Written Answers of 12 January 1994

DEFENCE

  Ministerial Powers
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the powers he has under public legislation to give direction to local authorities or otherwise require them to act in a way which he prescribes, giving in each case the legislative authority under which he may exercise these powers.

  Mr. Hanley
  No such powers are held by my right hon. and learned Friend under existing legislation.

  Tornado
  Mr. Roger Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when an order for further thermal imaging airborne laser designator pods for the Tornado aircraft will be placed.

  Mr. Aitken
  I am pleased to announce that a contract for further thermal imaging airborne laser designatorTIALD—pods for the ground attack Tornado was agreed with GEC Marconi Avionics on 11 January 1994. The order, worth around £50 million, will provide more than two years' work for the company's Edinburgh factories and its suppliers around the country.

NATIONAL FINANCE

  Value Added Tax
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what proposals he has to make the provision of the sixth European VAT directive retrospective to 1 January 1990; and what he estimates will be the effect on local authority capital expenditure since that date;

  (2) what proposals he has to refund VAT to golf clubs and other golf course operators as a result of implementation of the sixth European Community VAT directive;

  (3) what estimate he has made of the effect of implementation of the sixth European Community VAT directive on the 5 per cent. de minimis exemptions for local authorities for trading activities;

  (4) what estimate he has made of the administrative costs to local authorities of the implementation of the sixth European Community VAT directive;

  (5) what is the position in the United Kingdom in relation to the implementation of the EC sixth VAT directive; what advice has been issued by Customs and Excise to local authorities on the implementation of this directive; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir John Cope
  I assume the hon. Member is referring to my announcement to the House of 22 July 1993,Official Report, column 303, about the prospective VAT
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  exemption for sporting services supplied by non-profit-making sports bodies and local authorities. This will be introduced by Treasury order to implement article 13(A)1(m) of the EC sixth VAT directive with effect from 1 January 1990. At this stage it is not possible to estimate the likely consequences for local authorities. The precise scope and effect of the exemption are at present under consideration in the light of responses from local authorities and others to the consultation paper issued by Customs and Excise. I hope to make a further announcement shortly.

  Taxes and Incomes
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Fife, Central (Mr. McLeish) of 13 December,Official Report, column 472, if he will provide the information on tax and income by region.

  Mr. Dorrell
  Readily available estimates for English regions based on the survey of personal incomes are in the tables. For 1980–81 and 1989–90, married couples are counted as one taxpayer and their incomes are combined. Following the introduction of independent taxation in 1990–91, husbands and wives are counted separately. The estimates of total income relate to income subject to income tax and exclude non-taxable income such as certain social security benefits. The quantile groups of taxpayers are defined by reference to the number of taxpayers in each region in each year.

  Information on Quantile groups of taxpayers within each region of England

  1980–81

  Quantile group of tax units

  Total income

  Income tax liability

  Per cent

  £ million

  £ million

  North

  Top 1

  273

  93

  Top 5

  925

  243

  Top 10

  1,570

  380

  Bottom 50

  1,920

  239

  All taxpayers

  6,780

  1,250

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  Top 1

  519

  184

  Top 5

  1,600

  437

  Top 10

  2,630

  652

  Bottom 50

  3,280

  409

  All taxpayers

  11,200

  2,020

  North West

  Top 1

  652

  228

  Top 5

  2,140

  580

  Top 10

  3,490

  867

  Bottom 50

  4,230

  540

  All taxpayers

  14,700

  2,730

  East Midlands

  Top 1

  419

  159

  Top 5

  1,240

  351

  Top 10

  2,020

  513

  Bottom 50

  2,470

  308

  All taxpayers

  8,470

  1,560

  West Midlands

  Top 1

  566

  203

  Top 5

  1,740

  487

  Top 10

  2,770

  697

  191

  1980–81

  Quantile group of tax units

  Total income

  Income tax liability

  Per cent

  £ million

  £ million

  Bottom 50

  3,490

  453

  All taxpayers

  11,600

  2,130

  East Anglia

  Top 1

  217

  85

  Top 5

  670

  213

  Top 10

  1,080

  302

  Bottom 50

  1,200

  160

  All taxpayers

  4,120

  814

  South East

  Top 1

  2,950

  1,200

  Top 5

  8,230

  2,620

  Top 10

  12,900

  3,640

  Bottom 50

  13,300

  1,760

  All taxpayers

  48,900

  9,850

  South West

  Top 1

  589

  257

  Top 5

  1,630

  517

  Top 10

  2,600

  720

  Bottom 50

  2,790

  316

  All taxpayers

  10,000

  1,900

  Information on quantile groups of taxpayers within each region Of England

  1989–90

  Quantile group of tax units

  Total income

  Income tax liability

  Per cent

  £ million

  £ million

  North

  Top 1

  693

  200

  Top 5

  2,080

  489

  Top 10

  3,400

  730

  Bottom 50

  3,930

  462

  All taxpayers

  14,000

  2,300

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  Top 1

  1,550

  500

  Top 5

  4,310

  1,140

  Top 10

  6,680

  1,590

  Bottom 50

  6,700

  762

  All taxpayers

  24,800

  4,260

  North West

  Top 1

  2,170

  694

  Top 5

  5,670

  1,510

  Top 10

  8,670

  2,080

  Bottom 50

  8,050

  899

  All taxpayers

  31,000

  5,390

  East Midlands

  Top 1

  1,450

  465

  Top 5

  3,870

  1,050

  Top 10

  5,920

  1,460

  Bottom 50

  5,560

  641

  All taxpayers

  21,300

  3,750

  West Midlands

  Top 1

  1,660

  519

  Top 5

  4,650

  1,220

  Top 10

  7,240

  1,720

  Bottom 50

  7,210

  855

  All taxpayers

  26,700

  4,630

  East Anglia

  Top 1

  906

  302

  Top 5

  2,270

  627

  192

  1989–90

  Quantile group of tax units

  Total income

  Income tax liability

  Per cent

  £ million

  £ million

  Top 10

  3,430

  858

  Bottom 50

  3,180

  370

  All taxpayers

  12,000

  2,140

  South East

  Top 1

  10,100

  3,470

  Top 5

  25,300

  7,660

  Top 10

  37,900

  10,500

  Bottom 50

  29,000

  3,760

  All taxpayers

  120,000

  24,100

  South West

  Top 1

  2,150

  726

  Top 5

  4,930

  1,390

  Top 10

  7,320

  1,860

  Bottom 50

  6,410

  742

  All taxpayers

  24,700

  4,460

  Information on Quantile Groups of Taxpayers within each region of England

  1990–91

  Quantile group of tax units

  Total income

  Income tax liability

  Per cent

  £ million

  £ million

  North

  Top 1

  896

  278

  Top 5

  2,410

  624

  Top 10

  3,870

  909

  Bottom 50

  4,260

  474

  All taxpayers

  15,400

  2,640

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  Top 1

  1,930

  614

  Top 5

  4,780

  1,300

  Top 10

  7,320

  1,800

  Bottom 50

  7,020

  759

  All taxpayers

  26,500

  4,640

  North West

  Top 1

  2,460

  808

  Top 5

  6,240

  1,710

  Top 10

  9,530

  2,350

  Bottom 50

  9,250

  994

  All taxpayers

  34,900

  6,130

  East Midlands

  Top 1

  1,470

  474

  Top 5

  4,060

  1,090

  Top 10

  6,320

  1,530

  Bottom 50

  6,240

  668

  All taxpayers

  23,600

  4,100

  West Midlands

  Top 1

  2,100

  693

  Top 5

  5,330

  1,490

  Top 10

  8,120

  2,030

  Bottom 50

  8,000

  880

  All taxpayers

  29,600

  5,250

  East Anglia

  Top 1

  1,080

  366

  Top 5

  2,590

  757

  Top 10

  3,860

  1,020

  Bottom 50

  3,390

  364

  All taxpayers

  13,200

  2,410

  South East

  Top 1

  12,600

  4,370

  Top 5

  29,400

  9,090

  Top 10

  42,900

  12,200

  Bottom 50

  33,100

  4,060

  All taxpayers

  138,000

  27,800

  193

  1990–91

  Quantile group of tax units

  Total income

  Income tax liability

  Per cent

  £ million

  £ million

  South West

  Top 1

  2,240

  696

  Top 5

  45,450

  1480

  Top 10

  8,280

  2,040

  Bottom 50

  7,960

  862

  All taxpayers

  30,000

  5,290

  Information on quantile groups of taxpayers within each region of England

  1991–92

  Quantile group of tax units

  Total income

  Income tax liability

  Per cent

  £ million

  £ million

  North

  Top 1

  922

  285

  Top 5

  2,610

  659

  Top 10

  4,170

  960

  Bottom 50

  4,360

  444

  All taxpayers

  16,200

  2,710

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  Top 1

  2,000

  635

  Top 5

  5,090

  1,350

  Top 10

  7,760

  1,880

  Bottom 50

  7,410

  757

  All taxpayers

  28,100

  4,840

  North West

  Top 1

  2,980

  994

  Top 5

  6,880

  1,890

  Top 10

  10,300

  2,560

  Bottom 50

  9,600

  984

  All taxpayers

  36,300

  6,360

  East Midlands

  Top 1

  1,800

  587

  Top 5

  4,390

  1,190

  Top 10

  6,730

  1,640

  Bottom 50

  6,680

  710

  All taxpayers

  24,700

  4,300

  West Midlands

  Top 1

  2,140

  696

  Top 5

  5,340

  1,440

  Top 10

  8,110

  1,980

  Bottom 50

  8,290

  902

  All taxpayers

  29,900

  5,210

  East Anglia

  Top 1

  1,100

  371

  Top 5

  2,690

  758

  Top 10

  4,050

  1,030

  Bottom 50

  3,830

  409

  All taxpayers

  14,300

  2,560

  South East

  Top 1

  14,100

  4,880

  Top 5

  31,700

  9,780

  Top 10

  45,900

  12,900

  Bottom 50

  34,200

  4,120

  All taxpayers

  143,000

  28,800

  South West

  Top 1

  2,100

  675

  Top 5

  5,500

  1,480

  Top 10

  8,400

  2,050

  Bottom 50

  8,150

  847

  All taxpayers

  30,400

  5,280

  Tax Avoidance
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to end the avoidance of tax by payment in vintage wine; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Dorrell
  Measures announced in the Budget, and now published in the Finance Bill, will stop employers avoiding the operation of PAYE—pay as you earn—by paying their staff in assets which can then swiftly be turned into cash. This will include payment in the form of vintage wines, when arrangements exist for the employee to sell those wines. Such payments have always been taxable: the new rules simply remove the ability to defer the tax liability until after the end of the year.

  Privatisation Publicity
  Mr. Wicks
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much was spent on publicity for (i) the Northern Ireland Electricity privatisation and (ii) the British Telecom third privatisation.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The cost of offer advertising was £2·3 million, excluding VAT, for the Northern Ireland Electricity—NIW—share offer and 13·.5 million, excluding VAT, for the BT3 share offer. The NIE costs were equally split between the company and the Department of Economic Development.

  Ministerial Powers
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the powers he has under public legislation to give directions to local authorities or otherwise require them to act in a way which he prescribes, giving in each case the legislative authority under which he may exercise these powers.

  Mr. Portillo
  The Treasury has a number of powers to regulate borrowing and lending by local authorities. In addition, the exercise of some of the relevant powers of other Government Departments is subject to formal Treasury consent.

  Quangos
  Mr. Meale
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the names of all former hon. Members who since 1979 have been appointed to quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisations, excluding appointments as justices of the peace, giving in each case the title of the post, any salary payable and the duration of the appointment.

  Mr. Nelson
  [holding answer 11 January 1994]: Since 1979 three former hon. Members have held appointments on quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisations for which I have responsibility. These were to the Securities and Investments Board (SIB):
  Mr. Robin Hodgson: non-executive director; duration of appointment four years from 1985; salary £8,000 per annum in 1985 to £10,500 per annum in 1989.
  Dr. Oonagh McDonald: non-executive director; duration of appointment two years from 1993; salary £13,500 per annum.
  Lord Stewartby: non-executive director; duration of appointment two years from 1993; salary £13,500 per annum.

  Counterfeit Coins
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received about the circulation within the United Kingdom of counterfeit pound coins; what action is being taken against those making such coins; what advice is given to those in business warning of the circulation of such coins; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Nelson
  [holding answer 11 January 1994]: I have received no formal representation about the circulation within the United Kingdom of counterfeit £1 coins and, although there are some in circulation, the numbers are believed to be extremely small in relation to the total number of £1 coins in circulation.

  Under the Forgery and Counterfeiting Act 1981, it is a criminal offence to make a counterfeit of a coin or to pass it on to another person. Where sufficient evidence of such activities exists, it is for the police to take action against those responsible.

  No specific advice has been given to those in business warning of the circulation of counterfeit £1 coins.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

  Ministerial Powers
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list the powers he has under public legislation to give directions to local authorities or otherwise require them to act in a way which he prescribes, giving in each case the legislative authority under which he may exercise these powers.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  I have no such powers.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Income Support
  Mr. Rendel
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many persons without accommodation claimed income support in the Newbury constituency in each month between December 1992 and November 1993.

  Mr. Burt
  I am informed by Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency, that the information is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Pensioners
  Mr. Bowden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will consider including in the pension book information on help available to pensioners through the home energy efficiency scheme.

  Mr. Hague
  The administration of retirement pension is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to my hon. Friend.

  Letter from M. Bichard to Mr. Andrew Bowden, dated 11 January 1994:

  The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking if he will consider including information in pension order books about the help available to pensioners through the Home Energy Efficiency Scheme.
  196
  The Benefits Agency receives numerous requests from within the Agency, other Agencies, Government Departments, Local Authorities and commercial interests to include material in the pension order book.

  The purpose of the notes is to provide customers with information relating to payment of pensions and regular reviews are undertaken to ensure that the notes are easy to understand and concise and to the point, as it has been found that many pensioners are deterred from reading notes that are too lengthy or complex.

  If we were to accede to these requests to include additional information, not only would there be operational difficulties in complying with the volume of such requests but the amount of written material may once again deter pensioners from reading the essential notes.

  The Energy Action Grants Agency (EAGA) are responsible for administering the Home Energy Efficiency Scheme (HEES) and already have arrangements in place to promote HEES. EAGA supply leaflets on HEES free of charge to local authorities, housing benefit offices, housing associations, Citizens Advice Bureaux, the Benefits Agency, job centres, Age Concern and other organisations which have contact with the HEES client group. EAGA also encourage installers to promote HEES locally by means of advertising, press publicity and distribution of their leaflets.

  I hope that you find this reply helpful.

  Mr. Bowden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what proportion of pensioners opt to receive their state pension by automated credit transfer.

  Mr. Hague
  This is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to my hon. Friend.

  Letter from M. Bichard to Mr. Andrew Bowden, dated 11 January 1994:

  The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the proportion of pensioners receiving payment of Retirement Pension (RP) by automated credit transfer (ACT).

  I am able to tell you that as of 3 October 1993, the latest date for which figures are available, a total of 2,623,378 pensioners were having their RP paid by ACT. This represented 26.53% of the total caseload.

  I hope you find this reply helpful.

  Parliamentary Questions
  Dr. Liam Fox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to the oral answer of 9 December 1993 to the hon. Member for Bristol, East (Ms Corston),Official Report, column 494, if he will now make a statement in regard to the information sought by the hon. Member.

  Mr. Burt
  The hon. Member for Bristol, East suggested in her intervention on 9 December that at a meeting on 2 December with departmental officials and the head of the government statistical service, she had been told that information on low income statistics could be made available to her which had been previously refused in a series of replies to her questions, on grounds of disproportionate cost or incompatibility with this Department's statistical practice; and she intimated that this information had been wrongly withheld from the House. This is not so.

  It continues to be the case that the results in question are either not available at all, could be made available only at disproportionate cost to public funds, or require the use of conventions which DSS statistical advisers consider unsound in the particular context. However, as I have repeatedly said in correspondence with the hon. Member, this Department makes available to bona fide researchers

  197
  the base data set from which the households below average income statistics are obtained, to enable them to undertake what further analyses they choose under the conventions they prefer. This is entirely compatible with the principles of open government.

  At the meeting to which she referred, the hon. Member was not offered replies to questions previously refused on grounds of disproportionate cost, non-availability or unreliability. She was, however, reminded that the base data set could be made available to her research advisers for their own use in the computer readable form of their choice. This repeated an offer first made some months ago, which I understand her researchers have now taken up. This Department's practice continues to be to provide reliable information within normal parliamentary conventions.

  I have repeatedly offered the hon. Member for Bristol, East a meeting to discuss the issues about which she is concerned, but she has chosen not to take this up.

  Ministerial Powers
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the powers he has under public legislation to give directions to local authorities or otherwise require them to act in a way which he prescribes, giving in each case the legislative authority under which he may exercise these powers.

  Mr. Burt
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State may generally give directions to local authorities, among others, or otherwise require them to act in a way which he prescribes, in their capacity as employers, as qualifying mortgage lenders and as bodies which may be required to provide information or evidence under the Child Support Act 1991.

  More specifically, the majority of his powers to give directions to local authorities, or to otherwise require them to act in a way which he prescribes, relate to the administration of housing benefit and council tax benefit. These powers are to be found in:
  Sections 5, 6, 75 to 77, 127, 128 and part VIII of the Social Security Administration Act 1992 (as amended) and
  Sections 130 to 137 of part VII of the Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992 (as amended).

  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State may also specifically direct local authorities to provide such relevant information about a person's housing benefit or council tax benefit entitlement in accordance with paragraph 2 of schedule 2 to the Child Support Act 1991.

  Housing Benefit
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimate he has made of the number of people who would be eligible for housing benefit were they not protected tenants; what the cost of giving benefit to these people would be; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Burt
  The information requested is not available.

HEALTH

  Racal Healthlink
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many(a) regions, (b) districts, (c) trusts, (d) family health service authorities and (e) general practitioners use the Racal healthlink.
  198
  Mr. Sackville
  Information to the end of November shows that six regions use the Racal healthlink, together with 98 family health services authorities, 932 general medical practitioners and 1,656 dental practices. Precise figures are not available for districts or trusts. However, figures are estimated to be five to 10 and 40 to 50 respectively.

  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the cost of setting up the Racal data network to(a) the Department of Health, (b) health regions and (c) health districts.

  Mr. Sackville
  The cost of setting up the infrastructure required to operate the healthlink service was met entirely by Racal Network Services Ltd.—RNSL.

  Costs attributable to the Department were those relating to the employment of civil servants and consultants between November 1987 and November 1991 when the healthlink service was being planned and implemented. These costs are estimated to be £450,000.

  The only costs payable by health regions and districts are those generated by usage of the healthlink service and records of these transactions are not available centrally.

  General Practitioners
  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what machinery exists to safeguard general practitioner fundholders' choice of hospital;

  (2) what representations she has received from fundholding general practitioners about choice of hospital for their patients.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  I have frequent contact with general practitioner fundholding practices. General practitioner fundholders are able to purchase the best possible care for their patients from whichever hospital they judge best.

  Dental Handpieces (Sterilisation)
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make it mandatory for manufacturers to include information on the method of sterilisation of dental handpieces.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 17 December 1993, at column 1007.

  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health in which European countries it is mandatory for manufacturers to include information on the method of sterilisation of dental handpieces.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  This information is not available centrally.

  Ministerial Powers
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the powers she has under public legislation to give directions to local authorities or otherwise to requi[re them to act in a way which she prescribes, giving in each case the legislative authority under which she may exercise these powers.

  Mr. Bowis
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has a number of such powers. They could be listed comprehensively only at disproportionate cost. If the hon. Member has a specific function in mind, perhaps he would write to me.

  Public Appointments
  Mr. Burden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many members of(a) the Labour party, (b) the Conservative party and (c) other political parties who are (i) chairs and (ii) non-executive directors of (1) regional health authorities, (2) district health authorities, (3) trusts and (4) family health services authorities; and if he will give the party breakdown for each authority and trust.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  This information is not available centrally.

  We do not seek details of political affiliation. People are appointed for their personal qualities, and for the skills they bring to the leadership and strategic direction of the national health service.

  South Birmingham Health Authority.
  Mr. Burden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what request she has received from the West Midlands regional health authority for advice as to the suitability of Jane Slowey as a potential non-executive director of South Birmingham health authority;

  (2) what advice she or any member of her Department gave the West Midlands regional health authority as to the suitability of Jane Slowey as a potential non-executive director of South Birmingham health authority.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  None.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  Ministerial Powers
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Attorney-General if he will list the powers he has under public legislation to give directions to local authorities or otherwise require them to act in a way which he prescribes, giving in each case the legislative authority under which he may exercise these powers.

  The Attorney-General
  I have no such powers.

WALES

  Waiting Lists
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what the most recent waiting list figures are for each district health authority in Wales.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The latest available information on waiting lists for Welsh hospitals is for March 1993, published in "Welsh Hospital Waiting List Bulletin 1993", No. 2. A copy of this publication is held in the Library of the House.

  Ministerial Powers
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the powers he has under public legislation to give directions to local authorities or otherwise require them to act in a way which he prescribes, giving in each case the legislative authority under which he may exercise these powers.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The information requested could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

ENVIRONMENT

  City Challenge
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will list the names of the individuals undertaking the review of city challenge;

  (2) if the review of city challenge was put out to tender;

  (3) for what reasons consultants have been asked to review city challenge;

  (4) which consultancy firm is undertaking the review of city challenge;

  (5) what is the cost of the review of city challenge.

  Mr. Baldry
  Consultants have been asked to undertake an interim evaluation of city challenge as part of the usual monitoring and assessment of Government programmes.

  Six companies were invited to tender for the contract. All six responded. The European Institute of Urban Affairs, Liverpool—John Moores—university, led by Professor Michael Parkinson, was awarded the contract. For commercial reasons, the Department does not disclose the cost of individual contracts.

  The Department has also carried out an internal management review of city challenge procedures. The review made a number of recommendations to streamline procedures and further reduce bureaucracy. City challenge chief executives were represented on the review group. Many of the recommendations have already been implemented and much of what it was considering has already been overtaken by developments on the single regeneration budget and integrated regional offices.

  Ministerial Powers
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the powers he has under public legislation to give directions to local authorities or otherwise require them to act in a way which he prescribes, giving in each case the legislative authority under which he may exercise these powers.

  Mr. Curry
  The information can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Hazardous Wastes
  Mr. Jonathan Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the Government's policy on the export of hazardous wastes to developing countries; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Atkins
  Below is the text of a statement which I have sent to the secretariat of the UNEP Basel convention on the control of transboundary movements of hazardous wastes and their disposal."The United Kingdom restates its intention not to permit the export of wastes to developing countries for final disposal. However, the United Kingdom remains of the view that recycling of wastes offers environmental benefits provided that adequate environmental standards are maintained. Movement of wastes across international boundaries for that purpose does not detract from the environmental benefits, even though there is more difficulty in ensuring that the required standards are being maintained. The control mechanisms provided for under the Basel Convention are designed to overcome those difficulties. The United Kingdom, therefore, does not intend, for the time being, to prohibit the export of any waste moving towards environmentally sound recovery processes within developing countries, provided that the requirements of the Basel Convention

  201
  are met. The United Kingdom is taking an active role in the work proceeding in the Technical Working Group to draw up guidelines for environmentally sound recovery operations. These guidelines will assist the United Kingdom in deciding which operations are environmentally sound and which are not.
  Shipments of hazardous waste from the United Kingdom to developing countries will be investigated over the coming months so that the United Kingdom can meet its obligations under the Basel Convention and the EC Waste Shipments Regulation: any shipments which are not moving towards environmentally sound recovery operations will be prohibited. If, following this investigation, we find that, in general, wastes exported from the United Kingdom to developing countries are not being recovered to adequate environmental standards, then the United Kingdom will consider again the question of imposing a general ban on the movements of hazardous wastes to all or selected developing countries. We will report on our progress in this investigation".

  Travellers
  Mr. Roger Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to publish guidance on the planning aspects of gipsy sites.

  Mr. Baldry
  My Department and the Welsh Office issued a joint circular on 5 January giving guidance to local planning authorities on the planning aspects of gipsy sites. The guidance forms part of our measures to reduce unauthorised camping, including our proposals to reform the Caravan Sites Act 1968.

  The guidance should help local planning authorities to decide where gipsy caravan sites are best located and provide for them in development plans. Our objective is that gipsies should find, develop and run sites for themselves, as many of them wish to do.

  Royal Palaces
  Mr. Alan Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment which costs relating to accommodation of the occupied royal palaces are borne by his Department and which by the occupants of(a) grace and favour accommodation and (b) accommodation for members of the royal family no longer on the Civil List.

  Mr. Sproat
  I have been asked to reply.

  My Department meets the landlord's costs of grace and favour accommodation in the occupied royal palaces in England, including that of members of the royal family no longer on the Civil List. These costs include maintenance of the structure and exterior of the building, painting or wall-papering of internal walls and surfaces, permanent fixtures in bathrooms and kitchens and the provision and maintenance of hot water, heating and electrical services. Occupants meet the costs of carpets, curtains, other soft furnishings and moveable equipment and day-to-day minor maintenance and pay for light, heat, water, telephones and council tax. There are slightly different arrangements for the Queen's house, Edinburgh for which my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment is responsible and where his Department pays for all maintenance costs including minor maintenance. The occupants are responsible for paying for the costs of utilities, council tax, soft furnishings and moveable equipment.

  Mr. Alan Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much of the £250,000 spent on refurbishment of apartments in St. James's palace was spent on royal apartments; and how much was spent on each apartment.
  202
  Mr. Sproat
  I have been asked to reply.

  The sum of £40,000 was spent on royal apartments at St. James's palace in 1992–93, of which £38,000 was on an apartment for His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales when he moved from Kensington palace. The remaining £2,000 was spent on minor items of maintenance in other royal apartments.

  Nuclear Waste
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to give permission to British Nuclear Fuels plc for the operation of its waste treatment facility for the encapsulation of plutonium-contaminated material located at Sellafield.

  Mr. Eggar
  I have been asked to reply.

  Operation of this facility is a commercial matter for British Nuclear Fuels plc, subject to meeting the requirements of the Health and Safety Executive's nuclear installations inspectorate.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Sensitive Exports
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the countries included on the restricted list for sensitive technologies or military exports(a) in 1979, and (b) currently; and if he will indicate the reasons for the changes in the list since 1979.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The Export of Goods (Control) Order 1992 imposes restrictions on the export of sensitive technologies and military goods. Unless otherwise specified, the export of goods listed in this order is controlled to all destinations.

  A list of destinations subject to special export licensing procedures was first announced to Parliament on 19 December 1991, Official Report, columns 230–31, and subsequently published.

  Since then, the following changes to that list have been publicised:
  the deletion of Hungary as a result of its deproscription by COCOM;
  the deletion of the Soviet Union and replacement by individual identification of all territories formerly part of the Soviet Union;
  the deletion of Czechoslovakia and replacement by individual identification of the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic following their separation into individual countries on 1 January 1993;
  the addition of all territories formerly part of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
  The Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic were deproscribed by COCOM on 1 January 1994 and this will be reflected in the next published list.

  Saudi Arabia
  Mr. Rooker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what response was received from the Government of Saudi Arabia to the official protests following the breaking up of a concert at the international school at Yambu by Saudi police.
  203
  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  The Saudi Arabian authorities were very concerned about the interruption of the winter concert at Yanbu international school on 29 November 1993. They have told Her Majesty's embassy in Riyadh that the incident will be investigated.

  Ben Needham
  Mrs. Helen Jackson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he has taken to discover the whereabouts of the toddler Ben Needham following his abduction in Greece in 1991.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  Since they were informed of Ben Needham's disappearance, consular officials have been in regular contact with the Greek authorities in Athens and Kos, and also with the United Kingdom police. The Greeks have conducted several searches for Ben on Kos. The Greek police and police in several other countries continue to investigate every reported sighting. Ben has not been forgotten.

  Lockerbie Air Crash
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs for what reasons he declined the request for a spokesman for the BBC Radio 4 programme "File on Four" on 21 December 1993 relating to Lockerbie.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Our policy on the Lockerbie bombing has been made clear on numerous occasions.

  COCOM
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the matters discussed and decisions taken at the meeting of the Co-ordinating Committee on Multilateral Export Controls held in The Hague on 16 November.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Representatives of the Governments participating in COCOM met in The Hague on 16 November. They agreed that COCOM should be terminated as soon as possible, but no later than 31 March 1994. There was also broad agreement that, at the same time, new arrangements should be established to promote transparency and responsibility in the transfer of armaments and related dual-use goods: the details of the new arrangements remain to be decided.

  Ministerial Powers
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the powers he has under public legislation to give directions to local authorities or otherwise require them to act in a way which he prescribes, giving in each case the legislative authority under which he may exercise these powers.

  Mr. Goodlad
  There are many ministerial statutory powers in relation to local authorities in the United Kingdom. However, none of them, so far as I am aware, specifies that it is the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs who is to exercise the power. As regards those powers expressed to be exercisable by "the Secretary of State", it would be most unusual for my right hon. Friend to be the appropriate Secretary of State to do so.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Ministerial Powers
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the powers he has under public legislation to give directions to local authorities or otherwise require them to act in a way which he prescribes, giving in each case the legislative authority under which he may exercise these powers.

  Mr. Tim Smith
  Under the present constitutional arrangements for Northern Ireland I have no powers of direction which are specific and exclusive to the local authorities in the Province. Government Departments do, however, have powers under a wide range of legislative provisions to direct and to prescribe by regulations and by other means what action should be taken by district councils. This information is not readily available, however, and could be compiled only at disproportionate cost.

EDUCATION

  Student Awards
  Mr. Rooker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will set out for each local authority in rank order the expenditure on major discretionary awards per head of adult population in the latest year for which figures are available.

  Mr. Boswell
  The available information on discretionary awards made at between 50 per cent. and 100 per cent. of the mandatory rate is given in the table.

  Total expenditure on full value1 discretionary awards per head of the adult population2

  Local authority

  1991–92 (£)

  Cumbria

  16·02

  North Yorkshire

  14·27

  Walsall

  9·84

  Knowsley

  9·79

  Cheshire

  8·94

  Powys

  8·92

  Leicestershire

  8·15

  Wirral

  7·65

  Westminster

  7·52

  Dorset

  7·42

  Hackney

  7·37

  Devon

  7·10

  Corporation of London

  7·08

  Richmond upon Thames

  7·02

  Liverpool

  7·00

  Durham

  6·76

  Lancashire

  6·70

  Islington

  6·42

  Suffolk

  6·28

  Shropshire

  6·15

  Humberside

  6·11

  Kirklees

  5·79

  Kingston upon Thames

  5·68

  Gloucestershire

  5·62

  Kensington and Chelsea

  5·41

  Barnsley

  5·27

  Clwyd

  5·21

  Cleveland

  5·04

  Brent

  5·01

  Avon3

  4·96

  Camden

  4·92

  Ealing

  4·79

  Hampshire

  4·72

  Sunderland

  4·71

  205

  Local authority

  1991–92 (£)

  Bradford

  4·68

  Newham

  4·49

  Lewisham

  4·47

  North Tyneside

  4·46

  West Glamorgan

  4·45

  Bromley

  4·42

  Southwark

  4·41

  Tower Hamlets

  4·39

  Norfolk

  4·31

  Sefton

  4·31

  South Tyneside

  4·26

  Kent

  4·09

  South Glamorgan

  4·06

  Barking

  3·96

  Bury

  3·80

  Waltham Forest

  3·72

  Lincolnshire

  3·66

  Wakefield

  3·51

  Redbridge

  3·43

  Cornwall and Scilly Isles4

  3·35

  Isle of Wight

  3·32

  Greenwich

  3·31

  Berkshire

  3·29

  Hereford and Worcester

  3·22

  Gateshead

  3·20

  Bexley

  3·14

  Leeds

  3·11

  Wiltshire

  3·08

  Gwent

  3·08

  Cambridgeshire

  3·05

  Somerset

  3·04

  Hertfordshire

  3·04

  Trafford

  2·90

  Sutton

  2·83

  Lambeth

  2·75

  Nottinghamshire

  2·68

  Oxfordshire

  2·65

  Northumberland

  2·57

  Northamptonshire

  2·55

  Rotherham

  2·36

  Mid-Glamorgan

  2·26

  Essex

  2·21

  Birmingham

  2·21

  Bedfordshire

  1·96

  Hammersmith and Fulham

  1·95

  Barnet

  1·94

  Croydon

  1·93

  St Helens

  1·92

  Staffordshire

  1·89

  Sandwell

  1·87

  Surrey

  1·85

  Hillingdon

  1·84

  Havering

  1·80

  Buckinghamshire

  1·70

  Oldham

  1·70

  Solihull

  1·67

  Bolton

  1·67

  Doncaster

  1·62

  Rochdale

  1·61

  Derbyshire

  1·55

  Merton

  1·54

  Enfield

  1·51

  Dudley

  1·44

  East Sussex

  1·37

  Dyfed

  1·32

  West Sussex

  1·17

  Tameside

  1·10

  Newcastle upon Tyne

  1·05

  Stockport

  1·01

  Manchester

  1·00

  Coventry

  0·99

  Harrow

  0·85

  Wolverhampton

  0·76

  Wigan

  0·66

  Hounslow

  0·64

  Warwickshire

  0·63

  Sheffield

  0·57

  Salford

  0·42

  206

  Local authority

  1991–92 (£)

  Gwynedd

  0·26

  Haringey5

  0·00

  Wandsworth6

  n/a

  Notes:

  1 Full value awards are those paid at between 50 per cent. and 100 per cent. of the mandatory rate.

  2 1992 mid-year population estimates of age 16+ based on 1991 census.

  3 Expenditure on sandwich students not available.

  4 Cornwall and Isles of Scilly combined because separate population data are not available—Isles of Scilly made no full value awards in 1991–92.

  5 Haringey made no full value awards in 1991–92.

  6 LEA unable to supply appropriate information.

  No information is available in respect of awards made by the London residuary body.

  Mr. Rooker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what is the expenditure on supplementary allowances to students in receipt of a mandatory award in respect of their dependants; and if he will give a breakdown of such allowances by age group of students and gender of students.

  Mr. Boswell
  In the 1991–92 academic year, the latest year for which data are available on mandatory awards made by local education authorities, the gross value of the supplementary allowances made in respect of students' dependants was £29·2 million. Supplementary allowances are not payable separately: they form part of the student's total maintenance requirement which may be reduced according to the other resources available to him before his net grant is calculated. Information on the age group and gender of students eligible for dependants' allowances is not collected centrally.

  Mr. Rooker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what help is available to assist with the cost of school meals and transport for mature students in receipt of a mandatory award who have children of school age.

  Mr. Boswell
  Since the implementation of the Social Security Act 1986 in 1988, only children whose parents are in receipt of income support and those children who are themselves eligible for income support, are entitled to receive free school meals. Although most full-time students are not entitled to social security benefits, including income support, certain students in vulnerable groups, including lone parents and disabled students, may be able to claim benefits. Students' partners are able to claim benefits in their own right.

  Local education authorities must provide free transport if they consider it necessary to facilitate a pupil's school attendance, and may help other pupils with their fares. Authorities are not required to make special arrangements for children whose parents are in receipt of a mandatory award.

  Nursery Education
  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will reply to the petition on nursery education presented to the House on 19 November 1993.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  My right hon. Friend has noted this petition. It calls for a statutory duty to be laid on local education authorities to provide nursery education on
  207
  demand. We have repeatedly made clear that the Government's policy is to promote choice and diversity in pre-school provision and to extend access as resources allow. Universal state nursery education would be neither consistent with that policy nor affordable at present.

NATIONAL HERITAGE

  Quangos
  Mr. Meale
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will list the names of all former hon. Members who since 1979 have been appointed to quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisations, excluding appointments as justices of the peace, giving in each case the title of the post, any salary payable and the duration of the appointment.

  Mr. Sproat
  [holding answer 11 January 1994]: The former Members of the House of Commons who have been appointed since April 1992 to the bodies for which the Department of National Heritage is responsible, are set out.

  Information about the appointment of former Members to bodies which are now the responsibility of the Department of National Heritage before the creation of the Department is not held centrally.

  No salaries—as distinct from expenses—are paid except where otherwise indicated.
  The Rt. Hon. Lord Barnett—Trustee, Victoria and Albert Museum, September 1992 for three years; member, board of the National Film and Television School, July 1993 for 18 months —£2,030.
  The Rt. Hon. Lord Cocks of Hartcliffe—vice chairman, British Broadcasting Corporation, August 1993 for five years—£15,140.
  Mr. John Lee—chairman, board of the Manchester Museum of Science and Industry, October 1992 for three years; member, board of the English tourist board, November 1992 for two years.
  Mr. Bryan Magee—member, Arts Council of Great Britain, January 1993 for four years.
  Mr. Matthew Parris—member, Broadcasting Standards Council, January 1993 for five years—£10,900.
  Mr. Alf Dubs—member, Broadcasting Standards Council, May 1992 for 10 months—£10,900.
  The Rt. Hon. Lord Rees—commissioner, Museums and Galleries Commission, February 1993 for four years—reappointment.
  The Rt. Hon. the Lord St. John of Fawsley—chairman, Royal Fine Art Commission, November 1992 for four years—reappointment.

  Mr. Meale
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will list the names of all former British representative members of the European Parliament who since 1979 have been appointed to quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisations, excluding appointments as justices of the peace, giving in each case the title of the post, any salary payable and the duration of the appointment.

  Mr. Sproat
  [holding answer 11 January 1994]: The only former British representative member in the European Parliament who has been appointed since April 1992 to the bodies for which the Department of National Heritage is responsible, is:
  The Baroness Hooper—trustee, National Museums and Galleries on Merseyside, April 1993 for five years.

  Information about the appointment of former MEPs to bodies which are now the responsibility of the Department of National Heritage before the creation of the Department is not held centrally.

  Mr. Meale
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will list the names of all individuals who are 208
  or were members of the House of Lords who since 1992 have been appointed to any quasi-autonomous nongovernmental organisations, excluding appointments as justices of the peace, giving in each case the title of the post, any salary payable and the duration of the appointment.

  Mr. Sproat
  [holding answer 11 January 1994]: The members of the House of Lords who since 1992 have been appointed to bodies for which the Department of National Heritage has responsibility for the appointment or has responsibility for the body to which the appointment is made by Her Majesty the Queen or the Prime Minister are set out.

  No salaries—as distinct from expenses—are paid, except where otherwise indicated.
  The Lord Armstrong of Ilminster—chairman of the trustees, Victoria and Albert museum, May 1993 for five years—reappointment; trustee, National Music Day Foundation, July 1992, for a maximum period of six years.
  The Right Hon. Lord Barnett—trustee, Victoria and Albert museum, September 1992 for three years; member, board of the National Film and Television School, July 1993 for 18 months —£2,030.
  The Baroness Birk—trustee, Theatres Trust, April 1993 for three years.
  The Baroness Blackstone—trustee, Natural History museum, March 1992 for five years.
  The Lord Brabourne—trustee, Science museum, September 1993 for one year—reappointment; member, board of the National Film and Television School, December 1992 for two years, 10 months—reappointment.
  The Baroness Brigstocke—chairman of trustees, Geffrye museum, November 1993 for three years—reappointment; commissioner, Museums and Galleries Commission, February 1992 for five years
  The Lord Cavendish of Furness—commissioner, English Heritage, October 1992 for three years—£2,420
  The Right Hon. Lord Cocks of Hartcliffe—vice—chairman, British Broadcasting Corporation, August 1993 for five years—£15,140
  The Lord Crathorne—trustee, National Heritage Memorial Fund, August 1992 for three years
  The Baroness Dean—member, Broadcasting Complaints Commission, August 1993 for 5 years—£12,265.
  The Viscount Downe—trustee, Science museum, September 1993 for three years—reappointment
  HRH The Duke of Gloucester—trustee, British museum, September 1993 for five years—reappointment; commissioner, English Heritage—October 1992 for three years—reappointment
  The Right Hon. the Earl of Gowrie—chairman designate, Arts Council of England, appointment takes effect I April 1994, for five years
  The Baroness Hooper—trustee, National Museums and Galleries on Merseyside, April 1993 for five years
  The Lord MacFarlane of Bearsden—trustee, National Heritage Memorial Fund, September 1993 for three years—reappointment
  The Lord O'Neill—commissioner, Museums and Galleries Commission, January 1992 for five years—reappointment
  The Rt Hon. Lord Rees—commissioner, Museums and Galleries Commission, February 1993 for four years—reappointment
  The Lord Rothschild—chairman, National Heritage Memorial Fund, April 1992 for three years
  The Right Hon. the Lord St. John of Fawsley—chairman, the Royal Fine Art Commission, November 1992 for four years—reappointment
  The Duke of Wellington—trustee, the board of the Royal Armouries, October 1992 for three years—reappointment

  Civil Servants
  Mr. Pendry
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage how many civil servants are employed at his Department to deal with tourism issues; and what is the total annual cost of their salaries.
  209
  Mr. Brooke
  [holding answer 11 January 1994]: I refer to the answer given to the hon. Member for Ellesmere Port and Neston (Mr. Miller) on Monday 13 December, Official Report, column 458.

  Playing Fields Register
  Mr. Pendry
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will arrange for the national register of playing fields to be placed in the Library.

  Mr. Brooke
  The Sports Council is providing a copy of the register's database on diskette to the Library of the House.

  Departmental Staff
  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will list for each civil service grade in his Department(a) the total number of persons employed and (b) the total number of women employed.

  Mr. Sproat
  The total number of staff by grade and the number of women in each grade within the Department of National Heritage excluding its two executive agencies, the Historic Royal Palaces and the Royal Parks, are listed in the table.

  DNH Staff as at 22 November 1993

  Grade

  Total number in Grade

  Of which female

  1A

  1

  —

  G3

  4

  1

  G4

  1

  —

  G5

  15

  4

  G6

  5

  4

  G7

  42

  11

  SEO

  17

  6

  HEOD

  2

  1

  AT

  3

  3

  HEO

  46

  20

  EO

  55

  23

  AO

  54

  28

  AA

  27

  15

  SPS

  5

  5

  PS

  17

  17

  Typist

  7

  7

  SGB1

  1

  1

  SGB2

  10

  7

  SIO

  5

  —

  IO

  4

  1

  CUR E

  2

  2

  CUR G

  3

  —

  Assistant Librarian

  1

  1

  TOTALS

  327

  156

  Regional Conferences
  Ms Mowlam
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will provide a list of the(a) dates, (b) locations and (c) invitees for his current programme of regional conferences with groups involved in Department of National Heritage subjects.

  Mr. Sproat
  The Department of National Heritage is holding a series of regional conferences throughout England for bodies involved in DNH subjects in order to support networks and help create new ones, and to identify examples of best practice and innovation for dissemination throughout the country.
  210
  The first conference took place on 3 December 1993 for the northern region at St. James's park, Newcastle United Football Club. The next four conferences will take place in 1994 as follows—venues have not all be identified:
  18 February
  South-west: Rougemont hotel, Exeter
  15 April
  West Midlands
  10 June
  Eastern region
  22 July
  North-west

  There will be four more conferences for the south-east, east midlands, Yorkshire and Humberside and London, but the order and timing of those conferences are yet to be established. I would expect the conference series to be completed in spring 1995.

  The invitation list will vary from region to region. I attach an illustrative list of organisations likely to be invited. We envisage each conference to be attended by about 100 delegates.

  Regional Conferences: The Audience
  DNH Regional Agencies

  Regional Arts Board

  English Heritage Regional Groups

  Regional Tourist Board

  Area Museum Council

  Regional Library Service

  Royal Commission on Historical Monuments of England

  Other Agencies

  Council for Protection of Rural England

  Agricultural Development Advisory Service

  National Parks

  City Action Teams

  English Nature

  Rural Development Commission

  Countryside Commission

  Development Agency/Company

  National Trust

  Local radio

  BBC

  Channel 3 regions

  Forestry Commission

  National Parks

  Historic Houses Association

  TECs

  British Waterways

  Regional Health Authority

  Others

  Association for Business Sponsorship of the Arts

  Library and Information Services Council

  Voluntary agencies

  DNH National Agencies

  Arts Council

  English Heritage

  English Tourist Board

  Museum and Galleries Commission

  Sports Council

  Independent Television Commission

  Local Authorities

  County Councils

  Association of District Councils

  Association of Metropolitan Authorities

  Any regional grouping (eg North of England Assembly)

  Other Government Departments

  Employment—training

  Employment—Employment Service

  Environment

  MAFF

  Transport

  211

  Trade and Industry

  Private Sector

  CBI

  Chambers of Commerce

  Major heritage/sporting attractions (eg Longleat, Beaulieu, museums, theatres)

  Trade associations

  TUC

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Prison Escort Service
  Ms Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the cost of escorting all prisoners in the Metropolitan police district in each of the last five years.

  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 D. Lewis to Ms Joan Ruddock, dated 12 January 1994:

  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the cost of escorting prisoners in the Metropolitan Police area in each of the last five years.

  This information is not readily available in the form which you require and could only be obtained in that form at disproportionate cost. In preparation for the contracting out of the court escort and custody service in the Metropolitan Police District, however, estimates were made, in a special exercise, of the costs for the financial years 1994–95; 1995–96 and 1996–97. These estimated costs were £28·468 million for 1994–95; £29·283 million for 1995–96 and £29·816 million for 1996–97. These figures include the cost of custody of prisoners at court, but exclude the costs of escorting and of court custody of category A prisoners.

  Ms Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the cost of escorting category A prisoners in the Metropolitan police district in each of the last five years.

  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 D. Lewis to Ms Joan Ruddock, dated 12 January 1994:

  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the cost of escorting Category A prisoners in the Metropolitan Police district in each of the last five years.

  Information in the form requested is not readily available and can only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

  Prisoners (Home Leave)
  Mr. Luff
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to review the operation by the Prison Service of grants of home leave for prisoners.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Responsibility for these matters 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 D. Lewis to Mr. Peter Luff, dated 12 January 1994:
  212
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the review of the operation of home leave for prisoners.

  The information you request is contained in my letter to the Member for Brecon and Radnor on 17 December (Col. 946).

  Ministerial Powers
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the powers he has under public legislation to give directions to local authorities or otherwise require them to act in a way which he prescribes, giving in each case the legislative authority under which he may exercise these powers.

  Mr. Howard
  The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Doncaster Prison
  Sir Ivan Lawrence
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if a contract has been let for the management of Doncaster prison.

  Mr. Howard
  On 1 February 1993 it was announced that from 1 April 1993 the Prison Service agency would assume full responsibility for taking forward Government policy on the involvement of the private sector in the management of prisons.

  In accordance with EC services directive 92/50 EEC, a notice advertising the requirement for service provision for the operation of Doncaster prison was placed in the supplement to the Official Journal of the European Community.

  Following the issue of this notice, invitations to tender were issued to eight bidders on 16 July 1993.

  After careful consideration of the proposals submitted, the prisons board has decided to award the contract to Premier Prison Services Ltd. A contract will be signed in the next few days, subject to the agreement of satisfactory terms and conditions.

  Premier Prison Services Ltd. is a joint venture company owned by Serco Ltd. and Wackenhut Corrections Corporation. Wackenhut Corrections Corporation has experience of running penal establishments in the USA and Australia.

  Doncaster is a category B local prison and is due to take its first prisoners by July this year.

  Deportation
  Sir Ivan Lawrence
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the outcome of the joint Home Office/Metropolitan police review of deportation procedures.

  Mr. Howard
  Following the tragic death of Mrs. Joy Gardner, I put in hand a joint review, with the Metropolitan police, of procedures in cases where the force assists the immigration service in the removal of people from this country under immigration powers. A representative of the Association of Chief Police Officers has also been involved in the review.

  Police involvement is required in only a small minority of removal cases. Wherever possible, the departure of people voluntarily or under the supervision of the immigration service is the preferred option. Compulsion is used only as a last resort.
  213
  The review is now complete. I am placing a copy of its report in the Library. I have accepted its recommendations as a sensible basis for continued co-operation in this sensitive area.

  As a result of the review, in cases involving the removal of someone from the United Kingdom, there will be systematic arrangements for consultation between the immigration service and the police before visits are made to private premises. These will include more informative requests for police assistance, to a standard format; joint planning meetings in potentially difficult cases; and an expectation that the need for a planning meeting will be addressed in every case.

  The review addressed the use of special restraint equipment in cases where the person being removed behaves violently or disruptively. The conclusions were that handcuffs should be available where necessary in accordance with ordinary police practice; that the use of additional arm and leg restraints, under strictly controlled conditions, is justified in those cases where the detainee cannot be adequately restrained with handcuffs; but that the use of mouth restraints—which was suspended in August 1993—should not be resumed. I accept these conclusions.

  The report of the review also contains recommendations for enhanced training of police officers who act as escorts in such cases.

  The police have an important role in assisting the immigration service to remove people in breach of the immigration laws, especially where it proves necessary to arrest such people in the community for detention pending removal. The review found that there was also a proportion of cases where the violent or disorderly nature of the person being removed, or his criminal record, warranted a police escort, but that otherwise trained escorts from suitable private contractors could continue to be used.

  M11 Link Road
  Mr. Gapes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what purpose his Department employs the private security firm of Norwest Ho1st in connection with the M11 link road.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  [holding answer 16 December 1993]: The Home Office does not employ the private security firm of Norwest Ho1st in connection with the M11 link road.

  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to his question by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport, the hon. Member for Epping Forest (Mr. Norris), on Tuesday 14 December, Official Report, column 589.

  Police and Local Communities
  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how he intends to improve liaison between the police and local communities in rural areas; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Howard
  Under proposals that I expect shortly to bring before Parliament, each police authority will have a duty to consult local people and to publish a local policing plan reflecting local and national goals. In addition, the parish constable scheme, which is being introduced on a pilot basis, will also improve the liaison between the police and the community.

EMPLOYMENT

  Health and Safety
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many staff years have been expended on the Health and Safety Executive's market-testing programme since 1 January.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The Health and Safety Executive expects its market-testing programme to produce significant savings. However, the initiative is at an early stage and, to date, the number of staff years spent on market testing, net of savings, is 14·5.

  Mr. Barron
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will instruct the Health and Safety Executive to place in the Library a copy of the publication "The Cost to the British Economy of Work Accidents and Work-Related Ill Health".

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  [holding answer 11 January 1994]: Yes, copies will be made available when it is published.

  Mr. Barron
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if the Health and Safety Commission's review of regulations has so far highlighted any of the sets of regulations identified by the Secretary of State as early candidates for revocation in his press notice of 20 July 1993 as the source of substantial undue costs to business.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  [holding answer 11 January 1994]: The set of regulations referred to in the press notice were identified by the Health and Safety Executive as seeming to have outlived their usefulness in their contribution to maintaining health and safety standards.

  The Government share the Health and Safety Commission's view that allowing outdated and unnecessary legislation to remain on the statute book adds to the complexity and uncertainty faced by business and others, distracts attention from essential requirements and thus reduces the effectiveness of the regulatory regime in maintaining necessary standards of health and safety.

  Workstart
  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many job placements have been achieved by each of the workstart pilot schemes; and in what categories of employment these placements have been found.

  Miss Widdecombe
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Wallsend (Mr. Byers) on 7 December 1993,Official Report, columns 210–11.

  The participants are working in a range of employment categories including factory operatives; drivers; sales assistants; clerical assistants; hotel and catering assistants; and labourers.

  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what anti-displacement measures have been incorporated into the operating procedures of workstart pilots; and how successful they have been.

  Miss Widdecombe
  All the pilots require employers to sign a declaration stating that they have not dismissed or made redundant any employees directly or indirectly for the purposes of employing the subsidised employee. Each pilot monitors the position of participating employers.
  215
  Initial evaluation of Workstart has found no evidence of displacement.

  Ministerial Powers
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the powers he has under public legislation to give directions to local authorities or otherwise require them to act in a way which he prescribes, giving in each case the legislative authority under which he may exercise these powers.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The following relevant powers have been identified in the main legislation governing the Department's activities:Disabled Persons (Employment) Act 1958, section 3(1): power to direct local authorities to provide sheltered employment pursuant to section 15 of the Disabled Persons (Employment) Act 1944.
  Employment and Training Act 1973, section 10(2)—as amended by section 45 of the Trade Union Reform and Employment Rights Act 1993: power to direct local education authorities—in Scotland, education authorities—to provide, or arrange for the provision of, a careers service.
  Employment and Training Act 1973, section 10(7)—as amended by section 45 of the Trade Union Reform and Employment Rights Act 1993: power to direct LEAs to transfer relevant records to providers of the services.
  Employment and Training Act 1973, section 12(2): duty of LEAs to provide specified information in such form and at such times as my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State may direct.
  Health and Safety at Work, etc. Act 1974, section 18(2): power, by regulations, to make local authorities responsible for the enforcement of the relevant statutory provisions.

  Quangos
  Mr. Meale
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the names of all individuals who are or were members of the House of Lords who since 1979 have been appointed to any quasi-autonomous nongovernmental organisations, excluding appointments as justices of the peace, giving in each case the title of the post, any salary payable and the duration of the appointment.

  Miss Widdecombe
  [holding answer 11 January 1994]: The following noble Lords hold or held positions to which they were appointed by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Employment:
  The Baroness Turner of Camden

  Member: Central Arbitration Committee

  Fee: £141 per day when sitting

  Duration: Not exceeding five years. but can be reappointed

  Also—

  Part-time commissioner: Equal Opportunities Commission —EOC—from 1983 to 1988

  Fee: Daily rate of £85 in 1988

  Duration: Four years plus reappointment for a further year.

  The Lord Wedderburn

  Member: Civil Service Arbitration Tribunal—CSAT

  Fee: £141 per day when sitting

  Duration: Three years; can be renewed.

  The Lord McCarthy

  Member: CSAT

  Fee: £141 per day when sitting

  Duration: Three years; can be renewed.

  The Baroness Dean of Thornton le Fylde

  Member: Employment Appeal Tribunal—EAT

  Fee: £177 when sitting

  Duration: Three years; eligible for reappointment up to age 70.

  216
  The Baroness Gardner of Parkes

  Lay Member: Industrial Tribunal

  Fee: £113 per day when sitting

  Duration: Three years; eligible for reappointment up to age 69.

  The Baroness Platt of Writtle

  Chairman: EOC

  Salary: £35,066 in 1988

  Duration: Three years, plus a further two years from 1983 to 1988.

  The Baroness Lockwood of Dewsbury

  Chairman: EOC

  Salary: £25,455 in 1980

  Duration: Three years, plus a further two years from 1975 to 1980.

  Mr. Meale
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the names of all former British representative members in the European Parliament who since 1979 have been appointed to quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisations, excluding appointments as justices of the peace, giving in each case the title of the post, any salary payable and the duration of the appointment.

  Miss Widdecombe
  [holding answer 11 January 1994]: I regret that it is not possible on the grounds of disproportionate cost to identify any former members of the European Parliament who may have been or who are members of the quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisations sponsored by the Employment Department.

  Mr. Meale
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the names of all former hon. Members who since 1979 have been appointed to quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisations, excluding appointments as justices of the peace, giving in each case the title of the post, any salary payable and the duration of the appointment.

  Miss Widdecombe
  [holding answer 11 January 1994]: The following two appointments have been made:
  Christopher Chope—Health and Safety Commissioner. Annual fee of £1,060 plus an attendance allowance of £105 for each fortnightly meeting attended. Appointed for three years from 1 April 1993. Former Conservative MP.
  William S. Hilton—Employer member to the Construction Industry Training Board—CITB; also a member of the CITB administration committee. Eligible for allowance for loss of remunerative time. Appointment for the period November 1984 to April 1990—re-appointed in July 1988. Former Labour MP.

  It is not possible on the grounds of disproportionate cost to include details of any appointments to the committees for the employment with people with disabilities, the industrial tribunals, and the employment appeals tribunal, with a total of over 2,250 appointees.

  Electricity Generation
  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will calculate the appropriate daily volume of natural gas consumption for generation of electricity which is equivalent to the employment of each person employed above or underground in a coal mine of comparable performance to those recently closed as being uneconomic.

  Mr. Eggar
  I have been asked to reply.

  Estimated daily production per person, based on the overall average output per manshift in British Coal's mines for the period January to October 1993, was7·85 tonnes of coal. Assuming an energy content of 237 therms per tonne,

  217
  and average efficiencies of coal and gas fired power stations of 34 per cent. and 45 per cent. respectively, the equivalent quantity of gas for use in electricity generation would be 1,400 therms or 41 MWh.

  Data on output specifically relating to recently closed mines are not held centrally.

TRANSPORT

  Lorry Ban, London
  Mr. Raynsford
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what representations he has received about the operation of the London night-time lorry ban;

  (2) what consultation his Department has undertaken with representatives of the public about the future of the London lorry ban;

  (3) if he will make a statement on the Government's intentions in respect of the London lorry ban.

  Mr. Norris
  I have received a number of representations from hon. Members, from London borough councils and from the Freight Transport Association. Many of these related to the cost of administering the ban and the problems created by the operation of the system of exemption permits. I am considering proposals aimed at reducing the bureaucracy associated with the administration of the ban while maintaining the environmental protection it offers. These will be published shortly. I am arranging to meet the London Boroughs Transport Committee, the Freight Transport Association and the Association of London Authorities shortly.

  Road Maintenance
  Mr. Dunn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what are his plans for the future procurement of trunk road and motorway maintenance work.

  Mr. Key
  We have no plans to change the current arrangements in the run-up to the establishment of the Highways Agency in April 1994. From then on, it will be one of the tasks of the chief executive to keep the arrangements under review, with a presumption in favour of increasing the opportunities for the private sector to participate in this work.

  Ministerial Powers
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the powers he has under public legislation to give directions to local authorities or otherwise require them to act in a way which he prescribes, giving in each case the legislative authority under which he may exercise these powers.

  Mr. MacGregor
  This information can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Motorway Charges
  Mr. Clapham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimates his Department has made of the impact of motorway charges on serious injuries and fatalities to vehicle occupants, cyclists and pedestrians.

  Mr. Key
  Motorways are among our safest roads. A key objective of motorway charging is to provide another 218
  source of finance to expand the network more quickly. This will reduce the diversion to other roads which would otherwise occur as the motorway network became more congested.

  The Green Paper "Paying For Better Motorways"—Cm. 2200—considered in some detail the extent to which charging might of itself cause diversion to other roads. The research summarised in the document suggested that charging at levels well below those used in other countries —as was suggested in the Green Paper—would cause only modest diversion.

  The overall effects of charging on road safety would depend on a number of factors. These include the timing of introduction; the overall charge levels and any variations in charging between different roads and at different times of day; and the practical effects of charging in terms of facilitating quicker expansion of the motorway network. Such issues require further exploration. In the meantime, there is no basis for assessing in detail the likely effects of charging on road safety.

  London Underground (Power Failure)
  Mr. Raynsford
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he has taken to ensure that there is no repetition of the power failure affecting the London Underground on 24 November.

  Mr. Norris
  I have asked London Transport for an urgent, full report on the circumstances of the power failure, to include what actions it proposes to ensure that there is no recurrence.

SCOTLAND

  Health Board Staff
  Mr. Galbraith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many staff who had been sacked but who were threatening legal action were re-employed on the same salary in each of the last 10 years in each health board in Scotland.

  Mr. Stewart
  This information is not held centrally.

  NHS Trusts
  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many non-executive members of each NHS trust, which has such members, have a background in health care.

  Mr. Stewart
  The number of non-executive members, including chairmen, of each NHS trust, who have a background in health care, is as shown in the table:

  number

  Aberdeen Royal Hospitals NHS Trust

  3

  Ayrshire and Arran Community Healthcare NHS Trust

  2

  Caithness and Sutherland Hospitals NHS Trust

  4

  Dundee Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

  3

  Grampian Healthcare NHS Trust

  2

  Monklands and Bellshill Hospitals NHS Trust

  3

  Moray Health Services NHS Trust

  2

  North Ayrshire and Arran NHS Trust

  2

  Raigmore Hospital NHS Trust

  4

  Royal Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust

  4

  Royal Scottish National Hospital and Community NHS Trust

  2

  South Ayrshire Hospitals NHS Trust

  3

  219

  number

  Southern General Hospital NHS Trust

  3

  Stirling Royal Infirmary NHS Trust

  2

  Victoria Infirmary NHS Trust

  4

  West Lothian NHS Trust

  1

  Yorkhill NHS Trust

  3

  Prisons
  Mr. McFall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many disciplinary offences were committed in each Scottish prison in each of the last five years.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  I have asked Mr. E. W. Frizzell, the chief executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to arrange for a reply to be given to the hon. Member.

  Letter from E. W. Frizzell to Mr. John McFall, dated 12January 1994:
  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton has asked me to reply to your Question about the number of disciplinary offences committed in each Scottish prison in each of the last five years.
  Data on the number of disciplinary offences were first collated on a financial year basis in 1989–90 and information for the four years since then is given in the table.
  Differences between establishments and over time should be treated with caution, as there may be variations in the way in which some establishments record disciplinary offences, and in the prisoner mix at certain establishments during the period concerned. It should be noted also that in 1992–93 the average daily prisoner population was 5,395 compared with 4,886 in 1989–90.

  Number of Disciplinary Offences Recorded in Scottish Penal Establishments

  1989–90

  1990–91

  1991–92

  1992–93

  Prisons

  Aberdeen

  876

  775

  826

  1,370

  Barlinnie (inc. Special Unit)

  1,846

  1,830

  1,184

  957

  Cornton Vale

  334

  352

  368

  333

  Dungavel

  47

  58

  67

  108

  Edinburgh

  1,041

  965

  1,152

  1,270

  Friarton

  147

  93

  181

  80

  Glenochil

  1,041

  935

  715

  905

  Greenock

  602

  361

  543

  479

  Inverness

  136

  159

  157

  261

  Low Moss

  865

  765

  786

  803

  Noranside

  67

  64

  71

  68

  Penninghame

  92

  93

  90

  104

  Peterhead

  671

  436

  546

  286

  Perth

  1,043

  1,219

  859

  1,079

  Shotts (inc. Special Unit)

  915

  1,020

  1,374

  1,246

  Young Offenders Institutions

  Castle Huntly

  691

  821

  729

  733

  Cornton Vale

  228

  132

  106

  48

  Dumfries1

  1,504

  1,732

  1,679

  1,693

  Glenochil

  2,157

  2,905

  2,767

  2,509

  Polmont

  1,828

  1,367

  1,545

  1,954

  Remand Institution

  Longriggend

  1,457

  1,223

  895

  884

  TOTAL

  17,588

  17,305

  16,640

  17,170

  1 Includes disciplinary offences in respect of adult remand prisoners.

  Cancer
  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the trend of death from cancer; what assessment he has made as to its causes; and if he will increase funding for cancer research programmes.

  Mr. Stewart
  The table shows the number of deaths from cancer for the zero to 64 age group and for persons of all ages in the period 1975 to 1992.

  Age 0–64

  All ages

  Year

  Males

  Females

  Males

  Females

  1975

  2,572

  2,249

  7,056

  6,011

  1976

  2,579

  2,305

  7,165

  6,250

  1977

  2,546

  2,272

  6,902

  6,286

  1978

  2,573

  2,385

  7,158

  6,566

  1979

  2,450

  2,350

  7,357

  6,550

  1980

  2,374

  2,248

  7,194

  6,501

  1981

  2,324

  2,213

  7,298

  6,639

  1982

  2,455

  2,249

  7,315

  6,762

  1983

  2,476

  2,274

  7,325

  6,885

  1984

  2,386

  2,398

  7,376

  6,923

  1985

  2,417

  2,247

  7,420

  7,035

  1986

  2,345

  2,199

  7,443

  7,091

  1987

  2,349

  2,158

  7,563

  7,087

  1988

  2,332

  2,156

  7,518

  7,202

  1989

  2,179

  2,220

  7,593

  7,324

  1990

  2,219

  2,163

  7,608

  7,349

  1991

  2,205

  2,040

  7,589

  7,287

  1992

  2,133

  2,115

  7,796

  7,336

  Although there has been an increase in the number of deaths of both men and women of all ages, the trend in relation to the under-65s is downwards. This is encouraging in view of the target of a 15 per cent. reduction in cancer mortality in that age group between 1986 and the year 2000.

  Mortality rates associated with some childhood and young adult cancers have declined substantially as a result of advances in chemotherapy. There has also been a modest decline in mortality associated with those cancers which are amenable to treatment. Mortality rates for cancers which become symptomatic only at an advanced stage have remained constant. The main increase in cancer-related mortality in women is lung cancer. In men, the most significant increase has been in the incidence of cancer of the prostate. The causes of all types of cancer are however constantly monitored, primarily through the Scottish cancer registration system.

  Funding of cancer research remains high on our list of priorities, and has been increased significantly by the establishment of the Scottish cancer therapy network, which aims to ensure that all patients suffering from cancer in Scotland receive the best and most up-to-date treatment available.

  Hospital Waiting Lists
  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland by what date he estimates hospital waiting lists will be(a) one year or less and (b) six months or less.

  Mr. Stewart
  At 30 September 1993 less than 9 per cent. of those on in-patient and day case waiting lists had waited more than 12 months—down from 15 per cent. in 1991. All health boards are working to ensure that no one waits longer than 12 months by April 1997, and some are on course to achieve this significantly sooner.

  Pain Relief Clinics
  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) how many pain relief clinics there are in each health board area;

  (2) what is the greatest travelling distance that a patient could have in order to attend a pain relief clinic;

  (3) what is the current average waiting time for a first appointment at each pain relief clinic;

  (4) what is his policy on the provision of pain relief clinics;

  (5) what plans he has to reduce waiting times for first appointment at pain relief clinics;

  (6) how many specialists are employed in pain relief clinics in 1988 and at the latest available date.

  Mr. Stewart
  The table identifies, within health board areas, those hospitals which hold pain relief clinics—which are recorded as anaesthetic clinics. The table also lists the average waiting times experienced by those patients who had a first appointment at these clinics during the six months to 30 September 1993.

  It is for health boards as purchasers of care to secure from provider units or trusts an appropriate level of pain relief services based on assessment of local need. It is for health boards too to take suitable action on waiting times in light of their own targets. Information on the number of specialists employed in pain relief clinics, and on distances travelled by patients to these clinics, is not held centrally.

  Hospitals with pain relief clinics1

  Mean wait where first out-patient appointment recorded during period 1 April 1993 to 30 September 1993

  Health board area/hospital

  Mean wait (days)

  Argyll and Clyde

  Inverclyde royal hospital

  63

  Ayrshire and Arran

  Crosshouse hospital

  47

  Ayr hospital

  52

  Borders

  Borders general

  —

  Dumfries and Galloway

  Dumfries and Galloway royal infirmary

  95

  Fife

  Victoria hospital, Kirkcaldy

  109

  West Fife DGM (Queen Margaret hospital)2

  139

  Dunfermline and West Fife hospital3

  75

  Forth Valley

  Falkirk and District royal infirmary

  67

  Stirling royal infirmary

  29

  Grampian

  Aberdeen royal infirmary

  31

  Greater Glasgow

  Royal infirmary

  75

  Stobhill hospital

  92

  Victoria infirmary, Glasgow

  102

  Southern general hospital

  97

  Gartnavel general hospital

  148

  Highland

  Belford hospital, Fort William

  —

  Caithness general hospital

  39

  Raigmore hospital, Inverness

  —

  Lanarkshire

  222

  Health board area/hospital

  Mean wait (days)

  Monklands district general hospital

  82

  Law hospital

  35

  Lothian

  Edinburgh royal infirmary

  72

  Western general hospital

  —

  Tayside

  Dundee royal infirmary

  160

  Perth royal infirmary

  53

  Ninewells hospital, Dundee

  —

  Western Isles

  Western Isles hospital

  —

  All clinics

  84

  1 Pain relief clinics are recorded as "Anaesthetics".

  2 Hospital opened in period.

  3 Hospital closed in period.

  Prescriptions
  Mrs. Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many prescription items in Scotland have been prescribed per person since February 1993.

  Mr. Stewart
  The available information from February to October 1993 is set out in the table:

  Month

  Number of prescriptions

  Number of items prescribed per person on general prac-titioner list as at 1 April 1993

  February

  3,882,295

  0·72

  March

  4,505,745

  0·84

  April

  4,027,044

  0·75

  May

  4,032,892

  0·75

  June

  4,310,893

  0·80

  July

  4,125,123

  0·77

  August

  4,017,407

  0·75

  September

  4,096,030

  0·76

  October

  4,266,755

  0·80

  Ministerial Powers
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the powers he has under public legislation to give directions to local authorities or otherwise require them to act in a way which he prescribes, giving in each case the legislative authority under which he may exercise these powers.

  Mr. Stewart
  The information requested could be produced only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Laurence Peterken
  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer of 16 December,Official Report, column 888, on the dismissal of Laurence Peterken; whether officials of the Scottish Office were consulted by Greater Glasgow health board, or its chairman, at any stage before 2 November.

  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 11 January 1994]: Officials held discussions with representatives of the health

  223
  board on a number of occasions about the board's proposals for a severance package for Mr. Peterken but were not consulted by the board about the proposal to dismiss him.

  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the reason for the time taken between his views being sought on 5 November 1993, on the appointment of Mr. Peterken to the post of special project director and his being offered the post on 12 November 1993.

  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 11 January 1994]: There were a number of exchanges between the Department's lawyers and lawyers acting for Mr. Peterken as to the form and content of the contract of employment.

  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland on how many occasions officers of the central legal office of the Scottish Office had discussions with Mr. W. S. Fyfe concering the proposed removal of Mr. Laurence Peterken from his post.

  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 11 January 1994]: The Central Legal Office, which exists to provide independent legal advice to the national health service in Scotland, is part of the Common Services Agency, not of the Scottish Office. I understand officers of the Central Legal Office had frequent discussions with Mr. Fyfe concerning Mr. Peterken's position.

  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland which persons were involved in the appraisal of performance of Mr. Laurence Peterken for the year to 31 March 1993.

  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 11 January 1994]: Mr Peterken's performance for the year to 31 March 1993 was appraised by the former chairman of Greater Glasgow health board, Sir Thomas Thomson, who was in office for the period under review. This appraisal was supplemented slightly by the then chairman, Mr. W. S. Fyfe, who took up office on 1 April 1993 and submitted by him to the management executive for the NHS in Scotland. The appraisal was reviewed by the acting chief executive for the NHS in Scotland following discussions with the former NHS chief executive.

  Common Services Agency
  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has sought an estimate of the cost of commissioning external consultants to review the operation of the Common Services Agency.

  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 11 January 1994]: No.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

  Parliamentary Costs
  Mr. Gapes
  To ask the right hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed, representing the House of Commons Commission, what is the cost in terms of(a) staff, (b) lighting, (c) heating, (d) catering and (e) other costs of operating Parliament on its current hours; and what would be the estimated cost should the recommendations of the Select Committee on Sittings of the House relating to hours of sitting be implementing in full.
  224
  Mr. Beith
  The costs of the House of Commons on the present basis of operations are set out in the 15th annual report of the House of Commons Commission—House of Commons Paper No. 820 of Session 1992–93. It is not practicable to provide an estimate of changes in these costs if the recommendations of the Jopling report were to be implemented in full. However, an indication of the additional staff costs of sittings after 10.30 pm was given in response to a question by the hon. Member for Nottingham, North (Mr. Allen) on 22 October 1993,Official Report, column 347.

  Mr. Luff
  To ask the right hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed, representing the House of Commons Commission, what is the cost per hour of the House sitting beyond midnight.

  Mr. Beith
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave to the hon. Member for Nottingham, North (Mr. Allen) on 22 October 1993,Official Report, column 347. The rate at which additional costs are incurred when the House sits after midnight is broadly the same as the rate at which costs are incurred when the House sits after 10.30 Pm.

  Posting Boxes
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Chairman of the Accommodation and Works Committee how many posting boxes there are(a) within that part of the Palace of Westminster under House of Commons control and (b) in the outbuildings in the parliamentary estates; how many have been replaced in the last five years; why this has been necessary; and what was the cost (i) within the Palace of Westminster and (ii) in the other buildings.

  Mr. Ray Powell
  There are 18 posting boxes within that part of the Palace of Westminster occupied by the House of Commons and nine boxes in the parliamentary outbuildings. During the past five years 14 of the boxes within the palace have been replaced, having become unserviceable through age, and inadequate for the volume of letters and packages they were required to accommodate. The new boxes, produced to designs approved by the appropriate Committees of the House, were provided by the Post Office in 1992 at no cost to the House.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Sheep Quota Scheme
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps she proposes introducing to ensure that sheep do not die of malnutrition in any part of the United Kingdom as a direct result of loss of subsidy eligibility arising from the sheep quota scheme; and if she will immediately announce an emergency aid package to assist all farmers caught in such a dilemma.

  Mr. Jack
  There is no evidence that the introduction of quotas will result in farmers keeping animals that they will be unable to feed. We have already allocated some 18·7 million sheep quota units. In addition, some 780,000 quota units will be available for distribution from the 1993 national reserve and a special "pool" of quota set up for those who claimed premium for the first time under the 1992 sheep annual premium scheme. These are very substantial levels of quota allocations and will ensure, in
  225
  general, that producers have access to the premium payments they need. Sheep producers also receive aid from other sources. For example, those in less favoured areas are eligible under the hill livestock compensatory allowance scheme. Producers wishing to acquire extra quota can do so under the flexible transfer and lease arrangements we have negotiated. They can also sell any stock which is surplus to their requirements.

  Diseased Cattle
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will instigate immediate checks on the health of all cattle and sheep entering the United Kingdom from whatever source.

  Mr. Soames
  I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. and learned Member for Burton (Sir I. Lawrence) on 1 December 1993,Official Report, columns 590–91, about checks on imported cattle. Similar measures are applied to imported sheep.

  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will raise with the European Council of Ministers the resurgence in the United Kingdom of brucellosis from warble fly infested cattle, the risk to human health and necessary measures to eliminate such diseases.

  Mr. Soames
  The incidence of warble fly in imported cattle has been taken up vigorously with the veterinary authorities of the countries of origin concerned and notified to the EC Commission. Although the cases of brucellosis last autumn affected imported cattle as well as indigenous animals, investigations have not revealed conclusive evidence to confirm that the primary source of infection was an imported animal.

  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will take action to bar the free movement of cattle and sheep into the United Kingdom from any country reporting warble fly infestation.

  Mr. Soames
  No. All cattle imported into the United Kingdom, with the exception of those imported direct to a slaughterhouse for immediate slaughter, must be treated with an approved warble fly preparation within 24 hours of arrival at the premises of destination. Sheep are not susceptible to warble fly infestation.

  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what powers govern the restriction of free movement within the European Community of animals which are a danger to public health.

  Mr. Soames
  Controls to prevent the spread of disease, including diseases transmissible to humans, as a result of trade in live animals within the Community are laid down in the following EC directives:Council directive 64/432/EEC on animal health problems affecting intra-Community trade in bovine animals and swine;
  Council directive 90/426/EEC on health problems governing the movement of equidae and their import from third countries;
  Council directive 90/539/EEC on animal health conditions governing intra-Community trade in, and imports from third countries of, poultry and hatching eggs;
  Council directive 91/68/EEC on animal health conditions governing intra-Community trade in ovine and caprine animals;
  Council directive 92/65/EEC laying down animal health requirements governing trade in and imports into the Community of animals, seman, ova and embryos not subject to animal health requirements laid down in specific Community rules referred to in annex A(1) to directive 90/425/EEC;
  226
  Council diretive 92/117/EEC concerning measures for protection against specified zoonoses and specified zoonotic agents in animals and products of animal origin in order to prevent outbreaks of food-borne infections and intoxications.

  Rabies
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps she is taking to ensure that Britain remains free of rabies.

  Mr. Soames
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Richmond, Yorks (Mr. Hague) by my right hon. Friend the Member for Suffolk, Coastal (Mr. Gummer) on 16 June 1992,Official Report, columns 455–56.

  Milk
  Mrs. Peacock
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment she has made of whether the national interest and that of milk producers would be better served by the bulk of our milk being handled by processors who have a proven track record in the development of new products instead of by Milk Marque, the successor of the Milk Marketing Board.

  Mr. Jack
  My right hon. Friends the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Secretary of State for Wales will have to have regard to all the circumstances when deciding whether to approve the Milk Marketing Board's reorganisation scheme. One of the main purposes of ending the milk marketing scheme is to allow producers to decide to whom and on what terms to sell their milk. I look forward to when they will be free to do so.

  Fisheries Council
  Mr. Harris
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will make a statement on the December Fisheries Council meeting.

  Mr. Barnes
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will make a statement on the outcome of the EC Fisheries Council of 20 and 21 December, indicating the voting record of each member state on each item and where no formal votes were taken.

  Mr. Jack
  I represented the United Kingdom together with the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Scotland, my hon. Friend the Member for Dumfries (Sir H. Monro).

  The December Fisheries Council is the one at which total allowable catches—TACs—for the EC, and member states' quota shares of those TACs, are settled for the forthcoming year. Stocks are generally under pressure and efforts against them need to be reduced. However, within that overall strategy, on which decisions were reached by the Council without a vote, we obtained the best possible outcome compatible with the scientific advice. For some stocks, fishermen will have better prospects in 1994. In particular, they should be pleased with the large share of the North Sea nephrops TAC allocated to the United Kingdom; a significant increase in the availability of haddock in the North sea and of flatfish in the Irish sea; agreement to "mackerel flexibility" so that our fishermen can catch this species in the North sea between October and December at the same level as last year; the 40 per cent. increase in the United Kingdom's quota for cod at north Norway. In the light of the scientific advice, it would have

  227
  been damaging to the stocks, and therefore not in the long-term interest of the fishermen themselves, to maintain the previous quotas for all stocks, but I negotiated the best obtainable outcome.

  The Council also considered adjustments to the rules under which the Spanish and Portuguese vessels fish in Community waters. As a result of the strong line which we and others have been taking in the negotiation, the presidency produced a compromise document in an endeavour to find a way forward to an agreement. This document replaced the Commission's "blank cheque" approach under which we would have released the Iberians from all constraints without knowing what would go in their place. It represented a workmanlike first step in reflecting our key interest in ensuring satisfactory safeguards for all the areas around our shores and provides a useful basis for considering the detailed arrangements which will apply after 1995. I pressed for a decision to be reached quickly on the basis of the presidency's document so that the uncertainty facing our fishermen could be removed. However, agreement was not possible at this meeting. The Council agreed to continue work, on the basis of the Belgian presidency's proposal, under the forthcoming Greek presidency.

  At my request, the Council considered, and adopted unanimously, an EC-Canada fisheries agreement which establishes satisfactory arrangements for managing complicated and sensitive fisheries.

  There were two issues before the Council that have been concerning fishermen and environmentalists. The first was industrial fishing. In response to pressure that I have been applying for several months, the Commission will establish a working group. This will bring together marine ecologists and fisheries biologists to study the implications for the marine ecosystem of fishing in general and industrial fishing in particular. The group will also set priorities for future research work on the effect these have on the marine ecosystem, sea birds and cetaceans. There will be a report to the Council before the end of April 1994. The second issue concerns drift nets. There was no proposal before the Council for an extension of the derogation allowing limited use of long drift nets and no decision on this was taken. However, the Council asked the Commission to prepare a report on drift netting in the light of the best scientific advice available. A proposal could be made only if it were possible to demonstrate scientifically the absence of any ecological risk.

  On the market situation, the Council noted that minimum import prices could not form a permanent instrument of market management. They could apply only in exceptional circumstances and the general range of minimum import prices would expire at the end of December. However, for salmon the Commission agreed to review the situation during January to see whether the minimum import prices for salmon should continue beyond 31 January 1994.

  The Council agreed a regulation to implement the financial instrument for fisheries guidance, which amalgamates, with some amendments, the regulations dealing with fisheries structures and with marketing and processing. I voted against this new measure because some of its provisions did not provide value for money. The Government will carefully consider which provisions to implement in the United Kingdom bearing in mind the need to maintain an efficient industry while balancing fishing capacity and resources.
  228
  A Council decision concerning the objectives and detailed rules for restructuring the Community fisheries sector was adopted. This formalises the Council's endorsement in 1992 of the horizontal targets for reducing fishing effort contained in the 1993–96 multi-annual guidance programmes. I abstained, since the introduction of more binding targets goes beyond the requirement in the basic regulation for the Council to set objectives. The Netherlands also abstained; Greece voted against.

  Ministerial Powers
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will list the powers she has under public legislation to give directions to local authorities or otherwise require them to act in a way which she prescribes, giving in each case the legislative authority under which she may exercise these powers.

  Mr. Jack
  This information can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Set-aside
  Mr. Tipping
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will list the conditions that can be placed on land that has been set aside under the arable area payments scheme to improve or protect the environment and improve recreational opportunities; what plans she has to impose new conditions; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Jack
  [holding answer 11 January 1994]: The conditions for the management of set-aside under the arable area payments scheme are given in the explanatory guide to the scheme for 1993–94. A copy has been placed in the Library of the House. Farmers can obtain further advice on how to manage their set-aside land for specific environmental objectives from the arable area payments leaflet AR14, a copy of which has also been placed in the Library. In addition free advice on environmental matters is available to farmers through the ADAS agency.

  The proposed countryside access scheme, which we plan to introduce later this year, should increase the recreational potential of set-aside by offering farmers incentive payments for providing public access to suitable non-rotational set-aside land. In addition, following pressure from the United Kingdom, the Agriculture Council has asked the Commission to undertake a study of the relationship between set-aside and arable land withdrawn from production under EC forestry and agri-environment regulations. We will continue to press for such land to be allowed to qualify as set-aside under the arable area payments scheme.

  Press Officers
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many press officers her Department has employed in each year since 1983.

  Mr. Jack
  [holding answer 17 December 1993]: The number of press officers, including the chief press officer, employed by MAFF in each year since 1983 is as follows:

  Year

  Year

  1983

  6

  1989

  17

  1984

  6

  1990

  28

  1985

  6

  1991

  17

  229

  Year

  Year

  1986

  6

  1992

  17

  1987

  6

  1993

  7

  1988

  17

  1 not including two press officers working specifically for ADAS.

  2 (as 1above) and including an extra press officer to cover the introduction and implementation of the Food Safety Act 1990.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Nuclear Power (Privatisation)
  Mr. Ainger
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he next intends to discuss privatisation with the chairman of Nuclear Power.

  Mr. Livingstone
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans he has to meet the chairman of Nuclear Power to discuss privatisation.

  Mr. Eggar
  I meet the chairman of Nuclear Electric regularly to discuss a range of issues.

  Aerospace Industry
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will visit the aerospace industry in Lancashire to discuss the implications of the Budget.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  My right hon. Friend has no plans for such a visit.

  Payment of Debt
  Mr. Burns
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he expects to bring forward proposals to deal with the late payment of debts.

  Mr. McLoughin
  On 30 November my Department published the consultation paper; it considers possible measures to address late payment including legislation for a statutory right to interest and a British standard on prompt payment as well as inviting other ideas. Responses to the consultation paper are invited by 31 March 1994.

  Any measures arising from the consultation process will be implemented as soon as practicable after that date. In the meantime, the Government will continue to address the problem of late payment through the range of initiatives which have already been introduced.

  Mr. Bates
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what representations he has received on proposals to tackle late payment of commercial debt; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  Representations have been received from individual small businesses and from other interested organisations seeking action to reduce the incidence of late payment. They have proposed a variety of possible measures, all of which have received careful consideration.

  My Department is currently consulting on possible new measures to address the problem of late payment through the consultation paper "Late Payment of Commercial Debt". Responses are invited by 31 March 1994. In the meantime, the Government will continue to address the problem of late payment through the range of initiatives which have already been introduced.

  Pit Closures
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he last met representatives of the mining supplies industry to discuss the impact of the colliery closure programme.

  Mr. Eggar
  I met the Association of British Mining Equipment Companies—ABMEC—in May 1993 ands I have had frequent contact with individual companies in the industry since then. An increasing number of mining equipment companies are in contact with the Department to take advantage of the mining equipment company scheme which I announced in August.

  Recycled Materials
  Mr. Marland
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what action has been taken over the past year to encourage industry to make greater use of recycled materials.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The main reason manufacturers use recycled materials is to gain competitive advantage.

  We have seen levels of United Kingdom recycling increase in recent years. Between 1991 and 1992 the tonnages of recycled plastics rose by almost 20 per cent., of glass containers by almost 20 per cent. and of waste and paper board by 5 per cent.

  We are looking to industry's response to the producer responsibility challenge to increase the use of recycled materials.

  Investment Fund Companies (Insurance Policies)
  Mr. Denham
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what action he is taking to monitor the performance of investment fund companies related to life, pension and endowment policies.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  My Department undertakes the prudential supervision of companies providing life, pension and endowment policies in accordance with the Insurance Companies Act 1982 and associated regulations. Responsibility for regulating the marketing of such products rests with the Securities and Investments Board and the relevant self-regulatory organisations under the Financial Services Act 1986.

  Interbuild
  Mr. O'Hara
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many officials from the ECGD were in attendance at the overseas trade services stand at Interbuild to advise on export strategy.

  Mr. Needham
  The Government were represented at this private sector exhibition by officials from DTI's overseas trade services and the Department of the Environment. ECGD was not present. The exhibition was geared primarily to goods and services sold on short terms of payment. These would be covered by private insurers rather than ECGD.

  Technology Transfer
  Mr. Clapham
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what steps he is taking to establish a mechanism for technology transfer to help small and medium-sized enterprises increase their competitiveness.
  231
  Mr. Sainsbury
  My Department operates a number of technology transfer programmes whose main aim is to improve the competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises.

  Ferranti International
  Bryan Davies
  24. Mr. To ask the President of the Board of Trade what meetings he has had with the receivers of Ferranti International about the assistance his Department can offer to preserve the high skill and high technological capacity of the company.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  Officials of my Department have had a number of meetings with the receivers.

  Electrical Appliances (Plugs)
  Mr. Rooney
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he expects legislation to be implemented requiring all new electrical appliances to be sold with a plug.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The European Commission is still seeking clarification on a number of points which is delaying the progress of the proposed regulations. I am hopeful that these matters will be resolved shortly.

  Small Businesses
  Mr. Milligan
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on measures he plans to assist small businesses.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The Government will continue to encourage small businesses by fostering a stable economic climate at home and by encouraging and promoting competition in world markets. Both directly and through the training and enterprise councils and local enterprise companies, the Government will continue to make available a wide range of high-quality support and assistance which will be further enhanced by the development of a national network of business links.

  Mr. William O'Brien
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he last met representatives of small businesses to discuss their future; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  My right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade met representatives of the Institute of Directors when he spoke at their annual dinner on 23 November 1993.

  My noble Friend the Minister with responsibility for small firms has regular meetings with all the major small firms organisations to discuss a range of issues.

  Foam Filling
  Mr. McAvoy
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what further representations he has received from firms manufacturing foam and foam-filled furniture about the dangers of low-quality imports.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  Three identifiable businesses responding to the recent consultation on the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988, as amended, as part of my Department's deregulation initiative review alleged that some imported foam-filled furniture does not 232
  comply with the regulations. The regulations apply to all domestic upholstered furniture intended for supply to the United Kingdom market, and, accordingly, local authority trading standards officers, who have a day-to-day responsibility for enforcement of the legislation, have powers to deal with any non-complying furniture, whatever its country of manufacture.

  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what steps he is taking to protect United Kingdom consumers from dangerous foreign foam-filled furniture.

  Mrs. Bridget Prentice
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what steps he is taking to protect United Kingdom consumers from dangers arising from imported foam-filled furniture.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The Furniture and Furnishings Regulations (Fire) (Safety) 1988 ban the use of standard polyurethane foam and cite a series of flammability tests designed to increase the fire resistence of upholstered furniture. These regulations apply to all domestic upholstered furniture intended for supply to the United Kingdom market and, accordingly, local authority trading standards officers, who have day-to-day responsibility for enforcement of the legislation, have powers to deal with any non-complying furniture, whatever its country of manufacture.

  Manufacturing
  Mr. Hain
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what has been the change in manufacturing investment in real terms since 1978–79.

  Mr. Heseltine
  In the latest financial year—1992–93 —manufacturing investment was 8 per cent. lower than in 1978–79 but 23 per cent. higher than in 1981–82, a similar point in the economic cycle.

  Mr. Nicholas Winterton
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what measures he intends to introduce to expand the manufacturing base of the United Kingdom economy.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  All the Government's policies are focused on improving the competitiveness of United Kingdom industry, both manufacturing and services.

  Chief Scientist
  Mr. Kilfoyle
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement explaining the circumstances surrounding the departure of the chief scientist on 1 December.

  Mr. Heseltine
  The DTI's chief adviser on science and technology will be leaving the Department at the end of February 1994 for career reasons. He has done an excellent job, including making a major contribution to the refocusing of the DTI's innovation policy, and to the White Paper on science, engineering and techology published last May.

  Small Firms Loan Guarantee
  Mr. Gunnell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many loans have been made between April and December 1993 under the small firms loan guarantee
  233
  scheme; what was the total grant involved; and what are the comparable figures for the corresponding period in 1992.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The number and value of loans guaranteed under the small firms loan guarantee scheme in the period April to September 1993 was 1,384 loans to a value of £55·33 million. In the same period in 1992, the figures were 1,266 loans and £27·74 million.

  Figures for October to December 1993 are not currently available.

  Scientific Research
  Mrs. Anne Campbell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what changes he proposes to make in his Department's support for scientific research.

  Mr. Heseltine
  I do not envisage any further changes to my Department's recently refocused science and technology policy. We will be concentrating resources on improving the climate for innovation and facilitating access to technology and best practice while reducing support for technology development. Assistance for research and development in small and medium-sized firms will continue through the small firms merit award for research and technology and the support for products under research programmes, as will support for collaborations between industry and acadamia through the LINK scheme and for European collaborations, including EUREKA.

  Telecommunications
  Mrs. Lait
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he expects the European Community to deregulate telecommunications.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The Telecommunications Council agreed on 16 June 1993 that voice telephony services will be liberalised by 1 January 1998, with an additional derogation period of no more than five years for Spain, Portugal, Greece and Ireland and, if justified, no more than two years for Luxembourg. The Commission will produce, by 1995, a green paper on the liberalisation of network infrastructure. The Commission presented on 7 December its proposals for the liberalisation of telecommunications services provided over satellites.

  Ms Hoey
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what measures he has taken to help the British telecommunications industry.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The Government's policies on telecommunications remain as set out in the 1991 White Paper "Competition and Choice: Telecommunications Policy for the 1990s" Cm 1461. These policies have already brought great benefits to domestic and business subscribers, and are already developing a healthy and competitive telecoms industry in Britain able to take on the best in the world.

  Latin America
  Mr. Jacques Arnold
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on Government support for exports to Latin America.

  Mr. Needham
  Latin America offers major trading opportunities for the United Kingdom, as the performance 234
  of United Kingdom companies with the support of DTI export services has shown. United Kingdom exports to Latin America have increased by 26 per cent. during the past 12 months. Ministers are reinforcing these efforts by visiting Latin American countries with teams of business men. The President of the Board of Trade, for example, visited Mexico and Argentina in June 1993 with senior businessmen. In addition, export promoters are being appointed to cover each of the key Latin American markets and additional resources have been put into the DTI market branch.

  Gas Pipelines
  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the Government's policy on the proliferation of offshore gas pipelines.

  Mr. Eggar
  The Government's policy on proliferation of offshore oil and gas pipelines is summarised in paragraph 3.2. of "Guidance Notes on Procedures for Regulating Oil and Gas Field Developments" published last December. I have arranged for a copy of the document to be placed in the Library of the House.

  Gas Industry
  Mr. Gallie
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he will make an announcement on the Monopolies and Mergers Commission report on the gas industry.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  Decisions on the Monopolies and Mergers Commission report on gas were announced on 21 December. The two main decisions taken are that:

  (i) British Gas should separate fully the operation of its trading and transportation businesses, but will not be required to divest trading;

  (ii) British Gas's tariff monopoly will end in April 1996, and competition will be phased in over the two years to April 1998.

  A copy of the full text of the announcement has been placed in the Library.

  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is his estimate of the number and proportion of homes connected to gas mains supply for all standard regions of the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Eggar
  British Gas has estimated that the number and proportion of households using gas for each British Gas region in 1992 was as follows:

  Households using Gas in 1992

  Region

  Number (thousands)

  Percentage of all households

  Scotland

  1,270

  67

  Northern

  960

  81

  North Western

  2,330

  91

  North Eastern

  1,130

  87

  East Midlands

  1,820

  83

  West Midlands

  1,720

  83

  Wales

  820

  74

  East Anglia

  1,440

  74

  North Thames

  2,020

  92

  South Eastern

  2,090

  86

  South

  1,300

  81

  South Western

  1,080

  67

  Great Britain

  17,980

  81

  Northern Ireland

  1—

  1—

  235

  Region

  Number (thousands)

  Percentage of all households

  United Kingdom

  17,980

  79

  1 No public gas mains supply.

  Source: Monopolies and Mergers Commission report: "Gas and British Gas plc", volume 2. Table 2.10 (British Gas Estimates).

  Deregulation Task Forces
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade who were the members of his Department's deregulation task forces; and what criteria determined their selection to participate in the deregulation review.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  A complete list of deregulation task force members has been placed in the Library of the House. There were no formal selection criteria. The chairmen were invited to participate as people of standing within their sector and they chose members who represented various groups within those sectors.

  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade when the report and the recommendations of the deregulation task forces will be published.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  The recommendations of the deregulation task forces will be published shortly. The task forces will not be publishing a formal report.

  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the total cost of his Department's deregulation task forces investigation.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  The salaries of the civil servants in the task force support unit and related administrative costs amounted to £165,000.

  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade who advised the deregulation task forces on matters relating to health and safety at work during the course of their investigation.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  [holding answer 11 January 1994]: Matters relating to health and safety at work were considered by a cross-sectoral group of task force members which invited and received submissions from a wide range of interested parties including individual companies, trade associations, consultants, voluntary organisations and schools. The group also had extensive discussions with the Health and Safety Executive.

  Objective 2 Status
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the areas included in the Government's application to the EC for objective 2 status.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for South Dorset (Mr. Bruce) on 28 October,Official Report, columns 723–24.

  Export Credit Guarantees (Iraq)
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what export credit guarantees were made available to Iraq for each year since 1979; and if there were changes of policy covering the export credit guarantees to Iraq over this time period.
  236
  Mr. Needham
  United Kingdom credit facilities for Iraq prior to 1983 were limited to basic credit insurance for cash or short-term credit transactions. From 1983 to 1988, under a series of inter-governmental financial protocols, the Export Credits Guarantee Department also supported the financing of United Kingdom contracts on medium-term credit involving the sale of capital goods, services, pharmaceuticals and humanitarian products. From 1985 onwards, of the overall protocol amounts, a limit of 20 per cent. was applied to medium-term credit for defence-related goods. ECGD came off cover for all types of transaction with Iraq in 1990.

  The value of business with Iraq conducted on cash or short credit terms supported by ECGD since 1979 was:

  £ million

  1979

  113

  1980

  170

  1981

  292

  1982

  589

  1983

  461

  1984

  140

  1985

  161

  1986

  208

  1987

  55

  1988

  48

  1989

  97

  1990

  156

  The amount of medium-term finance available under the protocol arrangements was:

  £ million

  1983

  1250

  1984

  1250

  225

  1985

  250

  1986

  250

  1987

  3100

  275

  1988

  3280

  260

  1 Capital Goods and Projects

  2 Pharmaceuticals and Humanitarian Products

  3 Capital Goods, Services and Projects

  The finance available under these protocols was not fully taken up by Iraq. ECGD's actual exposure was therefore less than the figures given above.

  Departmental Inspectors
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will provide a list of the individuals who since 1985 have acted as inspectors for his Department but whose conduct has been criticised by their professional bodies.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  As far as I am aware disciplinary proceedings by a professional body have only been brought against two former inspectors, Mr. B. R. Addison, FCA and Mr. B. Worth, FCA. The proceedings, brought by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, were commenced after the inspectors were appointed. Those against Mr. Worth have not yet been concluded.

  Thermal Oxide Reprocessing Plant
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will give the earliest date that the thermal oxide reprocessing plant at Sellafield can begin stage 5 commissioning.

  Mr. Eggar
  The authorisations granted pursuant to the decision of my right hon. Friends the Secretary of State for the Environment and the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food will come into force on 17 January. Progress in commissioning the thermal oxide reprocessing plant beyond that date is a commercial matter for British Nuclear Fuels plc, subject to meeting the requirements of the Health and Safety Executive's nuclear installations inspectorate.

  Coal Privatisation
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what steps he will take to ensure that the successor body to the Coal Industry Social Welfare Organisation will receive sufficient funding to continue the protection of the social welfare of miners and ex-miners and their families after privatisation of the industry.

  Mr. Eggar
  My Department is consulting British Coal and the Coal Industry Social Welfare Organisation about the future provision of miners' social welfare services.

  Mr. Tipping
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what estimate he has made of the number of collieries that will be privatised on the restructuring date specified in the Coal Industry Bill.

  Mr. Eggar
  [holding answer 11 January 1994]: It is intended to offer to the private sector all British Coal collieries which are currently operational.

  Life Funds
  Mr. Denham
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what monitoring his Department undertakes of the life funds of any insurance companies beyond the annual returns made by such companies; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  The Department has powers, under the Insurance Companies Act 1982, to require insurance companies to furnish it, at specified times and intervals, with information about specified matters. These powers are used, as appropriate, in the light of the circumstances in individual cases. In addition, the Department maintains contact with companies through a programme of visits.

  Newspaper Distribution
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what assessment he has made of the effect on newsagents of proposals to allow non-traditional outlets to supply and sell national newspapers.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  In deciding on the appropriate action to take following pubication of the Monopolies and Mergers Commission—MMC—report on the supply of national newspapers and the Director General of Fair Trading's advice on the report, I considered carefully the potential impact of my proposed action on existing retailers. I concluded that it was in the overall public 238
  interest to increase the level of competition and availability of newspapers, whether from traditional or non-traditional outlets.

  I therefore announced on 9 December my intention to lay an order before the House to prohibit certain restrictions on the supply of newspapers which the MMC found to be against the public interest. A notice of my intention to lay this order was published on 21 December. It indicated the nature of the provisions the order is to contain and invited written representations from interested parties likely to be affected by the order. These will include existing newsagents and their representative organisations.

  Company Directors
  Mr. Loyden
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many unfit company directors were disqualified in 1992–93.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  During 1992–93 651 unfit directors were disqualified under the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986.

  Ministerial Powers
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the powers he has under public legislation to give directions to local authorities or otherwise require them to act in a way which he prescribes, giving in each case the legislative authority under which he may exercise these powers.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  The information requested is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Post Offices
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many post offices in built-up areas(a) do and (b) do not have collection points for undelivered mail; how many such points have been closed in the past year; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  I understand from the Post Office that post offices in built up areas do not have collection points for undelivered mail. Such collection points are, however, provided in built-up areas at Royal Mail delivery offices which all have either a morning or an all-day facility for collecting mail which it has not been possible to deliver.

  Trade (South-East Asia)
  Mr. Nicholas Winterton
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what specific steps he is taking to encourage the growth of trade between the United Kingdom and the countries of south-east Asia and the Pacific area.

  Mr. Needham
  As part of my export initiative, we are recruiting 20 export promoters from industry to spearhead our drive to identify business opportunities in the Asia Pacific region and to work with United Kingdom businesses to follow them up. I expect all to be in place by the end of this financial year; those who have been working with us for several months are already producing business for Britain.

  We are developing strategic country market plans for 14 of our main markets in the region. These will help us to

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  focus all of our resources—including the export promoters, additional desk officers in DTI, staff in our posts in the region, and our business advisers—towards those areas where we have identified the most promising opportunities for British firms.

  We are undertaking a vigorous, proactive programme of ministerial visits—usually with accompanying businessmen—inward and outward missions, seminars and meetings with individual firms in order to develop our links with Governments and commercial organisations in the Asia Pacific region; identify market opportunities for trade and investment; and bring these to the notice of British industry and commerce.

  We have also increased the export credit cover available for exports to the region, and we are providing financial support under the aid and trade provision to help firms bidding for major projects in eligible countries in the region.

  The result of this programme of activities in what is probably the most rapidly developing area of the world has been an increase in British exports in the period January to September 1993 of 26 per cent.1 over the corresponding period in 1992. Nevertheless, much remains to be done to build on this encouraging performance and I am confident that the measures I have introduced will lead to British firms winning still more business in the Asia Pacific region in the future.
  1 United Kingdom exports to Japan, China, Hong Kong, Korea, Taiwan, South-East Asia, Australia and New Zealand.

  Konver Grants
  Mr. Hutton
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is his estimate of the number of jobs which will be created by projects supported with Konver grants.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  [holding answer 17 December 1993]: Konver grants fund feasibility studies to help firms diversify, encourage the development of SMEs, provided for some rehabilitation of military sites and grants for training for people directly affected by changes in defence activity.

  It is not possible to give an estimate of the number of jobs which will be created by Konver grants.

  Honduras (Armaments Trade)
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what restrictions are planned on trade in armaments with Honduras; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Needham
  [holding answer 17 December 1993]: The export of armaments to Honduras is prohibited without a licence issued under the Export of Goods (Order) 1992. I have no plans to alter this restriction. Each application for an export licence is considered on its merits, with particular regard being paid to the criteria for arms exports agreed at the Luxembourg and Lisbon European Councils in June 1991 and June 1992.

  Landmines
  Mr. Chisholm
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the Government's policy on the export of landmines.

  Mr. Needham
  [holding answer 17 December 1993]: The Government supported the resolution of the United
  240
  Nations General Assembly urging a moratorium on the export of anti-personnel mines that pose grave dangers to civilian populations. Licences for the export of such mines will not be issued. We do not, however, consider that self-destructing or self-neutralising mines and mines used in accordance with protocol II of the 1981 weaponry convention pose such dangers. Applications for licences to export these forms of mine are subject to close scrutiny.

  EC Structural Funds
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will place in the Library a copy of the Government's responses to European Commission green paper "The Future of Community Initiatives under the Structural Funds".

  Mr. Sainsbury
  [holding answer 17 December 1993]: Yes.

  Health and Safety
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what evidence there is for the assertion that health and safety consultants are promoting bogus goods and services, in paragraph 44 of the efficiency scrutiny report commissioned by the President of the Board of Trade, "Review of the Implementation and Enforcement of EC Law in the UK: Health and Safety"; and what action he proposes to take to prevent this practice in future.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  [holding answer 11 January 1994]: Consultants may have a role to play where companies are unable to cope from within their existing resources. I have received, however, a number of letters from individuals and organisations indicating that some consultants, for their own commercial reasons, may have misled companies about the complexity of regulations or their requirements. In many such cases, companies could have carried out the work themselves or sought free advice from the HSE or other enforcement agents. Where HSE becomes aware of consultants making misleading claims, it has been raising the matter directly with those concerned.

  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) how many letters complaining about the burden of health and safety legislation he received between 1 June and 31 December 1992;

  (2) what evidence his Department had prior to setting up the deregulation task forces that health and safety legislation constituted an unnecessary burden on business.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  [holding answer 11 January I 994]: Actual figures are not readily available. But I can confirm that my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade and I received a significant number of representations between July and December 1992, prior to the creation of the task forces. These were from various organisations and individuals complaining about the burdens of specific areas of health and safety legislation on business. Such complaints have increased considerably in recent months.

  It is not the Government view that all health and safety legislation constitutes an unnecessary burden on business. The current review of legislation is concerned with examining whether scope exists for improving the efficiency of the existing regulatory regime without impairing necessary safety standards.

  EC Industry Council
  Mr. Barnes
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the outcome of the EC Industry Council of 17 December, indicating the voting record of each member state on each item and where no formal votes were taken.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  [holding answer 11 January 1994]: The Industry Council on 17 December agreed a package of six steel state aid proposals in four member states—Germany, Italy, Spain and Portugal—under article 95 of the ECSC treaty. These involve capacity reductions of 4·6 million tonnes and state aid of some 7 becu, and at the United Kingdom's insistence incorporate significant improvements to the original proposals. These include a tightening up of the detailed requirements for four of the cases—EKO Stahl, ILVA, CSI, Sidenor—more rigorous monitoring to ensure that conditions built into the individual cases are met—with a role for the Council as well as the Commission—and that the aid is used soley to facilitate restructuring and not to allow unfair pricing. There is explicit recognition that no further aid will be provided to these companies if viability is not achieved. A number of the proposals agreed involve privatisation of the companies concerned, which should help to ensure that future operations are carried out on a proper commercial basis.

  This package of proposals was agreed unanimously as required under article 95 ECSC. This requirement for unanimity enabled us to secure significant improvements to the proposals discussed, but not agreed, at the 18 November Council.

  EC Internal Market Council
  Mr. Barnes
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the outcome of the EC Internal Market Council of 16 December, indicating the voting record of each member state on each item and where no formal votes were taken.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  [holding answer I1 January 1994]: I attended the third Internal Market Council of the Belgian presidency in Brussels on 16 December 1993.

  The following were adopted as "A" points: regulations opening and providing for the administration of community tariff quotas; regulations temporarily suspending totally or partially the autonomous duties of the common customs tariff for certain fishery products; a resolution by the Council on young drivers; and an aid to shipbuilding.

  There was a debate on the Commission's strategic programme for the internal market. The United Kingdom, France and Germany stressed the importance of deregulation and subsidiarity. The Council agreed brief operational conclusions looking to the Commission to produce practical proposals to be considered by the Internal Market Council in 1994.
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  No agreement was reached on the proposed pension fund or the insurance winding-up directives. There was a short inconclusive debate on the proposed European company statute.

  The Council heard progress reports on negotiations on a proposal for a European co-operative society statute and a proposed regulation on counterfeit goods.

  Political agreement was reached on legal protection of biotechnological inventions by qualified majority with Spain, Denmark and Luxembourg voting against. The United Kingdom maintained its parliamentary scrutiny reserve.

  A common position was agreed on a recreational craft directive. France voted against. The United Kingdom abstained because of the coverage of second-hand boats imported from third countries.

  A common position was agreed on the 14th amendment to the regulations relating to restrictions on the marketing and use of certain dangerous substance and preparations, dealing with nickel. Entry into force will be delayed until six months after agreement on test methods by the European standards organisation, CEN. Nickel spectacle frames and buttons were excluded. Italy voted against.

  Political agreement was reached by qualified majority on the food additives other than colours and sweeteners directive. Italy abstained.

  There was agreement on a Council decision for the development and promotion of new systems for the interchange of commercial data. The budget for the programme was set at 20 mecu over two years. The legal base was amended to article 235 in accordance with United Kingdom wishes. The United Kingdom abstained considering that a lower budget was more appropriate.

  The Commission presented a proposal for a directive on hallmarking, designed to remove barriers to trade and protect consumers. The Council agreed to work towards a common position as quickly as possible.

  The next meeting of the Council is planned for 10 March 1994.

LORD CHANCELLOR

  Bowbelle-Marchioness Collision
  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list the names of witnesses to the collision between the Bowbelle and Marchioness who gave evidence in court or at an inquest together with the nature of each hearing and dates; whether the evidence was oral or in writing; and whether any cross-examination was given together with the name and interest of those conducting the cross-examination.

  Mr. John Taylor
  [holding answer 11 January 1994]: The information requested is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  AGRICULTURE COUNCIL, 13–17th DECEMBER 1993
  AGRICULTURE COUNCIL, 13–17th DECEMBER 1993
  PHYSIOTHERAPY COURSES: FUNDING OF SCOTTISH STUDENTS
  PHYSIOTHERAPY COURSES: FUNDING OF SCOTTISH STUDENTS
  SCOTTISH COASTAL SALMON NETTING
  SCOTTISH COASTAL SALMON NETTING
  SCOTTISH CONSERVATION AREAS
  SCOTTISH CONSERVATION AREAS
  FORESTS: PROTECTION
  FORESTS: PROTECTION
  NHS SUPPLIES AUTHORITY
  NHS SUPPLIES AUTHORITY