendation;b. Decision on the phasing-out of the use of hexachloroethane in the non-ferrous metal industry (PARCOM decision 93/1): adopted by a three-quarters majority—Germany and the United Kingdom entered reservations, as did the Commission of the European Communities—the United Kingdom reservation is because we have not completed the assessment of the cost of complying with the decision;c. Recommendation for the reduction of marine pollution originating from the phosphate fertiliser industry: not adopted; the United Kingdom did not support this recommendation because it was insufficiently developed and would increase pressure to transfer the production concerned to areas discharging into seas outside the Paris Commission area;d. Recommendation for further restrictions on the use and discharge of mercury: not adopted in its original form, because the part dealing with the imposing of a ban on the import of arm and leg shock-absorber hands containing mercury required clarification of the powers of EC member states to impose such a ban in the absence of Community action; a received Recommendation on fin-flier restrictions on the discharge of mercury from dentistry (PARCOM recommendation 93/2) was adopted by a three-quarters majority—France, Portugal and Spain entered reservations—the United Kingdom accepted this recommendation;e. Recommendation on the elaboration of national action plans and best environmental practice for the reduction of inputs to the environment of pesticides from agricultural use (PARCOM recommendation 93/3): adopted by a three-quarters majority—France and Portugal entered reservations—the United Kingdom supported this recommendation;f. Recommendation on the phasing out of cationic detergents DTDMAC. DSDMAC and DHTDMAC in fabric softeners (PARCOM recommendation 93/4): adopted by a three-quarters majority—the United Kingdom entered a reservation—the United Kingdom reservation was because the evidence that available substitutes are less environmentally hazardous is not available except to the firms that have developed them, and because formal action is unnecessary, given the 90 per cent reduction in usage in recent years;g. Recommendation on the reduction of nutrients from agriculture: not adopted, only two countries supporting it; the United Kingdom did not support it, because it would have required unnecessary action by the United Kingdom;h. Decision on the phasing-out of short-chained chlorinated paraffins not adopted; the United Kingdom did not support this decision because we have not completed the assessment of the cost of complying with the decision;i. Recommendation concerning increases in radioactive discharges from nuclear reprocessing plants: this proposal, tabled by Denmark, was not presented;j. Recommendation on the total level of radioactive discharges into the maritime area: this proposal, tabled by the Republic of Ireland, was not presented;522 k. Recommendation concerning increases in radioactive discharges from nuclear reprocessing plants: this joint proposal from Denmark and the Republic of Ireland was not adopted—Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and the United Kingdom had reservations, as did the Commission of the European Cornmunities—a revised Recommendation concerning increases in radioactive discharges.from nuclear reprocessing plants (PARCOM recommendation 93/5) was adopted by a three-quarters majority—Belgium, France and the United Kingdom entered reservations, as did the Commission of the European Communities—the—United Kingdom reservation was because the first limb of the recommendation made no progress beyond the commitment in the 1992 action plan, while the second limb both was too vague to provide a proper basis for a PARCOM recommendation and, insofar as it provided for a role for the Paris Commission in the decision process, was inappropriate.
  The acceptance by Belgium of decisions and recommendations was ad referendum, pending the completion of internal procedures; where the adoption of a measure depending on Belgian acceptance, therefore, that adoption is provisional pending confirmation of the Belgian position. PARCOM decisions bind those contracting parties which vote for them or subsequently accept them; PARCOM recommendations have no binding force.

  Street Cleaning
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress has been made in his policy to bring forward proposals for voluntary involvement in street cleaning.

  Mr. Yeo
  Last year, my right hon. and learned Friend the then Secretary of State announced two new initiatives concerning voluntary involvement in improving the quality of the local environment. One was for a network of community environment wardens, the other was a study of the United States "adopt-a-road" scheme. Having consulted the voluntary sector on these proposals. we are commissioning a feasibility study by consultants on how best to explore the potential of the community environment warden concept. This work will take account of the study carried out by the Tidy Britain Group of the "adopt-a-road" schemes.

  Radioactive Waste Repository
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what economic assessment his Department has conducted of the implications of delaying the Nirex scheme for a radioactive waste repository.

  Mr. Yeo
  The Department is keeping under continuous review all the consequences of changes in Nirex's plans for a deep disposal facility for low and intermediate-level radioactive waste.

  Energy Management Assistance Scheme
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer of 26 May,Official Report, column 619, how many applications for the energy management assistance scheme have so far been received; how many grants have been paid; what are the expected savings in carbon and financial terms from each scheme; arid what proportion of grant scheme is being monitored to assess eventual performance.
  523
  Mr. Yeo
  Since the scheme started on 1 April 1992 there have been 1,828 applications received and 1,331 grants paid.

  A review to assess potential carbon savings on each application will be carried out shortly. Currently average savings identified on each application are 13 to 16 per cent. of energy bills.

  Arrangements are in hand to monitor applicants' eventual performance under the scheme, but the proportion of cases to be assessed has not yet been decided.

  Business and the Environment
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the future of his advisory committee on business and the environment.

  Mr. Yeo
  The Advisory Committee on Business and the Environment was established in May 1991 for a two-year term. The Committee will publish its third progress report shortly. The Government have reviewed the role of the committee and will make an announcement about its future in the near future.

  Carbon Dioxide Emissions
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the total volume of carbon dioxide emissions for the United Kingdom in 1990; and what was the contribution made to those emissions by(a) power generation, (b) transport, (c) industrial production, (d) agriculture and (e) each main sector of manufacturing industry.

  Mr. Yeo
  Estimates of United Kingdom carbon dioxide emissions are published annually in the "Digest of Environmental Protection and Water Statistics". The 15th digest, published in May this year, shows that in 1990 the United Kingdom emitted 158 million tonnes of carbon (MtC) as carbon dioxide. Of this total, 54 MtC came from power stations, 34 MtC from transport, 40MtC from industry and 1 MtC from agriculture. Refinery emissions accounted for 5MtC of the industrial total.

  Reallocating power station and refinery emissions to final users increases estimated industrial emissions to about 53 MtC. The discussion document on our national programme for CO2 emissions, published in December 1992 gives 1990 emissions on this basis for the following energy intensive industries:

  Sector

  MtC

  Iron and Steel

  9

  Other metals

  9

  Mineral Products

  4

  Chemicals

  9

  Paper and Board

  3

  These sectors were responsible for about 65 per cent. of industrial emissions in 1990.

  Environmental Damage
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when Her Majesty's Government received European Commission document ENV 170 COM (93) 47 "Final on Remedying Environmental Damage"; and what response he expects to make to the Green Paper.
  524
  Mr. Yeo
  The Department received the document on 15 June 1993. The Government will submit their comments to the European Commission in due course.

  London Residuary Body
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what meetings he has had with the London residuary body; and what was discussed.

  Mr. Baldry
  My right hon. Friend has had no meetings with the London residuary body.

  Architects Registration Acts
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what consideration his Department's deregulation unit is giving to repealing the Architects Registration Acts; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Baldry
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer my right hon. Friend the Minister for Housing, Inner Cities and Construction gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Eastbourne, (Mr. Waterson) on 2 February 1993,Official Report, columns 89–90.

  As part of the Government's deregulation initiatives, we propose to repeal the Architects Registration Acts, at the earliest legislative opportunity.

  London Docklands (Entertainment)
  Mr. Straw
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the expenditure on entertainment and press and public relations from public funds of the London Docklands development corporation for each year since its inception; what is the budget for the current financial year; and what is classed as entertainment and press and public relations for these purposes.

  Sir George Young
  [holding answer 17 June 1993]: The infrommation requested is as follows:

  Total £ million

  1981–82

  1·1

  1982–83

  2·5

  1983–84

  1·9

  1984–85

  2·3

  1985–86

  1·7

  1986–87

  1·7

  1987–88

  1·8

  1988–89

  1·8

  1989–90

  3·3

  1990–91

  3·0

  1991–92

  3·2

  1992–93

  3·5

  The expected expenditure for 1993–94 is £3·5 million. The figures comprise advertising, events and associated expenditure, corporate publications and the cost of the LDDC visitors' centre and press office.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

  Silverware
  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Chairman of the Catering Committee if he will make a statement on the involvement of Aldous Antique Furniture Restoration in the purchase and sale of House of Commons silverware.
  525
  Mr. Colin Shepherd
  This a matter for the Director of Catering Services and I shall ask her to write to the hon. Member.

WALES

  Outdoor Centres
  Mr. Richards
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what measures are being taken to ensure that outdoor centres in Wales follow safety standards; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  As employers, operators of outdoor activity and education centres have a general duty under section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 to have regard to the health and safety of all persons, including non-employees, affected by their activities. In June 1992, the Wales tourist board, in association with the Sports Council for Wales, launched a voluntary accreditation scheme for activity holiday centres which sets down detailed safety guidelines.

  The Government will be considering whether further measures are needed in the light of investigations into the recent Lyme Regis incident. Possible changes to the existing statutory framework, the need for a regulatory body and additional guidance will be carefully considered.

  Unemployment
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for 'Wales if he will give for each travel-to-work area in Wales(a) the rate of economic inactivity between ages 16 and 65 years and (b) the percentage of the working population dependent on benefits as a primary source of income.

  Mr. Redwood
  Rates of inactivity, from the 1981 population census, are given in the table. 1991 census figures for travel-to-work areas are not yet available and there is no information on sources of income for travel-to-work areas.

  The economically inactive population includes housewives, the retired, students and others who make an important contribution to society but fall outside the standard definition of the work force.

  1981 economic inactivity rales for residents aged 16 years or over and under 65

  Travel·to·work area

  Per cent.

  Aberdare

  32·9

  Aberystwyth

  30·3

  Bangor and Caernarfon

  31·4

  Blaenau Gwent and Abergavenny

  31·7

  Brecon

  29·1

  Bridgend

  30·2

  Cardiff

  28·3

  Cardigan

  34·5

  Carmarthen

  30·8

  Conwy and Colwyn

  29·9

  Denbigh

  31·2

  Dolgellau and Barmouth

  32·1

  Fishguard

  33·4

  Haverfordwest

  30·7

  Holyhead

  33·5

  Lampeter and Aberaeron

  34·3

  Llandeilo

  31·7

  Llandrindod Wells

  29·9

  Llanelli

  32·0

  Machynlleth

  30·7

  Merthyr and Rhymney

  31·7

  Monmouth

  29·6

  526

  Travel·to·work area

  Per cent.

  Neath and Port Talbot

  31·3

  Newport

  28·5

  Newtown

  28·2

  Pontypool and Cwmbran

  29·8

  Pontypridd and Rhondda

  31·1

  Porthmadoc and Ffestiniog

  32·7

  Pwllheli

  37·0

  Shotton, Flint and Rhyl

  30·0

  South Pembrokeshire

  33·1

  Swansea

  29·7

  Welshpool

  30·8

  Wrexham

  30·0

  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give for each travel-to-work area in Wales(a) the population and (b) the latest unemployment rate.

  Mr. Redwood
  Population data from the 1981 census and the latest unemployment rate for each of the travel-to-work areas can be accessed on-line by the staff of the Library of the House. Population data from the 1991 census are currently not available for travel-to-work areas.

  Campylobacter
  Mr. Richards
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many cases of campylobacter-induced illnesses have been recorded in Clwyd in each year since 1987; and what measures are being taken to reduce the risk of exposure to this illness.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The data requested are given in the following table:

  Numbers

  1987

  291

  1988

  251

  1989

  330

  1990

  315

  1991

  321

  1992

  356

  The Advisory Committee on the Microbiological Safety of Food has been considering what measures could be taken to reduce the incidence of campylobacter infection, and is due to present an interim report to Health and Agriculture Ministers shortly. A further report on campylobacter will be produced when the results of surveillance and research work recommended in the report are available.

  General government advice about food hygiene and avoidance of cross-infection is relevant to campylobacter. Note: Figures given are laboratory reports of campylobacter reported to the Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre of the Public Health Laboratory Service by laboratories in Clwyd.

  Facilities, Dyfed
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the(a) abattoirs, (b) community hospitals (c) NHS dental surgeries, (d) fire stations, (e) general practitioner surgeries, (f) jobcentres and (g) local livestock marts located in each local authority area of the county of Dyfed in (i) 1980, (ii) 1985 and (iii) 1988.

  Mr. Redwood
  The information available is given in the tables. Lists of individual general practice medical and
  527
  dental surgeries are not maintained centrally. Each family health services authority maintains local directories of doctors and dentists.

  Abattoirs

  Operational

  1980

  1985

  1988

  Llanelli district:

  Llanelli Wholesale Butchers, Pwllbach Abattoir, Dafen Llanelli

  Yes

  Yes

  Yes

  Talyclun Slaughterhouse, Llangennech, Llanelli

  Yes

  Yes

  Yes

  Carmarthen district:

  Teify Pare Slaughterhouse, Lampeter Road, Llanybyther

  Yes

  Yes

  Yes

  The Abattoir, Fairlane, Carmarthen

  Yes

  No

  No

  Riverside Slaughterhouse, St. Clears

  Yes

  Yes

  No

  South Pembrokeshire district:

  Kilvelgy House, Kilgetty

  Yes

  Yes

  Yes

  Lyserry Farm, Stackpole, Pembroke

  Yes

  Yes

  Yes

  Preseli district:

  Withybush Abattoir, Withybush Road, Haverfordwest

  Yes

  Yes

  Yes

  10 Kensington Road, Neyland, Milford Haven

  Yes

  Yes

  Yes

  61 High Street, Neyland, Milford Haven

  Yes

  Yes

  Yes

  Milford Meats, Howath Way, Milford Haven

  Yes

  Yes

  Yes

  Ceredigion district:

  The Slaughterhouse, Llanfair Road, Lampeter

  Yes

  Yes

  Yes

  Llanwnen Slaughterhouse, Llanwnen, Lampeter

  No

  Yes

  Yes

  Cardigan Slaughterhouse, Dewi James, Pentood Industrial Estate

  Yes

  Yes

  Yes

  Hospitals

  Operational

  1980

  1985

  1988

  Community hospitals:

  Aberaeron

  Yes

  Yes

  Yes

  Amman Valley

  Yes

  Yes

  Yes

  Cardigan and District

  Yes

  Yes

  Yes

  Cilymaenllwyd

  Yes

  No

  No

  Llandovery Cottage

  Yes

  Yes

  Yes

  Mynydd Mawr

  Yes

  Yes

  Yes

  South Pembrokeshire

  Yes

  Yes

  Yes

  Tenby Cottage

  Yes

  Yes

  Yes

  Tregaron

  Yes

  Yes

  Yes

  Other hospitals:

  Allt y Mynydd

  Yes

  Yes

  No

  Bronglais General

  Yes

  Yes

  Yes

  Bryntirion

  Yes

  Yes

  Yes

  Cartrefle Unit

  Yes

  Yes

  No

  Llanclli General

  Yes

  Yes

  Yes

  St. David's

  Yes

  Yes

  Yes

  West Wales General

  Yes

  Yes

  Yes

  Withybush

  Yes

  Yes

  Yes

  Local livestock marts

  Operational

  1980

  1985

  1988

  Carmarthen district:

  Station Road Market, Pontyweli, Llandysul

  Yes

  Yes

  Yes

  Whitland Market

  Yes

  Yes

  Yes

  St. Clears Market

  Yes

  Yes

  Yes

  Carmarthen Market

  Yes

  Yes

  Yes

  Newcastle Emlyn Market

  Yes

  Yes

  Yes

  528
  Fire stations

  Llanelli district:

  Llanelli

  Kidwelly

  Tumble

  Carmarthen district:

  Carmarthen

  Llandysul

  Pontyates

  Whitland

  Newcastle Emlyn

  South Pembrokeshire district:

  Narberth

  Pembroke Dock

  Tenby

  Preseli district:

  Haverfordwest

  Milford Haven

  Fishguard

  St. David's

  Crymych

  Ceredigion district:

  Aberystwyth

  Tregaron

  New Quay

  Aberaeron

  Lampeter

  Cardigan

  Dinefwr

  Llandeilo

  Llandovery

  Ammanford

  There are also two volunteer stations at and Borth and Caldy Island. The list above was the same for each year requested.

  Job centres

  Aberystwyth

  Great Darkgate Street

  Ammanford

  Crown Buildings, Hall Street

  Cardigan

  Crown Buildings, Napier Street

  Carmarthen

  Darkgate Buildings, 3 Red Street

  Fishguard

  Crown Buildings, Brodog Lane

  Garnant

  26 Dynevor Road

  Haverfordwest

  8 Victoria Place

  Llanelli

  Units 1–9, Market Arcade

  Kidwelly

  Government Buildings, Bridge Street

  Lampeter

  Government Buildings, Pontfaen Road

  Llandeilo

  1 King Street

  Llandysul

  Bizerta House, Wind Street

  Milford Haven

  40 Charles Street

  Pembroke Dock

  91 Queen Street

  Tenby

  Civic Centre, The Norton

  Tumble

  Crown Buildings, Bethesda Road

  Note: The list above relates to the position in June 1993 No historical data are readily available.
  529

  Operational

  1980

  1985

  1988

  Llanybyther Market

  Yes

  Yes

  Yes

  South Pembrokeshire district:

  Pembroke Market

  Yes

  Yes

  Yes

  Kilgetty

  Yes

  No

  No

  Preseli district:

  Crymych Market

  Yes

  Yes

  Yes

  Haverfordwest Market

  Yes

  Yes

  Yes

  Ceredigion district:

  Ystrad Market, Felinfach, Lampeter

  Yes

  Yes

  Yes

  Lampeter Market, Station Road, Lampeter

  Yes

  Yes

  Yes

  Devils Bridge Market, Aberystwyth

  Yes

  Yes

  Yes

  Tregaron Market

  Yes

  Yes

  Yes

  Cardigan Market

  Yes

  Yes

  Yes

  Aberystwyth Market

  Yes

  Yes

  Yes

  Talybont

  Yes

  Yes

  Yes

  Brynberian Market, Crosswell

  Yes

  Yes

  Yes

  Dinefwr district:

  Ffairfach, Llandeilo Bridge

  Yes

  Yes

  Yes

  Llandeilo Town

  Yes

  Yes

  No

  Llangadog Market, Llangadog

  Yes

  Yes

  Yes

  Rhosaman Market, Brynamman

  Yes

  Yes

  Yes

  Llandovery Market

  Yes

  Yes

  Yes

  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the police stations which were located in each local authority area of the county of Dyfed in the years(a) 1980, (b) 1985 and (c)

  Mr. Redwood
  The police stations located in each local authority area in Dyfed are listed as follows. The list is the same for both 1985 and 1992. Information for 1980 is not centrally available.

  Carmarthen

  Carmarthen, Newcastle Emlyn and Whitland.

  Ceredigion

  Aberaeron, Aberystwyth, Cardigan, Lampeter and Llandyssul.

  Dinefwr

  Ammanford, Llandeilo and Llandovery

  Llanelli

  Burry Port, Cross Hands, Kidwelly and Llanelli

  Preseli Pembrokeshire

  Fishguard, Haverfordwest, Milford Haven, Neyland and St. Davids.

  South Pembrokshire

  Narberth, Pembroke Dock, Saundersfoot and Tenby.

  Source: Police and Constabulary Almanac.

  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many(a) chemist shops or pharmacies, (b) mobile libraries, (c) (i) post offices and (ii) post office counters, (d) public houses, (e) rural schools and (f) village halls there were in each local authority area in the county of Dyfed in (1) 1980, (2) 1985 and (3) 1992.

  Mr. Redwood
  Most of the information requested, if available centrally, is only collected on the basis of Dyfed county.

  Chemist shops or pharmacies

  Information on the number of pharmacies in Dyfed is given as follows:

  1980 (as at 31 December) 94

  1985 (as at 31 December) 92

  1992 (as at 30 September) 99

  Mobile libraries

  Information on the number of mobile libraries, as at
  530
  31 March, in Dyfed is given as follows:

  1980 18

  1985 17

  1992 15

  Post Offices and Post Office Counters

  The information is not readily available centrally.

  Public Houses

  The information is not available centrally.

  Rural Schools

  Information on the number of LEA-maintained schools, as at January, in Dyfed is given as follows:

  1980

  1985

  1992

  Nursery

  4

  4

  3

  Primary

  355

  335

  315

  Secondary

  35

  34

  31

  Special

  6

  6

  5

  Total

  400

  379

  354

  Village Halls

  The information is not available centrally.

  Radiographers
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the structure and financing of training of radiographers in Wales.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  Since I April 1993 the training of pre-registration radiographers comes within the Towards 2000 arrangements to ensure that NHS has sufficient numbers of adequately trained staff available to meet employers' requirements. Funding for this training is provided centrally while post-registration training is a matter for employers.

  Dental Health
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many patients of general dental practitioners in Wales have been recorded as having been infected as the result of cross-infection from hand-pieces that have not been autoclaved.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  None.

  Invalidity Benefit
  Mr. Richards
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what has been the change in real terms of invalidity benefit payments in Wales in each year since 1979; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  Estimates of government expenditure on sickness and invalidity benefits in Wales are given in the table. The figures are expressed in real terms at 1990–91 prices using the retail prices index.
  532

  Sickness and invalidity benefits Estimated expenditure at 1990–91 prices

  £ million

  1979–80

  317

  1980–81

  301

  1981–82

  308

  1982–83

  312

  1983–84

  298

  1984–85

  325

  1985–86

  340

  1986–87

  347

  1987–88

  372

  1988–89

  376

  1989–90

  384

  1990–91

  404

WALES

  River Pollution
  Mr. Richards
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what measures are being taken in Wales this summer to warn farmers of the environmental dangers of silage effluent entering river systems; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The National Rivers Authority recently issued a press release warning farmers of potential problems this year and urging that caution be exercised in the collection and disposal of silage effluent. The authority also offers advice to farmers by way of programmes of farm visits; by talks to representative organisations and by relevant leaflets which are available free of charge at the authority's offices.

  The Government's code of good agricultural practice on the protection of water provides detailed practical advice on avoiding pollution. In addition, under the ADAS free farm visits programme, farmers are offered assistance with farm waste plans, or free pollution advice. The Government's farm waste plan programme launched in a pilot area last year is being extended into two further areas in Wales so that more farmers will have the opportunity of benefiting from these plans.

  Water Disconnections
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list by year for the last five years, and by each water authority the number of(a) domestic and (b) industrial water disconnections made.

  Full-time academic staff

  Colleges of the University of Wales

  1987–88

  1988–89

  1989–90

  1990–91

  1991–92

  Aberystwyth

  382

  365

  388

  387

  404

  Bangor

  394

  397

  414

  422

  436

  St. Davids, Lampeter

  72

  72

  76

  79

  74

  Swansea

  488

  499

  496

  556

  592

  College of Medicine

  355

  368

  360

  395

  395

  Cardiff

  606

  868

  900

  925

  952

  University of Wales Institute of Science and Technology1

  338

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1 From 1988 the University of Wales Institute of Science and Technology merged with University of Wales College Cardiff.

  Source: "University Statistics, Volume one—Students and Staff" published annually by Universities' Statistical Record.

  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the change in the number of academic staff posts in the university of Wales over the last four years.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  Information on the complement of academic staff posts in the university of Wales is not held centrally.

  Special Needs Housing
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made concerning the number of required housing places needed by people with learning disabilities in Wales in each of the next five years.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  Social services departments' own estimates are that a minimum of 90 places will be required in Wales for each year for individuals in the community needed to move into accommodation of their own. In addition, we are intending to resettle 110 individuals from long-stay hospitals in 1993–94 and 1994–95. Resettlement programmes have yet to be finalised for subsequent years.
  534
  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The number of domestic water disconnections is set out in the table. Information on the number of industrial water disconnections is not held centrally. Separate figures for domestic only disconnections are not available prior to 1989–90.

  Domestic disconnections by water companies in Wales

  DWR CYMRU

  Statutory water companies1

  1989–90

  1,243

  113

  1990–91

  1,305

  0

  1991–92

  2,938

  13

  1992–93

  2,316

  132

  1 Chester Waterworks Company and Wrexham and East Denbighshire Water Company.

  University of Wales
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the total number of full-time staffed academic posts at each of the constituent colleges of the university of Wales in each of the past five years.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  Information on the total number of full-time academic staff in post at each constituent college of the university of Wales, as collated and published by the "Universities Statistical Record", is shown in the table. The report for 1992–93 is not yet published.

  GP Fund Holders
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the range of allocations given to all general practitioner fund holders for all hospital care which they purchase, showing the highest and lowest per capita expenditure for the practice population; and if he will make a statement on the reasons for the range.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The per capita allocations to fund holders for the purchase of hospital services in 1993–94 range from £48·13 to £128·09. Individual allocations reflect the nature and extent of these services with which patients in the practice have been provided over previous years.

  Flooding
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has received on the subject of the recent flooding incidents in(a) the Meirionnydd area and (b) the Aberconwy area; and if he will make a statement.
  535
  Mr. Redwood
  There have been numerous representations on a range of issues relating to the recent flooding in the Aberconwy area. My right hon. Friend the Minister of State and I were also able to hear at first hand some of the problems being experienced, when we visited the area in the aftermath of the floods. One representation has been received, in respect of the Meirionnydd area.

  General Practitioners
  Mr. leuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the average list size for general practitioners in Wales in each year since 1980.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The information is given as follows:

  Average list size for general practitioners in Wales (as at 1 October)

  Average

  1980

  2,086

  1981

  2,057

  1982

  2,013

  1983

  1,975

  1984

  1,946

  1985

  1,914

  1986

  1,881

  1987

  1,849

  1988

  1,851

  1989

  1,819

  1990

  1,813

  1991

  1,794

  1992

  1,743

  Wales Tourist Board
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what has been the budget of the Wales tourist board in each year since 1988–89; and what is the proposed budget for next year.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  The Wales tourist board's net budget provision since 1988 is shown as follows:

  Net total £ million

  –

  9·211

  –

  9·815

  –

  10·488

  –

  11·229

  –

  13·636

  –

  13·658

  The board's budget for 1994–95 has not yet been determined.

  Integrated Administration and Control System
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what proposals he has to alleviate the financial and other difficulties which will befall those farmers in Wales who have not submitted fully completed IACS forms to the Welsh office by the deadline set; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Redwood
  The governing EC regulations stipulate the information which farmers have to provide and the time scale within which they are required to do so. The Commission has indicated that the rules allow some flexibility in analysing the information submitted to avoid imposing unjustified penalties. I will take full advantage of this flexibility when the EC has clarified the extent of it.

  Coastal Radioactivity
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment has been made during the clean-up of homes and other buildings along the north Wales coast, following the recent flooding, of the spread of radioactive contamination from the Irish sea and the sea shore inland.

  Mr. Redwood
  No such assessment was necessary as the recent flooding in north Wales was due to excessive rainfall and no homes or other buildings were affected by seawater.

SCOTLAND

  Clyde Dredging
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what information he has about reduced levels of dredging being carried out by Clydeport; and what representations he has made to Clydeport about the dredging of the Clyde;

  (2) if he will make it his policy to introduce legislation to oblige Clydeport to dredge the Clyde either in whole or in part;

  (3) what policy proposals he has to ensure that the River Clyde is adequately dredged in the future;

  (4) who is responsible for dredging the Clyde.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Clydeport Ltd., as successor to the former Clyde Port authority, has a permissive power to dredge the Clyde river channel to the extent that it is considered necessary for the maintenance and improvement of the port, but has no statutory duty to dredge.

  It remains the Government's policy that port authorities, including Clydeport Ltd., should manage their businesses on a commercial basis and that the costs of dredging should be met by charges to the users of ports, or by other parties who benefit from the dredging. The Government have no plans to introduce legislation to alter this situation.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what information he has about the consequences of reduced levels of dredging of the Clyde for(a) navigation, (b) flooding and (c) the environment.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  I understand that a study to examine the effects of the cessation of dredging of the River Clyde, commissioned by Clydeport Ltd., and Strathclyde regional council, with the aid of European regional development fund grant support, reported in September 1989. Its main conclusions were that

  (a) Available draught for navigation would be reduced:

  (b) Extreme high tide levels would not increase significantly. However, low water levels in extreme weather conditions would he considered higher than at present. This could cause some increase in the risk and incidence of indirect flooding in the unlikely event of several extreme rainfall events occurring in short succession; and

  (c) mudbanks would build at the sides of the channel, particularly at wider parts of the river.

  Local Government
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received about community councils in his consultation paper on local government in Scotland.
  537
  Mr. Stewart
  Five hundred and eighty-two responses to the consultation paper "Shaping the New Councils" commented on the future role of community councils, including 475 from community councils themselves. The responses ranged from those in favour of retaining the existing powers for community councils to those in favour of an expanded role.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what specific support local authorities receive from his Department to enable them to contribute to the dredging of the Clyde.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The Government do not support local authorities directly in relation to operations such as dredging. It is the responsibility of each local authority to allocate resources from within the total made available to them as they see fit.

  Community Councils
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his policy towards the Association of Scottish Community Councils; and if he will meet representatives of the Association of Scottish Community Councils to discuss the future of community councils.

  Mr. Stewart
  The Association of Scottish Community Councils will provide a welcome focal point for community council activity in Scotland. My officials have already met representatives of the association to discuss their views on the future role of community councils. These are being taken into account in our deliberations on local government reform.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his policy towards a continuing role for community councils.

  Mr. Stewart
  I would refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Paisley, South (Mr. McMaster) on 10 June,Official Report, columns 275–76.

  Multiple Occupation Houses
  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what information he has on the number of houses in multiple occupation in each local authority area;

  (2) how many local authorities have initiated resolutions for the licensing of houses in multiple occupation, under the order made in terms of the Civil Government (Scotland) Act 1981;

  (3) how many Scottish local authorities have introduced a registration scheme for houses in multiple occupation; and what provisions are made to ensure that these premises are provided with reasonable means of escape in case of fire;

  (4) what proposals he has to encourage local authorities to introduce a licensing or registration scheme for houses in multiple occupation.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Information is not held centrally on the number of houses in multiple occupation or on the number of resolutions for licensing schemes as they do not require the Secretary of State's approval. He has approved registration schemes in eight authorities.

  Housing authorities' powers to ensure houses in multiple occupation have reasonable means of escape in case of fire are not dependent on their being registered or
  538
  licensed. An authority can require a landlord to carry out works to provide a means of escape. If he does not do so, the authority may carry out the works itself and bill the landlord. The fire authority can close all or part of a house in multiple occupation immediately if it considers that there is a serious threat to life.

  Guidance notes were issued in August 1991 suggesting how housing authorities might effectively exercise their powers to deal with houses in multiple occupation, including their powers to establish registration and licensing schemes.

  Hospital Building
  Mr. Galbraith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his planned capital expenditure on hospital building for the next five years in Greater Glasgow, Lothian and Lanarkshire health boards.

  Mr. Stewart
  It is not possible to provide capital expenditure figures on hospital building for the next five years for Greater Glasgow, Lothian and Lanarkshire health boards. Health boards and trusts have been given provisional capital allocation figures for 1994–95 and 1995–96 only. These reflect only the consequences in those years of the 1993–94 allocations and do not take into account new starts in 1994–95 or 1995–96.

  The figures are as follows:

  Provisional Capital Allocations

  Health Boards/Trust

  1994–95 £ million

  1995–96 £ million

  Greater Glasgow Health Board

  20·048

  18·

  Southern General Hospitals NHS Trust

  2·

  1·

  Victoria Infirmary NHS Trust

  0·

  0·

  Yorkhill NHS Trust

  3·081

  2·

  Lothian Health Board

  18·

  13·

  West Lothian NHS Trust

  0·

  1·175

  Lanarkshire Health Board

  9·

  10·

  Monklands and Bellshill NHS Hospital Trust

  2·

  1·

  Nursing Homes
  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer of 18 June,Official Report, column 759 if he will describe the steps taken to ensure that health boards carry out their statutory duty to inspect nursing homes at least twice a year, and that the person registered actually does provide or make arrangements for the provision of medical serices for residents; and how many nursing homes have had adverse reports since the statutory requirements came into force.

  Mr. Stewart
  Health boards have a statutory responsibility, under the Nursing Homes Registration (Scotland) Act 1938 as amended, to visit and inspect all nursing homes in their area at least twice a year. If that duty is not carried out, the health board is in contravention of section 4(3) of the Act. Details of registration and inspection visits are contained in health board annual reports.

  It is the responsibility of the health board registration and inspection team to ensure that the person registered provides, or makes provision for, medical services for residents. Nursing home residents are entitled to receive the same range of NHS services as they would expect to receive in their own homes.
  539
  Information is not collected centrally about nursing homes who receive adverse reports. It is for health boards to take action on homes which require to improve their standards.

  House of Commons
  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to the answer from the Secretary of State for Health to the hon. Member for Dover (Mr. Shaw) of 21 June,Official Report, columns 34–39, if he will publish a list of awards given to voluntary organisations under the equivalent legislation in Scotland in 1992–93.

  Mr. Stewart
  In 1992–93, grants totalling £5.2 million were awarded to 156 voluntary organisations under section 10(1) of the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 and £956,000 to 49 organisations under section 16B of the National Health Services (Scotland) Act 1978. Taking the two schemes together, this represents a real terms increase of 8 per cent. over 1991–92 and of 132 per cent. over 1978–79. Details are given in the table:

  Grants paid to voluntary organisations in 1992–93 under Section 10(1) of the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968

  Organisation

  £

  Aberdeen and North East Association for Mental Health

  6,473

  Aberlour Child Care Trust

  18,059

  Action on Phobias Association

  299

  Age Concern Scotland

  73,693

  All Saints Church/Care Management Project

  14,518

  Alternative to Detention Project

  13,401

  Association of Local Voluntary Organisations (Lanark)

  26,021

  Alzheimers Scotland

  98,128

  Angus Association of Voluntary Organisations

  23,583

  Annandale and Eskdale Council for Voluntary Service

  27,507

  Apex Trust Scotland Ltd.

  179,987

  Argyll and Bute Federation of Councils on Alcohol

  44,685

  Arran Council for Voluntary Service

  17,520

  Assynt Centre

  550

  British Association for Adoption and Fostering.

  31,000

  Banff and Buchan Resource Information and Development Group Exchange

  26,037

  Badenoch and Strathspey Council of Social Service

  28,345

  Barnardos-Tayside Young Abusers Project

  42,957

  Barony Housing Association

  25,000

  Barra and Vatersay Council of Social Service

  27,725

  Berwickshire Association of Voluntary Service

  14,809

  Borderline

  1,200

  Borders Pre–5 Voluntary Forum

  16,699

  Brittle Bone Society

  250

  Bute Community Links

  22,607

  Caithness Mental Health Support Group (Drop In Centre)

  3,995

  Caithness Voluntary Group

  27,027

  Call Centre

  18,070

  Care In Action (Scotland)

  35,506

  Carers National Association

  40,229

  Carolina House Trust

  6,500

  Community and Voluntary Organisations Council

  19,858

  Centre for Housing Research

  12,500

  Childline Charitable Trust

  10,000

  Childline Scotland

  31,854

  Children In Scotland

  94,340

  Childrens Hospice Association Scotland

  4,000

  Church of Scotland Board for Social Responsibility

  117,562

  Comhairle Nan Sgoiltean Araich

  16,912

  Community Service Volunteers

  850

  Crossroads

  37,986

  Cruse Bereavement Care

  1,108

  Dementia Services Development Centre

  74,072

  Dail Scotland

  12,096

  Disability Scotland

  229,700

  Disablement Income Group

  5,175

  Disfigurement Guidance Centre

  150

  540

  Organisation

  £

  Dumfries & Galloway Mental Health Association

  3,000

  Dundee Association for Mental Health

  1,099

  East Lothian Voluntary Organisations Network

  18,398

  Edinburgh Association for Mental Health

  3,960

  Eric Liddle Centre Appeal

  24,000

  Ettrick and Lauderdale Council of Social Service

  13,903

  Falkirk District Association for Mental Health

  2,000

  Family Care

  28,856

  Family Mediation Scotland

  64,031

  Glasgow Council for Single Homeless

  15,000

  Gordon Rural Area Information Network

  27,864

  Hamilton and East Kilbride Befriending

  3,599

  Handynet

  32,978

  Harris Council of Social Service

  18,982

  Headway House Association

  899

  Highland Federation of Councils for Voluntary Service

  195

  Home-Start Consultancy

  25,000

  Huntly Mental Health Association

  1,941

  Intermediate Treatment Resource Centre

  29,647

  Inverclyde Voluntary Association for Mental Health

  12,748

  Islay and Jura Council for Voluntary Service

  30,107

  Kincardine and Deeside Council for Social Service

  30,525

  Kirkcaldy and Glenrothes Association of Voluntary Organisations

  20,000

  Kyle and Carrick Council of Voluntary Organisations

  15,188

  Levenmouth Council of Social Service

  1,974

  Lewis Council of Social Service

  33,471

  Link: Glasgow Association for Mental Health

  2,968

  Marriage Counselling Scotland

  91,998

  Midlothian Voluntary Action

  12,726

  Mobile Projects Association (Scotland)

  17,800

  National Schizophrenia Fellowship Scotland

  11,770

  National Children's Home (NCH)

  59,185

  National Foster Care Association (HQ)

  34,340

  Nithsdale Council of Voluntary Service

  20,493

  North and West Sutherland Council of Social Service

  13,903

  Penumbra

  64,927

  Perth and Kinross Association of Voluntary Service

  16,778

  Perth Association of Mental Health

  1,400

  Play Matters

  4,500

  Plus National

  37,311

  Positive Help

  20,000

  Quarriers/Scottish Child and Family Alliance Borders Development

  21,875

  Royal Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (HQ)

  98,698

  Rehab Scotland

  15,000

  Ross and Cromarty Council of Social Service

  26,550

  Roxburgh Association of Voluntary Service

  14,407

  RSSPCC—Overnewton Centre

  77,452

  Scottish Association for Mental Health (HQ)

  104,004

  Stillbirth and Neo-natal Death Society

  2,600

  Scottish Adventure Playground Association for Handicapped Children

  650

  Scottish Association of Sign Language Interpreters

  21,143

  Scottish Association for Victim Support Schemes

  642,500

  Scottish Child Minders Association

  75,035

  Scottish Council for Single Parents

  30,859

  Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (Give As You Earn)

  15,000

  Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (HQ)

  290,770

  Scottish Home Visiting Resource and Training Unit

  1,500

  Scottish Society for Mental Health (Homes)

  38,057

  Scottish Society for Mental Health (Respite Care)

  25,774

  Scottish Association for the Care and Resettlement of Offenders

  242,204

  Scottish Association for the Deaf

  7,628

  Scottish Child Law Centre

  20,000

  Scottish Community Education Council

  4,700

  Scottish Downs Syndrome Association

  300

  Scottish Institute of Human Relations

  16,875

  Scottish Pre-School Play Association

  101,103

  Scottish Refugee Council

  5,957

  Scottish Spina Bifida Association

  500

  Scottish Spinal Cord Injury Association

  14,699

  Scottish Users Network

  1,000

  Scottish Womens Aid Ltd.

  95,141

  Scottish Council for Single Homeless

  13,921

  541

  Organisation

  £

  Sense In Scotland

  49,550

  Shelter

  19,300

  Shetland Council of Social Service

  30,532

  Skye and Lochalsh Council for Voluntary Organisations

  25,060

  South Ayrshire Link-Up Consortium

  16,560

  Speyside and District Council of Social Service

  21,097

  Stepping Stones

  34,038

  Stewartry Council for Voluntary Service

  21,068

  Stirling and District Association for Mental Health

  11,000

  Stirling Council of Social Service

  22,385

  Strathclyde Out Of School Care

  5,180

  Talbot Association

  14,821

  The Corner Group

  660

  The Pillar Project

  8,134

  The Richmond Fellowship

  26,939

  The Rock Trust—Society of St. Francis

  3,300

  The Salvation Army

  1,399

  The Thistle Foundation

  66,000

  Torry/Kincorth Team for Confused Elderly People

  731

  Tweeddale Association for Voluntary Service

  13,427

  Uist Council of Social Service

  22,347

  United Kingdom/United States Exchange Programme

  3,150

  Voluntary Organisations North East Fife

  14,200

  Voluntary Groups—East Sutherland

  20,567

  Voluntary Action—Inverness

  21,333

  Voluntary Action Orkney

  34,590

  Voluntary Action West Lothian

  21,229

  Voluntary Association of Nairn Groups

  14,261

  Volunteer Development Scotland

  109,201

  West Lothian Voluntary Council for Disabled People

  625

  Waverley Care Trust

  20,000

  Wellspring

  1,154

  Who Cares? Scotland

  5,000

  Wigtown Council for Voluntary Service

  23,862

  Women's Royal Voluntary Service

  1,000

  Women's Support Group

  5,000

  Young Families Now

  18,036

  Grants paid to voluntary organisations in 1992–93 under section 16B of the National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978

  Organisation

  £

  Action On Smoking And Health Scottish Committee

  102,000

  Age Concern Scotland

  8,100

  Aids Care Education And Training (Scotland)

  7,000

  Alzheimers Scotland

  30,000

  Bells Palsy Self Help Group

  4,400

  Breast Care And Mastectomy Association

  7,840

  British Association Of Immediate Care

  1,800

  British Red Cross

  500

  Brook Advisory Centre

  7,000

  Cancerlink

  6,100

  Childrens Hospice Association Scotland

  15,000

  Community Service Volunteers

  11,700

  Dementia Services Development Centre

  20,600

  Disability Scotland

  28,439

  Enuresis Resource And Information Centre

  2,000

  Epilepsy Association Scotland

  3,300

  Family Planning Association

  15,700

  Leukaemia And Cancer Childrens Fund

  35,000

  Medical Commission On Accident Prevention

  2,400

  Muscular Dystrophy Group—Scottish Council

  3,200

  National Association For The Welfare Of Children In Hospital

  5,400

  National Aids Trust

  35,000

  National Association For The Childless

  1,800

  National Childbirth Trust

  15,487

  National Schizophrenia Fellowship (Scotland)

  4,400

  Natural Family Planning Group

  1,400

  Play In Scottish Hospitals

  16,800

  Play Matters

  1,750

  Primary Immunodeficiency Association

  6,270

  RSSPCC—Overnewton Centre

  13,120

  Scottish Aids Monitor

  102,000

  Scottish Association For Mental Health

  23,500

  542

  Organisation

  £

  Scottish Association Of Sign Language Interpreters

  2,000

  Scottish Catholic Marriage Advisory Council

  2,200

  Scottish Child And Family Alliance

  3,400

  Scottish Cot Death Trust

  2,500

  Scottish Council On Alcohol

  131,250

  Scottish Drugs Forum

  85,850

  Scottish Heart and Arterial Disease Risk Prevention

  Group 72,000

  Scottish Huntingtons Association

  15,850

  Scottish Motor Neurone Disease Association

  3,500

  Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service

  7,500

  Scottish Partnership Agency

  46,192

  Sense In Scotland—National Deaf Blind & Rubella Association

  12,500

  St. Andrews Ambulance Association

  11,407

  Stillbirth And Neonatal Death Society

  2,700

  The British Fluoridation Society

  5,900

  Twins And Multiple Birth Association

  1,000

  Volunteer Development Scotland

  10,790

  Woodlands
  Mr. Gallie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what was the area of new private planting of commercial coniferous woodland, excluding native pine and broadleaf planting, in each year between 1987–88 and 1991–92 in the United Kingdom;

  (2) what is the forecast of private planting of commercial coniferous woodland in the United Kingdom, excluding native pine, for 1993–94 and 1994–95.

  Sir Hector Monro
  [holding answer 24 June 1993]: The information is given in the table. It shows the areas of conifer planting and restocking—other than native pine —which have been undertaken, or are expected to be undertaken, with the aid of Forestry Commission grants.

  (hectares)

  Year ended 31 March

  New planting

  Restocking

  Total

  1988

  21,326

  2,527

  23,853

  1989

  22,347

  2,659

  25,006

  1990

  10,251

  2,566

  12,817

  1991

  8,909

  2,956

  11,865

  1992

  7,460

  3,811

  11,271

  19931

  5,671

  3,475

  9,146

  19942

  8,500

  3,000

  11,500

  19952

  9,100

  3,000

  12,100

  1 Provisional.

  2 Estimate.

DEFENCE

  Equipment Exhibition
  Mrs. Helen Jackson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Leyton (Mr. Cohen) of 30 April,Official Report, column 590, from which countries buyers have been invited to attend the Royal Navy and. British Army equipment exhibition in September.

  Mr. Aitken
  it has been the consistent practice of successive Administrations not to release details of invitations to attend British forces equipment exhibitions. Invitations are issued on a confidential basis and it would be a breach of trust to disclose details.

  Mrs. Helen Jackson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for
  543
  Leeds, West (Mr. Battle) of 30 June, Official Report, column 591, if he is yet in a position to announce the projected cost of mounting the Royal Navy and British Army equipment exhibition to be held in September; and what was spent on such events (a) in 1991 and (b) in 1992.

  Mr. Aitken
  I have little to add to my reply of 30 April. As was the case in 1991, all direct costs will be recovered from participating companies. There was no British military equipment exhibition in 1992.

  Environmental Policy
  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his Department's policy on the purchase and use of(a) recycled paper, (b) low-energy light bulbs,
  (c) tropical hardwoods, (d) peat and (e) cars with catalytic converters.

  Mr. Aitken
  It is MOD policy that all procurement decisions take account of the environmental implications of the available options. Accordingly, recycled paper is purchased for all types of paper stationery applications wherever it can be obtained at a reasonable cost and is adequate to the task. Low-energy light bulbs are fitted as replacements wherever suitable light fittings are available and energy-efficient lighting systems are installed during building refurbishment programmes. Softwoods and other materials are used in preference to tropical hardwoods whenever possible; where the use of hardwoods is considered essential, our contracts specify that only hardwoods obtained from sustainably managed sources are to be used. Existing guidelines permit the use of peat based soil improvers on the defence estate. These are currently being reviewed and will take into account the outcome of current DOE work on peat extraction and use. Most types of vehicles purchased by my Department run on diesel fuel, with petrol engines being restricted to certain specialised vehicles. When the latter are purchased, we stipulate that they should be fitted with catalytic converters.

  Low Flying
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information he has about the crash between a low-flying Tornado and helicopter near Kendal and the near-miss between another low-flying Tornado north of Skipton; if he will set up and publish the result of inquiries into both incidents; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hanley
  The mid-air collision between a RAF Tornado GR I, on a routine training sortie and a civilian Bell 206 JetRanger helicopter, carrying out a pipeline inspection, occurred on 23 June 1993. Tragically, the two people in the helicopter were both killed in the accident. The Tornado aircraft landed safely at BAe Warton with no injuries to the service personnel. An RAF board of inquiry has been convened and in addition an investigation will be carried out by the air accident investigation branch. A summary of the findings will be published.

  A Logan Air Shorts 360 aircraft has filed an airmiss report, involving a Tornado aircraft, with the Civil Aviation Authority. The incident occurred at 1924 hours on 22 June 1993 and will be fully investigated by the independent joint airmiss working group (JAWG). The JAWG's report will be published.
  544

  HMS Repulse
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the release of coolant from HMS Repulse on 20 June; what quantity of radioactivity was released; how many personnel were contaminated in the accident; and what is the estimated cost of the clean-up operation.

  Mr. Hanley
  The quantity of coolant spilt was about one pint and its radioactive content was barely detectable above background levels. No contamination was detected on the three personnel involved. The cost of the clean-up operation was negligible.

  Budget and Personnel
  Mr. Ainger
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the April 1990, April 1993 and projected April 1996 figures for(a) the budget of, (b) the number of civilian personnel employed at and (c) the number of military personnel employed at (i) RNAD Trecwn, (ii) RNAD Milford Haven, (iii) RAF Brawdy, (iv) P & EE Pendine, (v) Merrion camp, Castlemartin, (vi) Penally camp, (vii) Manorbier range and (viii) HM mooring and marine salvage depot, Pembroke dock.

  Mr. Hanley
  On current plans, the details requested are as follows:

  Personnel

  Budget £ million

  Civilian

  Military

  (i) RNAD Trecwn1

  April 1990

  12·1

  381

  0

  April 1993

  8·6

  378

  0

  (ii) RNAD Milford Haven closed in March 1991. It operated as a sub-depot of RNAD Trecwn and its budget was contained within the overall Trecwn budget—figures given under (i) above. In April 1990, it employed 161 civilians.

  (iii) RAF Brawdy2

  April 1990

  n.a.

  147

  799

  April 1993

  5·9

  82

  143

  April 1996

  n.y.d.

  77

  88

  (iv) P & EE Pendine3

  April 1990

  n.a.

  59

  11

  April 1993

  9·6

  58

  12

  April 1996

  n.y.d.

  58

  12

  (v) Merrion camp, Castlemartin4

  April 1990

  2·9

  51

  4

  April 1993

  3·2

  51

  4

  April 1996

  n.y.d.

  51

  4

  (vi) Penally camp

  April 1990

  n.a.

  11

  0

  April 1993

  0·6

  14

  0

  April 1996

  n.y.d.

  15

  0

  (vii) Manorbier range

  April 1990

  0·4

  8

  2

  April 1993

  0·4

  7

  3

  April 1996

  n.y.d.

  7

  3

  (viii) HM Mooring and Marine Salvage Depot, Pembroke dock5

  April 1990

  2·2

  148

  1

  545

  Personnel

  Budget £ million

  Civilian

  Military

  April 1993

  3·2

  127

  0

  April 1996

  n.y.d.

  6—

  6—

  1 RNAD Trecwn is scheduled to close in March 1996.

  2 RAF stations did not have individual budgets prior to the introduction of the new management strategy in 1991.

  3 Budget figures for 1990 are not available on the same basis as those for 1993 and 1996 because of changes introduced under the new management strategy. Strength numbers refer only to Ministry of Defence personnel and do not include Property Services Agency staff or contractor staff.

  4 Budget figures include contributions from the federal German Army of £1,700,000 for 1990 and £2,000,000 for 1993 and 1996. An additional 50 season civilian casuals were or will be employed for each year.

  5 Budget and personnel figures include marine services and the shore establishment project office.

  6 Subject to review.

  Personnel Overseas
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Uxbridge (Mr. Shersby) of 19 October 1992,Official Report, column 162, on the number of British military personnel in the United States of America, how many British service personnel are stationed in (a) Ascension Island, (b) Belize, (c) Brunei, (d) Cambodia, (e) Canada, (f) Cyprus, (g) Diego Garcia, (h) the Falkland Islands, (i) Gibraltar, (j) Hong Kong, (k) Turkey, (1) Western Sahara, (m) Western Samoa and (n) Yugoslavia; and what is the estimated cost to public funds for each of these countries.

  Mr. Hanley
  I will write to the hon. Member.

  Rapid Reaction Corps
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 14 June,Official Report, columns 477–78, what are the types of divisions that Germany, Italy, Turkey, Greece, the United States of America and Spain will be providing for the rapid reaction corps; and what details he has concerning the personnel and equipment that will be provided by these countries to the rapid reaction corps.

  Mr. Hanley
  The types of divisions to be provided to the ACE rapid reaction corps if required are as follows:

  Germany: one armoured division

  Italy: one mechanised division and elements of corps troops (including a reconnaissance brigade)

  Turkey: one mechanised division

  Greece: one mechanised division

  United States: one mechanised division

  Spain: one light infantry division

  Each division will be manned and equipped in accordance with national establishments and inventories.

  Defence Industry
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 14 June,Official Report, column 475–76, if he will publish a detailed and declassified analysis of the factors that have influenced his consideration of the need to retain a viable and effective defence industry when making procurement decisions; what information sources he uses when considering the
  546
  need to retain a viable and effective defence industry; and what staff in his Department are involved in his considerations of the need to retain a viable and effective defence industry.

  Mr. Aitken
  The importance of retaining a viable and effective defence industry is self-evident. It is in the United Kingdom's defence interest that there should be a commercially strong supplier base, able to compete effectively to provide good value for money in meeting the requirements of the armed forces for equipment and services. The success of the United Kingdom defence industry in overseas markets also has direct and indirect benefits for my Department; and the industry is a major employer.

  We gather information on the defence industry from many sources. These include industrialists themselves in their frequent contacts with all levels of my Department; representations made on their behalf, including those from hon. Members; the trade associations, with which there are regular contacts; and our dealings with other Government Departments.

  Advising on the implications for industry of individual procurement decisions is one of the tasks of project staff throughout my Department's procurement executive. In addition, it is one of the responsibilities of the central staff of the procurement executive to provide advice on matters affecting the defence industry.

  Maralinga
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement concerning his recent meeting with Mr. Gareth Evans, Foreign Minister of the Australian federal Government, regarding the clean-up of the Maralinga site.

  Mr. Hanley
  Following a meeting of Australian and United Kingdom Ministers and officials on 17 and 18 June, and consideration by the Australian Cabinet, it has been agreed in principle that Her Majesty's Government will pay £20 million to the Government of Australia in full and final settlement of Australia's claims against the United Kingdom regarding the rehabilitation of the former British nuclear weapon test sites at Maralinga and Emu in South Australia. The precise terms of the settlement will be the subject of a written agreement between the two Governments, the details of which are expected to be finalised soon. Her Majesty's Government remain of the view that our legal responsibilities for rehabilitation have already been fully discharged and the payment is therefore being made on a strictly ex-gratia basis. Nevertheless, we believe that this represents a satisfactory solution to a long-running dispute between the United Kingdom and Australia.

HEALTH

  Health Care Costs
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the average cost per head of providing health care in(a) inner London and (b) the rest of England; and what is (b) as a percentage of (a).

  Mr. Sackville
  Figures of total expenditure derived from the 1991–92 annual accounts of district health
  547
  authorities and family health services authorities in England indicate that total expenditure per head was £655 in inner London and £460—representing 70 per cent. of the inner London figure—in the rest of England.

  These figures exclude expenditure by regional health authorities and special health authorities.

  Trent Regional Health Authority
  Mr. Kevin Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will publish the latest statistics on the number of deaths in surgery for each of the hospitals in the Trent regional health authority.

  Mr. Sackville
  The health service indicators graphical package for 1990–91 contains information on the standardised number of deaths by district health authorities occurring in national health service hospitals. This is available in the Library. 1991–92 figures will be published shortly.

  Health Care (Form AG3)
  Mr. Bowden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many successful claims were made for health care costs using form AG3 in the last year for which figures are available.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The available information is shown in the table.

  Number of courses of adult dental treatment and sight tests obtained at reduced cost by people covered by AGS certificates and numbers of optical vouchers used by people covered by AG2 or AG3 certificates issued under the national health service low-income scheme in England in 1991–92

  Courses of adult dental treatment

  Sight tests

  Optical vouchers

  1125,000

  54,000

  2289,550

  1 Figure derived from a 5·5 per cent, sample produced by the Dental Practice Board.

  2 Figure derived from 2 per cent, sample of all vouchers reimbursed by family health services authorities.

  European Year of the Elderly
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the actions taken by her Department in support of the European Year of the Elderly within the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Bowis
  The Department, in co-operation with the Department of Social Security, has overall co-ordinating responsibility in the United Kingdom for the European Year of Older People and Solidarity between Generations. Officials from the Department participate in an advisory committee on the year at European level.

  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State launched the year in the United Kingdom at the age resource awards, which were presented in London on17 December 1992 by His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales. Following consultation with a wide range of national voluntary and professional bodies, statutory authorities and other relevant Government Departments, we have set up a group to advise on the conduct, promotion and evaluation of the programme of events to celebrate the year. The group involves representatives of organisations
  548
  reflecting the interests of older people, and will take direct account wherever possible of the views and preferences of older people themselves. The programme in the United Kingdom is focusing on four major themes:

  Combating 'ageism' and promoting positive images of aging;

  Volunteering;

  Health promotion and active leisure, including remaining mentally active;

  Social integration, including problems of isolation and loneliness, information needs, housing, transport and community care issues.

  Task groups have been set up to examine each of these themes and put forward specific proposals.

  There are two elements to the year in the United Kingdom: a core programme involving national events focusing on the four themes, including cultural and sporting events, exhibitions and conferences; and a general programme, consisting of local and regional activities. A number of high-profile initiatives have already taken place and several important forthcoming events are planned, including a major European symposium in Birmingham in October on the theme "Promoting Health in Europe: Investing in Older People at Work."

  The Department is also funding a secretariat—based at Age Concern England headquarters—to co-ordinate the core programme and to disseminate news and information.

  Drugs (Use-by Dates)
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance she has issued to hospitals as to the use of drugs after their use-by date.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The Department has issued guidelines on the safe and secure handling of medicines which contains guidance requiring hospital staff to return all out of date drugs or medicines to the pharmacy for disposal. Copies of the guidance will be placed in the Library.

  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what evidence she has of hospitals using drugs which are past their use-by date; and if she will make a statement.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  None.

  Countess of Chester Hospital
  Mr. Miller
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions have taken place between her Department and Merseyside regional health authority in respect of planned reductions in provision for the Countess of Chester hospital; and what estimates have been made of the effects of these cuts on patient care.

  Mr. Sackville
  Provision of services at the Countess of Chester hospital national health service trust is a matter for the trust in consultation with local purchasers. I understand that the hon. Member is to meet the chairman and chief executive of the trust to discuss this matter.

  Patient Care
  Mr. Miller
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what instructions she has given to health authorities to require hospital trusts to publish decisions made by the board which have an effect on patient care.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  None.

  GP Fund Holders
  Mr. Kevin Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the general practitioners in the area served by Doncaster health authority, and their location, according to those who are fund holders and those who are not.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  This information is not available centrally but may be obtained from Doncaster family health services authority (FHSA). The hon. Member may wish to contact Mr. K Jones, the chairman of Doncaster FHSA, for details.

  Neo-natal Care
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer of 21 June,Official Report, column 28, on the number of neo-natal cots and nurses, if she will specify the definition of particular local circumstances.

  Mr. Sackville
  The organisation of neo-natal care services varies from region to region and is dependent on a number of different factors: the number of births, the case mix—the balance between special care and the different levels of neonatal intensive care—the local geography and variations in demand. None of this can be prescribed centrally and must therefore be for local decision, taking into account any guidance from professional and other bodies.

  Grading Appeals
  Mr. Burden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer of 27 May,Official Report, column 672, how many (a) clinical and (b) NHS staff grading appeals were outstanding in (i) the West Midlands regional health authority and (ii) South Birmingham Health District in (1) June 1991., (2) June 1992, (3) December 1992, (4) March 1993 and (5) June 1993; and how many of the appeals in each category outstanding in June 1993 had been outstanding for (A) up to six months, (B) between six months and one year, (C) between one and two years and (D) over two years.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The information available centrally is shown in the table:

  Outstanding Grading Appeals as at 31 May 1993

  West Midlands Regional Health Authority

  South Birmingham Health Authority

  Nurse clinical grading appeals:

  Local level

  1,526

  719

  Regional level

  1,424

  47

  Other NHS staff grading appeals:

  Regional level

  58

  0

  District health authority chairmen

  District health authority

  Name

  Occupation

  Northumberland

  Mr. J. Baker

  Managing director

  South Tees

  Mr. P. A. Marsden

  Managing director

  North Durham

  Prof John Clarke

  University professor

  East Cumbria

  Mr. I. Carr

  Company chairman

  Gateshead

  Vacancy

  —

  South Cumbria

  Mrs. A. Graham

  Retired civil servant

  Hartlepool

  Mr. B. Hanson

  Development engineer

  General Practitioner Services
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the average number of general practitioner consultations per head in each family health service authority in 1990–91 and 1991–92; and what was the average number of general practitioner consultations per head of those aged over 65 years.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  This information is not available centrally.

  Euro-constituency Boundaries
  Mrs. Browning
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the 1993 electorates for United Kingdom parliamentary constituencies to be used in drawing up proposals for the revised European parliamentary constituencies will be published.

  Mr. Sackville
  The Office of Population Censuses and Surveys (OPCS) is today publishing the required information in OPCS Monitor EL 93/2. Copies are available in the Library. Further details will appear in the usual OPCS annual reference volume which will be published in August.

  Housing for the Elderly
  Mrs. Anne Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions have taken place with social services departments of local authorities to ensure that sufficient priority is given to housing needs for the elderly.

  Mr. Bowis
  Under arrangements introduced on 1 April, it is for individual local social services departments to assess the community care needs of people in need of social services. They will consider, with other agencies, including housing authorities, how these needs can be met within local priorities. The community care support force visited a number of local authorities to offer advice and guidance as part of its overall work in helping authorities implement the community care reforms. Further advice on housing and community care issues is contained in the joint Departments of Health and the Environment circular (LAC(92)12) issued last September, a copy of which is available in the Library.

  Appointments
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will give details of individuals appointed to the chairs of district health authorities and chairs and non-executive directorships of NHS trusts within the Northern region, listing their occupation and sex.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  This information is shown in the table:
  551

  District health authority

  Name

  Occupation

  North Tees

  Mr. D. Otter

  Chartered accountant

  North Tyneside

  Mrs. S. Murray

  Housewife

  Newcastle

  Mr. A. Crute

  Solicitor

  Sunderland

  Mr. G. Bedell

  Lecturer

  South Durham

  Dr. John Marshall

  Business school director

  South Tyneside

  Mr. W. Darling

  Pharmacist

  West Cumbria

  Vacancy

  —

  NHS trusts

  Name

  Occupation

  Newcastle Mental Health Services NHS Trust

  Chairman:

  Rev. Bryan Vernon

  Anglican Chaplain

  Non-executive directors:

  Mrs. I. Cheyne

  Lecturer

  Mr. D. Wilson

  Management consultant

  Prof. Ian Ferrier

  Lecturer

  Mr. B. Roycroft

  Social services director

  Mr. N. Price

  Housing officer

  Norlhumbria Ambulance Service NHS Trust

  Chairman:

  Mr. R. Stewart

  Chartered accountant

  Non-executive directors:

  Mr. P. Moth

  Public affairs controller

  Dr. Jacqueline Higson

  Company director

  Mr. A. Ferguson

  Company director

  Mr. A. Knight

  Company director

  Mr. D. Smith

  Chartered accountant

  Freeman Group of Hospitals NHS Trust

  Chairman:

  Mr. F. Hoult

  Company chairman

  Non-executive directors:

  Mrs. M. Border

  Teacher

  Mr. R. Middleton

  Financial adviser

  Mr. J. Ward

  Company director

  Miss H. Goodworth

  Nurse

  Dr. Roger Freeman

  Lecturer

  Royal Victorial Infirmary and Associated Hospitals NHS Trust

  Chairman:

  Mrs. A. Galbraith

  Lecturer

  Non-executive directors:

  Prof. John Davison

  Medical consultant

  Mrs. S. Wilson

  Personnel director

  Miss A. Willis

  Retired nursing officer

  Mr. P. Stoddart

  General manager

  Mrs. K. Brunton

  Public relations manager

  Cleveland Ambulance NHS Trust

  Chairman:

  Dr. Alistair Thomson

  Retired medical officer

  Non-executive directors:

  Mr. T. Weastell

  Chartered accountant

  Ms S. Bush

  Personnel director

  Mr. K. Flethcher

  Solicitor

  Mr. K.. Hellawell

  Chief constable

  Mrs. P. Campbell

  Voluntary worker

  North Tees Health NHS Trust

  Chairman:

  Mrs. J. Graham-Bowman

  Magistrate

  Non-executive directors:

  Ms J. Slater

  Job centre manager

  Mr. P. Jackson

  Chartered accountant

  Miss J. Brown

  Lecturer

  Mr. R. Stewart

  General manager

  Mr. C. Porter

  Management consultant

  Northgate NHS Trust

  Chairman:

  Mr. P. Hutchinson

  Retired chartered surveyor.

  Non-executive directors:

  Mrs. J. Stephenson

  Citizens Advice Bureau manager

  Ms S. Adams

  Personnel consultant

  Mr. G. Rutherford

  Managing director

  Mr. J. Handley

  Retired company director

  Prof. John Rear

  Barrister/Polytechnic director

  South Tees Acute Hospitals NHS Trust

  Chairman:

  Mrs. A. Collins

  Housewife

  552 553

  Name

  Occupation

  Non-executive directors:

  Mr. D. Collier

  Solicitor

  Mr. J. Webster

  Personnel manager

  Mrs. H. Thompson

  Company secretary

  Mr. R. Kingdor,

  Retired chief executive

  Mr. S. Still

  Business consultant

  Gateshead Community Health NHS Trust

  Chairman:

  Mr. P. Smith

  Retired county treasurer

  Non-executive directors:

  Ms P. Remfry

  Development officer

  Mr. M. Scott

  Auctioneer

  Mr. D. Mitford

  Solicitor

  Dr. Raymond Jackson

  Retired GP

  Mr. R. Dixon

  Managing director

  Cumbria Ambulance Service NHS Trust

  Chairman:

  Mrs. A. Graham

  Television/radio production consul!

  Non-executive directors:

  Mr. P. Simpson

  Retired managing director

  Mrs. F. Cartmell

  Part-time school secretary

  Mr. D. Dickinson

  Retired Royal Mail executive

  Mr. I. Pirnie

  Retired naval officer

  Mr. J. Clayton

  Company director

  Durham County Ambulance Service NHS Trust

  Chairman:

  Mrs. P. Wynne

  Community worker

  Non-executive directors:

  Prof. Charles Baker

  University professor

  Mr. M. Hemingway

  Company secretary

  Mr. D. D'Arcy

  Company director

  Mrs. E. Wallis

  Voluntary worker

  Mr. N. Martin

  Part-time business consultant

  Gateshead Hospitals NHS Trust

  Chairman:

  Mr. C. Morton

  Personnel director

  Non-executive directors:

  Mrs. N. Cookson

  College deputy principal

  Mrs. A. Cooper

  Managing director

  Mr. D. Irwin

  Project manager

  Dr. James Dalgleish

  Retired GP

  Miss M. Da vies

  Company chairman

  South West Durham Mental Health NHS Trust

  Chairman:

  Mrs. J. Pease

  Company director

  Non-executive directors:

  Mr. D. Bright

  Lecturer

  Mr. J. Scally

  Director, development corporation

  Mrs. C. Hillery

  Part-time editor

  Mr. N. Hart

  Solicitor

  Mr. P. Briggs

  Managing director

  Northumberland Mental Health NHS Trust

  Chairman:

  Mr. D. Reay

  Retired chief executive

  Non-executive directors:

  Mr. D. Davison

  Retired social services director

  Prof. Mary Bromley

  Lecturer

  Mr. S. Gibson

  Solicitor

  Mrs. J. Turner

  Retired nursing officer

  Mr. H. Herron

  Chartered accountant

  South Cumbria Community and Mental Health NHS Trust

  Chairman:

  Mr. E. Holmes

  Retired general manager

  Non-executive directors:

  Mrs. S. Godfrey

  Personnel manager

  Mrs. M. Davies

  Retired head teacher

  Mr. L. Davies

  Retired quantity surveyor

  Mr. J. Davies

  Company director

  Dr. Rodney Leach

  Chief executive

  South Tees Community and Mental Health NHS Trust

  Chairman:

  Mr. R. Murray

  Retired chief executive

  Non-executive directors:

  Mrs. H. Sillars

  Company director

  Dr. Susan Miller

  Lecturer

  Mr. J. Wilson

  Company director

  Mr. G. Bowles

  Managing director

  Mr. G. Crispin

  Dean, Teeside Polytechnic

  South Tyneside Health Care NHS Trust

  Chairman:

  Miss D. Blenkinsop

  Retired nursing officer

  554 555

  Name

  Occupation

  Non-executive directors:

  Mr. R. Graham

  Director/company secretary

  Mrs. M. Mills

  Retired nurse

  Mrs. F. Walker

  Solicitor

  Mr. M. Wright

  Company chairman

  Mr. E. Russell

  Finance manager

  West Cumbria Health Care NHS Trust

  Chairman:

  Mr. E. Urquhart

  Insurance inspector

  Non-executive directors:

  Dr. Peter Inglis

  Chemical consultant

  Mr. G. Lamont

  Chartered accountant

  Mrs. C. Madden

  Solicitor

  Mrs. R. Porter

  Head teacher

  Mr. D. Gill

  Managing director

  Westmorland Hospitals NHS Trust

  Chairman:

  Mr. P. Reay

  Retired personnel director

  Non-executive directors:

  Mr. D. Hawkes

  Retired company director

  Mr. G. Turnbull

  Retired consultant gynaecologist

  Mrs. C. Hensman

  Housewife

  Mrs. S. Evans

  Solicitor

  Mr. M. Lund

  Management consultant

  Vaccination
  Mr. Tim Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the cost to the NHS of vaccines provided on prescription solely for the purpose of foreign travel.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  This information is not available centrally.

  NHS Employees
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer of 23 June,Official Report, column 182, if she will provide comparable information in respect of (a) a district general manager/chief executive, (b) a chief finance officer and (c) a unit general manager.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  This information is not available centrally.

TRANSPORT

  European Transport Council
  Mr. Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for St. Ives (Mr. Harris) of 21 June,Official Report, columns

  Name

  Occupation

  Non-executive directors:

  Mr. R. Graham

  Director/company secretary

  Mrs. M. Mills

  Retired nurse

  Mrs. F. Walker

  Solicitor

  Mr. M. Wright

  Company chairman

  Mr. E. Russell

  Finance manager

  West Cumbria Health Care NHS Trust

  Chairman:

  Mr. E. Urquhart

  Insurance inspector

  Non-executive directors:

  Dr. Peter Inglis

  Chemical consultant

  Mr. G. Lamont

  Chartered accountant

  Mrs. C. Madden

  Solicitor

  Mrs. R. Porter

  Head teacher

  Mr. D. Gill

  Managing director

  Westmorland Hospitals NHS Trust

  Chairman:

  Mr. P. Reay

  Retired personnel director

  Non-executive directors:

  Mr. D. Hawkes

  Retired company director

  Mr. G. Turnbull

  Retired consultant gynaecologist

  Mrs. C. Hensman

  Housewife

  Mrs. S. Evans

  Solicitor

  Mr. M. Lund

  Management consultant

  556
  59–60, what were the voting figures for each decision taken at the European Community's Transport Council held on 7 and 8 June; and if he will make it his policy to include in further statements on council meetings information on whether formal votes were taken.

  Mr. Macgregor
  The Transport Council resumed on 19 June the meeting that it had held on 7 and 8 June. No formal votes were taken.

  Traffic Regulation Conditions (Buses)
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 21 June,Official Report, columns 58–59, where each of the traffic regulation conditions were imposed and for what reason in each case; and which conditions were subject to appeal and on what grounds appeals were allowed.

  Mr. Freeman
  Information on each traffic regulation condition imposed since 1986 and details of those that were subject to appeal is given in the table.
  557

  TAO

  Location

  Reason

  Appeal

  1987

  3. NWTA

  Carlisle

  Danger

  No

  Mallyclose Drive (part)

  Hopeshill Drive (part)

  Forest Hill (part)

  4. NWTA

  Trafford

  Danger and congestion

  No

  Buckfast Road

  Redcroft Road

  Hawthorn Lane

  Totnes Road

  Brayton Avenue

  Walton Road

  5. NWTA

  Stockport

  Danger and congestion

  No

  Princes Street

  6. NWTA

  Trafford

  Danger and congestion

  No

  Grove Lane,

  Timperley

  7. NETA

  Hartlepool

  Danger

  No

  Area not specified

  8. NETA

  Kelloe

  Danger

  No

  Area not specified

  9. SEMTA

  Oxford

  Danger

  1Yes

  Queens Road

  Cornmarket

  10. SCOTTA

  Dalkeith

  Danger and congestion

  No

  Eskbank Road

  11. SCOTTA

  Currie

  Danger

  No

  Currievale

  1988

  12. NETA

  Hemsworth

  Danger

  No

  Woodlands Crescent and

  Springvale Rise

  13. NWTA

  Blackburn

  Congestion

  No

  Ainsworth Street

  Penny Street

  Railway Road

  Church Street (part)

  Salford (part)

  Starkie Street

  14. NWTA

  Wigan

  Danger

  No

  Stow Road

  (Revoked later at request

  of local authority)

  15. NWTA

  Blackburn

  Congestion

  No

  Penny Street

  (Revoked later at request

  of local authority)

  16. NWTA

  Carlisle

  Danger

  No

  Green Lane

  Kirkstead Road

  Acredale Road (part)

  Buchanan Road (part)

  Lediard Avenue

  Lund Crescent (part)

  1989

  17. NWTA

  Sefton

  Danger

  No

  Albert Schweitzer Avenue

  Howard Florey Avenue

  Louis Pasteur Avenue

  Alexander Fleming Avenue

  1990

  18. NWTA

  Oldham

  Danger

  No

  Several roads in Shaw

  1991

  19. NWTA

  Trafford

  Congestion and danger

  No

  Ayres Road and Henrietta

  Street

  558 559

  TAO

  Location

  Reason

  Appeal

  1992

  20. NWTA

  Bolton

  Congestion and danger

  No

  Glengarth Drive

  21. NETA

  Sheffield

  Congestion

  'Yes

  Various central streets and

  part of Ecclesall Road

  22. NETA

  Barnsley

  Danger

  No

  Kendray Street and

  Pontefract Road

  1993

  23. SCOTTA

  Edinburgh

  Congestion

  1Not yet

  St. Andrew's Square

  1Notes:

  1. TRC No. 9 (Oxford). An appeal was lodged on the ground that there was no danger to other road users. The TRC was confirmed on the ground that though there was no danger to other road users there was evidence of severe congestion. It was varied slightly with regard to hours when the restrictions applied.

  2. TRC No. 21 (Sheffield). An appeal was lodged on the ground that the deputy traffic commissioner acted ultra vires in that he banned new bus registrations and did not specify any times when the TRC should operate. The appeal was allowed in part: the ban on new registrations was lifted and the TRC was varied making it operational from 7 am to 7 pm on Mondays to Saturdays only.

  3. TRC No. 23 (Edinburgh). The TRC has just been determined and no appeal has been lodged but the 28–day period in which an appeal may be made has not yet expired.

  4. There have been three appeals by local authorities against the decision by the traffic commissioner not to impose the TRCs requested. These appeals were all dismissed.

  Traffic Director, London
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the total staff complement of the Traffic Director for London's office; what is its annual budget; what reports it makes to the Minister; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Norris
  The Office of the Traffic Director for London has a staff of 12 and a budget for 1993–94 of 10 million. Under schedule 5 to the Road Traffic Act 1991, the traffic director is required to submit an annual report to the Secretary of State on the discharge of his functions together with a statement of accounts.

  Red Route
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what action he is taking to ensure relief from red route-related traffic in respect of Windsor road N7, Fairbridge road N19, Stanhope road N6 and Cressida road N.19; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Norris
  The traffic director intends to carry out a review of the pilot red route to ensure that it is operating within the framework set out in his network plan. If traffic problems on the roads mentioned are related to the red route, the traffic director will consider what measures can be taken. Otherwise, any action would be a matter for the appropriate highway authority.

  Channel Ports
  Mr. Gale
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what action his Department is taking to ensure that the port of Ramsgate, serving Dunkirk, is restored to the same trans-Europe network map that features Dunkirk serving Ramsgate.

  Mr. Key
  We do not propose at present to press for any additions to the trans-European road network map. The current network proposals reflect key routes of greatest interest to intra-Community road traffic.
  560
  The importance of good road access to Ramsgate has been recognised already by the Government's substantial support, through transport supplementary grant, to Kent county council's programme of road improvements between Ramsgate and the M2.

  Channel Tunnel (Signposts)
  Mr. Gale
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (I) what proposals his Department has for the improvement of the signposting of the channel ports in general and of Port Ramsgate in particular;

  (2) what proposals his Department has to ensure that destinations in east Kent in general and the Isle of Thanet in particular are clearly signposted for the benefit of travellers emerging from the channel tunnel.

  Mr. Key
  The M20/A20 will be the principal route to the channel tunnel and the ports of Folkestone and Dover. The A2/M2 route will continue to serve Sheerness, Ramsgate and other east Kent towns. Although our signing will reflect this generally, in the case of either route the signing will not be restricted to the towns and ports which that route primarily serves.

  We are now reviewing the signing of east Kent towns. Our plans include signing both Canterbury and Ramsgate, along with Folkestone and Dover, eastwards on M20 from the channel tunnel exits.

  The details of the signing arrangements are necessarily complex and I have written to my hon. Friend about them.

  Newcastle Western Bypass
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is(a) the design capacity of the road, (b) the maximum daily and hourly use of the bypass after its complete opening and (c) the maximum daily and hourly use of the road currently for the Denton Burn, Ponteland road and Great North road interchanges of the Newcastle western bypass.

  Mr. Key
  The Department does not use the concept of design capacity. It uses a range of flows to provide starting
  561
  points for the economic, environmental and operational assessment of carriageway width options. In the case of this road the range of flows is 30,000 to 46,000 vehicles per day. This range of flows does not provide any indication of the ultimate traffic flows which the carriageway can carry.

  The Newcastle western bypass was fully opened to traffic in December 1990. No hourly traffic flows are available. The 1991 annual average daily traffic flows are as follows:

  Traffic flow

  Great North Road to Kingston Park

  44,000

  Kingston Park to Ponteland Road

  44,000

  Ponteland Road to Stamfordham Road

  55,300

  Stamfordham Road to Denton Burn

  55,300

  The 1992 annual average daily traffic flows are as follows:

  Traffic flow

  Great North Road to Kingston Park

  44,400

  Kingston Park to Ponteland Road

  47,800

  Ponteland Road to Stamfordham Road

  55,700

  Stamfordham Road to Denton Burn

  61,000

  Road Signposts
  Mr. Gale
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what measures he intends to implement to improve road and destination signing and to clarify the regulations that relate to such signs; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Key
  Destination signing reflects the relative importance of different destinations for traffic management purposes, taking account of distance; it is kept under review in the light of changing traffic patterns in any given area. New designs for the layout of signs, with a clear format relating closely to road status, have been developed following comprehensive corisultation and a subsequent trial. These signs will be incorporated in the new traffic signs regulations which I expect to lay before the House around the end of the year.

  Gatwick Express
  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make it his policy that a competitive market should be allowed to operate in the event of the Gatwick express being privatised on the route between Gatwick and Central London; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Freeman
  The promotion of competition in the provision of railway services is a key objective of our privatisation proposals. We have made it clear that on-track competition will be moderated for the first generation of franchises to the extent necessary to ensure the successful transfer of British Rail's passenger services to the private sector, and to ensure that the taxpayer receives value for money for subsidising services. These concerns will determine the degree of competition to apply between the Gatwick express and other services on the route between Gatwick and central London; and that will be decided before the Gatwick express is offered for franchise.
  562

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Set-aside
  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many EC member state farmers have completed their set-aside forms on time; and in which states a lower proportion of forms has been received than in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Jack
  The Commission has asked member states in general terms to report on the implementation of the integrated administration and control system. We understand that, as yet, the information it has received is not complete and no complete Community picture on this matter is currently available.

  Tuberculosis (Badgers)
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations she has received regarding the need for carcases of dead badgers to be checked for tuberculosis; and what is her assessment of the dangers to cattle of unchecked tuberculosis in the badger population.

  Mr. Soames
  [pursuant to his reply, 25 June 1993, c. 328–29]: I would like to make it clear that the statement that badgers infected with tuberculosis do not pose a significant threat to the national cattle herd was based on scientific evidence that the disease in badgers has been associated with breakdowns in cattle herds only in south-west England and in a limited number of other areas.

  Waterside Habitats
  Sir Cranley Onslow
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations she has received about the possibility of applying set-aside payments to the creation of riverside buffer zones, in conformity with option 2 on the recreation of waterside habitats set out in her Department's consultation document on the habitat improvement scheme; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Jack
  We received a large number of comments from many organisations on our consultation document on the proposed habitat improvement scheme. The option for water fringe habitats was widely welcomed. We are currently finalising our proposals for the scheme which we will be submitting to the Commission as part of the agri-environmental programme for England.

  Cormorants and Goosanders
  Sir Cranley Onslow
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will place in the Library a copy of her Department's new application form for licences to control cormorants and goosanders.

  Mr. Soames
  Yes. The new form is designed to assist applicants in providing the sort of information the Ministry requires to make licensing decisions. It will result in a more streamlined and therefore speedier decision-making process.

  Vitamins
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations have been made by her Department to the European Commission concerning its directive on vitamins.

  Mr. Soames
  In early 1992, there was an exploratory discussion in Brussels on the possibility of a directive on dietary supplements, including vitamins. However, there have been no subsequent developments.

  Public Appointments
  Mr. George Howarth
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the names, occupations and current employers of those who currently

  Executive bodies

  Chairman

  Deputy chairman

  Members

  £/per annum

  £/per annum

  £/per annum

  Agricultural Training Board

  115,600

  7,147

  —

  Apple and Pear Research Council

  16,676

  40 per day

  40 per day

  Food From Britain

  32,100

  —

  1,930

  Home-grown Cereals Authority

  18,270

  6,313

  23,145/3,263

  Horticultural Development Council

  25,011

  —

  40 per day

  Horticulture Research International

  20,624

  4,098

  —

  Meat and Livestock Commission

  53,789

  26,584

  26,313/12,829

  Regional Flood Defence Committees

  28,988/l1,235

  —

  —

  Sea Fish Industry Authority

  29,612

  13,835

  6,313

  Wine Standards Board of the Vintners Company

  3,231

  —

  813

  1 Now based on two days per week instead of 1.

  2 Depending on how many days worked.

  Tribunals

  Chairman/deputy £ per annum

  Members £ per annum

  Agricultural Land Tribunals (England)

  221

  —

  Dairy Produce Quota Tribunal

  300

  177

  Milk and Dairies Tribunal (England)

  91

  —

  Plant Varieties and Seeds Tribunal

  246 (Junior)

  —

  Plant Varieties and Seeds Tribunal

  300 (Silk)

  113

  Public Corporation

  Covent Garden Market Authority

  32,411

  6,313

  564
  hold positions in each public body to which he makes appointments; if he will make a statement on the considerations taken into account when making such appointments; and if he will list details of the posts and salaries or allowances payable which have changed since the publication of "Public Bodies 1992".

  Mr. Jack
  [holding answer 25 June 1993]: No changes have yet taken place in the remuneration for members of the MAFF advisory bodies listed in "Public Bodies 1991"—a copy of which is available in the Library of the House—nor for the agricultural wages board or agricultural wages committees. For the executive bodies, tribunals and public corporations the new rates payable for 1 April 1993 are as follows—all figures are sterling:

  Members of public bodies receive the same rates of travel allowances as civil servants, but subsistence is paid according to actual costs. There have been no changes to this agreement since the publication of "Public Bodies 1992".

  The biographical information on appointees is not held centrally in the form requested. However, appointments are made on the basis of suitability, merit and personal expertise and announced in. Ministry news releases, copies of which are placed in the Library of the House.

  POLICE RESPONSIBILITIES AND REWARDS: SHEEHY REPORT
  POLICE RESPONSIBILITIES AND REWARDS: SHEEHY REPORT
  NORTHERN IRELAND: HUMAN RIGHTS PROTECTION
  NORTHERN IRELAND: HUMAN RIGHTS PROTECTION
  INHERITANCE TAX-EXEMPT WORKS OF ART: VIEWING ARRANGEMENTS
  INHERITANCE TAX-EXEMPT WORKS OF ART: VIEWING ARRANGEMENTS
  INHERITANCE TAX-EXEMPT WORKS OF ART: CONSEQUENCES OF DESTRUCTION OR THEFT
  INHERITANCE TAX-EXEMPT WORKS OF ART: CONSEQUENCES OF DESTRUCTION OR THEFT
  NETTING RECEIPTS: BENEFICIARIES
  NETTING RECEIPTS: BENEFICIARIES
  GOVERNMENT POLICY
  GOVERNMENT POLICY
  BRITISH RAILWAYS BOARD: ANCILLARY SERVICES
  BRITISH RAILWAYS BOARD: ANCILLARY SERVICES