Written Answers of 26 April 1994

TREASURY

  Shipping
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent representations he has received on measures to improve the competitive position of the United Kingdom shipping fleet; and what measures he plans to introduce.

  Mr. Dorrell
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply the Chancellor of the Exchequer gave to the hon. Members for Dover (Mr. Shaw) and for Stoke-on-Trent, North (Ms Walley) on 21 April at columns 597–98, and the hon. Member for Pudsey (Sir G. Shaw) on 22 April at columns 691–92.

  Property Revaluation
  Mr. Cann
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 19 April,Official Report, column 424, what is his estimate of the number of households potentially affected by the decision regarding retrospective revaluation of property.

  Sir John Cope
  Details of the number of dwellings which are likely to have their original bandings altered as a consequence of a sale in their locality have not been collected. However, I would expect the number of such alterations to represent only a very small fraction of the total number of alterations made to valuation lists.

  Occupational Pensions
  Mr. Mandelson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give the average income, occupational pension and income tax liability of the top 1 per cent., top 5 per cent. and top 10 per cent. of people in receipt of occupational pensions.

  Mr. Dorrell
  Latest available estimates using the 1991–92 survey of personal incomes are given in the table.

  People in receipt of an occupational pension ranged by amount of occupational pension

  Average amount of income (£)

  Average amount of occupational pension (£)

  Average income tax liability1 (£)

  Top 1 per cent.

  54,400

  30,000

  9,100

  Top 5 per cent.

  30,100

  17,600

  4,600

  Top 10 per cent.

  23,300

  13,600

  3,300

  1 The figures are the tax liability on occupational pensions assuming that they represent the top slice of taxable income.

  Farm Loss Offset
  Mr. Temple-Morris
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many farming enterprises have been allowed by Her Majesty's inspectors of taxes an extension 88
  of farm loss offset into the sixth and subsequent years in each of the last three tax years for which figures are available.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The information is not available.

  Newcastle Tax Offices (Staff)
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the staff of each Newcastle tax office on(a) 1 April 1993 and (b) 1 April 1994; and if he will explain the cause of changes since April 1992.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The numbers of staff-in-post at the relevant dates are shown in the table.

  1 April 1993

  1 April 1994

  Newcastle 1

  153

  135

  Newcastle 2

  25

  22

  Newcastle 3

  65

  57

  Newcastle 4

  86

  79

  Total

  329

  293

  The comparable total staff-in-post for the four offices at 1 April 1992 was 341. Between 1 April 1992 and 1 April 1994 there has been a reduction of 48 staff-in-post.

  About half the reduction relates to typists and secretaries.

  The 1 April 1994 figures exclude almost all typing and secretarial staff included at 1 April 1993. Inland Revenue North has carried out an efficiency scrutiny of its typing and secretarial services. Of 24 typists and secretaries in post at 1 April 1993 in the four Newcastle tax offices, two remain, 13 have transferred to other locations—including the Tyneside pool which handles Newcastle work—seven were offered, and accepted voluntary severance terms and two left the department for other reasons.

  Reasons for the remaining staff reductions in Newcastle tax offices include a reduced workbase reflecting a decrease in the number of schedule E and schedule D taxpayers the offices deal with, the transfer of trust work to a new office in Nottingham which specialises in such work and other procedural changes including simplification of end of year work on PAYE.

  French Trade Surplus
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the relationship between the figures for the French trade surplus for the United Kingdom in the first half of 1993 as published in revised Intrastat figures in the Eurostat news letter "Edicom/Intrastat (1/94)" and the Central Statistical Office figures for the surplus and what assessment he has made of the effect of any discrepancy on the United Kingdom balance of payments deficit.

  Sir John Cope
  Figures in the Eurostat news letter are based on information supplied by member states, but they are, for many countries including the United Kingdom, incomplete. They include only data actually reported by traders without any estimates for the value of non-response or for traders operating below the Intrastat thresholds. As such, they are of limited usefulness. The Central Statistical Office publications include estimates for these amounts, and in its first release, the data are also shown on a consistent basis as used for the compilation of balance of payments estimates.
  89
  I have already announced that a full quality assurance programme on the United Kingdom's Intrastat figures is under way. One part of this involves detailed comparisons of the estimates from the United Kingdom, France, Germany and the Netherlands. However, results from this will not be available until later in the year.

  Areas used for monthly collection of prices for the retail prices index:

  Camden

  Dagenham

  Reading

  Hammersmith

  East Ham

  Southampton

  Westminster

  Ilford

  High Wycombe

  Chiswick

  Woolwich

  Milton Keynes

  Finchley

  Watford

  Brighton

  Hendon

  Newport, Isle of Wight

  Chichester

  Hounslow

  Oxford

  Crawley

  Wood Green

  Portsmouth

  Eastbourne

  Chelmsford

  Winchester

  Chatham

  Harlow

  Croydon

  Dover

  Basildon

  Kingston

  Harrow

  Southend

  Wimbledon

  Luton

  Bedford

  Denton

  Shrewsbury

  Bromley

  Lancaster

  Hanley

  Bexleyheath

  Leigh

  Leek

  Cromer

  Aintree

  Lichfield

  Spalding

  Oldham

  Stafford

  Derby

  St. Helens

  Birmingham

  Loughborough

  Preston

  Coventry

  Melton Morwbray

  Stretford

  Handsworth

  Leicester

  Diss

  Nuneaton

  Grimsby

  Norwich

  Rugby

  Hull

  Thetford

  Walsall

  Leeds

  Cambridge

  Hereford

  Sheffield

  Wisbech

  Dudley

  Barnsley

  Peterborough

  Halesowen

  Batley

  Bungay

  Kidderminster

  Bradford

  Bury St. Edmunds

  Worcester

  Goole

  Ipswich

  Daventry

  Halifax

  Leiston

  Northampton

  Huddersfield

  Bodmin

  Glossop

  Keighley

  Redruth

  Nottingham

  Selby

  St. Austell

  Worksop

  York

  Exeter

  Lincoln

  Northallerton

  Honiton

  Liverpool

  Scarborough

  Plymouth

  Carlisle

  Altrincham

  Bournemouth

  Maryport

  Birkenhead

  Burnham

  Penrith

  Ellesmere Port

  Taunton

  Darlington

  Northwick

  Yeovil

  Kendal

  Stockport

  Cheltenham

  Alnwick

  Buxton

  Bristol

  Berwick

  Manchester

  Stroud

  Blyth

  Blackburn

  Weymouth

  Barrow

  Blackpool

  Sailsbury

  Middlesborough

  Bolton

  Trowbridge

  Bishop Auckland

  Burnley

  Swindon

  Gateshead

  Chorley

  Kings Heath

  Sunderland

  Washington

  Pembroke Dock

  Glenrothes

  Newcastle

  Ayr

  Elgin

  Llanelli

  Dumfries

  Perth

  Portmadog

  Parkhead

  Galashiels

  Cardigan

  Maryhill

  Grangemouth

  Llangollen

  Leith

  Motherwell

  Wrexham

  Musselburgh

  Belfast

  Caerphilly

  Rothesay

  Omagh

  Cardiff

  Aberdeen

  Ballymena

  Maesteg

  Arbroath

  Bangor

  Merthyr Tydfil

  Dundee

  Portdown

  Swansea

  Wick

  Newport

  Building Societies
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to ensure that building societies routinely inform savers when their accounts become obsolete.

  National Price Index
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the towns in which food prices are checked for information to compile the national price index.

  Sir John Cope
  Prices for the retail prices index are collected from the areas around the local employment service offices given below:

  Sir John Cope
  How building societies choose to communicate with their members is a matter for them. A number of societies routinely transfer customers from obsolete accounts to the nearest equivalent active one. Sections 6.1 to 6.3 of the revised voluntary code of banking
  91
  practice, published in March, set out standard practice for informing customers of the rates of interest paid on accounts. A copy of the code is in the Library.

  Employees (Criminal Charges)
  Mr. Byers
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on how many occasions in the past five years his Department has suspended employees from duty without pay when they have been charged with a criminal offence but are still awaiting trial.

  Sir John Cope
  [holding answer 22 April 1994]: In the last five years there has been one case of an employee of the Treasury suspended without pay when charged with a criminal offence but still awaiting trial.

  Royal Palaces (Rating)
  Mr. Alan Williams
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which grace-and-favour accommodation at the occupied and at the unoccupied royal palaces were liable to pay rates under the rates system of local government taxation; and on what basis it was assessed.

  Sir John Cope
  [holding answer 25 April 1994]: Under the rates system for domestic property in England and Wales which came to an end in March 1990 all grace and favour accommodation at the royal palaces which was occupied was liable to pay domestic rates. When accommodation, including grace and favour accommodation, was unoccupied no rates were payable. In Scotland the same position applied prior to the introduction of the community charge in April 1989. The basis of assessment was the same as for other domestic property, namely its annual rental value subject to deduction for assumed liability for repair.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Spongiform Encephalopathy
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans she has to make feline spongiform encephalopathy a notifiable disease; and how many cases she is aware of in each of the last five years.

  Mr. Soames
  Bovine spongiform encephalopathy in bovines, and scrapie in sheep and goats, are already compulsorily notifiable. We have consulted interested organisations on proposals that would mean that when a naturally occurring spongiform encephalopathy is suspected in any animal following laboratory examination of material, that suspicion should be notified to the Ministry. Legislation is being prepared on this.

  The number of cases of feline spongiform encephalopathy to date by year of onset of clinical signs is as follows:

  Year of Onset

  Number of cases

  1989

  1

  1990

  16

  1991

  9

  1992

  14

  1993

  8

  92
  Cases were not necessarily confirmed in the same year that clinical signs were first observed. The first case of FSE was confirmed in May 1990.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many reports she has received about spongiform encephalopathy in canines and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Soames
  The Ministry has received no reports of confirmed cases of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies in canines.

  Mr. Thurnham
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will make a statement about bovine spongiform encephalopathy.

  Mr. Soames
  A further report on BSE in Great Britain is available today. I have arranged for copies to be placed in the Library of the House. The report details the continuing epidemiological evidence that the ruminant feed ban is effective in controlling the epidemic in the way which has been predicted. The number of reported cases up to 18 March 1994 is 19.9 per cent. below that of the same period in 1993–8,585 in 1994 compared with 10,718 in 1993—and 14.9 per cent. below 1992. The report also gives information about the wide-ranging research programme being undertaken by the Ministry, particularly relating to the transmission of the disease and tissue infectivity studies.

  Lamb and Sheep
  Dr. Strang
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what tonnage of domestically reared lamb and sheep was produced in the United Kingdom for each year since 1979;

  (2) what quantity of domestically reared lamb and sheep exports were transported abroad (a) live and (b) dead in each year since 1979.

  Mr. Soames
  Details of domestic lamb and sheep production, and exports, are shown in the table.

  United Kingdom production and export of mutton and lamb

  Units: Thousand tonnes (meat equivalent)

  Exports2

  Domestically reared lamb and sheep production1

  Carcase meat

  Live

  1979

  238·7

  40·9

  7·7

  1980

  289·6

  36·9

  12·9

  1981

  272·6

  37·5

  14·0

  1982

  276·1

  37·0

  11·9

  1983

  297·5

  43·3

  10·7

  1984

  298·4

  47·4

  10·5

  1985

  313·7

  48·8

  10·5

  1986

  300·9

  60·1

  11·5

  1987

  310·8

  71·2

  19·3

  1988

  342·2

  76·0

  20·4

  1989

  385·4

  89·4

  19·9

  1990

  393·2

  79·6

  23·5

  1991

  418·0

  79·9

  33·0

  1992

  392·4

  106·0

  39·8

  1993

  377·1

  129·1

  45·9

  1 Figures include an estimate for unrecorded exports from Northern Ireland to the Irish Republic.

  2 Boneless items adjusted to carcase weight equivalent from 1985 (inclusive) onwards.

NATIONAL HERITAGE

  Arts Council Lottery Committee
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what are the qualifications and work experience of Mr. Gummer, recently appointed to head the Arts Council lottery committee.

  Mr. Brooke
  Mr. Gummer was first appointed as a member of the Arts Council of Great Britain in 1991 and in March I appointed him as one of the first members of the Arts Council of England. Mr. Gummer's wide-ranging interest in the arts and his business and financial experience admirably qualify him to be chairman of the Arts Council's national lottery advisory panel.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Diver Mist
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many personnel from his Department were involved in Exercise Diver Mist; in what capacities they served; and what was the cost to his Department of this involvement.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  Work was undertaken by four Home Office staff as part of their normal duties and is not therefore costed. Two of those staff were involved in the planning of the exercise and three observed different aspects of the exercise.

  House of Lords
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will bring forward plans to abolish or reform the House of Lords; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  No.

  Criminal Funds, Soviet Union
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what mechanisms are in place to prevent any influx of funds into the United Kingdom generated by criminal activities in the former Soviet Union.

  Mr. Maclean
  New legislation which came into force earlier this year requires banks and other financial institutions to report knowledge or suspicion of drug money laundering to the law enforcement agencies and ecourages them to report other suspicious transactions without fear of prosecution for breach of customer confidentiality. It also makes the laundering of the proceeds of any serious crime a criminal offence. The National Criminal Intelligence Service, which receives all reports of suspicious transactions, and HM Customs and Excise have established channels of communications which enable them to co-operate with their counterparts in Russia and other countries in the former Soviet Union.

  Mediation
  Mr. Keith Hill
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what assessment he has made of the extent to which mediation could be used as a more cost-effective means of resolving disputes than court proceedings;

  (2) what assessment he has made of the number of disputes which result in criminal cases where mediation would have resolved the dispute in a more cost-effective manner.

  Mr. Maclean
  I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to a question from the hon. Member for Liverpool, Mossley Hill (Mr. Alton) on 8 March,Official Report, column 174. No comprehensive assessment has been made of the number of cases where mediation might have proved more cost effective than criminal proceedings.

  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 8 March,Official Report, column 174, to the hon. Member for Liverpool, Mossley Hill, if he will publish the report of the inter-departmental working group on mediation in the criminal justice system.

  Mr. Maclean
  No. The report of the interdepartmental working group, to which I referred in my answer to the hon. Member's question on 8 March,Official Report, column 174, examined a wide range of criminal justice issues in addition to its consideration of the possible value of mediation. It is an internal document prepared as advice for Ministers.

  Dumper Truck Report
  Mr. Shersby
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis on the circumstances in which a dumper truck was driven on to the railway line at West Drayton on Sunday 10 April and the action which the police are taking to trace and arrest those responsible; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  I understand from the Commissioner that his officers made the initial response to this incident, but that the matter is now being investigated by the British Transport police. It appears that at about 8 pm on Sunday, 10 April 1994, some youths entered a plant-hire site next to West Drayton railway station. A number of vehicles were driven around the site, causing damage; one was driven through the perimeter fence onto the adjacent railway line. It was driven off the line by one of the youths before the next train passed. The British Transport police have identified a number of witnesses and have interviewed two youths. No charges have yet been brought.

  Police Officers
  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give an ethnic breakdown of police officers in each force in England and Wales in(a) 1980, (b) 1985, (c) 1990 and (d)

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  The information in the table is derived from the monthly strength returns provided to the Home Office by all police forces.
  95

  White and Ethnic minority officer strength in England and Wales for 1980, 1985, 1990 and 1993 As at 31 December

  Police Force

  1980

  1985

  1990

  1993

  White

  Ethnic

  White

  Ethnic

  White

  Ethnic

  White

  Ethnic

  Avon and Somerset

  2,958

  4

  2,956

  9

  3,037

  22

  3,010

  24

  Bedordshire

  953

  10

  963

  19

  1,028

  36

  1,135

  33

  Cambridgeshire

  1,086

  0

  1,130

  11

  1,163

  23

  1,238

  28

  Cheshire

  1,832

  1

  1,803

  0

  1,894

  4

  1,871

  2

  Cleveland

  1,453

  1

  1,457

  4

  1,476

  9

  1,400

  14

  Cumbria

  1,103

  1

  1,118

  2

  1,187

  2

  1,182

  3

  Derbyshire

  1,827

  5

  1,751

  14

  1,728

  23

  1,759

  31

  Devon and Cornwall

  2,721

  0

  2,745

  2

  2,865

  2

  2,904

  4

  Dorset

  1,167

  0

  1,201

  1

  1,269

  3

  1,289

  3

  Durham

  1,345

  0

  1,293

  0

  1,361

  3

  1,382

  7

  Dyfed Powys

  929

  0

  924

  0

  936

  0

  966

  0

  Essex

  2,600

  9

  2,670

  8

  2,866

  18

  2,920

  27

  Gloucestershire

  1,116

  3

  1,146

  5

  1,146

  12

  1,126

  14

  Greater Manchester

  6,906

  17

  6,729

  50

  6,893

  117

  6,916

  131

  Gwent

  971

  2

  970

  1

  996

  5

  981

  8

  Hampshire

  3,055

  3

  3,059

  9

  3,161

  9

  3,245

  25

  Hertfordshire

  1,512

  6

  1,571

  13

  1,642

  17

  1,659

  20

  Humberside

  1,950

  1

  1,933

  3

  1,986

  3

  2,019

  9

  Kent

  2,866

  5

  2,849

  10

  2,979

  9

  3,170

  12

  Lancashire

  3,120

  0

  2,999

  5

  3,177

  22

  3,108

  32

  Leicestershire

  1,706

  14

  1,723

  27

  1,738

  46

  1,772

  66

  Lincolnshire

  1,183

  0

  1,141

  0

  1,205

  0

  1,197

  6

  Merseyside

  4,585

  6

  4,533

  21

  4,633

  46

  4,592

  71

  Norfolk

  1,249

  0

  1,263

  0

  1,394

  0

  1,434

  0

  Northamptonshire

  967

  4

  1,036

  11

  1,127

  17

  1,159

  22

  Northumbria

  3,335

  5

  3,361

  7

  3,516

  12

  3,570

  19

  North Wales

  1,290

  0

  1,250

  1

  1,338

  1

  1,340

  1

  North Yorkshire

  1,352

  0

  1,352

  1

  1,377

  2

  1,327

  6

  Nottinghamshire

  2,201

  8

  2,188

  26

  2,291

  51

  2,282

  55

  South Wales

  3,067

  1

  3,055

  9

  3,108

  15

  3,117

  25

  South Yorkshire

  2,842

  0

  2,837

  13

  2,963

  21

  2,977

  38

  Staffordshire

  2,067

  4

  2,093

  9

  2,175

  18

  2,174

  28

  Suffolk

  1,121

  1

  1,130

  1

  1,189

  6

  1,207

  9

  Surrey

  1,589

  0

  1,624

  3

  1,646

  8

  1,648

  19

  Sussex

  2,822

  1

  2,790

  0

  2,975

  9

  2,959

  18

  Thames Valley

  3,037

  6

  3,251

  32

  3,657

  49

  3,832

  62

  Warwickshire

  913

  3

  934

  5

  1,005

  9

  1,009

  16

  West Mercia

  1,933

  6

  1,915

  9

  2,005

  17

  2,033

  23

  West Midlands

  6,497

  42

  6,462

  93

  6,716

  165

  6,740

  228

  West Yorkshire

  5,030

  10

  5,015

  34

  5,188

  88

  4,892

  96

  Wiltshire

  1,030

  2

  1,023

  5

  1,148

  9

  1,261

  12

  City of London

  841

  2

  781

  1

  789

  7

  873

  11

  Metropolitan

  23,501

  107

  26,418

  287

  27,669

  483

  26,955

  650

  TOTAL

  115,628

  290

  118,412

  761

  123,642

  1,418

  124,630

  1,908

  Winson Green Prison
  Mr. Robert Ainsworth
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to relieve the pressure on capacity at Winson Green prison; 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 Mr. Robert Ainsworth, dated 26 April 1994:
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about capacity at Winson Green prison.
  The certified normal accommodation for Birmingham prison is 562. On 20 April 1994, 733 prisoners were held at Birmingham, which was 64 less than the operational capacity of 797. Operational capacity is the total number of prisoners which an establishment can hold while sustaining good order, security and the proper running of the planned regime.
  96
  Some 150 additional places will be available at Birmingham later this year when current refurbishment work in G Wing is completed.

  Lorry Ban
  Sir Michael Grylls
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many extra police will be deployed in residential roads in London to enforce the lorry ban following the end of the exemption permit system for lorries operated by the London borough transport scheme.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  The deployment of police officers for the enforcement of the London lorry ban is an operational matter for the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis.

  Caution-plus Schemes
  Mr. Keith Hill
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are his plans to safeguard victims and offenders in caution-plus schemes by maintaining practice standards such as those developed by Mediation UK.
  97
  Mr. Maclean
  We have at present no plans to issue or comment particular practice standards. The relatively few caution-plus schemes now operating are diverse in character and their value is still being assessed.

  Criminal Cases
  Mr. Keith Hill
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the number and proportion of criminal cases in which the victim and the defendant are known to each other.

  Mr. Maclean
  This information is not generally available centrally, except for the small number of offences such as incest where such a relationship can be assumed. In the case of offences of homicide, however, more extensive statistics are kept including details of known suspects and their relationship to victims.

  Voluntary Services Unit
  Mr. Keith Hill
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which voluntary organisations are currently funded by the voluntary services unit.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  The voluntary services unit currently funds the following voluntary organisations:

  Action-Employees in the Community.

  Association for Research in the Voluntary and Community Sector.

  Association of Chief Executives of National Voluntary Organisations.

  Association of Community Trusts and Foundations.

  British Association of Settlements and Social Action Centres.

  Bromley by Bow Centre.

  Charities Evaluation Services.

  Community Development Foundation.

  Community Matters.

  Community Radio Association.

  Community Service Volunteers.

  Federation of Community Work Training Groups.

  Festival Welfare Services.

  Homeless Network.

  Institute of Charity Fundraising Managers.

  Kent Committee for the Welfare of Migrants.

  Midland Refugee Council.

  National Association of Councils for Voluntary Service.

  National Association of Volunteer Bureaux.

  National Council for Voluntary Organisations.

  National Federation of City Farms.

  National Playbus Association.

  National Youth Agency.

  North East Refugee Service.

  Northern Refugee Centre.

  Refugee Action.

  Refugee Arrivals Project.

  Refugee Council.

  Resource Unit to promote Black Volunteering.

  Retired Executives Action Clearing House.

  Reunite.

  Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations.

  Scottish Refugee Council.

  SIA.

  Notifiable offences recorded by the police

  England and Wales

  Total

  Violence against the person

  Sexual offences

  Robbery

  Burglary

  Theft and handling stolen goods

  Fraud and forgery

  Criminal damage

  Other

  Avon and Somerset

  175,946

  5,772

  894

  1,863

  40,655

  99,371

  5,011

  21,635

  745

  Bedfordshire

  58,847

  1,936

  417

  543

  15,596

  30,479

  2,308

  7,265

  303

  Cambridgeshire

  65,807

  2,821

  393

  308

  15,023

  37,726

  1,786

  7,326

  424

  Cheshire

  80,156

  2,975

  465

  345

  22,034

  38,653

  2,693

  11,913

  1,078

  Cleveland

  78,279

  2,227

  216

  336

  18,738

  41,246

  1,496

  13,694

  326

  98

  Standing Conference for Community Development.

  Student Community Action Development Unit.

  Volunteer Centre (UK).

  Volunteer Development Scotland.

  Welsh Refugee Council.

  West Indian Standing Conference.

  Womens Royal Voluntary Service.

  Director General of the Prison Service
  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what performance bonuses were awarded to the Director General of the Prison Service in 1993.

  Mr. Michael Howard
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Tooting (Mr. Cox) on 1 December 1993,Official Report, column 626.

  Private Security Firms
  Mr. George
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 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. Howard
  In keeping with Government policy, my Department contracts out a number of services such as security guarding at non-sensitive sites where it is cost-effective to do so. These contracts cover services to escort and detain—under the authority of the Immigration Service—persons held under the Immigration Act 1971, to safeguard cash in transit from banks to Home Office establishments at various locations and to safeguard some premises.

  The number of personnel employed by contractors varies according to demand. I regret that it is not possible to provide the value of contracts over the last 10 years as no central record of cost of the services is maintained.

  The available information is as follows:

  £

  Police Staff College

  286,800

  Fire Service College

  109,000

  Emergency Planning College

  98,000

  Police Scientific Development Branch (Sandridge)

  15,000

  Crime Statistics
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many crimes were recorded in each category of crime by each police force in England and Wales in 1993.

  Mr. Maclean
  The information requested is given in the table.
  99

  Total

  Violence against the person

  Sexual offences

  Robbery

  Burglary

  Theft and handling stolen goods

  Fraud and forgery

  Criminal damage

  Other

  Cumbria

  43,744

  1,935

  246

  91

  10,733

  21,706

  1,013

  7,645

  375

  Derbyshire

  91,454

  4,097

  478

  357

  25,612

  42,739

  1,641

  15,837

  693

  Devon and Cornwall

  121,026

  4,114

  985

  423

  32,578

  62,082

  3,837

  15,847

  1,160

  Dorset

  51,091

  1,736

  319

  135

  9,625

  29,686

  3,771

  5,955

  864

  Durham

  67,180

  2,406

  495

  164

  13,677

  35,266

  2,894

  11,580

  698

  Essex

  114,435

  4,188

  709

  430

  27,149

  60,842

  3,007

  17,293

  817

  Gloucestershire

  60,985

  1,759

  314

  303

  17,294

  33,123

  2,368

  5,363

  461

  Greater Manchester

  364,858

  10,049

  1,357

  5,424

  97,850

  175,808

  10,268

  61,406

  2,696

  Hampshire

  147,074

  5,328

  1,406

  564

  33,066

  77,871

  5,280

  22,179

  1,380

  Hertfordshire

  56,868

  1,919

  275

  273

  13,419

  29,706

  1,525

  9,339

  412

  Humberside

  140,988

  4,955

  798

  526

  48,031

  63,057

  3,386

  19,784

  451

  Kent

  161,787

  6,185

  942

  631

  30,743

  90,245

  4,265

  27,305

  1,471

  Lancashire

  134,581

  3,134

  469

  540

  29,550

  70,615

  3,407

  25,881

  985

  Leicestershire

  99,863

  3,749

  471

  1,039

  25,210

  51,285

  3,526

  14,068

  515

  Lincolnshire

  52,664

  2,282

  313

  158

  13,008

  26,397

  1,288

  8,560

  658

  London, City of

  5,620

  238

  23

  51

  778

  3,703

  487

  258

  82

  Merseyside

  142,325

  7,359

  768

  2,204

  33,688

  68,217

  4,964

  23,481

  1,644

  Metropolitan police district

  914,312

  39,900

  6,496

  24,915

  175,184

  450,575

  34,580

  175,821

  6,841

  Norfolk

  64,319

  2,044

  366

  217

  18,178

  33,700

  1,633

  7,705

  476

  Northamptonshire

  59,850

  2,633

  291

  301

  15,944

  28,880

  1,813

  9,539

  449

  Northumbria

  213,936

  6,358

  713

  1,227

  63,007

  88,210

  3,074

  50,375

  972

  North Yorkshire

  57,967

  1,993

  266

  123

  16,275

  30,360

  1,218

  7,236

  496

  Nottinghamshire

  158,960

  7,690

  1,167

  1,202

  40,038

  78,287

  4,288

  25,578

  710

  South Yorkshire

  157,229

  4,815

  638

  943

  52,396

  71,895

  2,322

  23,162

  1,058

  Staffordshire

  98,421

  5,731

  520

  414

  30,091

  44,422

  2,220

  14,651

  372

  Suffolk

  43,138

  2,116

  380

  117

  9,147

  22,717

  1,790

  6,313

  558

  Surrey

  52,504

  2,175

  377

  213

  12,815

  27,468

  2,173

  6,837

  446

  Sussex

  111,876

  3,269

  693

  546

  26,672

  57,910

  3,181

  18,336

  1,269

  Thames Valley

  200,356

  4,702

  787

  911

  40,345

  113,307

  7,417

  31,551

  1,336

  Warwickshire

  45,522

  1,461

  332

  131

  12,554

  22,839

  1,386

  6,533

  286

  West Mercia

  82,832

  3,298

  420

  260

  17,980

  46,377

  1,530

  12,512

  455

  West Midlands

  330,091

  10,980

  1,504

  5,978

  100,002

  149,722

  9,455

  50,613

  1,837

  West Yorkshire

  301,838

  9,189

  1,465

  3,174

  94,294

  141,422

  6,143

  43,712

  2,439

  Wiltshire

  41,611

  2,621

  385

  147

  9,118

  21,420

  1,367

  6,072

  481

  Dyfed-Powys

  27,743

  2,031

  361

  31

  4,632

  11,550

  788

  4,986

  364

  Gwent

  40,008

  2,385

  313

  116

  7,091

  21,694

  1,142

  6,815

  452

  North Wales

  48,102

  2,857

  556

  117

  11,990

  23,287

  1,137

  7,758

  400

  South Wales

  166,165

  6,004

  597

  483

  38,188

  78,062

  4,254

  37,515

  1,062

  Total

  5,530,358

  205,416

  31,380

  58,274

  1,369,998

  2,753,927

  163,132

  907,234

  40,997

  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for the from a vehicle Home Department how many incidents of(a) theft or vehicle unauthorised taking of a motor vehicle and (b) theft from a motor vhicle and (b) theft from a motor vehicle were recorded by each police force in England and Wales in 1993.

  Mr. Maclean
  The information requested is given in the table below.

  Notifiable offences of theft of and from a vehicle recorded by the police England and Wales 1993

  Police force area

  Theft from a vehicle

  Theft of a vehicle

  Avon and Somerset

  36,839

  25,399

  Bedfordshire

  11,480

  8,801

  Cambridgeshire

  11,481

  6,939

  Cheshire

  13,438

  9,005

  Cleveland

  9,229

  13,206

  Cumbria

  8,086

  3,150

  Derbyshire

  16,647

  9,421

  Devon and Cornwall

  23,608

  8,349

  Dorset

  8,937

  3,671

  Durham

  9,401

  9,319

  Essex

  19,848

  10,648

  Gloucestershire

  14,702

  4,743

  Greater Manchester

  54,222

  56,135

  Hampshire

  28,359

  9,998

  Hertfordshire

  12,510

  6,001

  Humberside

  20,141

  13,465

  100

  Police force area

  Theft from a vehicle

  Theft of a vehicle

  Kent

  27,005

  18,933

  Lancashire

  23,760

  13,149

  Leicestershire

  17,440

  11,749

  Lincolnshire

  6,626

  3,644

  City of London

  655

  142

  Merseyside

  17,271

  16,287

  Metropolitan Police District

  153,576

  77,096

  Norfolk

  12,850

  4,445

  Northamptonshire

  9,804

  7,638

  Northumbria

  24,571

  28,559

  North Yorkshire

  9,268

  5,033

  Nottinghamshire

  22,250

  15,969

  South Yorkshire

  25,016

  22,471

  Staffordshire

  16,758

  10,853

  Suffolk

  5,993

  2,530

  Surrey

  10,196

  4,387

  Sussex

  20,703

  7,664

  Thames Valley

  43,252

  23,128

  Warwickshire

  8,918

  5,153

  West Mercia

  14,736

  8,653

  West Midlands

  54,741

  40,184

  West Yorkshire

  48,851

  38,240

  Wiltshire

  6,805

  2,822

  Dyfed-Powys

  2,823

  1,391

  Gwent

  6,683

  3,737

  North Wales

  8,481

  3,161

  South Wales

  28,126

  23,063

  England and Wales

  926,086

  598,331

  Police Statistics
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what was the(a) police establishment and (b) the number of supernumerary posts for (i) each police force area including the Metropolitan police and (ii) each part of the Metropolitan police, area divisions or headquarters establishments, for January 1994 and for January in each of the previous five years;

  (2) what was the (a) police establishment and (b) the number of supernumerary posts for (i) each police force area including the Metropolitan police and (ii) each part of the Metropolitan police, area divisions or headquarters establishments, for each month in 1993.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  I will write to the hon. Member.

  Burglary
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many incidents of(a) burglary in a dwelling and (b) other burglary were recorded by each police force in England and Wales in 1993.

  Mr. Maclean
  The information requested is given in the table:

  Notifiable offences of burglary recorded by the police England and Wales 1993

  Police force area

  Burglary in a dwelling

  Burglary in a building other than a dwelling

  Avon and Somerset

  21,454

  19,201

  Bedfordshire

  7,287

  8,309

  Cambridgeshire

  6,845

  8,178

  Cheshire

  10,496

  11,538

  Cleveland

  11,882

  6,856

  Cumbria

  4,536

  6,197

  Derbyshire

  10,083

  15,529

  Devon and Cornwall

  15,837

  16,741

  Dorset

  5,789

  3,836

  Durham

  7,747

  5,930

  Essex

  9,582

  17,567

  Gloucestershire

  8,519

  8,775

  Greater Manchester

  61,240

  36,610

  Hampshire

  15,357

  17,709

  Hertfordshire

  5,224

  8,195

  Humberside

  20,067

  27,964

  Kent

  18,971

  11,772

  Lancashire

  18,725

  10,825

  Leicestershire

  14,175

  11,035

  Lincolnshire

  7,216

  5,792

  City of London

  30

  748

  Merseyside

  21,705

  11,983

  Metropolitan Police District

  114,778

  60,406

  Norfolk

  6,362

  11,816

  Northamptonshire

  7,334

  8,610

  Northumbria

  30,849

  32,158

  North Yorkshire

  7,196

  9,079

  Nottinghamshire

  23,453

  16,585

  South Yorkshire

  25,230

  27,166

  Staffordshire

  13,833

  16,258

  Suffolk

  3,755

  5,392

  Surrey

  5,867

  6,948

  Sussex

  13,403

  13,269

  Thames Valley

  22,061

  18,284

  Warwickshire

  4,520

  8,034

  West Mercia

  8,421

  9,559

  West Midlands

  51,815

  48,187

  West Yorkshire

  58,157

  36,137

  Wiltshire

  4,489

  4,629

  Dyfed-Powys

  1,567

  3,065

  Gwent

  3,315

  3,776

  North Wales

  3,917

  8,073

  102

  Police force area

  Burglary in a dwelling

  Burglary in a building other than a dwelling

  South Wales

  14,478

  23,710

  England and Wales

  727,567

  642,431

  Intimidation of Witnesses
  Mr. Trimble
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the incidence of intimidation of witnesses in criminal cases.

  Mr. Maclean
  [holding answer 25 April 1994]: Although attempts are made from time to time to intimidate both potential and actual witnesses in criminal trials, there is no reliable evidence about the extent of this problem. In different ways, both the Government and the police service have taken, and will continue to take, steps to minimise its incidence and effect.

PRIME MINISTER

  Labour-controlled Local Authorities
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer of 18 April,Official Report, column 370, if he will list the district auditor's reports referred to; what were the dates and places of the criminal proceedings referred to; and which councils were involved.

  The Prime Minister
  [holding answer 22 April 1994]: Criminal proceedings are a matter of public record. Various district auditors' reports, for example, which are publicly available, confirm my earlier answers.

  Sir Tim Bell
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Prime Minister how many contracts the Government have awarded since 1987 to Sir Tim Bell for public relations work; and if he will list their nature and value.

  The Prime Minister
  Information on Government contracts is not held centrally and would involve disproportionate cost to obtain.]

  The Department of National Heritage let a contract to Lowe Bell Communications on 24 January to help with its programme of civilian events to commemorate the 50th anniversay of the D-day landings. The value of the contract is £50,000 plus a maximum of £12,500 for expenses, net of VAT. The Department has not let any other contracts to Lowe Bell Communications.

  Engagements
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 26 April.

  Sir Peter Tapsell
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 26 April.

  The Prime Minister
  This morning I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in this House I shall be having further meetings later today.

DEFENCE

  British Service Men
  Sir Keith Speed
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the current average monthly cost of the British service men on active duty in the former Yugoslavia and the Adriatic.

  Mr. Hanley
  The additional monthly cost of the United Kingdom's contribution to operations in the former Yugoslavia and the Adriatic is approximately £8,750,000. This includes such things as accommodation—allowances —shipping—carriage of stores—vehicle spares and repair and medical supplies. There are currently some 6,360 United Kingdom personnel deployed on these operations.

  Nuclear Test Veterans
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his Department's assessment of the linkage between atomic testing on Christmas Island and reported cases of chronic sickness, including aneurism, among ex-service men involved in the tests.

  Mr. Hanley
  The recent report published by the National Radiological Protection Board concluded that participation in the nuclear weapon testing programme has not had a detectable effect on the participants expectation of life nor their risk of developing cancer or other fatal diseases. The condition known as aneurism, although potentially fatal, is not accepted as being a radiation-related illness.

  Air Training Exercises
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which air forces have carried out air training exercises over Wales during 1993 and 1994; how many sorties have taken place for the last three available years; and if he will make a statement.

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

  Military Training
  Mr. Tom Clarke
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much was spent in(a) 1991, (b) 1992 and (c) 1993 on providing military training in overseas countries; and if he will list the countries involved.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  I have been asked to reply.

  Foreign and Commonwealth Office expenditure on providing resident and short-term military training assistance in overseas countries was £10.9 million in financial year 1991–92, £9.2 million in 1992–93 and £7.6 million, estimated, in 1993–94. Countries involved are Angola, Antigua, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Botswana, Chile, Dominica, Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Indonesia, Jamaica, Latvia, Lesotho, Malawi, Maldives, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Philippines, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Swaziland, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Appointments
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list each appointment for which a Minister has to approve the appointment or shortlist for the appointment, showing for each appointment(a) which Minister exercises the responsibility, (b) the salary, if any, attached to the post, (c) the term of the appointment and (d) the person currently appointed to the post.

  Mr. Eggar
  My right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade is responsible for a total of over 850 public appointments. The readily available information about the public appointments for which my right hon. Friend is responsible is published regularly in "Public Bodies". A full list of the public appointments made by this Department has been placed in the Library of the House.

  Regulatory Authorities
  Mrs. Helen Jackson
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) what liaison occurs between his Department and regulatory authorities on the making and termination of appointments;

  (2) under what circumstances he has the power to veto an appointment made by regulatory authorities.

  Mr. Eggar
  [holding answer 25 April 1994]: My right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade is responsible for the appointments of the Director Generals of Electricity, Gas Supply and Telecommunications. The Director Generals are responsible for the appointment of their own staff.

  Mrs. Helen Jackson
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what guidelines are issued to regulatory authorities on how to(a) make and (b) terminate appointments.

  Mr. Eggar
  OFFER, Ofgas and Oftel operate under the terms of the civil service management code in relation to staff appointments in the same way as any Government Department.

  Mrs. Helen Jackson
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the occasions on which the National Audit Office has been asked by his Department to look into the circumstances surrounding appointments or dismissals made by a regulatory authority.

  Mr. Eggar
  The Department has made no such requests to the National Audit Office.

  Mrs. Helen Jackson
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what steps he takes to ensure that there is no conflict of interest in appointments made by regulatory bodies.

  Mr. Eggar
  This is a matter for the respective Director Generals.

  Construction Industry
  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he received the report of the construction industry deregulation task force; and when he expects to publish it.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Warley, West (Mr. Spellar) on 30 March 1994,Official Report, column 766.

  Coal
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many tonnes of coal were imported by the National Coal Board in each year since 1979.

  Mr. Eggar
  This is a matter for British Coal.

  Insurance
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans he has to introduce a new regulatory body for the insurance industry.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  Those matters are kept under periodic review, but I have at present no plans to change the arrangements for regulating the insurance industry.

  Debt
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he plans to respond to the submissions on his consultative document on the statutory right to interest on late payment of debt.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The consultation on measures to address late payment of commercial debt concluded on 31 March 1994. All the responses are currently being considered and a decision will be announced as soon as possible.

  Motor Industry Research Unit
  Mr. Simon Coombs
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the future of the motor industry research unit.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  I understand that, following the request of the chief executive and director of the motor industry research unit, an official receiver has been appointed to the company. Its future is therefore in the hands of that receiver.

  Privatised Companies
  Sir Keith Speed
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what steps he is taking to remove the limit in shareholding by foreign investors in privatised companies.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The question of the shareholding limits for foreign investors in certain privatised companies is under review.

  European Funds
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list all the schemes under which funds from Europe are available to local authorities.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given to him by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for the Environment on 10 March,Official Report, column 372.

  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade which Departments are able to claim European Community funds to undertake redevelopment of urban areas.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The Department of the Environment, the Welsh Office, the Scottish Office and the Northern Ireland Office.

  Plugs
  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will ensure that all electrical appliances are fitted with a plug before sale.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The European Commission has sought clarification on a number of points which has delayed the progress of the proposed regulations. I am hopeful that the regulations will be introduced shortly.

  Monitoring Committee, Merseyside
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many members of the objective 1 monitoring committee for Merseyside will be drawn directly from small and medium-sized enterprises in Merseyside; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Baldry
  I have been asked to reply.

  The monitoring committee will include local partners, including the private sector, on an equitable basis.

ENVIRONMENT

  Regional Funding (Merseyside)
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what request was made to the Merseyside task force by officials of the European Commission at the recent meeting in respect of the post of head of the objective 1 executive for Merseyside.

  Mr. Baldry
  Negotiation on various aspects of the Merseyside objective 1 decision document are continuing. However, the regulations deal only with the establishment of the monitoring committee. Arrangements below that are for the member state to determine.

  Water Quality
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what procedures are in place to prevent waste water from purification procedures which is discharged into fresh water rivers being used for drinking supplies.

  Mr. Atkins
  The National Rivers Authority is responsible for setting standards for discharges into rivers, including those from waste water or sewage treatment works. In doing so, the NRA has to have regard to downstream uses of the river, including any cases where water is abstracted for treatment as drinking water.

  Special Protection Area Status
  Mr. Nicholls
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment which sites for special protection area and special area of conservation status are currently under consultation with English Nature; and which of the proposals are being objected to.

  Mr. Atkins
  The following proposed special protection areas are currently under consideration by English Nature, who are consulting relevant owners and occupiers:

  Breydon Water

  Blackwater Estuary

  Debden Estuary

  Duddon Estuary

  Wealden Heaths

  107
  Any unresolved objections to designation will be referred to my Department in due course. The Government and the statutory nature conservation agencies are still in discussion about possible candidate SACs. Public consultation on these will start in due course.

  Port Orfod Cedar
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if it is the policy of the Government to support the inclusion of Port Orfod cedar among the species list in appendix II of the convention on international trade in endangered species.

  Mr. Atkins
  Parties to the convention on international trade in endangered species of wild fauna and flora will be considering proposals to amend appendices I and II of the convention at the ninth conference of the parties in November this year.

  I understand that the United States may submit a proposal to include Port Orford cedar on appendix II. If such a proposal were put forward, we would consider it on its merits in consultation with our scientific advisers at the royal botanic gardens, Kew.

  Tenants' Rights Leaflets
  Mr. Gill
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the additional cost of producing leaflets on new rights for council tenants and compulsory competitive tendering of housing management in Welsh, Urdu, Hindi, Bengali, Vietnamese and Greek.

  Sir George Young
  About £46,000.

  Community Care
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health about the implications of local government reorganisation for the Government's care in the community policies.

  Mr. Baldry
  My right hon. Friend frequently discusses with ministerial colleagues a wide range of issues, including the local government review. In addition, officials in my Department are in regular contact with the Department of Health on matters concerning the review.

  Housing Repair
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the latest figures available for the percentage of work carried out by the building industry on housing repair and maintenance; what percentage of the industry's income is created through this; and how much that amounts to.

  Sir George Young
  The latest available information shows that housing repair and maintenance output in 1993 was £12,796 million at current prices, which is 28 per cent. of all work undertaken by the construction industry. More details are available in the press notice dated 11 March 1994 entitled "Output and Employment in the Construction Industry: Fourth Quarter 1993" lodged in the House of Commons Library.

  Domestic Refuse Collection
  Sir Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will initiate an inquiry into the extent of, and reasons for, differences in cost of refuse collection for households.

  Mr. Curry
  [holding answer 25 April 1994]: The Audit Commission's current study of performance indicators for local authority services covers the costs of refuse collection and disposal per head of population. The commission expects to publish its study results early next year.

  Mr. Dykes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the average net cost per domestic refuse collection per household unit for(a) the three highest London boroughs, (b) the three lowest London boroughs, (c) the London borough of Harrow and (d) the overall average for all London boroughs.

  Sir Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the average cost per household of collecting domestic refuse; and if he will publish a table showing the average cost per household in the local authority areas of(a) Brentwood, (b) Brighton, (c) Greenwich, (d) Hackney, (e) Lambeth, (f) Southend on Sea, (g) Westminster and (h) Windsor and Maidenhead.

  Mr. Curry
  [holding answer 25 April 1994]: The Department does not collect information in the form requested, although local authorities are required to provide information to the Department on income and expenditure on waste collection as a whole, not broken down by domestic and commercial. Information on the number of households in a local authority area is collected by the Office for Population, Censuses and Surveys.

  The Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy collates returns from local authorities on different aspects of waste collection. The results of the survey are published in a CIPFA report "Waste Collection Statistics 1991–92 Actuals".

  Hedgerows
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his estimate of the percentage of hedgerows existing in(a) 1978 and (b) 1979 that has been lost.

  Mr. Atkins
  [holding answer 25 April 1994]: The only reliable figures we have relate to the period 1984–90. In 1984, our estimated total hedgerow stock in Great Britain was 549,000 km. By 1990, a net loss of around 23 per cent. had been incurred, mainly as a result of neglect.

  "Our Common Inheritance"
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when the third year report on the "Our Common Inheritance" White Paper will be published.

  Mr. Atkins
  [holding answer 25 April 1994]: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State to my hon. Friend the Member for Woodspring (Dr. Fox) on 20 April 1994, Official Report, column 867.

  Skypark Planning Application
  Mr. Corbett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action he took, under which specific powers, and on what date, in respect of the Skypark planning application after it had been approved by Wrekin district council; and with what result.

  Mr. Baldry
  [holding answer 25 April 1994]: Wrekin district council approved the planning application for the Telford Skypark on 29 July 1992 subject to reference to the Secretary of State for the Environment as a departure under the Town and Country Planning Development Plans (England) Direction 1992. The application was called in for decision on 2 December 1992 under section 77 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 and, following a public inquiry, planning permission was refused on 24 February 1994.

  Cardiff Bay Barrage
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment on what date he replied to the letter from Mr. Paleokrassas, the Member of the European Commission for the Environment, sent to him on 21 January in relation to the legality issue and the proposal for a barrage at Cardiff bay; if he has received any further communication from Mr. Paleokrasses; and on what date.

  Mr. Atkins
  [holding answer 25 April 1994]: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 1 March, Official Report, column 643.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the negotiations with the European Union in relation to the provision of alternative wetland habitats for birds displaced from the Cardiff bay site of special scientific interest by the proposed Cardiff bay barrage.

  Mr. Atkins
  As the hon. Member knows, such negotiations are confidential.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will commission jointly with the Environment Directorate of the European Commission an independent research study evaluating the socio-economic arguments for the Cardiff bay barrage proposal; and if he will seek an independent assessment of the definition of overwhelming as applied to the socio-economic argument under the habitats directive.

  Mr. Atkins
  No.

  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what agreements have been made with the European Commission, consistent with article 6(4) of the habitats directive, regarding measures to be implemented to compensate for the loss of mud-flat habitat at Cardiff bay.

  Mr. Atkins
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Cardiff, West (Mr. Morgan) on 1 March,Official Report, column 643.

  Smoke Control Areas
  Mr. Thomason
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received from industry that regulations to ban the sale of high-sulphur 110
  fuels and unauthorised fuels in smoke control areas would result in a significant increase in regulatory burdens and costs.

  Mr. Atkins
  [holding answer 25 April 1994]: I have received a number of such representations from industry and in view of the decline in annual average concentrations and emissions of smoke and sulphur dioxide from domestic sources, further regulations are not proposed at present.

  Departmental Spending
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much was spent on(a) stationery, (b) paper clips and (c) staples by his Department in each year since 1979 at current prices.

  Mr. Baldry
  My Department has spent the following sums on stationery, including paper clips and staples:

  Year

  £

  1993–94

  668,071

  1992–93

  555,909

  1991–92

  431,233

  1990–91

  11,121,625

  1989–90

  11,180,690

  1988–89

  626,825

  1987–88

  335,326

  1986–87

  364,076

  1985–86

  385,291

  1 Combined with printing.

  More detailed information is not available, nor are separate figures for expenditure on stationery before 1985–86.

  Single Regeneration Budget
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer of 14 April,Official Report, column 239, if he will list the regional distribution of unallocated funds available under the single regeneration budget.

  Mr. Baldry
  The regional distribution of unallocated single regeneration budget funds in 1995–96, which will support new bids, will not be known until the bidding round has been completed and the successful schemes are announced. The timetable is set out in the bidding guidance published by my Department on 14 April. Copies of the guidance have been placed in the Library of the House.

  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many of the regional directors of the single regeneration budget are black people or Asian.

  Mr. Baldry
  None.

  Migratory Birds
  Mr. Ainger
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what effect he expects the proposed amendment to article 7 of directive 79/409/EEC to have on the protection of migratory birds in mainland Europe, particularly France.

  Mr. Atkins
  The proposed amendment clarifies the arrangements for protecting migratory birds and avoids unnecessary interference with traditional hunting seasons
  111
  in some member states. In France, the amendment would not mean that migratory birds were more at risk than in earlier years. The dates for the close of the hunting seasons would, in future, be fixed in accordance with the criteria specified in the proposed amendment to the directive.

  Archives
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received concerning the archive services and the reorganisation of local government.

  Mr. Baldry
  This year my right hon. Friend has received some 50 written representations from organisations and individuals who wish to see the existing level of local authority archive services maintained following reorganisation. My hon. Friend the Member for Skipton and Ripon (Mr. Curry) met the chairman and secretary of the Royal Commission for Historical Manuscripts on 24 February.

  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what statutory safeguards he proposes to introduce to ensure that archive services are not adversely affected by the reorganisation of local government.

  Mr. Baldry
  The Local Government Commission's recommendations must enable adequate provision to be made for all existing local government functions, including archives. Collaborative arrangements between unitary authorities may be desirable in some cases. The Government's preference is for such arrangements to be on a voluntary basis, but section 21 of the Local Government Act 1992 gives my right hon. Friend powers to establish a joint authority for any local government function if he considers that satisfactory voluntary arrangements have not been made or have broken down.

  Mobile Phones and Pagers
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list each individual in his Department who is provided with a mobile phone or pager, their position in the Department and the cost to the public funds of this provision.

  Mr. Baldry
  The mobile phones and pagers used within my Department are allocated to business units and not specifically to individual officers. There are 154 mobile phones currently in use. Their book value is estimated as £35,000 and the line rental costs are some £49,000 per annum. Some 428 pagers are rented at a cost of £20,000 per annum.

  Lower Severn Estuary
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what consultations he has had with the Countryside Council for Wales and English Nature in relation to the(a) registration and (b) plan for management of the lower Severn estuary draft special protection area; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Atkins
  Consultations and discussions with both bodies are continuing.

  European Structural Fund
  Mr. Wells
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he will present to the European Commission the Government's proposals for directing future European structural fund assistance towards the economic development of rural areas in England; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir George Young
  I have arranged for the regional conversion plans for the six regions in England designated by the Commission for assistance under structural funds objective 5b to be presented to the European Commission today. Funding under objective 5b contributes towards the development and structural readjustment of rural areas. The plans cover the period 1994–99, for which £381 million has been allocated to England.

  The six regions, with 1994–99 allocations, are East Anglia, £46 million—south west, £170 million—northern uplands, £84 million—the marches, £31 million—Lincolnshire, £41 million—and midlands uplandsDerbyshire/Staffordshire, £9 million. The plans have been lodged in time to ensure that the eligible date for expenditure on objective 5b programmes is 1 January 1994. Under the structural funds regulations, the Commission is required to reach a decision on the plans within six months of receipt.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION

  Aid Expenditure
  Mr. Tom Clarke
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much he intends to spend on each of(a) bilateral aid and (b) multilateral aid for each of the financial years 1994–95, 1995–96, 1996–97 and 1997–98.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  Current planning figures for expenditure are as follows. Figures for 1997–98 are not available as these are beyond the current public expenditure survey period.

  £ million

  1994–95

  1995–96

  1996–97

  Bilateral expenditure

  1,189

  1,097

  1,020

  Multilateral expenditure

  1,073

  1,115

  1,142

  These planning figures include an allowance, additional to the overall figure agreed in the public expenditure survey, to compensate for expected slippage of expenditure. For this reason, and because of the many detailed changes that take place over a period at country and programme level in the rate of spending, actual spending will vary from the figures shown.

  Multilateral Agencies (Aid)
  Mr. Tom Clarke
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much of the multilateral aid budget he intends to allocate to each of(a) the European bank for reconstruction and development, (b) the European Union, (c) the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations and (d) the World bank for each of the financial years 1994–95, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1997–98.
  113
  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  Current planning figures for expenditure is given below. Estimates for 1997–98 are not available as this is beyond the current public expenditure survey period.

  £ million

  1994–95

  1995–96

  1996–97

  European Bank for Reconstruction and Development

  40

  40

  40

  European Community

  569

  696

  745

  World Bank/IMF

  315

  232

  204

  In some cases actual spending may vary from those figures because of factors such as exchange rate movements and changes in the rate of expenditure of the multilateral institutions concerned.

  The Food and Agriculture Organisation sets a biennial programme of work and budget of which the United Kingdom contribution is based on the United Nations scale of assessments. The United Kingdom contribution in 1994 is £12.1 million. The 1995 contribution will be similar.

  Bilateral Aid
  Mr. Tom Clarke
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what part of the bilateral aid budget will be allocated to each of(a) Africa, (b) Asia, South, (c) Asia, south-east, (d) Latin America/Caribbean/Atlantic and (e) central and eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union for each of the financial years 1994–95, 1995–96, 1996–97 and 1997–98.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  Current planning figures for bilateral country programmes are as follows. Figures for 1997–98 are not available as these are beyond the current public expenditure survey period.

  £ million

  1994–95

  1995–96

  1996–97

  Africa

  344

  315

  284

  Asia/Pacific

  248

  227

  217

  Eastern Europe/FSU

  78

  79

  75

  Western Hemisphere

  88

  79

  72

  These planning figures include an allowance, additional to the overall figure agreed in the public expenditure survey, to compensate for expected slippage of expenditure. For this reason, and because of the many detailed changes that take place over a period at country level in the rate of spending, actual spending will vary from the figures shown.

  Mozambique
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress is being made with the resettlement of refugees in Mozambique.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees is co-ordinating the repatriation and resettlement programme for some 1.5 million Mozambican refugees from the six neighbouring countries of asylum. We have contributed £4.5 million to this programme. Latest reports are that over 700,000 have returned with a further 500,000 expected to be resettled before the October elections.

EMPLOYMENT

  Older Trainees
  Mrs. Bridget Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what percentage of trainees(a) between the ages of 30 and 40 years and (b) between the ages of 40 and 50 years find work on completion of a training course.

  Miss Widdecombe
  In 1992–93, of those 30 to 40-year-olds who completed their agreed course of training on employment training, 38 per cent. went on to find work. The corresponding figure for 40 to 50-year-olds was 40 per cent.

  Unemployed Graduates
  Mr. Grocott
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list by travel-to-work area the numbers of unemployed(a) men and (b) women who graduated in (i) 1992 and (ii) 1993.

  Miss Widdecombe
  The information is not available.

  Mr. Grocott
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many students who graduated in(a) 1992 and (b) 1993 are currently registered as unemployed.

  Miss Widdecombe
  The information is not available in the form requested. Estimates from the labour force survey for Great Britain show that there were 46,000 International Labour Organisation unemployed people aged under 25 educated to degree level or higher in autumn 1993; the equivalent figure for autumn 1992 was 47,000.

  Training Schemes
  Mrs. Bridget Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people of all ages are on training schemes in(a) each of the London boroughs and (b) England.

  Miss Widdecombe
  Information is not available centrally for individual London boroughs. Information by training and enterprise council area and for London and England is given in the following table:

  Number of participants in January 1994

  TEC

  Youth Training1

  Training for Work

  Aztec

  1,300

  1,290

  Central London

  1,980

  2,430

  Cilntec

  2,250

  2,100

  East London

  4,430

  3,600

  North London

  1,140

  2,540

  North West London

  970

  1,650

  Solotec

  2,320

  1,460

  South Thames

  2,980

  4,660

  West London

  2,430

  1,330

  London Region

  19,800

  21,000

  England

  244,800

  125,800

  Source: TEC Operating Agreement.

  1 Youth Training includes Youth Credits.

  Industrial Tribunals
  Mr. Boateng
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list(a) the numbers of individuals petitioning and (b) the number of cases heard by the industrial tribunals for each of the last 10 years.

  Miss Widdecombe
  The figures are as follows:

  Applications registered

  Cases heard

  1984–85

  39,191

  19,690

  1985–86

  38,593

  13,357

  1986–87

  38,385

  13,124

  1987–88

  30,543

  10,464

  1988–89

  29,304

  9,023

  1989–90

  34,697

  10,229

  1990–91

  43,243

  11,430

  1991–92

  67,448

  13,778

  1992–93

  71,821

  17,836

  1993–94

  71,661

  n/a

  1 Figure for January 1984 to March 1985.

  Some two thirds of all applications do not come to hearing, being either withdrawn or settled by the Advisory Conciliation and Arbitration Service in conciliation. I regret that figures are not yet available for the numbers of cases heard in the year 1993–94.

  Unemployment, Tooting
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the number of(a) men and (b) women living in the Tooting parliamentary constituency who were in receipt of unemployment benefit and who have been unemployed for (i) longer than six months, (ii) longer than 12 months, (iii) longer than two years and (iv) three years and over as of the last most convenient date for which figures can be given.

  Miss Widdecombe
  The unadjusted figures for the number of people claiming unemployment related benefits in January 1994 are given in the table:

  Duration of claim

  Male

  Female

  Over six months

  3,116

  933

  Over twelve months

  2,160

  562

  Over two years

  1,143

  256

  Over three years

  547

  106

  Claimant unemployment information by duration is available quarterly from the NOMIS database in the Library for the months of January, April, July and October and only on the unadjusted basis.

  Labour Statistics, Wandsworth
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the number of job vacancies at jobcentres covering the London borough of Wandsworth at the last most convenient date for which figures can be given.

  Miss Widdecombe
  The information requested is given in the following table:

  Unfilled Vacancies (not seasonally adjusted) in Jobcentres covering the Borough of Wandsworth (March 1994)

  Jobcentre

  Number of Vacancies

  Battersea

  11

  Clapham Junction

  99

  Balham

  1—

  116

  Jobcentre

  Number of Vacancies

  Putney

  53

  Tooting

  176

  1 Not all jobcentres record their own vacancies. Vacancies dealt with by Balham are included under figures for other jobcentres in the borough.

  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the number of job vacancies for young people under the age of 21 years in the London borough of Wandsworth as of 14 April.

  Miss Widdecombe
  The number of jobcentre vacancies specifically for young people are not available from the monthly vacancy count. Vacancy figures for 8 April will be available from 9.30 am Wednesday 18 May. On 4 March the total number of unfilled vacancies at jobcentres in the London borough of Wandsworth was 339.

  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the level of youth unemployment in the London borough of Wandsworth at 14 April.

  Miss Widdecombe
  Statistics from the 14 April claimant unemployment count will be available from 9.30 am on Wednesday 18 May and will include a quarterly analysis of claimant unemployment by age.

  In January 1994, the most recent figure available, the number of unemployed claimants under 25 years of age was 4,310 in the Wandsworth local authority district.

  Work Permits
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the number of work permits given to foreign nationals to work in the United Kingdom in 1993.

  Miss Widdecombe
  The total number of work permits issued for overseas nationals to work in Great Britain during 1993 was 37,761.

  Earnings, Scotland
  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish a table setting out the numbers of wage and salary earners in Scotland in the income bands(a) over £100,000, (b) between £50,000 and £100,000, (c) between £25,000 and £50,000, (d) between £10,000 and £25,000, (e) between £5,000 and £10,000 and (f) less than £5,000 or such other bands as his Department has available covering the same breadth of income.

  Mr. Stewart
  I have been asked to reply.

  The table, derived from the new earnings survey, shows average gross weekly earnings of full-time employees in Scotland on all rates of pay, whose pay was unaffected by absence. The survey data relate to April 1993; the approximate equivalent annual pay bands are also shown in the table. The figures are for full-time employees only as many part-time employees are excluded from the sample. However, it is estimated that approximately two thirds of part-time employees earn below £100 per week.

  117

  Pay ranges of full-time employees in Scotland; April 1993

  Gross weekly pay range

  Approximate equivalent annual pay range

  Percentage of full-time employees in pay range (per cent.)

  Estimated1 number of full-time employees in pay range

  £1,923 or more

  £100,000 or more

  —

  —

  £962–£1,923

  £50,000–£100,000

  0·7

  10,100

  £481–£962

  £25,000–£50,000

  9·1

  130,800

  £192–£481

  £10,000–£25,000

  62·3

  895,400

  £96–£192

  £5,000–£10,000

  26·2

  376,500

  less than £96

  less than £5,000

  1·6

  23,000

  1 Derived by multiplying New Earnings Survey data on percentages in each pay range by estimated numbers of full-time employees in employment at March 1993.

  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what percentage of average male earnings is earned by(a) women manual workers and (b) women non-manual workers in Scotland.

  Mr. Stewart
  I have been asked to reply.

  Information from the new earnings survey, at April 1993, shows that the average weekly earnings of full-time non-manual women is equivalent to 65 per cent. of the average for non-manual men. The average weekly earnings of full-time manual women is equivalent to 64 per cent. of the average for manual men. These estimates are based on average gross weekly earnings of all full-time employees on adult rates in Scotland whose pay was unaffected by absence—source: Employment Department.

  Employees, Scotland
  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many employees in Scotland are in the service sector; and what percentage this forms of the total work force.

  Mr. Stewart
  I have been asked to reply.

  For December 1993, the latest date for which information is available, it is estimated that 1,436,900 employees in employment in Scotland worked in the service sector. This represents 73 per cent. of all employees in employment.

  Constituency

  Date

  Purpose of visit

  Blackpool, South

  8 October 1993

  Visit to Roseacre and Hawes Side Primary Schools

  Milton Keynes, North-East

  13 October 1993

  Officially open the new BT Training Centre in Milton Keynes and visit to the Open University

  Harrogate

  16 November 1993

  Speak at the CBI Conference in Harrogate

  Stratford-upon-Avon

  25 November 1993

  Speak at the Girls' Schools Association Conference in Stratford-upon-Avon

  Daventry

  26 November 1993

  Present prizes at Sponne School Prize Giving in Towcester, Northamptonshire

  Oxford, West and Abingdon

  5 January 1994

  Speak at the Oxford Teachers' Conference at St. Catherine's College, Oxford

  City of Chester

  7 January 1994

  Speak at the North of England Annual Education Conference in Chester

  Bristol, North-West

  28 January 1994

  Visit to Pen Park School and Filton FE College

  Derbyshire, West

  9 February 1994

  Visit to Ecclesbourne Grant-Maintained School

  Derby, North

  9 February 1994

  Visit to Landau Forte CTC

  Wirral, West

  11 February 1994

  Visit to Plessington Catholic High School, The Wirral

  Bournemouth, West

  18 March 1994

  Speak at the Secondary Heads Association Conference

  Birmingham, Ladywood

  21 March 1994

  Speak at the Grant-Maintained Schools Centre's Annual Conference

  Erith and Crayford

  22 March 1994

  Visit to Bexley and Erith Technical High School for Boys

  Newcastle-under-Lyme

  12 April 1994

  Speak at the Higher Education Funding Council for England's Conference

  Croydon, South

  19 April 1994

  Visit to School Curriculum and Assessment Authority's Residential Meeting in Sanderstead

  Higher Education Quality Council
  Mr. Bryan Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) what information he has on the costs of quality audit procedures conducted by the Higher Education Quality Council;

EDUCATION

  Pupil Statistics
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will publish for each year since 1987 the number in England of(a) pupils in assisted places schemes in secondary schools, (b) pupils in secondary schools in total and (c) the number in (a) as a percentage of (b).

  Mr. Forth
  The assisted places scheme is run at 295 independent schools in England. The number of pupils holding assisted places and the total number of pupils of secondary school age in all schools is given in the following table:

  Academic Year

  (a) Number of pupils holding assisted places

  (b) Total number of pupils in secondary school1

  (c) (a) as a percentage of (b)

  1987–88

  26,899

  3,335,194

  ·81

  1988–89

  27,083

  3,205,617

  ·84

  1989–90

  27,008

  3,114,602

  ·87

  1990–91

  26,740

  3,108,159

  ·86

  1991–92

  27,641

  3,161,692

  ·87

  1992–93

  28,674

  3,224,611

  ·89

  1 Includes middle deemed secondary schools, self-governing (GM) schools, special schools, CTCs and independent schools.

  Ministerial Visits
  Ms Lynne
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education which constituencies he has visited in his capacity as Secretary of State in the last six months; and for what purpose those visits were made.

  Mr. Patten
  The details requested are as follows:

  (2) what information he has on the running costs of the Higher Education Quality Council.

  Mr. Boswell
  The Higher Education Quality Council is a body wholly independent of Government, set up by the universities and colleges and funded by them. I understand that the council's annual expenditure is currently of the
  119
  order of £3.2 million, excluding some self-financing activities. Within this, expenditure on quality audit is of the order of £1.5 million.

  Teachers' Pension Agency
  Mr. David Martin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what key performance targets he has set for the Teachers' Pension Agency in 1994–95.

  Mr. Forth
  For 1994–95, the key performance targets for the Teachers' Pension Agency are:

  a. to achieve an improvement in efficiency of 5 per cent. in the use of running costs resources within the Agency's control;

  b. to process 96 per cent. of the applications for retirement awards by the payable date, or if later, then within 30 days of receipt of the application;

  c. to meet agreed accuracy targets for pensions-related calculations;

  d. to provide a substantive answer to 95 per cent. of written enquiries within 15 working days of their receipt;

  e. to manage the programme agreed with the Agency's clients for the collection and processing of service and salary data relating to teachers and to seek timely submission of that data.

  Annual Capital Guidelines
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimates there are of the cost of additional demands placed on annual capital guidelines for local education authorities since the introduction of the national curriculum; what plans there are to alleviate this extra demand; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Forth
  It is for LEAs and schools to make the best use of the resources available so that schools are equipped to deliver the national curriculum effectively. The substantial capital sums made available by Government in recent years will help them to do so, in particular the 33 per cent. real terms increase in total capital support in the five years to 1993–94.

  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many representations he has received from local education authorities regarding their ACGs for 1994–95.

  Mr. Forth
  Twenty-one.

  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many representations he has received from local education authorities regarding their provisional indicators for ACG for the year 1995–96; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Forth
  Three.

  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what provisions are made in allocating ACG for basic needs provision; what account is taken of the age of educational establishments and consequent renovation and repairs needed; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Forth
  Cover for basic need in annual capital guidelines is provided through cost-multipliers for each place assessed as required. Such an assessment compares projected demand with the number of local places. Although the age of buildings is not a factor in considering basic need bids, where a surveyor's report indicates that the condition of a building is such that replacement is urgently needed and is cheaper than repair cover will be provided within ACGs in the exceptional basic need category.

  Educational Establishments, Lancashire
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many educational establishments in Lancashire date back to the 19th century; how many were built pre-1960s; and how many were built in the 1960s and 70s.

  Mr. Forth
  This information is not held centrally.

  Temporary Classrooms
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what are the latest figures available for primary and secondary schools with temporary classrooms and HORSA—hutting operation for raising of school leaving age—buildings in each local education authority; how many have had these for five years or more; what percentage of teaching space these comprise; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Forth
  The information requested is not held centrally.

  Unemployed Graduates
  Mr. Grocott
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will list by(a) university of graduation and (b) subject of graduation the number of (i) men and (ii) women who graduated in (1) 1992 and (2) 1993 who are currently registered as unemployed.

  Mr. Boswell
  The information requested is not available centrally. Tables 9 and 9a of "University Management Statistics and Performance Indicators in the UK" published by the Committee of Vice Chancellors and Principals—a copy of the 1993 edition has been placed in the Library—show the proportion of first-degree graduates from the former Universities Funding Council—funded institutions whose destination on leaving was reported as unemployed or short-term employment, and the proportion from each institution adjusted for the national distributions of graduate subject mix.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Somalia
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will press for the public release by the United Nations of the full independent investigation chaired by the Chief Justice of Zambia into the conduct of the United Nations operation in Somalia.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Members of the Security Council are now studying the contents of the report and a decision on its public release is expected shortly. We do not oppose its release but recognise that Security Council members who contributed troops to the operation need time to consider the report carefully before reaching a decision.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the Somalia peace meeting scheduled for Mogadishu on 15 April between General Aideed, Ali Mandi and others took place; and if he will make a statement on the prospects for further such meetings.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  We understand that the meeting of the 15 factions scheduled for 15 April in Mogadishu has
  121
  now been postponed until 25 April. A national reconciliation conference is due to take place on 15 May to elect a President, Vice-Presidents and a Prime Minister. We continue to support all efforts by the Somalis to take forward the political reconciliation process.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has about current military activity in Somalia.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  We have received reports of recent fighting between Somalia clans in Merca, south of Mogadishu. Reports also indicate that in the last few days there have been serious clashes between the Habr Gedr and Hawadle sub-clans in Mogadishu.

  Mozambique
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the strength and national background of the ONUMOZ—the United Nations Operation in Mozambique—force in Mozambique.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  At 31 March 1994, ONUMOZ had a strength of 6,108 troops, 370 military observers and 274 civilian policemen. The force was made up of the following contingents:

  Argentina

  Hungary

  40 troops

  10 civpol

  8 UNMOs

  23 UNMOs

  Australia

  India

  16 civpol

  916 troops

  18 UNMOs

  Bangladesh

  Ireland

  25 civpol

  20 civpol

  1,459 troops

  30 UNMOs

  Botswana

  Italy

  767 troops

  971 troops

  13 UNMOs

  Brazil

  Japan

  35 civpol

  53 troops

  27 UNMOs

  Canada

  Jordan

  15 UNMOs

  45 civpol

  Cape Verde

  Malaysia

  18 UNMOs

  35 civpol

  24 UNMOs

  China

  Netherlands

  10 UNMOs

  11 troops

  Czech Republic

  New Zealand

  19 UNMOs

  2 troops

  Egypt

  Norway

  21 civpol

  10 civpol

  20 UNMOs

  Guinea Bissau

  Portugal

  25 civpol

  7 civpol

  43 UNMOs

  277 troops

  1 UNMO

  Russian Federation

  Sweden

  19 UNMOs

  10 civpol

  20 UNMOs

  Spain

  Switzerland

  14 civpol

  1 civpol

  20 UNMOs

  United States

  5 troops

  122

  Uruguay

  Zambia

  842 troops

  865 troops

  34 UNMOs

  8 UNMOs

  1 Italian troop contribution is currently being wound down, as the deployment of an additional 1,144 Civpol (all nations) authorised in SCR 898 gets underway.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the current timetable for elections in Mozambique; what are the major obstacles to be overcome; and what assistance the British Government and the European Union are giving to the successful implementation of these elections.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  The elections are scheduled to take place from 27 to 28 October 1994. Major obstacles to be overcome include: the completion of the assembly and demobilisation of Government and RENAMO forces; the establishment of a new unified army—FADM; the translation of RENAMO into a political party; and the registration of the new electorate. A British Army training team is in Mozambique to assist the training of the FADM. Under our aid programme, we are contributing £600,000 to the United Nations Development Programme project to provide technical assistance to the electoral authorities and £500,000 to the United Nations trust fund for the implementation of the peace process. We are paying our share of the costs of maintaining ONUMOZ in Mozambique. The EU has pledged nearly $13 million for electoral assistance.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress is being made with disarmament and demobilisation in Mozambique.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  Of the force totals notified to the UN, over 55 per cent. of Government and 80 per cent. of RENAMO soldiers are in the UN monitored assembly areas where they have handed in their weapons. Over 10,000 troops have either been demobilised or earmarked to join the new unified Mozambican army.

  Nuclear Weapons
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 12 April,Official Report, column 17, which countries apart from the United Kingdom, France, China and the Russian Federation are thought to have mastered the technology to become nuclear weapon states; and which other states are thought to be pursuing that technological expertise.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  I have nothing to add to the answer I gave to the honourable Member for Clydebank and Milngavie on 12 April,Official Report, column 17.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which nations other than North Korea have had their nuclear capabilities inspected in the past five years by the International Atomic Energy Agency.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  More than 110 states have concluded safeguards agreements with the IAEA. Such agreements provide for regular inspection of a state's particular nuclear facilities.

  Belize
  Mr. Spellar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 18 April,Official Report, column 375, what reason was given by the Presidency for the exclusion of Belize from the San Jose meeting.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  The Presidency explained that Belize did not attend San José X because central American delegations to the meeting could not agree to the presence of Belize as an official observer.

  UN Organisations
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he takes to monitor the performance of specialist UN organisations in emergency situations; and what access hon. Members have to the content of those reports.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  We monitor the performance of the UN specialised agencies involved in emergency situations through representation on their governing bodies—including frequent evaluation of specific projects and overall programmes—attendance at briefing meetings and contacts with UN officials at headquarters and in the field. The availability of UN agencies' evaluations of their own performance in specific emergencies is a matter for the agencies concerned.

  Council of Ministers
  Mr. Cash
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on implementation of the code of public access to proceedings of the Council of Ministers.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  We have strongly supported moves to increase openness in the Community. The code of conduct on access to information held by the Council and Commission came into effect at the beginning of the year, and provides for the widest possible access, subject to certain safeguards.

  Sweden
  Mr. Cash
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the compatibility of the declaration attached to Sweden's treaty of accession to open government and the policy of the Council of Ministers on access by newspapers to minutes and documents relating to meetings in Brussels.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  Sweden made a declaration in the Final Act attached to the accession treaty welcoming the development now taking place in the European Union towards greater openness and transparency. The declaration noted that open government is a fundamental part of Sweden's constitutional, political and cultural heritage. The Union made a declaration in response adding that the member states of the European Union take it for granted that as a member, Sweden will fully comply with Community law in this respect.

  Cyprus
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the size of the United Nations peacekeeping force in Cyprus on 20 April:; and what nationalities were represented.
  124
  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The latest figures available from the United Nations give the strength of UNFICYP on 31 March 1994 as 1,194 troops, 12 military observers and 36 civilian policemen. The force was made up of the following contingents:

  Argentina

  375 troops

  Australia

  20 civpol

  Austria

  360 troops

  4 UNMOs

  Canada

  10 troops

  Denmark

  1 soldier

  Finland

  1 soldier

  Hungary

  4 UNMOs

  Ireland

  16 civpol

  26 troops

  4 UNMOs

  United Kingdom

  421 troops

  Landmines
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action is being taken by Her Majesty's Government to secure the implementation of protocol 2 on the prohibition of the use of landmines.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The United Kingdom already adheres strictly to the terms of the 1981 United Nations weaponry convention, of which the second protocol covers prohibitions on the use of mines.

  We are taking an active part in the work of the preparatory meetings leading to the review conference of the convention in 1995. One of our principal objectives in this exercise is to secure the wider implementation of the convention by encouraging more states to accede to it.

  Western European Union
  Sir Keith Speed
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many members of the British embassy to NATO and the WEU have so far visited the WEU planning cell in Brussels.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  There are regular and extensive contacts involving all members of the United Kingdom delegations to NATO and WEU and members of the WEU planning cell. Such contacts have occurred at WEU headquarters in Brussels, which houses both the WEU secretariat and the planning cell, and at the United Kingdom delegation and elsewhere.

  Maastricht Treaty
  Mr. Marlow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects to make available in single document form the treaty of Rome as amended by the Maastricht treaty.
  125
  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  The consolidated text of the treaty establishing the EC, as amended by the treaty on European Union, has already been published by the office for official publications of the European Communities. It is available in the Library of the House and through HMSO.

  European Commission
  Mr. Marlow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will set out his objectives with regard to changing the powers of the European Commission.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  The United Kingdom favours a more efficient and accountable Commission committed to the overall goals set by successive European Councils. We welcome the fall in the volume of proposed legislation and the Commission's commitment to implement subsidiarity.

  Mr. Van den Broek
  Mr. Marlow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, further to his answer of 28 March,Official Report, column 548, if he will ask Mr. Van den Broek to make it clear when he is expressing his personal opinions and when he is expressing official opinions in areas in which he has responsibility and competence.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  No.

  Aid Agencies
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action he has initiated to safeguard the locally recruited staff of British aid agencies in Rwanda and Burundi.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  The United Nations mission in Rwanda—UNAMIR—is working for a ceasefire. It has also been tasked by the Security Council to assist in the resumption of humanitarian relief operations and monitor and report on developments. In Burundi the OAU has a vital role to play in restoring confidence within the country. We have given support to all international and regional efforts to halt the inter-ethnic disputes in both countries.

  Angola
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has on the crash of two Red Cross planes in Angola on 17 April.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  We have no information on the alleged incident.

  Rwanda
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the outcome of the United Nations Security Council meeting to discuss the future of the United Nations Mission in Rwanda.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  On 21 April the United Nations Security Council unanimously adopted resolution 912. This authorises a reduction in the size of UNAMIR and gives it a mandate to act as an intermediary in an attempt 126
  to secure a ceasefire as well as assist in the resumption of humanitarian relief operations and monitor and report on developments.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Child Support Agency
  Mr. Dewar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security in how many cases where a maintenance assessment has been completed by the Child Support Agency the parent with care was in receipt of family credit, at the latest date for which figures are available.

  Mr. Burt
  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 26 April 1994:
  I am replying to your recent Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about the number of cases in which a child maintenance assessment has been completed where the parent with care was in receipt of family credit.
  The Agency does not collect information that identifies maintenance assessments according to the benefit status of the parent with care. At 28 February 1994, however, 26 per cent. of the maintenance application forms issued involved parents with in care who had claimed family credit.
  I hope this reply is helpful.

  Ms Quin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the average interval between the reception and issue of a substantive response to letters sent to the chief executive of the Child Support Agency from hon. Members dated(a) November 1993, (b) December 1993 and (c) January 1994.

  Mr. Burt
  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 Ms Joyce Quin, dated 26 April 1994.
  I am replying to your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about the average interval between the receipt of, and response to, letters sent to me by Members of Parliament.
  I am sorry but the information is not available in the form you request. The first year of the Agency's operations has stimulated a great deal of correspondence, and I have received over 5,000 letters from Members of Parliament. All such letters are acknowledged within 24 hours of receipt and by 15 April I had personally replied to over 3,000. Set out in the table below are the average clearance times between 1 November 1993 and 31 January 1994 for such correspondence:

  Cleared 1–15 days per cent.

  Cleared 16–20 days per cent.

  Cleared 21 to 15 days per cent.

  Cleared over 40 days per cent.

  10.52

  5.21

  36.35

  47.92

  I am afraid that the targets for answering letters are not currently being met, but necessary steps have been taken to ensure that letters from Members are answered as promptly as possible.

  I am sorry that I cannot be more helpful, but I would like to assure you that the Agency is determined to improve its performance in this regard.
  127
  Dr. Wright
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what provisions exist for the Child Support Agency to pay compensation; what criteria apply to compensation payments; and how many compensation payments, of what value, have been made to date.

  Mr. Burt
  The Department of Social Security operates non-statutory special payment arrangements under which compensation may be considered where, as a result of clear and unambiguous departmental error or unreasonable delay, actual financial loss has been suffered. Requests for special payments will be considered within these broad guidelines, taking account of the particular circumstances of each individual case. Two ex-gratia payments have been made by the agency to date, one of £100—relating to liable relative work before the inception of the agency—and one for £115.60.

  Housing Benefit
  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people in Scotland are on housing benefit; and what is the total annual cost.

  Mr. Hague
  At the end of November 1993 there were approximately 550,000 live claims to housing benefit in Scotland. The estimated total annual cost for 1993–94 was £706 million.

  Data Sources: The Housing Benefit Management Information System quarterly caseload count November 1993 and the 1994 Departmental Report.

  Notes:

  Caseload

  1. The figures are for benefit units, which may be a couple or a single person, and have been rounded to the nearest one thousand. Estimates for non-responding local authorities are included.

  2. The information is recorded at one particular point and does not take account of claims which start and end between the quarterly reporting periods.

  War Disablement Pension
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many appeals are waiting to be heard for war disablement pension; and in how many such cases the appeal was lodged before 1 May 1993.

  Mr. Hague
  This is a matter for Mr. Peter Mathison, the chief executive of the War Pensions Agency. He will write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from Peter Mathison to Mr. Jim Cousins, dated 22 April 1994:
  The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the number of War Pensions appeals awaiting hearing.
  On 20 April 1994 there was 4,474 appeals waiting to be heard for War Disablement Pension. Of these 4,343 were lodged with the War Pensions Agency before 1 May 1993.
  I hope you find my reply helpful.

  Claimants, London
  Mrs. Bridget Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the total number of claimant families in each of the London boroughs in(a) 1992–93 and (b) 1993–94.

  Mr. Burt
  The information cannot be provided in the precise form requested. Information on claims by families 128
  with dependent children is available only for family credit and for London Benefits Agency office areas. Details are in the table.

  Further information on the numbers of individuals claiming social security benefits for Great Britain as a whole can be found in the Social Security departmental report, Cm 2513, a copy of which is in the Library.

  London offices of the Benefits Agency—family credit claims at a given time

  November 1992

  November 1993

  March 1994

  Acton

  103

  324

  281

  Balham

  487

  391

  443

  Battersea

  530

  345

  373

  Bloomsbury

  118

  90

  90

  Brixton

  535

  728

  736

  Camberwell

  46

  21

  19

  Canning Town

  225

  273

  262

  Chelsea

  120

  71

  76

  Cricklewood

  91

  181

  166

  Crystal Palace

  286

  491

  495

  Ealing

  435

  744

  725

  Edmonton

  943

  1,194

  1,225

  Eltham

  44

  32

  24

  Euston

  139

  133

  117

  Finsbury Park

  157

  353

  322

  Greenwich Park

  345

  407

  402

  Hackney

  530

  788

  798

  Harlesden

  200

  360

  351

  Hendon

  484

  623

  632

  Highgate

  224

  388

  339

  Hither Green

  16

  2

  2

  Hoxton

  382

  497

  519

  Kennington Park

  351

  404

  420

  Kensington

  103

  61

  56

  Lewisham

  268

  553

  561

  Leytonstone

  919

  1,267

  1,355

  Neasden

  421

  513

  519

  Notting Hill

  85

  105

  97

  Oval

  35

  14

  17

  Paddington

  276

  208

  181

  Peckham

  598

  848

  828

  Plaistow

  594

  758

  812

  Poplar

  687

  861

  889

  Shoreditch

  358

  302

  353

  Southwark

  472

  573

  589

  Stepney

  1,130

  1,241

  1,194

  Stoke Newington

  770

  1,020

  1,009

  Streatham

  288

  432

  452

  Thames North

  3

  3

  4

  Tottenham

  545

  722

  749

  Walthamstow

  632

  808

  844

  Wandsworth

  387

  472

  462

  Westminster

  474

  383

  386

  Wimbledon

  472

  585

  519

  Wood Green

  418

  497

  512

  Woodgrange Park

  868

  1,197

  1,203

  Woolwich

  841

  1,101

  1,104

  Income Support
  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the number of families in Scotland living on income support.

  Mr. Burt
  The number is 146,000.

  Notes

  1. Sources: Income Support Statistics Quarterly Enquiry, May 1993.

  2. The figure has been rounded to the nearest thousand.

  3. A "family" is defined as an Income Support recipient with one or more dependants under 19 years of age.
  129
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many recipients of income support were in (i) residential and (ii) nursing homes in May 1991, May 1992 and May 1993.

  Mr. Burt
  The information for Great Britain is in the table:

  Residential Care People receiving Income Support (thousands)

  Nursing Homes people receiving Income Support (thousands)

  May 1991

  139

  94

  May 1992

  152

  116

  May 1993

  159

  124

  April 1990

  August 1990

  April 1991

  April 1992

  April 1993

  April 19941

  Cash £ per week

  Per cent. of 1985 real value

  Cash £ per week

  Per cent. of 1985 real value

  Cash £ per week

  Per cent. of 1985 real value

  Cash £ per week

  Per cent. of 1985 real value

  Cash £ per week

  Per cent. of 1985 real value

  Cash £ per week

  RESIDENTIAL CARE HOMES

  Elderly

  150

  103

  155

  104

  160

  104

  175

  109

  185

  113

  194

  Very dependent elderly2

  165

  114

  170

  114

  185

  120

  205

  127

  215

  132

  224

  Mentally ill

  150

  95

  155

  96

  170

  101

  185

  105

  195

  110

  202

  Drug/alcohol dependent

  150

  95

  155

  96

  170

  101

  185

  105

  195

  110

  202

  Mentally handicapped

  175

  95

  180

  95

  195

  99

  215

  105

  225

  108

  232

  Physically disabled under pension age

  210

  94

  215

  94

  230

  96

  245

  98

  255

  101

  262

  Others

  150

  103

  155

  104

  160

  104

  175

  109

  185

  113

  194

  NURSING HOMES

  Elderly and others

  200

  109

  210

  112

  255

  131

  270

  133

  280

  136

  290

  Mentally ill

  200

  102

  210

  105

  255

  122

  270

  124

  280

  127

  290

  Drug/alcohol dependent

  200

  102

  210

  105

  255

  122

  270

  124

  280

  127

  290

  Mentally handicapped

  215

  97

  225

  99

  260

  110

  275

  111

  285

  114

  295

  Physically disabled under pension age

  245

  93

  255

  95

  290

  104

  305

  105

  315

  107

  325

  Terminally ill

  245

  93

  260

  97

  275

  99

  280

  96

  280

  95

  290

  GREATER LONDON EXTENSION

  3

  3

  3

  3

  3

  Residential care homes

  23

  102

  23

  100

  23

  96

  25

  100

  25

  99

  30

  Nursing homes

  23

  102

  23

  100

  33

  138

  35

  141

  35

  139

  35

  Notes:

  1 Real value comparisons with April 1985 limits are based on the all-items RPI in the month in which the uprating occurred.

  2 The higher limit for the very dependent elderly was not introduced until July 1986. Comparisons are with the limit for the elderly in April 1985, which would have applied to these claimants.

  3 Additions for claimants in Greater London were not introduced until July 1986. Comparisons are therefore with the July 1986 real values, not April 1985.

  Unemployment Benefit
  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many claimants had unemployment benefit disallowed due to non-availability for work in each year since 1979; and if he will provide a breakdown on these figures identifying the numbers whose unemployment benefit was disallowed(a) due to premature termination of training, (b) for the refusal of suitable employment and (c) because they voluntarily made themselves redundant.

  Mr. Burt
  The information is available only from 1984 and not in the form requested. Numbers of disallowances on grounds of non-availability are shown in the tables together with the numbers of disqualifications under(a), (b) and (c).
  130
  Note:

  All data rounded to nearest thousand.

  Source: Income Support Statistics Annual Enquiries 1991 and 1992.

  Income Support Statistics Quarterly Enquiry 1993.

  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what were the cash limit values of each category of income support in residential and nursing care in each year since 1990; and what percentage they represent in real terms of the limit values in April 1985.

  Mr. Burt
  The information is in the table.

  Totals of adjudication officers opinions1 and decisions and numbers of disallowances on cases of availability

  Availability

  All decisions

  Disallowances

  1984

  83,112

  46,439

  1985

  92,628

  52,825

  1986

  120,043

  67,127

  1987

  179,213

  91,181

  1988

  163,899

  86,806

  1989

  96,153

  53,237

  1990

  57,811

  33,499

  Quarter March 19912

  10,848

  6,165

  Year ending March 1992

  86,336

  50,183

  Year ending March 1993

  87,328

  49,463

  Half-year September 1993

  36,459

  23,241

  Quarter-year December 1993

  24,565

  15,217

  1 Opinions on availability are given by Adjudication Officers in the Employment Service on claims for Income Support.

  2 At the end of 1990 statistics ceased to be collected by calendar year and changed to a financial year, the quarter ending March 1991 is therefore shown as a separate quarter.

  131

  Totals of adjudication officers opinions and decisions and numbers of disqualifications on cases of refusal of employment, leaving employment voluntarily and premature termination of training

  Refusal of employment

  Leaving voluntarily

  Premature termination of training1

  All decisions

  Disqualification

  All decisions

  Disqualification

  All decisions

  Disqualification

  1984

  6,021

  1,150

  480,679

  288,120

  38,341

  25,591

  1985

  6,128

  2,039

  499,084

  306,588

  42,428

  29,389

  1986

  7,795

  2,677

  521,097

  323,001

  41,490

  29,057

  1987

  8,907

  2,906

  553,086

  342,761

  46,228

  28,421

  1988

  8,436

  3,035

  456,222

  278,019

  28,083

  18,004

  1989

  10,081

  3,786

  413,928

  235,890

  4,931

  3,132

  1990

  7,500

  3,415

  403,428

  231,053

  3,741

  2,243

  19912

  923

  415

  98,465

  53,495

  —

  —

  19923

  2,788

  1,143

  396,339

  203,168

  —

  —

  19933

  1,824

  685

  338,161

  168,567

  —

  —

  19934

  573

  191

  165,269

  81,059

  —

  —

  19935

  949

  476

  97,177

  48,339

  —

  —

  1 At the end of 1990 statistics for disqualifications of benefit due to premature termination of training, ceased to be collected separately and cannot therefore be shown.

  2 Quarter year March. At the end of 1990 statistics ceased to be collected by calendar year and changed to a financial year the quarter ending March 1991 is therefore shown as a separate quarter.

  3 Year ending March.

  4 Half year September.

  5 Quarter year December.

  SERPS
  Mr. Denham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what percentage of the population of working age in Britain is(a) currently contributing to the state earnings-related pension scheme or (b) currently opted-out of SERFS and is earning above the national insurance minimum contributions level.

  Mr. Hague
  [pursuant to his reply, 20 April 1993, c. 517]: During 1991–92—the latest date for which information is available—of the population of working age in Great Britain:

  a. 15.4 per cent. had earnings above the National Insurance Lower Earnings Level (LEL) and paid National Insurance Contributions to count towards the State Earnings Related Scheme (SERPS);

  b. 34.2 per cent. had earnings above the LEL and were contracted out of SERPS (including those who are members of an Appropriate Personal Pension Scheme);

  c. 3.0 per cent. had earnings above the LEL and had worked in both contracted in and contracted out employments.

  Source: 1 per cent. sample of the National Insurance Recording System and Office of Population Censuses and Surveys mid 1992 population estimates.

WALES

  Tirfounder Fields Development Site, Aberdare
  Mr. Temple-Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) if he will exercise his powers under part X of the Local Government, Planning and Land Act 1980 to direct the Cynon Valley borough council and the Mid Glamorgan county council to dispose of their interest in land required for access to the development site at Tirfounder Fields, Aberdare, owned by Landare Investments, subject to conditions that any purchaser shall provide appropriate means of public access to that development site;

  (2) if he will exercise his powers under part X of the Local Government, Planning and Land Act 1980 to direct the Cynon Valley borough council and the Mid Glamorgan county council to dispose of their interest in land required by Landare Investments for access to their development site at Tirfounder Fields, Aberdare, to Landare Investments.
  132
  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The Government's policy is to use the powers of direction under part X of the Local Government, Planning and Land Act 1980 in circumstances where land is being held by public bodies without good cause. I understand that both Mid Glamorgan county council and Cynon Valley borough council have agreed to dispose of the relevant land. In those circumstances, a direction would not be appropriate.

  Coastal Pollution (Genetic Abnormalities)
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has received during the past two months alleging that there is a danger of genetic abnormalities to babies associated with pollution of the coastline; what investigations the Welsh Office is making of this issue; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  Fourteen representations have been received during the past two months. The Office of Population, Censuses and Surveys has completed its analysis of the geographical pattern of limb reduction defects in England and Wales, the results of which were announced in the House on 20 April. Separately the steering committee of the small area health statistics unit, which is partially funded by the Welsh Office, is considering the feasibility of conducting a more detailed study into the geographical distribution of these defects.

  Training
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many people are currently engaged in publicly funded training in Wales(a) in total and (b) by training subject area; and if he will provide similar figures for each year since 1979.

  Mr. Redwood
  The total numbers engaged in publicly funded training since 31 March 1989 and in subsequent years are shown in table A. Comparable figures for years prior to 1989 are not available.

  An analysis of those in training by subject area for September 1992 and September 1993 is shown in table B. Comparable figures for years prior to 1992 are not available. Courses are available to meet training demand for 16 to 19-year-olds under the policy set out to Parliament.
  133

  Table A Wales in training

  Total

  March 1989

  37,340

  March 1990

  38,594

  March 1991

  26,604

  March 1992

  26,629

  Table B
  Wales in training by subject area

  September 1992

  September 1993

  Youth training Per cent.

  Employment training Per cent.

  Youth training Per cent.

  Training for work Per cent.

  Initial training

  2

  5

  13

  14

  Managers and Administrators

  >1

  1

  >1

  3

  Professional occupations

  >1

  >1

  >1

  2

  Assoc. Professional and Technical

  4

  6

  4

  4

  Clerical and Secretarial

  14

  29

  15

  25

  Craft and related occupations

  39

  31

  29

  30

  Personal and Protective Service OCCS

  13

  9

  13

  6

  Sales occupations

  7

  3

  9

  3

  Plant and Machine Operatives

  10

  6

  10

  8

  Other occupations

  10

  9

  6

  5

  Economic Inactivity
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the latest information he has on levels of economic inactivity in Wales.

  Mr. Redwood
  According to the autumn 1993 labour force survey the number of economically inactive persons in Wales was 969,000. This represents 42 per cent. of all persons aged 16 and over in private households, student halls of residence and NHS accommodation. Individuals are classified as economically inactive if they are neither in employment nor unemployed on the International Labour Office measure. This includes people staying at home to run the household.

  Environmental Protection
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement concerning progress made in environmental protection, listing advances in each of the counties in Wales in each year since 1992.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  A wide range of action has been taken since 1992 to protect the Welsh environment, including the expansion of designated areas, the implementation of new pollution controls on industry and vehicles, improved energy efficiency, enhanced protection for the built heritage, major investment to improve bathing water quality and, as recently announced, a refocusing of the trunk road programme. Further details are provided in the "Environment in Wales" series of reports published by the Welsh Office.

  Opencast Coal
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the outstanding planning applications for the opencasting of coal in Wales, county by county; and if he will make a statement.
  134

  Total

  March 1993

  25,883

  February 1994

  25,544

  Note: Figures for March 1994 are not yet available.

  Mr. Redwood
  This information is not collected centrally.

  Asthma
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what measures he has taken to limit the occurrence of asthma related to car exhaust emissions.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The Welsh Office is concerned about the rise in the incidence of asthma and is working with the other Health Departments to find the causes. This includes investigating the possibility that road traffic emissions are an important contributory cause. A sub-group of the Committee on Medical Effects of Air Pollutants is to undertake a major review of asthma and air pollution and will report later this year. A range of measures is being taken to reduce car exhaust emissions in Wales. In addition the air quality help line provides a public information service enabling asthmatics to take steps to reduce their exposure, should air pollution levels become high.

  Pupil Statistics
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish for each education authority in Wales, and for Wales as a whole, the number of(a) pupils in assisted places schemes in secondary schools, (b) pupils in secondary schools in total for each year since 1987, and (c) the number in (a) as a percentage of (b).

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  The assisted places scheme provides assistance to parents to enable their children to attend certain independent schools. The information requested is as follows:
  135

  Number of pupils on the Assisted Places Scheme (a)

  Number of pupils aged 11 and over in independent schools (b)

  Assisted pupils as a percentage of pupils aged 11 and over in independent schools

  Number of pupils in maintained secondary schools (c)

  Pupils on the Assisted Places Scheme as a percentage of all pupils

  1987–88

  Clwyd

  158

  1,712

  9·2

  29,160

  0·5

  Dyfed

  21

  489

  4·3

  24,173

  0·1

  Gwent

  209

  1,370

  15·3

  30,855

  0·6

  Gwynedd

  0

  734

  0·0

  17,486

  0·0

  Mid Glamorgan

  0

  357

  0·0

  39,940

  0·0

  Powys

  46

  502

  9·2

  8,314

  0·5

  South Glamorgan

  188

  1,611

  11·7

  27,777

  0·6

  West Glamorgan

  0

  484

  0·0

  24,274

  0·0

  WALES

  622

  7,259

  8·6

  201,979

  0·3

  1988–89

  Clwyd

  156

  1,681

  9·3

  27,875

  0·5

  Dyfed

  28

  523

  5·4

  23,940

  0·1

  Gwent

  204

  1,389

  14·7

  29,566

  0·7

  Gwynedd

  0

  763

  0·0

  16,581

  0·0

  Mid Glamorgan

  0

  359

  0·0

  38,017

  0·0

  Powys

  52

  518

  10·0

  8,079

  0·6

  South Glamorgan

  193

  1,601

  12·1

  27,063

  0·7

  West Glamorgan

  0

  421

  0·0

  23,434

  0·0

  WALES

  633

  7,255

  8·7

  194,555

  0·3

  1989–90

  Clwyd

  145

  1,691

  8·6

  26,963

  0·5

  Dyfed

  32

  540

  5·9

  23,422

  0·1

  Gwent

  206

  1,391

  14·8

  28,543

  0·7

  Gwynedd

  0

  723

  0·0

  15,743

  0·0

  Mid Glamorgan

  0

  342

  0·0

  36,670

  0·0

  Powys

  58

  543

  10·7

  7,909

  0·7

  South Glamorgan

  190

  1,713

  11·1

  26,142

  0·7

  West Glamorgan

  0

  366

  0·0

  22,766

  0·0

  WALES

  631

  7,309

  8·6

  188,158

  0·3

  1990–91

  Clwyd

  149

  1,656

  9·0

  26,759

  0·5

  Dyfed

  39

  554

  7·0

  23,527

  0·2

  Gwent

  201

  1,356

  14·8

  28,445

  0·7

  Gwynedd

  0

  683

  0·0

  15,474

  0·0

  Mid Glamorgan

  0

  346

  0·0

  36,368

  0·0

  Powys

  70

  530

  13·2

  7,829

  0·8

  South Glamorgan

  175

  1,687

  10·4

  26,244

  0·6

  West Glamorgan

  0

  343

  0·0

  22,846

  0·0

  WALES

  634

  7,155

  8·9

  187,492

  0·3

  1991–92

  Clwyd

  158

  1,595

  9·9

  27,212

  0·5

  Dyfed

  48

  509

  9·4

  24,225

  0·2

  Gwent

  221

  1,337

  16·5

  29,116

  0·7

  Gwynedd

  0

  680

  0·0

  15,532

  0·0

  Mid Glamorgan

  0

  358

  0·0

  37,263

  0·0

  Powys

  76

  532

  14·3

  7,889

  0·9

  South Glamorgan

  159

  1,700

  9·4

  26,919

  0·6

  West Glamorgan

  0

  317

  0·0

  23,104

  0·0

  WALES

  662

  7,028

  9·4

  191,260

  0·3

  1992–93

  Clwyd

  177

  1,349

  13·1

  27,711

  0·6

  Dyfed

  52

  551

  9·4

  24,463

  0·2

  Gwent

  219

  1,315

  16·7

  29,734

  0·7

  Gwynedd

  0

  713

  0·0

  15,620

  0·0

  Mid Glamorgan

  0

  306

  0·0

  38,198

  0·0

  Powys

  81

  509

  15·9

  7,979

  1·0

  South Glamorgan

  171

  1,617

  10·6

  27,601

  0·6

  West Glamorgan

  0

  280

  0·0

  23,449

  0·0

  WALES

  700

  6,640

  10·5

  194,755

  0·3

  (a) At September each year.

  (b) At January each year.

  (c) Includes number of pupils in LEA and Grant maintained secondary schools, and pupils aged 11 and over in special schools.
  136 137

  Secondary Schools
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish for each local education authority in Wales, and for Wales as a whole,(a) the number of grant-maintained secondary schools, the total public spending associated with them, and the average public spending per school, (b) the number of non-grantmaintained secondary schools, the total public spending

  Total public spending on secondary schools for 1992–93

  LEA area

  Status

  Total public spending

  Number of schools

  Spending per school

  Clwyd

  LEA maintained

  75,312,000

  32

  2,353,500

  Grant maintained1

  715,144

  1

  715,144

  All maintained

  76,027,144

  33

  2,303,853

  Dyfed

  LEA maintained

  63,592,000

  31

  2,051,355

  Grant maintained

  0

  0

  n/a

  All maintained

  63,592,000

  31

  2,051,355

  Gwent

  LEA maintained

  75,282,000

  31

  2,428,452

  Grant maintained2

  1,861,639

  2

  930,820

  All maintained

  77,143,639

  33

  2,337,686

  Gwynedd

  LEA maintained

  43,111,000

  23

  1,874,391

  Grant maintained

  0

  0

  n/a

  All maintained

  43,111,000

  23

  1,874,391

  Mid Glamorgan

  LEA maintained

  102,402,000

  42

  2,438,143

  Grant maintained

  0

  0

  n/a

  All maintained

  102,402,000

  42

  2,438,143

  Powys

  LEA maintained

  21,390,000

  13

  1,645,385

  Grant maintained

  0

  0

  n/a

  All maintained

  21,390,000

  13

  1,645,385

  South Glamorgan

  LEA maintained

  63,470,000

  27

  2,350,741

  Grant maintained

  0

  0

  n/a

  All maintained

  63,470,000

  27

  2,350,741

  West Glamorgan

  LEA maintained

  62,438,000

  26

  2,401,462

  Grant maintained

  2,652,015

  1

  2,652,015

  All maintained

  65,090,015

  27

  2,410,741

  Wales

  LEA maintained

  506,997,000

  225

  2,253,320

  Grant maintained1 2

  5,228,798

  4

  1,307,200

  All maintained

  512,225,798

  229

  2,236,794

  1 Includes a school that opted out on 1 January 1993. The funding for this school only relates to the period 1 January 1993 to 31 March 1993.

  2 Includes a school that opted out on 1 September 1992. The funding for this school only relates to the period 1 September 1992 to 31 March 1993.

  n/a=Not available.

  Notes

  The number of schools is taken from the January 1993 STATS 1.

  LEA expenditure comprises:

  Net current expenditure on secondary education.

  Gross capital expenditure on secondary education.

  Spending on schools under budget heads other than education is excluded.

  Expenditure on pupils at Grant Maintained schools is excluded.

  Grant Maintained school expenditure comprises:

  Annual maintenance grant.

  Special purposes grant.

  Transitional grant.

  Capital grant

  LEA expenditure on pupils at Grant Maintained schools.

  Revenue the school raises itself is excluded.

  The use of school reserves is excluded.

  Hospital Treatment
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish for each health authority in Wales and for Wales as a whole(a) the total number of people who have received hospital treatment requiring at least one
  138
  associated with them, and the average public spending per school and (c) the total number of secondary schools, the total public spending associated with them, and the average public spending per school.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  The most recent financial year for which data are available for both local education authority-maintained and grant-maintained schools is 1992–93. The information is given in the table:

  night's stay for the latest available 12-month period and (b) the total number of people awaiting hospital treatment for more than one year; and if he will express (b) as a percentage of (a).

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  Information which relates to in-patient cases and numbers waiting for treatment in Welsh hospitals is given in the following table.
  139

  Health authority area1

  (a) In-patient cases2

  (b) People waiting more than 1 year3

  (c) (b) as a percentage of (a)

  Clwyd

  73,272

  660

  0.9

  East Dyfed

  41,697

  334

  0.8

  Gwent

  74,742

  1,157

  1.5

  Gwynedd

  41,004

  367

  0.9

  Mid Glamorgan

  98,629

  1,030

  1.0

  Pembrokeshire

  17,446

  535

  3.1

  Powys

  9,070

  0

  0.0

  South Glamorgan

  82,741

  1,396

  1.7

  West Glamorgan

  70,023

  351

  0.5

  Wales

  508,624

  5,830

  1.1

  1 Figures are given according to the district health authority area in which hospitals are situated. NHS Trusts are included.

  2 In the year ending 30 September 1993.

  3 People who, at 30 September 1993, were on an in-patient waiting list in Wales and had been waiting for more than one year.

  Wheelchair Repairs
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the award of a contract to SERCO for wheelchair repairs within the NHS in Wales; and what representations he has received in relation to the award of this contract and its conformity with the tender advertised in relation to facilities management and the direct provision of the repair services.

  Mr. Redwood
  The Welsh Health Commons Services Authority is responsible for the management of the artificial limbs and appliance service in Wales and has awarded the contract for the repair of wheelchairs to SERCO.

  I have received no representations about the award of the contract.

  Cardiff Bay Barrage
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what consultations he has had with the Balfour Beatty Costain construction consortium and the chairman of the Cardiff Bay development corporation concerning a starting date for the construction of the Cardiff bay barrage and guarantees and indemnities relating thereto.

  Mr. Redwood
  None.

  Company Liquidations
  Dr. Marek
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much public money Deeside Colour Direct received by way of grant before it went into receivership; how much public money the successor company Patina Press Ltd. received before it went into receivership; and if he will list the individuals who were known to be directors of both companies.

  Mr. Redwood
  [holding answer 18 March 1994]: I have written to the hon. Member and will place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

  Crown Servants
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, pursuant to his answer of 20 April,Official Report, columns 577–80, how many of the Crown servants applying to become consultants were (a) to join existing consultants firms and (b) to become independent consultants; and what were the civil service grades involved.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  All applications were for permission to accept independent consultancy commissions. Applications to undertake consultancy work on behalf of an existing firm are not separately identified in central statistics and could be isolated only at disproportionate cost. The statistics cover civil service grades from grade 1 to higher executive officer, together with equivalent diplomatic service grades and armed forces ranks.

  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, pursuant to his answer of 20 April,Official Report, columns 577–80, what were the civil service grades involved of those Crown servants applying through the business appointments system.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  All grades from grade 1 to executive officer in the civil service and their diplomatic service equivalents. In addition, the statistics included members of ranks in the Royal Navy from admiral to lieutenant commander, in the Army from field marshal to major, and in the Royal Air Force from marshal of the Royal Air Force to flight lieutenant. The numbers of applications by each grade or rank could be obtained only at disproportionate expense.

  Market Testing
  Dr. Wright
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster which public services, or parts of public services, are not appropriate for market testing and contracting out; and what criteria are used in establishing these.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  The Government's approach is to consider each candidate activity carefully on its merits to determine whether market testing or contracting out would be appropriate at any given time. Criteria include likely improvement in value for money, ease of avoiding potential conflicts of interest, protection of national security, safeguards for confidentiality, strategic control over resource allocation and the need for effective policy formulation.

  Parliamentary Questions
  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether the provisions of the code of practice on access to government information regarding referral of refusal of information to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration will apply to hon. Members in respect of failure to provide information in response to parliamentary questions.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  Subject to the disproportionate cost rule, there is no question of withholding from Parliament information which would be available under the code of
  141
  practice on access to government information. However, neither the code nor the powers of investigation of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration apply to proceedings of Parliament and hon. Members have more direct means than the code of seeking information from Ministers.

  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster in what circumstances a member of the public will be able to obtain information under the code of practice on access to government information which has been refused in response to a question for written answer put down by an hon. Member.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  I am aware of only one set of circumstances. By long-standing convention, a Minister may decline to answer a parliamentary question if to do so would involve disproportionate cost. A member of the public might be able to obtain information refused on these grounds, provided that they were prepared to pay an appropriate charge, meeting the request did not involve an unreasonable diversion of resources and the material was not otherwise exempt from disclosure under part II of the code of practice.

  Private Security Firms
  Mr. George
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 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. David Davis
  During the past 10 years the Cabinet Office—including agencies, HMSO and the Central Office of Information—has employed private security firms as follows:

  Year

  Number of firms

  Annual cost (£)

  1984–85

  7

  215,954

  1985–86

  10

  311,040

  1986–87

  11

  388,829

  1987–88

  11

  395,098

  1988–89

  11

  460,082

  1989–90

  12

  484,816

  1990–91

  12

  632,433

  1991–92

  13

  722,195

  1992–93

  14

  847,528

  1993–94

  14

  875,873

  It is not possible to estimate how many guards have been employed for each of these years.

TRANSPORT

  Mr. Peter Gerosa
  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on what dates Mr. Peter Gerosa joined and left his Department; what position he held; and what were the circumstances of his departure.

  Mr. Norris
  Mr. Gerosa joined the civil service on 13 August 1945 as a clerk in the Foreign Office. He worked in various Departments, joining the Ministry of Transport as an assistant secretary on 16 May 1966. He worked in the Departments of Transport and of the Environment until he retired early on 31 October 1982.

  A66
  Mr. Devlin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when his Department last undertook a traffic study on the A66 between Scotch Corner and Penrith; and what were the conclusions.

  Mr. Key
  Traffic studies were undertaken on the A66 as part of the trans-Pennine study published on 23 September 1992. Scheme specific figures were collated for the now completed scheme at Bowes to county boundary, the Stainmore to Banksgate scheme currently under construction and the Temple Sowerby to Winderwarth improvement now in preparation.

  Commercial Drivers
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to introduce new regulations on the time commercial drivers may work and the use of tachographs.

  Mr. Key
  The European Commission is preparing proposals for an improved tachograph system to strengthen the control and enforcement of the EC drivers hours regulation. In the light of responses earlier this year to our letter of consultation, we are considering whether any changes are desirable in the domestic rules on driving hours and duty limits which apply to many passenger and goods vehicles exempted from the EC regulations on drivers' hours and tachographs.

  Railways
  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what powers he has to direct the Director of Franchising to include specific services within a shadow franchise or, subsequently, franchise contract.

  Mr. Freeman
  The Secretary of State has powers under section 5 of the Railways Act 1993 to give objectives, instructions and guidance to the Franchising Director with respect to the provision of passenger railway services in Great Britain. The Franchising Director is under a duty to exercise his functions under the Act, including those of designating services for franchising and of drawing up the terms of franchise agreements, in a manner which he considers best calculated to fulfil those objectives in accordance with the instructions and guidance.

  In the objectives, instructions and guidance he issued on 22 March, the Secretry of State instructed the Franchising Director that, for the initial letting of franchises, his specificaiton of minimum service levels for railway passenger services is to be based on that being provided by BR immediately before franchising, taking into account the existence of, and justification for, seasonal variations in service schedule.

SCOTLAND

  Radioactive Clothing (Dounreay)
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement as to how the clothing of a German visitor to the nuclear power station in Dounreay in March became radioactive; what was the cause of this incident; what was the cost of supplying alternative clothing; and on how many other occasions this has occurred.
  143
  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 15 Apri11994]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer my hon. Friend the Minister of State at the Department of Employment gave him on 13 April 1994, Official Report, column 190.

  Forestry Commission
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list by district, hectarage and location the Forestry Commission land sold in Scotland in each of the past five financial years where(a) access agreements have been concluded and (b) access agreements have not been concluded and the price of each piece per hectare.

  Sir Hector Monro
  [holding answer 22 April 1994]: Lists giving details of the areas of forest land sold in Scotland by calendar year to December 1993 are held in the Library of the House. The lists show the price paid where the purchaser has agreed that such information can be made public. Access agreements had not been concluded for any areas of land sold by the end of 1993. However, agreements had been concluded or were being negotiated in respect of 19 woodlands which were in the process of being sold and local authorities had expressed interest in negotiating agreements in 22 other areas.

  Greater Glasgow Health Board
  Mr. David Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the total number of employees of Greater Glasgow health board, broken down by categories and grades, at the end of each of the last five financial years.

  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 25 April 1994]: The latest available information is shown in a table which has been placed in the Library. Figures for 1989 for staff other than doctors and dentists are available only at disproportionate cost.

  Scottish Homes
  Mr. David Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with Scottish Homes regarding stock transfers; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 25 April 1994]: My right hon. Friend has issued guidance to Scottish Homes regarding the disposal of its stock. The arrangements in particular cases are for Scottish Homes to consider in terms of its published procedures. Transfers of stock require my right hon. Friend's approval and he will require to be satisfied that they represent value for money and that tenants' interests have been fully considered.

  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make it his policy to ensure that the transfer of Scottish Homes housing stock within the Wyndford area of Glasgow to Cube Housing Association will be completed by 12 May; and if he will also ensure that the tenants affected by the transfer will not be subjected to any additional increase in rents imposed by Scottish Homes on 15 May if such transfer is further delayed.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 25 April 1994]: Final proposals relating to the transfer of Scottish Homes' stock in Glasgow to Cube housing association were sent to the Scottish Office Environrnent Department on 6 April 1994. My right hon. Friend has
  144
  made it clear that he will not approve a transfer of Scottish Homes' stock unless he is satisfied that it represents value for money and that tenants rights and interests have been fully considered. A decision will be taken when those aspects have been considered fully and it would not be appropriate to constrain this consideration by prescribing a firm date by which the transfer should be completed. Decisions relating to the rent payable by the tenants concerned are entirely a matter for Scottish Homes.

  Coastal and Flood Defences
  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland in what circumstances local authorities may undertake work to protect private land or property from coastal erosion or flooding; and how such work is funded.

  Sir Hector Monro
  [holding answer 25 April 1994]: Regional and islands councils have wide powers under the Coast Protection Act 1949 to take such measures as they consider necessary to protect any land in their areas against erosion and encroachment by the sea. The councils also have powers to prevent or mitigate flooding of non-agricultural land under the Flood Prevention (Scotland) Act 1961. Those powers make no distinction as to ownership of the land concerned and it is for councils to consider each scheme on its merits. Grants are available to councils towards the eligible costs of coast protection or flood prevention schemes approved or confirmed by the Secretary of State.

  Police Complaints Authority
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what consideration he has given to the establishment of a Police Complaints Authority or similar body in Scotland; and what are his conclusions.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Following a review of the existing complaints procedures by Her Majesty's inspectorate of constabulary, published on 11 February 1993, my right hon. Friend concluded that a Police Complaints Authority would not be established for Scotland.

  Sheehy Inquiry
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland which representatives of the local authorities in Scotland he has met to discuss the Sheehy report; and when.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  My noble and learned Friend the Minister of State has met representatives of the three Scottish police associations collectively and separately to hear their views on the Sheehy report. Individual meetings took place on 19 August, 30 August and 9 September 1993. The associations also made their views known at meetings of the Police Advisory Board for Scotland, chaired by my noble and learned Friend, on 12 March, 9 July and 20 December 1993, and also at a meeting on 20 September 1993 between the United Kingdom police associations and Home Department Ministers. Later meetings have considered the legislative implementation of the Government's conclusions on the report.
  145
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many visits to Scotland and of what duration were made by each member of the Sheehy inquiry into the police.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The information requested is included in appendix I to the "Report of the Inquiry into Police Responsibility and Rewards" (In Cm 2280.11, June 1993).

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland which members of the Sheehy inquiry into the police have had experience or knowledge of life in Scotland or policing in Scotland; and what is that experience and knowledge.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The Government considered it important for the inquiry into police responsibilities and rewards to be conducted by a fully independent team with expertise in a number of disciplines. The team included Professor Sir Colin Campbell, Vice-Chancellor of the university of Nottingham, who was educated in Scotland, graduated in law and then lectured in law at Scottish universities.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland on what grounds he decided that the Sheehy inquiry should extend to Scotland.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Because the terms of reference of the inquiry were to examine the rank structure, remuneration and conditions of service of the police and these are issues which are treated on a United Kingdom basis.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland which representatives of the police he has met in Scotland to discuss the Sheehy report; and when.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  My noble and learned Friend the Minister of State met representatives of the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities on 11 August 1993. Members of the convention also attended meetings of the Police Advisory Board for Scotland, chaired by my noble and learned Friend, on 12 March, 9 July and on 20 December 1993, when the Sheehy report was discussed.

  Police
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the major ways in which police practices, control and discipline are specific to Scotland and the reasons for this.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  What matters is that arrangements in Scotland are right for Scottish circumstances; in some areas the resemblance to arrangements south of the border is closer than in others.

  Highlands (Tourism)
  Mr. Maclennan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many submissions he has received about the future structure of the tourist industry in the highlands; and what percentages favoured(a) a single highland area toursit board or (b) more than one highland area tourist board.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 20 April 1994]: All the options recommended to me by the
  146
  Scottish tourist board favoured a single ATB for the highlands. I received 16 unsolicited representations from organisations suggesting various alternative structures. I also received 86 similar representations from members of ATBs at the request of their boards. Two representations supported the STB advice.

  Dewe Rogerson
  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will define the role of Dewe Rogerson on behalf of his Department in relation to rail privatisation; and how much it has been paid to date.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The Scottish Office has had no contact with Dewe Rogerson in relation to rail privatisation.

  Job Creation
  Mr. Galbraith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many jobs have been created by each local enterprise company in(a) manufacturing and (b) services industry in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

  Mr. Stewart
  The local enterprise companies have not been in existence for five years. Information on the jobs that they have created during the period since they were established is not held centrally in the form requested. I have therefore asked the chairmen of Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise to respond direct to the hon. Member about this matter.

  Mink Farms
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether mink are currently present at Dundurn mink farm, St. Fillans, Perthshire.

  Sir Hector Monro
  No.

  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether mink are currently present at Deeside mink farm, Burnside, Maryculter, Aberdeen; and if he will give details of the last licence issued for this establishment.

  Sir Hector Monro
  No mink are present. A licence issued with effect from 1 January 1993 expired on 31 December 1993.

  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when Dundurn mink farm, St. Fillans was last licensed to keep mink.

  Sir Hector Monro
  April 1990.

  Homeless Households
  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many households have applied to local authorities as homeless each year since 1979.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The latest complete information on the number of households who have applied to local authorities as homeless is published in table 2 of the statistical bulletin HSG/1994/3, "Operation of the Homeless Persons Legislation in Scotland 1982–83 to 1992–93: District Analyses". Information for the previous years was published in table 1 of the statistical
  147
  bulletin HSG/1992/1, "Operation of the Homeless Persons Legislation in Scotland 1979–80 to 1990–91". These bulletins are available in the Library.

  Health Boards Budgets
  Mr. Chisholm
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is(a) the HIV and (b) drugs budget for each health board in Scotland.

  HIV-Care and Treatment

  HIV and AIDS Prevention

  HIV-Drugs-related

  Drug misuse

  Total

  Argyll and Clyde

  110,900

  284,384

  117,319

  107,800

  620,403

  Ayrshire and Arran

  61,600

  224,970

  245,900

  210,345

  742,815

  Borders

  64,400

  87,800

  7,600

  25,800

  185,600

  Dumfries and Galloway

  72,600

  116,300

  46,100

  39,000

  274,000

  Fife

  70,900

  236,260

  104,750

  77,250

  489,160

  Forth Valley

  151,600

  189,400

  139,000

  65,500

  545,500

  Grampian

  550,000

  404,000

  332,000

  111,000

  1,397,000

  Greater Glasgow

  2,388,000

  805,000

  1,412,000

  807,000

  5,412,000

  Highland

  81,700

  257,700

  0

  42,300

  381,700

  Lanark

  196,000

  404,000

  36,000

  118,000

  754,000

  Lothian

  4,253,865

  1,422,561

  1,589,568

  674,904

  27,940,898

  Orkney

  0

  28,000

  0

  5,500

  33,500

  Shetland

  2,500

  34,559

  4,500

  6,695

  48,254

  Tayside

  943,000

  824,000

  527,000

  273,000

  22,567,000

  Western Isles

  500

  52,500

  0

  10,000

  63,000

  State Hospital

  2,700

  27,100

  0

  0

  29,800

  8,950,265

  5,398,534

  4,561,737

  2,574,094

  21,484,630

  1600,000

  122,084,630

  1 The amounts shown may be supplemented in-year if required in the light of monitoring or emerging needs. A reserve of £600,000 will be available for this purpose.

  2 In the cases of Lothian and Tayside Health Boards action is being taken in the first six months of the financial year to specify clearly a number of services to be provided in respect of HIV/AIDS requirements. Initial agreements covering these services relate to the first six months; the notional annual figure shown is therefore subject to review within that period. Initial amounts of £5,857,000 for Lothian Health Board and £2,225,000 for Tayside Health Board have been allocated.

  Ambulance Services
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what percentages of ambulances in each service in Scotland responded within(a) eight minutes and (b) 14 to 20 minutes to emergency calls in 1993–94.

  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 25 April 19941: There is only one ambulance service for the whole of Scotland. The information is as follows:

  Responses

  Year

  0 to 8 minutes Per cent.

  14 to 20minutes Per cent.

  1993–94

  51

  96

  Local Government Reorganisation
  Mr. Ingram
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if all staff currently employed by new town development corporations will be included in the ring-fencing arrangements which will apply to the staff of local authorities at the time of the proposed reorganisation of local government in Scotland.

  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 25 April 1994]: No decision has been taken on whether there will be any ring-fencing arrangements for staff when local government is reorganised in Scotland.
  148
  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 22 April 1994]: The resources available to Scottish health boards and the state hospital for HIV/AIDS and drug misuse services in 1994–95 are set out in the table.

  Higher Education
  Mr. Rooker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the numbers and percentages of students in higher education undertaking two-year diploma courses and three and four-year degree courses in each of the past 10 years.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 25 April 1994]: The information readily available is in respect of 1992–93. The number and percentage of students in higher education in Scotland undertaking three and four-year degree courses, higher national diploma courses and other higher education is given in the table.

  Full-time undergraduate students

  Number

  Percentage

  Three-year degree

  16,499

  15

  Four-year degree

  57,604

  54

  Other degree (length not known)

  10,893

  10

  HND (two-year courses)

  12,244

  11

  Other qualification

  10,148

  9

  Total students in higher education

  107,388

  100

HEALTH

  Nursing Staff Deployment
  Mr. Robert Ainsworth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the redeployment of nursing staff from the acute to the community sector.
  149
  Mr. Sackville
  Changing patterns of health care are leading to the development of new roles and opportunities for nurses in the community. Government policy is that employers determine the work force they require and the training staff need.

  NHS Capital Programme
  Mr. Dunn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the NHS capital programme for the financial year 1993–94; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Sackville
  The value of the national health service capital programme for the financial year 1993–94 amounted to over £1.8 billion.

  This was the largest provision for capital in the history of the NHS.

  Mr. Ian Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate has been made of the change in the number of patients treated in NHS trusts since 1991; and what was the change in other hospitals over the same period.

  Mr. Sackville
  All hospitals are showing improved performance and trusts are at the leading edge. The growth in finished consultant episodes for general and acute specialties in national health service trusts for the latest year available, 1992–93 was 5.3 per cent. and the comparable figure for directly managed units was 3.6 per cent.

  Drugs Expenditure
  Mr. Jim Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action she plans to take to reduce expenditure on drugs in the national health service.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The Government have introduced a number of initiatives to encourage effective prescribing. Our aim is to reduce the rate of growth in the national health service drugs bill, while ensuring that people get the medicines they need.

  Mother and Child Health
  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how levels of maternal, perinatal and infant mortality, and of child health protection, have changed in the last 10 years.

  Mr. Sackville
  Infant, perinatal and maternal mortality rates are now the lowest levels ever recorded. We have placed a copy of tables showing the rates for the last 10 years for these definitions, and maternal mortality, in the Library.

  Incidences of childhood diseases are also at record low levels. Over 90 per cent. of all children are now immunised against the major childhood diseases.

  Junior Doctors (Hours of Duty)
  Mr. Nigel Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress is being made to reduce the hours of duty of junior doctors in the north west region.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Progress in implementing the new deal to reduce junior doctors' hours has been very encouraging in the north-west.
  150
  In the North West regional health authority area, posts contracted for more than 83 hours a week were eliminated by September 1993. By that date the number of hard-pressed on-call posts contracted for between 72 and 83 hours a week had fallen by 23 per cent. over the previous year. Our priority this year is to tackle these hard-pressed posts.

  Consumer Complaints
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the procedures for dealing with consumer complaints since the reorganisation of the health service.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  We will shortly publish for consultation the report of the independent committee we commissioned to review national health service complaints procedures within the United Kingdom.

  GP Fundholders, Suffolk
  Mr. Spring
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many general practitioner practices are now participating in the fundholding initiative in Suffolk; and what proportion of those eligible this represents in the county.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  There are 21 fundholding practices in Suffolk covering 36 per cent. of the population.

  Competitive Tendering
  Mr. David Martin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the total amount of savings she estimates to have been made as a result of competitive tendering of services in the national health service; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Sackville
  It is estimated that since the introduction of competitive tendering in 1983 the cumulative saving to the national health service has amounted to something in the order of £1 billion.

  Hospital Admissions
  Mr. Denham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the incidence of restrictions of hospital admissions to emergency cases only.

  Mr. Sackville
  Patients continue to receive high-quality treatment promptly. In the few instances when there have been restrictions alternative arrangements are made to ensure patients are treated appropriately.

  NHS Trusts, South Thames
  Mr. Congdon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of hospital and community health services in the South Thames region is now carried out by NHS trusts.

  Mr. Sackville
  From 1 April 1994 there are 61 national health service trusts providing hospital and community health services within the South Thames area, representing more than 90 per cent. of units.

  Ovarian Cancer
  Mrs. Angela Knight
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proposals she has to improve early diagnosis of ovarian cancer.
  151
  Mr. Sackville
  The Government fully recognise the need to find a proven method of diagnosing ovarian cancer early to offer the greatest chance of a cure. However, any screening method must demonstrate its acceptability and effectiveness in reducing mortality before introduction nationally. A number of research projects are seeking currently to find a method sensitive enough to detect ovarian cancer without the need for investigative surgery, but will require full evaluation before they can be considered for a national based screening programme.

  Special Transitional Grant
  Ms Rachel Squire
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations she has received regarding the requirement to spend 85 per cent. of the special transitional grant within the private or voluntary sector.

  Mr. Bowis
  The requirement is for at least 85 per cent. of the social security transfer element of the special transitional grant to be used on community care services provided by the independent sector. One hundred per cent. of this social security money was previously spent in the independent sector. We have received a number of representations from the independent sector, local authorities and others.

  Kidney Transplants
  Mr. Wells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many kidney transplants were carried out(a) in 1979 and (b) in the latest year for which figures are available.

  Mr. Sackville
  The number of kidney transplants performed in 1979 was 842; in 1993 the number had almost doubled to 1,576—provisional.

  (Figures provided by the United Kingdom Transplant Support Service Authority UKTSSA).

  Tobacco Advertising
  Ms Eagle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions she has had on banning all tobacco advertising from hoardings within 1 or 3 miles of schools; and if she will make a statement.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave earlier today.

  Guy's Hospital
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what notice she is taking of representations arguing against the reduction of beds or the closure of the accident and emergency department at Guy's hospital.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  All representations are given serious consideration. Proposals for changes in the disposition of services at the Guy's and St. Thomas's Hospital Trust will, in any case, be the subject of full public consultation.

  Morning-after Pill
  Mr. Khabra
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations she has received on making the morning-after pill available on request from a pharmacist; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Sackville
  None specifically about pharmacy provision. There have been 16 letters from the public about wider availability generally; two letters were in support and 14 opposed.

  Paramedics, London Ambulance Service
  Mr. Hayes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many paramedics are currently employed by the London ambulance service; and what the figure was five years ago.

  Mr. Sackville
  The London Ambulance Service currently has over 400 trained paramedics compared to only seven in 1989. This reflects the excellent progress which is being made on paramedic training.

  Radioactive Material
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether premises in which radiotherapy machines have been situated can be immediately re-used after the machinery has been removed; and what agency is responsible for the safety of sites and buildings during and after such removal.

  Mr. Sackville
  There is no reason why premises in which radiotherapy equipment has been situated should not be re-used immediately after its removal. There is no residual emission following decommissioning. National Health Service Estates, an executive agency of the Department of Health, has issued comprehensive building guidance covering most Departments. Regulatory aspects of building design and construction are enforced by the local building control authority; safety of sites during use is enforced by the Health and Safety Executive.

  NHS Supplies Authority
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what average percentage savings in purchasing costs were assessed by the firms retained by the National Health Service Supplies Authority or its divisions to benchmark prices as being achievable by the authority on the basis of the best available market price for a representative basket of items in comparison with prices paid or negotiated for the same items during the most recent period for which divisional data are available.

  Mr. Sackville
  For an annualised sample basket of 392 goods taken at March 1994 National Health Service Supplies' purchasing performance was 0.4 per cent. better than that achieved in the same period covered by the PI (UK) Ltd. analysis.

  Purchasing Authorities (Buildings)
  Ms Lynne
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much money has been spent(a) buying, (b) building, (c) leasing and (d) equipping buildings for purchasing authorities in each district health authority in each of the last two financial years for which figures are available.

  Mr. Sackville
  This information is not separately identifiable in the financial accounts of health authorities.

  Tuberculosis
  Mrs. Bridget Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information is held by her Department on the number of children infected by tuberculosis in(a) each of the London boroughs and (b) England.

  Mr. Sackville
  The latest available information is shown in the table.
  153

  Notified cases of tuberculosis for children (aged 0–16) in England and each London Borough, 1992.

  1992

  England

  855

  City of London

  —

  Batting and Dagenham

  1

  Barnet

  40

  Bexley

  3

  Brent

  19

  Bromley

  3

  Camden

  8

  Croydon

  6

  Ealing

  46

  Enfield

  2

  Greenwich

  4

  Hackney

  7

  Hammersmith and Fulham

  3

  Haringey

  8

  Harrow

  6

  Havering

  1

  Hillingdon

  6

  Hounslow

  10

  Islington

  5

  Kensington and Chelsea

  3

  Kingston upon Thames

  —

  Lambeth

  8

  Lewisham

  1

  Merton

  —

  Newham

  9

  Redbridge

  2

  Richmond upon Thames

  —

  Southwark

  9

  Sutton

  —

  Tower Hamlets

  27

  Waltham Forest

  1

  Wandsworth

  1

  City of Westminster

  19

  There are no cost improvement targets as such for RHAs, but in 1994–95, all RHAs are expected to produce a purchaser efficiency gain of 2.25 per cent.

  Region

  1993–94 Actual Allocations (at 1993–94 prices) (£,000's)

  1993–94 Revised Baseline (at 1993–94 prices) (£,000's)

  1994–95 Allocation (at 1993–94 prices) (£,000's)

  1994–95 Actual Allocations (at 1994–95 prices) (£,000's)

  (1)

  (2)

  (3)

  (4)

  (5)

  Northern

  1,159,723

  1,160,008

  1,172,223

  1,219,112

  Yorkshire

  1,334,886

  1,335,240

  1,352,246

  1,406,336

  Northern and Yorkshire

  2,494,609

  2,495,248

  2,524,469

  2,625,448

  Trent

  1,672,751

  1,673,336

  1,699,928

  1,767,925

  East Anglia

  704,794

  704,955

  719,684

  748,471

  Oxford

  794,779

  794,974

  810,645

  843,071

  Anglia and Oxford

  1,499,573

  1,499,929

  1,530,329

  1,591,542

  North West Thames

  1,320,749

  1,290,993

  1,300,159

  1,352,165

  North East Thames

  1,490,187

  1,490,742

  1,501,326

  1,561,379

  North Thames

  2,810,936

  2,781,735

  2,801,485

  2,913,544

  South East Thames

  1,439,276

  1,439,540

  1,461,366

  1,519,821

  South West Thames

  1,116,107

  1,110,509

  1,118,394

  1,163,130

  South Thames

  2,555,383

  2,550,049

  2,579,760

  2,682,951

  Wessex

  1,033,656

  1,067,848

  1,092,774

  1,136,485

  South Western

  1,185,708

  1,185,957

  1,204,946

  1,253,144

  South and West

  2,219,364

  2,253,805

  2,297,720

  2,389,629

  West Midlands

  1,855,142

  1,855,472

  1,884,765

  1,960,156

  Mersey

  890,032

  889,486

  896,948

  932,826

  North Western

  1,505,427

  1,505,798

  1,522,269

  1,583,160

  North West

  2,395,459

  2,395,284

  2,419,217

  2,515,986

  ENGLAND

  17,503,217

  17,504,858

  17,737,673

  18,447,181

  Notes:

  1. Column 2 is the initial 1993–94 recurrent allocation for resident population.
  154
  Mrs. Bridget Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children in(a) each of the London boroughs and (b) England leave school without having been vaccinated against tuberculosis.

  Mr. Sackville
  This information is not available centrally.

  Regional Health Authorities
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what were the allocations to each regional health authority for 1994–95; what assumptions in each case have been made about(a) cost uprating, (b) growth, (c) changes in capitation formulae and (d) cost improvement targets; and what were the allocations for 1993–94 on cash and standard price basis, making allowance for boundary changes where necessary.

  Mr. Sackville
  The table gives the information for the former 14 regional health authorities.

  With effect from 1 April 1994, the number of regional health authorities has been reduced to eight. For regions which have been merged without boundary changes, the 1994–95 allocations for the new regions are as indicated in the table.

  Adjustments for boundary changes are required between: Northern and Yorkshire and North West, for the transfer of South Cumbria health authority to North West; and North Thames and Anglian and Oxford, for the transfer of Bedfordshire health authority and Bedfordshire family health services authority to Anglia and Oxford. The required adjustments are being evaluated by the regions concerned and are not reflected in the table.

  No changes were made between 1993–94 and 1994–95 to the capitation formula used to inform allocations to RHAs.
  155
  2. Column 3 is the revised 1993–94 recurrent allocation used as the baseline for calculating 1994–95 allocations. It includes the effects of inter-authority transfers.

  3. Column 4 is the initial 1994–95 recurrent allocation for resident population after distribution between regions of the 1.33 per cent. real terms growth for England as a whole.

  4. Column 5 is the initial 1994–95 recurrent allocation for resident population after a 4 per cent. cash uplift reflecting the forecast increase in the GDP deflator.

  5. The table reflects the initial recurrent allocations for resident population. Other sums for specific purposes are added during the year.

  Patient Data
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to take over ownership of data on patients in general practice; and who currently owns the written data held on patients in general practice.

  Mr. Sackville
  Ownership of records on patients, maintained by general practitioners in accordance with their terms of service, is vested in family health services authorities and we have no plans to change that.

  Safe Sex Guide
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to publish a guide to safe sexual practices for 16-year-olds and above.

  Mr. Sackville
  There is already a wide range of material available throughout the statutory and voluntary sectors containing information about safer sexual practices for 16-year-olds and above.

  Child Abuse
  Mr. Devlin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will give estimates of the likely prevalence of(a) child sex abuse and (b) child physical abuse; and if she will make a statement about such estimates.

  Mr. Bowis
  The Department does not collect information from which the prevalence of these activities can be estimated. Information available centrally relates to the number of children placed on a child protection register because of a concern about harm or likelihood of harm. Of those on a register at 31 March 1993, concern about sexual abuse was recorded for 8,300 children and physical injury for 11,900.

  Home Helps
  Mrs. Bridget Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what are the levels of charges imposed by local authorities in England and Wales on persons not in receipt of income-related benefits for home helps.

  Mr. Bowis
  There is no requirement on local authorities to inform the Department of such charges.

  GP Computer Costs
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to reimburse computer costs to general practitioners for provision of data for public health purposes.

  Mr. Sackville
  General practitioners are currently eligible to claim reimbursement of computer costs irrespective of whether they provide such data.

  "Pocket Guide to Sex"
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what plans she has to publish those sections of the "Pocket Guide to Sex" containing information on 156
  contraception, avoiding unwanted pregnancies, safer sexual practices and avoiding AIDS and sexually-transmitted diseases;

  (2) what is her policy on allowing the publication of the "Pocket Guide to Sex" by another publisher.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  These are matters for the Health Education Authority.

  Departmental Publications
  Mr. Rowe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health for how many regular publications she was responsible in 1993–94; what was their circulation; and how many were obtainable by subscription.

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

  Nurses
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to investigate race and sex discrimination in the selection of people applying for basic nurse training or in the promotion of nurses.

  Mr. Sackville
  Responsibility for selection of candidates for basic nurse training rests with the institutions where nurse training is undertaken.

  National health service trusts and health authorities have been set specific goals in the Opportunity 2000 programme and the programme of action for ethnic minority staff in the NHS to promote equality of opportunity for women and ethnic minority staff in the NHS.

  Consultant Medical Staff
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the cost to the NHS of consultant medical staff on paid suspension in 1992–93.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Such costs are for employing authorities.

  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS consultant medical staff have been on paid suspension from duty for more than 12 months as at 1 January.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Decisions on disciplinary action for consultant medical staff rest with the employing authority or trust. This includes whether to suspend a practitioner.

  Interception of Communication Devices
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many instances of the use of interception of communication devices on NHS premises there have been in each of the last 10 years.

  Mr. Sackville
  The information is not available centrally.

  Genetic Engineering
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action she has now taken as a result of the Nuffield Council on Bioethics' report on genetic engineering.

  Mr. Sackville
  I wrote to the hon. Member on 25 February 1994 concerning this matter and assured him that the Department of Health will keep in touch with patients' organisations and other Government Departments as genetic screening develops. A copy of my letter is available in the Library.

  Hospital Treatment
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will publish for each health authority in England and for England as a whole(a) the total number of people who have received hospital treatment requiring at least one night's stay for the latest available 12-month period and (b) the total number of people awaiting hospital treatment for more than one year; and if she will express (b) as a percentage of (a).

  Mr. Sackville
  The latest information on the number of finished consultant episodes for each health authority is

  Number of GPs at 1 October 1992

  Number of patients at 1 October 1992

  Total General Medical Service expenditure 1992–93

  General Medical Service expenditure per GP 1992–93

  Inner London

  2,037

  4,197,519

  £209,142,060

  £101,672

  Outer London

  1,429

  2,967,746

  £138,060,429

  £96,613

  Rest of England

  22,502

  42,737,046

  £2,076,257,152

  £92,270

  GP numbers have been increasing steadily over the last three years. Extra resources for primary care are an important part of the "Making London Better" initiative to improve health care in the Capital.

  Laundry Services
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what is the policy of the Midlands Laundry Group on selling off the Birmingham and Coventry NHS laundry service;

  (2) what consultations she has had with the West Midlands health authority regarding the Coopers and Lybrand report; and if she will make a statement on its recommendations;

  (3) if she will make a statement regarding the future of the west midlands laundry service, with particular regard to the effects on the needs of the patients.

  Mr. Sackville
  No consultations have taken place regarding the Coopers and Lybrand report. These are matters for South Birmingham, North Birmingham and Coventry district health authorities. The hon. Member may wish to contact Mr. Brian Stoten, Dr. M. D. Skillicorn and Mr. Gary Reay, the chairmen of the authorities, for details.

  West Midlands Health Authority
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what discussions she has had with the West Midlands health authority regarding proposals for a management buy-out;
  158
  shown in "Ordinary and day case admissions for England 1992–93". Information on the total number of people waiting more than one year for hospital in-patient or day case treatment at 30 September 1993 is shown in "Hospital Waiting List Statistics: England". Copies of both publications are available in the Library.

  General Practitioners
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many GP doctors there are per patient in(a) inner London, (b) outer London and (c) the rest of the country and at what cost; and if she will make a statement.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  At 1 October 1993, there were:

  2,018 patients for every unrestricted general practitioner in Inner London;

  2,065 patients for every unrestricted general practitioner in outer London;

  1,881 patients for every unrestricted general practitioner in the rest of the country.

  The latest information available on costs is drawn from the 1992–93 family health services authority accounts, and cost per GP has therefore been calculated using numbers of GPs at 1 October 1992.

  (2) what representations she has received from the employees of the west midlands health authority, members of the public, or other organisations regarding the proposals for privatisation of the laundry service.

  Mr. Sackville
  None.

  First Aid Training
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations she has received regarding the provision of first aid training for staff employed in residential care or nursing homes.

  Mr. Bowis
  None, other than one from the hon. Member.

  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what basic first aid training is required for care staff employed in residential care homes.

  Mr. Bowis
  Persons registered in respect of residential care homes for four or more residents are required to take adequate precautions against the risk of accidents, including the training of staff in first aid.

  Nursing Homes (Deaths)
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what steps she takes to monitor and act upon recommendations of coroner inquests into the circumstances of deaths of people in residential care or nursing homes;

  (2) what steps she takes to monitor the number of accidental deaths of residents of residential care or nursing homes.
  159
  Mr. Bowis
  It is the responsibility of local authorities or health authorities to carry out any monitoring of deaths of residents in residential care or nursing homes. They should ensure that the appropriate lessons are learnt and action is taken, including responding to any recommendations by coroners.

  AIDS
  Mr. Dowd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much each local authority has bid for AIDS support grant for 1994–95; and how much they were awarded.

  Mr. Sackville
  For 1994–95, local authorities were invited to submit expenditure plans against indicative allocations of AIDS support grant. These allocations were based on confidential information supplied to the Department by the Public Health Laboratory Service on the distribution of AIDS cases by local authority area, and were issued in circular LAC(94)3, copies of which are available in the Library.

  Where this formula would mean a reduction in grant in 1994–95, local authorities were advised that there might, in exceptional circumstances, be some scope to adjust allocations on a transitional basis and that applications for additional grant could be made. Decisions on these additional allocations have not yet been made.

  Registered Homes
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer of 30 March,Official Report, column 899, what use is made of the information provided in the regular returns from registration and inspection units under the Registered Homes Act 1984; if she will place this information in the Library; and if she will place in the Library the national list of cancelled registrations.

  Mr. Bowis
  The statistical returns on registration under part II of the Registered Homes Act 1984 are the only source of official information on the numbers of beds in private nursing homes and hospitals. They are used widely both inside and outside the Departments to inform policy and planning. They are published annually as "Private Hospitals, Homes and Clinics Registered Under Section 23 of the Registered Homes Act 1984". Copies are placed in the Library annually.

  The national list of cancelled regisrations is a confidential document made available only to health authorities and local authority social services departments. The Department's registration under the Data Protection Act precludes placing this document in the Library.

  ANGOLA
  ANGOLA
  ALBANIA
  ALBANIA
  FOREIGN AFFAIRS COUNCIL, 18 AND 19 APRIL
  FOREIGN AFFAIRS COUNCIL, 18 AND 19 APRIL
  PRISONERS AND BENEFIT CLAIMS
  PRISONERS AND BENEFIT CLAIMS
  CHILD SUPPORT ASSESSMENTS AND ARMED FORCES MEMBERS ON ACTIVE SERVICE
  CHILD SUPPORT ASSESSMENTS AND ARMED FORCES MEMBERS ON ACTIVE SERVICE
  EC COHESION FUND ALLOCATIONS
  EC COHESION FUND ALLOCATIONS
  EC STRUCTURAL FUNDS ALLOCATIONS
  EC STRUCTURAL FUNDS ALLOCATIONS
  EC STRUCTURAL AND COHESION FUNDS: UK CONTRIBUTION
  EC STRUCTURAL AND COHESION FUNDS: UK CONTRIBUTION
  SCOTLAND AND NORTHERN IRELAND: PRISONER RECORD SYSTEMS
  SCOTLAND AND NORTHERN IRELAND: PRISONER RECORD SYSTEMS
  NHS SUPPLIES AUTHORITY AND NATIONAL BLOOD AUTHORITY: CHAIRMAN'S APPOINTMENTS
  NHS SUPPLIES AUTHORITY AND NATIONAL BLOOD AUTHORITY: CHAIRMAN'S APPOINTMENTS