Written Answers of 21 April 1994

ENVIRONMENT

  Noise Pollution
  Sir Anthony Grant
  To ask the Secretary of Stale for the Environment what measures are being taken to reduce the various forms of noise pollution; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Atkins
  The independent noise review working party established by my Department in 1990 considered noise pollution in all its forms and we have subsequently implemented over half its recommendations.

  The Environmental Protection Act 1990 strengthened the statutory nuisance legislation which is available for local authorities to control noise from domestic, industrial and commercial premises. These powers have been further extended by the Noise and Statutory Nuisance Act 1993 to control noise from vehicles, machinery and equipment in the street. My Department has, jointly with the Home Office, issued specific guidance on how best to use statutory powers to control all forms of noisy parties and issues general advice about how to pursue noise complaints.

  Separating noisy activities from those most likely to be affected by them can be achieved by a variety of formal and informal mechanisms. We hope shortly to publish a planning policy guidance note which will describe how the planning system can be used to minimise the adverse impact of noise, for example on residential development. We also continue to liaise with, and support, professional and other bodies which are keen to develop and publish their own codes of practice for minimising noise. Codes currently in preparation include guidance on clay pigeon shooting and stock car racing.

  There is much concern about the rising number of complaints about neighbour noise and we are keeping under review the effectiveness of legal and informal remedies. We believe that mediation services have an important role to play in resolving such disputes in a more cost-effective and appropriate way. My Department has funded two pilot studies in order to give local authorities a clearer picture of the benefits of establishing such services.

  Building Inspections
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to set up a body to approve inspections under the powers given to him in regulation 4 of the Building (Approved Inspections etc.) Regulations 1985.

  Mr. Baldry
  The Government's proposals were set out in a consultation paper "Guidelines for the Approval of Inspectors" dated 29 October 1993. A copy has been placed in the Library. The way forward in the light of the responses to this consultation is still being considered.

  Planning Inspectorate
  Ms Estelle Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what were the factors which produced an increase in the daily rates charged by the planning inspectorate of his Department in September 1991; and what were the mechanisms for its approval;

  (2) for what reason an increase to five days' writing time per day of sitting was imposed by his planning inspectorate for its attendance at the 1991–92 public inquiry into the Birmingham unitary development plan; and what account was taken in deciding on the increase in writing time of the formal request for the report to be concise;

  (3) what was the cause of the delay of the report of his planning inspectorate at the public inquiry into the Birmingham UDP;

  (4) if he will make it his policy for fees charged by the planning inspectorate to local authorities to be limited to three writing days per sitting day.

  Mr. Baldry
  The provision of information on development plan inquiries is the responsibility of the planning inspectorate. I have asked the inspectorate's chief executive, Mr. Stephen Crow, to write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from H. S. Crow to Ms Estelle Morris, dated 20 April 1994:
  The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your questions about the public inquiry into the Birmingham Unitary Development Plan.
  It may be helpful if I explain that the public inquiry into objections to the Birmingham Unitary Development Plan sat for 35 days between 19 November 1991 and 14 February 1992. The Inspector spent 5 additional days in carrying out post-inquiry site visits. The Inspector's report was despatched to Birmingham City Council on 6 October 1992, and took 112 working days to complete.
  Normally Inspectors are able to complete their inquiry reports within a time period of three reporting days per sitting/site visit day, hence the 3:1 guideline used by the Planning Inspectorate. The Inspectorate did not impose an increase to "five days writing time per day of sitting" for the Inspector to complete his report on the inquiry he was appointed to hold. The Inspector, aided by an assistant Inspector because of the size of the task, completed his report in a ratio of 2·8 reporting days to sitting/site visit days. The ratio of reporting days to inquiry sitting days was only 3·2.
  I would not agree that the Inspector's report was unduly delayed. I understand that, although Birmingham City Council had asked for the report to be made available by the end of June 1992, no undertaking was given that this would be achieved. The inquiry was a complex one, and in the circumstances I consider the Inspector and assistant Inspector did well to complete their report in the timescale achieved, and indeed they did so within the normal guideline of 3 reporting days per sitting/site visit day. In any case though I would stress that this is only a guideline, and can be affected by many unpredictable factors which are mostly outside the Inspector's control.
  The Inspector's report was written in the concise form now generally adopted, summarising objectors' cases and the Council's response. This approach was instrumental in helping the Inspector's to produce the report in the short time noted above.
  You also asked about the increase in the daily fees charged for Inspectors taking plan inquiries, effective from September 1991. This increase, the final stage in a series of phased increases designed to effect recovery of the full costs of supplying Inspectors for development plan inquiries, was approved by the Minister then responsible for planning matters and advised to all local planning authorities engaged in development plan inquiries. This charge applied to the time spent by Inspectors on preparation work, inquiry sitting days, travelling time, site visits and report writing. It is the Secretary of State's continuing policy that fees charged by the Inspectorate for the services of Inspectors to take

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  development plan inquiries should reflect the full cost of the service provided to local authorities. The fees are subject to regular review.

  Planning Applications
  Mr. Bates
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to allow local planning authorities to set their own fee levels for planning applications; and whether these fee levels will be subject to market testing.

  Mr. Baldry
  I refer to the answer my hon. Friend the Minister for Local Government and Planning gave to the hon. Member for Beckenham (Mr. Merchant) on 17 December 1993,Official Report, column 1102-03.

  As market testing applies only to central Government activities, it would not be appropriate in this context. There will, however, be safeguards to ensure that local authority fees for planning applications are kept at a reasonable level.

  UN Sustainable Development Commission
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how he intends to announce the outcome of the meeting of the United Nations Sustainable Development Commission to be held in May.

  Mr. Atkins
  My right hon. Friend will be attending the second session of the Commission on Sustainable Development in May and looks forward to playing a full role in a productive outcome. It is for the Commission to report its outcome to the United Nations Economic and Social Council. We have no plans at present to make a separate announcement.

  Access to Tenancies (Consultation)
  Mr. Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received in response to the consultation paper, "Access to Local Authority and Housing Association Tenancies"; and when he proposes to publish his own response to them.

  Sir George Young
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 12 April to the hon. Member for Leeds, West (Mr. Battle),Official Report, column 132. We hope to announce the Government's conclusions during the summer.

  Sustainable Development
  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he is taking to get the messages of sustainable development across to the general public.

  Mr. Gummer
  I have today appointed Professor Graham Ashworth as chairman of the new public environment initiative which was announced in the United Kingdom "Strategy for Sustainable Development", published in January. The aim of the initiative, to be known as "Going for Green", will be to increase people's awareness of the part their personal choices can play in delivering sustainable development, and to enlist their support and commitment in the coming years.

  Council Tax
  Mr. Cann
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, when a domestic property is rebanded for council tax purposes on sale and repurchase, what date the rebanding is backdated to and when this date will be reviewed.

  Mr. Curry
  [holding answer 19 April 1994]: Under the Council Tax (Alteration of Lists and Appeals) Regulations 1993, an alteration to the valuation list made to correct an inaccuracy in the list on the day it was compiled—that is, 1 April 1993—however the inaccuracy may have come to light, has effect from that day. An alteration made to correct a subsequent inaccuracy has effect from the day on which the list became inaccurate. An alteration following a material increase in the value of a dwelling since the list was compiled, for example as a result of home improvement, has effect from the date the dwelling is next sold.

  My right hon. Friend now proposes to amend these arrangements so that in future any increases in bandings to correct inaccuracies in the original list will come into effect only from the day the list is altered. Decreases would, however, continue to take effect from 1 April 1993. Further details will be announced shortly.

  Industrial Units Scheme
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the projects approved under, and the regional distribution of, expenditure incurred within the industrial units scheme since its inception.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  I have been asked to reply.

  The Department offered grants totalling £4·07 million to institutions which were successful in the support for industrial units scheme competition. The institutions were listed in the DTI press notice of 11 June 1992 and I am sending a copy to the hon. Member. I am unable to disclose details of the individual grants for reasons of confidentiality.

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

  Legal Aid
  Mr. Boateng
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what plans he has to publish the report on the first five-yearly review of the work of the Legal Aid Board.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  When completed, it is planned that the review will be made publicly available.

  Mr. Boateng
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what percentage of the population were eligible for(a) civil and (b) criminal legal aid in (i) 1964–65, (ii) 1979–80, (iii) 1992–93, (iv) 1993–94 and (v) 1994–95.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The Department has no estimate of eligibility in 1964–65. Estimates of the proportion of households eligible for civil legal aid for the other years are:
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  Year

  Per cent.

  1979–80

  77

  1992–93

  53

  1993–94

  48

  1994–95

  47

  There is no upper financial limit for criminal legal aid. Anyone whose financial resources are such that he or she requires assistance in meeting the costs which may be incurred is eligible, subject to the interests of justice test and the payment of a contribution where appropriate.

  Mr. Boateng
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many representations he has received from(a) hon. Members, (b) peers, (c) other individuals and (d) organisations about the current state of the legal aid system and legal aid eligibility; and what proportion such representations bear to the total number of representations on all subjects.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The information is not available in the form requested. From 1 April 1993 to 31 March 1994, my Department received around 990 letters from hon. Members about all aspects of the legal aid scheme. This is 16 per cent. of correspondence with Members. Over the same period the Department received about 1,000 letters from individuals and organisations about legal aid, about 9 per cent. of all correspondence with the public. These figures do not include representations from major interest groups or from peers, which are not separately logged.

  Mr. Boateng
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list the names of the consultants appointed to the Legal Aid Board's research project into the delivery of legal services.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The Policy Studies Institute.

  Mr. Boateng
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what research his Department has conducted into the impact on access to justice made by the changes to legal aid eligibility and to the green form scheme in April 1993.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  We are continuing to monitor the changes, which appear to have had broadly the effect anticipated. The Legal Aid Board will be conducting research into cases where offers of contributory legal aid are made by the board but are not taken up by the applicants and my Department is monitoring the incidence in the courts of unrepresented litigants in civil cases.

  Court Funds Office
  Mr. Boateng
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what plans he has either to abolish or to privatise the functions of the court funds office; and what research his Department has done into the impact of such reforms on injured minors and the mentally ill.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The court funds office will be part of the Public Trust Office when it is established as an executive agency in the second half of 1994. At the Lord Chancellor's request, work is being carried out currently to examine whether the functions of the court funds office are necessary and to assess the impact of any changes.

  Courts Charter
  Mr. Boateng
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many complaints have been received and what amount of compensation for errors and delays has been paid out by county courts in(a) London and (b) the rest of England and Wales for each month since the implementation of the courts charter.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  From the introduction of the courts charter in January 1993 until the end of March 1994 there have been 1,802 complaints about county courts in London and 5,399 about those in the rest of England and Wales. In the same period the amount of compensation paid out for errors and delays in the county courts was £146,800·68 for those in London and £226,928·61 for those in the rest of England and Wales.

  It is not possible to provide the information requested on a monthly basis except at disproportionate cost.

  Law Students
  Mr. Boateng
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what plans he has to implement the recommendation by Lord Justice Steyn, chair of the Lord Chancellor's advisory committee on legal education and conduct, that prospective solicitors and barristers should undertake an initial joint vocational course; and how many representations he has received, and from whom, concerning Lord Justice Steyn's recommendation.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  No recommendation about joint vocational training for barristers and solicitors has been made by Lord Justice Steyn or the Lord Chancellor's advisory committee on legal education and conduct. The Lord Chancellor and I await the results of the advisory committee's review into legal education, which will be completed in September 1995, with interest.

  Mr. Boateng
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list the percentage of students taking(a) the legal practice course/Law Society finals and (b) Bar finals who were in receipt of (i) full assistance and (ii) partial assistance from their local education authority for the payment of the course fees for each of the last 10 years.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The Lord Chancellor's Department does not collect these figures. However, from information provided by the Council of Legal Education and the College of Law, it appears that the position is as follows:

  Council of Legal Education1

  Year

  Full fees per cent.

  Part fees per cent.

  1989–90

  47

  20

  1990–91

  46

  16

  1991–92

  29

  19

  1992–93

  14

  26

  1993–94

  6

  14

  1 The current vocational course replaced the old style Bar finals course in the academic year 1989–90.

  College of Law1

  Percentage of fees paid by local authorities2

  Year

  Per cent.

  1989–90

  64

  1990–91

  57

  1991–92

  35

  593

  Year

  Per cent.

  1992–93

  23

  1993–94

  9

  1 The Law Society only has information on students at the College of Law and not those studying for the vocational stage at other institutions. The College of Law provides approximately 65 per cent. of all places on the legal practice course.

  2 Information was not available on the breakdown between payment of full and partial fees, only on the total percentage of fees payable by local education authorities.

  Mr. Boateng
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what research his Department has undertaken into the impact on(a) women and (b) members of the ethnic minorities of the non-availability of mandatory grants for the fees for the requisite vocational courses for those wishing to become barristers or solicitors; and if he will publish this research.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The Lord Chancellor's Department has not undertaken any research into this area.

  Mr. Boateng
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what research his Department has done into the correlation between the non-availability of mandatory grants for the fees for the requisite vocational courses for prospective lawyers and the level of representation of women and members of the ethnic minorities among(a) Queen's Counsel and (b) the judiciary.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  None.

  Trial Delays
  Mr. Boateng
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what percentage of defendants(a) in custody and (b) on bail are not dealt with in the target times set out in the Courts Charter; what number of defendants (i) in custody and (ii) on bail this affects on average each month; how many defendants in custody have to wait more than (1) three months, (2) six months and (3) 12 months before trial; and what percentages of defendants in custody these numbers represent.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The available information covering the year 1993 is shown in the table. Statistics on the number of defendants in custody waiting more than 12 months before trial at the Crown court and the distribution of waiting times at magistrates courts are not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Committals for trial to the Crown court: defendants whose waiting time for trial exceeded certain periods in 1993

  Defendants exceeding waiting time

  Type of remand and waiting time

  Percentage

  Average number per month

  In custody:

  8 weeks

  51

  906

  12 weeks

  33

  575

  26 weeks

  11

  196

  On bail

  16 weeks

  36

  1,950

  Notes:

  1. The data are provisional.

  2 The Courts Charter waiting time guidelines are eight weeks for defendants in custody and 16 weeks for defendants on bail.

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  Mr. Boateng
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what is the longest period for which a defendant has had to wait in custody before trial in the last three years.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The information requested is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Court Closures
  Mr. Boateng
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list the number and the names of all the courts and caller offices which he has determined to close in the last five years.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  In the five-year period from April 1989 to March 1994 my Department has closed 22 county courts or caller offices and five Crown court centres. I set out a full list of their names in the table.

  Court closures for the five year period April 1989—March 1994

  County courts

  Beverley

  Bloomsbury1

  Clacton

  Devizes

  Dolgellau

  East Grinstead

  Frome

  Gainsborough

  Great Malvern

  Hexham

  Maldon

  Malton

  Newtown

  Northallerton

  Sevenoaks

  Sheerness

  Sudbury

  Thorne

  Todmorton

  Westminster1

  Whitby

  Widens

  Crown court centres

  Acton

  Beverley

  Huddersfield

  Kendal

  Wakefield

  1 Closed prior to opening of Central London County Court.

  Magistrates Courts
  Mr. Boateng
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what changes he is planning to make to the formula by which funds are allocated to local magistrates courts committees in order to make better provision for special spending needs in some areas; and what representations he has received concerning the current formula from(a) magistrates courts committees and (b) other individuals or organisations.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  A review of the current formula is being conducted by a small working group comprising Lord Chancellor's Department officials and representatives from the magistrates courts service. Their provisional findings are expected by the summer to allow sufficient time for consultation with all interested parties before any revised formula is used to allocate grant for the 1995–96 financial year. A number of views about the present
  595
  formula have been received from both magistrates courts committees and others and are being taken into account by the working group.

  Mr. Boateng
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what representations he has received concerning the operation of the magistrates courts service inspectorate; and when he expects its first annual report to be published.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  In September 1992 my Department issued a consultation document on the role of the inspectorate, to which 92 substantive responses were received. A list of respondents was appended to Decision Paper No. 4, published in May 1993, available from the House of Commons Library. The Department has also received some 1,170 leterrs, direct or through hon. Members, on various aspects of the matters now encompassed in the Police and Magistrates' Courts Bill. Some of these touched upon the inspectorate.

  The chief inspector of the magistrates courts service published the inspectorate's first annual report on Tuesday 12 April. Copies are available in the Libraries of both Houses.

  County Court Forms
  Mr. Boateng
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list the statutory obstacles mentioned in paragraph 126 of section A of his departmental report, Cm 2509, that led to the withdrawal of the county court bulk centre from the first round programme of market testing.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The statutory obstacle referred to is section 27 of the Courts Act 1971.

  Small Courts
  Mr. Boateng
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what plans he has to close small courts processing 20,000 units of work or less or small courts within 15 miles of larger courts; what number of county courts in London such a policy would leave in operation; and if he will publish his Department's full accommodation plan for the next three years and his Department's specific plans for small courts.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  Each case for closure is considered on its merits, taking into account the need to provide an acceptable standard of service in the area generally. The level of work load and proximity to larger courts with good facilities are factors which are taken into account. All closure proposals are subject to wide public consultation. My Department is not planning to close automatically all county courts processing 20,000 units of work or less, or small courts within 15 miles of larger courts. If such a policy were pursued none of the London county courts would be affected.

  It is not intended to publish the Department's provisional accommodation plan, because some of the elements it will contain are being reviewed as part of the fundamental review of public expenditure.

  Compensation
  Mr. Boateng
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department which court has(a) received the most complaints and (b) had to pay out the most
  596
  compensation for errors and delays; and what plans he has for regular publication of the figures for compensation payments.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The highest number of complaints was received by the Central London county court which also had to pay out the most compensation for errors and delays. In the period January 1993 to March 1994 1,563 complaints were received and £60,636·59 paid out in compensation. Central London county court was created, in 1992, by the merger of the Westminster and Bloomsbury county courts. The process of amalgamation was inevitably difficult and led to a marked reduction in the standard of service. These initial problems are now resolved, and the number of complaints fell to 85 in the first three months of this year.

  There are no plans for regular publication of these figures.

  Public Trust Office
  Mr. Boateng
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what plans he has to(a) contract out, (b) place in the control of an executive agency or (c) privatise the functions of the Public Trust Office Agency; and what reserch his Department has done into the impact of such reforms on (i) minors who have been awarded damages and (ii) private trusts serviced by the executorship and administration service.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The Public Trust Office will become an executive agency in the second half of 1994 as part of the Government's "next steps" programme. The Lord Chancellor made the decision following a study of the work done by the Public Trust Office and how best to meet the needs of users of its services. At the Lord Chancellor's request, further work is being carried out to examine the continuing need for a trustee service provided by the public sector and whether the functions undertaken by the court funds office are necessary.

TREASURY

  Personal Allowances
  Mr. Congdon
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the estimated cost to the Exchequer in a full year of allowing husbands and wives with insufficient income to absorb their personal allowance of £3,445 to transfer the unused balance of this allowance to their partner, assuming that the transferred allowance(a) may be claimed at the earning spouses' highest rate and (b) is restricted to the 25 per cent. rate.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The Exchequer cost in a full year at 1994–95 income levels is estimated to be about £3 billion if the transferred allowance were available at the recipient's marginal rate of tax and £2¾ billion if the transferred allowances were not available at the higher rate. This estimate does not take into account any behavioural changes which could result from such a measure.

  Official Entertainment
  Mr. Boyes
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the total cost of official entertaining in his Department in each year since 1990–91; if he will list the receptions held in each year at his Department's expense; and what was the cost of each reception.
  597
  Sir John Cope
  Expenditure on official entertainment in 1990–91 was £51,424, in 1991–92, £85,873, in 1992–93, £303,523 and in 1993–94, £70,239.

  Expenditure on receptions has been taken to mean formal hospitality provided largely for the benefit of people from outside the Department, excluding lunches and dinners. In those cases where the cost can be separately identified, expenditure was as follows:

  £

  1991–92

  Press reception

  1,048·21

  1992–93

  Press reception

  622·50

  Russian secondees reception

  627·00

  The large increase in total expenditure on official entertainment in 1992–93 reflects the cost of the informal

  Year

  Amount collected per year £ million

  Amount collected year on year (cumulative total) £ million

  Balance outstanding year on year (cumulative total) £ million

  Percentage

  1988

  25·1

  25·1

  50·7

  202

  1989

  79·2

  104·2

  61·7

  59

  1990

  82·1

  186·3

  74·9

  40

  1991

  83·2

  269·5

  102·7

  38

  1992

  92·5

  362·0

  132·3

  37

  1993

  96·0

  458·0

  116·3

  25

  The percentages shown for 1988–93 are based on year-on-year cumulative totals at 31 March of the default surcharge outstanding and the default surcharge collected.

  Some of the payments collected during any given year may relate to assessments issued in previous years.

  Consultants
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what information technology consultants his Department has employed in each of the last five years; for what purpose; and at what total cost.

  Sir John Cope
  I regret that information for years before 1991–92 is not available.

  The number of IT consultancies and their total cost for 1991–92 and later years is given in the table.

  Year

  Number

  Total cost (£)

  1991–92

  0

  0

  1992–93

  4

  26,000

  1993–94

  4

  53,000

  The main work covered is IT support, including software revision and systems development, including work related to the pensions administration system. The firms involved are Bywater plc, ERA Software Ltd., Ground Modelling Systems Ltd., IMS, Jerry Hughes, Moodey International Developments and Dunnit Shaw.

  Cameroon
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what assessment has been made of the effects of Cameroon's agreement with the International Monetary Fund for the health and education services in 598
  ECOFIN Council during the United Kingdom Presidency of the EC and the cost of the 1992 conference of the International Organisation of Securities Commissions, for which the United Kingdom was the host. The bulk of the expenditure on these events was on conferences and related facilities. Opening receptions were held, but the cost is not separately identifiable.

  VAT
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 17 March,Official Report, column 820, if he will list the outstanding balance for the collection of the value added tax default surcharge for each year since 1988, including 1993, as a percentage of default surcharge collected.

  Sir John Cope
  Table of default surcharge outstanding at 31 March as a percentage of default surcharge collected:

  Cameroon; and what steps have been taken by the British director at the IMF to ensure that the structural adjustment programme does not damage health and education programmes;

  (2) how the structural adjustment programme recently concluded between the International Monetary Fund and Bulgaria safeguards the poor of that country and its health and education programmes.

  Sir John Cope
  The IMF and World bank are doing valuable work to help countries such as Cameroon and Bulgaria assess the possible impact that economic reform may have on vulnerable groups, in order that reform can be tailored to meet the needs of individual countries. In their design, IMF and World bank programmes pay particular attention to ensuring that sectors such as health and education are given appropriate priority within the reforming country's budget. The needs of the sectors were explicitly addressed in the cases of Cameroon and Bulgaria. The United Kingdom executive director at the IMF, along with representatives of all the fund's members, considers each proposal for a structural adjustment programme to ensure that the programme is appropriate to the needs of the individual country.

  Private Security Firms
  Mr. George
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many private security firms have been employed by his Department for each of the last 10 years; what has been the annual value of the contracts; and if he will estimate how many guards have been employed for each of those years.

  Sir John Cope
  No part of Her Majesty's Treasury currently employs private security firms. Private security firms have been employed by Forward, which is now in the
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  private sector, and the rating of government property department, which is now part of the Valuation Office. Details relating to Forward were provided in the answer my hon. Friend the Economic Secretary gave to the hon. Member for Heywood and Middleton (Mr. Callaghan) on 17 June 1993.

  The rating of government property department employed two private security firms sequentially between 1987 and 1992. The contract for the first to 1 April 1989 was for £2,600 per annum; the second was for £4,900 per annum. They involved the provision of one guard.

  Inflation
  Mr. Mandelson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the Government's target for underlying inflation in(a) 1996 and (b)

  Sir John Cope
  The Government's aim is to bring inflation down and then to hold it down. This is the only lasting basis for sustained growth. For the rest of this Parliament our objective is to keep underlying inflation, as measured by the RPI excluding mortgage interest payments, in the range 1 to 4 per cent. and for inflation to be in the lower part of this range by the end of the Parliament.

  Merchant Fleet
  Mr. David Shaw
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on balancing charges for ships and measures to assist the shipping industry.

  Ms Walley
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what new measures he now proposes to assist the British merchant fleet.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  The health of the merchant fleet is clearly a matter of great concern both inside and outside the House. The Government have made it clear that we recognise the very important contribution which shipping makes to the economy and the essential role which the industry can be called on to play in a national emergency and we have shown in the past our willingness to help with the problems which it faces.

  We recognise that it is common for shipping companies overseas to benefit from special tax provisions. We believe that such special provisions introduce distortions which can inhibit competition and lead to the inefficiency allocation of resources. We will be raising these points forcefully with the European Commission.

  However, we also recognise that, competitively, tax measures available overseas put our shippers at a particular disadvantage. We have therefore decided to introduce a provision which will allow capital allowance balancing charges for ships to be rolled over for a period of up to three years from the date on which the ship is disposed of, to be set off against subsequent expenditure on ships within that period. The amount of any balancing charge which can be rolled over will be limited to the amount needed to ensure that no tax liability arises as a result of a ship's disposal. We estimate that this measure will benefit the shipping industry by up to £20 million per annum in a full year. In drawing up this provision we will be considering whether it should be restricted to ships on the United Kingdom register; and in doing so will take account of what our European Union partners do.
  600
  As with any measure of this sort we have an obligation to notify the Commission of the proposal. Subject to the outcome of discussions with Commission, we will be bringing forward the necessary legislation in next year's Finance Bill, with retrospective effect from today. The draft legislation will be made available by the Inland Revenue as soon as possible.

  Treasury Forecasts
  Dr. Bray
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he proposes to publish in 1994 the two or more forecasts which the Treasury is required to publish each year under schedule 5 of the Industry Act 1975.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  I propose to publish the first Industry Act forecast of 1994 in the summer, probably around late June, in good time for the summer economic debate. The second forecast in 1994 will be published on Budget day.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

  Executive Agencies (Correspondence)
  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what plans he has to ensure under the citizens charter that letters from hon. Members to Government agencies are dealt with speedily; what discussions he has held as to a reasonable time limit in which to expect a reply; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  Reply times to correspondence are frequently covered by agencies' charters and statements of charter standards. Reply times and other charter standards are decided by the Minister responsible for the agency in consultation with the chief executive.

  Permanent Secretary (Handbook)
  Mr. Gunnell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, pursuant to his answer of 9 March,Official Report, column 256, if he will place in the Library those sections of the Permanent Secretary's handbook which do not relate to national security.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  I have carefully considered the hon. Member's request, but I have nothing to add to my reply of 9 March.

PRIME MINISTER

  Parliamentary Questions
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Prime Minister what guidance has been issued to Ministers regarding the practice of replying to parliamentary questions in terms such as, "I will write to the hon. Member"; and in what circumstances this practice is considered appropriate.

  The Prime Minister
  A reply in which a Minister says that he will write to the hon. Member may be given for a number of reasons. It may be used as an interim reply because it is not possible to provide a substantive answer within the time scale laid down, to provide information of specialist or local interest which is detailed or lengthy or where there is a need for discretion in making the full reply available because it concerns a confidential constituent's case.
  601
  Following a recommendation from the Procedure Committee, first report, Session 1992–93, guidance has been issued that such replies should also state, except where confidentiality is necessary, that copies of the Minister's reply will be placed in the Library.

  Engagements
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 21 April.

  Sir Peter Tapsell
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 21 April.

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

  Tigris and Euphrates Valleys
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Prime Minister what is the latest information to Her Majesty's Government about malnutrition-related diseases, and the shortage of water-pumps, water-filters and pharmaceuticals in the valleys of the Tigris and Euphrates.

  The Prime Minister
  In addition to information given to me by the hon. Member himself, and obtained from non-governmental organisations with local knowledge, information is in the most recent reports from the United Nations and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. Copies have been placed in the Library of the House. The reports point out that reliable data are not generally available.

  Costs
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Prime Minister what was the total cost to public funds of all his offices, duties, accommodation and expenses in 1993–94.

  The Prime Minister
  [holding answer 18 April 1994]: The No. 10 budget includes the running costs of 10 Downing street and the costs associated with Chequers. A final outturn for 1993–94 is not yet available, but is likely to be some £9·2 million.

  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will provide the final figure for 1993–94 for(a) the cost of maintaining and running No. 10 Downing street and additional costs at Chequers, (b) the grant-in-aid to the Chequers Trust and (c) the costs on a consistent basis expressed at 1984–85 prices.

  The Prime Minister
  [holding answer 18 April 1994]: Final figures for 1993–94 are not yet available. The estimated outturn for the cost of 10 Downing street and Chequers borne on the vote of the Cabinet Office, OPSS, is as follows:

  1993–94

  £ million

  Cash

  1984–85 prices

  Number 10 capital and running costs of Chequers

  8·9

  5·5

  Grant-in-aid to Chequers Trust

  0·3

  0·2

  TOTAL

  9·2

  5·7

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Environmental Protection
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what proposals on environmental protection he plans to put to the Industry Council on 22 April.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  There are no issues relating to the environment on the agenda of the Industry Council on 22 April.

  Nynex CableComms
  Mr. Thurnham
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what assessment he has made of the extent to which the work being carried out by Nynex CableComms at 28 Oaks avenue, Bolton is in accordance with its licence.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The licence held by Nynex CableComms Bolton Ltd. provides for the standard of its street works to be governed by the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991 and its associated regulations. I understand that the local highway authority has conducted a sample inspection of the street reinstatement outside 28 Oaks avenue, Bolton as provided for under that Act. The reinstatement was found not to be of the required standard and the cable operator, Nynex CableComms Bolton Ltd., has been asked to remedy this.

  GATT
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list those countries(a) which are signatories to the new GATT agreement and (b) which are not.

  Mr. Needham
  A total of 125 countries participated in the Uruguay round of multilateral trade negotiations, which culminated on 15 April in the signature of the final act at Marrakech. The names of the 125 countries are listed.

  Algeria

  El Salvador

  Angola

  European Communities

  Antigua and Barbuda

  Fiji

  Argentina

  Finland

  Australia

  France

  Austria

  Gabon

  Bahrain

  Gambia

  Bangladesh

  Germany

  Barbados

  Ghana

  Belgium

  Greece

  Belize

  Grenada

  Benin

  Guatemala

  Bolivia

  Guinea-Bissau

  Botswana

  Guyana

  Brazil

  Haiti

  Brunei

  Honduras

  Burkina Faso

  Hong Kong

  Burundi

  Hungary

  Cameroon

  Iceland

  Canada

  India

  Central African Republic

  Indonesia

  Chad

  Ireland

  Chile

  Israel

  China

  Italy

  Colombia

  Jamaica

  Congo

  Japan

  Costa Rica

  Kenya

  Côte d'Ivoire

  Korea, Republic of

  Cuba

  Kuwait

  Cyprus

  Lesotho

  Czech Republic

  Liechtenstein

  Denmark

  Luxembourg

  Dominica

  Macau

  Dominican Republic

  Madagascar

  Egypt

  Malawi

  603

  Malaysia

  St. Vincent/Grenadines

  Maldives

  Senegal

  Mali

  Sierra Leone

  Malta

  Singapore

  Mauritania

  Slovak Republic

  Mauritius

  South Africa

  Mexico

  Spain

  Morocco

  Sri Lanka

  Mozambique

  Suriname

  Myanmar

  Swaziland

  Namibia

  Sweden

  Netherlands

  Switzerland

  New Zealand

  Tanzania

  Nicaragua

  Thailand

  Niger

  Togo

  Nigeria

  Trinidad/ Tobago

  Norway

  Tunisia

  Pakistan

  Turkey

  Paraguay

  Uganda

  Peru

  United Arab Emirates

  Philippines

  United Kingdom

  Poland

  United States of America

  Portugal

  Uruguay

  Qatar

  Venezuela

  Romania

  Zaire

  Rwanda

  Zambia

  St. Kitts and Nevis

  Zimbabwe

  Saint Lucia

  Of these 125 countries, a total of 111 signed the final act of the Uruguay round. Countries which did not sign the final act in Marrakech but can do so in the future in Geneva include: Burkina Faso, Chad, Dominica, Gambia, Grenada, Haiti, Lesotho, Maldives, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Sierra Leone, Togo, Rwanda and Swaziland.

  Data Encryption
  Mr. David Shaw
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what legislation relating to data encryption his Department is considering; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  My Department has no current plans to introduce legislation relating to data encryption.

  Training and Enterprise Councils
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what initiatives he has taken to ensure that his Department encourages training and enterprise councils in their policies for the development of local enterprise.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  My Department is working closely with training and enterprise councils to develop effective business support measures and to help develop the competitiveness of local businesses. In particular, I have asked the TECs to take the lead in bringing together local partnerships to establish a network of business links in England which will provide a single point of access to a wide range of high quality business advice and support services. Together with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Employment, I will shortly be publishing strategic guidance for TECs which will emphasise, among others, the importance of developing effective plans for enterprise and ensuring that they mesh into wider programmes of action to improve competitiveness.

  Post Offices
  Mr. Hain
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) if he will publish a list of post offices which have closed or merged since April 1992; and if he will make a statement;
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  (2) if he will publish a list of post offices which have changed status and become community post offices since April 1992; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  I understand from the Post Office that, since April 1992,435 post offices have closed and that there have been three mergers of branch offices. In the same period, 125 offices are known to have reopened. A further 129 post offices have been converted to community office status. A copy of the full list of offices closed and of those converted to community status is being placed in the Library of the House.

  Record Industry
  Mr. Nigel Evans
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what effect in financial and business terms he estimates the international piracy and counterfeiting trade have on the British record industry.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The British Phonograph Industry, the record industry's trade association, has recently estimated that piracy is depriving the industry of one fifth of its potential export market, resulting in a loss in earnings of £160 million per annum at current values. I am not aware of any other estimates but fully recognise the importance to the industry of effective copyright protection overseas. The Government will continue to work actively to achieve this by all available means including the GATT, current negotiations within the World Intellectual Property Organisation on new international copyright agreements and European Community initiatives.

  Rural Sub-post Offices
  Mr. Harvey
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what representations his Department has received from north Devon in 1994 about the future of rural sub-post offices.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  My Department has received two representations from north Devon in 1994 about the future of rural sub-post offices. In addition, the chief executive of Devon county council has written on the same subject.

  Small and Medium-sized Businesses
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what are his plans for consulting small and medium-sized enterprises on their needs to ensure that their competitiveness in the European Economic Area according to the Community guidelines for small and medium-sized enterprises.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  My Department continues to be in constant liaison with small and medium-sized enterprises, through discussions and through its research programme. It continues to discuss the needs of SMEs with small firms' representative organisations, academics and other policy makers. My Department also consults the networks of training and enterprise councils, European information centres, and the developing network of business links. This continuing dialogue with SMEs and with all the key players in the field ensures that we are aware of, and address, the problems and needs of SMEs in the United Kingdom.

  We seek to influence the European Commission's directorate-general XXIII to keep regulations to a

  605
  minimum and to ensure that any assistance for SMEs is targeted where it will have most benefit, and that European assistance is provided only where it is not more appropriately provided at member state level.

  US Investment
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will publish a table showing(a) direct investment overseas and (b) inward direct investment in cash, US dollar, prices in (i) the United Kingdom and (ii) Germany in each year since 1979.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The information requested is set out in the two tables. They show figures for outward and inward foreign direct investment respectively. These figures are net figures. Therefore, inward investment in the United Kingdom is measured by adding up the following flows:

  (a) foreign investment in the United Kingdom;

  (b) the acquisition by a foreign company of previously United Kingdom-held shares in United Kingdom companies were:

  (i) the acquisition leads to the foreign company holding more than 20 per cent. of the United Kingdom firm; or

  (ii) where there is an increase of 20 per cent. or more in a foreign firm's share holdings in a United Kingdom company above that 20 per cent. figure;

  (c) profit retained in the United Kingdom by foreign-owned companies;

  (d) the repayment to United Kingdom companies of loans previously made to their parent/subsidiaries overseas; and

  (e) cash injections from foreign companies into their United Kingdom-owned subsidiaries;

  and then deducting from this aggregate:

  (a) sales of foreign-owned companies or shares in foreign-owned companies in the United Kingdom to United Kingdom residents above the same 20 per cent. thresholds;

  (b) profits repatriated from the United Kingdom by foreign-owned companies; and

  (c) the repayment by United Kingdom companies of loans made by their overseas parent/subsidiaries.

  All the figures in the tables are compiled using an equivalent methodology.

  The data come from national sources. Although these are the best sources available, care is needed in the interpretation of the figures. Differences in the definition of foreign direct investment used in the United Kingdom and Germany mean that the data are not strictly comparable. Furthermore, the figures are produced from the results of a sample survey, so both sets are subject to a degree of uncertainty. More recent data are also subject to quite large revisions. Finally, both sets of figures have been converted from the domestic currency into dollars, so exchange rates will have an influence on the dollar figures that emerge.

  Year

  Number of projects submitted

  Number of projects approved

  Expenditure in cash terms £ million

  Expenditure in real terms at 1992–93 prices £ million

  1988–89

  145

  16

  8·1

  10·4

  1989–90

  76

  83

  8·7

  10·4

  1990–91

  72

  58

  11·8

  13·0

  1991–92

  64

  64

  20·2

  21·0

  606

  Flows of Outward Foreign Direct Investment 1979–92
  $ billions

  United Kingdom1

  Germany2

  1979

  6·4

  4·5

  1980

  7·9

  4·0

  1981

  9·4

  3·9

  1982

  3·7

  2·5

  1983

  5·3

  3·2

  1984

  7·7

  4·4

  1985

  11·1

  4·8

  1986

  17·1

  9·6

  1987

  30·8

  9·1

  1988

  37·2

  11·4

  1989

  35·2

  14·5

  1990

  18·0

  23·1

  1991

  16·5

  22·3

  1992

  17·9

  18·0

  Source: CSO, OECD.

  1 United Kingdom data excludes activities of oil companies before 1984. Includes
  reinvested earnings.

  2 Data before July 1990 relates to West Germany only. Excludes reinvested earnings.

  Flows of Inward Foreign Direct Investment 1979–92
  $ billions

  United Kingdom1

  Germany2

  1979

  3·7

  1·7

  1980

  5·9

  0·4

  1981

  2·0

  0·3

  1982

  2·0

  0·8

  1983

  3·1

  1·8

  19843

  -0·3

  0·6

  1985

  5·7

  0·6

  1986

  8·3

  1·2

  1987

  14·4

  1·9

  1988

  20·6

  1·2

  1989

  28·5

  7·1

  1990

  30·5

  2·3

  1991

  14·4

  3·2

  1992

  16·3

  3·9

  Source: CSO, OECD.

  1 United Kingdom data excludes activities of oil companies before 1984. Includes reinvested earnings.

  2 Data before July 1990 relates to West Germany only. Excludes reinvested earnings.

  3 The negative figure for United Kingdom inward investment in 1984 represents a net disinvestment by foreign owned companies in that year.

  Advanced Technology
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will publish a table showing the expenditure in cash and standard price terms and the number of projects(a) submitted to and (b) approved by (i) the advanced technology programme and (ii) the support for innovation programme in each year since the establishment of the programme.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The expression "support for innovation" covered various forms of support and information in the form requested is not available.

  For advanced technology programme, the information requested is shown in the table.
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  Year

  Number of projects submitted

  Number of projects approved

  Expenditure in cash terms £ million

  Expenditure in real terms at 1992–93 prices £ million

  1992–93

  141

  39

  28·8

  28·8

  1993–94

  37

  64

  19·1

  18·5

  Steel Production
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the steel production undertaken by each EC member state for(a) the current year and (b)

  Mr. Sainsbury
  Information on the topic is regularly published in "Main Economic Indicators", published by the OECD, and "Eurostatistics (data for short-term analysis)", published by Eurostat, copies of which are available in the Library of the House.

  Trade Debts
  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he expects to bring forward legislation for statutory interest on trade debts; what representations he has received from the Institute of Credit Management on the subject; and what was his response.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  My noble Friend the Minister with responsibility for small firms and consumer affairs has received a response to the Department of Trade and Industry consultation paper "Late Payment of Commercial Debt" from the Institute of Credit Management. The institute's contribution has been acknowledged and will be carefully considered with other responses.

  The consultation paper sought the views of the business community on options to address late payment, including legislation for a statutory right to interest and a British standard for prompt payment. Responses to the consultation paper are currently being examined.

  Postal Services
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what account will be taken by his Department of postal services for visually impaired people within any future review of postal services in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  [holding answer 19 April 1994]: The Post Office currently operates the articles for the blind scheme which provides for the free transmission of articles for the visually impaired. In the course of the current review of the structure and organisation of the Post Office, Ministers have assured the Royal National Institute for the Blind that under any outcome the scheme will continue as currently constituted.

  Telecommunications
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will outline the process for the approval of any changes to telecommunications apparatus, indicating the role played by the British Approvals Board of Telecommunications of Oftel and his Department in making approvals.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  [holding answer 19 April 1994]: The British Approvals Board for Telecommunications, an
  608
  independent company limited by guarantee, is the approval authority, appointed by the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, for all types of telecommunications terminal equipment for connection to the public telecommunications network. BABT evaluates applications, accompanying documentation, manufacturing details and test results on the apparatus and, if it complies with the relevant standards designated by my Department of Oftel, issues a type approval. Changes to approved apparatus are subject to further testing only if that compliance is prejudiced. BABT accommodates all changes within its standard procedures so long as the supplier renews its approval. To avoid delay, BABT has made arrangements which, for the majority of changes, permit self-certification at the supplier's convenience.

  My Department, with Oftel, is currently reviewing the United Kingdom approvals regime in consultation with BABT, terminal manufacturers, network operators and users.

  Advice Services
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is his policy towards the provision of a network of independent advice and law centres throughout the country; and what response he has made to Advice 2000 initiative launched by the Advice Services Alliance.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  [holding answer 19 April 1994]: The provision of independent advice and law centres is a matter for the Lord Chancellor's Department.

  Mr. Michael
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the level of funding from his Department for voluntary advice services for the financial year 1993–94 and each of the previous 10 years; and how many schemes received funding in each year.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  [holding answer 19 April 1994]: Although the DTI does not directly fund voluntary advice services, it does fund the National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux, Citizens Advice Scotland and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, whose aims include the provision of advice and information by volunteers. Details for the financial years 1989–90 to 1992–93 are given in the table. The figures for 1993–94 are not yet available and the figures for earlier years could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Financial Year

  Number of schemes

  Level of Funding £

  1989–90

  3

  10,222,771

  1990–91

  3

  11,604,172

  1991–92

  3

  12,472,500

  1992–93

  3

  13,303,996

  Electricity Consumers Council
  Mrs. Peacock
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the sources of funding for the Electricity Consumers Council; who appoints its members; and to whom it reports.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  [holding answer 19 April 1994]: The Electricity Consumers Council was abolished by the Electricity Act 1989.

  Gas Consumers Council
  Mrs. Peacock
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the sources of funding for the Gas Consumers Council; who appoints its members; and to whom it reports.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  [holding answer 19 April 1994]: The Department of Trade and Industry funds the Gas Consumers Council through its vote, although a substantial proportion of this funding is recouped from Ofgas through British Gas's authorisation fee. My right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade is responsible for the appointment of the chairman and members of the council, which reports to the Director General and the President.

  Scott Inquiry
  Mr. Dicks
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade on how many days the Scott inquiry has sat; how many counsel, junior counsel and solicitors are involved in the inquiry; by what method payment is assessed; what fees have been paid to each lawyer and how they were calculated; and if they were paid in respect of days on which the inquiry did not sit.

  Mr. Needham
  [holding answer 19 April 1994]: The inquiry has sat for a total of 93 days. The inquiry employs one counsel, who is paid on a daily basis, and who has been remunerated to date for 212 days' work at a daily rate of £800 plus VAT. The legal work undertaken is not confined to the oral sessions of the inquiry.

  In addition, two civil servant members of the inquiry team are barristers and another one is a solicitor. All three are paid the usual civil service salary commensurate with their grade.

  Mr. Dicks
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the cost to date of the Scott inquiry; and if he will list the main subheads under which these moneys were spent with the amount for each subhead.

  Mr. Needham
  [holding answer 19 April 1994]: The direct costs of the Scott inquiry to date, falling to my Department, have been £994,689. This total is broken down as follows:

  Pay (for DTI Civil Servants)

  £317,426

  Bought-in services, including legal, security and catering services

  £442,515

  Legal costs incurred in advising DTI witnesses

  £165,976

  Other costs, including office machinery, computers, stationery, travel and subsistence

  £68,772

  Mr. Dicks
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is his estimate of what the total cost to public funds the Scott inquiry will be.
  610
  Mr. Needham
  [holding answer 19 April 1994:] I am not at this stage able to give a reasonable estimate of the future costs of the inquiry.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Parliamentary Questions
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many parliamentary questions to his Department have not been answered because of disproportionate costs or because the information requested was not held centrally over the last five years; how many could be answered now due to computerisation and/or more effective operational systems; and if he will list each such question along with the name and constituency of the hon. Member who tabled it.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  The number of answers given to parliamentary questions over the past five years recorded in the POLIS database as including a reference to part or all of the information being available only at disproportionate cost by this Department was 76, representing some 0·5 per cent. of the total number of questions answered in the period concerned.

  Information relating to which of these questions could now be answered is unavailable and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Israel
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what information he has on the consequences of the Israeli blockade on the occupied territories; and what representations he has made on this matter to the Israeli authorities in respect of its effect on the peace process;

  (2) what assessment he has made of the effects of the Israeli decision to recruit foreign workers to replace Palestinians on the peace process; and what representations he has made.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  We, along with our European Union partners, have made known to the Israeli authorities our concern at the damaging economic and social effects of their closure of the occupied territories. The Israeli Cabinet announced on 17 April the granting of 20,000 permits for Palestinians to enter Israel, 16,000 for humanitarian purposes and 4,000 for agricultural workers, and the grant of 30 million shekels for work projects in the occupied territories.

  European Commission
  Ms Quin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British nationals are employed in the European Commission at(a) deputy-director, (b) director and (c) director-general level in DGXVII (Energy).

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  There is no such post as deputy-director in the Commission. At director level and above in directorate-general XVII, there is one United Kingdom national—the deputy director-general.

  European Court
  Sir Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many times the United Kingdom has been taken to the European Court over the past 10 years; and what were the legal and consequential costs involved.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  [holding answer 18 April 1994]: Since 1 January 1985, the United Kingdom has been the defendant in 16 infraction cases brought before the court by the Commission under article 169. Details of the legal and consequential costs are not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Entry Certificates
  Mr. Jim Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the working of the system for the issue of entry certificates for visitors to the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  The system for the issue of entry clearances for visitors to the United Kingdom is constantly reviewed.

  The latest list of posts overseas designated to issue entry clearances will be published shortly. Copies will be placed in the Library of the House. In 1993, a total of 957,000 visit applications were received: 863,000, or 90 per cent. were issued, 60,000, or 6·3 per cent. were refused and 34,000, or 3·7 per cent. were deferred/referred to the Home Office. Further statistics are available in the FCO departmental report 1994.

  In December 1993, Lady Anson JP DL was appointed as the first independent monitor of visit visa refusals. Her annual reports will be laid before Parliament.

  North Korea
  Mr. Parry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what are the implications for United Kingdom policy of the latest meeting between China and North Korea in Beijing, to discuss the question of North Korea's nuclear capacity.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  We are not aware of any recent official meeting in Peking between China and North Korea to discuss North Korea's nuclear programme.

  Council of Ministers
  Mr. Dykes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will take immediate steps with his EU counterparts, following the council meeting of 18 April and Committee of Permanent Representatives' advice, to ensure the fullest application of the Council of Ministers information code to provide citizens of the Union with fully open information on all Council legislative decision making, including items normally falling within the inter-governmental pillars.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  We have strongly supported moves to increase openness in the Community. The code of conduct on access to information agreed in December 1993 rightly affirms the general principle that there should be the widest possible access by the public to documents held by the Council and Commission, with certain 612
  necessary safeguards. This code complements the decisions on open council sessions and publication of votes.

  Ms Quin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his EU colleagues about rules governing the secrecy of Council of Ministers documents including minutes of Council meetings; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  The General Affairs Council on 19 April had a brief discussion on an application from The Guardian newspaper for access to a number of Council documents, but was unable to reach a decision.

  Gas Safety
  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will review procedures for the reporting of deaths due to gas poisoning of United Kingdom holidaymakers abroad.

  Mr. Lenox-Boyd
  No. I am satisfied that our existing standard procedures for notifying next-of-kin of deaths of British nationals overseas are working properly.

  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to his Spanish counterparts about gas safety standards enforced in holiday apartments.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  No. This is a matter for the Spanish authorities.

  United Nations War Crimes Commission
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 10 February,Official Report, column 484, by the Secretary of State for Defence, what further batches of information collated from interviews with refugees from Bosnia he has sent to the United Nations War Crimes Commission; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  We submitted a fourth batch of evidence, collated by the MOD's defence debriefing team, to the United Nations Commission of Experts on 7 April. This batch consisted of 10 separate reports, some of which were on regions specifically requested by the Commission.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many times the United Nations War Crimes Commission has asked for assistance of a military nature or type in its investigations.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  We are aware of one general request from the United Nations Commission of Experts for a military engineering unit to help investigate an alleged mass grave in Vukovar. The Netherlands subsequently provided such a unit.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what consideration he has given to assisting the United Nations War Crimes Commission in the apprehension of individuals wanted by that body for questioning; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The United Nations Commission of Experts was established by Security Council resolution 780 to collate, analyse and investigate evidence of war crimes committed in the former Yugoslavia since 1991. It is not mandated to apprehend individuals.

  Bosnian Refugees
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the approximate number of Bosnian refugees who have been interviewed by the Defence debriefing team to date; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The MOD's defence debriefing team has interviewed approximately 5,000 individuals entering the United Kingdom from the former Yugoslavia since the conflict began. Approximately 80 per cent. of those interviewed were Bosnian, but not all were refugees.

  Rwanda
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action Her Majesty's Government are taking to encourage international action for the protection of both foreign and local non-combatants in the civil war in Rwanda.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  We are active in United Nations Security Council deliberations on Rwanda and have welcomed the involvement of neighbouring countries. The first priority is to try to bring about a ceasefire, creating conditions in which it will be possible to relaunch the process of national reconciliation and set up humanitarian relief.

  Malaysia
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether British Airways was compensated(a) directly or (b) indirectly by public funds in order to make available landing slots at Heathrow airport to Malaysian Airlines in 1989; and whether this agreement was linked to the aid and trade arrangement or arms sales arrangement with Malaysia agreed under the revised protocol of June 1988 between the United Kingdom and Malaysia.

  Mr. Norris
  I have been asked to reply.

  On the question of compensation for British Airways, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Carmarthen (Mr. Williams) on 15 February, column 731, which made it clear that there was no compensation to British Airways either directly or indirectly from public funds. The revised air services arrangements agreed in 1989 were not linked to aid and trade provision or arms sales.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT

  Mozambique
  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what contribution he is making to the United Nations trust funds to assist Renamo's transformation into a political party.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  I refer the hon. Member to my reply to his question on 12 April, columns 23-24. The Government of Mozambique have since confirmed their agreement to our contribution of £500,000 to the United Nations trust fund for the implementation of the peace process in Mozambique and payment is being arranged.

  Bosnia
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will arrange for the Overseas Development Administration and the EU to publish a full statement on how they and nongovernmental organisations are going to help rebuild the physical and social infrastructure of Bosnia.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  Rebuilding the infrastructure of Bosnia must depend on first implementing a peace settlement. Following an agreement reached during my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister's visit to Washington, a joint United Kingdom/United States team undertook an assessment of the work needed to restore Sarajevo's essential public services. A copy of its report has already been placed in both Libraries of the House.

  The EU is considering how best to assist in the restoration of services in Mostar.

  Rwanda
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which British aid agencies are working in Rwanda; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  All British aid agencies have withdrawn from Rwanda. The following nongovernmental organisations—ACORD, CARE, Christian Aid, Oxfam, and affiliated partners of Tear Fund—plan to resume operations as soon as conditions allow.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what contribution the Overseas Development Administration is making to alleviate the current unrest in Rwanda.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  In the last week we have committed some £820,000 in emergency aid, through British non-governmental organisations, for the victims of the conflict in Rwanda.

  UN Sustainable Development Commission
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will be attending the meeting of the United Nations Sustainable Development Commission in New York in May.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment will attend the meeting. The Department of the Environment has lead responsibilities for the United Nations Sustainable Development Commission. No decision has yet been taken on possible attendance by an FCO Minister.

  St. Helena
  Dr. Marek
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what offers have been made to construct an airstrip on St. Helena free of capital cost to Her Majesty's Government; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  [holding answer 19 April 1994]: A United Kingdom company, St. Helena Airways Ltd., has indicated that it would be prepared to privately fund the construction of an airstrip on St. Helena, but in return it

  615
  would require financial commitments and guarantees from ODA and the St. Helena Government. I understand the St. Helena Government will be taking steps later this year to ascertain whether an air service for the island has public support and will consider the situation in the light of the outcome.

NATIONAL HERITAGE

  Private Security Firms
  Mr. George
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage how many private security firms have been employed by his Department for each of the last 10 years; what has been the annual value of the contracts; and if he will estimate how many guards have been employed for each of those years.

  Mr. Sproat
  My Department was established in April 1992. In 1992–93 DNH and its agencies employed one security firm on a contract with an annual value of £171,092. Approximately 12 guards were employed.

  In 1993–94, four security firms were employed on contracts with an annual value of £520,081. Approximately 30 guards were employed.

  D-day Anniversary Celebrations
  Mr. Mandelson
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what considerations underlay the selection of Lowe Bell Communications as consultants to the D-day anniversary celebrations in preference to other firms tendering for the contract.

  Mr. Sproat
  Lowe Bell was selected to advise the Department of National Heritage and to help implement a high-profile programme of popular events to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the D-day landings. Of the firms which bid for this contract, Lowe Bell was considered to be best able to fulfil these requirements.

EMPLOYMENT

  Working Hours
  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what proportion of women in(a) the United Kingdom, (b) Germany, (c) France and (d) the United States of America work (i) full time and (ii) part time.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  [holding answer 19 April 1994]: Comparable information is not available for the United States of America. The available information is shown in the following table:

  Proportion of women in full-time and part-time work in selected countries of the European Community: 19911

  Percentage of women aged 16 and over in full-time work

  Percentage of women aged 16 and over in part-time work

  United Kingdom

  27·3

  21·2

  Germany

  28·5

  14·8

  France

  32·3

  9·9

  1 Latest comparable information.

  Source: Eurostat, Labour Force Survey Results 1991.

  Job Protection Legislation
  Mr. Hutton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what research he has recently commissioned into the employment consequences of job protection legislation.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  [holding answer 20 April 1994]: Research on, or having a bearing on, this issue commissioned by the Department over the past three years includes:

  "Maternity Rights in Britain" by S. McRae;

  "Redundancy Payments Survey" by D. Spilsbury, A. McIntosh and J. Banerji;

  "The 1992 Survey of Industrial Tribunal Applications" by N. Tremlett and N. Banerji;

  "The Abolition of the Dock Labour Scheme" by N. Evans, D. MacKay, Mr. Garratt and P. Sutcliffe;

  "A Review of the Economics Evidence Relating to Employment Protection Legislation" by S. M. Burgess.

  Training and Enterprise Councils
  Mr. Byers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the training budget for 1994–95 of each training and enterprise council; and what it was for each year since their inception, at 1994–95 prices.

  Miss Widdecombe
  Government offices are currently finalising contracts with training and enterprise councils for 1994–95 budgets and the information is not yet available.

  The information must remain commercially confidential while TECs are negotiating with their providers, and for this reason I am not prepared to give information about individual TEC budgets for 1994–95 until after the beginning of October.

  With regards to TEC budgets since their inception, I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 13 December 1993, Official Report, column 512, to my hon. Friend the Member for Basingstoke (Mr. Hunter). This provides details of TEC budgets agreed with the Employment Department for the last three years in cash and real terms using prices from the first year's funding.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Advice Quality
  Mr. Raynsford
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what representations he has received from the Consumers Association on the quality of advice available from local social security offices; and if he will make a statement on the action he proposes to take in response.

  Mr. Hague
  The quality of advice available from local social security offices is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from Michael Bichard to Mr. Nick Raynsford, dated 20 April 1994.
  The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the quality of advice available from local social security offices.
  You will be aware of the recent article in the Consumer Association's WHICH magazine. The article drew conclusions

  617
  about standards of customer service available in Benefits Agency offices, based on a survey of their own members and on observations from a small sample of local offices. Although it cannot be said to be representative of the level of service provided by all Benefits Agency offices it is important that the comments are acknowledged.
  The Benefits Agency recognises that customers expect a professional, efficient, quality service which provides prompt and accurate benefit payment. Whilst there are areas in which improvements could be made, considerable progress in this area has already been achieved. One of the major contributing factors to this improvement is our willingness to listen to customers and to respond to their comments.
  For this purpose the Agency have produced two leaflets; "Let's be Fair" explains the Benefits Agency's policy on the customer's right to fair and equal treatment; "Have your say" explains the complaints procedure to customers.
  In addition, the Agency commission annually a national indpendent survey of its customers. In 1993, 3,428 customers were interviewed face to face, selected from a random postal sift of 17,000 households. The results of this survey are due to be published on 25 April 1994 and show that 84 per cent. of customers are satisfied with the standard of service provided by the Benefits Agency, against the Secretary of State's target of 85 per cent. This is an improvement on the corresponding figures for1992 when 82·3 per cent. were satisfied.
  It is important, that as an Agency we are constantly aware of, and responsive to, the needs of our customers. The ongoing process of customer research helps to identify any improvements that are necessary and the areas highlighted by the WHICH article will be considered as a part of this process.
  I hope you find this reply helpful.

  Child Support Agency
  Mr. Dewar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many staff are presently employed by the Child Support Agency.

  Mr. Hague
  The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for Ros Hepplewhite, the chief executive. She will write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from Ros Hepplewhite to Mr. Donald Dewar, dated 20 April 1994:
  I am replying to your recent Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about the number of staff currently employed by the Child Support Agency.
  At 31 March 1994, the Agency had 5,200 staff in post in Great Britain. You may also wish to know that at the same date there were also 626 Northern Ireland civil servants based in Belfast engaged in work relating to parents with care who live in mainland Britain.
  I hope this reply is helpful.

  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will place in the Library copies of all internal bulletins relating to the Child Support Agency.

  Mr. Hague
  The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for Ros Hepplewhite, the chief executive. She will write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from Ros Hepplewhite to Mr. David Blunkett, dated 20 April 1994:
  I am replying to your recent Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about the placing of internal Child Support Agency bulletins in the Library of the House.
  Operational guidance for Agency staff is contained in the Child Support Manual, copies of which are already available in the Library. Relevant internal operational bulletins are incorporated as amendments to the Manual.
  I hope this reply is helpful.

  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what guidance has been issued with regard to 618
  permanent maintenance orders in relation to deduction of earnings through the Child Support Agency; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) what guidance he has given on the use of deduction from earnings orders in relation to interim maintenance orders through the Child Support Agency; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hague
  The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for Ros Hepplewhite, the chief executive. She will write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from Ros Hepplewhite to Mr. David Blunkett, dated 20 April 1994:
  I am replying to your recent Parliamentary Questions to the Secretary of State for Social Security about the guidance issued by the Child Support Agency on the implementation of deduction from earnings orders.
  The imposition of a deduction from earnings order is a discretionary decision made by a Child Support Officer having considered the needs of the parent with care, and the children involved and any representations made by the absent parent. Instructions to staff in relation to deduction from earnings orders are contained in the Child Support Manual.
  The Child Support (Collection of Enforcement) Regulations were amended in February specifically in relation to deduction from earnings orders on interim maintenance assessments. Detailed guidance for staff on deductions from earnings orders in such cases is in the course of preparation and will be incorporated in the Child Support Manual.
  A copy of the Child Support Manual is available in the Library.
  I hope this reply is helpful.

  Community Care
  Mr. Austin-Walker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many community care grants were given from the Thameside office; and how many were given to refugees in each financial year from 1991–92.

  Mr. Scott
  The administration of the social fund is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from Michael Bichard to Mr. John Austin-Walker, dated 20 April 1994:
  The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the number of Community Care Grants (CCG) awarded by the Benefits Agency's Thameside office and the number awarded by the Benefits Agency's Thameside office and the number awarded to refugees.
  I should clarify that the Benefits Agency does not have a Thameside office but does have a Thameside District which comprises of the offices of Woolwich and Bexley. I have, therefore, provided information relating to the Thameside District as a whole.
  The number of CCGs awarded in the District for each of the years 1991–92, 1993–94, which also include CCGs awarded on review, are given at Appendix A.
  Information on the number of CCGs awarded to refugees in the District for the same periods is not collected as a matter of course. The information requested could only be gathered by the manual examination of all the Social Fund applications in the Thameside District and this would incur disproportionate cost.
  I hope you find this reply helpful.

  619

  Appendix A

  Number of Community Care Grants (CCGS) awarded in the Benefits Agency's Thameside District

  Financial Year

  Number of CCGs awarded

  1991–92

  1,613

  1992–93

  2,123

  1993–94

  2,275

  Saztec Ltd.
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what contracts his Department have placed with Saztec Ltd. since July 1992.

  Mr. Hague
  None.

  Private Security Firms
  Mr. George
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many private security firms have been employed by his Department for each of the last 10 years; what has been the annual value of the contracts; and if he will estimate how many guards have been employed for each of those years.

  Mr. Hague
  This Department and its executive agencies occupy over 500 sites throughout the country. Security at these sites is controlled locally and this includes the award of contracts to private companies either directly by the Department or, where appropriate, by facilities managers acting on our behalf. Information about contracts awarded is not collected centrally and therefore could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  VAT on Fuel
  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what arrangements have been made to pay pensioners allowances in respect of VAT on domestic fuel; and what examinations he has made of the reasons where allowances have not been paid so far.

  Mr. Hague
  Extra help for pensioners in respect of VAT on domestic fuel is paid automatically as part of the 1994 increase in benefit rates which is effective from week commencing 11 April 1994. The date on which the first benefit payment at the increased rate is made available will depend on the method of payment chosen by the pensioner and the day of the week on which his or her pension is payable.

  Incapacity Benefit
  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimate he has made of how many claimants are expected to take up incapacity benefit within the Brighton borough council area from the introduction of the new benefit; and what he expects the total benefits bill to be for incapacity benefit for claimants within the Brighton borough council area in the year following the introduction of the new benefit.

  Mr. Scott
  Estimates of the number of people who will receive incapacity benefit, and total expenditure of the benefit, cannot reliably be broken down by local council area.

  Housing Benefit
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what measures he proposes to promote the take-up of housing benefit.

  Mr. Hague
  Responsibility for the administration of housing benefit lies with individual local authorities which are in the best position to undertake local publicity about it. Information about housing benefit is also available at all Benefits Agency offices and unemployment benefit offices.

  Latest estimates of housing benefit take-up, which are for 1990 and 1991, indicate that between 93 per cent. and 97 per cent. of available benefit is being claimed by between 90 per cent. and 95 per cent. of those eligible. Further information on take-up estimates can be found in "Income Related Benefits—Estimates of Take-up in 1990 and 1991" published on 25 March 1994, a copy of which is in the Library.

EDUCATION

  Grant-maintained Schools
  Mrs. Ann Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) if he will list those schools outside the maintained sector that have approached his Department, the Funding Agency for Schools or the Grant-Maintained Schools Centre with a view to acquiring grant-maintained status;

  (2) how many inquiries his Department has received from independent schools seeking to become grant maintained; and how many inquiries from parents' groups, or other groups, seeking to set up new grant-maintained schools.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  The Department has received over 370 requests for information about the establishment of new grant-maintained schools by promoters. Of these, one third have been from existing independent schools and two thirds from other groups. No formal proposals have been received from promoters, and it would be inappropriate to infer, from these initial inquiries, the promoters who may formally publish proposals for new grant-maintained schools in due course.

  Surplus School Places
  Mr. Faber
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many surplus school places there are in Wiltshire.

  Mr. Forth
  The estimated surplus capacity of primary schools in Wiltshire as at January 1991 is as set out in the reply to the hon. Member for Warwickshire, North (Mr. O'Brien) on 31 January 1994,Official Report, columns 517-21. The estimated number of surplus places in secondary schools at that date is 9,987, representing 23 per cent. of capacity. This corrects the figure in the previous reply. Up-to-date information on surplus capacity in all LEA areas will be collected under regulations to be made later this year.

DEFENCE

  Parliamentary Questions
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many parliamentary questions to his Department have not been answered because of
  621
  disproportionate costs or because the information requested was not held centrally over the last five years; how many could be answered now due to computerisation and/or more effective operational systems; and if he will list each such question along with the name and constituency of the hon. Member who tabled it.

  Mr. Hanley
  My Department has answered nearly 14,000 parliamentary questions over the past five years, of which less than 250, or under 2 per cent., have not been answered because of disproportionate cost or because the information requested was not held centrally. No doubt as computer and operational systems continue to improve, there will be increased potential for this percentage to decline.

  Service Ranks
  Mr. Cann
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what ranks exist in(a) the British Army, (b) the Royal Navy and (c) the Royal Air Force; and what is the number of personnel in each rank.

  Mr. Hanley
  Ranks in the Royal Naval Services, Army and Royal Air Force, and the number of personnel in each rank as at 1 January 1994, the latest date for which information is held, were as follows:

  Royal Naval Services

  Numbers

  Royal Navy

  Admiral of the Fleet

  —

  Admiral

  5

  Vice Admiral

  11

  Rear Admiral

  28

  Commodore

  37

  Captain

  328

  Commander

  1,125

  Lieutenant Commander

  2,369

  Lieutenant

  3,158

  Sub-Lieutenant

  1,067

  Officer Designate

  256

  Warrant Officer

  840

  Chief Petty Officer

  7,521

  Petty Officer

  6,624

  Leading Rate

  8,942

  Able Rate

  14,670

  Ordinary Rate/Junior

  1,364

  Royal Marines

  General

  —

  Lieutenant General

  1

  Major General

  2

  Brigadier

  3

  Colonel/Lieutenant Colonel

  34

  Major

  102

  Captain

  195

  Lieutenant

  277

  Officer Designate

  105

  Warrant Officer Class 1

  43

  Warrant Officer Class 2

  222

  Colour Sergeant

  368

  Sergeant

  736

  Corporal

  1,658

  Marine 1st Class

  3,126

  Marine 2nd Class/Junior

  475

  Queen Alexandra's Royal Navy Service

  Commandant Nursing Officer

  1

  Principal Nursing Officer

  2

  Chief Nursing Officer

  5

  Superintending Nursing Officer

  26

  Senior Nursing Officer

  47

  Nursing Officer

  10

  Warrant Officer RGN/Warrant Officer EN(G)

  1

  Chief RGN/Chief EN(G)

  17

  622

  Royal Naval Services

  Numbers

  Petty Officer RGN/Petty Officer EN(G)

  51

  Leading RGN/Leading EN(G)

  232

  Student Nurse/Pupil Nurse/EN(G)

  185

  Probationary Nurse

  70

  Army

  Field Marshall

  1

  General

  8

  Lieutenant General

  9

  Major General

  55

  Brigadier

  210

  Colonel

  552

  Lieutenant Colonel

  1,685

  Major

  4,851

  Captain

  4,776

  Lieutenant/2nd Lieutenant

  2,643

  Officer Designate

  471

  Warrant Officer Class 1

  2,034

  Warrant Officer Class 2

  5,304

  Staff Sergeant

  6,807

  Sergeant

  12,241

  Corporal

  19,222

  Lance Corporal

  19,458

  Private Classes 1 to 3

  36,633

  Private Class 4/Junior

  7,790

  Royal Air Force

  Marshal of the Royal Air Force

  1

  Air Chief Marshal

  5

  Air Marshal

  6

  Air Vice Marshal

  39

  Air Commodore

  105

  Group Captain

  404

  Wing Commander

  1,329

  Squadron Leader

  3,603

  Flight Lieutenant

  6,220

  Flying Officer/Pilot Officer

  1,649

  Officer Designate

  343

  Warrant Officer

  1,719

  Flight Sergeant/Chief Technician

  5,088

  Sergeant

  10,381

  Corporal

  18,909

  Junior Technician/Senior Aircraftman/Leading Aircraftman

  26,857

  Aircraftman

  408

  Notes:

  1. Figures exclude 5 star officers who remain on the active list but do not hold an appointment.

  2. Commodore (RN) and Brigadier (RM) are not substantive ranks but are appointments. Figures represent Captains (RN) and Colonels (RM) filling Commodore (RN) and Brigadier (RM) appointments.

  3. RGN—Registered General Nurse; EN(G)—Enrolled Nurse (General).

  4. Members of Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps (QARANC) and Princess Marina's Royal Air Force Nursing Service (PMRAFNS) hold the same ranks as other personnel serving respectively in the Army and Royal Air Force.

  5. RN Chaplains do not hold Service Ranks, but have been included in the Naval rank equivalent of their class.

  6. The term "Officer Designate" is used to describe university cadets and personnel under initial training or awaiting initial training at one of the Service officer training establishments.

  7. I would also refer the hon. Member to the Tri-Service Personnel Statistics, a copy of which is placed in the Library of the House.

  Sonic Booms
  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the dates, locations and results of investigations of reports of sonic booms over the United Kingdom since 1992.

  Mr. Hanley
  During the period 1 January 1992 to 31 January 1994, a total of 27 investigations of alleged
  623
  sonic booms were conducted. Of these, only one incident was established as a sonic boom, 15 were identified as sonic or possible sonic events, in 10 cases the report was either withdrawn by the complainant or no sonic event

  Date

  Location

  Results of investigation

  1992

  5 March

  Off the coast of Blackpool

  Sonic boom

  BAe Tornado

  11 March

  Kings Lynn

  Sonic event

  -111 aircraft suspected

  18 June

  Great Yarmouth

  Sonic event

  F4 aircraft suspected

  24 November

  Cambridge area

  Sonic event

  F15 aircraft

  19-20 November

  Lincoln area

  Sonic events

  F15 aircraft

  1993

  27 January

  North Humberside

  Sonic event

  F15 aircraft suspected

  2 February

  Thurso

  Sonic event

  Tornado aircraft suspected

  5 February

  Scarborough

  Sonic event

  Tornado aircraft suspected

  26 February

  Bridgewater

  Sonic event

  Sea Harrier aircraft

  8 March

  Peterborough

  Sonic event

  F15 aircraft suspected

  14 April

  Peterborough

  Sonic event

  F15 aircraft suspected

  16 July

  Southwold

  Sonic event

  F15 aircraft

  21 July

  Lowestoft

  Sonic event

  F16 aircraft

  11 August

  St. Andrews

  Sonic event

  F15 aircraft

  22 October

  Morpeth

  Possible sonic event

  Tornado aircraft suspected

  7 December

  Norfolk

  Still under investigation

  1994

  25 January

  Peterborough

  Sonic event

  F15 aircraft suspected

  Notes:

  1. A sonic boom is caused by an aircraft travelling at supersonic speed.

  2. A sonic event is caused when a small part of the airframe (such as the wing tips) exceeds the speed of sound. This usually occurs when an aircraft is conducting high energy manoeuvres.

  Air Miss
  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on his response to the recommendations of the joint air miss working group report on the air miss between a Boeing 737 and three United States air force F-16s on 26 May 1993.

  Mr. Hanley
  The recommendations are currently being addressed by national air traffic services in conjunction with the appropriate staffs in MOD.

  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what briefing the pilots of the United States Air Force F-16 aircraft involved in an air miss with a British Midland Airways Boeing 737 on 26 May 1993 had received on United Kingdom airspace and air traffic control procedures(a) from British military personnel or (b) from United States air force personnel prior to their flight.

  Mr. Hanley
  The F-16 aircraft, operating from their base at Spangdahlen in Germany, were participating in a joint Royal Air Force/United States air force exercise in the United Kingdom. The aircrew received a full briefing on all aspects of the United Kingdom airspace control procedures from United States air force (Europe) personnel. The USAF aircraft are required to adhere to the same flying regulations as those of the RAF.

  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence from which airfield the United States air force F-16s involved in an air miss over Midlothian on 26 May 1993 took off for the sortie; and where they landed on completion of the sortie.

  Mr. Hanley
  The aircraft took off from their home base at Spangdahlen, Germany and returned to the same base at the end of the sortie.
  624
  established. One report is still under investigation. Details of the 17 investigations covering sonic booms/events and possible sonic events and the one outstanding case are as follows:

  Atomic Testing
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the report of the National Radiological Protection Board regarding atomic testing.

  Mr. Hanley
  I have nothing further to add to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Woodspring (Dr. Fox), on 9 December 1993,Official Report, columns 360-62.

  Low Flying
  Mr. Alan W. Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what implications the cancellation of tactical air-to-surface missiles have for the need to conduct low flying exercises.

  Mr. Hanley
  None.

  Mr. Alan W. Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much has been claimed in total in compensation to farmers in Wales for loss of livestock, abortion and loss of production caused by low-flying aircraft; how much of this total is of disputed claims; how much has been settled; and how much remains to be settled for each year since 1980.

  Mr. Hanley
  There can be no meaningful total of amounts initially claimed, because many claims are unquantified at the outset and may be repudiated without valuation. Settlement is reached after a process of valuation, usually on independent advice, and in consultation with the claimant. Reliable data on settlements are available only from 1988 onwards and since then the Ministry of Defence has paid the following amounts of compensation to farmers in Wales for livestock losses which have been attributed to low flying military aircraft activity:
  625

  £

  1988

  30,228

  1989

  31,584

  1990

  47,953

  1991

  59,160

  1992

  33,153

  1993

  30,000

  Mr. Alan W. Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement summarising the results of ground-level noise measurements for aircraft involved in low flying sorties; and what changes there have been in the amount of noise nuisance since 1980.

  Mr. Hanley
  A series of trials, known as Exercise Luce Belle, to measure noise on the ground arising from military aircraft flying at low level has taken place at RAE West Freugh since 1990. The results of these trials have shown that at the speeds and heights normally flown in the United Kingdom low flying system no aircraft type generates a noise level on the ground in excess of 125 dB(A), a level at which research has indicated there is no significant risk to human hearing. A copy of the report on the first trial, which covered the main aircraft types, is available in the Library of the House. As my hon. Friend the Member for Lincoln (Mr. Carlisle) announced to the House on 14 October 1991,Official Report, column 115, we aim to have reduced the amount of low flying by jet aircraft in the United Kingdom by around 30 per cent. by the end of this year.

  Mr. Alan W. Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the mean(a) height above the ground and (b) velocity for aircraft during low flying sorties, and what change there has been in these figures since 1980.

  Mr. Hanley
  The information requested is not available.

  Mr. Alan W. Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the average length of time from initial receipt of a claim to its payment by his Department in processing claims for compensation to farmers in the United Kingdom for loss of livestock, abortion and loss of production caused by low-flying aircraft.

  Mr. Hanley
  The time from claim to payment can vary greatly and as the data required to calculate an average length of time is not readily available, the information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Alan W. Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much has been paid out in compensation to farmers in the United Kingdom for loss of livestock, abortions and loss of production caused by low-flying aircraft during each year since 1979.

  Mr. Hanley
  Reliable data are available only from 1988 onwards. Since then the Ministry of Defence has paid out the following amounts in compensation to farmers in Great Britain—United Kingdom excluding Northern Ireland—for livestock losses caused by low flying military aircraft:

  £

  1988

  273,934

  1989

  160,039

  1990

  254,683

  626

  £

  1991

  293,301

  1992

  230,312

  1993

  299,503

  Public Record Office
  Mr. Davidson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps are being taken to ensure that additional staff resources are provided to clear any backlog of claims for disability pensions owing to restricted access to the Public Record Office archive at Hayes.

  Mr. Hanley
  In addition to the normal, full, staffing levels, a futher nine full-time staff are currently employed on casual contracts and will remain so while a backlog of claims exist. In addition, overtime is being worked seven days a week.

  Mr. Davidson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether there will be unrestricted access to the Public Record Office archive at Hayes to enable the backlog of claims for disability pensions to be progressed.

  Mr. Hanley
  There has been unrestricted access to the Public Record Office archive at Hayes since the end of February.

  Mr. Davidson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many claims for disability pensions have been delayed as a result of the asbestos contamination at the Public Record Office archive at Hayes; how many of these claims have been outstanding for more than(a) six months, (b) 12 months and (c) 24 months; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hanley
  The amount of war pension claims delayed as a result of the recent closure of the archives at Hayes numbered approximately 30,000 in total.

  Apart from a small number of individual cases of particular complexity which could be separately identified only at disproportionate cost, the archives' backlogs are now rather less than six months and already as little as two months in some areas.

  Defence Debriefing Team
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many staff are currently assigned to the defence debriefing team; what consideration he has given to incresing the size of the defence debriefing team; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hanley
  There are currently some 40 individuals serving with the defence debriefing team, all of whom are military personnel. This is considered sufficient to meet the team's present task and there are no plans to increase its size, although that position is kept under review. During the course of its work the team has acquired information on alleged human rights violations and war crimes committed in Bosnia. This information has been passed to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office for onward transmission to the United Nations commission of experts.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Animal Importation (Slaughter)
  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many sheep and other animals are being imported annually for slaughter; from where; and to which destinations.

  Mr. Soames
  Data on the imports of live sheep for slaughter are not available separately from the total of all

  Numbers of live animals imported into the United Kingdom during 1992

  All bovines

  Of which: fat1

  Sheep

  Goats

  Pigs

  All horses

  Of which: for slaughter

  Other live animals

  France

  2,948

  202

  261

  —

  —

  515

  —

  2

  Belgium-Luxembourg

  11

  59

  —

  —

  416

  —

  15

  Netherlands

  5,115

  538

  392

  —

  —

  393

  1

  35

  Germany

  212

  35

  5

  —

  —

  354

  —

  4

  Italy

  19

  —

  —

  —

  —

  104

  —

  —

  Irish Republic

  112,506

  40,385

  204,230

  71

  109,280

  4,359

  —

  202

  Denmark

  420

  91

  —

  —

  —

  214

  —

  1

  Greece

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  13

  —

  —

  Portugal

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  15

  —

  —

  Spain

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  11

  —

  3

  Iceland

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  20

  —

  —

  Norway

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  6

  —

  —

  Sweden

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  27

  —

  5

  Finland

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  3

  —

  —

  Switzerland

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  20

  7

  Austria

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  25

  —

  —

  Turkey

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2

  —

  —

  Poland

  187

  —

  —

  —

  —

  122

  —

  —

  Czechoslovakia

  250

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2

  —

  —

  Hungary

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  55

  —

  —

  Former USSR

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  83

  —

  —

  Canada

  234

  —

  —

  —

  —

  13

  —

  1

  USA

  —

  —

  —

  —

  12

  488

  —

  41

  Austral-Oceania

  29

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Puerto Rico

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  Nicaragua2

  163

  30

  730

  —

  —

  1

  —

  29

  Colombia

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  Chile

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  7

  —

  —

  Argentina

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  4,116

  —

  —

  Barbados

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  3

  —

  —

  Sudan

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2

  —

  —

  Jordan

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  8

  —

  —

  Kuwait

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  5

  —

  —

  Guyana

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  5

  Israel

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2

  Senegal

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  3

  Guinea

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  Ghana

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2

  Cameroon

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2

  South Africa

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  Namibia

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  6

  Dubai

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  3

  —

  —

  Japan

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  Australia

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  12

  —

  1

  New Zealand

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  41

  —

  —

  Hong Kong

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  1

  Malaysia

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  China

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  3

  Philippines

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  10

  Indonesia

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2

  Iran

  30

  15

  340

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Total

  122,124

  41,296

  206,017

  71

  109,292

  11,462

  1

  385

  Source: Her Majesty's Customs and Excise.

  1Recorded as "fat" and covers heifers and steers for slaughter.

  2 Sheep import data estimated on weight of animals concerned.
  628
  live sheep imports. For other animal types, data on live imports for slaughter are only separately available from the total of live imports for bovines and horses.

  It is not possible to state the destination for the animals once they have been imported into the United Kingdom.

  The table gives the total number of live imports by animal type for 1992, the latest year for which annual data are available. In addition, the second column gives the number of imports of live bovines for slaughter and the seventh column gives the number of imports of live horses for slaughter.

  Parliamentary Questions
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many parliamentary questions to her Department have not been answered because of disproportionate costs or because the information requested was not held centrally over the last five years; how many could be answered now due to computerisation and/or more effective operational systems; and if she will list each such question along with the name and constituency of the hon. Member who tabled it.

  Mr. Jack
  The POLIS database lists 85 parliamentary questions as not having been answered between January 1989 and December 1993 on the grounds of disproportionate cost or because the information was not held centrally. Details of each of these questions can be obtained from the POLIS database, access to which is available in the Library.

  Estimated average size of farms wholly or mainly in the less favoured areas in 19921 (excluding minor holdings)

  Average size of farms (ESU)

  All main holdings

  Holdings 8 ESU and over

  FBS province and county

  Wholly or mainly in the LFA

  Of which: SDA2

  DA3

  Wholly or mainly in the LFA

  Of which: SDA2

  DA3

  East Midland

  Derbyshire

  25

  25

  25

  44

  46

  39

  25

  25

  25

  44

  46

  39

  Northern

  Cumbria

  36

  34

  41

  47

  46

  52

  Durham

  26

  26

  30

  40

  40

  39

  Northumberland

  46

  46

  46

  60

  61

  56

  37

  36

  40

  50

  50

  50

  North Eastern

  Cleveland

  43

  40

  59

  59

  54

  83

  North Yorkshire

  35

  33

  38

  48

  46

  52

  South Yorkshire

  29

  29

  29

  45

  44

  45

  West Yorkshire

  15

  13

  26

  37

  33

  45

  28

  25

  35

  45

  43

  50

  North Western

  Cheshire

  20

  19

  25

  36

  37

  34

  Greater Manchester

  18

  15

  20

  35

  33

  36

  Lancashire

  28

  22

  35

  46

  40

  50

  Shropshire

  27

  27

  28

  43

  41

  47

  Staffordshire

  25

  22

  26

  44

  39

  46

  26

  22

  30

  44

  40

  47

  Southern

  Hereford and Worcester

  21

  22

  19

  31

  31

  32

  21

  22

  19

  31

  31

  32

  South Western

  Cornwall

  23

  26

  22

  46

  45

  46

  Devon

  24

  21

  26

  41

  36

  45

  Isles of Scilly

  11

  11

  —

  16

  16

  —

  Somerset

  23

  24

  20

  41

  42

  39

  23

  22

  24

  42

  38

  46

  England

  28

  28

  30

  46

  45

  47

  1Based on 1988 Standard Gross Margins; 1 ESU is equal to 1,200 ecu of standard gross margin (average 1987–1989 values).

  2Holdings with 50 per cent. or more of their less favour area land in the SDA.

  3Holdings with 50 per cent. or more of their less favoured area land in the DA.

  Source: Agricultural Census.
  630
  Information relating to questions which could be answered now due to computerisation and/or more effective operational systems could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Farm Statistics
  Dr. Strang
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the average size for(a) each English county and (b) each farm business survey county group of all (i) severely disadvantaged area, (ii) disadvantaged area and (iii) less-favoured area farms and for (1) SDA, (2) DA and (3) less-favoured areas farms larger than eight ESUs—European size units.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  [holding answer 20 April 1994]Estimates of the average sizes of main holdings are obtained from the annual June agricultural census. The average size in 1992 of all main holdings which are wholly or mainly in the less-favoured areas and those greater than eight ESUs is given in the table.
  631
  Dr. Strang
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many(a) full-time hired farm workers and (b) part-time hired farm workers were employed on farm holdings in the less-favoured areas for (i) each English county and (ii) each farm business survey group in each year since 1992 and in 1994.

  Estimated number of hired workers on holdings wholly or mainly in less favoured areas (excluding minor holdings)

  1992

  1993

  FBS Province and County

  full time hired1

  part time hired2

  full time hired1

  part time hired2

  East Midland

  Derbyshire

  161

  114

  173

  106

  161

  114

  173

  106

  Northern

  Cumbria

  364

  211

  364

  195

  Durham

  243

  65

  222

  72

  Northumberland

  610

  191

  604

  188

  1,217

  467

  1,190

  455

  North Eastern

  Cleveland

  46

  15

  52

  8

  North Yorkshire

  371

  190

  381

  212

  South Yorkshire

  33

  25

  34

  25

  West Yorkshire

  196

  102

  185

  111

  646

  332

  652

  356

  North Western

  Cheshire

  13

  19

  14

  21

  Greater Manchester

  28

  27

  35

  22

  Lancashire

  203

  154

  193

  163

  Shropshire

  119

  64

  134

  70

  Staffordshire

  84

  63

  70

  68

  447

  327

  446

  344

  Southern

  Hereford and Worcester

  37

  21

  31

  20

  37

  21

  31

  20

  South Western

  Cornwall (including Isles of Scilly)

  137

  139

  132

  147

  Devon

  330

  243

  342

  263

  Somerset

  84

  46

  70

  49

  551

  428

  544

  459

  England TOTAL

  3,059

  1,689

  3,036

  1,740

  1Full time hired workers includes regular whole time workers and salaried managers.

  2Part time hired workers includes regular part time hired workers.

  Source:Agricultural Census

  Milk Marketing
  Mr. Harvey
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations she has received in 1994 from North Devon about the future of milk marketing.

  Mr. Jack
  My right hon. Friend and her Department have received a small number of letters about the Milk Marketing Board's reorganisation proposals from, or on behalf of, individuals and organisations in North Devon.
  632
  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  [holding answer 20 April 1994]: Estimates of the numbers of full-time and part-time hired workers on holdings are obtained from the annual June agricultural census. The information requested for 1992 and 1993 is given in the table; information for 1994 is not available.

  Executive Agencies
  Mr. Denzil Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the estimated gross income and net income likely to be generated by each executive agency for which her Department is responsible for the financial year 1994–95.

  Mr. Jack
  The agencies for which my Department is responsible are required to recover the full costs of their activities each year. None is permitted to make a surplus. Gross income in 1994–95 is expected to be:

  £ million

  ADAS

  85·3

  Central Science Laboratory

  26·3

  Central Veterinary Laboratory

  26·2

  Pesticides Safety Directorate

  12·8

  Veterinary Medicines Directorate

  8·1

  633
  Mr. Denzil Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will give the date on which such executive agency for which her Department has responsibility was set up and its terms of reference.

  Mr. Jack
  The Ministry has responsibility for five executive agencies which were established as follows:

  ADAS—launched 1 April 1992

  Central Science Laboratory—launched 1 April 1992

  Central Veterinary Laboratory—launched 2 April 1990

  Pesticides Safety Directorate—launched 1 April 1993

  Veterinary Medicines Directorate—launched 2 April 1990

  With effect from 1 April 1994, the Central Science Laboratory was merged with the food science laboratories at Norwich and Torry to form an enlarged Central Science Laboratory.

  The terms of reference for each of the above are set out in their respective framework documents, copies of which are in the Library of the House.

  Mr. Denzil Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether she will itemise the estimated net cost or net profit likely to be generated for the financial year 1994–95 in each executive agency for which her Department is responsible.

  Mr. Jack
  My Department is a major customer of each of the agencies in question. They are required to recover the full costs of the services they provide; in respect of ADAS this is after taking account of all funding, including departmental contributions to certain charged advisory services.

  Rabies
  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food to what extent the recent changes in the arrangements to prevent the return of rabies to these islands present a risk of such a return.

  Mr. Soames
  The new procedures for importing certain commercially traded rabies susceptible animals, mainly rodents, into this country from other member states of the European Union, with effect from 1 January 1994, and traded dogs and cats with effect from 1 July 1994, do not increase the risk of importing rabies into the United Kingdom.

  Chocolate
  Ms Glenda Jackson
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what tests of chocolate manufactured in the United Kingdom for pesticide residues are(a) currently being undertaken and (b) planned by her Department.

  Mr. Soames
  The Government's working party on pesticide residues will be carrying out a survey of samples of milk, plain and white chocolate later this year. Samples will be analysed for residues of a range of organochlorine and organophoshorus pesticides and the results are expected to be published in 1995 in the working party's annual report for 1994. Future work will depend on the results obtained from the current survey.

  Sunken Barge, South Devon
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will ensure the removal of the barge that was sunk at Hall Sands off the south Devon coast before the tourist season starts; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Jack
  This Department has no powers to do so. I shall be writing to the hon. Member.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  Driving Offences
  Mr. Miller
  To ask the Attorney-General (1) how many drivers, prosecuted by the Crown Prosecution Service on a principal charge under section 1 of the Road Traffic Act 1991 causing death by dangerous driving, have pleaded guilty;

  (2) how many drivers prosecuted by the Crown Prosecution Service under a principal charge of causing death by dangerous driving were (a) convicted and (b) acquitted by a Crown court jury;

  (3) how many drivers have been prosecuted by the Crown Prosecution Service on a principal charge of careless driving or driving without due care and attention since (a) 1985 and (b) the introduction of the Road Traffic Act 1991;

  (4) how many drivers were prosecuted by the Crown Prosecution Service under a principal charge of causing death by reckless driving (a) in each year between 1985 and the introduction of the Road Traffic Act 1991 and (b) in total;

  (5) how many prosecutions brought by the Crown Prosecution Service under a principal charge of section 3A of the Road Trafic Act 1991, of causing death by careless driving under the influence of drink or drugs have been discontinued or have failed (a) as a consequence of breath or blood tests being deemed inadmissible or of questionable veracity and (b) for other reasons;

  (6) how many drivers have been prosecuted by the Crown Prosecution Service on a principal charge of manslaughter since (a) 1985 and (b) since the introduction of the Road Traffic Act 1991;

  (7) how many prosecutions brought by the Crown Prosecution Service under a principal charge under section 1 of the Road Traffic Act 1991 causing death by dangerous driving were discontinued; and for what reasons;

  (8) how many prosecutions brought by the Crown Prosecution Service under a principal charge of causing death by reckless driving between 1985 and the introduction of the Road Traffic Act 1991 were discontinued, or left on file because the accused pleaded guilty to a lesser summary motoring offence;

  (9) how many drivers prosecuted by the Crown Prosecution Service on a principal charge under section 1 of the Road Traffic Act 1991 causing death by dangerous driving have (a) been convicted by a Crown court jury and (b) been acquitted by a Crown courty jury;

  (10) how many prosecutions have been brought by the Crown Prosecution Service under a principal charge under section 3(A) of the Road Traffic Act 1991, causing death by careless driving under the influence of drink or drugs (a) in each year since the Act came into operation and (b) in total;
  635
  (11) how many drivers have been prosecuted by the Crown Prosecution Service under a principal charge under section 1 of the Road Traffic Act 1991 causing death by dangerous driving in each year since the Act came into force;

  (12) in how many cases since (a) 1985 and (b) the coming into force of the Road Traffic Act 1991, a death has been caused by a driver prosecuted by the Crown Prosecution Service under a principal charge of driving without due care and attention;

  (13) how many prosecutions brought by the Crown Prosecution Service on a principal charge of causing death by reckless driving between 1985 and the introduction of the Road Traffic Act 1991 were discontinued; and for what reasons;

  (14) how many prosecutions brought by the Crown Prosecution Service under a principal charge of section 3(A) of the Road Traffic Act 1991, causing death by careless driving under the influence of drink or drugs resulted in successful convictions;

  (15) how many drivers prosecuted by the Crown Prosecution Service under a principal charge of causing death by reckless driving between 1985 and the introduction of the Road Traffic Act 1991 pleaded guilty;

  (16) how many private prosecutions for (a) manslaughter and (b) causing death by dangerous driving have been taken over by the Crown Prosecution Service and (i) discontinued or (ii) prosecuted successfully;

  (17) how many prosecutions brought by the Crown Prosecution Service under a principal charge under section 1 of the Road Traffic Act 1991 of causing death by dangerous driving were discontinued, or left on file because the accused pleaded guilty to a lesser summary motoring offence.

  The Attorney-General
  The Crown Prosecution Service does not maintain central records of proceedings in respect of specific offences. The information is recorded on individual case files, and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Dropped Cases
  Mr. Boateng
  To ask the Attorney-General whether the Crown Prosecution Service has completed its internal investigation into the reasons for the proportion of cases submitted to it which are dropped; when he intends to publish a report on the investigation's findings; and what action he intends to take in the light of the investigation's findings.

  The Attorney-General
  The findings of the survey of cases discontinued by the Crown Prosecution Service during November 1993 was placed in the Libraries of both Houses of Parliament on 26 January 1994. The issues are being addressed by the CPS in a number of ways in particular by steps to improve liaison between the police and the CPS including the development of agreed charging standards so that the occasions on which it is necessary to vary charges are kept to a minimum. It is already the policy of the CPS to consult the police in relation to significant variations of charges.

  Fraud
  Mr. Boateng
  To ask the Attorney-General what plans he has to publish the report of his review team on the work of the Serious Fraud Office and its relationship with the fraud group of the Crown Prosecution Service; and if he will make a statement.

  The Attorney-General
  The report and the question of publication are both under consideration at present.

  Racially Motivated Offences
  Mr. Boateng
  To ask the Attorney-General what action he is planning to take in the light of his meeting with the all-party parliamentary group on race and community on Thursday 3 February, on the subject of the Crown Prosecution Service's attitude to racially motivated offences.

  The Attorney-General
  The Crown Prosecution Service's approach to racially motivated offences is set out in the code for Crown prosecutors. When assessing whether a prosecution is required in the public interest, a clear racial motivation is regarded as an aggravating feature pointing towards prosecution if there is sufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of a conviction.

  The CPS is considering the introduction of race awareness training nationally. In London the National Association of Care and Resettlement Officers has been consulted about providing such training. The CPS is also carefully considering systems to monitor the implementation of its policies which are designed to ensure that defendants of all ethnic origins are treated equally.

  Serious Fraud Office
  Mr. Boateng
  To ask the Attorney-General what plans he has to(a) privatise or (b) make into a "next steps" agency, the Serious Fraud Office.

  The Attorney-General
  I announced on 6 December 1993,Official Report, column 60, that consideration was to be given to whether the Serious Fraud Office, and two other of my Departments, should become agencies under the "next steps" programme. My decision will be reached in the light of the relevant study of whether agency status is appropriate and this study will, as is usual, cover the question of the extent to which the work in question should be performed in the public sector. A decision that the Serious Fraud Office should become an agency would not involve any change in my superintendence of the office or my accountability for it.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Braille Ballot Papers
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will introduce legislation to provide Braille ballot papers at polling stations; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Ancram
  The problems faced by voters with visual disabilities have been discussed during the course of the post-election review established by the Secretaries of State for the Home Departments, but there are currently no plans to introduce legislation to provide Braille ballot papers at polling stations.

  Community Care
  Mr. William O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what representations he has received from organisations in the voluntary sector in Northern Ireland concerning the new community care arrangements; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Ancram
  LEAD, a coalition of voluntary organisations involved with mentally handicapped people in Northern Ireland, wrote to my noble Friend Baroness Denton on 28 March 1994 about its concerns in relation to the implementation of the new community care arrangements. Officials from the Department of Health and Social Services are due to meet LEAD on 20 May 1994 to discuss these concerns.

  Mr. William O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if community care trusts in Northern Ireland will be obliged to set aside a predetermined and fixed proportion of their overall funding for care of the elderly in private establishments; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Ancram
  It is for health and social services boards to determine the community services they will purchase for elderly people from a range of providers, including health and social services trusts, and the private and voluntary sectors. The Department of Health and Social Services does not require boards to spend a fixed proportion of their "People First" community care funds on services provided by the private sector. However, boards are expected to make full use of the private sector whenever it is appropriate and cost effective to do so.

  New Household Formation
  Mr. William O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the rate of new household formation has been in 1991, 1992 and 1993; what the projected rate is to the end of 1994; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Tim Smith
  Information is not available for 1991 and 1994. Estimates are available for the years 1992 and 1993 and are shown in the table.

  Rate of new household formation

  1992 1·9

  per cent. (9,929 new households)

  1993 2·4

  per cent. (12,894 new households)

  Electricity Industry
  Mr. McGrady
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on how many occasions in the last year he has met the Director General of Electricity Supply and those involved in the electricity industry; and what matters were discussed.

  Mr. Tim Smith
  My right hon. and learned Friend met the Director General of Electricity Supply informally in June 1993 and in July 1993 visited Kilroot power station where he was briefed on the operation of the plant. Officials from the Department of Economic Development meet the Director General regularly to discuss matters of mutual interest.

  Electoral Registers
  Mr. Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what records and research findings are held within his Department of the numbers of homeless people who are registered on electoral registers; and if he will make a statement.
  638
  Mr. Ancram
  No such records are held.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  DNA Testing
  Sir Fergus Montgomery
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received from the police regarding DNA sampling.

  Mr. Howard
  The police have warmly welcomed my proposals to allow DNA samples to be taken in all recordable offences.

  Witness Intimidation
  Mr. Brazier
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he plans to take to protect witnesses from intimidation.

  Mr. Maclean
  The Criminal Justice Bill contains a new offence of witness intimidation. This will make it easier to prosecute anyone who seeks to intimidate or take revenge on witnesses, jurors or any person assisting the police.

  Body Armour
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to ensure that police authorities make body armour available for all police officers who request it.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  Decisions about issuing protecting equipment are for chief officers of police.

  Animal Experimentation
  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many animals destroyed were as a result of, or after the conclusion of, scientific experiment or testing in (i) 1983 and in (ii) 1993.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  Statistics on the number of animals destroyed as a result of, or after the conclusion of, scientific experiment or testing, are not currently collected.

  Crack
  Mr. Cyril D. Townsend
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases of possession of the drug crack are known to the Metropolitan police in 1994; and what further action he plans to deal with this.

  Mr. Maclean
  Provisional figures which have been supplied by the Metropolitan police for January and February this year show that there were 88 seizures of crack. I understand, though, that as an agreed Metropolitan police force strategy all area drug squads give priority to tackling crack dealing.

  Young Offenders
  Mr. Gamier
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will publish details of the proposed secure training centres for young offenders.

  Mr. Maclean
  Notifications to those companies invited to tender for the design, build, operate, maintain and
  639
  finance contracts for five secure training centres will be issued this month. I am able to announce today the locations of four of these:

  Campsfield House (Oxfordshire)

  Gringley (Nottinghamshire)

  Medomsley (Durham)

  Onley (Warwickshire)

  A decision on the fifth site from which a secure training centre will serve London and the south-east will be announced as soon as possible.

  Security Firms
  Mr. Enright
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions he has held into the posssibility of local police authorities setting up separate security firms to run in competition with private security firms currently operating.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  My right hon. and learned Friend has had no such discussions.

  Drug Dealers
  Mr. Fabricant
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to seek a change in the law to increase custodial sentences for criminals convicted of selling drugs to young people in the proximity of schools.

  Mr. Maclean
  The maximum sentence under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 for those convicted of supplying controlled drugs in class A—for example, heroin and ecstasy—class B—for example, cannabis and amphetamines—and class C—for example, the benzodiazepine tranquillisers—are life imprisonment, 14 years and five years respectively. The Government have no plans to increase those penalties.

  Prison Interviews
  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will review the arrangements by which convicted prisoners give interviews while in prison.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Prison Service standing order 5A 37 states that visits to inmates by journalists or authors in their professionnal capacity should in general not be allowed. My right hon. and learned Friend has no intention of changing these arrangements.

  Uniformed Police, London
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has for increasing the numbers of uniformed police officers in London.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  Extra resources made available for the civilianisation of non-operational posts currently filled by police officers will enable 400 officers to be released for operational duties in 1994–95. In addition my right hon. and learned Friend the Home Secretary has approved the Commissioner's plan to restructure the Metropolitan police and this is expected to release more resources for operational tasks.

  Neighbourhood Watch
  Mr. Bellingham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he next expects to meet representatives of neighbourhood watch schemes in rural areas.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  My right hon. and learned Friend the Home Secretary and I, with other ministerial colleagues in the Home Office, regularly meet members of neighbourhood watch schemes during our frequent visits to rural areas. In addition, my right hon. and learned Friend will be attending the first national rural crime prevention conference on 13 June and the national neighbourhood watch conference planned for 5 November, both of which will provide an opportunity for him to meet and consider the views of neighbourhood watch members from all parts of the country.

  Prison Disciplinary Regime
  Mr. Evennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how he intends to improve the disciplinary regime in prisons; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Sanctions against misbehaviour by prisoners have recently been reviewed. My right hon. and learned Friend has increased the maximum periods of cellular confinement that may be awarded by governors for breaches of prison rule 47. He is also tightening the arrangements under which prisoners may have additional days punishment cancelled automatically as a reward for subsequent good behaviour.

  Judicious use of incentives to good behaviour also plays an important part in maintaining discipline. Work is in hand to see how the application of incentives can be improved.

  Secure Training Orders
  Mr. Ian Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what importance he attaches to the maximum secure training order lasting two years; and what assessment he has made of the effect of reducing this maximum to 12 months or 24 months in exceptional circumstances.

  Mr. Maclean
  We believe that a two-year maximum is necessary so that courts can sentence appropriately youngsters whose persistent offending is most serious and whose need for custodial training is greatest. Twelve months would allow the courts insufficient flexibility to reflect in their sentencing the gravity of the offending. Criteria designed to identify the exceptional circumstances in which a 24-month sentence would be appropriate would, we believe, introduce unnecessary complications, fetter sentencers' discretion and increase the likelihood of appeals.

  Chief Constables
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement concerning his policies as they affect the appointment of chief constables.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  My right hon. and learned Friend's responsibilities under section 4(2) and other
  641
  sections of the Police Act 1964 are exercised with a view to promoting the efficiency of the police. An important consideration in deciding upon an officer's suitability for appointment as chief constable is his or her breadth of experience as a senior manager, including service in another force. Guidance to police authorities on this aspect of eligibility for appointment as a chief constable is contained in Home Office circular 76 of 1976, a copy of which may be obtained from the Library.

  Police Radio Communications
  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress police forces have made with secure radio communications.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  A speech privacy facility—the GEC-Marconi MASC—has been approved by the Association of Chief Police Officers and by the Home Office and 25 police forces have now purchased MASC equipment. Secure radios with a high level of encryption are also available for specialised operations.

  Asylum Seekers
  Mr. Gerrard
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the effects of the Asylum and Immigration Appeals Act 1993 on refusal rates for asylum seekers; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  Implementation of the Act is being carefully monitored. The proportion of outright refusals of asylum applications has increased significantly since last July when the Act came into force. This is attributable not to the Act itself but to the accompanying change limiting the use of exceptional leave to cases where there are genuine humanitarian reasons for not enforcing removal.

  Immigration (Carriers' Liability)
  Mr. Fraser
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the total amount of fines which have been levied against carriers under section 1 of the Immigration (Carriers' Liability) Act 1987 in each year since its commencement; how much has been waived in each year since the commencement of the Act; and how much is now outstanding.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  The information is as follows:

  £ million

  Year

  Total charges levied

  Total charges waived

  1987

  3·92

  0·15

  1988

  4·40

  0·12

  1989

  7·86

  0·34

  1990

  9·63

  0·71

  11991

  12·89

  1·52

  1992

  12·72

  1·60

  1993

  11·04

  3·31

  1 The charge to the carrier for each improperly documented passenger was increased from £1,000 to £2,000 on 1 August 1991.

  The total amount now outstanding is £20·76 million.

  Fine Defaulters
  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many fine defaulters held in gaols in England and Wales were received into custody for(a) non-payment of television licence, (b) non-payment of poll or community tax, (c) non-payment of fine in respect of soliciting or loitering and (d) other reasons at the latest date available.

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

  Letter from Derek Lewis to Dr. Lynne Jones, dated 21 April 1994:
  Fine Defaulters
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question asking how many fine defaulters held in jails in England and Wales were received into custody for (a) non-payment of television licence, (b) non-payment of poll or community tax, (c) non-payment of fine in respect of soliciting or loitering and (d) other reasons at the latest date available.
  The available information which is provisional for receptions of fine defaulters into Prison Service establishments in 1993 is given in the attached table. The available information for non-payment of the community charge, which is classed as a non-criminal offence and not a fine default, is for 1992: it shows that 504 persons (a provisional total) were received into a Prison Service establishment for the offence.
  I regret to inform you that we are unable to provide information relating to loitering as it is not a separately coded offence.

  Receptions of fine defaulters into Prison Service establishments in England and Wales, 19931

  Offence

  Number

  Using a TV without a licence

  845

  Soliciting

  7

  Other

  21,731

  All receptions

  22,583

  1 Provisional figures.

  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were gaoled in England and Wales for fine default in each year since 1982.

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

  Letter from Derek Lewis to Dr. Lynne Jones, dated 21 April 1994:
  Fine Defaulters
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question asking how many people were jailed in England and Wales for fine default in each year since 1982.
  Information on receptions of fine defaulters into Prison Service establishments for the period 1981 to 1991 is published in table 7.1 of "Prison Statistics England and Wales 1991", Cm. 2157, a copy of which is available in the House of Commons library. Provisional information for 1992 and 1993 gives the number of receptions of fine defaulters as 19,826 and 22,583 respectively.

  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for the latest date available, how many fine defaulters in gaols in England and Wales were(a) male and (b) female.
  643
  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter from Dick Lewis to Dr. Lynne Jones dated 21 April 1994:
  Fine Defaulters
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question asking, for the latest date available, how many fine defaulters in jails in England and Wales were (a) male and (b) female.
  On 28 February 1994 there were 481 fine defaulters—455 males and 26 females—in Prison Service establishments in England and Wales.

  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the average daily population of fine defaulters in gaols in England and Wales for the latest year available.

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

  Letter from Dick Lewis to Dr. Lynne Jones dated 21 April 1994:
  Fine Defaulters
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the average daily population of fine defaulters in jails in England and Wales for the latest year available.
  The latest information is for 1993. The average population of fine defaulters in Prison Service establishments in England and Wales was 492 persons in 1993.

  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many fine defaulters in gaols in England and Wales were serving(a) seven days or less, (b) eight to 14 days, (c) 15 to 21 days, (d) 22 to 28 days and (e) over 28 days at the latest date available.

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

  Letter from Derek Lewis to Dr. Lynne Jones, dated 21 April 1994:
  Fine Defaulters
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question asking how many fine defaulters in jails in England and Wales were serving (a) seven days or less, (b)eight to 14 days,(c)15 to 21 days,(d) 22 to 28 days and (e) over 28 days at the latest date available.
  A breakdown of the population of fine defaulters on 30 September 1993 by the sentence lengths requested is given in the attached table.

  Population of fine defaulters in Prison Service establishments in England and Wales by period imposed in default, 30 September 19931

  Period imposed in default

  Number of persons

  0 to 7 days

  88

  8 to 14 days

  130

  15 to 21 days

  57

  22 to 28 days

  113

  Over 28 days

  237

  All persons

  625

  1 Provisional figures.

  Special Constabulary
  Mr. Allason
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what categories of employment are excluded from embership of the special constabulary.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  The guidelines on categories of employment are currently under review. I will write to my hon. Friend.

  Parish Constables
  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many permanent establishment parish constables have been appointed as a direct result of his initiative on parish constables.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  Parish constables are being recruited as special constables or as parish wardens. They are volunteers and are not included as part of permanent police establishments.

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the practical successes that have come from his initiative for parish constables.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  It would be premature to seek to judge the success of the schemes at this stage, although we are pleased with the response to the initiative so far. Officials from the Home Office research and planning unit are collecting information about the progress of schemes, and are closely monitoring the progress of four selected pilots, with a view to publishing a report evaluating the schemes towards the end of the year.

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what sources of funding are available to fund the provision of parish constables.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  Parish special constable schemes are funded in the same way any other policing activities, although a limited amount of capital grant—some £21,000 —has been provided by the Home Office for the supply of essential communications equipment. In some schemes, the local community has sponsored such communications equipment. A number of communities have provided office space free of charge for the use of their parish special constable.

  The sources of funding for parish warden schemes vary. Three schemes are funded by their local police, with communications equipment provided by local sponsors. Three schemes have been funded through the county council. Five neighbourhood watch wardens, a variation on the recommended warden model, are funded by the parish council of Glenfield, in Leicestershire.

  Squatting
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received regarding squatting; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maclean
  The Home Office issued a consultation paper on this subject in 1991, to which we received 216 responses. My hon. Friend the Member for Fylde (Mr. Jack) gave a general account of these on 17 June 1992 in reply to a question from the hon. Member for Greenwich (Mr. Raynsford), at column 522.
  645
  Since then, we have received a number of further representations from hon. Members and others. The Government's proposals for changing the criminal law as it relates to squatting are contained in part V of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Bill now before Parliament.

  Refugees
  Mr. Parry
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many political refugees from Turkey there were in Britain at the latest date; and how many there have been in each of the last four years.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  The available information is that, in the period 1 January 1979 to 31 March 1994, around 2,600 Turkish nationals, including associated dependants, were recognised as refugees and granted asylum in the United Kingdom. Information on the number of these cases who have since died, left the country, obtained British citizenship or otherwise ceased to hold refugee status here, and information before 1979, is not available.

  Information on the number granted asylum in each of the years 1990 to 1993 is given in the table.

  Turkish nationals1 recognised as refugees and granted asylum, including associated dependants2, 1990 to 1993

  Year

  Number

  1990

  580

  1991

  160

  1992

  800

  1993

  520

  1 Estimated figures, rounded to the nearest 10.

  2 Includes dependants who applied with the principal applicant or who arrived subsequently before the grant of asylum to the principal. Figures exclude dependants who arrived after the principal grant.

  Electoral Registration
  Mr. Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what records and research findings are held within his Department of the number of homeless people who are registered on electoral registers; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  None. Homeless people are not identified in the electoral register and no research has been undertaken on behalf of the Home Office into the number registered.

  Blakenhurst Prison
  Ms Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects the amount of money to be withheld from United Kingdom Detention Services Ltd. under the tems of the management contract to manage Blakenhurst prison, in the light of the incident on 24 February, to have been settled; and if he will make a statement.

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

  Letter from Derek Lewis to Ms Joan Ruddock, dated 21 April 1994:
  646
  HM Prison Blakenhurst
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about Blakenhurst prison.
  The matter has now been settled; the intended financial remedy has been taken.

  Electronic Mail
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is Her Majesty's Government's policy towards the use of private encryption technology by individuals or companies to protect data sent by electronic mail.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  I have been asked to reply.

  It is a matter for the individual, or company, to take measures, which may include private encryption technology, which they consider necessary to safeguard their electronic mail communication.

WALES

  Computer Systems
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what computer systems his Department has brought in, for what function and at what cost for each of the last five years; and in each case whether the computer system is still in use.

  Mr. Redwood
  Full details could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, information relating to certain larger systems acquired during the past five years, all of which are still in use, is detailed in the table:

  System type and function

  Cost £

  SYSTEMS PURCHASED TO SUPPORT ADMINISTRATIVE FUNCTIONS

  PC Network

  Statistical Systems

  193,600

  (installation period 1989–94)

  PC Network

  Support for Ministerial Offices

  112,400

  (installation period 1989–94)

  PC Network

  Office Automation, Grant applications, Financial Monitoring

  79,000

  (installation period 1990–94)

  PC Network

  Office Automation, Typing Services, Records Management, Press and Publicity

  274,000

  (installation period 1990–94)

  PC Network

  Housing Subsidy and Grants

  48,000

  (installation period 1992–93)

  SYSTEMS PURCHASED AS A RESULT OF LEGISLATIVE OR ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES

  Mini Computer

  To assist the administration of Agricultural support in Wales

  874,680

  (installation May 1993. Life span estimated to be seven years)

  Mini Computer

  Personal Systems(installation May 1990. Life span estimated to be seven years)

  62,180

  Parliamentary Questions
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many parliamentary questions to his Department have not been answered because of disproportionate costs or because the information requested was not held centrally over the last five years; how many could be answered now due to computerisation and/or more effective operational systems; and if he will list each such question along with the name and constituency of the hon. Member who tabled it.

  Mr. Redwood
  The number of parliamentary questions that have not been answered because of disproportionate costs or because the information requested was not held centrally over the past five years such as can easily be provided by POLIS is 523. Information concerning how many could be answered now due to computerisation and/or more effective operational systems with the name and constituency of the hon. Member who tabled it could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Wales Cancer Registry
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he proposes to publish the statistics of the Wales Cancer Registry for the years 1988 to 1993.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  Cancer registration data from the Wales Cancer Registry for 1988 have been published in "Health and Personal Social Services Statistics for 'Wales, No. 19, 1992", available in the Library of the House. Data for 1989 will be published in the next edition at the end of April. More detailed information relating to the period 1984–89 will be made available in a report from the Wales Cancer Registry, "Cancer Registration in Wales, 1984–89", due to be published during the summer of 1994.

  Cancer registration is complex, relying in the main on data submitted by hospitals, regional cancer registries in England and the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys. New information on patients may be received some time after the actual incidence of cancer. Extensive validation is required in order, for example, to eliminate duplicates. The policy of the Wales Cancer Registry is to make available and publish data for a particular year when it is believed that future revisions will be small.

  Toxic Waste
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what information is made available to his Department on the ways in which the content of toxic waste imported into Wales can be verified against consignment notes.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  It is the responsibility of the competent authority—district council—to ensure that the waste matches the description of the consignment note in accordance with advice given in Welsh Office circular 25/89.

  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what information his Department holds on the companies of origin of the toxic and hazardous waste imported into Wales.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  None.

  Ombudsman
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many complaints concerning his Department's work have been brought to his attention in each year since 1979 by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration; what steps he or his predecessors have taken to deal with complaints forwarded to him; and if he will make a statement on his Department's relationship with the ombudsman.

  Mr. Redwood
  Complaints concerning the Welsh Office are noted, where applicable, in the reports of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration which have been published every year since 1967. Copies of these reports are held in the Library of the House. My Department takes all necessary steps in dealing with complaints.

  Glanders
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the number of cases of glanders and farcy in each year since 1985.

  Mr. Redwood
  None.

  Private Security Firms
  Mr. George
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many private security firms have been employed by his Department for each of the last 10 years; what has been the annual value of the contracts; and if he will estimate how many guards have been employed for each of those years.

  Mr. Redwood
  During the past 10 years my Department has regularly employed two private security firms under contracts valued as follows:

  Year

  £000s

  1984–85

  73

  1985–86

  85

  1986–87

  88

  1987–88

  89

  1988–89

  92

  1989–90

  99

  1990–91

  105

  1991–92

  115

  1992–93

  119

  1993–94

  133

  I estimate that 10 guards were needed in each of the years from 1984–85 to 1990–91 and 9 from 1991–92 to 1993–94.

  During the 1991–92 financial year, Cadw Welsh Historic Monuments, an executive agency within my Department made use of a private security firm for a special event at a cost of £ 9,000. The number of security employees involved is not known.

  Contaminated Land
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of the level of contaminated land on areas controlled by Railtrack in Wales; what discussions he has had with the chairman of Railtrack over the clean-up of contaminated land associated with railway operations in Wales; and what resources he has committed to the clean-up of contaminated land in Wales.
  649
  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  A survey of contaminated land in Wales, including railway land, was undertaken on behalf of the Welsh Office and Welsh Development Agency in 1987–88. Its findings were published and a copy of the report is in the Library of the House.

  My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Wales, has had no discussions to date with the chairman of Railtrack on this issue but, as is the case with other landowners, the company would normally be responsible for dealing with any dangerous contamination identified on its land.

  In terms of resources, the Welsh Development Agency estimates that some £7 million of its land reclamation

  Assisted places scheme: Payment to schools financial years 1981–82 to 1992–93

  School

  1981–82 £

  1982–83 £

  1983–84 £

  1984–85 £

  1985–86 £

  1986–87 £

  1987–88 £

  1988–89 £

  1989–90 £

  1990–91 £

  1991–92 £

  1992–93 £

  1993–94 £

  Christ College, Brecon

  7,986

  21,443

  36,063

  48,289

  62,116

  95,473

  131,470

  155,404

  189,033

  244,081

  321,779

  359,755

  389,754

  Howell's School, Denbigh

  11,011

  37,883

  70,107

  96,971

  132,971

  179,033

  225,465

  243,740

  237,474

  231,442

  254,759

  310,223

  353,064

  Howell's School, Llandaff

  17,774

  57,094

  106,799

  144,940

  209,858

  274,274

  314,274

  319,099

  334,290

  358,798

  328,763

  399,642

  430,751

  Llandovery College

  3,737

  9,217

  19,615

  31,013

  38,279

  45,440

  55,732

  75,308

  92,650

  140,381

  203,641

  250,671

  256,648

  Monmouth School (Boys)

  18,515

  52,035

  92,610

  134,170

  181,642

  233,684

  307,291

  277,352

  323,194

  303,951

  374,475

  434,416

  456,071

  Monmouth School (Girls)

  9,644

  21,677

  37,072

  52,598

  68,760

  90,225

  109,297

  114,422

  128,010

  140,618

  166,552

  200,729

  186,956

  Penrhos College

  5,108

  21,973

  38,489

  62,843

  81,089

  99,399

  140,459

  136,944

  156,617

  183,500

  225,688

  273,711

  295,428

  Rydal School

  4,194

  38,206

  53,896

  56,864

  67,768

  93,274

  110,254

  112,767

  128,121

  153,508

  189,153

  228,083

  252,589

  Lowther College1

  23,709

  15,244

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  TOTAL

  101,678

  274,772

  454,651

  627,688

  842,483

  1,110,805

  1,394,242

  1,435,040

  1,589,389

  1,756,279

  2,064,810

  2,457,230

  2,621,261

  1 Lowther College closed in July 1982.

  Housing Benefit
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish for each district council area in Wales and for Wales as a whole his Department's estimate of(a) the number of people claiming housing benefit, (b) the number of people entitled to housing benefit who are not currently entering a claim and (c) (b) as a percentage of the total number entitled to claim housing benefit; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  Information on the estimated number of recipients of housing benefit is published in table 9.6 of "Welsh Housing Statistics No. 13, 1993", a copy of which is in the Library of the House. There are no estimates at local authority or Welsh level of the number of people entitled to housing benefit. However, estimates of housing benefit take-up in Great Britain are included in the Department of Social Security's publication "Income Related Benefits: Estimates of Take-Up in 1990 and 1991" which is also available in the Library of the House.

  Health Common Services Authority
  Mr. Richards
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether he will set out the conclusions of the review of the Welsh Health Common Services Authority.

  Mr. Redwood
  I intend to give hospitals greater choice in obtaining their support services. More money will be released for direct patient care enabling a better standard of service to be provided.

  The authority carries out a number of non-core NHS activities throughout Wales including estates, information technology, procurement, prescription pricing and personnel services. It also undertakes a number of additional functions for the Welsh Office.
  650
  budget in 1994–95 will be devoted to dealing with contaminated land. Further resources will also be allocated through the strategic development scheme.

  Assisted Places Scheme
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the total amount given to the non-state schools in Wales under the assisted places scheme since its inception; what was the cash total in each recipient school since its inception; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  [holding answer 18 Apri11994]: The assisted places scheme has proved popular in Wales. Almost all available places have been taken up and more than a third of parents pay no fees. The information requested is as follows:

  Now that most hospital services are provided by trusts, the authority need no longer be the major provider of support services. Hospitals will be able to choose between WHCSA and others, and some functions of WHCSA will be privatised.

  The authority has management responsibilities for three clinical services: the artificial limb and appliance services, "Breast Test Wales" and the national blood transfusion service. These will be reviewed separately.

SCOTLAND

  Lambs
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer of 9 February,Official Report, column 179, what were the estimated lamb losses attributed to fox predation for each of the past six years.

  Sir Hector Monro
  Information on which to base estimates of numbers of lambs lost or of losses prevented is not collected centrally.

  Access to the Countryside
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he next plans to meet representatives of the Ramblers Association to discuss rights of public access to the countryside; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir Hector Monro
  My right hon. Friend has no plans to meet representatives of the Ramblers Association. On my right hon. Friend's behalf, I recently met representatives of the voluntary environmental sector, including the new chairman of Scottish Wildlife and Countryside Link, of which the Ramblers Association are members. The issue of public access to the countryside was raised at that meeting.

  Asthma
  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many cases of asthma were reported in each Scottish health region for each year since 1979; and if he will set out the figures in the same manner as the Secretary

  In-patient and day case discharges, including deaths, with a principal diagnosis of asthma by health board of treatment 1979 to 1992

  Health board of treatment

  1979

  1980

  1981

  1982

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  1989

  1990

  1991

  1992

  Argyll and Clyde

  258

  274

  284

  261

  384

  413

  414

  503

  531

  583

  640

  724

  724

  689

  Ayrshire and Arran

  242

  245

  338

  367

  373

  482

  487

  532

  689

  671

  659

  662

  824

  773

  Borders

  47

  69

  73

  108

  98

  163

  141

  161

  177

  204

  202

  268

  177

  176

  Dumfries and Galloway

  69

  108

  121

  140

  170

  148

  158

  185

  190

  219

  195

  219

  231

  248

  Fife

  171

  260

  259

  293

  334

  383

  318

  382

  427

  486

  425

  408

  426

  424

  Forth Valley

  125

  155

  149

  158

  185

  184

  228

  279

  344

  343

  334

  403

  432

  362

  Grampian

  327

  375

  434

  489

  564

  562

  601

  677

  891

  825

  798

  1,115

  1,014

  1,005

  Greater Glasgow

  931

  1,050

  1,192

  1,229

  1,415

  1,504

  1,554

  1,505

  1,714

  1,790

  1,763

  2,043

  2,031

  2,188

  Highland

  123

  161

  183

  205

  236

  268

  235

  277

  293

  286

  281

  347

  332

  299

  Lanarkshire

  232

  364

  455

  406

  517

  571

  621

  583

  735

  801

  900

  958

  1,058

  995

  Lothian

  988

  1,115

  1,156

  1,140

  1,202

  1,231

  1,362

  1,305

  1,545

  1,528

  1,593

  1,624

  1,850

  1,750

  Orkney

  4

  5

  7

  10

  8

  12

  20

  11

  30

  17

  16

  16

  15

  19

  Shetland

  2

  4

  8

  15

  21

  18

  12

  16

  17

  14

  20

  25

  16

  11

  Tayside

  427

  427

  495

  478

  538

  581

  674

  591

  729

  787

  795

  811

  1,001

  921

  Western Isles

  10

  20

  21

  13

  26

  26

  20

  20

  13

  23

  17

  27

  30

  29

  SCOTLAND

  3,956

  4,632

  5,175

  5,312

  6,071

  6,546

  6,845

  7,027

  8,325

  8,577

  8,638

  9,650

  10,161

  9,889

  Police Complaints
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to establish an independent body to investigate and take action on complaints against police officers; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  There are no plans to establish such a body. The Police and Magistrates' Courts Bill includes a new power for Her Majesty's inspectorate of constabulary to review how a complaint has been handled by the police and, in certain circumstances, to direct the chief constable to reconsider the complaint.

  Gaming Regulations
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what regulations govern the promotion of(a) raffles, (b) pools and (c) totes in relation to (i) registration, (ii) operation, (iii) percentage payouts, (iv) distribution of funds and (v) administration costs; which regulations specifically limit their use by political parties during and outwith election campaigns; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The operation of raffles or lotteries is regulated by the Lotteries and Amusements Act 1976. Pool betting and totes are governed by the terms of the Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Act 1963. Provided that a lottery, pools or tote scheme is promoted in accordance with the relevant statutory provisions, there are no regulations which specifically restrict their use by political parties.

  Clinical Waste Incinerators
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the location and owner or operator of each clinical waste incinerator in the Argyll and Clyde 652
  of State for Health in her answer to the hon. Member for Knowsley, North (Mr. Howarth) of 30 March, Official Report, columns 887–90.

  Mr. Stewart
  Information on the numbers of discharges, by health board of treatment, with a principal diagnosis of asthma is shown in the table for calendar years 1979–1992.

  health board area; whether these clinical waste incinerators comply fully with current pollution control legislation; whether they are likely to comply with any known new standards; when the most recent report on the operation of these incinerators were submitted to him; and what action he has found it necessary to take.

  Mr. Stewart
  The NHS in the Argyll and Clyde health board area owns and operates clinical waste incinerators at the Royal Alexandra hospital and Inverclyde Royal hospital. The plant at both hospitals meets current statutory requirements but will not comply with the statutes which come into force in October 1995.

  Whilst there have been operational difficulties from time to time with the incinerators, I understand that currently the equipment is performing to specification.

  A small amount of clinical waste is also burned at the Linwood municipal incinerator installation mainly as a back-up to the local NHS incinerators. This plant meets the present statutory requirements and is, I understand, scheduled to be closed by the end of this year.

  Public Appointments
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the name, address and occupation and/or former occupation of each justice of the peace in Renfrew district; which wards are under-represented as a proportion of the total; when he next plans to make additional appointments; what criteria he will apply in making these appointments; what are the procedures for making nominations; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  As for other commission areas in Scotland, my right hon. Friend is advised on the need for new appointments as justices of the peace for the commission area of Renfrew by the advisory committee on justices of the peace for that area, which also advises him on the personal suitability of candidates. Recommendations for consideration by the advisory
  653
  committee may be made on a form obtainable from the Secretary to the advisory committee. The criteria for appointment are, first, that candidates should be personally suitable in character, integrity and understanding; and, second only to this, that the area of selection is wide so that justices are broadly representative of all sections of the community which they serve. Advisory committees are required to have regard to the availability of justices to members of the public and to the requirements of the district court duty rota.

  I shall write to the hon. Member as soon as possible about the detailed information which he has requested.

  Raymond Gilmour
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the current position in his consideration of the application for the prerogative of mercy by Raymond Gilmour; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  My right hon. Friend wrote to the hon. Member on 18 April this year, informing him of his decision to reject the petition submitted on behalf of his constituent, Mr. Raymond Gilmour.

  Police Complaints
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what channels exist for police officers to vindicate themselves following false accusations being brought against them; if it is open to all ranks of officer to pursue civil actions against those who they allege have falsely accused them; and what plans he has to review the current arrangements.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Anyone who knowingly makes a false accusation against a police officer may be prosecuted. It is open to all ranks of officer to take civil action against those who falsely accuse them. We consider that these arrangements are adequate.

  Paisley (City Status)
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the procedure for making application to elevate the town of Paisley to city status; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  City status in Scotland can be achieved only through the granting of a royal charter. No royal burgh charter has been granted in modern times and there are no plans to revive the practice.

  Forestry Commission
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will set out his target for the sale of Forestry Commission land in Scotland in the current year and for the next five years.

  Sir Hector Monro
  As announced in the Government's expenditure plans 1994–95 to 1996–97, the Commission plans to sell 15,000 hectares of forest land in Britain in each of the next three years. The proportion of this that will be sold in Scotland will depend on the state of the market, particularly the demand for forest land in different parts of Britain, but the Commission estimates that it will be in the region of 70 per cent. As yet, no firm plans have been made for sales in subsequent years.

  Police Pay and Conditions
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what consideration he has given to allowing the new police authorities to set their own pay and conditions; and what were his conclusions.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Police pay and national conditions will continue to be prescribed by the Secretary of State under section 26 of the Police (Scotland) Act 1967, taking into consideration recommendations made by the police negotiating board which includes representatives of police authorities. The Government accept that there should be greater local discretion over job-related allowances.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what are his current proposals or policies for performance-related pay in the police force.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  My right hon. Friend is considering agreements reached in the police negotiating board on police pay structures and conditions of service for all ranks which include links between pay and appraisal of performance. The Government intend to introduce pay arrangements which depend on appraisal of performance as soon as practicable.

  Police Authorities
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether future police authorities will be able to choose their own chair.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Yes. Joint police boards established after reorganisation of local government in Scotland will appoint their chairman from among their members, who will all be councillors of the constituent authorities.

  Teachers (Illness)
  Mr. McFall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many days work have been lost by teachers due to illness in Scotland in each of the last five years.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Information on teacher absences is not held centrally.

  School Transport
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will undertake a study of the adequacy of safety standards that currently obtain in the transportation of children to school in Scotland;

  (2) what plans he has to meet representatives of education authorities in Scotland to discuss safety in school transport;

  (3) if he will publish the current rules relating to safety belts and other safety equipment on school transport vehicles in Scotland;

  (4) what plans he has to make individual seats and safety harnesses obligatory on all school transport vehicles in Scotland;

  (5) if he will estimate the additional cost of making individual seats and safety harnesses obligatory on all school transport vehicles in Scotland;

  (6) if he will consider introducing members of staff as monitors on any double-decker buses used to transport children to school in Scotland;
  655
  (7) what consideration he has given to requiring manufacturers of minibuses for school transport to reinforce areas of the floor to enable seat belts to be fitted;

  (8) what plans he has to impose stricter safety standards on education authorities involved in transportation of children to school;

  (9) if he will consider making finance available to Scottish education authorities to enable them to finance safety improvements in school vehicles; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The Scottish Office has a policy interest in terms of the general provision by local authorities of a school transport service. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport has responsibility for vehicle safety matters and the relevant legislation on a United Kingdom basis, including policy on vehicle construction, the provision of seat belts in all vehicles and the three for two concession in respect of school children on school transport.

  The Department of Transport has recently completed a survey on the full technical and cost implications of fitting seat belts nationally in minibuses and coaches and matters such as the three for two concession. It would therefore be inappropriate for the Scottish Office to conduct a separate survey in Scotland or to comment in advance on the outcome of the Department of Transport's review.

  With regard to the provision of supervisors on school transport in Scotland, education authorities already have a duty of care, in law, for the safety of pupils when under their charge. It is therefore for them to decide how supervision should be provided for on school buses. We shall consider whether further measures need to be taken in the light of such decisions as may follow the Department of Transport's review.

  Title

  Cost of production £

  Cost of printing £

  Cost of distribution£

  Total Cost £

  1992

  Examination results in Scottish schools 1990–92 (published November 1992)

  —

  7,672·50

  567·60

  8,24·010

  1993

  Examination results in Scottish schools 1991–93 (published November 1993)

  2,575·00

  5,056·00

  7,631·00

  Scottish schools: Costs 1993–94 (published December 1993)

  2,371·00

  9,895·00

  388·00

  12,654·00

  Leaver destinations from Scottish Secondary Schools 1992–93 (Published December 1993)

  1,353·00

  5,313·00

  259·00

  6,925·00

  Overall total

  35,450·10

  Legal Advice
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his policy towards the provision of a network of independent advice and law centres throughout Scotland; and what response he has made to the aims of the Advice 2000 initiative launched by the Advice Services Alliance.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 19 April 1994]: I recognise the good work carried out by existing advice and law centres in Scotland. It is local authorities which are best placed to decide whether there is an unmet need for advice in particular areas. Where there is urban deprivation, however, start-up funding can be provided through the urban programme.
  656
  On the question of financial assistance, in advance of, and without prejudice to, the Department of Transport's review, my right hon. Friend has agreed to a request from Strathclyde regional council for a capping disregard for additional current expenditure in 1994–95 in respect of additional costs to the council of school transport in dropping the three for two concession on dedicated school transport and requiring the fitting of seat belts on all contract minibuses.

  Neither my right hon. Friend nor I have any immediate plans to meet representatives of Scottish education authorities to discuss safety in school transport. We will, however, consider whether any such meeting might be appropriate in the light of the conclusions of the Department of Transport review.

  Electoral Registers
  Mr. Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what records and research findings are held within his Department of the number of homeless people who are registered on electoral registers; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The Department does not collect this information.

  School Performance Tables
  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what has been the budgeted expenditure to date for(a) publication and (b) distribution of the school performance tables.

  Mr. Lang
  I refer the hon. Member to the information set out in the table:

  I note that the Advice 2000 initiative is intended to improve further the quality and availability of advice.

  Voluntary Advice Services
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the level of funding from the Scottish Office for voluntary advice services for the financial year 1993–94 and each of the previous 10 years; and how many schemes received funding in each year.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 19 April 1994]: Figures for 1993–94 are not yet available. Figures for the financial years 1989–90 to 1992–93 are given in the table. These indicate the level of funding from the Scottish Office for schemes run by voluntary

  657
  organisations where the main aims included the provision of advice and information. Figures for earlier years could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Financial year

  Number of schemes

  Level of funding £

  1989–90

  53

  1,307,447

  1990–91

  49

  1,217,851

  1991–92

  39

  879,119

  1992–93

  52

  1,460,923

TRANSPORT

  Private Security Firms
  Mr. George
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many private security firms have been employed by his Department for each of the last 10 years; what has been the annual value of the contracts; and if he will estimate how many guards have been employed for each of those years.

  Mr. Norris
  The Department's property managers have been able to provide the following information. Complete records are not available for the earlier years.

  Contracts

  Guards

  Annual value £

  1994–95

  123

  135

  1758,709

  1993–94

  27

  40

  796,274

  1992–93

  22

  32

  729,085

  1991–92

  19

  35

  724,579

  1990–91

  18

  33

  540,165

  1989–90

  10

  20

  565,165

  1988–89

  n/a

  n/a

  456,242

  1987–88

  n/a

  n/a

  334,180

  1986–87

  n/a

  n/a

  296,191

  1985–86

  n/a

  n/a

  244,394

  1984–85

  n/a

  n/a

  190,521

  1 Estimate for 1994–95.

  Maritime Distress and Safety Systems
  Ms Eagle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received regarding the percentage of Inmarsat C distress calls received by the United Kingdom Marine regional control centre are false alarms; and what inquiries he has made as a response.

  Mr. Norris
  No representations have been received on false Inmarsat-C distress calls.

  Ms Eagle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to monitor the effectiveness of the global maritime distress and safety system.

  Mr. Norris
  The United Kingdom monitors the effectiveness of the global maritime distress and safety system by maintaining a record of distress calls received by our search and rescue authorities and their response. One outcome of this has been the identification of an unacceptable level of false alerts. This has been brought to the attention of the International Maritime Organisation.

  Ms Eagle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with unions and owners on the effectiveness of the global maritime distress and safety system.
  658
  Mr. Norris
  The introduction of the global maritime distress and safety system was thoroughly discussed with representative bodies of the ship owners and seafarers at all stages of its development. The implementation of the requirements and their effectiveness is discussed at the Maritime Radio Advisory Committee where these organisations are fully represented.

  Rail Franchises
  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) under what authority the Office of Passenger Rail Franchising is seeking to appoint marketing communication advisers to promote investor interest in passenger rail franchises;

  (2) what assessment he has made of the compatibility with the Office of Passenger Rail Franchising's statutory obligations of seeking to promote investor interest in the privatisation of rail franchises; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Freeman
  Seeking to promote investor interest in rail franchises is an integral part of the Franchising Director's statutory duties to designate railway passenger services as eligible for provision under franchise agreements and to invite tenders for the right to provide these services from such persons as he sees fit. The Franchising Director's intention to draw on the expertise of marketing advisers is consistent with the Secretary of State's objectives set for him under section 5 of the Act to secure that railway passenger services in Great Britian, other than exempted services, are provided under franchise agreements as soon as reasonably practicable; and to secure an overall improvement in the quality of railway passenger and station services available to railway passengers.

  Contractors
  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will list the 20 contractors who have received the largest share of motorway and trunk road contracts in each of the last two years giving, for each contractor, the value of the contracts received;

  (2) if he will list for each of the last two years to date major construction contracts awarded by his Department worth over £250,000 at current prices indicating, in each case, which construction company was awarded the contract; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Key
  Since 1 April, responsibility for managing, maintaining and improving the national road network in England now lies with the Highways Agency. As the information requested by the hon. Member relates to operational matters of the Highways Agency, I have asked the chief executive to write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from Laurie Haynes to Ms Joan Walley, dated 21 April 1994:
  You put down 2 Parliamentary Questions for answer by the Secretary of State concerning major construction contracts awarded during the last 2 years.
  As the information you asked for concerns operational matters for which the Highways Agency is now responsible, as promised by the Minister, Robert Key, I am replying to your Questions.
  You asked firstly about major construction contracts awarded during the last 2 years and which companies had won them.
  Annex A attached gives the information you asked for in relation to contracts valued in excess of £1 million.

  659
  Your second question concerned the 20 contractors who had won the largest share of motorway and trunk road contracts. Annex B attached gives this information in relation to contracts worth in excess of £1 million.
  The Agency does not currently keep central records of contracts below £1 million and this information cannot be Provided without incurring disproportionate cost.

  Annex A

  New construction and motorway widening contracts awarded between 1 April 1992 and March 1993

  £

  Balfour Beatty

  M4/M5 Second Severn Crossing

  65,119,651

  M6 Preston Junctions 30-32

  37,458,956

  Tarmac Construction

  M25 Junctions 15-16

  24,446,155

  M3 Bar End—Compton

  25,405,525

  M6 Junctions 20-21A

  52,512,897

  Alfred Mc Alpine/AMEC in joint venture A46 Leicester Western Bypass

  35,981,698

  Taylor Woodrow A27 Brighton Bypass Contract 4

  19,526,438

  John Mowlem A564 Foston/Hatton/Hilton Bypass

  19,367,370

  Fitzpatrick Contractors A23 Pease Pottage to Handcross Bridge

  8,160,560

  Amey Construction A650 Park Road, Bingley

  4,054,039

  Crown House Engineering A20 Folkestone—Courtwood (M & E)

  3,858,042

  May Gurney All Thetford to Bridgham Heath

  2,223,422

  Charles Gregory A42 Construction of 32 Laybys

  1,239,028

  TOTAL VALUE OF ALL CONTRACTS AWARDED

  374,326,327

  New construction and motorway widening contracts awarded between 1 April 1993 and March 1994

  £

  Tarmac Construction

  A30-A39 Indian Queen junction between Bodmin and Redruth

  12,695,070

  M65 Blackburn southern bypass

  65,861,695

  Balfour Beatty A13 Thames avenue—Wennington

  71,273,666

  Amec Civil Engineering A13 West of Heathway (A1240), south east of Wennington

  11,785,847

  A249 between Bobbing and north of Iwade, Kent

  35,721,035

  A406 Silver street—Hall lane, Angel road

  19,785,316

  Amey Construction

  A27 Patching between Worthing and Arundel

  6,402,673

  A4-A46 Batheaston—Swainswick bypass

  44,953,293

  A65 Burley in Wharfedale bypass

  5,547,467

  660

  £

  Alfred McAlpine/Amec Civil Engineering in joint venture

  A1 Walshford—Dishforth

  53,795,508

  Wimpey Construction A31 Ringwood and St. Ives (Ashley heath)

  6,696,391

  A417 Brockworth bypass

  35,142,101

  M5 junction 18, Avonmouth

  7,926,340

  Edmund Nuttall A406 North circular road, east of Falloden way

  27,013,720

  A406 Silver street—Hall lane, Lea Valley

  21,761,735

  John Laing M25 between junction (Merstham) and junction 8 (Reigate)

  45,979,928

  Alfred McAlpine Construction All Wymondham southern bypass

  16,940,943

  A435 Norton Lenchwick bypass

  19,226,966

  John Mowlem M25 widening junctions 10 and 11

  35,097,353

  Birse Construction A50 Blythe bridge

  23,072,304

  M62 improvement junction 14-17

  10,223,164

  Norwest Holst A12 Hackney Wick to Redbridge Flyover

  31,558,185

  May Gurney and Co. A17 Leadenham bypass improvement

  3,322,890

  A17 Wigtoft-Sutterton

  4,402,863

  A17 Walpole-Tilney bypass

  23,455,738

  Christiani and Nielson—Kier in joint venture A50 Blythe bridge—contract 1B

  28,414,397

  Costain Building and Civil Engineering M66 Denton—Middleton

  19,237,248

  Roadworks (1952) All Stump Cross and Four Wentways

  18,149,454

  Tilbury Douglas A45 Stonebridge D and B

  8,447,149

  Kier Construction A66 east of Brough to Palliard

  7,636,582

  Matthew Hall Mechanical and Electrical A27 Kingston—Hangleton, Southwick hill tunnel

  4,561,802

  Shephard Hill M1 junction 1. Barnet viaduct slip roads

  4,235,912

  Total VALUE of All CONTRACTS AWARDED

  739,919,909

  Annex B

  Motorway and Trunk road contracts in excess of £1 million top twenty contractors —1 April 1992 to 31 March 1993

  £

  Balfour Beatty

  118,915,055

  Tarmac Construction

  114,069,649

  Tarmac Quarry Products

  59,623,689

  Amey Construction

  53,897,813

  Birse Construction

  50,139,207

  Alfred McAlpine Construction

  37,775,581

  A. McAlpine/AMEC

  35,981,698

  Edmund Nuttall

  35,818,406

  John Mowlem

  24,452,021

  Associated Asphalt

  24,221,730

  Fitzpatrick

  20,041,476

  Taylor Woodrow

  19,526,438

  661

  £

  Tilcon Ltd.

  13,369,582

  Costan B & CE

  8,885,621

  A. F. Budge

  8,223,235

  Galliford (UK)

  7,480,336

  ARC Ltd.

  7,077,074

  Thos Ward

  5,410,751

  Eden Construction

  5,176,851

  Colas Construction

  4,976,294

  TOTAL OF ALL CONTRACTS AWARDED

  701,950,191

  Motorway and trunk road contracts in excess of fl million Top twenty contractors

  1 April 1993 to 31 March 1994

  Tarmac Construction

  112,592,231

  Balfour Beatty

  73,690,960

  Amec Civil Engineering

  71,491,041

  Amey Construction

  61,924,277

  John Laing

  54,536,714

  A. McAlpine/AMEC

  53,795,508

  Edmund Nuttall

  50,023,149

  Wimpey Construction

  49,764,741

  John Mowlem

  45,636,804

  Birse Construction

  41,973,189

  Alfred McAlpine

  36,167,909

  May Gurney

  33,789,967

  Norwest Hoist

  32,492,061

  Costain B & CE

  32,059,989

  Christiani/Kier

  28.414,397

  Tarmac Quarry Products

  26,943,630

  Roadworks (1952)

  19,247,959

  ARC Ltd.

  18,888,667

  Galliford (UK)

  15,612,134

  Tilbury Douglas

  15,570,088

  TOTAL OF ALL CONTRACTS AWARDED

  1,003,548,351

  Airport Charges
  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what comparisons he has made of airport charges levied by the BAA and those levied in the United States of America and other countries.

  Mr. Norris
  None. I refer the hon. Member to the airport charges index produced by TM Economics, discussed at pages 55-56 of the Monopolies and Mergers Commission report on BAA plc—a report on the economic regulation of the south-east airports companies including Heathrow Airport Ltd., Gatwick Airport Ltd. and Stansted Airport Ltd.—presented to the Civil Aviation Authority in June 1991. The Commission noted the difficulties of undertaking "fair" comparisons when the level of service offered by different operators varies. TME considered 40 airports; charges at Heathrow and Gatwick, for example, fell within the middle of the range of average charges.

  TME produce this index annually; the most recent edition—1993—has shown that the charges at Heathrow and Gatwick have fallen relative to other airports.

  Domestic Air Fares
  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what comparisons he has made of the cost of domestic air fares in the United Kingdom, the United States of America and other countries.
  662
  Mr. Norris
  Comparisons of fare levels in different countries are subject to wide margins of error. The CAA recently published a range of fares comparisons in its document "Airline Competition in the Single European Market" (CAP 623). The broad conclusion was that fully flexible United Kingdom domestic fares were comparable with France, lower than Germany but higher than in some other EU states. The reasons for such differences are not at all clear. The position in the United States depended very much on the airline operating the service. Where a low-cost airline such as Southwest Airlines operated, fares were exceptionally low not only by the standards of the United Kingdom and Europe but also compared to other United States routes, on which fares were sometimes higher than in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will take steps to bring United Kingdom domestic air fares down.

  Mr. Norris
  The setting of air fares is essentially a matter for the commercial judgment of airlines. United Kingdom airlines had considerable freedom to compete by setting their own air fares on domestic routes for a number of years even before free pricing was introduced by the EC single market.

  We believe that airlines should be free to set their own fares with a minimum of regulatory intervention. This is consistent with an open and competitive market and is in the best overall interests of users. Safeguards are, however, available under EC regulation 2409/92 to combat the exploitation of consumers by airlines charging excessively high fares.

  Unlicensed Airfields
  Mr. Ingram
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many complaints he has received in each of the last five years about alleged breaches of the regulations applying to unlicensed airfields.

  Mr. Norris
  [holding answer 20 April 1994]: My Department does not keep a record of complaints about unlicensed airfields. This information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Ingram
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which body has the responsibility for ensuring regulatory compliance by the operators and users of unlicensed airfields.

  Mr. Norris
  [holding answer 20 April 1994]: I refer to the answer that I gave to the hon. Member earlier today. The appropriate bodies will have responsibility for enforcement of any relevant legislation. The commander of an aircraft using an unlicensed aerodrome is responsible for his own safe operation, including satisfying himself that the aerodrome is suitable in all respects.

  Mr. Ingram
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to change the regulations applying to unlicensed airfields.

  Mr. Norris
  [holding answer 20 April 1994]: None.

  Mr. Ingram
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will give details of the regulations which apply to unlicensed airfields.

  Mr. Norris
  [holding answer 20 April 1994]: No regulations specifically apply to unlicensed airfields. The

  663
  CAA has published guidance material: CAP 428 "Safety Standards at Unlicensed Aerodromes". Article number 87 of the Air Navigation order "Aviation Fuel at Aerodromes" would also apply. Other legislation applies to unlicensed airfields as appropriate.

  Mr. Ingram
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list all unlicensed airfields in the United Kingdom and the operators.

  Mr. Norris
  [holding answer 20 April 1994]: There are no special registration procedures for unlicensed airfields and it is not therefore possible for me to provide a list of all such airfields and their operators.

  Public Service Vehicles
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information his Department now holds on the failure rates of public service vehicles at the annual roadworthiness test; and if he will specify the level of disaggregation available to him.

  Mr. Key
  I have asked the Vehicle Inspectorate chief executive to write to the hon. Member with this detailed information.

  Letter from Ron Oliver to Mr. Gareth Wardell, dated 4 March 1994:
  The Secretary of State for Transport has asked me to reply to your question about the information his Department holds on failure rates for public service vehicles (PSVs) at annual roadworthiness tests, and the amount of detail available to him.
  The Vehicle Inspectorate (VI) is responsible for the annual testing of HGVs and PSVs. VI maintains a database detailing the test record of each vehicle it tests. At its lowest level the database can provide basic information about whether a particular vehicle has passed or failed its annual roadworthiness test and the reason for failure. This detailed information is not made available to the general public for data protection reasons.
  The database also provides regular management information on first annual tests and retests at a regional, national and test station level. It can be programmed to aggregate the results in different ways at additional cost. It no longer records operator types and does not yet produce information automatically about particular PSV operators. This is because vehicle information is not cross referenced with operator details. VI is working on solutions aimed at creating a full vehicle and operator database in the medium term.
  In view of your interest I have enclosed a copy of VI's annual report for 1992–93. This gives details of national PSV test failure rates for the financial years 1988–89 to 1992–93, and provides a breakdown of the reasons for failure over the same period.

HEALTH

  Hospital Information Support Systems
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what has been the cost of the Hospital Information Support Systems project in each year since its inception;

  (2) what level of financial support her Department intends to make available to hospitals that have become trusts to continue the development of HISS.

  Mr. Sackville
  Integrated hospital systems were seen as a key feature of the future information management and technology in the acute sector and, when the national health service reforms were being formulated, were seen as important for the development of contracting. As soon as the NHS reforms were announced a team was set up to run projects to explore these matters.
  664
  Until recently the team dispersed sums to support projects of varying sizes, the amounts of which are shown in the table.

  Year

  £

  1989–90

  5,000,000

  1990–91

  7,500,000

  1991–92

  12,750,000

  1992–93

  21,215,000

  1993–94

  6,690,000

  This phase is virtually complete and the team is involved primarily in tracking benefits realisation, disseminating results, assisting those considering a hospital information support system, supporting activities like consortia to get better value for money and vetting £1 million plus projects under the new approval process.

  To complete the hospital information support sy stem programme, a total of £1.668 million is being allocated to trusts for specific purposes in 1994–95. The further funding of HISS systems is a local responsibility.

  Parliamentary Questions
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many parliamentary questions to her Department have not been answered because of disproportionate costs or because the information requested was not held centrally over the last five years; how many could be answered now due to computerisation and/or more effective operational systems; and if she will list each such question along with the name and constituency of the hon. Member who tabled it.

  Mr. Sackville
  The number of answers given to parliamentary questions by the Department of Health between January 1989 and December 1993, recorded on the POLIS database as including a reference to part or all of the information not being available or involving disproportionate cost was 1,223. Details of each of these questions can be obtained from the POLIS database, access to which is available in the Library. The further information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  We are anxious to reduce the number of forms which currently have to be filled in by national health service units and returned to the Department. There is a limit to the amount of information required by the Department and the NHS executive on a national service which is regionally and locally administered. Release from the burden of filling in forms will give NHS units more time for activities with a greater bearing on direct patient care.

  Junior Doctors
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many junior doctors are employed(a) by the West Midlands health authority and (b) in the Coventry area; and what were the figures for 1991–92 and 1992–93.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  There were 2,029 whole-time equivalent registrars, senior house officers and house officers employed in the west midlands region in 1991 and 2,056 in 1992. In 1991, 142—estimated—were employed in the Coventry area; in 1992 the figure had risen to 166.

  There were 272 whole-time equivalent senior registrars in the west midlands region in 1991 and 277 in 1992. The number working in the Coventry area is not available.
  665
  Figures for 1993 are not yet available.

  British Pharmaceutical Industry
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she is taking to ensure that the British pharmaceutical industry remains competitive with foreign rivals.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The British pharmaceutical industry is outstandingly competitive; it directly employs about 80,000 people in the United Kingdom and had a positive balance of trade of about £1·5 billion in 1993. This results from a wide range of factors. So far as my responsibilities are concerned, we have negotiated a new pharmaceutical price regulation scheme for a period of five years from October 1993. This provides continued stability to the pharmaceutical industry in the United Kingdom, recognises research and development through the prices paid by the national health service for its medicines and encourages the efficient and competitive development and supply of medicines to pharmaceutical markets in this and other countries.

  Private Security Firms
  Mr. George
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many private security firms have been employed by her Department for each of the last 10 years; what has been the annual value of the contracts; and if she will estimate how many guards have been employed for each of those years.

  Mr. Sackville
  The Department employed four private security firms in 1993–94. The estimated total expenditure for these contracts is £700,000 and the estimated total of guards employed was 30. To provide information prior to 1993–94 would incur disproportionate cost.

  Breast Cancer
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she is taking to improve the quality of procedures for the identification and treatment of breast cancer; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Sackville
  The chief medical officer's expert advisory group on cancer is currently preparing advice for health authorities on the organisation of cancer services. These recommendations will be put to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State later this year.

  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will establish a target of reducing levels of death from breast cancer to the OECD average.

  Mr. Sackville
  Reducing deaths from breast cancer among women invited for screening by at least 25 per cent. from 1990 by the year 2000 is a target in the Government's "The Health of the Nation" initiative.

  Premature Mortality
  Ms Corston
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the latest studies funded by her Department of causes of premature mortality related to(a) environmental pollution, (b) deprived material conditions of work and (c) other forms of material deprivation.

  Mr. Sackville
  The small area health statistics unit at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine is 666
  funded by the Department of Health, Department of Environment, Health and Safety Executive, Scottish Office, Welsh Office and Northern Ireland Office. The unit is conducting a number of studies to determine whether cancers are associated with environmental pollution associated with local sources of pollution.

  These are as follows:

  1. Cancer incidence and mortality around PBI Ltd., Waltham Abbey.

  2. TV and Radio Transmitters: the initial local concern was around Sutton Goldfield, but there are others which are included in the study.

  3. Municipal Incinerators: the study covered 72 incinerators around Great Britain, being all those licensed sites which burn household, commercial and/or industrial waste and for which the relevant information was available.

  4. BP Petrochemical Works, Baglan Bay.

  5. Vinyl Chloride Works.

  The Department is also funding the following:

  1. A research project which will examine the health effects of the December 1991 air pollution episode in London and is due to be completed later this year.

  2. The Social Medicine and Health Services Research Unit which is currently undertaking two research projects, due to be completed later this year, into the incidence of asthma in the United Kingdom and the European Community.

  The Department also supports the newly formed Medical Research Council Institute for Environment and Health at the University of Leicester. This will act as a focus to co-ordinate work on chemical environmental pollutants.

  The Department has not funded any studies into causes of premature mortality related to conditions of work or "other forms of deprivation".

  Health Expenditure, London
  Mr. Congdon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer to the hon. Member for Dulwich (Ms Jowell) of 12 April,Official Report, column 72, if she will give the figures for expenditure per capita for London for (a) district health authorities and (b) family health services authorities, including expenditure by the London postgraduate hospitals and special health authorities.

  Mr. Luff
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much is spent per capita by London district health authorities and special health authorities on health services for residents of (i) inner London and (ii) outer London; and what is the national average expenditure per capita by district health authorities.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Expenditure per capita by district health authorities in inner London, at £553, is higher than that of all the other major cities included in my reply to the hon. Member for Dulwich (Ms Jowell) on 12 April at column 72, with the exception of Manchester. When special health authorities' spending is added to DHA spending, inner London per capita spend is 56 per cent. above the national average.

  1992–93 per capita spend by inner and outer London district health authorities and the national average spend by DHAs in England are given in the table. The table also shows the effects of including expenditure by the London postgraduate SHAs which were funded centrally in 1992–93. The family health services authority figures given in my reply to the hon. Member for Dulwich are unchanged.

  667

  DHA spend

  DHA spend including SHAs

  Expenditure Per capita £

  Percentage above national average

  Expenditure Per capita £

  Percentage above national average

  Inner

  553

  46

  603

  56

  Outer

  398

  5

  415

  8

  Total London

  460

  22

  490

  27

  Total England

  378

  —

  368

  —

  Notes:

  1. Inner London defined as in the Report of the Enquiry into London's Health Services, Medical Education and Research (Tomlinson Report).

  2. SHA 1992–93 expenditure apportioned to DHAs based on analysis of district of residence of 1993–94 referrals.

  Road Traffic Act 1988
  Mr. Amess
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if she will estimate how much money(a) her Department and (b) NHS trusts expect to recover under section 157 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 for the provisions of treatment to road accident victims for the years 1994 and 1995;

  (2) if she will list the total amount of money recovered by (a) her Department and (b) NHS trusts under section 157 of the Road Traffic Act for the provisions of treatment to road accident victims for each year since 1991.

  Mr. Sackville
  Income from Road Traffic Act charges as a whole—sections 157 and 158—was £9·1 million in 1990–91, the last year in which these data were collected centrally.

  Carers
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research has been undertaken as to the impact of the community care changes on carers; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Bowis
  Research is currently being funded by the Department into the extent to which carers are benefiting from the community care reforms.

  Youth Treatment Service
  Mr. Quentin Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she will publish the annual report of the chief executive of the youth treatment service for 1992–93; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Bowis
  Copies of the report have been placed in the Library today. The report contains, at annex 14, the youth treatment service's receipts and payments account for the year ended 31 March 1993. These accounts, which are unaudited and have no form of endorsement by the National Audit Office, represent the service's view of the financial outcome for the year.

  Drugs
  Mr. Clappison
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to examine the effectiveness of treatment services for drug misuers; and if she will make a statement.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  I am concerned to ensure that services for drug misusers work to clear objectives and that we are 668
  able to assess how effective these services are in terms of delivering reductions in drug misuse, and the harm associated with it. I have decided therefore to establish a task force to undertake a wide-ranging review of the effectiveness of treatment services for drug misusers. Membership of the task force, which will be chaired by the Reverend Dr. John Polkinghorne, president of Queen's college, Cambridge, comprises experts from the drugs field and people from different backgrounds who will bring a fresh perspective to issues in this important area. They are:
  Mr. Denis O'Connor (Deputy Chief Constable of Kent). Dr. Michael Farrell (Consultant Psychiatrist in drug dependence at Maudsley Hospital).
  Dame Margaret Fry (non-executive member of South and West Regional Health Authority).
  Dr. Silvain Edouard Josse (General Practitioner).
  Mr. James Kay (Director of Healthwise, Liverpool and member of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs).
  Ms Rosemary Ramsay (Lawyer, and Vice Chairman of Brixton Drugs Project).
  Miss Esther Rantzen (Member of the Health Education Authority).
  Mr. Tony Shaw (Chief Executive of Southampton and South West Hampshire Health Commission).
  Mr. Tony Sheehan (Nurse).
  Mr. David Taylor (Audit Commission)
  Mr. Rodney Walker (Chairman of the NHS Trust Federation).
  The Rt. Reverend William John Westwood (Bishop of Peterborough).
  The chief medical officer's consultant adviser on drug misuse, Dr. John Strang, will be medical adviser to the task force.

  The terms of reference of the review are:
  "To conduct a comprehensive survey of clinical, operational and cost effectiveness of existing services for drug misusers; to review current policy in relation to the principal objective of assisting drug misusers to achieve and maintain a drug-free state, and the secondary objective of reducing harm caused to themselves and others by those who continue to use drugs; to make recommendations where appropriate and to report to Ministers."
  The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs will also be represented on the task force, and the central drugs co-ordination unit will take a close interest in their work.

  The work of the task force will complement the role of the central drugs co-ordination unit, which has been established to ensure that, through the development of a comprehensive and co-ordinated strategy, we get best possible value for the significant resources invested by the Government in the fight against drugs. To ensure that close links are maintained, the director of the central co-ordination unit will have observer status on the task force.

  Ophthalmics
  Mr. Gunnell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many Leeds general practitioner practices were sent letters from consultant ophthalmic surgeons at the Leeds general infirmary explaining that their patients could not be admitted for elective surgery until the start of the 1994–95 financial year.

  Mr. Sackville
  This is a matter for the United Leeds Teaching Hospitals national health service trust. The hon. Member may wish to contact Mr. Tony Clegg, chairman of the trust, for details.

  South West Thames Health Authority
  Sir Cranley Onslow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what reports she has received from the South West Thames health authority concerning the extent to which the accident and emergency departments at(a) Ashford hospital, (b) St. Peter's hospital and (c) Frimley Park hospital met patients charter standards during the quarter ended 31 December 1993.

  Mr. Sackville
  The report from South West Thames regional health authority for the quarter ending 31 December 1993 on the accident and emergency standard —initial assessment in accident and emergency within five minutes—shows:

  Per cent.

  Ashford Hospital NHS Trust

  37

  St. Peter's Hospital NHS Trust

  100

  Frimley Park Hospital NHS Trust

  71

  North West Surrey health authority was told that action must be taken to ensure improved performance.

  Provisional figures for the quarter ended 31 March are as follows:

  Per cent.

  Ashford Hospital NHS Trust

  93

  St. Peter's Hospital NHS Trust

  98

  Frimley Park Hospital NHS Trust

  90

  Allergies
  Sir Cranley Onslow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of whether adequate advice is being provided to general practitioners in England and Wales about the treatment of choice in cases of severe allergic reactions; and what steps she is taking to ensure that the necessary equipment is readily available and easy to use.

  Mr. Sackville
  The next edition of the chief medical officer's update, which goes to all doctors, will include advice on the management of anaphylaxis, particularly in respect of peanuts. The British National Formulary, which is distributed twice a year free of charge to all prescribers, contains a section on anaphylaxis and the treatment available.

  "NHS Changes in London"
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if she will halt further distribution of the "NHS Changes in London" leaflet pending an inquiry by the Committee of Public Accounts;

  (2) which company is employed by her Department to distribute the leaflet "NHS Changes in London"; how much they have been paid; and when they are distributing the leaflet to each London borough;

  (3) to which areas the leaflet "NHS Changes in London" has already been distributed; and to which London areas it is not planned to distribute it.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The leaflet "NHS Changes in London" was targeted at households within the area bounded by the M25 and aims to address key questions 670
  about health services in London which have been and continue to be put to the Department. The Central Office of Information was employed to arrange distribution of the leaflet. The estimated total cost is £150,000 of which distribution costs are estimated to be £86,500. Distribution was completed by 9 April and there are no further, distribution plans.

  Ms Bridget O'Connell
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions her Department has had with North Thames health authority and the former North East Thames health authority about the case of the consultant Ms Bridget O'Connell.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  This is a complex case, which I hope will be resolved soon. Suspensions are a contractual matter between employer and employee and neither the Department nor Ministers are directly involved in such matters.

  Out-patients
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the average cost of an out-patient appointment.

  Mr. Sackville
  The average cost of an out-patient attendance during 1992–93 was £59. 21—provisional.

  Supplies Authority
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the names of the members and chairs of(a) the NHS supplies authority and (b) the Bromley health authority on 1 April.

  Mr. Sackville
  The chairman of the National Health Service Supplies Authority is Sir Robin Buchanan. The non-executive members are Mrs. Alison Cook, Mr. Eric Greenhalgh, Mr. Jim Hammond, Mr. Fred Hoult and Miss Catherine McLoughlin. The executive members are Mr. Terry Hunt, Mr. Evan Sutherland, Mr. Richard Chantler, Mrs. Roxanne Sutton and Mr. Chris Uden.

  The chairman of Bromley health authority is Miss Catherine McLoughlin. The non-executive members are Mr. Charles Ilsley, Ms Maureen Theobold and Dr. Robin Kirby. There are currently two vacancies. The executive members are Ms Claire Perry, Mr. Philip Lloyd, Mr. Kevin Barton, Mr. Robin Lorimer and Dr. Jackie Spilby.

  There is no statutory bar to the appointment of chairmen or members of other health authorities to the NHS Supplies Authority.

  Medical Certificates
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer of 12 April,Official Report, column 78, what specific categories of medical certificates are on the defined list of medical certificates issued free of charge under GP's terms of service; and what guidelines her Department issues to GPs for appropriate charging rates relating to categories of certificates not on that list.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  This information is available in schedule 9 of the National Health Service (General Medical Services) Regulations 1992, copies of which are available in the Library.

  Dental Services
  Mr. Rendel
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans her Department has to exclude crown and bridgework from the treatments available to fee paying NHS patients.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The Government are preparing their response to Sir Kenneth Bloomfield's report on dental services. Our proposals will be published in due course.

  Mr. Rendel
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans her Department has to raise NHS dental fees in the financial year 1994–95.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  General dental practitioners received a 3 per cent. increase in their national health service fees from 1 April 1994 which fully implemented the Doctors and Dentists Review Body recommendation for 1994–95. The Government will, of course, keep the public expenditure implications of this increase under review throughout the year.

  Mr. Rendel
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients presented themselves at general medical practices in each year between 1979 and 1993 inclusive, with dental-related problems.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  General medical practitioners are not required to provide such information.

  Children's Hospital Services
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to publish or place in the Library reports from district health authorities due to be submitted through regional health authorities to the management directorate of the NHS excecutive by 1 May concerning the position in relation to the central guidance issued in 1991 on "Welfare of Children and Young People in Hospital", paragraph 6.3, on the specifications for the nurse staffing of children's hospital services and progress made in achieving the standards detailed therein.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Responses to the survey of nursing staffing in children's wards and other hospital departments 672
  where children are cared for are due shortly, and will require proper aggregation and analysis. The results will be made available.

  Water Pollution, Worcester
  Mr. Luff
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will conduct an inquiry into the health hazards associated with the pollution of drinking water in the Worcester area on Friday 15 April; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Sackville
  People were advised at the time not to drink the tap water. This was a sensible precaution until an analysis could be made to determine what pollutants were present. Those subsequently detected in the drinking water were present at such low levels that no short-term or long-term health effects were anticipated. We understand that some cases of gastric upset and nausea have been reported by some local general practitioners, but it is not possible to say with certainty whether these were caused by the polluted water.

  NHS Trusts
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the expenditure by each individual first and second-wave trust in 1991–92 and 1992–93, as appropriate on external contract staffing and consulting services.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  [holding answer 28 March 1994]: The information requested is shown in tables which will be placed in the Library. Figures for 1992–93 are provisional and have not yet been validated and are therefore not wholly reliable.

  The figures are not comparable with those for earlier years but confirm the effectiveness of the Government's policy of encouraging overall value for money in the national health service by using alternative sources to supply a range of services. The expenditure by trusts in many cases relates to services provided within the NHS either by other trusts or health authorities. These services range from linen supplies and transport to computing services; it also covers payments to other hospitals for services performed by their consultants and senior registrars.

  BOSNIA: NATO SECRETARY GENERAL'S STATEMENTS
  BOSNIA: NATO SECRETARY GENERAL'S STATEMENTS
  BOSNIA: UNPROFOR AUTHORITY TO CALL UP AIR SUPPORT
  BOSNIA: UNPROFOR AUTHORITY TO CALL UP AIR SUPPORT
  FORMER YUGOSLAVIA: CONTROLS ON NATO OPERATIONS
  FORMER YUGOSLAVIA: CONTROLS ON NATO OPERATIONS
  SAUDI ARABIA: PURCHASE OF BOEING AIRCRAFT
  SAUDI ARABIA: PURCHASE OF BOEING AIRCRAFT
  BOSPHORUS/DARDANELLES: TURKISH REGULATIONS
  BOSPHORUS/DARDANELLES: TURKISH REGULATIONS
  GORAZDE: TURKISH ALLEGATION
  GORAZDE: TURKISH ALLEGATION
  GORAZDE: CHEMICAL WEAPONS ALLEGATION
  GORAZDE: CHEMICAL WEAPONS ALLEGATION
  MR. WILLIAM EAGLETON
  MR. WILLIAM EAGLETON
  ALKYL NITRITES
  ALKYL NITRITES
  IMMIGRATION ACTS: INFORMATION TO DETAINEES
  IMMIGRATION ACTS: INFORMATION TO DETAINEES
  EXPORTS TO THE EC
  EXPORTS TO THE EC