Written Answers of 11 February 1994

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT

  Non-governmental Organisations
  Mr. Tom Clarke
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the annual official development assistance by calendar year, through the joint funding scheme for NGOs, from its inception to the latest year for which data are available.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  Annual official development assistance through the joint funding scheme is collated by financial year. The following table illustrates funding provided to NGOs, from the first full year of its operation:

  Financial year

  Totals (£)

  1976–77

  291,407

  1977–78

  622,234

  1978–79

  1,331,566

  1979–80

  1,556,267

  1980–81

  1,411,936

  1981–82

  2,543,199

  1982–83

  2,359,744

  1983–84

  2,381,731

  1984–85

  3,794,882

  1985–86

  4,882,584

  1986–87

  5,812,641

  1987–88

  7,954,000

  1988–89

  11,686,000

  1989–90

  16,631,000

  1990–91

  20,061,000

  1991–92

  23,159,000

  1992–93

  28,000,000

  11993–94

  29,000,000

  1 (Estimated).

  Colombia
  Mr. Tom Clarke
  To ask the Secretray of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he will take to ensure that the aid programme to Colombia meets the declared objectives of British aid and, in particular, to ensure that the aid programme addresses the specific needs of the poorest people in Colombia.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  The aid programme for Colombia comprises entirely technical co-operation. We will continue to support activities aimed at aid programme priorities, including good government, renewable natural resource mangement and human resource development. The Columbia programme will therefore include projects with an indirect impact on poverty, as well as those with a more direct role, particularly those undertaken through non-governmental organisations within the joint funding scheme.
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  Sudan
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent restrictions have been placed on the supply of humanitarian aid to and movement of humanitarian aid by international aid agencies within the Sudan.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  In recent months, both the Government of Sudan and the Sudan People's Liberation Army have restricted access by aid agencies to some areas of need. International non-governmental organisations and the UN have difficulty securing permission to travel which prevents needs assessments and monitoring missions from taking place. In addition, the Government of Sudan have failed to meet their pledged food aid contribution for 1993. We continue to press all parties to lift restrictions on the international aid effort.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Colombia
  Mr. Tom Clarke
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will raise the question of the people called disposables in Colombia with the Government of Colombia at the earliest opportunity.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  When I met the Colombia Foreign Trade Minister on 3 February, I made clear the concerns felt in Britain over this question and urged the Colombian Government to take effective measures to tackle the problem.

  Yugoslavia
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will place in the Library copies of communications submitted to the United Nations Security Council sanctions committee 724 on United Kingdom compliance with the United Nations embargo on arms and military equipment sales to the former Yugoslavia.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The United Kingdom has not been required to submit details of compliance to the United Nations sanctions committee established pursuant to United Nations Security Council resolution 724.

  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has received from the United Nations regarding the countries of design and manufacture of shells, mortars and bullets used against citizens of cities in Bosnia designated as having special protected status by the United Nations.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  None.

  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment has been made by Her Majesty's Government since the establishment of the European Community's embargo on arms and military equipment exports to the former Yugoslavia, of 5 July 1991, of the effectiveness of the embargo in regard to United Kingdom exports.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  No assessment has been made.

  We believe the embargo is being applied effectively in regard to exports from the United Kingdom. The

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  Department of Trade and Industry applies a rigorous export licence policy. Her Majesty's Customs and Excise, which are responsible for the control of exports, make a careful check on all exports destined for the former Republic of Yugoslavia.

  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the implementation of United Nations Security Council resolution 724 of 15 December 1991 on the establishment of a sanctions committee to monitor the export embargo on military sales to the former Yugoslavia.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Following the passage of United Nations Security Council resolution 724 on 15 December 1991 a sanctions committee was established to advise on all aspects of the arms embargo against the former Republic of Yugoslavia. This committee has been empowered by subsequent resolutions to act as point of reference for all matters relating to sanctions against the former Republic of Yugoslavia. The committee meets on a weekly basis.

  EU Committee of the Regions
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what measures he proposes to ensure close contact and liaison with the European Union Committee of the Regions.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  I met United Kingdom members and alternate members of the Committee on 8 December last year. We discussed the role of the EC Committee of the Regions and contacts between United Kingdom members and the Government. Our permanent representation in Brussels has already been in contact with United Kingdom members and will provide a regular contact point for them, as well as following the work of the Committee as a whole. The Cabinet Office will co-ordinate contacts between Committee members and home Departments and supervise any briefing requirements.

  Nuclear Weapons
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the present United Kingdom nuclear explosive capability in its nuclear weapons inventory; and what it was in 1970.

  Mr. Aitken
  I have been asked to reply.

  1970 was a period of transition for the United Kingdom's nuclear weapons inventory, with one generation of weapons being withdrawn and a new generation introduced. We are now in another period of transition, as around half our nuclear free-fall bombs have been withdrawn from the operational inventory and the first Trident submarine will soon enter operational service. It has been the long-standing practice of successive Governments not to give details of operational warheads or yields, but in broad terms, the total explosive power of the United Kingdom's operational nuclear inventory is currently about half of what it was in 1970.
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DUCHY OF LANCASTER

  Public Bodies
  Mr. Kilfoyle
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster who are the members currently appointed to the political honours scrutiny committee.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  The present members of the political honours scrutiny committee are:

  The Lord Pym MC DL (Chairman)

  The Lord Cledwyn of Penrhos CH

  The Lord Thomson of Monifieth KT DL

  Mr. Kilfoyle
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster who are the members currently appointed to the Advisory Council on Science and Technology.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  Last year's White Paper on science, engineering and technology announced that a new Council for Science and Technology would replace the Advisory Council on Science and Technology. The members of the Council for Science and Technology are:

  Professor William Stewart FRS FRSE

  Professor Sushantha Bhattacharyya FEng

  Professor Sir Aaron Klug FRS

  Sir Robin Nicholson FRS FEng

  Dr. Bridget Ogilvie FBiol

  Sir Ralph Robins FEng FRAes

  Dr. Alan Rudge FRS FEng

  Professor Stewart Sutherland FBA

  Sir Richard Sykes

  Mr. John Towers

  Dr. Peter Williams CBE

  Public Appointments
  Dr. Wright
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how often a review is undertaken of the names on the public appointments unit central list; and how many of these names have been on the list for(a) more than five years, (b) two to five years and (c) under two years.

  Mr. David Davies
  The public appointments unit has completed a first review of the names on the central list, and in future aims to ensure that the information held about individuals is reviewed and updated every two years. Information about the length of time that names have been held on the list is not recorded.

  Daresbury and Rutherford Appleton Laboratories
  Mr. Paice
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how the Daresbury and Rutherford Appleton laboratories will be affected as a result of the planned changes to the research councils.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  I am currently examining the future structure and organisation of the Rutherford Appleton and Daresbury laboratories, which are at present part of the Science and Engineering Research Council. From 1 April 1994, as an interim step consequent on the splitting of SERC into the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council and the Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council, the two laboratories will be run as a combined operation under the auspices of the new EPSRC. In the longer term I am looking to put the two laboratories on a more indepedent footing to enable them better to serve their customers and users from the research councils, universities and industry. Given the high regard in which the Rutherford Appleton and Daresbury laboratories are
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  held, both nationally and internationally, it is important that we consider carefully what changes should be made to their status as a result of the reorganisation of the research council system.

  The Government have developed a standard set of tests on how Government-funded work can best be organised, known as "prior options". In the 1993 next steps review—Cm 2430—we announced new procedures to encourage those in outside organisations with innovative ideas about how such functions can best be discharged to put them forward. These procedures for "prior options" review and outside involvement apply, where appropriate, to executive non-departmental public bodies, such as the Daresbury and Rutherford Appleton laboratories.

  The "prior options" tests consider whether the functions provided by the organisation continue to be needed, in whole or in part; whether responsibility for the activity needs to remain in the public sector; and whether some or all of the functions provided should be contracted out or market tested. The consultants KPMG have conducted a preliminary study of these issues. In common with the recent National Audit Office report, they found much to admire at the laboratories. They have advised that there is a need for the services which the laboratories provide, and that privatisation would not represent a sensible option. In considering this advice, I wish to take account of the widest possible range of views. I am therefore inviting organisations and individuals who may have ideas or proposals as to how the Daresbury and Rutherford Appleton laboratories should be organised in future to submit them to the Director General of the Research Councils in my Department.

  The results of this review will be taken into account in the wider scrutiny of public sector research establishments which I announced to the House on 2 February, Official Report, columns 896–97.

EMPLOYMENT

  Public Bodies
  Mr. Kilfoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment who are the members currently appointed to each of the industrial tribunals.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  A list of the lay members of the industrial tribunals was placed in the Library in January.

  Mr. Kilfoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment who are the members currently appointed to the Employment Appeal Tribunal.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The Employment Appeal Tribunal consists of both judicial and lay members. The president is the Honourable Mr. Justice Mummery, a High Court judge. A judge of the Court of Session—the Honourable Lord Coulsfield—sits at the EAT in Scotland and there are also visiting judges in England and Wales. The judges are nominated in England and Wales by the Lord Chancellor from among the judges of the High Court and the Court of Appeal and in Scotland by the Lord President of the Court of Session from among the judges of that court. The lay members are appointed by Her Majesty the Queen on the joint recommendation of the Secretary of State for Employment and the Lord Chancellor. A list of the lay members has been placed in the Library.
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  Mr. Kilfoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment who are the members currently appointed to the board of the Commissioner for the Rights of Trade Union Members.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  There is no such board.

  Statutory Minimum Wage
  Mr. Spellar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment, pursuant to his answer of 18 January,Official Report, column 548, what is the sectoral breakdown of his estimate of jobs lost as a result of a statutory minimum wage.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  There is no sectoral breakdown of that estimate. In order to calculate such a figure, reliable information is needed about the relationship between pay and employment. Information on this relationship is available for the whole economy, but not for individual industries.

  Special Employment Measures
  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list each of the main United Kingdom special employment measures since 1970; if he will give the date when the scheme came into operation and its date of closure if it is still not running, and the annual and cumulative amount of public expenditure spent on each scheme; and if he will detail the annual and total number of claimants helped under each scheme.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The information requested is not kept centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Unemployment Benefit
  Mrs. Bridget Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what has been the cost of administering unemployment benefit in the London travel-to-work area in each of the past five years.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Responsibility for the subject of the question has been delegated to the Employment Service agency under its chief executive. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter from M. E. G. Fogden to Mrs. Bridget Prentice, dated 11 February 1994:
  The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question concerning the cost of administering unemployment benefit in the London travel to work area in each of the past five years.
  It may be helpful if I explain that the Employment Service (ES) has responsibility for delivering a number of benefits in addition to unemployment benefit, as well as a range of other services to people seeking employment and training opportunities. Therefore, the figures t have provided relate to the costs of delivering the full range of our services in London.
  It has not been possible to provide the information you seek for the full five year period. For audit purposes, the ES retains financial records of running costs for the proceeding three financial years. Additionally, the organisation of the ES Region responsible for London, the London and South East Region, has undergone considerable re-organisation during this period. I am therefore only able to provide comparable figures for the financial years 1991–92, 1992–93 and 1993–94 (projected figures). These figures relate to the ten ES areas which cover London. There are currently 15 ES areas within the London and South East Region; nine of which serve London and the remainder the Shires

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  surrounding it. These figures exclude fixed premises costs, ie the costs of leasing and purchasing premises and the associated running costs, as the method of collecting this information has changed considerably over the last three years.
  Given these provisions, the relevant costs, which include staff salary and other running costs such as fuel and telecommunications, are as follows:

  £

  1991–92

  89,467,057

  1992–93

  105,609,559

  1993–94

  1128,646,766

  1Projected.

  I must emphasise that these figures are not strictly comparable. As you may be aware, since 1990 the ES has been pursuing a policy of bringing together Unemployment Benefit Offices and Jobcentres with the aim of providing a more efficient and effective service to our clients. Individual ES staff are responsible for all aspects of ES work and it is not possible to provide accurate or meaningful breakdowns of the costs of specific activities.I hope this is helpful.

  Trade Unions
  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment which trade unions have made representations to him in the last 10 years on whether campaigning on issues including pensions, health and safety, and job conditions has to be paid for out of a political fund.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  I am unaware of any such representations. A trade union does not need a political fund unless it wishes to spend money on electoral or other party political activities.

  Deregulation
  Mr. Barron
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many employers have been prosecuted, since April 1986, under each of the regulations identified as candidates for revocation in his press notice 154/93 of 20 July 1993.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  [holding answer 9 February 1994]: The number of employers prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive's field operations division's inspectors, since April 1986, under each of the regulations identified as candidates for revocation in the Employment Department press notice of 20 July are set out in the following tables. The aim of any repeals or revocations will be to increase the effectiveness of the regulatory regime, which will include continuing to prosecute employers who fall below acceptable standards of health and safety.

  Regulations

  Number of employers prosecuted

  The Flax and Tow Spinning and Weaving Regulations 1906

  1None

  The Hemp Spinning and Weaving Regulations 1907

  1None

  The Cotton Cloth Factories Regulations 1929

  1None

  The Cotton Cloth (Record of Humidity) Regulation 1964

  None

  The Homework Order 1911

  None

  The Homework Order 1912

  None

  The Homework Order 1913

  None

  The Homework (Lampshades) Order 1929

  None

  The Homework Orders Variation Order 1938

  None

  The Agriculture (Poisonous Substances) Act 1952

  None

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  Regulations

  Number of employers prosecuted

  The Agriculture (Ladders) Regulations 1957

  5

  The Agriculture (Poisonous Substances) (Extension) Order 1965

  None

  The Agriculture (Poisonous Substance) (Extension) Order 1966

  None

  The Agriculture (Poisonous Substances) Act 1952 (Repeals and Modifications) Regulations 1975

  None

  The Breathing Apparatus etc. (Report on Examination) Order 1961

  None

  The Shipbuilding (Reports on Breathing Apparatus) Order 1961

  None

  The Dangerous Machines (Training of Young Persons) Order 1961

  None

  The Prescribed Dangerous Machines Order 1964

  None

  The Agriculture (Circular Saws) Regulations 1959

  232

  The Abrasive Wheels Regulations 1970

  2311

  The Factories Act 1961:

  Section 21

  328

  Section 30

  441

  Section 68

  1

  Section 133

  None

  The Shipbuilding and Ship-repairing Regulations 1960:

  Regulations 48–52

  41

  Regulations 60–65

  None

  The Offices, Shops and Railway Premises Act 1963:

  Section 19

  3None

  The Construction (General Provisions) Regulations

  1961: regulation 21

  4None

  The Docks Regulations 1988: regulation 18

  4None

  Notes:

  1 These regulations were largely revoked by the Workplaces (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992. The latter apply to new workplaces immediately and to existing workplaces from 1 January 1996.

  2 These regulations were largely revoked by the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1992. The revocations are effective for new equipment immediately and for existing work equipment from 1 January 1997. It is not possible to identify how many prosecutions have been taken under the parts of the Regulations that are revoked by the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations.

  3The remaining provisions relate the training of operators. Proposals for their consolidation into one set of training requirements under more modern legislation are currently being considered by the Health and Safety Commission.

  4 These provisions cover entry into confined spaces. Proposals for their consolidation into one set of requirements for confined spaces under more modern legislation are currently being considered by the Health and Safety Commission.

NATIONAL FINANCE

  Top Salaries Review Body
  Mr. Kilfoyle
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer who are the members currently appointed to the Top Salaries Review Body.

  Mr. Portillo
  As announced in the Official Report, 26 July 1993, column 559, the Top Salaries Review Body was renamed the Senior Salaries Review Body last year. Its current members are:

  Sir David Nickson KBE DL (Chairman)

  Professor George Bain

  Mrs. Louise Botting CBE

  Ms Ann Burdus

  Sir Peter Cazalet

  Sir Cecil Clothier KCB QC

  Mr. Gordon Hourston

  Mr. Hugh Pigott

  Sir Anthony Wilson

  Members are appointed by, and the review body reports to, the Prime Minister.
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SOCIAL SECURITY

  Public Bodies
  Mr. Kilfoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) who are the members currently appointed to each of the child support appeal tribunals;

  (2) who are the members currently appointed to each of the medical appeal tribunals;

  (3) who are the members currently appointed to each of the disability appeal tribunals;

  (4) who are the members currently appointed to each of the social security appeal tribunals;

  (5) who are the members currently appointed to each of the vaccine damage tribunals.

  Mr. Burt
  I have been asked to reply.

  The appointment of members of all the appeal tribunals is the responsibility of the President of the Independent Tribunal Service, His Honour Judge Thorpe. The hon. Member may wish to write to him direct.

  Mr. Kilfoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security who are the members currently appointed to the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee.

  Mr. Freeman
  I have been asked to reply. The members currently appointed to the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee are:

  Chairman

  Bob Taylor Esq. OBE

  Director

  Birmingham International Airport

  Members

  Mrs. Jill Allen-King MBE

  National Federation of the Blind

  Mrs. Jean Ashcroft MBE

  Arthritis Care

  Peter Barker Esq.

  Royal National Institute for the Blind

  Tony Briggs Esq.

  Association of Transport Co-ordinating Officers

  Bill Buchanan Esq. LVO

  British Rail Advisory Group

  Lewis Carter-Jones Esq.

  Cliff Dallinger Esq.

  Passenger Transport Executive

  Mrs. Claudia Flanders OBE JP

  Stanley Flett Esq.

  Royal National Institute for the Blind—Scotland

  Richard Gregory Esq.

  Margaret Blackwood

  Housing Association Ltd.

  Edinburgh

  Sir John Hannam Esq. MP

  All-party Disablement Group

  Joe Hennessy Esq. OBE

  Muscular Dystrophy Group of GB

  Mr. T. Kennan Esq.

  Northumbria Motor Services Ltd.

  Miss Valerie Lang MBE

  The Spastics Society

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  Sir Peter Large Esq. CBE

  Joint Council on Mobility for Disabled People

  Bert Massie OBE

  Royal Association for Disability and Rehabilitation

  Brian McGinnis Esq.

  MENCAP

  Mrs. Dorothy Rhodes

  Age Concern

  Mrs. Jean Williams

  Welsh Council on Disability

  Mrs. Jane Wilmot

  Royal National Institute for Deaf People

  Industrial Diseases
  Mr. Etherington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the industrial diseases which are under review by the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council or its research working group.

  Mr. Scott
  The council is currently investigating hand/arm vibration syndrome, process injuries, disorders of the knee, osteoarthritis of the hip and occupational rhinitis and keeps scientific evidence on all other industrial diseases under review on an ongoing basis.

  Benefits Tourism
  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his Department's estimate of the current scale and volume of benefits tourism.

  Mr. Burt
  Information is not held centrally on the number of foreign nationals who are in receipt of benefits without having contributed either taxes or national insurance contributions.

  War Pensions
  Dr. Strang
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the hospitals where medical examinations are carried out for the purpose of assessing entitlement to war pension.

  Mr. Hague
  The majority of examinations are carried out by medical boards or medical specialists at local medical boarding centres or consulting rooms. In such instances hospital referral is not necessary.

  Where examinations are to be carried out at hospitals all attempts are made to have this done at a hospital convenient for the claimant.

  Child Support Agency
  Ms Gordon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many assessments have been made by the Child Support Agency up to 2 February.

  Mr. Burt
  Figures for the latest period available, to the end of December, are already in the Library and information relating to January will be placed in the Library in due course.

  Personal Pensions
  Mr. French
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what proportion of the money contributed to an average personal pension at the rebate-only level by a
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  man of 30 years would be absorbed in expenses, charges and commission during the lifetime of the contract if it were terminated after five years;

  (2) what proportion of the money contributed to an average personal pension at the rebate-only level by a man aged 30 years would be absorbed in expenses, charges and commission during the lifetime of the contract up to maturity;

  (3) what proportion of the money contributed to an average personal pension at the rebate-only level by a man aged 30 years would be absorbed in expenses, charges and commission in the first year of contract.

  Mr. Hague
  I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Langbaurgh (Mr. Bates) on 30 November 1993 at columns 432–33.

  Elderly Population
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what change is projected in the population of those aged(a) over 65 years, (b) over 75 years and (c) over 85 years in each of the next 10 years.

  Mr. Hague
  The information is in the table.

  Year

  Number of people aged 65 and over (000s)

  Number of people aged 75 and over (000s)

  Number of people aged 85 and over (000s)

  1993

  8,961

  3,917

  963

  1994

  8,992

  4,092

  1,202

  1995

  9,030

  4,028

  1,038

  1996

  9,069

  4,134

  1,071

  1997

  9,095

  4,215

  1,101

  1998

  9,105

  4,271

  1,134

  1999

  9,115

  4,320

  1,168

  2000

  9,139

  4,362

  1,196

  2001

  9,172

  4,407

  1,211

  2002

  9,212

  4,442

  1,211

  2003

  9,263

  4,471

  1,194

  Source: OPCS and Government Actuary's Department: based on mid-1992 Great Britain population projections.

  Disability Benefits
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many children there were in families in Wales receiving invalidity benefit or its equivalent in 1979 and at the latest available date.

  Mr. Scott
  Information for 1979 is unavailable. The latest date for which information is available is 4 April 1992, but not in the form requested. Such information as is available is the following:

  Number of child dependency increases in payment to invalidity benefit recipients in Wales—24,000

  Source: I per cent. sample of claimants in Great Britain, rounded to the nearest thousand.

  Mr. Alan Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what arrangements he intends to make for an equivalent premium after 28 weeks for those recipients on income support, housing benefit and council tax benefit who are incapable of work following the introduction of incapacity benefit in 1995 and the award of a higher rate of short-term benefit after 28 weeks.

  Mr. Burt
  The rules for the disability premium will be changing to be consistent with the incapacity benefit rules.
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  In particular, the new long-term incapacity benefit will act as a passport to the premium and for those who have no other means of entitlement to the disability premium, the period of incapacity needed to qualify will increase from 28 to 52 weeks. The new definition of work and assessment of incapacity will apply. We have no plans to introduce an additional premium payable after 28 weeks incapacity.

  Mr. Alan Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what additional resources he plans to provide to fund the Benefits Agency medical service, to take account of the operational costs of incapacity benefit;

  (2) what additional resources he plans to provide to meet the costs of additional medical assessors and social security appeal tribunals following the introduction of incapacity benefit.

  Mr. Scott
  The estimated additional administrative costs and manpower consequences of the introduction of incapacity benefit appear in the financial memorandum accompanying the Social Security (Incapacity for Work) Bill. Further refinement of these figures will depend upon decisions still to be taken by Parliament. We are still considering the additional resources that may be required for the appeals system for incapacity benefit.

  Mr. Alan Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his Department's budget for disability working allowance in 1993–94 and 1994–95 and the expected budget in 1995–96 and 1996–97.

  Mr. Scott
  Planned expenditure for disability working allowance was £16 million in 1993–94, and £50 million in 1994–95 and 1995–96, rounded to the nearest £50 million. Figures for 1996–97 will be available in the departmental report which is expected to be published in March.

  Mr. Alan Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how much has so far been paid in disability working allowance in 1993–94.

  Mr. Scott
  Disability working allowance outturn figures for 1993–94 will not become available until the departmental report is published in March.

  Mr. Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what are the arrangements for claimants currently in receipt of severe disablement allowance whose incapacity for work is due for review after April 1995.

  Mr. Scott
  From April 1995 people in receipt of severe disablement allowance will no longer have to undergo any kind of review of their capacity for work.

  Income Support (Giro Payment)
  Mr. Fraser
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many giro payments of income support are reported missing in each year; what percentage of total giro payment this is; and how many giros remain missing without being cashed.

  Mr. Burt
  The payment of income support by girocheque is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member with such information as is available.

  Letter from Michael Bichard to Mr. John Fraser, dated 10 February
  1994:

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  The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking about payments of Income Support made by girocheque.
  Payments of Income Support are frequently combined with payments of other benefits therefore it is not possible to identify the number of payments made by girocheque that are for income support alone.
  However, figures relating to the issue and losses of all girocheques issued by the Benefits Agency are available and are detailed below.

  1988–89

  1989–90

  1990–91

  1991–92

  1992–93

  Issues millions

  30·844

  34·484

  34·470

  36·190

  27·863

  Losses

  84,901

  89,176

  83,849

  86,004

  135,546

  Losses (Per cent.)

  0·275

  0·259

  0·243

  0·283

  0·490

  No missing/ not cashed or traced

  6,100

  3,855

  9,290

  12,078

  36,641

  The Employment Service acts as our agent in the provision of girocheques to those who are unemployed and claiming Income Support; the above figures relate only to girocheques issued by the Benefits Agency.
  I hope that you find this reply helpful.

  Incapacity Benefit
  Mr. Alan Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what rules he proposes to apply for the award of disability premium for people on income support, housing benefit and council tax benefit, following the introduction of incapacity benefit in 1995.

  Mr. Burt
  The disability premium provides extra help in income support, housing benefit and council tax benefit for long-term sick and disabled people.

  For those claiming these benefits as long-term sick the rules for the disability premium will be changed from April 1995 to reflect the incapacity benefit changes announced by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State on 1 December 1993. The new long-term incapacity benefit will act as a passport to the disability premium. Severe disablement allowance will continue to bring entitlement to the disability premium. For those who have no other means of entitlement, the period of incapacity needed to qualify will increase from 28 to 52 weeks and the new definition of work and assessment of incapacity will apply.

  Disability living allowance, attendance allowance and mobility supplement are other passporting benefits to the disability premium, which can be awarded on other grounds—for instance, if the person is registered blind. These routes to the disability premium will not be affected by the incapacity benefit changes.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  International Military Services Ltd.
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Attorney-General what services he or his predecessors have performed under the Treasury Solicitor Act 1876 on behalf of International Military Services Ltd.

  The Attorney-General
  I know of none.
  502

  Treasury Solicitors' Department
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Attorney-General if he will list the size, grades and costs of the staff of the Treasury Solicitors' Department in each of the last three years ending on 31 March and the current figures for numbers and grades.

  The Attorney-General
  The following table sets out the size and grades of the staff of the Treasury Solicitor's Department in each of the first three years ending on 31 March and the current figures:

  1991

  1992

  1993

  Grade

  31 March

  31 March

  31 March

  Present

  1

  1

  1

  1

  1

  2

  1

  1

  1

  1

  3

  10

  9

  8

  8

  4

  —

  2

  3

  3

  5

  38

  40

  39

  40

  6

  59

  64

  58

  63

  71

  78

  86

  91

  101

  SEO

  13

  13

  17

  19

  HEO

  33

  32

  32

  36

  EO

  68

  69

  67

  72

  AO/AA

  69

  74

  75

  75

  Support

  69

  74

  78

  77

  TOTAL

  439

  465

  470

  496

  The costs of staff of the Treasury Solicitor's Department in each of the last three years ending on 31 March were:

  1990–91 £12559 million2

  1991–92 £14088 million

  1992–93 £15073 million

  1Includes legal officers and senior legal assistants.

  21990–91 includes notional figure for superannuation of £1·642 million.

  Superannuation was only charged in cash terms from I April 1991.

WALES

  Bryn Melyn Home
  Mr. Marland
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what public funding is provided for the Bryn Melyn home in Wales.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  I am not aware of any public funding for this private children's home. No funding has been provided by the Department or other agencies for which the Welsh Office has direct responsibility.

  School League Tables.
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations on school league tables he has received from the Institute of Welsh Affairs; what reply he has sent; and if he will review current policies as a result.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  None directly, but the report published by the institute in January, "Towards an educational policy for Wales", makes reference to the publication of school performance information.

  Before decisions are taken on the extent of school/college performance information to be published in autumn 1994 there will be consultations with schools, FE colleges, and education interests.

  Open-heart Surgery
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give the present waiting list for open-heart surgery in Wales.
  503
  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  Information on waiting lists is collected centrally on the basis of specialties recognised by the royal colleges. Open heart surgery is not one of these recognised specialties and hence the information requested is not available. However, at 30 September 1993, the latest date for which information is available, there were 301 people waiting for in-patient treatment in Wales in the specialty of cardiac surgery.

  Cardiff BUPA Hospital
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what consultations he has had with the chairman of the South Glamorgan health authority concerning the provision of University Hospital of Wales staff at the Cardiff BUPA hospital to provide immediate postoperative care for NHS cardiac surgery patients operated on at the BUPA hospital at NHS expense; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  None.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what consultation he has had with the chairman of the South Glamorgan health authority concerning the training of BUPA nursing staff in post-operative cardiac surgery recovery techniques at the University Hospital of Wales; and what remuneration he has arranged for the South Glamorgan health authority for such training activities.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  None. It would be for the Health Authority and the University Hospital of Wales to negotiate an appropriate charge for any services provided to private hospitals.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give the present numbers who were treated at the BUPA hospital, Pentwyn, Cardiff, for open-heart surgery at the expense of the South Glamorgan health authority; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  In 1992–93, almost 1,000 adult open-heart operations were performed on NHS patients in South Wales, 50 of them under contract with the BUPA hospital in Cardiff. Commissioning authorities are fully funded to secure that level of service.

  Fifteen NHS open heart operations on patients from South Glamorgan were carried out at the BUPA hospital in Cardiff in 1992–93.

  Training and Enterprise Councils
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the total number of chairpersons and board members of the training and enterprise councils in Wales.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  There are seven chairpersons and 85 board members of the training and enterprise councils in Wales.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Public Bodies
  Mr. Kilfoyle
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade who are the members currently appointed to the London regional passengers' committee.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The members of the London regional passengers committee as at 21 January 1994 are:504

  Professor Eric C. Midwinter (Chairman)

  Mr. David R. Bruck

  Mrs. Delia M. Buckle

  Mrs. Beverley J. Davies

  Mr. Lekh C. Dindayal JP

  Mr. Nicholas P. Ellis

  Mrs. Stella A. Fowler

  Sir Alan Greengross

  Mr. Karl T. Gurney

  Mr. Michael J. Harris

  Mr. I. Haynes

  Mr. Andrew J. Holt

  Mr. Ernest C. King

  Miss Faith C. Lawson

  Mr. Stepehen J. A. J. Le Bras

  Mr. Laurie Mack

  Mrs. Suzanne C. May

  Mr. Peter Nichols

  Mr. Peter L. Noble

  Mrs. Dawn Penso

  Mr. John A. K. Phillips

  Mr. Kilfoyle
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade who are the members currently appointed to the Advisory Committee on Telecommunications for Small Businesses.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  Appointments to the Advisory Committee on Telecommunications for Small Businesses are the responsibility of the Director General of Telecommunications. However, I understand that the current members are:

  Chairman:

  Mr. Michael Ashton

  Members:

  Miss Joy Allan

  Mrs. Judith Barden

  Mr. Sefton Bennett

  Mr. Robert Frenzel

  Mr. Patrick Frymann

  Mr. Richard Furey

  Mr. Michael Jordan

  Mr. Sean Mayo

  Mrs. Pamela Parker

  Mrs. Margaret Seymour

  Mr. Michael Taylor

  Overseas Visits
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the(a) budgeted and (b) actual expenditure by his Department on (1) internal and (2) overseas travel by the President of the Board of Trade in 1992–93 after 11 April 1992 and so far in 1993–94.

  Mr. Heseltine
  The expenditure incurred by my Department from 11 April 1992 to 31 March 1993 on my domestic travel was £8,745, and on my overseas travel was £5,866. From 1 April 1993 to 8 February 1994 the equivalent figures were £8,727 on my domestic travel and £16,360 on my overseas travel. These figures do not include the cost to my Department of my car. My Department does not allocate budgets for travel by individual Ministers.

  Scott Inquiry
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the total cost paid out to witnesses attending the Scott inquiry under the provisions available under the order 62, r 12(1) of the rules of the Supreme Court, by the costs branch of the Treasury Solicitor's Department; and to whom such expenses have been paid.
  505
  Mr. Needham
  To date, no expenses have been paid for legal costs to witnesses before the Scott inquiry.

  Value Added Tax (Domestic fuel)
  Mr. Clelland
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what estimates he has made of the reductions in consumption of domestic fuel resulting from the imposition of value added tax.

  Mr. Eggar
  My Department has published a range of energy demand projections in "Energy Paper 59", a copy of which is in the Library of the House. Those projections showed domestic sector energy demand approximately 6 per cent. higher in 2000 than in 1990. The imposition of VAT on domestic fuels is expected, in the long run, to reduce domestic sector consumption of coal by about 2 per cent. and of electricity and gas by about 4 per cent. This takes no account of the effects of any offsetting measures.

  Accounts Services Agency
  Dr. Michael Clark
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement about the outcome of the review of options for the future of the Accounts Services Agency.

  Mr. Eggar
  PA Consulting Group has completed its review of the options for the future of the Accounts Services Agency. In parallel, the Department has reviewed the scope for its financial accounting services to be met from the private sector, concluding that all but a small number of the services currently supplied by the agency could be contracted out, with appropriate safeguards.

  I have accepted PA's recommendations that:
  the proposal for a management-led employee buy-out should be declined, primarily because it was based on the assumption that competitive tendering was unnecessary. Competition is essential to ensure value for money;
  the agency should be moved into the private sector by competitive tendering of the services contract; and
  the contract should be offered with the expectation that the agency's existing staff and assets would be transferred to the successful bidder.

  The agency needs the expertise, financial resources, and freedom of the private sector to be able to improve its efficiency and to take full advantage of market opportunities. Strategic contracting out has been chosen as the preferred route to achieve this because it focuses on the service contract to DTI, and it would enable more staff and assets to be transferred to the private sector. Substantially the same outcome would be achieved as if the alternative route of privatisation had been chosen, but at a lower cost and on a shorter time scale.

  This course of action will allow the Department to obtain the best value for money in the provision of its financial accounting services. PA estimates that the saving could be 10 to 20 per cent. per annum. Up to 90 permanent staff could transfer to the contractor. This will ensure continuity in the supply of a core service to the Department. The agency will gain access to the expertise and financial resources of the private sector which will give the existing team the freedom to take advantage of market opportunities without the constraints of operating in the public sector. This will result in a better service to all its
  506
  customers and greater opportunities for its staff than would have been possible if the agency were to have remained in public sector ownership.

  Human Genes
  Dr. Moonie
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what guidelines he has produced for the research councils on the patenting of human genes; what discussions he has had on this subject with his European counterparts; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  I have been asked to reply.

  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on 1 February, Official Report, columns 619–20. This reply makes it clear that the Office of Science and Technology supports the policy of the Medical Research Council in not filing any further patent applications for human DNA sequences of unknown function.

  I am very happy to inform the hon. Member that the United States National Institutes of Health and the Medical Research Council have today agreed to withdraw their patent applications for cDNA sequences of unknown utility. The MRC, with the support of the Government, has always argued that these applications should not be granted. I welcome the co-operation between the United Kingdom and the United States on this important issue.

  Rover Group
  Mr. Eastham
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade on what date British Aerospace advised the Minister of its intention to sell Rover to BMW; and on what date the Minister notified the Japanese ambassador of this intention.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  [holding answer 8 February 19941: British Aerospace advised the Department in confidence of its decision in principle to sell Rover shortly after the BAe board meeting on 27 January and also subsequently, again in confidence, of the final decision shortly after it was made on 29 January. The Government did not notify the Japanese ambassador of BAe's decision.

ENVIRONMENT

  Local Government Finance
  Mr. William O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give details of the block grants and rate support grant allocated to authorities in west Yorkshire for each year since 1983; and if he will list the services covered by the grants.

  Mr. Baldry
  The available information is set out in the table. The rate support grant was not a service-specific grant and nor is revenue support grant. Both were or are paid to support expenditure which local authorities incur in performing their functions and which but for these grants, and national non-domestic rates from 1 April 1990, would have to be met from local taxes.
  507

  Rate support grant £000s

  1983–84

  1984–85

  1985–86

  1986–87

  1987–88

  1988–89

  1989–90

  West Yorkshire

  100,312

  102,681

  115,699

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Bradford

  114,808

  114,773

  120,735

  131,371

  143,296

  156,111

  171,750

  Calderdale

  44,575

  44,901

  45,413

  51,968

  57,003

  59,959

  60,907

  Kirklees

  89,421

  91,640

  93,145

  106,650

  118,107

  126,061

  124,237

  Leeds

  123,940

  125,009

  114,626

  135,324

  144,776

  145,847

  138,844

  Wakefield

  57,464

  58,598

  55,413

  62,971

  67,391

  67,608

  65,314

  West Yorkshire Police Authority

  —

  —

  —

  23,268

  27,642

  37,051

  39,252

  West Yorkshire Fire Authority

  —

  —

  —

  8,507

  9,284

  8,030

  10,165

  West Yorkshire Transport Authority

  —

  —

  —

  4,728

  7,587

  5,208

  5,111

  Block Grant £000s

  1983–84

  1984–85

  1985–86

  1986–87

  1987–88

  1988–89

  1989–90

  West Yorkshire

  100,312

  102,681

  115,699

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Bradford

  110,697

  110,644

  116,591

  127,203

  139,098

  151,875

  167,473

  Calderdale

  49,964

  43,277

  43,776

  50,314

  55,337

  58,277

  59,205

  Kirklees

  86,266

  88,460

  89,938

  103,406

  114,827

  122,739

  120,865

  Leeds

  116,342

  117,367

  106,947

  127,602

  137,007

  138,013

  130,946

  Wakefield

  54,518

  55,631

  52,424

  59,951

  64,340

  64,517

  62,178

  West Yorkshire Police Authority

  —

  —

  —

  23,268

  27,642

  37,051

  39,252

  West Yorkshire Fire Authority

  —

  —

  —

  8,507

  9,284

  8,030

  10,165

  West Yorkshire Transport Authority

  —

  —

  —

  4,728

  7,587

  5,208

  5,111

  Revenue Support Grant £000s

  1990–91

  1991–92

  1992–93

  1993–94

  Bradford

  157,783

  172,080

  236,612

  237,755

  Calderdale

  39,873

  38,432

  66,937

  65,840

  Kirklees

  82,492

  82,049

  138,135

  132,425

  Leeds

  137,665

  141,144

  242,216

  232,336

  Wakefield

  45,037

  44,071

  87,128

  86,905

  West Yorkshire Police Authority

  —

  —

  —

  50,369

  West Yorkshire Fire Authority

  —

  —

  —

  24,101

  West Yorkshire Transport Authority

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Notes:

  1. Following the introduction of the community charge system in 1990 the rate support grant was replaced by the revenue support grant.

  2. Block grants form part of rate support grant. Block grants ceased to exist following the introduction of the community charge system.

  3. West Yorkshire was one of the metropolitan county councils abolished in 1986. Its functions were then passed onto the metropolitan districts, the police, fire and civil defence, and transport authorities.

  4. Under the community charge system, 1990–91 to 1992–93, RSG was paid into the collection funds administered by the metropolitan districts. For this reason there were no figures for RSG to the police, fire and transport authorities.

  5. Under the council tax system, transport authorities do not receive RSG.

  Pollution
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer of 2 February,Official Report, column 799, if Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution will publish the monitoring results of the Eskmeals site to which he refers.

  Mr. Atkins
  The decision to publish the monitoring results of the Eskmeals site is a matter for my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Defence.
  508

  Thermal Oxide Reprocessing Plant
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer of 2 February,Official Report, column 794, if he will set out the points on THORP raised with him on 16 December 1993 by the ambassador of the Irish Republic.

  Mr. Atkins
  No. Such communications between the United Kingdom and other Governments are treated in confidence.

  Effluent Discharge Charging Scheme
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the revised effluent discharge charging scheme launched by the National Rivers Authority.

  Mr. Atkins
  The NRA's original scheme of charging for discharges came into effect in July 1991. As promised at that time, we have now reviewed it in the light of experience and on the basis of full consultation. We concluded that, in general, dischargers were satisfied. However, some changes have been made which will result in lower bills for some dischargers, particularly smaller businesses. There will also be an allowance for seasonal discharges which will benefit camping and caravan sites in particular. The NRA's considerable efforts in improving efficiency mean there will be no increase in either the application charge or the annual charge factor for 1994–95. The new arrangements will be introduced on 1 April 1994 and run until 31 March 1999.

  Tower Block Properties
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what study his Department has made of the extent to which estate agencies are refusing to deal with properties which are situated above the fifth floor in tower blocks bought under the right-to-buy legislation; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir George Young
  None. The Department has no evidence to suggest this is a widespread problem. Research
  509
  has been commissioned into the scale and range of problems leaseholders of council flats have with service charges and resale of their dwellings. Preliminary data are expected shortly.

  Owner Occupation
  Sir Thomas Arnold
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what percentage of homes in the United Kingdom were owner-occupied in each year since 1987.

  Sir George Young
  Estimates by type of tenure of the stock of dwellings in the United Kingdom appear in "Housing and Construction Statistics, Great Britain". Figures of owner-occupied dwellings expressed as a percentage of total dwelling stock are shown in table 9.3 of the 1982–92 annual edition for each year from 1987 to 1992.

  A copy of this publication is in the Library.

  Forestry
  Mrs. Bridget Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps the Government have taken to implement the recommendations made in the first report of the Select Committee on the Environment of Session 1992–93, on forestry and the environment—HC, 1992–93, No. 257.

  Mr. Atkins
  The Government have already implemented several of the Select Committee's recommendations, including the publication on 25 January of our response to the Rio forest principles, "Sustainable Forestry: The UK Programme". Other matters are under consideration. We will be providing the Select Committee with a follow-up report before the Whitsun recess.

  Mrs. Bridget Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, how much public money was paid to private landowners in the last financial year as an inducement not to plant conifers; what were the highest sums of money that were paid to landlords for not planting conifers; and to whom these sums were paid.

  Mr. Atkins
  Within the last financial year no new management agreements which compensate landowners for not planting conifers have been made in England by English Nature. I will write to the hon. Member with details of any such payments made under existing management agreements.

  South Crofty Tin Mine
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment has been made of the costs of any closure of the South Crofty tin mine in Cornwall on the environment, in particular the financial impact on the National Rivers Authority operation at Wheal Jane; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Atkins
  The NRA does not expect any additional cost to its operations at Wheal Jane but, as contingency planning, is investigating what might need to be done to avoid pollution were South Crofty to close.

  Local Government Finance
  Mr. Gill
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the estimated net aggregate expenditure of(a) county councils and (b) district councils in the current financial year.
  510
  Mr. Baldry
  County councils' and shire districts' budgeted net revenue expenditure for 1993–94 is £18,025 million and £3,202 million respectively.

  Gloucester Grove Estate
  Ms Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will meet a deputation of tenants from Gloucester Grove estate in Southwark;

  (2) if he will visit Gloucester Grove housing estate;

  (3) if he will make a statement about the estates action programme improvement of the Gloucester Grove estate in Southwark;

  (4) if he will make a statement about phase 7 improvements to Gloucester Grove housing estate in Southwark;

  (5) how many of the blocks in the Gloucester Grove housing estate remain to be improved; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir George Young
  Estate action improvements have been in progress on the Gloucester Grove estate since 1986–87. The Government have already made available £8·6 million of resources and have earmarked a further £8·85 million for phases 5 and 6 which are currently on site. These phases will be completed in 1996–97 and will complete the improvement of 10 blocks in total.

  The London borough of Southwark submitted a bid for a further eight blocks to be included in the 1994–95 estate action programme. Competition for resources was extremely tight, with 47 bids for support in London alone, and it was not possible to support that bid this year.

  At the end of phase 6, 19 blocks will remain unimproved. Future proposals for these blocks will form part of Southwark's proposed strategy for five council estates in the Peckham area. I hope that the proposed partnership between the borough, the private sector and housing associations will produce some imaginative proposals for improvements and a mixture of tenures on Gloucester Grove and the other estates.

  I have visited Southwark estates on a number of occasions in recent years and spoke to tenants from Gloucester Grove at Southwark's housing investment programme presentation in October 1992. Efforts are now best directed towards drawing up realistic proposals within Southwark's strategy for the area.

  Local Government Commission
  Mr. Rendell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what recommendations were put forward with regard to Southport by the Local Government Commission prior to the beginning of the Lancashire review.

  Mr. Baldry
  It was the Local Government Boundary Commission, abolished in October 1992 and the Local Government Commission's predecessor, which conducted a review of the boundaries of Sefton metropolitan borough with West Lancashire and Wirral. In its final report, submitted in June 1992, report No. 664, it recommended only minor boundary changes. The Secretary of State accepted these recommendations and an order was made on 1 May 1993, with the boundary changes taking effect from 1 April 1994—SI 1206/93.
  511

  Local Government Finance
  Mr. Wareing
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what discussions he has had with representatives of Liverpool city council in respect of its standard spending assessment; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Baldry
  My hon. Friend the Minister for Local Government and Planning met a delegation from Liverpool city council, on 17 January, to discuss Liverpool's proposed standard spending assessment for 1994–95.

  Shire Counties (Expenditure)
  Mr. Marlow
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will set out the standard spending assessment and the expenditure levels for each shire county for each of the last eight years, the current year and his proposals for 1994–95; and if he will set out the percentage change in each case(a) between each year and (b) over the full range of years for which figures are available.

  Mr. Baldry
  [holding answer 3 February 1994]: I have placed in the Library tables showing: standard spending assessments for the years 1990–91 to 1994–95; grant-related expenditure assessments for the years 1985–86 to 1989–90; and equivalent expenditure figures for the years 1985–86 to 1993–94 for each shire county. Since comparisons cannot be made between GREs and SSAs, nor between equivalent expenditures under the two regimes, the percentage changers are given between each year, between 1985–86 and 1989–90, and between 1990–91 and 1994–95.

  Touche Ross
  Mr. Darling
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if his Department or any agencies for which he is responsible has engaged the services of the firm Touche Ross or any of its partners since 1 July 1993.

  Mr. Baldry
  holding answer 3 February 1994]: The Department of the Environment has engaged the services of Touche Ross since 1 July 1993 to a total value of £178,000.

EDUCATION

  Further Education Colleges
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what provision has been made for the public accountability of further education colleges incorporated under the provisions of the Further and Higher Education Act 1992; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Boswell
  The framework for the public accountability of colleges in the further education sector is set by the financial memorandum between the Department and the Further Education Funding Council, and the financial memoranda between the council and colleges. The financial memorandum between the Department and the council makes it clear that it is part of the duty of the chief officer of the council, as accounting officer, to satisfy himself that further education colleges have appropriate arrangements for financial management and accounting.

  Under the financial memoranda between the council and colleges, colleges are required to provide the council with
  512
  audited accounts for each financial year. Each governing body must ensure that its college has a sound system of internal control and must appoint an audit committee and internal audit service for the college. The council may undertake examination of colleges' internal financial and management controls. Colleges' books and records are open to inspection by the council and by the Comptroller and Auditor General.

  Office for Standards in Education
  Mrs. Bridget Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of(a) primary schools and (b) secondary schools in London, Ofsted expects to inspect in the academic year 1993–94.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  The arrangements for inspecting schools under the Education (Schools) Act 1992 are a matter for Ofsted.

  I have asked Professor Sutherland to write to the hon. Member.

  Environmental Education
  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what further guidance will be given on schools' environmental management practices as indicated in the sustainable development strategy.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  The guidance promised in the United Kingdom strategy on sustainable development will be published later this year.

  It will be in the form of a simple environmental audit scheme which the schools can carry out themselves to evaluate and improve the environmental impact of their school buildings.

  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) what plans he has for schools to have a policy for environmental education guaranteeing provision and continuity between different subject areas of the curriculum;

  (2) if he will make it his policy to encourage all schools to appoint a co-ordinator for environmental education;

  (3) if he will publish guidance to advise schools of good practice in teaching about care for the environment;

  (4) what plans he has for providing guidance to schools on delivering environmental education on biodiversity and sustainable development;

  (5) what plans he has to provide grants to voluntary bodies to produce teaching resources and facilities that promote the concept of sustainability declared at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  Provided that the statutory requirements are met, it is for the individual school to determine the character of its curriculum, its organisation and the mode of its delivery, taking account of any relevant information or advice produced by the Office for Standards in Education. Where environmental education is addressed through the statutory subjects of the national curriculum, content and continuity will be specified within the statutory documents. My right hon. Friend is giving priority to the revision of these documents and has no plans to publish additional guidance for schools on these matters. He does not publish curriculum resources and has no plans to fund voluntary or other bodies to do so. He prefers to provide
  513
  specific grant to support expenditure by schools on books, materials and equipment or teacher training, as they see fit to develop national curriculum provision.

  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has to ensure that within the school's inspection framework the responsibility of schools for raising awareness and understanding of the environment and conservation issues is subject to inspection and comment.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  Under the Education (Schools) Act 1992, registered inspectors conducting inspection of schools must report on the quality of education and standards achieved in schools in accordance with Ofsted's pubished framework for inspection.

  I have asked Professor Sutherland to write to the hon. Member.

  Funding Levels (Disputes)
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what mechanisms exist to resolve any dispute or disagreements between the Further Education Funding Council and individual colleges, including disputes over levels of funding; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Boswell
  In the first instance, my right hon. Friend would expect a college to pursue its concerns with the Further Education Funding Council; in the last resort it could complain to the Secretary of State.

  If the Secretary of State is satisfied that the Further Education Funding Council has failed to discharge its duties under the Education Acts, he may issue a direction to the council under section 57 of the Further and Higher Education Act 1992. If he is satisfied that the council is exercising its functions unreasonably, he may issue a direction under section 68 of the Education Act 1944, as applied by paragraph 9 of schedule 8 to the Further and Higher Education Act 1992. The Further and Higher Education Act 1992 also gives the Secretary of State power to issue general or special directions to the council. Special directions may, in particular, relate to the provision of financial support by the council in respect of activities carried on by a particular institution. The Secretary of State would expect to exercise this power only in very exceptional circumstances.

  Further Education
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what is his policy on the publication of names and addresses of chairpersons and members of further eduction colleges incorporated under the provisions of the Further and Higher Education Act 1992; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Boswell
  Under the charter for further education, colleges are expected to publish the names of governors and how to contact them, which would normally be through the college. There is no expectation that governors' private addresses should be published.

  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what provisions exist for the independent monitoring of the financial situation of further education colleges incorporated under the provisions of the Further and Higher Education Act 1992; and if he will make a statement.
  514
  Mr. Boswell
  Independent monitoring of the financial position of colleges in the further education sector is secured through the requirement in the financial memoranda between the Further Education Funding Council and colleges for the appointment of an audit committee, and also through the requirement on colleges to appoint external auditors. In addition, under section 53 of the Further and Higher Education Act 1992, colleges' accounts are open to inspection by the Comptroller arid Auditor General.

  Ministerial Visits
  Mr. Pope
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many official engagements have been carried out in the last year by each Education Minister(a) in total, (b) at grant-maintained schools and (c) at local education authority schools.

  Mr. Patten
  The figures requested are as follows:

  1Total number of official visits

  Of which: Visits to schools

  GM Schools

  LEA Schools

  Secretary of State

  76

  3

  21

  Baroness Blatch

  52

  17

  12

  Mr. Forth

  84

  1

  32

  Mr. Squire

  73

  15

  11

  Mr. Boswell

  136

  2

  9

  TOTAL

  421

  38

  85

  1 The figures cover all Ministers' official engagements, including school visits, conferences, receptions, and other speaking engagements, such as those at official lunches and dinners.

NATIONAL HERITAGE

  Foreign Visitors to London
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what advice he will seek from the Chief Secretary to the Treasury about encouraging foreign visitors to London; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Sproat
  None. It is not for the Chief Secretary to the Treasury to advise on such matters of policy.

  Public Bodies
  Mr. Kilfoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage who are the members currently appointed to the board of the Royal Armouries.

  Mr. Sproat
  The current members of the Roy al Armouries board of trustees is as follows:

  Lord Eden of Winton (Chairman)

  Rufus Bond-Gunning

  David Chandler

  Lady Cooksey

  Richard Fortin

  John Hale

  Robert Hardy

  Geoffrey Lewis

  The hon. Francis Plowden

  Field Marshall Sir John Stanier

  The Duke of Wellington

  Mr. Kilfoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage who are the members currently appointed to the Broadcasting Standards Council.
  515
  Mr. Brooke
  The current members of the Broadcasting Standards Council are:

  Lady Howe (Chairman)

  Dame Jocelyn Barrow OBE

  Ms Sally O'Sullivan

  Mrs. Rhiannon Bevan

  Mr. Matthew Parris

  Dr. Jean Curtis-Raleigh

  The Reverend John Lang

  Mr. Kilfoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage who are the members currently appointed to the board of the Horniman museum.

  Mr. Sproat
  The members of the board of trustees of the Horniman museum are:

  Dame Margaret Weston (Chairman)

  His Honour Judge Brian Galpin

  Dr. Eileen Hooper-Greenhill

  Michael Homiman Esq.

  Dr. Schuyler Jones

  Donald Kirkham Esq.

  Dame Unity Lister

  Prof. Ghillean Prance

  Ronald Watts Esq.

  Michael Wheeler Esq.

  Mr. Kilfoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage who are the members currently appointed to the Royal Commission on Historical Manuscripts.

  Mr. Sproat
  The present members of the Royal Commission on Historical Manuscripts are:

  Dr. Gerald Aylmer DPhil FBA (Chairman)

  David Vaisey FSA

  Viscount of Arbuthnott CBE DSC FRSE

  Lord Camoys

  Lord Egremont DL

  Dr. Joan Thirsk FBA

  Sir Matthew Farrer KCVO

  Sir John Sainty KCB

  Miss Barbara Harvey FSA FBA

  Prof. R. H. Campbell

  Sir Keith Thomas FBA

  The Very Reverend Henry Stapleton

  The Rt. Hon. Lord Blake Dlitt FBA JP

  John W. Ehrman FBA

  Prof S. F. C. Milsom QC FBA

  Patrick Cormack MP FSA

  Mr. Kilfoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage who are the members currently appointed to the board of the national maritime museum.

  Mr. Sproat
  The members of the board of trustees of the national maritime museum are:

  Lord Lewin KG CGB LVO DSC (Chairman)

  Sir Nigel Broackes

  Professor Alastair Couper FNI FRICS

  J. G. Davis Esq. CBE FCIT FCIS

  HRA Duke of Edinburgh KG KT OM GBE PC FRS

  Sir David Hardy

  Robin Knox-Johnson Esq. CBE RD

  H. U. A. Lambert Esq. MA FIB

  Dr. Paul Murdin OBE

  Mrs. Coral Samuel

  Sir Charles Henderson Tidbury

  Arthur Burton Weller Esq.

  National Lottery
  Mr. Cormack
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if companies and consortia which plan to devote their profits to charitable causes will be eligible for consideration when he decides where to award the contract, or contracts, to manage the national lottery.
  516
  Mr. Sproat
  The responsibility for licensing a body corporate to operate the national lottery lies with the director general, who will consider all applications.

DEFENCE

  Trident
  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the Trident D5 missile that the United Kingdom is purchasing from the United States of America has been flight-tested with more than eight re-entry vehicles.

  Mr. Aitken
  Yes.

  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answers to the hon. Member for Leyton (Mr. Cohen) of 16 December,Official Report, column 903, on test firing, and the hon. Member for Western Isles (Mr. Macdonald) of 18 January, Official Report, column 505, on a processing margin, what is Her Majesty's Government's policy in respect of the maximum number of Trident missiles to be purchased from the United States; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Aitken
  We plan to purchase sufficient Trident missiles from the United States to maintain a minimum nuclear deterrent well into the next century. It is not our policy to comment on the total number of missiles to be purchased.

  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the technical maximum number of warheads that the United Kingdom's Trident submarines will be capable of deploying.

  Mr. Aitken
  Each United Kingdom Trident submarine will be technically capable of carrying a maximum of 192 warheads. However, we have announced that each Trident submarine will deploy with no more than 96 warheads and may carry a significantly lower number.

  Nuclear Weapons
  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the implications of a cut-off in military fissile material production for(a) the planned Trident deployment and (b) the production of other future United Kingdom nuclear weapons systems.

  Mr. Aitken
  We hope to be able to work towards a multilateral and verifiable cut-off in the production of fissile material for explosive purposes which has potential value for non-proliferation efforts. It would be premature to comment on the implications for the United Kingdom until the details of such a cut-off have been agreed.

  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the United Kingdom has the capability to recycle military fissile material, currently deployed in its strategic nuclear weapons and arising from the dismantlement of some of its tactical nuclear weapons, for use in its Trident missiles.

  Mr. Aitken
  Yes. The United Kingdom has the facilities for, and extensive experience in, the dismantling of redundant nuclear wapons and in the recycling of the fissile material.
  517

  Defence Staff
  Mr. Trotter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish a table showing the number, location, service and rank of defence and service attaché and defence adviser posts in foreign and Commonwealth countries as of(a) April 1990 and (b) at the latest date for which figures are available together with similar figures for dedicated support staff; if he will publish similar figures for the British defence staff in the United States of America; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hanley
  Tables showing the number, location, service and rank of defence and service attaché, defence adviser posts and dedicated support staff in foreign and Commonwealth countries as of 1 April 1990, table 1, and 1 February 1994, table 2, and British defence staff in the United States of America as of April 1990 and January 1994, tables 3 and 4, are being placed in the Library of the House.

  Mr. Trotter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will set out the financial arrangements for funding defence and service attaches and defence advisers and their support staff in foreign and Commonwealth countries.

  Mr. Hanley
  Funding of accredited service attaches, defence advisers and dedicated support staff is undertaken by the Ministry of Defence and Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The Ministry of Defence funds pay and allowances as well as necessary equipment including official transport. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office provides accommodation, office facilities, communications and security for Ministry of Defence personnel in post.

  Public Bodies
  Dr. Wright
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which appointments since 1979 to public bodies or posts for which he is responsible have included candidates nominated by the Chief Whip's Office; if any nominees by this source have been appointed; and if he will give details.

  Mr. Hanley
  It is not the practice of Her Majesty's Government to answer parliamentary questions about discussions and consultations between Departments and offices of Government relating to public appointments.

  Royal Small Arms Factory, Enfield
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for South Shields (Dr. Clark), of 20 January,Official Report, column 825, if he will set out the reason why the information requested on arms manufacture at the royal arms factory, Enfield is not available from official sources.

  Mr. Aitken
  When the royal ordnance factories were incorporated in 1985, all records were retained by Royal Ordnance plc, except those that were returned to the Ministry of Defence for preservation as public records. The returned files do not contain the information requested by the hon. Member for South Shields.

  Surplus Equipment
  Mr. Cann
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the normal procedure for the sale of surplus or obsolescent equipment.
  518
  Mr. Aitken
  My Department arranges sales of surplus equipment through Government-to-Government and Government-to-industry contracts, competitive tenders, public auctions and private treaty sales. These take into account the type and condition of the equipment and the available market opportunities.

  Jet Provost Trainers
  Mr. Cann
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Jet Provost trainers are to be sold in the current financial year.

  Mr. Aitken
  A total of 62 Jet Provosts will be sold in the current financial year.

  Mr. Cann
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence to whom and under what procedure Jet Provost trainers have been sold; how many have been sold; and what financial gain resulted to Her Majesty's Government.

  Mr. Aitken
  Since April 1990, 115 Jet Provost aircraft have been sold to over 20 different customers, by competitive tender, public auction and private treaty arrangements. Receipts have totalled some £600,000.

  Arms Sales
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether contingent liabilities exist for the United Kingdorn Government in sales of arms or arms-related sales by the Government, its agents, including DESO or IMS Ltd., or as part of Government-to-Government arms deals.

  Mr. Aitken
  Yes. The supplementary statement to the Consolidated Fund and National Loans Fund Accounts 1992–93, Cm 52, contains information on contingent liabilities.

  Arms Sales
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which countries have been the top 20 buyers of British arms since 1979.

  Mr. Aitken
  Details of purchasers of British defence equipment are given in table 1.11 of the United Kingdom Defence Statistics. A copy of the 1993 edition has been placed in the Library of the House.

  Defence Arms Control Unit
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the role and function of the defence arms control unit.

  Mr. Hanley
  The main function of the defence arms control unit, now known as the proliferation and arms control secretariat, is to co-ordinate and provide advice on defence policy aspects of United Kingdom's involvement in non-proliferation, arms control and disarmament negotiations.

  Exercise Arctic Express
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the expected cost of participation of British forces in exercise Arctic Express.

  Mr. Hanley
  The expected cost to the United Kingdom for exercise Arctic Express will be some £2,950,000.
  519
  NATO will, however, refund part of the cost of air transport movement, reducing the final cost to a figure of some £2,600,000.

  Sarajevo
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he is prepared to offer mortar-locating radar and other detection equipment to United Nations forces deployed in Sarajevo; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hanley
  It is for the United Nations to determine the equipment needs of their forces in the former Yugoslavia. Any United Nations request for additional equipments would be given due consideration.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consideration he has given to the use of air power to protect the civilians of Sarajevo in accordance with United Nations resolutions; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hanley
  The North Atlantic Council's decision of 9 February authorised the use of air strikes in close co-ordination with the United Nations Secretary-General, if heavy weapons are not withdrawn from around Sarajevo or placed under UNPROFOR's control within 10 days. Air strikes can be launched with immediate effect, at the request of the United Nations, against heavy weapons responsible for any further attacks on civilian targets in the city.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consideration he has given to the establishment of an effective United Nations safe area in and around Sarajevo; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hanley
  United Nations Security Council resolution 836 established six safe areas in Bosnia, including Sarajevo. NATO has called on the parties to lift the siege of Sarajevo and made clear the alliance's readiness to carry out air strikes if heavy weapons are not withdrawn or placed under United Nations control within 10 days. The Government fully support the efforts of NATO and the United Nations.

  Bosnia
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with his United Nations counterparts about the deployment of additional forces in Bosnia; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hanley
  My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Defence, has had many discussions, including on former Yugoslavia issues, with his counterparts from various United Nations member nations. Additional Dutch, Malaysian and Pakistani forces are currently deploying to Bosnia following a request from the United Nations Secretary-General last year for troops to implement United Nations Security Council resolution 836, which established six safe areas.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the nature and extent of the discussions he has had with his NATO counterparts about the deployment of additional forces in Bosnia; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hanley
  My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Defence is in regular contact with his 520
  NATO counterparts about all aspects of our military deployments in former Yugoslavia. The deployment of additional personnel to UNPROFOR in Bosnia is, however, a matter for the United Nations.

  Search and Rescue Helicopters
  Mr. Ainger
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will give a full breakdown of the total annual support costs for helicopter search and rescue operations including support manpower costs at RAF Brawdy in(a) 1992–93 and (b) 1993–94.

  Mr. Hanley
  I will write to the hon. Member.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Alcoholic Beverages
  Mr. Sims
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will take steps in any EC Council discussions concerning the rules for listing ingredients and additives in alcoholic beverages to ensure consistent and simultaneous treatment for beer, wines and spirits.

  Mr. Jack
  Yes. During negotiations on the European Commission's proposal for ingredients listing of alcoholic drinks the United Kingdom will seek to ensure that any measures which are eventually adopted apply consistently and simultaneously to the different product sectors.

  Milk Marque
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many representations she has received in favour of the deferral of the vesting date of Milk Marque from April to November 1994; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Jack
  On 9 February the Milk Marketing Board submitted amendments to its reorganisation scheme. These provide, inter alia, for a vesting day of 1 November 1994. We shall be conducting a formal consultation on the scheme as amended.

  Animal Diseases (Monitoring)
  Mr. Tyler
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will make a statement about the future of the computer monitoring programme for the spread of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, salmonella and other animal diseases at the Central Veterinary Laboratory.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  Responsibility for this matter is delegated to the Central Veterinary Laboratory and I have asked the chief executive to reply to the hon. Gentleman direct.

  Letter from T. W. A. Little to Mr. Paul Tyler, dated 11 February 1994:
  The Minister has asked me to reply to your question about the computer monitoring programme operated at CVL for the spread of BSE, Salmonella and other animal diseases.
  CVL has built excellent systems for the monitoring of a range of animal diseases including those you mention. The systems have produced accurate and up-to-date figures for some years and our expert team will continue to maintain and refine the systems for as long as they are required.
  521

SCOTLAND

  NHS Trusts
  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if chairmen and directors of trusts are required to declare an interest when any relevant business is being considered and withdrawn from further consideration of such business.

  Mr. Stewart
  Yes.

  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he has taken to ascertain whether all trust executive and non-executive directors have been provided with the training necessary for them to have an adequate appreciation of the control mechanisms and rebating arrangements for financial matters.

  Mr. Stewart
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 28 January 1994,Official Report, column 461.

  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what guidance he has given to non-executive directors of trusts on their powers to act independently where they are in disagreement with chairmen and executive directors.

  Mr. Stewart
  Each trust board is required to have an audit committee, the composition of which includes non-executive directors but not the chairman or executive directors, and with a prescribed remit.

  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if all board members of NHS trusts have been required to declare any interest that may be relevant before he appoints them; and if such interests are made known to the other members of the board to which they were appointed.

  Mr. Stewart
  Such information is not currently sought from trust board members prior to their appointment but the position is under review. Any trust director who has an interest in a contract or other matter at a trust board meeting is required by regulations to disclose that interest and not to take part in consideration or discussion of it.

  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what guidance he has given to NHS trusts on the exercise of financial control.

  Mr. Stewart
  In addition to the training provision for their directors referred to in my reply to the hon. Member on 28 January 1994,Official Report, column 461, NHS trusts in Scotland are issued with a financial manual "NHS Trusts: Guidance for Financial Managers" which includes guidance on financial controls.

  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list for each non-executive member he has appointed to the board of an NHS trust(a) directorships, including non-executive directorships, held in private companies or plcs, (b) ownership or part ownership of private companies, businesses or consultancies likely or possibly seeking to do business with the NHS, (c) majority or controlling shareholdings in a charity or voluntary body in the field of health care, social services or housing and (d) any material connection with a voluntary or other body contracting for services with NHS organisations.

  Mr. Stewart
  Such information is not held centrally.

  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what guidance he has provided for chairmen of trusts on retaining the independence of their chief executives.
  522
  Mr. Stewart
  No specific guidance has been issued but the roles and relationships of chairmen and chief executives are covered in the induction courses arranged centrally for new trust chairmen and in support provided locally by the management development group.

  Pollution Control
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will place in the Library copies of the minutes of the Scottish pollution control co-ordinating committee since 1990.

  Sir Hector Monro
  The Scottish pollution control co-ordinating committee is a sub-group of the Royal Environmental Health Institute of Scotland, which officials of the Scottish Office normally attend. Its purpose is to promote the consistent application of district and islands' pollution control functions throughout Scotland and offer a forum for the exchange of information between local authority and Government officials.

  I have arranged with REHIS for copies of the committee's minutes since its inception in June 1992 to be placed in the Library.

  Glass Recycling
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what information he has received from local authorities in Scotland regarding the current status of glass recycling.

  Sir Hector Monro
  Forty-eight Scottish local authorities have submitted draft recycling plans which give details of their current arrangements for collecting glass for recycling and of their plans for future glass collection. In addition, representations giving information about the impact of recent changes in prices paid for glass cullet have been made on behalf of the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, Argyle and Bute district council, Inverness district council and Cumnock and Doon Valley district council.

  Forestry Commission
  Dr. Strang
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many submissions have now been received by the review group considering the future of the Forestry Commission; and how many of those submissions addressing the question of privatisation of the commission were opposed.

  Sir Hector Monro
  [holding answer 10 February 1994]: Over 3,500 individuals and organisations have sent representations both to the forestry review group and to Ministers, about the work currently being carried out by the group. A large majority of these submissions which addressed the question of privatisation were opposed to it, with many referring to concerns about the implications for access, environmental considerations and timber production. All representations are being taken into account by the group as it continues its work.

  Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list where cattle infected with BSE have been located in Scotland, the species involved, the number involved in each incident and the date on which each case was discovered; and if he will make a statement.
  523
  Sir Hector Monro
  [holding answer 7 February 1994]: The information up to 31 December 1993 is given in the

  1993

  Breed

  Borders

  Central

  Dumfries

  Fife

  Grampian

  Highland

  Lothian

  Orkney

  Strathclyde

  Tayside

  Shetland

  Western Isles

  Unknown

  9

  —

  16

  3

  11

  1

  1

  1

  20

  8

  —

  —

  Aberdeen Angus

  21

  —

  57

  3

  14

  3

  4

  5

  33

  8

  —

  —

  Ankole

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Ayrshire

  —

  —

  39

  4

  3

  2

  1

  2

  42

  1

  —

  —

  Belgium Blue

  —

  —

  3

  1

  2

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  Blonde D'Aquitaine

  —

  —

  3

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Blue Grey

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  Charolais

  1

  1

  3

  2

  11

  2

  —

  2

  2

  7

  —

  —

  Chianin x Simmental

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Friesian

  23

  40

  323

  37

  120

  29

  29

  13

  264

  24

  —

  —

  Galloway

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2

  —

  —

  —

  Holstein

  4

  —

  22

  1

  10

  —

  1

  —

  11

  3

  —

  —

  Hereford

  55

  10

  80

  29

  93

  32

  25

  9

  45

  56

  —

  —

  Highland

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  Jersey

  —

  —

  —

  —

  3

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Limousin

  18

  14

  44

  7

  30

  2

  2

  1

  30

  8

  —

  —

  Luing

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Red Friesian

  —

  —

  2

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  3

  —

  —

  —

  Red Holstein

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  Rogmanola

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  Saler

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Shorthorn

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  1

  —

  —

  1

  1

  —

  —

  Simmental

  15

  4

  37

  11

  65

  17

  5

  —

  16

  19

  —

  —

  TOTAL

  146

  69

  633

  98

  365

  92

  68

  33

  473

  136

  —

  —

  1992

  Breed

  Borders

  Central

  Dumfries

  Fife

  Grampian

  Highland

  Lothian

  Orkney

  Strathclyde

  Tayside

  Shetland

  Western Isles

  Unknown

  2

  1

  8

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  9

  3

  —

  —

  Aberdeen Angus

  26

  2

  40

  3

  13

  4

  3

  1

  38

  7

  —

  —

  Ayrshire

  1

  2

  38

  5

  6

  1

  —

  1

  61

  2

  —

  —

  Belgian Blue

  —

  —

  —

  1

  1

  1

  —

  —

  1

  1

  —

  —

  Blonde D'Aquitaine

  —

  1

  1

  —

  2

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  Blue Grey

  —

  —

  1

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  2

  —

  —

  —

  British White

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  Charolais

  3

  —

  3

  —

  6

  1

  —

  —

  4

  5

  —

  —

  Devon

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  Friesian

  22

  23

  362

  22

  125

  27

  28

  15

  261

  26

  1

  —

  Galloway

  1

  —

  2

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  Gelbvieh

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Holstein

  4

  —

  12

  1

  19

  —

  —

  —

  12

  8

  —

  —

  Hereford

  35

  7

  59

  19

  70

  17

  6

  1

  42

  48

  —

  —

  Jersey

  —

  —

  1

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  3

  —

  —

  —

  Limousin

  10

  2

  23

  4

  26

  1

  5

  —

  27

  11

  —

  —

  Lincoln Red

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Luing

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Murray Grey

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Red Holstein

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Rogmanola

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Shorthorn

  —

  —

  2

  —

  2

  1

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  Simmental

  7

  2

  22

  8

  33

  13

  3

  6

  14

  25

  —

  —

  South Devon

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Sussex

  —

  —

  —

  —

  4

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  TOTAL

  112

  40

  576

  65

  312

  67

  45

  24

  471

  136

  1

  —

  1991

  Breed

  Borders

  Central

  Dumfries

  Fife

  Grampian

  Highland

  Lothian

  Orkney

  Strathclyde

  Tayside

  Shetland

  Western Isles

  Unknown

  3

  —

  4

  —

  2

  —

  —

  —

  3

  —

  —

  —

  Aberdeen Angus

  11

  1

  17

  —

  8

  1

  1

  —

  7

  3

  —

  —

  Ayrshire

  1

  1

  19

  —

  7

  —

  1

  —

  32

  1

  —

  —

  Belgium Blue

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Blonde D'Aquitaine

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  British White

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Charolais

  1

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  1

  —

  —

  Friesian

  17

  10

  173

  20

  54

  7

  9

  —

  125

  8

  2

  —

  Gelbvieh

  1

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  524
  following table. This shows confirmed cases of BSE by year of report, broken down by breed. Cross breeds have been listed under the main breed.
  525

  Breed

  Borders

  Central

  Dumfries

  Fife

  Grampian

  Highland

  Lothian

  Orkney

  Strathctyde

  Tayside

  Shetland

  Western Isles

  Holstein

  —

  1

  4

  1

  11

  —

  2

  —

  8

  1

  —

  —

  Hereford

  17

  3

  21

  9

  26

  15

  1

  1

  16

  28

  —

  —

  Jersey

  —

  1

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  Limousin

  5

  2

  5

  1

  6

  4

  —

  —

  13

  1

  —

  —

  Luing

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Murray Grey

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Red Friesian

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  Red Holstein

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Shorthorn

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  Simmental

  —

  1

  7

  4

  4

  6

  1

  2

  6

  6

  —

  —

  Sussex

  —

  —

  —

  —

  3

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  TOTAL

  58

  21

  254

  35

  124

  34

  15

  4

  214

  49

  2

  —

  1990

  Breed

  Borders

  Central

  Dumfries

  Fife

  Grampian

  Highland

  Lothian

  Orkney

  Strathclyde

  Tayside

  Shetland

  Western Isles

  Unknown

  1

  —

  1

  —

  4

  —

  1

  —

  3

  1

  —

  —

  Aberdeen Angus

  2

  —

  5

  6

  4

  —

  1

  —

  5

  3

  —

  —

  Ayrshire

  —

  1

  5

  —

  2

  —

  —

  1

  41

  2

  —

  —

  Belgian Blue

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Blonde D'Aquitaine

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Charolais

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Friesian

  5

  8

  71

  22

  39

  6

  4

  4

  65

  15

  —

  —

  Galloway

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Holstein

  —

  1

  4

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  Hereford

  11

  1

  3

  4

  34

  17

  3

  —

  15

  14

  —

  —

  Highland

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  Jersey

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Limousin

  1

  —

  2

  —

  4

  —

  —

  —

  2

  4

  —

  —

  Lincoln Red

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Shorthorn

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Simmental

  3

  —

  1

  5

  5

  3

  —

  —

  2

  2

  —

  —

  Sussex

  —

  —

  —

  —

  4

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  TOTAL

  24

  11

  94

  38

  100

  28

  9

  6

  134

  42

  —

  —

  1989

  Breed

  Borders

  Central

  Dumfries

  Fife

  Grampian

  Highland

  Lothian

  Orkney

  Strathclyde

  Tayside

  Shetland

  Western Isles

  Unknown

  —

  —

  —

  —

  4

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  Aberdeen Angus

  1

  —

  3

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  2

  —

  —

  —

  Ayrshire

  2

  —

  2

  —

  1

  1

  1

  —

  12

  2

  —

  —

  British White

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  Friesian

  4

  5

  21

  8

  21

  4

  6

  1

  40

  4

  1

  —

  Holstein

  —

  —

  2

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  4

  —

  —

  —

  Hereford

  1

  2

  5

  3

  10

  4

  —

  1

  3

  7

  —

  —

  Jersey

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  4

  —

  —

  Limousin

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2

  —

  —

  —

  Red Friesian

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  Shorthorn

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  Simmental

  —

  —

  —

  —

  3

  2

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Sussex

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  TOTAL

  9

  7

  33

  11

  42

  12

  7

  2

  66

  17

  1

  1

  June to December 1988

  Breed

  Borders

  Central

  Dumfries

  Fife

  Grampian

  Highland

  Lothian

  Orkney

  Strathctyde

  Tayside

  Shetland

  Western Isles

  Unknown

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Aberdeen Angus

  —

  —

  2

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Ayrshire

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  3

  1

  —

  —

  Friesian

  1

  2

  7

  —

  9

  2

  1

  1

  6

  —

  —

  —

  Holstein

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  Hereford

  —

  1

  1

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  Jersey

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  Limousin

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Simmental

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  1

  1

  —

  —

  —

  TOTAL

  1

  3

  12

  0

  12

  3

  2

  2

  11

  3

  —

  —

  526 527

  Before June 1998

  Breed

  Borders

  Central

  Dumfries

  Fife

  Grampian

  Highland

  Lothian

  Orkney

  Strathclyde

  Tayside

  Shetland

  Western Isles

  Unknown

  —

  —

  3

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  Aberdeen Angus

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  Ayrshire

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Friesian

  —_

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Holstein

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Hereford

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  Total

  1

  —

  5

  —

  —

  2

  1

  —

  —

  2

  1

  —

  Public Appointments
  Dr. Wright
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland which of the public appointments for which he is responsible require advance notice to and consultation with the Chief Whip's Office; and which appointments made since 1979 have been so notified and consulted upon.

  Mr. Lang
  It is not the practice of Her Majesty's Government to answer parliamentary questions about discussions and consultations between Departments and offices of Government relating to public appointments.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Remand Centres
  Ms Abbott
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give a breakdown by race, on the most convenient date, of the inmates held in the remand centres at Featherstone, Cardiff, Dorchester, Exeter,

  Population in remand centres on 30 June 1992: by establishment and ethnic origin

  England and Wales

  Number

  Ethnic origin

  Establishment

  White

  West Indian, Guyanese, African

  Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi

  Chinese, Arab, mixed origin

  Other, not recorded (including refusal)

  All persons in establishment

  Hindley

  370

  4

  3

  16

  2

  395

  Low Newton1

  272

  2

  3

  2

  —

  279

  Moorland1

  430

  11

  17

  5

  —

  463

  Feltham1

  194

  69

  13

  16

  6

  298

  Haslar1

  11

  45

  24

  20

  10

  110

  Norwich1

  56

  1

  —

  2

  —

  59

  Rochester1

  92

  34

  1

  3

  2

  132

  Brinsford1

  285

  21

  17

  11

  1

  335

  Cardiff1

  93

  2

  —

  5

  3

  103

  Dorchester1

  33

  1

  2

  1

  1

  38

  Exeter1

  64

  2

  1

  —

  1

  68

  Glen Parva1

  259

  11

  15

  11

  2

  298

  Stoke Heath1

  32

  5

  —

  3

  9

  43

  Swansea1

  60

  1

  —

  —

  —

  61

  All remand centres

  2,251

  209

  96

  95

  31

  2,682

  1Establishments serving more than one purpose, the numbers above refer only to those held in the remand component.

  Brixton Prison
  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the reason for the recent trawl at Her Majesty's prison Brixton for staff; and how many prison staff had been subjected to compulsory transfers from Brixton in 1993.
  528
  Feltham, Glen Parva, Gloucester, Wigan, Iancaster, Durham, Doncaster, Northallerton, Norwich, Reading, Rochester, Market Drayton, Swansea and Milton Keynes.

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

  Letter from Derek Lewis to Ms Diane Abbott, dated 11 February 1994:

  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question asking if he will give a breakdown by race, on the most convenient date, of the inmates held in the remand centres at Featherstone, Cardiff, Dorchester, Exeter, Feltham, Glen Parva, Gloucester, Wigan, Iancaster, Durham, Doncaster, Northallerton, Norwich, Reading, Rochester, Market Drayton, Swansea and Milton Keynes.

  The readily available information is for 30 June 1992 and is given in the attached table. Some of the Prison Service establishments listed in the Question were not operating as remand centres on that date. The breakdown given is in terms of the ethnic classification used at the time. A new ethnic coding was introduced in prisons from 1 October 1992.

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

  Letter from Derek Lewis to Mr. Doug Hoyle, dated 11 February 1994:

  529
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question concerning the reason for the recent trawl at Brixton prison for staff, and how many prison staff had been subjected to compulsory transfers from Brixton in 1993.
  Following an increased demand for staff in the north of England, a number of staff took the opportunity to transfer there from Brixton. Subsequently, a national trawl was held to replace some of the staff at Brixton.
  Prison officers are mobile grades and all permanent transfers are "compulsory". Where practicable the wishes of staff are taken into account. If this is not possible staff are issued with a compulsory transfer notice against which they can appeal.
  In 1993, 26 officers were issued with compulsory notices in Brixton. 19 of these appealed and the compulsory notices were subsequently withdrawn. Seven did not appeal and were subsequently transferred to Belmarsh.

  Police on the Beat
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has had from(a) hon. Members, (b) chief constables and (c) chairmen or members of police authorities, asserting that police beat cover has been reduced in their areas since 1992; and if he will make a statement on the measures he is taking to ensure that any increase in the number of police officers is reflected by more police actually on the beat.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  Views about policing levels and beat cover feature regularly in the numerous representations and correspondence which we receive on the general subject of policing. Information in the form requested could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Current initiatives designed to put more officers on the beat include reducing paperwork, civilianisation and reorganising management structures. One of the key objectives set for the service is to provide high visibility policing so as to reassure the public

  Number of males aged under 21 prosecuted at the magistrates courts and convicted1 at all courts of buggery offences—1982 to 1986 England and Wales

  1982

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  Prosecutions

  Convictions

  Prosecutions

  Convictions

  Prosecutions

  Convictions

  Prosecutions

  Convictions

  Prosecutions

  Convictions

  With a boy under the age of 16 or with a woman or an animal

  18

  17

  32

  23

  30

  23

  25

  23

  31

  31

  By a man with a male person of the age of 16 or over without consent

  5

  5

  2

  1

  4

  4

  5

  2

  4

  4

  By a man of the age of 21 or over with another male person under the age of 21 with consent

  2

  1

  1

  3

  1

  —

  4

  2

  4

  5

  By a man with another male person other than above

  5

  3

  11

  5

  2

  1

  10

  6

  3

  2

  Male member of staff of hospital or mental nursing home committing buggery or an act of gross indecency on a male patient

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Man committing buggery or an act of gross indecency with mentally disordered male patient who is subject to his care

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Attempt to commit buggery with a boy under the age of 16 or with a woman or an animal

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  3

  1

  1

  2

  7

  Attempt by a man to commit buggery with a male person of the age of 16 or over without consent

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2

  —

  2

  1

  Attempt by a man of the age of 21 or over to commit buggery with another male person under the age of 21 with his consent

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Attempt by a man to commit buggery with another male person other than above

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  530

  Wymott Prison
  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners at Her Majesty's prison Wymott have been charged for the riot and destruction of the prison; and what has been the range of punishments provided.

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

  Letter from Derek Lewis to Mr. Doug Hoyle, dated 11 February 1994:
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about how many prisoners at Her Majesty's Prison Wymott have been charged for the riot and destruction of the prison; and what has been the range of punishments provided.
  Lancashire Constabulary are still continuing their investigation into the disturbance. They have not yet charged any individual person, but he result of their inquiries should be known soon, together with any decision to lay charges.
  As a result of the internal Prison Service investigation into the disturbance, fourteen prisoners were charged with an overall total of 24 offences under Prison Rules. Three of these prisoners were found guilty of an overall total of four offences and the individual level of punishments awarded in these cases ranged from 7 to 28 days added to their sentences. One prisoner was found not guilty of the charges against him. Charges against the remaining ten prisoners have at this stage been adjourned pending the outcome of the police investigation or other internal Prison Service

  Buggery
  Sir Ivan Lawrence
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions over the past decade any male under the age of 21 years has been(a)prosecuted or (b) prosecuted and convicted for the offence of buggery.

  Mr. Maclean
  Information for 1982 to 1992 is given in the table.
  531

  1982

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  Prosecutions

  Convictions

  Prosecutions

  Convictions

  Prosecutions

  Convictions

  Prosecutions

  Convictions

  Prosecutions

  Convictions

  Assault with intent to commit buggery

  1

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  2

  —

  1

  —

  1 Includes persons proceeded against in earlier years or for other offences.

  Note: Generally, attempting, conspiring, inciting, aiding, abetting, causing or permitting a crime is classified under the heading of the crime itself.

  Number of nudes aged under 21 prosecuted at the magistrates courts and convicted 1 at all courts of buggery offences—1987 to 1992 England and Wales

  1987

  1988

  1989

  1990

  1991

  1992

  Prosecutions

  Convictions

  Prosecutions

  Convictions

  Prosecutions

  Convictions

  Prosecutions

  Convictions

  Prosecutions

  Convictions

  Prosecutions

  Convictions

  With a boy under the age of 16 or with a woman or an animal

  32

  27

  50

  40

  42

  30

  46

  31

  53

  19

  37

  30

  By a man with a male person of me age of 16 or over without consent

  6

  3

  4

  1

  3

  2

  4

  6

  5

  2

  2

  —

  By a man of the age of 21 or over with another male person under the age of 21 with consent

  2

  —

  4

  4

  2

  —

  1

  —

  2

  1

  2

  1

  By a man with another male person other than above

  3

  1

  3

  5

  1

  1

  3

  2

  4

  —

  5

  2

  Male member of staff of hospital or mental nursing home committing buggery or an act of gross indecency on a male patient

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Man committing buggery or an act of gross indecency with mentally disordered male patient who is subject to his care

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Attempt to commit buggery with a boy under the age of 16 or with a woman or an animal

  6

  6

  10

  6

  6

  5

  5

  2

  4

  5

  5

  3

  Attempt by a man to commit buggery with a male person of the age of 16 or over without consent

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  Attempt by a man of the age of 21 or over to commit buggery with another male person under the age of 21 with his consent

  1

  2

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Attempt by a man to commit buggery with another male person other than above

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  Assault with intent to commit buggery

  —

  —

  1

  —

  1

  —

  1

  1

  1

  2

  —

  —

  1 Includes persons proceeded against in earlier years or for other offences.

  Note: Generally, attempting, conspiring, inciting, aiding, betting, causing or permitting a crime is classified under the heading of the crime itself.

  Youth Custody
  Mr. Etherington
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list for each year since 1989,(a) the average age and (b) the average length of sentence of the total number of young people serving youth custody sentences, who have been reclassified from young offender to adult status prior to reaching 21 years of age.

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

  Letter from A. J. Butler to Mr. William Etherington, dated 11 February 1994:

  RECLASSIFICATION OF YOUNG OFFENDERS

  The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question asking if he will list for each year since 1989 the total number of young people serving youth custody sentences who have been reclassified from young offender to adult status before reaching 21 years of age.

  The information requested is not available. The only information is for the number of people in the prison population at a particular date who had previously been reclassified. Provisional information for 30 June 1993 shows that about 90
  532
  young offenders were recorded centrally as being reclassified as adults in Prison Service establishments in England and Wales before reaching 21 years of age.

  Paedophiles
  Mrs. Golding
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has for legislation to make it possible to prosecute British nationals who commit paedophilic acts overseas when they return to Britain.

  Mr. Maclean
  The Government deplore sexual offences against children wherever they occur. Our own law against such abuse is rightly severe. However, our courts' jurisdiction is territorially based rather than nationally based and we have no plans to extend their jurisdiction over paedophile offences committed by British citizens abroad. We believe that such jurisdiction would be largely unenforceable in practice and that where such offences have been committed abroad it is right for the country concerned to enforce its own law.

  Unlike some countries which do claim a wide extra-territorial criminal jurisdiction over their nationals, the United Kingdom is willing to extradite its own nationals to stand trial for these offences abroad, subject to the usual safeguards. We are also willing to give legal assistance to other countries under the Criminal Justice (International Co-operation) Act 1990.
  533

  Public Bodies
  Mr. Kilfoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department who are the members currently appointed to the police arbitration tribunal.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  The police arbitration tribunal comprises a chairman and two members. Sir John Wood CBE is the chairman and Mr. G. L. Dennis and Mr. M. J. M. Clarke are the two members.

  Mr. Kilfoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department who are the members currently appointed to the police negotiating board.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  Professor L. C. Hunter is the appointed independent chairman to the police negotiating board. The deputy chairmen are Mr. T. Carlile and Mr. J. F. L. Pease-Watkin.

  The constitution of the police negotiating board stipulates that the board shall consist of an official side and a staff side. It is for those authorities and bodies to decide who should represent them on the board. The current membership is as follows:

  POLICE NEGOTIATING BOARD

  MEMBERS:

  Home Office

  Mr. I. M. Burns

  Mr. T. Morris

  Mr. C. L. Scoble

  Mrs. P. G. W. Catto

  Mr. I. F. Smith

  Scottish Home and Health Department

  Mr. B. J. O'Connor

  Northern Ireland Office

  Mrs. C. Collins

  Police Authority for Nothern Ireland

  Mr. A. Armstrong

  Convention of Scottish Local Authorities

  Mr. G. Stanfield

  Mr. J. Jennings

  Mr. H. Brown

  Mr. E. B. Fallon

  The Association of County Councils

  Mr. C. F. Robinson

  Mr. J. H. Collins

  Mr. J. T. Meir

  Mr. S. Bayes

  Mr. B. Fippard

  Mr. B. H. Drake

  Mr. C. P. Hay

  Mr. R. G. Owen

  Mr. G. T. Theobald

  Mr. D. Briggs

  Mr. R. E. Meurie-Rees

  Mr. T. G. Yarker

  Mr. D. Sweasey

  Association of Metropolitan Authorities

  Mr. E. Bramfitt

  Mr. G. Bundred

  Mr. C. Swindell

  Mr. S. Murphy

  Mr. J. P. Mellor

  Mr. J. W. Cranswick

  Mr. C. Dale

  The Metropolitan Police

  Mr. D. Meynell

  The Association of Chief Police Officers of England, Wales and
  534
  Northern Ireland

  Mr. J. Burrow

  Mr. W. Lawrence

  The Police Superintendents Association of England and Wales

  Mr. D. Clark

  Mr. D. Parkinson

  Mr. V. Jones

  The Police Federation for England and Wales

  Mr. L. Williams

  Mr. R. Coyles

  Mr. R. Penn

  Mr. A. Mason

  Mr. J. Moseley

  Mr. R. Oakley

  Mr. G. Hyde

  Mr. S. Cadmore

  Mr. F. Broughton

  Mr. D. Forsyth

  The Association of Chief Police Officers (Scotland)

  Mr. P. Mitchell

  The Association of Scottish Police Superintendents

  Mr. J. Johnston

  The Scottish Police Federation

  Mr. J. MacDonald

  Mr. J. Marshall

  Mr. I. Black

  Mr. D. Keil

  Mr. J. Fraser

  Mr. S. Falconer

  The Superintendents Association of Northern Ireland

  Mr. W. Davidson

  Miss A. Donald

  The Police Federation for Northern Ireland

  Mr. D. McClurg

  Mr. S. Beattie

  Mr. Kilfoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department who are the members currently appointed to the Fire Services Research and Training Trust.

  Mr. Charle Wardle
  The trustees are as follows:

  Mr. R. F. D. Shuffrey, CB, CVO, Chairman, formerly a Home Office Deputy Under-Secretary of State.

  Mr. W. Baird, a former Assistant Under-Secretary of State in the Scottish Office.

  Sir Kenneth Holland, CBE, QFSM, formerly Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Fire Services.

  Mr. P. Quaile, recently retired as Deputy Chief General Manager of Sun Alliance and as Chairman of the Fire Protection Association.

  Mr. I. Roy, a former Assistant Under-Secretary of State at the Home Office.

  Mr. Kilfoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department who are the members currently appointed to the Advisory Council on Race Relations.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The members of the Home Secretary's Advisory Council on Race Relations are as follows:

  Representative Members:

  Mr. R. Gilbert (Confederation of British Industries)

  Dr. S. Deshmukh (Trades Union Congress)

  Mr. S. Gillings (National Association of Racial Equality Councils)

  Mr. R. Govindia (London Boroughs Association)

  Councillor T. Harris (Association of Metropolitan Authorities)

  Mr. H. Ouseley (Commission for Racial Equality)

  Councillor R. Place (Association of District Councils)

  Vacancy (Association of County Councils)

  Individual Members

  Mrs. S. Ahmed

  535

  Ms B. Bernard

  Mr. D. Bryan

  Mr. T. Chan

  Mrs. R. Howells

  Mr. C. Kavallares

  Mr. R. Mooneram

  Mr. D. Neil

  Mr. J. O'Loughlin

  Councillor M. Rizvi

  Mr. I. Sacranie

  Ms A. Weekes

  Prisons (Drug Abuse)
  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research the Home Office has undertaken to determine the degree to which alcohol and illicit drug abuse is taking place in prisons; what change the figures represent on previous records; and what steps he has taken recently, or intends to take, in order to combat such abuse.

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

  Letter from A. J. Butler to Mr. Frank Field, dated II February 1994:

  The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question about the research which has been undertaken to determine the degree to which alcohol and illicit drug abuse is taking place in prisons; what change the figures represent on previous records; and what steps he has taken recently or intends to take in order to combat such abuse.

  It is extremely difficult to establish with any satisfactory degree of certainty the degree to which alcohol and illicit drug abuse is taking place in prisons. This is because prisoners are understandably reluctant to admit to contravening prison rules. Most research has therefore focused on the use of alcohol and drugs by prisoners before they were imprisoned. A survey of 1,751 men serving a prison sentence (Maden, Swinton and Gunn, British Journal of Addiction 1992) showed that in 1988–89 43 per cent. of male sentenced prisoners had used drugs in the six months before their arrest. In the report "Mentally Disorderded Offenders" which was produced for the Prison Service by the same authors found alcohol and drug dependency (diagnosed on the basis of daily use during the six month period prior to their offence) as in the table below. The figures do not include cannabis users.

  Adult males

  Young offenders

  Females

  Sample size

  1,365

  404

  273

  Alcohol (per cent.)

  8·6

  8·7

  4·4

  Drugs (per cent.)

  10·1

  6·2

  24·2

  Research is currently being conducted for the Prison Service by the Drugs Addiction Unit at the Institute of Psychiatry to establish risk behaviour for HIV in prisons. This includes questions about current drug use which, if a satisfactory response rate is achieved, should provide better information on illicit drug use.

  The availability and use of drugs in our prisons is a matter of concern. The Government will be bringing forward a clause for inclusion in the Criminal Justice and Public Order Bill to allow the Prison Service to test prisoners for drug misuse. In addition to this the Prison Service is reviewing existing policy relating to drugs and is developing a Drug Strategy which will address ways of reducing the supply of drugs, of reducing demand (by means of improved indentification and treatment for drug misusers) and improved support for prisoners who have become drug free in prison on their return to the community.

  Race Relations
  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consideration has been given to the taking of legal action under the Race Relations Acts against the Hizb ut Tahrir organisation.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  [holding answer 10 February 1994]: There is no legal action under the Race Relations Act 1976 which requires the involvement of the Attorney-General. Offences of incitement to racial hatred are covered by part III of the Public Order Act 1986 for which the Attorney-General's consent is required before a case can proceed.

TRANSPORT

  Operator Licensing
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the local authorities that responded to his consultation document on deregulation of operator licensing and those that opposed the proposals.

  Mr. Key
  The 46 local authorities which responded to our consultation document are listed in the table. We made a number of proposals. The reaction to them was varied.

  1. Three Rivers District Council, Herts

  2. Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council

  3. Blaenau Borough Council, Gwent

  4. Dacorum Borough Council, Herts

  5. Mole Valley District Council, Dorking

  6. Milton Keynes Borough Council

  7. Gedling Borough Council

  8. West Devon Borough Council

  9. Hastings Borough Council

  10. Runnymede Borough Council

  11. South Lakeland District Council

  12. Wiltshire County Council

  13. Newbury District Council

  14. Runnymede Borough Council

  15. Weymouth and Portland Borough Council

  16. Birmingham City Council

  17. Rother District Council

  18. Worcester City Council

  19. Cherwell District Council

  20. Derbyshire County Council

  21. Mid-Beds District Council

  22. North Kesteven District Council

  23. Devon County Council

  24. Avon County Council

  25. Newark and Sherwood District Council

  26. Kent County Council

  27. Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Authority

  28. Nottingham City Council

  29. Norfolk Planning County Council

  30. Babergh District Council

  31. Bedfordshire County Council

  32. New Forest District Council

  33. Bawtry Town Council

  34. Swansea City Council

  35. South Norfolk District Council

  36. Lincoln City Council

  37. Copeland Borough Council

  38. Lewes District Council

  39. Southampton City Council

  40. Bedfordshire County Council

  41. Great Yarmouth Borough Council

  42. Winchester City Council

  43. London Borough of Wandsworth

  44. Shropshire County Council

  45. Suffolk County Council

  46. Burnley Borough Council

  537

HEALTH

  Health Authority Managers
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many managers were in post in each health authority and health trust in England in 1990–91 and 1992–93; and what was the total cost in each year.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The information available will be placed in the Library. The figures need to be treated with considerable caution. The number of managers has been deliberately increased since the mid-1980s—not just since the reforms—because the service was previously undermanaged. Much of the increase shown in the table, however, arises from the reclassification of existing staff, including many senior nurses, as managers.

  Children (Birth Defects)
  Mr. Cummings
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children in the northern region have been born with a defective hand in each year since 1989 and if she will also list the name of the village or town of each child.

  Mr. Sackville
  The information is shown in the table.

  The numbers of children born with a defective hand 1(ICDs 755.0, 755.1, 755.2, 755.4, 755.5, 755.8, 755.9) notified to OPCS in each year 1989 to 1992 for the Northern Regional Health Authority and individual district health authorities

  1989

  1990

  1991

  1992

  NORTHERN RHA

  45

  33

  47

  34

  Hartlepool

  1

  2

  1

  3

  North Tees

  1

  0

  2

  1

  South Tees

  4

  4

  3

  4

  East Cumbria

  2

  0

  1

  2

  South Cumbria

  3

  0

  2

  5

  West Cumbria

  0

  3

  1

  2

  Darlington

  1

  0

  4

  0

  Durham

  4

  4

  1

  0

  North West Durham

  2

  3

  0

  1

  South West Durham

  6

  2

  4

  3

  Northumberland

  3

  3

  9

  2

  Gateshead

  1

  3

  2

  5

  Newcastle

  8

  3

  6

  2

  North Tyneside

  3

  2

  2

  1

  South Tyneside

  1

  1

  4

  1

  Sunderland

  5

  3

  5

  2

  1 ICD ninth revision international classification of disease code. The data are presented according to districts in order to protect the confidentiality of individuals.

  We have great sympathy for the parents of children who are born with limb defects. It is unfortunate that in the present state of scientific knowledge the causes of most defects of this kind are not known. We are aware of the need for a prompt and thorough investigation into the reports of unexpectedly high occurrences of birth defects.

  The investigation of recently suspected or reported clusters of limb reduction defects has been initiated by district health authorities, through directors of public health, who are taking expert advice, in concert with the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys. For the last 30 years OPCS has maintained a national monitoring system for collecting data about malformations among newborn babies.

  OPCS is currently conducting a national analysis of limb reduction defects to scrutinise the geographical
  538
  pattern. This should be completed within a few weeks. The Department, with OPCS, is in discussion with the environmental epidemiology unit, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, which also incorporates the small area statistics unit, to identify and make provision for the additional expertise that may be required.

  The results of these investigations will be considered carefully and decisions about any further action that might be necessary will be made as quickly as possible.

  Hospital Staff (Redundancies)
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the number of redundancies among national health service hospital staff(a) by grade and (b) by reason for each year since 1988–89.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The information is not available centrally.

  Psychiatric Care
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many(a) voluntary and (b) compulsory admissions to psychiatric hospital took place in each year since 1979.

  Mr. Bowis
  The information requested is shown in the table.

  Informal admissions

  Formal admissions

  1979

  171,440

  17,849

  1980

  184,076

  18,514

  1981

  192,340

  18,571

  1982

  194,584

  17,959

  1983

  207,132

  16,918

  1984

  216,183

  16,361

  1985

  226,331

  17,287

  1986

  226,459

  16,696

  1987–88

  226,952

  16,777

  1988–89

  213,228

  17,240

  1989–90

  222,924

  17,312

  Notes:

  Figures shown for 1979–86 were collected by the mental health enquiry from all mental illness and mental handicap hospitals and units and include figures from special hospitals and private mental nursing homes. These were based on calendar years. From 1987–88, the figures refer to financial year and were collected on forms KH15—from all NHS facilities—and K037—from private nursing homes—and also directly from the Special Hospitals Service Authority.

  Mental Health Budget
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the total mental health budget in each year since 1979.

  Mr. Bowis
  Information is not available in the precise form requested. The table shows the estimated total hospital and community health services expenditure in cash and constant price terms in England on mentally ill people for each year from 1978–79 to 1991–92, the latest year for which this information is available.

  Expenditure on mentally ill people in hospital and community health services (England)1

  (£) million

  Year

  Cash

  1991–92 Prices2

  1978–79

  490

  1,311

  1979–80

  593

  1,359

  1980–81

  775

  1,501

  539

  Year

  Cash

  1991–92 Prices2

  1981–82

  860

  1,519

  1982–83

  916

  1,511

  1983–84

  965

  1,521

  1984–85

  1,029

  1,544

  1985–86

  1,077

  1,531

  1986–87

  1,149

  1,587

  1987–88

  1,302

  1,707

  1988–89

  1557

  1,9133

  1989–90

  1,662

  1,9103

  1990–91

  1,785

  1,8983

  1991–92

  2,085

  2,0854

  1 Figures include direct patient treatment cost and indirect cost such as hospital administration.

  2 After allowing for general inflation.

  3 Figures from 1988–89 include expenditure on mental illness in and out-patients, day patients and community mental illness nursing. Prior to 1988–89, expenditure on community mental illness nursing was not separately identified, and was included with district nursing services.

  4 Figures are not comparable with earlier years due to significant changes to accounting policies, following the introduction of the internal market.

  GP Fundholders
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the extent of over or under-spending on general practitioner fundholder budgets for 1992–93 in each family health services authority and national health service region; and what sums were retained or returned by general practitioner fundholders in each case.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Regional level information will not be available until all fundholder accounts have been audited and local arrangements for the voluntary return of savings have been completed. Local information, at family health services authority level, is not collected centrally.

  Mrs. Bridget Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many fundholding practices there are in the Lewisham, Lambeth and Southwark FHSA; and if she will list them with the amount of financial surplus for each practice for 1992–93.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Woolwich (Mr. Austin-Walker) on 3 February at column 856.

  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the average reimbursement to general practitioners for salaries for all staff in each year since 1990–91 excluding the general practitioner fundholding management allowance.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave her on 21 January at column 888.

  Prescription Pricing Authority
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many whole-time equivalent staff were employed by the Prescription Pricing Authority in each year since 1990; and what were the locations of their employment;

  (2) whether any part of the activities of the Prescription Pricing Authority is to be subjected to market testing in 1994–95;

  (3) what plans she has to change the structure, organisation or functions of the Prescription Pricing Authority.
  540
  Dr. Mawhinney
  The numbers of whole-time equivalent staff employed by the Prescription Pricing Authority at each location are:

  1990–91

  1991–92

  1992–93

  1993–94

  Newcastle upon Tyne

  738·7

  742·0

  747·8

  11071·1

  Durham

  177·1

  170·1

  165·5

  161·8

  Wakefield

  163·4

  160·4

  168·6

  165·1

  Preston

  90·9

  89·3

  90·8

  88·0

  Liverpool

  11·91

  123·7

  126·8

  127·9

  Sheffield

  126·0

  126·0

  128·2

  128·5

  Manchester

  122·2

  125·3

  130·5

  128·2

  West Bromwich

  123·3

  160·5

  130·5

  132·9

  Bolton

  164·6

  164·7

  188·7

  195·2

  TOTAL

  1,825·3

  1,862·0

  1,877·4

  12,198·7

  1Includes 314·5 seconded Department of Social Security whole-time equivalent staff formerly employed in the health benefits unit—which became part of the Prescription Pricing Authority on 1 April 1993.

  There are no plans to change the functions of the Prescription Pricing Authority. Any changes to the structure or organisation of the authority will depend upon the results of its market-testing programme.

  Initially five areas of activity have been identified for market testing: prescription processing; management and maintenance of the authority's estate; mainframe computer support; security, portering, catering and central administrative services; and information division processing support. A rolling programme of market testing is well under way, with contracts for prescription processing due to be let by April 1995. Contracts for other services will follow, with the current programme completed by March 1996. Testing of remaining areas of the authority's work will then be considered.

  Dental Health (Children)
  Mr. Thurnham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list each health authority in the country in order of the dental health of their children, with such information as is available in relation to the flourine level of the water in each area; and if she will make a statement.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Statistics on dental health for health authorities are not available centrally. The most recent dental caries prevalence surveys of children by health authorities was carried out during 1991–92. Details of the average number of decayed, missed or filled teeth of five-year-olds and the percentage of the population receiving fluoridated water supplies in each district surveyed is contained in briefing produced by the British Flouridation Society. The information is based on surveys collated by the British Association for the Study of Community Dentistry, copies of which will be placed in the Library.

  Cancer Research
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospitals or medical research institutions, including universities, are currently conducting research under what contracts placed by her Department into cancer causation by use of modified viruses; and if she will make a statement.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The Department holds no contracts to fund any research into cancer studies by use of modified viruses.
  541

  Ethnic Minority Staff
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will give the percentage of ethnic minority staff at the management executive and her Department in each year since 1990–91.

  Mr. Sackville
  The percentage1 of ethnic minority staff in the Department, which includes the National Health Service Management Executive, on 1 April each year since 1990–91 is:

  Per cent.

  1990–91

  9·8

  1991–92

  12·9

  1992–93

  14·9

  1993–94

  15·6

  1 Based on the response to the Department's ethnic origin survey.

  Comparative data are not available for the NHS Management Executive, but at 7 February 1994 the percentage was 5.9.

  Ambulance Service, Northumbria
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of the responses to emergency calls of Northumbria ambulance trust were met within the(a) rural and (b) urban standards; and what percentage of such calls within the metropolitan county of Tyne and Wear area were met within the urban standard.

  Mr. Sackville
  The performance of the Northumbria ambulance service national service trust is measured centrally against the 19-minute national patients charter emergency response time standard for rural ambulance services. In 1992–93 Northumbria ambulance service achieved the standard in 99 per cent. of cases. Information covering the metropolitan county of Tyne and Wear is not collected centrally.

  The Northumbria ambulance service NHS trust has, however, been contracted locally to meet the more stringent, 14-minute, urban response time. This standard has also been achieved consistently, despite a 15 per cent. increase in emergency calls last year.

  Sunderland General Hospital (Parking)
  Mr. Boyes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many paid for car parking spaces there are at the Sunderland general hospital; what is the revenue from car parking spaces; what further car parking spaces are to be created; what contingency plans are available when all the car parking spaces are full; and whether the staff use the car parking spaces.

  Mr. Sackville
  This is a matter for the district health authority. The hon. Member may wish to contact Mr. George Bedell, chairman of the Sunderland district health authority, for details.

  Health Care, Sheffield
  Mrs. Helen Jackson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the land and buildings that are at present in the ownership, of the regional health authority in the Sheffield area.

  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been spent within the Sheffield health authority 542
  area on work undertaken for or on behalf of Community Health Sheffield shadow trust on capital developments, including minor works in the 1993–94 financial year and the estimated expenditure in the 1994–95 financial year, within Community Health Sheffield arising from or consequent on such work for managerial, administrative and clerical facilities; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Sackville
  These are matters for Trent regional health authority. The hon. Members may wish to contact Sir Michael Carlisle, the chairman, for details.

  Waiting Times
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list by specialty for each trust in the Thames regions the average waiting time for a first appointment with a specialist and the average waiting time from the first appointment to subsequent treatment.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Information on waiting times to first out-patient appointment is not yet collected. The last year for which figures are available by specialty on average waiting time from first out-patient appointment to subsequent treatment is 1991–92 and they were collected by district health authority and not by trust.

  Prescription Charges
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many times prescription charges have been raised since 1979; and if she will make a statement.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Fifteen.

  Dr. Helen Zeitlin
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what correspondence she has received relating to the case of Dr. Helen Zeitlin; what action she will take to ensure that a prompt and fair settlement is reached between Dr. Zeitlin, the Alexandra hospital and the health authority; and if she will make a statement.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Two letters have been received in recent months. In November 1992 Dr. Zeitlin won her appeal against dismissal and was subsequently reinstated. Any current issues relating to her employment are a matter between Dr. Zeitlin and her employer.

  Midwives
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will give the percentage of front line ambulances by region which have a paramedic able to support a midwife in an emergency.

  Mr. Sackville
  The Government have set a target for every front-line ambulance to have a paramedic by the end of 1995. It is not known how many paramedics are able to support a midwife in an emergency at present, but training in this area is being developed.

  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Healph if she will list by region how many midwives have worked in the national health service for each of the last five years; how many midwives by region have direct access to beds in maternity units; and how many women delivered in a maternity unit are admitted under the management of the midwife.
  543
  Mr. Sackville
  The information regarding the number of midwives working in the national health service for each of the last five years is shown in the table.

  Information regarding the number of midwives who have access to beds in maternity units and the number of women delivered in maternity units who are admitted under the management of the midwife is not collected in the form requested.

  Hospital and community midwives by region in England 1988–92 At September (excluding agency)

  Whole-time equivalent

  1988

  1989

  1990

  1991

  1992

  Hospital midwives

  Northern

  1,060

  1,030

  1,040

  1,070

  1,160

  Yorkshire

  1,270

  1,280

  1,300

  1,280

  1,260

  Trent

  1,330

  1,360

  1,400

  1,390

  1,410

  East Anglian

  610

  600

  600

  580

  550

  North West Thames

  940

  950

  960

  910

  890

  North East Thames

  1,300

  1,270

  1,340

  1,350

  1,420

  South East Thames

  810

  610

  1,070

  1,030

  1,090

  South West Thames

  830

  840

  790

  860

  1,120

  Wessex

  910

  910

  900

  900

  890

  Oxford

  780

  800

  830

  850

  790

  South Western

  780

  970

  950

  860

  900

  West Midlands

  1,730

  1,770

  1,850

  1,800

  1,890

  Mersey

  780

  850

  890

  890

  900

  North Western

  1,720

  1,650

  1,680

  1,710

  1,760

  Special Health Authorities

  150

  140

  60

  70

  70

  England

  14,990

  15,040

  15,660

  15,540

  16,090

  Community midwives

  Northern

  260

  260

  240

  240

  240

  Yorkshire

  340

  350

  350

  340

  340

  Trent

  490

  490

  480

  490

  490

  East Anglian

  220

  210

  210

  210

  190

  North West Thames

  240

  250

  250

  220

  200

  North East Thames

  280

  300

  270

  240

  240

  South East Thames

  230

  170

  330

  280

  290

  South West Thames

  200

  210

  190

  180

  230

  Wessex

  250

  240

  240

  240

  250

  Oxford

  180

  180

  180

  180

  180

  South Western

  240

  240

  280

  330

  340

  West Midlands

  480

  480

  460

  420

  480

  Mersey

  240

  230

  230

  220

  220

  North Western

  460

  460

  470

  490

  440

  Special Health Authorities

  10

  10

  20

  20

  20

  England

  4,110

  4,070

  4,200

  4,100

  4,160

  Community and Hospital Total

  19,090

  19,110

  19,860

  19,640

  20,250

  Source: HAP(STATS)B non-medical work force census.

  Notes:

  1. Figures are independently rounded to the nearest 10 whole-time equivalents.

  2. England totals may not equal the sum of components due to rounding.

  FHSAs (Dental Services)
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many family health services authorities have been unable to provide emergency dental services in each month since July 1992.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  I shall let the hon. Member have such information as is available as soon as possible.

  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients have contacted each FHSA asking for help in finding a dentist in each month since July 1992.
  544
  Dr. Mawhinney
  The information will be placed in the Library.

  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many FHSAs have referred patients who have been unable to obtain treatment from a general dental practitioner to(a) the community dental service, (b) the hospital dental service and (c) a salaried dentist, in each month since July 1992.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The available information is shown in the table.

  Total number of Family Health Services Authorities referring patients to either Community Dental Service, Hospital Dental Service or a salaried dentist since July 19921 England

  Week ending

  FHSAs

  3 July 1992

  20

  10 July 1992

  23

  17 July 1992

  19

  24 July 1992

  18

  31 July 1992

  22

  7 August 1992

  26

  14 August 1992

  21

  21 August 1992

  24

  28 August 1992

  25

  4 September 1992

  23

  11 September 1992

  26

  18 September 1992

  23

  25 September 1992

  24

  2 October 1992

  22

  9 October 1992

  24

  16 October 1992

  23

  23 October 1992

  24

  30 October 1992

  26

  6 November 1992

  28

  13 November 1992

  28

  20 November 1992

  27

  27 November 1992

  25

  4 December 1992

  26

  11 December 1992

  27

  18 December 1992

  27

  25 December 1992

  —

  1 January 1993

  —

  8 January 1993

  25

  15 January 1993

  28

  22 January 1993

  31

  29 January 1993

  30

  5 February 1993

  25

  12 February 1993

  26

  19 February 1993

  30

  26 February 1993

  28

  5 March 1993

  27

  12 March 1993

  28

  19 March 1993

  27

  26 March 1993

  25

  2 April 1993

  25

  9 April 1993

  25

  16 April 1993

  25

  23 April 1993

  23

  30 April 1993

  28

  7 May 1993

  26

  14 May 1993

  27

  21 May 1993

  24

  28 May 1993

  26

  4 June 1993

  24

  11 June 1993

  27

  18 June 1993

  25

  25 June 1993

  27

  2 July 1993

  23

  9 July 1993

  25

  16 July 1993

  26

  23 July 1993

  26

  30 July 1993

  25

  6 August 1993

  25

  13 August 1993

  23

  20 August 1993

  26

  27 August 1993

  22

  545

  Week ending

  FHSAs

  3 September 1993

  24

  10 September 1993

  25

  17 September 1993

  26

  24 September 1993

  24

  1 October 1993

  25

  8 October 1993

  27

  15 October 1993

  27

  22 October 1993

  26

  29 October 1993

  22

  5 November 1993

  25

  12 November 1993

  26

  19 November 1993

  24

  26 November 1993

  26

  3 December 1993

  27

  10 December 1993

  28

  17 December 1993

  29

  24 December 1993

  —

  31 December 1993

  —

  7 January 1994

  25

  14 January 1994

  29

  21 January 1994

  29

  28 January 1994

  30

  4 February 1994

  31

  1 Data were not collected over the Christinas and new year period.

  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many FHSAs have appointed salaried dentists; and how many dentists have been appointed.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  There are currently 92 salaried dentists employed by 22 family health services authorities.

  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many dentists have given written notice to each FHSA to remove their name from the dental list since July 1992.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The information is shown in the table. The total number of dentists who have given written notice to family health services authorities to remove their names from the dental list since July 1992 is 297. A total of 347 dentists were added to the lists in the period 30 June 1992 to 30 September 1993.

  Number of dentists who have given written notice to remove their name from the dental list since July 1992, by Family Health Services Authority England

  Family Health Services Authority

  Number of dentists

  England

  297

  Cleveland

  —

  Cumbria

  —

  Durham

  —

  Northumberland

  —

  Gateshead

  —

  Newcastle-upon-Tyne

  —

  North Tyneside

  —

  South Tyneside

  —

  Sunderland

  —

  Humberside

  3

  North Yorkshire

  —

  Bradford

  —

  Calderdale

  16

  Kirklees

  —

  Leeds

  —

  Wakefield

  3

  Derbyshire

  —

  Leicestershire

  —

  Lincolnshire

  —

  Nottinghamshire

  —

  Barnsley

  —

  Doncaster

  —

  Rotherham

  —

  Sheffield

  —

  546

  Family Health Services Authority

  Number of dentists

  Cambridgeshire

  —

  Norfolk

  3

  Suffolk

  —

  Bedfordshire

  —

  Hertfordshire

  —

  Barnet

  —

  Brent and Harrow

  —

  Ealing, Hammersmith and Hounslow

  1

  Hillingdon

  —

  Kensington, Westminster and Chelsea

  1

  Essex

  3

  Barking and Havering

  29

  Camden and Islington

  —

  City and East London

  42

  Enfield and Haringey

  30

  Redbridge and Waltham Forest

  —

  East Sussex

  13

  Kent

  35

  Greenwich and Bexley

  21

  Bromley

  13

  Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham

  13

  Surrey

  1

  West Sussex

  —

  Croydon

  5

  Kingston and Richmond

  —

  Merton, Sutton and Wandsworth

  16

  Dorset

  —

  Hampshire

  2

  Wiltshire

  —

  Isle of Wight

  —

  Berkshire

  —

  Buckinghamshire

  —

  Northamptonshire

  —

  Oxfordshire

  1

  Avon

  —

  Cornwall and Isles of Scilly

  1

  Devon

  1

  Gloucestershire

  —

  Somerset

  3

  Hereford and Worcester

  —

  Shropshire

  —

  Staffordshire

  —

  Warwickshire

  —

  Birmingham

  —

  Coventry

  —

  Dudley

  1

  Sandwell

  —

  Solihull

  —

  Walsall

  —

  Wolverhampton

  1

  Cheshire

  —

  Liverpool

  —

  St. Helens and Knowsley

  —

  Sefton

  4

  Wirral

  1

  Lancashire

  —

  Bolton

  16

  Bury

  —

  Manchester

  1

  Oldham

  —

  Rochdale

  —

  Salford

  2

  Stockport

  3

  Tameside

  1

  Trafford

  11

  Wigan

  —

  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many dentists who have not given notice to leave the dental list have given written notice to the FHSA to deregister some or all of their continuing care arrangements for adult patients in each month since July 1992; how many dentists have deregistered patients; and how many patients have been deregistered.
  547
  Dr. Mawhinney
  Tables will be placed in the Library which show for each month the number of dentists in contract with each family health services authority who have deregistered adult patients and the total number of adult patients deregistered since July 1992. Where dentists hold contracts with more than one FHSA, the numbers of dentists quoted could include duplications. The information provided weekly by FHSAs since July 1992 shows that in the period up to 4 February 1994, 2,513 dentists gave written notification to deregister 629,318 adult patients.

  Despite these notified deregistrations, the total number of adult patients registered with a dentist in England increased by over 1 million—4·96 per cent.—from 20·580 million to 21·601 million over the period 1 July 1992 to 30 November 1993.

  Dental Treatment (Costs)
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the average cost per adult patient for each course of dental treatment in 1992–93.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The average cost per course of dental treatment for an adult patient in 1992–93 was £34·77.

  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many(a) nursing mothers and (b) pregnant women received dental treatment in 1990–91, 1991–92 and 1992–93; and what was the average cost per patient in each
  case.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Information on the number of nursing mothers and pregnant women who received dental treatment in these years is not available. Figures for the number of courses of treatment received by women in these two categories are shown in the table. Data are not available for 1990–91.

  The table shows the average cost per course of treatment for nursing mothers and pregnant women in each year. This is defined as the gross fee received by the dentist for the course of treatment. Pregnant women and nursing mothers are exempt from dental charges.

  General dental services: number of courses of treatment and average cost for expectant and nursing mothers1 1990–91–1992–93 England

  Number of courses of treatment

  Average cost per course of treatment2

  Year

  Expectant mothers

  Nursing mothers

  Expectant mothers (£)

  Nursing mothers (£)

  1991–92

  452,555

  665,310

  33·31

  45·24

  1992–93

  443,922

  672,609

  31·84

  42·69

  1 Mothers aged 18 and over.

  2 The cost is the gross fee received by the dentist for the course of treatment.

  3 Dental fees were reduced by 7 per cent, in July 1992.

  Self-governing Trusts
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make it her policy that staff and their representatives are involved in the agreement and determination of performance-related pay schemes in self-governing trusts.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  This is a matter for national health service trusts to decide locally.
  548

  Racal Healthlink Service
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what data is transferred between health regions and districts through the Racal Healthlink service.

  Mr. Sackville
  The Racal Healthlink service was set up primarily to link the primary health care services and associated national bodies: family health services authorities; the national health service central register; the Prescriptions Pricing Authority; and the Dental Practices Board. In general, these bodies exchange information to assist their administrative operations for example, patient registration details and claims for items of service.

  For regional and district health authorities, although central records are kept about the number of connections and who is connected to Healthlink, records are not kept about the type of data sent between these organisations.

  NHS Communications
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what data is expected to be transferred through a new NHS national communications network service.

  Mr. Sackville
  The new national health service-wide communications network will cover the whole range of NHS communications activities: telephone calls, computer networking, radio mobile communications and the electronic transmission of images. Data could be of any of the types currently exchanged on paper.

  Patient Records (Confidentiality)
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer of 12 January,Official Report, column 197–98, what plans she has to assure the confidentiality of any patient records which are held on the new network.

  Mr. Sackville
  The national health service-wide networking programme has established a security project to develop the security policy and associated security mechanisms needed to protect the confidentiality, integrity and availability of all information passing across the new network. This work is being undertaken in full consultation with representatives of the medical profession.

  Regional Data Networks
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer of 12 January,Official Report, column 198, what was the cost of formulating the business case for implementing a national spine to connect regional data networks.

  Mr. Sackville
  The estimated cost of developing the business case for a national spine facility was £290,000.

  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer of 12 January,Official Report, column 198, who is carrying out the work to connect the region-wide data networks; and what is the cost.

  Mr. Sackville
  The competitive procurement of nationwide area networking services was initiated recently. It is intended that there will be one provider of the spine connecting region-wide networks and two or three providers of region-wide networks to maintain competitive pressures. The cost will be known when tenders are evaluated.
  549

  Breast Cancer
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what features of the structure of the health service between England and Wales underlie the different availability of information regarding the percentage of women screened for breast cancer in the last three years between the two countries.

  Mr. Sackville
  Statistical information relating to the performance of the breast screening programme in England is collected annually by the Department of Health from each of 87 local screening programmes. This information is submitted as a standard statistical return.

  In Wales, the screening programme is provided from only three screening centres, due to the much smaller population. Each of these screening centres is part of a single organisation, Breast Test Wales. This enables the Welsh Office to acquire information more easily on all aspects of the programme. Breast Test Wales also provides annual statistical returns identical to those used in England.

  Alden Hey Hospital, Liverpool
  Mr. Loyden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many orthopaedic patients are on the waiting list at Alden Hey hospital in Liverpool.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to him on 19 January at column 617.

  NHS Appointments (Cornwall)
  Mr. Robert Hicks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the current non-executive directors and members of the Cornwall district health authority, Cornwall community healthcare trust and the Royal Cornwall hospitals trust, together with the dates when they were appointed and the period of their respective appointments.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  [pursuant to his reply, 20 January, c. 793–94]: I regret the information supplied was incorrect. The correct information is as follows:
  550
  In respect of the Royal Cornwall hospitals NHS trust. Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust

  The Chairman of the Royal Cornwall hospitals NHS trust is Mr. John Williams. He was appointed on 1 December 199:1 and his term of office expires on 30 November 1995.

  The non-executive directors of the trust and their terms of appointment are as follows:

  Non-Executive Director

  First Appointed

  Current Term of Office Expires

  Mr. Gilbert McCabe

  1 November 1991

  30 November 1997

  Mr. Edward Latham

  1 November 1991

  30 November 1997

  Mr. Anthony Hill

  19 January 1994

  30 November 1995

  Mrs. Doreen Henderson

  1 October 1992

  30 May 1994

  There is currently a vacancy among the non-executive directors following Mr. Williams's appointment as chairman.

  South Western RHA
  Mr. Robert Hicks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the current membership of South Western regional health authority together with the dates when they were appointed and the period of their respective appointments.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  [pursuant to his reply, 20 January 1994, c. 794]: I regret the information supplied in respect of the non-executive members of South Western regional health authority was incorrect. The correct information is as follows:

  The non-executive members of South Western regional health authority and their terms of appointment are as follows:

  Non-Executive Members

  First Appointed

  Current Term of Office Expires

  Sir John Kingman

  26 July 1990

  31 October 1996

  Dame Margaret Fry

  26 July 1990

  31 October 1996

  Mr. Upert Woodburn

  1 January 1993

  31 October 1996

  There are currently two vacancies on the board.

  US NAVY MEDITERRANEAN BATTLE GROUP
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  MAASTRICHT TREATY, ARTICLE 109e/
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  NHS CONSULTANTS: PRIVATE WORK AND RETAINING FEES
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