Written Answers of 5 December 1994

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

  Gipsies and Travellers
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what discussions he has had with his ministerial colleagues regarding the effects of withdrawing the legal obligation to provide sites for gipsy and traveller communities with particular reference to a possible challenge in the European Court of Human Rights.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  None. Policy in this area is not a matter for which my Department has responsibility.

  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what external advice he was given regarding the withdrawal of the legal obligation to provide sites for travellers and gipsies under the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  None. This policy is not one for which my Department has responsibility.

  Court Hearings (Waiting Lists)
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what plans he has to reduce long waiting times before court hearings are heard.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The work of all courts is monitored to ensure the most effective use of resources to reduce delay for court users. Waiting times for cases vary considerably and are determined by several factors, some of which are outside the control of the courts.

  In the Crown court, current initiatives include the introduction of plea and directions hearings to help reduce delays. More circuit judges have been appointed and plans have been made to increase the number of days sat in the Crown court.

  With regard to civil cases, Lord Woolf is conducting a wide-ranging review of the rules and procedures in the civil courts, and Dame Margaret Booth is researching delay in Children Act cases.

  Legal Aid
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what representations he has received on the likely effect of the changes to legal aid regarding the combination of fees for advocacy and litigation in criminal cases in magistrates courts in the willingness of solicitors to undertake advocacy work; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  There have been no recent changes in legal aid payments in criminal cases in the magistrates courts which have resulted in combined fees for litigation and advocacy. I have no plans to introduce 2
  such changes. Accordingly, I have received, no representations about this subject.

  Mr. Cyril D. Townsend
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will make a statement on the qualifications for legal aid.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  To qualify for civil legal aid, an applicant must be able to show that he or she has reasonable grounds for taking or defending an action and that it is reasonable in all the circumstances of the case that legal aid be granted. He or she must also be assessed as having disposable income and capital within limits laid down in regulations. These are currently £7,060 for income and £6,750 for capital; the figures are £7,780 and £8,560 for personal injury cases. An applicant for criminal legal aid must be able to show that it is in the interest of justice that legal aid be granted, and that he requires help in meeting the costs of his case.

  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what was the total number of medical legal aid cases which were received between January 1983 and December 1993; and how many of these cases required a tribunal sitting.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  Legal aid is not available for the majority of cases dealt with by tribunals. Legal aid is available, however, for pursuing claims in the civil courts. The number of legal aid certificates issued in respect of medical negligence cases is available only on a financial year basis; between April 1983 and March 1994 approximately 81,000 civil legal aid certificates were issued in total. Information is not available as to the means of disposal of those cases.

  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what estimate he has made of the amount and the percentage of the legal aid budget that was spent in the past three years by those claiming (a) because their financial assets were frozen and (b) they were bankrupt.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The information requested is not available.

  Disabled People
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what is the budget allocated by his Department and associated agencies for each of the next five years for, and how many staff or staff hours equivalent have been allocated to achieve the objectives of, the programme for action to achieve equality of opportunity in the civil service for disabled people.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  Departmental and agency expenditure in support of the programme for action to achieve equality of opportunity in the civil service for disabled people includes cost elements associated with staff numbers, training, publicity, provision of special equipment and modifications to buildings and cannot be disaggregated. The number of staff or staff hours equivalent allocated to achieve the objectives cannot be estimated as implementation will require the commitment of staff throughout the Department and its agencies.

  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what is the number and percentage of disabled people employed by his Department and associated agencies over the past five years; and what are the projected figures for the next five years.
  3
  Mr. John M. Taylor
  Details of the number of staff who have declared a disability for the years 1990 to 1994 inclusive are set out in the tables. For the Lord Chancellor's Department and the Public Trust Office

  Number and percentage of disabled staff employed by the Lord Chancellor's Department over the past five years.

  Able Bodied

  Per cent

  Disabled

  Per cent

  Not Known

  Per cent

  1990

  7,063

  62.8

  379

  3.4

  3,809

  33.8

  1991

  7,984

  67.8

  422

  3.6

  3,360

  28.6

  1992

  8,776

  72.9

  464

  3.8

  2,770

  23.3

  1993

  8,954

  74

  454

  3.8

  2,679

  22.2

  1994

  8,720

  73.4

  401

  3.4

  2,765

  23.2

  Number and Percentage of Disabled Staff Employed by the Public Trust Office over the Past Five Years.

  Able Bodied

  Per cent.

  Disabled

  Per cent.

  Not Known

  Per cent.

  1990

  354

  59.5

  15

  2.5

  226

  38

  1991

  372

  63.6

  16

  2.7

  197

  33.7

  1992

  395

  67.4

  17

  2.9

  175

  29.7

  1993

  398

  70.3

  19

  3.4

  149

  26.3

  1994

  380

  69.1

  18

  3.3

  152

  27.6

  Number and Percentage of Registered Disabled Staff Employed by the Land Registry over the Past Five Years

  Registered disabled

  Per cent.

  1990

  286

  2.8

  1991

  262

  2.6

  1992

  259

  2.6

  1993

  241

  2.6

  1994

  246

  2.8

  Number and Percentage of Registered Disabled Staff Employed by the Public Record Office over the Past Five Years

  Registered disabled

  Per cent.

  1990

  Not available

  1991

  11

  2.5

  1992

  11

  2.6

  1993

  9

  2.1

  1994

  14

  2.95

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the. Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what estimate he has made of the reduction in the number of persons by grade and gender employed by his Department and associated offices and agencies, nationally and regionally over the next three years, as a result of the Chancellor of the Exchequer's Budget statement of 29 November, indicating which branch, agency and region will be affected and stating his estimate of the number of job losses in each year which will be by(a) natural wastage, (b) voluntary redundancy and (c) compulsory redundancy; and what estimate he has made of the yearly total of savings in wages and associated costs as a result of these reductions in each Department, branch and agency.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The information requested is not yet available. The Department's staffing plans for 1995–96, 1996–97 and 1997–98 will be set out in the 1995 departmental report, to be published at the beginning of March 1995.
  4
  details are given of those staff who have classified themselves as disabled, whether registered or not. Projected figures for the next five years are not available.

  The Government's aim has been, and will continue to be, that reductions in the size of the civil service should as far as possible be achieved without redundancies.

  Secure Hospital Accommodation
  Mr. John Morris
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what representations he has received from judges as to the availability of secure hospital accommodation for mentally affected defendants; and what consultations he has had with the Secretary of State for Health and the Home Secretary about such accommodation.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  My Department has not received any representations from judges on the availability of such accommodation, nor has there been discussion with the Secretary of State for Health or the Home Secretary on this subject. The provision of these services is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health and health authorities exercise the function on her behalf.

  Custody Waiting Times
  Mr. Straw
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what was the number and percentage of defendants dealt with within the custody waiting time limits set by his Department in each year since these waiting limits were set.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  Information about the statutory custody time limits is not collected in the form requested for either the magistrates or Crown court. So far as the Crown court is concerned, of the 19,738 defendants remanded in custody who were committed for trial and dealt with during the first 10 months of 1994, 74 per cent. of them—around 14,670 defendants—waited less than 16 weeks. It is not possible to provide an accurate comparable figure for earlier periods.

  Sentencing
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what actions he is taking to ensure judges understand their responsibilities on
  5
  sentencing under the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  Judges receive copies of statutes and statutory instruments and keep themselves up to date on new and amended legislation. During seminars, and through its bulletin, the Judicial Studies Board draws the attention of judges to relevant sentencing information.

LORD PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL

  Disabled People
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Lord President of the Council (1) what is the number and percentage of disabled people employed by his Department and associated agencies over the past five years; and what are the projected figures for the next five years;

  (2) what is the budget allocated by his Department and associated agencies for each of the next five years for, and how many staff or staff hours equivalent have been allocated to achieve the objectives of, the programme for action to achieve equality of opportunity in the civil service for disabled people.

  Mr. Newton
  The Privy Council Office, which has no associated agencies, consists of 38 staff, many of whom are on loan from other Departments. No registered disabled people are currently employed, or have been employed during the last five years, and there are no projected figures. The size and nature of the Department make it inappropriate to seek to allocate resources specifically to the programme in question.

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Lord President of the Council what estimate he has made of the reduction in the number of persons by grade and gender employed by his Department and associated offices and agencies, nationally and regionally over the next three years, as a result of the Chancellor of the Exchequer's Budget statement of 29 November, indicating which branch, agency and region will be affected and stating his estimate of the number of job losses in each year which will by(a) natural wastage, (b) voluntary redundancy and (c) compulsory redundancy; and what estimate he has made of the yearly total savings in wages and associated costs as a result of these reductions in each Department, branch and agency.

  Mr. Newton
  The information requested is not yet available. The Department's staffing plans for 1995–96, 1996–97 and 1997–98 will be set out in the 1995 departmental report, to be published in late February or early March 1995.

  The Government's aim has been, and will continue to be, that reductions in the size of the civil service should as far as possible be achieved without redundancies.

ENVIRONMENT

  Dogs (Byelaws)
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to approve new byelaws to hold owners more accountable for their pets in respect of 6
  dog faeces on streets and public footways; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Atkins
  I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Ceridigion and Pembroke North (Mr. Dafis) on 30 November 1994,Official Report, column 731.

  Radioactive Substance Act 1960
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what duty of care requirements there are on the operator of a disposal site for low-level radioactive waste under the Radioactive Substances Act 1960, as amended.

  Mr. Atkins
  The disposal of low-level radioactive waste to such sites is regulated by means of authorisations granted under the Radioactive Substances Act 1993. Each authorisation sets out the limits and conditions required for safe disposal at a specified site, and places a legal duty on the person authorised to ensure that disposal takes place in accordance with the limits and conditions of the authorisation.

  Standard Spending Assessments
  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to announce the standard spending assessments for 1994–95.

  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  On Thursday 1 December at columns 1333–37 my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State made a statement on the local government finance settlement for 1995–96, including proposals for standard spending assessments.

  Ministerial Speeches
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment on what occasions since 1979 civil servants in his Department have been asked to draft speeches of a constituency nature for use in a Minister's own constituency.

  Mr. Gummer
  None. Civil Servants may provide briefing of a factual nature for Ministers on matters relating to their own Departments. In addition, Ministers in preparing for a constituency speech can draw on material produced by their Department during the normal course of business.

  Disabled People
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the budget allocated by his Department and associated agencies for each of the next five years for, and how many staff or staff hours equivalent have been allocated to achieve the objectives of, the programme for action to achieve equality of opportunity in the civil service for disabled people.

  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  Expenditure in support of this programme includes elements for staff consultation, publicity, training and modifications of buildings and accommodation which cannot be disaggregated. There is, however, a specific annual budget—£21,500 this year—for the provision and maintenance of technical aids for disabled staff.

  It is estimated that staff resources to initiate the programme will be the equivalent of 1.2 dedicated staff; its implementation, however, will also require the

  7
  commitment of personnel managers, trainers, line managers and other staff throughout the Department.

  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the number and percentage of disabled people employed by his Department and

  Year

  Registered Disabled Staff

  Non-Registered Disabled Staff

  Combined percentage of Total Staff

  1990

  68

  86

  2.5

  1991

  73

  58

  2.5

  1992

  64

  34

  1.5

  1993

  64

  34

  1.5

  1994

  70

  68

  2.0

  1 voluntary responses to staff surveys have revealed a mixture of registered and non-registered disabled staff.

  Future figures are not projected.

  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many local authorities are unable to fund disabled facilities grants in the current financial year.

  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  None.

  Local Government Commission
  Mr. Tipping
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether it is his policy to implement any recommendations from the Local Government Commission which will add to the administrative costs of local government in the areas concerned.

  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  My right hon. Friend takes his decisions on local government reorganisation in the light of reports from the Local Government Commission. The policy guidance to the commission requires it to judge financial consequences, among other factors, but does not rule out options which would be marginally more expensive than the status quo if the extra cost would be outweighed by other considerations. The actual costs or savings achieved will depend on decisions taken by the authorities concerned.

  Mr. Tipping
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what estimate he has received from the local government commissioner of the transitional and on-going costs for savings arising from its recommendations that new unitary authorities should be established in Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Hampshire.

  Mr. Curry
  The information requested is contained in the local government financial appraisal reports for Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Hampshire published separately in October 1994 by the Local Government Commission for England. The information, which relates to indirect costs, is as follows:

  Transitional £millions

  Ongoing savings costs £ millions

  Bedfordshire

  7—10

  (2)—1

  Buckinghamshire

  10—13

  (2)—(5)

  Hampshire

  10—12

  (1)—(5)

  Notes:

  1 Transitional costs relate to the cost of reorganisation spread over a number of years.

  2 Savings—costs—shown are annual figures.

  8
  associated agencies over the past five years; and what are the projected figures for the next five years.

  Mr. Robert B Jones
  The following information covers non-industrial staff in my Department and agencies, excluding Property Services Agency:

  Housing Benefit
  Mr. Austin-Walker
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what estimate he has made of the implications for tenants of Thamesmead Town Ltd. and the London boroughs of Greenwich and Bexley of the new measures for housing benefit outlined by the Secretary of State for Social Security on 30 November.

  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  None.

  Urban Policy
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the priorities for Her Majesty's Government's urban policy during the current Session of Parliament.

  Mr. Curry
  The Government's aim is to provide sustainable regeneration and economic development through main and European spending programmes; through the single regeneration budget, including English Partnerships; and by levering in private investment. Following my right hon. learned Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer's Budget statement, some £4 billion will be made available through the SRB alone over the next three years to support partnership and other locally based regeneration activities. Local people in urban and other areas will therefore benefit from a wide range of employment, training, education, housing, crime prevention and other measures.

  Appropriation Accounts
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to publish the 1993–94 appropriation accounts.

  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  Volume 6 of the 1993–94 appropriation accounts will be laid before the House of Commons and published once the Comptroller and Auditor General has completed his audit work. At present, this is expected to be in January 1995.

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what estimate he has made of the reduction in the number of persons by grade and gender employed by his Department and associated offices and agencies, nationally and regionally over the next three years, as a result of the Chancellor of the Exchequer's Budget statement of 29 November, indicating which branch, agency and region will be affected and stating his estimate
  9
  of the number of job losses in each year which will be by (a) natural wastage, (b) voluntary redundancy and (c) compulsory redundancy; and what estimate he has made of the yearly total of savings in wages and associated costs as a result of these reductions in each Department, branch and agency.

  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  The information requested is not yet available. The Department's staffing plans for 1995–96, 1996–97 and 1997–98 will be set out in the 1995 departmental report, to be published in late February—early March 1995.

  The Government's aim has been, and will continue to be, that reductions in the size of the civil service should as far as possible be achieved without redundancies.

  Waste Water Treatment
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received from water and sewerage companies to vary the dates for the achievement of targets set by the European Union municipal waste water treatment directive with respect to(a) inland sewerage treatment works and (b) storm sewer overflows and establishment of guidelines for flexibility of capital expenditure between the two.

  Mr. Atkins
  The Government made clear in "Water Charges: The Quality Framework" published in October 1993 that some modification of the urban waste water treatment directive, particularly the deadlines, was desirable. The European waste water group, an alliance of private and public sector operators of waste water treatment plants in the United Kingdom and some other member states, has also recommended to the European Commission that the time scale for implementation of this directive should be re-examined so as to ensure that the rate of change in charges is sustainable by the customer. The distribution of capital expenditure is a matter for the water companies subject to the various requirements of the directive and the overall price limits set by the Director General of Water Services.

  Single Regeneration Budget
  Mr. Dicks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress has been made with the single regeneration budget; when he will be announcing the results of the first bidding round; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Curry
  Resources for the single regeneration budget for 1995–96 and the two subsequent years have been maintained at over £1.3 billion per year. These resources will enable the single regeneration budget to support continuing public investment in initiatives to encourage regeneration including urban development corporations, housing action trusts, English Partnerships, business start-up, estate action and city challenge. These commitments are worth more than £1 billion year.

  In addition to meeting these existing commitments, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment has been able to provide for an increase in resources for the first single regeneration budget bidding round of £75 million over the next three years. This will boost the funds available for the first round to £125 million in year one, 1995–96, and £225 million in each of the years 1996–97 and 1997–98.
  10
  As well as increasing resources for the first round, my right hon. Friend has also been able to find resources for a second bidding round which will be launched next year, working up to a total of £200 million in 1997–98, with £40 million available in 1996–97 for early funding of approved bids.

  In all, the provision for the single regeneration budget over the next three years is almost £4 billion, of which over £800 million will be available for new projects.

  The overall quality of the bids submitted in the first round was excellent. In line with the bidding guidance for the single regeneration budget, which was issued on 14 April, the bids covered a range of objectives, including employment, training and education, support for enterprise, housing projects, crime prevention schemes and initiatives directed specifically to ethnic minority communities. Most of the bids demonstrated a strong emphasis on sustainable development and lasting regeneration.

  The bids have been drawn together with a wide range of partners from all sectors of the community. The bidding process has engendered an unprecedented level of co-operation between local authorities, training and enterprise councils, the private and voluntary sectors, and others.

  The first round bids indicate that every £1 of support from the single regeneration budget will, over the lifetime of projects, generate some £4 in other private and public contributions.

  The increased resources available for the first bidding round should mean that, of the total of 469 bids submitted for funding to the Government offices for the regions, about 200 are likely to be successful. Details of the successful individual bids will be published tomorrow, and will be placed in the Library of the House and circulated to hon. Members.

  Local Government Reorganisation
  Dr. Twinn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what provisions he intends to make for employees in local authorities in England and Wales affected by local government reorganisation and for severance pay generally; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Curry
  Regulations have been laid before the House today which provide mandatory compensation terms for staff made redundant by the reorganisation of local government in England and Wales. In addition, the regulations give local authority employers the opportunity to provide improved levels of severance pay in general cases of redundancy and new powers to pay compensatory lump sum payments to groups of eligible pensioners whose pensions were reduced following the Court of appeal judgement in Allsop v. North Tyneside MBC. The regulations come into force on 28 December. Copies have been placed in the Library.

  In making these regulations we have built on the proposals which we consulted earlier this year, and we have taken account of all the representations which we have received, including the advice and comments of the Local Government Staff Commission (England) and the Staff Commission for Wales.

  The regulations now provide a new statutory framework for employers to compensate employees made redundant in the future on the basis of a tariff linked to the age and service of the employees concerned. For cases

  11
  of redundancy due to reorganisation, special mandatory provisions will apply. This recognises the key role of local government staff in the transition to reorganised authorities.

  The cost of all severance payments must be met from authorities' own resources and not from local authority pension funds. Future settlements will take account of the transitional costs of local government reorganisation, including those arising from severance payments.

  I am pleased also to announce two consultation exercises beginning today with the local authority associations, local authorities and other local government interests. The first deals with proposals for a detriment compensation scheme in England and Wales to provide compensation to employees who suffer a reduction in salary as a result of reorganisation. The second is about draft regulations to provide arrangements for general staffing matters arising from reorganisation in England. Responses to both of these exercises are being requested by 23 January 1995.

  Copies of both consultation papers on a detriment scheme and the draft regulations on staffing are also being placed in the Library.

  Regional Funding
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list those public projects which received European regional development funding and were subsequently privatised over the last 10 years, indicating(a) the level of funding and (b) the dates when it was received.

  Mr. Curry
  [holding answer 24 November 1994.]: The information for projects in England for which my Department is responsible has been placed in the Library of the House.

  Christmas Expenditure
  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much public money will be spent on entertaining, Christmas decorations and other festive activities this Christmas season by his Department and Government agencies answerable to his Department; and of this sum how much will be spent in Ministers' private offices and official residences.

  Mr. Gummer
  Disaggregated information of this nature is not available; such costs are covered by the entertainment expenditure budget for the Department, details of which were given in reply to a question from the hon. member for Truro (Mr. Taylor) on 24 October 1994,Official Report, column 405.

  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many official Christmas cards he and his Ministers intend to send in 1994; how much these cards will cost(a) to buy, (b) to post and (c) in staff time, to sign, address and place in envelopes; and if he will place in the library a sample copy of the official Christmas card he intends to send this year.

  Mr. Gummer
  A total of 740 official Christmas cards have been ordered for the six Ministers in the Department of the Environment. Printing costs for these will be £318.20, which includes a donation to charity and also value added tax. The unit cost will be 43p. Postages are estimated to be £140.60. Information on the cost of staff time signing, addressing and placing into envelopes is not 12
  available. I will place a sample of this year's card in the Library.

PRIME MINISTER

  Civil Servants
  Dr. Wright
  To ask the Prime Minister how many applications have been made by civil servants who wish to leave Government for posts in the private sector in the past five years; and how many of these applications have been(a) accepted and (b) rejected.

  The Prime Minister
  Complete information is not available in the form requested. Most applicants are considered by Departments, and the information is not held centrally.

  All applications by officers at grade 3 equivalent and above, and cases at grade 7 and above where there has been contact with the prospective employer, are referred to the Cabinet Office. A total of 1,348 applications have been referred to the Cabinet Office since 1 January 1990; of these, 967 were approved unconditionally and 381 were approved with conditions. Under the business appointment rules, applications cannot be rejected outright, but approval may be made subject to behaviourial conditions or to waiting periods of up to a maximum of two years.

  A breakdown between applications to take up private sector appointments and those in public sector organisations outside central Government could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Disabled People
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Prime Minister (1) what is the budget allocated by his Department and associated agencies for each of the next five years for, and how many staff or staff hours equivalent have been allocated to achieve the objectives of, the programme for action to achieve equality of opportunity in the civil service for disabled people;

  (2) what is the number and percentage of disabled people employed by his Department and associated agencies over the past five years; and what are the projected figures for the next five years.

  The Prime Minister
  For these purposes, my office is classed as part of the Cabinet Office. I therefore refer the hon. Member to the reply given today by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary, Office of Public Service and Science.

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Prime Minister what estimate he has made of the reduction in the number of persons by grade and gender employed by his Department and associated offices and agencies, nationally and regionally over the next three years, as a result of the Chancellor of the Exchequer's Budget statement of 29 November, indicating which branch, agency and region will be affected and stating his estimate of the number of job losses in each year which will be by(a) natural wastage, (b) voluntary redundancy and (c) compulsory redundancy; and what estimate he has made of the yearly total of savings in wages and associated costs as a result

  13
  of these reductions in each Department, branch and agency.

  The Prime Minister
  For these purposes, my office is classed as part of the Cabinet Office. I therefore refer the hon. Member to the reply given today by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

  Efficiency Scrutiny
  Mrs. Anne Campbell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster on what basis the public sector research establishments in the Ministry of Defence and those in Northern Ireland were excluded from the on-going efficiency scrutiny.

  Mr. Robert G. Hughes
  Defence establishments were excluded from the multidepartmental efficiency scrutiny of public sector research establishments in the light of the separate "Front Line First" review under way within the Ministry of Defence. Developments in that review were, however, monitored by the scrutiny team. The Northern Ireland civil service, as a distinct and separate entity, is not normally included within the remit of multidepartmental efficiency scrutinies but shadows them to ensure that best practice is read across in a manner tailored to local circumstances.

  Large Hadron Collider Project
  Mrs. Anne Campbell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what estimate he has made of the additional contributions to the large hadron collider project which could come from future participants.

  Mr. Robert G. Hughes
  It is too early to say what additional contributions to the large hadron collider project might be forthcoming from new future participants. Discussions are generally at a very early stage.

  Mrs. Anne Campbell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what is the total cost of the large hadron collider project so far.

  Mr. Robert G. Hughes
  Nothing.

  Mrs. Anne Campbell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what is the amount of the United Kingdom contributions to the large hadron collider so far.

  Mr. Robert G. Hughes
  Zero.

  Mrs. Anne Campbell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will name the countries which are interested in contributing to the large hadron collider project at CERN.

  Mr. Robert G. Hughes
  Many countries have expressed interest in participating in the large hadron collider project at CERN which will be the world's premier particle physics endeavour. Negotiations with individual countries are at various stages of advance and we hope these can be successfully concluded as soon as possible once formal approval of the project has been given.

  Efficiency Scrutiny
  Mrs. Anne Campbell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what are the costs, so far incurred, of 14
  the efficiency scrutiny being carried out into the public sector research establishments.

  Mr. Robert G. Hughes
  As stated in the report published on 11 July 1994, the cost of the undertaking this scrutiny was approximately £157,000. This figure does not include the costs incurred by establishments and others in providing information: these costs are not collected centrally. The costs to date of co-ordinating the public consultation process amount to some £27,400.

  Crown Servants
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1) what consideration underlay the decision not to publish after 1989 an annual report on the acceptance of outside appointments by Crown servants as promised in the "Statistical Report 1980";

  (2) when he next intends to publish a statistical report of acceptance of outside appointments by Crown servants.

  Mr. Robert G. Hughes
  Statistics on the acceptance of outside appointments by the Crown servants have been published in various forms over recent years, including in the statistical reports published periodically by the Cabinet Office since 1986. Since the last formal report, covering the period ending 31 December 1989, comprehensive statistics have been supplied by the Cabinet Office for publication in the fourth report of the Treasury and Civil Service Select Committee, Session 1990–91; in the minutes of evidence taken before the Treasury and Civil Service Sub-Committee on the role of the civil service on 23 November 1993; and in answer to various questions from hon. Members, most recently in answer to a question from the hon. Member for Darlington (Mr. Milburn) on 20 April 1994,Official Report, columns 577–80. I intend to publish a further formal statistical report in 1995.

  Quangos
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list those quangos to which members are appointed by the Government or nominees of the Government and the annual cost of salary or emolument payments to members of the quangos.

  Mr. Robert G. Hughes
  I refer the hon. Member to the Cabinet Office publication "Public Bodies 1993", copies of which are available in the Libraries of both Houses. This lists all non-departmental public bodies, and certain other bodies, and shows appointments by the Queen and her Ministers, including those made on their behalf or jointly, as well as any remuneration of board chairmen or members.

  Inner Cities
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what discussion he has had, in his capacity as chairman of the ministerial committee on regeneration, on policies aimed at the restoration of pride in inner cities.

  Mr. David Hunt
  Discussions in my role as chairman of a ministerial committee are confidential.

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what estimate he has made of the reduction
  15
  in the number of persons by grade and gender employed by his Department and associated offices and agencies, nationally and regionally over the next three years, as a result of the Chancellor of the Exchequer's Budget statement of 29 November, indicating which branch, agency and region will be affected and stating his estimate of the number of job losses in each year which will be by (a) natural wastage, (b) voluntary redundancy and (c) compulsory redundancy; and what estimate he has made of the yearly total of savings in wages and associated costs as a result of these reductions in each Department, branch and agency.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The information requested is not available. The Department's staffing plans for 1995–96, 1996–97 and 1997–98 will be set out in the 1995 departmental report, to be published in late February—early March 1995.

  The Government's aim has been, and will continue to be, that reductions in the size of the civil service should as far as possible be achieved without redundancies.

  Disabled People
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what is the number and percentage of disabled people employed by his Department and associated agencies over the past five years; and what are the projected figures for the next five years.

  Mr. Robert G. Hughes
  The figures are as follows:

  Cabinet Office, including the Prime Minister's Office and the Office of Public Service and Science

  Year

  Number of registered Disabled Staff

  Percentage of registered disabled staff in Department/Agency

  1990

  27

  1.1

  1991

  38

  1.6

  1992

  31

  1.3

  1993

  38.5

  1.7

  1994

  24

  1.1

  HMSO

  Year

  Number of registered Disabled Staff

  Percentage of registered disabled staff in Department/Agency

  1990

  69

  2.1

  1991

  61

  1.8

  1992

  55

  1.7

  1993

  53

  1.7

  1994

  46

  1.6

  Central Office of Information

  Year

  Number of registered Disabled Staff

  Percentage of registered disabled staff in Department/Agency

  1990

  11

  1.5

  1991

  8

  1.2

  1992

  7

  1.1

  1993

  5

  0.9

  1994

  4

  0.8

  Projected figures for the aforementioned areas are not available.
  16
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what is the budget allocated by his Department and associated agencies for each of the next five years for, and how many staff or staff hours equivalent have been allocated to achieve the objectives of, the programme for action to achieve equality of opportunity in the civil service for disabled people.

  Mr. Robert G. Hughes
  My Department's expenditure, in support of the programme for action to achieve equality of opportunity in the civil service for disabled people includes a proportion of the cost of its personnel and support services. This sum, which covers training, special equipment, modification of buildings and accommodation, cannot be disaggregated. Within the Office of Public Service and Science there is, however, an equal opportunities division which is responsible for promoting equality of opportunity service-wide. The total budget in 1994–95 for EOD's disability branch is £117,000.

  Successful implementation of the action programme will require the commitment not only of equal opportunities officers but of other personnel specialists, training officers, and individual line managers throughout the organisation. The number of staff hours that will be devoted to this cannot be estimated with any accuracy.

  Budget Information
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make available in the Vote Office the background note to the Budget, news release from the Cabinet Office—OPSS 242/94—on science expenditure maintained at record level in 1995–96.

  Mr. Robert G. Hughes
  I have made available in the Vote Office the news release from the Cabinet Office—OPSS 242/94—with the background note to the science budget attached. I have also arranged for copies to be placed in the Library of the House.

  Special Advisers
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list the special advisers employed by his Department in each of the last five years indicating when they(a) joined and (b) left his Department and the annual salary they received.

  Mr. David Hunt
  My Department did not exist in any comparable form before 1992. Figure for earlier years are therefore not available. The figures since 1992 are:

  (a)

  (b)

  Mr. I. Wilton

  April 1992

  November 1993

  Dr. J. Nicholson

  September 1992

  July 1994

  Mr. D. Rutley

  January 1994

  July 1994

  Mr. M. McManus

  July 1994

  to date

  I have also been asked to list the special advisers in the Chief Whip's Office as follows:

  (a)

  (b)

  Miss S. Hole

  September 1991

  to date

  Miss S. McEwen

  June 1992

  to date

  Salaries for special advisers are negotiated individually in relation to their previous earnings, and are confidential.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

  Staff Salaries
  Sir David Mitchell
  To ask the right hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed, as representing the House of Commons Commission if he will list the members of staff of the House whose salaries are higher than those of(a) junior Ministers, (b) Ministers of State and (c) Cabinet Ministers.

  Mr. Beith
  There are 37 Officers of the House at grade 5 and above whose salaries are higher than those received by junior Ministers, 17 who receive higher salaries than Ministers of State and three whose salaries are higher than those for Cabinet Ministers. Details of the posts and grades were set out in my answer of 23 November,Official Report, columns 191–93.

  Sir David Mitchell
  To ask the right hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed, as representing the House of Commons Commission, pursuant to his answer of 23 November,Official Report, column 191, if he will list those staff of the House not included in his answer whose salary plus additional payments takes their emoluments above the salary of hon. Members.

  Mr. Beith
  There are 45 staff at grades 7 to 12, in addition to those listed in my answer of 23 November,Official Report, columns 191–93, whose salary plus additional payments takes their emoluments above the salary of hon. Members.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  Serious Fraud Office
  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Attorney-General if he will make a statement on the work of the Serious Fraud Office.

  The Attorney-General
  The Serious Fraud Office has a current case load of 49 cases. Since 6 April 1988, it has been responsible for 139 trials involving 303 defendants, of whom 191 have been convicted.

  36. Lenient Sentences
  Dr. Goodson-Wickes
  To ask the Attorney-General what trends he can report on appeals against lenient sentencing.

  The Solicitor-General
  As the Attorney-General's power of review becomes more widely recognised and his jurisdiction extended, the number of sentences he is asked to consider has increased.

  Brendan Smyth
  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Attorney-General (1) if he will publish a detailed explanation of his role in the Brendan Smyth extradition case and related issues;

  (2) if he will set out any points of difference or emphasis that he has with the detailed explanation of the Irish Attorney-General's into the circumstances surrounding the extradition to Northern Ireland of Brendan Smyth which was published in Dublin on 9 November 1994.

  The Attorney-General
  I refer the hon. Member to my written answers to him on 21 November 1994,Official
  18
  Report, columns 37–38; 25 November 1994, columns 388–89; and 28 November 1994, column 512.

  I understand that the report of the former Irish Attorney- General to his Cabinet on the circumstances surrounding the processing by his office of the request for extradition of Brendan Smyth has been placed in the library of the Dail, and that the present Irish Attorney-General has published in The Irish Times of 2 December 1994 a further detailed report, which includes extracts from the former report. Copies of The Irish Times are in the Library.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  UNESCO
  Dr. Spink
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his counterpart in the United States of America about rejoining UNESCO.

  Mr. Baldry
  My right hon. Friend has not had any recent discussions with his United States counterpart about rejoining UNESCO. My officials here and in Washington and Paris are, however, in regular contact with their United States counterparts.

  We are keeping the issue of rejoining closely under review but have come to no decision yet.

  Disabled People
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the number and percentage of disabled people employed by his Department and associated agencies over the past five years; and what are the projected figures for the next five years.

  Mr. Goodlad
  The number and percentage of registered disabled people employed by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, including the Overseas Development Administration, in the past five years are set out in the table. Projected figures for the next five years are not available.

  Year

  Number

  Percentage

  1990

  45

  0.57

  1991

  49

  0.62

  1992

  49.5

  0.62

  1993

  50.5

  0.65

  1994

  51.5

  0.65

  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the budget allocated by his Department and associated agencies for each of the next five years for, and how many staff or staff hours equivalent have been allocated to achieve the objectives of, the programme for action to achieve equality of opportunity in the civil service for disabled people.

  Mr. Goodlad
  FCO-ODA expenditure in support of the programme for action to achieve equality of opportunity in the civil service for disabled people includes cost elements associated with staff numbers, training, special equipment, modification of buildings and accommodation and cannot be disaggregated. The Department is committed to achieving the objectives of the programme,
  19
  but the number of staff or staff hours equivalent allocated to achieve these objectives cannot be estimated since successful implementation will require the commitment not only of equal opportunities officers but of personnel managers, recruitment officers and individual line managers throughout the Department.

  General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade
  Mr. Parry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if Her Majesty's Government support the social clauses proposed in the GATT negotiations, to be discussed in the social summit convened in Copenhagen by the United Nations in March 1995.

  Mr. David Davis
  The Government do not support calls for the inclusion of a social clause in the GAIT or other multilateral trade agreements. We remain unconvinced that trade measures are an appropriate or effective way of addressing the issue of labour standards. We believe this issue is better addressed in other ways and other forums, notably the International Labour Organisation. We are concerned that changes to GATT rules, ostensibly to promote social objectives, could be used as a cover for protectionist action.

  Romania
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what submissions he has made to the Romanian Government concerning the proposed introduction of a prison sentence for those who fly Hungarian flags or sing Hungarian anthems.

  Mr. Baldry
  Legislation for a revised criminal code is being considered by the Romanian Parliament. We are monitoring developments closely.

  Nuclear Disarmament
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what considerations led Her Majesty's Government to abstain in the vote on the resolution regarding nuclear disarmament proposed by Japan, A/C.1/49/L.33/rev.1, in the first committee of the United Nations.

  Mr. David Davis
  We abstained out of concern that this resolution, which was tabled after the main body of resolutions on nuclear issues, could be seen to cut across existing initiatives in the sensitive area of nuclear arms control.

  Bosnia
  Ms Quin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his current policy on the safe areas in Bosnia; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  We fully support United Nations Security Council resolutions 824, which designates the cities of Sarajevo, Tuzla, Zepa, Gorazde, Bihac and Srebrenica as safe areas in Bosnia, and 836, which authorises UNPROFOR, acting in self-defence, to take the necessary measures, including the use of force, in reply to bombardments against the safe areas or to armed incursions into them.

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the reduction in the number of persons by grade and gender employed by his Department and associated offices and agencies, nationally and regionally over the next three years, as a result of the Chancellor of the Exchequer's Budget statement of 29 November, indicating which branch, agency and region will be affected and stating his estimate of the number of job losses in each year which will be by(a) natural wastage, (b) voluntary redundancy and (c) compulsory redundancy; and what estimate he has made of the yearly total of savings in wages and associated costs as a result of these reductions in each Department, branch and agency.

  Mr. Goodlad
  The information requested is not yet available. The Department's staffing plans for 1995–96, 1996–97 and 1997–98 will be set out in the 1995 departmental report, to be published in late February-early March 1995.

  The Government's aim has been, and will continue to be, that reductions in the size of the civil service should as far as possible be achieved without redundancies.

  Euratom
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to raise the matter of the application of Euratom safeguards to all Swedish nuclear facilities on accession to the Economic Union, at the next Foreign Affairs Council.

  Mr. David Davis
  I understand that Sweden has accepted the safeguards provision of the Euratom treaty and the application of existing safeguards in full. There is therefore no need to raise the matter in Council.

  Appropriation Accounts
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects to publish the 1993–94 appropriation accounts.

  Mr. Goodlad
  Volume 2 of the 1993–94 appropriation accounts will be laid before the House of Commons and published once the Comptroller and Auditor General has completed his audit work. At present, this is expected to be in January 1995.

  Labour Attaches
  Mr. MacShane
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the United Kingdom embassies and missions which have officials working full time as labour attaches; and which of them are seconded from other Ministries.

  Mr. Goodlad
  Four overseas missions, in Bonn, Brussels, Madrid and Paris, have full-time United Kingdom-based labour attaché positions. At present, these are all filled by secondees from the Department of Employment.

  Vietnamese Boat People
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list each of the incidents that have taken place in detention centres in Hong Kong holding Vietnamese boat people where either the police
  21
  or armed forces were called in to quell a disturbance since 1 January 1994.

  Mr. Goodlad
  Since 1 January 1994, there have been three occasions on which the royal Hong Kong police force and the correctional services department of the Hong Kong Government have had to enter detention centres holding Vietnamese migrants to maintain order. The first was on 7 April at the Whitehead detention centre. The second on 19 and 20 September, and the third on 20 November, were at the High Island detention centre, both preceding repatriation flights which took place a few days later.

  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the total number of Vietnamese boat people being held in detention in Hong Kong on 28 November.

  Mr. Goodlad
  On 28 November 1994 there were 23,538 Vietnamese migrants in detention in Hong Kong.

  EU Fisheries Commissioner
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 24 November,Official Report, column 304, what plans he has for consultations with the President of the Commission over the reallocation of the post of the EU Fisheries Commissioner following the Norwegian referendum.

  Mr. David Davis
  It is for the incoming President to allocate portfolios in consultation with the other Commissioners-designate. We have long argued that the Fisheries Commissioner should be fully committed to stock conservation and to the cost-effective operation of the common fisheries policy.

  Ministerial Speeches
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what occasions since 1979 civil servants in his Department have been asked to draft speeches of a constituency nature for use in a Minister's own constituency.

  Mr. Baldry
  None. Civil servants may provide briefing of a factual nature for Ministers on matters relating to their own Departments. In addition, Ministers preparing for a constituency speech can draw on material produced by their Department during the normal course of business.

  Liberia
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations have been made to the United Nations by states of the Economic Community of West African States about(a) the cost of the ECOMOG peacekeeping operations in Liberia, (b) the need for more logistical support and (c) their commitment to the Liberian operations; and what has been the response of the United Nations.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  [holding answer 29 November 1994]: The only formal approach to the United Nations by ECOWAS has been that of President Soglo of Benin, who wrote to the Secretary-General of the UN following the signing of the Cotonou agreement to ask for UN support for the ECOWAS monitoring group, ECOMOG. In response, the UN Secretary-General established the UN trust fund to support the expanded ECOMOG operation.
  22
  More recently, President Abacha wrote to the UN Secretary-General on 17 October 94 about the material difficulties faced by ECOMOG. A high-level UN mission is now visiting west Africa to investigate the ways in which UN-ECOMOG co-operation can be enhanced.

  The UN secretariat stays in close contact with all states contributing to ECOMOG. The regular calls for support for ECOMOG which appear in both UN Security Council resolutions and reports by the Secretary-General reflect the widespread concern that ECOMOG should be properly resourced to fulfil its role.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION

  Targeting of Aid
  Mr. Lidington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what measures his Department has taken to ensure that Britain's aid programme benefits the world's poorest people.

  Mr. Baldry
  Our aid to low-income countries is designed to promote lasting reduction of poverty through the encouragement of broad-based economic growth, through investment in social and infrastructure systems, through direct poverty reduction activities and through targeted help for those unable to benefit from growth.

  Mr. Hendry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proportion of overseas aid goes towards meeting basic needs.

  Mr. Baldry
  We estimate that in 1992–93 around 10 per cent. of United Kingdom bilateral aid expenditure was on basic human needs. In addition, we provided £150 million of bilateral emergency aid, most of which went to meet basic needs in times of crisis, as did much of the 46 per cent. of aid channelled through multilateral agencies.

  Mr. Carrington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proportion of the overseas development budget goes towards assisting the world's poorest countries.

  Mr. Baldry
  In 1992–93 80 per cent. of United Kingdom bilateral aid to the developing countries which is allocable by income group was spent on aid to the poorest countries.

  Sri Lanka
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the aid projects now being financed by the United Kingdom in Sri Lanka.

  Mr. Baldry
  The main focus of the current United Kingdom aid programme in Sri Lanka is support for forestry, education, relief and rehabilitation, and good government. A full list of current projects has been placed in the Library of the House.

  Bangladesh
  Mr. Deva
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions have taken place with the Government of Bangladesh about United Kingdom aid.

  Mr. Baldry
  I discussed our bilateral aid programme with the Bangladesh Finance Minister during my recent visit to Bangladesh. I also saw for myself the excellent development work with poor people being carried out by
  23
  Proshika, a local non-governmental organisation supported by the Overseas Development Administration.

  Albania
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action he has taken(a) bilaterally and (b) via the European Community, to persuade the Greek Government to end its block upon the proposed European Union aid package to Albania; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Baldry
  The EU Foreign Affairs Council on 28 November agreed unanimously to release 15 mecu of a 35 mecu package of macro-economic aid to Albania. The release of a further 20 mecu will be decided by the Foreign Affairs Council in the light of a report from the Commission on the progress of economic reform and respect for human rights in Albania.

  Pergau Dam
  Miss Lestor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what are the terms of reference and the time scale for reporting back on the review of development programmes announced by him in the light of the High Court ruling on the development support for the Pergau dam project; and if he will make the review findings public.

  Mr. Baldry
  The terms of the review are to examine all ODA activities that fall under section 1 of the Overseas Development and Cooperation Act 1980 in the light of the interpretation of the Act given in the Pergau judgment by the High Court. In particular, the review will consider whether any other current activities fall outside the Act as now interpreted.

  It is the intention of my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary to advise the House of the outcome of this review as soon as its conclusions are reached and the Government have decided whether or not to appeal against the judgment.

  Departmental Statistics
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the(a) budget and (b) staffing level of the Overseas Development Administration (i) in 1974, (ii) in 1979 and (iii) at the latest date; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Baldry
  The number of staff in ODA, including its agency, the Natural Resources Institute, were 2,164 on 1 April 1974, 2,285 on 1 April 1979 and 1,553 on 1 April 1994. The expenditure for which ODA is responsible was £364 million in 1974–75 and £848 million in 1979–80 and is estimated to be £2,396 million in 1994–95.

  Staff reductions have been achieved by efficiency improvements so that the quality of aid programme delivery has remained high.

  Crown Agents
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what date he appointed Baroness Miller of Hendon as a Crown agent; on whose recommendation she was appointed; what relevant experience she had for the appointment; what annual payment is made for the appointment; what time is devoted each month to her work as a Crown agent; what 24
  official meetings she attends in this role in each year since her appointment; and what relevant interests she has which may conflict with her work as a Crown agent.

  Mr Baldry
  Baroness Miller of Hendon was appointed to the board of Crown Agents on 1 September 1990 following consideration of a number of potential candidates. She resigned on 22 July 1994, on her appointment as Baroness in Waiting. Baroness Miller was chairman and chief executive of an international purchasing and marketing company from 1972 to 1988, and brought considerable business experience to the work of the board.

  Crown Agents board members currently receive an annual fee of £5,320 and usually devote about one day per month to their duties. Before appointment they are required to give assurances that they have no financial or other interests which would conflict with their responsibilities to the Crown Agents.

  Family Planning Projects
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement regarding the 50 new family planning projects announced at the Cairo conference; how these projects are to be funded; and what funding will be taken out of other projects to fund them.

  Mr. Baldry
  [holding answer 1 December 1994]: We expect to commit £100 million for population and reproductive health programmes in 1994 and 1995. These funds will be channelled through bilateral programmes, direct contributions to multilateral organisations and non-governmental organisations. No funds will be taken from other projects.

  Know-How Fund
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much money Britain spent from the know-how fund in 1991–92, 1992–93 and 1993–94; and if he will give a breakdown by country and list the projects on which this money was spent.

  Mr. Baldry
  [holding answer 1 December 1994]: Know-how fund expenditure in 1991–92, 1992–93 and 1993–94 is detailed in the table. Regularly updated lists of individual projects are available in the Libraries of both Houses.

  United Kingdom gross public expenditure from the Know-How Fund—excluding emergency aid— 1991–92 to 1993–94—£thousands

  1991–92

  1992–93

  1993–94

  FSU Central Asian Republics

  Kazakhstan

  5

  138

  1,221

  Kyrgyzstan

  —

  —

  486

  Tajikistan

  —

  —

  3

  Turkmenistan

  —

  —

  4

  Uzbekistan

  —

  267

  634

  Europe: CEE-FSU Countries in transition

  Belarus

  —

  26

  185

  Bulgaria

  889

  1,952

  1,874

  Former Czechoslovakia1

  5,555

  7,066

  1,154

  25

  United Kingdom gross public expenditure from the Know-How Fund—excluding emergency aid 1991–92 to 1993–94—£ thousands

  1991–92

  1992–93

  1993–94

  Czech Republic1

  —

  70

  2,768

  Estonia

  8

  360

  481

  Hungary

  5,730

  5,824

  6,281

  Latvia

  —

  351

  453

  Lithuania

  6

  472

  1,305

  Moldova

  —

  —

  65

  Poland

  9,944

  10,584

  11,878

  Romania

  839

  3,090

  3,741

  Russian

  6,601

  11,654

  19,787

  Slovak Republic1

  —

  98

  2,569

  Ukraine

  100

  3,098

  4,385

  Europe: CEE-FSU

  Developing countries

  Albania

  —

  46

  419

  Armenia

  —

  1

  54

  Azerbaijan

  —

  81

  131

  Georgia

  —

  26

  74

  States of ex-Yugoslavia

  —

  45

  498

  1 On January 1 1993 the former Czechoslovakia divided into the Czech and Slovak Republics. From then on assistance to these two countries is shown separately. Those joint programmes which began before this date are still recorded under former Czechoslovakia

TREASURY

  Secret Files
  Mr. Byers
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many(a) top secret and (b) secret files his Department holds.

  Mr. Nelson
  The Treasury currently has around 600 top secret files, well under 1 per cent. of the total number of files held in the Department. Information concerning the number of secret files is not available.

  Child Care
  Mrs. Helen Jackson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he will take to minimise the financial burden of child care on the low-paid and women following the proposal that national insurance contributions should be levied on employer-funded child care outside the workplace.

  Sir George Young
  National insurance contributions are not payable on employer-funded child care or other benefits in kind. The child care disregard for family credit which was introduced in October is worth up to £28 a week to low-paid couples and lone parents.

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the reduction in the number of persons by grade and gender employed by his Department and associated offices and agencies, nationally and regionally over the next three years, as a result of his Budget statement of 29 November, indicating which branch, agency and region will be affected and stating his estimate of the number of job losses in each year which will be by(a) natural wastage, (b) voluntary redundancy and (c) compulsory redundancy; and what estimate he has made of the yearly total of savings in
  26
  wages and associated costs as a result of these reductions in each Department, branch and agency.

  Sir George Young
  The information requested is not yet available. The Chancellor of the Exchequer's departmental staffing plans for 1995–96, 1996–97 and 1997–98 will be set out in the 1995 departmental reports, to be published in the late February-early March 1995.

  The Government's aim has been, and will continue to be, that reductions in the size of the civil service should, as far as possible, be achieved without redundancies.

  Appropriation Accounts
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects to publish the 1993–94 appropriation accounts for his Department.

  Sir George Young
  Volume 12 of the 1993–94 appropriation accounts will be laid before the House of Commons and published once the Comptroller and Auditor General has completed his audit work. At present, this is expected to be in January 1995.

  Government Debt
  Sir Thomas Arnold
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement about his review of the management of Government debt and gilt sales.

  Mr. Nelson
  The debt management review will look at the existing arrangements for the setting of debt management policy, the selling of government debt and the management of outstanding debt. Our objective is to ensure that the United Kingdom matches best practice in the rest of the world.

  European Community Finance
  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 23 November,Official Report, column 155, concerning differences between the text of the Edinburgh presidential conclusions and the relevant draft decisions of the Council of Ministers of the European Community, if he will list the textual differences together with an assessment of their respective significance.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  Council decision 94/728/EC Euratom involves a number of changes from the existing own resources decision—Council decision 88/376, EEC, Euratom—which are not direct consequences of the Edinburgh future financing settlement. Most are minor changes of wording which have no effect on the meaning of the text. The more significant textual changes are as follows—unless otherwise specified, the article references relate to decision 94/728/ EC, Euratom:

  Article
  Replacement of the phrase "The budget of the Communities shall, irrespective of other revenue, be financed entirely from the Communities' own resources" with, "The budget of the Communities shall, without prejudice to other revenue, be financed wholly from the Communities' own resources."
  This change is simply a matter of translation. The French text of the new decision retains the same wording as previously:

  27
  "Le budget des Communauteés est, sans preés judice des autres recettes, inteégralement financeé par des ressources propres aux Communauteés."
  The new English translation is consistent with the wording of article 201 of the treaty of Rome.

  Article 2(1)(d)
  Introduction of a cross-reference to directive 89/130/EEC, Euratom (a directive spelling out how member states' gross national products are to be calculated for own resources purposes). The formula in the present own resources decision refers to
  "a Directive [to be] adopted under Article 8(2) of the Decision".
  Directive 89/130/EEC,Euratom had not been agreed when the 1988 ORD was adopted. It has however been in use since 1989, so the text of the new ORD involves no change in procedure.

  Article 2(4)(b)
  Removal of some redundant text—"For 1988, the gross amount of the reference compensation shall be reduced by 780 mecu"— referring to transitional arrangements for 1988, since the point is now of no relevance.

  Article 2(7) of Decision 88/376,EEC,Euratom
  Deletion of this article, which covers the arrangements for assessing the financial contributions of member states in which the method of calculating the "harmonised" base for VAT-based own resource contributions has not been established. This Article has become redundant since the uniform rate of VAT applies in all member states—and where the point is of relevance to a new member state, temporary arrangements are more appropriately a matter for the treaty of Accession.

  Article 5
  Modification to give legal force to the informal understanding reached in 1988 that is the United Kingdom abatement were to exceed our contributions under the VAT based resource, any excess could be offset against our fourth resource payments; the present ORD simply states that the abatement shall be offset against our VAT based contributions. Also a minor change in the way other member states' contributions to the abatement are accounted for in the Community budget.

  Article 8
  Renumbering of cross-reference to treaty article—previously 206a, now 188c— reflecting restructuring of treaty after Maastricht.

  Article 9
  Addition of reference to refunds received by Greece between 1981 and 1985. These were previously in Greek treaty of accession. The point is of no substance whatsoever.

  Article 11
  Deletion of a redundant provision relating to the financing of the high flux reactor—scientific research project on the Dutch—German border—of 1984–1987.

  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which members of the European Community have approved the Council decision 94/729 of 31 October 1994; by which date he expects it to come into force; by what means and to whom member states are making known their completion of their necessary constitutional procedures; and by what means such notifications are publicised.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  To date, no member state has ratified the 1994 own resources decision, although on current information Belgium, Denmark, Greece, Ireland and Italy are expected to do so by the end of the year.

  Member states will notify the Secretary General of the Council, in writing, upon completion of their necessary constitutional procedures. The own resources decision will enter into force on the first day of the month following the receipt of final notification by the Secretary General of the Council. Member states will then be notified in writing of this by the Council secretariat.

  Hotel and Guest House Accommodation
  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what studies have been conducted into the effect of VAT on hotel and guest house accommodation throughout the European Community.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  I am not aware of any completed studies on VAT and hotel accommodation throughout the European Community.

  Barnett Formula
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the future of the Barnett formula.

  Mr. Aitken
  Public expenditure in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland continues to be determined mainly by reference to the block and population-related formula arrangements, which were updated in 1992.

  Tobacco Smuggling
  Mr. Hendry
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps his Department is taking to combat tobacco smuggling.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  In order to combat smuggling from other EU member states, Customs has allocated some 240 staff in single market excise work, most of whom are specially trained excise verification officers. The EVO effort is intelligence directed, and is supported by other specialist investigation staff and the control measures taken by Excise and VAT visiting officers. Frontier controls by customs staff are used to counter smuggling from outside the EU.

  Late Payment of Bills
  Mr. Betts
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many of the bills paid by his Department during the last month for which figures are available were paid within(a) up to one month, (b) up to two months, (c) up to three months, (d) up to six months and (e) over six months from receipt of invoice; and how many were over the date for payment by (i) up to one month, (ii) up to two months, (iii) up to three months, (iv) up to six months and (v) over six months;

  (2) of the bills currently awaiting payment in his Department how many are over the advised payment date by (a) up to one month, (b) up to two months, (c) up to three months, (d) up to six months and (e) over six months respectively.

  Mr. Nelson
  [holding answer 1 December 1994]: The information is not available in the form requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Departments, however, are required to provide details of their annual payment performance in their departmental reports. In the three months to end October 1993, on average, 93 per cent. of invoices were paid within agreed terms or 30 days, whichever was the sooner.

  Selector Europe
  Mr. Byers
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what contracts have been awarded by his Department or organisations responsible to it to Selector Europe since 1 January 1990; and what has been the value of the contracts.
  29
  Mr. Nelson
  [holding answer 2 December 1994]: The Treasury has not awarded any contracts to Selector Europe.

TRANSPORT

  A30
  Mr. Harris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he is able to announce the preferred route for the scheme to improve the A30 trunk road between St. Erth and Newtown.

  Mr. Watts
  I am pleased to be able to announce today the preferred route for the improvement of this section of the A30 trunk road in the far west of Cornwall. Brochures giving details of the route are being sent to all affected and interested parties.

  Disabled People
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the budget allocated by his Department and associated agencies for each of the next five years for, and how many staff or staff hours equivalent have been allocated to achieve the objections of, the programme for action to achieve equality of opportunity in the civil service for disabled people.

  Mr. Norris
  The Department of Transport has a departmental programme of action for equal opportunities. This embraces action for staff with disabilities.

  Departmental expenditure, the number of staff or staff hours equivalent allocated to achieve the objective of the programme for action cannot be estimated, since successful implementation will require the commitment not only of equal opportunities officers but of other personnel officers, recruitment and training officers and individual line managers throughout the organisation.

  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the number and percentage of disabled people employed by his Department and associated agencies over the past five years; and what are the projected figures for the next five years.

  Mr. Norris
  The table gives the numbers and percentages of registered disabled people—RDP—employed in this Department and associated agencies over the past five years.

  Year

  RDP

  Total staff

  RDP as a percentage of total staff

  1990

  180.05

  15,229.05

  1.2

  1991

  185.00

  14,804.05

  1.2

  1992

  191.05

  15,346.05

  1.2

  1993

  186.05

  14,412.00

  1.3

  1994

  181.00

  12,929.05

  1.4

  Projected figures are not available.

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the reduction in the number of persons by grade and gender employed by his Department and associated offices and agencies, nationally and regionally over the next three years, as a30
  result of the Chancellor of the Exchequer's Budget statement of 29 November, indicating which branch, agency and region will be affected and stating his estimate of the number of job losses in each year which will be by (a) natural wastage, (b) voluntary redundancy and (c) compulsory redundancy; and what estimate he has made of the yearly total of savings in wages and associated costs as a result of these reductions in each department, branch and agency.

  Mr. Norris
  The information requested is not yet available. The Department's staffing plans for 1995–96, 1996–97 and 1997–98 will be set out in the 1995 departmental report, to be published in late February—early March 1995.

  Railtrack
  Ms Glenda Jackson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much of his Departmental budget has been allocated to advertising and promoting the sale of Railtrack plc.

  Mr. Watts
  For 1994–95, £12 million has been set aside for external advice on railways privatisation. Within that, there is no specific provision for marketing the sale of Railtrack.

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will list the names of consultancy firms employed to assist with the sale of Railtrack plc;

  (2) how much his Department has spent on consultancy firms employed to assist with the sale of Railtrack plc.

  Mr. Watts
  No consultants have yet been appointed specifically to advise the Government on the flotation of Railtrack.

  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list those items of expenditure and receipts included under the heading "Privatisation effects" in the table accompanying his Department's press notice 457, issued on 29 November, which are not included under the heading "British Rail privatisation" in table 1.1 in his Department's transport report 1994, Cm 2506, and vice versa.

  Mr. Watts
  The privatisation effects listed in the table accompanying the Department's press notice No. 457 include the proceeds from the sale of rolling stock leasing companies—ROSCOs—and other rail businesses apart from Railtrack that will be scored in the Department of Transport's provision. The provision takes account of lost Railtrack and ROSCO revenue contributions.

  "British Rail Privatisation" in table 1.1 of the transport report 1994 covers expenditure incurred by the Department of Transport on the employment of outside advisers.

  Appropriation Accounts
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to publish for 1993–94 appropri4tion accounts.

  Mr. Norris
  Volume 5 of the 1993–94 appropriation accounts will be laid before the House of Commons and published once the Comptroller and Auditor General has completed his audit work. At present, this is expected to be in December 1994.

  Taxi Licences
  Sir Thomas Arnold
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is his policy towards the deregulation of local authority control of taxi licences.

  Mr. Norris
  These matters were covered in the report of the Transport Select Committee on taxis and private hire vehicles. The Government hope to reply to the Select Committee very shortly.

  Motorway Accidents
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information he has regarding the number of accidents on motorways involving drivers who have passed their tests in the previous year; and what plans there are to promote the pass-plus scheme.

  Mr. Norris
  Out of over 7,000 newly qualified drivers asked about their accident involvement in the first year after passing their driving test, 40—about 0.6 per cent. —reported having had an accident on a motorway. We plan to promote the pass-plus scheme by a major launch in February; by national advertising in the press; and by posters and leaflets distributed to driving test centres and driving instructors. We also plan to co-ordinate our promotional activities with those of participating insurers.

  Vehicle Inspectorate
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 22 November,Official Report, column 118, what were the total resources available to the Vehicle Inspectorate in each of the last five years; and what has been the effect of providing additional resources for emission checks on the availability of resources for other tasks.

  Mr. Norris
  Total resources available to the Vehicle Inspectorate for roadworthiness enforcement spot checks in each of the past five years were:

  Year

  Hours (inspection time)

  1989–90

  72,528

  1990–91

  73,887

  1991–92

  86,005

  1992–93

  1108,841

  1993–94

  82,850

  1 Increased activity to monitor the effects of the change in the light goods vehicle testing regime.

  No additional resources were required for emissions checks. These activities were all completed within agreed budgets.

  Vehicle Identification Numbers
  Mr. David Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will introduce legislation to make it an offence to(a) own and (b) sell a vehicle or motor cycle with its chassis, engine, or vehicle identification number defaced or missing; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Norris
  It is already an offence to use a vehicle on the road in contravention of the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986 which set out the requirements for identification plates for all types of vehicles.
  32
  The Road Traffic Act 1988 makes it an offence to sell an unroadworthy vehicle. Unroadworthiness is defined in terms of defects which carry potentially serious road safety implications. I have no plans to widen the scope of that provision.

  Sickness Absence
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 22 November,Official Report, column 121, if he will list the approaches set out in occupational health notice 93/3 which deal with sickness absence.

  Mr. Norris
  The information is as follows:

  (i) sponsorship of health promotion activities; and

  (ii) a review of the organisation of work.

  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 22 November,Official Report, column 121, if he will list the agencies which are currently implementing the approaches set out in the occupational health notice 93/3; and if the Central Transport Group is implementing these approaches.

  Mr. Norris
  All agencies of the Department of Transport and the Central Transport Group have under way programmes or initiatives which fall within both approaches set out in the OHS notice.

  Drivers' Hours
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list his proposals for the deregulation of drivers' hours; and when he intends to implement them.

  Mr. Norris
  We are considering what, if any, changes might be made to our national rules on drivers' hours. We will consult further with the industry before putting any changes into effect.

  London Underground (Crime)
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what has been the number of(a) assaults and (b) robberies on each of the London Underground stations on the Northern line in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Norris
  The information for 1993 and 1994 is set out in the table. Figures for earlier years could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  London Underground: incidents of assault and/or robbery on the Northern line since 1 January 1993

  Assaults

  Robberies

  Station

  1993

  1994

  1993

  1994

  Edgware

  4

  0

  0

  1

  Burnt Oak

  0

  0

  2

  3

  Colindale

  1

  0

  0

  1

  Hendon Central

  2

  2

  1

  2

  Brent Cross

  0

  0

  0

  1

  Golders Green

  1

  1

  2

  4

  Hampstead

  1

  4

  2

  0

  Belsize Park

  2

  1

  0

  1

  Chalk Farm

  1

  0

  3

  0

  Camden Town

  10

  8

  7

  5

  High Barnet

  1

  0

  0

  0

  Totteridge and Whetstone

  1

  0

  1

  0

  Woodside Park

  0

  0

  0

  0

  West Finchley

  0

  0

  1

  2

  Mill Hill East

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Finchley Central

  2

  1

  0

  2

  33

  London Underground: incidents of assault and/or robbery on the Northern line since 1 January 1993

  Assaults

  Robberies

  Station

  1993

  1994

  1993

  1994

  East Fmchley

  0

  0

  1

  1

  Highgate

  1

  3

  2

  3

  Archway

  5

  3

  5

  4

  Tufnell Park

  0

  0

  0

  2

  Kentish Town

  0

  3

  0

  5

  Mornington Crescent

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Euston

  10

  2

  3

  2

  Warren Street

  3

  1

  0

  0

  Goodge Street

  1

  0

  0

  1

  Tottenham Court Road

  4

  5

  5

  7

  Leicester Square

  7

  2

  0

  1

  Charing Cross

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Embankment

  1

  0

  0

  1

  Waterloo

  1

  3

  1

  0

  King's Cross

  5

  3

  2

  3

  Angel

  4

  3

  1

  1

  Old Street

  1

  2

  2

  0

  Moorgate

  1

  0

  0

  0

  Bank

  2

  2

  1

  0

  London Bridge

  6

  6

  2

  0

  Borough

  0

  0

  0

  2

  Elephant and Castle

  4

  5

  1

  3

  Kennington

  3

  3

  6

  2

  Oval

  6

  1

  8

  3

  Stockwell

  3

  4

  3

  11

  Clapham North

  1

  0

  2

  3

  Clapham Common

  6

  4

  6

  5

  Clapham South

  5

  2

  5

  0

  Balham

  11

  4

  17

  4

  Tooting Bee

  1

  2

  6

  7

  Tooting Broadway

  3

  0

  15

  1

  Collier's Wood

  3

  2

  2

  3

  South Wimbledon

  1

  1

  4

  1

  Morden

  0

  2

  0

  3

  Notes:

  (1) Figures for 1994 cover the period 1 January 1994 to 30 November 1994.

  (2) Figures for assaults include assaults on passengers, staff and the police.

  Source:

  British Transport police figures supplied to London Underground.

  Vehicle Emissions
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 22 November,Official Report, column 118, if he will quantify the levels of resources devoted to emission checks over the last three financial years, and so far in this financial year.

  Mr. Norris
  Resources devoted specifically to emission checks over the last three years and to the end of October 1994 were:

  Year

  Hours

  1991–92

  6,029

  1992–93

  6,373

  1993–94

  8,082

  1 April 94 to 31 October 94

  12,413

  1994–95—budget

  8,423

  1 Excluding blitz checks commencing 2 November 1994.

  However, all of the 200,000 or so roadworthiness enforcement spot checks to be carried out by the Vehicle Inspectorate this year will include at least a visual check for excessive emissions.

  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport further to his press release 397 of 20 October,34
  if he will publish a table showing (a) the specific dates on which additional vehicle checkpoints have been set up in London to test vehicle emissions and for each date, (b) the number of staff operating such checkpoints, (c) the total number of hours spent at each checkpoint by staff, (d) the number of vehicles stopped, (e) the number of vehicles tested, (f) the number and percentage of vehicles that were deemed to be unsatisfactory and (g) action taken by staff against vehicles which were deemed to be unsatisfactory.

  Mr. Norris
  [holding answer 2 December 1994]: The London emission blitz took place between 2 and 10 November using four inspectors working a total of 30 hours, on each of 2, 3, 4, 7 and 9 and 10 November. Results are still being complied and I will make an announcement about them shortly.

  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, further to his press release 397 of 20 October, what make and type of equipment were used by vehicle inspectors to carry out spot checks of vehicle emissions; what criteria were employed to determine whether emissions were of a satisfactory level; and what immediate sanctions or penalties were applied to prevent unsatisfactory vehicles from continuing on the road.

  Mr. Norris
  [holding answer 2 December 1994]: The FKI Crypton 284 CO/HC emission meter was used for petrol engines and the Sum ASA 200 smoke meter for diesels. Where emissions obscured vision or were likely to cause a danger to other road users vehicles were prohibited from continuing their journey. In less serious cases, the effect of the prohibition was delayed for up to 10 days to allow time for remedial action.

  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport further to his press release 397 of 20 October, how many additional staff were specifically newly recruited or reallocated from other duties to carry out spot checks on vehicle emissions at check points in London.

  Mr. Norris
  [holding answer 2 December 1994]: Twenty-four man days were allocated to this work. All the inspectors involved were temporarily redeployed from other duties.

  M23
  Mr. Kenneth Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate was made by the runway capacity in the south-east working party of the volume of road traffic on the M23 north of Gatwick in 2020 if an additional runway were to be built at Gatwick, expressed as a percentage increase over the present level; and if he has considered proposals for extending the M23 northwards into London.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Indicative work for RUCATSE suggests that, if an additional runway were to be constructed at Gatwick, under conditions of high national road traffic forecast growth, average daily traffic volumes on the M23 north of Gatwick would be about 165,000 vehicles per day in 2020. These figures include airport and non-airport related traffic, and represent an increase of about 80 per cent. over levels in 1993. We have no plans to extend the M23 north of the M25.

  Ticket Barriers (Underground Stations)
  Mr. Cohen
  Top ask the Secretary of State for Transport what was the total cost of installing ticket
  35
  barriers in London Underground stations; when the first one and when the last one of the old design was installed; and what is the total estimated cost of installing the new design of ticket barrier in all of London's stations.

  Mr. Norris
  The first ticket gates of the old design were commissioned in October 1987, the last in June 1992.

  London Underground estimates that buying and installing these gates—excluding the associated costs of structural modifications to stations—cost around £18 million at 1993–94 prices.

  No estimate has been made of the cost of installing the new design ticket gates in all London Underground stations.

  European Regional Development Funding
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list those public projects which received European regional development funding and were subsequently privatised over the last 10 years, indicating(a) the level of funding and (b) the dates when it was received.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  [holding answer 24 November 1994]: The information for projects in England for which my Department had responsibility is as follows:

  Company/Project

  ERDF grant (£ thousand)

  Payment dates

  Liverpool airport

  Phase 1 development

  524

  18 September 1985

  20

  25 July 1989

  Phase 2 development

  536

  28 November 1985

  6

  30 September 1986

  9

  17 November 1987

  29

  25 July 1989

  Phase 3 development

  1,908

  19 March 1986

  447

  11 February 1987

  61

  17 November 1987

  127

  25 July 1989

  Runway

  29

  17 November 1987

  8

  24 March 1988

  81

  29 July 1988

  Tees and Hartlepool port authority

  Transit shed E, Tees

  144

  1 May 1985

  Paving of ro/ro terminal, Tees Dock

  138

  28 November 1985

  Surfacing of car terminal, Hartlepool

  26

  4 March 1986

  26

  1 May 1986

  Transit shed B, Tees

  178

  1 May 1986

  Paving timber storage area

  77

  1 May 1986

  Roll-on/roll-off pontoon and Linkspan, Hartlepool

  245

  24 August 1986

  Soda ash export facility

  4

  24 September 1986

  Clark Hawthorn site power supply

  8

  30 March 1987

  Teesport container terminal

  915

  19 July 1991

  New quay and channel realignment, Hartlepool

  661

  19 July 1991

  Merseyside Transport Ltd.

  Garston bus garage

  487

  28 November 1985

  36

  Company/Project

  ERDF grant (£ thousand)

  Payment dates

  46

  30 September 1986

  83

  17 February 1987

  32

  17 November 1987

  Jackson street bus garage

  764

  12 August 1985

  Speke bus garage

  224

  19 March 1986

  Yorkshire Rider Ltd.

  Thornbury bus

  177

  28 January 1985

  workshops

  139

  18 September 1985

  Crosville Motor Services Ltd.

  Love lane bus depot

  13

  19 March 1986

  177

  9 September 1986

  Ribble Motor Services Ltd

  Blackburn bus depot

  103

  5 February 1986

  34

  8 December 1986

  Yorkshire Traction Co. Ltd.

  Bus engineering facilities, Rawmarsh

  88

  30 May 1985

  Operation Seafire
  Mr. Ainger
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how far the Stena Sea Lynx was from Fishguard at the commencement of Operation Seafire on 17 October;

  (2) how far and on what bearing Stena Sea Lynx drifted during Operation Seafire on 17 October;

  (3) how far and on what bearing the pick-up point was for West Glamorgan firefighters during Operation Seafire on 17 October from RAF Chivenor;

  (4) at what time West Glamorgan fire brigade vehicle registration No. F993 YWO boarded Stena Sea Lynx during Operation Seafire on 17 October.

  Mr. Norris
  [holding answer 2 December 1994]: These are operational matters for the Coastguard Agency. I have asked the chief executive to write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from C. J. Harris to Mr. Nick Ainger, dated 5 November 1994:
  The Secretary of State for Transport has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Questions as the questions deal with operational matters, for which I have responsibility as Chief Executive.
  The Stena Sea Lynx was 7.5 Nautical Miles from Fishguard at the commencement of exercise SEAFIRE. Regrettably, the position previously given in answer to PQ 90/94/95 was incorrect. The correct position was 52 08N 004 56W.
  The distance that the Stena Sea Lynx drifted during the exercise SEAFIRE was not recorded. The vessel was maintaining her approximate position using her engines.
  The pick-up point for West Glamorgan firefighters during the exercise SEAFIRE was 015 degrees True, 37.5 Nautical Miles from Chivenor.
  The West Glamorgan fire brigade vehicle registration number F993 YWO, with one fire office in attendance boarded Stena Sea Lynx between 0515 and 0600. The vehicle was the target vehicle supposedly containing chemicals as part of the exercise scenario.

  Air Traffic Forecasts
  Mr. Haselhurst
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the impact of BAA plc's latest London area traffic growth statistics for the first nine months of 1994 on the Department's air traffic forecasts published earlier this year; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Norris
  [holding answer 2 December 1994]: The increase in passengers numbers in the first nine months of 1994 at the BAA London airports, equivalent to growth of 7 per cent. per annum, has no impact on the Department's air traffic forecasts. The Department's forecasts are for air traffic growth in the longer term. Deviations from long-term growth rates in individual years can be expected given the cyclical nature of economic growth.

  London Transport (Bus Services)
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list London Transport's quality of service indicator results for high frequency bus services, including(a) scheduled, excess and actual waiting times, (b) actual wait divided by scheduled wait and (c) chance of waiting (i) less than 10 minutes, (ii) 10 to 20 minutes and (iii) over 30 minutes for (y) each quarter of 1993–94 and 1994–95 and (z) each route in each of the 33 London boroughs.

  Mr. Norris
  [holding answer 2 December 1994]: I will place the information requested in the Library shortly.

  Medical Treatment (Vessels)
  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to introduce the medical treatment on board vessels directive, EC 92/29/EC 31/3/93; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Norris
  This is an operational matter for the Marine Safety Agency. I have asked the chief executive to write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from R. M. Bradley to Ms Joan Walley, dated 5 December 1994:
  The Secretary of State for Transport has asked me to reply to your Question on the introduction of EC Directive 92/29/EC31/3/92 on the minimum safety and health requirements for improved medical treatment on board vessels.
  The Terms of this Directive require Member States to bring into force the laws, regulations and administrative provisions necessary to comply with this Directive by 31 December 1994. The choice of form and method of implementation is however left to each Member State. The chosen UK methods of implementation and promulgation are by Regulation and Merchant Shipping Notice.
  A consultation document containing the Marine Safety Agency's proposals for implementation of this Directive was circulated for comment on 15 August 1994. As a result of this consultation exercise amendments have been made to the original lists of required medical supplies. Work is continuing on the drafting of both revised Regulations and an accompanying Merchant Shipping Notice.

  Fishing Vessels (Safety)
  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will meet members of the South Western Fish Producers Organisation and their representatives to discuss concerns about the consistency of application of the fishing vessel safety rules of 1975.
  38
  Mr. Norris
  This is an operational matter for the Marine Safety Agency. I have asked the chief executive to write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from R. M. Bradley to Ms Joan Walley, dated 5 December 1994:
  The Secretary of State for Transport has asked me to reply to your Question about the concerns of the South Western Fish Producers Organisation (SWFPO) with regard to the survey of fishing vessels.
  The chief executive of SWFPO and others met the chief surveyor for the agency's south and south-west England district on 5 July 1994 to discuss apparent inconsistencies in fishing vessel survey requirements. As a result of that meeting, one case is currently being examined. The district chief surveyor asked SWFPO to provide details of any other cases which demonstrated the inconsistencies to which it referred. That information is still awaited.
  However, in view of its continuing concern, I would be happy to offer the SWFPO a further meeting to discuss survey consistency with those responsible here for fishing vessel survey matters. I will be writing shortly to the chief executive of SWFPO to suggest such a meeting.

  Rail Privatisation
  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the planned expenditure and expected receipts, in each case item by item, which his Department estimates will contribute to the net income of £770 million in 1995–96 and £325 million in 1996–97, and net expenditure of £600 million in 1997–98 under the heading "Privatisation effects" in the table giving expenditure totals in his Department's press notice No. 457, issued on 29 November.

  Mr. Watts
  The estimates underlying these figures are commercially sensitive and cannot therefore be revealed publicly.

  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list those items of expenditure and receipts, included under the heading "BR/Railtrack" in the table accompanying his Department's press notice No. 457, issued on 29 November, which are not included under the heading "National Railways EFL" in table 1.1 in his Department's "Transport Report 1994", Cm 2506, and vice versa.

  Mr. Watts
  The external finance for BR-Railtrack set out in the table accompanying the Department's press notice 457 now excludes provision for European Passenger Services Ltd., and grant from the Scottish Office to Strathclyde passenger transport executive for rail services in that region, which were included under the heading "National Railways EFR" in table 1.1 of the transport report 1994.

  Severn Bridge
  Mr. Colin Shepherd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will carry out a survey of traffic moving across the Severn bridge, recording separately the numbers of heavy goods vehicles from other light traffic and showing the results for each direction of travel.

  Mr. Watts
  Traffic flows across the Severn bridge are already monitored in both directions by the concessionary that operates the bridge, Severn River Crossing plc. The figures differentiate between heavy goods vehicles and other light traffic and are collected for both the directions of travel.

  Airlines(Aid)
  Mr. David Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what further representations he is making to the EC regarding state aid for airlines; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Norris
  The Government have applied to the European Court to annul the Commission decision of 27 July 1994, allowing the French Government to inject FF20 billion into Air France. We also intend to intervene in the application by British Airways, Air UK and other European airlines to the court of first instance to annul the decision. I shall press the European Commission to take a rigorous approach on any further state aid cases which arise in this sector.

  Marine Rescue Centres
  Mr. Ainger
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many(a) fully trained coastguards and (b) auxiliary coastguards were dedicated to staffing operations rooms in MRCCs and MRSCs on 1 April 1990, 1 April 1993, 1 April 1994 and 1 November 1994.

  Mr. Norris
  This is an operational matter for the Coastguard Agency. I have asked the chief executive to write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from C. J. Harris to Mr. Nick Ainger, dated 5 December 1994:
  The Secretary of State for Transport has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question as the question deals with an operational matter, for which I have responsibility as Chief Executive.

  The following table shows the number of (a) fully trained coastguards and (b) auxiliary coastguards dedicated to staffing operations rooms in MRCCs and MRSCs on the dates requested:

  Date

  Fully Trained Coastguards

  Auxiliary Coastguards

  1 April 1990

  469.5

  419

  1 April 1993

  450

  397

  1 April 1994

  448

  373

  1 November 1994

  443

  377

  40
  Mr. Ainger
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 1) if he will list the minimum staffing levels in operation rooms at each of the marine rescue co-ordination centres and sub-centres;

  (2) if he will take steps to verify that all standing operational orders, regulations and minutes relating to staffing levels in operation rooms at all marine rescue co-ordination centres and marine rescue sub-centres have been complied with since 1 April 1994.

  Mr. Norris
  These are operational matters for the Coastguard Agency. I have asked the chief executive to write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from C. J. Harris to Mr. N. Ainger, dated 5 December 1994:
  The Secretary of State for Transport has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Questions as these questions deal with operational matters, for which I have responsibility as Chief Executive.

  The following table details the minimum staffing levels per watch in operations rooms at each of the MRCCs and MRSCS:

  RCC/MRSC

  Minimum staffing level per watch

  MRCC/MRSC

  Minimum staffing level per watch

  Clyde

  1 SWO 2 WO

  Dover

  1 SO 1 SWO 3 WO

  Belfast

  1 SWO 2 WO

  Thames

  1 SWO 2 WO

  Oban

  1 SWO 2 WO

  Solent

  1 SWO 3 WO

  Stornoway

  1 SWO 2 WO

  Yarmouth

  1 SWO 2 WO

  Aberdeen

  1 SWO 3 WO

  Humber

  1 SWO 2 WO

  Pentland

  1 SWO 2 WO

  Tyne/Tees

  1 SWO 2 WO

  Shetland

  1 SWO 2 WO

  Swansea

  1 SWO 3 WO

  Forth

  1 SWO 2 WO

  Milford Haven

  1 SWO 2 WO

  Falrnouth

  1 SWO 2 WO

  Holyhead

  1 SWO 2 WO

  Brixham

  1 SWO 2 WO

  Liverpool

  1 SWO 2 WO

  Portland

  1 SWO 2 WO

  (SO—Station Officer, SWO—Senior Watch Officer, WO—Watch Officer)
  The information provided relates to Basic Watch Level requirements. The actual staffing levels may be greater where additional operational requirements have been identified.
  When, unavoidably, Basic Watch Levels cannot be maintained by the use of regular Coastguards, trained Auxiliary coastguards may be used to substitute.
  The maintenance of required staffing levels in operations rooms at marine rescue coordination centres (MRCCs) and marine rescue sub-centres (MRSCs) is complied with whenever possible. However shortages do occur from time to time due to unforeseen circumstances. These do not affect safety.

CHURCH COMMISSIONERS

  Accounts
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the right hon. Member for Selby, as representing the Church Commissioners what is the current shortfall or profit in the accounts of the Church Commissioners.

  Mr. Alison
  The financial statements of the Church Commissioners, published as part of their annual report and accounts, include an income and expenditure account and a statement of total gains and losses as required by financial reporting standards. The latter shows that, in 1993, consolidated expenditure exceeded income by £2.1 million and consolidated capital gains amounted to £296.2 million.

  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the right hon. Member for Selby, as representing the Church Commissioners on what grounds the Church Commissioners do not usually publish the accounts of the companies and undertakings owned by them.

  Mr. Alison
  The accounts of the Commissioners' United Kingdom subsidiary companies are filed at Companies House, where they are available for public

  Employment department headquarters refurbishment costs 1991–1994

  EDHQ Project

  Dates

  Cost £ Million

  Description of work

  Caxton house, London

  1991–92

  1.411

  Level 4

  1992–93

  1.474

  Level 3 Complete up-grade of internal office and service areas to meet the demands of a modern office environment. Includes lighting, cabling for computers, open planning, energy efficiency and toilets and full redecoration.

  236 Grays Inn road, London

  1992–93

  1.920

  As above, excluding toilets.

  Woburn place, London

  1993–94

  0.190

  As above, including removal of asbestos, excluding toilets.

  East Lane house, Runcorn

  1993–94

  1.528

  Modernisation of main frame computer hall. Making use of down-sizing of computer and air conditioning equipment to create additional space for administrative staff.

  Ranmoor hall, Sheffield

  1991–92

  1.036

  Residential accommodation and reception areas

  1992–93

  0.040

  Conference and classrooms

  Moorfoot, Sheffield

  1992–93

  0.600

  Open planning and air conditioning of cellular office space to accommodate computer based administrative work relocated from London.

  Ministerial Speeches
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment on what occasions since 1979 civil servants in his Department have been asked to draft speeches of a constituency nature for use in a Minister's own constituency.

  Dr. Miss Widdecombe
  None.

  Disabled People
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the budget allocated by his Department and associated agencies for each of the next five years; and how many staff or staff hours equivalent 42
  inspection. The accounts of all their subsidiary undertakings are incorporated in the Commissioners' consolidated accounts—published with the annual report—and the Commissioners therefore see no practical purpose in publishing separately the accounts of their subsidiaries. In this, they follow the practice of most parent companies.

EMPLOYMENT

  Building Refurbishment
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will itemise the refurbishment works undertaken on buildings housing departmental staff in the last three years, indicating the costs involved and the nature of the refurbishments.

  Dr. Miss Widdecombe
  Information covering the refurbishments carried out by the headquarters department, which were not funded by the Property Holdings Agency, is shown in the table.

  Disaggregated information of this nature is not available for premises in the Employment Service or the Health and Safety Executive.

  have been allocated to achieve the objectives of the programme for action to achieve equality of opportunity in the civil service for disabled people.

  Dr. Miss Widdecombe
  I regret that it is not possible to break down budgets and staffing in this way.

  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the number and percentage of disabled people employed by his Department and associated agencies over the past five years; and what are the projected figures for the next five years.

  Dr. Miss Widdecombe
  Figures of registered disabled people in the Employment Department group are set out in the table. Projected figures are not available.
  43

  Year

  Registered Disabled

  Per cent.

  1990

  1,544.0

  3.2

  1991

  1,688.5

  3.2

  1992

  1,964.0

  3.4

  1993

  2,019.5

  3.4

  1994

  2,197.0

  4.0

  Training for Work
  Dr. Ms Lynne
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the proportion of unemployed people currently undergoing training for work; what is the cost of providing training for work; and how many unemployed people find work within(a) two weeks, (b) one month, (c) two months or (d) four months of completing a training for work programme.

  Mr. Paice
  On 14 August 1994 there were 99,400 people participating in training for work in England. This is equivalent to 4.6 per cent. of the level of seasonally adjusted unemployment in England in that month.

  The cost of providing training for work in England in 1993–94 was £760.2 million. The estimate for the cost of providing training for work in England in 1994–95 is £693.3 million.

  The information about how many training for work leavers find work is not available for the periods requested; 38 per cent. of those who completed their agreed training in England and Wales during the period April 1993 to January 1994 were in a job six months after leaving training for work.

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what estimate he has made of the reduction in the number of persons by grade and gender employed by his Department and associated offices and agencies, nationally and regionally over the next three years, as a result of the Chancellor of the Exchequer's Budget statement of 29 November, indicating which branch, agency and region will be affected and stating his estimate of the number of job losses in each year which will be by(a) natural wastage, (b) voluntary redundancy and (c) compulsory redundancy; and what estimate he has made of the yearly total of savings in wages and associated costs as a result of these reductions in each Department, branch and agency.

  Dr. Miss Widdecombe
  The information requested is not yet available. The Department's staffing plans for 1995–96, 1996–97 and 1997–98 will be set out in the 1995 departmental report, to be published in late February-early March 1995.

  The Government's aim has been, and will continue to be, that reductions in the size of the civil service should as far as possible be achieved without redundancies.

  Government Contracts
  Mr. Corbett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what arrangements he now plans to introduce to replace the priority suppliers scheme in relation to tendering for Government contracts.

  Dr. Miss Widdecombe
  I refer the hon. Member to the rely that I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Bolton,44
  North-East (Mr. Thurnham) on 29 November 1994, Official Report, columns 637–39.

  Training and Enterprise Councils
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give the aggregate management running costs of the English training and enterprise councils for the financial years 1992–93 and 1993–94, the first half of 1994–95 and the latest estimated outturn for 1994–95 as a whole.

  Mr. Paice
  The English training and enterprise council statutory annual accounts for 1992–93 show administration costs to be £140.7 million in aggregate. I am unable to give the figures requested for 1993–94 and 1994–95 as this information is not yet available in the public domain. However, as TEC accounts for 1993–94 become available to the Department, copies will be placed in the Library.

  Appropriation Accounts
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment when he expects to publish the 1993–94 appropriation accounts.

  Dr. Miss Widdecombe
  Volume 5 of the 1993–94 appropriation accounts will be laid before the House of Commons and published once the Comptroller and Auditor General has completed his audit work. At present, this is expected to be in December 1994.

NATIONAL HERITAGE

  Crown Jewels
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage to what extent the crown jewels are royal property; and what is the extent of public ownership and interest in them.

  Mr. Sproat
  I am advised that the crown jewels kept in the tower of London are, like the historic royal palaces themselves, the property of the Queen in right of the Crown. They are, therefore, held in trust by the sovereign for successive generations. My Department, through the Historic Royal Palaces agency, is responsible for the security, conservation and presentation of the crown jewels in the tower of London.

  Disabled People
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what is the number and percentage of disabled people employed by his Department and associated agencies in each year since their establishment; and what are the projected figures for the next five years.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The numbers of registered disabled people employed by the Department of National Heritage and its agencies in each year since its establishment in April 1992 are as follows:

  1992

  1993

  1994

  Number

  Per cent.

  Number

  Per cent.

  Totals

  N/A

  7

  1.7

  5

  1.1

  45
  Projected figures for the next five years are not available.

  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what is the budget allocated by his Department and associated agencies for each of the next five years for, and how many staff or staff hours equivalent have been allocated to achieve the objectives of, the programme for action to achieve equality of opportunity in the civil service for disabled people.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The Department fully supports the aims of the programme for action to achieve equality of opportunity in the civil service for disabled people. There is no discrete budget for action associated with the programme, as expenditure includes cost elements associated with, for example, staff numbers, training, alterations to buildings and accommodation, which cannot be disaggregated.

  It is not possible to estimate the number of staff or staff hours equivalent necessary to achieve the objectives of the programme for action as the implementation of the programme will require the involvement not just of equal opportunities-disabled persons officers but of other human resource specialists, recruitment and training officers and individual line managers throughout the Department.

  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what discussions he has had with the trustees of the Tate gallery about measures to ensure better access for disabled people to the gallery.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The policies adopted by the Tate gallery for access for people with disabilities are a matter for the trustees of the gallery.

  Under the statutory fire and safety regulations, only six people in wheelchairs can visit the main floor of the gallery at Millbank at any one time. However, the trustees welcome visitors with disabilities and are committed to improving access to the gallery, which their planned building programme due to start in 1995 will help to achieve.

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what estimates he has made of the reduction in the number of persons by grade and gender employed by his Department and associated offices and agencies, nationally and regionally over the next three years, as a result of the Chancellor of the Exchequer's Budget statement of 29 November, indicating which branch, agency and region will be affected and stating his estimate of the number of job losses in each year which will be by(a) natural wastage, (b) voluntary redundancy and (c) compulsory redundancy; and what estimate he has made of the yearly total of savings in wages and associated costs as a result of these reductions in each department, branch and agency.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The information requested is not yet available. The Department's staffing plans for 1995–96, 1996–97 and 1997–98 will be set out in the 1995 departmental report, to be published in late February-early March 1995.

  The Government's aim has been, and will continue to be, that reductions in the size of the civil service should as far as possible be achieved without redundancies.

  Ministerial Speeches
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage on what occasions since 1979 civil servants in his Department have been asked to draft speeches of a constituency nature for use in a Minister's own constituency.

  Mr. Dorrell
  None. Civil servants may provide briefing of a factual nature for Ministers on matters relating to their own Departments. In addition, Ministers in preparing for a constituency speech can draw on material produced by their Departments during the normal course of business.

  Independent Radio Stations
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what his Department is doing to ensure adequate news coverage on independent radio stations.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The BBC provides news coverage on its radio services as part of its public service functions. The Broadcasting Act 1990 does not require applicants for independent radio licences to offer a news service, but provides that any news that is broadcast by a licensed station must be presented with due accuracy and impartiality.

  Special Advisers
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will list the special advisers employed by his Department in each of the last three years indicating when they(a) joined and (b) left his Department and the annual salary they received.

  Mr. Dorrell
  [holding answer 1 December 1994]: The special advisers employed by the Department of National Heritage over the last three years are:

  Name

  Date joined

  Date left

  Viscountess Cobham DL—two days a week

  12 July 1992

  24 September 1992

  Mr. Chris Hopson

  22 April 1992

  24 September 1992

  Mr. Dominic Loehnis

  7 November 1992

  20 July 1994

  Salaries for special advisers are negotiated individually in relation to their previous earnings, and are confidential. They are, however, normally paid on a special advisers' salary spine of 34 points, ranging from £19,503 to £67,609. Appointments are non-pensionable, and the salary spine reflects this.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Roads
  Mr. Maginnis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much money has been expended to date in(a) reopening and (b) refurbishing cross-frontier roads between (i) County Tyrone, (ii) County Fermanagh, (iii) County Armagh, (iv) County Londonderry and (v) County Down and the Irish Republic.

  Dr. Sir John Wheeler
  The value of work completed to date to reopen and refurbish border crossings is as follows:
  47

  £

  County Armagh

  30,000

  County Fermanagh

  325,000

  County Tyrone

  175,000

  County Londonderry

  70,000

  Total

  600,000

  Mr. Maginnis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland from which budget the money has been provided in order to(a) reopen and (b) refurbish cross-frontier roads between Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic.

  Dr. Sir John Wheeler
  The cost of reopening and refurbishing the cross-border roads previously subject to closure order will be met entirely by the Northern Ireland Office.

  Health Service Spending
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the level of spending per head of population on national health service provisions in Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Moss
  Based on the latest available figures for 1992–93, hospital and community health services and family health services expenditure is £439 and £160 respectively per head of population in Northern Ireland.

  As the HCHs, FHSs, and personal social services constitute the integrated health care service for the Province, the HCHs figure is an estimated apportionment.

  Council for Voluntary Action
  Mr. Maginnis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what are the current employment statistics for the Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action; to what extent they fall within the fair Employment Commission's criteria for employment; and if he will give details.

  Mr. Ancram
  Under the terms of section 23 of the Fair Employment (Northern Ireland) Act 1989, all private sector organisations with more than 10 employees are required to register with the Fair Employment Commission. The Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action falls into this category. Registered employers are also required by the 1989 Act to monitor their work force annually and to carry out a review of their working practices at least once every three years.

  The Fair Employment Commission's latest summary of monitoring returns which describes the position at the end of 1993 was published in March 1994. It shows that the Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action had a total of 36 employees, of whom 19 were Protestant, 12 were Catholic and five were "non-determined".

  Terrorism
  Mr. Maginnis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps are taken to ensure that those with terrorist motivation are not placed in sensitive positions within public or voluntary organisations which receive public funding.

  Dr. Sir John Wheeler
  The Secretary of State is not responsible for staffing matters within public bodies and voluntary organisations. However, the criteria to be 48
  applied to those appointed to serve on public bodies determined by the Department concerned which takes account of the expertise required to serve on the body, and seeks evidence of a person's suitability for appointement as it determines to be necessary.

  Disabled People
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the number and percentage of disabled people employed by his Department and associated agencies over the past five years; and what are the projected figures for the next five years.

  Dr. Sir John Wheeler
  The number and proportion of staff in the Northern Ireland civil service who self-declared a disability in the years 1991 to 1994 are as set out in the table. The figures in brackets refer to the number and proportion of staff declaring a disability who were, or who had previously been, registered as disabled.

  Number

  Percentage of service

  1991

  1,290(361)

  4.4(1.2)

  1992

  1,262(431)

  4.3(1.5)

  1993

  1,282(463)

  4.3(1.5)

  1994

  1,300(476)

  4.2(1.6)

  Figures for 1990 are not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Projected figures are also not available.

  The number of registered disabled people working in the Northern Ireland civil service under the sheltered placement scheme has risen from 15 in 1991 to 80 in 1994.

  One registered disabled person—0.5 per cent. of the work force—joined the small civil service cadre of Northern Ireland in 1994. There have been no other registered disabled employees in the period from 1990 to 1994.

  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the budget allocated by his Department and associated agencies for each of the next five years for, and how many staff or staff hours equivalent have been allocated to achieve the objectives of, the programme for action to achieve equality of opportunity in the civil service for disabled people.

  Dr. Sir John Wheeler
  In the Northern Ireland civil service expenditure aimed at advancing equality of opportunity for people with disabilities includes costs arising from staff time, monitoring, training, special aids and equipment, modification of buildings and accommodation etcetera which cannot be disaggregated. The number of staff or staff hours equivalent allocated to achieve the objectives of the code of practice on the employment of people with disabilities in the Northern Ireland civil service cannot be estimated as the successful implementation of the code requires the commitment not only of dedicated equal opportunities specialists but of other human resource specialists, trainers and individual line managers throughout the service.

  Similarly, dedicated expenditure by the home civil service cadre of the Northern Ireland Office on the programme for action to achieve equality of opportunity in the civil service for disabled people cannot be disaggregated.

  Mounty Mellary Abbey
  Mr. McKinlay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what contact the RUC or the Director of Public Prosecutions has directly or indirectly with the Abbott of Mounty Mellary abbey in County Wexford, or his representative, about a priest reportedly residing at the abbey.

  Dr. Sir John Wheeler
  There has been no contact of any kind.

  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what difficulties have been encountered by the RUC in investigating allegations of child sex abuse in respect of a priest formerly living in Deny and reported to be currently residing at Mount Mellary abbey in County Wexford; and if he will make a statement.

  Dr. Sir John Wheeler
  To date, no complaint of an offence has been made to the RUC, and therefore no investigation has commenced.

  Father Brendan Smyth
  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if the RUC, the Northern Ireland office, or any other Government or law enforcement agency have received an invitation from Cardinal Cahal Daly to assist his inquiry by giving evidence into the Church's handling of complaints relating to Father Brendan Smyth and other related cases.

  Dr. Sir John Wheeler
  I am not aware of any such invitation.

SCOTLAND

  Agricultural Assistance
  Mr. Maclennan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will place in the Library his Department's guidelines indicating the criteria for eligibility for assistance for agricultural projects in the highlands and islands from objective 1 funding.

  Dr. Sir Hector Monro
  Explanatory leaflets covering the three main elements of the highlands and islands agricultural programme are being prepared. I shall arrange for copies of these to be placed in the Library at the appropriate times.

  Assistance (Crofters)
  Mr. Maclennan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assistance he has made available by district under the crofters building grants and loans scheme and the number of crofters assisted in each of the last five financial years.

  Dr. Sir Hector Monro
  Details of the assistance made available for housing under the crofters building grants and loans scheme by former crofting county and the number of crofters whose applications for assistance were approved in each of the last five financial years are set out in the following table:

  1989–90£000s

  1990–91£000s

  1991–92£000s

  1992–93£000s

  1993–94£000s

  Argyll

  121

  117

  99

  97

  311

  Caithness

  45

  1

  37

  138

  146

  Inverness

  1,147

  1,510

  1,401

  1,732

  1,724

  50

  1989–90 £000s

  1990–91 £000s

  1991–92 £000s

  1992–93 £000s

  1993–94 £000s

  Ross-shire

  1,137

  1,355

  1,608

  1,671

  1,652

  Sutherland

  266

  350

  160

  435

  277

  Shetland

  342

  503

  470

  495

  519

  Total

  3,058

  3,836

  3,775

  4,568

  4,629

  Applications approved

  New houses

  109

  126

  122

  148

  143

  Improvements

  237

  210

  156

  179

  166

  Disabled People
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the number and percentage of disabled people employed by his Department and associated agencies over the past five years; and what are the projected figures for the next five years.

  Mr. Lang
  The numbers and percentages of registered disabled people employed in my Department and associated agencies over the past five years are set out in the table:

  Registered disabled staff employed in the Scottish Office, its executive agencies—Scottish Prison Service shown separately—and the associated departments of general register office and Scottish record office

  Year

  SO+

  SPS

  GRO

  SRO

  1990

  —Number of registered disabled staff

  73

  5

  7

  2

  —percentage of all staff

  1.2

  0.1

  2.3

  1.8

  1991

  —Number of registered disabled staff

  66

  5

  2

  5

  —percentage of all staff

  1.1

  0.1

  0.6

  4.2

  1992

  —Number of registered disabled staff

  86

  5

  6

  2

  —percentage of all staff

  1.4

  0.1

  2.1

  1.8

  1993

  —Number of registered disabled staff

  81

  3

  5

  1

  —percentage of all staff

  1.3

  0.1

  1.8

  0.9

  1994

  —Number of registered disabled staff

  79

  2

  3

  2

  —percentage of all staff

  1.3

  0.05

  1.2

  1.6

  Note:

  Position as at 1 June for 1990 and 1991; 1 July thereafter.

  Projected figures of the next five years are not available.

  My Department recently undertook a detailed survey of disability and long-term health conditions in the workplace. The survey revealed that 97 staff felt they were affected "a great deal" and a further 300 "to some extent" by a disability or long-term health condition in the workplace. This represents a total of 397 or 5.3 per cent. of all staff in the Scottish Office, its agencies and associated departments.

  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the budget allocated by his Department and associated agencies for each of the next five years
  51
  for, and how many staff or staff hours equivalent have been allocated to achieve the objectives of, the programme for action to achieve equality of opportunity in the civil service for disabled people.

  Mr. Lang
  Within the Scottish Office, its executive agencies and associated departments, expenditure in support of the programme of action to achieve equality of opportunity in the civil service for disabled people includes expenditure associated with policy development and implementation, recruitment, training, assessments, special equipment, modification of buildings and accommodation. A separate budget cannot be disaggregated.

  The number of staff or staff hours equivalent allocated to achieving the objectives of the programme of action similarly cannot be calculated separately. Successful implementation requires the commitment and involvement of not only disabled persons officers and equal opportunities officers but personnel officers, recruitment and training officers as well as line managers throughout the organisation.

  Sheep Premium
  Mr. Maclennan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when his Department will complete the payment of the sheep premium; and if he will make a statement.

  Dr. Sir Hector Monro
  I refer the hon. Member to the answers that I gave to the hon. Member for Angus, East (Mr. Welsh) on 24 November,Official Report, column 343.

  Local Government Reorganisation
  Mr. Raymond S. Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what provisions he intends to make for employees in local authorities affected by local government reorganisation and for severance pay generally; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Stewart
  I am laying before the House today regulations which will enable local authorities to make improved payments to employees made redundant or prematurely retired. These regulations come into force on 28 December 1994. Copies of the regulations have been placed in the Library.

  I shall also today be issuing for consultation the Government's proposals for the compensation which will be made available to those local authority staff in Scotland who are either made redundant or suffer loss of remuneration specifically as a result of local government reorganisation. Details of these proposals will also be placed in the Library.

  In drawing up these proposals I have considered carefully the advice offered to me by the Local Government Staff Commission (Scotland). I have also taken into account the comments which have been received from local authorities and staffing interests on the commission's advice.

  One of the main messages from this consultation has been that it is crucially important to let local authority staff know as soon as possible what compensation terms will be available during the period of transition to the new councils. Accordingly, I am today issuing the
  52
  Government's proposals for consultation with a view to finalising them early in the new year. Comments on the proposals are invited by 23 January 1995.

  In coming to a decision on these matters, I have had to look to the interests of local authorities, their employees and the taxpayer. I believe that what I am proposing offers a sensible balance in this respect.

EDUCATION

  Funding
  Mr. Rooker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what is the average annual cost met from public funds of(a) a nursery school place, (b) a primary school place, (c) a secondary school place and (d) a full-time undergraduate place in bands 1, 2 and 3.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  The net institutional expenditure per pupil in England for 1992–3, the latest year for which figures are available, was—in 1994–95 prices—£1,683 in local education authority-maintained nursery and primary schools; and £2,399 in LEA-maintained secondary schools. Separate information is not collected for nursery and primary schools.

  Figures are not available for the average cost of an undergraduate place in bands 1, 2 and 3. The estimated annual average cost from public funds—for a full-time equivalent student in higher education—in 1994–95 is £4,500.

  Grant-maintained Schools
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) how many copies of(a) "Grant-Maintained Schools: Questions Governors Ask", (b) "Grant-Maintained Schools: Experiences During the First Year", (c) "Grant-Maintained Schools: Experiences of Primary Schools" and (d) "Grant-Maintained Schools: Experiences of Secondary Schools" have been produced since 1988; and what was the total cost for each booklet;

  (2) how many copies of (a) "How to Become a Grant-Maintained School", (b) "Grant-Maintained Schools: Questions Parents Ask", (c) "Grant-Maintained Schools: What it Means for Staff" and (d) "Grant-Maintained Schools: Questions Staff Ask" have been produced since 1988; and what was the total cost of each booklet;

  (3) how many copies of (a) "Grant-Maintained Schools: Experiences of Former Voluntary Schools", (b) "Going Grant-Maintained with Other Schools: GM Clusters" and (c) "Education into the Next Century", have been produced since 1988; and what has been the total cost for each booklet;

  (4) how many folders have been produced for the distribution of material on grant-maintained schools; and what has been the cost since 1988.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  The information requested is set out. With one exception, the publications listed contain factual information on various aspects of grant-maintained status.

  Some of these publications are no longer in use and are now out of print. The publication "Education into the

  53
  Next Century" was a summary of the White Paper "Choice and Diversity: a New Framework for Schools"; it was not primarily about grant-maintained schools.

  Publication

  Approximate number produced

  Approximate total cost of production £

  Questions Governors Ask

  90,000

  17,000

  Experiences During the First year

  485,000

  243,000

  Experiences of Primary Schools

  70,000

  112,500

  Experiences of Secondary Schools

  35,000

  Experiences of Former Voluntary Schools

  35,000

  How to Become a Grant-Maintained School (five editions since 1988)

  595,000

  123,000

  Questions Parents Ask

  1,588,000

  105,000

  What it Means for Staff

  193,00

  12,000

  Questions Staff Ask

  250,000

  197,000

  Going GM with other Schools: GM Clusters

  13,000

  15,500

  Education into the Next Century

  2,750,000

  117,000

  Folders

  263,000

  77,000

  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if she will list the advertising campaigns her Department has run for grant-maintained status; and, for

  Number

  Date

  Location

  Number of schools invited1

  Number of schools represented

  Number of delegates

  Cost2 £

  1

  16 November 1992

  Leeds

  6,250

  57

  95

  6,202

  2

  12 December 1992

  Bolton

  6,250

  93

  160

  6,873

  3

  15 January 1993

  Sheffield

  6,250

  120

  207

  8,164

  4

  30 January 1993

  Manchester

  6,250

  75

  138

  7,734

  5

  10 February 1993

  Newcastle

  1,645

  139

  222

  8,539

  6

  11 February 1993

  Newcastle

  1,645

  121

  204

  8,539

  7

  15 February 1993

  Leicester

  3,406

  65

  108

  4,306

  8

  1 March 1993

  Nottingham

  3,406

  111

  197

  7,751

  9

  8 March 1993

  Taunton

  192

  62

  90

  3,491

  10

  10 March 1993

  Birmingham

  3,406

  120

  202

  8,512

  11

  29 March 1993

  Nottingham

  3,406

  109

  176

  7,378

  12

  26 April 1993

  Daventry

  3,406

  45

  77

  4,150

  13

  30 April 1993

  Haydock

  100

  35

  62

  2,858

  14

  4 May 1993

  Maidstone

  5,825

  122

  219

  7,894

  15

  7 May 1993

  St. Albans

  5,825

  109

  198

  9,772

  16

  13 May 1993

  Heathrow

  5,825

  111

  209

  10,077

  17

  19 May 1993

  Sandown

  5,825

  110

  209

  8,019

  18

  27 May 1993

  Watford

  5,825

  106

  197

  6,876

  19

  18 June 1993

  Bournemouth

  3,213

  103

  180

  6,669

  20

  28 June 1993

  Cheltenham

  3,213

  99

  194

  6,263

  21

  13 July 1993

  Exeter

  3,213

  95

  173

  7,638

  22

  23 September 1993

  Maidstone

  5,825

  37

  72

  4,473

  23

  7 October 1993

  Bristol

  3,213

  56

  112

  8,908

  24

  5 November 1993

  Cambridge

  2,087

  90

  171

  9,240

  25

  2 December 1993

  Cambridge

  2,087

  107

  176

  9,156

  26

  3 February 1994

  Darlington

  7,164

  53

  94

  5,392

  27

  18 February 1994

  Manchester

  7,164

  67

  114

  8,236

  28

  4 March 1994

  Newcastle

  7,164

  47

  77

  6,392

  29

  14 March 1994

  Huddersfield

  7,164

  57

  102

  7,645

  30

  27 April 1994

  Harrogate

  7,164

  91

  152

  10,454

  31

  28 June 1994

  Stratford

  5,059

  82

  141

  7,747

  32

  5 July 1994

  Hinckley

  5,059

  43

  63

  4,720

  33

  13 July 1994

  Stoke

  5,059

  22

  39

  3,859

  34

  24 September 1994

  Warrington

  2,100

  29

  52

  4,723

  54
  each campaign, if she will list (a) the total cost, (b) the cost of the advertisements, (c) the cost of the advertised telephone service and (d) how many inquiries were received on the advertised numbers.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  There have been two campaigns to advertise sources of factual information on grant-maintained schooling: one to advertise the pilot "GM Helpline" in January 1993, and one in January and February 1994 to advertise the availability of booklets on GM status following the coming into effect of the relevant provision of the Education Act 1993. The costs and number of inquiries are listed.

  1993£

  1994£

  Total cost

  211,000

  207,000

  Cost of advertisements

  200,000

  207,000

  Cost of telephone service

  11,000

  —

  Number of inquiries

  2,650

  11,544

  1 These calls were handled by an existing telephone inquiry line and their cost cannot be disaggregated from the overall figure.

  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if she will list, in chronological order, the "Going GM" conferences held by her Department on grant-maintained status, giving in each case(a) the date, (b) the location, (c) the number of schools invited, (d) the number of schools represented, (e) the number of representatives attending and (f) the cost.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  The information requested is set out in the table.
  55

  Number

  Date

  Location

  Number of schools invited1

  Number of schools represented

  Number of delegates

  Cost2 £

  35

  27 September 1994

  Penrith

  669

  24

  53

  3,554

  36

  1 November 1994

  London

  2,240

  43

  78

  6,404

  37

  21 November 1994

  Newquay

  797

  52

  107

  34,000

  Total

  252,608

  1 The same schools were invited to more than one conference in order to give headteachers and governors more choice over date and location.

  2 Costs listed are those attributable to specific conferences. In addition, there are two contracts: one for support services which for the 37 conferences has totalled an estimated £263.623 and one for mailings which has totalled approx. £66,965. Total, £583,196.

  3 The costs for Newquay are an estimate pending receipt of the invoice.

  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many and what percentage of(a) grant-maintained and (b) local authority schools have outside toilets.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  This information is not held centrally.

  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) what is the basis for the payment of expenses to individuals on her Department's GM speakers list;

  (2) what is the total cost of the expenses paid to individuals on her Department's GM speakers' list; how many individuals have been paid such expenses; and how many speaking functions were involved.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  GM speakers are volunteer heads, governors and bursars of grant-maintained schools who are reimbursed for expenses incurred in providing factual information about grant-maintained status to interested schools. Payments are made on receipt of proof of expenditure on the following basis:travel to and from a meeting at which they are asked to speak;
  overnight stay, if this is unavoidable, up to a maximum of £65-(£70 in London);
  photocopying costs for provision of written material;
  light refreshments in connection with a visit to their school by representatives of another school (or schools);
  supply cover, if a GM speaker cannot fulfil teaching commitments because of a relevant engagement, up to a maximum of two days' cover per school per month.

  Since the GM speakers' list was first established in 1992, approximately £72,000 in expenses has been paid to about 240 speakers. The Department has received claims for over 180 speaking engagements in the current financial year. Records of the numbers of engagements prior to April 1994 are not available.

  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans she has to ensure that the same standards of financial and managerial control that now apply to local education authority schools will be required for grant-maintained schools.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  Grant-maintained schools are already subject to a range of provisions to ensure that the highest possible standards of financial and managerial control apply. These provisions include the requirements of education legislation, school instruments and articles of government and detailed financial management procedures and audit requirements set out in a financial memorandum and other documents. Some provisions apply to GM schools but not to their LEA equivalents. In addition, the Funding Agency for Schools has a duty to carry out value-for-money studies of GM schools.

  Undergraduate Courses
  Mr. Rooker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what was the total expenditure in respect of tuition fees for undergraduate courses in institutions of higher education in 1992–93; and how much of this was for students not qualifying for mandatory maintenance award on grounds of high parental income.

  Mr. Boswell
  The total expenditure in the academic year in 1992–93 by local education authorities in England and Wales on fees paid by them as part of mandatory awards for students attending first degree courses was £1,233 million. It is not possible to estimate how much of this expenditure was for students not qualifying for a mandatory maintenance award on grounds of high parental income. However, 26 per cent. of all first degree students in receipt of a mandatory award received no maintenance grant as a result of means testing.

  Class Sizes, Rotherham
  Mr. MacShane
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will list class sizes for years 1 and 7 in all schools in Rotherham at the beginning of the school year in 1992, 1993 and 1994.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  Information on class sizes for individual year groups is not available centrally.

  Student Loans Company
  Mr. Steinberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans she has to privatise the Student Loans Company.

  Mr. Boswell
  My right hon. Friend has no current plans to privatise the Student Loans Company. The loans scheme, including options for introducing private finance, is kept under review.

  Capital Works
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much money has been allocated to Liverpool for capital works on schools since 1989, and if she will list for each scheme(a) the amounts approved to basic credit approvals and supplementary credit approvals, (b) the year of approval and (c) if it has been completed.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  Liverpool's annual capital guidelines for schools have been as follows—£'000:

  1989–90: 541

  1990–91: 8,262

  1991–92: 5,425

  1992–93: 5,576

  57

  1993–94: 2,822

  1993–95: 4,540

  The funding and progress of individual projects are a matter for the local education authority.

  Supplementary credit approvals have been issued to Liverpool as follows:

  1992–93; £212,000 for health and safety work.

  1993–94. £590,000 for work to implement statutory proposals at Alice Elliott and Underlea special schools; and the consolidation of Broughton Hall Roman Catholic school on one site.

  1994–95: £133,000 for health and safety work.

  Ministerial Speeches
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education on what occasions since 1979 civil servants in his Department have been asked to draft speeches of a constituency nature for use in a Minister's own constituency.

  Mr. Forth
  None. Civil servants may provide briefing of a factual nature for Ministers on matters relating to their own Departments. In addition, Ministers in preparing for a constituency speech can draw on material produced by their Department during the normal course of business.

  Further Education Colleges
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what direct earmarked funding is available to

  Full-Time non-clinical academic wholly university-funded staff in former UFC-funded English universities, 1992–93—Women

  Cost Centre

  Age under 25

  25–29

  30–34

  35–39

  40–44

  45–49

  50–54

  55–59

  60 and over

  Total

  Education

  2

  11

  32

  65

  110

  127

  71

  24

  12

  454

  Medicine, dentistry and health

  8

  42

  96

  105

  89

  89

  58

  22

  22

  531

  Engineering and technology

  7

  27

  35

  35

  26

  14

  7

  1

  3

  155

  Agriculture, forestry and veterinary science

  2

  13

  9

  13

  9

  9

  5

  1

  1

  62

  Biological, mathematical and physical sciences

  8

  46

  93

  95

  69

  72

  45

  29

  18

  475

  Administrative, business and social studies

  14

  119

  182

  186

  211

  153

  96

  41

  20

  1,022

  Architecture and planning

  0

  4

  6

  11

  8

  5

  6

  1

  0

  41

  Language, literature and area studies

  34

  106

  123

  121

  124

  153

  120

  53

  30

  864

  Other arts

  2

  24

  49

  53

  58

  63

  49

  18

  12

  328

  Libraries, museums, etc (research only)

  0

  1

  0

  1

  0

  0

  2

  0

  0

  4

  Total

  77

  393

  625

  685

  704

  685

  459

  190

  118

  3,936

  Source:

  Universities' Statistical Record.

  Full-Time non-clinical academic wholly university-funded staff in former UFC-funded English universities, 1992–93—Men

  Cost Centre

  Age under 25

  25–29

  30–34

  35–39

  40–44

  45–49

  50–54

  55–59

  60 and over

  Total

  Education

  0

  8

  23

  98

  185

  232

  230

  166

  73

  1,015

  Medicine, dentistry and health

  6

  62

  151

  249

  304

  333

  241

  144

  84

  1,574

  Engineering and technology

  16

  129

  347

  390

  462

  530

  519

  418

  234

  3,045

  Agriculture, forestry and veterinary science

  3

  26

  35

  54

  62

  83

  50

  37

  29

  379

  Biological, mathematical and physical sciences

  21

  268

  556

  669

  696

  938

  1,082

  782

  366

  5,378

  Administrative, business and social studies

  33

  240

  425

  490

  745

  1,033

  614

  362

  157

  4,099

  Architecture and planning

  0

  9

  20

  28

  38

  49

  55

  26

  21

  246

  58
  further education colleges for the development of information technology services and training.

  Mr. Boswell
  None. Colleges have flexibility to use the funds available to them to invest in information technology as they think best.

  Mr. Bryan Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what training and advice material her Department has issued to governors of further education colleges.

  Mr. Boswell
  Governors themselves have a responsibility to ensure that they have the training to enable them to perform their functions accordingly. The Further Education Funding Council for England has published the "Guide for College Governors" to assist them in their work, and issued circulars of guidance to governors on a variety of matters. The Further Education Staff College offers courses for governors which can be tailored to colleges' particular needs.

  Universities (Academic Staff)
  Mr. Bryan Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to her answer of 24 November, Official Report, column 274, if she will show the number of (a) female and (b) male academic staff in each age range and department group

  Mr. Boswell
  The information requested is shown in the table.
  59

  Full-Time non-clinical academic wholly university-funded staff in former UFC-funded English universities,1992–—Men

  Cost Centre

  Age under 25

  25–29

  30–34

  35–39

  40–44

  45–49

  50–54

  55–59

  60 and over

  Total

  Language, literature and area studies

  12

  64

  136

  159

  268

  410

  377

  221

  111

  1,758

  Other arts

  2

  43

  134

  173

  253

  382

  316

  194

  127

  1,624

  Libraries, museums, etc (research only)

  0

  2

  0

  0

  0

  1

  3

  1

  1

  8

  Total

  93

  851

  1,827

  2,310

  3,013

  3,991

  3,487

  2,351

  1,203

  19,126

  Source:

  Universities' Statistical Record

  Full-Time non-clinical wholly institutionally funded staff in former polytechnics in England 1992–93—Women

  Cost Centre

  Age under 25

  25–29

  30–34

  35–39

  40–44

  45–49

  50–54

  55–59

  60 and over

  Total

  Education

  1

  14

  33

  76

  104

  144

  79

  37

  6

  494

  Medicine, dentistry and health

  6

  25

  53

  73

  92

  91

  62

  25

  5

  432

  Engineering and technology

  7

  30

  41

  41

  30

  39

  25

  6

  5

  224

  Agriculture, forestry and veterinary science

  —

  —

  —

  4

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  4

  Biological, mathematical and physical sciences

  13

  84

  109

  105

  125

  120

  53

  19

  9

  637

  Administrative, business and social studies

  37

  153

  247

  293

  355

  316

  122

  66

  12

  1,601

  Architecture and planning

  3

  4

  9

  21

  22

  21

  7

  2

  —

  89

  Language, literature and area studies

  14

  43

  44

  48

  69

  72

  24

  20

  5

  339

  Other arts

  8

  53

  78

  96

  123

  105

  56

  23

  2

  544

  Libraries, museums, etc (research only)

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Total

  89

  406

  614

  757

  920

  908

  428

  198

  44

  4,364

  Sourse:

  The Academic Staff of Polytechnics and Colleges: PCFC/HEFCE Return.

  Full-Time non-clinical academic wholly institutionally funded staff in former polytechnics in England, 1992–93—Men

  Cost center

  Age under 25

  25–29

  30–34

  35–39

  40–44

  45–49

  50–54

  55–59

  60 and over

  Total

  Education

  3

  5

  19

  61

  146

  212

  163

  100

  36

  745

  Medicine, dentistry and health

  43

  13

  33

  56

  68

  78

  34

  24

  7

  317

  Engineering and technology

  34

  127

  236

  326

  411

  518

  499

  369

  145

  2,665

  Agriculture, forestry and veterinary science

  —

  2

  3

  6

  4

  10

  4

  3

  2

  34

  Biological, mathematical and physical sciences

  19

  168

  254

  395

  460

  656

  457

  289

  88

  2,786

  Administrative, business and social studies

  19

  148

  308

  485

  944

  960

  562

  317

  153

  3,910

  Architecture and planning

  1

  11

  31

  42

  80

  127

  88

  49

  23

  452

  Language, literature and area studies

  3

  15

  21

  36

  70

  86

  78

  36

  12

  357

  Other arts

  2

  59

  121

  166

  238

  427

  273

  128

  52

  1,466

  Libraries, museums, etc (research only)

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Total

  99

  548

  1,026

  1,573

  2,421

  3,074

  2,158

  1,315

  518

  12,732

  Source:

  The Academic Staff of Polytechnics and colleges: PCFC/HEFCE Return.

  Educational Psychologists
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many educational psychologists have been employed by local authorities in each year since 1979.

  Mr. Forth
  Information on the number of educational psychologists employed by local education authorities of 60
  1985 and 1992 to 1994, the only years for which information is readily available, is shown in the table.

  Full-time equivalent number of educational psychologists in post by local education authority. As at January of each year

  LEA

  1985

  1992

  1993

  1994

  Inner London

  87.7

  —

  —

  —

  City

  0.0

  0.0

  0.0

  0.0

  61

  Full-time equivalent number of educational psychologists in post by local education authority. As at January of each year

  LEA

  1985

  1992

  1993

  1994

  Camden

  —

  7.8

  7.0

  8.2

  Greenwich

  —

  11.0

  12.0

  12.0

  Hackney

  —

  8.5

  7.5

  10.0

  Hammersmith and Fulham

  —

  8.0

  7.0

  7.0

  Islington

  —

  10.0

  8.0

  8.0

  Kensington and Chelsea

  —

  6.0

  7.0

  7.0

  Lambeth

  —

  7.8

  11.1

  13.5

  Lewisham

  —

  10.0

  9.0

  9.0

  Southwark

  —

  10.0

  10.5

  11.6

  Tower Hamlets

  —

  10.0

  8.5

  8.0

  Wandsworth

  —

  11.0

  10.0

  5.6

  Westminster

  —

  7.0

  6.0

  6.0

  Barking and Dagenham

  7.0

  7.5

  7.5

  7.2

  Barnet

  8.5

  13.6

  14.5

  14.5

  Bexley

  5.0

  6.5

  6.5

  8.0

  Brent

  9.6

  11.2

  8.5

  10.5

  Bromley

  8.0

  10.0

  10.0

  9.0

  Croydon

  9.0

  10.8

  10.8

  10.8

  Ealing

  5.4

  9.8

  9.8

  11.8

  Enfield

  9.0

  12.5

  13.0

  15.2

  Haringey

  7.0

  9.8

  10.8

  10.8

  Harrow

  6.0

  6.0

  9.0

  8.6

  Havering

  8.0

  8.0

  8.7

  8.0

  Hillingdon

  5.0

  8.2

  8.8

  8.9

  Hounslow

  5.9

  5.8

  6.0

  8.1

  Kingston upon Thames

  2.0

  3.0

  4.0

  4.3

  Merton

  5.0

  5.7

  6.6

  5.4

  Newham

  11.0

  11.0

  10.2

  10.0

  Redbridge

  6.0

  7.4

  7.4

  7.4

  Richmond upon Thames

  4.0

  5.5

  6.0

  6.0

  Sutton

  4.0

  6.0

  4.0

  5.0

  Waltham Forest

  8.0

  7.0

  7.0

  7.0

  Birmingham

  37.2

  37.5

  31.5

  39.3

  Coventry

  12.3

  14.0

  12.0

  12.0

  Dudley

  7.5

  8.5

  7.1

  6.6

  Sandwell

  8.0

  14.0

  14.0

  12.0

  Solihull

  7.3

  8.0

  8.4

  7.5

  Walsall

  7.0

  10.0

  9.0

  10.0

  Wolverhampton

  6.0

  10.0

  9.0

  9.0

  Knowsley

  7.0

  6.8

  5.8

  6.8

  Liverpool

  15.5

  18.0

  18.0

  18.0

  St. Helens

  4.0

  6.5

  9.0

  8.0

  Sefton

  9.0

  11.0

  10.0

  10.0

  Wirral

  8.0

  13.5

  10.5

  11.5

  Bolton

  4.0

  7.4

  7.4

  7.4

  Bury

  3.5

  4.5

  4.6

  4.6

  Manchester

  14.0

  19.3

  18.2

  17.8

  Oldham

  5.0

  4.0

  7.0

  6.0

  Rochdale

  9.0

  7.5

  7.5

  7.5

  Salford

  6.0

  7.0

  7.6

  7.6

  Stockport

  6.7

  9.5

  9.5

  10.4

  Tameside

  7.0

  11.0

  8.0

  7.0

  Trafford

  3.0

  4.0

  4.0

  4.0

  Wigan

  8.0

  6.5

  6.5

  9.0

  Barnsley

  4.0

  4.5

  4.5

  5.6

  Doncaster

  9.0

  9.0

  11.0

  11.0

  Rotherham

  9.0

  10.3

  9.3

  10.3

  Sheffield

  13.6

  16.2

  18.2

  16.3

  Bradford

  14.0

  19.0

  20.0

  21.5

  Calderdale

  2.0

  6.8

  6.5

  7.0

  Kirklees

  12.0

  15.0

  17.0

  18.0

  Leeds

  13.5

  19.0

  19.0

  15.0

  Wakefield

  6.0

  12.0

  10.5

  8.5

  Gateshead

  8.0

  10.0

  8.5

  9.0

  Newcastle upon Tyne

  12.0

  11.0

  11.0

  11.0

  North Tyneside

  8.0

  8.0

  8.0

  8.0

  62

  Full-time equivalent number of educational psychologists in post by local education authority. As at January of each year

  LEA

  1985

  1992

  1993

  1994

  South Tyneside

  6.0

  8.0

  6.0

  6.0

  Sunderland

  9.0

  10.1

  11.1

  11.5

  Isles of Scilly

  0.0

  0.0

  0.0

  0.0

  Avon

  28.6

  28.8

  25.5

  25.0

  Bedfordshire

  12.0

  17.0

  15.9

  14.9

  Berkshire

  17.3

  17.0

  19.5

  18.8

  Buckinghamshire

  16.0

  21.9

  23.0

  22.8

  Cambridgeshire

  12.0

  14.0

  16.0

  18.0

  Cheshire

  17.0

  25.1

  25.3

  25.1

  Cleveland

  18.0

  18.3

  16.5

  19.9

  Cornwall

  8.0

  12.0

  12.0

  12.0

  Cumbria

  9.0

  18.0

  19.0

  19.0

  Derbyshire

  21.5

  33.1

  30.3

  29.0

  Devon

  20.4

  22.1

  24.5

  24.5

  Dorset

  14.5

  17.5

  18.6

  17.6

  Durham

  17.4

  20.4

  23.5

  21.5

  East Sussex

  11.8

  19.6

  18.7

  19.8

  Essex

  31.4

  42.7

  42.3

  35.8

  Gloucestershire

  11.0

  17.0

  17.4

  16.4

  Hampshire

  31.5

  44.0

  46.8

  46.9

  Hereford and Worcester

  11.0

  16.5

  16.0

  16.0

  Hertfordshire

  21.5

  28.4

  33.0

  28.0

  Humberside

  21.0

  24.0

  24.0

  21.0

  Isle of Wight

  3.0

  3.0

  3.0

  3.0

  Kent

  19.0

  30.0

  36.5

  42.1

  Lancashire

  34.0

  42.0

  40.2

  43.5

  Leicestershire

  19.0

  33.6

  32.6

  32.7

  Lincolnshire

  10.0

  13.0

  13.0

  15.0

  Norfolk

  14.0

  18.5

  19.0

  18.0

  North Yorkshire

  15.2

  20.0

  19.0

  18.0

  Northamptonshire

  15.0

  17.5

  19.0

  25.5

  Northumberland

  4.1

  9.5

  9.5

  8.4

  Nottinghamshire

  30.0

  28.5

  29.0

  28.6

  Oxfordshire

  12.5

  14.5

  14.5

  14.5

  Shropshire

  8.0

  12.0

  11.6

  11.6

  Somerset

  9.0

  11.0

  11.1

  11.9

  Staffordshire

  17.7

  29.4

  27.4

  27.0

  Suffolk

  13.0

  14.0

  14.0

  15.0

  Surrey

  22.0

  28.4

  29.5

  27.2

  Warwickshire

  9.8

  12.3

  12.7

  14.1

  West Sussex

  12.0

  17.4

  17.1

  19.0

  Wiltshire

  13.0

  14.8

  13.3

  14.0

  Total: All LEAs

  1,173.4

  1,496.6

  1,497.7

  1,514.2

  Further Education (Asian Pupils)
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment she has made of the proportion of girls of Asian heritage or background who do not continue in education beyond 16.

  Mr. Boswell
  It is estimated that in 1993–94 15 per cent. of girls of Asian ethnic origin did not remain in full-time education at 16, compared with 11 per cent. of Asian boys and 27 per cent. of pupils of all backgrounds.

  Disabled People
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what is the number and percentage of disabled people employed by her Department and associated agencies over the past five years; and what are the projected figures for the next five years.

  Mr. Forth
  The number and percentage of registered disabled people employed by the Department and the Teachers Pensions Agency over the last five years are as follows:
  63

  year

  Number(full-time equivalents)

  per cent

  1994

  60.0

  2.9

  1993

  63.0

  3.0

  1992

  68.5

  2.6

  1991

  70.0

  2.6

  1990

  65.5

  2.6

  This table refers only to staff who are registered disabled. There are disabled people employed by the Department who choose not to register, and therefore do not appear in the figures.

  Projected figures for the next five years are not available.

  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what is the budget allocated by her Department and associated agencies for each of the next five years; and how many staff or staff hours equivalent have been allocated to achieve the objectives of the programme for action to achieve equality of opportunity in the civil service for disabled people.

  All grant figures are given in £ million (Revenue in academic years; capital in financial years)

  Recurrent grant paid 1993–94

  Pupil numbers 1993–94

  Capital grant paid 1993–94

  Recurrent grant estimate 1994–95

  Pupil numbers 1994–95

  Capital grant estimate 1994–95

  Kingshurst

  3.6

  1,223

  0.3

  3.7

  1,250

  0.2

  Djanogly

  2.6

  844

  0.1

  2.7

  867

  0.1

  Macmillan

  2.8

  912

  0.3

  3.0

  980

  0.7

  Emmanuel

  1.9

  600

  —

  2.0

  750

  0.1

  Dixons

  2.5

  730

  0.3

  2.7

  895

  0.2

  Leigh

  3.4

  1,140

  0.3

  3.7

  1,236

  0.7

  Harris

  3.2

  1,000

  0.1

  3.5

  1,033

  0.3

  BRITschool

  2.9

  686

  —

  3.0

  703

  0.4

  Bacon's

  4.0

  1,050

  —

  4.1

  1,061

  —

  Haberdashers'

  4.7

  1,150

  2.7

  4.8

  1,139

  0.1

  Thomas Telford

  2.5

  664

  —

  2.8

  832

  —

  Brooke Weston

  2.5

  745

  0.1

  2.7

  860

  0.1

  ADT

  2.7

  592

  —

  3.1

  736

  0.1

  Landau Forte

  2.0

  450

  —

  2.2

  600

  John Cabot

  1.3

  150

  2.9

  1.5

  327

  0.7

  Total

  42.4

  11,936

  7.1

  45.4

  13,269

  3.8

  Mr. Jamieson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if she will publish a list of all city technology colleges showing their examination results and truancy figures.

  1994 Performance tables—CTCs

  15 year-old performance GCSEs

  16+ year-old performance GCEA/S

  Absence

  CTC

  Pupils aged 15

  5+ A* -C Pet cent.

  5+ A* -G Per cent.

  1+ A* -G Per cent

  VQ number entered

  VQ percentage achieving Per cent.

  Number entering<2

  Average point score Per candidate

  Number entering 2 or more

  Average point score Per candidate

  Average point score per exam entry

  VQ number entering in final year

  VQ percentage number achieving qualifications Per cent.

  Pupils of compulsory school age

  Authorised absence Per cent

  Unauthorised absence Per cent.

  ADT College

  3

  0

  0

  0

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  572

  6.9

  0.2

  Wandsworth

  —

  29

  75

  88

  —

  80

  —

  3.4

  —

  11.9

  4.4

  —

  85

  —

  8.0

  2.3

  Bacon's

  150

  11

  76

  95

  —

  —

  18

  0.7

  22

  8.6

  2.8

  —

  —

  892

  13.1

  0.8

  Southwark

  —

  18

  70

  85

  —

  85

  —

  0.6

  —

  7.3

  2.5

  —

  100

  —

  9.8

  3.8

  Brooke Weston

  64

  58

  100

  100

  34

  100

  37

  3.0

  38

  13.8

  4.1

  7

  100

  644

  7.3

  0.1

  Northants

  —

  39

  89

  95

  —

  95

  —

  2.6

  —

  13.9

  4.5

  —

  90

  —

  7.6

  0.7

  Bril school

  108

  31

  86

  92

  81

  91

  86

  3.3

  16

  10.9

  3.7

  168

  86

  234

  0.5

  0.2

  Croydon

  —

  37

  83

  91

  —

  89

  —

  3.3

  —

  13.6

  4.7

  —

  85

  —

  7.6

  0.6

  Dianogly

  145

  16

  80

  98

  145

  38

  —

  —

  1

  4.0

  1.3

  —

  —

  797

  3.1

  0.5

  Notts

  —

  35

  84

  91

  —

  80

  —

  —

  —

  14.0

  4.3

  —

  83

  —

  8.1

  1.6

  Dixons

  98

  68

  100

  100

  94

  52

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  744

  5.6

  0.1

  Bradford

  —

  27

  76

  89

  —

  71

  —

  —

  —

  13.6

  4.1

  —

  87

  —

  9.2

  3.5

  64
  Mr. Forth
  Departmental expenditure in support of the programme for action to achieve equality of opportunity in the civil service for disabled people includes cost elements associated with staff numbers, training, special equipment and other forms of support, accommodation, etcetera, and cannot be disaggregated.

  The number of staff or staff hours equivalent allocated to achieve the objectives of the programme for action cannot be estimated, since successful implementation will require the commitment not only of equal opportunities officers but of other personnel, welfare and training officers and individual line managers throughout the organisation.

  City Technology Colleges
  Mr. Jamieson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if she will publish the revenue and capital budget for each of the city technology colleges for 199394 and 1994–95; and what was the number of pupils.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  The revenue and capital grants allocated by the Department to each of the city technology colleges for 1993–94 and 1994–95, and pupil numbers for those years, are shown in the table.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  The examination results and truancy figures for city technology colleges have been published in the 1994 performance tables. They are reproduced below with the appropriate local education authority averages.
  65

  1994 Performance tables—CTCs

  15 year-old performance GCSEs

  16 year-old performance GCEA/S

  Absence

  CTC

  Pupils aged 15

  5+ A* -C Pet cent.

  5+ A* -G Per cent.

  1+ A* -G Per cent

  VQ number entered

  VQ percentage achieving Per cent.

  Number entering<2

  Average point score Per candidate

  Number entering 2 or more

  Average point score Per candidate

  Average point score per exam entry

  VQ number entering in final year

  VQ percentage number achieving qualifications Per cent.

  Pupils of compulsory school age

  Authorised absence Per cent.

  Unauthorised absence Per cent.

  Emmanuel

  2

  0

  0

  0

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  597

  5.1

  1—

  Gateshead

  —

  34

  80

  88

  —

  80

  —

  3.4

  —

  15.9

  5.3

  —

  96

  —

  9.1

  1.8

  Harris

  135

  27

  85

  96

  16

  88

  —

  —

  4

  4.0

  1.7

  16

  81

  874

  7.5

  0.1

  Croydon

  —

  37

  83

  91

  —

  89

  —

  3.3

  —

  13.6

  4.7

  —

  85

  —

  7.6

  0.6

  Haberdashers'

  177

  55

  95

  100

  —

  —

  9

  1.9

  84

  14.3

  5.0

  —

  —

  884

  5.6

  0.3

  Lewisham

  —

  27

  78

  91

  —

  82

  —

  2.6

  —

  10.9

  4.0

  —

  91

  —

  8.8

  1.8

  John Cabot

  Opened 1993, data not required

  Avon

  —

  40

  86

  93

  —

  75

  —

  2.4

  —

  13.2

  4.5

  —

  89

  —

  8.1

  0.9

  Landou Forte

  2—

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  18

  4.3

  33

  14.3

  5.0

  35

  94

  313

  3.2

  1—

  Derbyshire

  —

  41

  88

  94

  —

  86

  —

  2.9

  —

  16.2

  4.6

  —

  86

  —

  7.6

  1.2

  Leigh

  132

  19

  83

  95

  120

  78

  15

  2.7

  23

  10.6

  3.7

  15

  100

  971

  6.9

  0.2

  Kent

  —

  40

  86

  94

  —

  81

  —

  3.0

  —

  15.8

  5.2

  —

  79

  —

  7.8

  0.6

  Macmillan

  172

  44

  95

  100

  51

  100

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  904

  8.6

  1.9

  Cleveland

  —

  35

  81

  89

  —

  84

  —

  1.9

  —

  17.3

  5.1

  —

  96

  —

  9.9

  1.4

  The CTC Kingshursi

  172

  47

  96

  100

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  53

  89

  913

  3.5

  1—

  Solihull

  —

  48

  91

  96

  —

  90

  —

  2.3

  —

  14.0

  4.1

  —

  85

  —

  6.3

  0.3

  Thomas Telford

  2—

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  18

  3.2

  14

  15.2

  4.7

  53

  100

  525

  4.5

  1—

  Shropshire

  —

  47

  91

  96

  —

  93

  —

  3.5

  —

  16.9

  5.1

  —

  97

  —

  6.7

  0.4

  1 Less than 0.05 per cent. of half days missed.

  2 No 15 year-old pupils in College.

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate she has made of the reduction in the number of persons by grade and gender employed by her Department and associated offices and agencies, nationally and regionally over the next three years, as a result of the Chancellor of the Exchequer's Budget statement of 29 November, indicating which branch, agency and region will be affected and stating her estimate of the number of job losses in each year which will be by(a) natural wastage, (b) voluntary redundancy and (c) compulsory redundancy; and what estimate she has made of the yearly total of savings in wages and associated costs as a result of these reductions in each Department, branch and agency.

  Mr. Forth
  The information requested is not yet available. The Department's staffing plans for 1995–96, 1996–97 and 1997–98 will be set out in the 1995 departmental report, to be published in late February-early March 1995.

  The Government's aim has been, and will continue to be, that reductions in the size of the civil service should as far as possible be achieved without redundancies.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Disabled People
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the number and percentage of disabled people employed by his Department and associated agencies over the past five years; and what are the projected figures for the next five years;

  Mr. Waldegrave
  The figures for the registered disabled people employed in my Department, including executive agencies, in the past five years are as follows:

  1990

  1991

  1992

  1993

  1994

  Number

  139.5

  141.5

  138.5

  159.0

  143.5

  Percentage

  1.4

  1.4

  1.4

  1.6

  1.4

  66
  In addition to those people registered as disabled, an internal survey of staff shows that the number of people with disabilities is between three and four times greater than the number of those registered as disabled.

  No projections have been made for future years.

  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the budget allocated by his Department and associated agencies for each of the next five years; and how many staff or staff hours equivalent have been allocated to achieve the objectives of the programme for action to achieve equality of opportunity in the civil service for disabled people.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  Departmental expenditure in support of the programme for action to achieve equality of opportunity in the civil service for disabled people falls to a range of budgets such as accommodation, personnel management, equal opportunities and staff training, and cannot be disaggregated. Similarly, it is not possible to estimate the numbers of staff or staff hours allocated since successful implementation will require commitment not only of equal opportunities officers but of many other sections throughout the Ministry, including executive agencies.

  Foot and Mouth Disease
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many imported cattle found to be seropositive to foot and mouth disease have been(a) slaughtered and (b) restricted to the holdings on which they are at present.

  Mrs. Browning
  Of the 249 cattle of Czech and Polish origin which were tested positive last year for the presence of antibodies to foot and mouth disease, a total of 36 have been slaughtered by their owners; 213 animals remain under movement restriction on their current holdings.

  Intervention Board Chairman
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries,and Food who appointed Mr. John Ellis to the post of chairman of the Intervention Board executive agency which oversees banana import licence arrangements.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  Mr. John Ellis was appointed chairman of the Intervention Board for Agricultural
  67
  Produce on 22 February 1986 by the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Secretaries of State for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland jointly. Bananas were first brought within the scope of the common agricultural policy in July 1993.

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what estimate he has made of the reduction in the number of persons by grade and gender employed by his Department and associated offices and agencies, nationally and regionally over the next three years, as a result of the Chancellor of the Exchequer's Budget statement of 29 November, indicating which branch, agency and region will be affected and stating his estimate of the number of job losses in each year which will be by(a) natural wastage, (b) voluntary redundancy and (c) compulsory redundancy; and what estimate he has made of the yearly total of savings in wages and associated costs as a result of these reductions in each Department, branch and agency.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  The information requested is not yet available. The Department's staffing plans for 1995–96, 1996–97 and 1997–98 will be set out in the departmental report, to be published in late February-early March 1995.

  The Government's aim has been, and will continue to be, that reductions in the size of the civil service should as far as possible be achieved without redundancies.

  Milk Quota
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will introduce measures which would facilitate the acquisition of milk quota by new entrants to farming; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Jack
  I recognise the difficulties faced by those seeking to establish themselves in the dairy industry, and the Department has in the past looked at ways of attempting to assist new entrants. However, quota for this purpose could be obtained only at the expense of existing producers. Moreover, it would be very costly from an administrative point of view to ensure an equitable distribution of quota to new entrants, not least since any such scheme would inevitably be over-subscribed. There are, therefore, no plans to introduce special measures for new entrants. But we keep the matter under review and discuss it from time to time with the National Farmers Union and others.

  Pollution
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many incidents involving sheep dip solution contaminating(a) rivers and lakes and (b) the domestic water supply have been reported for each year since 1987.

  Mr. Atkins
  I have been asked to reply:

  (a) This information has been published since 1990 in National Rivers Authority annual reports on water pollution incidents in England and Wales.

  (b) Results of the monitoring of public water supplies in England and Wales are published in the drinking water inspectorate's annual reports. One incident involving a sheep dip chemical was reported in 1994. There is no centrally held data for private supplies, but my
  68
  Department is aware of four incidents at one site between 1991 and 1993 involving sheep dip chemicals.

WALES

  Internet
  Mrs. Anne Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to provide information via Internet; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Redwood
  My Department is examining the potential of making information available electronically via the Internet through the CCTA Government Information Service.

  A55
  Mr. Hanson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what steps he is taking to further control trading in lay-by areas on the A55 in Clwyd.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The Welsh Office has been reviewing its policy towards trading in trunk road lay-bys particularly on high speed dual carriageway routes such as the A55. This review will be finalised very shortly.

  Public Expenditure
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the future applications to Wales of the Barnett formula and its implications for each of the major categories of Welsh public expenditure.

  Mr. Redwood
  Changes in the public expenditure provision for the Welsh block continue to be determined mainly by the well-established, population-based formula linked to changes to comparable programme expenditure in England. I have flexibility in allocating the resources within the block, which comprises all programmes within my responsibility with the exception of agriculture. I shall be announcing the allocations for individual programmes shortly.

  Unemployment
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what new policies he will adopt to assist the long-term unemployed.

  Mr. Redwood
  I will ensure that our main training programme for long-term unemployed people, training for work, is focused more sharply on getting people into work. In addition my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Employment has announced a number of measures to help the long-term unemployed which will be implemented in Wales. These include extending community action and an expansion of the work trials scheme. Unemployed people in Wales will also benefit from the improved incentives flowing from the social security changes announced by my right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Security.

  Disabled People
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the budget allocated by his Department and associated agencies for each of the next five years for, and how many staff or staff hours equivalent have been
  69
  allocated to achieve the objectives of, the programme for action to achieve equality of opportunity in the civil service for disabled people.

  Mr. Redwood
  Departmental expenditure in support of its programme of action for people with a disability and the civil service programme for action to achieve equality of opportunity for people with a disability includes costs associated with a number of elements such as the procurement of specialist equipment, positive action training, adaptations of accommodation and buildings, and staff costs and cannot be disaggregated.

  The number of staff or staff hours equivalent, allocated to achieve the objectives of the programmes for action cannot be estimated. Successful implementation depends on the co-operation and commitment of a number of staff including the equal opportunities officer, the training officer, personnel specialists, accommodation officers and line managers and also involves consultation with disabled staff.

  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the number and percentage of disabled people employed by his Department and associated agencies over the past five years; and what are the projected figures for the next five years.

  Mr. Redwood
  The number and percentage of registered disabled people in my Department over the last five years is as follows:

  Year

  Number

  Percentage

  1990

  32

  1.4

  1991

  30

  1.3

  1992

  37.5

  1.5

  1993

  40

  1.5

  1994

  37

  1.6

  My Department also employs a number of unregistered disabled people equivalent to 2.1 per cent. of staff.

  Projected figures are not available.

  Footnote: Figures relate to July each year and include figures for Cadw, Welsh Historic Monuments.

  Public Appointments
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish for the latest available date a list of public authorities to which he makes appointments, indicating(a) the total number of members of the authorities, (b) the number of members which he appoints and (c) the location of the headquarters of the authority.

  Mr. Redwood
  The information requested has been placed in the Library of the House.

  Public Authorities (Rent Payments)
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish the total amount of rent for headquarters paid by each public authority to which he makes appointments and the corresponding per square foot rental per year where headquarters are located in Wales for each of the last three available years together with the grand total.
  70
  Mr. Redwood
  This information is not held centrally.

  Visual Handicap
  Mr. Hain
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many people were registered(a) blind and (b) partially sighted as at 31 March 1986 and 31 March 1991.

  Mr. Richards
  The numbers of people who were registered as blind or partially sighted in Wales on 31 March 1986 and 1991 are given in the table:

  Number of people

  1986

  1991

  Registered blind

  8,362

  8,999

  Registered partially sighted

  5,420

  6,546

  Sight Tests
  Mr. Hain
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what are the estimated savings made in 1992–93 as a result of the introduction of a charge for sight tests.

  Mr. Richards
  The changes made in 1989 restricted the category of people who were eligible to receive free sight tests. No new changes were introduced. The expenditure on eye tests in Wales in each financial year from 1986–87 and 1993–94 are shown in the following table:

  General ophthalmic services—sight tests Costs per annum (Wales)—£

  £

  1986–1987

  5,081

  1987–88

  6,246

  1988–89

  6,901

  1989–90

  3,501

  1990–91

  3,105

  1991–92

  4,163

  1992–93

  4,919

  1993–94

  5,350

  Medical Complaints
  Mr. Flynn
  to ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many medical complaints were heard in Wales in each of the past five years; and in what percentage of cases complaints of patients were upheld.

  Mr. Richards
  The information is as follows:

  a.Hospitals

  The number of clinical or partly clinical complaints made in hospitals and handled locally were:

  Number

  1988–89

  668

  1989–90

  647

  1990–91

  734

  1991–92

  767

  1992–93

  1,232

  Information on the outcome of these complaints is not held centrally.
  71
  b. Family Health Services

  The number of general medical services complaints made to FHSAs were:

  Number

  1989–90

  303

  1990–91

  353

  1991–92

  389

  1992–93

  414

  1993–94

  433

  The number of complaints upheld by FHSAs were:

  Number

  1989–90

  18

  1990–91

  23

  1991–92

  12

  1992–93

  16

  1993–94

  17

  In addition, the following numbers of complaints were upheld on appeal to the Secretary of State:

  Number

  1989–90

  4

  1990–91

  5

  1991–92

  4

  1992–93

  2

  1993–94

  4

  Grant-maintained Schools
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will set out his reason for calling for a second ballot on grant-maintained status at West Monmouth school, Gwent; and if he will make a statement on the result of the second ballot.

  Mr. Richards
  The reasons are set out in the Department's letter to the school's chairman of governors dated 26 September 1994, a copy of which has been placed in the Library of the House. In the second ballot, a majority of parents voted against grant-maintained status for the school.

  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the gross amount spent by his Department in each Welsh county to advertise, promote and inform schools and parents on grant-maintained status.

  Mr. Richards
  Since 1990, the Welsh Office has spent around £165,000 in total ensuring that schools are provided with factual information on grant-maintained status. It is not possible to break this down on an individual county basis.

  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to ensure that the same standards of financial and management responsibility now applied to local education authority schools will be applied to grant-maintained schools; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Richards
  Local education authorities are responsible for ensuring good standards of financial management in their schools. This can vary between authorities as revealed in the Audit Commission's 1993 report "Adding up the sums: Schools' Management of their Finances" which suggested that in some 40 per cent 72
  of schools, financial accountability was weak or non-existent.

  Grant-maintained schools in Wales are subject to a range of provisions aimed at ensuring that the highest possible standards of financial and managerial control apply. Among these are:
  —detailed financial management procedures and audit arrangements that are set out in a financial memorandum and other guidance, including a requirement for annual external audit by approved independent bodies.
  —examination by the Comptroller and Auditor General who reports his findings to the House of Commons in each Session of Parliament; and
  —a range of orders and regulations that prescribe how GM schools must operate.

  Bodies (Transport)
  Dr. Marek
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales why the body of the stillborn baby recently transported from the Wrexham Maelor hospital was sent to Cardiff for tests instead of to a nearer hospital in the north-west of England.

  Mr. Richards
  It was decided by the consultant obstetrician, and with the consent of the family concerned, to send the baby's body to Cardiff because that is where the relevant expertise lay in this instance.

  Hazardous Waste
  Mr. Ainger
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what planning guidance currently covers the operation of plants processing toxic or hazardous wastes.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The planning system does not seek to control the method of processing of waste substances. The disposal or recovery of toxic or hazardous wastes is subject to regulation under the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

  NHS Trusts
  Mr. Ainger
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with district auditors concerning the financial operations of NHS trusts in Wales.

  Mr. Richards
  The Welsh Office has discussions with district auditors on a wide range of issues.

  Infertility
  Mr. Ainger
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to ensure that all purchasing health authorities contract with providers for a comprehensive infertility investigation and treatment service.

  Mr. Richards
  The NHS in Wales provides a wide range of services for the investigation and treatment of infertility. Decisions about the level and type of service to provide must be left to individual health authorities to determine in the light of local needs and circumstances.

  The Welsh Office has provided guidance on infertility in the protocol "Investment in Health Gain for Healthy Living" and drawn attention to the advice contained in "The Effective Health Care Bulletin on the Management of Subfertility" by York university and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists publication "Infertility—Guidelines for Practice".

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what estimate he has made of the reduction in the number of persons by grade and gender employed by his Department and associated offices and agencies, nationally and regionally over the next three years, as a result of the Chancellor of the Exchequer's Budget statement of 29 November, indicating which branch, agency and region will be affected and stating his estimate of the number of job losses in each year which will be by(a) natural wastage, (b) voluntary redundancy and (c) compulsory redundancy; and what estimate he has made of the yearly total of savings in wages and associated costs as a result of these reductions in each Department, branch and agency.

  Mr. Redwood
  The information requested is not yet available. The Department's staffing plans for 1995–96, 1996–97 and 1997–98 will be set out in the 1995 departmental report, to be published in early March 1995.

  The Government's aim has been, and will continue to be, that reductions in the size of the civil service should as far as possible be achieved without compulsory redundancy.

  Welsh Health Development International
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the countries mentioned in the letter to the hon. Member for Cardiff, West from the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, the hon. Member for Clwyd, North-West (Mr. Richards), of 11 October, where Welsh Health Development International has health care consultancy contracts(a) either on its own or in partnership and (b) where it has already completed such contracts on its own or in co-operation; and what impact WHDI has had in promoting Welsh manufactured or researched medical products and services.

  Mr. Redwood
  Welsh Health Development International has completed health care consultancy contracts in Bahrain, Hungary, Kenya, Lithuania and Poland. It is currently working on contracts in Hong Kong and Bulgaria.

  Its role has been primarily in the provision of management services.

  Brynglas Tunnels Bypass
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the original date for the completion of the Brynglas tunnels bypass; and what is now the expected date.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The original contract completion date for the M4 Brynglas tunnels and A4042 Malpas road relief scheme was 20 March 1994. Extensions of time have been awarded giving a current contract completion date of 4 December 1994. Further extensions have been claimed by the contractor and the completion date is currently under review.

  Welsh Development Agency
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what arrangements have been made to second departmental staff to the Welsh Development Agency.

  Mr. Redwood
  None.

  Register of Public Appointments
  Mr. Hanson
  to ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the cost of the public advertisements and subsequent administration of the Register of Public Appointments since instigation.

  Mr. Redwood
  [holding answer 2 December 1994]: The cost of advertisements in July 1993, designed to attract new candidates for addition to the Welsh Office register of candidates for public appointments—DROCA—was £8,300. These advertisements produced 1,000 extra people for the list, which now numbers around 5,000. DROCA has been in existence for many years, and it is not possible to identify the costs of its administration since its establishment.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Prison Incidents
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the number of prison incidents during the period from 1 January 1994 to date in which prisoners were removed to other prisons because of the serious nature of the incident; and if he will list the prisons involved.

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

  Letter from Derek Lewis to Mr. Tom Cox, dated 30 November 1994:
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about prison incidents from 1 January 1994 in which prisoners were removed to other prisons due to the serious nature o the incident.
  The information requested is not recorded centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

  Departmental Payments
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the average and median time his Department has taken to pay suppliers in each of the last 12 months; and what proportion of bills took more than six weeks to pay.

  Mr. Howard
  The information requested is not held centrally and could be obtained only at a disproportionate cost. However, Departments are required to provide details of their annual payment performance in their departmental reports. In its 1995 annual report, the Home Office expects to report payment performance in excess of 90 per cent. in accordance with agreed contractual conditions or, where no such contractual conditions existed, within 30 days of receipt of goods and services or the presentation of a valid invoice.

  Chief Superintendent David Golding
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what date he arranged the meeting on 6 October with Chief Superintendent David Golding; who attended the meeting; where it was held; to whom the expenses were charged; and what guidance was given to Chief Superintendent David Golding on the contents of his speech for the next day.

  Mr. Maclean
  The Home Secretary did not have a meeting with Chief Superintendent David Golding on 6 October. He had meetings with Chief Superintendent Golding on 4 October, on the eve of the Superintendents Association conference, which they both addressed on 5 October. Those engagements were arranged by correspondence on 22 November 1993. A before-dinner meeting on 4 October was attended by the Home Secretary, Chief Superintendent Golding and Chief Superintendent David Clark. An after-dinner meeting on 4 October was attended by the Home Secretary and the executive committee of the Superintendents Association. The meetings were held at the Bosworth Hall hotel, Market Bosworth, the location of the Superintendents Association conference. The Home Office met the costs of the Home Secretary's travel to the hotel and overnight accommodation. He was the guest at dinner of the Superintendents Association. No guidance was given on the contents of Chief Superintendent Golding's speech.

  Poll Tax
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons have been imprisoned twice for failure to pay poll tax.

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

  Letter from Derek Lewis to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 30 November 1994:
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question asking how many persons have been imprisoned twice for failure to pay poll tax.
  Between 1990 and 31 October 1994 some 19 persons were received twice into Prison Service establishments in England and Wales for non-payment of poll tax.

  Police Station Interviews
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received from the Law Society on its studies of the psychology of police station interviews and of safeguarding vulnerable suspects including the mentally ill; and if he will study the Law Society's advice to solicitors with a view to issuing advice to the police.

  Mr. Maclean
  The Law Society is represented on the Home Office working group set up in response to recommendations by the Royal Commission on criminal justice to review the appropriate adults scheme. It has also commented during the public consultation stage on the draft revised codes of practice issued under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984. It remains to be considered if, as a result of those two exercises, further guidance should be issued to the police about vulnerable suspects.

  Aggravated Trespass
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases have so far been brought under the aggravated trespass provisions of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994.

  Mr. Maclean
  Cautioning and court proceedings data under sections 68 and 69—summary offences of aggravated trespass—of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 will not be available until autumn 1996.

  Mr. Jamieson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many hunt protesters have been arrested under aggravated trespass regulations contained in the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 in Devon and Cornwall.

  Mr. Maclean
  Information on the number of people arrested for specific offences is not collected centrally.

  Information on cautioning and court proceedings data under sections 68 and 69—summary offences of aggravated trespass—of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 will not be available until autumn 1996.

  Murder
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the law on murder.

  Mr. Maclean
  Murder is a common law offence. The Home Affairs Select Committee has announced its intention to review the mandatory life sentence for murder and the case for a discretionary life sentence. In addition, it will examine the "year and a day rule" as it applies to murder. That rule is also being reviewed by the Law Commission. We look forward to receiving the reports of both bodies.

  Asylum Seekers
  Mr. Parry
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received from the medical foundation for the care of victims of torture regarding asylum seekers who are being detained in detention centres and mainstream prisons; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  I met representatives of the Medical Foundation on 15 September 1994. On 3 October, it wrote to the Home Secretary and to me following up items discussed at that meeting and enclosing copies of its report "A Betrayal of Hope and Trust: Detention in the United Kingdom of Survivors of Torture". I wrote to it on 15 November responding to the issues which it had raised.

  Mr. Parry
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Somali refugees are currently seeking asylum in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  As at 30 September 1994—the latest date for which the information is available—there were an estimated 975 applications for asylum from Somali nationals outstanding.

  Mr. Parry
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many refugees are currently being detained under the Asylum and Immigration Appeals Act 1993.

  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  The Asylum and Immigration Appeals Act 1993 has no provision for the detention of an asylum seeker. The provision for the powers of
  77
  detention are contained within the Immigration Act 1971. However, at 18 November 1994, a total of 654 people who had sought asylum were detained. That figure includes people awaiting the setting of directions for removal following the refusal of the application, as well as those whose application was under consideration or subject to appeal.

  Dr. Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list by country of origin the total number of applications for asylum entry into the United Kingdom in 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993 and in the first six months of 1994.

  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  Information on the number of applications for asylum received in the United Kingdom, by nationality for the period 1990 to 1993, is published in table 2.2 of the Home Office statistical bulletin issue 17/94 "Asylum Statistics United Kingdom 1993", a copy of which is available in the Library. Information for the first six months of 1994 is provided in the table.

  Applications1 received for asylum in the United Kingdom, excluding dependants, by location of application and nationality, 1 January 1994 to 30 June 1994.

  Nationality

  Number of principal applicants 1994 (January-June)

  Total applications2

  Applied at port

  Applied in country

  Europe

  Bulgaria

  65

  5

  60

  Romania

  115

  20

  90

  Turkey

  1,035

  295

  740

  Former USSR

  275

  25

  250

  Former Yugoslavia

  715

  155

  560

  Other

  230

  75

  160

  Total

  2,435

  570

  1,865

  Americas

  Colombia

  195

  125

  70

  Other

  295

  80

  215

  Total

  490

  205

  285

  Africa

  Angola

  245

  70

  175

  Congo

  10

  5

  5

  Ethiopia

  360

  105

  255

  Ghana

  1,030

  195

  835

  Kenya

  755

  520

  235

  Nigeria

  1,750

  165

  1,585

  Sierra Leone

  660

  225

  435

  Somalia

  705

  325

  380

  Sudan

  155

  35

  120

  Togo and Ivory Coast

  375

  208

  165

  Uganda

  170

  45

  120

  Zaire

  365

  165

  200

  Other

  825

  215

  610

  Total

  7,400

  2,280

  5,120

  Middle East

  Iran

  220

  55

  165

  Iraq

  225

  95

  130

  Lebanon

  105

  35

  70

  Other

  280

  115

  160

  Total

  825

  300

  525

  Asia

  China

  145

  70

  75

  India

  890

  90

  800

  Pakistan

  800

  75

  725

  78

  Applications1 received for asylum in the United Kingdom, excluding dependants, by location of application and nationality, 1 January 1994 to 30 June 1994.

  Nationality

  Number of principal applicants 1994 (January-June)

  Total applications2

  Applied at port

  Applied in country

  Sri Lanka

  1,250

  695

  560

  Other

  400

  145

  255

  Total

  3,480

  1,075

  2,410

  Other, and nationality not Known

  105

  105

  —

  Grand Total

  14,730

  4,540

  10,190

  1 Provisional figures rounded to the nearest 5 with '*' = 1 or 2 and 'ֵ' = unavailable.

  2 Figures do not include applications made overseas.

  A1 Fayed Brothers
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to take decisions on the applications for British citizenship by(a) Mr. Ali A1 Fayed and (b) Mr. Mohamed A1 Fayed; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  As my right hon. and learned Friend made clear in his public statement on 24 October 1994 he has asked me to deal with those applications, and I hope to reach a decision on them in the reasonably near future.

  EU Asylum Applications
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the outcome of the recent meeting of European Union Justice Ministers concerning common rules for handling asylum applications; and if he will place in the Library the statement after the meeting.

  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  At its meeting on 30 November and 1 December, the Justice and Home Affairs Council did not conclude consideration of the draft resolution on minimum guarantees for asylum procedures. The draft resolution and the Government's explanatory note on it were made available to Parliament on 10 November in accordance with the Government's proposed procedures for consultation with Parliament on title VI matters, and the Government will make available the final text once it has been agreed by the Council.

  Speeding
  Mrs. Helen Jackson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions the police brought last year for speeding in a built-up area where the upper speed limit is 30 mph; and if he will provide a breakdown of the speeds at which the motorists were driving.

  Mr. Maclean
  The information requested is not available ,centrally.

  Mrs. Helen Jackson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidelines he has issued regarding prosecution for speeding in a built-up area where the motorist is driving between 30 mph and 40 mph.
  79
  Mr. Maclean
  None. The way in which speed limits are enforced is an operational matter for chief officers of police.

  Wiltshire County Constabulary
  Mr. Key
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the number of(a) police officers and (b) civilian employees in the Wiltshire county constabulary for each year since 1979.

  Mr. Maclean
  The information is set out in the table.

  Wiltshire Constabulary - Police and civilian strength since 1979

  As at 31 December

  Year

  Police

  Civilian staff

  1979

  1,007

  246

  1980

  1,032

  255

  1981

  1,042

  256

  1982

  1,031

  262

  1983

  1,030

  270

  1984

  1,029

  290

  1985

  1,028

  306

  1986

  1,037

  351

  1987

  1,096

  370

  1988

  1,093

  396

  1989

  1,119

  435

  1990

  1,157

  447

  1991

  1,212

  473

  1992

  1,262

  490

  1993

  1,273

  483

  Immigration
  Dr. Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many immigrants entered the United Kingdom despite failing to meet the various entry requirements in 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993 and the first six months of 1994 by country of origin.

  Mr. Maclean
  Comprehensive information is not available. The numbers of persons who had applied for asylum at the ports and subsequently been given exceptional leave to enter in 1992–93 outside of the immigration rules are given in tables 4.1 and 4.2 of the Home Office statistical bulletin in "Asylum Statistics, United Kingdom, 1993", issue 7/94, a copy of which is in the Library. Corresponding data for 1990–91 are not readily available. The total for the first half of 1994 was 825, provisional figures.

  Dr. Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give the figures for 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993 and for the first six months of 1994, of successful applications for entry to this country by immigrants of all descriptions; and if he will provide a statistical breakdown of their countries of origin.

  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  Information on grants of entry clearance by country where the application was made is published in table 2.1 of the Home Office command paper "Control of Immigration: Statistics United Kingdom 1993" issued on 18 August 1994—Cm 2637, HMSO—a copy of which is in the Library.

  Passports
  Dr. Marek
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether British citizens of the European 80
  Union must necessarily carry a passport when travelling from the United Kingdom to another member state of the EU.

  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  Yes, if the British citizen wishes to be assured of entry to another member state. Community law requires member states to allow citizens of the Union to enter their territory simply on production of a valid identity card or passport.

  Appropriation Accounts
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to publish the 1993–94 appropriation accounts.

  Mr. Howard
  Volume 7 of the 1993–94 appropriation accounts will be laid before the House of Commons and published once the Comptroller and Auditor General has completed his audit work. At present, this is expected to be in January 1995.

  Nuclear Crime
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals were put forward on solutions to nuclear crime by Her Majesty's Government to the Economic Union Justice Council on 30 November to 1 December, what proposals on this matter were received from other member states; if he will place copies of such proposals in the Library; and if he will make a statement on the outcome of the meeting.

  Mr. Howard
  The Justice and Home Affairs Council on 30 November to 1 December considered proposals for the article K4 committee for priority measures for implementing the Berlin declaration on increased co-operation in combating drugs crime and organised crime in Europe. These included a proposal that all the states concerned should ratify the convention on the physical protection of nuclear material concluded in the framework of the International Atomic Energy Agency and opened for signature on 3 March 1980. The Council agreed that the measures recommended should be taken forward by the article K4 committee.

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the reduction in the number of persons by grade and gender employed by his Department and associated offices and agencies, nationally and regionally over the next three years, as a result of the Chancellor of the Exchequer's Budget statement of 29 November, indicating which branch, agency and region will be affected and stating his estimate of the number of job losses in each year which will be by(a) natural wastage, (b) voluntary redundancy and (c) compulsory redundancy; and what estimate he has made of the yearly total of savings in wages and associated costs as a result of these reductions in each Department, branch and agency.

  Mr. Howard
  The information requested is not yet available. The Department's staffing plans for 1995–96, 1996–97 and 1997–98 will be set out in the 1995 Departmental report, to be published in late February-early March 1995.

  The Government's aim has been, and will continue to be, that reductions in the size of the civil service should as far as possible be achieved without redundancies.

  Miscarriages of Justice
  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will place in the Library a copy of the High Court judgment on disclosure by the Home Office of material relating to alleged miscarriages of justice.

  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  Transcripts of judgments are public documents and copies may be obtained from the shorthand writers. I understand that the approved text of the judgment in this case will become available shortly.

  Young Offenders
  Mr. Meale
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to use the military corrective training centre at Colchester as a model for young offenders in prison institutions and detention centres.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  [holding answer 1 December 1994]: Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter from Derek Lewis to Mr. Alan Meale, dated 30 November 1994:
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about what plans there are to use the Military Corrective Training Centre at Colchester as a model for young offenders in prison institutions and detention centres.
  Prison Service staff have visited the corrective training centre in Colchester, as well as establishments operating vigorous and demanding regimes in the United States of America. We are interested in applying relevant and effective aspects of these regimes in our young offender institutions, but it would not be possible simply to use the Military Corrective Training Centre as a model without modification in a civilian establishment.

HEALTH

  NHS Managers
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action she is taking to ensure that NHS managers are capable of undertaking basic financial tasks; and that those who do not are dismissed.

  Mr. Malone
  Where necessary, candidates for national health service management posts are required to demonstrate financial skills. Every NHS organisation decides what necessary training to give staff to develop financial skills. Where managers consistently fail to demonstrate any necessary skills, it is an option to dismiss them.

  Mental Health (Race Bias)
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations or reports she has received alleging a race bias in the mental health system; what has been her response; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Malone
  None. But consultation by the mental health task force with service users has led to the issuing of advice to purchasers, "Black Mental Health: A Dialogue for Change" and a video on good practice "Different Cultures, Different Needs". Copies of this advice and video are available in the Library. I was pleased to launch them on 22 November.

  Medical Register
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to discuss with the General Medical Council its policies on reinstating doctors to the medical register.

  Mr. Malone
  None.

  General Medical Council
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health who appoints the lay members of the General Medical Council.

  Mr. Malone
  Lay members are nominated by the Crown on the advice of the Privy Council.

  Waiting Lists
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will reduce the maximum interval between general practitioner referral and hospital treatment to three months by 1997; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Malone
  The Government have made good progress in reducing waiting times for hospital treatment and will continue to do so within the resources available.

  Mr. Hain
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will give the average waiting times for ophthalmic in-patient treatment for each year since 1985.

  Mr. Malone
  Information on average waiting times by specialty is not available centrally. Data on numbers of people waiting by specialty and national health service trust are given in "Hospital Waiting List Statistics: England", copies of which are available in the Library.

  Birmingham and Midland Eye Hospital
  Mr. Rooker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress is being made in respect of a replacement for the Birmingham and Midland eye hospital when the lease of the present building expires.

  Mr. Sackville
  Work started on site in September on a development to replace services currently provided at the Birmingham and Midland eye hospital. Construction is under way and is on schedule for commissioning in March 1996. The hon. Member may wish to contact Mr. N. R. Thompson, chairman of City hospital national health service trust, for further details.

  General Practitioners
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health is she will list by regional health authority the current general practitioners who are listed under section 12(2) of the Mental Health Act 1983; at what intervals they are reviewed; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Bowis
  This information is not available centrally. Responsibility for approving doctors under section 12(2) of the Mental Health Act 1983 was delegated to regional health authorities. Approval lasts for five years and can be extended if the criteria laid down in departmental guidance, HC(90)21, are met. Copies of the guidance are available 'in the Library.

  Community Care
  Ms Corston
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what plans she has to collect information on, or to
  83
  monitor the policies on which local authority social services departments base their charges for non-residential community care services;

  (2) what plans she has to monitor the impact of local authority social services departments' charging policies in respect of non-residential community care services on individual disabled people.

  Mr. Bowis
  It is for local authorities to assess the needs of their local population and to ensure that all policies, including those for charging, meet those needs equitably and effectively.

  Social Workers
  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many social workers there are(a) per 100 residents and (b) per 100 residents over 65 years of age in each shire county.

  Mr. Bowis
  The information requested, calculated per 10,000 residents and relating to staffing as at 30 September 1993, is shown in the table.

  County

  Number of social workers per 10,000 population aged 65 and over

  Numbers of social workers per 10,000 total population

  Avon

  43.7

  7.2

  Bedfordshire

  50.5

  6.3

  Berkshire

  40.1

  5.0

  Buckinghamshire

  30.2

  3.7

  Cambridgeshire

  31.8

  4.5

  Cheshire

  39.6

  5.9

  Cleveland

  46.3

  6.5

  Cornwall and Isles of Scilly

  22.5

  4.5

  Cumbria

  33.9

  6.0

  Derbyshire

  36.8

  6.0

  Devon

  28.8

  5.8

  Dorset

  18.1

  4.1

  Durham

  26.4

  4.2

  East Sussex

  35.5

  8.0

  Essex

  31.6

  5.1

  Gloucestershire

  27.6

  4.8

  Hampshire

  25.7

  4.0

  Hereford and Worcester

  31.9

  5.2

  Hertfordshire

  32.2

  4.7

  Humberside

  30.1

  4.9

  Isle of Wight

  31.8

  7.4

  Kent

  37.1

  6.1

  Lancashire

  27.7

  4.7

  Leicestershire

  42.9

  6.3

  Lincolnshire

  22.5

  4.1

  Norfolk

  23.1

  4.4

  Northamptonshire

  25.9

  3.7

  Northumberland

  34.2

  5.8

  North Yorkshire

  23.2

  4.1

  Nottinghamshire

  38.3

  6.0

  Oxfordshire

  39.9

  5.6

  Shropshire

  22.9

  3.6

  Somerset

  30.4

  5.8

  Stafordshire

  44.4

  6.5

  Suffolk

  24.5

  4.3

  Surrey

  24.8

  4.0

  Warwickshire

  34.0

  5.3

  West Sussex

  18.4

  3.8

  Wiltshire

  30.5

  4.7

  Source:

  Department of Health staffing return SSDS001 and Office of Population Censuses and Surveys mid-1993 population estimates.

  NHS Trusts
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list those members of each NHS trust in England who have disclosed private interests.

  Mr. Malone
  This information is not available centrally.

  It may be obtained from individual national health service trusts which are required to keep registers of members' interest and make them available to the public.

  Mr. Ainger
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions she has had with district auditors concerning the financial operations of national health service trusts.

  Mr. Sackville
  The primary relationship of district auditors is with the national health service trusts they audit. Department of Health officials have occasional contact with district auditors on financial issues affecting NHS trusts, mostly via the Audit Commission.

  Census Statistics
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to introduce legislation which would allow personal census information to be used for purposes other than those associated with the generation of census statistics; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Sackville
  We have no plans to introduce such legislation.

  Staff Rules
  Mr. Merchant
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the staff rules of her Department were last revised.

  Mr. Sackville
  The last amendment to the staff rules was issued on 20 August 1991. The Department is currently preparing a new staff handbook incorporating the existing staff rules which will be issued shortly.

  Mr. Merchant
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what delegation of authority for disciplinary matters is provided for in her Department's staff rules.

  Mr. Sackville
  The permanent head of the Department has responsibility for all disciplinary matters. He remains personally involved in all disciplinary cases at grade 5 level and above but disciplinary powers relating to members of staff at grade 6 and below are delegated depending on the grade of the member of staff concerned.

  Gipsies and Travellers
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what provisions she has made for the welfare and health of gipsies and travellers following the enactment of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994;

  (2) what discussions she has had with her colleagues regarding the needs of gipsies and travellers following the enactment of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994.

  Mr. Bowis
  Gipsies and travellers are entitled to the same health and welfare services as the rest of the population. These rights are not affected by the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act. The Department funds some special projects designed to help their access to primary health care.

  NHS Pay
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions she has had with the British Medical Association regarding(a) the principles of local pay determination and (b) linking pay to performance.

  Mr. Malone
  Discussions have taken place and are continuing with the British Medical Association on our proposals for the introduction of local pay arrangements in the national health service and the modification of the distinction awards scheme.

  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions she has had with the representatives of nursing staff regarding pay increases and conditions.

  Mr. Malone
  Discussions are continuing within the Nursing and Midwifery Staffs Negotiating Council about local pay arrangements for 1995–96.

  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations she has had regarding the effects on pay agreements negotiated on a local basis with particular regard to regional inequalities.

  Mr. Malone
  Representations from employers have welcomed the opportunity provided by locally negotiated pay to respond flexibly to labour market conditions and differing working arrangements. Those received from organisations representing national health service staff have argued for retention of national rates of pay.

  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will ensure that any statement regarding national health service pay is made to the doctors and nurses and other employees organisations before departmental press releases are issued.

  Mr. Malone
  Press statements are used by the Department to convey quickly key messages or key facts to the press and through them to their readers. On the infrequent occasions when national health service pay is the subject of a departmental press release it is normal practice for organisations representing doctors and nurses and professional bodies and trade unions representing other employees to be informed in advance.

  Region

  RHAs

  DHAs

  FHSAs

  Trusts

  Special Trustees

  SHAs

  Total

  North Thames

  1

  15

  12

  57

  15

  4

  104

  South Thames

  1

  16

  10

  60

  4

  0

  91

  Trent

  1

  10

  8

  41

  2

  0

  62

  West Midlands

  1

  15

  11

  47

  1

  0

  75

  North West

  1

  17

  16

  62

  0

  0

  96

  Northern and Yorkshire

  1

  15

  16

  57

  3

  0

  92

  Anglia and Oxford

  1

  10

  8

  46

  0

  1

  66

  South and West

  1

  12

  9

  49

  1

  1

  73

  Total

  8

  110

  90

  419

  26

  6

  659

  Key:

  Regional health authorities, district health authorities, family health services authorities, operational NHS trusts, special trustees and special health authorities.

  Information on the number of people involved locally in an administrative capacity is not available centrally.

  Disabled People
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the number and percentage of disabled people employed by her Department and associated agencies over the past five years; and what are the projected figures for the next five years;

  Efficiency Gains
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how proposed efficiency gains will(a) fund pay increases and (b) benefit patients.

  Mr. Sackville
  In 1995–96, the hospital and community health services will have the benefit of an increase in Government spending on revenue of 1.3 per cent. real terms, and of efficiency gains of at least 3 per cent., equivalent to a further £600 million. This combination of new money and efficiency gains will allow for service growth and reasonable staff pay rises.

  Hospital and community health services will expand by around 4 per cent. in 1995–96, provided that pay rises are earned through increased efficiency. This will enable the health service to make further progress on waiting times, as well as tackling other challenges identified in the priorities and planning guidance for 1995–96, notably improvements in mental health services cancer services, and maternity care.

  Quangos
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has for reducing(a) the number of and (b) the cost of quangos in the health service.

  Mr. Malone
  Plans to merge district health authorities and family health services authorities into single authorities and to abolish regional health authorities on 1 April 1996 have been laid before parliament.

  These changes will result in savings of approaching £150 million per year.

  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many local quangos there are in the health service; and how many people are involved in them in an administrative capacity;

  (2) how many quangos there are in the health service (a) in each region and (b) by such smaller area as is available.

  Mr. Malone
  The table gives details of the number of national health service bodies in the geographical areas covered by each of the eight regional health authorities.

  (2) what is the budget allocated by her Department and associated agencies for each of the next five years for, and how many staff or staff hours equivalent have been allocated to achieve the objectives of, the programme for action to achieve equality or opportunity in the civil service for disabled people.
  87
  Mr. Sackville
  Data are collected only on members of staff who are registered disabled; numbers employed as at 1 July for each of the last five years are set out in the table:

  Year

  Number

  Per cent. of workforce

  1990

  29.0

  0.6

  1991

  34.5

  0.7

  1992

  74.5

  1.0

  1993

  68.0

  1.3

  1994

  67.0

  1.45

  Part-time staff counted as half units.

  In addition, there were a number of other staff with a disability but who were not registered.

  It is not possible to make accurate forward projections at present since the Department is undergoing reorganisation with a view to achieving a significant reduction in staffing levels. However, the Department and its associated agencies remain committed to the employment of people with a disability.

  The Department draws up an annual equal opportunities action plan to address equality issues for all staff including those with a disability taking into account the objectives of the programme for action to achieve equality of opportunity in the civil service for disabled people. A separate budget is not held for this purpose but funds are made available from relevant budgets as and when needed. The Department's equal opportunities unit has a complement of five staff. In each of the Department's agencies and the national health service executive in Leeds, a member of staff in their personnel units has responsibility for equal opportunities.

  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the implications of the proposed direct payments to disabled people for the future availability of local authority care services for other groups of service users and carers.

  Mr. Bowis
  We propose that local social services authorities should, subject to Parliament's approval, be allowed to make direct cash payments to disabled people in lieu of community care services for which they are assessed as having a need. It is for local authorities to determine the type and range of services they provide in response to assessed needs and there is no reason why direct payments in themselves should affect the availability of care services for other groups.

  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if her proposal to make direct payments to disabled people will allow them to purchase care services from local authorities.

  Mr. Bowis
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State gave my hon. Friend the Member for Stratford-on-Avon (Mr. Howarth) on 24 November at columns 332–33. We will be working with the key interests in the months ahead to firm up the details of this proposal, which has been widely welcomed.

  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will include in her proposals on direct payments to disabled people requirements for the registration and inspection of domiciliary care.
  88
  Mr. Bowis
  No, these are separate issues.

  Quarry House, Leeds
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the total annual cost of providing first-class British Rail season tickets for staff based at Quarry house, Leeds.

  Mr. Sackville
  Two first-class British Rail season tickets are currently provided at an equivalent annual cost of £20,232.30.

  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will set out numbers, by grade, of staff who have moved from London to Quarry house, Leeds.

  Mr. Sackville
  Some 522 staff in the national health service executive and the National Health Service Estates agency have moved from London to Leeds on permanent transfer terms. The grade breakdown is:

  Grade

  Number of staff

  G1A

  1

  G3

  5

  G4

  —

  G5

  20

  G6

  17

  G7

  99

  SEO

  72

  HEO

  139

  EO

  128

  AO

  38

  AA

  3

  Total

  522

  Parkinson's Disease
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make it her policy to establish a code of good practice and suitable protocols for the treatment of Parkinson's disease; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Bowis
  Clinical guidelines on Parkinson's disease, together with good practice and clinical protocols, are a matter for the relevant health care professionals.

  District health authorities and general practitioner fundholders are responsible for purchasing services for people with Parkinson's disease. The Parkinson's Disease Society, with which I am in frequent contact, produced helpful draft guidance for health purchasers earlier this year entitled "Parkinson's Disease: Meeting a Need". This includes guidance on good practice.

  Junior Doctors
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will review the demands, in terms of working hours, made on junior doctors in hospitals in Birmingham, Bristol and Southampton; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Malone
  The new deal on junior doctors' hours, copies of which are available in the Library, provides for a phased, programme of action to reduce junior doctors' contracted hours and hours of work.

  Our regional task forces, including those covering Birmingham, Bristol and Southampton, constantly review progress towards the targets for reducing hours. They are in regular contact with all hospitals to give support and to

  89
  monitor implementation. Part of this process is to assess with hospitals the need for further action to reduce juniors' working hours. Action is also monitored nationally and I receive regular progress reports from each task force.

  National Blood Authority
  Mr. Andrew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will publish in full the responses to the National Blood Authority consultation on the future of the blood service; and if she will arrange for an independent analysis of the replies to be undertaken and published.

  Mr. Sackville
  These are matters for the National Blood Authority, which has undertaken a thorough and widespread consultation on its proposals. The results will be carefully considered before decisions are made.

  Drugs
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proposals she has to reduce the national health service drugs bill.

  Mr. Malone
  A wide range of measures is in place to encourage efficient and cost-efiective prescribing and to

  ICD number1

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  1989

  1990

  1991

  1992

  960–979

  2,019

  1,917

  1,792

  1,892

  1,817

  1,959

  1,712

  1,771

  1,791

  1,971

  965

  737

  726

  652

  698

  688

  675

  646

  716

  753

  875

  977

  290

  258

  253

  290

  304

  290

  255

  286

  294

  312

  1 International classification of diseases, 9th revision.

  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is her calculation of the cost of medicinal drugs that were(a) wrongly prescribed and (b) prescribed and not used in each of the past five years.

  Mr. Malone
  Information on drugs wrongly prescribed or prescribed and not used is not available.

  Palliative Care
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the responsibilities of health authorities with regard to the funding of palliative care.

  Region

  1990–91 £000s

  1991–92 £000s

  1992–93 £000s

  1993–94 £000s

  1994–95 £000's

  Yorkshire

  602

  1,276

  2,892

  3,446

  3,788

  Northern

  530

  1,124

  2,329

  2,712

  3,012

  Trent

  756

  1,603

  3,443

  4,019

  4,304

  Mersey

  420

  890

  1,940

  2,356

  2,489

  Oxford

  365

  774

  1,737

  1,966

  2,128

  East Anglia

  317

  672

  1,589

  1,922

  2,129

  Wessex

  462

  979

  2,513

  2,861

  3,025

  North East Thames

  697

  1,478

  2,807

  3,410

  3,864

  North West Thames

  596

  1,263

  2,469

  2,848

  3,240

  South East Thames

  658

  1,395

  3,233

  3,664

  4,000

  South West Thames

  520

  1,102

  2,473

  2,913

  3,145

  North Western

  697

  1,478

  3,105

  3,846

  4,099

  South Western

  532

  1,128

  2,835

  3,408

  3,648

  West Midlands

  848

  1,798

  3,828

  4,560

  4,858

  Total

  8 million

  16.96 million

  37.2 million

  43.9 million

  47.7 million

  90
  ensure the national health service pays reasonable prices for medicines.

  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is her calculation of the total number of people who have become addicted to medicinal drugs during the past 15 years; and how many of them remain addicted.

  Mr. Bowis
  A patient is considered to be addicted to a medicinal drug on the basis of a clinical diagnosis by a doctor. Information on the number of such diagnoses is not available centrally.

  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is her calculation of the numbers of people who died as the result of the use of medicinal drugs in each of the last 10 years.

  Mr. Sackville
  The table shows the number of people who have died as a result of poisoning by drugs, medicaments, and biological substances—1ICD 960–979—in the last 10 years in England and Wales, under the headings of accidental, suicide and self-inflicted injury, and injury undetermined whether accidentally or purposely inflicted. Whether or not these were prescribed drugs is not recorded at death. However, most of the categories of these substances are available only on prescription. Major exceptions are "analgesics, antipyretics and antirheumatics"—1ICD 965—and "other unspecified drugs and medicaments"—1ICD 977.

  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the responsibilities of health authorities with regard to the funding of palliative care.

  Mr. Sackville
  Health authorities are responsible for contracting with those who provide specialist palliative care services in order to meet the health needs of their populations.

  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will specify the funding received for palliative care by individual authorities in each of the last five financial years.

  Mr. Sackville
  The information required is not available in the form requested. Central funding received by regions for palliative care in each of the last five financial years is shown in the table. This does not include funding from other national health service resources.

  Transport of Bodies
  Dr. Marek
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will instruct all hospital trusts that when transporting the bodies of stillborn babies or bodies of other people who have died only national health service vehicles or undertakers should be used.

  Mr. Sackville
  It is for individual trusts to establish appropriately sensitive local policies for any arrangements which they may need to make for the transport of a body. If, to take account of local circumstances, trusts wish to draw on differing sources of transport, they should be conscious of the need to specify and ensure compliance with procedures which accord proper sensitivity and dignity.

  Complaints
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many medical complaints were heard in England in each of the past five years; and in what percentage of cases complaints of patients were upheld.

  Mr. Malone
  This information is not available centrally.

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the reduction in the number of persons by grade and gender employed by her Department and associated offices and agencies, nationally and regionally over the next three years, as a result of the Chancellor of the Exchequer's Budget statement of 29 November, indicating which branch, agency and region will be affected and stating her estimate of the number of job losses in each year which will be by(a) natural wastage, (b) voluntary redundancy and (c) compulsory redundancy; and what estimate she has made of the yearly total of savings in wages and associated costs as a result of these reductions in each Department, branch and agency.

  Mr. Sackville
  We have announced that by 31 March 1997 the number of staff in the Department, excluding the agencies, will reduce by 21 per cent.—some 715 posts—compared with 1 April 1994. No decision has yet been made on the distribution of this reduction by grade or location or the spread over time.

  The Department has launched a voluntary retirement and severance scheme which closes on 31 January 1995 with the aim of avoiding compulsory redundancy.

  As announced in the Budget statement, administration spending for the Department as a whole will decline by 18.8 per cent. in real terms by 1997–98. This figure includes savings from wages and associated costs.

  All the above figures exclude the staff and costs of regional health authorities which, subject to legislation, will become regional offices of the national health service executive on 1 April 1996.

  Infertility Treatment
  Mr. Ainger
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to ensure that all purchasing health authorities contract with providers for a comprehensive infertility investigation and treatment service.

  Mr. Sackville
  The national health service provides a range of treatments for subfertility. Decisions about the 92
  resources to be made available for these services must be left to individual health authorities as they are in the best position to determine priorities in the light of local needs and circumstances. Advice is available to health authorities and clinicians in two publications drawn to the attention of the NHS in 1992; these are the "Effective Health Care Bulletin" on management of subfertility, published for the NHS management executive by a consortium of Leeds and York universities and the research unit of the Royal College of Physicians, and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists publication "Infertility—Guidelines For Practice".

  Copies of the publications are available in the Library.

  Trauma (Research)
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the letter to the hon. Member for Cardiff, West from the Under-Secretary of State, the hon. Member for Bolton, West (Mr. Sackville), of 20 September 1994, if she has now received the report from the medical care research unit at the university of Sheffield evaluating the trauma unit research project at the North Staffordshire hospitals NHS trust in 1991; and if she will place a copy in the Library.

  Mr. Sackville
  The Department has received a draft of the preliminary findings of the evaluation. There remain significant analyses to be conducted before the researchers can draw conclusions. The final report is expected in March 1995.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Housing Benefit
  Ms Estelle Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to change the eligibility criteria for housing benefit; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Roger Evans
  The measures announced by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State on 30 November will save taxpayers' money, help get people back to work and encourage those claiming housing benefit to make informed and responsible choices about where they live.

  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement about the number of people eligible for housing benefit who do not claim; and what action his Department is taking to ensure a higher level of take-up.

  Mr. Roger Evans
  Responsibility for the administration of housing benefit lies with individual local authorities who are in the best position to undertake local publicity about it. Information about housing benefit is also available at all Benefits Agency and Employment Service agency offices.

  Latest estimates of housing benefit take-up, which are for 1990 and 1991, indicate that between 93 per cent. and 97 per cent. of available benefit is being claimed by between 90 per cent. and 95 per cent. of those eligible. Further information on take-up estimates can be fotir4 in "Income Related Benefits—Estimates of Take-up in 1990 and 1991" published on 25 March 1994, a copy of which is in the Library. Estimates for the take-up of income-related benefits in 1992 are due to be published in the new year.

  Benefit Changes (Europe)
  Mr. Whittingdale
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security in which European countries changes to welfare benefits are taking place; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  Most other European countries are taking action to curb the growth of expenditure on social protection. In many cases they are being forced to do so by financial crises.

  In the United Kingdom we have approached the problem in a systematic way which is enabling us to protect the most vulnerable while not outstripping the nation's ability to pay.

  Many other countries around the world are pursuing similar objectives.

  Pensions
  Sir Anthony Durant
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether he will take steps to increase choice in pensions.

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  We propose to introduce age-related rebates to make contracted-out occupational money purchase schemes and appropriate personal pensions attractive across a wider age range.

  In addition, personal pension holders will no longer be forced to buy an annuity as soon as they take their tax-free lump sum. They will be able to draw an income from their fund each year and defer annuity purchase until a time of their choosing up to the age of 75.

  Maxwell Pensioners
  Mr. Lidington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he next expects to meet Sir Peter Webster to discuss help for the Maxwell pensioners.

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  The Government have already provided very substantial help to the Maxwell pensioners, but we are not a party to any of the claims Sir Peter Webster is seeking to resolve. It follows that Ministers are not holding discussions with him, although we naturally hope that there will be an outcome favourable to the pensioners.

  Family Income Supplement
  Mr. Jacques Arnold
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the annual spending on family credit; and what the spending on family income supplement was in 1979.

  Mr. Roger Evans
  The published forecast for family credit expenditure for 1994–95 is £1,276 million. This is 18 times more in real terms than the £24 million spent on family income supplement in 1978–79.

  Habitual Residence Test
  Mr. Rooney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many applicants for income support were denied benefit under the habitual residence test in its first three months of operation.

  Mr. Roger Evans
  Provisional figures from the Benefits Agency indicate that 6,388 applicants failed to satisfy the habitual residence test. Approximately 2,300 of these were asylum seekers and were entitled to income support under the urgent cases provisions.

  Invalidity Benefit
  Dr. Goodson-Wickes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what progress he has to report on the introduction of medical procedures for eligibility for invalidity benefit.

  Mr. Hague
  Regulations relating to incapacity benefit, including those setting out the new arrangements for the medical assessment of incapacity, were laid on 24 November. The proposals for the new medical assessment were outlined in a report published on 28 September. Work is continuing on the detailed administrative and medical procedures for the new benefit and appropriate training programmes for staff are being put in place. The new benefit will be introduced on 13 April 1995.

  Benefit Changes
  Mrs. Gillan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if partners of unemployed benefit claimants will be able to work for up to 24 hours a week without losing entitlement to benefit following his proposed changes to the benefit system.

  Mr. Roger Evans
  Entitlement to the income-related element of jobseeker's allowance will not be lost where partners work fewer than 24 hours a week.

  Partners' hours will have no effect on entitlement to the contributory element of jobseekers allowance.

  Incentives to Work
  Sir Thomas Arnold
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what role work incentives play in his review of the benefit system.

  Mr. Roger Evans
  Reinforcing incentives to work is the central theme of the review. The far-reaching package of new measures announced by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State on 30 November at column 1205 demonstrate our continued commitment to that objective.

  Asbestos
  Mr. Jamieson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many former Ministry of Defence employees are currently drawing benefit associated with their exposure to asbestos.

  Mr. Hague
  The information requested is not available.

  Compensation Recovery Unit
  Mr. Hutton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement about the work of the compensation recovery unit.

  Mr. Roger Evans
  The compensation recovery unit was set up in 1990 following new legislation to ensure that costs which ought to be borne by those liable to pay compensation do not fall on the taxpayer.

  Child Care Allowance
  Mrs. Angela Knight
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimate he has made of the number of families in respect of which a parent will return to work as a result of the introduction of a child care allowance in family credit.

  Mr. Tredinnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimates he has made of the number
  95
  of families who will benefit from the introduction of a child care allowance in family credit.

  Mr. Roger Evans
  We estimate that, in the long term, around 50,000 people will take up work as a direct result of the introduction of the new help with child care charges in family credit, disability working allowance, housing benefit and council tax benefit. Most of these will benefit through family credit.

  Incentives to Work
  Mr. Streeter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether he plans to include a back to work bonus in his reforms of the unemployment benefits.

  Mr. Roger Evans
  Yes, we plan to introduce a back to work bonus so that unemployed claimants who undertake part-time work while they are on benefit can receive a lump sum payment of up to £1,000 when they leave benefit to start work.

  Child Support Agency
  Ms Hoey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he plans to implement the recent recommendations of the Social Security Committee on the Child Support Agency.

  Mr. Burt
  We are still evaluating the contents of the Select Committee's report and we will respond in due course with proposals for change. No final decisions have yet been taken.

  Social Security Card
  Mr. Dunn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether he plans to introduce a social security card for the payment of benefits.

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  In May my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced plans to move as rapidly as possible to an automated system for paying benefit at post offices. That will reduce costs for taxpayers, be more secure for customers and guarantee the future of post offices.

  Disabled People
  Sir Ralph Howell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what proposals he has to improve the opportunities open to disabled people.

  Mr. Hague
  The proposals I announced on 24 November include measures to tackle discrimination across the board, in employment, goods and services, education, transport and the provision of community care. They represent a comprehensive programme for enhancing the independence of disabled people.

  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the number and percentage of disabled people employed by his Department and associated agencies over the past five years; and what are the projected figures for the next five years.

  Mr. Hague
  The number of registered disabled people employed in the Department at 1 July 1994 was 1,574. This represented 1.8 per cent. of all staff. The information requested for earlier years is contained in the magazine "Independent", copies of which are in the Library. Projected figures are not available.

  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the budget allocated by his 96
  Department and associated agencies for each of the next five years for, and how many staff or staff hours equivalent have been allocated to achieve the objectives of, the programme for action to achieve equality of opportunity in the civil service for disabled people.

  Mr. Hague
  Departmental expenditure in support of the programme for action to achieve equality of opportunity in the civil service for disabled people cannot be quantified. The associated costs include modification to buildings and accommodation, staff training, and personnel and line management support and cannot be disaggregated.

  The number of staff or staff hours equivalent allocated to achieve the programme for action cannot be estimated. Successful implementation requires the commitment not only of equal opportunities officers but of recruitment, training and personnel officers, together with individual line-managers throughout the Department.

  Ms Lynne
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what meetings he has had with people with learning difficulties to discuss the Government's forthcoming legislative proposals for disabled people.

  Mr. Hague
  Since I became Minister for Social Security and Disabled People, I have met many organisations covering a wide range of disabilities, including the Royal Society for Mentally Handicapped Children and the Royal Association for Disability and Rehabilitation. I shall shortly be meeting People First, an organisation run by people with learning difficulties, and have already met some of its members.

  Child Care (National Insurance)
  Mrs. Helen Jackson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what representations he has had about the financial burden on working parents likely to be caused by the levying of national insurance contributions on employer-funded child care outside the workplace.

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Selly Oak (Dr. Jones) on 23 November,Official Report, column 172.

  Staff Bus, Quarry House
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the total annual cost of the special bus provided to take staff between Leeds station and Quarry house, Leeds.

  Mr. Roger Evans
  A total of £23,224.36.

  Habitual Residence Test
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what discretion local Benefits Agency staff have to authorise benefit payment to British citizens returning to the United Kingdom who are appealing against decisions to withhold benefit under the habitual residence test; are such British citizens and those guaranteed indefinite leave to remain in the United Kingdom eligible to apply for crisis payments; what benefits such people are eligible to apply for; and if he will list those publications published by his Department which give advice on such benefit eligibility.
  97
  Mr. Roger Evans
  Adjudication officers do not have discretion to authorise benefit payments pending an appeal. British citizens who fail the habitual residence test may apply for a social fund crisis loan if, in an emergency or as a consequence of a disaster, they face serious risk to health and safety, and payment of a crisis loan is the only way of alleviating the situation.

  Eligibility for other benefits will depend on a person's individual circumstances. There is a wide range of information leaflets covering eligibility for benefits, all of which are available free of charge from local offices of the Benefits Agency.

  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what instructions he has issued to Benefits Agency local staff about the application to British citizens returning to the United Kingdom of the habitual residence test; and what is his assessment of the numbers of such British citizens who have, to date, been refused benefit under the habitual residence test.

  Mr. Roger Evans
  No special guidance has been issued about British citizens. In the first three months of the test's operation, 1,053 initial decisions on British citizens have been negative, representing 13 per cent. of the British citizens who were asked about their habitual residence.

  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he intends to reply to the letter, dated 18 November, from Jane Hughes, deptuy manager, and Rubina Burhan, Asian advice worker, of Bradford citizens advice bureau, concerning the habitual residence test; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Roger Evans
  I sent a reply on 2 December 1994.

  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what action he is taking to review the implementation of the habitual residence test, with particular reference to the effects on British citizens and their dependents, especially children; what representations he has received on these matters; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Roger Evans
  All policy changes are kept under review. I have received a number of letters from Members of Parliament and the public about the test.

  Unemployment
  Ms Lynne
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what are the current annual figures for money spent from public funds on people(a) unemployed for six months, (b) unemployed for between six months and 12 months, (c) unemployed for between one year and two years, (d) unemployed between two years and three years and (e) unemployed between three years and four years; and what are the numbers of unemployed people in these five groups.

  Mr. Roger Evans
  The information requested on expenditure is not available in the form requested. The benefit costs of those in the five groups cannot be separated from the planned total expenditure on unemployed people, which for the year April 1994 to April 1995 is £10.11 billion1. The numbers of unemployed claimants is in the table2.
  98

  Duration of current spell of unemployment

  Thousands Numbers of unemployed claimants

  Six months or less

  1,057

  Over six months and up to 12 months

  538

  Over 12 months and up to two years

  437

  Over two years and up to three years

  228

  Over three years and up to four years

  141

  Source:

  Half-yearly analysis of Unemployed Claimants—May 1994.

  Notes:

  1 The information is taken from table 5 of the 1994 departmental annual report, a copy of which is in the Library. Expenditure for unemployment benefits is made up of unemployment benefit and principal income-related benefits and payments from the social fund to unemployed people and their families.

  2 Figures are based on 5 per cent. sample.

  Figures are rounded to the nearest thousand.

  Figures are for a point in time.

  Occupational Pensions
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his estimate of the proportion of the work force in companies with occupational pension schemes who do not make any contributions; and what is his assessments of the consequences of this estimate for future pensions decisions.

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  In 1991, the latest year for which figures are available, 1,180,000 members of private sector occupational pension schemes, or 18 per cent. of all members of such schemes, did not make any contributions.

  It is for employers who run occupational pension schemes to decide whether or not members of their schemes pay contributions to the schemes, and the level of any such contributions.

  [Source: Ninth survey by the Government Actuary, 1991].

  Medical Tribunals
  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what advice he has given to medical appeals tribunals regarding the weight they should give to reports by independent consultants when assessing applications for disability benefits for prescribed industrial diseases; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hague
  No advice is given by me to medical appeal tribunals.

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimate he has made of the reduction in the number of persons by grade and gender employed by his Department and associated offices and agencies, nationally and regionally over the next three years, as a result of the Chancellor of the Exchequer's Budget statement of 29 November, indicating which branch, agency and region will be affected and stating his estimate of the number of job losses in each year which will be by(a) natural wastage, (b) voluntary redundancy and (c) compulsory redundancy; and what estimate he has made of the yearly total of savings in wages and associated costs as a result of these reductions in each Department, branch and agency.
  99
  Mr. Hague
  The information requested is not yet available. The Department's staffing plans for 1995–96, 1996–97 and 1997–98 will be set out in the 1995 departmental report, to be published in late February-early March 1995.

  The Government's aim has been, and will continue to be, that reductions in the size of the civil service should as far as possible be achieved without redundancies.

  Housing Benefit (Thamesmead)
  Mr. Austin-Walker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimate he has made of the implications for tenants of Thamesmead Town Ltd. of the new measures for housing benefit outlined on 30 November.

  Mr. Roger Evans
  The proposals announced by the Secretary of State will apply to all tenants in the deregulated private rented sector, including tenants of Thamesmead Town Ltd. who newly claim housing benefit after October 1995 or for existing cases who change address after this date. We will consult interested groups, including representatives of the Association of Local Authorities on the details of the proposals.

  Pensioners
  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the number of people who are eligible for occupational pension payments at retirement age but who have had their monthly pension payments substantially reduced as a result of those provisions of the Data Protection Act 1988 which prevent his Department from informing the Paymaster General that the persons concerned have reached retirement age and that pensions concerned should remain inflation-proofed.

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  Such information is not available.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  EU Energy Council
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what matters were discussed and what decisions taken, with what votes, at the EU Energy Council on 29 November.

  Mr. Eggar
  The Council considered several issues and received reports from the Commission on matters of interest. Significant progress was made on electricity liberalisation, the energy charter treaty and deregulation. I represented the United Kingdom.

  Council conclusions on electricity liberalisation were agreed establishing a number of important principles, notably the introduction of competition in generation, and the unbundling of accounts. It also required the Commission to undertake a thorough study of the alternative sole purchaser model as a possible equivalent to negotiated third party access.

  I stressed the UK's commitment to opening up energy markets and emphasised the importance of access to networks and of allowing distributors, as well as large industrial users, to choose suppliers.

  The Council reached political agreement on a list of projects of common European interest for energy trans-European networks in preparation for a formal
  100
  decision on the energy network guidelines once the opinion of the European Parliament has been received. This is expected shortly.

  Council conclusions were agreed calling for the commission to submit a green paper on the need for a Community energy policy and continue dialogue with member states and industry representatives. The green paper is now expected to be issued later this month. I attach particular importance to the close involvement of industry in the continuing debate on this issue and my Department will maintain close contact with UK industry.

  Council conclusions on the energy charter treaty were agreed noting its importance and calling for the Community to sign the treaty in Lisbon on 16 and 17 December. I welcome the progress made towards the completion of this important Community initiative, which will open up important trade and investment opportunities for British business in the independent states of the former Soviet Union and countries of central and eastern Europe.

  The Council adopted conclusions on energy deregulation which called upon the Commission to review existing legislation in the energy sector, and to submit where appropriate proposals for simplifying and reducing it.

  The Council called for further consideration to be undertaken of a Commission proposal for Thermie II, which is concerned with support for the demonstration and dissemination of results of near-market energy technology projects.

  The Commission was requested to submit proposals on energy efficiency standards for fridges and freezers.

  There were no formal votes by the Council.

  Insolvency Service
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade to what extent the costs of the Stoy Hayward reports on the Insolvency Service mentioned in his answer of 1 November,Official Report, columns 1018–19, remain confidential; and to what extent they have been disclosed in response to inquiries.

  Mr. Jonathan Evans
  The answer given on 1 November,Official Report, columns 1018–19, referred to the indicative costs given by the organisations which responded to Stoy Hayward. Although the detail of those responses remains confidential, the range of them has been disclosed to the departmental and agency trade union side. The range was:

  Price (£)

  Type of firm

  Type of work

  2,250–2,500

  Accountancy

  From order

  5,200 (Companies)

  Accountancy

  From order

  1,750 + disbursements

  Accountancy

  From order

  600 + disbursements

  Accountancy

  From order

  2,000

  Accountancy

  From order

  500 + disbursements

  Accountancy

  From order

  960–1,340

  Accountancy

  From order

  Steel Imports
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the amount in tonnage and in cash terms of steel coil and steel slabs imported into the United Kingdom in 1993 and in 1994.
  101
  Mr. Charles Wardle
  The information is in the table.

  UK Imports of Steel Coils and Slabs

  1993

  January-June 1994

  £million

  '000 tones

  £million

  '000 tonnes

  Steel coils

  358.0

  934.8

  164.6

  470.4

  Steel slabs

  4.6

  4.7

  3.7

  3.1

  Advisory Bodies
  Mr. Harvey
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the Government's response to each subject of advice from the Advisory Committee on Arbitration Law listed in his answer of 26 October,Official Report, column 649.

  Mr. Heseltine
  The only publication mentioned in my answer of 26 October,Official Report, column 649, was the consultation document published by my Department in co-operation with the departmental Advisory Committee on Arbitration Law. That consultation document was issued by Government. There is therefore no Government response to be made.

  Arbitration Bill
  Mr. Harvey
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the timetable for consultation on the draft Arbitration Bill.

  Mr. Heseltine
  My Department issued a consultation document on the draft Arbitration Bill on 3 February 1994. The deadline for responses was extended from 30 June as stated in the document to 31 July 1994.

  Ministerial Speeches
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade on what occasions since 1979 civil servants in his Department have been asked to draft speeches of a constituency nature for use in a Minister's own constituency.

  Mr. Heseltine
  None. Civil servants may provide briefing of a factual nature for Ministers on matters relating to their own Departments. In addition, Ministers, in preparing for a constituency speech, can draw on material produced by their Department during the normal course of business.

  Hartburn Property Services
  Mr. Devlin
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what steps his northern regional office is taking to assist Hartburn Property Services of Stockton-on-Tees to expand and move premises.

  Mr. Ian Taylor
  Mr. P. Leng of T/A Hartburn Property Services submitted an application for a regional enterprise grant to the Government office for the north-east on 22 July 1994. A grant offer was made on 5 August 1994 and accepted by the applicant on 15 August 1994. The company's first claim is currently awaited.

  Dual-use Goods and Techniques
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will place in the Library the operational 102
  annexes to the intergovernmental decision on the control of exports of dual-use goods and techniques by the EU.

  Mr. Ian Taylor
  I shall do so when the intergovernmental decision, and the annexes which it covers, have been formally adopted by all member states. Adoption is expected shortly.

  Disabled People
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the budget allocated by his Department and associated agencies for each of the next five years for, and how many staff or staff hours equivalent have been allocated to achieve the objectives of, the programme for action to achieve equality of opportunity in the civil service for disabled people.

  Mr. Ian Taylor
  The needs of staff with disabilities are taken fully into account in designing personnel and other policies affecting staff generally. It is therefore difficult to separate out budgetary and staffing figures in the way requested.

  However, the DTI has an annual budget of currently £18,000 for 1994–95 to help fund the cost of specialist non-IT equipment for disabled staff in HQ division and Government offices. The Department also meets the cost of other needs where appropriate—for example, specialist IT equipment, adaptions to buildings. The Accounts Services Agency, the Insolvency Service, the Laboratory of the Government Chemist and the National Weights and Measures Laboratory fund these costs for their staff. This is in addition to financial assistance available to disabled staff from the Department of Employment's access to work scheme.

  The number of staff allocated to achieve the objective of the programme of action cannot be fully estimated, since successful implementation will require the commitment not only of equal opportunities staff but of other specialists—for example, recruiters-trainers and individual line managers—throughout the organisation. However, the equivalent of 3.9 full-time staff are currently employed directly on equal opportunities work, including disability issues.

  The chief executives of Companies House, the National Engineering Laboratory, the National Physical Laboratory, the Patent Office and the Radiocommunications Agency will write to the hon. Member.

  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the number and percentage of disabled people employed by his Department and associated agencies over the past five years; and what are the projected figures for the next five years.

  Mr. Ian Taylor
  Historical data on the number of disabled staff employed by the Department, including its executive agencies, were published in the magazine "Independent" on Friday 18 March 1994. Copies are available in the Library of the House.

  The Department—including Accounts Services Agency, the Insolvency Service, the Laboratory of the Government Chemist and the National Weights and Measures Laboratory—employs 253 disabled staff who have chosen to declare their disability. This represents 3.1 per cent. of total staff.

  Although the Department does not produce projections for its future employment of disabled people, it is

  103
  committed to achieving equality of opportunity for all, whether employees or job applicants.

  The chief executives of Companies House, the National Engineering Laboratory, the National Physical Laboratory, the Patent Office and the Radiocommunications Agency will write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from David Durham to Mr. Kevin McNamara, dated 5 December 1994:
  You recently tabled two Parliamentary Questions for priority written answer, and I have been asked to respond direct to you as Chief Executive of Companies House Executive Agency.
  PQ 32N: To ask the President of the Board of Trade, what is the budget allocated by his Department and associated agencies for each of the next five years; and how many staff or staff hours equivalent have been allocated to achieve the objective of the Programme of Action to Achieve Equality of Opportunity in the Civil Service for Disabled People

  Estimate x 5 years

  years 1–2 per cent.

  years 2–5 per cent.

  1—Grade 7

  5

  2.5

  1—HEO

  10

  15.0

  1—HEO

  20

  10.0

  There is no separate budget but elements are incorporated into other section budgets.
  PQ 33N: To ask the President of the Board of Trade, what is the number and percentage of disabled people employed by his Department and associated agencies over the past five years; and what are the projected figures for the next five years.
  The record of disabled employees at Companies House for the past five years is not available.
  The employment of registered and non-registered staff with disabilities as at October 1994 is 2.7 per cent. (actuals 29). Projected figures are not available, but Companies House is committed to improving on present figures and will strive to meet any new targets set by Government. The Agency will continue to ensure that all applicants with disabilities are given equal opportunities to apply and compete for employment.

  Letter from W. Edgar to Mr. Kevin McNamara, dated 5 December 1994:

  PARLIAMENTARY QUESTIONS: EMPLOYMENT OF DISABLED PERSONS
  In response to your two questions to Departments, the records for this Agency shows:-

  (i) Three disabled people are currently employed here, 1.2 per cent. of the total staff.

  (ii) On the subject of Equal Opportunity, the Agency is committed to the programmes of its parent Department, the DTI. Agency Personnel staff have responsibilities as Equal Opportunities Officers. One Higher Executive Officers spends about 5 per cent. of her time on such matters, supervised by a Gd. 7.

  Letter from Dr. Peter Clapham to Mr. Kevin McNamara, dated 5 December 1994:
  I am writing in response to your questions to the President of the Board of Trade regarding (i) the number and percentage of disabled people employed by DTI and its Agencies over the past five years: and the projected figures for the next five years, and (ii) the budget allocated by DTI and its Agencies over the next five years: and the number of staff or staff hours equivalent that have been allocated to achieve the objective of the Programme for Action to Achieve Equality of Opportunity in the Civil Service for the Disabled People.

  (i) The National Physical Laboratory currently employs 33 disabled staff who have chosen to declare their disability. This represents 4.7 per cent. of the Laboratory's total staff.

  NPL has only recently taken on delegated responsibility for equal opportunities, including disability issues, and it is not possible to
  104
  break down previous years' figures on an Agency basis. I understand that DTI centrally will be providing details of the overall Departmental position for 1990–1993.
  Whilst the Laboratory does not produce projections for its future employment of those with a disability it is committed to achieving equality of opportunity for all, whether employees or job applicants.

  (ii) The needs of disabled staff are taken fully into account in designing personnel and other policies affecting staff generally. It is, therefore, difficult to separate out budgetary and staffing figures in the way requested.

  Expenditure in support of the Programme for Action to Achieve Equality of Opportunity in the Civil Service for Disabled People includes cost elements associated with, for example, training, special equipment, and modification of buildings and accommodation and cannot be disaggregated. This is in addition to financial assistance available to disabled staff from the Department of Employment's "Access to Work" scheme.
  The number of staff or staff hours equivalent to be allocated to achieve the objective of the Programme for Action cannot be estimated, since successful implementation will require the commitment not only of equal opportunities officers but also of other human resource specialists, recruitment and training officers and individual line managers throughout the Laboratory.
  I hope the above provides the information you require.

  Letter from P.R.S. Hartnack to Mr. Kevin McNamara, dated 5 December 1994:

  PARLIAMENTARY QUESTIONS NUMBERS 32N AND 33N
  I refer to the above questions which the President of the Board of Trade has passed to me in order to answer on behalf of the Patent Office, an Executive Agency of the Department of Trade and Industry.
  DTI has already provided a reply in respect of historical data on disabled staff but I can add that 28 members of Patent Office staff, representing 3.05 per cent. of the total, have chosen to declare their disability. Projected figures are unavailable but the Agency is committed to achieving equal opportunity for all, whether employees or applicants.
  The Patent Office does not have a separate budget specifically for the Programme of Action to Achieve Equality of Opportunity for Disabled People and as any expenditure in support of it includes cost elements associated with training, accommodation, special equipment, modification of buildings etc it cannot be disaggregated.
  Likewise the number of staff or staff hours equivalent allocated to achieve the Programme's objectives cannot be estimated, since successful implementation will require the commitment of not only equal opportunities staff but also of line managers and other specialist staff. 15 per cent. of the equivalent of a full time member of staff is, however, devoted to equal opportunities issues within this Agency.

  Letter from Jim Norton to Mr. Kevin McNamara, dated 5 December 1994:

  EMPLOYMENT OF DISABLED PEOPLE
  I am replying on behalf of the Radiocommunications Agency to your two written questions to the President of the Board of Trade about the employment of disabled people.
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade, what is the number and percentage of disabled people employed by his Department and associated agencies over the past five years; and what are the projected figures for the next five years.
  Of the 544 staff currently employed in the Agency there are 17 registered and non-registered disabled staff who have chosen to declare their disability. This represents 3.1 per cent. of total staff.
  The Agency only received responsibility from the Department of Trade and Industry for equal opportunity matters on 1 October and we do not therefore have any historical information of our own. I understand that DTI will provide you with figures on the past overall position of disabled staff in DTI for 1990–93.
  We have not made any projections about the number of disabled staff which the Agency will employ over the next five years,

  105
  however, the Agency is committed to achieving equality of opportunity in employment for all.
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade, what is the budget allocated by his Department and associated Agencies for each of the next five years; and how many staff or staff hours equivalent have been allocated to achieve the objective of the Programme for Action to Achieve Equality of Opportunity in the Civil Service for Disabled People.
  You also asked about the budget for disabled staff, although we have not allocated a specific budget we do our best to meet any specialist needs for example equipment, building adaption. This is in addition to financial assistance available to disabled staff from the Department of Employment "Access to Work" scheme.
  The number of staff or staff hours equivalent allocated to achieve the objective of the Programme for Action cannot be estimated since implementation will require the commitment not only of equal opportunity staff but also of other personnel and training staff and individual managers throughout the organisation. However, two staff in the Personnel Section work on equal opportunity matters for part of their time. They are charged with taking forward action in the Agency on all equal opportunities matters including those which affect disabled people.

  Monopolies and Mergers Commission
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade on what date he appointed Baroness Miller of Hendon as a member of the Monopolies and Mergers Commission; on whose recommendation she was appointed; what relevant experience she has for the appointment; what time she is expected to devote each month to her work in this capacity; what annual payment is made; what official meetings she has attended in each year since her appointment; and what relevant interests she has which may conflict with her work as a member of the commission.

  Mr. Jonathan Evans
  Baroness Miller of Hendon resigned as a member of the Monopolies and Mergers Commission shortly after being made a life peer in 1993. She had originally been appointed on 3 March 1992 in view of her wide range of business experience. While at the commission, she made an important contribution by serving a number of inquiries working six days a month for an initial salary of £11,900. Before he appoints a member to serve on a particular inquiry, the chairman of the commission asks members to disclose any interests which might give rise to conflicts.

  Video Games
  Mrs. Helen Jackson
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) if he has received the report of the Monopolies and Mergers Commission on the supply of video games, referred in January of this year; and if he will publish the report;

  (2) what action he proposes to take in the light of the report of the Monopolies and Mergers Commission on the supply of video games, with reference to the freedom to retail through any outlet, and import conditions; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Jonathan Evans
  The Monopolies and Mergers Commission report on the supply of video games in the United Kingdom was received on 14 November 1994. The Department of Trade and Industry's publicly stated time scale for publication of monopoly reports is eight to 10 weeks.

  I will make an announcement once the report has been published.

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what estimate he has made of the reduction In the number of persons by grade and gender employed by his Department and associated offices and agencies, nationally and regionally over the next three years, as a result of the Chancellor of the Exchequer's Budget statement of 29 November, indicating which branch, agency and region will be affected and stating his estimate of the number of job losses in each year which will be by(a) natural wastage, (b) voluntary redundancy and (c) compulsory redundancy; and what estimate he has made of the yearly total of savings in wages and associated costs as a result of these reductions in each Department, branch and agency.

  Mr. Heseltine
  The information requested is not yet available. The Department's staffing plans for 1995–96, 1996–97 and 1997–98 will be set out in the 1995 departmental report, to be published in late February-early March 1995.

  The Government's aim has been, and will continue to be, that reductions in the size of the civil service should, as far as possible, be achieved without redundancies.

  Dounreay
  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what changes there have been in funding for(a) the AEA Dounreay project and (b) the health physics surveyor team at Dounreay.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  [holding answer 30 November 1994]: The DTI provided funding of £48.6 million for the UKAEA Dounreay site in 1993–94. This consisted of £23.9 million for decommissioning and radioactive waste management, and £24.7 million for the prototype fast reactor programme. An additional £20.7 million income from electricity generation contributed to PFR operating costs.

  The anticipated DTI funding for the site in 1994–95 is about £67 million. This consists of £61 million for decommissioning and radioactive waste management, £5 million for nuclear site operations and £1 million for prototype fast reactor closure experiments.

  The size of the health physics team, hence its cost, is a management matter for the UKAEA.

  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) on what grounds there have been planned reductions in the health physics survey staff or team at Dounreay;

  (2) what has been the size of the health physics monitoring shift team in the past two years; and what it will be from 1 January 1995.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  [holding answers 30 November 1994]: These are management matters for UKAEA.

  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will investigate the consequences for radiation safety at Dounreay of the proposed reduction in the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority's monitoring programme.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  [holding answer 30 November 1994]: The United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority's health physics monitoring programme is set at a level which ensures the safety of the work force and the public. This activity is subjected to rigorous independent scrutiny

  107
  by the regulators—the nuclear installations inspectorate and Her Majesty's industrial pollution inspectorate, and I therefore see no grounds to investigate the current programme.

DEFENCE

  Disabled People
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the number and percentage of disabled people employed by his Department and associated agencies over the past five years; and what are the projected figures for the next five years.

  Mr. Freeman
  The number and percentage of registered disabled staff employed by the Ministry of Defence and its agencies over the past five years are set out below. Projected figures are not available.

  Date

  Number of registered disabled staff1

  Percentage of total Date civilian staff2

  1 July 1990

  1,209

  0.9

  1 July 1991

  1,163

  0.9

  1 July 1992

  1,103

  0.8

  1 July 1993

  1,366

  1.1

  1 July 1994

  1,317

  1.1

  1 Part-time staff counted as half units.

  2 In recent surveys, 3.7 per cent. of total MOD civilian staff recorded some form of disability for which they are not registered.

  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the budget allocated by his Department and associated agencies for each of the next five years; and how many staff or staff hours equivalent have been allocated to achieve the objectives of the programme for action to achieve equality of opportunity in the civil service for disabled people.

  Mr. Freeman
  Responsibility for achieving the objectives of the programme for action is widely spread among staff in the Ministry of Defence. Those involved include: policy staff, personnel managers, trainers, building managers, welfare officers, a network of assistant disabled persons liaison officers and line managers and colleagues of staff with disabilities. It is therefore impossible to quantify the number of staff hours expended on this work. For the same reason, it is not possible to identify the costs involved.

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the reduction in the number of persons by grade and gender employed by his Department and associated offices and agencies, nationally and regionally over the next three years, as a result of the Chancellor of the Exchequer's Budget statement of 29 November, indicating which branch, agency and region will be affected and stating his estimate of the number of job losses in each year which will be by(a) natural wastage, (b) voluntary redundancy and (c) compulsory redundancy; and what estimate he has made of the yearly total of savings in wages and associated costs as a result of these reductions in each Department, branch and agency.
  108
  Mr. Freeman
  The information requested is not yet available. My Department's staffing plans for 1995–96, 1996–97 and 1997–98 will be set out in the departmental report, to be published early next year.

  The Government's aim has been, and will continue to be, that reductions in the size of the civil service should, as far as possible, be achieved without redundancies.

  Market Testing
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the projected annual savings as a result of the market testing of health provision for British forces services; and if will make a statement.

  Mr. Soames
  We are currently considering what activities related to health provision should be subjected to competition. We expect that, where we decide to compete activities, annual savings of at least 15 per cent. should be achievable.

  United States Bases
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence who attended a meeting, called by officials in his Department on 22 September, which discussed incursions at United States bases in the United Kingdom and United Kingdom concerns about actions taken by American security police on bases in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Soames
  This was a private meeting between representatives of the United Kingdom and United States Governments.

  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has made to the American military and civil authorities to stop American military handcuffing or blindfolding British citizens who enter military bases within the United Kingdom; what instructions he has issued to his Department's police to stop American military personnel from taking such actions; and what penalties can be imposed on his Department's police if they fail to stop American military personnel from taking such action against civilians entering bases.

  Mr. Soames
  There is regular and close liaison between United Kingdom and United States authorities on all policing matters. No specific instructions are issued to my Department's police to deal with the circumstances outlined. MOD police act in accordance with the law and the powers conferred upon them. They are a disciplined force and any complaints against them are processed in accordance with the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984.

  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the potential danger arising from intruders entering weapons storage areas at United States bases in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Soames
  Internal security arrangements at United States bases in the United Kingdom and assessments of the potential dangers arising from intruders entering weapons storage areas at these bases are matters for the United States authorities.

  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of the guidelines for his Department's police actions which was
  109
  passed in March to United States military personnel based in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Soames
  It is not my Department's policy to comment on operational security matters or to release related documents.

  RAF Lakenheath
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what arrangements are being made to install a barrier to the entrance of RAF Lakenheath.

  Mr. Soames
  There are currently no plans to install a barrier to the entrance of RAF Lakenheath.

  Military Police
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if United States authorities have indicated whether they wish his Department's police to be transferred from Upper Heyford to Croughton; how many of his Department's police have been offered for transfer; and what would be the total cost to his Department of any such transfer.

  Mr. Soames
  There are currently no plans to deploy Ministry of Defence police to RAF Croughton.

  Bosnia
  Mr. Martlew
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many RAF pilots in line for service in Bosnia have so far refused to volunteer for conduct after capture courses.

  Mr. Soames
  No RAF aircrew in line for service in Bosnia have refused to participate in these course.

  Mr. Martlew
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his policy in respect of service in Bosnia for RAF pilots who refuse to volunteer for conduct after capture courses.

  Mr. Soames
  We consider that it is in the interests of RAF aircrew whose duties may take them over Bosnia to undertake these courses, but, in the event of a refusal to undergo the training, appropriate action would be considered in light of the particular circumstances of the case.

  Defence Contractors
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 24 November,Official Report, column 360, if he will give the date on which Airwork Ltd. was placed on the list of contractors requiring special attention; and if it has now been removed from that list.

  Mr. Freeman
  Airwork Ltd. was placed on the list of contractors requiring special attention on 21 May 1993. The current entry on the list reflects the change of name and ownership.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 24 November,Official Report, column 360, on which date each contractor was placed on the list of contractors requiring special attention; and which of them have since won contracts with his Department.

  Mr. Freeman
  One in 1988, two in 1990, one in 1991, four in 1993 and two in 1994. It is my Department's policy not to contract with listed contractors for work 110
  similar to that which gave rise to concerns about their quality management.

  Road Transport Regulations
  Mr. Key
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he last revised the joint service road transport regulations; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Soames
  The current edition of the joint service road transport regulations was issued in 1988. There have been seven amendments since publication, the last one being dated January 1994. The complete revision of the document is currently being undertaken in order to maintain alignment with current road transport regulations and to cover extra responsibilities that will devolve to lower management levels as a result of further disaggregation of funding for vehicle procurement and maintenance to user commands. This new edition is expected to be published by 1 April 1995.

  Royal Marines Reserve
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received on the future of the Royal Marines Reserve.

  Mr. Soames
  My Department has received a number of representations from hon. Members and other interested parties. No decisions on the future size and shape of the Royal Marines Reserve have been taken.

  Consultants
  Mr. Jamieson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the names of the consultants, with the amounts they received, who were paid in connection with preparing documents for the privatisation of the royal dockyards at Devonport and Rosyth.

  Mr. Freeman
  Since October 1993, a number of consultants have provided my Department with advice on the proposed privatisation of Devonport dockyard and Rosyth dockyard, as shown in the table:

  Firm

  Subject

  Coopers and Lybrand

  Financial and business

  Allott and Lomax1

  Civil engineering

  AEA Technology Consultancy Services (SRD)1

  Nuclear Safety

  Simmons and Simmons

  Legal advice relating chiefly to Devonport

  Brodies WS

  Legal advice relating chiefly to Rosyth

  Fuller Peiser

  Property valuation

  Kleinwort Benson

  Commercial

  Rust Environmental

  Environmental survey at Devonport

  Kenchington Ford

  Environmental survey at Rosyth

  1 These firms were engaged under subcontract to Coopers and Lybrand.

  Details of payments made to individual firms are commercially confidential.

  Mr. Gerald James
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which Government Department currently holds the diaries, business and personal papers of former A stra Holdings plc chairman, Mr. Gerald James; and on what grounds their return is being refused.
  111
  Mr. Soames
  I have nothing to add to the answer that I gave the hon. Member for Leyton (Mr. Cohen) on 21 July 1994,Official Report, column 554.

  Training Sorties
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many training sorties were flown by each type of RAF aircraft from Goose Bay during 1994; and how many of these were at low level.

  Mr. Soames
  RAF aircraft have flown 1,299 training sorties during the 1994 flying season at Goose Bay—22 by Hercules aircraft and 1,277 by Tornado GR1s. Precise details of how many of the sorties were at low level are not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Very few, however, would not have involved an element of low flying.

  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many training sorties were flown by each type of RAF aircraft from Eielson air force base, Alaska, during 1994; and how many of these were at low level.

  Mr. Soames
  RAF aircraft have flown 396 training sorties from Eielson air force base, Alaska during the 1994 flying season—20 by Hercules aircraft, 174 by Tornado GR1s, 201 by Tornado F3s and one by a Sentry AEW1. All of those sorties were conducted at low level, apart from the Sentry AEW1 flight and one Tornado F3 sortie.

  Date

  Location

  Numbers and type of A/C

  Nationality

  Nature of breach

  4 February 1993

  Beverley N. Humberside

  lxGazelle

  RAF

  Hull aero club avoidance area.

  1 April 1993

  Ingleton N. Yorkshire

  1xF16

  Belgian Air Force

  Ingleton Quarry temporary avoidance.

  23 August 1993

  RAF Alconbury

  2xMirage

  Belgian Air Force

  Unauthorised flight within UKLFS.

  20 September 1993

  Caerlaverock Dumfries and Galloway

  2xTornado

  RAF

  Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust avoidance area.

  6 October 1993

  Caerlaverock Dumfries and Galloway

  2xJaguar

  RAF

  Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust avoidance area.

  16 November 1993

  Lairg Sutherland

  lxJaguar

  RAF

  Temporary avoidance area owing to rock blasting.

  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many complaints about low flying were submitted to the RAF police for further investigation in each year since 1990.

  Mr. Soames
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave the hon. Member for Don Valley (Mr. Redmond) on 1 December 1994,Official Report, columns 905–6.

  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what date the Farleton Fell hang gliding site ceased to be a military low flying avoidance area.

  Mr. Soames
  The avoidance area was removed on 6 October 1988 at the request of the British Hang Gliding Association, since the level of flying activity there had been much reduced.

  West Freugh Airfield
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many aircraft, and of what types, were involved in the high intensity air activity from West Freugh airfield on 27 September; what was the purpose of the activity; and what were the minimum altitudes authorised.

  Mr. Soames
  Five Harrier GR7 and two Harrier T4 aircraft undertook training sorties from West Freugh airfield on 27 September. The minimum authorised height for the purpose of this exercise was 250 ft.

  Low Flying
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the dates, locations, aircraft type and nationality, and nature of the breach, for all breaches of low flying regulations established following RAF police investigations, since 1990.

  Mr. Soames
  Details of breaches in 1993 are listed on pages 35 and 36 of the House of Commons Defence Select Committee report, HC 314 of Session 1993–1994, on low flying. Details of a further six breaches which occurred in 1993 but were not included in the report are set out. Of these, three were omitted in error from the evidence provided to the Committee; in the other three cases, details of the RAF police investigations were not known until this evidence had been provided. The details of breaches in other years are not recorded and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Skyguard Radars
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the total number of Skyguard radars in operational service with the Royal Air Force; and what role is performed by each.

  Mr. Soames
  There are two Skyguard radars in operational service with the RAF. Their primary role is in support of the RAF's low-flying monitoring task; they have a secondary role of electronic warfare training at RAF Spadeadam.

  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information he has on the number of Royal Air Force aircraft observed by Skyguard low flying monitoring radars during sorties over Germany over the last three years.
  113
  Mr. Soames
  We have no information on observations of RAF aircraft made by German Skyguard radars other than those cases when an infringement of the German low flying regulations was detected and notified, the details of which are as follows:

  1989—6

  1990—21

  1991—3

  1992—5

  1993—1

  1994—none to date

  We have been notified of no infringements other than those detected by Skyguard.

  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what date the operating base for the Skyguard radar used for monitoring low flying was moved from RAF Waddington to RAF Spadeadam; and what is the designation of the unit now responsible for operating the radar.
  114
  Mr. Soames
  The move of the Skyguard radars to RAF Spadeadam occurred on 18 April 1994. The designation of the unit responsible for operating the radars is: Skyguard Section (Facilities Flight) RAF Spadeadam.

  Departmental Land
  Mr. Ronnie Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the annual cost to his Department for the land it uses in Otterburn, Northumberland in(a) rent payable to landowners, (b) any compensation payments and (c) any disturbance payments.

  Mr. Soames
  The information requested is given:

  1994 £

  1993 £

  1992 £

  Rents paid—including licence fees

  48,774

  48,775

  36,385

  Compensation

  120,968

  16,474

  24,239

  Disturbance

  N/A

  10,081

  10,310

  1 Figures only available to end of November 1994.

  N/A = Not available

  EUROPEAN UNION COUNCIL MEETINGS
  EUROPEAN UNION COUNCIL MEETINGS
  OVERSEAS STUDENTS
  OVERSEAS STUDENTS
  PERGAU DAM JUDGMENT: REVIEW OF ODA ACTIVITIES
  PERGAU DAM JUDGMENT: REVIEW OF ODA ACTIVITIES
  BOSNIA: ARMS EMBARGO
  BOSNIA: ARMS EMBARGO
  NATO COMMANDER, SOUTHERN EUROPE
  NATO COMMANDER, SOUTHERN EUROPE
  FORMER YUGOSLAVIA: BORDER CHANGES
  FORMER YUGOSLAVIA: BORDER CHANGES
  GENERAL GALVIN'S VISIT TO YUGOSLAVIA
  GENERAL GALVIN'S VISIT TO YUGOSLAVIA
  EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES ACT 1972: DESIGNATION ORDERS
  EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES ACT 1972: DESIGNATION ORDERS
  CONGRESSIONAL HEARINGS: REQUESTS FOR RECORDS
  CONGRESSIONAL HEARINGS: REQUESTS FOR RECORDS
  POPULATION AND DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE: UNITED KINGDOM REPRESENTATIVES
  POPULATION AND DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE: UNITED KINGDOM REPRESENTATIVES
  POPULATION AND DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE: POPULATION CONTROL IN CHINA
  POPULATION AND DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE: POPULATION CONTROL IN CHINA
  PREVENTION OF TERRORISM ACT EXCLUSION PROVISIONS: ECJ JURISDICTION
  PREVENTION OF TERRORISM ACT EXCLUSION PROVISIONS: ECJ JURISDICTION
  DANGEROUS DOGS ACT 1991: DETENTION COSTS
  DANGEROUS DOGS ACT 1991: DETENTION COSTS
  COMMUNITY CHARGE RECOVERED FROM INCOME SUPPORT RECIPIENTS
  COMMUNITY CHARGE RECOVERED FROM INCOME SUPPORT RECIPIENTS
  DISABILITY WORKING ALLOWANCE
  DISABILITY WORKING ALLOWANCE
  COMPENSATION RECOVERY SCHEME
  COMPENSATION RECOVERY SCHEME
  COMMON AGRICULTURAL POLICY REFORM: EC REPORT
  COMMON AGRICULTURAL POLICY REFORM: EC REPORT
  MILK QUOTA FRAUD: PENALTY PAYMENTS BY ITALY
  MILK QUOTA FRAUD: PENALTY PAYMENTS BY ITALY
  POLLUTION CONTROL SCHEME: FURTHER FEE CHANGE
  POLLUTION CONTROL SCHEME: FURTHER FEE CHANGE