Written Answers of 12 March 1993

DEFENCE

  Bosnia
  Mr. Day
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what further consideration he has given to the deployment of forces in the Bosnia region; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Rifkind
  I informed the House on 14 January at column 1057 that in order to enhance the safety of our troops in Bosnia I was authorising the deployment of additional forces to the region. These included HMS Ark Royal and her carrier group, with a light gun battery and associated support units embarked. 1 made clear that these deployments did not mark any change in our policy in the area. The carrier group reached the Adriatic on 26 January.

  We have kept this deployment under continuous review. We judge it still to be essential that the carrier group remains on station in the Adriatic to carry out the role for which it was orginally deployed, and that the associated personnel remain in a high state of readiness. In the light of current circumstances, we are satisfied that this readiness can now be achieved by moving most of the Army personnel concerned, who have been embarked on ships in the Adriatic, to the United Kingdom where they will be able to resume normal training. They will be available to rejoin their equipment by air at very short notice if this becomes necessary.

  Vulcan Bomber
  Mr. Diner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reason training flights for the remaining Vulcan bomber have been continued; and when has been the cost of continuing training from September 1992 to the present.

  Mr. Aitken
  The Vulcan is flown occasionally to maintain aircrew currency for a delivery flight to its eventual purchaser. The additional cost of operating and maintaining the aircraft between 20 September 1992—the date of its last display—and 26 February 1993—its most recent continuation flight—was approximately £3,600.

  Atomic Weapons Establishments
  Mr. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the exact role(a) Brown and Root, (b) Hunting plc and (c) Atomic Energy Authority Technology would play in the day-to-day management of the AWEs.

  Mr. Aitken
  Brown and Root, Hunting plc and AEA Technology have formed Hunting BRAE Ltd. as a joint venture company, which has been selected as the winner of the competition to appoint a contractor to operate the Atomic Weapons Establishment from 1 April 1993. It is Hunting BRAE Ltd., rather than its parent organisation,722
  which will have the responsibility and authority for day-to-day management of the establishment after that date, subject of course to MOD's stringent operating requirements.

  Departmental Properties
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many MOD properties were(a) offered for sale and (b) sold under their discount scheme in 1992, 1991 and 1990.

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

  Year

  Offered for sale

  Sold

  1992

  321

  385

  1991

  460

  525

  1990

  721

  715

  Some of the properties sold were dwellings which were offered for sale in the previous year.

  Service Personnel (Housing)
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what discussions he has had with local authority associations concerning the housing needs of personnel leaving the services;

  (2) what discussions he has had with local authorities in areas covering MOD sites concerning the housing needs of personnel leaving the services.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Officials from my Department are in regular contact with local authorities. The Department of the Environment circular 54/75 gives local authorities advice about the housing requirements of ex-service personnel. My officials have been considering with Environment Department officials the revision and re-issue of that guidance. The Department of the Environment will be consulting local authority associations on the draft text of a replacement circular shortly.

  Inhumane Weapons
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what are the defence implications of the delay in ratification of the 1981 inhumane weapons convention by Her Majesty's Government; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) what are the defence implications of the delay in ratification of the 1977 additional protocols to the Geneva convention by Her Majesty's Government; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  There are no defence implications. Our armed forces already adhere to the principles laid down in both the additional protocols to the Geneva conventions and the United Nations weaponry convention.

  Secondary Medical Care
  Mr. Lidington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 26 February to the hon. Member for Woodspring (Dr. Fox),Official Report, column 740, what estimate his Department has made of the cost of building a new joint RAF-NHS hospital in East Anglia.
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  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  There are no plans to build a new joint hospital.

  Mr. Lidington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 26 February to the hon. Member for Woodspring, (Dr. Fox)Official Report, column 740, what estimate his Department has made of the cost of modernising and expanding the Princess Alexandra hospital, Wroughton.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The information requested is commercial-in-confidence.

  Princess Mary Hospital, Halton
  Mr. Lidington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate his Department has made of the costs of closing the Princess Mary hospital, Halton.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  This will depend on the future use of the hospital site.

  Mr. Lidington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions his Department has had with(a) Oxford regional health authority, (b) Buckinghamshire Purchasing Agency, (c) Aylesbury Vale community health council, (d) Buckinghamshire family health services authority and (e) Stoke Mandeville hospital concerning his decision to close the Princess Mary hospital, Halton.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Exploratory meetings have taken place between Royal Air Force staff and representatives of the Oxford regional health authority, the Buckinghamshire Purchasing Agency, and the Stoke Mandeville hospital to discuss our proposals for the reorganisation of RAF secondary medical care. We will be seeking the views of all local health bodies affected by our plans.

  Stoke Mandeville Hospital
  Mr. Lidington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the proposals for the establishment of an MOD-funded wing at Stoke Mandeville hospital.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  A number of potential sites for the proposed joint MOD/NHS venture to cover our requirements in East Anglia are being considered. A final decision on location has not yet been made.

  Civil Servants (Redundancies)
  Mr. Viggers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many central London-based administrative level civil servants in his Department of administration trainee level and above have been made redundant or warned for redundancy in the past 18 months; and if he will classify these by rank.

  Mr. Aitken
  My noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence will write to the hon. Member.

  Contracting Out
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list all those services or functions that have been contracted out from his Department since 724
  November 1991 without market testing an in-house bid against external competition, with, in each instance, the successful contractor and the reasons for the decision to exclude an in-house bid.

  Mr. Aitken
  Detailed information in the form requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The services contracted out since November 1991 have, however, included some cases where a substantive in-house bid was not tested against external competition, but not necessarily because an in-house bid was "excluded". The reasons for these include the requirement being for a short-term contract making in-house provision impracticable, and the in-house operation being invited to bid but declining to do so.

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

  Market Testing
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list all the market tests that have taken place in the Land Registry since November 1991; whether the result was the maintenance of in-house provision or whether the service was contracted out; what was the name of the successful contractor where appropriate; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The hon. Member's question concerns a specific matter on which the chief executive of Her Majesty's Land Registry is best placed to provide an answer and I have accordingly asked the chief executive to reply direct.

  Letter from John Manthorpe to Mr. John McAllion, dated 11 March 1993:
  As Chief Executive of the Land Registry it is my responsibility to answer questions on operational matters. The Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, has therefore asked me to reply to your Parliamentary Question to him concerning HM Registry's market testing programme.
  Since November 1991, market testing projects relating to the following services have been initiated:—

  Building Management/Maintenance and Estate Services

  Legal Services

  Catering

  Security Guarding

  Land Registry Surveys

  Land Registry Property Inspections

  Printing and Graphic Design

  Records Management

  These projects are at varying stages of development but none that involve existing in-house provision have reached the point at which a contract has been awarded. The Registry will continue to participate in the service-wide initiative to market test appropriate services. The market testing programme is one component of the Registry's commitment to improve the quality of the service it provides and ensure that its customers receive best value for money.
  I hope you find this reply helpful. A copy will appear in the Official Report and a copy will be placed in the House Library.

  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many staff in the Land Registry are assigned to the market-testing programme; how much the programme has cost the Land Registry since November 1991; and if he will make a statement.
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  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The hon. Member's question concerns a specific matter on which the chief executive of Her Majesty's Land Registry is best placed to provide an answer and I have accordingly asked the chief executive to reply direct.

  Letter from John Manthorpe to Mr. John McAllion, dated 11 March 1993:
  As Chief Executive of the Land Registry it is my responsibility to answer questions on operational matters. The Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, has therefore asked me to reply to your Parliamentary Question to him concerning resources used in HM Land Registry's market testing programme.
  The Registry has appointed a Project Board to oversee its market testing programme. Staff involved with the programme report, via Project Managers, to the Project Board. The equivalent of approximately 6 full time staff are engaged on this work. From November 1991 to date, the total staff and non-staff costs associated with the programme is estimated to be £250,000.
  I hope you find this reply helpful. A copy will appear in the Official Report and a copy will be placed in the House Library.

  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many staff in the Lord Chancellor's Department are assigned to the market-testing programme; how much the programme has cost his Department since November 1991; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  There are 12 staff assigned to the market testing programme in the Lord Chancellor's Department. The programme has cost £375,000 since November 1991. These figures include those engaged on the review of enforcement agents and their cost, as well as the costs of those consultants engaged to assist with managing the programme.

  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list all the market tests that have taken place in the Lord Chancellor's Department since November 1991; whether the result was the maintenance of in-house provision or whether the service was contracted out; and what was the name of the successful contractor where appropriate; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  Since November 1991 the Lord Chancellor's Department has put out to tender the professional services required to manage its accommodation and development of new court buildings. Prior io that date these services were provided by PSA Services.

  Lists of the commissions which have been let are as follows:

  Court Building

  Scheme

  Service

  Company

  Bournemouth

  Design

  Stride Treglown

  Bournemouth

  Quantity Surveying

  deeds

  Docklands

  Feasibility and Design

  Kyle Stewart

  Docklands

  Estate Surveying

  Knight Frank and Rutley

  Docklands

  Quantity Surveying

  C. F. Baker and Partners

  Cardiff

  Project Management

  W. S. Atkins

  Crawley

  Feasibility and Design

  PSA Projects

  Staines

  Feasibility and Design

  Kyle Stewart

  Staines

  Estate Surveying

  PSA BM South East

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  Scheme

  Service

  Company

  Neath

  Project Management

  W. S. Atkins

  Pontypridd

  Project Management

  W. S. Atkins

  Leicester

  Project Management

  CS Project Management

  Newport Isle of Wight

  Project Management

  TT Project Management

  Bournemouth

  Project Management

  Widnell Project Management

  Estate management

  Group/circuit

  Managing agent

  Chelmsford group

  Drivers Jonas

  Kingston group

  Drivers Jonas

  Western circuit "A"

  PSA Bournemouth

  Western circuit "B"

  Torpy

  M&O circuit

  E. C. Harris

  North East circuit

  Bernard Thorpe

  HQ building

  PSA (BM) SE

  London group

  McBains

  Northern circuit

  Grimley J. R. Eve

  Maidstone group

  McBains

  RCJ

  Turner and Townsend

  Wales and Chester

  Torpy

  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list the firms of consultants used by the Land Registry as part of the market testing programme since November 1991 together with the total cost; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. John. M. Taylor
  The hon. Member's question concerns a specific matter on which the chief executive of Her Majesty's Land Registry is best placed to provide an answer and I have accordingly asked the chief executive to reply direct.

  Letter from John Manthorpe to Mr. John McAllion, dated 11 March 1993.
  As Chief Executive of the Land Registry it is my responsibility to answer questions on operational matters. The Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, has therefore asked me to reply to your Parliamentary Question to him concerning the use of consultants as part of HM Land Registry's market testing programme.
  The Land Registry has used the following consultants to assist in carrying through its market testing programme:—

  Building Management/Maintenance and Estate

  Services—Acer Consultants Limited

  Catering—Touche Ross

  The estimated total cost in the current financial year is £152,000. The Registry employs external consultants for market testing purposes when there is a need to supplement the expertise and experience of its own staff. That policy will continue to be applied to future market testing programmes.
  I hope you find this reply helpful. A copy will appear in the Official Report and a copy will be placed in the House Library.

  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list the firms of consultants used by the Lord Chancellor's Department as part of the market testing programme since November 1991 together with the total cost; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The firms of consultants used by the Lord Chancellor's Department as part of the market-testing programme since November 1991 are:
  727

  PE International

  AMTEC Consulting

  DM Management Consultants Ltd.

  Kyte and Co.

  Coopers and Lybrand

  Price Waterhouse

  MBA Consultants

  The total cost as at 1 March 1993 is £152,000.

  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Attorney-General if he will list all those services or functions that have been contracted out from the Land Registry since November 1991 without market testing an in-house bid against external competition, with, in each instance, the successful contractor and the reasons for the decision to exclude an in-house bid.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The hon. Member's question concerns a specific matter on which the chief executive of her Majesty's Land Registry is best placed to provide an answer and I have accordingly asked the chief executive to reply direct.

  Letter from John Manthorpe to Mr. John McAllion, dated 11 March 1993.
  As Chief Executive of the Land Registry it is my responsibility to answer questions on operational matters. The Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, has therefore asked me to reply to your Parliamentary Question to him concerning services contracted out from HM Land Registry.
  Since November 1991 no further services or functions have been contracted out from the Land Registry. In-house bids are being invited in respect of each of the internal services currently included in the Land Registry's market testing programme.
  I hope you find this reply helpful. A copy will appear in the Official Report and a copy will be placed in the House Library.

  Contract Law
  Mr. Boateng
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Norwood (Mr. Fraser) of 10 February,Official Report, column 623, if he will list the representations he has received on the Law Commission's proposals to abolish the principle of privity of contract distinguishing between those in favour of those opposed to the proposals.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  No, it would not be practicable to do so. The Lord Chancellor has received a large number of representations from commercial landlords and tenants on the Law Commission's proposals. Although in general the former oppose and the latter support them, there is no uniformity of view within each group; for example, there are differing opinions among landlords as to whether the proposals should extend to future leases and among tenants as to whether they should extend to existing leases.

  Legal Aid
  Ms Janet Anderson
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what proportion of the total legal aid budget is accounted for by the cost of compulsory attendance and cover to police stations by solicitors 365 days per year.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The total cost of the duty solicitor police station scheme in 1991–92, which provides for an 728
  initial telephone service as well as attendance at police stations, was £53·6 million. This accounted for 5·9 per cent. of the total net expenditure on legal aid. Information on the detailed breakdown of the overall figure is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

ENVIRONMENT

  Rural Housing
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many units were provided by housing associations in rural areas for each year since 1979; and what proportion this represented of the total provision for housing associations for that year.

  Sir George Young
  Figures are readily available only for schemes supported by the Housing Corporation since 1989–90. Information for earlier years cannot be provided except at disproportionate cost. The numbers of approvals granted by the Housing Corporation since 1989–90 in settlements with populations of 3,000 or fewer and the proportion of total approvals these represent are as follows:

  Approvals in settlements of 3,000 or fewer

  Proportion of total approvals Per cent.

  1989–90

  578

  2·7

  1990–91

  348

  2·8

  1991–92

  2,345

  5·5

  1992–93

  1,788

  3·7

  The 1992–93 figures are to 28 February 1993, and exclude approvals given under the housing market package.

  Council Tax
  Ms Lynne
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will introduce a 50 per cent. reduction in council tax for single householders in place of the current reduction.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  No. The existing 25 per cent. discount for single adult households is reasonable.

  Docklands Light Railway
  Mr. David Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he is taking to improve the performance of the Docklands light railway.

  Mr. Redwood
  The chairman of the Docklands light railway yesterday announced the signing of a contract with Brown and Root Projects Ltd. to deliver improved performance and equipment reliability for the railway. The contractor will take responsibility for completing and commissioning the new extension to Beckton, for introducing new rolling stock and an advanced new signalling and control centre. The contract is based on specified levels of performance and system reliability which will provide direct benefits to the quality of service offered to the DLR's customers.

  Local Government, Derbyshire
  Mrs. Angela Knight
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects the Local Government Commission to publish draft recommendations for local government structure in Derbyshire; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Howard
  The draft recommendations were due on 21 March. However, the commission has asked for more time to consider the many representations made to it, particularly on community identity. I have today issued a direction which extends this stage of the process until 16 May 1993.

  This extension will not effect the time allowed for public consultation on the draft recommendations. There will however be a corresponding reduction in the time allowed for the commission to prepare the final report, so it is still due on 19 September.

  Light Pollution
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what studies his Department has carried out or commissioned in relation to minimising light pollution; what information his Department has on the use in Spain of lighting designed to restrict light shining skywards; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  I have been asked to reply.

  My Department is participating in the work of the Commission Internationale de l'Eclairage (CIE) to provide international guidelines to minimise light pollution from road lighting. The CIE is also considering light pollution from other sources of external light. We have no information on specific lighting schemes in Spain.

  Practices are being developed to curb light pollution as far as possible. Guidance will be published this year on the environmental aspects of good lighting practice; this will be followed by .the Department on its trunk roads, and I hope other highway authorities will do the same. Designs to minimise light pollution will be used whenever lighting is being planned for trunk roads in rural areas. Research has been commissioned into lighting at rural roundabouts to minimise light pollution.

EDUCATION

  Voluntary-aided Schools
  Mr. Bill Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many applications have been received for the building of new voluntary-aided schools in the last 15 years.

  Mr. Forth
  Full information in the form requested is not readily available. However, the Department's records show that since November 1988 the Secretary of State has considered proposals under section 13 of the Education Act 1980 to establish 33 new voluntary aided schools of which six would have required the provision of new school buildings.

  Grant-maintained Status
  Mr. Don Foster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much money has so far been spent by his Department on the promotion of grant-maintained status,730
  including advertisements for the GM Helpline; how much has been budgeted for future expenditure in this same area; and if he will make a statement on the application of the rules on the use of advertising to promote Government policies.

  Mr. Forth
  Information about expenditure on disseminating information about grant-maintained status is circa:

  £

  Publications

  (from 1 April 1991)

  282,000

  Conferences

  Accommodation

  57,000

  Specialised support

  52,000

  Helpline

  Advertising

  200,000

  Operation

  25,000

  Publication costs prior to 1991 and mailing costs, which form only part of a contract, cannot be dissagregated without incurring disproportionate costs.

  For the future 10 further conferences are planned at a total cost of circa £136,000. The Helpline is a pilot scheme only. Expenditure on publications in 1993–94 has been planned on the basis of current demand. In issuing information about self-governing status, officials are subject to the guidelines sent to the Society for Education Officers on 3 March 1993 as a proposed code of conduct for local authorities.

  Further Education Staff
  Mr. Mandelson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what is the effect of clause 10 in the proposed new contract for further education staff on the applicability of the Wages Act 1986; and what are the reasons for the inclusion of this clause in the contract.

  Mr. Boswell
  This is the responsibility of the college employers' forum which drew up the model contract to which the hon. Member refers.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Kashmir
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action the British Government are taking to ensure the implementation of the United Nations resolutions on Kashmir.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  Neither India nor Pakistan fully implemented the UN resolutions of 1948 and 1949, which Britain supported and they have, to some extent, been overtaken by events. We believe the Kashmir dispute can ultimately be solved only by peaceful agreement between India and Pakistan as provided for under the 1972 Simla agreement.

  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Halifax (Mrs. Mahon) of 7 December,Official Report, column 461, what action the British Government have taken to encourage Pakistan and India to agree a

  731
  means of settling their dispute over Kashmir as provided for in the Simla agreement; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  We have taken every opportunity in our discussions with the Indian and Pakistan Governments to encourage them to agree a means of settling their dispute over Kashmir as provided for under the 1972 Simla agreement.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

  Open Government
  Dr. Wright
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what are the principles and criteria which will be used to determine to what areas and matters openness will apply in relation to his open government initiative.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  The aim of this initiative is to ensure that we reach the right balance between greater openness and the need to preserve confidentiality and privacy where this is justified.

  The Government will be publishing a White Paper later this Session with further proposals on these issues.

  Release of Documents
  Dr. Wright
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, pursuant to his answer of 18 February,Official Report, column 303, which specified retained documents mentioned in the representations to him by historians following his invitation of June 1992 are (a) now released, (b) to be released and (c) to remain closed.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  The following documents, mentioned in representations to the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster following his invitation to historians in June 1992,

  (a) have now been released:—

  Papers relating to:

  Shingle Street

  German Occupation of the Channel Islands

  Derek Bentley

  John Christie and Timothy Evans

  Suez (in addition to those released in 1987)

  WM (40) 171, 172 (previously withheld extracts from Cabinet Minutes)

  JIC papers and minutes 1939–41

  CAB134—Future Policy Committee papers for 1959–61

  CAB121—Cabinet Office papers on the Dieppe Raid

  PR(56)3—Cabinet Committee paper–Policy Review

  D(52)26—Cabinet Committee paper—Defence Policy and Global Strategy

  JIC(45)55—Resistance in Norway

  JIC(45)76(0)—Resistance in Norway

  F0371/72215—Foreign Office file relating to the murder of an American in Greece in 1948

  JPS/COS—papers and minutes of the Joint Planning Staff and Chief of Staff (38 out of 51 documents requested)

  W071/1240—file relating to the court martial and execution of Josef Jakobs

  F0800/256—previously withheld extracts relating to Austen Chamberlain

  PES—advice from the Advisory Board for the Research Councils 1990–91

  (b) Will remain closed:—

  Court martial records containing sensitive personal information

  Domestic files of security and intelligence agencies 1 Joint Planning Staff paper 1948

  732

  5 extracts from Chief of Staff minutes 1949–50

  All other documents mentioned are under review for possible release.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Secure Units
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) pursuant to his oral statement of 2 March,Official Report, column 139, what consideration he has given to location of the secure units; and what factors will be taken into account;

  (2) pursuant to his oral statement of 2 March, Official Report, column 139, how much he is setting aside in each of the next five years for the running costs of secure units.

  Mr. Jack
  As my right hon. and learned Friend indicated in his statement on 2 March, cols. 139–42, we are now working up detailed plans for the introduction of a new secure training order for persistent juvenile offenders between the ages of 12 and 15. At this stage, when the necessary discussions have not been concluded, it is not possible to provide the details sought by the hon. Member.

  Prison Education
  Mrs. Wise
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what criteria have been used in deciding to whom to award tenders for prison education.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Contracts have been and will be offered to those providers which offer the best combination of quality and price.

  Equal Opportunities
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a condition of a successful bid for contracts for market-tested jobs in his Department that they comply with existing conditions which guarantee equal opportunities for women.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  All bidders will be required to comply with statutory obligations relating to equal opportunities for women.

  Animal Experiments
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to investigate Wickham Research Laboratories in respect of the requirements of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  The Home Office inspectorate is investigating the allegations made by the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection against Wickham Research Laboratories in respect of the requirements of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986.

  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps his Department takes to ensure that non-animal alternative tests are available before he grants any licence for test on live animals for particular purposes.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  The Home Office inspectorate, in considering applications for project licences under the
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  Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, requires applicants to show that they have considered whether the purpose of the research programme could be achieved by methods not involving living animals.

  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list each prosecution under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 since 1990, the organisation involved and the level of fine.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  Since 1990 there has been one prosecution under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. In 1991 Chilham Rabbits Ltd. was prosecuted for supplying rabbits for use in scientific procedures, although not designated under section 7 of the Act as a breeding and supplying establishment. The company was fined £75 with £42 costs.

  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals he has for an independent review of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  The operation of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 is kept under review by the independent statutory Animal Procedures Committee.

  Hostels
  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the reasons for the shortfall in income underlying the increase in class IX, vote I, sub-head B1, "probation and bail hostels", in the spring supplementary estimates.

  Mr. Jack
  Approved probation and bail hostels derive income from payments by, and on behalf of, residents.

  The shortfall in income arises because industrial action by the National Association of Probation Officers from March 1992 until January 1993 reduced the numbers of residents in hostels for much of 1992–93.

  Police Baton
  Mr. Shersby
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 2 March,Official Report, column 76, what information he has concerning trials outside the metropolitan area of an expandable baton and variants of a straight baton for use by the police service.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  I will write to my hon. Friend.

  Child Sex Abuse
  Mr. Ainger
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce legislation to allow the prosecution of British citizens who have committed child sexual abuse in Thailand.

  Mr. Jack
  [holding answer 11 March 1993]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer which I gave to the hon. Member for Liverpool, Mossley Hill (Mr. Alton) on 18 February at column 296.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Contracting Out
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list all those services or functions that have been contracted out from his 734
  Department since November 1991 without market testing an in-house bid against external competition, with, in each instance, the successful contractor and the reasons for the decision to exclude an in-house bid.

  Mr. Mates
  The services or functions contracted out from Northern Ireland Departments since November 1991 without market testing an in-house bid against external competition were:

  Department of Health and Social Services
  The Child Support Agency contracted out keyholding, catering and cleaning services in August 1992, October 1992 and August 1993 respectively in preparation for the launch of the agency. There was no in-house bid as these are new services and were contracted out in line with the White Paper "Competing for Quality: Buying Better Services".

  Department of Economic Development
  The facilities management of the Training and Employment Agency's computer systems for Transit, Training Centre Administration and MIS interface was contracted out in September/October 1992. The computer installation was damaged in the explosion at the Forensic Science Laboratories at Belfast and the tight timescale in restoring a full transit service from a contingency site precluded the necessary effort in mounting an in-house bid. Investment appraisal indicated that contractors would be able to find economies of scale which would not be matched in-house. There would also have been substantial additional costs attached to an in-house bid as the computer site had been seriously damaged in the explosion and would have required extensive and expensive refurbishing.

  In the unique circumstances of Northern Ireland I would not wish to disclose the names of successful contractors.

  National Insurance Inspectors
  Mr. McGrady
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many national insurance inspectors are employed in Northern Ireland; and of these how many are trained for this task.

  Mr. Hanley
  Responsibility for the subject of the question has been delegated to the Social Security Agency under its chief executive, Mr. Alec Wylie. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter from Alec Wylie to Mr. Eddie McGrady, dated 12 March 1993.
  As I am responsible for Social Security operational matters your recent Parliamentary Question on the number of National National Inspectors has been passed to me for reply.
  There are at present 52 National Insurance Inspectors in Northern Ireland. With the exception of a recently appointed Inspector who is currently undergoing training, all other Inspectors have been given the appropriate training.
  I hope this is helpful.

WALES

  Local Government Finance
  Mr. Henderson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what are the amounts of revenue support grant to local authorities in Wales for each year from 1990–91 to 1992–93;

  (2) what were the total amounts of rate support grant to local authorities in Wales for each of its last three years of operation.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The information available is shown in table 7.5 of "Welsh Local Government Financial Statistics 1992", a copy of which is in the Library of the House.
  735
  Mr. Henderson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what were the figures for non-domestic rate payments to local authorities in Wales for each of the last five years;

  (2) what were the total amounts of central Government grants to local authorities in Wales for each of the last five years.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The information available is shown in table 1.3 of "Welsh Local Government Financial Statistics 1992", a copy of which is in the Library of the House.

  Mr. Henderson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what were the total amounts of central Government capital provision to local authorities in Wales for each of the last five years.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The information requested is given in the following table.

  Outturn summary

  Financing of rale/general fund revenue expenditure1

  £ million

  Source of financing

  Source of financing as percentage of expenditure

  Financial year

  Revenue expenditure2

  Government grants3

  Non-domestic rates4

  Domestic rates/ community charges5

  Government grants3

  Non-domestic rates4

  Domestic rates/ community charges5

  1981–82

  1,244

  885

  232

  148

  71

  19

  12

  1982–83

  1,339

  948

  240

  174

  71

  18

  13

  1983–84

  1,418

  1,006

  243

  149

  71

  17

  11

  1984–85

  1,481

  1,047

  255

  166

  71

  17

  11

  1985–86

  1,543

  1,084

  276

  185

  70

  18

  12

  1986–87

  1,665

  1,149

  308

  214

  69

  19

  13

  1987–88

  1,797

  1,241

  338

  237

  69

  19

  13

  1988–89

  1,956

  1,305

  369

  281

  67

  19

  14

  1989–90

  2,122

  1,385

  407

  317

  65

  19

  15

  1990–91

  2,228

  1.400

  443

  396

  63

  20

  18

  61991–92

  2,509

  1,810

  525

  156

  72

  21

  6

  61992–93

  2,684

  1,891

  536

  240

  70

  20

  9

  1 This table provides a general indication of the trend in the financing of revenue expenditure. Comparisons between the rates (prior to 1990–91) and community charge (1990–91 onwards) systems must be made with caution since expenditure definitions and categories differ. For example specific and supplementary grants within Aggregate Exchequer Grant (included under Government grants prior to 1990–91) are not comparable in coverage to those within Aggregate External Finance (included 1990–91 onwards). Also the split between domestic and non-domestic rates (and rebates relating to each) prior to 1990–91 has been estimated.

  The percentages do not add to 100 per cent. for technical reasons: these include rounding and authorities' use of balances.

  2 Local authority revenue expenditure is defined here (i) prior to 1990–91 as "relevant" expenditure plus expenditure on certain non-relevant items such as net expenditure on mandatory student awards (ii) for 1990–91 onwards as revenue expenditure "on a Total Standard Spending basis".

  3 Prior to 1990–91 comprises Rate Suport Grant, specific and supplementary grants within Aggregate Exchequer Grant, domestic rate relief grant and rate rebate grants. For 1990–91 onwards comprises Revenue Support Grant, specific and supplementary grants within Aggregate External Finance, Community Charge Benefit Grant, Transitional Relief/Community Charge Reduction Scheme grants and Community Charge Grant (1991–92).

  4 Prior to 1990–91 estimated non-domestic rate income, net of rebates. For 1990–91 onwards the Distributable Amount.

  5 Prior to 1990–91 estimated domestic rate income, net of domestic rate relief grant and rate rebates. For 1990–91 onwards net of Community Charge Benefit Grant, Transitional Relief/Community. Charge Reduction Scheme grants and Community Charge Grant (1991–92) but including community council precepts.

  6 Provisional.

  Local Government Employees
  Mr. Nigel Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the total number of full-time equivalent local authority employees in Wales, in each financial year since 1979–80, stating separately how many of the total were teachers; and if he will make a statement.
  736

  Local authority capital provision1

  £ million

  1988–89

  416·1

  1989–90

  450·1

  1990–91

  474·9

  1991–92

  527·9

  1992–93

  630·7

  1 The figures shown from 1988–89 and 1989–90 are PES provision. For 1990–91 to 1992–93 they are Assumed Gross Expenditure (AGE) and are not strictly comparable to earlier years. This is the sum of central government's New Planning Total and that expenditure which local authorities are assumed to finance from their own resources.

  Mr. Nigel Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what percentage of Welsh local authority income was represented by central Government support, including the transfer of non-domestic rates in 1990 and the switch from local taxation to VAT in 1991, for each financial year since 1979–80; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The information available is as follows.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The information available is shown in the following table.

  Local authority staffing1

  Total all services Thousands2

  Lecturers and teachers3 Thousands2

  1980

  127·9

  34·7

  1981

  125·1

  34·0

  1982

  122·7

  33·2

  737

  Total all services Thousands2

  Lecturers and teachers3 thousands2

  1983

  123·9

  33·3

  1984

  123·4

  33·3

  1985

  121·8

  32·6

  1986

  120·9

  32·3

  1987

  120·4

  32·0

  1988

  121·4

  32·2

  1989

  121·9

  32·2

  1990

  122·9

  32·2

  1991

  124·0

  32·3

  1992

  124·8

  32·3

  1 Full time equivalents at March of each year.

  2 Provisional.

  3 Information on lecturers and teachers cannot be separated.

  Clwydian Hospital Trust
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the annual salary of the chairman of the Clwydian hospital trust.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The chairman of the Clwydian hospital trust receives remuneration at the rate of £19,285 per annum.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  Contracting Out
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Attorney-General if he will list all those services or functions that have been contracted out from his Department since November 1991 without market testing an in-house bid against external competition, with, in each instance the successful contractor and the reasons for the decision to exclude an in-house bid.

  The Attorney-General
  There have been no services or functions contracted out in the circumstances described in the Departments for which I am responsible.

SCOTLAND

  Drugs-related Deaths
  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will establish a public inquiry into drug-related deaths in Scotland.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 10 March 1993]: I understand that the procurator fiscal at Glasgow is currently conducting a detailed series of inquiries into a number of apparently drug-related deaths of young adults in the Glasgow area. The possibility of holding an inquiry under the Fatal Accidents and Sudden Deaths Inquiry (Scotland) Act 1970 is presently being considered by my noble and learned Friend the Lord Advocate.

  Forestry Commission
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list each block of Forestry Commission land that has been sold since 1979, together with its size and location; and what has been the total revenue from these sales.
  738
  Sir Hector Monro
  [holding answer 10 March 1993]: Lists giving details including size and location of the areas of forest land sold by the Forestry Commission from the start of the disposals programme in July 1981 to December 1992 are held in the Library of the House. Records of individual areas sold before July 1981 are not available. The lists are restricted to forest land because information on the sale of other categories of land, such as agricultural land, houses, gardens and minor boundary adjustments, is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  A total of £171.2 million was realised from sales of all types of Forestry Commission land and property between 1 April 1979 and 31 March 1992.

EMPLOYMENT

  Wig Makers
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what plans she has for improving the quality of training for wig makers in England.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The quality of training is primarily the responsibility of employers. However, the Department does assist industry-led quality initiatives through industry training organisations and industry-led bodies. Consideration is being given by industry-led bodies with an interest in wig-making to the development of Scottish and national vocational qualifications.

  Women Returners
  Ms Mowlam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if she will make a statement on(a) Government incentives and programmes relating to women returners for the last five years, including funding and (b) EC initiatives for women returners which have been implemented or have received funding from the EC in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The Department supported the "Back to the Future" initiative which provided information and practical assistance to women returners in 1990. Training and enterprise councils deliver a variety of provision to meet the needs of women returners. Employment training and its successor programme, training for work, include a special eligibility route, part-time participation and support with the cost of childcare. Women returners have always been able to make use of job clubs and employment service programme development funds are available to meet the needs of specific groups.

  The European social fund supports many projects providing vocational training for women returners and the Community initiative, "New Opportunities for Women", provides for transnational exchange of training opportunities for women.

  Our "New Horizons for Women" initiative promotes a whole range of opportunities for women, whatever their circumstances and our new out-of-school child care grant will benefit women who wish to return to work after their children start school.

  Training Centres
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether the skill centres at Swindon, Deptford, Cardiff, Slough, Manchester regional office, Edinburgh regional office, Enfield annex, St. Helens, Cumbria, East Lancashire, Edinburgh. Lambeth, Leicester, Liverpool, Slough and Wakefield are still functioning as training centres.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The training centres at Cardiff, Deptford, Enfield (Annex), St. Helens, East Lancashire, Edinburgh, Lambeth, Liverpool and Wakefield are still functioning as training centres. The training centres at Slough and Swindon are also still functioning but not at their original locations.

  The training centre at Leicester is now no longer functioning. The training centre at Cumbria was sold to Training for Industry and Commerce Company Ltd, who are believed to be no longer trading.

  Manchester regional office and Edinburgh regional office were Skills Tranining Agency regional offices (RO) and not training centres.

  Trade Unions
  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if the Commissioner for the Rights of Trade Union Members can act on behalf of full-time trade union officers as well as members of trade unions; and whether officers are included in the scope of the commission.

  Women Employees and Self-employed in Main occupations most directly related to Information Technology Great Britain (Thousands—not seasonally adjusted)

  Occupation2 3

  All industry sectors

  Public Administration (SIC 91)4

  Number

  Percentage of total

  Number

  Percentage of total

  Computer systems and data processing managers

  14

  13

  1—

  —

  Computer analyst/programmers

  36

  19

  1—

  —

  Computer operators, data processing operators etc.

  115

  66

  12

  58

  Total

  174

  29

  16

  34

  1 Under 10,000 and therefore not shown.

  2 It is not possible to separately identify and exclude word processor operators.

  3 Other people who do some work with computers eg "filing, computer and other records clerks" have not been included.

  4 SIC 91 includes public administration, national defence, police, fire services and justice.

  Note: Comparable information for each industry could only be provided at disproportionate cost, but is available via the Quantime LFS Service in the House of Commons Library.

  Unemployment, Southampton
  Mr. Denham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the travel-to-work areas with lower levels of unemployment than those including Southampton, Itchen in(a) development areas (b) intermediate areas, (c) covered wholly or partly by enterprise zones, (d) urban programme partnership authorities or (e) urban programme authorities.

  Travel to work areas in the United Kingdom in development areas, intermediate areas, or covered wholly or partly by enterprise zones or urban programme authorities.

  Travel to work area

  Development area

  Intermediate area

  Enterprise zone

  Urban programme area

  Medway and Maidstone

  —

  —

  EZ

  —

  London

  —

  —

  —

  UPA

  Bodmin and Liskeard

  —

  IA

  —

  —

  Bristol

  —

  —

  —

  UPA

  740
  Mr. McLoughlin
  The Commissioner for the Rights of Trade Union Members may grant assistance to anyone contemplating or taking proceedings against a union, its officials or trustees, for failure to give effect to the statutory rights of members, or for breach of union rules on certain matters. Provided they can bring the relevant proceedings, full-time trade union officers may apply to the Commissioner for such assistance.

  Information Technology
  Ms Mowlam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many women, and what percentage of the total, are employed in the information technology industry, excluding word processor operators; how many women, and what percentage of the total, are employed in information technology posts within Government Departments and operations; and which industry employs the highest number of women in information technology-related posts.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The information available from the "Labour Force Survey Summer 1992" (June-August) is as follows.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  Travel-to-work areas which are in development areas or intermediate areas or covered wholly or partly by enterprise zones, urban programme partnership authorities or urban programme areas are listed. The claimant unemployment information requested for these areas can be obtained from the NOM IS database in the Library.
  741

  Travel to work area

  Development area

  Intermediate area

  Enterprise zone

  Urban programme area

  Bude

  —

  IA

  —

  —

  Cinderford and Ross-on-Wye

  —

  IA

  —

  —

  Falmouth

  DA

  —

  —

  —

  Helston

  DA

  —

  —

  —

  Newquay

  DA

  —

  —

  —

  Penzance and St. Ives

  DA

  —

  —

  —

  Plymouth

  —

  IA

  —

  UPA

  Redruth and Camborne

  DA

  —

  —

  —

  Birmingham

  —

  IA

  —

  UPA

  Coventry and Hinckley

  —

  IA

  —

  UPA

  Dudley and Sandwell

  —

  IA

  EZ

  UPA

  Kidderminster

  —

  IA

  —

  —

  Telford and Bridgnorth

  —

  IA

  EZ

  UPA

  Walsall

  —

  IA

  —

  UPA

  Wolverhampton

  —

  IA

  —

  UPA

  Corby

  DA

  —

  —

  —

  Derby

  —

  —

  —

  UPA

  Gainsborough

  —

  IA

  —

  —

  Leicester

  —

  —

  —

  UPA

  Nottingham

  —

  —

  —

  UPA

  Wellingborough and Rushden

  —

  —

  EZ

  —

  Barnsley

  —

  IA

  —

  UPA

  Bradford

  —

  IA

  —

  UPA

  Doncaster

  —

  IA

  —

  UPA

  Grimsby

  —

  IA

  —

  —

  Huddersfield

  —

  —

  —

  UPA

  Hull

  —

  IA

  —

  UPA

  Keighley

  —

  —

  —

  UPA

  Leeds

  —

  —

  —

  UPA

  Rotherham and Mexborough

  DA

  —

  EZ

  UPA

  Scunthorpe

  DA

  —

  —

  —

  Sheffield

  —

  IA

  —

  UPA

  Wakefield and Dewsbury

  —

  —

  EZ

  UPA

  Whitby

  DA

  —

  —

  —

  Accrington and Rossendale

  —

  IA

  EZ

  —

  Blackburn

  —

  IA

  —

  UPA

  Bolton and Bury

  —

  IA

  —

  UPA

  Burnley

  —

  —

  EZ

  UPA

  Liverpool

  DA

  —

  —

  UPA

  Manchester

  —

  IA

  —

  UPA

  Oldham

  —

  IA

  —

  UPA

  Pendle

  —

  —

  EZ

  —

  Preston

  —

  —

  —

  UPA

  Rochdale

  —

  IA

  —

  UPA

  Widnes and Runcorn

  DA

  —

  —

  UPA

  Wigan and St. Helens

  DA

  —

  —

  UPA

  Wirral and Chester

  DA

  —

  —

  UPA

  Workington

  DA

  —

  EZ

  —

  Bishop Auckland

  DA

  —

  —

  —

  Darlington

  —

  IA

  —

  —

  Durham

  IA

  Hartlepool

  DA

  UPA

  Middlesbrough

  DA

  EZ

  UPA

  Morpeth and Ashington

  IA

  Newcastle-upon-Tyne

  DA

  UPA

  South Tyneside

  DA

  UPA

  Stockton-on-Tees

  DA

  UPA

  Sunderland

  DA

  EZ

  UPA

  Aberdare

  DA

  Bangor and Caernarfon

  IA

  Blaenau Gwent and Abergavenny

  DA

  Bridgend

  IA

  Cardiff

  IA

  Cardigan

  DA

  Fishguard

  IA

  Haverfordwest

  IA

  EZ

  Holyhead

  DA

  Lampeter and Aberaeron

  DA

  Llanelli

  IA

  Methyr and Rhymney

  DA

  Neath and Port Talbot

  DA

  Newport

  IA

  Pontypool and Cwmbran

  IA

  Pontypridd and Rhondda

  DA

  Porthmadoc and Ffestiniog

  IA

  Pwllheli

  IA

  742 743

  Travel to work area

  Development area

  Intermediate area

  Enterprise zone

  Urban programme area

  Shotton Flint and Rhyl

  DA

  EZ

  South Pembrokeshire

  DA

  EZ

  Swansea

  IA

  EZ

  Wrexham

  DA

  Alloa

  IA

  Arbroath

  DA

  Ayr

  IA

  Badenoch

  IA

  Bathgate

  DA

  Cambeltown

  IA

  Cumnock and Sanquhar

  DA

  Dumbarton

  DA

  Dundee

  DA

  EZ

  Dunfermline

  IA

  Dunoon and Bute

  IA

  Falkirk

  IA

  Forres

  IA

  Girvan

  IA

  Glasgow

  DA

  Greenock

  DA

  EZ

  Invergordon and Dingwall

  IA

  EZ

  Irvine

  DA

  Kilmarnock

  DA

  Kirkcaldy

  IA

  Lanarkshire

  DA

  EZ

  Lochaber

  IA

  Newton Stewart

  IA

  Skye and Wester Ross

  IA

  Stewartry

  IA

  Stranraer

  IA

  Sutherland

  IA

  Western Isles

  IA

  Wick

  IA

  Londonderry

  EZ

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. Alan W. Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what percentage of the long-term unemployed is made up of persons aged over 40 years; and what has been the percentage increase in this proportion over the last three years.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  In January 1993, 13 per cent. of people who were claimant unemployed for over a year were aged over 40, compared with 17 per cent. in January 1990. This represents a decrease of 4 percentage points.

  Restart
  Ms Short
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment for each region and for Great Britain as a whole, how many unemployed people were referred to Restart courses by employment service counsellors(a) between April 1991 and March 1992 and (b) from April 1992 to the latest available date, showing for each period how many of them were unemployed for over two years, how many attended and completed the course, what were the outcomes of the participants and how many had benefit penalties imposed for not attending or failing to complete their attendance at the Restart course; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  Responsibility for the subject of the question has been delegated to the Employment Service Agency under its chief executive. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.
  744
  Letter from M. E. G. Fogden to Ms Clare Short, dated 12 March 1993.
  As the Employment Service is an Executive Agency, the Secretary of State has asked me to write to you direct to respond to your Parliamentary Question to her about Restart Courses. These are matters which fall within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of the Agency.
  As you will know from our previous correspondence, Restart Courses are short courses aimed at helping people who are having the most difficulty returning to work. They are not an alternative to regular job search or other employment or training programmes. Essentially they provide people with the opportunity to explore all the options open to them and give them confidence to take the next step back to work.
  Since 1990, people who have been unemployed for 2 years or more who refuse or fail to take up a place on an Employment Department employment or training programme at their Restart interview, are asked to attend a Restart Course.
  As your question has raised a number of specific points, I am setting out the information you have asked for in the four tables attached. Tables 1 and 2 deal with all Restart Course attenders, and tables 3 and 4 refer to those covered by the requirement to attend. As explained in previous replies, we collect at a Regional level the number of people who are referred to the course who are also unemployed for 2 years or more. We have not, however, felt it necessary to keep similar figures for all those referred. The Benefits Agency (BA) make the decision on whether an individual's benefit should be reduced for failure to attend or complete the course. Their figures are compiled by BA Districts which have different boundaries to our own Regions. To avoid confusion, I have given the national figure only.
  I hope that this is helpful.
  As decided by the Administration Committee of the House of Commons, Chief Executive replies to written Parliamentary Questions will now be published in the Official Report. I will also place a copy of this letter in the Library of the House.

  Gas Tanks
  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if she will introduce regulations to require physical barriers to be placed between sites where high-pressure gas tanks are stored and residential areas.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  We have no such plans.

  Older Workers
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what evidence she has on the relative levels of difficulty being experienced by persons aged over 55 years in the securing of employment.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  Unemployment rates are lower for those aged 56 and over than for younger people, and they have been falling over recent years, so older people who wish to work are more successful than others in securing employment.

  Many employers recognise the qualities, experience and reliability of older people. We have recently set up an advisory group on older workers which I chair, to seek out examples of good practice and persuade other employers that it is worth their while to follow suit. The advisory group met for the first time in February, and I am pleased with the progress made.

  Worker Protection
  Mr. Clapham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what plans she has to provide protection for workers against practices which fall below acceptable standards.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  [holding answer 9 March 1993]: There is already in existence a comprehensive statutory framework of employment protection rights. That will be further enhanced by provisions in the Trade Union Reform and Employment Rights Bill, which is currently before Parliament.

  In general, however, terms and conditions of employment are a matter for agreement between employers and employees according to their own priorities, needs and circumstances, without Government intervention.

  Official Entertainment
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how much was spent on official entertainment in her Department in 1991–92 and 1992–93 to date.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  [holding answer 10 March 1993]: For 1991–92 I refer the hon. Member to the oral reply I gave him on 16 February 1993, Official Report column 121.

  The equivalent figures for 1992–93, to the latest available date of the end of January were £14,215, £8,028, £16,078, £18,450 and £6,410 respectively.

  Training and Enterprise Councils
  Mr. Byers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the amount of overpayment made by her Department to TECs in each year for which information is available; how much has been recovered; and how many TECs are still holding money which has been overpaid.
  746
  Mr. McLoughlin
  [holding answer 10 March 1993]: The information currently available shows overpayments amounting to £3,366,550 and £8,820,016 were made to training and enterprise councils (TECs) in England in 1990–91 and 1991–92 respectively.

  Of these overpayments, a total of £6,704,068 has been recovered to date. Forty-four TECs still hold overpayment moneys.

  Information about overpayments to TECs in Wales is held by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment, pursuant to the answer of 30 October 1992,Official Report, column 911, if she will give a regional breakdown of the figures given in the answer.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  [holding answer 11 March 1993]: This information could be provided from the "Labour Force Survey" only at a disproportionate cost. The data may be obtained via the Quantime LFS service available in the Library.

  Skills Training Agency
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment, pursuant to her answers of 4 March,Official Report, columns 272–73, on skill centre closures, and 19 November 1992, Official Report, columns 337–38, on Skills Training Agency properties, what action was taken in respect of the Coventry skill centre when the Skills Training Agency was sold.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  [holding answer 11 March 1993]: When the Skills Training Agency was sold, the business of the Coventry skillcentre was sold to Astra Training Services Ltd. The property was held on a 21-year lease which expires on 30 June 1993. The lease was assigned to Astra Training Services Ltd. for the remainder of its term.

  Staff (Working Hours)
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if she will undertake a survey of all offices and agencies for which she has responsibility to ascertain to what extent staff supplying a service to the public are curtailing their work on a Friday afternoon earlier than other days of the week; and if she will make a statement on her policy on hours of staff working each week.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  [holding answer 8 March 1993]: The Department's policy is to ensure that all arrangements relating to the hours of work of staff maintain the overall efficiency of the Department and its services to the public. Recent customer satisfaction surveys in the employment service show high levels of overall satisfaction with the services provided by their offices, the opening hours of which are tailored by management to meet the needs of the local community. We are, nonetheless, happy to arrange for a sample survey to be undertaken.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Income Support
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will give the number of persons without accommodation who were income support recipients in England at May 1991 and at the latest available date(a) by local benefit agency office, (b) by DSS region and (c) for England as a whole by age and whether or not they were unemployed at the time.

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

  Pensions
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what discussions his Department has had with the Post Office about the contents of the three new forms for new pensioners currently under trial;

  (2)when the current trial of new forms for new pensioners will be completed; and if he will make the results public;

  (3)if he will make it his policy for all new pensioners to continue to be equally informed about all the methods of pension payment available to them;

  (4)how long before the date on which someone becomes eligible for a state pension he or she is sent the form which asks which method of payment is preferred;

  (5)how many people have been sent each type of form in the current trial of new forms for new pensioners.

  Miss Widdecombe
  Our policy is to encourage the use of automated credit transfer which is more secure, reliable and cost effective than order books. Nevertheless the Department will continue to make available to all new pensioners information about all methods of pension payment. Forms are sent to future pensioners approximately four months before the expected date of eligibility.

  The three forms being trialled at present are being sent to 8,000 people each. The last of these forms will be sent out on 16 March. The contents of the forms are not a matter for the Post Office, but Post Office Counters Ltd. was made aware of the trial.

  The results of the trial will inform our decision on what kind of form to use in future; and that form will of course be published.

  Pensioners
  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 12 February,Official Report, column 840, if he will give a breakdown by age of the pensioners with an income of less than £5,000 per year.

  Miss Widdecombe
  Estimates for 1988—the year in respect of which information was given in my reply of 12 February,Official Report, column 840—are given in the table.

  Percentage of all pensioner units with gross income under £5,000 per annum

  Age

  Per cent.

  60–64

  7

  65–69

  25

  70–74

  17

  748

  Age

  Per cent.

  75–79

  29

  80+

  22

  Notes:

  (a) A pensioner unit is a single person aged over state pensionable age (SPA) or a couple where the head of the unit is over SPA, regardless of whether they are drawing state pension.

  (b) The age of a pensioner couple is taken to be the age of the head of unit.

NATIONAL HERITAGE

  Cathedrals
  Mr. Cormack
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what grants his Department has made towards the preservation of cathedrals.

  Mr. Brooke
  I refer to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Reading, West (Sir A. Durant) on 25 January at col.557.

  Durham Cathedral
  Mr. Steinberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what plans he has to visit Durham city in 1993 for the 9th centenary of Durham cathedral.

  Mr. Brooke
  I have no present plans to visit Durham this year, but I should be delighted to do so if an appropriate opportunity were to arise.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  EC Fish Imports
  Dr. Strang
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the autonomous tariff quotas, with the duties applied, for the importing of fish into the EC for each category of fish, for each of the last five years.

  Mr. Gummer
  The EC autonomous tariff quotas for fishery products for the past five years were published in EC regulations 785/88, 542/89, 4043/89, 3921/90, 3902/91. Copies are available in the Library of the House.

  Bovine Spongiform Encephalophathy
  Mr. Clifton-Brown
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to revise the guidance given to farmers and vets when handling cattle with suspected BSE in relation to the hazard of Creutzfeldt Jakob disease.

  Mr. Soames
  None. Existing advice, issued by this Ministry and the Health and Safety Executive and agreed with the Department of Health, on the safe handling of suspect cases of BSE remains valid.

HEALTH

  NHS Employees
  Mrs. Anne Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people were employed full-time and part-time in the NHS in Cambridgeshire in each year since 1984.
  749
  Dr. Mawhinney
  The information available centrally is shown in the table. From 1990, figures are not held centrally for sub-regional levels.

  Hospital and community health services (HCHS) staff working in the national health service within Cambridgeshire

  All HCHS Staff

  Full Time

  Part Time

  Total

  1984

  7,210

  2,200

  9,410

  1985

  7,270

  2,190

  9,460

  1986

  7,200

  2,270

  9,460

  1987

  7,180

  2,290

  9,470

  1988

  7,370

  2,350

  9,720

  1989

  7,440

  2,440

  9,880

  1990

  7,520

  2,630

  10,140

  Note:

  1. All figures are rounded to the nearest 10 whole-time equivalents.

  2. Some totals may not add due to rounding.

  3. Figures exclude agency nurse staff.

  4. Does not include family health service professionals is general practioners and general dental practitioners.

  5. Does not include regional health authority Headquarters staff.

  6. Does not include that part of West Norfolk and Wishbech DHA that is within Cambridgeshire.

  HIV Positive Children
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1)how many babies were born to mothers who were HIV positive in the last 10 years; how many of these became HIV positive; and what are the projected figures for the next 10 years;

  (2)how many children at each age from birth to 18 years have (a) become HIV positive or (b) died from AIDS in the last 10 years; and what are the projected figures for the next 10 years.

  Mr. Sackville
  For HIV reports and AIDS cases, children are defined as those under the age of 15 at diagnosis.

  By 31 October 1992, 448 children had been born to women known to be HIV infected in the United Kingdom. Of these, 151 have been confirmed as infected wil h HIV and 133 are not infected. The infection status of the remaining 164 has yet to be determined. The rate of transmission cannot be calculated from these figures because it is likely that not all HIV infected childbearing women will have been identified.

  Also by 31 October 1992, there had been an overall total of 422 reports of confirmed HIV infection in children of whom 108 had been diagnosed with AIDS. Fifty-six children with HIV infections were known to have died.

  The most recently published projections for AIDS and HIV infection in England and Wales did not give projections for children.

  Salmonellosis
  Mrs. Currie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the number of cases of(a) salmonellosis in all forms and (b) salmonellosis caused by salmonella enteriditis phage type 4 for the last five years.

  Mr. Sackville
  The table shows totals of laboratory reports of all salmonellas and S.enteritidis PT4 made to the public health laboratory service (PHLS).
  750

  Salmonella in humans England and Wales Annual totals 1988–1992

  Year

  All Salmonellas

  S. Enteritidis PT4

  1988

  27,478

  12,522

  1989

  29,998

  12,931

  1990

  30,112

  16,151

  1991

  27,693

  14,693

  11992

  31,352

  16,981

  Source: PHLS/SVS Update on Salmonella Infection.

  1 1992 data are not directly comparable with previous years because of the introduction from 1 January 1992 of a new PHLS reporting system for human salmonellosis.

  Free Prescriptions
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people qualified for free prescriptions on the grounds of low income during the year 1991–92; and, of these, how many were in receipt of(a) invalidity benefit, (b) industrial injuries disablement benefit, (c) severe disablement allowance, (d) statutory sick pay, (e) sickness benefit, (f) invalid care allowance and (g) unemployment benefit.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  In 1991–92 about 4 million people were estimated to be entitled to free prescriptions on the ground of low income. The information requested on those included in this figure who were in receipt of the benefits listed is in the table.

  Estimated number of people in England in receipt of (a) invalidity benefit, (b) industrial injuries disablement benefit, (c) severe disablement allowance, (d) statutory sick pay, (e) sickness benefit, (f) invalid care allowance and (g) unemployment benefit, and their partners, entitled to free prescriptions on grounds of low income in 1991–92

  1991–92 ('000s)

  Benefit1

  Number of recipients and their partners, entitled to free prescriptions2

  (a) Invalidity benefit

  126

  (b) Industrial injuries disablement benefit

  7

  (c) Severe disablement allowance

  132

  (d) Statutory sick pay

  8

  (e) Sickness benefit

  24

  (f) Invalid care allowance

  33

  (g) Unemployment benefit

  112

  1 These benefits are not mutually exclusive and people receiving more than one are included in the figures for each benefit they receive.

  2 May include partners over pension age who are exempt from prescription charges on age grounds.

  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is her latest estimate of the number of people eligible for free prescriptions; and how many of these exemptions are(a) income related and (b) status related.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  In 1992 over 24 million people were estimated to be eligible for free prescriptions, of which about 20 million were exempt from charges on grounds of status and some 4 million were entitled to remission of charges on grounds of low income. Estimates of the number of people exempt from charges on medical grounds are not available.

  Contracting Out
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list all those services or functions that have been contracted out from her Department since November 1991 without market testing an in-house bid against external competition, with, in each instance, the successful contractor and the reasons for the decision to exclude an in-house bid.

  Mr. Sackville
  Since the publication of "Competing For Quality," the Department of Health has contracted out a number of building services—all in its new headquarters building at 80 London road—without entering an in-house bid against the external competition. These are listed with the names of the successful contractors:

  —Facilities management: Procord

  —Mechanical and electrical: Haden Maintenance Ltd

  —Maintenance of lifts: Kone Lifts

  —Cleaning: Pall Mall Cleaning Services

  —Security: Reliance Security Group

  —Waste disposal: Bywater (Leyton) Ltd

  —Pest control: Rentokil Environmental Services Ltd.

  In the case of Facilities Management, no in-house bid was made as there were insufficient in-house technical skills and expertise to manage a new, high technology building. No in-house bids were made in the other areas because these services were not previously provided by civil servants.

  Youth Treatment Centres
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the number of places in, the occupancy rate in, the cost of and the location of youth treatment centres under her control over the last five years; and whether she has any plans to add to the provision.

  Mr. Yeo
  The youth treatment service consists of two residential centres—St. Charles in Brentwood, Essex and Glenthorne in Erdington, Birmingham, which have 30 and 40 places respectively. Information on the number of places in the centres occupied, the occupancy rate and the cost of the service over the last five years is shown in the table:

  Year

  Average Occupancy Numbers

  Per cent. Occupancy

  Gross Cost £Thousands

  Not

  1988–89

  63

  90

  Available

  1989–90

  61

  86

  5,559

  1990–91

  61

  87

  6,467

  1991–92

  59

  84

  7,223

  1992–93

  53

  76

  17,867

  1 Estimated.

  Note: Costs include depreciation rather than gross capital expenditure.

  There are no plans to expand the service at present.

  Secure Units
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what offer she made to the local authorities on Tyneside for support for the capital costs of the provision of additional local authority secure unit provision; what total level of support for capital costs would be made available from Government sources; and what offer of assistance has been made in respect of revenue costs.
  752
  Mr. Yeo
  No such offer has been made to local authorities on Tyneside. The Government have identified the need for an additional 12 secure places to be provided within the north-east region, and will meet the full capital costs. Revenue costs will be considered in the appropriate public expenditure survey.

  Psychotherapists
  Mr. Kevin Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many psychotherapists are provided on the national health service per head of the population.

  Mr. Yeo
  This information is not collected centrally.

  Mental Health Services
  Mr. Kevin Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (I) what steps her Department has taken to ensure that there is an easily accessible pool of professional interpreters for approved social workers and doctors, in accordance with 2·35 of the code of practice of the Mental Health Act 1983;

  (2)how many local authorities and health authorities have drafted guidance on the use of interpreters in accordance with paragraph 2·35 of the code of practice to the Mental Health Act 1983.

  Mr. Yeo
  The code offers guidance on good practice. It is for health and local authorities to decide on their joint needs and provide accordingly in the light of particular local circumstances. Information on the number of authorities which have drafted guidance on the use of interpreters is not available centrally.

  Mr. Kevin Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps the Government have taken to set and monitor targets for recruitment and promotion of mental health staff from black and ethnic minority communities.

  Mr. Yeo
  Arrangements to monitor progressively all groups of national health service staff recruited from black and ethnic minorities were introduced earlier this year.

  Women Smokers
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information she has as to the percentage of women who are(a) employed, (b) on income support and (c) unemployed who smoke.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Information relating to the percentage of women aged 16 to 59 in Great Britain who smoke cigarettes is available from the "1990 General Household Survey" by economic status as follows:

  All working - 31 per cent.

  Unemployed - 54 per cent.

  Available analyses do not separately identify those on income support who smoke.

  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has for lowering the smoking rate among low-income females; and if she will make a statement.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The White Paper "The Health of the Nation" sets a target of 20 per cent. for women smoking by the year 2000. In view of their higher smoking rates, it is clearly essential to reach women on low incomes if this is to be achieved.
  753
  This will be done through the comprehensive programme set out in the White Paper, including health education, action on price, advice from general practitioners and other health professionals and proper controls on advertising and promotion.

  NHS Procurement
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the name and description of all statutory instruments laid before the House on matters relating to NHS procurement in the last 12 months and which are the subject of annual or other renewal.

  Mr. Sackville
  I am not aware that any statutory instruments of this description have been laid before the House during the last 12 months.

  Women's Mental Health
  Mr. Kevin Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps her Department is taking to address women's specific mental health needs and to minimise their drug dependency by ensuring that they are offered alternatives to drug treatment.

  Mr. Yeo
  Women's mental health needs, including alternatives to drug treatment, are addressed in the "Health of the Nation Key Area Handbook on Mental Illness" published in January and "First Steps for the National Health Service", which was published in November 1992, copies of which are available in the Library.

  Tobacco Advertising
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the average time taken by the Committee on Monitoring the Agreement on Tobacco Advertising and Sponsorship to respond to complaints to it about apparent breaches of the voluntary agreement on tobacco advertising; and if she will make a statement.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the application of restrictions on generic advertisements for smoking of advertising campaigns containing visual clues to, but no reference to, the name of the brand being advertised; and if she will make a statement.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Complaints about the content of advertisements in relation to the cigarette advertising code of practice, part of the British code of advertising practice, are a matter for the Advertising Standards Authority.

  Joint Nutrition Task force
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the members of the four working groups of the joint nutrition task force.

  Mr. Sackville
  The nutrition task force at its first meeting set up working groups in four important areas. Details of the initial membership are shown in the tables. The members of each working group will be expected to consult widely within their areas of expertise and invite 754
  others who have particular interest or knowledge in the specific subjects under discussion to contribute as appropriate.

  CATERING WORKING GROUP:

  Chair

  Michael Audis—Gardner Merchant Ltd.

  Members

  Caroline Hurren—Health Education Authority

  Chris Bone—Hotel Catering and Institutional Management Association

  David Clark—British Hospitality Association

  Peter Jones—Bournemouth University

  Gill Cawdron—School Meals Assessment Programme

  Karen Sorenson—British Dietetics Association

  Diane McCrae—Consumers' Association

  David Philips—Burger King

  Ann Simpson—Dietitian, Private Sector

  Marcia Fry—Department of Health

  Dr. David Buss—Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food

  Alan Clarke—Department of Education

  Secretariat

  Bob Wenlock—Department of Health

  Roger Taplin—Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food

  NHS SERVICES AND HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS WORKING GROUP

  Chair

  Dr. Alan Maryon Davis—Consultant in Public Health Medicine, South East Thames Regional Health Authority

  Members

  Paula Hunt—Health Education Authority

  Carole Middleton—Chairman, British Dietetic Association

  Dr. E. Jacobs—Patients Association

  Representative of Royal College of General Practitioners—yet to be appointed

  Dr. Aileen Robertson—Postgraduate GP Training

  Dr. Suraiya Ismail—London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

  Dr. K. Carnegie-Smith—Director of Public Health, Scarborough

  Professor Alan Jackson—Department of Human Nutrition, Southampton University

  Ros Meek—Royal College of Nursing

  Keith McLean—Regional General Manager, Yorkshire RHA

  John Langan—Trust Chief Executive, Kingston Hospital NHS Trust

  Marcia Fry—Department of Health

  Dr. V. Press—Department of Health

  Dr. Alastair Cameron—Department of Health

  Ray Churnside—Department of Health

  Shirla Philogene—Department of Health

  David Hewlett—Department of Health

  Gavin Thorns—Department of Health

  Secretariat

  Robert Wenlock—Department of Health

  FOOD CHAIN WORKING GROUP:

  Chair

  Dr. Michael Baxendine—Food and Drink Federation

  Members

  Dr. David Conning—Director General, British Nutrition Foundation

  Simon Wallace—Health Education Authority

  Professor Philip James—Director, Rowett Institute

  Maggie Sanderson—National Food Alliance

  Ursula Arens—British Dietetic Association

  Ann Foster—Scottish Consumer Council

  Dr. David Richardson—Food and Drink Federation

  Alister Robertson—British Retail Consortium

  Ben Boot—National Farmers Union

  John Stevens—Dairy Trades Federation

  Dr. Anthony Kempster—Meat and Livestock Commission

  David Roberts—National Federation of Bakers

  Dr. Martin Wiseman—Department of Health

  755

  Charles Cockbill—Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food

  Ken Dale—Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food

  Secretariat

  Dr. Sue Martin—Department of Health

  Roger Taplin—Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food

  INFORMATION AND EDUCATION (PUBLIC, SCHOOLS AND MEDIA) WORKING GROUP:

  Chair

  Peter Bazalgette—Television Programme Producer

  Members

  Catherine Stillman-Lowe—Health Education Authority

  Gill Fine—British Nutrition Foundation

  Miriam Polunin—Guild of Food Writers

  Imogen Sharp—National Forum for the Prevention of Coronary Heart Disease

  Julia Pentelow—Community Dietitian, Kettering Health Authority

  Joanna Scott—Food and Drink Federation

  Wendy Godfrey—British Retail Consortium

  Geoffrey Cannon—Chairman, National Food Alliance

  Dr. Martin Wiseman—Department of Health

  Richard Harding—Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food

  Jill Cramphorn—Department for Education

  Secretariat

  Dr. Sue Martin—Department of Health

  Roger Taplin—Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food

  Nursing Homes
  Mr. McCartney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she has taken to ensure that all elderly residents in nursing homes are registered with a local general practitioner.

  Mr. Yeo
  Regulations under the Registered Homes Act 1984 require the person in charge of a nursing home to make adequate arrangements for residents, where necessary, to receive general medical and dental services.

  Prescriptions
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many items available on a prescription only basis now cost less than the cost of the prescription itself; and if she will make a statement.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Sheffield, Brightside (Mr. Blunkett) on 10 March at column 609.

  Health Authority Personnel
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many candidates for appointment to chairmanship or non-executive directorships of health authorities or trusts were not appointed as a result of their refusal to accept emoluments.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  None, so far as is known centrally.

  Helicopters
  Ms Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she will reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Lewisham, Deptford concerning the landing of the London helicopter emergency medical service on the playground of Monson primary school on 20 January.

  Mr. Sackville
  I wrote to the hon. Member on 26 February explaining that this matter was being thoroughly 756
  investigated and that I would write again once inquiries were complete. Officials are meeting the appropriate authorities on Monday 15 March. I will reply fully once the outcome of that meeting is known.

  Community Care
  Mr. Bill Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the present funding for care in the community.

  Mr. Yeo
  We have fully honoured our commitment to fund community care fairly. We have made available £565 million by way of a ring-fenced special transitional grant for English local authorities in 1993–94. This amount includes an additional 35 per cent. over and above the transfer of funds from social security for authorities' new community care responsibilities, and a further substantial sum for responsibilities for severely disabled people. Total resources for personal social services including community care for 1993–94 will be £5,585 million. This represents a 15 per cent. increase on 1992–93, and a real terms increase of more than 33 per cent. over the three year-period from 1990–91.

  Maternity Services
  Mrs. Wise
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has for publication of data from the maternity hospital episode system.

  Mr. Sackville
  Some data relating to key items connected with delivery episodes were published for the year 1989–90 in the evidence given to the House of Commons Health Committee, Session 1991–92. The 1990–91 data are still being examined for quality and completeness, but it is expected that at least the same number of data items will be published as for 1989–90. Until this analysis is complete, it will not be possible to give a firm date for publication.

NATIONAL FINANCE

  Contracting Out
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list all those services or functions that have been contracted out from the Inland Revenue since November 1991 without market testing an in-house bid against external competition, with, in each instance, the successful contractor and the reasons for the decision to exclude an in-house bid.

  Mr. Dorrell
  Where services have been contracted out since November 1991 by the Inland Revenue, there has been in each case an in-house bid or a full comparison with the cost of providing the service in-house; in the case of the valuation banding of properties for council tax, work was contracted out because the Valuation Office Agency's available resources were limited.

  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list all the market tests that have taken place in the Inland Revenue since November 1991; whether the result was the maintenance of in-house provision or whether the service was contracted out; what was the name of the successful contractor where appropriate; and if he will make a statement.
  757
  Mr. Dorrell
  The information requested is set out in the following table. In the case of catering and estate management it includes market testing of work done by civil servants in other Departments.

  Market testing activity

  Result

  Name of contractor

  Records management (off-site store at Nottingham)

  Contracted out

  Rockall Data Services Ltd.

  Valuation banding for council tax

  Some work contracted out, some retained in-house

  Various private sector firms (337 in total)

  Bulk mailing (employers' budget pack)

  Contracted out

  Mailforce Ltd,

  Bulk mailing (employers' annual pack)

  Contracted out

  Mailforce Ltd.,

  Mail Marketing,

  Character Mailing

  and Scotmail

  Typing, secretarial and office support services (Nottingham)

  Contracted out

  Blue Arrow Personnel Services Ltd.

  Catering (St. Albans)

  Contracted out

  Sutcliffe Catering

  Catering (South Wales group)

  Retained in-house (forward)

  Catering (Telford)

  Contracted out

  Gardner Merchant

  Estate management (South Yorkshire and north regions)

  Retained in-house (PSA Building Management)

  Estate management (Greater Manchester, North West, Northern Ireland and Telford)

  Retained in-house (PSA Building Management)

  Estate management (South East, Wales)

  Contracted out

  Symonds FM Plc

  Estate management (Scotland)

  Contracted out

  Faithful and Gould

  Estate management (West Midlands, East)

  Contracted out

  W. Torpy and Partners

  Estate management (London and headquarters)

  Contracted out

  Ferguson, Bucknall and Austin)

  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many staff in the Inland Revenue are assigned to the market testing programme; how much the programme has cost the Inland Revenue since November 1991; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Dorrell
  At present 40 staff are assigned to market testing in the Inland Revenue. The estimated cost of the programme since November 1991 is approximately £2·7 million.

  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the firms of consultants used by the Inland Revenue as part of the market testing programme since November 1991 together with the total cost; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The following firms have been used:

  Allied Accountancy Services

  Coopers and Lybrand

  Ernst and Young

  Lucidus Ltd.

  P-E International

  Theordore Goddard

  Touche Ross

  The total cost of the services of these firms to date approximately £1·1 million.

  Pension Funds
  Ms Estelle Morris
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to protect pension fund surpluses following privatisation.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The Government will make appropriate arrangements for pension funds in the particular circumstances of individual privatisations.

  Bank Notes
  Mr. Rowe
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to change the present arrangements for printing bank notes; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Nelson
  The printing of Bank of England bank notes is a responsibility of the Bank. There are no present plans to change the existing arrangements.

  Inheritance Tax
  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many landowners nationally have been granted exemption from part of inheritance tax under agreements to allow access to land or other public benefits; and what was the total cost of that concession.

  Mr. Dorrell
  There have been 126 designations of land for conditional exemption from inheritance tax or capital
  759
  transfer tax in England and Wales and 26 designations in Scotland. In addition, there have been 109 designations of historic buildings in England and Wales and 37 designations in Scotland. Some of the designations of historic buildings will have extended to surrounding land. Some designations of historic buildings have been for the purposes of the tax exemptions for maintenance funds rather than for exemption of the buildings themselves.

  The annual average cost of inheritance tax conditional exemption for land and buildings is estimated to have been between £5 million and £10 million over the period 1983–84 to 1992–93.

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many landowners in north Warwickshire have been granted exemption from portions of inheritance tax under agreements to allow access to land and other public benefits; and what was the total value of that concession.

  Mr. Dorrell
  Figures are not available on a constituency basis, but, in Warwickshire, fewer than five properties benefited from exemption from inheritance tax or capital transfer tax. The normal rules of taxpayer confidentiality prevent me from giving more precise information.

  The national estimates of the cost of conditional exemption represent a broad judgment of the overall cost and are subject to a large margin of error. Where exemption is given, it is not necessary to establish the value of individual properties and it is not possible to estimate the cost of the small number of exemptions in Warwickshire.

  EC Tax Laws
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the tax laws in other EC states in force to reduce tax avoidance and evasion as to their applicability to the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Dorrell
  Officers of the Inland Revenue regularly meet their counterparts from other EC states to discuss tax compliance matters.

  National Savings
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the fee payment structure for national savings transactions paid to post offices in each of the last three years; and what was the total payment to post offices in the last two years, and projected for the current year.

  Mr. Leigh
  I have been asked to reply.

  The information requested is covered by the Post Offices's contractual arrangements with Sub Postmasters and contractual agreement with the Department for National Savings, and is therefore commercially confidential.

TRANSPORT

  Road Building and Management
  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many full-time and part-time workers, giving each as a percentage of the total establishment of his Department are employed in matters relating to road building.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  There are 1,298 full-time and two part-time staff employed in directorates of the Department 760
  directly concerned with roads construction and highways policy—but excluding the management and maintenance of the motorway and trunk road network—on matters relating to road building. This is 8 per cent. of the Department's total staff of 16,027.

  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list each major trunk road scheme approved for each of the last five years, together with start date, estimated completion date and actual completion date giving details of how he arrived at(a) the justification for the road and (b) the environmental impact assessment carried out in each case; and what alternatives to road building were considered by his Department.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  Schemes approved, constructed or under construction during the last five years are as listed.

  Further information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, once approval has been given and funds are made available, schemes take about 18 months to two years to build on average. An environmental assessment was carried out for each scheme and the justification for each scheme is set out in the decision letter. Since 1988 where appropriate an environmental statement has been published. Copies of these documents are held by the relevant regional offices of the Department of Transport.

  (a) Schemes completed 1987–88

  A1 Baldersby Grade Separated Junction (GSJ)

  A1 Clifton-Stannington

  A2 Barham Crossroads GSJ

  A2 Rochester Way Relief Road

  A6 Chapel-En-Le-Frith Bypass

  A10 Buntingford Bypass

  A11 Wymondham-Cringleford

  A12 Martlesham Bypass

  A19 Ricall—Barley Bypass

  A20 Sidcup Bypass

  A30 Exeter—Okehampton Stage 3

  A38 Belvedere Cross—Haldon Hill GSJ

  A38 Belvedere Cross GSJ

  A38 Hillards Cross GSJ

  A39 Bideford Bypass

  A43 Towcester Bypass

  A43 Brackley Bypass

  A47 Peterborough Longthorpe GSJ

  A47 Postwick—Blofield Dualling

  A47 Wardley Hill Improvement

  A48 Chepstow Inn Relief Road

  A64 Seamer—Crossgates Bypass

  A69 Eighton Lodge Junction Improvement

  A303 Furze Hedge GSJ

  A406 South Woodford—Barking Relief Road

  A422 Stratford North Bypass

  A435 Evesham Bypass

  A500 Bartholmley Link—M6

  A595 Thursby

  M63 Stage 3 Widening

  Schemes completed 1988–89

  A1 Wetherby Bypass

  A10 Melbourn Bypass

  A17 New Washway Road

  A21 Pembury Bypass

  A27 Fontwell Bypass

  A27 Havant Bypass—Chichester Bypass

  A30 Blackwater Bypass

  A30 Okehampton Bypass

  A34 Hanford Bypass

  A34 Whitway Diversion

  A35 Bridport Link Road

  A35 Dorchester Bypass

  A36 Steeple Langford Bypass

  A36 Warminster Bypass

  A38 Saltash Bypass

  A47 Acle Bypass

  761

  A49 Prees Bypass

  A49 Leominster Bypass

  A52 Bottesford Bypass

  A65 Settl—Giggleswick Bypass

  A69 Horsley—Corbridge Improvement

  A303 Thruxton—Amesbury

  A303 Ilminster Bypass

  A361 North Devon Link Stage 2A

  A417 Birdlip Bypass

  A419 Blunsdon—Cricklade Improvement

  A483 Chester South Bypass—Welsh Border

  A616 Stockbridge—M1

  A629 Airedale Route Section 1

  A650 Airedale Route Section 2

  M5 Widening Wardon—Rashwood

  M62 West Climbing Lane (W of Junction 25)

  M62 East Climbing Lane (Junction 21–22)

  M63 Widening (Stage 1–2)

  Schemes completed 1989–90

  A1 Dishforth Interchange

  A3 Compton—Shackleford Improvement

  A11 Thetford Bypass

  A15 Brigg—Redbourne

  A16 South of Haven Bridge Diversion

  A17 Cross Keys Bridge Refurbishment

  A17 Long Sutton—Sutton Bridge Bypass

  A19 Tees Viaduct

  A21 Robertsbridge Bypass

  A30 Launceston—Plusha Improvements

  A36 Beckington Bypass

  A39 Barnstaple Bypass

  A42 Measham—Ashby Bypass

  A46 Coventry East Bypass

  A303 Sparkford Bypass

  A361 North Devon Link Stage 2B

  A435 Sledgeberrow Bypass

  A565 Derby Road Improvement

  M1 Junction 34 N/S Roundabout Improvements

  M25 Widening Junction 11–13

  M40 Warwick South

  M40 Warwick North

  M63 Junction 3–5

  M63/M66 Portwood—Denton

  Schemes completed 1990–91

  A1 South of Brampton Improvement

  A1 Newcastle West Bypass

  A6 Barton Bypass

  A11 Thetford Bypass

  A12 Capel St. Mary Junction

  A13 Lakeside Junction

  A14 (M1-A1) Contract 1

  A14 (M1-A1) Contract 7

  A14 (M1-A1) Contract 6

  A17 Fosdyke Bridge

  A19 Peterlee GSJ

  A23 Waddon Marsh Bridge

  A27 Pevensey Bypass

  A35 Charmouth Bypass

  A40 Swakeleys Road

  A41 Bicester Bypass (Stage 1)

  A42 Castle Donington North Contract 1

  A43 Peartree Hill—Wendlesbury

  A46 Newark Relief Road

  A47 East Norton Bypass

  A47 Guyhirn Diversion

  A52 Nottingham Ring Road (Abbey Street)

  A65 Addingham Bypass

  A69 Brampton Bypass

  A140 Dickleburgh Bypass

  A303 Ilchester-South Petherton

  A406 Great Cambridge Road Junction

  A435 Alcester Bypass

  A500 Nantwich Bypass

  A696 Woolsington Bypass

  A1079 Market Weighton Bypass

  M4 Junction 12 Improvement

  M5 Catshill—Lydiate Ash

  762

  M40 Banbury 2

  M40 Banbury 1

  M40 Gaydon

  M40 Banbury 4

  M40 Banbury 3

  M40 Waterstock—Wendlebury

  Schemes completed 1991–92

  A1 Gatenby Lane Junction Improvement

  A5 Chirk Bypass

  A6 Burton Latimer Bypass

  A6 Quorn-Mountsorrel Bypass

  A10 Brandon Creek

  A11 Red Lodge

  Al3 Leamouth Interim

  A14 M1—A1 Contract 10

  A14 M1—A1 Contract 4

  Al4 M1—A1 Contract 5 South

  A6 Louth Bypass

  Al6 Boston-Algarkirk

  A30 Zelah Bypass

  A30 Penhale - Carland Cross

  A30 Plusha - Bolventor

  A31 Picket Post Improvement

  A35 Axminster Bypass

  A38 Dogshead Lane

  A38 Burnaston Development

  A41 Whitchurch Bypass

  A42 Castle Donington North Contract 3

  A42 Castle Donington North Contract 2

  A43 Blisworth Bypass

  A45/M45 Junction

  A47 Eye Bypass

  A47 Castor Ailsworth

  A59 Mellor Brook

  A59 Monk Bridge

  A65 Draughton Bypass

  A127 Rayleigh Weir GSJ

  A134 Fornham St Martin Bypass

  A282 Dartford Approach Roads Contract 2

  A282 Dartford Approach Roads Contract 1

  A303 Stockton West—Chicklade Bypass

  A418 Leighton Linslade Bypass

  A516 Etwall Bypass

  A595 Hensingham Bypass

  A650 Drighlington Bypass

  A1306 Thurrock Dualling

  M3 Compton—Bassett

  M4 Junction 12 Improvement

  M20 Maidstone—Ashford Contract 2

  M20 Maidstone—Ashford Contract 1

  M40 Junctions 4–5 Widening

  Schemes completed between April 1992—31 January 1993

  A1 Bramham—Wetherby Improvements

  A3 Milford Bypass

  A3 Liphook—Petersfield

  A5 Telford—Shrewsbury

  A5 Kilsby Diversion

  A6 Market Harborough Bypass

  A11 Thetford—Bridgham Heath

  A13 West India Dock Road Junction (Interim)

  A14 M1—A1 Link Road Contract 8

  Al6 Ludborough Bypass

  A16 Stickford Bypass

  A27 Brighton and Hove Bypass (Patcham—Coldean)

  A38 Marsh Mills Junction Improvement

  A38 Bell Bridge—Alrewas

  A47 Norwich Southern Bypass Contract 4

  A47 Norwich Southern Bypass Contract 3

  A47 East Dereham—North Tuddenham

  A47 Norwich Southern Bypass Contract 1

  A47 Norwich Southern Bypass Contract 2

  A49 Weaverham Diversion

  A66 Bowes Bypass

  A303 Mere—Wincanton

  A420 Kingston Bagpuize and Southmoor Bypass

  A423 Southam Bypass

  A423 Maidenhead Thickett—Burchetts Green

  763

  A523 Macclesfield Relief Road

  A602 Little Wymondlcy

  M25 Clacket Lane MSA Slip Roads

  (b) Schemes under construction at 31 January 1993

  A1 Marshall Meadows Improvement

  A1 Brownieside Improvement

  A5 Little Brickhill

  A11 Newmarket—Red Lodge

  A11 Four Wentways—Newmarket

  A12 Gorleston Relief Road

  A14 M1-A1 Link Contracts 2 and 3

  A14 M1-A1 Link Road Contract 5 North

  A14 M1-A1 Link Road Contract 9

  A16 Spalding—Sutterton Bypass

  A20 Folkestone—Court Wood (Contract 1)

  A20 Folkestone—Dover (Contract 2)

  A20 Folkestone—Dover (Contract 3)

  A23 Handcross—Pease Pottage

  A23 Warninglid—Brighton (Warninglid Flyover—Sayers Common)

  A23 Warninglid—Brighton (Muddleswood—Brighton)

  A27 Brighton and Hove Bypass (Kingston—Hangleton)

  A27 Crossbush Bypass

  A27 Westhampnett Bypass

  A30 Okehampton—Launceston

  A39 Wadebridge Bypass

  A40 Long Lane Junction Improvements

  A41 Berkhamsted Bypass

  A41 Kings Langley Bypass

  A41 Wendlebury—Bicester Dualling

  A46 Leicester Western Bypass

  A59 Greengate—Gutteridge

  A339 Basingstoke Northern Bypass (Stage 3)

  A406 Hanger Lane/Harrow Road

  A568 Widnes Eastern Bypass (North)

  A585 Fleetwood Dock Street Diversion

  A590 Dalton Bypass

  A595 Egremont Bypass

  A596 Wigton Bypass

  A638 Doncaster North Bridge

  A650 Park Road Advance Works

  M3 Bar End—Compton

  M4 Junctions 10–11 Lighting

  M4 Second Severn Main Crossing

  M5 Junction 6–8

  M20 Junctions 5–8 Widening

  M20 Junctions 11–13 Lighting

  (c) Schemes for which orders have been made but which are not under construction

  A1 M Walshford—Dishforth

  A5 Fazeley—Two Gates

  A11 Besthorpe to Wymondham Improvement

  A12 Hackney—M11 Link Road Contract 4

  A13 West India Dock Road Junction (Stage 2)

  A13 Thames Avenue—Wennington

  A13 Wennington—Mar Dyke

  A13 West of Heathway—Thames Avenue

  A13 Butcher Row Junction Improvement

  A17 Wigtoft—Sutterton Bypass

  A19 Eastingwold Bypass

  A40 Long Lane—West End Road

  A40 Gypsy Corner Junction

  A40 Western Circus Junction Improvements

  A47 Walpole Highway and Tilney High End Bypass

  A49 Onibury—Stokesay

  A50 Blythe BridgeߞQueensway Phase 1

  A52 Ashbourne Relief Road

  A65 Burley In Wharfedale Bypass

  A249 Iwade Bypass

  A406 Falloden Way/Finchley High Road

  A406 Regents Park Road Junction Improvement

  A406 Dysons Road/Hall Lane

  A406 East of Silver Street—A1010

  A435 Norton—Lenchwick Bypass

  A564 Foston, Hatton, Hilton Bypass

  M1 Junction 1 Improvement

  M1 Junctions 9–10 Northbound

  M4/M5 Second Severn Approach Roads

  M5 Junction 18 Improvement and Avonmouth Relief Road

  764

  M6 Widening Junctions 20–21A (Bridge Renewal)

  M6 Widening Junctions 20–21A

  M6 Widening Junctions 30–32

  M56 Widening Junctions 4–6

  M62 Widening and Improvement Junctions 14–17

  M66 Denton—Middleton Contact 4

  Plutonium
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what representations he has received since 1 March on the transport of plutonium nitrate from Dounreay to Sellafield by sea.

  (2) what representations he has received from (a) councillors of the Highland regional council and (b) others on the recent sea shipment of plutonium nitrate from Dounreay to Sellafield.

  Mr. Norris
  I have been asked to reply.

  Two letters from one councillor of the Highland regional council, three letters and one inquiry from others and two parliamentary questions.

  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of whether the safety standards set out by the International Atomic Energy Authority for how long a flask carrying plutonium should remain unbreached by a fire, is sufficient when compared to the statistics provided by the International Maritime Organisation on the average ship fire.

  Mr. Norris
  [holding answer 9 March 1993]The IMO statistics are considered insufficient, taken alone, to determine adequately the risk of such transport. The United Kingdom is therefore actively participating in the joint IAEA/IMO/UNEP working group charged to evaluate the adequacy of the existing provisions and to assess the probabilities of such casualties occurring.

  Railway Rolling Stock
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many new passenger rail vehicles, including locomotives, rolling stock, and multiple units are scheduled for delivery to the British Railways Board during financial years(a) 1993–94, (b) 1994–95 and (c) 1995–96.

  Mr. Freeman
  The following passenger rolling stock are currently scheduled for delivery:

  Calendar year

  1993

  1994

  1995

  1996

  Diesel and electric multiple units.

  395

  188

  —

  —

  Trainset vehicles (power cars, trailer units and coaches) for Channel Tunnel services

  200

  —

  241

  —

  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many British Railways personnel are employed on the maintenance of locomotives and rolling stock.

  Mr. Freeman
  A total of 18,753 as at 27 February 1993.

  European Time
  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will estimate the average number of deaths and serious injuries during each week of Greenwich mean time that would be avoided by introducing common European time.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  Estimates for 1991 are that. some 140 deaths, 520 seriously injured and 2,000 casualties in total could be saved by adopting double British summer time. It is estimated that approximately three quarters of these savings accrue in the 22 weeks during winter when Greenwich mean time is currently in force.

  Trust Ports
  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimates have been made of the likely proceeds from the first, second and third wave of trust port sales.

  Mr. Norris
  The total of the sale prices for the five ports privatised last year under the Ports Act 1991 is £380 million. No estimate has been made of the likely proceeds from the sales of any further trust ports.

  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Secretary of Stale for Transport when the announcement will be made for the next wave of trust ports for privatisation.

  Mr. Norris
  The powers which the Secretary of State has under the Ports Act 1991 to require trust ports with a turnover above a specified threshold to privatise themselves will become available on 25 July 1993 The Secretary of State has not yet decided which ports he shall consult, under the terms of the Act, concerning their privatisation.

  Train Drivers
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many hours were worked per week on average by British Railways Board train drivers during the latest period for which figures are available.

  Mr. Freeman
  During the week ended 27 February 1993 railway train drivers, excluding those absent through sickness or for other reasons for all or part of the week, worked an average of 47.9 hours.

  Concessionary Rail Travel
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many people are currently in receipt of British Railways privilege ticket facilities.

  Mr. Freeman
  About 600,000 serving, former and retired British Rail staff and their dependants.

  Traffic Congestion
  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the environmental costs of traffic congestion; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  We have no estimate of the environmental costs of traffic congestion. The Standing Advisory Committee on Trunk Road Assessment was asked to investigate methods for the monetary valuation 766
  of the environmental effects of road transport in 1989. Its report published in March 1992 recommended, and the Department accepted, that a substantial research programme would be required to develop reliable monetary values. This will clearly take considerable time to complete.

  DVLA
  Mr. Donald Anderson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport for the three financial years ending with 1991–92, what sums were recovered by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency enforcement staff in Swansea in respect of(a) alternative payments and (b) recovered licence discs; what sums in penalties were awarded as a result of prosecutions; what were the comparable figures for Post Office Counters Ltd. in 1992–93; and what was the cost of closing the returned cheques operation in Swansea.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  The sums recovered by Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency enforcement staff in respect of dishonoured vehicle excise duty cheques in each of the last three financial years were as follows:

  1989–90 £

  1990–91 £

  1991–92 £

  Alternative Payments (for example, cash banker's draft)

  5,227,829

  6,550,755

  7,279,615

  Recovered licence discs

  1,346,129

  1,760,073

  2,015,949

  Amounts awarded in fines and penalties as a result of prosecutions over the same period were

  1,192,645

  1,798,426

  2,616,925

  The sums recovered by Post Office Counters Ltd. between April 1992 and January 1993 were:

  £

  Alternative payments

  4,529,707

  Recovered licence discs

  645,379

  Note: DVLA remain responsible for prosecution work.

  These figures cannot be used to compare performance levels since POCL took on the work on a phased basis from April 1992. Details of the financial contract between DVLA and POCL are commercially sensitive.

  Lorries, London
  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information is available to him of the total costs and the total number of rejected applications of the London lorry ban exemption scheme.

  Mr. Norris
  The London lorry ban is the responsibility of the London boroughs transport scheme. It applies only to local roads. The information requested is not readily available to my Department.

  Rail Freight
  Mr. Butterfill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what date he has set for the completion of the upgrading process of British Rail's existing freight loading gauge to the SBI loading gauge.
  767
  Mr. Freeman
  This is an operational matter for British Rail. I understand that BR has set itself the objective of completing the upgrading in time for the opening of the channel tunnel.

  Waterloo Station
  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to facilitate transfer of people with mobility handicaps between Waterloo and Waterloo East stations.

  Mr. Freeman
  British Rail has provided a high-level pedestrian bridge over the road between the two stations. Access to the bridge from Waterloo station is by stairs and escalators. There is also a customer-operated lift for people with mobility handicaps. From the bridge to the platforms in Waterloo East all routes are either level or ramped.

  Vehicle Excise Duty
  Mr. Donald Anderson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the quality of performance of Post Office Counters Ltd. in respect of the contract on dishonoured cheques in payment of vehicle excise duty.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  During negotiations toward the current contract for vehicle relicensing, Post Office Counters Ltd. offered to take over responsibility for following up dishonoured cheques made payable to it. This work had previously been carried out by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency but the POCL price was significantly lower. The contract provides for financial penalties to be payable by POCL from 1 January 1993 for any failure to meet performance levels previously achieved by DVLA's staff.

  Rail Travel (Cyclists)
  Mr. Robathan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what facilities will be available to cyclists on railways after rail privatisation; and what encouragement will be given to private operators to facilitate the travel of cyclists, both at stations and on trains.

  Mr. Freeman
  Provision for cyclists following privatisation will be a matter for railway operators, as it is now for British Rail. We believe private sector operators will wish to seize the opportunity to provide a better service and improved facilities, in order to attract more passengers, including cyclists, to the railway.

  New Drivers
  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what consideration he has given to(a) introducing restrictions on the power of cars which newly qualified drivers can drive and (b) compulsory motorway driving training and testing either as part of, or post, L tests; and what measures he proposes to tighten the requirements of driver testing.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  My right hon. Friend is considering various options for reducing the high accident rate associated with newly qualified drivers. We hope to issue a consultation paper shortly.

  Twyford Down
  Mr. Denham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 25 February,Official Report, column 699, on how many people papers were served by Brays detective agency in connection with Twyford Down.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  Brays Detective Agency (Southampton) Ltd. has served papers on three people in respect of trespass on the Department's land at Twyford Down.

  Marine Pollution
  Mr. Harvey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many incidents of discharges of noxious substances controlled under the MARPOL regulations in United Kingdom coastal waters occurred in the latest year for which figures are available; and how many prosecutions have been brought relating to discharges of noxious substances from ships in United Kingdom coastal waters in violation of the MARPOL regulations.

  Mr. Norris
  [holding answer 9 March 1993]In 1991, the latest year for which details are available, there were 195 reported discharges from ships into United Kingdom waters, which resulted in two successful prosecutions being brought. This excludes prosecutions brought by members of the now defunct British Ports Federation for which no figures are available.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Protection of Trading Interests Act
  Mr. Batiste
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what criteria are used for assessing the desirability of making statutory instruments under the Protection of Trading Interests Act 1980; and if he will list all such statutory instruments which have been made.

  Mr. Needham
  In general, successive Governments have sought to minimise potential conflicts with our trading partners by seeking to resolve issues through discussion and consultation; they have, however, been prepared to use the powers under the Protection of Trading Interests Act 1980 when doing so appeared to he the best way to protect the trading interests of the United Kingdom in particular cases. Since the Act was passed in 1980, the Secretary of State has made statutory instruments in only four cases:

  (i) On 30 June 1982, a section 1(1) Order (S.I. 1982 No. 885) was applied to the United States West Siberian pipeline re-export controls.

  (ii) On 23 June 1983 a section 1(1) Order (S.I. 1983 No. 900) was applied to sections 1 and 2 of the United States Sherman Act and sections 4 and 4A of the United States Clayton Act in cases where United Kingdom airlines designated under the Bermuda 2 agreement concerning air services are parties to agreements, or other acts, concerning tariffs or which otherwise relate to the operation of an air service authorised under the Bermuda 2 agreement.

  (iii) On 23 March 1988, a section 5(4) Order (S.I. 1988 No. 569) was made applying section 5(2)(b) of the Protection of Trading Interests Act 1980 to section 81(1A) of the Trade Practices Act 1974 of Australia, making unenforceable in the United Kingdom an overseas judgment under the Australian Act ordering divestment of assets acquired in contravention of that Act's merger control provisions.

  769

  (iv) On 14 October 1992 a section 1(1) Order (S.I. 1992 No. 2449) was applied to those provisions of part 515 (entitled Cuban Assets Control Regulations) of title 31 of the Code of Federal Regulations which affect trading activities carried on in the United Kingdom or the import of goods to or the export of goods from the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Batiste
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade on how many occasions the Protection of Trading Interests Act 1980 has been invoked; against whom, and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Needham
  The Secretary of State has made the following orders and directions under the Protection of Trading Interests Act 1980:

  On 3 March 1981, a section 2 direction was issued to a United Kingdom company to prohibit compliance with a demand by the United States Commodity Futures Trading Commission to provide it with commercial information located outside the United States.

  On 30 June 1982, a section 1(1) order, (S.I. 1982 No. 885), was applied to the United States West Siberian pipeline re-export controls. Such an order brings into operation the Secretary of State's powers under sections 1(2), 1(3), and 2 of the PTIA.

  On 2 August 1982, section 1(3) directions were issued to AFF Ltd., Baker Oil Tools (United Kingdom) Ltd., John Brown Engineering Ltd., and Smith International (North Sea) Ltd., to prohibit compliance with the United States West Siberian pipeline re-export controls.

  On 10 September 1982, section 1(3) directions were issued to Andrew Corporation and the Walter Kidde Company Ltd., to prohibit compliance with the United States West Siberian pipeline re-export controls.

  On 2 November 1982, a section 1(3) direction was issued to Seaco Sales and Service (North Sea) Ltd. to prohibit compliance with the United States West Siberian pipeline re-export controls.

  On 23 June 1983, a section 1(1) order (S.I. 1983 No. 900) was applied to sections 1 and 2 of the United States Sherman Act and sections 4 and 4A of the United States Clayton Act in cases where United Kingdom airlines designated under the Bermuda 2 agreement concerning air services are parties to agreements, or other acts, concerning tariffs or which otherwise relate to the operation of an air service authorised under the Bermuda 2 agreement.

  On 23 June 1983, a section 1(3) general direction was issued prohibiting any person in the United Kingdom carrying on business from complying with the United States anti-trust measures in relation to the cases described in the section 1(1) order of 23 June 1983.

  On 23 June 1983, a section 2 general direction was issued prohibiting any person in the United Kingdom from complying with any requirement from the United States Department of Justice or the grand jury to produce commercial documents located in the United Kingdom or any information concerning possible violations of sections 1 and 2 of the Sherman Act by United Kingdom-designated airlines. The direction also applied to any requirement from the United States district court of Columbia concerning similar matters, which were subject to civil anti-trust proceedings.

  On 1 July 1983, a further section 2 general direction was made to clarify the scope of the section 2 general direction issued on 23 June 1983.
  770
  On 16 July 1984, a general direction under section 2 was issued prohibiting any person in the United Kingdom from complying with any requirement from the United States district court of Columbia to produce commercial documents in the United Kingdom, or any commercial information in respect of further United States civil anti-trust proceedings against United Kingdom-designated airlines.

  On 20 March 1986, general directions under section 2 were issued prohibiting any person in the United Kingdom from complying with any requirement from the United States district court of Columbia and the district court for the central district of California to produce commercial documents in the United Kingdom, or any commercial information in respect of further United States civil anti-trust proceedings against United Kingdom designated airlines.

  On 23 March 1988, a section 5(4) order (S.I. 1988 No. 569) was made applying section 5(2)(b) of the PTIA to section 81(1A) of the Trade Practices Act 1974 of Australia, making unenforceable in the United Kingdom an overseas judgment under the Australian Act ordering divestment of assets acquired in contravention of that Act's merger control provisions.

  On 12 July 1991, a section 2 direction was issued to a company to prohibit compliance with a court order made by a court in the United States of America.

  On 14 October 1992, a section 1(1) order (S.I. 1992 No. 2449) was applied to those provisions of part 515 (entitled Cuban Assets Control Regulations) of title 31 of the United States Code of Federal Regulations which affect trading activities carried on in the United Kingdom or the import of goods to or the export of goods from the United Kingdom.

  On 14 October 1992, a general direction under section 1(3) was issued prohibiting any persons in the United Kingdom from complying, except with the consent of the Secretary of State, with the prohibitions imposed by the Cuban Assets Control Regulations cited in the section 1(1) order of 14 March 1992.

  Illegal Practices Investigations
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list by year for the last five years the cost of his Department's investigations into alleged illegal trade practices that have resulted in the allegations not being proved; and if he will show the cost by type of investigation carried out.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Telecommunications Act 1984
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the various target investment limits on Government voting rights imposed under section 65 of the Telecommunications Act 1984; and whether any further changes are under review.

  Mr. Leigh
  Under the terms of the Telecommunications Act 1984 (Government Shareholding) Order 1992, (Statutory Instrument number 631 of 1992), the target investment limit for the Government shareholding in British Telecommunications plc is set at 22·209 per cent. of the voting rights exercisable in all circumstances at general meetings of the company. This replaces the earlier limit, set
  771
  out in the Telecommunications Act 1984 (Government Shareholding) Order 1985, of 49·803 per cent. of such voting rights. The Government plan to sell a part of their remaining shareholding in BT in 1993–94. They may wish to further revise the target investment limit again in the light of any sale of shares which takes place.

  Coal Imports
  Mr. Alan W. Williams
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the level of coal imports in tonnes to South Wales ports in each year since 1987; what estimates he has made of the annual tonnage of coal imports into these ports until 1997; and what assessment he has made of the future markets for this imported coal.

  Mr. Eggar
  The amounts of coal imported to South Wales ports since 1987 were:

  Year

  Thousand tones

  1987

  2,184

  1988

  2,499

  1989

  3,111

  1990

  3,587

  1991

  3,680

  19921

  3,275

  1 Provisional

  Source: HM Customs and Excise

  We do not make estimates of future imports of coal.

  Joint Ventures
  Mr. Butterfill
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what assessment he has made of the EC's revised rules for vetting joint ventures and the effects of a warning letter on ongoing joint venture discussions; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  The United Kingdom was consulted during the drawing up of the EC Commission's notice concerning the assessment of co-operative joint ventures under article 85 of the EC treaty. We welcome the Commission's commitment to improving its procedures and speeding up the handling of article 85 cases. It is too early to assess the effects of the new procedures, but we hope they will benefit companies by clarifying the criteria against which joint ventures will be assessed and offering earlier guidance on their compatibility with the EC competition rules.

  Post Office Pension Fund
  Ms Estelle Morris
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he last met the trustees of the Post Office pension fund; and what plans he has for a further meeting.

  Mr. Leigh
  My right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade has had no meeting with the trustees of either the Post Office's pension schemes, the Post Office staff superannuation scheme and the Post Office pension scheme, and he has no present plans for such a meeting.

  Registrations and deregistrations: 1987–1991

  Pendle

  North West

  Registration

  Deregistrations

  Registrations

  Deregistrations

  1987

  218

  209

  18,916

  17,852

  1988

  309

  219

  21,757

  17,797

  1989

  308

  265

  24,159

  17,797

  Post Office Services
  Mr. Stephen
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade whether he will bring forward proposals to make the services of post offices available to their customers on Saturday afternoons.

  Mr. Leigh
  Opening hours of post offices are an operational matter for the Post Office.

  Electricity
  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans he has to encourage the regional electricity companies to continue to purchase electricity sources from renewables after 1998.

  Mr. Eggar
  I refer the hon. Member to my reply to him of 2 March 1993,Official Report, columns 106–07.

  Cycles
  Mr. Simpson
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what representations he has made to the European Commission concerning the volume of cycles or cycle parts now imported into the Community; what replies he has received; and if he will place those representations and responses in the Library.

  Mr. Needham
  I refer the hon. Member to the first of the two answers on this subject which I gave on 16 February to the hon. Member for Middlesbrough (Mr. Bell)Official Report, column 126.

  Connah's Quay Power Station
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade further to his answer to the hon. Member for Cardiff, West, (Mr. Morgan) on 9 March, what assessment he has made of the effect of a delay in taking a decision on the proposed Connah's Quay gas-fired power station on the development of the gas fields off the north Wales coast and in Liverpool bay.

  Mr. Eggar
  In my answer of 9 March to the hon. Member for Cardiff, West (Mr. Morgan) at column 502, I assured him that all relevant factors were being carefully considered. The question posed by the hon. Member is one such factor.

  Business Failures
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many businesses ceased trading in(a) Pendle and (b) the north-west in each year since 1987.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The best available guide to trends in business starts and closures comes from VAT data. The number of businesses registered and deregistered for VAT in Pendle and the north-west in each year since 1987 is given in the table:
  773

  Pendle

  North West

  Registration

  Deregistrations

  Registrations

  Deregistrations

  1990

  321

  244

  24,012

  17,917

  1991

  269

  285

  21,028

  19,533

  BCCI
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many properties have been disposed of by the liquidation of the Bank of Credit and Commerce International at less than the market value; what was the sum raised; and what steps are being taken to advertise the individual values achieved.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  Realisation of the assets of any company in liquidation is a matter for the liquidators, whose duty it is to achieve the best possible outcome for the creditors.

  Credit Marketing
  Sir Keith Speed
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he proposes to make regulations to implement the proposals contained in his Department's consultation document on revised proposals for legislation on credit marketing; how those proposals have been amended in the light of his Department's consultation; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Leigh
  [holding answer 11 March 1993]The proposals for legislation on credit marketing are being reconsidered. A statement will be made when that reconsideration has been completed.

  Consumer Credit Act 1974
  Sir Keith Speed
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans he has to seek to amend the Consumer Credit Act 1974; and if he will make a statement.
  774
  Mr. Leigh
  [holding answer 11 March 1993]In December my noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Consumer Affairs and Small Finns asked the Director General of Fair Trading to review consumer credit legislation and the proposals for amending it. The proposals will be reconsidered in the light of the Director General's advice.

  Assisted Area Status
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list those local authorities which have made representations seeking assisted area status.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  [holding answer 9 March 1993]It is my intention to issue a complete list of those individuals arid organisations which have put forward views under the consultation arrangements, when the announcement of the new assisted areas map is made. The only exceptions will be any views put forward to us in confidence.

  Defence Retraining
  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make it his policy to support a European defence retraining and readaption programme to fund retraining programmes for redundant defence industry workers and provide readaption aid for affected parts of the community.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  [holding answer 8 March 1993]At the initiative of the European Parliament 130 mecu was entered into the EC budget for 1993 for a programme of assistance to defence-dependent areas to be called KONVER. We are currently awaiting the Commission's proposals for implementing this programme.