Written Answers of 25 May 1993

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  Racial Attacks
  Mr. Gerrard
  To ask the Attorney-General in how many cases referred by the police to the Crown Prosecution Service during the last year, an element or allegation of racial motivation has been identified by the police; and how many of these cases were brought to court.

  The Attorney-General
  The code for crown prosecutors requires that racial motivation be regarded by crown prosecutors as an aggravating feature when considering in particular cases where the public interest requires a prosecution. Such motivation can be found in a wide range of offences. The Crown Prosecution Service does not maintain records in a form which enables the information sought by the hon. Member to be obtained other than at disproportionate cost.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Select Committee Recommendations
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Select Committee recommendations have been made about, and how many accepted by, his Department since April 1989.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  The Home Affairs Select Committee has published 30 reports since April 1989. The Government responses are contained in the following Command Papers, copies of which are available in the Library of the House.

  Title of Home Affairs Select Committee Report

  Government reply

  Session 1988–89

  Second Report: The Financing of Channel 4

  HC 434

  Third Report: Higher Police Training and the Police Staff College

  Cm 926

  Fourth Report: Home Office Expenditure

  Cm 838

  Fifth Report: Annual Report of the Police Complaints Authority for 1988

  Cm 928

  Sixth Report: Crack: the threat of hard drugs in the next decade (Interim report)

  Cm 1164

  Seventh Report: Drug Trafficking and Related Serious Crime

  Cm 1164

  First Special Report: Government Reply to the Second Report, Session 1988–89

  n.a.

  Session 1989–90

  First Report: Racial Attacks and Harassment

  Cm 1058

  Second Report: Compensating Victims Quickly:

  The Administration of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board

  Cm 1153

  Third Report: Criminal Records

  Cm 1163

  Fourth Report: Crown Prosecution Service

  Cm 1145

  Fifth Report: Administrative Delays in the Immigration and Nationality Department

  Cm 1368

  474

  Title of Home Affairs Select Committee Report

  Government reply

  Sixth Report: Form and Content of Home Office Annual Report

  Cm 1381

  Seventh Report: Practical Police Co-operation in the European Community

  Cm 1367

  Session 1990–91

  First Report: The Annual Report of the Data Protection Registrar

  Cm 1485

  Second Report: Policing Football Hooliganism

  Cm 1539

  Third Report: Next Steps Agencies

  Cm 1549

  Fourth Report: Levy on Horserace Betting

  Cm 1583

  Fifth Report: Police Sickness

  Cm 1692

  Sixth Report: Financing of Greyhound Racing

  Cm 1757

  Seventh Report: The Tote

  Cm 1792

  Eighth Report: Home Office Annual Report

  Cm 1799

  Session 1991–92

  First Report: Fire Safety and Policing of the Channel Tunnel

  Cm 1853

  Second Report: HM Chief Inspector of Fire's Annual Report

  Cm 2005

  Third Report: Electoral Counting Methods

  Cm 2017

  Fourth Report: Police Complaints Procedures

  Cm 1996

  Session 1992–93

  First Report: Accountability of the Security

  Reply

  Service

  Pending

  Second Report: Delays in the Immigration and Nationality Department

  Cm 2185

  Reply

  Third Report: Domestic Violence

  Pending

  Letter

  Fourth Report: Immigration Advice Post-UKIAS

  20 May 1993

  Unit Fines
  Mr. Gapes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment was made of the result of the pilot schemes for unit fines under the Criminal Justice Act 1991; and whether he will publish the results.

  Mr. Jack
  Such an assessment was made and published in Home Office Research paper 59: "Unit Fines: Experiments in Four Courts", a copy of which is in the Library.

  Arrests (Soccer Matches)
  Mr. Nigel Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were arrested at soccer matches in each season from 1989–90.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  The information for matches in England and Wales is contained in the following table:

  Arrests

  1991–92

  1990–91

  1989–90

  Football League

  5,006

  4,122

  5,945

  FA Cup

  862

  760

  1—

  Rumbelows Cup

  439

  512

  1—

  ZDS Cup

  109

  60

  1—

  Auto Glass Cup

  71

  135

  1—

  Total

  6,487

  5,589

  1—

  1 Information not available.

  Information on the 1992–93 season is not yet available.

  Fire Brigades
  Mr. Madel
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to meet leaders of the Fire Brigades Union to discuss wage negotiating procedures; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  My right hon. and learned Friend met representatives of the Fire Brigades Union, at their request, on 17 March to discuss the Government's policy on public sector pay this year. The negotiation of firefighters' pay is not a matter for my right hon. and learned Friend. Firefighters' pay and conditions of service are matters for the local authorities which employ firefighters, and are negotiated in the National Joint Council for Local Authorities' Fire Brigades.

  Competitive Tendering
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps will be taken to discourage the recruitment of Home Office personnel by firms tendering for Home Office businesses.

  £ million

  1984–85 Outturn

  1985–86 Outturn

  1986–87 Outturn

  1987–88 Outturn

  1988–89 Outturn

  1989–90 Outturn

  1990–91 Outturn

  1991–92 Outturn

  1992–93 Estimate

  England

  Police

  Current

  2,645·5

  2,586·0

  2,814·0

  3,074·9

  3,415·5

  3,867·5

  4,326·7

  4,828·3

  5,230·9

  Capital

  89·0

  96·4

  101·9

  125·3

  149·3

  218·3

  166·1

  200·1

  204·8

  Fire

  Current

  566·8

  611·5

  653·0

  718·1

  769·8

  867·6

  960·2

  1,053·6

  1,126·7

  Capital

  34·0

  31·3

  27·0

  53·9

  55·6

  70·1

  48·2

  50·8

  59·5

  Other Services1

  Current

  205·5

  221·4

  241·2

  262·8

  304·5

  343·4

  384·8

  433·5

  469·1

  Capital

  4·3

  4·8

  10·6

  10·7

  14·0

  14·9

  14·6

  16·7

  17·2

  South East England2 (excluding Greater London)

  Police

  Current

  406·2

  418·0

  463·9

  509·2

  567·8

  628·1

  707·6

  790·4

  863·3

  Capital

  9·7

  17·9

  15·6

  19·1

  28·0

  42·6

  22·0

  27·2

  27·8

  Fire

  Current

  102·5

  109·4

  118·2

  128·9

  142·5

  162·2

  180·4

  198·8

  212·6

  Capital

  8·0

  8·0

  6·6

  13·3

  13·3

  14·1

  8·2

  8·5

  9·9

  Other Services1

  Current

  34·6

  40·3

  40·5

  45·3

  50·4

  56·4

  33·3

  74·1

  84·9

  Capital

  0·8

  1·0

  1·5

  2·5

  5·4

  8·2

  7·8

  7·8

  8·0

  Greater London

  Police3

  Current

  717·1

  733·2

  817·9

  878·9

  960·8

  1,085·0

  1,241·3

  1,384·4

  1,496·3

  Capital

  32·2

  37·1

  38·5

  41·7

  44·8

  47·6

  58·0

  68·1

  69·7

  Fire

  Current

  126·9

  143·0

  145·6

  160·8

  171·4

  194·8

  206·2

  219·5

  234·7

  Capital

  6·6

  2·6

  3·5

  8·5

  7·9

  16·0

  13·7

  9·6

  11·2

  Other Services1

  Current

  36·7

  39·6

  48·5

  48·9

  51·5

  58·5

  71·6

  81·2

  86·6

  Capital

  0·2

  0·1

  1·2

  1·7

  1·0

  1·1

  1·1

  1·4

  1·2

  1 Probation, emergency planning, other courts, registration of electors and school crossing patrols.

  2Taken as comprising Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, East Sussex, Essex, Hampshire, Hertfordshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, Oxfordshire, Surrey and West Sussex.

  3Expenditure on the Metropolitan Police: the Metropolitan Police District includes parts of Essex, Hertfordshire and Surrey.

  Fire Service, Marchington
  Mr. Tipping
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department who maintains the vehicles of the emergency fire service based at Marchington near Uttoxeter, Staffordshire; when any such contract was granted; and when it is due to expire.
  476
  Mr. Charles Wardle
  My right hon. and learned Friend would not wish to discourage such moves provided there is no impropriety involved.

  Police and Fire Services
  Sir Rhodes Boyson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total amount of expenditure on(a) police, (b) fire and (c) other services within the responsibility of his Department in (i) England, (ii) Greater London and (iii) the south-east, excluding Greater London, for each year since 1982–83, including estimates for 1992–93, distinguishing between current and capital expenditure, excluding local authority credit approvals/capital allocations.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  Details of expenditure on these services from 1984–85 to 1992–93 are given in the table. Information in respect of the first two years is not readily available. The figures given for capital represent total expenditure; authorities have to decide the sources of finance only in aggregate. So it is not possible to identify the use of credit approvals for particular services.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  A contract with TNT Express (UK) Ltd. to store and maintain the emergency fire service stockpile for a period of five years commenced on I July 1991. The Home Office has an option to extend the period of the contract to a maximum of 10 years.

  Secure Accommodation
  Mr. Tipping
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the establishments providing secure accommodation for juvenile offenders that he has visited since taking his present office.

  Mr. Jack
  My right hon. and learned Friend visited Feltham young offenders institution on 25 September 1992 and has plans to visit a secure intensive support unit run by a local authority social services department next month. On his behalf, and since the beginning of this year, I have myself visited secure facilities at Orchard lodge in Southwark, the St. Charles centre in Essex, the Nightingale unit at Feltham young offenders institution and Lisnevin training school in Northern Ireland.

  Drugs
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what date he received the research report from Sheffield university, prepared for his Department, on the prevalence of drug use among young people.

  Mr. Jack
  The research report from Sheffield university was received in draft form in January. It is being prepared for publication later this year.

  South Manchester College
  Sir John Wheeler
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the implications for his Department of the judgment in the case of Kenny and Woodroffe v. South Manchester college.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  On 24 March 1993, Sir Michael Ogden held in the case of Kenny and Woodroffe v. South Manchester college that the European Community acquired rights directive applied to the transfer from one undertaking to another of education provision at Thorn Cross young offender institution.

  The Prison Service has a clear, significant and legitimate interest in the judgment. Counsel was instructed by the Treasury Solicitor to attend the hearing and to maintain a watching brief for the Prison Service. If the judgment is upheld on appeal, it will affect the amount of public money which the Prison Service will need to pay contractors for the future provision of education services in prison establishments. A protective notice of appeal has now been lodged by South Manchester college. The Prison Service is meeting the college's legal costs in relation to the appeal.

  A note will be added in due course to the 1993–94 appropriation account in accordance with the principles set out in "Government Accounting", section 12.6.12.

  Data Protection
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions the Metropolitan police have been subject to an investigation by the Data Protection Registrar in relation to a suspected breach of a data protection principle; if he will summarise the nature of each complaint; when the complaint was made; and what remedial action was taken by the police to ensure future compliance with the principle.
  478
  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  [holding answer 21 May 1993]: The Data Protection Registrar has recorded eight complaints against the Metropolitan police. They are as follows:

  (1) 6 April 1987

  Alleged contravention of Principle 5:

  Personal data shall be accurate and, where necessary, kept up to date.

  (2) 18 January 1988

  Alleged contravention of Principle 3:

  Personal data held for any purpose or purposes shall not be used or disclosed in a manner incompatible with the purpose.

  (3) 8 January 1988

  (4) 8 January 1992

  (5) 19 October 1992

  Alleged contravention of Principle 7:

  An individual shall be entitled (a) at reasonable intervals and without undue delay or expense —(i) to be informed by any data user whether he holds personal data of which that individual is the subject; and (ii) to access to any such data held by a user; and (b) where appropriate, to have such data corrected or erased.

  (6) 13 May 1991

  Alleged cases of unauthorised disclosure

  (7) 4 August 1992

  (8) 27 February 1991

  Alleged breach of Section 5(2)

  In no case has the registrar considered it necessary to serve an enforcement notice on the commissioner. The commissioner keeps compliance with the law under review and ensures that policy, practice and training reflect statutory requirements.

NATIONAL HERITAGE

  Stratford-on-Avon
  Mr. Elletson
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what information he has on(a) how many people visit Stratford-on-Avon every year and (b) what proportion of those visitors attend performances by the Royal Shakespeare Company.

  Mr. Key
  According to the leisure day visits survey, there were 4 million day visits by United Kingdom residents to Stratford-on-Avon in 1988–89. It is not known how many United Kingdom residents stayed overnight in Stratford-on-Avon, but according to the 1991 United Kingdom tourism survey, there were 800,000 trips to Warwickshire involving an overnight stay.

  In addition, according to the international passenger survey, there were 133,000 visits of one night or more by overseas residents to Stratford-on-Avon in 1991. It is not known how many overseas residents visited Stratford while staying elsewhere.

  The sources for the foregoing data do not identify what proportion of visits involved attendance at a performance by the Royal Shakespeare Company, but the latest available data show that in 1991–92 553,000 tickets were sold at the Royal Shakespeare Company's three theatres in Stratford-on-Avon.

  Digital Television Technology
  Mr. Randall
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what discussions he has had with the television industry on the development of a strategy for the introduction of digital television technology; and if he will make a statement.
  479
  Mr. Brooke
  None, but preliminary discussions are taking place with officials, both in my Department and the Department of Trade and Industry.

  Museums and Galleries
  Mr. Callaghan
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what consideration he is giving to increasing the purchase grants of the national museums and galleries and the National Heritage Memorial Fund; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Key
  We review all public expenditure programmes each year in the light of what we can afford. My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer will announce the results in the autumn Budget.

  Royal Parks
  Mr. Raynsford
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage (1) how many nurseries are currently being operated for the royal parks; and what was the position three years ago;

  (2) for how long the nursery at Greenwich park has been disused; and what are his proposals for the area of the park formerly occupied by the nursery;

  (3) if he will estimate the proportion of plants for use in the royal parks which are currently being imported from overseas suppliers; and what was the comparable figure three years ago;

  (4) if he will provide an estimate of the amount of time being allocated by the contractor in each of the royal parks to the supervision of apprentices; and what were the figures three years ago.

  Mr. Key
  Responsibility for the subject of the question has been delegated to the Royal Parks Agency under its chief executive, Mr. David Welch. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter from David Welch to Mr. Nick Raynsford, dated 24 May 1993

  The Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for National Heritage has asked me to reply to your Written Parliamentary Questions asking:

  (i) how many nurseries are currently being operated for the Royal Parks; and what was the position three years ago;

  (ii) for how long the nursery at Greenwich Park has been disused;, and what are his proposals for the area of the park formerly occupied by the nursery;

  (iii) if he will estimate the proportion of plants for use in the Royal Parks which are currently being imported from overseas suppliers; and what was the comparable figure three years ago; and

  (iv) if he will provide an estimate of the amount of time being allocated by the contractor in each of the Royal Parks to the supervision of apprentices; and what were the figures three years ago.

  Three years ago there were nurseries in Hyde, Regent's, Greenwich and Richmond Parks. Following the contracting out of the Royal Parks nursery production work in 1992 only the Hyde Park nursery remains in use by the contractors who also make use of their own premises.

  The Greenwich Park nursery was de-commissioned in June 1992 and I am currently considering a proposal by our landscape architects to combine the site with the deer enclosure, to create an historic animal enclosure. In the short term, we are looking at the possible use of part of the nursery area by a local charity dealing with the rehabilitation of disabled people.

  Less than 2 per cent. of all plants supplied to the Royal Parks each year are imported. Imports represent a very small
  480
  proportion of the cuttings propagated by our nursery contractor. Before June 1992, all plants were propagated within the Royal Parks.

  Under the terms of the nursery and grounds maintenance contracts all apprentices are required to be supervised by a member of the contractors' own staff. Before 1992 apprentices were directly employed by the Department and supervised by Royal Parks staff. Information is not available on the time allocated. We have employed the former Director of Studies at the Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew, to advise us on apprentice training. He will be speaking to each apprentice to ensure that the training they receive is appropriate and suitable. In addition we are talking to the Royal Horticultural society to negotiate some practical training at their gardens in Wisley.

  As a former apprentice myself, I am very keen that our scheme should be managed in the best tradition.

  Television Reception
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what percentage of the land area of England is not served by broadcasts by(a) independent television and (b) BBC television.

  Mr. Brooke
  Broadcasters determine transmitter coverage to serve resident populations rather than areas of land. About 99·4 per cent. of the United Kingdom population is able to receive both BBC and independent television services.

  Items in Lieu of Tax
  Mr. Spring
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what offers in lieu of tax have been accepted or allocated since his announcement of 23 April,Official Report, column 227.

  Mr. Brooke
  Since my last announcement on 23 April,Official Report, column 227, I am pleased to inform the House of the acceptance of two surrealist hats by Eileen Agar in lieu of taxation, which will satisfy £3,500 tax. I am also pleased to announce the allocation of an offer comprising a collection of silver and nine sporting paintings. The collection of silver will go to the Victoria and Albert museum, except for two candlesticks which will be allocated to the Museum of London. The sporting paintings will be allocated to the British Sporting Art trust, for display at the National Horseracing museum, Newmarket, except for one painting, "Sittingbourne with S. Rogers 2nd, West Australian with F. Butler winner of the Derby 1853" by Henry Aiken, which will go to the Doncaster museum. The surrealist hats will go to the Victoria and Albert museum in accordance with the condition on which the offer was made.

  Royal Palaces
  Mr. Alan Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what was the breakdown of departmental expenditure between the occupied royal palaces in the latest available year.

  Mr. Key
  [holding answer 21 May 1993]: The figures for property services in 1992–93 are as follows:

  £ million

  Buckingham Palace

  3·138

  Windsor Castle

  9·698

  St. James's Palace and Clarence House

  1·650

  Kensington Palace

  0·513

  Utilities, wages and other costs not broken down by palace

  8·137

  481

  £ million

  Total

  23·136

  The figures for Windsor castle includes the costs of a major refurbishment programme and of initial clearance and stabilisation work in the fire damaged area.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT

  South Africa
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the ODA budget for the Republic of South Africa in the current financial year; and what proportion he plans to disburse on higher education.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  We spent over £10 million on development assistance for black South Africans in 1992–93, and aim to increase spending in 1993–94. About 64 per cent. of 1992–93 expenditure was on higher education, including training awards in a variety of different sectors.

TRANSPORT

  A550
  Mr. Miller
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the photographs accompanying the publication of formal proposals for phases 1 and 2 of the A550 improvements was taken.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  Friday 24 August 1990.

  Mr. Miller
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will quantify traffic on(a) the A550 during the recent signposted diversion during roadworks at Queensferry and (b) for the same area prior to the diversion.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  Average daily traffic flows:

  (i) During recent diversion—

  Hooton—11,000 vehicles per day

  Deeside Park—35,000 vehicles per day

  (ii) Prior to diversion—

  Hooton—11,300 vehicles per day

  Deeside Park—39,500 vehicles per day

  Mr. Miller
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement detailing the conclusions drawn after the public consultation exercise into phase 3 of proposals for improvements to the A550.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  That there was substantial support for major improvements to the A550 and for the adoption of the blue route. That, after considering carefully the question of alternatives via the M53 and M56, the best option was to proceed with the modified blue route.

  Mr. Miller
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what factors were considered when the decision was taken to develop the A550.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  The objectives underlying all trunk road schemes are:482

  To assist economic growth by reducing transport costs

  To improve the environment by removing through traffic from unsuitable roads in towns and villages, and

  To enhance road safety.

  Mr. Miller
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what consideration was given to traffic-calming measures as a solution to current problems on the A550; and if he will make a statement on the investigation and its conclusions.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  The A550 forms an integral part of the trunk road system which we wish to maintain and develop. Traffic calming is not relevant in these circumstances.

  Mr. Miller
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will quantify annual accidents(a) on the A550 Ledsham bridge section prior to the improvements made in the 1980s and (b) for the same route since the improvements were completed.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  There were nine accidents in four years prior to the improvements completed in early 1989. There have been three accidents in four years since then.

  Mr. Miner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the terms of reference for improving the A550 will include an examination of the justification of the principle of the entire scheme.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  Each stage of the improvement stands alone as a separate scheme, the need and justification for which is likely to be tested at public inquiry.

  Mr. Miller
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on what date the original proposals for the A550 improvement were received; and whether they formed a co-ordinated scheme with proposals for the Dee barrage.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  The 1987 White Paper "Policy for Roads" introduced a scheme to improve the A550 between Woodbank and Ledsham. In 1989, the complementary scheme for the improvement between Ledsham and the M53 was added. Account was taken of all planned road schemes in the area.

  Mr. Miller
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on what date the principle of the current scheme for major improvements to the A550 was last evaluated; and if he will make a statement detailing the alternative schemes with which it was compared at that time.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  The justification for a scheme is continually assessed as design progresses. Alternative schemes assessed were an on-line improvement and an off-line route to the east of Two Mills.

  Mr. Miller
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the possible rail alternatives to the current proposals for improvements to the A550 were last evaluated.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  Recent and planned improvements to the rail network in the area are being taken into account in the scheme assessment. They are unlikely to have a major impact on the need for the improvements to the A550.

  Mr. Miller
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the criteria used to reach the decision for the proposed Ledsham to Deeside Park and M53 to Ledsham phases of the A550 improvements.
  483
  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  The A550 is a key element in the trunk road network for journeys between the Merseyside conurbation and north Wales. The present narrow single carriageway has a poor vertical alignment in places and is substandard for the amount of traffic using it. Poor visibility at junctions and accesses makes conditions hazardous for all road users and accidents are above the national average. Traffic is subject to congestion and queuing at peak hours and summer weekends. The degree and frequency of the congestion will increase with forecast higher flows.

  Mr. Miller
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will quantify traffic annually using(a) the A550 prior to the M53/A55 link around Chester into north Wales and (b) the same route since completion of the M53/A55 link.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  The following is the information:

  (a) Prior to completion of M53/A55 link—

  Hooton—12,450 vehicles per day

  Deeside Park—46,500 vehicles per day

  (b) Since completion of M53/A55 link—

  Hooton—12,450 vehicles per day

  Deeside Park—45,500 vehicles per day

  Mr. Miller
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement detailing the forecast traffic growth on the A550; and what are the criteria on which this forecast is based.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  Traffic flow forecasts for 2011 are:

  Vehicles per day

  Hoolon

  Low growth

  30,500

  High growth

  37,500

  Deeside Park

  Low growth

  71,700

  High growth

  87,500

  The Department used its standard methodologies to produce growth factors for private vehicles which reflect local circumstances. For commercial vehicles growth was assumed to be in line with national road traffic forecasts.

  The growth factors were then applied to current traffic flows to produce forecasts for the year 2011 which were assigned to the road network containing the Department's proposals.

  Bypass Definition
  Mr. Miller
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what definition of a highway bypass is used by his Department.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  There is no statutory definition of a bypass. Trunk road bypass schemes remove through traffic from towns and villages on all-purpose trunk roads. Other schemes in the national road programme may have a similar effect.

  Lorry Drivers
  Mr. Matthew Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proposals he has for dealing with abuse of the requirements on lorry drivers' hours and rest periods, and the use of tachographs; and if he will make a statement.
  484
  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  Breaches of the rules for drivers' hours, rest periods and the proper fitting and use of tachographs have serious implications for road safety. We take a grave view of those who seek to circumvent these rules and in the interests of safety the vehicle inspectorate is to increase the enforcement resources it devotes to this work by nearly 70 per cent. from June this year. This will be organised through special task forces to target specific areas of concern. We aim to achieve this result within the present resources of the vehicle inspectorate both through a number of efficiency gains and by switching some effort from weight enforcement.

  Motorways
  Mr. Dunn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he will publish a Green Paper on motorway charging.

  Mr. MacGregor
  Together with my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Scotland and for Wales, I intend to publish tomorrow a Green Paper on the basis of charging for motorways in Great Britain entitled "Paying for Better Motorways: Issues for Discussion". Copies will be available in the Vote Office from 11 am in the usual way.

  The Green Paper will be very much a consultation document to stimulate informed and vigorous debate. The Government have taken no decision to introduce direct charging.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

  House Committees
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the right hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed, as representing the House of Commons Commission if he will make a statement outlining the relationship between the Commission and the domestic House Committees, indicating how their reports are considered; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Beith
  Under the House of Commons (Administration) Act 1978, the Commission is responsible for the appointment of staff of the House and for laying before the House the Estimates for House of Commons: Administration and House of Commons: Works Services. The work of the Commission in carrying out its responsibilities is described in its annual reports presented to the House, most recently on 16 July 1992 (HC 155).

  The Finance and Services Committee has responsibility for detailed consideration of financial matters, including questions of priority for expenditure. It prepares draft estimates with the assistance of the board of management for submission to the Commission. The main role of the domestic committees, apart from their consumer role in advising on the delivery of services by House Departments, is to make policy recommendations to the Speaker and the Commission as appropriate. The recommendations are then considered as necessary by the Finance and Services Committee in advance of final decisions being taken by the Commission.

  The Commission operates a long-standing policy of requiring the introduction of a major new service to be approved by the House before provision is made for it in the estimates. The occasion for such a debate would normally be the consideration of a report from the relevant domestic committee.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Regional Preferential Assistance
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will publish figures showing Government expenditure on regional preferential assistance to industry for each standard United Kingdom region(a) at current prices and (b) at 1989–90 prices for the years 1991–92 and 1992–93.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  Details of regional preferential assistance at current prices for 1991–92 and 1992–93 can be found in my answer to the hon. Member for Darlington (Mr. Milburn) on 18 May,Official Report, columns 121–22.

  A regional breakdown of regional preferential assistance at 1989–90 prices, covering the period 1991–92 and 1992–93, is as follows:

  £ million

  Region

  1991–92

  1992–93

  Northern1

  55·3

  40·5

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  15·8

  11·5

  East Midlands

  2·3

  1·0

  South West

  7·2

  6·9

  West Midlands

  7·5

  9·1

  North West2

  42·9

  30·9

  England

  131·0

  99·8

  Wales

  133·5

  3118·2

  Scotland

  111·8

  386·7

  Great Britain

  376·3

  3304·8

  Northern Ireland

  121·8

  391·0

  United Kingdom

  498·1

  3395·8

  All figures are gross and include payments to Nationalised Industries.

  1 Includes expenditure in Cumbria.

  2Excludes expenditure in Cumbria.

  3 Provisional.

  The items included in the expenditure are regional development grants, regional selective assistance and regional enterprise grants; expenditure on land and factories by the English Industrial Estates Corporation, the Scottish and Welsh development agencies, the Development Board for Rural Wales and the Highlands and Islands development board.

  Northern Ireland has a different range of financial incentives available and the items included are Industrial Development Board grants and loans, expenditure on land and factories, share capital standard capital grants and local enterprise development unit grants and loans.

  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what were the numbers and value of offers of(a) regional selective assistance and (b) regional enterprise grants within each standard United Kingdom region in 1991–92 and 1992–93; what is the forecast outturn for 1993–94; and if he will list (i) the number of applications, (ii) the associated project costs and (iii) the amount of grant paid.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The regional selective assistance (RSA) and regional enterprise grants (REG) schemes are applicable only in Great Britain.

  For 1991–92 all the information requested about RSA and REG can be found in the annual report of the Industrial Development Act 1982 at appendices 7 and 5
  486
  respectively. Copies are available in the Library of the House. Apart from the amount of grant paid, information for 1992–93 is presently being prepared and will be published in the annual report in September 1993.

  The amount of grant paid in each standard region in 1992–93 was:

  £ million

  1992–93

  RSA

  REG

  Northern

  28·1

  1·5

  North West

  18·2

  1·3

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  8·4

  1·8

  South West

  5·1

  0·8

  East Midlands

  0·6

  0·3

  West Midlands

  10·7

  0·1

  England

  71·1

  5·8

  Scotland

  59·2

  2·8

  Wales

  158·8

  11·1

  Great Britain

  1189·1

  19·7

  1 Provisional.

  The latest forecast outturns for RSA and REG for 1993–94 are contained in the 1993–94 Supply estimates.

  Sellafield
  Sir Thomas Arnold
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the current timing of the decision in respect of the commissioning of the thermal oxide reprocessing plant at Sellafield.

  Mr. Eggar
  Before commissioning its thermal oxide reprocessing plant, British Nuclear Fuels plc will need such consents and authorisations as may be required by law. The company's application for revised discharge authori-sations for the Sellafield site is a matter for my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment and my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.

  Nuclear Safety
  Mr. Ainger
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the revised timetable for the long-term safety review of nuclear reactors by the nuclear installations inspectorate.

  Mr. Eggar
  The Health and Safety Executive's nuclear installations inspectorate has so far published reports of its findings on six power stations. It intends to publish a report on the generic issues arising out of the long-term safety reviews (LTSRs) of Magnox stations later this year. Important modifications to plant at all the Magnox stations have been or are being implemented. The NII has requested the licensees to give priority to these generic safety concerns so that action is taken without waiting for completion of individual station's LTSRs. Brief reports on the remaining five stations should then be available before the end of 1994.

  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) when he received the 1991–92 report of his advisory committee on the safety of nuclear installations; and what action he plans to take in response to its recommendations;

  (2) when he received a copy of the third report of the advisory committee on the safety of nuclear installations study group on human factors.
  487
  Mr. Eggar
  I received copies of the biennial report of the Health and Safety Commission's Advisory Committee on the Safety of Nuclear Installations (ACSNI), and of a report from its study group on human factors, on Monday 17 May, the day of their publication. The biennial report contains no recommendations as such, but I have noted the areas of work which ACSNI has undertaken in 1991–1992 and have also been informed about the committee's forward programme for 1993.

  Mr. Bowden
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make it his policy to seek an international convention to harmonise the safety standards of nuclear reactors.

  Mr. Eggar
  The Government welcome the discussions taking place at the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna on a proposed international nuclear safety convention, and hopes these can be concluded as soon as possible. The convention should be based on general principles of nuclear safety and should be aimed at improving the safety of civil nuclear power reactors world wide.

  Mr. Bowden
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans he has to increase the resources of the International Atomic Energy Agency for the implementa-tion of programmes for improving safety in the nuclear industries of the countries of central and eastern Europe.

  Mr. Eggar
  Major funding for projects to improve nuclear safety in the countries of central and eastern Europe is being provided through bilateral assistance programmes co-ordinated by G24, and through the multilateral fund, established as an initiative of the G7 July 1992 Munich summit. The Government are playing a full part in these programmes and recently made a contribution of £8·25 million to the fund. The Government consider that the resources currently available to the International Atomic Energy Agency are broadly consistent with the distinctive contribution the agency is able to make in the area, both through its own specific programmes and the quality of its technical advice to others.

  Plutonium
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many shipments of safeguarded plutonium from the United Kingdom to Japan have taken place to date.

  Mr. Eggar
  For the period from May 1979, shipments of plutonium from the United Kingdom to Japan were made in financial years 1979–80, 1980–81 and 1981–82. The shipments were made under safeguards for use in civil nuclear power research and development. The specific details are a matter for the operator concerned and its customers.

  Abu Dhabi
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what matters in regard to the prospects for a carbon tax were raised by the Minister for Energy during his recent visit to Abu Dhabi.

  Mr. Eggar
  During my recent visit to the Gulf, considerable concern was expressed in Abu Dhabi and 488
  elsewhere about the European Commission's proposals for a carbon/energy tax. I explained that the United Kingdom was not convinced that a Community-wide tax along the lines proposed by the Commission was either a necessary or appropriate response to the problem of global warming. I also took the opportunity to explain the outcome of the joint session of the Energy and Environment Councils on 23 April outlined in my reply to my hon. Friend the hon. Member for Norfolk, North-West (Mr. Bellingham), Official Report, columns 109–10, on 5 May 1993.

  Coal Industry
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade to what extent British Coal may take into account commercial concerns over potential competitors in assessing disposal and future sale of pits; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Eggar
  Offering to the private sector pits which British Coal does not wish to keep in production is a matter for British Coal. As the White Paper explains, the Government believe that it is right that where a private sector operator is prepared to take on a pit for the long term that operator should have the opportunity to succeed or fail in the market. In considering bids, British Coal will, of course, have to have due regard to its statutory duties.

  Newly licensed mines will have to find new outlets for their production and will not have access to British Coal's contracts with the electricity supply industry.

  Croatia
  Mr. Elletson
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what advice his Department gives to British businesses considering investment in the Republic of Croatia.

  Mr. Needham
  Because of Croatia's serious economic and political difficulties, my Department urges a cautious approach on British companies considering investing there.

  Manufactured Goods
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what has been the increase in import penetration of manufactured goods each year since 1972, distinguish-ing between imports from(a) the EEC and (b) the rest of the world.

  Mr. Needham
  Information on import penetration from 1970 to 1979 was published in the June 1980 edition of "Economic Trends". Subsequent data up to the year ended June 1989 were published in "Business Monitor MQ12"; annual summaries are published in table 12.2 of the "Annual Abstract of Statistics". These publications are available in the Library of the House. The figures do not separate the EC from the rest of the world.

  Tariffs
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will publish a table showing the average incidence of tariffs on imports and exports of manufactures in(a) 1972 and (b) 1992 in (i) the United Kingdom and (ii) the original EEC Six, and indicating the

  489
  average loss of tariff preference between the United
  Kingdom and (x) Denmark, (y) the Irish Republic and (z) Commonwealth countries since 1972.

  Mr. Needham
  No. The provision of this detailed information would incur disproportionate costs in terms of resources and time.

  Coal Review
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans he has to visit representatives of(a) employers and (b) employees of those coal mines in Wales which were included in the British Coal review to discuss the future of their pits.

  Mr. Eggar
  Neither my right hon. Friend nor I have any plans to do so at present.

  Gas Interconnector
  Mr. Stephen
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what progress has been made by the group of companies studying the feasibility of building a gas interconnector between the United Kingdom and the continent.

  Mr. Eggar
  I understand that the group will shortly be inviting potential users to participate in an interconnector linking the United Kingdom and Belgian gas grids. I welcome this initiative by the industry. It is an important step towards realising the gas trade opportunities this link will provide. It will be for the Government to negotiate with the Belgian Government the necessary treaty for a pipeline crossing our continental shelf boundary, and I am writing to the chairman of the group to assure him of our readiness to do so.

  Companies House
  Mrs. Angela Knight
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what targets he has set Companies House executive agency for 1993–94.

  Mr. Heseltine
  I have set Companies House executive agency the following targets for 1993–94:

  to make all statutory documents available for public inspection within five working days of receipt;

  to satisfy all requests for searches within two hours;

  to achieve a compliance rate of 86 per cent. by end June 1993, increasing to 90 per cent. by end June 1994 for companies filing accounts and annual returns; and

  to reduce real unit costs by an average of 2 per cent. a year.

  Companies House is also required to achieve a 6 per
  cent. average annual rate of return based on its operating surplus expressed as a percentage of average net assets employed at current values.

  In addition, I have set the chief executive of the agency the target of replying within 10 working days to letters from MPs delegated to him for reply.

  Telecommunications Council
  Mrs. Angela Knight
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the outcome of the Telecommunications Council held on 10 May.

  Mr. Leigh
  The main item of business was the proposal for a Council decision on an action plan far the introduction of advanced television services in Europe.490
  Some progress was made towards achieving an agreement, but several key points on the content of the action plan, including the overall amount of any Community expenditure have yet to be agreed. Negotiations will continue at a further Council meeting, scheduled for 16 June.

  A common position was agreed in principle on the directive applying open network provision to voice telephony. Council conclusions on the Commission's communication on the European telecommunications equipment industry were adopted without discussion. These invite the Commission to strengthen Community action already under way in four areas: establishment of an internal market, support for research and development, development of the terminal equipment market, and improving competitive conditions in the world market. There was also a short debate on a recent Commission communication on the review of the telecommunications services market, which proposed full liberalisation of telecom services by 1998. On the postal Green Paper the Commission gave a brief oral report on the results of the consultation period. There will be more substantive discussions on both these points at the Telecommunications Council on 16 June.

  UKAEA
  Mr. Dunn
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade whether he will make a statement on the chairmanship of the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority.

  Mr. Heseltine
  The current chairman's appointment expires on 30 June 1993. I have appointed Sir Anthony Cleaver to succeed him, initially for three years, from 1 July 1993.

  Advertisements (Germany)
  Mr. Wareing
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many advertisements his Department has placed in German newspapers and periodicals; into which ones they were placed; what the cost has been; what was the purpose of the advertisements; what the response has been; and if he will place copies of these advertisements in the Library.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  [holding answer 24 May, 1993]: During the 1992–93 financial year a total of 74 advertisements costing some £160,000 were placed in Handelsblatt, Wirtschaftswoche and TopBusiness, together with chamber of commerce magazines in Freiburg, Stuttgart, Mannheim, Karlsruhe and Reutlingen. The advertising campaign was aimed at stimulating the interest of German companies in the advantages the United Kingdom offers as a profitable investment location. So far, some 40 companies have responded. Copies of the advertisement have been placed in the Library.

  Gas Prices
  Mr. Peter Atkinson
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the standing charges per quarter and the unit charge in pence/kWh for gas prices for each year since 1991–92; what is each figure as a percentage increase or decrease on the previous year's figure; what were the changes in the retail prices index over the same period; and if he will make a statement.
  491
  Mr. Eggar
  [holding answer 24 May 1993]: The information requested is as follows:

  Domestic Gas: Standard Credit Tariff

  Standing charge Pence per day

  Unit cost Pence per kWh

  1 April 1991

  10·3

  1·566

  1 April 1992

  10·3

  1·566

  1 July 1992

  10·3

  1·507

  1 October 1992

  10·1

  1·477

  1 April 1993

  10·1

  1·477

  Percentage changes

  Gas

  Standing charge

  Unit cost

  RPI (all items)

  April 1991 to April 1992

  nil

  nil

  +4·3

  April 1992 to April 1993

  -1·9

  -5·7

  +1·3

  Retail Prices Index (all items) 13 January 1987 = 100

  RPI

  April 1991

  133·1

  April 1992

  138·8

  April 1993

  140·6

  Over the two-year period 1990–92 in real terms standing charges have decreased by 8·2 per cent. and unit cost by 4·1 per cent.

EDUCATION

  Discretionary Grants
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many representations he has received on the subject of discretionary grants over the past 18 months; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Boswell
  My right hon. Friend has received a considerable number of representations on this subject from members of the public, interested groups and hon. Members.

  Testing
  Mr. Steinberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what representations he has had from, and what meetings he has had with, parent-teacher associations on the subject of testing in schools; and what consideration he is giving to their views.

  Mr. Forth
  My right hon. Friend has received a number of letters from parent-teacher associations in recent months. He last met the National Confederation of Parent Teacher Associations (NCPTA) on 26 April. He has also met a delegation from Parents' Initiative, and gave a speech at the annual conference of the Campaign for Real Education on 17 April.

  All these occasions allowed my right hon. Friend to speak to parents, and to seek their views on the subject of testing. We recognise that parents have an essential role to play in the education process: we want actively to engage them in it.
  492
  My right hon. Friend has asked Sir Ron Dearing, the chairman designate of the School Curriculum and Assessment Authority, to conduct a wide-ranging review of the manageability of the national curriculum and the associated testing and assessment framework. Parent-teacher associations should make their views known to him.

  Student Loans
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of students have taken up a student loan within the first year of study, in each year since the initiation of the student loan scheme.

  Mr. Boswell
  This is a matter for the Student Loans Company. I will ask the chief executive to write to the hon. Member.

  Multiple Disabilities
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will introduce legislation to extend the statutory entitlement to education for people with multiple disabilities to at least the age of 25 years; and if he will meet the campaign for people with multiple disabilities to discuss the need for statutory change.

  Mr. Boswell
  The Further Education Act 1992 requires the Further Education Funding Council and local education authorities to ensure that adequate further education provision is available for adults without age limit, including those with multiple disabilities. These are substantial statutory duties; the Government have no plans to extend them.

  Teacher Education
  Mrs. Ann Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) what advice he has received from the Office for Standards in Education on the experience of partnership between higher education institutions and schools in the education and training of teachers; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) what advice he has received from the Office for Standards in Education arising from its surveys of teachers education courses; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Patten
  Ofsted is engaged in a four year cycle of inspections of higher education institutions offering initial teacher training and it or the institutions publish these reports. From time to time, Ofsted also publish reports on surveys conducted on various aspects of initial or in-service training for teachers.

  Mrs. Ann Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education how his plans for the future of teacher education differ from the statement in circular 9/92 concerning the shared responsibility of higher education institutions and schools for planning and management of courses; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Patten
  I welcome the move towards greater partnership between higher education institutions and schools which circular 9/92 has brought about, and look forward to similar developments in primary teacher training. I am also pleased that we are now able to offer some schools the chance to design and run their own courses, allowing them to decide on an appropriate role
  493
  for higher education institutions. I shall be announcing the names of the first schools chosen to run such courses shortly.

  Mrs. Ann Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he will publish a circular about the future of teacher education for primary school teachers; what advice he has received from the Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education on this matter this year; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Patten
  Proposals for the reform of primary initial teacher training will be announced soon and will take account of advice received from the Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education.

  Mrs. Ann Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education how he intends to alter the present arrangements for teacher education; on what basis qualifications will be awarded to students; who will validate such qualifications; and if he will make it his policy that those qualifications will be no lower in quality and status than existing teacher qualifications.

  Mr. Boswell
  The Government have already introduced new requirements for secondary teacher training. M y right hon. Friend recently announced a pioneer scheme for school-led training courses. We will shortly be issuing for consultation proposals for the reform of primary teacher training. Arrangements for validation are for the institutions concerned; my right hon. Friend will continue to use his powers to approve courses leading to qualified teacher status so as to improve the quality and standing of the teaching profession.

  Mrs. Ann Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what are the current arrangements for teacher education; which types of qualification are available to those who wish to practise as teachers; who validates such qualifications; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Boswell
  Current arrangements for initial teacher training, and other ways of achieving qualified teacher status, are summarised in the publication "Routes into Teaching" issued by the Teaching as a Career unit. Copies are available from the Library.

  Head Teachers and Deputies
  Ms Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will publish a table showing the earnings of head teachers and deputy head teachers in each group from one to six in real terms at January 1993 prices for each year since 1990–91; and if he will provide estimates for 1993–94 and 1994–95.

  Mr. Boswell
  The current pay spine for heads and deputies was introduced on 1 January 1991. Table A shows the values of the points on the spine at that date and on subsequent dates when they have been increased, converted to January 1993 prices by use of the retail prices index. The spine was extended by two points in April 1991.

  Table B shows the points ranges applying to the salaries of heads and deputies in the six school groups. The School Teachers' Review Body has not yet been asked to report on teachers' pay in 1994–95.
  494

  Table A

  Movements in values of heads and deputies' pay spine

  Point

  1 January 1991

  1 April 1991

  1 December 1991

  1 April 1992

  1 April 1993

  1

  19,391

  20,387

  20,965

  22,046

  21,981

  2

  19,708

  20,720

  21,309

  22,407

  22,340

  3

  20,026

  21,056

  21,654

  22,770

  22,702

  4

  20,344

  21,388

  21,995

  23,128

  23,061

  5

  20,662

  21,724

  22,339

  23,492

  23,423

  6

  20,980

  22,057

  22,684

  23,853

  23,782

  7

  21,298

  22,392

  23,028

  24,217

  24,144

  8

  21,616

  22,725

  23,370

  24,574

  24,500

  9

  21,934

  23,061

  23,714

  24,938

  24,865

  10

  22,251

  23,393

  24,059

  25,299

  25,224

  11

  22,569

  23,729

  24,403

  25,660

  25,583

  12

  22,887

  24,062

  24,744

  26,020

  25,943

  13

  23,205

  24,397

  25,089

  26,381

  26,302

  14

  23,523

  24,730

  25,433

  26,745

  26,667

  15

  23,841

  25,066

  25,778

  27,106

  27,026

  16

  24,159

  25,398

  26,119

  27,466

  27,385

  17

  24,477

  25,734

  26,463

  27,827

  27,744

  18

  24,794

  26,067

  26,808

  28,191

  28,109

  19

  25,112

  26,403

  27,152

  28,552

  28,468

  20

  25,430

  26,735

  27,493

  28,913

  28,827

  21

  25,856

  27,183

  27,954

  29,396

  29,310

  22

  26,279

  27,627

  28,411

  29,876

  29,787

  23

  26,702

  28,072

  28,868

  30,356

  30,266

  24

  27,128

  28,520

  29,329

  30,842

  30,749

  25

  27,550

  28,964

  29,786

  31,322

  31,229

  26

  27,973

  29,409

  30,243

  31,802

  31,709

  27

  28,399

  29,856

  30,703

  32,285

  32,188

  28

  28,822

  30,301

  31,161

  32,768

  32,671

  29

  29,245

  30,745

  31,618

  33,248

  33,151

  30

  29,776

  31,305

  32,194

  33,853

  33,754

  31

  30,306

  31,861

  32.767

  34,455

  34,355

  32

  30,834

  32,418

  33,337

  35,055

  34,952

  33

  31,365

  32,974

  33,910

  35,657

  35,553

  34

  31,896

  33,534

  34,486

  36,265

  36,159

  35

  32,424

  34,090

  35,056

  36,864

  36,756

  36

  32,954

  34,647

  35,629

  37,467

  37,357

  37

  33,485

  35,203

  36,202

  38,069

  37,957

  38

  34,226

  35,984

  37,004

  38,913

  38,799

  39

  34,967

  36,764

  37,805

  39,754

  39,635

  40

  35,710

  37,544

  38,610

  40,600

  40,480

  41

  36,451

  38,321

  39,409

  41,441

  41,318

  42

  37,192

  39,102

  40,210

  42,282

  42,157

  43

  37,936

  39,882

  41,015

  43,129

  43,002

  44

  38,676

  40,662

  41,817

  43,973

  43,841

  45

  39,417

  41,443

  42,615

  44,813

  44,680

  46

  40,161

  42,223

  43,420

  45,657

  45,522

  47

  40,901

  43,000

  44,222

  46,501

  46,363

  48

  41,642

  43,780

  45,023

  47,345

  47,205

  49

  42,386

  44,561

  45,825

  48,189

  48,047

  50

  —

  45,341

  46,627

  49,029

  48,883

  51

  —

  46,118

  47,428

  49,873

  49,725

  Table B

  Heads' and deputies' pay ranges

  School Group

  Head teachers Spine Point

  Deputy head teachers Spine Point

  1

  3–15

  1–8

  2

  8–22

  2–10

  3

  15–29

  4–13

  4

  23–37

  8–20

  5

  31–44

  15–26

  6

  38–51

  22–34

  Key Stage Tests
  Mrs. Ann Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what arrangements have been made to produce the large print version of the key stage tests.
  495
  Mr. Forth
  Brailled, enlarged and modified print versions of test papers for 14-year-olds are available for pupils with a statement of special needs for visual impairment. It is for teachers to decide which type of question paper is most suitable for their pupils. The School Examinations and Assessment Council (SEAC) asked schools to place orders for such papers by January 1993. Pupil packs are made up individually according to schools' orders.

  Large print versions of the tests for seven-year-olds have not been prepared. Given the way the tests are administered, teachers are able to explain the nature of the tasks to pupils with visual impairment. However, schools may enlarge pupil work sheets in preparing the tests for pupils with special needs.

  SEAC has also advised schools of a telephone helpline which has been established at the Royal National Institute for the Blind to deal with inquiries and any problems arising over the delivery of test papers.

  Gang Rape Poem
  Dr. Spink
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will make a statement on the inclusion of a poem on gang rape used in the London Examination Board GCSE syllabus.

  Mr. Forth
  This poem was not prescribed for study as part of any syllabus published by the University of London Examinations and Assessment Council. I understand that it was selected by one school as one of the poems to be studied and written about under a syllabus which left the choice to the school. The selection by schools of material for study is a matter for the school concerned, but having read the poem I believe that it was unsuitable and regrettable.

  Testing
  Mr. Pendry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what is the estimated cost of the national key stage testing for all school children in England and Wales in each subject and at each key stage for this year; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Forth
  The estimated costs of producing and distributing the statutory tests for 1993 in English, mathematics, science and Welsh at key stage 1— seven-year-olds—is £1,230,000. The estimated cost of the non-mandatory tests at this key stage is £1,470,000.

  The cost of the statutory tests in English, mathematics, science, technology and Welsh at key stage 3–14-year-olds—is £4,090,000. This includes support materials.

  At key stage 2 there are no statutory assessments this year.

  Teachers (Earnings)
  Ms Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will publish a table showing the earnings of qualified teachers on each scale point from one to 10 in real terms at January 1993 prices for each year since 1990–91; and if he will provide estimates for 1993–94 and 1994–95.

  Mr. Boswell
  The following table shows the values of the points on the standard scale for qualified teachers other than heads and deputies at 1 April 1990, 1991, 1992 496
  and 1993. These have been converted to January 1993 prices by use of the retail prices index. Teachers paid on the standard scale may also be paid incentive allowances at one of five rates—currently £1,302, £2,109, £4,218, £5,625, and £7,734—and other discretionary payments. The salaries listed exclude London weighting. Teachers in service on 1 May 1993 will receive a lump sum of £90. The standard scale will cease to exist in September 1993 when a new pay spine for classroom teachers will be introduced.

  Standard scale for qualified teachers

  at 1 April 1990

  1 April 1991

  1 April 1992

  1 April 1993

  Point

  Salary

  £

  £

  £

  £

  11

  9,918

  10,582

  1

  10,295

  10,582

  11,115

  11,032

  2

  10,685

  11,142

  11,703

  11,614

  3

  11,072

  11,701

  12,290

  12,197

  4

  11,991

  12,261

  12,875

  12,780

  5

  12,953

  13,097

  13,754

  13,651

  6

  13,780

  13,933

  14,631

  14,522

  7

  14,606

  14,770

  15,510

  15,394

  8

  15,433

  15,606

  16,387

  16,265

  9

  16,418

  16,719

  17,556

  17,425

  10

  17,327

  17,832

  18,721

  18,584

  1 The 11-point scale was shortened by one point on 1 December 1991 and the old point 1 disappeared.

SCOTLAND

  Inspectorate of Constabulary
  Mr. Gallie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish a statement on the role of Her Majesty's inspectorate of constabulary in Scotland.

  Mr. Lang
  The citizens charter highlighted the importance of the role of the main public service inspectorates in checking that the service providers meet the needs of the public which they serve, and the "Justice Charter for Scotland" which I published in November 1991 provided undertakings as to the manner in which Her Majesty's inspectorate of constabulary for Scotland would perform this role. Further information about the inspectorate is provided in a leaflet under the title "The Role of HM Inspectorate of Constabulary, Scotland" which I have published today.

  The leaflet incorporates a statement of principles for the inspectorate which focuses on the key principles of independence, openness, lay involvement and objectivity. It also explains the role and organisation of the inspectorate, and describes the process of annual inspection of police forces in Scotland. Particular attention is drawn to the arrangements which are made by the inspectorate to obtain the view of members of the public and to ensure that the public have access to the reports of their inspections. The leaflet will be available in police stations and in public libraries throughout Scotland.

  I have placed copies of the leaflet in the Library.

  General Practitioners
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what limitations are imposed on the reimbursement of general practitioners performing minor surgery;
  497
  on what grounds these limitations are imposed; when he plans to review the arrangements; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 20 May 1993]: Under the statement of fees and allowances for general medical practitioners in Scotland which are determined by the Secretary of State after consultation with representatives of the medical profession, a general medical practitioner on the local health board's minor surgery list is entitled to a fee for undertaking a minor surgery session—comprising five procedures. Payment is limited to a maximum of three sessions per quarter.

  There are no plans to review these arrangements.

  Kerr Little
  Mr. David Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the total amount of public money given to the meat processing and butchering company, Kerr Little, not in receivership, in the past two years; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir Hector Monro
  [holding answer 21 May 1993]: Kerr Little was awarded an EC grant in 1992 worth £173,574 and had earlier been made an offer of regional selective assistance worth £145,000 by Scottish Office Industry Department. The Scottish Office is in contact with the receiver in the interest of safeguarding public money already paid to the company, which totals £186,142.

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. Hain
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many(a) people and (b) males aged 16 years or over were recorded by the 1991 census in Scotland as economically inactive; and what percentage these figures represent of the population in each case.

  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 21 May 1993]: In the 1991 census of population there were 1,581,059 persons in Scotland who were aged 16 and over and economically inactive. This figure is 39·6 per cent. of all persons aged 16 and over. The corresponding figures for males are 510,718 and 27·2.

  Farmers and Fishermen
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many officials are employed by his Department to administer, inspect, regulate and advise the farming and fishing industries either directly, in agencies or on special contracts(a) in 1992 and (b) at the latest available date; how many (i) farmers and (ii) fishermen there are in Scotland, full or part time; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir Hector Monro
  [holding answer 24 May 1993]: The total numbers of staff employed by the Scottish Office Agriculture and Fisheries Department, the Scottish Agricultural Science Agency and the Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency at 1 April 1992 and 1 April 1993 are shown in the following table, together with the most recent figures available on the numbers of farmers and fishermen in Scotland.
  498

  Staff numbers (full-time equivalent1)

  1 April 1992 Number

  Number

  1 April 1993 Number

  SOAFD

  1,033·5

  1,071·5

  SASA

  138·5

  142·0

  SFPA

  215·5

  225·5

  Farmers2

  Full-time

  12,700

  Part-time

  10,200

  Fishermen3

  Full-time

  7,181

  Part-time

  955

  1 Figures are calculated as full-time equivalents (i.e., part-time staff are counted as half units) and include administrative, professional, technical, industrial and support grades. Casual staff are excluded.

  2 Includes partners and directors as at 1992 June agricultural census.

  3 SOAFD figures as at December 1992.

  Nurse Regrading
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the total number of outstanding regrading appeals by nurses on each of the health board areas.

  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 24 May 1993]: I understand that virtually no nurse clinical grading appeals submitted under section 32 of the General Whitley Council conditions of service are oustanding at health board level. On 1 May 1993, 478 appeals to the Scottish Appeals Committee were outstanding. On the same date 482 appeals at national level remitted by the Nursing and Midwifery Staffs Negotiating Council to the Scottish Appeal Team secretariat were outstanding; the breakdown of these by health board is given in the table.

  Health Board

  Scottish Appeals Committee Outstanding

  National Level Appeals Outstanding

  Total

  Argyll and Clyde

  18

  29

  47

  Ayrshire and Arran

  13

  40

  53

  Borders

  6

  11

  17

  Dumfries and Galloway

  16

  9

  25

  Fife

  48

  25

  73

  Forth Valley

  94

  74

  168

  Grampian

  14

  6

  20

  Greater Glasgow

  74

  59

  133

  Highland

  9

  23

  32

  Lanarkshire

  56

  54

  110

  Lothian

  21

  54

  75

  Orkney

  2

  —

  2

  Shetland

  1

  3

  4

  Tayside

  106

  75

  181

  Western Isles

  —

  8

  8

  CSA

  —

  12

  12

  State Hospital

  —

  —

  —

  Total

  478

  482

  960

  Multiple Births
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what were the total numbers of sets of (i) twins, (ii) triplets, (iii) quadruplets, (iv) quintuplets and (v) sextuplets born in Scotland in each year since 1980 and the total number of maternities in Scotland in each year; and how many
  499
  multiple births of each type in each year were conceived as a result of (a) in-vitro fertilisation, (b) gamete intra-fallopian transfer and (c) other forms of assisted conception.

  Twin

  Triplet

  Type of birth Quadruplet

  Quintuplet

  Sextuplet

  Total maternities

  1980

  658

  4

  —

  —

  —

  68,689

  1981

  611

  7

  —

  —

  —

  68,865

  1982

  607

  6

  —

  —

  —

  65,963

  1983

  677

  2

  —

  —

  —

  64,776

  1984

  665

  10

  —

  —

  —

  64,800

  1985

  681

  9

  —

  —

  —

  66,342

  1986

  721

  10

  —

  —

  —

  65,456

  1987

  721

  10

  —

  —

  —

  65,839

  1988

  706

  9

  1

  —

  —

  65,842

  1989

  677

  13

  2

  —

  —

  63,090

  1990

  731

  16

  1

  —

  —

  65,556

  1991

  709

  24

  2

  —

  —

  66,630

  19921

  808

  15

  —

  —

  —

  65,307

  1 Provisional.

  Information on the number of multiple births in Scotland attributed to assisted reproduction is not available. Some information on these matters is published in the first annual report of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, and in earlier annual reports of the interim licensing authority, copies of which are available in the Library.

  Court Cases
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many cases heard by(a) district courts, (b) sheriff courts and (c) the High Court resulted in (i) convictions, (ii) a verdict of not proven and (iii) dismissals, for the last seven years.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 24 May 1993]: The available information is given in the table:

  Persons called to court by outcome

  1985–91 Scotland

  Year

  PNGS1 or Deserted

  Acquitted Not Guilty

  Acquitted Not Proven

  Charge Proved

  Total

  High Court

  1985

  31

  134

  66

  805

  1,036

  1986

  32

  156

  75

  793

  1,056

  1987

  36

  147

  72

  858

  1,113

  1988

  51

  95

  77

  801

  1,024

  1989

  50

  96

  73

  746

  965

  1990

  61

  111

  70

  757

  999

  1991

  81

  94

  78

  743

  996

  Sheriff Court

  1985

  4,187

  6,521

  1,224

  100,110

  112,042

  1986

  4,701

  6,515

  1,226

  96,119

  108,561

  1987

  4,632

  6,412

  1,200

  91,955

  104,199

  1988

  5,592

  4,703

  1,224

  91,164

  102,683

  1989

  6,538

  4,739

  1,366

  90,721

  103,364

  1990

  7,922

  4,281

  1,313

  88,202

  101,718

  1991

  7,554

  3,682

  1,137

  82,723

  95,096

  District Court

  1985

  2,857

  3,193

  625

  72,006

  78,681

  1986

  2,874

  2,871

  556

  71,427

  77,728

  1987

  2,865

  3,044

  532

  72,150

  78,591

  1988

  2,958

  2,768

  502

  74,839

  81,067

  1989

  3,012

  2,449

  553

  74,123

  80,137

  500
  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 24 May 1993]: The information is as follows:

  Year

  PNGS1 or Deserted

  Acquitted Not Guilty

  Acquitted Not Proven

  Charge Proved

  Total

  1990

  3,623

  2,347

  578

  76,904

  83,452

  1991

  3,295

  2,270

  496

  77,725

  83,786

  1 Plea of ont guilty accepted.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Hostel Accommodation
  Mr. Beggs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the average weekly cost to the DHSS in Northern Ireland for providing a place for a single person in hostel accommodation.

  Mr. Hanley
  The average weekly accommodation cost met by DHSS through the housing benefit scheme for a single resident in a hostel is £98.72.

  Terrorism
  Rev. Martin Smyth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people have been killed or injured as a result of fire and explosion during terrorist incidents in the past three years.

  Mr. Mates
  The available information is set out in the table. Information on persons injured in fires is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Terrorist incidents in Northern Ireland

  Deaths as a result of:

  Injuries as a result of:

  Explosions

  Fires

  Explosions

  1990

  22

  —

  115

  1991

  18

  2

  234

  1992

  11

  —

  200

  Myalgic Encephalomyelitis
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people are receiving benefits in respect of myalgic encephalomyelitis.
  501
  Mr. Hanley
  Responsibility for the subject in question has been delegated to the Social Security Agency under its chief executive, Mr. Alec Wylie. However, I have been advised that the information requested is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Multiple Births
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what were the total numbers of sets of (i) twins, (ii) triplets, (iii) quadruplets, (iv) quintuplets and

  Type

  1980

  1981

  1982

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  1989

  1990

  1991

  11992

  Sets of:

  (i) Twins

  298

  305

  306

  263

  304

  272

  281

  322

  287

  281

  267

  315

  258

  (ii) Triplets

  4

  3

  2

  4

  3

  3

  2

  7

  1

  2

  5

  6

  8

  (iii) Quadruplets

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  (iv) Quintuplets

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  (v) Sextuplets

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Maternities

  28,542

  27,229

  26,905

  27,188

  27,547

  27,529

  27,989

  27,694

  27,614

  25,928

  25,338

  26,058

  25,425

  (a) IVF2 3

  (i) Twins

  —

  7

  5

  12

  11

  N/K

  (ii) Triplets

  —

  —

  1

  2

  1

  N/K

  (b) GIFT3

  —

  —

  1 Provisional.

  2 These figures are the results of IVF by year of conception.

  3 IVF has been available in Northern Ireland only since 1987.

  GIFT was available in Northern Ireland in only 1986 and 1987.

  Ministerial Visits
  Mr. Trimble
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to his answer of 13 May,Official Report, column 554, what was the nature of the Minister responsible for health and agriculture's visit to the constituency of Upper Bann on 24 February; and with regard to that visit and his visits of 17 February and 20 April, when and how he endeavoured to inform the hon. Member for that constituency.

  Mr. Hanley
  [holding answer 24 May 1993]: My noble friend the Lord Arran visited Avondale Foods (Craigavon) Ltd., Lurgan and hosted a private dinner on 24 February 1993.

  Telephone calls were made to the hon. Member's constituency office, giving notification of all the visits, at least the day before the visit.

PRIME MINISTER

  Manchester Airport
  Mr. Mans
  To ask the Prime Minister when he next intends to visit Manchester airport.

  Mr. Newton
  I have been asked to reply.

  My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has at present no plans to do so.

  Environmental Appraisal
  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Prime Minister which Government Departments have carried out an environ-mental appraisal of their policy-making and administra-tive procedures.

  The Prime Minister
  All Departments must ensure that environmental considerations are taken into account in
  502
  (v) sextuplets born in Northern Ireland in each year since 1980 and the total number of maternities in Northern Ireland in each year; and how many multiple births of each type in each year were conceived as a result of (a) in-vitro fertilisation, (b) gamete intra-fallopian transfer and (c) other forms of assisted conception.

  Mr. Hanley
  [holding answer 24 May 1993]: The information requested is set out in the table:

  developing their policies and programmes. Papers to Cabinet and ministerial committees should, where appropriate, cover any significant costs or benefits to the environment. We are firmly committed to the principle that "green issues" must be built into decision taking throughout Government.

  Engagements
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 25 May.

  Sir Peter Tapsell
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 25 May.

  Mr. Newton
  I have been asked to reply.

  My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister is attending the unveiling of a memorial statue to Field Marshal the Viscount Alanbrooke by Her Majesty the Queen as is, I understand, the Leader of the official Opposition.

  Smoke Alarms
  Mr. Barnes
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will make it his policy to ensure that smoke alarms are fitted in all new publicly owned dwellings and buildings.

  The Prime Minister
  It has been policy to provide smoke alarms in all new dwellings since 1 June 1992.

  Smoke alarms in other buildings—whether public or privately owned—are normally required under licensing or certification arrangements where appropriate.

  Output
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will publish a table showing in index form and as a percentage the growth in output between 1963 and 1973, 1973 and 1979 and 1979 to date of each of the mechanical engineering, textiles, clothing, footwear, cars, commercial
  503
  vehicles, leather, man-made fibres, metals, metal goods not elsewhere specified and shipbuilding industries, together with (i) the change in their weight as a percentage of manufacturing output and the weight of manufacturing in gross domestic product, (ii) figures of import penetration by the EEC and the rest of the world, including an estimate from the year ended June 1989 and (iii) the change in their share of exports of the main manufacturing countries.

  Mr. Heseltine
  I have been asked to reply.

  Complete information is not available. Output indices for the industries listed below are available from the central shared database (CSDB) operated by the Central Statistical Office, which can be accessed from the Library of the House.

  Indices

  Mechanical engineering (class 32)

  DVJA

  Textiles (class 43)

  DVJI

  Clothing, leather and footwear (published group 44/45)

  DVJJ

  Motor vehicles (published group 35)

  DVJC

  Man-made fibres (class 26)

  DVIX

  Metals (published group 21/22)

  DVIT

  Metal goods NES (class 31)

  DV1Z

  Other transport (class 36)

  DVJD

  The weights within manufacturing for each of the above groups and manufacturing within gross domestic product in the index base years are as follows:

  1963

  1975

  1980

  1985

  32

  15·5

  16·9

  19·6

  17·9

  43

  7·2

  5·3

  4·4

  4·5

  44/45

  4·9

  5·3

  5·1

  5·3

  35

  7·3

  7·3

  7·8

  8·0

  26

  1·2

  0·8

  0·4

  0·5

  21/22

  8·3

  6·6

  4·7

  5·5

  31

  7·5

  7·8

  8·3

  7·8

  36

  6·5

  5·6

  6·9

  7·7

  Manufacturing

  35·3

  30·0

  26·5

  23·8

  Information on import penetration from 1970 to 1979 was published in the June 1980 edition of "Economic Trends". Subsequent data up to the year ended June 1989 were published in "Business Monitor MQ12"; annual summaries are published in table 12·2 of the "Annual Abstract of Statistics". These publications are available in the Library of the House. The figures do not separate the EC from the rest of the world.

  Export statistics for Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries are published in OECD series C—"Foreign Trade by Commodities", which is available in the Library of the House. To extract these on a comparable basis for the sectors required would involve disproportionate cost.

HEALTH

  Coronary Heart Disease
  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the total amount spent by her Department in each of the last six years in relation to(a) coronary heart disease and (b) strokes.

  Mr. Sackville
  Total expenditure on coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke is impossible to calculate with 504
  any precision. The "Health of the Nation" White Paper contains estimates that CHD accounts for 2·5 per cent. of total national health service expenditure and stroke for 6 per cent. of total expenditure, but figures are not routinely collected. Expenditure nationally on prevention of CHD and stroke, including expenditure on risk factors such as smoking, alcohol and nutrition, exceeds £10 million a year, but this takes no account of unquantifiable expenditure on, for example, advice given to patients by health professionals.

  NHS Staff
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many whole-time equivalent employees there were in each of the last five years at(a) the Department of Health, (b) the NHS management executive and (c) each regional health authority.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The information is shown in the table.

  Department of Health and NHS management executive 1989–93

  Whole-time equivalents as at 1 April

  Department of Health

  NHS management executive1

  1989

  8,799

  666

  1990

  5,388

  797

  1991

  4,651

  677

  1992

  4,803

  776

  1993

  4,846

  931

  1 Figures also included in overall Department of Health numbers.

  The Department has reduced in size over the last five years largely through functions not core to its business being transferred to the national health service, non-departmental public bodies, or other agencies. Some 3,200 staff in the special hospitals transferred to the Special Hospital Service Authority in 1989.

  Fluctuations in the size of the national health service management executive over time are a result of adjustments in responsibilities between the NHSME and the rest of the Department.

  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave her on 26 March, Official Report, columns 748–50, for information on regional health authority employees.

  Advisory Committee on NHS Drugs
  Mr. Batiste
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the names and main appointments of each of the members of each of the selected list catetgory sub-committees which have been advising the Advisory Committee on NHS Drugs; and if she will make public the details of the advice which each of the selected list category asub-committees advising the Advisory Committee on NHS Drugs have offered to the committee.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Sub-committee members are drawn from the membership of the Advisory Committee on National Health Service Drugs whose names and main appointments have been announced. The main committee and its sub-committees are independent and we do not intend to publish their advice.

  Drugs (Calendar Packs)
  Mr. Jon Owen Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what is her estimate of how much money is lost to the NHS through doctors prescribing extra calendar packs of drugs, to make up for shortfalls because calendar packs are issued in 28 day units;

  (2) what considerations underline the policy of supplying calendar packs of drugs produced for the NHS in 28 day units rather than 30 day units.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Pharmaceutical companies are responsible for determining what size calendar packs of drugs they produce. These are usually in 28 or 30 day units. General practitioners prescribe the amount needed by their patients by indicating, for example, the number of days, weeks or months of treatment or the number of calendar packs they wish to be supplied. There is no information to suggest that money is lost to the national health service because doctors find it necessary to prescribe extra quantities of drugs which are produced in calendar packs of 28 day units.

  German Measles
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the number of cases of German measles in(a) each complete year since 1980 and (b) in 1993 to date.

  Mr. Sackville
  The information is shown in the table.

  Notifications of Rubella1 (German measles) 1989–93

  Number

  1989

  24,570

  1990

  11,491

  1991

  7,174

  1992

  6,212

  1993

  24,977

  1 Rubella (German measles) only became a notifiable disease in October 1988 and therefore the first complete year for which there are statistics is 1989.

  2 Provisional figure for 1993, up to and including 7 May.

  Wellhouse Trust
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the total number of(a) nurses, (b) doctors and (c) laboratory technicians employed by the Wellhouse trust in each year since 1980; and what has been the total number of beds in the hospital of the trust in each such year.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  This information is not available centrally. The hon. Member may wish to contact Mr. Tony Orton, the chairman of the Wellhouse Trust, for details.

  Sight Impairment
  Mr. Callaghan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in the North West regional health authority are registered blind; and what is the total number of people with severe sight impairment.

  Mr. Yeo
  This information is not available centrally

  Research and Development
  Mr. Evennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she will set up a pilot multidisciplinary based centre for research and development; and if she will make a statement.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  We have decided to establish a university based research and development centre in the field of primary health care. The increasing importance of this sector means that it is now opportune to develop a capacity to carry out long-term high quality research and development. The delivery of primary care is vital both to the health and well-being of the population and to the effective and efficient delivery of health care services and, increasingly, innovative forms of service delivery and new initiatives in care and treatment are emerging within this sector. Primary care leads the demand for a range of services and, at the present time, is especially significant in inner cities in general and in London in particular. In the coming years, primary care will continue to be a source of exciting developments for the health service.

  The establishment of a dedicated long-term research centre will, ensure that these developments are linked to research-based information, while taking into account likely changes in organisation and delivery of care. Both primary care and the programme of research will be defined broadly, to take into account not only the general medical service and general practice but also the flow of patients between primary and secondary care and the nature of the interface between the sectors.

  The centre will be established by selective competitive tender from universities in England and Wales. This process will be led by Professor Michael Peckham, the director of research and development. A key consideration in selecting the successful bid will be the extent to which universities show that they can harnesss a significant contribution to this research field from other funders, including the private sector. Advertisements, and letters to universities inviting expressions of interest in tendering for the centre, will be published shortly.

  Multiple Disabilities
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to place a duty on social services departments to draw up a specific policy for meeting the needs of young people and adults with multiple disabilities, under the responsibility of a named officer, and to include this within community care plans and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Yeo
  Local authorities are already required to prepare plans for the provision of community care services in their area. We expect these plans to set out how the authority intends to meet the needs of the whole of its population, including disabled people. Plans must be published and available to the public.

  Diethylstilboestrol
  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what abnormalities, other than vaginal cancer, have been identified amongst daughters of women who were prescribed the drug diethylstilboestrol; and if she will make a statement.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Daughters of women given diethylstilboestrol (DES) in pregnancy may have a small
  507
  increased risk of developing minor benign lesions of the cervix, and of complications of pregnancy such as premature labour. Congenital abnormalities of the vagina and uteris, infertility and psychological problems have also been identified as possible complications of DES exposure.

  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what incidence of testicular cancer has been discovered among sons whose mothers were prescribed the drug diethylstilboestrol; and if she will make a statement

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Accurate information is not available. An association with testicular cancer has been claimed but not conclusively proven. Recent research on this issue is currently being evaluated by the Department.

  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what attempts have been made by her Department to track down those women, together with their sons and daughters, who were prescribed the drug diethylstilboestrol.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State gave my hon. Friend the Member for Torridge and Devon, West (Ms Nicholson) on 5 June 1990 at columns 589–90.

  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what continuing research into the long-term effects of the drug diethylstilboestrol is being carried out in the United Kingdom.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  We are not aware of any such research.

  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many women she estimates to have been prescribed the drug diethylstilboestrol in the United Kingdom.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  It has been estimated that around 7,500 women were prescribed diethylstilboestrol (DES) during pregnancy in the United Kingdom. A small number of post-menopausal women have received oral DES for the treatment of breast cancer, and in the form of a vaginal pessary for the treatment of post-menopausal vaginitis.

  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when and for what reason the decision was taken for the drug diethylstilboestrol no longer to be made available for general prescription in the United Kingdom.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Diethylstilboestrol (DES) may still be prescribed in the United Kingdom for certain restricted indications. DES is currently licensed for use in the management of prostatic cancer and breast cancer in post-menopausal women. A vaginal pessary containing DES is also licensed for use in the treatment of post-menopausal vaginitis due to oestrogen deficiency. DES is contra-indicated in pregnancy and pre-menopausal women.

  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what evidence of vaginal cancers have emerged among those women who were prescribed diethylstilboestrol.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  There is no evidence to suggest that women prescribed diethylstilboestrol (DES) are more likely to develop vaginal cancers. An increased risk of clear-cell adenocarcinoma of the vagina or cervix applies to the daughters of women prescribed DES during pregnancy.
  508
  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health under what brand names the drug diethylstilboestrol was marketed and made available in the United Kingdom.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Diethylstilboestrol has been marketed under the following brand names: Stilboestrol, Stilboestrol B.P., Tampovagan stilboestrol and lactic acid pessary, Honvan, Menopax, Sedestran, Merven and Pabestrol.

  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment her Department has made of research carried out in other countries about the long-term effects of the drug diethylstilboestrol on those women for whom it was prescribed and on their sons and daughters.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The United Kingdom Licensing Authority and its advisory committees carefully monitor the safety of all licensed medicines, including diethylistilboestrol (DES). Information relating to the safety of DES is monitored and assessed as and when it becomes available.

  The Licensing Authority liaises with other EC member states on this issue.

  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information her Department has received about planned or actual litigation against the manufacturers and suppliers of the drug diethylstilboestrol(a) in the United Kingdom and (b) overseas.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  None.

  Prescriptions
  Mr. Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many items of prescription are dispensed each day(a) to those exempt from charges and (b) to those paying for prescriptions; and if she will make a statement.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  In 1992, an average of 1·06 million prescribed items were dispensed each day by community pharmacists and appliance contractors, of which about 858,000 went to patients exempt from charges or entitled to charge remission and some 202,000 went to patients who paid charges or held prescription prepayment certificates.

  Drugs
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what date she received the research report from Durham university, prepared for her Department, on the prevalence of drug use among young people.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The Department has not commissioned such research.

  NHS Trusts
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance she has given to NHS trusts on how to handle requests from hon. Members for information.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Normanton (Mr. O'Brien) on 27 April at column 350.

  Ms Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will publish a table showing the earnings of day
  509
  nursery assistants under the age of 19 years, day nursery assistants over the age of 19 years and staff nursery nurses and special school nurses group A in real terms at January 1993 prices for each year since 1990–91; and if she will provide estimates for the years 1993–94 and 1994–95.

  Mr. Sackville
  This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Prescriptions
  Mr. Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will estimate savings to the Exchequer in a full year of ending exemptions for prescriptions for(a) pregnant women, (b) pensioners and (c) children; and if she will make a statement.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  No firm figures are available. Any savings which might accrue from ending universal charge exemption from the groups cited by the hon. Member would be abated by the cost of income-related charge remission under the national health service low-income scheme, exemption on medical grounds, and by the take-up of prescription prepayment certificates.

  Manchester and Trafford Electorates
  Mr. Kaufman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will state the total parliamentary electorates of, respectively, the City of Manchester and the borough of Trafford.

  Mr. Sackville
  There are 311,274 and 168,132 parliamentary electors on the registers, which came into use on 16 February 1993, for the City of Manchester and the borough of Trafford respectively.

DEFENCE

  Nuclear Safety Audits
  Mr. George
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what were the results of the most recent nuclear safety audits carried out at Rosyth and Devonport dockyards; what accreditations were given as a result of these safety audits; and what were the changes in these accreditations relative to previous nuclear safety audits carried out at the two dockyards.

  Mr. Aitken
  The most recent nuclear and radiation safety audits of the royal dockyards confirm the continuing improvement in safety standards and awareness, already very high, throughout the naval nuclear propulsion programme.

  Nuclear Submarine Refits
  Mr. George
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much the Government have spent to date in assisting the preparation by contractors at(a) Rosyth and (b) Devonport dockyards of proposals for the new nuclear submarine refitting facility in respect of (i) the upgrade of existing docks and (ii) the development of new build facilities.

  Mr. Aitken
  Individual payments to contractors are commercially confidential and therefore cannot be publicly disclosed.

  Armaments and Explosives (Shipping)
  Mr. Hew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which ports are used by his Department for shipping abroad armaments and explosives.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  For routine movements the Department uses the ports or Marchwood military port, Ridham, Liverpool, Felixstowe, Poole, Hull and Colchester. During the Gulf crisis, the ports of Southampton, RNAD Crombie, Cliffe Jetty (River Thames) and Newport were also used. Cliffe Jetty and Newport are routinely used for movement of United States forces equipment, the arrangements for which are made by my Department.

  "Options for Change"
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list those significant buildings which have become or are likely to become redundant as a consequence of the "Options for Change" programme.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  I will write to my hon. Friend.

  Defence Exhibition, Abu Dhabi
  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many representatives of the United Kingdom Government and of what rank, civil or military, attended the 1993 international defence exhibition in Abu Dhabi; and at what cost.

  Mr. Aitken
  Some 24 civilian and uniformed members of my Department attended some part of this important exhibition, including the Head of Defence Exports Services and myself. Officers and men from HMS Nottingham also participated. Details of the extra costs of all those attending are not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

  Maritime Defence Exhibition, Brighton
  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many representatives of the United Kingdom Government and of what rank, civil or military, attended the 1993 international maritime defence exhibition and conference in Brighton; and at what cost.

  Mr. Aitken
  This is a matter delegated to the Defence Research Agency under its framework document. I have therefore asked the chief executive to reply direct to the hon. Member.

  Letter from J. A. R. Chisholm to Mr. Menzies Campbell, dated 25 May 1993.

  In today's written answer the Minister of State for Defence Procurement informed you that I would be replying to your question about the International Maritime Defence Exhibition and Conference.

  The event which took place at Brighton between 31 March and 2 April was organised by a private company, Spearhead Exhibitions Ltd. and sponsored by the Defence Research Agency. It was intended for those with a close professional interest in current and future maritime operations and procurement related issues and attracted around 2,500 visitors from 47 countries.

  Some 350 Ministry of Defence representatives, civil and military, attended the exhibition and conference, the majority coming from those staffs concerned with maritime operations sea systems procurement and defence sales. There was no

  511
  charge for attending the exhibition but a fee of £295 was levied for attending the conference. Of the 350 MOD visitors, some 50 attended the conference although half of these were either VIP guests or speakers and consequently were not required to pay the fee. A breakdown of paying visitors by grade is set out below:

  Grades/Ranks

  Numbers

  3

  1

  5

  2

  6

  3

  7

  7

  "S"

  3

  "H"

  3

  PTO

  2

  Capt RN

  1

  Cdr RN

  2

  There were also about 150 fee paying delegates from industry attending the conference.

  I hope you will find this helpful.

  Aerospace Equipment
  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 12 May,Official Report, column 523, to the hon. Member for South Shields (Dr. Clark) on the defence industrial base, what discussions he has held about the planned merger of the missile divisions of British Aerospace and Matra-Hachette.

  Mr. Aitken
  Representatives of British Aerospace have informed me and my officials about their discussions with Matra-Hachette on a proposed joint venture between the two companies' missile businesses.

  Helicopter Landing Platform
  Mr. Byers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the evaluation of the tender from VSEL for the LPH included a comparison of the overhead rates for the LPH contract and those for the Trident submarine contracts.

  Mr. Aitken
  Both LPH bids were assessed against our normal criteria for competitive contracts.

  Mr. Byers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) whether the engines specified by VSEL in their tender for the LPH satisfy the captive shock requirements;

  (2) what assurances he has received that the LPH constructed according to the successful tender will satisfy the requirements for a Panama canal certificate.

  Mr. Aitken
  VSEL has contracted to meet all our requirements.

  Yugoslavia
  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his statement of 20 April,Official Report, column 165, if he has decided whether to withdraw 4 Armoured Field Ambulance from Croatia; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Four armoured field ambulance will be withdrawn from UNPROFOR in Croatia on 6 June, and will be replaced by 5 Field Ambulance, which will deploy with UNPROFOR for three months.

  Defence Animal Centre
  Mr. Duncan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about defence agency status for the Defence Animal Centre.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The Defence Animal Centre (DAC) will be launched as a defence agency on 1 June 1993. The DAC is located at Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire and employs 195 service personnel and 43 civilians. Part of the joint service dog training wing is at RAF Newton and this is also included within the boundaries of the agency, as is the subsidiary site at Syerston. The full cost budget for the DAC for 1992–93 is around £10 million.

  The role of the DAC is to procure, train and issue dogs and horses, to train personnel in their handling and care, and to provide supporting veterinary services. The high professional standards of the DAC will be maintained and agency status will provide the chief executive with new opportunities to improve the efficiency and value for money of his organisation. Colonel Paul Jepson has been appointed as the agency's chief executive. The corporate strategy of the DAC will be pursued in the context of the following first year key targets:

  1. Trained output

  Agreed numbers to be trained:

  Number

  Dogs

  380

  Horses

  50

  Dog handlers

  536

  Equine managers

  18

  2. Success rate

  To achieve trained output within in-training wastage rates of:

  Percentage

  Dogs

  39

  Horses

  10

  Dog handlers

  5

  Equine managers

  10

  3. Cost

  To achieve programmed output within budget.

  4. Efficiency

  To produce agreed costs proposals, by 1 April 1994, to reduce the cost per animal/handler through improved efficiency in the management and training of animals and personnel, and by collocation and rationalisation of resources.

  5. Management systems

  To install a financial accounting and management information system package to enable operation of a full cost accruals accounting system by 1 April 1994.

  6. Market testing

  To evaluate the impact in value-for-money terms of market testing all agency functions which do not have a direct war role; to identify in order of priority agency functions to be market tested in a programme which will begin by 1 April 1994.

  7. Customer satisfaction

  To conduct a customer satisfaction survey of quality and, by 1 April 1994, set targets for improvement.

  I have placed a copy of the framework document in the Library of the House.
  513

  Manadon Engineering College
  Mr. Streeter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what conclusions he has reached about the future of the Royal Naval Engineering College at Manadon; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The future requirement for naval engineer officer training has been reviewed in the light of reduced future numbers of engineer officers, the need to make economies in support infrastructure and the increased availability of higher education in the civilian sector. The review has concluded that the most cost effective way to meet the Navy's future needs for engineer officers is to establish a sponsorship scheme based on a civilian university. Under this scheme, which would complement the existing direct graduate recruitment, students would study for an engineering degree, relevant to naval needs, and upon successfully completing the course would be offered a commission in the Navy. This would replace the in-service engineering degree training currently provided at Manadon.

  I have accepted this recommendation as the basis for consultation and a final decision will be taken in the light of representations made. A consultation document is being issued to interested parties and I am arranging for a copy to be placed in the Library of the House. Unless alternative uses for it could be found, Manadon would close in 1995, with consequent implications for the 175 civilian staff employed there. Manadon has a long and proud tradition and has served the Navy well. But in today's circumstances other means exist of providing high-quality training for naval engineer officers and it is right that they should be utilised.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Croatia
  Mr. Elletson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps Her Majesty's Government have taken to raise the matter of minority rights in the Republic of Croatia with the Croatian Government or its representatives; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Minority rights in Croatia were a key element of the negotiations pursued by the Carrington conference in 1991–92 and of the principles agreed at the London conference on the former Yugoslavia in August 1992. The co-chairmen of the international conference on the former Yugoslavia and the chairmen of the working group on ethnic and national communities and minority working group are in regular close contact with the Croatian Government and have been mandated by the EC and United Nations to promote negotiations on this issue. We fully support the work of the co-chairmen and take every opportunity to impress on the Croatian Government the importance of co-operating with the co-chairmen to resolve the problems of minorities within Croatia.

  Mr. Elletson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the German Foreign Minister on German involvement in the transfer of arms to the Republic of Croatia; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has not 514
  discussed this issue with the German Foreign Minister. We continue to believe that it is vital that all countries scrupulously observe the arms embargo imposed under United Nations Security Council resolution 713.

  Mr. Elletson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what response he has received from President General Tudjman of Croatia to the message sent by EC member states on 12 May protesting at Croatian aggression and ethnic cleansing in Mostar.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  President Tudjman replied on 13 May to the President of the EC Council of Ministers, Mr. Petersen. He listed initiatives taken by the Croatian Government to try to bring the situation in central Bosnia under control, and asserted that Croatia was not responsible for the aggression of the Bosnian Croats. President Tudjman repeated these points at a meeting he held with the German Foreign Minister on 14 May. Mr. Kinkel repeated the EC demand that President Tudjman should exert his influence over the Bosnian Croats in order to stop the fighting.

  Croatia (Mercenaries)
  Mr. Elletson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what protests Her Majesty's Government have made to the Croatian representative in London regarding the recruitment of British mercenaries; what action Her Majesty's Government are taking to discourage British citizens from joining Croatian forces; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  We have no evidence that the Croatian Government are involved in recruiting British citizens as mercenaries; no such protest has therefore been made. In certain circumstances it is an offence, under the Foreign Enlistment Act 1870, for a British citizen to enlist in the armed forces of a foreign state. The decision whether to investigate, or to prosecute, any alleged offender is a matter for the police and for the prosecuting authorities respectively. Our consular travel advice strongly advises British citizens not to travel to the regions of the conflict in the former Yugoslavia, including parts of Croatia.

  Turkey
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to pay an official visit to Turkey.

  Mr. Garel-Jones
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has no plans to visit Turkey in the near future.

  Armenia
  Mr. Elletson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what response the Armenian Government have given to proposals for a ceasefire and a withdrawal or Armenian troops from Azerbaijan; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The Armenian Government have responded positively to the latest trilateral initiative by the Governments of the United States, Turkey and Russia for a ceasefire and a withdrawal of troops from in and around Nagorno-Karabakh, and for a resumption of talks under the auspices of the conference on security and
  515
  co-operation in Europe. However, the Armenian Government have not yet given their formal approval to this plan. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and I will use the opportunity of our meeting with the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Armenia on 27 May to urge the Armenian Government to accept this latest proposal, and to use their influence with the authorities in Nagorno-Karabakh to do the same.

  Select Committee Recommendations
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many Select Committee recommendations have been made about, and how many accepted by, his Department since April 1989.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 21 May at column 352.

  Test Ban Treaty
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs further to his statement of 2 April,Official Report, column 774, if he will make a statement on progress towards the attainment of a comprehensive test ban treaty.

  Mr. Garel-Jones
  Since 2 April, President Clinton and President Yeltsin have agreed to pursue negotiations towards a multilateral test ban. The United States will be consulting further with other nuclear powers, including the United Kingdom. Our concern will remain the safety of existing nuclear weapons, and to ensure that any eventual agreement is as effective as possible in contributing to non-proliferation.

  Indonesia
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will raise the issue of human rights and the autonomy of nongovernmental organisations with the Indonesian authorities at the Tokyo G7 meeting and at the Paris consortium meeting on Indonesia in July.

  Mr. Goodlad
  We and our EC partners maintain a regular dialogue on human rights and related matters with the Indonesian authorities and raise these issues at meetings of the appropriate international bodies.

  Macedonia
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the current situation of the former Yugoslav republic of Macedonia with regard to international recognition, and qualification for assistance from know-how funds, PHARE funds, the World bank, the International Monetary Fund and European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  With respect to recognition of Macedonia by the United Kingdom, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Wellingborough (Mr. Fry) on 23 April at column 243. The know-how fund does not extend to Macedonia, but the United Kingdom has committed £2 million in bilateral assistance for emergency aid to Macedonia in this financial year. Macedonia qualifies for assistance from PHARE;
  516
  45 mecu has been committed. Macedonia is a member of the IMF and the EBRD, but not yet a member of the World bank.

  Bosnia
  Mr. Elletson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what specific representations Her Majesty's Government have made to(a) Bosnian-Serb leaders, (b) Bosnian-Croat leaders and (c) Bosnian-Muslim leaders over the need to observe cease-fire agreements.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  We take every opportunity to impress upon the Bosnian parties the urgent need to stop the fighting. We attach the highest importance to achieving a political settlement which could bring the conflict to an end, and fully support the work of the co-chairmen of the international conference on the former Yugoslavia to this end.

  St. Helena
  Mr. Cummings
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign arid Commonwealth Affairs when the next ministerial visit to St. Helena will take place; and how many visits to St. Helena by(a) Ministers and (b) other official delegations have taken place in the last 10 years.

  Mr. Garel-Jones
  There are at present no plans for a ministerial visit to St. Helena. There have been no such visits in the last 10 years. There have been two official delegations, both of which included Members of Parliament, over the period and various official visits by civil servants.

  China
  Mr. David Atkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representation he has made to the Government of the Republic of China on the recent persecution of Christians in Shaanxi province; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Goodlad
  We are aware of this disturbing report through our contacts with Amnesty International and other non-government organisations. Although we have not raised this particular matter, we regularly raise human rights, including the continued persecution of religious believers, with the Chinese authorities, urging them to adhere to international standards of behaviour.

  Greek Economy
  Mr. Elletson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions have been held during meetings of EC foreign ministers on the effect of sanctions against the former Yugoslavia on the Greek economy.

  Mr. Garel-Jones
  All countries can discuss the effects of sanctions with the international financial institutions, which are best placed to provide technical and, where appropriate, financial support. At the Foreign Affairs Council on 10 May, the Foreign Minister of Greece drew attention to his country's concerns about the effects of sanctions on the Greek economy. The meeting also agreed on the importance of rigorous implementation of the sanctions regime.

  Georgia
  Mr. McKelvey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessments he has made of the policies of the Georgian Government with respect to the principles of good government and human rights; and if he will make a statement on relations between the United Kingdom and the Government of Georgia.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  We urge the Governments of all the countries of the former Soviet Union, including Georgia, to respect the principles of good government and human rights in line with their commitment to respect UN and CSCE principles. We are concerned about reports of human rights abuses by both sides involved in the dispute in Abkhazia. I discussed this dispute with the visiting Georgian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Chikvaidze, on 24 May. Relations between the United Kingdom and Georgia are good. We have emphasised the need for the Georgian Government to continue to work with the UN and CSCE in seeking a fair and peaceful solution to the disputes on their territory.

  Yugoslavia
  Mr. Elletson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about the numbers of British citizens fighting as mercenaries in the former Yugoslavia.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  We are aware of reports that British citizens have fought as mercenaries in the former Yugoslavia, but we have no information on the numbers.

  Mr. Elletson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions have been held with Herr Klaus Kinkel, the German Foreign Minister, following his recent visit to the Republic of Croatia; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Mr. Kinkel and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs both attended the WEU Council meeting in Rome on 19 May which issued a declaration on the situation in the former Yugoslavia, including Croatia.

EMPLOYMENT

  Industrial Disputes
  Mr. Knox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many days were lost in the industrial disputes in the most recent 12-month period for which figures are available; and what was the comparable figure for the same 12-month period 14 years ago.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Five hundred and eighty-eight thousand working days were lost compared with 14 million.

  Youth Unemployment
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what are the latest figures for youth unemployment in Coventry.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  In April 1993, unadjusted claimant unemployment amongst under 25-year-olds was 5,969 in the Coventry local authority district.
  518
  Mr. Dunn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the percentage of people aged under 21 years out of work in Britain at the present time; and what information he has on the comparable figures for(a) France, (b) Germany, (c) Italy and (d) Spain.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The percentage of people aged under 21 out of work in Britain, based on the latest autumn 1992 labour force survey, is 45·5 per cent. The latest comparable figures for the other countries in question are Cot 1991 and I shall, with permission, arrange for them to be printed in a statistical table in the Official Report.

  The following is the information:

  The latest comparable figures for the other countries are for spring 1991 and for under 20-year-olds

  Percentage

  France

  26

  West Germany

  3·3

  Italy

  33·1

  Spain

  33·7

  The rate, for the United Kingdom for the same age group and year is 15·2 per cent.

  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what initiatives she proposes to reduce unemployment among people under 21 years.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  Young people aged 16 or 17 who have left full-time education are guaranteed the offer of a suitable place on youth training. Youth credits are enabling more and more young people to acquire the skills businesses need. Our aim is to offer a credit to all school leavers under the age of 18 by 1996. Young people over the age of 18 are eligible for the full range of employment and training measures available through the employment service and training and enterprise councils and local enterprise companies, including the new initiatives announced by the Chancellor in his budget statement on 16 March 1993.

  Business Start-up Scheme
  Mr. Mans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if she will make a statement on progress on the business start-up scheme in the north-west.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Provisional statistics show that over 5,800 people entered the business start-up scheme in the north west during the 1992–93 financial year, which was close to the number planned by the training and enterprise councils in the region.

  Plans for the 1993–94 year have not yet been finalised, but the number of entrants is expected to increase to reflect the north west's share of the additional 10,000 places announced by the Chancellor in the 1993 Budget speech.

  Mr. Tredinnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if she will make a statement on progress on the business start-up scheme in the east midlands.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Provisional statistics show that approximately 3,800 people entered the business start-up scheme in the east midlands during the 1992–93 financial year, which was ahead of the number planned by the training and enterprise councils in the region.
  519
  Plans for the 1993–94 year are expected to increase to approximately 4,400 entrants, reflecting the east midlands, share of the additional 10,000 places announced by the Chancellor in the 1993 Budget speech.

  Unemployed People (Schemes)
  Dr. Wright
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many schemes for the unemployed have been introduced since 1979.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  This information is not held centrally, and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. At present, unemployed people are offered the greatest ever range of help—over 1·5 million employment and training opportunities in 1993–94.

  Training and Enterprise Councils
  Sir Fergus Montgomery
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if she will make a statement on the effectiveness of the training and enterprise councils in the north-west.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  They are doing a first-class job. They are making a real contribution to their local economies through their support for training, education and enterprise.

  Unemployment Statistics
  Mr. Dowd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what plans she has to calculate the total number of people seeking work in the United Kingdom in addition to the number claiming unemployment benefit.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  These figures have been calculated and published since 1985. They are derived from the labour force survey, follow internationally standard definitions and cover the number of people in the United Kingdom without a job, who are seeking work and available to start it. Since September 1992, these figures have been published for Great Britain every quarter.

  Training for Work
  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if she will make a further statement on the implementation of training for work.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  Training for work now gives long-term unemployed people improved opportunities to learn new skills, improve existing ones and to gain practical experience by doing temporary work.

  Unemployment, Greenwich
  Mr. Raynsford
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people were registered as unemployed in the London borough of Greenwich at the last count; and what was the figure three years ago.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  Unadjusted claimant unemployment in the London borough of Greenwich stood at 5,135 in April 1993, and 2,604 in April 1990.

  Unemployment, Holloway
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the latest available male unemploy-ment level for the Holloway travel-to-work area.
  520
  Mr. McLoughlin
  Holloway falls within the London travel-to-work area where in April 1993 unadjusted claimant unemployment for men was 327,253.

  Job Plan
  Sir Michael Neubert
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if she will make a statement on progress on job plan.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  The new job plan programme, which I announced in the autumn statement, was launched on 29 March. Job plan workshops are one week events which help unemployed people assess their strengths, consider the employment and training options open to them and offer a priority in the application process to join other employment and training programmes.

  Workshops are now being run throughout the country by a range of organisations from the private, public and voluntary sectors contracted to the employment service. Over 5,000 people are starting each week.

  Acquired Rights Directive
  Mr. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if she will make a further statement about the operation of the acquired rights directive within the EC.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  I have nothing to add to my answer to the hon. Gentleman of 19 January 1993, column 183.

  Unemployment, Northern Region
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment for how many months since May 1979 the northern region has had the highest regional unemploy-ment in mainland Britain.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  Northern region has had the highest rate of seasonally adjusted claimant unemployment in mainland Britain in every month since May 1979.

  Information
  Mr. Eastham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what plans she has to introduce regulations governing the information which employers may keep about their employees.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The Government have no plans to legislate on this issue.

  Training Credits
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if she will make a statement on the vocational opportunities presented by training credits.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  Youth credits are issued to young people to enable them to obtain approved training from either an employer or a specialist training provider leading to national vocational qualification level 2 or higher. Since April 1991, 49,000 young people have taken up their entitlement to a youth credit.

  Youth, Lambeth
  Mr. Fraser
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if she will make an estimate of(a) the number of young people leaving school and entering the

  521
  labour market in Lambeth in the last 12 months, (b) the
  percentage who obtained work on leaving school or college, (c) the numbers undergoing youth training and (d) the numbers obtaining qualifications as a result of that training during the last 12 months.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  This information is not available in the form requested.

  Youth Training
  Ms Jowell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many young people have been waiting for eight weeks or more without the offer of a place; and what steps she is taking to provide youth training places for them.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  Training and enterprise councils (TECs) are required to ensure that young people are made one or more offers of youth training within a reasonable period of time. In April—the latest date for which information is available—there were 3,436 young people in England who were covered by the YT guarantee, had been waiting for a YT place for eight or more weeks and had not previously had an offer of a place.

  The contracts with TECs provide for regular reviews of the position on the YT guarantee both currently and prospectively. This Government continue to be committed to the guarantee and that is why TECs have been asked to treat this as a top priority. I am taking a close interest in progress in its delivery.

  Job Plan Workshops
  Mr. Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what guidelines her Department has introduced concerning visits by hon. Members to job plan workshops; 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.

  Letter from M.E.G. Fogden to Mr. Harry Barnes, dated 25 May 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 about visits by honourable Members to Jobplan Workshops. This is something which falls within the responsibility she has delegated to me as Chief Executive of the Agency.

  The new Jobplan programme was launched by the Secretary of State on the 29 March. The workshops, which normally last for 5 days aim to help people who have been unemployed for a long time to compete more successfully for jobs and other training and employment opportunities.

  Jobplan Workshops are run on the Employment Service's behalf by organisations from the private, public and voluntary sectors. Over 650 contracts have been awarded following a full competitive tendering exercise. The workshops provide assessment and guidance to the standards set out in the Statement of Service established by the Training, Enterprise and Education Directorate of the Employment Department.

  Members of Parliament are welcome to visit workshops in their constituencies and guidance was issued in February to both Employment Service people and providers to ensure that visits take place as soon as possible after a request is received. I attach a copy of the guidelines which forms part of our contract with Jobplan providers.
  522
  Wherever possible we ask for advance notice of a visit so that arrangements can be made to keep disruption to the workshop to a minimum. Someone from the Employment Service will normally accompany a visitor to answer any questions that may arise about the programme.

  I hope 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.

  Access to Programme—Non Employment Service Status

  16.1 The Provider shall notify the Department in writing of proposed visits to the Programme by any person who has taken or will take no direct part in the conduct or content of the Programme (the 'Visitor'). Such persons shall include, but without limitation hereto, Representatives of Unemployment Centres and Members of the Press and Media. Notification shall be at least 7 days in advance in writing except in the event of an unforeseen visit when notification shall be by telephone as soon as possible.

  16.2 Members of Parliament shall be granted access as soon as an accompanying representative of the Department is available.

  16.3 Notification shall not include any person whose presence is related to the conduct or content of the Programme.

  16.4 In dcktermining whether any such person is a person whose visit shall be notified to the Department, as in Clause 16 the Department's view shall be sought.

  16.5 Upon receiving such notification as required by Clause 16 the Department will inform the Provider as soon as reasonably practicable of the following:

  (a) Any objection to the timing of the visit or nature of the person visiting. Upon receiving such objection the Provider shall cancel the visit or provide assurances to the satisfaction of the Department that such a visit will not be prejudicial to the conduct of the Programme.

  (b) The Department's desire to have its authorised representatives attend at the proposed visit and accompany the visitor(s) and assist the Provider in the provision of information to the visitor.

  16.6 The Department's decision shall be final.

  Manufacturing Employment
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what has been the change in the level of full-time adult employment in manufacturing since 1973.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  Between June 1973 and March 1993 there was a net fall of 3,219,000 full-time employees in employment in Great Britain.

  Conditions of Employment
  Ms Quin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what plans her Department has to commission records into compliance with regulations and legislation governing the conditions of employment of(a) persons under 16 years of age and (b) persons between 16 and 18 years.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  Policy on the employment of young people above the minimum school leaving age falls within the responsibility of the Department of Employment. Legislation governing conditions of employment for this age group, where it differs from that applying to adults in the same occupations, is concerned primarily with health and safety matters.

  The Government are advised on health and safety at work by the Health and Safety Commission. Relevant statutory provisions, which also include some restrictions on the employment of children below the minimum school

  523
  leaving age, are enforced by the Health and Safety Executive and local authority inspectors under the Health and Safety at Work, etc. Act 1974.

  The Health and Safety Commission reports annually to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Employment on enforcement activities under the 1974 Act. Its report for 1991–92 was published in December 1992. The Department has no plans at present to commission further information on compliance with health and safety legislation governing employment of children and young people.

  Further provisions on the employment of children below the minimum school leaving age in England and Wales are contained in the Children and Young Persons Act 1933 and the Education Act 1944, which are the responsibility of my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Health and for Education. Enforcement of these provisions, and relevant local authority bye-laws, is primarily the responsibility of local education authorities.

  All local authorities with responsibility for enforcement of legislation on children's employment were consulted recently by the Government in connection with the European Commission's proposals for a directive on protection of young people at work. The Government at present have no plans to commission further information on these matters.

  Wages Councils
  Mr. Hanson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment, pursuant to her answer of 5 May,Official Report, column 136, how many employers and employer bodies have made written representations on wages councils (a) for or (b) against abolition.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Since announcement of the Bill, we have received 140 representations from employers and employer bodies supporting abolition and 25 against.

  Employment Exchange Staff
  Mr. Gapes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if she will outline the incentive scheme for employment exchange staff and its relation to the number of people in employment; and what is the total of such payments for the Ilford office for the past year.

  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.

  Letter from M. E. G. Fogden to Mr. Michael Gapes, dated 25 May 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 the incentive scheme for employment exchange staff, its relation to the number of people in employment, and incentive payments made in the Ilford office in the last year. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of the Agency.

  We do not operate an incentive scheme, and therefore no incentive payments were made last year to people working at Ilford Jobcentre. We do however make use of a Civil Service wide scheme which relates pay more generally with overall performance. In doing so, we are following the principles of the Citizen's Charter White Paper, which recognizes that the ways in which people are paid can have an effect on
  524
  performance and that pay systems in the public sector need to make a regular and direct link between a person's contribution to the standards of service provided and their reward.

  Our adoption of this approach is consistent with progress towards the more businesslike delivery of services in the public sector, which is also embodied in the Citizen's Charter White Paper. Our standards of service to clients are an important part of our overall performance. These have been clearly set out in the Jobseeker's Charter and are displayed with information about performance in local offices. The focus of the Jobseeker's Charter is standards of service, such as waiting times and the accurate and prompt payment of benefit to those who are entitled to receive it—and not target numbers.

  Whilst our activities have some impact on overall employment levels, by mobilising the potential labour force into active jobsearch, their effect is diffuse and complex and so can only be estimated rather than measured. The number of people in employment is determined primarily by the strength of the economy.

  I hope 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.

  Protection of Employment Rights
  Mr. Callaghan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what proposals she has to extend the protection of employment rights of those at work.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The Trade Union Reform and Employment Rights Bill, currently before Parliament, contains a number of important extensions to employment rights, including in relation to maternity, written particulars of employment, itemised pay statements, trade union membership and unfair dismissal.

  Manufacturing Unit Costs
  Mr. Peter Atkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what were the manufacturing unit wage costs in the three months to February; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The manufacturing unit wage and salary costs for the three months to February 1993 are:

  Unit costs

  December 1992

  130·3

  January 1993

  129·3

  February 1993

  128·8

  These are index figures which relate to the base year of 1985. More up-to-date figures were published on 20 May. Comparing the three months ending March this year with the three months ending March 1992, manufacturing unit wage costs showed the largest percentage fall since records began in 1970.

  Training for Work
  Ms Short
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment in what circumstances training for work participants who wish to start their own business can try out their business idea in a period of enterprise rehearsal, and then take up support under the business start-up allowance; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The provision of enterprise training under training for work is determined by training and
  525
  enterprise councils (TECs). Training for work leavers are immediately eligible to be considered by TECs for support under the business start-up scheme.

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if she will give the latest unemployment figures for(a) the west midlands and (b) Coventry, distinguishing the figures for (i) adults and (ii) women.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  In April 1993, the unadjusted level of claimant unemployment in the west midlands stood at 290,666, of whom 289,465 were aged 18 and over and 67,604 were women. The equivalent figures for Coventry local authority district were 20,846, 20,783, and 4,761 respectively.

  Creches
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what steps her Department is taking to encourage employers to provide creche facilities in the west midlands.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The Department encourages employers throughout the country to adopt family-friendly employment policies including flexible working and help with childcare, through publications such as "The Best of Both Worlds". The new out-of-school child care grant, delivered by training and enterprise councils TECs, will create some 50,000 new child care places for school-aged children over the next three years. TECS in the west midlands will be playing their part in this initiative, with a variety of local initiatives to encourage employer involvement in child care.

  New Jobs
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many new jobs she estimates to have been created over the past 14 years; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  Between December 1978 and December 1992, there was a net fall of 322,000 in the work force in employment in the United Kingdom.

  Travel-to-work Areas
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the timetable for her review of the travel-to-work areas; and when she expects to publish a new map.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  New travel-to-work area boundaries will be calculated using information on commuting patterns from the 1991 census of population special workplace statistics. These are due to be released by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys at the end of November this year. Revised travel-to-work areas, including maps, will be circulated for comment six to nine months after this date.

  Defence Workers (South-west)
  Mr. Jamieson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what action her Department is taking to facilitate the employment of those formerly working in Ministry of Defence establishments in Plymouth and the south-west of England.
  526
  Mr. McLoughlin
  The Employment Service and training and enterprise councils deliver a wide range of employment, enterprise and training progammes to facilitate the employment prospects of unemployed people. These are available to all unemployed people, including those formerly working in the Ministry of Defence establishments in Plymouth and the south-west of England.

  Economically Inactive People
  Mr. Hain
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what are the latest figures of economically inactive people by(a) region and (b) the whole of the United Kingdom expressed both in numbers and as a percentage of their respective populations.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The latest estimates—not seasonally adjusted—from the labour force survey are given in the following table:

  Labour force survey (not seasonally adjusted) Economically inactive people aged 16 and over

  Region

  Number (thousands)

  As percentage of total population aged 16 and over

  Authmn 1992

  South East

  4,822

  35·0

  East Anglia

  590

  35·7

  South West

  1,412

  37·5

  West Midlands

  1,518

  36·9

  East Midlands

  1,140

  35·6

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  1,453

  37·2

  North West

  1,942

  39·0

  North

  964

  39·9

  Wales

  979

  42·7

  Scotland

  1,510

  37·9

  Great Britain

  16,331

  37·0

  Spring 1992

  Northern Ireland

  460

  40·0

  United Kingdom

  16,801

  37·2

  Unemployment Figures
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the figure initially given for the expected increase for unemployment for April 1993 for the purposes of seasonal adjustment at his Department's press briefing on the morning of 20 May; what revisions were subsequently made to this figure; and what were the reasons for the revision.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  A total of 2,165, which was a clerical error in the departmental press office's briefing pack, subsequently corrected at the same meeting to around "five thousand" (4,965). No re-estimation of seasonal factors was involved.

ENVIRONMENT

  Office Stock
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what recent evaluation has been undertaken by his Department of methods of assessing the environmental merits of existing office stock.

  Mr. Maclean
  My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State launched a scheme at the end of last
  527
  month specifically for the evaluation of the environmental performance of existing office buildings. This is run by the Building Research Establishment (BRE) under the title BREEAM. In due course, BRE will review the impact of the scheme. Property Holdings is committed to using BREEAM both in commissioning new buildings and appraisal of existing stock whenever major refurbishment is undertaken.

  Air Conditioning Systems
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what technical guidance the Building Research Establishment has provided Owners and operators of air conditioning systems to phase out CFC-dependent systems.

  Mr. Maclean
  Since 1989 the Building Research Establishment has published two information papers, two digests and eight journal articles and conference papers containing advice and guidance for owners and operators of air conditioning systems on the phase-out of chlorofluorocarbons. These publications, which are listed, address such issues as the availability of suitable alternative refrigerants, the conversion of existing CFC-based air conditioning systems to operate on alternative refrigerants, minimisation of CFC emissions from air conditioning systems, and the health and safety aspects of new refrigerants.

  BRE Publications

  BRE Information Paper IP23/89, 'CFCs and the building industry', November 1989.

  BRE Digest 358, 'CFCs and buildings', February 1991.

  BRE Digest 358 (new edition), 'CFCs in buildings', October 1992.

  BRE Information Paper 1P8/93, 'Phase-out of CFCs: guidance for owners and operators of air conditioning systems', April 1993.

  Journal Articles:

  'Meeting the challenge—CFCs and the building industry'.

  Urethanes Technology (The Polyurethane Industry's International Journal), February/March 1990.

  'Ammonia as coolant'. Building Services, The CIBSE Journal, April 1990.

  'Preparing for a future without CFCS'. BSEE (Building Services and Environmental Engineer), June 1990.

  'Refrigeration—time to decide'. Building Services, The CIBSE Journal, December 1991.

  'Air conditioning—alternatives to CFCs and HCFCs'. Property Journal (Journal of the British Property Federation), August 1992.

  Conference Papers

  'The global environmental impact of non-domestic buildings—possibilities for the future'. Presented at IMECHE conference CFCs—the engineering solution, South Bank Polytechnic, April 1990.

  'Implications of the use of CFC alternatives on the building industry'. Presented at the CIBSE National Conference, Canterbury, April 1990.

  "Summary of trials with new refrigerants in air conditioning systems'. Presented at the Institute of Refrigeration/IM ECHE conference, CFC alternatives: user experience and update, London, November 1992.

  Council Tax
  Dr. Spink
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what estimate he has made of the average change in council tax bills which would result from a change of the single occupancy discount from 25 per cent. to 50 per cent.;
  528
  (2) what estimate he has made of the average change in council tax bills which would result from a change of the second home multiplier from 50 per cent. to 100 per cent.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  The changes described would not affect the average level of council tax bills, because local authorities would still require to collect the same amount of money overall from the same number of dwellings.

  Partnerships for Change Conference
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he intends to take to ensure that the partnerships for change conference to be held in Manchester in September 1993 will include on its agenda adequate time for the discussion of third world debts, international trade, the policies of the World bank and the International Monetary Fund and other global economic issues.

  Mr. Maclean
  The partnerships for change conference will focus on the practical implementation of Agenda 21, mainly through case study presentations and workshops. Discussions are likely to cover financial and economic frameworks.

  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what criteria will be employed in the selection of organisations chosen to participate in the partnerships for change conference to be held in Manchester in September 1993.

  Mr. Maclean
  Participants in the partnerships for change conference will be drawn from business and industry, environment and development groups, local authorities and communities around the world. They will have practical experience of sustainable development problems and solutions. A small number of representatives of national Governments and international bodies will also be invited.

  Environmental Issues
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he will next meet the Association of County Councils to discuss environmental issues.

  Mr. Maclean
  I regularly discuss issues of common concern with the chairman of the Association of County Councils, together with the Association of Metropolitan Authorities and the Association of District Councils, in the Central and Local Government Environment Forum. The next meeting of the forum is being planned for July.

  Sustainable Development Strategy
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement outlining the means by which he proposes to involve Parliament in the consultation process relating to the drawing up of the first United Kingdom national sustainable development strategy.

  Mr. Maclean
  As the next stage in the preparation of a national sustainable development plan, my Department will be issuing a consultation paper in June. Copies of this document and a summary of the responses will be laid before the House in the normal way.

  Energy Use Report
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to update the report "Energy Use in United Kingdom Manufacturing Industry up to the Year 2000", published in 1984.

  Mr. Maclean
  Aggregate projections of energy use in United Kingdom industry to 2020 are given in Energy Paper 59, published by the Department of Trade and Industry in 1992.

  In addition, my Department is sponsoring an analysis of industrial energy use and greenhouse gas emissions based on an understanding of energy technologies. The methodology is comparable with that underlying energy use in United Kingdom manufacturing industry up to the year 2000 and we hope to start publishing the results, including projections to 2020 under a range of assumptions, in 1994.

  Housing association

  Total housing under management

  Total bedspaces under management

  Full time staff

  Part time staff

  Notting Hill Housing Trust

  9,197

  621

  268

  72

  Merseyside Improved Houses

  14,806

  853

  416

  196

  The Royal British Legion Housing

  11,993

  24

  519

  727

  Hanover Housing Association

  8,637

  0

  526

  271

  Anchor Housing Association

  22,380

  1,726

  2,380

  2,945

  Sanctuary Housing Association

  11,491

  789

  432

  217

  Peabody

  11,819

  6

  439

  41

  Circle Thirty Three Housing

  7,053

  1,343

  201

  61

  Northern Counties Housing

  11,168

  24

  401

  162

  The North British Housing

  21,947

  860

  699

  274

  North Housing Association Ltd.

  21,249

  307

  490

  158

  Broomleigh Housing Association

  12,318

  0

  145

  18

  The Guinness Trust

  10,335

  197

  373

  117

  The Sutton Housing Trust

  14,259

  0

  396

  149

  London and Quadrant Housing Trust

  13,628

  1,737

  303

  12

  Liverpool Housing Trust Ltd.

  7,155

  12

  162

  47

  Bradford and Northern Housing

  8,336

  294

  252

  49

  Focus Housing Association

  7,524

  601

  347

  54

  Bedfordshire Pilgrims Housing

  7,308

  0

  134

  22

  Swale Housing Association

  7,284

  287

  89

  38

  Enterprise Zones
  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many jobs have been(a) created and (b) lost in each enterprise zone on an annual basis; and how many jobs were lost in the area of each enterprise zone in each of the two years before its creation.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  (a) The total stock of jobs in each enterprise zone for the years 1981 to 1989 is available from the publications: "Monitoring of Enterprise Zones, Year Two and Year Three Reports" and the annual reports "Enterprise Zone Information", available from the library. The data for 1990 are due to be published this summer.

  (b) Data on jobs lost and gained annually in enterprise zones area are available only for 1981 to 1983 and are published in "Monitoring of Enterprise Zones, Year Two and Year Three Reports".

  No data are available on the number of jobs lost in the area of each enterprise zone in the two years before its creation.
  530

  Housing Associations
  Mr. Hendry
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will show for each of the 20 largest housing associations the number of houses under management per employee.

  Mr. Baldry
  Housing associations provide a wide diversity of accommodation, from general family housing to homes for those with special needs, including sheltered homes for the elderly, and hostel accommodation for single homeless people. The ratio of employees to units managed varies according to the nature of the housing managed as well as the circumstances of the individual association. The latest figures available, taken from the annual statistical returns made to the Housing Corporation at 31 March 1992, for the largest 20 housing associations are as follows:

  Housing
  Sir Rhodes Boyson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish the total amount of support given by his Department to(a) the Housing Corporation, (b) other housing funding, excluding local authority credit approvals/capital allocations in (i) England, (ii) Greater London and (iii) the south-east, excluding Greater London, for each year from 1982–83 to 1992–93, estimated, distinguishing between current and capital expenditure.

  Sir George Young
  The table gives figures for the main areas of spending other than local authority capital, which also includes support to renovation grants for the private sector and housing defects expenditure. Figures for other housing programmes—including rent officers, rent assessment panels, homelessness revenue grants, housing mobility, home improvement agencies, housing research, estate action revenue, grants etc.—are either not broken down by region, or are not available on a regional basis other than at disproportionate cost. Further housing outputs are also funded through expenditure under the urban block, providing over 5,000 new units this year, and improving many more.
  531

  Housing revenue account subsidy

  Housing corporation ADP

  Housing action trusts

  1982–83

  London

  341·7

  —

  —

  South-East

  31·6

  —

  —

  England

  438·2

  755

  —

  1983–84

  London

  309·99

  —

  —

  South-East

  17·9

  —

  —

  England

  349·9

  743

  —

  1984–85

  London

  333·4

  —

  —

  South-East

  18·9

  —

  —

  England

  381·9

  697

  —

  1985–86

  London

  399·0

  —

  —

  South-East

  27·9

  —

  —

  England

  494·4

  711

  —

  1986–87

  London

  383·3

  —

  —

  South-East

  23·8

  —

  —

  England

  472·3

  715

  —

  1987–88

  London

  353·5

  —

  —

  South-East

  21·7

  —

  —

  England

  437·5

  752

  —

  1988–89

  London

  456·2

  —

  —

  South-East

  26·3

  —

  —

  England

  548·4

  777

  —

  1989–90

  London

  546·9

  —

  —

  South-East

  37·4

  —

  —

  England

  653·8

  935

  —

  1990–91

  London South-East

  836·1

  1(512·2)

  2422

  —

  South-East

  53·4

  (296·1)

  England

  1,232·5

  (2,339·4)

  1,063

  —

  1991–92

  London

  807·5

  (677·3)

  827

  0·3

  South-East

  32·9

  (330·7)

  England

  1,106·4

  (2,705·8)

  1,586

  10·1

  1992–93

  London

  760·6

  (743·0)

  1,218

  11·8

  South-East

  171

  (323·6)

  England

  1,0430

  (2,884·1)

  2,370

  26·5

  1 Figures from 1989–90 represent the housing element of Housing Revenue Account Subsidy only. The figures in brackets show the rent rebate element (the equivalent figures were previously part of DSS programmes).

  2 Housing Corporation expenditure broken down by its regions is only available from 1990–91. The figure shown in the table for London and the South-East combined represents the total for the Housing Corporation's London and Home Counties (NE), London and Home Counties (NW) and London and Home Counties (S) regions.

  Legislation Timetable
  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has, and under what timetable, to introduce legislation(a) to create an environmental protection agency, (b) to change administrative arrangements for national parks, and (c) to implement the provisions of the EC habitats directive.
  532
  Mr. Maclean
  [holding answer 21 May 1993]: My Department is continuing to work for the early creation of the environment agency and to change the administrative arrangements for national parks. The required legislation will be introduced as soon as the necessary parliamentary time can be found. The Government intend to meet the timetable specified by the directive for any necessary transposition of its requirements into domestic legislation.

  Local Government Reform
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to make a statement on his legislative plans for new local government authorities.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  [holding answer 24 May 1993]: The Secretary of State may give effect to the Local Government Commission's recommendations by order under the Local Government Act 1992. The timing of each order is dependent on the commission's work programme and its recommendations.

  Combined Heat and Power
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps his Department takes to encourage research and development in joint heat and power initiatives; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maclean
  The Government fully recognise the energy and environmental benefits of combined heat and power (CHP) and seek to ensure that the technology faces no unnecessary legislative or institutional barriers to its implementation. The Energy Efficiency Office promotes the wider use of the technology in all suitable applications and is working towards the target set by the Government in 1990 of doubling the present installed CHP capacity to 4000 MW by the year 2000. The best practice programme contains an element by which up to 49 per cent. support may be given to pre-competitive research under which CHP is supported.

  Local Government Commission
  Mrs. Beckett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on his policy on the independence of the Local Government Commission and the weight to be given to its recommendations.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  The Local Government Commission is an independent, non-departmental public body. It is required to have regard to the policy and procedure guidance issued by the Secretary of State. Once the commission submits its final report to the Secretary of State, he may, by order, give effect to all or any of the recommendations, with or without modifications.

  Local Government Finance
  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will give details of the number of people in England exempted from payment of the community charge on the grounds of severe mental impairment in each year of its existence;

  (2) what is his Department's assessment of the number of people in England who (a) will be in receipt of 100 per cent. council tax benefit for the property element of the tax and (b) will be exempt from payment of the personal element of the council tax on the grounds of severe mental impairment;
  533
  (3) what is his Department's forecast of the number of people in England who were previously exempted from paying the community charge on the grounds of severe mental impairment and who (a) are liable for the water charge element of the council tax, (b) are liable for all or part of the property element of the council tax or (c) will be in receipt of 100 per cent. council tax benefit for the property element.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  Some 97,000 people were exempt from the personal community charge as of 1 June 1990 on the grounds of severe mental impairment. Figures for later years of the community charge are not available.

  My Department does not collect information on the numbers of people with a severe mental impairment who are liable for the council tax, or who give rise to a discount, or who receive council tax benefit. Because, however, the council tax is a tax on dwellings, fewer people will be liable than was the case under the community charge. Water charges are not collected with the council tax in England.

  Environmental Statistics
  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to publish this year's "Digest of Environmental Statistics".

  Mr. Maclean
  The 15th edition of the annual "Digest of Environmental Protection and Water Statistics" will be published on 27 May 1993. Copies will be placed in the House of Commons Library.

  Radioactive Discharges
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment has been made of the impact of British Nuclear Fuels' new radioactive discharge applications for the Sellafield area on levels of discharges of radioactive pollution around the United Kingdom coastline.

  Mr. Curry
  I have been asked to reply.

  Detailed assessment of those members of the public who would potentially be the most exposed to radiation from the proposed discharges to the marine environment has confirmed that their doses would be well within nationally and internationally recommended limits and much less than doses from natural sources. It follows that the doses to the rest of the United Kingdom population would be even smaller. Full details of their assessment were included in an explanatory memorandum which accompanied the draft authorisations issued for public consultation on 16 November 1992. A copy of these documents is in the Library.

NATIONAL FINANCE

  Widows' Bereavement Allowance
  Dr. Spink
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to extend widows' bereavement allowance to include men; and if he will make a statement on the application of section 51A of the Sex Discrimination Act 1975.

  Mr. Dorrell
  There are no plans at present to extend the widows' bereavement allowance to widowers. Section 51A 534
  of the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 has no application to the question whether widows' bereavement allowance should be extended to widowers.

  Mortgage Interest Tax Relief
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his policy to treat mortgage interest tax relief as official Government expenditure.

  Mr. Dorrell
  I have no plans to change the accounting treatment of mortgage interest tax relief.

  Civil Service Pension Scheme
  Mr. Bowden
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what plans he has to amend the civil service pension schemes to include as pensionable service years served by new entrants joining the service as temporary staff during the second world war, in cases where those staff became established after the war;

  (2) what would be the cost of counting as pensionable all war time service by civil servants entering the service during the second world war who became established after the end of the war;

  (3) what representations he has received on the pension arrangements applying to war-time service by home civil servants.

  Mr. Portillo
  I have no plans to amend the civil service pension scheme to allow unestablished service given before 14 July 1949, including that of temporary staff recruited during the war, to reckon in full for pension purposes. I have received no recent representations specifically about temporary staff, but do from time to time receive correspondence about unestablished service generally.

  The most recent available estimate of costs is that, even if pre-July 1949 unestablished service were to count in full in the calculation of pension benefits only, both past and future lump sums being left out of the account, the total cost over the next 25 years for the civil service alone would be of the order of £400 million.

  Empty Properties
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many empty properties in the owner-occupied sector have been bought under the scheme outlined in the autumn statement by housing associations in each standard United Kingdom region; and how many such properties were repossessed homes in each instance.

  Mr. Portillo
  The information for England is provided in the following table:

  Completed units

  Repossessed units

  Northern

  584

  25

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  1,376

  89

  East Midlands

  1,376

  104

  East Anglia

  801

  33

  South East

  9,083

  547

  South West

  1,533

  127

  West Midlands

  1,583

  62

  North West

  2,094

  151

  National Total

  18,430

  1,138

  In Scotland 209 were purchased; none was a repossession.
  535
  In Wales a total of 1,198 properties were purchased, of which 95 were repossessions.

  In Northern Ireland 743 empty properties were purchased of which:

  141 were by Northern Ireland Housing Executive;

  276 were by Northern Ireland Co-Ownership housing association and;

  326 were by other housing associations.

  Regional breakdowns for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and repossession figures for Northern Ireland, are not available centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. All the above figures are provisional at this stage and subject to normal end-year checking which may result in marginal adjustments to the final outturn.

  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his policy to extend the housing market package for the purpose of purchasing empty properties to cover the whole of the 1993–94 financial year.

  Mr. Portillo
  No; as my right hon. Friend said in his autumn statement last November, the housing market package was a time-limited measure, explicitly aimed at the overhang of empty properties in the over-occupied sector which was holding back activity in the housing market. The purchase of over 23,000 properties has achieved its desired result by providing a significant stimulus to activity.

  Relocation
  Mr. Moss
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are the costs to the public funds of the relocation of Government employees by Government Departments over the past five years.

  Mr. Portillo
  This information is not held centrally.

  VAT (Fuel)
  Mr. Davidson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will propose the introduction of a reduced rate of VAT on fuel for occupiers of public sector properties which are proven to be(a) difficult to heat and (b) located in areas in which it is colder than the British average climate.

  Mr. Dunnachie
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will consider a reduced rate of VAT on fuel for occupiers of public sector properties which are proven to be(a) difficult to heat and (b) in a climate colder than the British average.

  Sir John Cope
  No. Differential VAT treatment for different sectors and areas would be difficult to administer and would undermine the revenue and environmental objects of the Government's VAT charges on fuel and power. In so far as fuel and power supplies to some public sector properties are already subject to the standard rate of VAT, this proposal would also contravene agreements with our EC partners.

  Crossrail
  Mr. Nicholas Winterton
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list all those organisations and companies, other than the Manufacturing and Construction Industries Alliance, from which he has received recent representations concerning the crossrail project.

  Mr. Portillo
  We have received representations in recent weeks from the following organisations and companies:

  The Corporation of the City of London

  London Tourist Board and Convention Bureau

  NFC plc

  Regalian Group

  Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors

  Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce and Industry

  Trafalgar House Developments Ltd.

  Customs and Excise
  Mr. Channon
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to change the structure of the responsibilities of Her Majesty's Customs and Excise.

  Sir John Cope
  We have no plans to change the present structure of responsibilities of Her Majesty's Customs and Excise.

  Public Employees' Pay
  Ms Harman
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the groups of public employees that have reached pay settlements on their pay round since the autumn statement; and on what dates those settlements were reached.

  Mr. Portillo
  Settlements have been reached in respect of the following groups:

  Group

  Date settlement agreed

  Operate date of settlement

  Royal Mail middle and junior managers

  15 March 1993

  1 January 1993

  Armed Forces

  12 February 1993

  1 April

  NHS doctors and dentists

  25 March 1993

  1 April 1993

  School teachers (England and Wales)

  1 April 1993

  1 April 1993

  Civil service clerical and secretarial staff

  26 April 1993

  1 April 1993

  Civil service executive and support staff

  26 March 1993

  1 April 1993

  Teachers in Scotland

  29 March 1993

  1 April 1993

  Settlements have also been reached for a number of smaller groups.

  Ms Harman
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a table showing the earnings of those public employees on top salaries as defined by the Pay Board Review Body by scale and group in real terms at January 1993 prices for each year since 1990–91; and if he will provide estimates for 1993–94 and 1994–95.

  Mr. Portillo
  Data on earnings, where this differs from the salaries and scales down, are not available. It is not possible to make estimates of pay rates beyond the current year. The other information requested is shown in the table.
  537

  Rates of pay at 1 April each year, at 1 January 1993 prices

  Grade

  1990

  1991

  1992

  1993

  Staff in post March 19921

  Home civil service

  Hd of HCS

  104,577

  106,642

  108,234

  109,931

  1

  PS/HMT

  97,864

  99,680

  101,259

  102,846

  1

  Grade 1

  84,129

  85,765

  87,052

  88,417

  23

  Grade 1A

  77,118

  78,803

  80,077

  81,333

  11

  Grade 2

  FR 58,886

  MIN 61,148

  MIN 62,099

  MIN 63,072

  DP 62,744

  —

  —

  —

  140

  DP 66,018

  —

  —

  —

  DP 69,876

  MAX 71,613

  MAX 72,741

  MAX 73,881

  Grade 3

  London2

  National

  London

  National

  London

  National

  London

  National

  FR 47,785

  FR 47,785

  MIN 50,125

  MIN 48,788

  MIN 50,940

  MIN 49,596

  MIN 51,738

  MIN 50,374

  DP 52,570

  DP 50,365

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  481

  DP 55,248

  DP 53,044

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  DP 57,828

  DP 55,623

  MAX 58,030

  MAX 56,693

  MAX 58,896

  MAX 57,552

  MAX 59,819

  MAX 58,454

  Military

  RANK

  Admiral of the Fleet Field Marshal Marshal of the RAF

  104,577

  106,661

  108,234

  109,931

  1

  Admiral General Air Chief Marshal

  84,130

  85,786

  87,050

  88,416

  21

  Vice Admiral Lieutenant General Air Marshal

  58,891

  61,593

  62,615

  63,597

  34

  Rear Admiral Major General Air Vice Marshal

  50,362

  53,979

  54,761

  55,621

  139

  Judiciary

  Group 13

  104,577

  106,663

  108,234

  109,931

  1

  Group 2

  96,673

  98,582

  100,226

  101,797

  13

  34

  92,870

  94,696

  96,093

  97,599

  39

  4

  84,107

  85,786

  87,052

  88,417

  107

  5

  62,391

  70,867

  75,686

  76,873

  26

  —

  —

  63,699

  64,646

  —

  6

  56,218

  59,107

  —

  —

  616

  —

  —

  76,126

  68,079

  —

  7

  46,022

  52,321

  52,179

  52,997

  478

  Notes:

  FR—Flat rate.

  DP—Discretionary point.

  1 Numbers in post exclude the Northern Ireland Civil Service.

  2 Excludes London allowance of £2,000 (two star officers in the armed forces receive London pay and group 7 of the judicial salary structure receive London Weighting).

  3 The composition of each group is given in Appendix H to the 15th Report on Top Salaries Cm 2015 July 1992.

  4 The Lord Justice Clerk is paid a salary lead of £1,000.

  Ms Harman
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list those groups of public employees that have received pay offers in their latest pay round of less than 1·5 per cent., and if he will list those groups of public employees that have had offers of zero per cent.

  Mr. Portillo
  Negotiations and offers in respect of individual groups of public sector employees are confidential to the parties directly concerned.

  Oil Exploration
  Mr. Robert Hughes
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many written representations he has received since 16 March seeking changes to the transitional arrangements for the abolition of exploration and appraisal relief which he announced in the Budget.

  Mr. Dorrell
  There have been a number of written representations on the transitional arrangements. both seeking changes and supporting the existing Finance Bill measures.
  538
  Mr. Robert Hughes
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many companies and industry associations have met him or ministerial colleagues since 16 March to seek changes to the transitional arrangements for the abolition of exploration and appraisal relief which he announced in the Budget; and if he will list them.

  Mr. Dorrell
  Ministers have met a range of companies, industry associations and other interested parties who have put forward a variety of views on the transitional arrangements.

  Mr. Robert Hughes
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list all companies and industry associations which have made representations to Her Majesty's Treasury since 16 March seeking changes to the transitional arrangements for the abolition of exploration and appraisal relief which he announced in the Budget.

  Mr. Dorrell
  Those companies and industry associations that have made representations and have yet to make them public are free to do so.

  Securities and Investments Board
  Mr. Tim Smith
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has received the report of the chairman of the Securities and Investments Board following his review of the Financial Services Act 1986.

  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects to receive the Securities and Investments Board report which he asked for following the loss of Maxwell pension funds.

  Mr. Lamont
  The Maxwell affair—and in particular, the weaknesses identified in the supervision of the Maxwell companies—revealed a number of important shortcomings in the way that financial regulation had been conducted under the Financial Services Act. Accordingly, on 9 July last year, at columns 292 and 293. I informed the House that I had asked Andrew Large, the new chairman of the Securities and Investments Board (SIB), to conduct his own review of how SIB carries out its regulatory responsibilities, with a view to strengthening the implementation of regulatory standards in practice. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Security had previously announced, on 8 June, at columns 19–21, that he has set up for the Pension Law Review Committee under the chairmanship of Professor Goode to carry out a review of the framework of law and regulation for occupational pension schemes.

  Andrew Large has now presented his review. It is published today and I am placing a copy in the Library of the House. It is a thorough and professional analysis, drawing on a wide-ranging consultative exercise with providers, users and regulators of financial services, both in the United Kingdom and in other countries. I am grateful to Mr. Large and I accept his conclusions. The Government will give full support to the implementation of his recommendations. The result will be a significant improvement in investor protection—the primary objectives of any system of financial regulation.

  Effective investor protection can be delivered by a range of regulatory structures. The two-tier structure laid down in the Financial Services Act—statutory-based regulation with a strong practitioner input—is not the only option. The review also looked at a unitary—fully statutory—system, but concluded that the case has not been made for taking such an extreme step at this stage. The Government accept this conclusion—another major upheavel with all its associated costs would be unwelcome both to firms and to investors, especially as the assumed benefits of a different structure are far from guaranteed.

  But while the existing two-tier regulatory structure should be retained, investors have every right to expect effective delivery. To this end, the changes proposed by Andrew Large are significant and radical, yet evolutionary. In its early years, SIB was right to concentrate on establishing a code of regulations. But rules, regulations and procedures are only as valuable as the diligence and skill with which they are implemented. It is now time to focus on supervision and enforcement to see that appropriate standards are delivered.

  We need regulation designed to protect investors, to catch and punish fraudsters and to tackle sharp practice; while at the same time paying due attention to the costs to firms and to investors of operating the system. The review tackles head on the cost of regulation and signals a determination, including through direct control of SIB's
  540
  resources and the setting up of a cost of compliance unit, to look at the justification of all regulatory costs. I welcome Andrew Large's proposals which should deliver increasing cost effectiveness hand in hand with effective regulation.

  Reshaping regulatory effort in this way will require a partnership between SIB and all the bodies recognised under the Act. Each self-regulatory organisation, recognised investment exchange and recognised professional body has its separate and essential role to play. But the system must be driven and led by SIB as regulator of the regulators with a more active style of regulation, supervision and enforcement. I fully support the approach Andrew Large has recommended; SIB must set the standards expected of the front line regulators, supervise their delivery and ensure their enforcement. SI B's role and standing will be enhanced by its proposals for greater openness, cost effectiveness and public accountability giving investors and providers more confidence in the system.

  Change is already in hand at Investment Management Regulatory Organisation, as foreshadowed in my statement of 9 July. SIB has been working with IMRO to rectify serious weaknesses in six main areas. A risk-based approach to monitoring has been developed to sharpen its focus and effectiveness, together with a significant increase in monitoring resources. There are new procedures for co-ordinating emergency cases and improvements to IM RO's admission procedures. New occupational pension scheme rules came into force in March and a revised code of practice of board members' interests was introduced in August. With the appointment of a new chairman and chief executive, these measures represent a vigourous response to the regulatory weaknesses at SIB and IMRO exposed by the Maxwell affair.

  Improved investor protection will require full use of SIB's extensive powers, including the inherent powers derived from its powers to recognise the front-line regulators. Andrew Large believes that he will be able to achieve the major changes required within the current legislation. But in a number of areas he has indicated that if, despite expectations, SIB's powers prove inadequate to secure the required standards of investor protection when put fully to the test, he will not hesitate to seek legislative amendment.

  I share the view that full use of SIB's powers should deliver the required improvements. The chairman of SIB has the Government's full backing in the use of these powers. I will, of course, keep this area under review and I will be prepared to take whatever action is necessary if experience shows existing powers to be inadequate. But such a development would be serious indeed because it would indicate that the co-operation needed between SIB and the front-line regulators to make the two-tier structure work effectively had not materialised.

  I have asked the chairman of SIB to implement the recommendations of the review, in co-operation with the recognised bodies, and to keep me closely in touch with progress on implementation. As part of its plans for greater openness, cost effectiveness and public accountability, SIB will publish six monthly progress bulletins.

  No regulator and no system of regulation an guarantee that all fraud will be prevented or identified. Nor can regulation replace the duty on investors to consider

  541
  carefully how they invest their money. But the Government are determined that all the lessons of the Maxwell affair must be fully learnt.

  Financial Services Act 1986
  Mr. Nicholas Winterton
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what plans he has to bring forward proposals to repeal or reform the Financial Services Act 1986; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) what reviews Her Majesty's Government are conducting of the working of the Financial Services Act 1986; and for what purpose.

  Mr. Nelson
  [holding answer 19 May 1993]: I have no plans to change the present statutory framework. On 9 July last year, following publication of the summary of conclusions and findings of the Investment Management Regulatory Organisation's review of its regulation of Maxwell companies and the Securities and Investments Board's own assessment, my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer asked Andrew Large, SIB's chairman, to conduct a review of how the SIB carries out its regulatory responsibilities. My right hon. Friend's answer today to the hon. Member for Beaconsfield (Mr. Smith) reports on the delivery of the review.

  Mr. Nicholas Winterton
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent representations he has received about the working of the Financial Services Act 1986; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Nelson
  [holding answer 19 May 1993]: I received a number of such representations.

  British Telecom
  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will provide an estimate of the administrative costs of the 1993–94 sale of shares in British Telecom plc borne by class XVII, vote 1 of the March 1993 Supply estimates.

  Mr. Dorrell
  [holding answer 24 May 1993]: The administrative costs related to the 1993 sale of shares in British Telecommunications plc borne on class XVII, vote 1 in 1993–94 is estimated at £200,000.

  Insurance Policies
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which regulatory organisation controls the sale, in sterling, of United Kingdom insurance policies to(a) United Kingdom citizens located overseas and (b) those serving in British armed forces overseas where the claims are processed in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Nelson
  [holding answer 24 May 1993]: In general, any direct controls on the sale of insurance policies are likely to be the responsibility of the authorities in the country where the policy is sold. However, the rules of the Life Assurance and Unit Trust Regulatory Organisation apply in certain circumstances to the sale to United Kingdom citizens—including armed forces personnel—located overseas, of investment-based life insurance policies by life offices based in the United Kingdom.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Animals (Transport and Slaughter)
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he next intends to review current practices of procedure concerning the transport and slaughter of animals within the European Community.

  Mr. Soames
  Directive 91/628 lays down conditions for the transport of animals within the Community. The Commission is due to propose further detailed rules, and we are pressing it to come forward with proposals for discussion as soon as possible.

  The United Kingdom initiated discussions on EC proposals on the welfare of animals at slaughter during our presidency. Discussions are continuing and we will be seeking high welfare standards to be implemented and enforced throughout the Community.

  Integrated Administration and Control Systems
  Mr. Nigel Evans
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many IACS forms his Department have returned to farmers because they were incorrectly completed; and how many completed IACS forms were returned to his Department as a percentage of those sent out.

  Mr. Curry
  Regional service centres are now undertaking detailed checks of the IACS forms, but figures are not available on the number where further information may be required to determine eligibility for aid.

  In order to ensure that every potential applicant received an information pack, my Department distributed IACS forms and explanatory booklets to all major and minor holdings on our records, comprising some 190,000 in England. We recognised that some of these would not be eligible but we were not willing to take the risk of missing any potential claimants. Of the forms distributed, 45 per cent. have been completed and returned.

  Mr. lan Bruce
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many IACS applications were received in the United Kingdom by 15 May.

  Mr. Gummer
  The number of applications received in the United Kingdom by 15 May was 157,129.

  Local Authority Farmland
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what estimate he has of(a) the number of farms and (b) the total acreage of farmland that is owned by local authorities; and in which counties these areas are mainly concentrated.

  Mr. Curry
  The Department does not have this information. However, information on statutory smallholdings owned by local authorities is contained in the annual reports to Parliament on smallholdings in England and Wales which are available in the Library.

  European Agricultural Advisory Committees
  Mr. Ian Bruce
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the level of United Kingdom representation on the European agricultural advisory committees for(a) the oil and fats

  543
  sector, (b) the fresh and processed fruit and vegetable committee and (c) social questions affecting farmers and members of their families; and what assessment has been made of the reasons for the difference in the United Kingdom level relative to other large EC countries.

  Mr. Curry
  Members of agricultural advisory committees are appointed by the European Commission on the basis of information supplied by trade and professional bodies. Their role is to advise the Commission on its work in the various agricultural sectors. National Governments are not involved in these appointments in any way.

  Geographical Information Systems
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on geographical information systems used by his Department.

  Mr. Curry
  Geographical information systems using a variety of software products are currently employed by a number of divisions of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, including emergencies and food protection, environmental protection, plant health and seeds inspectorate, fisheries, and marine environmental protection. Additional systems are used by its agencies, including the Central Science Laboratory, the Central Veterinary Laboratory and ADAS.

  Beef Premium Scheme
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if the present beef premium scheme will be reviewed in 12 months' time; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Curry
  We have already started to look at the details of the operation of the new beef special premium scheme with industry representatives.

  EC Agri-environment Package
  Mr. Martlew
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what information he has about(a) the amount of money that each EC member state is expecting to spend on the agri-environment package in each of the next three years and (b) what schemes they intend to introduce; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Curry
  In the United Kingdom we expect to spend £45·5 million in 1993–94, £75·5 million in 1994–95 and £97 million in 1995–96 on environmentally sensitive areas, moorland schemes, the creation and improvement of a range of wildlife habitats over a 20-year period, organic farming, the encouragement of new public access on set-aside land and measures to protect groundwater catchments affected by high nitrate levels. This is in addition to expenditure on such schemes as countryside stewardship.

  Other member states are currently preparing their plans and the final contents are as yet unclear. So far, programmes for some parts of some member states have been submitted to the EC Commission but provisional details of only two national programmes have been made available. These are a French programme to encourage maintenance of extensive grazed pasture with forecast expenditure of FF630 million in 1993, FF1,050 million in
  544
  1994 and FF1,575 million in 1995, and a Dutch programme to extend their environmentally sensitive areas by 9,000 hectares, for which we do not yet have details of the cost.

WALES

  Field Identification
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales by what method he intends to verify the information with respect to field identification numbers and areas submitted by individual farmers in form IACS 2A (1993): and who will carry out the verification.

  Mr. David Hunt
  Verification of the information submitted on form IACS 2A (1993) will be carried out by Welsh Office staff by means of a combination of administrative checks and site inspection visits.

  Trainees
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what information he has on the number of young females who have had their youth training placements terminated in Wales in each year from 1987; and how many such terminations resulted directly from a trainee becoming pregnant.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  The following table shows the percentage of young women who left youth training places prior to completion of their training in each of the financial years 1987–88 to 1991–92. Figures for 1992–93 are not yet available.

  Information on the number who terminated training directly as a result of pregnancy is not available.

  Youth Training Young Women leavers in Wales

  Year

  Completers Per cent.

  Early leavers Per cent.

  Don't know Per cent.

  1987–88

  21

  79

  —

  1988–89

  26

  74

  —

  1989–90

  27

  73

  —

  1990–91

  28

  54

  118

  1991–92

  27

  53

  21

  1 Figures for 1990–91 and 1991–92 are taken from the YT leavers survey and are not directly comparable with those for earlier years which were taken from the trainee database.

  Agri-environment Scheme
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what action has been taken to date by his Department to implement European Community Regulation No. 2978/92 on the development of a multinational zonal agri-environment scheme for Wales.

  Mr. David Hunt
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply given to the hon. and learned Member for Montgomery (Mr. Carlile) on 17 May 1993 at column 55.

  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to extend agri-environmental schemes currently operational in Wales to cover the Ceredigion area.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The Cambrian mountains—original and extension—environmentally sensitive areas (ESAs)
  545
  already cover part of Ceredigion. I have no plans to extend the boundaries of these ESAs. Other schemes containing agri-environmental elements, such as the farm woodland premium scheme, the farm and conservation grant scheme and hedgerow renovation scheme, are already available in Ceredigion.

  Illegal Drugs
  Mr. leuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what information he has on the proportion of secondary school children in each local education authority area in Wales who have taken illegal drugs.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  A 1992 survey by the Health Promotion Authority for Wales reported that 36·6 per cent. of all fifth formers had used some form of drug or other substance, excluding alcohol and tobacco, during that year. That data broken down to local education authority level are too small to be significant.

  Non-departmental Public Bodies
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many representations he has received on the subject of non-departmental public bodies over the past year; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The activities of non-departmental public bodies relate to many areas of my Department's work and thus the imprecise information requested is not available centrally.

  Grant-maintained schools
  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many grant-maintained schools have facilities for disabled students: and what percentage this is of grant-maintained schools.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  All but one of the seven grant-maintained schools currently in Wales have some facilities for disabled students.

  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list all of the successful capital grant requests from grant-maintained schools since he began making them, stating the work to be carried out and its value; and how many of these projects enabled disabled students to have access to these schools.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  Details of the successful named projects in 1992–93 were provided in my right hon. Friend's reply of 1 February 1993 to the hon. Member for Caerphilly (Mr. Davies)Official Report, column 29. An announcement about the 1993–94 allocations will he made shortly.

  A number of the projects included the improvement of facilities for disabled students.

  Regional Assistance
  Mr. Richards
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the firms in Clywd that accepted regional enterprise grants in each year in which they were available and the amount of each grant; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. David Hunt
  Details about individual companies accepting offers of regional enterprise grants are 546
  commercially confidential. However, the following table gives the total number and value of offers accepted by companies in Clwyd for each year since the start of the scheme on 1 April 1988.

  Type of grant

  Investment

  Innovation

  Number

  Offer value (£)

  Number

  Offer value (£)

  1988–89

  41

  322,534

  10

  227,750

  1989–90

  105

  894,996

  15

  322,384

  1990–91

  67

  616,778

  23

  498,074

  1991–92

  47

  476,112

  16

  347,632

  1992–93

  27

  253,839

  20

  450,092

  Total

  287

  2,564,259

  84

  1,845,932

  Mr. Richards
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the firms in Clwyd that accepted offers of regional selective assistance in 1991–92 and 1992–93 and the amount of each offer; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. David Hunt
  Details of all offers of regional selective assistance of £75,000 or more are published in the Employment Gazette following the first payment of grant. These details remain commercially confidential until that time including individual amounts of RSA associated with projects which have been publicly announced beforehand. Companies accepting offers of RSA in 1991–92 whose details have appeared in the Employment Gazette are:

  RSA Offer (£)

  Processed Timber Products Ltd.

  75,000

  Keating Gravure Systems (UK) Ltd.

  100,000

  Kronospan Ltd.

  3,000,000

  P. and R. Graphics

  100,000

  Fibrax Ltd.

  125,000

  Betts and Co.

  600,000

  Cardiff Bay Development
  Mr. Richards
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what estimate he has made of the effect on the south Wales economy of the construction of the Cardiff bay development; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The latest economic appraisal estimates that the Cardiff Bay regeneration strategy, including the barrage, will attract some 23,000 new jobs and £1·2 billion of private sector investment to Cardiff bay. The wider south Wales economy will clearly benefit from activity of this magnitude, in terms of both additional jobs and changed perceptions of the region in the eyes of inward investors.

  Power Stations
  Mr. Richards
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what effect he expects the Hamilton Oil and Connah's Quay power station projects will have on the north Wales economy; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. David Hunt
  I understand that the Hamilton Point of Ayr terminal and PowerGen's Connah's Quay power station projects together represent an investment of some £.1·8 billion. Up to 2,400 jobs will be created during construction, with around 110 permanent jobs at the two sites thereafter.

  Management Placement Training
  Mr. Richards
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many people have found full-time positions after completing management placement training courses in Wales in each year since 1987.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  Information on the numbers of people who have found full-time positions after completing management placement training courses in Wales is not available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Welsh Development Agency
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the total amount of(a) grant in aid and (b) other moneys given by his Department to the Welsh Development Agency in 1991–92 and 1992–93 expressed in (i) cash prices and (ii) at 1990–91 prices.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The information is set out in the following table:

  Total grant in aid cash £000

  Total grant in aid at 1990–91 prices £000

  1991–92

  87,167

  76,116

  1992–93

  78,359

  68,425

  No other resources were made available by the Department in this period.

  Trade Missions
  Mr. Richards
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the destinations of the trade missions being organised by the Welsh Office over the next three years to promote the products of small and medium-sized enterprises based in Wales; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The programme of missions for 1993–94 is as follows:

  1993–94

  Date

  1. GERMANY AND SWITZERLAND Stuttgart/Zurich

  6–11 June 1993

  2. SINGAPORE AND MALAYSIA Singapore/Kuala Lumpur

  14–26 August 1993

  3. USA AND CANADA Seattle/Vancouver/Toronto

  11–23 September 1993

  Inward investment projects secured in Wales from 1988

  County

  Number of

  Number of jobs

  Capital

  projects

  New

  Safeguarded

  investment £ million

  1988

  Clwyd

  28

  2,377

  26

  201·0

  Dyfed

  6

  253

  0

  20·0

  Gwent

  21

  2,122

  1,299

  80·0

  Gwynedd

  7

  377

  110

  34·0

  Powys

  0

  0

  0

  0·0

  Mid Glamorgan

  20

  1,742

  200

  43·0

  South Glamorgan

  7

  3,773

  730

  764·0

  West Glamorgan

  8

  649

  30

  15·0

  1989

  548

  1993–94

  Date

  4. ARABIAN GULF Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia

  1–14 October 1993

  5. BELGIUM Brussels

  14–18 February 1994

  6. SPAIN AND FRANCE Barcelona/Marseilles

  13–18 March 1994

  The programmes for the eight 1994–95 and 10 1995–96 missions have yet to be finalised. Decisions on likely target markets are made taking account of the most up-to-date information available and both programmes are under review. For 1994–95, however, the programme is likely to include destinations in North America, the middle and far east, Australasia and Europe and I will make an announcement shortly.

  Inward Investment
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the percentage share of foreign inward capital investment by county in Wales in each year since 1987.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The percentage share of capital investment promised by inward investment projects from overseas recorded since 1987 is shown in the following table. The figures are based on information provided at the time the projects were recorded and have not been amended to take account of any subsequent development.

  1988

  1989

  1990

  1991

  1992

  Clwyd

  17·56

  38·21

  47·00

  10·90

  5·94

  Dyfed

  1·44

  10·91

  1·92

  8·96

  7·86

  Gwent

  4·47

  6·84

  2·43

  16·27

  12·33

  Gwynedd

  2·96

  —

  —

  1·91

  1·96

  Powys

  —

  0·07

  0·10

  0·86

  7·17

  Mid Glamorgan

  2·57

  9·01

  21·97

  28·46

  44·56

  South Glamorgan

  69·55

  31·41

  6·11

  28·62

  17·93

  West Glamorgan

  1·45

  3·55

  20·47

  4·02

  2·25

  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many new inward investment projects were secured by county in Wales in each year from 1988; how many new jobs were created; how many jobs were safeguarded; and what was the total capital investment.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The information requested is shown in the following table. The figures are based on information provided by the companies at the time the projects were recorded and have not been amended to take account of any subsequent developments.
  549

  County

  Number of projects

  Number of jobs

  Capital investment £ million

  New

  Safeguarded

  Clwyd

  14

  831

  0

  190·0

  Dyfed

  10

  448

  2,280

  70·0

  Gwent

  23

  1,490

  185

  49·0

  Gwynedd

  2

  18

  0

  0·3

  Powys

  2

  35

  0

  0·5

  Mid Glamorgan

  19

  1,051

  87

  52·0

  South Glamorgan

  15

  2,140

  94

  155·0

  West Glamorgan

  15

  1,163

  700

  24·0

  1990

  Clwyd

  38

  2,204

  238

  235·0

  Dyfed

  4

  0

  948

  8·0

  Gwent

  21

  1,131

  212

  107·0

  Gwynedd

  3

  123

  0

  0·4

  Powys

  2

  42

  0

  0·5

  Mid Glamorgan

  33

  1,147

  3,670

  970

  South Glamorgan

  24

  2,273

  350

  137·0

  West Glamorgan

  17

  1,036

  2,510

  84·0

  1991

  Clwyd

  48

  2,412

  640

  121·0

  Dyfed

  8

  330

  960

  70·0

  Gwent

  45

  2,177

  1,771

  129·0

  Gwynedd

  15

  573

  1,006

  69·0

  Powys

  3

  120

  0

  6·0

  Mid Glamorgan

  31

  2,890

  1,815

  220·0

  South Glamorgan

  21

  792

  518

  216·0

  West Glamorgan

  12

  844

  212

  33·0

  1992

  Clwyd

  38

  1,496

  548

  83·0

  Dyfed

  15

  185

  875

  68·0

  Gwent

  40

  1,302

  2,043

  129·0

  Gwynedd

  27

  735

  593

  35·0

  Powys

  34

  1,052

  0

  66·0

  Mid Glamorgan

  25

  1,062

  1,726

  392·0

  South Glamorgan

  18

  654

  999

  160·0

  West Glamorgan

  9

  131

  969

  62·0

  Consultancy Initiatives
  Mr. Richards
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many firms in Clwyd have been helped by consultancy initiatives in each year since 1988; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The number of firms which have received completed consultancies under the scheme in Clwyd are as follows:

  Number

  1988–89

  124

  1989–90

  196

  1990–91

  1113

  1991–92

  1149

  1992–93

  1140

  1993–94

  29

  Total

  531

  1 Completed.

  2 Completed to date.

  These consultancy services are provided by my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade and delivered in Wales on his behalf by the Welsh Development Agency.

  The scheme, as my right hon. Friend announced on 10 March, Official Report, columns 583–84, will continue at reduced rates of subsidy. This will allow the development
  550
  of a new, wider and more flexible package of support which will help a larger number of companies, within the available resources. This new package of assistance, which will still include consultancy support, will continue after 31 March 1994, when the enterprise initiative consultancy scheme was due to end.

  Training and Enterprise Councils
  Mr. Richards
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many inquiries TEC-operated business information services received from businesses in Clwyd last year; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  Information about the numbers of inquiries received by TEC business information services is collected only on a TEC area basis. North East Wales TEC, which covers Clwyd with the exception of the boroughs of Colwyn and Rhuddlan, dealt with 1,866 inquiries through its business information service last year. The total number of inquiries received in Gwynedd and Clwyd during the same period was 5,635.

  Mr. Richards
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many new and existing small businesses in Clwyd participated in counselling sessions run by TECs last year; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  Information about the numbers of new and existing small businesses participating in counselling sessions run by TECs is collected only on a TEC area basis. North East Wales TEC, which covers
  551
  Clwyd with the exception of Colwyn and Rhuddlan boroughs, undertook 863 counselling sessions in 1992–93. The total number of counselling sessions undertaken in Gwynedd and Clwyd for the same period was 3,040.

  Mr. Richards
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many owners and managers of businesses in Clwyd received help and training from TECs last year; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  Information on the numbers of owners and managers of businesses in Clwyd who received help and training from TECs last year is available only on a TEC area basis. NE Wales TEC, which covers Clwyd with the exception of Colwyn and Rhuddlan boroughs, supported 876 owner-manager training activities in 1992–93. The total number of owner-manager training activities undertaken in Gwynedd and Clwyd for the same period was 2,289.

  Mr. Richards
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many people in Clwyd who started their own businesses in the last financial year received help and support from TECs; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  Information on the numbers of people who started their own businesses in the last financial year and who received help and support from TECs is collected only on a TEC area basis. North East Wales TEC, which covers Clwyd with the exception of the boroughs of Colwyn and Rhuddlan, provided help and support for 171 people who started their own businesses in 1992–93. The total number who received such assistance in Gwynedd and Clwyd during the same period was 578.

  1988 Per cent.

  1989 Per cent.

  1990 Per cent.

  1991 Per cent.

  1992 Per cent.

  Clwyd

  18·0

  19·3

  18·8

  18·3

  18·8

  Dyfed

  3·9

  6·6

  7·4

  7·0

  6·7

  Gwent

  18·3

  19·3

  19·6

  18·9

  19·5

  Gwynedd

  2·7

  2·2

  1·9

  2·1

  1·8

  Mid Glamorgan

  27·8

  26·5

  26·4

  27·2

  27·1

  Powys

  0·3

  0·4

  0·6

  0·4

  0·3

  South Glamorgan

  11·7

  10·1

  11·0

  12·3

  12·7

  West Glamorgan

  17·3

  15·5

  14·3

  13·9

  13·1

  Total Employment in Foreign·owned Manufacturing units in Wales

  50,500

  60,600

  66,300

  67,000

  66,200

  Source: Welsh Register of Manufacturing Employment.

  Note: Totals may not add due to rounding.

  Site Protection
  Mr. Ainger
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what action he proposes to take to protect sites of importance for nature and landscape conservation from being destroyed prior to applications being made for planning permission; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  The Government encourage local authorities to adopt appropriate policies in their development plans, and to make full use of their powers under the National Parks and Access to the Countryside

  Small Firms (Awards)
  Mr. Richards
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the companies in Clwyd that have received a small firms merit award for research and technology(a) stage 1 and (b) stage 2 award during the past 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  The Government's SMART competition for small companies and start-ups is a highly successful scheme that provides support for innovation which is widely recognised as the key to company competitiveness. Over the five years that it has been operating, Wales has received 112 awards covering a wide technological range, representing 9 per cent. of the United Kingdom total. The following companies located in Clwyd have received awards over the past 12 months:

  (a) STAGE 1

  Global Specialties (UK) Ltd.

  Optokem Instruments Ltd.

  (b) STAGE 2

  Henrob Ltd.

  Quest Refrigeration Ltd.

  Some 107 applications from Welsh companies have been received for this year's stage 1 competition, representing a 55 per cent. increase on last year. This reflects an increase in confidence in Welsh industry as well as a positive interest in innovation.

  Foreign-owned Manufacturing Units
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the percentage share of employment by county in foreign-owned manufacturing units in Wales in each year since 1988.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The percentage share of employment by county in foreign-owned manufacturing units in Wales in each year since 1988 is in the following table:

  Act 1949, the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and under planning legislation to protect sites which they recognise as sites of local ecological importance. I am satisfied that measures available to local authorities are sufficient to secure the protection of such sites.

  Child Care
  Mr. leuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the applications made to date for funding under the out of school child care grant in Wales, indicating the amount allocated in each instance.
  553
  Sir Wyn Roberts
  The out of school child care scheme will be administered by the training and enterprise councils. As yet, no payments of grant have been made.

  A470
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on plans for the improvement of the A470 Llanrwst to Conwy road at Tanlan.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  Preparation of a scheme is in progress and a public consultation exercise is planned for later this year.

  Education
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the taster courses and other forms of pre-course support in Wales which are aimed specifically at encouraging the re-entry of women into education.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  Six higher education institutions held eight taster courses for prospective teachers in the academic year 1991–92. The institutions concerned were UCW Aberystwyth, UCNW Bangor, UC Swansea, Cardiff institute of higher education, North Wales institute of higher education and Gwent college of higher education. UCNW Bangor will be holding a further taster course in September 1993. The taster courses provide men and women with the opportunity to learn more about teaching as a career. The courses are not aimed specifically at women but a substantial proportion of those attending have been women.

  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many schools and units for emotionally and behaviourally disturbed children he and his Minister of State have visited since September 1992.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  Neither my right hon. Friend nor I has visited any designated school or unit for such children since September 1992.

  Youth Justice
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many local authorities in Wales to date have established operational plans for tackling discrimination in youth justice; and what is the number that have drawn up an anti-discrimination statement relating to youth justice.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  This information is not held centrally.

  Environmental Protection
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list(a) the additional special protection areas and (b) wetlands of international importance that have been designated in Wales during the last two years; and what plans he has for further designations.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  Since 1 April 1991, six sites in Wales have been designated as special protection areas (SPAs) under the EC Birds Directive and four sites designated under the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar Convention). The sites are as follows:554

  SPA/RAMSAR sites designated in Wales since 1 April 1991

  Date of designation

  SPAs

  Skokholm

  5 August 1991

  Traeth Lafan (Conway Bay)

  10 June 1992

  Ynys Feurig, Cemlyn Bay and Skerries

  10 June 1992

  Glannau Aberdaron (Aberdaron Coast) and Ynys Enlli (Bardsey Island)

  10 June 1992

  Glannau Ynys Gybi (Holy Island Coast)

  10 June 1992

  Burry Inlet1

  14 July 1992

  RAMSAR

  Llyn Tegid

  7 November 1991

  Llyn Idwal

  7 November 1991

  Burry Inlet1

  14 July 1992

  Cors Caron

  28 September 1992

  1 Joint SPA/Ramsar site.

  There are a number of other sites in Wales which are under consideration by the Countryside Council for Wales in a rolling programme of designations. The council's target is to submit six sites to the Welsh Office in 1993–94.

  Discretionary Grants
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many representations he has received on the subject of discretionary grants during the past 18 months; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  During the past 18 months, my right hon. Friend and I have received 35 representations on the subject of discretionary student awards. Such awards are the responsibility of local education authorities who can choose which students and courses to support and how much to spend.

  Business Start-ups
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many new businesses have been started in Wales(a) in total and (b) by women in each of the last five years.

  Mr. David Hunt
  Comprehensive information on the number of new business start-ups in Wales(a) in total and (b) by women in each of the last five years is not available.

  However, VAT registration figures are available by year up to 1991 and for the period 1987–91 as a whole show a gross addition of 49,100 VAT registered businesses in Wales. The number of VAT registrations in Wales for each of the last five years is as follows:

  Year

  VAT registrations

  1987

  8,700

  1988

  10,900

  1989

  10,900

  1990

  10,200

  1991

  8,400

  1987–91

  49,100

  Integrated Administration and Control
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many representations he has received concerning the subject of Welsh language IACS forms; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. David Hunt
  Several.

  Cardiff Wales Airport
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the new passenger air routes developed during 1992 and 1993 to date, to and from Cardiff, Wales airport; and what plans there are further to expand this number.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  During 1992, services introduced at Cardiff, Wales airport included a scheduled link to Aberdeen and charter services to Dalaman and Antalya in Turkey, Gran Canaria, Lyon, Rome, Vienna and Berlin.

  In 1993 charter services started to Paphos (Cyprus), Kos and Skiathos (Greece) and Adnan Menderes (Turkey).

  The airport management has plans for additional new services but these are commercially confidential.

  Market Testing
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales by what date he wishes bids for market-testing jobs in his Department to be submitted.

  Mr. David Hunt
  Dates for submission of bids have not been fixed. They will be set out in the invitations to tender which are expected to issue during the summer.

  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what advice has been given to units within his Departments on the selection of advisers they should appoint to assist them in the market-testing process.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The in-house bid managers have been given training to help them to identify the issues which they need to consider in formulating their bids. Continuing discussions are also taking place between the bid managers and the Department's efficiency unit about the selection of relevant advisers.

  Redundancies, Gwent
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list all redundancy and closure announcements involving more than 10 people made by Gwent companies since April 1992.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The information is not available.

  Local Government Finance
  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what is his Department's forecast of the number of people in Wales who were previously exempted from paying the community charge on the grounds of severe mental impairment and who(a) are liable for the water charge element of the council tax, (b) are liable for all or part of the property element of the council tax or (c) will be in receipt of 100 per cent. council tax benefit for the property element;

  (2) what is his Department's assessment of the number of people in Wales who (a) will be in receipt of 100 per cent, council tax benefit for the property element of the tax and (b) will be exempt from payment of the personal element of the council tax on the grounds of severe mental impairment;

  (3) if he will give details of the number of people in Wales exempted from payment of the community charge on the grounds of severe mental impairment in each year of its existence.
  556
  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The information required is not held centrally.

  NHS Joint Staff Consultative Council
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when the next ministerial meeting with the members of the Joint Staff Consultative Council for the Welsh health service will take place.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  These meetings do not take place on a regular basis and I have not made arrangements for a further meeting.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Benefit Claimants
  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list for each of the last five years the numbers of people receiving each social security benefit whose benefit was reviewed.

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

  Myalgic Encephalomyelitis
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 14 April to the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent (Mr. Smith),Official Report, column 667, what estimate he has made of the number of people receiving benefits in respect of myalgic encephalomyelitis.

  Mr. Scott
  The information is not available. No specific estimate of the number of people receiving benefits in respect of myalgic encephalomyelitis has been made. In general incapacity and disablement benefits are payable on the effects of an illness or disability, and not on the condition itself.

  Disability
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the additional benefits potentially available to single, double and multiple amputees, along with the relevant eligibility criteria; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Scott
  A wide range of benefits is available to sick and disabled people, including amputees, provided they meet the conditions of entitlement. In general, disability benefits are payable on the basis of the effect an illness or disability has on a person's everyday life rather than the condition itself.

  There is no specific benefit provided for amputees; however, people who are born without both feet or have had both feet amputated at or above the ankle qualify automatically for the higher rate of the mobility component of disability living allowance, if they satisfy other conditions of entitlement.

  Benefits (Automatic Transfer)
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many representations he has received from people concerned about Government plans to make pension and benefit payments directly to bank accounts: and if he will make a statement.

  Miss Widdecombe
  We have received various representations, including a number of letters from right hon. and hon. Members. The Government's policy is to ensure that people have a choice of payment method and are aware of the choices available.

  Mr. Beggs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many benefit or pension recipients(a) collect benefit directly from a post office and (b) have benefit paid directly into (i) a bank or (ii) a building society;

  (2) how many claim forms have been issued to new pension or benefit applicants which do not provide information regarding the Post Office as a location from which allowances can be collected.

  Miss Widdecombe
  The payment of social security benefits is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member and a copy will be placed in the Library.

  Letter from Michael Bichard to Mr. Roy Beggs, dated 24 May 1993:

  As Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency, it is my responsibility to answer questions about relevant operational matters. I am, therefore, replying to your recent Parliamentary Questions to the Secretary of State for Social Security asking how many benefit or pension recipients (a) collect benefit directly from a post office and (b) have benefit paid directly into (i) a bank or (ii) a building society; and how many claim forms have been issued to new pension or benefit applicants which do not provide information regarding the Post Office as a location from which allowances can be collected.

  Although the number of beneficiaries for each benefit is known, because some individuals can receive more than one benefit, statistics on the total number of social security recipients are not available. However, at December 1992 around 4·3 m beneficiaries were paid directly into a bank or building society, while around 23·25 m were paid by a method of payment encashable at a post office. It is not possible to say, from our records, how many payments were made into bank accounts and how many into building society accounts.

  In a recent trial, three versions of the Retirement Pension (RP) claim form were piloted. One version of the form did not refer directly to the Post Office as a location where RP may be collected, but it stated that other methods of payment were available and invited customers to request further information if required. Eight thousand copies of this form were issued. I hope you find this reply helpful. A copy will appear in the Official Report. A copy will also be placed in the Library.

  Visual Handicap
  Mr. Callaghan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what information he has as to additional costs incurred by people with a visual handicap as a result of their disability.

  Mr. Scott
  Information about the additional costs incurred by visually handicapped people was included in the surveys of disability commissioned by the Government, carried out by the Office of Population 558
  Censuses and Surveys, and published in 1988. Further information is available in the Royal National Institute for the Blind survey "Blind and Partially Sighted Adults in Britain", published in 1991.

  Income Support
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish figures indicating(a) the number of claimants for income support in respect of mortgage interest in each standardised United Kingdom region, (b) the average weekly payment and (c) the total annual payment in each year since 1988.

  Mr. Burt
  The information available for Great Britain is in the following tables. Information for Northern Ireland should be requested from my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.

  Income support recipients with mortgage interest considered in their assessment May 1989 Recipients with half mortgage interest

  Social security administrative region

  Number of cases

  Average amount of mortgage interest

  Annual amount of mortgage interest

  North Eastern

  5,000

  12·89

  3,600,000

  London North

  5,000

  32·45

  9,300,000

  South Western

  2,000

  22·22

  2,800,000

  Wales

  3,000

  22·24

  3,100,000

  Midlands

  4,000

  17·94

  3,700,000

  North Western

  4,000

  13·81

  3,000,000

  Scotland

  2,000

  20·20

  2,000,000

  London South

  4,000

  32·89

  6,300,000

  Great Britain

  30,000

  21·86

  33,900,000

  Income support recipients with mortgage interest considered in their assessment May 1989 Recipients with full mortgage interest

  Social security administrative region

  Number of cases

  Average amount of mortgage interest

  Annual amount of mortgage interest

  North Eastern

  40,000

  18·71

  38,500,000

  London North

  39,000

  33·92

  68,300,000

  South Western

  21,000

  28·55

  30,600,000

  Wales

  20,000

  18·82

  19,300,000

  Midlands

  40,000

  19·94

  41,300,000

  North Western

  48,000

  18·84

  46,700,000

  Scotland

  13,000

  25·13

  17,300,000

  London South

  32,000

  34·82

  57,000,000

  Great Britain

  251,000

  24·46

  319,200,000

  Source:

  Income support recipients with mortgage interest considered in their assessment May 1990 Recipients with half mortgage interest

  Social security administrative region

  Number of cases

  Average amount of mortgage interest

  Annual amount of mortgage interest

  North Eastern

  7,000

  19·32

  7,500,000

  London North

  7,000

  48·17

  16,500,000

  South Western

  3,000

  28·64

  4,200,000

  Wales

  2,000

  26·90

  2,700,000

  Midlands

  6,000

  24·72

  8,200,000

  North Western

  8,000

  26·58

  10,500,000

  Scotland

  2,000

  41·72

  4,300,000

  London South

  6,000

  57·39

  17,000,000

  Great Britain

  40,000

  33·69

  70,800,000

  559

  Income support recipients with mortgage interest considered in their assessment May 1990 Recipients with full mortgage interest

  Social security administrative region

  Number of cases

  Average amount of mortgage interest

  Annual amount of mortgage interest

  North Eastern

  38,000

  24·03

  46,900,000

  London North

  45,000

  47·94

  111,900,000

  South Western

  23,000

  40·34

  47,400,000

  Wales

  24,000

  23·31

  28,600,000

  Midlands

  45,000

  25·58

  60,400,000

  North Western

  42,000

  25·11

  54,900,000

  Scotland

  12,000

  31·19

  20,300,000

  London South

  41,000

  52·36

  112,200,000

  Great Britain

  270,000

  34·42

  482,600,000

  Source: Income support statistics annual enquiry May 1990.

  Income support recipients with mortgage interest considered in their assessment May 1991

  Social security administrative region

  Number of cases

  Average amount of mortgage interest

  Annual amount of mortgage interest

  Recipients with full mortgage interest

  North Eastern

  43,000

  31·86

  71,600,000

  London North

  63,000

  63·80

  208,000,000

  South Western

  33,000

  54·08

  91,700,000

  Wales

  24,000

  36·02

  44,000,000

  Midlands

  57,000

  36·02

  106,400,000

  North Western

  51,000

  29·20

  77,600,000

  Scotland

  14,000

  37·99

  28,400,000

  London South

  53,000

  67·21

  184,900,000

  Great Britain

  337,000

  46·34

  812,600,000

  Source: Income support statistics annual enquiry May 1991.

  Income support recipients with mortgage interest considered in their assessment May 1992

  Social security administrative region

  Number of cases

  Average amount of mortgage interest

  Annual amount of mortgage interest

  Recipients with half mortgage interest

  North Eastern

  7,000

  21·35

  8,100,000

  London North

  15,000

  39·93

  30,500,000

  South Western

  6,000

  31·25

  9,600,000

  Wales

  3,000

  21·47

  3,100,000

  Midlands

  10,000

  22·43

  11,900,000

  North Western

  8,000

  24·10

  10,100,000

  Scotland

  3,000

  21·49

  3,100,000

  London South

  13,000

  39·63

  25,800,000

  Great Britain

  64,000

  30·59

  102,300,000

  Housing Benefit
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make it his policy to amend housing benefit regulations to secure that any disincentive for local authorities wishing to embark on private sector leasing arrangements as opposed to bed-and-breakfast accommodation is removed provided that value-for-money criteria are met.

  Mr. Burt
  The housing benefit subsidy arrangements are designed to provide a similar level of support for authorities whether they choose bed and breakfast accommodation or short-term leased accommodation to house homeless persons.
  560

  Income support recipients with mortgage interest considered in their assessment May 1991

  Recipients with half mortgage interest

  Social security administrative region

  Number of cases

  Average amount of mortgage interest

  Annual amount of mortgage interest

  North Eastern

  9,000

  20·53

  9,600,000

  London North

  17,000

  43·44

  38,600,000

  South Western

  7,000

  39·07

  15,000,000

  Wales

  4,000

  26·62

  4,800,000

  Midlands

  12,000

  31·95

  20,300,000

  North Western

  7,000

  22·64

  8,600,000

  Scotland

  4,000

  24·69

  4,600,000

  London South

  14,000

  49·22

  35,100,000

  Great Britain

  74,000

  35·61

  136,700,000

  Benefits
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what changes he is making to the availability of benefits for disabled people; when they will come into effect; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Burt
  New regulations come into effect today. They will mean that the presence of a person who is registered blind is ignored for the purpose of the living alone rule when deciding whether a disabled person qualifies for the severe disability premium. This change recognises that someone who is blind should not be expected to care for a severely disabled person. It applies to income support, housing benefit and council tax benefit and will give worthwhile extra help to those who qualify.
  561

  Top-up Claims (Forecasts)
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security to what extent forecasts of claimants for top-up claims were inaccurate; and what action he intends to take to ensure that future forecasting for changes in benefit schemes is improved.

  Mr. Scott
  Forecasts of claims to any new benefit scheme are subject to significant margins of error as they are dependent upon estimates of both the eligible population and their likely claiming behaviour. Estimating eligibility for disability benefits is particularly difficult as the eligible population can only be identified through surveys.

  Top-up claims to disability living allowance could be made by all those aged under 65 who were receiving either attendance allowance or mobility allowance. The forecast was that 137,000 of the eligible population would apply, the actual number to do so was 234,000. This underestimate of 97,000 was offset by an over-estimate of 61,000 for new claims so that overall, claims were within 4 per cent. of forecasts.

  For the future, the establishment of the family resources survey and the improvement in social security statistical systems should help reduce the margin of error attached to future forecasts.

  "Paying for Independence"
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what consideration his Department has given to the Policy Studies Institute's findings from a survey of disabled people entitled "Paying For Independence", a copy of which has been sent to him; what action he will be taking; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Scott
  I have read with interest the first findings of the research undertaken by the Policy Studies Institute, and I look forward to reading it when it is published in the autumn.

  Date

  Numbers whose UB was extinguished due to receipt of an occupational or personal pension

  Numbers whose UB was reduced due to receipt of an Occupational Or personal pension

  Men

  Women

  Total

  Men

  Women

  Total

  November 1982

  3,900

  16,300

  November 1983

  1,200

  9,500

  November 1984

  1,000

  9,700

  November 1985

  1,200

  9,100

  November 1986

  1,100

  10,700

  November 1987

  600

  8,200

  November 1988

  700

  6,700

  November 1989

  4,700

  300

  5,000

  7,700

  500

  8,200

  November 1990

  4,100

  200

  4,300

  7,600

  500

  8,100

  November 1991

  7,900

  400

  8,400

  14,400

  1,100

  15,500

  November 1992

  10,900

  900

  11,800

  16,600

  1,600

  18,200

  Notes:

  1 Source: Half-yearly analysis of unemployed claimants.

  2 No information was available for 1981 due to industrial action.

  3 The age threshold for abatement of UB by an occupational pension was reduced from age 60 to age 55 from 1 January 1989.

  4 The abatement rule was extended to include personal pensions from 9 October 1989.

  5 A separate breakdown for men and women is not available for the years up to 1988. However, the number of women in the total figure for these years is believed to be negligible as it would only have applied to the small number of women who claimed UB after the age of 60 years and who received occupational pensions of an amount in excess of the threshold.
  562

  Allowances (Processing Delays)
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to compensate claimants who may have suffered financial loss, resulting in delays in processing claims for(a) disability living allowance, (b) attendance allowance and (c) mobility allowance, where the delays were less than eight months or where financial loss exceeded £10 a month.

  Miss Widdecombe
  Under the Department's special payment arrangements, consideration will be given to making an ex-gratia payment to someone who has incurred extra expense or suffered actual finanical loss as a result of official error.

  Over and above these payments, compensation for loss of use of benefit can also be considered when payment of benefit is excessively delayed. A significant improvement to the arrangements, announced on 4 May means that, for a new claim, compensation can be considered if payment of the benefit is delayed by more than a period of six months plus the target clearance time for clearing the bulk of the claims—usually between 85 per cent. and 95 per cent.

  Special compensation arrangements for late payment of benefit were also announced for those people who claimed disability living allowance, attendance allowance or mobility allowance on or after 3 February 1992 who were paid before 1 April 1993 and who suffered a delay of more than eight months in the payment of their benefit. For these people, a payment of £10 per month for each month which exceeded the eight-month period is payable to compensate for the late payment of benefit. No actual financial loss has to have been incurred before payment can be made.

  Benefits (Abatement)
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many(a) men and (b) women have had their unemployment benefit abated due to receipt of a personal or occupational pension scheme in each year since 1981.

  Mr. Burt
  The available information is in the table.
  563
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the level at current prices of the £35 abatement provision on occupational pensioners in the year it was introduced.

  Mr. Burt
  The current value of the threshold for the abatement provision on occupational and personal pensions would be £66·44 per week.

  Disability Allowances
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many disability living allowance appeals have been heard by disability appeal tribunals; and in how many cases the appeal succeeded wholly or in part.

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

  Letter from Michael Bichard to Mr. Paul Flynn, dated 24 May 1993:

  As Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency, it is my responsibility to answer questions about relevant operational matters. I am therefore replying to the points raised in your recent Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security asking how many Disability Living Allowance (DLA) appeals have been heard by Disability Appeal Tribunals (DATS) and in how many cases the appeal succeeded wholly or in part.

  For the period February 1992 to 30 April 1993 there have been a total of 319 appeals heard by the DATs. Of these some 133 succeeded in their appeal either wholly or in part.

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

  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what action he intends to take to reduce waiting times for attendance allowance, mobility allowance and disability living allowance from application to appeal hearing.

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

  Letter from Michael Bichard to Mr. David Hinchliffe, dated 24 May 1993:

  As Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency it is my responsibility to answer questions about relevant operational matters. I am therefore replying to your recent Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security asking
  564
  what action he intends to take to reduce waiting time for Attendance Allowance (AA), Mobility Allowance (Mob A) and Disability Living Allowance (DLA) from application for appeal to appeal hearing.

  There are a number of current initiatives that have been instigated with a view to speeding up the throughput of appeal hearings. These include:—

  The establishment of a centralised Appeals Unit to process all applications for appeal relating to DLA, MoB A, AA (under 65) and transitional AA.

  The availability of additional resources to improve the speed with which an appeal submission is prepared.

  The setting of aggressive internal targets to ensure that external performance indicators are achieved.

  The improvement of courier arrangements to ensure next day delivery to the Independent Tribunal Service (ITS)—Disability Appeal Tribunal Central Office (DATCO) of all submissions despatched from the Fylde.

  The arrangement of monthly liaison meetings with ITS to identify any problem areas and introduce operational improvements.

  The planning of a pilot scheme with the aim of streamlining the current style of submission.

  It should be noted that once appeals have been prepared and submitted by BA the actual scheduling and subsequent hearing of them falls wholly within the remit of ITS. This is an area over which BA does not have absolute control.

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

  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what lessons have been learned from the introduction of disability living allowance which could be applied to the introduction of new benefits in the future; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Scott
  Changes to the social security scheme are always formally evaluated against both their policy and operational objectives. Some valuable points have already emerged which will help to inform future developments.

  Pensions
  Mr. Michael Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, when he intends to establish an executive agency for war pensioners.

  Mr. Lilley
  [pursuant to his reply, 9 February 1993, col. 602]: I am pleased to be able to announce that Mr. Peter Mathison has been appointed as the new chief executive for the War Pensions agency. He will take up appointment as chief executive designate on 1 June 1993 pending the launch of the Agency in April 1994. The appointment is for an initial three-year term.

  NORTHERN IRELAND: CARE IN THE COMMUNITY
  NORTHERN IRELAND: CARE IN THE COMMUNITY
  DEFENCE ANIMAL CENTRE
  DEFENCE ANIMAL CENTRE
  DEFENCE ANIMAL CENTRE KEY TARGETS 1993/94
  DEFENCE ANIMAL CENTRE KEY TARGETS 1993/94
  ROYAL NAVAL ENGINEERING COLLEGE , MANADON
  ROYAL NAVAL ENGINEERING COLLEGE , MANADON
  FERTILITY TREATMENT: COUNSELLING
  FERTILITY TREATMENT: COUNSELLING
  LORRY DRIVERS: ENFORCEMENT OF RULES
  LORRY DRIVERS: ENFORCEMENT OF RULES
  MOTORWAY CHARGING
  MOTORWAY CHARGING
  INLAND REVENUE: MARKET TESTING
  INLAND REVENUE: MARKET TESTING
  MAASTRICHT TREATY: SINGLE CURRENCY PROVISIONS
  MAASTRICHT TREATY: SINGLE CURRENCY PROVISIONS
  MAASTRICHT TREATY: EUROPEAN SYSTEM OF CENTRAL BANKS
  MAASTRICHT TREATY: EUROPEAN SYSTEM OF CENTRAL BANKS
  THAMES WATER RESERVOIR PROJECT
  THAMES WATER RESERVOIR PROJECT
  PRISON ESTABLISHMENTS: EDUCATIONAL PROVISION
  PRISON ESTABLISHMENTS: EDUCATIONAL PROVISION
  ASYLUM APPLICANTS AND DETAINEES
  ASYLUM APPLICANTS AND DETAINEES