Written Answers of 29 April 1994

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

  Wessex Regional Health Authority
  Mr. Spellar
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what were the costs to the public purse of the abandoned case at Winchester Crown court in respect of conspiracy to defraud Wessex regional health authority.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  I am not able to state the amount of the costs to the public purse as a re-trial was ordered by the trial judge and accurate figures will not be available until the case has been concluded and the bills of costs determined. In any event, not all these costs will have been wasted, as much of the preparation work by solicitors and counsel will not need repeating.

  Hague Conference on Private International Law
  Mr. Mudie
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list the 1993–94 expenditure on the permanent bureau of the Hague Conference on Private International Law; and how many staff are employed and paid under this expenditure vote.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The United Kingdom's expenditure on the permanent bureau of the Hague Conference in 1993–94 amounted in total to £55,931·03—Dfl. 158,115.73. This amount was paid as a lump sum contribution in August 1993 and represents the United Kingdom's contribution towards the permanent bureau's total budget of Dfl. 2,317,418 for 1993–94.

  There are currently 12 permanent staff employed by the bureau. The latest available figures show that the total salary bill for the financial year 1 July 1992 to 30 June 1993 was Dfl. 1,452,348.

  Juvenile Court Magistrates Panels
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many(a) men and (b) women from an ethnic community were members of a juvenile court magistrates' panel for courts covering the Greater London area as of 20 April.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  Information is available only in respect of the Inner London Commission area in which there are currently 10 men and nine women from the ethnic minority community sitting as members of the youth court panel, formerly the juvenile court panel.

  Civil Enforcement Agencies
  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what analysis has been reached by his Department of the responses received to the consultation paper on the organisation and management of civil enforcement agents.
  332
  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The response to the public consultation was positive; the vast majority of consultees were pleased that the issues had been raised and agreed that the law should be simplified and procedural changes made to rule out abuses which might occur under the present system. A wide variety of views were received on the options set out in the consultation paper. The options are still being considered by the Lord Chancellor who will want to discuss his proposals with Government colleagues before making any further announcements.

  Legal Aid
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will introduce a limitation on the amount of legal aid available to persons accused of fraud.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  I am examining the provision of criminal legal aid as a whole as part of the fundamental review of my Department's expenditure currently under way. But any changes that may be made will need to take account of the presumption of innocence.

  Mr. David Shaw
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what are the final expenditure figures for legal aid for 1993–94; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  Final figures are not yet available. However, provisional outturn figures show that the net cost of legal aid in 1993–94 was £1,210 million compared to a provision of £1,283 million. This represents an increase of £117 million on the previous year. Of the £73 million underspend against provision in 1993–94, £39 million related to criminal legal aid where the number of bills paid fell short of expectations, reflecting the fall in business in the criminal courts. Most of the remaining shortfall, £27 million, related to civil legal aid.

  Payments to the legal aid fund, particularly in respect of costs and damages recovered, amounted to £21 million more than anticipated, which we believe is mainly because of speedier settlements resulting from the transfer of business from the High Court to the county court following from the civil justice review. In addition, the number of civil bills paid were some 3 per cent. lower than expected, resulting in a reduction in expenditure of around £6 million. The remainder of the shortfall was due to green form expenditure being some 2 per cent. lower than estimated and the number of assistance by way of representation bills being some 30 per cent. lower than expected, resulting in shortfalls in expenditure of £3 million and £4 million respectively.

  Executive Agencies
  Mr. David Shaw
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what are the key performance targets for Her Majesty's Land Registry and the Public Record Office executive agencies for 1994–95.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The tables set out the key performance targets that the Lord Chancellor has set for Her Majesty's Land Registry and for the Public Record Office.
  333

  Her Majesty's Land Registry Executive Agency Key performance targets 1994–95

  Indicator

  Target

  1. Financial

  Return on average capital employed:

  6 per cent.

  External Financing Limit:

  0 per cent.

  2. Efficiency

  Progressive reduction in unit costs in real terms:

  To achieve at least 2 per cent. reduction in the year.

  3. Productivity

  Progressive increase in output per post:

  To achieve at least 2 per cent. increase in the year.

  4. Speed of service

  Percentage of pre-completion applications handled in 3 days:

  No less than 98 per cent.

  Average handling time for post-completion applications:

  Where no requisitions arise, no more than 5 weeks.

  5. Quality of service

  Percentage of pre-completion applications handled free of error:

  No less than 99·75 per cent.

  Percentage of post-completion applications handled free of error:

  No less than 97·70 per cent.

  6. Development of Land Registration

  Number of computerised registers:

  To increase the number of registered titles in computerised format to 10·50 million.

  Note

  Fuller details of the Registry's performance targets are given in its "Business Plan", which is available from Her Majesty's Land Registry.

  Public Record Office Executive Agency Key performance targets 1994–95

  Indicator

  Target

  1. Efficiency

  Indicator: Unit cost of selecting and accessioning records

  To decrease the unit cost of selecting and accessioning records by 3 per cent.

  Indicator: Unit costs of providing record storage space, document productions and reader services

  To reduce the unit cost of providing records storage space by 1 per cent.

  To decrease the cost per document produced to readers by 4 per cent.

  To increase the reader service costs per reader visit (Census microfilms) by no more than 2 per cent.

  To decrease the reader service costs per reader visit (other records) by 2 per cent.

  Backlog of records awaiting review:

  To identify and quantify the backlog in two departments.

  To reduce the known backlog of records over 30 years old which have not been processed, by 1,500 feet (current known backlog 5,500 feet).

  Storage of records:

  81 per cent. of records to be stored to an acceptable standard (standard as recommended in BS5454).

  2. Quality of service

  Reader satisfaction:

  87 per cent. of reader satisfaction survey forms returned to have an overall assessment of "good", or better.

  334 335

  Indicator

  Target

  Response times for answering correspondence:

  To send replies to letters requiring a response by stock letter within one week.

  To send replies to other letters to Reader Services and
  Reprographic, Publishing and Publicity Departments (including
  those requiring estimates for copies) within three weeks.

  Document production times:

  To make documents (excluding documents produced on microform, or stored at Hayes, or requiring special handling)available to readers within the following maximum times:

  Kew: 35 minutes

  Chancery Lane: 40 minutes

  Note:

  Fuller details of the Office's performance targets are given in its "Business Plan", which is available from the Public Record Office.

PRIME MINISTER

  D-day Commemoration
  Mr. Mandelson
  To ask the Prime Minister what was the involvement of the Cabinet Office in the appointment of Lowe Bell Communications as consultants to the D-day Commemoration.

  The Prime Minister
  None.

  Drugs
  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his oral answer to the hon. Member for Heywood and Middleton (Mr. Callaghan) of 26 April, at column 101, concerning the actions and plans of Her Majesty's Government to fight drug addiction and related crime, what powers the Government possess to stop and search all cargo or persons wishing to enter the United Kingdom.

  The Prime Minister
  Her Majesty's Customs and Excise has powers to stop and search persons, vessels, aircraft, vehicles and their cargo, wishing to enter the United Kingdom, in respect of prohibited goods, including drugs and firearms. As a contribution to the fight against drug addiction and related crime, Customs uses these powers to combat the smuggling of prohibited goods.

  War Widows
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Prime Minister what representations were made to him by the Royal British Legion to receive a deputation of war widows to discuss the Government's decision to reverse a decision of the High Court by amending the Service Pensions Order to restrict the pension entitlement of widows or ex-service men; what reply he made; and if he will make a statement.

  The Prime Minister
  [holding answer 28 April 1994]: As far as I am aware, none.

  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Prime Minister what direct consultations Ministers had with(a) the Royal British Legion and (b) the Normandy Veterans Association about the Government's decision to reverse a decision of the High Court by amending the Service Pensions Order to
  336
  restrict the pension entitlement of ex-service personnel and war widows; and if he will now himself directly consult the two organisations on the Government's decision.

  The Prime Minister
  [holding answer 28 April 1994]: The customary mechanism for consultation on proposed changes to war pensions legislation is through the statutory Central Advisory Committee on War Pensions. The committee includes representatives of several ex-service organisations, including two members each from the Royal British Legion and the Royal British Legion (Scotland).

  The Minister with special responsibility for war pensions at the Department of Social Security, my noble Friend, Lord Astor, consulted the committee on the recent proposals to amend legislation following a decision of the High Court which suggested that the law did not clearly reflect long-standing policy. We always consider, as we did on this occasion, any other points made by any individual or organisation.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Parliamentary Boundaries
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many(a) members of the public and (b) organisations have sought a reference back to the boundary commission's revised proposals for South Yorkshire in respect of the boundaries for Barnsley, East and Mexborough, and Don Valley constituencies; and on what date he hopes a decision will be announced.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  I understand that the parliamentary boundary commission for England has received representations concerning the revised recommendations for South Yorkshire in respect of the boundaries for Barnsley, East and Mexborough, and Don Valley constituences from 144 members of the public and from 17 organisations. These were evenly divided between representations in support of the commission's revised recommendations and those which objected to them. A further 1,249 signatures were put to petitions relating to the recommendations. A news release announcing a decision in respect of the boundaries of the Barnsley, East and Mexborough, and Don Valley constituencies will be issued in May 1994.

  EC Fraud Investigations
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures he is taking to ensure that investigations into fraud in the EC are made immediately and publicly and that individuals are brought to account.

  Mr. Maclean
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply that my right hon. and learned Friend gave on 4 March 1994 to a question from my hon. and learned Friend the Member for Burton (Sir I. Lawrence) at column 934.

  Murder
  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, (1) pursuant to his oral answer to the hon. Member for Welwyn Hatfield (Mr. Evans) of 21 April,Official Report, column 1034, if he will list any family relationship of the victims of the first and second murder to the murderer;

  (2) how many convicted murderers released from prison since 1979 killed again; and if he will list the nature of the second conviction and any family relationship of the victims of the first murder and the second killing to the offender.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Nine murderers released from prison on life licence since 1979 have been convicted of a further killing. Seven were convicted of murder on the second occasion and two of manslaughter. Another murderer released on life licence committed suicide while awaiting trial for a second murder.

  In the cases of the seven double murderers, there were four where none of the victims were related to the offender. In one case, the victims of the first and second murders were members of the offender's family, his wife and sister respectively. In one case, the victim of the first murder was the father of the offender. In the remaining case, the victim of the second murder was the female partner of the offender.

  The two released murderers convicted of manslaughter killed people unrelated to them.

  Circus Animals
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will seek a report into the transportation and general treatment of circus animals; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  Circus animals are protected against unnecessary suffering by the Protection of Animals Act 1911, and by the Welfare of Animals During Transport Order 1992 and other legislation governing the importation and transport of animals. Additionally, the Performing Animals (Regulation) Act 1925 provides for the registration of trainers and the inspection of premises by local authorities. I have received no evidence to suggest that these provisions provide inadequate safeguards for circus animals.

  Physical Restraints
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the prisons in England and Wales at which physical restraints have been used on(a) men and (b) women inmates and the number of times such restraints were used in each establishment during 1993.
  338
  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 A. J. Butler to Mr. Tom Cox, dated 29 April 1994:
  The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question asking if he will list the prisons in England and Wales at which physical restraints have been used on (a) men and (b) women inmates and the number of times such restraints were used in each establishment during 1993.
  The number of applications of restraints under Rule 46 of the Prison Rules 1964 and Rule 49 of the Young Offender Institution Rules 1988 are given in the attached table.
  The figures do not cover the use of restraints whilst prisoners are being escorted between Prison Service establishments, or between cells or to the governor's office within an establishment.

  Restraints1 applied to violent or refractory inmates of Prison Service establishments in England and Wales By establishment, 19932

  Number of applications

  Establishment and type

  Male

  Female

  Local prisons/remand centres

  Bristol

  4

  —

  Dorchester

  1

  —

  Highdown

  3

  —

  Holme House

  1

  —

  Hull

  6

  —

  Lincoln

  3

  —

  Liverpool

  13

  —

  Pentonville

  10

  —

  Portland

  6

  —

  Preston

  1

  —

  Reading

  1

  —

  Rochester

  2

  —

  Shrewsbury

  2

  —

  Swansea

  1

  —

  Woodhill

  6

  —

  Wormwood Scrubs

  5

  —

  Training prisons

  Acklington

  4

  —

  Camp Hill

  1

  —

  Cookham Wood

  —

  1

  Downview

  1

  —

  Elmley

  2

  —

  Featherstone

  2

  —

  Full Sutton

  4

  —

  Garth

  1

  —

  Highpoint

  2

  —

  Long Lartin

  2

  —

  Maidstone

  4

  —

  Norwich

  2

  —

  Nottingham

  1

  —

  Risley

  1

  —

  Shepton Mallet

  1

  —

  Swaleside

  5

  —

  Wakefield

  1

  —

  Wayland

  2

  —

  Whitemoor

  3

  —

  Winchester

  3

  —

  Closed YOI

  Feltham

  2

  —

  Wetherby

  1

  —

  TOTAL

  110

  1

  1 Loose canvas jacket, body belt, handcuffs, ankle straps and leather wrist straps.

  2 Provisional figures.

  Prison Deaths
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list all deaths that have occurred in 1992 and, if available, in 1993, of persons detained in prison department establishments, stating in each case the age and sex of the inmates and cause of death, the inquest verdict, whether the inmate was sentenced or on remand, the establishment where the inmate was detained, whether death occurred there or in an outside hospital and, where the death occurred within the prison, whether the inmate was segregated either in the hospital wing or in the punishment block.

  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 A. J. Butler to Mr. Harry Cohen, dated
  29 April 1994:
  The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question about deaths in Prison Service custody in England and Wales.
  Some of the information which you have requested is not held centrally and could not be obtained except at a disproportionate cost. The information that is available on self inflicted deaths in 1992 and 1993 is set out in the table. In each case the cause of death was hanging. We are also gathering together information on other deaths, including those from natural causes. I shall let you have this information as soon as it is available and also arrange for it to be published in the Official Report.

  Self inflicted deaths 1992–93

  Age

  Sex

  Verdict

  Sentence

  Establishment

  1992

  30

  Male

  Killed self

  Sentenced

  Hull

  40

  Male

  suicide

  Remand

  Bristol

  34

  Male

  Open

  Sentenced

  Dorchester

  21

  Male

  Suicide

  Remand

  Durham

  18

  Male

  Open

  Remand

  Feltham

  20

  Male

  Suicide

  Remand

  Glen Parva

  36

  Male

  Open

  Remand

  Pentonville

  20

  Male

  Suicide

  Remand

  Feltham

  25

  Male

  Killed self

  Remand

  Pentonville

  24

  Male

  Killed self

  Sentenced

  Norwich

  23

  Male

  Open

  Sentenced

  Stafford

  38

  Male

  Killed self

  Sentenced

  Wakefield

  16

  Male

  Suicide

  Sentenced

  Deerbolt

  22

  Male

  Suicide

  Remand

  Liverpool

  33

  Male

  Suicide

  Remand

  Pentonville

  23

  Male

  Killed self

  Remand

  Hull

  21

  Male

  Accident

  Remand

  Leeds

  23

  Male

  Misadventure

  Remand

  Lewes

  30

  Male

  Misadventure

  Sentenced

  Swaleside

  20

  Female

  Misadventure

  Sentenced

  Styal

  24

  Male

  Killed self

  Remand

  Birmingham

  19

  Male

  Open

  Remand

  Brinsford

  47

  Male

  Suicide

  Sentenced

  Wellingboro'

  21

  Male

  Suicide

  Sentenced

  Ashwell

  18

  Male

  Suicide

  Sentenced

  Hindley

  40

  Male

  Suicide

  Remand

  Elmley

  30

  Female

  Misadventure

  Sentenced

  Holloway

  21

  Male

  Misadventure

  Remand

  Pentonville

  37

  Male

  Suicide

  Sentenced

  Maidstone

  32

  Male

  Suicide

  Sentenced

  Norwich

  25

  Male

  Suicide

  Convicted but unsentenced

  Durham

  51

  Male

  Suicide

  Sentenced

  Gartree

  43

  Male

  Open

  Sentenced

  Parkhurst

  30

  Male

  Suicide

  Sentenced

  Ashwell

  25

  Male

  Suicide

  Sentenced

  Long Lartin

  22

  Male

  Killed self

  Remand

  Leeds

  28

  Male

  Suicide

  Remand

  Leicester

  27

  Male

  Suicide

  Remand

  Brixton

  21

  Male

  Open

  Sentenced

  Littlehey

  340

  Age

  Sex

  Verdict

  Sentence

  Establishment

  41

  Male

  Open

  Remand

  Wormwood Scrubs

  28

  Male

  Suicide

  Remand

  Bullingdon

  1993

  27

  Male

  Open

  Remand

  Highdown

  26

  Male

  Suicide

  Remand

  Leicester

  36

  Male

  Suicide

  Remand

  Canterbury

  37

  Male

  Suicide

  Sentenced

  Durham

  20

  Male

  Suicide

  Sentenced

  Wetherby

  41

  Male

  Suicide

  Sentenced

  Hull

  26

  Male

  Open

  Convicted but unsentenced

  Winchester

  27

  Male

  Open

  Convicted but unsentenced

  Brixton

  19

  Male

  Open

  Sentenced

  Hindley

  23

  Male

  Suicide

  Remand

  Manchester

  26

  Male

  Suicide

  Remand

  Leicester

  43

  Male

  Suicide

  Remand

  Leeds

  24

  Male

  Suicide

  Convicted but unsentenced

  Lindholme

  37

  Male

  Suicide

  Sentenced

  Bristol

  48

  Male

  Suicide

  Remand

  Wakefield

  29

  Male

  Misadventure

  Sentenced

  Exeter

  25

  Male

  Suicide

  Remand

  Belmarsh

  25

  Male

  Suicide

  Sentenced

  Leicester

  23

  Male

  Suicide

  Convicted but unsentenced

  Leeds

  36

  Male

  Inquest verdict pending

  Sentenced

  Full Sutton

  26

  Male

  Open

  Sentenced

  Parkhurst

  24

  Male

  Suicide

  Sentenced

  Wakefield

  56

  Male

  Suicide

  Remand

  Lincoln

  26

  Male

  Suicide

  Remand

  Liverpool

  51

  Male

  Suicide

  Sentenced

  Lincoln

  34

  Male

  Suicide

  Remand

  Lincoln

  39

  Male

  Inquest verdict pending

  Remand

  Manchester

  44

  Female

  Inquest verdict pending

  Remand

  Holloway

  37

  Male

  Suicide

  Sentenced

  Shepton Mallet

  17

  Male

  Open

  Remand

  Exeter

  41

  Male

  Suicide

  Remand

  Exeter

  33

  Male

  Suicide

  Remand

  Woodhill

  38

  Male

  Suicide

  Sentenced

  Nottingham

  43

  Male

  Inquest verdict pending

  Sentenced

  Wakefield

  23

  Male

  Suicide

  Sentenced

  Long Lartin

  25

  Male

  Inquest verdict pending

  Sentenced

  Holme House

  22

  Male

  Suicide

  Remand

  Exeter

  26

  Male

  Suicide

  Remand

  Norwich

  29

  Male

  Open

  Remand

  Bristol

  33

  Male

  Suicide

  Remand

  Norwich

  25

  Male

  Suicide

  Convicted but unsentenced

  Wandsworth

  28

  Male

  Suicide

  Sentenced

  Wandsworth

  31

  Male

  Suicide

  Sentenced

  Dartmoor

  34

  Male

  Inquest verdict pending

  Remand

  Liverpool

  37

  Male

  Suicide

  Remand

  Lewes

  28

  Male

  Inquest verdict pending

  Sentenced

  Holme House

  21

  Male

  Inquest verdict pending

  Remand

  Wolds

  1992 total - 41

  1993 total - 47

  Firearm Certificates
  Mr. Maclennan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to raise the fee for firearms and shotgun certificates.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  The fees for the grant and renewal of firearm and shotgun certificates are currently under review. In reviewing fee levels we are taking into account the 1991 report of the Home Office working group
  341
  on the administration of the firearms licensing system. This identified models of best practice for police forces in administering the licensing system. The result of the subsequent costing exercise, undertaken by the consultants Ernst and Young, will also be taken into account.

  An announcement will be made as soon as possible.

  Mr. Maclennan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will construct a table showing the cost in each police force area of issuing a firearms or shotgun certificate.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  This information is not available.

  Detainees
  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he is taking to ensure that the treatment of detainees is not in breach of any convention which has been ratified by the United Kingdom.

  Applications1 received for asylum in the United Kingdom, excluding dependants, and decisions1 2 1993 Number of principal applicants and proportion of decisions (Per cent.)

  Decisions

  Applications for asylum

  Total decisions

  Recognised as a refugee and granted asylum3

  Per cent.

  Not recognised as a refugee but granted exceptional leave

  Per cent.

  Refused asylum and exceptional leave4

  Per cent.

  1993

  January

  1,960

  3,760

  90

  2

  2,250

  60

  1,420

  38

  February

  2,180

  5,240

  225

  4

  3,420

  65

  1,595

  30

  March

  1,765

  3,085

  420

  14

  1,615

  52

  1,050

  34

  April

  1,820

  2,305

  290

  13

  1,150

  50

  860

  37

  May

  1,865

  2,045

  145

  7

  1,150

  56

  750

  37

  June

  1,850

  1,150

  105

  9

  490

  43

  550

  48

  July

  1,995

  1,065

  65

  6

  260

  24

  745

  70

  August

  1,295

  685

  40

  6

  130

  19

  520

  76

  September

  1,990

  905

  55

  7

  145

  18

  605

  75

  October

  1,600

  885

  50

  6

  190

  21

  650

  73

  November

  1,805

  1,245

  55

  5

  210

  17

  975

  78

  December

  2,245

  1,125

  45

  4

  120

  11

  965

  86

  1 Figures are rounded to the nearest 5.

  2 Decisions do not necessarily relate to applications made in the same period.

  3 Excludes South East Asian refugees.

  4 Figures comprise: those refused after full consideration, those refused on safe third country grounds, and those refused under para. 180F (para 101 prior to 26 July 1993)of the Immigration Rules for failure to provide evidence to support the asylum claim within a reasonable period, including failure to respond to invitation to interview to establish identity.

  Police Cells, Manchester
  Mr. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list total numbers of convicted and remand prisoners held in police cells in Greater Manchester since 1 January; and how much they have cost.

  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 A. J. Butler to Mr. Andrew Bennett, dated 29 April 1994.
  The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question about the numbers of prisoners held in police cells in Greater Manchester since 1 January and the costs involved.
  A sub-division into convicted and remands is not available centrally for the earlier part of the period from 1 January 1994. However, the total numbers of prisoners held in police cells in the Greater Manchester police area on each date from 1 January 1994 to 26 April 1994 are available and are set out in the attached table.
  342
  Mr. Charles Wardle
  The Government are committed to their obligations under the 1951 United Nations convention relating to the status of refugees, and the protocol to that convention, and are satisfied that United Kingdom legislation and practice do not breach these or other relevant international obligations.

  Asylum Seekers
  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the number of applicants for asylum in each month of 1993; and what proportion was refused in each case.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  Information for 1993 on the number of applications received for asylum in the United Kingdom and decisions made, is given in the table.

  A total of £21,633 has been paid to Greater Manchester Police Authority. Further invoices, totalling some £488,000, have recently been received and are under consideration.

  Date

  Number

  1 January 1994

  0

  2 January 1994

  0

  3 January 1994

  3

  4 to 23 January 1994

  0

  24 January 1994

  2

  25 January 1994

  0

  26 January 1994

  0

  27 January 1994

  2

  28 January 1994

  0

  29 January 1994

  0

  30 January 1994

  0

  31 January 1994

  9

  1 February 1994

  37

  2 February 1994

  27

  3 February 1994

  37

  4 February 1994

  35

  5 February 1994

  38

  6 February 1994

  38

  7 February 1994

  39

  8 February 1994

  69

  9 February 1994

  61

  10 February 1994

  76

  11 February 1994

  92

  343

  Date

  Number

  12 February 1994

  92

  13 February 1994

  92

  14 February 1994

  108

  15 February 1994

  134

  16 February 1994

  174

  17 February 1994

  179

  18 February 1994

  202

  19 February 1994

  208

  20 February 1994

  154

  21 February 1994

  185

  22 February 1994

  195

  23 February 1994

  185

  24 February 1994

  195

  25 February 1994

  182

  26 February 1994

  194

  27 February 1994

  166

  28 February 1994

  171

  1 March 1994

  196

  2 March 1994

  207

  3 March 1994

  225

  4 March 1994

  203

  5 March 1994

  197

  6 March 1994

  196

  7 March 1994

  180

  8 March 1994

  169

  9 March 1994

  165

  10 March 1994

  189

  11 March 1994

  175

  12 March 1994

  188

  13 March 1994

  188

  14 March 1994

  190

  15 March 1994

  225

  16 March 1994

  221

  17 March 1994

  248

  18 March 1994

  226

  19 March 1994

  233

  20 March 1994

  233

  21 March 1994

  197

  22 March 1994

  201

  23 March 1994

  197

  24 March 1994

  199

  25 March 1994

  183

  26 March 1994

  187

  27 March 1994

  187

  28 March 1994

  180

  29 March 1994

  184

  30 March 1994

  170

  31 March 1994

  166

  1 April 1994

  166

  2 April 1994

  159

  3 April 1994

  159

  4 April 1994

  197

  5 April 1994

  177

  6 April 1994

  155

  7 April 1994

  163

  8 April 1994

  163

  9 April 1994

  165

  10 April 1994

  165

  11 April 1994

  198

  12 April 1994

  204

  13 April 1994

  185

  14 April 1994

  168

  15 April 1994

  139

  16 April 1994

  139

  17 April 1994

  140

  18 April 1994

  123

  19 April 1994

  129

  20 April 1994

  121

  21 April 1994

  109

  22 April 1994

  110

  23 April 1994

  119

  24 April 1994

  119

  25 April 1994

  141

  26 April 1994

  134

  Iraqi Business Men
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many visas have been granted to Iraqi business men in each month since the conclusion of the Gulf war.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  I have been asked to reply.

  I regret that the information requested is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Statistics of visas granted are recorded on the basis of the categories of visas issued at each post and not by the nationality of the applicant. In addition, visiting business men are granted a "visit" visa. There are no sub-divisions within this category.

  Diver Mist
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department to what extent the principle of police primacy was maintained throughout exercise Diver Mist.

  Mr. Hanley
  I have been asked to reply.

  The principle that the police co-ordinate the activities of all those responding at and around the scene, as described in the Home Office publication "Dealing with Disaster", was maintained in full throughout exercise Diver Mist.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Plugs and Sockets
  Mrs. Helen Jackson
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he will be discussing with his European partners the implications of the EC proposals to harmonise the plugs and sockets of electrical appliances throughout the EC.

  Mr. Heseltine
  There is no such proposal. If one were to be put forward we would consider it.

  Mrs. Helen Jackson
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what assessment he has made of the dangers there are for United Kingdom consumers in any transitional period from the harmonisation of electric plugs and sockets; and what steps he is taking to ensure that the safety of consumers in the United Kingdom is not compromised.

  Mr. Heseltine
  CENELEC—the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardisation—the relevant standards-making body, has not published a standard for a harmonised European plug and socket system against which an accurate assessment could be made. In considering whether any change to our present standards might be desirable at some future date, full account will be taken of consumer safety issues. There is no EC proposal for harmonisation.

  Industry Council Meeting
  Mr. Amess
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the outcome of the meeting of the EC Industry Council held in Luxembourg on 22 April.

  Mr. Jenkin
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the Industry Council meeting in Luxembourg held on Friday 22 April.
  345
  Mr. Sainsbury
  The main item on the agenda of the Industry Council held on 22 April was steel. Commissioner Van Miert gave an interim report, in advance of the full report expected on 1 May, on monitoring of the conditions attaching to the six state aid cases agreed by the Council last December—Ilva, Ekostahl, Freital, Siderurgia Nacional, CSI and Sidenor. I was supported by several other member states in underlining the importance the United Kingdom attaches to rigorous monitoring to ensure that the conditions agreed by the December Council are met.

  Commissioner Bangemann gave a report on progress towards restructuring of the EC steel industry. There was agreement to prolong until the autumn the support measures—which include enhanced European Coal and Steel Community social aid, market monitoring, a more liberal approach to mergers and joint ventures, and external measures—agreed in February last year. I suggested additional references in the conclusions agreed by the Council to the importance of monitoring of the steel state aid cases and these were accepted.

  The Council reached a satisfactory agreement to reduce steadily ECSC lending activities in the run-up to the expiry of the treaty of Paris in 2002. Importantly, it also ensures progress towards phasing out of the ECSC levy before 2002. The agreement by the Council allowed certain loan applications, which have been blocked pending resolution of this issue, to be approved.

  There was a wide-ranging debate on industrial competitiveness in the context of the follow-up to the Delors White Paper on growth, competitiveness and employment published last December. I underlined the importance of increased labour market flexibility and reduced labour costs as a means of improving competitiveness, as well as the need to minimise the burden of regulation on business.

  The Council agreed conclusions on the textile and clothing industries and a resolution on the automobile industry.

  Commissioner Vanni d'Archirafi presented an outline of an integrated programme for small and medium-sized enterprises which sets out areas for joint action with member states and a two-pronged Community contribution relating to improving the environment for SMEs, and some support measures. I reminded the Commission that the main responsibility for SME policy lies with member states but I undertook to consider the proposals when they are spelt out in greater detail. I was able to welcome the importance the Commission was now attaching to deregulation.

  To end the Council there was a brief discussion of the Commission's annual report on competition. No votes were taken.

  Laboratories
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade whether operational budgets and targets have been agreed for(a) AEA Technology, (b) the national environmental technology centre, (c) the national physical laboratory, (d) the Laboratory of the Government Chemist and (e) the national engineering laboratory for 1994–95; and how those budgets and targets have changed from those for 1993–94.

  Mr. Heseltine
  AEA Technology and the national environmental technology centre are part of the United 346
  Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority: they are not set separate budgets and targets by my Department. The UKAEA has been set a negative external financing limit of £8.8 million for 1994–95. Other financial targets have yet to be set. In 1993–94, the UKAEA was set a negative external financing limit of £2·1 million; it was also set a 12·1 per cent. average annual return on net assets employed. Its internal budgets are commercially sensitive and are not published.

  In the light of the restructuring of the national physical laboratory, the Laboratory of the Government Chemist and the national engineering laboratory to match the downturn in forecast work load, the laboratories' budgets and targets for 1994–95 are still being finalised. A comparison with the budgets and targets that were set for 1993–94 cannot therefore be provided.

  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade whether he proposes to implement his consultants' recommendation that an overall steering committee and project manager should be appointed for the DTI laboratories.

  Mr. Heseltine
  Yes.

  Government Chemist
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade whether primary legislation would be required to fully privatise the laboratory of the Government Chemist; and in what form the post of the Government Chemist would survive after privatisation.

  Mr. Heseltine
  No primary legislation is required to privatise LGC. The post of Government Chemist will continue.

  Contracts
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many responses he received to his consultation document on the directive on unfair terms in contracts; and when he proposes to finalise his conclusions, and place legislation before Parliament.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  I have received 89 such responses. It is intended to lay regulations implementing the EC Directive on Unfair Contract Terms in Consumer Contracts before Parliament in time for them to enter into force, subject to parliamentary approval, by 31 December 1994.

  Industry Awards
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will publish a table showing the total number of applications, the number of successful projects, the number of participating companies and the total sum committed in(a) SMART and (b) SPUR awards; and if he will provide a regional breakdown.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The number of applications, the number of successful projects and the sum committed between 1 April 1993 and 31 March 1994 under the small firms merit award for research and technology—SMART —and support for products under research—SPURschemes are shown in the tables. Both schemes offer support to single businesses and the number of successful projects is the number of participating companies.
  347

  SMART

  Small Firms Merit Award for Research and Technology

  Region/Office

  Applications

  Successful projects

  Sum Committed (£ million)

  East

  180

  28

  1·32

  East Midlands

  118

  26

  1·28

  North East

  72

  9

  0·39

  NorthWest

  175

  27

  1·27

  South East

  443

  61

  2·99

  South West

  178

  33

  1·57

  West Midlands

  145

  28

  1·31

  Yorkshire/Humberside

  116

  25

  1·20

  Welsh Office

  107

  24

  1·14

  Scottish Office

  150

  32

  1·57

  Northern Ireland Office

  37

  9

  0·45

  TOTAL

  1,721

  302

  14·49

  SPUR

  Support for Products Under Research

  Region/Office

  Applications

  Successful projects

  Sum Committed (£ million)

  East

  8

  13

  1·25

  East Midlands

  9

  8

  0·92

  North East

  10

  6

  0·49

  North West

  30

  17

  1·19

  Southeast

  28

  24

  2·30

  SouthWest

  24

  16

  1·24

  West Midlands

  20

  18

  0·80

  Yorkshire/Humberside

  20

  19

  1·71

  Welsh Office

  12

  8

  0·76

  Scottish Office

  12

  8

  0·91

  TOTAL

  173

  137

  11·57

  Note: Some successful projects result from applications in the previous financial year.

  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his answer of 4 March,Official Report, columns 891–92, what was the number of responses and applications to (a) the 1994 SMART—small firms merit award for research and technology—scheme and (b) the 1994 Queen's awards.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  I hope to be able to announce shortly the number of responses and applications to the 1994 SMART scheme. For the 1994 Queen's awards there were 10,733 inquiries and 1,682 applications.

  Sizewell B
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade which of Sir Frank Layfield's recommendations from the Sizewell B inquiry were accepted by the then Department of Energy.

  Mr. Eggar
  I refer the hon. Member to the decision letter of 12 March 1987, a copy of which was placed in the Library of the House.

  Package Holidays
  Mr. James Hill
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will bring forward legislation to allow deposits in excess of 10 per cent. of the actual purchase price to be charged for goods or services only in circumstances where the seller secures those deposits by means of insurance,348
  bonding or by using a trust account, in a similar way to that required for package holidays by the Package Travel, Package Holidays and Package Tours Regulations 1992, SI 1992, No. 3288, but with improved provision for enforcement.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  No. Such regulation would be bureaucratic and expensive, and would, through its adverse effect on the cashflow of businesses, be likely to put up prices. This would not be in the long-term interests of the consumer.

  Coal Industry
  Mr. Simon Coombs
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will publish the criteria, and procedure of review, to be used to devise the map which will determine the three categories of land use, as specified in the Coal Authority explanatory note.

  Mr. Eggar
  I intend to make available in due course a draft map of the coalfields indicating the areas in which the terms for access by the coalbed methane industry will be judged. The criteria for delineating the areas will form part of the consultation exercise.

  Mr. Simon Coombs
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade,what plans he has to harmonise the regulatory framework for seismic testing to identify(a) coal deposits and (b) coalbed methane.

  Mr. Eggar
  I have no plans to harmonise the regulations for seismic testing at this stage. It is important that the regulatory framework for each activity reflects the needs of the relevant industry. Seismic testing to identify coalbed methane is subject to the Petroleum (Production) Regulations. Under the regulatory regime for the privatised coal industry, those wishing to explore for coal will require the consent of the owner of the coal, which would in most cases be the Coal Authority, to enter that coal. A draft model Coal Authority exploration licence, which indicates the form it is envisaged that licence will take, has been made available for consultation to all interested parties.

  Mr. Simon Coombs
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what commitments those companies which are granted methane drainage licences will be required to fulfil in relation to the commencement of mining the coal.

  Mr. Eggar
  Methane drainage licences are granted to enable those engaged in mining the coal to drain methane in order to make mines safe. There are no commitments in relation to the commencement of coal mining, as the sole purpose of this licence is safety.

  Gas Prices
  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade on what date he secured a report from the gas regulator concerning arrangements which may affect the price of gas in certain areas.

  Mr. Eggar
  The Director General of Gas Supply has no duty to report to my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade on gas pricing issues. However, as the President announced on 21 December 1993 the DTI and Ofgas are jointly preparing a consultation paper on the regulation of gas supply after the ending of the statutory monopoly. I expect that this will be published soon.

  Eurostat
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) what examination he has made of the basis for the figures in the first issue of the Eurostat newsletter "EDICOM/INTRASTAT" for the trade balance between the United Kingdom and France, Germany and Italy shown in the list for the United Kingdom and for each of those countries;

  (2) what assessment he has made of recent Eurostat returns in assessing the accuracy of United Kingdom returns of the trade deficit between the United Kingdom and France, Italy and Germany.

  Mr. Nelson
  I have been asked to reply.

  I refer to the answer given by the Paymaster General to the hon. Member on 26 April, 1994 Official Report, column 88.

NATIONAL HERITAGE

  Royal Palaces
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what plans there are to close to the public any of the palaces of the Historic Royal Palaces Agency; for what purpose; and for how long.

  Mr. Sproat
  The 1994–97 corporate plan of the Historic Royal Palaces, which is currently being considered by Ministers, proposes the closure of the state apartments and royal ceremonial dress collection at Kensington palace temporarily for a period of about 18 months, starting no later than autumn 1995, to allow the complete refurbishment, re-presentation and re-interpretation of these parts of the palace, including the updating of fire and security precautions.

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

  Mr. Sproat
  The Department publishes an annual expenditure plans report, which is a sale publication via Her Majesty's Stationery Office. A short guidebook "A Guide to the Department and its Sponsored Bodies" is updated and distributed free of charge at intervals—circulation 2,500 copies. A number of other annual reports are published each year and the most recent issues of these are:"Report by the Secretary of State for National Heritage on Library and Information Matters during 1993" (HMSO, HoC 339, £7·10 net).
  "Treasure Trove Reviewing Committee Annual Reports 1991–92 and 1992–93".
  "Export of Works of Art 1992–93, Thirty-ninth Report of the Reviewing Committee appointed by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in December 1952" (HMSO, Cm 2355, £14·45 net).
  "Report by the Secretary of State for National Heritage on the Public Lending Right Scheme 1992–93" (HMSO, HoC 61, £7·65 net).

ENVIRONMENT

  Local Government Commission
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will issue guidance to the Local Government Commission indicating the evidence he will expect to be put forward in any recommendation for a new unitary local authority of effective arrangements for the provision of personal social services within a new authority and for the co-ordination of such services with health services.

  Mr. Curry
  Annex B of the Department's policy guidance to the Local Government Commission sets out considerations relevant to a range of local government functions, including personal social services. A copy of the guidance is in the Library.

  It is for the Commission to decide what evidence it will submit in support to its recommendations. After receiving the Commission's report on an area it is, however, open to my right hon. Friend to direct the Commission to supply him with additional information.

  Property Services Agency
  Mr. Mudie
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much has been written off in total in customer debts in the PSA for the 1992–93 appropriation accounts; and if he will give details of the constituent amounts.

  Mr. Curry
  The 1992–93 PSA Services appropriation account losses statement included the following abandoned claims:

  £

  Milton Keynes Community Transport

  37,933·53

  Conder Projects

  8,407·07

  In addition, £4,674,767·59 was charged to subhead D10 of the account, in respect of the unrecoverable works debts owed by non Exchequer customers:

  £

  Tate Gallery/Tate in the North

  3,276,911·64

  Imperial War Museum

  761,611·42

  Natural History Museum

  273,138·76

  Miscellaneous other debts individually not exceeding £100,000

  363,105·77

  4,674,767·59

  Boat Dwellers
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to amend the law in respect of the payment of business rates and council tax by boat dwellers whose boats are moored in boatyards; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Curry
  None.

  Energy Conservation Bill
  Mr. Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Christchurch (Mrs. Maddock) of 20 April,Official Report, column 531, how many letters he had received which were opposed to the Energy Conservation Bill.

  Mr. Atkins
  None.

  Council Tax
  Mr. Robert Ainsworth
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the average council tax per household for each district in England.

  Mr. Curry
  I have arranged for this information to be placed in the Library of the House.

  Ordnance Survey
  Mr. Lord
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what performance targets have been set for the Ordnance Survey executive agency in the year 1994–95.

  Mr. Atkins
  The following performance targets have been set for Ordnance Survey in 1994–95.

  1. Recover at least 75 per cent. of the total costs incurred by the Agency.

  2. Complete and make available to customers the initial digital conversion of basic scale mapping for the whole of Great Britain by 31 March 1995.

  3. Survey and map at the basic scales 886,000 units of change.

  4. Despatch 90 per cent. of Land-Line digital map units within six working days of a valid order being received.

  5. Despatch 90 per cent. of small scale maps within five working days of a valid order being received.

  6. Operate a telephone help line service for customers between 8.30 am and 5.00 pm on working days, a 10 second response time within these hours, and a telephone answering service at all other times.

  These targets require a number of challenging improvements over good performance in previous years.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Sleeping Drugs
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what restrictions are in place on advertising drugs available without prescriptioin which are designed to aid sleep; what checks are carried out to ensure that addictive or potentially harmful drugs are not advertised for mass consumption; what health warnings should be given in such advertisements; in what ways regulations or guidelines on the advertisement of such drugs have been amended or relaxed within the past five years; what plans he has to introduce new legislation, statutory orders or guidelines to regulate the promotion of aids to sleep which are available without prescription; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Ancram
  Licensed medicines may be advertised only under the stringent controls of the Medicines Act 1968 and supporting regulations. These ensure that the advertising is in accordance with the product licence and is not misleading. Products which are available without prescription may be advertised to the public, in compliance with the Medicines (Labelling and Advertising to the 352
  Public) Regulations 1978. These regulations prohibit the advertising of a treatment for sleeplessness of insomnia. Advertising for the relief of temporary sleeplessness is permitted.

  Medicines which are considered to be addictive or potentially harmful when used without medical supervision are available only on prescription and may not be advertised to the public. Proposed legislation to amend the 1978 regulations in order to implement Council directive 92/28/EEC is currently under consideration.

  Agriculture
  Mr. McGrady
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will extend the time for claims to be submitted to the agricultural development operational programme to the end of 1994; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Ancram
  The Commission has ruled that financial support under the Northern Ireland agricultural development operational programme will be limited to payments made to farmers by 31 December 1994. In order to comply with this condition it was necessary for the Department to require all claims for grant to be submitted by 30 June 1994 so as to allow sufficient time for claims to be verified and payments issued to farmers by 31 December.

  Because of the need to ensure that all payments are made by 31 December 1994 it is not possible to extend the time for claims to be submitted.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Child Support Agency
  Mr. Mudie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the total salary of the CSA chief executive in 1993–94; which part of that figure relates to performance; and what is the maximum payment possible under the performance payment part of the salary agreement.

  Mr. Burt
  The current basic salary of the Child Support Agency chief executive is £48,520 plus London weighting of £1,776. Details of the total remuneration, including any performance bonus, will appear in the agency's annual report for 1993–94. However it is not the policy of the Department to give details of chief executive performance pay arrangements.

  Mr. Dewar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the latest estimate of the total sum collected by the Child Support Agency in maintenance payments in the first year of operation; and of this, what sum went to parents with care and their children and how much to the Treasury via reduced benefit payments.

  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 28 April 1994:
  I am replying to your recent Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about the latest estimate of the total sum collected by the Child Support Agency in maintenance payments in the first year of the Agency's operations.

  353
  To the end of February 1994, £186 million had been collected. This includes £155 million paid direct from absent parents to parents with care, which has offset benefit spending, and £31 million paid through the Agency's collection service. Of the latter figure, £1·8 million has been passed on to parents with care, and £24·4 million has offset benefit spending. The balance remained in the Agency's account awaiting allocation.
  I hope this reply is helpful.

  Mr. Dewar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) in how many cases in which the absent parent had not been paying maintenance at the time the inquiry form was issued by the Child Support Agency a maintenance assessment had been finalised at the latest date for which figures are available; and what percentage that is of the total number of cases where the absent parent was not paying maintenance when the inquiry form was issued;

  (2) in how many cases where an inquiry form has been issued by the Child Support Agency to an absent parent the parent concerned was not paying maintenance on a regular basis at the time the form was issued; and what percentage that represents of all cases in which an inquiry form has been issued 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 28 April 1994:
  I am replying to your recent Parliamentary Questions to the Secretary of State for Social Security about the total number of maintenance payments made to the Child Support Agency.
  At 28 February 1994, 420,600 absent parents had been issued with maintenance enquiry forms and 188,600 maintenance assessments had been completed. Although the Agency does not keep detailed figures on the proportion of these cases in which maintenance was not already being paid, we estimate that some 60 per cent. of cases taken on during this period were cases where maintenance was not previously in payment.

  Housing Benefit
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when the housing benefit management information system annual 1 per cent. sample was last updated; what plans he has to update those data; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hague
  The data contained in the annual one per cent. sample are regularly reviewed to reflect changes to existing policies or the introduction of new benefits. It is expected that the data contained in the May 1993 sample will be available this summer.

  Income Support
  Mr. Dewar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the circumstances in which a deduction from income support can be made by the Benefits Agency, in the order in which they rank for payment, and the total deduction that can be made as a percentage of the total income support payment.

  Mr. Burt
  Payments may be made direct from income support to certain third party creditors in the circumstances specified in schedules 9 and 9A to the Social Security (Claims and Payments) Regulations 1987, SI No. 1968.354
  Also, deduction may be made for payment of unpaid community charge, council tax and fines and recovery of overpayments of benefit under the appropriate regulatory provisions—SI Nos. 507/1989 and 545/1990, 494/1993, 2182/1993 and 664/1988 respectively. Social fund loans are also recoverable by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State, through deductions from income support. The rules governing limits on deductions and the priority order for deductions are contained in paragraphs 8 and 9 of schedule 9.

  Mr. Dewar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many recipients of income support in England, Scotland, Wales and Britain there are; and what percentage of the total had deductions made from benefit for social fund repayments and fuel bills in the latest year for which figures are available.

  Mr. Burt
  The information is in the table.

  Number of cases

  Percentage

  England

  Deductions for fuel

  185,000

  4·3

  Deductions for Social Fund repayment

  458,000

  10·7

  Deductions for fuel and Social Fund

  84,000

  2·0

  Number of Income Support recipients

  4,282,000

  100·0

  Wales

  Deductions for fuel

  17,000

  5·9

  Deductions for Social Fund repayment

  34,000

  11·9

  Deductions for fuel and Social Fund

  8,000

  2·8

  Number of Income Support recipients

  287,000

  100·0

  Scotland

  Deductions for fuel

  42,000

  8·1

  Deductions for Social Fund repayment

  94,000

  18·1

  Deductions for fuel and Social Fund

  22,000

  4·2

  Number of Income Support recipients

  519,000

  100·0

  Great Britain

  Deductions for fuel

  243,000

  4·8

  Deductions for Social Fund repayment

  586,000

  11·5

  Deductions for fuel and Social Fund

  114,000

  2·2

  Number of Income Support recipients

  5,088,000

  100·0

  Source: Income Support Statistics Annual Enquiry, May 1992.

  Notes:

  1. The figures have been rounded to the nearest thousand, percentages are correct to one decimal place.

  2. Fuel costs include payments for gas and/or electricity. Deductions may be for current charges only or may include the standard amount in respect of arrears.

  3. There will be a degree of overlap in the deductions figures in that people with deductions for fuel costs may also have a deduction for repayment of a social fund loan. Numbers with fuel cost deductions and those with social fund repayment deductions do not therefore exactly total.

  Parliamentary Questions
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many parliamentary questions, in the period November 1992 to March 1993, were answered with the response that the information requested is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost; and how many were referred on to an agency chief executive.

  Mr. Hague
  In the stipulated five-month period a total of 1,183 questions were asked of this Department. The POLIS database in the Library has identified 65 questions
  355
  as not answered on the grounds of disproportionate cost or because the information was not held centrally. Agency chief executives replied to 150 questions.

  Severe Hardship Unit, Glasgow
  Mr. Watson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what training has been provided for local staff in handling the problems associated with 16 and 17-year-old applicants following the closure of the severe hardship unit in Glasgow; and what other additional resources have been made available to assist staff to deal with the changes which result;

  (2) what savings he expects to accrue to his Department as a result of the closure of the severe hardship unit in Glasgow.

  Mr. Burt
  The administration of income support is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from Michael Bichard to Mr. Mike Watson, dated 28 April 1994:
  The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Questions concerning suggestions that the Severe Hardship Claims Unit (SHCU) in Glasgow is being closed. The SHCU unit is not being closed, but there is to be a change in emphasis away from the SHCU to the Benefits Agency (BA) Districts.
  Following the comments in the 8th Report of the Social Security Advisory Committee, recommendations were made about the claims procedures for discretionary awards for 16/17 year old customers. As a result, from the 4 April 1994 decisions on the majority of these claims will be made by locally based BA staff, rather than by contacting the SHCU. The SHCU will, however, be required to make decisions on the more complex cases and those where the District Office feel that a severe hardship payment should not be made.
  Before the process of devolving this work commenced, training for the handling of this type of claim was revised. All staff authorised to make decisions about the award of benefit to 16/17 year old customers must complete the new training package before they can carry out these duties. To ensure that all staff are fully trained the SHCU is providing a complete service to all offices until 2 May 1994. In addition, further guidance is available in the form of a Handbook, "Income Support for 16/17 year olds" which has been recently revised and updated. The revised Handbook was issued to all of the BA's District Offices in March 1994 and a copy of it has been placed in the House of Commons Library.
  There will be no increase in the workload for locally based BA staff, but in fact a small administrative saving, calculated to be 10 staff years. Instead of having to contact the SHCU in Glasgow, staff will make decisions locally immediately following an interview, thereby leading to an improved service for 16/17 year olds.
  I hope you find this reply helpful.

  Contributions Agency
  Mr. Simon Coombs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he will publish the revised framework document for the Contributions Agency.

  Mr. Hague
  The Contributions Agency's revised framework document has been published today. Copies have been placed in the Library.

WALES

  Forestry Commission Land
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what is the programme for the disposal of Forestry Commission land in Wales from 1 April 1989 to 31 March 2000;

  (2) if he will make it his policy not to allow the disposal programme of Forestry Commission land in Wales to be increased without his permission.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  In the five years from 1 April 1989 to 31 March 1994 the Forestry Commission sold some 5,500 hectares of forest land in Wales and currently expects to sell about a further 9,000 hectares by the year 2000. Ministers asked the commission to dispose of 100,000 hectares of forest land in Great Britain between 1989 and the end of the century. The commission is responsible for selecting properties for sale in accordance with criteria laid down by Ministers. Any change to the overall disposals programme would be subject to the agreement of my right hon. Friend.

  Consultants
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the cost of Touche Ross consultancy exercise, which included the questionnaire sent out on 1 February to all school governors in Wales; if Touche Ross were awarded the contract as a result of competitive tender; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Redwood
  Details of the survey's costs were provided in my reply to the hon. Member for Caernarfon (Mr. Wigley) on 17 February 1994 at column 947. Touche Ross Management Consultants was appointed to carry out the survey following a tendering exercise in accordance with standard procedures.

  Grant-maintained Schools (Promotion)
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the cost of the recent conference held in the Copthorne hotel, Calverhouse Cross, to promote grant-maintained schools in Cardiff and the Vale.

  Mr. Redwood
  The total cost of the three conferences on grant-maintained status held last year was £46,210. It is not possible to identify separately within this figure the costs incurred in relation to the conference held in Cardiff.

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many(a) part-time and (b) full-time jobs were created in Wales in 1993 in (i) the manufacturing industry, (ii) the service industry and (iii) all industries; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Redwood
  [holding answer 27 April 1994]: Comprehensive information on the number of jobs created is not available. According to the Employment Department's latest quarterly estimates series the change in the number of employees in employment is shown in the following table.
  357

  Change in number of employees in employment, December 1992-December 1993: Wales

  Part-time

  Full-time

  Manufacturing industry

  -1,100

  +10,600

  Service industry

  +2,500

  +1,900

  All industries

  +1,400

  +5,300

  Source: NOMIS.

SCOTLAND

  Land Grants
  Mr. Welsh
  To ask, the Secretary of State for Scotland what were the amounts(a) applied for and (b) received by the Scottish Office from the European Community for land grants relating to industrial regional aid and the amounts paid to Scottish applicants for land grants for each year since 1975.

  Mr. Stewart
  The Scottish Office does not itself undertake land renewal work. Local authorities and local enterprise companies do, however, carry out and assist with land renewal. Such activities are normally eligible to compete for European regional development fund grant if the work is carried out in an area designated under the European structural funds. Detailed records of projects are not kept centrally either for applications or grant received but it is considered that such work would form only a small part of any programme.

  Education Statistics
  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what percentage of those aged 16 to 18 years in Scotland are in full-time education; and how many are in each educational sector.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The latest available information is in respect of 1992.

  16 to 18-year-olds in full-time education in Scotland, January 19921

  Number (thousandas)

  Percentage of population in age group

  All full-time education

  82·3

  41

  of which School

  40·7

  20

  Vocational further education

  16·9

  9

  Higher education

  24·7

  12

  1 Age as at 31 August 1991.

  Jobs
  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his estimate of the percentage of new jobs likely to be created by the end of the decade that will be jobs traditionally carried out by women.

  Mr. Stewart
  Information in the form requested is not available.

  Playgrounds and Playing Fields
  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many schools in Scotland have sold playgrounds and playing fields since restrictions were lifted.
  358
  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Information is not recorded centrally on disposals by local authorities of school playgrounds and school playing fields or other land and buildings held for educational purposes. There has been no recent change in the statutory requirements governing the provision to be made for school playgrounds and school playing fields in Scotland set out in the School Premises (General Requirements and Standards) (Scotland) Regulations 1967.

  Local Government Finance
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what percentage of the income in 1994–95 for each district council in Scotland comes directly from(a) central Government sources, (b) council tax and (c) other sources.

  Mr. Stewart
  Information about local authority income from "other sources" is not held centrally. The figures for aggregate external finance—AEF—and income from the council tax are given in the table.

  AEF per cent.

  Council tax per cent.

  Borders

  87·2

  12·8

  Central

  85·1

  14·9

  Dumfries and Galloway

  87·1

  12·9

  Fife

  84·9

  15·1

  Grampian

  85·3

  14·7

  Highland

  88·0

  12·0

  Lothian

  81·5

  18·5

  Strathclyde

  87·9

  12·1

  Tayside

  85·2

  14·8

  Note:

  1. AEF support includes Revenue Support Grant, Distributable amount of NDRI and Specific Grants (except Urban Programme specific grant, figures for which are not readily available).

  2. Council Tax is inclusive of amounts of Council Tax Benefit met by grant from the Department of Social Security.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much Government grant per head of population was allocated to each district council in Scotland for 1994–95.

  Mr. Stewart
  The information is in the table.

  Total AEF per head of population (£)

  Berwickshire

  119

  Ettrick and Lauderdale

  115

  Roxburgh

  126

  Tweeddale

  121

  Clackmannan

  146

  Falkirk

  133

  Stirling

  168

  Annandale and Eskdale

  99

  Nithsdale

  117

  Stewartry

  102

  Wigtown

  137

  Dunfermline

  122

  Kirkcaldy

  124

  North East Fife

  129

  Aberdeen City

  142

  Banff and Buchan

  122

  Gordon

  115

  Kincardine and Deeside

  105

  Moray

  130

  Badenoch and Strathspey

  125

  Caithness

  134

  359

  Total AEF per head of population (£)

  Inverness

  114

  Lochaber

  159

  Nairn

  110

  Ross and Cromarty

  167

  Skye and Lochalsh

  201

  Sutherland

  173

  East Lothian

  139

  Edinburgh City

  177

  Midlothian

  129

  West Lothian

  139

  Argyll and Bute

  221

  Bearsden and Milngavie

  106

  Clydebank

  168

  Clydesdale

  140

  Cumbernauld and Kilsyth

  124

  Cumnock and Doon Valley

  143

  Cunninghame

  151

  Dumbarton

  132

  East Kilbride

  110

  Eastwood

  82

  Glasgow City

  232

  Hamilton

  140

  Inverclyde

  169

  Kilmarnock and Loudoun

  129

  Kyle and Carrick

  131

  Monklands

  169

  Motherwell

  152

  Renfrew

  146

  Strathkelvin

  124

  Angus

  118

  Dundee City

  175

  Perth and Kinross

  132

  Note:

  1. AEF support includes Revenue Support Grant and Specific Grants (except Urban Programme specific grant, figures for which are not readily available). Non-domestic rate income is not distributed to district councils.

  2. AEF per head of population calculated using the Register General for Scotland's 1992 mid-year estimates of total population.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what percentage of the income for 1994–95 of each regional council in Scotland comes directly from(a) central Government sources, (b) council tax and (c) other sources.

  Mr. Stewart
  Information about local authority income from "other sources" is not held centrally. The figures for aggregate external finance—AEF—and income from the council tax are given in the table.

  AEF per cent.

  Council tax per cent.

  Berwickshire

  83·5

  16·5

  Ettrick and Lauderdale

  75·9

  24·1

  Roxburgh

  78·8

  21·2

  Tweeddale

  77·6

  22·4

  Clackmannan

  73·7

  26·3

  Falkirk

  82·7

  17·3

  Stirling

  77·2

  22·8

  Annandale and Eskdale

  70·5

  29·5

  Nithsdale

  72·9

  27·1

  Stewartry

  78·5

  21·5

  Wigtown

  76·7

  23·3

  Dunfermline

  76·7

  23·3

  Kirkcaldy

  71·9

  28·1

  North East Fife

  69·2

  30·8

  Aberdeen City

  68·8

  31·2

  Banff and Buchan

  80·8

  19·2

  Gordon

  77·4

  22·6

  Kincardine and Deeside

  82·1

  17·9

  360

  AEF per cent.

  Council tax per cent.

  Moray

  80·5

  19·5

  Badenoch and Strathspey

  75·3

  24·7

  Caithness

  84·8

  15·2

  Inverness

  74·8

  25·2

  Lochaber

  75·8

  24·2

  Nairn

  73·2

  26·8

  Ross and Cromarty

  77·5

  22·5

  Skye and Lochalsh

  83·7

  16·3

  Sutherland

  82·2

  17·8

  East Lothian

  74·4

  25·6

  Edinburgh City

  65·0

  35·0

  Midlothian

  72·9

  27·1

  West Lothian

  83·8

  16·2

  Argyll and Bute

  76·6

  23·4

  Bearsden and Milngavie

  65·0

  35·0

  Clydebank

  76·8

  23·2

  Clydesdale

  71·1

  28·9

  Cumbernauld and Kilsyth

  71·4

  28·6

  Cumnock and Doon Valley

  76·1

  23·9

  Cunninghame

  75·5

  24·5

  Dumbarton

  66·6

  33·4

  East Kilbride

  66·7

  33·3

  Eastwood

  64·9

  35·1

  Glasgow City

  77·8

  22·2

  Hamilton

  69·8

  30·2

  Inverclyde

  78·4

  21·6

  Kilmarnock and Loudoun

  73·6

  26·4

  Kyle and Carrick

  63·3

  36·7

  Monklands

  74·7

  25·3

  Motherwell

  77·0

  23·0

  Renfrew

  71·6

  28·4

  Strathkelvin

  62·4

  37·6

  Angus

  79·3

  20·7

  Dundee City

  72·3

  27·7

  Perth and Kinross

  76·3

  23·7

  Notes:

  1. AEF support includes revenue support grant and specific grants (except urban programme specific grant, figures for which are not readily available). Non-domestic rate income is not distributed to district councils.

  2. AEF per head of population calculated using the register general for Scotland's 1992 mid-year estimates of total population.

  Labour Statistics
  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what percentage of(a) the total work force and (b) working women are in the service sector.

  Mr. Stewart
  For December 1993, the latest date for which information is available, it is estimated that 73 per cent. of all employees in employment in Scotland worked in the service sector. The percentage of female employees in employment who work in the service sector is estimated to be 85 per cent.

  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many women workers there were in 1990 and at the latest date available; and how many of these were in part-time employment.

  Mr. Stewart
  For December 1990, it is estimated that there were 960,900 female employees in employment in Scotland, of whom 419,700 were in part-time employment. For December 1993, the latest date for which information is available, it is estimated that there were 994,500 female employees in employment of whom 447,800 were in part-time employment.
  361
  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what percentage of average male earnings is earned by women(a) manual and (b) non-manual workers in the service sector.

  Mr. Stewart
  Information from the new earnings survey, at April 1993, shows that the average weekly earnings of full-time non-manual women in the service sector is equivalent to 68 per cent. of the average for non-manual men workers in the service sector. The average weekly earnings of full-time manual women workers in the service sector is equivalent to 67 per cent. of the average for manual men workers. These estimates are based on average gross weekly earnings of full-time employees on adult rates in Scotland whose pay was unaffected by absence—source: Employment Department.

  Leisure Activities
  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland Promoting and representing the built heritage what amount was spent in Scotland in 1992 and 1993 on leisure activities for under-16s and those aged 16 to 21.

  Sir Hector Monro
  The information requested is not held centrally.

  School Meals
  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will investigate the nutritional standards of schools meals in Scotland.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  We have no plans to do so. It is for education authorities, which are responsible for the administration of the school meal service, to decide the content and standard of school meals.

  Government Grant
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much Government grant was allocated per head of population in each regional and islands council in Scotland in 1994–95.

  Mr. Stewart
  The information is given in the table.

  Total AEF per head of population £

  Borders

  928

  Central

  817

  Dumfries and Galloway

  911

  Fife

  821

  Grampian

  786

  Highland

  1,029

  Lothian

  778

  Strathclyde

  883

  Tayside

  850

  Orkney

  1,814

  Shetland

  2,063

  Western Isles

  2,254

  Note:

  1. AEF support includes Revenue Support Grant, Distributable amount of NDRI and Specific Grants (except Urban Programme specific grant, figures for which are not readily available).

  2. AEF per head of population calculated using the Register General for Scotland's 1992 mid-year estimates of total population.

  Historic Scotland
  Mr. Raymond S. Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish the key performance targets he has set for Historic Scotland for 1994–95.

  Mr. Lang
  I have set Historic Scotland the following key performance targets for 1994–95:

  Target

  Protecting the built heritage

  i. Number of ancient monuments of national importance to be scheduled.

  350

  ii. Number of listed building resurvey units to be completed.

  150

  iii. Number of historic building repair grants accepted

  137

  iv. Conservation of monuments in care.

  reduce maintenance backlog

  Promoting and representing the built heritage

  i. Number of visitors to monuments incare.

  £2·4 million

  ii. Total income.

  £7·9 million

  Management

  i. Value for money savings on maintenance of monuments in care.

  3·5 per cent.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  Criminal Cases
  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  To ask the Attorney-General if he will include in the revised code for the Crown prosecutors and in the statement on the treatment of victims and witnesses by the Crown Prosecution Service a section on notification to or consultation with victims or their families where discontinuance of a serious case is contemplated.

  The Attorney-General
  In general, it is the responsibility of the police to keep victims or their families informed of decisions by which they are affected. This approach is set out in the victims charter and was supported by the Royal Commission on criminal justice which reported last year. If a case is to be discontinued, the CPS will, wherever practicable, consult the police in advance. The CPS seeks to ensure that the police are clear about the reasons for any proposed discontinuance so that information can be passed on to the victim and their respective interests taken into account when deciding whether proceedings would be in the public interest.

  A draft of the revised code for Crown prosecutors is currently being considered by interested parties on the criminal justice system including victim support. The director is hoping to publish in the early summer.

  The CPS keeps under review its statement on the treatment of victims and witnesses. There will be an opportunity to consider whether it should contain information about the termination of cases when the statement is next revised. The suggestion put forward by my hon. Friend has been drawn to the attention of the director.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Occupied Territories
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the progress being made in the Israel-Palestine Liberation Organisation talks in Cairo, with particular reference to settlements, release of prisoners, security forces and the powers of the Palestinian judiciary.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  We understand good progress is being made at the talks in Cairo. Settlements are a final status issue. The Israel-PLO declaration of principles makes it clear that it is to be discussed as soon as possible during the interim period of five years leading to final status, but not later than the beginning of the third year. The interim period starts upon Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and Jericho. Israeli negotiators have stated that Israel will release 5,000 of the remaining 8,400 Palestinian prisoners. They have however said that they will not release prisoners who are members of Hamas. Agreement has been reached on a Palestinian police force of 9,000 men for Gaza and Jericho. Judicial issues are still under discussion.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the current position of the Israeli Government on withdrawal from the Golan Heights.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Prime Minister Rabin has said that any "significant" withdrawal would be dependent upon a referendum in Israel.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on Israel's current position on the removal of settlements on the Golan Heights.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Prime Minister Rabin has stated publicly that he would be prepared to evacuate settlements anywhere in the occupied territories if that were necessary for peace.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when Palestinian police are scheduled to enter the Gaza strip and Jericho; and what representations he has been making to the Government of Israel to make this date as early as possible.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The Palestinian police are due to assume their duties in Gaza and Jericho once an agreement on Israeli withdrawal is signed. We have emphasised to both sides the importance we attach to rapid conclusion of this agreement.

  Lin Qi Qun
  Mr. Kaufman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 25 April,Official Report, column 12, with regard to correspondence concerning Lin Qi Qun, if he will investigate the state of affairs in his office which has led him to the statement in his answer that his officials have asked for copies following the faxing of such copies to his office three weeks before; if he will take steps to improve procedures in his office following its loss of the original correspondence last December and several reminders sent
  364
  following that date; and if he will now reply to the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton without further delay.

  Mr. Hurd
  I have written to the right hon. Member.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT

  Aid Distribution
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to review the distribution of Government aid to overseas countries and to prevent such aid from being absorbed by officials of recipient countries.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  The possibility of diversion of aid for illicit purposes is considered at all stages in the planning and administration of the aid programme. Most procurement is undertaken by ODA's Overseas Appointments and Contract Department or through registered British procurement agents subject to ODA monitoring, with goods and services generally obtained from United Kingdom sources. Implementation of projects and programmes in the recipient country is, where appropriate, supervised by British consultants or technical co-operation officers on contract to the ODA. Progress at all stages is monitored by ODA advisers, often located in regional offices for more direct and frequent access.

  These mechanisms and procedures are continually reviewed to ensure that aid continues to achieve its intended objectives.

  Sudan
  Mr. Robert Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what part of the further tranche of £15 million provided for in relief aid to the Horn of Africa will be applied to Sudan; and if he will give details of the work it will support.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  We expect to spend about £5 million in Sudan, subject to need and our ability to deliver humanitarian assistance. It is available to support the activities of non-governmental organisations and UN agencies including the provision of shelter for the displaced, drugs, water and supplementary feeding.

  Nigeria
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations have been made to the Nigerian Government concerning the current situation of the Ogoni people in Nigeria.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  We have consistently underlined our wish to see good government and respect for human rights for all the people of Nigeria.

HEALTH

  Nurses
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is her estimate of the current shortfall in national health service nursing staff.

  Mr. Sackville
  It is for local employers to determine the level of nursing staff they require.

  Public Appointments
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the members, occupations and other interests of(a) the National Blood Authority and (b) the NHS Supplies Authority together with the remuneration expenses, travel, pension and any other allowances or benefits relating to the chair or non-executive membership of each.

  Mr. Sackville
  The information available will be placed in the Library.

  Over-65s
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of NHS funds were spent on those over 65 years in the last year for which figures are available; and what proportion of public health care funds was spent on those over 65 years old in each other country of the EC.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  It is estimated that around 40 per cent. of gross current expenditure on hospital and community health services in England during 1990–91 was attributable to people aged 65 years and over, who represent approximately 16 per cent. of the population. Figures for other European Community countries are not available centrally.

  Paracetamol Overdose
  Mr. Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of admissions to accident and emergency facilities is caused by paracetamol overdose.

  Mr. Sackville
  The information is not available for accident and emergency attenders. However, the number of hospital in-patients cases associated with poisoning by paracetamol are recorded in a wider category which also includes poisoning by acentanilide and phenacetin. In 1990–91 there were 30,479 finished consultant episodes where poisoning by these substances was shown as the primary diagnosis.

  Prescription Charges (Asthmatics)
  Mr. Hoon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what monitoring her Department has undertaken of the affordability of prescription charges for asthmatics;

  (2) what representations her Department has received about asthmatics' ability to pay prescription charges.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  No specific monitoring is undertaken. We periodically receive representations about extending the list of medical conditions which confer exemption from prescription charges to include other illnesses, including asthma. Charge remission available under the national health service low income scheme and prescription pre-payment certificates ensure that no one need be deterred for financial reasons from obtaining necessary medication.

  Data Protection
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of general practitioners(a) hold computerised records and (b) are registered under the Data Protection Act 1984.

  Mr. Sackville
  According to a survey conducted on behalf of the Department in 1993 an estimated 79 per cent.366
  of general practices possess a computer to hold practice records, of which 90 per cent. use the computer for recording some clinical information about patients. Information about registration under the Data Protection Act is not available centrally.

  Contraceptive Services
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many contraceptive claim forms were submitted by general practitioners in each of the last 10 years and in each month of 1993–94.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Information about the number of contraceptive claim forms submitted by general practitioners is not available in the form requested.

  Press Conferences
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many press conferences she and each Minister in her Department have held in the last six months.

  Mr. Sackville
  This information is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Health Literature Line
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the cost of the health literature line, including the cost of producing and sending the leaflets, in each year since 1990–91.

  Mr. Sackville
  The cost for 1993–94 is £263,346. Information on costs for the years 1990–91 to 1992–93 and on producing and sending the leaflets is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  BCG Vaccinations
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer of 30 March,Official Report, columns 890–1, if she will list the 31 districts which do not offer Bacille-Calmette-Guérin vaccination to neonates.

  Mr. Sackville
  No. In 1991 the Public Health Laboratory Service's communicable disease surveillance centre carried out a national survey into the policies and practices of district health authorities for BCG immunisation. The information was collected "in confidence" so as to ensure that the results were as complete as possible. Since 1991 the Department of Health has restated its guidance on BCG immunisation and many health authorities have reviewed their policies.

  NHS Property (Disposal)
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the redundant NHS hospitals that have been disposed of without planning permission since 1987.

  Mr. Sackville
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Pendle (Mr. Prentice) on 31 March at column 1038.

  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if she will list the regional health authorities pre-1 April that were obliged to consult the Valuation Office for professional advice on the disposal of national health service property;
  367
  (2) under what circumstances regional health authorities should consult, before 1 April, the Valuation Office even though they are untied.

  Mr. Sackville
  Regional health authorities which were untied from the district valuer, prior to April 1994, are required to secure the recommendation of the district valuer in respect of acquisitions or disposals where, at the outset, the value appeared to be more than £5 million.

  Regional health authorities which were not untied as of April 1994 were as follows:

  Mersey RHA

  West Midlands RHA

  North East Thames RHA

  North West Thames RHA

  South Western RHA

  Prescriptions
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer of 14 April,Official Report, column 295, when she intends to issue guidance to family health services authorities on private prescriptions.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Guidance will be issued shortly.

  Departmental Policy
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) pursuant to her answer to the hon. Member for City of Chester (Mr. Brandreth) of 18 April,Official Report, column 396, regarding her plans for the work of her Department, how she intends to strengthen the arrangements for controlling communicable diseases and other health hazards;

  (2) pursuant to her answer to the hon. Member for City of Chester (Mr. Brandreth) of 18 April, Official Report, column 396, regarding her plans for the work of her Department, what new information she will be providing on communicable diseases and other health hazards.

  Mr. Sackville
  The Government remain committed to preventing communicable diseases and reducing health hazards.

  Joint guidance from the Departments of Health and Environment, HSG(93)56 "Public Health Responsibilities of the NHS Roles of Others", was issued on 24 November 1993 to provide firm guidance on communicable disease control arrangements. Copies of the guidance are available in the Library.

  A joint Department of Health/Public Health Laboratory Service working group is currently reviewing and extending the guidance issued to the national health service in 1988 about hospital infection control, with the aim of issuing revised guidelines to the NHS in the autumn.

  Childhood immunisation uptake rates are now at record levels and the incidence of childhood diseases are at their lowest ever levels. The memorandum "Immunisation against Infectious Disease", which provides guidance on all matters concerning immunisation, is currently being updated and a new edition will be sent to all doctors and other health care professionals involved in immunisation. Details of the plans to introduce the new tetanus/diphtheria booster dose for teenagers will be announced shortly. We recently issued guidance to the health service on "Aids/HIV—Infected Health Care Workers" and "Protecting Health Care Workers and Patients from Hepatitis B Infection". Copies of these publications are available in the Library. We are aware of the concerns
  368
  about the recent small increase in cases of tuberculosis. We are currently funding a survey by the Public Health Laboratory Service into notification of tuberculosis and recently my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health established an inter-departmental working group to consider all aspects of tuberculosis.

  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer to the hon. Member for City of Chester (Mr. Brandreth) of 18 April,Official Report, column 396, regarding her plans for the work of her Department, how she plans to implement the open government code of practice throughout her Department.

  Mr. Sackville
  Two documents on how the code of practice will operate for the Department of Health have been produced: one is a guide to the public, the other is guidance issued to all staff in the Department. Copies of each will be placed in the Library.

  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer to the hon. Member for City of Chester (Mr. Brandreth) of 18 April,Official Report, column 396, regarding her plans for the work of her Department, what further developments in the internal market she intends to secure.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  We propose to secure continued improvements in national health service patient care and choice by strengthening purchasing. We are preparing legislation to enable district health authorities and family health services authorities to merge, completing the move to trust status of providers, promoting fundholding so that all general practitioners who are able and wish to can become fundholders and ensuring that the internal market operates to increase competition between providers for the benefit of patients.

  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer to the hon. Member for City of Chester (Mr. Brandreth) of 18 April,Official Report, column 396, regarding her plans for the work of her Department, what plans she is making to ensure that amendments are made to the Mental Health Act 1983.

  Mr. Bowis
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 2 March at column 264, with regard to supervised discharge and extended leave. We have also announced our intention to amend the provisions of the Mental Health Act 1983 relating to the return of detained patients who go absent without leave, and are now considering the responses to our consultation paper on this subject.

  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer to the hon. Member for City of Chester (Mr. Brandreth) of 18 April,Official Report, column 396, regarding her plans for the work of her Department, what timetable she envisages for the establishment of the Medical Devices Directorate as a "next steps" agency.

  Mr. Sackville
  The matter is currently under consideration. We hope to be able to make an announcement shortly.

  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer to the hon. Member for City of Chester (Mr. Brandreth) of 18 April,Official Report, column 396, regarding her plans for the work of her Department, what communication strategies she intends to implement; and what budget she has given this priority.
  369
  Mr. Sackville
  Communications with national health service staff and with other agencies involved in the planning and provision of health and social services is an important and ongoing part of the work of the NHS executive.

  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer to the hon. Member for City of Chester (Mr. Brandreth) of 18 April,Official Report, column 396, regarding her plans for the work of her Department, what steps she is taking to introduce new adoption legislation.

  Mr. Bowis
  As stated in the White Paper "Adoption: The Future" the Government will bring forward new adoption legislation as, soon as the legislative programme allows.

  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer to the hon. Member for City of Chester (Mr. Brandreth) of 18 April,Official Report, column, 396, regarding her plans for the work of her Department, what steps she is taking to ensure joint working between health and local authorities.

  Mr. Bowis
  Health authorities and local authorities have a statutory duty to co-operate to secure and advance the health and welfare of the people of England and Wales. An important aspect of this is the joint commissioning of community care services by health and local authorities. Work is in hand to develop practical guidance to encourage this.

  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer to the hon. Member for City of Chester (Mr. Brandreth) of 18 April,Official Report, column 396, regarding her plans for the work of her Department, what new safeguards she will be introducing to ensure that medicines and medical devices sold or in use in the United Kingdom meet standards of safety.

  Mr. Sackville
  A range of controls to ensure the safety, quality and efficacy of medicines already exists under powers set out in the Medicines Act 1968. These will be developed further with the coming into force of new European Community procedures—"Future Systems"—from 1 January 1995, which provide for high standards of pre- and post-licensing control across the European Community.

  With respect to medical devices, from 1 January 1993 a series of three medical devices directives regulating the safety and marketing of medical devices throughout the European Community started to come into effect in the United Kingdom. The directives will eventually cover all medical devices on sale or in use in the United Kingdom. They are designed to ensure safety and performance and to prohibit the marketing of any devices which compromise the health and safety of patients, users, and where appropriate, any other persons.

  Lewisham Hospital
  Ms Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proposals she intends to make with regard to Lewisham hospital if her proposed merger of Guy's and St. Thomas's hospitals goes ahead; what increase she envisages in the number of accident and emergency cases to be dealt with at Lewisham hospital; and how many additional beds Lewisham hospital will require to meet the increase.
  370
  Dr. Mawhinney
  The South East London health authority is working with Guy's and St. Thomas's hospital trust, King's healthcare national health service trust and Lewisham hospital NHS trust to assess the likely changes in patient flows both in attendances at emergency departments and in-patient admissions as a result of proposed changes in the Guy's and St. Thomas's trust. Proposals will be the subject of public consultation later this year.

  Treatment Priorities
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations she has received in relation to the report of the Association of Community Health Councils of England and Wales with respect to the differentiation in levels of priority for treatment other than in relation to clinical need; what consultations she has had with the National Association of Health Authorities and Trusts with respect to the contents of the report; and if she will make a statement.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  We will study the Association of Community Health Councils of England and Wales report carefully. By ensuring value for money, fundholders are making more resources available to the national health service; savings are ploughed back into patient care, waiting lists are reduced, and services are made more accessible, for example through out-patient clinics held in the surgery. We regularly meet the National Association of Health Authorities and Trusts to discuss how we can build on the success of NHS reforms.

  Private Finance
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list all those national health service projects worth over £250,000 which have been financed by private sector money since February 1993.

  Mr. Sackville
  [pursuant to his reply, 14 April 1994, c. 293]: I regret that there was an error in my previous reply. The amended table lists 19 schemes, omitting United Leeds Teaching Hospitals national health service trust which was incorrecly included.

  National health service projects using private capital over £1 million approved since February 1993

  Ealing, Hammersmith and Hounslow Health Agency: lease of office accommodation.

  Yorkshire Regional Health Authority: clinical waste incineration.

  Hastings and Rother NHS Trust: Conquest Hospital staff residences.

  West Middlesex Hospital: endoscopy unit.

  North Bedfordshire Health Authority: residential accommodation at Steppingley and Biggleswade.

  Bolton Health Authority: clinical waste incineration.

  New River Health Authority: lease of office accommodation.

  Leicester Mental Health Services: lease of new Trust Headquarters.

  William Harvey Hospital (Ashford): clinical waste incineration.

  Barnet Health Authority: residential accommodation in Hendon.

  Plymouth and Torbay Health Authority: clinical waste incineration.

  Kensington, Chelsea and Westminster Health Authority: staff residences at Carlton Gate.

  East Sussex Health Authority: residential accommodation for continuing care of the elderly.

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  Brent and Harrow Health Authority: provision of residential accommodation.

  Doncaster Healthcare NHS Trust: clinical waste incineration.

  Kent and Canterbury Hospitals NHS Trust: staff accommodation.

  St. James' NHS Trust, Leeds: combined heat and power plant.

  Hertfordshire Health. Agency: lease of office accommodation.

  Hillingdon Health Agency: lease of office accommodation.

TREASURY

  Public Appointments
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of public appointments made by his Department in 1993 were of(a) Asians and (b) black people; and if he will list their names.

  Mr. Nelson
  The percentage of Asian and black people who took up public appointments made by the Treasury in 1993 are 5·5 per cent. and nil respectively.

  The data on the ethnic origin of public appointees are collected in confidence. I am therefore unable to list their names.

  Fuel (VAT)
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what amounts of advance payments for fuel had been paid by Government Departments as at 31 March.

  Sir John Cope
  Government Departments were already subject to VAT on their business use of fuel. Hence expenditure on fuel and power by Government Departments was largely unaffected by the extension of VAT to domestic fuel and power.

  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many representations he has received from(a) individuals and (b) organisations on the imposition of VAT on domestic energy since the original announcement that it would be levied; and how many in each case were in favour of the increase.

  Sir John Cope
  I have received a large number of representations on fuel and power, but the records that are kept do not give sufficient information to answer the question in detail.

  Fraud (EC Grants)
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the cost to United Kingdom public funds of fraud involving grants from the EC for which investigations have been completed and charges upheld; and what is his estimate of the cost to public funds for cases which are still under investigation.

  Sir John Cope
  It is not possible to give an estimate of the cost to the United Kingdom of EC budget fraud either in the case of investigations that have been completed or in the case of those that are continuing. The cost depends on a number of factors, including: how much was actually paid from Community funds; how much has been recovered or offset from other expenditure; where the fraud took place—that is, in the United Kingdom, other member state or third country; and whether it involved expenditure from the budget or, for example, evasion of duties depriving the Community of revenue.
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  What is, however, clear is that fraud against the financial interests of the Community, and therefore of taxpayers in member states, is at an unacceptable level. The United Kingdom is at the forefront of the campaign to reduce fraud and otherwise improve financial management in the Community.

  Statistics
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what effect he expects the change in the trade deficit consignment on the reassessment of the Intrastat calculations to have on the exchange rate; when he expects the revised figures to be published; and what preparations he is making to safeguard the pound sterling.

  Mr. Nelson
  With regard to the publication of any necessary adjustments to the estimates of the balance of United Kingdom visible trade, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 18 April 1994,Official Report, column 364.

  Sterling's exchange rate is floating and it is not my practice to make predictions about its level. Movements in sterling's exchange rate form part of our continuing assessment of monetary conditions but we do not set target rates.

  VAT
  Mr. Rowe
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what were the gross and net yields for value added tax for 1992 and 1993 and the first quarter of 1994.

  Sir John Cope
  The yields for value added tax gross and net of repayments are as follows:

  £ billion

  1992

  1993

  11994

  Gross

  63·5

  64·5

  17·3

  Net

  37·7

  37·8

  10·7

  1 First quarter.

  It should be noted that the difference between the gross and net figures given above relates only to actual repayments to traders.

  Privatised Companies (Debt)
  Mr. Burns
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has for the disposal of some or all of the Treasury's holding of debt in privatised companies.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The Treasury has agreed to the repurchase of debt issued to Her Majesty's Government by Eastern Electricity plc. The debt is:

  £ million

  Per cent.

  59

  112·661

  59

  212·365

  1 Due September 1999.

  2 Due September 2008.

  Eastern Electricity plc will today pay Her Majesty's Treasury £144·827 million to repurchase these bonds.

  As announced on 1 March, the Treasury is planning to dispose in 1994–95 of part of its holding of debt in BT plc and certain of the privatised electricity companies, as part

  373
  of its strategy for meeting its published proceeds target of £5·5 billion. The Treasury is considering its strategy for this debt disposal.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Live Animals
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, if she will make it her policy to ensure that the transport of live animals will be banned in an effective way from the United Kingdom as soon as possible.

  Mr. Soames
  A ban on the export of animals would be illegal under the treaty of Rome. The Government are pressing the Community to adopt high standards of protection for all animals during transport.

  Primates
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to her answer of 20 January,Official Report, column 750, whether arrangements for approval of establishments as sources of primates under directive 92/65/EEC have now been put in place by agriculture departments in Great Britain.

  Mr. Soames
  Yes, we have written to such establishments setting out the procedures for approval under directive 92/65.

EMPLOYMENT

  Earnings
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what are the current average weekly, and hourly earnings, exclusive of overtime, for each year since 1989, of full-time employees in the categories(a) male manual, (b) male non-manual, (c) female manual, (d) female non-manual, (e) male and female manual and (f) male and female non-manual in (i) Doncaster, (ii) Barnsley, (iii) Rotherham and (iv) Sheffield; and what are the equivalent national figures.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The available information closest to that requested is for the metropolitan county of South Yorkshire.

  Information for South Yorkshire and for Great Britain can be found in the "New Earnings Survey" reports for each of the years requested. Information for manual and non-manual men and women workers separately can be found in tables 108, 109, 111 and 112 of part E and information for manual and non-manual men and women workers combined in table X5 of part A. Copies of these publications can be found in the Library.

  Parliamentary Questions
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many parliamentary questions, in the period November 1992 to March 1993, were answered with the response that the information requested is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost; and how many were referred on to an agency chief executive.
  374
  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The number of answers given to parliamentary questions from November 1992 to March 1993, recorded on the POLIS database as including a reference to disproportionate cost or to information not held or collected centrally was 32.

  During the same period, the number of questions referred for answer to the Employment Service, the only agency in the Department with responsibility for replying to parliamentary questions on operational matters was 67.

  This represents 3·2 and 6·8 per cent. respectively of all parliamentary questions replied to by the Department in the same period.

  South Thames Training and Enterprise Council
  Ms Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment which organisations in Southwark had contracts with South Thames training and enterprise council in 1993–94 and will have no contract with South Thames training and enterprise council in 1994–95; and if he will make a statement.

  Miss Widdecombe
  South Thames training and enterprise council has not renewed contracts in 1994–95 with seven of the training organisations in Southwark that it contracted with in 1993–94. The organisations that did not have their contracts renewed are as follows:

  Caribbean Teachers Association

  Community Youth Provisions

  Euroworld Data Ltd.

  Mother Goose Nurseries

  South Bank University

  Southwark College

  Walworth Garden Services Ltd.

  TECs are responsible for planning and arranging Government-funded training and enterprise programmes. TECs uses their knowledge of the local labour market to help them determine the range and nature of such training and enterprise initiatives that will best meet the needs of both individuals and businesses in their area. These initiatives are delivered through a wide range of colleges, training providers and enterprise agencies. It is for TECs to decide the most appropriate organisations with which to contract.

  European Social Fund
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment, pursuant to his answer of 14 April,Official Report, column 288, what has been the earliest date in each of the past five years on which any voluntary organisations have been told whether they have had funding for European social fund projects starting on 1 January of that year.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The earliest date on which any voluntary sector project received notification that it had approval for ESF funding is shown was:

  in 1990–December 1990;

  in 1991–10 May 1991;

  in 1992–13 January 1992;

  in 1993–19 January 1993.

  These figures relate to projects approved in the period 1990–93 under objectives 3 and 4. Before 1990, the European Commission considered projects for approval and the data are not held.

  Water Pollution, Worcester
  Mr. Luff
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what role the Health and Safety Executive played in the water pollution incident in Worcester on 15 April; what advice it gave to other public or private bodies; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The water pollution incident in Worcester on 15 April is being investigated by the National Rivers Authority and Shropshire county council. The NRA has the primary responsibility for enforcing legislation on water pollution liaising with the Health and Safety Executive as necessary. The HSE has given no advice to public or private bodies but is being kept informed of developments.

  Health and Safety
  Ms Eagle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many investigations undertaken by the Health and Safety Executive into accidents, incidents and dangerous occurrences in the north-west and in each of the standard administrative regions of England concluded that employee fatigue had played a role.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Information is not available in the form requested.

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give for(a) the Taunton travel-to-work area, (b) Somerset (c) the south-west region and (d) the United Kingdom the total numbers of (i) males and (ii) females unemployed for (1) May 1979, (2) June 1983, (3) August 1986, (4) June 1987, (5) March 1991, (6) March 1992, (7) March 1993 and (8) March 1994.

  Miss Widdecombe
  Seasonally adjusted clamant unemployment figures are available regionally from April 1974. For travel-to-work areas and counties, only unadjusted unemployment figures are available and these go back to June 1983. All this data can be obtained from the NOMIS database in the Library.

  Youth Training
  Mr. Steinberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many YT recipients in each age group had income below the income support level in(a) the latest available period before 11 April and (b) the period after that date.

  Miss Widdecombe
  This information is not available.

  Industrial Tribunals
  Mr. Coe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is being done to reduce industrial tribunal waiting lists.

  Miss Widdecombe
  I have asked officials to review the operation of the industrial tribunals with a view to identifying any changes which would help them to cope with an increasing volume and complexity of cases with reduced delays, while containing demands on public expenditure. Meanwhile, additional resources are being allocated to help contain the delays.

  Disabled People
  Mr. Berry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is his estimate of the unemployment rate of disabled people.

  Miss Widdecombe
  [holding answer 28 April 1994]: The labour force survey asks people of working age if they currently have a health problem or disability which limits the kind of paid work they can do. Estimates based on answers to this question will include people with short-term health problems and disabilities as well as those registered as disabled.

  The latest LFS estimates for summer 1993 show that, in Great Britain, the International Labour Organisation unemployment rate for such people was 22 per cent.

  Employment Appeals Tribunal
  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many appellants to the employment appeals tribunal had preliminary hearings in each of the months following the retirment of Mr. Justice Wood.

  Miss Widdecombe
  [holding answer 28 April 1994]: The figures are shown in the table:

  Number

  October 1993

  28

  November 1993

  49

  December 1993

  31

  January 1994

  39

  February 1994

  83

  March 1994

  32

  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many appellants to the employment appeals tribunal had preliminary hearings in each of the 24 months prior to the retirement of Mr. Justice Wood.

  Miss Widdecombe
  [holding answer 28 April 1994]: The figures are shown in the table:

  Number

  October 1991

  22

  November 1991

  24

  December 1991

  19

  January 1992

  19

  February 1992

  15

  March 1992

  16

  April 1992

  2

  May 1992

  6

  June 1992

  12

  July 1992

  41

  August 1992

  6

  September 1992

  18

  October 1992

  34

  November 1992

  37

  December 1992

  24

  January 1993

  53

  February 1993

  57

  March 1993

  16

  April 1993

  25

  May 1993

  30

  June 1993

  34

  July 1993

  52

  August 1993

  1

  September 1993

  0

  Labour Statistics, Scotland
  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many employees in Scotland are in part-time jobs.

  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 28 April 1994]: I have been asked to reply. For December 1993, the latest date for which information is available, it is estimated that 542,000 employees in employment in Scotland worked part-time.

EDUCATION

  School Transport
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) if he will extend to all local education authorities the dispensation agreed with Strathclyde council education authority in respect of finance of seat belt installation in school minibuses and buses; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) if he will make it his policy to apply to local education authorities in England the same rules on school transport as are applied by Strathclyde regional council; and if he will make a statement;

  (3) if he will publish the guidance issued by his Department to local education authorities in respect of the safety of schoolchildren in transit; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Forth
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport has national responsibility for vehicle safety matters.

  The Department for Education has already published general advice on school transport to all local education authorities in a circular letter on 21 January 1994. A copy is in the Library. It recommended that seat belts should be worn where fitted, and reminded authorities that home-to-school transport which they provide or arrange must carry pupils in reasonable safety and comfort. It also advised authorities to encourage contractors to observe the school transport safety code to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, which was issued with the endorsement of the Secretary of State in 1991. Copies were distributed to all education authorities and schools.

  Sex Education
  Mr. Alan Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he is taking to ensure that the skills of those responsible for teaching sex education in schools are co-ordinated with those of health education professionals in the Department of Health.

  Mr. Forth
  The forthcoming circular on sex education will offer schools advice on liaison with, and the use made of, external sources of help, including health service professionals.

  Mr. Alan Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has to set up an inter-departmental working group to share, develop and co-ordinate good practice in the delivery of sex education in schools.

  Mr. Forth
  My right hon. Friend has no such plans. The forthcoming draft circular will give schools comprehensive advice on the discharge of their statutory responsibilities for sex education. Further guidance is already available from a variety of sources.
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  Mr. Alan Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has to ensure that all schools are able to take advantage of training for delivering sex education, in the period prior to the implementation of the Education Act 1993.

  Mr. Forth
  The grants for education support and training programme for 1994–95 extends the specific grant already available to support the basic curriculum and assessment to cover teacher in-service training and materials associated with the new arrangements for sex education. Schools are free to use this grant as they judge fit.

  Special Educational Needs
  Mr. James Hill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will make it his policy that children with special educational needs should be educated as near to their home as possible; and what account is taken of the wishes of children and parents in this matter.

  Mr. Forth
  The Education Act 1993 requires local education authorities to comply with any preference of parents of a child with a statement of special educational needs regarding the maintained school they want their child to attend. This duty applies unless the school is unsuitable to the child's needs or the child's placement would be incompatible with the interests of other children already in the school or with the efficient use of the LEA's resources.

  The draft code of practice on the identification and assessment of special educational needs, which we expect to be debated in both Houses shortly, contains extensive guidance on the placement of children with special educational needs, emphasising the importance of parents' views and that, so far as possible, the views of the child are taken into account during the statutory assessment and in the statement.

  Mr. James Hill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what consideration has been given to the use of financial incentives to local education authorities for them to reduce the proportion of children with statements of special educational needs; what link has been made between the amount of money that a local authority receives from Government sources and the reduction of provision in places in special needs schools; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Forth
  The draft code of practice on the identification and assessment of special educational needs, which we expect to be debated in both Houses shortly, sets criteria aimed at ensuring that statutory assessments and statements are made only when necessary. It also emphasises the role of mainstream schools in making special educational provision for the majority of pupils with special educational needs.

  LEAs may receive capital allocations following the approval of statutory proposals involving surplus place reduction in maintained special schools. Any such allocation will depend on the authority's need for capital expenditure to implement the proposals. My right hon. Friend always takes into account value for money and capital costs when determining such proposals.

  Mr. James Hill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he is taking to ensure that provision
  379
  for special educational needs places is made a consequence of the informed judgment of parents, education psychologists, teachers and social services as to what is the most desirable education that a child with special needs should receive, and to avoid influence by statistical targets for the percentage of children with special needs in the local authority.

  Mr. Forth
  The draft code of practice on the identification and assessment of special educational needs, which we expect to be debated in both Houses shortly, offers guidance designed to help teachers, LEA officers and other professionals work together with parents to ensure that every child receives the educational provision appropriate to his or her individual special educational needs.

  Mr. James Hill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what is his policy governing the percentage of children with statements of special educational needs in a local authority in maintained schools; and in what form this policy is conveyed to local authorities.

  Mr. Forth
  The Government's policy is set out in the Education Act 1993 and the draft code of practice on the identification and assessment of special educational needs, which we expect to be debated in both Houses shortly, and which, subject to parliamentary approval, will be distributed to all maintained schools and local education authorities. The policy is that children with statements of special educational needs should, subject to the wishes of their parents, be educated alongside their peers in mainstream schools, so long as this would be compatible with the child receiving the special educational provision he or she needs; the interests of other children already in the school; and the efficient use of resources.

  The placement of an individual child is a matter for judgment by the local education authority in the light of a statutory assessment of the child: where appropriate and subject to the views of parents, placement might be made in a school not maintained by the LEA.

  Assisted Places Scheme
  Mr. Donohoe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many schools in England received(a) more than £1 million and (b) more than £250,000 per annum from his Department under the operation of the assisted places scheme; and if he will list the 50 schools which received most money from his Department under the assisted places scheme, in order, along with the total amounts which they received in the last year for which figures are available.

  Mr. Forth
  The information for parts(a) and (b) is as follows: (a) 4; (b) 161. The other information requested is shown in the table:

  Assisted places schemes 1992–93 academic year

  School name

  Fees/expenses remitted by DFE £ thousands

  Dulwich College

  1,291

  Wisbech Grammar school

  1,148

  St. Edward's College Liverpool

  1,104

  Emanuel school

  1,046

  Latymer Upper school

  972

  Alleyn's school Dulwich

  902

  380

  School name

  Fees/expenses remitted by DFE £ thousands

  Haberdasher's Aske's Boys school

  851

  Royal Grammar school Worcester

  826

  Newcastle-under-Lyme school

  815

  Hereford Cathedral school

  806

  Bristol Grammar school

  759

  Wolverhampton Grammar school

  749

  Bolton school (Boys)

  734

  Queen Elizabeth Grammar school Blackburn

  726

  James Allen's Girls school

  721

  St. Mary's College Crosby

  720

  Manchester Grammar school

  714

  King Edward VI school Southampton

  705

  Kings school Worcester

  701

  Wellington school Somerset

  692

  St. Bede's Manchester

  682

  Bolton school (Girls)

  673

  Plymouth College

  671

  Brighton College

  645

  William Hulme's Grammar school Manchester

  629

  King Edward's school Birmingham

  624

  Godolphin and Latymer school

  621

  Bradford Grammar school

  620

  Batley Grammar school

  588

  Liverpool College

  584

  Edgehill College

  583

  Colfe's school

  579

  Birkenhead High school (GPDST)

  564

  Hampton school

  563

  Merchant Taylor's Boys Liverpool

  553

  City of London school

  552

  Exeter school

  548

  Stockport Grammar school

  547

  St. John's College Southsea

  547

  Denstone College

  541

  Malvern College

  540

  Kingston Grammar school

  533

  Queen Mary school

  532

  Bury Grammar school (Girls)

  530

  Pocklington school

  530

  Royal Grammar school Guildford

  516

  Trinity School of John Whitgift Croydon

  513

  King Edward VII school Lytham

  512

  Old Palace school

  511

  Royal Grammar school Newcastle

  508

  Parliamentary Questions
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many parliamentary questions, in the period November 1992 to March 1993, were answered with the response that the information requested is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost; and how many were referred on to an agency chief executive.

  Mr. Boswell
  The number of answers given to parliamentary questions by the Department for the period requested recorded in the POLIS database as including a reference to the information being available only at disproportionate cost was 56. The number of questions answered recorded by the POLIS database as including a reference to the question being referred to an agency chief executive was two.

TRANSPORT

  Executive Agencies
  Mr. Dunn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what targets he has set for the executive agencies in his Department.

  Mr. MacGregor
  I have set the following key targets for 1994–95 for the Department of Transport's executive agencies.

  The key targets for the Coastguard Agency are to:
  Discharge my responsibility for maritime search and rescue (SAR), through the agency's own or dedicated assets, by maintaining a 24. hours SAR co-ordinating capability within, and including the coasts and shoreline of, the United Kingdom search and rescue region (UKSRR) and by maintaining a comprehensive radio reception and transmission coverage of the UKSRR which enables SAR co-ordination action for the duration of incidents without interruption or equipment malfunction;
  Determine through the United Kingdom SAR and local SAR Committees the availability, readiness, capability and responsiveness of SAR resources, to seek agreements with the appropriate controlling authorities for improvements as necessary and to report to me, identifying any improvements, by March 1995;
  Pursue an SAR prevention strategy through training, patrols, and public relations endeavours, including a safety campaign to be launched by 30 April (costing £25,000) designed to reduce incidents involving sea canoeists;
  Maintain a fully operational 24 hours channel navigation information service covering the Dover strait traffic separation scheme, in concert with the appropriate French authorities;
  Discharge my responsibility for the prevention of marine pollution by the maintenance of a national contingency plan, and in particular to test the effectiveness of the plan by undertaking a major exercise and to report to me on the outcome by 31 March 1995, and where appropriate to activate the plan within 30 minutes of an incident and commence action at sea to deal with a spill of dispersible oil within four hours of notification of an incident;
  Carry out 500 hours of aerial surveillance of the sea area for which the United Kingdom has responsibility, to detect or deter incidents of marine pollution, including illegal discharges from ships;
  Make a running costs efficiency gain of 3 per cent.; and;
  Investigate, and report to me by December 1994, on a means of measuring awareness of, and satisfaction with, the services provided by the agency.
  The key targets for the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency are:
  To meet or better an overall efficiency improvement of 4 per cent.;
  Deliver 95 per cent. of ordinary driving licence cases to customers within 12 working days of receipt and deliver medical cases within 22 working days of receipt;
  Deliver 95 per cent. of vocational driving licence cases within 10 working days of receipt and deliver medical cases within 30 working days of receipt;
  Deliver 95 per cent. of first provisional driving licence cases within 11 working days of receipt;
  Deliver 95 per cent. of cases involving changes to vehicle registration documents within 13 working days of receipt;
  Deliver 95 per cent. of registration documents for new vehicles within 13 working days of receipt;
  Answer 80 per cent. of telephone enquiries within 30 seconds;
  Deliver answers to 95 per cent. of written enquiries within eight working days of receipt; and
  Complete successfully 457,000 VED enforcement cases by imposition of penalties and recover through penalties and duty from induced relicensing at least £2·60 for every £1 (full costs) spent by DVLA on VED enforcement.
  The targets and key tasks for the Highways Agency are to:
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  Report, using existing management information systems, on the agency's internal unit costs for the management and supervision of new construction schemes over £3 million in value, compared to costs in the last three years;
  Develop an information system for attributing all staff and other costs to the agency's outputs, identifying those attributable to motorways and other trunk roads separately wherever possible, so as to extend the coverage of unit costs beyond the new construction of national schemes, and enable comprehensive targets for reductions in unit costs to be set in future years;
  Meet the aims and targets enshrined within The Citizen's Charter, The Road User's Charter and the agency's charter standard statement Your Home and Trunk Road Proposals;
  Develop systems for measuring the performance of the network, including quality of service indicators, and introducing targets for 1995–96;
  Reach scheme milestones designated with the prioritised roads programme and listed in The National Roads Programme: Summary and Milestones as follows: complete 18 schemes; start works on 22 schemes; and reach 85 per cent. of the other scheme milestones;
  State in the agency's Annual Report the average time taken to complete schemes that are completed in 1994–95, compared with the performance in recent years, and the average time between milestones for all those schemes that reach milestones in 1994–95, and compare this with previous years' performance;
  Complete all schemes within the approved scheme brief (that is, on time and to budget) and, with the central Department, devise appropriate performance measures;
  Monitor, and state in the Annual Report, the benefit-cost ratio for the national roads programme based on the scheme briefs; and agree with the central Department a target level for 1995–96 and following years, below which the average should not fall;
  Monitor, and state in the annual report, the unit cost of new construction;
  Carry out up to five post-scheme evaluations as agreed with the central Department;
  Maintain the trunk road network effectively by planning a programme of capital maintenance to ensure that the target of reducing the percentage of the road network past the critical condition to 7 to 8 per cent. by the year 2000 is achieved and that all bridges on the network are able to carry the full assessment loading for vehicles of 40 tonne maximum gross vehicle weight by the end of 1998, by (in 1994–95): reconstructing 137 nearside lane kilometres (nlks) of trunk road and 40 nlks of motorway; overlaying a further 394 nlks of trunk road and 227 nlks of motorway; assessing the structural capacity of 795 bridges and strengthening 177 bridges; and monitoring, and stating in the annual report, the unit cost of road maintenance;
  Contribute to the Government's target of reducing road casualties by one third by the year 2000, compared to the annual average for 1981–85;
  Publish, as part of the agency's annual report, a section reporting its activities to promote road safety, including the accident rate on motorways and trunk roads;
  Publish as part of the agency's annual report a report on environmental matters; and
  Produce certified appropriation accounts by August 1995, and unaudited financial statements in an annual report by October 1995.
  The key targets for the Marine Safety Agency are to:
  Complete by 30 November the calculations for the phase-in criteria for ro ro passenger ferries built before 1990 and implement the first stage of the North West European ro ro passenger stability agreement and the related United Kingdom regulations by 30 November 1994;
  Submit to me an interim report by 31 October 1994 reviewing the fishing vessel safety provisions legislation including the progress made, in consultation with the industry, towards a fishing vessel safety code of practice for vessels under 12 metres in length;
  Complete by 31 March 1995 technical negotiations within the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) to secure amendments to chapter one (general provisions) and for the introduction of mandatory ships' routing and reporting under chapter V (safety of navigation) of the safety of life at sea

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  convention, including the drafting of any statutory instruments to give effect to the adopted amendments in United Kingdom law;
  Provide technical input to the European Community (EC) negotiations on the proposed directives dealing with convergent application of IMO rules and resolutions and specifically on segregated ballast tanks, ship safety equipment, transit and access in EC waters, and standards for vessels not covered by the safety of life at sea convention;
  Establish by 31 March 1995 mechanisms to allow the delegation of further survey and certification work to the private sector and the arrangements for its audit; and to audit by 31 March 1995 two organisations already authorised to undertake survey and certification work;
  Undertake port state control inspections, including operational aspects, of 30 per cent. of the foreign flagged vessels using United Kingdom ports;
  Achieve a running-costs efficiency gain of 3 per cent.; and
  As part of a two year programme of deregulation, produce proposals by 31 December 1994 for a first round of revocations of regulations.
  The key targets for the Transport Research Laboratory are to:
  Cover full costs with income from customers while meeting the net control total in the 1994–95 Supply Estimates;
  Ensure direct fee-earning costs as a percentage of total operating costs are greater than 57 per cent.;
  Achieve average staff utilisation in research resource centres of at least 1300 hours per year on direct fee-earning work; and
  Ensure that at least 94 per cent. of completed projects assessed by customers are rated as satisfactory or better
  The key targets for the Vehicle Certification Agency are to:
  Issue 90 per cent. of whole vehicle and system and component certificates by dates agreed with customers;
  Ensure that at least 98 per cent. of certificates issued are free of errors caused by the agency and where errors do occur to issue corrected documents within three working days in 75 per cent. of cases;
  Audit at least 50 per cent. of the agency's approved quality procedures and to achieve a satisfactory appraisal report on technical performance from my Department's chief mechanical engineer;
  Achieve, or better, a net output unit cost of £71·29;
  Achieve a Treasury accounts direction for the agency's 1994–95 accounts;
  Implement a new data system for job and product line costing;
  Deliver legislation, enforcement and information programmes required by the Department to timetables and within budget; and
  Develop a model contract for the provision of testing services by agents and to begin a trial of that contract with at least one agent.
  The key targets for the Vehicle Inspectorate trading fund are to:
  Achieve an efficiency improvement of 5 per cent. as measured by the agency's aggregate cost efficiency index;
  Break even while achieving a 6 per cent. real rate of return on capital employed;
  Achieve an HGV/PSV test exemption rate of less than 0·01 per cent.;
  Achieve an HGV/PSV test error rate of less than 0·47 per cent.;
  Achieve a roadworthiness prohibition error rate of 0·5 per cent.;
  Return 95 per cent. of maintenance assessments for "O" licence renewals and variations within six weeks and 99 per cent. within 12 weeks;
  Decide 99 per cent. of all MOT statutory appeals against refusal to issue test certificates within five working days;
  Produce 95 per cent. of Traffic Commissioners reports within four weeks unless another deadline has been agreed, and to produce 95 per cent. within the agreed deadline;
  Examine a minimum of 1·4 million HGV and 145,000 PSV tachograph charts;
  Weigh a minimum of 115,000 goods vehicles; and
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  Have at least 90 per cent. of weighbridge equipment available nationally.
  With regard to key targets for the Driving Standards Agency, I refer my hon. Friend to the reply my hon. Friend the Minister for Roads and Traffic gave on 12 April 1994 at column 83.

  These targets are set out in the agencies' business plans which also include management objectives and performance indicators, where appropriate to the agencies' business. Copies of the business plans of the Coastguard Agency, Highways Agency, Marine Safety Agency and Vehicle Certification Agency have been placed in the Library of the House. The business plans of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency and the vehicle inspectorate will be placed in the Library shortly. The business plan of the Transport Research Laboratory is commercially confidential.

  Metropolitan Traffic Area Office
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport in which month and year the Metropolitan traffic area office moved to Charles house, London; and in which month and year it closed.

  Mr. Key
  The Metropolitan traffic area office moved from Bromyard avenue to Charles house between July and September 1988. The Metropolitan traffic area office in Charles house was closed in May 1991 as part of the restructuring of the traffic areas.

  Tunnel House, Clayton
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions his Department has had with British Rail about preserving the 1836 Tunnel house at Clayton built over the London-Brighton line; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Freeman
  None, the future of the Clayton Tunnel house is a matter for Railtrack. I understand however, that Railtrack is currently assessing what repairs if any are required to this grade II listed building.

  BR Land (Trepass)
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many cases in respect of trespass and endangering safety of persons on railway lines were brought by the British Transport police and the Crown Prosecution Service in each year since 1991.

  Mr. Freeman
  The information requested is as follows:

  Trespass

  Endanger safety

  1991

  4,149

  386

  1992

  5,150

  344

  1993

  7,010

  543

  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many incidents of hunts trespassing on British Rail property were recorded in(a) 1991, (b) 1992 and (c)

  Mr. Freeman
  There were three recorded incidents of hunts trespassing on British Rail property in 1991, 10 in 1992 and 11 in 1993.
  385
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what advice his Department issues to British Rail regarding trespass on BR property.

  Mr. Freeman
  The Department does not issue advice to BR or Railtrack regarding trespass on their property.

  Traffic Area Offices
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Tranpsort, pursuant to his answer of 7 February,Official Report, column 97, how much was spent in the financial year 1993–94 on publishing the traffic area office annual report and the traffic area office customer service guides; and what are the costs of the customer service guides as a percentage of the running costs of traffic area co-ordination division and the traffic area office network.

  Mr. Key
  The cost of publishing the traffic area annual report and the customer service guides during the financial year 1993–94 was £3,500. The costs of the customer service guides represented less than 0·5 per cent. of running costs of traffic area co-ordination division and the traffic area office network.

  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Don Valley (Mr. Redmond) of 28 February,Official Report, column 563, what plans he has to make available information about how to complain about goods or public service vehicles at places other than traffic area offices; and what plans he has to publicise the existence of traffic area offices.

  Mr. Key
  Complaints about goods vehicles and public service vehicles may be addressed to a number or organisations depending on the nature of the complaint. The two main organisations within my Department are the Vehicle Inspectorate and the local traffic area office. Both these organisations have published or are about to publish codes of practice which will explain how to make complaints.

  The code of practice for traffic area offices which came into effect on 1 April 1994 explains the operator licensing and bus registration services they provide their customers. This code will shortly be printed in leaflet form for general distribution and will include a map showing the eight traffic area offices, their areas of responsibility, addresses and telephone numbers. A press notice will be issued to publicise the leaflet.

  Goods Vehicles
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 27 January,Official Report, column 27, for what reasons he does not collect figures for the number of objections received in the renewal of goods vehicle operator licences.

  Mr. Key
  The Department collects figures for the number of objections to all types of applications and these are held on computer. It would be possible to collate the information for the number of objections to renewals of goods vehicle operator licences received but for 1991–92 and 1992–93 that could be done only at disproportionate cost. This is because a special computer programme would be needed to extract the necessary information.

  "Guide to Making Representations"
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport in which month and year the last two editions of his "Guide to Making Representations" were printed.

  Mr. Key
  The goods vehicle operator licensing "Guide to Making Representations" was first published in October 1986. A revised edition of the guide was published in October 1992.

  Rail Privatisation
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what measures he is taking to ensure that his target of at least 51 per cent. of British Rail being privatised by April 1996 is met; what assurances he has received from the Franchising Director that this target will be met; and what penalties and measures are available to him to take action it the target is not met.

  Mr. Freeman
  The Secretary of State has set for the Franchising Director the targets of commencing the competitive process for the first six franchises by the end of 1994, awarding the first six franchises by the end of 1995, and securing that 51 per cent. or more of the railway passenger services currently operated by BR are provided under franchise agreements by 1 April 1996. It will be for the Franchising Director to achieve these targets, and the franchising programme he announced on 21 April indicates how he intends to do so. We have no reason to believe that these targets will not be met. Should a problem arise which would result in the targets not being met we would need to consider with the Franchising Director what action would be appropriate in the particular circumstances of the case.

  Prohibition Notices
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 27 January,Official Report, column 389, if he will provide a breakdown of the reasons for the issue of immediate prohibitions against passenger-carrying vehicles in 1992–93.

  Mr. Key
  The information is not held in the form requested and could be produced at only disproportionate cost. However, an analysis of all prohibitions by defect type is available for 1992–93 and is as follows.

  Defect

  Number of times occurred

  Seat belts

  0

  Diesel smoke emission

  259

  Road wheels and hubs

  67

  Size and type of tyres

  3

  Condition of tyres

  150

  Bumper bars

  3

  Spare wheel/carrier

  6

  Vehicle/trailer coupling

  0

  Coupling on trailer

  1

  Trailer landing legs

  3

  Wings and wheel arches

  3

  Cab security

  0

  Passenger doors, drivers doors and emergency exits

  255

  Drivers accommodation

  16

  Driving seat

  13

  Security of body

  17

  Exterior of body, including access doors/luggage flaps

  139

  Interior of body, passenger entrance, exit steps and platforms

  321

  387

  Defect

  Number of times occurred

  Mirrors

  2

  View to the front

  6

  Condition of windows, glass or other transparent material

  38

  Windscreen wipers and washers

  50

  Speedometer

  1

  Audible warning (horn)

  5

  Driving controls

  70

  Tachograph

  3

  Play at steering wheel

  8

  Steering wheel

  5

  Steering column

  6

  Speed limiter

  0

  Pressure/vacuum Warning

  4

  Build Up of Pressure Vacuum

  15

  Hand Lever Operating Mechanical Brakes

  20

  Service Brake Pedal

  4

  Service Brake Operation

  6

  Hand Operated Brake Control Valves

  5

  Condition of Chassis

  40

  Electrical Wiring and Equipment

  48

  Engine and Transmission Mountings

  15

  Oil and Waste Leaks

  325

  Fuel Tanks and Systems

  275

  Exhaust and Waste Systems

  112

  Suspension Pins and Bushes

  71

  Suspension Spring Units and Linkages

  145

  Attachment of Spring Units, Linkages and Sub-Frame

  90

  Shock Absorbers

  27

  Axles, Stub Axles and Wheel Bearings

  16

  Steering Linkage

  112

  Steering Gear

  29

  Power Steering

  71

  Transmission

  57

  Additional Braking Devices

  1

  Mechanical Brake Components

  58

  Brake Actuators

  54

  Braking Systems and Components

  220

  Rear Markings

  1

  Front Position of Front End Outline Marker

  24

  Rear Position, Rear End Outline Marker, Rear Fog and Rear Registration Lamps

  15

  Reflectors

  3

  Direction Indicators and Hazard Warning Lamps

  44

  Aim of Headlamps

  23

  Headlamps

  50

  Stop Lamps

  55

  Trailer Parking Brake

  0

  Service Brake Performance

  94

  Secondary Brake Performance

  52

  Parking Brake Performance

  104

  Addition Brakes Performance

  2

  Annual Team Item

  1

  Other

  19

  Public Appointments
  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many persons are employed by(a) the British Railways Board, (b) the regulator, (c) the Franchising Director, (d) Railtrack and (e) train operating companies on salaries in excess of £30,000 per annum.

  Mr. Freeman
  BR employs 1,228 staff with salaries in excess of £30,000 per annum: the regulator, 17; the Franchising Director, 17; and Railtrack, 349. Staff employed in the train operating units are still employees of BR and are included in BR's total.

  Red Warning Vehicles Scheme
  Ms Coffey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what increase in the licensing of vehicles there has been resulting from the national red warning vehicles scheme launched by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency in 1993.

  Mr. Key
  [holding answer 28 April 1994]: The windscreen warning notice scheme started as a pilot in 1992 and was extended throughout England and Wales early in 1993.

  We estimate that in 1991–92, before the start of the scheme, some 115,000 evaders or would-be evaders were encouraged to relicense their vehicles as a direct result of vehicle excise duty enforcement activity, realising some £8·4 million in revenue that would otherwise not have been collected. In 1993–94, with the scheme in full operation, an estimated 345,000 motorists were encouraged to relicense, with a revenue recovery of some £27·9 million.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

  Press Releases
  Mr. Barnes
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for York (Mr. Bayley) of 18 April,Official Report, column 365, if he will ensure that all Government news releases are transmitted electronically to POLIS at the same time as they are placed in the Parliamentary Press Gallery.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  Distribution of news releases is a matter for individual Departments.

DEFENCE

  Reserve Forces
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what percentage of the Regular Reserves in 1993 (a) responded to questions as to their suitability for military service and (b) provided full details as to their medical conditions;

  (2) how frequently the information which is held centrally by each service on the suitability for military service of members of the Regular reserve is (a) updated and (b) verified with individual reservists.

  Mr. Hanley
  Information on the suitability for military service of members of the Royal Fleet Reserve and the Regular Army Reserve is provided by personnel completing an annual questionnaire, which includes a section on the individual's medical condition. The Royal Navy introduced a postal reporting system in July 1993 and in the first six months some 1,300 members of the Royal Fleet Reserve were contacted, of whom approximately 50 per cent. replied. The Army's Regular Reserve use a similar system, and at the end of 1993 about 55 per cent. of those contacted had responded.

  The Royal Air Force system requires the reservist to inform his management centre only when his or her circumstances change. In 1993, less than 1 per cent. of the reserve strength did so.
  389
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the respective roles of the Army Reserve, Army service pensioners with recall liability and the Army's Long-term Reserve.

  Mr. Hanley
  Ex-Regular Army reservists can be used in the following roles regardless of the category of reserve to which they belong:

  a. To provide reinforcements to bring regular and TA units and headquarters up to their war establishment.

  b. To provide Battle Casuality Replacements.

  c. To form sub-units for Home Defence tasks.

  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many service pensioners have a recall liability.

  Mr. Hanley
  The numbers of service pensioners excluding officers who had a recall liability at 31 March 1994 are as follows rounded to the nearest 100:

  Number

  Royal Navy:

  11,300

  Royal Marines:

  1,000

  Army:

  32,900

  Royal Air Force:

  21,900

  The liability of ex-Regular officers for recall is not dependent on receipt of a pension, and information in the form requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on how many occasions, and in what numbers, men of the Army Reserve have been called out for training over the past five years(a) for a period not exceeding 15 days and (b) for a period not exceeding 36 hours.

  Mr. Hanley
  The number called out once annually for training since 1989 are as follows:

  Number

  1989–90

  54,719

  1990–91

  53,559

  1991–92

  47,278

  1992–93

  Nil

  1993–94

  Nil

  On all of these occasions the training period did not exceed 36 hours.

  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the sequence of call-out of all components of the Army Reserves under section 10 of the Reserve Forces Act 1980 when it appears to Her Majesty's Government that national danger is imminent or a great emergency has arisen.

  Mr. Hanley
  Section 10 of the Reserve Forces Act 1980 applies directly to the Territorial Army and Army Reserve. There is no restriction on the order in which they or any other Army reservists are called out.

  The Act also provides that when members of the Army Reserve are called out for permanent service under section 10, Army pensioners may be recalled under section 32(1) and men of the Army Long-term Reserve may be recalled for service under section 34(1).

  Call-out of members of the Regular Army Reserve of Officers—RARO—is governed by the Pay Warrant 1964,
  390
  article 285. It provides that class I of RARO, which includes most ex-Regular officers, may be called-out if the call-out of Army reservists has been ordered when national danger is imminent or a great emergency has arisen.

  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what criteria were used, and what specialist training was required, in respect of those members of the Regular Reserve called out during the Gulf conflict.

  Mr. Hanley
  Regular Reserves were called out during the Gulf conflict to fill specific posts. The selection process was designed to identify individuals who, because of their experience and qualifications, needed only the minimum of training to achieve operational readiness in those posts.

  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which Territorial Army units are between two thirds and 80 per cent. recruited.

  Mr. Hanley
  As at 1 April 1994 there were 10 Territorial Army units between two-thirds and 80 per cent. recruited. They are as follows:

  Unit

  District

  Per cent.

  102 Battalion Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers

  Eastern District

  67

  77 Engineer Regiment

  Eastern District

  73

  Scots Yeomanry

  Scotland

  67

  32 Signal Regiment

  Scotland

  77

  205 Field Hospital

  Scotland

  68

  2 Wessex

  Southern District

  80

  103 Battalion Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers

  Southern District

  72

  203 Field Hospital

  Wales and Western District

  74

  31 Signal Regiment

  London

  75

  257 Field Hospital

  London

  70

  Imphal Barracks
  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what vacant office space there will be at Imphal barracks, York, once the pay and manning function has completed its relocation.

  Mr. Hanley
  The move of the Infantry and Royal Artillery manning and record offices and the regional pay office will release approximately 32,895 sq ft of office space at Imphal barracks.

  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what will be the cost of maintaining the office buildings at Imphal barracks during 1994–95.

  Mr. Hanley
  The estimated cost of maintaining the office buildings at Imphal barracks for financial year 1994–95 is £40,000.

  Officer Training Corps
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the established strength and the actual strength as at 1 January of the Officer Training Corps.

  Mr. Hanley
  As at 1 January 1994 the established strength of the Officer Training Corps was 4,884 and the actual strength was 5,579. The higher number in actual strength results from permitted overbearing during the
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  recruitment process between October and April of each year. Numbers are planned to reduce to the established strength by 1 April each year.

  Air Vice Marshal Colville
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will state the salary and financial value of other benefits paid to Air Vice Marshal Colville as Air Officer Commanding as at 31 March; and what will be his payments from 1 April as chief executive of the Training Group Defence Agency.

  Mr. Hanley
  The rate of salary and range of allowances to which Air Vice Marshal Colville is entitled as a two-star officer filling a command appointment are unaffected by his appointment as chief executive of the Training Group Defence Agency.

  The salary of two-star officers on 31 March 1994 was £56,710·05. On 1 April 1994, it was increased to £59,794·30 on payment of the 1994–95 pay award and the final stage of the 1992 pay award for senior military personnel.

  In respect of his current appointment, Air Vice Marshal Colville is entitled to an entertainment allowance of £8·73 per day. In common with all service personnel, he is entitled to claim various allowances appropriate to his domestic and personal circumstances.

  Economic planning region

  1990

  1991

  1992

  1993

  1994

  South East

  57,798·5

  58,339·5

  57,007·0

  55,230·0

  46,836·0

  East Anglia

  2,552·5

  2,506·5

  2,537·0

  2,694·0

  2,667·5

  South West

  30,019·0

  29,939·0

  29,756·5

  28,882·5

  28,398·0

  West Midlands

  8,762·5

  8,775·5

  8,820·0

  8,721·0

  8,510·0

  East Midlands

  3,470·5

  3,407·0

  3,658·5

  3,753·0

  3,831·5

  Yorks and Humberside

  5,850·0

  5,889·0

  5,685·0

  5,397·5

  5,167·5

  NorthWest

  2,949·5

  2,974·0

  2,967·0

  2,858·0

  2,729·5

  Northern

  3,107·0

  3,081·0

  3,038·5

  2,929·0

  2,727·0

  Wales

  5,566·5

  5,530·5

  5,490·0

  5,436·0

  5,026·0

  Scotland

  12,314·5

  12,151·5

  11,984·0

  11,735·0

  11,624·0

  Northern Ireland

  2,688·5

  2,646·5

  2,632·5

  2,782·0

  2,933·0

  Elsewhere in United Kingdom

  3·0

  3·0

  3·0

  2·0

  0·0

  Total United Kingdom

  135,082

  134,243

  133,579

  130,420

  120,450

  Ammunition
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 19 April,Official Report, column 501, what was the total cost of (a) the L15 rounds and (b) the M107 rounds referred to and the present item cost of each round.

  Mr. Hanley
  The total cost of the F15 rounds was about £55,000,000 and that of the M107 rounds about £70,000,000. It is not the practice of my Department to disclose current prices as they are commercially confidential.

  Clothing and Textiles Directorate
  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will take into account when determining the location of the clothing and textiles directorate the loss of civilian jobs in York and surrounding areas caused by the relocation of Ministry of Defence functions.

  Mr. Hanley
  Full account is being taken of civilian job losses at all Ministry of Defence establishments where the reduction of a task or a closure has given rise to surplus accommodation which could be considered for an alternative defence requirement. This includes the sites at Imphal barracks and Strensall barracks in York and MOD sites in Harrogate.

  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the criteria being applied by consultants in identifying a suitable site for the clothing and textiles directorate.

  Mr. Hanley
  The criteria being applied to identify a site or sites for the directorate of clothing and textiles authority are that it should be located to the best advantage to the authority while offering the best value for money.

  Civilian Employees
  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list by region the number of Ministry of Defence civilian employees in the United Kingdom in each of the last five years.

  Mr. Hanley
  Civilian employees include scientists, engineers, security and medical staff and many other disciplines, as well as administrators. The overall numbers are as follows:

  PINDAR Bunker
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many crisis and contingency plans exist for the use of PINDAR bunker; what is the staffing level for each of these; how many exercises have so far been held in the PINDAR bunker; and how many are planned;

  (2) if he will make a statement on the role and function of the PINDAR bunker; and when PINDAR was first declared to have its full operational capability;

  (3) which categories of persons have spaces allocated for them in PINDAR; and how many spaces are allocated in the PINDAR bunker for each job function.

  Mr. Hanley
  The purpose of the PINDAR joint operations centre is to provide the Government with a protected crisis management facility. It became operational on 7 December 1992. A number of crisis and contingency
  393
  plans exist for the use of PINDAR and the centre is manned by a permanent staff, which is augmented as necessary in times of crisis. There are a number of categories of personnel allocated space in PINDAR, including Ministers, senior military and civilian personnel, plus service and civilian operational and support staff. It would not be appropriate to give any more detailed information than this as it would relate to operational capability.

  There have been two major exercises and a number of small ones held there to date, and it is planned to hold one major and a varying number of minor exercises each year.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many toilet(a) cubicles and (b) urinals are installed in the PINDAR bunker; and how long the toilet facilities in the PINDAR bunker are planned to last if it was sealed from the outside world.

  Mr. Hanley
  There are sufficient toilet facilities provided for the full complement of the site. These facilities are usable as long as power within the site is maintained for pumping waste.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what provisions have been made for the occupants to escape the PINDAR bunker in the event that the building above it has collapsed on top of it.

  Mr. Hanley
  A variety of routes exist which would enable the occupants to escape from the facility in the event that the building above it had collapsed.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the location of the PINDAR bunker; how many square metres of space it comprises; and on how many levels.

  Mr. Hanley
  The PINDAR facility is located beneath the Ministry of Defence main building in Whitehall. Details of its size and layout are of an operational nature and it is not our practice to reveal such information.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will place plans of the PINDAR bunker in the Library;

  (2) at what depth below the surface is (a) the highest and (b) the lowest level of the PINDAR bunker.

  Mr. Hanley
  It is not our practice to reveal information of this kind as it relates to operational capability.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many(a) lifts and (b) staircases connect the PINDAR bunker with the surface level; and what transport systems connect the PINDAR bunker to other sites.

  Mr. Hanley
  There are sufficient means of access and egress from the PINDAR facility.

  The facility is not connected to any transport system.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what has been the total cost of the PINDAR bunker from conception to operational status; and from which subheads of which votes the funds for PINDAR were taken.

  Mr. Hanley
  The total cost of the PINDAR facility has been £126,300,000 of which £66,300,000 was spent on the civil works programme. All costs since 1989 have been charged against vote subheads 2L2 and 2M5. Prior to this date civil works costs were charged against vote 4.
  394
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many beds are contained in the PINDAR bunker.

  Mr. Hanley
  There are sufficient bunks within the PINDAR facility for the full complement when working a three-shift system.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how long the catering facilities in the PINDAR bunker are planned to last if sealed from the outside world.

  Mr. Hanley
  Catering facilities within the PINDAR facility are designed to support operations for as long as is considered operationally necessary.

  Diver Mist
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will make a statement about Exercise Diver Mist;

  (2) which parts of the final exercise evaluation report of Exercise Diver Mist will be made public.

  Mr. Hanley
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent (Mr. Smith) on 25 April,Official Report, columns 84–85.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the total financial cost to Her Majesty's Government of Exercise Diver Mist; and from which subheads of which votes these costs were taken.

  Mr. Hanley
  The costs attributable to exercise Diver Mist are not separately identified within departmental budgets and the information requested could therefore only be provided at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many(a) British and (b) United States personnel were involved in Exercise Diver Mist.

  Mr. Hanley
  Approximately 700 British and 800 United States personnel were involved in Exercise Diver Mist at the site at Barnham in Suffolk.

  Costs Study
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the defence costs study; when the defence costs study started; and when it is expected to be completed.

  Mr. Hanley
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Minister of State for Defence Procurement to the hon. Member for South Shields (Dr. Clark) on 7 December 1993 at column 176. The defence costs study was formally launched on 1 December 1993. We hope to be in a position to make an announcement about its outcome before the summer recess.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 15 April,Official Report, column 348, which of the reports from the defence costs study he has received are final reports; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hanley
  Ministers have now seen final reports from 31 of the 33 individual defence costs studies.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 23 March,Official Report, column 337, which of the defence costs study team are producing reports which will be relevant to decisions relating to spares; and if he will make a statement.
  395
  Mr. Hanley
  One of the defence costs study teams was specifically concerned with the examination of repair, spares, storage and distribution within the MOD services. A number of other defence costs study teams scrutinised areas of support activity in which the storage, handling and use of spares play a part.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list all of the non-MOD organisations and individuals that have been consulted in the course of the defence costs study; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hanley
  Defence costs study teams were encouraged to consult widely, but a record of all the organisations and individuals consulted is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the non-civil service participants in the defence costs study; and under what scale of remuneration the non-civil service participants in the defence costs study are being paid.

  Mr. Hanley
  Non-civil service participants in the defence costs study have included Ministers, service personnel and a number of consultants and advisers from outside MOD. External participation has taken a variety of forms. The following individuals have participated as external members of study teams:

  Sir R. Barratt

  Mr. R. Benton

  Sir J. Blelloch

  Lieutenant General (Rtd.) Sir D. Boorman

  Mr. C. Brendish

  Mr. M. Dow

  Mr. D. Dugdale

  Professor M. Earl

  Mr. F. Everard

  Mr. B. Greedy

  Mr. N. Hale

  Mr. D. Hart

  Mr. B. King

  Mr. C. Littmoden

  Mr. A. Mallin

  Mr. I. McNeil

  Mr. J. Montgomery

  Mr. I. Robertson

  Professor I. Shanks

  Mr. K. Simpson

  Major General (Rtd.) G. Sinclair

  A team from Price Waterhouse, which was already providing consultancy advice in a related area, also participated in one of the studies.

  Not all those listed are receiving payment for their services. Remuneration arrangements for individuals acting as external advisers or consultants are matters of confidence between the Department and the persons concerned.

  Armed Forces Pay Review Body
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about the pay rises for senior defence officers arising from the Armed Forces Pay Review Body's recommendations.

  Mr. Hanley
  The Armed Forces Pay Review Body recommended in February an increase of 4·4 per cent. for brigadiers and equivalents—the most senior rank on whose pay it makes recommendations. The Government accepted this recommendation in full but, in line with all other 396
  service ranks whose pay is recommended by the AFPRB, the award for brigadiers and equivalents was staged. The first 2·7 per cent. of the award will be paid from 1 April 1994 with the balance being paid from 1 January 1995.

  Officers on whose pay the Government receive recommendations from the Senior Salaries Review Body will receive an increase of 2·75 per cent. from 1 April 1994, together with the third stage of their 1992 award. Additionally, the Government are considering a recommendation by the SSRB that a differential of 10 per cent. should be established between the pay of brigadiers and equivalents and major generals and equivalents.

  Underground Property
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the bunkers and other underground property owned, operated or leased by his Department.

  Mr. Hanley
  The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Bosnia
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence to what extent Greek military leaders are party to any NATO decisions on action on Bosnia; and what assessment he has made as to the security considerations of this involvement.

  Mr. Hanley
  Greece is a full party to all NATO decisions on Bosnia.

  Nuclear Testing
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on his policy on nuclear testing.

  Mr. Hanley
  I have nothing to add to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, on 22 March,Official Report, column 139.

  War Disablement Pensions
  Mr. Clelland
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to deal with the backlog of claims for war disablement pensions following the closure of the Ministry of Defence records centre at Hayes.

  Mr. Hanley
  I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Govan (Mr. Davidson) on 21 April,Official Report, column 624.

  Greek War Medals
  Mr. Devlin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish a list of those ex-soldiers who are entitled to accept the Greek War Medal and the War Star from the Greek Government for their part in the 1940–41 campaign.

  Mr. Hanley
  The information requested is not held centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Front Line Capabilities
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the extent to which decisions emerging from the defence costs study will have an effect upon front-line capabilities.
  397
  Mr. Hanley
  My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Defence has not yet taken any decisions on the defence costs study. Furthermore, no decisions will be taken on the recommendations arising from this work which will reduce our operational capability.

  Estimates Statement
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the mistakes and misprints that have been made in the 1994 "Statement on the Defence Estimates"; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hanley
  As far as I am aware, the only misprint of any material nature is in annex E. The upper part of the bar for the USA should be shaded blue to denote nuclear-powered submarines rather than yellow.

  "Soldier" Magazine
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information the new parliamentary column in "Soldier" magazine will include; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hanley
  The parliamentary column, which was introduced in the 7 March 1994 issue of "Soldier" magazine, contains a brief digest of Defence matters, published in Hansard, which "Soldier's" editor considers will be of interest to his readership. The column will reflect information which affects Army personnel, their dependants, and the ex-service community.

  Capital Works
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 25 April,Official Report, column 86, if he will give details of the design developments for the Minley/Chatham, Dishforth and Tidworth capital works projects.

  Mr. Hanley
  An element of refinement will nearly always occur between the inception of a project and its final completion, largely as a result of detailed work by professional design staff. There were, however, no significant changes to the original scope of work envisaged to meet the requirements of the three projects in question. The main reason for the reductions in costs was due to the competitive market conditions prevailing at the time.

  Homosexuality Regulations
  Mr. Martlew
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 22 April,Official Report, column 711, what effect the Criminal Justice and Public Order Bill, if enacted, would have on the new homosexuality regulations.

  Mr. Hanley
  The provisions of the new tri-service guidelines on homosexuality are consistent with the current provisions of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Bill.

  LEGAL AID: EXPENDITURE
  LEGAL AID: EXPENDITURE
  SOUTH-WEST CUMBRIA: TRUNK ROADS
  SOUTH-WEST CUMBRIA: TRUNK ROADS
  SUBSIDIARITY
  SUBSIDIARITY
  SECURITY COUNCIL STATEMENT 31 JANUARY 1992: EFFECT
  SECURITY COUNCIL STATEMENT 31 JANUARY 1992: EFFECT
  BOSNIA: NATO AIR ACTION
  BOSNIA: NATO AIR ACTION
  KOREA: US COUNTER-PROLIFERATION POLICY
  KOREA: US COUNTER-PROLIFERATION POLICY
  WORCESTER FHSA: PAYMENTS TO GPs
  WORCESTER FHSA: PAYMENTS TO GPs
  OIL AND GAS: RESERVES
  OIL AND GAS: RESERVES
  FOSSIL FUELS: RESERVES
  FOSSIL FUELS: RESERVES
  STRUCTURAL FUNDS
  STRUCTURAL FUNDS
  PUBLIC INTEREST IMMUNITY CERTIFICATES
  PUBLIC INTEREST IMMUNITY CERTIFICATES
  LAND REGISTRY AND PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE: PERFORMANCE TARGETS
  LAND REGISTRY AND PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE: PERFORMANCE TARGETS