Written Answers of 18 January 1994

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

  Magistrates Courts
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many independent inspections of the magistrates courts system he estimates will be employed; and what is his estimate of their annual pay.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The magistrates courts service inspectorate employs the following inspectors:

  Chief Inspector

  4 Senior Inspectors

  12 Inspectors

  The inspectorate's annual salary budget in 1994–95 for these 17 individuals will be £867,492.

  Magistrates Clerks' Committees
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many magistrates' clerks committees the Lord Chancellor has met in(a) England and (b) Wales; and if he will list each venue he has visited and organisation he has met.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The Lord Chancellor has not attended any formal meetings of magistrates courts committees, nor have all the members of any magistrates' courts committee attended a meeting with him. However, during his visits to magistrates courts, meetings with representative bodies from the service, meeting with magistrates and staff from particular areas and attendance as a speaker at gatherings of magistrates, he has met and talked to members of various magistrates courts committees.

  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many magistrates courts have closed since 1979; how many court closures are currently scheduled.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The provision of magistrates court house accommodation is a matter for the courts committee for the area concerned in conjunction with the local paying authority. The Department has no central record of the number of magistrates courthouses that have been closed or are scheduled to be closed. A local authority that is aggrieved by a decision of a magistrates court committee to close a courthouse has the right of appeal to the Lord Chancellor. In 1993 the Lord Chancellor dealt with six appeals.

  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what is his estimate of the annual cost of supporting the courts units of management.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The administrative costs of the magistrates courts service depend on decisions taken by magistrates' courts committees, the local managers of the 454
  service, about how the service in their area is organised. It is likely that costs will vary between magistrates courts committee areas, according to their decisions taken in the light of local circumstances.

  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what principles and objectives he has in mind in the amalgamation of magistrates courts committees.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The objectives of the reforms set out in the White Paper "A New Framework for Local Justice" included yielding improvements in the efficiency and effectiveness of the service, and securing maximum co-operation in the management of the service with other parts of the criminal justice system. The Government believe that a reduction in the number of areas from the present 105 to 50 to 60 would provide a good balance between the local character of the service and operational needs.

  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many individual letters the Lord Chancellor has received from magistrates concerning his court reforms.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The Lord Chancellor has received approximately 300 letters from members of the magistrates courts service and other interested bodies, the majority of which were from serving magistrates. However, it is not possible to give an accurate figure of the number of magistrates that have written to the Lord Chancellor since this information is not recorded.

  "A New Framework for Local Justice"
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many representations he has received on the White Paper, "A New Framework for Local Justice"; and if he will list each organisation that responded.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  In addition to 964 responses to the consultation documents issued by his Department the Lord Chancellor has received in the region of 950 representations on the White Paper, comprising approximately 650 letters from honourable Members and approximately 300 letters from members of the magistrates' courts service and other interested bodies, the majority of which were from serving magistrates. He has also received personal representations from 10 magistrates. A list of the organisations that responded appears at the back of each of the consultation documents. Copies of these documents are available in the House of Commons Library.

  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list those persons and organisations that have protested to him concerning(a) judicial independence, (b) chief justices clerks, (c) fixed-term contracts and (d) performance-related pay.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  In addition to 964 responses to the consultation documents issued by his Department the Lord Chancellor has received in the region of 950 letters about the White Paper, comprising approximately 650 from hon. Members and approximately 300 from members of the magistrates courts service and other interested bodies. However, it is not possible to break down these figures into the specific topics requested since the information has not been recorded in this form.
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  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what assessment the Lord Chancellor has made of the extent of consultation on the White Paper, "A New Framework for Local Justice"; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  Since the publication of the White Paper "A New Framework for Local Justice" in February 1992, 11 consultative documents on various aspects of the reforms have been issued. The reforms have also regularly been discussed by the Magistrates' Courts Consultative Council. The Lord Chancellor has taken careful note of respondents' comments in reaching conclusions about how the White Paper will be implemented.

  Courts Inspectorate
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what is his estimate of establishing and of running annually the courts inspectorate.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The cost of establishing and of running annually the magistrates courts service inspectorate is estimated to be £1·005 million for the set-up costs in 1993–94 and £1·8 million a year in subsequent years when the inspectorate will be fully operational and undertaking a full programme of inspections. This does not include overhead costs, such as general accommodation and other charges, which are not separately identified and which are met from a central budget.

  Magistrates
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will make a statement concerning fixed-term contracts and performance-related pay for magistrates.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The majority of magistrates are unpaid lay volunteers, so there is no possibility that they could have fixed-term contracts or performance-related pay. There is no proposal that stipendiary magistrates should be placed on fixed-term contracts or that their pay should be linked to their performance.

  Courts Inspectorate
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will make a statement on the guiding principles in the training of independent inspectors.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  Since the inspectorate is operationally independent of the Lord Chancellor's Department, the training of the inspectors is being undertaken by the chief inspector and her senior management team. It builds on the existing competencies of the inspectors who have been recruited from a wide range of backgrounds.

PRIME MINISTER

  Iraq and Iran
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Prime Minister what record has been kept of representations made to the Prime Minister by members of the public in regard to Iraq since 1985.
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  The Prime Minister
  Records of representations from members of the public in the form of correspondence on this and other topics that have been received by my office since November 1990, and to which I or my office have replied, have been retained. No records exist prior to April 1989.

  Scott Inquiry
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Prime Minister if any request has been made by(a) Lord Justice Scott or (b) members of the public to Her Majesty's Government to permit cameras and tape recorders to be taken into and used in the Scott inquiry.

  The Prime Minister
  The procedures of the Scott inquiry are a matter for Lord Justice Scott.

  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Prime Minister what representations he has received and from whom in the last six months that the terms of reference or the workings of the Scott inquiry into arms for Iraq should be modified or changed.

  The Prime Minister
  In the last six months I have answered a written question from the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent (Mr. Smith) concerning a change to the procedures of the inquiry, and a letter from the hon. Member for Coventry, South-East (Mr. Cunningham) seeking an extension to the inquiry's terms of reference. I have received no other requests for changes.

  Christmas Cards
  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Prime Minister how many official Christmas cards were sent out in 1993 by(a) himself, (b) civil servants and (c) staff of Government agencies working in or to his office; and how much these cards cost (i) to buy, (ii) to post and (iii) in staff time to sign, address and place in envelopes.

  The Prime Minister
  The information as requested can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Arms Sales
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Prime Minister what records are held at 10 Downing street of a telephone conversation made between his predecessor and Mr. Frank Machon in regard to arms sales in January 1989.

  The Prime Minister
  As far as I am aware, there have not been any conversations and there are no records.

  Engagements
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 18 January.

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

  Channel Tunnel Rail Link
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will publish a full list of all statements he has made, and/or press notices issued by his Department, which referred to a possible completion date for the channel tunnel rail link, the dates on which each such statement was made and the possible completion date which was mentioned.
  457
  The Prime Minister
  I have not made any such statements.

  Crossrail
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will publish a full list of all statements he has made and/or press notices issued by his Department, which referred to a possible completion date for the crossrail project, the dates on which each such statement was made and the possible completion date which was mentioned.

  The Prime Minister
  I have made no statements nor has my Department issued any press notices which referred to a possible completion date for the crossrail project.

  Broadcasting Acts
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Prime Minister what information he has received from the Irish Republic concerning its decision not to renew section 31 of the Irish Broadcasting Act 1960; when he received copies of guidelines issued to the staff of Irish broadcasting organisations following the non-renewal of section 31; what action he proposes concerning section 10 of the Broadcasting Act 1990; what representations he has received concerning households in the United Kingdom receiving television and radio broadcasts originating in the Irish Republic and observing different broadcasting requirements; and if he will make a statement.

  The Prime Minister
  The Irish Government's announcement of their decision was made immediately available to us, together with relevant background information. So far as the United Kingdom Broadcasting restrictions are concerned, I refer to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Walsall, North (Mr. Winnick) on 17 January,Official Report, column 369. I have not received any representations concerning the reception of broadcasts originating in the Irish Republic.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Hong Kong
  Sir Thomas Arnold
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what timetable he envisages for the introduction of his proposals for greater democracy in Hong Kong.

  Mr. Goodlad
  The legislation for the 1994–95 election arrangements in Hong Kong will need to be passed into law by the Hong Kong Legislative Council by the time the Council rises for its summer recess in July.

  The Council is currently considering the first stage of the legislation. The timing for the introduction of the second stage has yet to be decided.

  Pakistan
  Ms Jowell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received on the cases of Salamat, Manzoor and Rehmat Masih, three Christians held in Gujiran-wala central gaol, Pakistan under the blasphemy laws; and what action he has taken.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  There has been continuing parliamentary and public interest in these cases, which we 458
  have often raised with the Pakistani authorities. Most recently, I expressed our concern when I visited Pakistan last November. All three Christians have now been released on bail. Dates have not yet been set for their cases to be heard.

  Market Testing
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will publish for each service that has been market tested in his Department in 1993(a) the cost of the testing process, including consultancy costs, (b) the result of the test, (c) the name of the successful contractor, (d) the value and duration of the contract, (e) the number of staff involved, (f) estimated annual cost reductions and (g) whether the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 1981 were deemed to apply.

  Mr. Goodlad
  My Department is currently analysing the outcome of the 1992–93 "Competing for Quality" programme with the efficiency unit in the Cabinet Office. Much of the information requested in the question will, once it has been finalised, be published in aggregate form in the "Citizen's Charter Second Report".

  Major General Mohnke
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations have been made to the German authorities about the possible prosecution of Major General Mohnke.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  Jurisdiction in the case of General Mohnke lies with the German authorities, to whom we have given full co-operation in their investigation.

  Social Development Summit
  Ms Jowell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what preparations Her Majesty's Government have made for the 1995 World summit for social development in Copenhagen; and what progress has been made on the UN proposals for the establishment of a national committee on the summit.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The United Kingdom intends to participate fully and constructively in preparations for the World summit for social development to ensure that it is a success. We are holding inter-departmental discussions to formulate the United Kingdom's approach to the summit, and have submitted a national report to the summit secretariat in New York to feed into the preparatory process.

  We have no plans at present to establish a national committee on the summit. We will review this question following the first preparatory committee of the summit in February.

  Yugoslavia
  Mr. Robert Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his estimate of the total number of people killed in former Yugoslavia since the break-up of that country.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  We have seen no reliable figures on the number of casualties since the break-up of the former Yugoslavia, but the numbers are very large.
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  Tibet
  Ms Abbott
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the policy of Her Majesty's Government towards the occupation of Tibet by China and to the reported human rights abuses there.

  Mr. Goodlad
  The situation in Tibet is a matter of serious concern. We and our European Union partners regularly raise human rights with the Chinese authorities, urging them to conform to internationally recognised standards of behaviour. We also encourage the Chinese authorities to enter, without pre-conditions, into a real dialogue with the Tibetans, including the Dalai Lama, as the best means of achieving greater autonomy for the people of Tibet.

  Foreign Affairs Council
  Mr. Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 17 December 1993 to the hon. Member for High Peak (Mr. Hendry),Official Report, columns 968–69, if he will place in the Library copies of (a) the Council's code of conduct governing public access to public documents and (b) the Council's code of conduct on the publication of formal votes.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  The following documents have been placed in the Library of the House:The code of conduct concerning public access to Council and Commission documents agreed by the Council on 6 December;
  The Council decision on public access to Council documents, adopted on 20 December;
  The amendments to articles 5(1) and 7(5) of the Rules of Procedure, on making votes public, agreed by the Council on 6 December, together with the code of conduct for the implementation of those articles by the Council.

  Turkey
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answers of 16 December 1993,Official Report, column 769, what progress there has been in obtaining a response from the Turkish authorities to the representations made by Her Majesty's Government regarding the maltreatment of Manchester United supporters by Turkish police officers and others.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  In his reply to the letter of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs of 2 December the Turkish ambassador reported that details of the main allegations made by Manchester United supporters have been passed to the Ministry of the Interior in Ankara for an inquiry. The ambassador has promised to let my right hon. Friend have the results of the inquiry as soon as they are known.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

  Data Protection
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether he will make arrangements for the Data Protection Registrar to inspect relevant contracts with suppliers of IT services that involve the use of personal data held by his Department in order to check whether all 460
  appropriate arrangements in relation to the Data Protection Act 1984 have been made, and whether such contracts make provisions for the registrar to make random inspections in order to check the suppliers' compliance with the eighth data protection principle.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  The Data Protection Registrar's powers are such that I do not consider such arrangements are necessary. Should he so wish, the registrar may inspect the one contract we have with an IT services supplier that involves the use of personal data held by my Department.

  This relates to the "Charterline" service run on the citizens charter units behalf by IBM (UK) Ltd. at its Havant offices; this service was registered under the Data Protection Act 1984 in June 1993.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Primates
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will set a target date to end the use of non-EU sources of primates in research.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  No target can be set until we can be confident that the EU will be self-sufficient in breeding non-human primates for research.

  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on progress made in the European Community in setting a target date after which the use of wild-caught primates in research will be prohibited; and when the group of national competent authorities established under directive 86/609 will make a statement on this subject.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  The group of national competent authorities established under directive 86/609 has been giving active consideration to the problems associated with the elimination of the use of wild-caught primates in research, but I cannot at this stage predict what the outcome of their deliberations will be.

  Ms Lynne
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made as to the possibility of the EU becoming self-sufficient in breeding primates for its research purposes within the next five years; what resources are available for this purpose; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  The European Commission is now collating statistics on animal use and the availability of breeding stock but it is unlikely that the EU will be self-sufficient within the next five years.

  Ford Prison
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the projects now under(a) development and (b) consideration at Her Majesty's prison Ford, West Sussex, the cost of each project and if funding for each project has been approved and granted.

  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.
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  Letter from Mr. A. Butler to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 18 January 1994:

  HM Prison Ford

  The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question about the projects under development and consideration at HM Prison Ford.

  Work is currently being carried out to lay a new floor in the kitchen at an overall cost of £260,000. The sanitary recesses in A Wing are being refurbished at a cost of £10,000 per recess.

  Projects under consideration include a new kitchen and dining facility, the options for which are currently being examined; the replacement of the sewage works at a cost of around £1 million; and the upgrading of the hutted accommodation. Design work has also been completed on a new sportshall, the estimated cost of which is £1·1 million. No funding has as yet been allocated for any of these schemes.

  Probation
  Ms Corston
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how he will measure efficiency and productivity in respect of future pay rounds in the probation service in England and Wales.

  Mr. Maclean
  In reaching a judgment about the productivity and efficiency of the probation service I shall have regard to the service's key performance indicators, as set out in the three year plan for 1994–97, a copy of which is in the Library.

  Ms Corston
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to carry out a review of probation officer basic training in respect of the diploma in social work.

  Mr. Maclean
  Such a review is timely and I propose to announce its basis and terms of reference shortly.

  Ms Corston
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will conduct the next review of probation national standards; and when the review will be completed.

  Mr. Maclean
  The review will take place over the first half of 1994 with a view to the publication of revised national standards in September.

  Ms Corston
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has for the assistant chief officer grade in the probation service in England and Wales.

  Mr. Maclean
  I have at this stage no proposals for changes to this grade.

  Ms Corston
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to reduce the entry requirements for probation training in England and Wales.

  Mr. Maclean
  None at this stage, but I propose to review the qualifying training arrangements and to announce the basis of and terms of reference for the review shortly.

  EC Nationals
  Mr. Shore
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if nationals of the European Union and of the European Economic Area have the right to enter the United Kingdom(a) without an offer of employment but with the intention of looking for employment, (b) without the
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  guarantee of having somewhere to live and (c) without having provided proof that they will not have recourse to public funds during their time in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  European Community and other European Economic Area nationals may enter the United Kingdom simply on production of a valid passport or national identity card, but can be refused entry on grounds of public policy, public security or public health.

  The rights of nationals of European Community and other European Economic Area member states to reside in the United Kingdom are subject to the conditions and limitations laid down in European Community law, including, in the case of those wishing to reside without working, the requirements to have sufficient resources to avoid becoming a burden on the social security system.

  Prisoners' Earnings
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the policy of his Department as to the handing over of money earned by inmates being held in penal establishments in England and Wales who are being deported from the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The pay of prisoners awaiting deportation is not liable to be used to help defray the expenses of deportation. Money (apart from pay) belonging to a prisoner awaiting deportation is applied to defray the expenses of deportation and maintenance of the prisoner and his dependants until their departure from the United Kingdom.

  Land Byelaws
  Mr. Boateng
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which local authorities in England have adopted a byelaw prohibiting the occupation of land within 300 yd of any dwelling house so as to cause injury, disturbance or annoyance to those living in the house.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  Our records indicate that, prior to 1969 when the Home Office ceased to offer it to local authorities, this model byelaw was adopted by the following local authorities in England and Wales:

  Beaumaris borough council

  Bedfordshire county council

  Bristol city council

  Cornwall county council

  Edmonton borough council

  Epsom and Ewell borough council.

  Evesham borough council

  Flint borough council

  Flint county council

  Glamorgan county council

  Harrow borough council

  Hendon borough council

  Hertfordshire county council

  Huntingdon borough council

  Leicester county council

  Middlesex county council

  Rhondda borough council

  Southall borough council

  Southampton county council

  Uxbridge borough council

  Wembley borough council

  Willesden borough council

  Wisbech borough council

  Yorkshire (North Riding) county council

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  Police
  Mr. Hain
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the expenditure(a) per officer and (b) per 100,000 population (i) in total, (ii) on vehicles, (iii) on buildings and (iv) on communications for each year since 1979 for the South Wales, Thames Valley, Kent, Lancashire, Avon and Somerset and Hampshire police authority areas; and what were the comparable totals for all non-metropolitan and Welsh non-metropolitan police authority areas.

  Capital Expenditure £ million

  Authority

  1990–91

  1991–92

  1992–93

  1993–94

  1994–95

  (Provision)

  Avon and Somerset

  8·010

  7·356

  6·097

  6·948

  10·359

  Hampshire

  1·523

  3·607

  3·747

  4·867

  4·311

  Kent

  1·532

  2·778

  3·751

  4·068

  3·672

  Lancashire

  2·654

  4·133

  5·908

  4·014

  4·607

  South Wales

  1·056

  3·795

  3·880

  4·053

  5·673

  Thames Valley

  7·325

  5·190

  5·283

  4·806

  4·681

  All non-metropolitan

  74·275

  97·759

  113·210

  116·147

  113·573

  Welsh (non-metropolitan)

  4·189

  10·771

  11·490

  12·190

  10·907

  Mr. Hain
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what were the number of (i) arrests and (ii) prosecutions(a) per officer and (b) per 100,000 population for each year since 1979 for the South Wales, Thames Valley, Kent, Lancashire, Avon and Somerset and

  Arrests for all types of offence

  Police force area

  Total non-metropolitan

  South Wales

  Thames Valley

  Kent

  Lancashire

  Avon and Somerset

  Hampshire

  England and Wales

  Wales only

  Arrests per police officer

  1979

  9

  13

  12

  11

  10

  14

  11

  9

  1980

  10

  13

  12

  12

  11

  14

  11

  11

  1981

  11

  13

  13

  12

  12

  14

  12

  11

  1982

  14

  15

  13

  12

  13

  14

  13

  13

  1983

  15

  15

  13

  14

  12

  14

  13

  13

  1984

  16

  14

  13

  16

  13

  14

  13

  15

  1985

  17

  16

  14

  16

  13

  16

  14

  15

  1986

  14

  14

  14

  15

  11

  16

  13

  13

  1987

  15

  14

  16

  15

  12

  16

  13

  14

  1988

  16

  14

  16

  16

  12

  17

  14

  15

  1989

  17

  15

  16

  16

  13

  19

  15

  16

  1990

  18

  16

  15

  18

  14

  20

  15

  17

  1991

  18

  16

  15

  19

  12

  19

  15

  17

  1992

  18

  15

  17

  19

  11

  19

  15

  17

  Arrests per 100,000 population

  1979

  2,236

  2,146

  2,324

  2,458

  2,211

  2,608

  2,205

  2,131

  1980

  2,512

  2,234

  2,437

  2,881

  2,393

  2,668

  2,382

  2,451

  1981

  2,764

  2,365

  2,528

  2,915

  2,669

  2,686

  2,482

  2,569

  1982

  3,294

  2,598

  2,639

  2,885

  2,820

  2,806

  2,638

  2,879

  1983

  3,503

  2,695

  2,590

  3,270

  2,782

  2,761

  2,708

  3,023

  1984

  3,936

  2,620

  2,573

  3,618

  2,901

  2,719

  2,745

  3,316

  1985

  4,090

  2,777

  2,783

  3,529

  2,947

  3,079

  2,835

  3,469

  1986

  3,466

  2,522

  2,771

  3,347

  2,461

  3,024

  2,595

  2,999

  1987

  3,626

  2,508

  3,119

  3,468

  2,601

  3,150

  2,774

  3,195

  1988

  3,861

  2,589

  3,165

  3,696

  2,678

  3,271

  2,833

  3,384

  1989

  4,042

  2,931

  3,108

  3,845

  2,822

  3,651

  3,037

  3,567

  1990

  4,296

  3,015

  3,085

  4,115

  3,001

  3,768

  3,208

  3,775

  1991

  4,363

  2,997

  3,146

  4,451

  2,768

  3,717

  3,269

  3,913

  1992

  4,344

  2,998

  3,532

  4,422

  2,479

  3,630

  3,275

  3,955

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  Mr. Charles Wardle
  An answer could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Hain
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what were the capital programmes for each year since 1979 for the South Wales, Thames Valley, Kent, Lancashire, Avon and Somerset and Hampshire police authority areas; and what were the comparable totals for all non-metropolitan and Welsh non-metropolitan police authority areas.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  The information requested, which is available only from April 1990, is set out in the table.

  Hampshire police authority areas; and what were the comparable totals for all non-metropolitan and Welsh non-metropolitan police authority areas.

  Mr. Maclean
  The available information is contained in the tables. Information on prosecutions prior to 1983 could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
  465

  Persons proceeded against at magistrates courts for indictable offences

  Police force area

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  1989

  1990

  1991

  1992

  Prosecutions per police officer1

  South Wales

  6

  6

  6

  5

  6

  6

  5

  6

  6

  6

  Thames Valley

  4

  4

  4

  3

  3

  3

  3

  4

  4

  4

  Kent

  4

  3

  3

  3

  3

  3

  3

  3

  2

  2

  Lancashire

  5

  5

  5

  4

  5

  5

  4

  4

  4

  4

  Avon and Somerset

  4

  4

  4

  4

  4

  4

  4

  4

  4

  4

  Hampshire

  4

  4

  5

  5

  4

  4

  4

  4

  4

  4

  Total non-metropolitan England and Wales

  4

  4

  4

  4

  4

  4

  4

  4

  4

  4

  Wales only

  5

  5

  5

  5

  5

  s

  5

  5

  5

  5

  Prosecutions per 100,000 population1

  South Wales

  1,363

  1,344

  1,366

  1,277

  1,365

  1,396

  1,237

  1,338

  1,446

  1,415

  Thames Valley

  738

  665

  648

  603

  608

  621

  588

  699

  713

  703

  Kent

  745

  665

  667

  631

  674

  626

  505

  571

  470

  490

  Lancashire

  1,143

  1,157

  1,139

  1,027

  1,105

  1,103

  959

  1,025

  1,004

  962

  Avon and Somerset

  895

  866

  933

  901

  871

  916

  808

  810

  844

  789

  Hampshire

  843

  842

  899

  867

  836

  842

  782

  815

  822

  792

  Total non-metropolitan England and Wales

  906

  886

  887

  813

  855

  868

  790

  838

  869

  855

  Wales only

  1,171

  1,147

  1,152

  1,047

  1,154

  1,177

  1,072

  1,160

  1,173

  1,212

  Mr. Hain
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what were the number of incidents requiring police deployment(a) per officer and (b) per 100,000 population for each year since 1979 for the South Wales, Thames Valley, Kent, Lancashire, Avon and Somerset and
  466
  Hampshire police authority areas; and what were the comparable totals for all non-metropolitan and Welsh non-metropolitan police authority areas.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  The information requested is not collected centrally.
  467

  Prisons (Drugs)
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the currently available medical treatment for drug abuse within British prisons.

  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 Mr. A. Butler to Mr. David Hinchliffe, dated 18 January 1994:

  The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question about medical treatment for drug abuse currently available in British prisons.

  In England and Wales policy and guidance on this is set out in Circular Instruction 12/1991 and the resource manual "Caring for Drug Users"—a copy of which is/has been placed in the House of Commons Library. This covers Provision of Detoxification, General Health Care, Management of Drug Induced Psychiatric State, Harm Minimisation, Longer Term Treatment, General Lifestyles, Work etc. and Pre-Release Work.

  The Prison Service is currently developing a strategy for dealing with drug misuse in prisons which includes a review of existing policy and advice in this area.

  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many known drug addicts have been identified within prison establishments in each year since 1990.

  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 Mr. A. Butler to Mr. David Hinchliffe, dated 18 January 1994:

  The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question about the number of known drug addicts in prisons for the years 1990 to 1993.

  The number of prisoners reported by prison medical officers to the Addicts Index at the Home Office as required by the Misuse of Drugs (Notification & Supply to Addicts) Regulations 1993 follows.

  Year

  Number

  1990

  1,420

  1991

  1,747

  1992

  2,586

  Data for 1993 are not yet available.

  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many discoveries of(a) heroin, (b) cocaine and (c) cannabis were made by the Prison Service in each year since 1989.

  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 Mr. D. Lewis to Mr. David Hinchliffe, dated 18 January 1994:
  468
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about discoveries of heroin, cocaine and cannabis in the years 1989 to 1993.

  The following table shows the number of heroin, cocaine and cannabis finds from 1991 to 1993 reported to the Incident Management Support Unit of the Prison Service. Records prior to November 1990 are not held centrally.

  Heroin

  Cocaine

  Cannabis

  Total

  1991

  72

  50

  2,333

  2,455

  1992

  99

  65

  2,081

  2,245

  1993

  156

  65

  3,371

  3,592

  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the number of(a) men and (b) women serving prison sentences in England and Wales for drug offences who were not British nationals as at 10 January.

  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 Mr. D. Lewis to Mr. Tom Cox, dated 18 January 1994:

  DRUG OFFENCES

  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question asking what was the number of (a) men and (b) women serving prison sentences in England and Wales for drug offences who were not British nationals as at 10 January.

  The latest available provisional information is for 30 September 1993. On that date 767 foreign nationals (of whom 623 were male and 144 female) were recorded centrally as being under sentence for drugs offences, excluding any where drugs offences were not the principal offence. These figures include those born outside the UK for whom a nationality was not recorded.

  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the availability of prescribed methadone maintenance and withdrawal programmes within British prisons.

  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 Mr. A. Butler to Mr. David Hinchliffe, dated 18 January 1994:

  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the availability of prescribed methadone maintenance and withdrawal programmes within British prisons.

  In England and Wales policy and guidance relating to these matters are set out in Circular Instruction 12/1991 and the resource manual "Caring for Drug Users".

  A detoxification programme should be offered, unless specifically contra-indicated, where a prisoner presents with signs of addiction which are verified by a prison medical officer. In the case of opiates a methadone detoxification programme is advised and details of suitable detoxification schedules are provided.

  Current policy and advice is that methadone maintenance is not normally appropriate in prisons.

  As with all medical treatment, decisions about individual treatment must be a matter for the clinical judgement of the doctor responsible.

  The Prison Service is currently developing a strategy for dealing with drug misuse in prisons and is reviewing policy relating to methadone detoxification and maintenance as part of this work.
  469
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prison staff have been(a) suspended and (b) disciplined for the possession or alleged possession or importation of an unlawful drug into prison establishments annually from 1990.

  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 Mr. D. Lewis to Mr. David Hinchliffe, dated 18 January 1994:

  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the numbers of Prison Service staff who have been suspended and/or disciplined for the possession of drugs, or for trafficking drugs into or out of prison, since 1990.

  The information available centrally is set out in the table below.

  Year

  Suspensions

  Disciplinary action taken

  1990

  4

  3

  1991

  5

  4

  1992

  2

  1

  1993

  1

  1

  1994

  0

  0

  Number of sales prosecuted for various homosexual offences 1989–92 England and Wales

  Offence description/age of offender

  1990

  1991

  1992

  Sexual Offences Act 1966, Section 12 as amended by the Sexual Offences Act 1967

  Buggery, including attempt, with a boy under the age of 16 or with a woman or an animal

  under 18

  38

  35

  23

  18 to 20

  13

  22

  19

  21+

  299

  267

  312

  Total

  350

  324

  354

  Buggery, including attempt, by a man with a male person of the age of 16 or over without consent

  under 18

  3

  4

  —

  18 to 20

  3

  1

  2

  21+

  24

  26

  38

  Total

  30

  31

  40

  Buggery, including attempt, by a man of the age of 21 or over with another male person under the age of 21 with consent

  under 18

  —

  —

  1

  18 to 20

  1

  2

  1

  21+

  9

  17

  12

  Total

  10

  19

  14

  Buggery, including attempt, by a man with another male person other than above

  under 18

  2

  2

  4

  18 to 20

  2

  2

  2

  21+

  10

  11

  4

  Total

  14

  15

  10

  Sexual Offences Act 1956 Section 13 as amended by the Sexual Offences Act 1967

  Indecency by a man of the age of 21 or over with another male person under the age of 21

  under 18

  10

  3

  2

  18 to 20

  10

  9

  10

  21+

  420

  182

  191

  Total

  445

  194

  203

  Indecency by a man with another male person other than above

  under 18

  10

  4

  5

  18 to 20

  38

  22

  16

  21+

  831

  594

  550

  Total

  879

  620

  571

  470

  Year

  Suspensions

  Disciplinary action taken

  Total

  12

  9

  There are three instances where disciplinary action was not taken. In two cases, the suspension was lifted when the members of staff involved were found not guilty of the criminal charges against them. In the remaining case the member of staff resigned before disciplinary action could be concluded.

  Most of these cases concerned incidents away from the prison, and typically involve possession of small quantities of cannabis. In one case a member of staff was found guilty of possession of drugs and trafficking inside the prison.

  Homosexual Prosecutions
  Mr. Donald Anderson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions have taken place in each of the past three years for which figures are available involving homosexual acts with those(a) under 18 years and (b) between 18 and 21 years.

  Mr. Maclean
  Available information on prosecutions under sections 12 and 13 of the Sexual Offences Act 1956, as amended by the Sexual Offences Act 1967, is given in the table.
  471

  Offence description/age of offender

  1990

  1991

  1992

  Man of or over the age 21 procuring or attempting to procure or being party to the commission by a man under 21 of an act of gross indecency with another man

  under 18

  —

  —

  —

  18 to 20

  —

  —

  —

  21+

  71

  19

  14

  Total

  71

  19

  14

  Man procuring or attempting to procure or being party to the commission by a man NOT under 21 of an act of gross indecency with another man

  under 18

  2

  3

  —

  18 to 20

  11

  4

  2

  21+

  302

  217

  61

  Total

  315

  224

  63

  Note In some sections the defendant is under the legislative age; this may be due to a recording error or where attempting, conspiring, aiding, abetting, causing or permitting a crime is classified under the heading of the crime itself.

  Mr. George Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions have been taken out against men under section 1 of the Sexual Offences Act 1967 involving a person(a) aged between 18 years and 21 years and (b) aged between 16 years and 18 years for each year since 1989.

  Number of males prosecuted for various homosexual offences 1989–1992 England and Wales

  Offence description/age of offender

  1989

  1990

  1991

  1992

  Sexual Offences Act 1956, Section 12 as amended by the Sexual Offences Act 1967

  Buggery, including attempt, with a boy under the age of 16 or with a woman or an animal

  under 16

  11

  18

  17

  7

  16 to 17

  16

  20

  18

  16

  18 to 20

  21

  13

  22

  19

  21+

  264

  299

  267

  312

  Total

  312

  350

  324

  354

  Buggery, including attempt, by a man with a male person of the age of 16 or over without consent

  under 16

  —

  —

  —

  —

  16 to 17

  1

  3

  4

  —

  18 to 20

  2

  3

  1

  2

  21+

  23

  24

  26

  38

  Total

  26

  30

  31

  40

  Buggery, including attempt, by a man of the age of 21 or over with another male person under the age of 21 with consent

  under 16

  —

  —

  —

  1

  16 to 17

  —

  1

  1

  1

  18 to 20

  2

  1

  2

  1

  21+

  6

  9

  17

  12

  Total

  8

  10

  19

  14

  Buggery, including attempt, by a man with another male person other than above

  under 16

  —

  1

  1

  3

  16 to 17

  —

  1

  1

  1

  18 to 20

  1

  2

  2

  2

  21+

  22

  10

  11

  4

  Total

  23

  14

  15

  10

  Sexual Offences Act 1956 Section 13 as amended by the Sexual Offences Act 1967

  Indecency by a man of the age of 21 or over with another male person under the age of 21

  under 16

  1

  1

  1

  —

  16 to 17

  6

  9

  2

  2

  18 to 20

  13

  15

  9

  10

  21+

  384

  420

  182

  191

  Total

  404

  445

  194

  203

  Indecency by a man with another male person other than above

  under 16

  1

  3

  2

  —

  16 to 17

  13

  7

  2

  5

  18 to 20

  41

  38

  22

  16

  21+

  1,258

  831

  594

  550

  Total

  1,313

  879

  620

  571

  472
  Mr. Maclean
  [holding answer 17 January 1994]: No prosecutions have been brought under section 1 of the Sexual Offences Act 1967. This section amended earlier legislation to make lawful homosexual acts in private between consenting men aged 21 or above.

  Available information on prosecutions under sections 12 and 13 of the Sexual Offences Act 1956, which were the principal offences amended by the 1967 Act, are given in the table.
  473

  Offence description/age of offender

  1989

  1990

  1991

  1992

  Man of or over the age of 21 procuring or attempting to procure or being party to the

  under 16

  —

  —

  —

  —

  commission by a man under 21 of an act of gross indecency with another man

  16 to 17

  2

  —

  —

  —

  18 to 20

  7

  —

  —

  —

  21+

  89

  71

  19

  14

  Total

  98

  71

  19

  14

  Man procuring or attempting to procure or being party to the commission by a man

  under 16

  —

  1

  1

  —

  NOT under 21 of an act of gross indecency with another man

  16 to 17

  3

  1

  2

  —

  18 to 20

  8

  11

  4

  2

  21+

  315

  302

  217

  61

  Total

  326

  315

  224

  63

  Note: In some sections the defendant is under the legislative age; this may be due to a recording error or where attempting, conspiring, aiding, abetting, causing or permitting a crime is classified under the heading of the crime itself.

  Ethnic Minority Prisoners
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the percentage of prison inmates,(a) men and (b) women, being held in prisons in England and Wales who are of an ethnic minority background but are citizens of the United Kingdom as at 10 January.

  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 Mr. D. Lewis to Mr. Tom Cox, dated 18 January 1994:

  ETHNIC MINORITIES

  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question asking what is the percentage of prison inmates, (a) men and (b) women, being held in prisons in England and Wales who are of an ethnic minority background but are citizens of the United Kingdom, as at 10 January.

  The latest available provisional information is for prisoners in Prison Service establishments on 30 September 1993. On that date 11 per cent of males and 11·5 per cent. of females were of minority ethnic origin and were recorded as having United Kingdom nationality.

  Ethnic Minority Pupils
  Mrs. Anne Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many children in British schools come from new Commonwealth countries;

  (2) how many extra children in British schools will be included in the new section 11 brief to include all members of ethnic minorities.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Information is not held centrally in the form requested and could not be obtained except at disproportionate cost.

  Immigration (Carriers Liability) Act 1987
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received regarding the Immigration (Carriers Liability) Act 1987; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  In 1993, representations regarding the Immigration (Carriers Liability) Act 1987 concerned primarily the decision not to extend the provisions of the Act to channel tunnel services and the direct airside transit visa provision which was added by the
  474
  Asylum and Immigration Appeals Act 1993. Representations from carriers against the imposition of charges are regularly received by the immigration service.

  999 Calls
  Mr. Hain
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what were the number of 999 calls made(a) per police officer and (b) per 100,000 population for each year since 1979 for the South Wales, Thames Valley, Kent, Lancashire, Avon and Somerset and Hampshire police authority areas; and what were the comparable totals for all non-metropolitan and Welsh non-metropolitan police authority areas.

  Mr. Maclean
  The information requested is not collected centrally.

  Racial Attacks
  Mrs. Anne Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to curb the rise in racial attacks and the increasing activity of the British National party.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  The Government have on many occasions expressed their abhorrence of racial violence and harassment and fully support police efforts to tackle racially motivated crime.

  Ministers have decided to reconvene the interdepartmental racial attacks group, chaired by the Home Office. The group provides a forum in which different agencies can examine the issue of racial violence at a national level, and co-ordinate a broad-based response. The first meeting is due to take place in February 1994.

  The views of the British National party are as repugnant to the Government as they are to the public at large. If the activities of this group or its members breach the law, they are liable to be dealt with by the police under public order and criminal legislation, and a number of prosecutions of BNP members have been mounted in the past.

  Video Rentals (Children)
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many proprietors of video rental outlets were prosecuted for supplying films with an 18 rating to children in the last year for which figures are available.

  Mr. Maclean
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him on 11 January at column 139.
  475

  Immigration
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to change the status in relation to entering the United Kingdom of citizens of Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Botswana, Canada, Dominica, The Gambia, Grenada, Guyana, Kiribati, Lesotho, the Maldives, Malta, Mauritius, Namibia, Nauru, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, St. Lucia, the Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Swaziland, Tanzania, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Western Somoa, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  My right hon. and learned Friend has at present no plans for any such changes.

  Police Overtime (M11)
  Mr. Gapes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total cost in 1993 of the police overtime payments and other costs related to the security and policing for the M11 link road through Wanstead; and if he will make a statement.

  South Wales

  Thames Valley

  Kent

  Lancashire

  Avon and Somerset

  Hampshire

  General purpose vehicle

  70–100,000 miles

  80,000 miles/ 4 years

  100,000 miles/ 3 years

  70,000 miles/ 3 years

  75,000 miles/ 3 years

  80,000 miles

  Traffic vehicle

  120,000 miles

  100,000 miles/ 3 years

  120,000 miles/ 2 years

  70,000 miles/ 3 years

  100,000 miles/ 2·5 years

  120,000 miles

  CID general vehicle

  70–100,000 miles

  100,000 miles/ 5 years

  100,000 miles/ 5 years

  70,000 miles/ 3 years

  100,000 miles/ 2·5 years

  100–120,000 miles

  CID Special vehicle

  70–100,000 miles

  80,000 miles/ 3 years

  100,000 miles/ 3 years

  70,000 miles/ 3 years

  100,000 miles/ 2 years

  80,000 miles

  Special Vehicle

  70–100,000 miles

  Dependent on age and condition

  5–7 years

  Dependent on age and condition

  150,000 miles/ 10 years

  80,000 miles

  Motor-cycle

  80,000 miles/ 6 years

  80,000 miles/ 4 years

  45,000 miles/ 4 years

  65,000 miles

  Where no age criterion is given, forces replace vehicles on the basis of mileage alone. Each force reviews its policy regularly to take account of operating experience and other factors.

  Data Protection
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will make arrangements for the Data Protection Registrar to inspect relevant contracts with suppliers of information technology services that involve the use of personal data held by his Department in order to check whether all appropriate arrangements in relation to the Data Protection Act 1984 have been made, and whether such contracts make provisions for the registrar to make random inspections in order to check the suppliers in compliance with the eighth data protection principle.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The Data Protection Registrar has a wide range of powers under the Data Protection Act 1984 to ensure that all individuals and organisations holding personal data on computer systems are registered and observe the data protection principles as required by the Act. When IT services are contracted out by a data user, the contractor and the user will be subject to the application of the data protection principles, and to the registrar's powers to promote compliance with them, as provided for in the Act. It is for the registrar to decide how he will use his
  476
  Mr. Charles Wardle
  I understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that the total manpower costs in 1993 of security and policing for the M11 link road through Wanstead amounted to £256,211. Information on the cost of support services and other resources involved is not available.

  Police Vehicles
  Mr. Hain
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the vehicle replacement policies in terms of mileage and age for the South Wales, Thames Valley, Kent, Lancashire, Avon and Somerset and Hampshire police authority areas.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  The information requested is as follows:

  powers under the Act, and I do not consider that any further arrangements are necessary for him to discharge his duties effectively.

  Prisons (Foreign Nationals)
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the policy of his Department in seeking to give specialist training to prison officers whose work involves them with foreign nationals serving prison sentences in prisons in England and Wales; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  There is no formal specialist training provided centrally for those working with foreign nationals, but all new officers receive race relations training which includes awareness of minority cultural, linguistic, spiritual and dietary needs.

  Responsibility for meeting the needs of foreign nationals is often co-ordinated by the race relations management team and liaison officers in establishments. Information on "best practice" in relation to foreign prisoners has been disseminated through the Race Relations Liaison Officers' Newsletter and their 1993 national conference.

  Training has been provided in this area for all staff at HM Prison Haslar (a specialised detention facility for deportees) by Prison Service College consultants.
  477
  There has also been a number of other initiatives to assist those working with foreign prisoners including translating the prisoners' information pack into 14 lanugauges; support for the Nuffield interpreters project to encourage accredited interpreters; introducing Language Line, a telephone interpreting service, into all prisons; and publication of the foreign prisoners' resource pack to provide information and guidance for staff working with foreign nationals, and the prisoners themselves.

  Ethnic Minority Grants
  Mrs. Anne Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how he proposes to meet the shortfall in services caused by the proposed cuts in section 11 funding.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Following discussions with local authorities, section 11 grant will now be distributed as a cash sum, rather than a percentage of expenditure. This will ensure maximum take-up of available funding, and it remains open to local authorities to provide additional resources in the light of their assessment of relative local priorities.

  Immigration Guidelines
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will now publish his Department's guidelines for immigration officers.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  No. It is not the normal practice to publish internal instructions.

  Paramilitaries
  Mr. Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list all members of(a) proscribed loyalist and (b) proscribed republican organisations who are convicted prisoners in custody in England and Wales, giving in each case the date of their original conviction, their offence or offences, the length of sentence given and their paramilitary affiliation.

  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 Mr. A Butler to Mr. Harry Barnes, dated 18 January 1994:

  Notifiable offences recorded by the police

  Police force area

  1979

  1980

  1981

  1982

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  1989

  1990

  1991

  1992

  Recorded crimes per police officer1

  South Wales

  21

  23

  24

  27

  27

  29

  30

  33

  33

  35

  35

  42

  49

  51

  Thames Valley

  26

  23

  25

  28

  28

  30

  31

  33

  32

  29

  32

  39

  49

  50

  Kent

  18

  17

  18

  21

  21

  23

  24

  24

  25

  25

  26

  32

  43

  49

  Lancashire

  16

  16

  18

  20

  20

  22

  22

  24

  25

  26

  24

  29

  33

  35

  Avon and Somerset

  17

  18

  20

  22

  22

  24

  26

  30

  32

  31

  31

  40

  48

  55

  Hampshire

  21

  20

  23

  25

  25

  27

  28

  30

  30

  28

  30

  36

  43

  45

  Total non-metropolitan

  England and Wales

  19

  19

  21

  23

  24

  25

  26

  28

  28

  27

  29

  35

  41

  44

  Wales only

  19

  19

  21

  23

  24

  25

  26

  28

  29

  29

  29

  34

  40

  42

  Recorded crimes per 100,000 population1

  South Wales

  5,077

  5,432

  5,749

  6,468

  6,543

  7,089

  7,191

  8,089

  8,222

  8,576

  8,617

  10,205

  11,932

  12,355

  478
  The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question asking for details of convicted prisoners in custody in England and Wales who are members of proscribed organisations.

  It is not the practice to discuss the claimed or suspected affiliation of individual prisoners to particular organisations.

  Leave to Remain
  Mr. Darling
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will set out his policy for issuing travel documents to individuals who have been granted exceptional leave to remain in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  I refer to my reply to my hon. and learned Friend the Member for Burton (Sir I. Lawrence) on 16 December at column 791, which indicated that officials were writing that day setting out changes to be introduced on 1 January. A copy of the letter was placed in the Library. The new arrangements clarify policy and practice in the issue of Home Office travel documents, including the issue of documents to those granted exceptional leave to remain in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Darling
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his policy with regard to allowing re-entry to the United Kingdom to those individuals who have been granted exceptional leave to remain in the United Kingdom and have been granted a travel document, and who then seek to re-enter the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  A person granted exceptional leave to remain will normally be re-admitted on return to the United Kingdom before the expiry of the period granted if the immigration officer is satisfied that the circumstances which led to the granting of that leave still apply.

  Crime Statistics
  Mr. Hain
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what were the numbers of(a) recorded crime, per police officer, (b) recorded crime per 100,000 population for each year since 1979 for the South Wales, Thames Valley, Kent, Lancashire, Avon and Somerset and Hampshire police areas; and what were the comparable totals for all non-metropolitan and Welsh non-metropolitan police authorities.

  Mr. Maclean
  The information requested is contained in the following table:
  479

  Police force area

  1979

  1980

  1981

  1982

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  1989

  1990

  1991

  1992

  Thames Valley

  4,079

  3,960

  4,267

  4,798

  4,941

  5,347

  5,607

  6,057

  5,968

  5,481

  6,060

  7,446

  9,340

  9,938

  Kent

  3,500

  3,463

  3,468

  4,195

  4,152

  4,427

  4,670

  4,762

  4,926

  4,936

  5,231

  6,509

  8,797

  10,102

  Lancashire

  3,777

  3,739

  4,120

  4,720

  4,689

  4,927

  4,947

  5,390

  5,854

  6,041

  5,587

  6,686

  7,600

  8,209

  Avon and Somerset

  3,616

  4,065

  4,500

  4,922

  4,814

  5,277

  5,656

  6,529

  7,012

  6,788

  6,895

  8,784

  10,662

  12,075

  Hampshire

  3,941

  3,912

  4,391

  4,886

  4,901

  5,175

  5,373

  5,603

  5,755

  5,351

  5,716

  6,966

  8,360

  8,770

  Total non-metropolitan

  England and Wales

  3,881

  4,022

  4,395

  4,859

  4,875

  5,180

  5,388

  5,726

  5,908

  5,712

  5,948

  7,293

  8,673

  9,353

  Wales only

  4,234

  4,407

  4,700

  5,237

  5,340

  5,783

  5,941

  6,403

  6,570

  6,583

  6,496

  7,625

  9,043

  9,602

  1 Excluding offences of criminal damage value £20 and under.

  South Wales Police
  Mr. Hain
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the basis for the categorisation this coming year of South Wales as a semi-rural police authority.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  Concentration of population is one of a number of factors which have been used in reaching decisions on the allocation of increases in police force establishments. As my right hon. Friend has made clear, however, available resources will not allow for further increases to establishments in 1994–95.

  Secure Training Centres
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what is his target date for the opening of each of his proposed secure training centres;

  (2) what target date he has set by which he intends that all five secure training centres shall be open and accepting referrals.

  Mr. Maclean
  The centres will open as soon as possible after Royal Assent to the Criminal Justice and Public Order Bill.

  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 17 December,Official Report, column 952, whether he will now identify the region in which each of his five proposed secure training centres is to be sited and list the counties to be served in each case.

  Mr. Maclean
  Final decisions have not yet been reached. The notice recently placed in the Official Journal of the European Community invited expressions of interest from companies to finance, design, build/refurbish, operate and maintain secure training centres either on Home Office land or on alternative sites which they would themselves propose. The deadline for receipt of applications is 11 February 1994.

  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether all the running costs of his proposed secure training centres will be met by his Department.

  Mr. Maclean
  Running costs will be met by the contractor(s), who will be reimbursed by the Home Office.

  Electoral Registration
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people under the age of 25 years are not included in the electoral register.
  480
  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Information on the number of people under 25 included in, or missing from, the electoral register is not collected. However, research carried out by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys after the 1991 Census suggested that approximately 12·1 per cent. of people aged 18–19, 19·5 per cent. of people aged 20 and 20·6 per cent. of people aged 21–24 were missing from the register.

  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much his Department is spending on(a) electoral registration in the United Kingdom, (b) electoral registration of EC nationals in the United Kingdom and (c) electoral registration of overseas voters.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Electoral registration officers are appointed by district and London borough councils in England and Wales and receive their funding through their local authority. The Home Office undertakes an annual publicity campaign in support of electoral registration in England and Wales. Some £620,000 has been spent on television advertising in support of the canvass for the 1994–95 electoral register. We have no plans for expenditure on overseas electors publicity. We are currently considering ways of letting European Community nationals know about their new voting rights.

  Schools-Police Liaison Service
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consultations he has had with the chairman of the South Wales police authority in relation to the priority to be given to the schools-police liaison service in the forthcoming financial year.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  None.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police authorities operate a schools-police liaision authority.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  Information is not held centrally in the form requested. Arrangements for police liaison with schools are the responsibility of chief officers of police. Some police forces have dedicated schools liaison personnel, others employ officers with wider youth and community liaison duties to undertake schools liaison.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received in relation to the schools-police liaison service of the South Wales police authority.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  None.
  481

  Child Cruelty
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when and where he first announced his intention to extend the prosecution right of appeal to cases of child cruelty and indecent assault; and if he will list the occasions on which he has since made a similar announcement(a) to the House, (b) via Home Office press release, statement or communication or (c) otherwise.

  Mr. Maclean
  My right hon. and learned Friend first announced the Government's intention to extend the scope of the Attorney-General's power to refer unduly lenient sentences to the Court of Appeal in a speech at the Conservative party conference on 6 October. Since then, my right hon. and learned Friend has referred to this intention on a number of occasions in response to questions from hon. Members and the public, and in explaining the Government's overall strategy on law and order. On Thursday 13 January this year the Home Office public relations branch issued a press release giving further details of the offences to be covered and the proposed date of implementation, to coincide with the answer my right hon. and learned Friend gave in the House on that day to my hon. Friend the Member for Amber Valley (Mr. Oppenheim).

  Deported Jamaicans
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total cost, including plane charter, of returning to Jamaica on 25 December 1993, Jamaican nationals refused entry to the United Kingdom on 21 December 1993.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  [holding answer 11 January 1994]: The figure was £126,765, including the cost of the charter and of in-flight escorts but excluding the cost of in-country escorts which have yet to be finalised.

  Peanut Allergy
  Sir Cranley Onslow
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many deaths are known to have been caused in England and Wales by peanut-related food allergy in each of the past 10 years.

  Mr. Sackville
  I have been asked to reply.

  For the latest 10 years, 1983 to 1992, for which data are available, there were no deaths registered where allergy to peanuts was the assigned underlying cause.

  Fine Defaulters
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the average prison sentence imposed for defaulting on a fine; what is the average period actually spent in prison by such a defaulter; and what is the average cost of such a person's imprisonment.

  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.
  482
  Letter from Mr. D. Lewis to Mr. William Ross, dated 18 January 1994:

  Fine Defaulters

  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question asking about the average prison sentence imposed for defaulting on a fine; the average period actually spent in prison by such a defaulter; and the average cost of such a person's imprisonment.

  The latest available information is for 1992 when the average length of sentence imposed for fine default in Prison Service establishments in England and Wales was 22 days. The average period served was 7·5 days. Information relating to the average cost of imprisonment specifically for fine defaulters is not available. The average net operating cost for prisoners in local prisons and remand centres in 1992/93, however, was £526 per week.

  Community Charge (Fines)
  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give figures for April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November and December of the number of people imprisoned for non-payment of outstanding community charge and in each case specify the length and cost per person of imprisonment; and what proportion of those imprisoned are in receipt of benefit.

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

  Letter from Derek Lewis to Ms Joan Walley, dated 13 January 1994:

  NON PAYMENT OF OUTSTANDING COMMUNITY CHARGE

  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the number of people imprisoned in April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November and December for non-payment of outstanding community charge, and for each case the length and cost per person of imprisonment and what proportion of those imprisoned are in receipt of benefit.

  Provisional data is given in the attached table for the months April to October 1993. Because of the number of cases identified it is not possible to detail the length of sentence imposed in each case. Information relating to the cost per person of imprisonment specifically for these cases is not available. The average net operating cost for prisoners in local prisons and remand centres in 1992/3, however, was £526 per week. The average sentence applied was 34 days of which just under half would normally be served. Information on the proportion of those imprisoned who are in receipt of benefit is not available centrally.

  Receptions into Prison Service establishments in England and Wales for non-payment of community charge1: April-October 1993

  Month

  Number

  April

  25

  May

  28

  June

  21

  July

  36

  August

  35

  September

  27

  October

  35

  Total

  207

  1 Includes small numbers recorded as non-payment of rates.

  483

WALES

  Health Service
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what steps employees in Wales of health service bodies, local authorities or voluntary organisations may take to raise concerns relating to patient or client treatment, to malpractice or to fraud.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  In the NHS, employees are encouraged to take up their concerns through all levels of management within the employing authority or NHS trust in accordance with local procedures designed to ensure such concerns are dealt with fairly and thoroughly. A copy of guidance issued last June is in the Library of the House.

  Every local authority has to appoint a monitoring officer who has a duty to prepare a report to the authority if it appears to him/her that an action or omission by the authority is or is likely to be illegal or amount to maladministration. The authority must consider his/her report before deciding what action to take. A local authority's chief finance officer has a similar duty with regard to matters of financial propriety. An employee of an authority could bring his or her concerns to the attention of the monitoring officer or the chief finance officer.

  It is also open to any person, including employees of a particular local authority, to approach the independent external auditor appointed by the Audit Commission to that particular authority.

  Amgueddfa Genedlaethol Cymru—National Museum of Wales

  Twelve months review—January to December 1993—Visitors numbers

  Branch

  Actual

  1992

  1992

  Variance per cent.

  Main Building, Cathays Park

  266,743

  255,601

  11,142

  4·4

  Welsh Folk Museum, St. Fagans

  413,840

  349,164

  64,676

  18·5

  Amgueddfar Gogledd, Llanberis

  77,079

  77,082

  (3)

  0·0

  Welsh Industrial and Maritime Museum

  67,971

  66,521

  1,450

  2·2

  Roman Legionary Museum, Caerleon

  47,181

  39,079

  8,102

  20·7

  Museum of the Welsh Woollen Industry, Dre-fach

  23,026

  21,835

  1,191

  5·5

  Segontium Roman Fort Museum

  10,571

  10,127

  444

  4·4

  Graham Sutherland Gallery

  10,551

  10,457

  94

  0·9

  Turner House, Penarth

  10,855

  13,012

  (2,157)

  (16·6)

  Welsh Slate Museum

  24,165

  25,065

  (900)

  (3·6)

  Total

  951,982

  867,943

  84,039

  9·7

  Ambulance Staff
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make it his policy to ensure that health authorities and ambulance trusts in Wales make arrangements to allow ambulance personnel to retire at age 55 years.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  My right hon. Friend is to consider what arrangements might be introduced to facilitate the early retirement of long-serving ambulance staff in Wales.

SCOTLAND

  Rural Medical Care
  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish the report of the review of medical care in rural Scotland, chaired by Sir Thomas Thomson.
  484
  No central guidance has been issued to voluntary organisations. Since these are independent, employees are bound by the terms of their contracts of employment.

  Schools Inspection
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what percentage of the difference between the total value of the tenders placed in the financial year 1993–94 for the inspection of secondary schools in Wales and the sum of £933,000 transferred from the rate support grant to county councils to the Office of Her Majesty's chief inspector for Wales was spent on appointing staff to the office of Her Majesty's chief inspector for Wales.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  None of the money transferred from the revenue support grant to the office of Her Majesty's chief inspector of schools in Wales was spent on appointing staff to that office.

  National Museum of Wales
  Mr. Faulds
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish the attendance figures for 1993 reported by the National Museum of Wales, including its outstations, with the percentage increase or decrease on the attendance figures for 1992.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  A total of 951,982 people visited the National Museum of Wales during 1993, an increase of 9·7 per cent. over the attendance reported for 1992.

  Mr. Stewart
  The report of the working party has not yet been received, but it is understood that it is at final draft stage and will be submitted early next month. It will thereafter be considered and a decision taken about publication.

  Government Papers
  Mr. McFall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to introduce legislation applying to Scotland similar to the 30-year rule regarding the release of Government and Cabinet papers.

  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has for introducing legislation to provide for the public release of Scottish Office governmental papers; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Scottish Office papers have for many years been released as a matter of course under arrangements which mirror administratively
  485
  those which apply statutorily in England and Wales. I have no plans at present to place the system on a statutory footing.

  Glenochil Prison
  Mr. McFall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland who granted permission for the visit in December 1993 of Mr. Roger Kendrick, former governor, and Mr. Walter Litherard to Glenochil prison; and how many staff and prisoners they interviewed.

  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 18 January 1994:

  The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your Question about who granted permission for a visit in December 1993 by Mr. Roger Kendrick, former governor, and Mr. Walter Litherard, to Glenochil Prison, and how many staff and prisoners they interviewed.

  Mr. Kendrick telephoned Mr. L. McBain, Governor-in-Charge, HM Prison, Glenochil, and asked if he could visit to discuss a number of matters and Mr. McBain agreed.

  Mr. Litherard did not visit the establishment.

  Mr. Kendrick subsequently visited, The purpose of the visit was to advise the Governor of the existence of a new electronic drug detection unit that Mr. Kendrick's company was marketing. Mr. Kendrick also met with a Governor involved in the prison industries complex to ask if Glenochil Prison would be interested in seeking a contract to supply his company with items of prison industries output. No staff and no prisoners were interviewed by Mr. Kendrick.

  Football
  Mr. Pendry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the Scottish League clubs together with the total season's attendance at(a) matches played in the Scottish Premiership and Leagues and (b) matches played in the Tennant's Scottish cup, Skol cup and B and Q cup with the total numbers of (i) arrests, (ii) ejections and (iii) arrests plus ejections as a percentage of the total attendance at each category of such matches, accurate to four decimal places for the seasons 1991–92 and 1992–93; and if he will make a statement on attendance rates and arrest rates at each category of such matches.

  Sir Hector Monro
  This information is not held centrally and cannot, therefore, be assembled in the time available. I shall write to the hon. Member and arrange for a copy of the letter to be placed in the Library of the House.

  Forestry Commission
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he will make a statement on the future of the Forestry Commission.

  Sir Hector Monro
  Ministers will await the advice of the forestry review group before deciding what action, if any, should be taken in relation to the ownership and management of the Forestry Commission's woodlands.

  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what undertakings he has made to the forestry unions to guarantee the future of the Forestry Commission; and if he will place them in the Library.
  486
  Sir Hector Monro
  Forestry Ministers have given no undertakings to forestry unions in respect to any matter in relation to the Forestry Commission.

  Bulk Shipping
  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what tariff rebate subsidy will be applied to the bulk transport of timber; and what plans the Government have to reduce the rate or abolish the scheme.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The bulk transport of timber currently attracts a TRS rate of 40 per cent. Arrangements for 1994–95 have not yet been finalised.

  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what estimate he has made as to the number of extra timber loads which will be transported by road in the west highlands following the termination of ship freight services; what assessment he has made of the cost in terms of repair and maintenance of trunk roads resulting from such extra loads; what studies he has made of the economic and environmental effect of such extra traffic on the areas concerned; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  It is my understanding that Glenlight Shipping Ltd. is continuing to transport timber by sea within the highlands and islands area using the company's timber barge system. Glenlight Shipping Ltd. will continue to receive subsidy on such cargoes. In addition, other bulk shippers operating within the TRS scheme are eligible to receive subsidy for the carriage of timber.

  Given the continuing operation of Glenlight's timber barge system as well as the availability of other bulk shipping operators to carry timber, it seems unlikely that there will be any significant transfer of timber transport to road in the west highlands area.

  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) which bulk shipping operators will be undertaking the transport of goods which were previously carried out by Glenlight Shipping; when he expects the commencement of the service by alternative operators; what level of subsidy they are receiving; and if he will make a statement.

  (2) what discussions his Department has had with freight shipping services following the collapse of the Glenlight Shipping company regarding the provision of life line shipping services to the Isles; if he will list the shipping services which have shown an interest in the routes currently served by Glenlight; and if he will make a statement;

  (3) what consultation has been initiated or entered into by his Department with bulk shipping companies in order to operate the routes relinquished by Glenlight Shipping Services Ltd; on what dates these meetings took place; and which ministers or officials were involved.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Glenlight Shipping Ltd. has not collapsed. The company is still operating but has taken the commercial decision to discontinue bulk shipping operations in the highlands and islands area apart from the carriage of timber. The Scottish Office is continuing to provide tariff rebate subsidy to the company on the basis of eligible cargoes carried. In addition to Glenlight there are four other bulk shipping operators within the TRS scheme operating on the west coast. The
  487
  relevant companies are: Easdale Island Shipping Line, Gardner Shipping (Scotland) Ltd., Roderick Cunningham (Scalpay) Ltd. and Dennison (Shipping) Ltd. I understand that at least two of these shipping companies are already carrying cargoes for customers who were previously served by Glenlight Shipping Ltd. The Scottish Office maintains regular and frequent contact with shipping operators within the TRS scheme to discuss variations in traffic levels, the redistribution of TRS resources and other matters. In recent months the Scottish Office has had extensive discussions with Glenlight Shipping Ltd. and also with Easdale Shipping Line and Gardner Shipping (Scotland) Ltd., the two west coast bulk shipping operators that are most likely to carry the traffic previously carried by Glenlight.

  The general rate of TRS subvention on the west coast is 40 per cent. for cargoes originating from the mainland and 30 per cent. for cargoes originating from the islands. Each company's TRS allocation is based on the company's estimates of traffic to be carried within the specified period and on previous years' actual traffic carried as compared with forecasts. Individual bulk shipping operators' allocations are commercially confidential. In 1993–94 provision of £3·130 million is being made available for bulk shipping services and £6·768 million for P and O Scottish Ferries Ltd., giving a total TRS provision of £9·898 million.

  Local Government Reform
  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the effect local government reform will have on projects currently being planned and undertaken by existing local authorities and specific requests for assistance of objective 1 funding; what guidelines his Department has drawn up or plans; what discussions his Department has had with local authorities regarding the matter; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Stewart
  Local government reform will not affect the ability of local authorities to compete for objective 1 funds. Any rights, liabilities and obligations of existing authorities resulting from grant awards before the new local authority structure comes into effect will be inherited by relevant successor authorities, as provided for in the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Bill. No specific guidelines are planned in relation to the European structural funds; and my Department has had no discussions with local authorities regarding the matter.

  Crosshouse Hospital
  Mr. Donohoe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer of 6 December,Official Report, column 84, if he will make a detailed statement on the facilities which have been closed in Crosshouse hospital by the North Ayrshire and Arran NHS trust.

  Mr. Stewart
  There have been no reductions in service but there are two wards for which there are planned changes in use.

  In its first six months the trust has treated 400 more in-patients, 1,900 more day patients and 1,500 more out-patients compared with the same period last year. In orthopaedic surgery and gynaecology, changes in service delivery patterns have meant that fewer in-patient beds are required to meet an increased demand for services.
  488
  Orthopaedic day surgery has increased by 83 per cent. and in-patient activity by 11 per cent. following the appointment of an additional consultant orthopaedic surgeon and the opening of a £1 million purpose-planned day surgery unit. As day surgery patients no longer require to be cared for in a hospital ward, a 30-bedded orthopaedic ward will now be used to provide expanded and improved in-patient facilities for renal and haematology patients.

  Gynaecological day surgery has increased by 20 per cent. compared with last year and this improvement in clinical practice means that consultants require 26 fewer gynaecological in-patient beds to treat an increased number of patients. A gynaecology ward will shortly become available for use as a decanting facility which will ensure that the planned programme of ward upgrading at Crosshouse hospital can proceed without inconveniencing patients and with no reduction in the number of patients treated.

  Land Valuation
  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received regarding amending revaluation forms under the Land Valuation Acts to simplify the procedure for business in Scotland by eliminating the need to provide detailed financial information about the business concerned; what are the implications for the arrangement of the commitment to reducing bureaucracy, and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Stewart
  My right hon. Friend has received three letters on this subject since 1 January 1993. Under section 7 of the Lands Valuation (Scotland) Act 1854, as amended, an assessor is authorised to call upon any ratepayer within his area to supply him only with such information as is reasonably required in order to value the property concerned. This is to ensure that the property is valued as accurately as possible with the objective of minimising the need for an appeal and the consequent additional costs for the ratepayer.

  Tourist Boards
  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received regarding the consultation exercise into tourist boards in Scotland concerning the proposed new board covering Argyll and Bute; what suggestions have been made with regard to the geography of that tourist board area; when he expects the conclusion of the exercise; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The Scottish tourist board has submitted a recommendation on a new area tourist board structure to my right hon. Friend. This is being considered carefully and an announcement will be made in due course.

  NHS Trusts
  Mr. Robert Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will now direct that the salaries of general managers of NHS trusts be made public; and if he will arrange for the members of the boards of NHS trusts to declare any financial interests and that a register of such interests be made available for public scrutiny.
  489
  Mr. Lang
  These issues are under consideration following publication for consultation in England of draft codes of conduct and accountability for NHS boards and their members.

  Shipping Operators
  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland which companies presently receive tariff rebate subsidy ; what is the extent of tariff rebate subsidy for each shipping operator; what are the current guidelines for receiving the subsidy ; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The companies currently operating within the tariff rebate subsidy scheme are as listed. Each company's TRS allocation is based on the company's estimates of traffic to be carried during the year concerned as well as on previous years' actual traffic carried as compared with forecasts. Individual shipping operators' claims are monitored monthly against the TRS resources available. Individual bulk shipping operators' allocations are treated as being commercial confidential. In 1993–94 provision of £3·130 million is being made available for bulk shipping services and £6·768 million for P and O Scottish Ferries Ltd., giving a total TRS provision of £9·898 million. The TRS scheme operates on the basis of providing for reduction in shipping operators' normal commercial tariffs. The shipping operator determines tariffs on a normal commercial basis for the carriage of particular cargoes, and, if the cargo and the destination are eligible for subsidy under the scheme, the operator reduces the commercial tariff by a percentage decided by the Scottish Office. The Scottish Office pays subsidy to the shipping operator to compensate for tariff reductions. Before becoming eligible for assistance under the tariff rebate subsidy scheme a shipping operator is required to enter into an undertaking with the Secretary of State for Scotland to provide approved shipping services within the highlands and islands area.

  Companies operating within the TRS scheme:

  P & O Scottish Ferries

  Orcargo

  Orkney Line Ltd

  Shetland Line Ltd

  Dennison (Shipping) Ltd

  Easdale Island Shipping Line

  Gardner Shipping (Scotland) Ltd

  Glenlight Shipping Ltd

  Hay & Company (Lerwick) Ltd

  Roderick Cunningham (Scalpay) Ltd

  Student Awards
  Mr. Raymond S. Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what conclusions he has reached about the future administration of student awards in Scotland.

  Mr. Lang
  I have decided that student awards branch of the Scottish Office Education Department should become an executive agency of the Secretary of State for Scotland, under the "next steps" initiative, with a proposed launch date of 5 April 1994.

  Mountain Deaths
  Mr. Canavan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many people died during 1993 as the result of incidents on Scottish mountains; and if he will make a statement.
  490
  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 14 January 1994]: The information requested for 1993 should be ready by April 1994. I shall write to the hon. Member as soon as it is available. Meanwhile, the numbers of deaths from such incidents in the most recent 10 years are given in the table.

  Deaths1 as the result of incidents on Scottish mountains ICD Code

  E884.1 Falls on mountains

  E908–909 Blizzard or avalanche

  E901.0 Hypothermia

  Total

  1983

  24

  —

  1

  25

  1984

  20

  —

  2

  22

  1985

  11

  3

  —

  14

  1986

  23

  4

  1

  28

  1987

  21

  3

  —

  24

  1988

  22

  —

  —

  22

  1989

  16

  1

  1

  18

  1990

  18

  —

  —

  18

  1991

  24

  1

  —

  25

  1922

  19

  1

  3

  23

  1 Excluding deaths from pre-existing medical conditions (eg heart attacks).

  Tourism
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on progress being made on Her Majesty's Government's review of tourism support arrangements in Scotland.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 17 January 1994]: Good progress is being made in implementing the decisions announced by my right hon. Friend on 29 June 1993 following the tourism review.

  To ensure collaboration at the national level, my right hon. Friend has appointed representatives of Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise to the board of the Scottish tourist board. I hope to announce shortly the measures we are taking to strengthen the Scottish tourism co-ordinating group and the Scottish Confederation of Tourism. I expect the first national strategic plan for tourism to be published in the spring.

  Arrangements for the Scottish tourist board's assumption of Highlands and Islands Enterprise's tourism marketing and visitor service functions with effect from 1 April 1994, for the consolidation of business support within the enterprise network, and for the relocation of some of the board's functions to Inverness are well advanced.

  The provisions of the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Bill confirm the important role which local authorities have in supporting the tourist industry and provide for the establishment of a co-ordinated and coherent network of area tourist boards covering the whole of Scotland.

  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) when he will announce the Government's intentions regarding the future of tourism support in Scotland;

  (2) what reduction the Scottish tourist board has proposed in the number of area tourist boards in Scotland.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 17 January 1994]: The Scottish tourist board has submitted a recommendation on a new area tourist board structure to my right hon. Friend. This is being considered carefully and an announcement will be made in due course.
  491

  Teacher Training
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many people graduated or qualified in teacher training in each of the Scottish teacher training colleges and universities in 1993.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 17 January 1994]: The available information is set out in the table:

  College/University

  Number of Graduates in 1993 (provisional)

  University of Paisley

  180

  Strathclyde University

  758

  Moray House Institute of Education

  539

  Northern College of Education

  455

  St. Andrew's College of Education

  420

  University of Stirling

  31

  All

  2,383

  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many newly qualified teachers were appointed to permanent teaching posts by each of the regional and island authorities in Scotland in 1993.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 17 January 1994]: Surveys to ascertain the first destination of

  Table 2

  Number of newly qualified teachers known to have been appointed to teaching posts in Scotland1 (September 1993)

  Employer in Scotland

  Permanent

  Temporary/supply

  Type of contract unknown

  All

  Borders

  4

  5

  5

  14

  Central

  14

  17

  1

  32

  Dumfries and Galloway

  12

  17

  0

  29

  Fife

  35

  30

  7

  72

  Grampian

  37

  33

  0

  70

  Highland

  8

  8

  0

  16

  Lothian

  54

  36

  9

  99

  Strathclyde

  148

  322

  3

  473

  Tayside

  38

  20

  3

  61

  Islands Authorities

  9

  8

  3

  20

  Independent or other schools

  18

  11

  8

  37

  Total

  377

  507

  39

  923

  1 The figures include an element of estimation in cases where only partial information is known.

  2 Information on the 31 Stirling University graduates is not available in this form. These students are categorised as having unknown destination in Table 1.

  A7
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects to be able to publish the route action plan for the A7 trunk route south of Hawick.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 17 January 1994]: I refer the hon. Member to my previous answer of 10 December 1993.

  Ambulance Personnel
  Mrs. Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what recent discussions he has held with representatives of ambulance staff and Unison in connection with plans for early retirement of ambulance personnel;
  492
  newly qualified teachers are undertaken in September of the graduation year and in the following March, the later survey tending to give a more comprehensive picture of employment rates.

  Such information as is available from the September 1993 survey about teachers who qualified in 1993 is set out in the following tables. The high non-response rate—34 per cent.—to the survey questionnaire means, however, that the figures are of limited reliability.

  Table 1

  First destination of teacher training graduates1

  Destination at September 1993

  Number

  Number in teaching posts

  (a) In Scotland

  Permanent

  377

  Temporary/supply

  507

  Contract unknown

  39

  Total

  923

  (b) Elsewhere

  75

  Employed non-teaching

  168

  Studying

  9

  Unemployed

  405

  Unknown

  2803

  Total output

  2,383

  (2) what recent discussions he has held with representatives of the national Whitley council to look at provisions for early retirement schemes for ambulance personnel.

  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 17 January 1994]: Early retirement was discussed in the ambulance council of the national Whitley council in October last year.

  On 13 January my noble and learned Friend the Minister of State announced a special scheme for this financial year to enable some ambulance staff aged 60 and over to retire early with the full pension rights which they would have accrued by age 65.
  493

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Common Agricultural Policy
  Sir Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much the EC plans to spend in the current financial year on its agricultural policy; and by what percentage this has changed over the past five and 10 years.

  Mr. Jack
  Expenditure on agricultural support in the United Kingdom in the current financial year—1993–94 —is estimated at £3,011 million. This represents increases of 118 per cent. and 74 per cent. over expenditure in the 1988–89 and 1983–84 financial years respectively. Of this, £2,727 million represents the estimated expenditure on the CAP in the United Kingdom.

  Rare Livestock
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what support the Government are giving to individuals preserving rare breeds of farm livestock.

  Mr. Jack
  Individuals rearing rare breeds of farm livestock are eligible for the same support under the common agricultural policy as other livestock producers. In addition, the European Commission has made a proposal on the conservation of genetic resources in agriculture which may prove helpful to organisations concerned with rare breeds: and my Department is planning a study to establish the extent to which rare breeds contribute to genetic diversity.

  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether she is encouraging conservation agencies to use rare breeds of livestock in conservation grazing schemes; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Jack
  None of the conservation schemes for which this Department has responsibility specifically encourages the use of rare breeds. However, a recent change to the EC set-aside rules has introduced the possibility of limited grazing of set-aside land in the autumn, including grazing by rare breeds.

  Rockingham Forest
  Mr. William Powell
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans she has to sell any woods owned by the Forestry Commission in the Rockingham forest.

  Mr. Jack
  The Forestry Commission is currently selling or considering the sale of the following woodlands in Rockingham forest:

  Woodland

  Area (hectares)

  Bolt Wood

  27

  Hayes Wood

  2

  Hewson's Spinney

  2

  Launde Big Wood

  41

  Launde Park

  55

  Owston Wood

  104

  Salome Wood

  23

  West Wood

  29

  494

  Farming
  Mr. Ainger
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many farmers there are in Britain; and how many acres of land are farmed(a) in absolute terms and (b) as a percentage of the total land area.

  Mr. Jack
  The number of farmers, partners and directors working on agricultural holdings in the United Kingdom at 1 June 1993 was 278,700. The absolute area of land being farmed in the United Kingdom at 1 June 1993 was 45·7 million acres, which was about 77 per cent. of the total land area.

  Notes:

  Source Provisional results from the 1993 June agricultural and horticultural census. Final results are expected to be published towards the end of January.

  2. Estimates for minor holdings are included for England and Wales but not for Scotland and Northern Ireland.

  3. Figures exclude the wives/husbands of farmers, partners and directors, even though they themselves may be partners or directors.

  Mr. Ainger
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the total of all subsidies paid to farmers in Britain in the most recent year for which figures are available(a) by the British Government and (b) by the European Union, in sterling terms; and if she will give the total for each subsidy.

  Mr. Jack
  Table 9.1 of "Agriculture in the United Kingdom: 1992"—pages 78–79—provides details of public expenditure on market support measures and on other grants and subsidies paid in the United Kingdom. Receipts from the European Union are set out at the foot of page 79. A copy has been deposited in the Library of the House of Commons.

  Agricultural Wages Board
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when she will make a statement about the future of the Agricultural Wages Board.

  Mr. Jack
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply which my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food gave to the hon. Member for Edinburgh, East (Dr. Strang) on 11 January at column 50.

  Christmas Cards
  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many official Christmas cards were sent out in 1993 by(a) Ministers, (b) civil servants and (c) staff of Government agencies working in or to her Department; and how much these cards cost (i) to buy, (ii) to post and (iii) in staff time to sign, address and place in envelopes.

  Mr. Jack
  A total of 2,750 charity Christmas cards were purchased at a cost of £1,633 and sent out by MAFF Ministers and senior officials in 1993. The cost of sending these cards is not known. A combination of delivery by hand and by postal system was used.
  495

  Farm Incomes
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will apply flexibility in enforcing the closing date for the sheep annual premium, suckler cow premium and arable payments in cases of obvious hardship.

  Mr. Jack
  Rules which apply to claims received after the closing dates both for individual schemes and for the area aid application, required under schemes covered by the integrated administration and control system, are laid down in EC legislation. The explanatory literature connected with all these schemes makes it clear that it is the farmer's responsibility to get the claims in by the due date. However, we will look sympathetically at cases where it is claimed that delay is the result of force majeure.

  Averages of net farm income by type of farm in England1

  Farm type

  Dairy

  Cattle and sheep (lowland)

  General cropping

  Cattle and sheep (LFA)

  2£000s perfarm

  3Index in real terms

  2£'000s perfarm

  3£Index in real terms

  2£'000s perfarm

  3Index in real terms

  2£'000s perform

  3index in real terms

  1986–87

  21·7

  96

  4·7

  154

  31·7

  92

  9·5

  103

  1987–88

  25·5

  113

  8·5

  278

  12·1

  35

  12·8

  139

  1988–89

  34·2

  142

  9·6

  262

  8·2

  23

  16·3

  169

  1989–90

  28·6

  121

  6·0

  129

  31·3

  120

  10·8

  112

  1990–91

  21·9

  88

  2·6

  60

  30·0

  95

  7·2

  76

  1991–92

  23·2

  91

  5·0

  112

  27·3

  85

  9·1

  112

  41992–93

  5—

  5—

  5—

  5—

  5—

  5—

  12·9

  156

  1 Sample averages for farms larger than 8 ESU. The system of classifying farms by type and size is set out in appendix 3 of "Farm Incomes in the United Kingdom, 1991–92".

  2 1992–1993 prices deflated by the retail prices index—all terms

  3 1989/90–1991/92=100.

  4 Provisional.

  5 Some information on incomes on these types of farm will be published on 31 January.

  Source: "Farm Business Survey".

  Cattle Conference
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how her Department was represented at the Cambridge conference on cattle.

  Mr. Jack
  Representatives from the State Veterinary Service and ADAS were present at the international conference of the British Cattle Breeders' Club held at Cambridge between 10 and 13 January 1994.

  Oilseeds
  Mr. Barnes
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to her answer to the hon. Member for Waveney (Mr. Porter) of 17 December 1993,Official Report, columns 1071–72, if she will list all those member states whose area of oilseeds exceed a level calculated by reference to the 1989–91 average area; for what reasons the Council decided to extend the moratorium on the use of bovine somatotropin for one year only; and what was the Commission's recommended moratorium on bovine somatotropin.

  Mr. Jack
  The EC-US oilseeds agreement does not apply until the crop for harvest in 1994 nor will penalties apply unless total plantings throughout the Community exceed the EC's total base area. The member states with areas planted to oilseeds in 1993 in excess of their 1989–91 average area are Germany, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom.
  496
  Mr. Tyler
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will publish a table of farm incomes for each of the years 1982–83 to 1992–93 showing the figures at 1992–93 prices for the dairy farm, lowland livestock farm, cropping farm and hill and upland livestock farm sectors.

  Mr. Jack
  Estimates of the average net farm income at 1992–93 prices are provided in the following table. The method of farm classification has been changed and results are available only on the new classification from 1986–87. Year-to-year comparisons can best be made by reference to the indices shown in the table; these are based on results from identical samples between successive years.

  The Commission's proposal was that the marketing and use of BST within the Community should be prohibited for the duration of milk quotas, that is currently until 31 March 2000. The Council decided however, to extend the moratorium on the marketing and use of bovine somatotropin for a further year only, so that it could consider the implications of a long-term ban, including the consequences for international trade, and the new situation created by the recent decision of the United States to approve the marketing of BST from the beginning of February 1994.

  It remains the United Kingdom view that the final Community decision on BST should be based firmly on scientific principles, taking into account the need to avoid international trading problems, to encourage Community based research industries, and to maintain the competitiveness of the Community's agriculture and food industries. Nonetheless, we accepted that it was sensible to extend the current moratorium for not more than one year, so that the Council could consider these new developments and experience overseas.

NATIONAL HERITAGE

  Works of Art (Export Licences)
  Mr. Faulds
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will list the items for which the issuing of export licences was withheld on the recommendation of the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art during the half year ended 31 December 1993, specifying
  497
  in each case the valuation and whether an item was exported or retained, with particulars in the latter event of the acquiring institution; if he will list any items for which licences have been withheld but the final disposal of which is not yet decided, specifying in each case (a) the valuation

  Description of item

  Valuation (£)

  Outcome

  A gold, silver-gilt, lapis-lazuli and enamel exhibition clock, by Gustave Baugrand, 1867

  86,000

  Export licence refused

  A limestone relief fragment from Persepolis, Archaemenid, first half 5th century BC

  1,038,961

  Decision deferred until after 30 April 1994

  A drawing, 'The nursing of Cyrus', by Salvator Rosa (1615–1673)

  166,250

  Export licence granted

  A painting, 'The courtyard of a house in Delft with a young woman and two men drinking and smoking', by Pieter de Hooch, 1658

  5,000,000

  Export licence granted

  A drawing, 'A woman's head in profile wearing an elaborate head-dress, by Jacopo Ligozzi (1547–1626)

  130,000

  Export licence granted

  A drawing, 'The meeting of the Infant Baptist with the Holy Family', by Michalangelo, c.1532

  4,469,750

  Export licence granted

  A painting, 'Colonel Mordaunt's cock-match', by Johann Zoffany, c. 1784–86

  800,000

  Decision deferred until after 5 May 1994

  A statue, 'the Three Graces', By Antonio Canova, 1817

  7,600,000

  Reviewing committee's recommendation under consideration

  A Roman statue base with a cursus inscription, 2nd-3rd century AD

  45,000

  Decision deferred until after 18 March 1984

  A group of paintings from the Farquhar collection of flora and fauna from Malacca

  1,365,112·50

  Decision deferred until after 18 March 1984

  Full details of the items on which decisions were deferred were given in press releases issued following the decisions on the reviewing committee's recommendations. A further press release giving the outcome of cases will now be issued.

  Items in Lieu of Tax
  Mr. Faulds
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will list the allocations made to public institutions in the United Kingdom during the half year

  Item

  To whom allocated

  Conditions/wishes expressed

  Charles I silver-gilt cup and cover

  Victoria and Albert Museum

  Wish

  A Brogyntyn manuscript

  National Library of Wales

  Conditional

  The Wrest Park Papers

  Bedfordshire Record Office

  Wish

  The Richmond Race Cup

  National Trust

  Conditional

  Schudi Harpsichord

  National Trust

  Conditional

  Painting by Eileen Agar

  Tate Gallery

  Conditional

  Portrait by Romney

  Abbot Hall, Kendal

  Unconditional

  Barrington Papers

  British Library

  Unconditional

  Model Gun Ship

  National Maritime Museum

  Wish

  Items awaiting allocation

  Date of acceptance

  Portrait by Nicholas Hilliard

  15 December 1993

  Painting by J. F. Herring

  15 December 1993

  Lucas albums

  15 December 1993

  Two paintings by Vuillard

  21 July 1993

  Unicorn Heritage Plc
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage on what criteria the English tourist board made a grant of £200,000 to Unicorn Heritage plc.
  498
  and (b) the relevant time limit; and whether a press notice will be issued by his Department covering the information given in his reply, including that relating to the outcome in individual cases.

  Mr. Sproat
  The information is as follows:

  ended 31 December 1993 of individual works of art and museum objects pre-eminent for national, scientific, historic or artistic interest which have been accepted in satisfaction of inheritance tax, together with information, where applicable, as to conditions or wishes expressed in the matter of allocation by testators or executors; and if he will list the works of art and museum objects which are still awaiting allocation, with the respective dates of their acceptance in satisfaction of inheritance tax.

  Mr. Brooke
  The information the hon. Member requests is as follows:

  Mr. Sproat
  In considering the application from Unicorn Heritage plc, the English tourist board applied its standard criteria for making grants under section 4 of the Development of Tourism Act 1969. These were as follows: the grant must be additional—that is, the project would not go ahead without the section 4 grant; there should be a clear market need for the project, and reasonable prospects for its success; the project should where possible be innovative; and the section 4 grant should constitute only a small proportion of the total funding.

  The English tourist board commissioned a report on the Unicorn Heritage project from consultants with particular expertise in developing visitor attractions. Drawing on this

  499
  report and its own assessment, the board concluded that the project met the section 4 criteria. Unicorn Heritage was treated in exactly the same way as any other company would be in such circumstances.

  Mr. Alan Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage on what date his Department was notified of the demise of Unicorn Heritage plc; on what date it was recognised that a grant was reclaimable; on what date it started action to recover the grant; what form that action took; how many months it took to refer the file to the Treasury; and what were the reasons for the time taken to refer the file.

  Mr. Sproat
  [holding answer 17 January 1994]: The grant referred to was made by the English tourist board. The board has discretion to secure payment of any grant if the grant recipient becomes bankrupt or, in the case of a company, is wound up. The board was notified of the failure of the Unicorn Heritage plc shortly after the company went into liquidation on 25 June 1990. On 11 September 1990 the board agreed to raise a debt of £200,000, and proof of debt was submitted to the liquidators. On 12 October 1990 the liquidators replied stating that there was no prospect of any payment of any dividend to the board.

  The board kept the case open for some time because of the remote possibility that an unexpected dividend might have been forthcoming as the liquidators' work proceeded. This did not prove to be the case, so on 13 August 1992 the English tourist board recommended to my Department that this debt should be written off.

  Consultancies
  Ms Abbott
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will list the(a) accountancy firms and (b) merchant banks to which his Department awarded private consultancy work in 1992 and 1993, together with a list of the consultancies concerned and the amount paid.

  Mr. Sproat
  My Department let the contracts shown in the chart to accountancy firms and merchant banks in 1992 and 1993. Many of these contracts were with the management consultancy arm of the firm concerned rather than their accountacy arm. The total value of these contracts to date is approximately £0·71 million.

  CONSULTANT'S NAME AND CONSULTANCY DESCRIPTION

  Coopers and Lybrand

  Innovation Workshop in preparation for National Seminar

  Ernst and Young

  Review of Market Testing at the British Museum

  Facilities Management Survey—to review systems for the management of buildings in the 16 DNH sponsored museums and galleries

  Feasibility study into the Development of a Heritage Management Database

  Hill Samuel

  Financial advice on the National Lottery (let by DNH on behalf of the Director General of the Office of the National Lottery)

  KPMG

  Performance indicators—to review systems of performance management in the 16 DNH sponsored museums and galleries European Co-Production Fund Evaluation Review—to establish the results so far achieved by the Fund

  The Royal Parks Agency—development of Computerised Information Systems

  Price Waterhouse

  Review of the Arts Council

  Financial audit of the British Library St. Pancras Project

  Financial appraisal of new building options for DNH

  500
  Stoy Hayward

  Practical advice to the 16 DNH sponsored museums and galleries on the introduction of consolidated accounts

  Touche Ross

  Review of the Television Licence Fee

  Management Review of the National Film and Television School

  Grant Write-offs
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will list all companies which have had grants from his Department written off since June 1992 and set out his reasons for the decisions.

  Mr. Sproat
  [holding answer 14 January 1994]: My Department has not written off any grants which it administers directly.

  Under section 4 of the Development of Tourism Act 1969, the English Tourist Board has given financial assistance to projects providing or improving tourist amenities and facilities in England. As permitted by Act, the board attached conditions to the grants which allowed them to be recoverable, including bankruptcy/insolvency of the recipient. The board is required to surrender to my Department all the sums recovered. Any amount which proves to be irrecoverable has to be written off by the Department. Treasury approval is required where the amount is over £100,000 and for 20 per cent. of the value of cases assessed.

  Since June 1992, grant reclaimable debts have been written off in respect of the following companies. The debts were irrecoverable by reason of receivership, liquidation or because the company was wound up:

  Receivership

  Ashbourne Lodge plc

  Badgerealm Ltd.

  Border Developments Ltd.

  Callow Park Ltd.

  Grosvenor Arms Hotel (Pulford) Ltd.

  Marshall of Luton (Builders) Ltd.

  Theme Holdings Ltd.

  Wessex Farm Horse Centre Ltd.

  White Lion Hotel (Banbury) Ltd.

  Liquidation

  Backbrook Ltd.

  Bettematural Ltd.

  Brighton Rackets Club Ltd.

  E & P Hotels Ltd.

  Horsley Hall Ltd.

  National Jazz Centre Ltd.

  Sal Investments Ltd.

  Unicorn Heritage plc

  West Country Transport and Plant Hire Ltd.

  Voluntary wound up

  Oxford Area Arts Council Ltd.

  In addition to the English tourist board, the Department sponsors a number of non-departmental public bodies which make grants available as part of their activities. Responsibility for determining to whom grants are given, and the conditions attached, rests with the individual bodies. Where appropriate, these include the need for the recipient to repay the grant where compliance with the conditions has not been met. Responsibility for writing off any irrecoverable debts arising within certain limits rests with the sponsored bodies. Details of these are not held centrally and could only be obtained at a disproportionate cost. No cases outside the delegated limits have been submitted to the Department for approval.
  501
  Mr. Alan Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage in how many cases since 1987 tourist board grants have been written off as irrecoverable; how many were between £100,000 and £150,000, £150,000 and £199,000 and £200,000 or over; and what is the highest single amount written off.

  Mr. Sproat
  [holding answer 17 January 1994]: The figures for debts relating to grants made under section 4 of the Development of Tourism Act 1969 are shown separately for England, Scotland and Wales.

  England

  Scotland

  Wales

  Debts written off since 1987

  53

  39

  13

  £100,000 – £150,000

  3

  2

  1

  £150,000 – £199,000

  3

  0

  0

  £200,000 or above

  2

  0

  0

  Highest amount written off

  £759,039

  £124,447

  £100,000

  Royal Armoury
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will make a statement about the progress made to date in the removal of the Royal Armoury to Leeds.

  Mr. Sproat
  [holding answer 17 January 1994]: The new Royal Armouries museum in Leeds, scheduled to open in spring 1996, has won all the private sector support it needs to go ahead, and work has begun at the Clarence dock site. This prestigious enterprise is a leading example of a joint venture between the public and private sectors bringing benefits to Leeds, the armouries and the tourist. A consortium of investors has formed the Royal Armouries (International) plc which is putting £14 million into the project in addition to £20 million from my Department and contributions from Leeds development corporation and Leeds city council. The new museum will allow a far greater proportion of the armouries' unique collection to be displayed to the public and will make the Royal Armouries accessible to a much larger section of the population. The Royal Armouries will maintain a substantial display at the Tower of London, focused on the tower's rich history.

  Statutory Sick Pay
  Mr. Ingram
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what assessment he has made of the impact of the changes to statutory sick pay provision upon his departmental budget for the financial year 1994–95.

  Mr. Sproat
  [holding answer 17 January 1994]: The abolition of the 80 per cent. statutory sick pay reimbursement rate will be offset, at least in part, by a reduction in employers' national insurance contributions. Any additional cost will be absorbed within the Department's existing running costs baseline.

DEFENCE

  Exercise Hadrian's Wall
  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list(a) the newspapers and other media concerns and (b) the hon. Members to whom prior warning was given of Exercise Hadrian's Wall.
  502
  Mr. Hanley
  Since most of the activity took place in Scotland, a number of Scottish newspapers were informed on 3 December 1993 that the exercise was taking place. The list of these is as follows:

  Daily Record

  Scotsman

  Herald

  Galloway News

  Galloway Gazette

  Wegtown Free Press

  Dumfries and Galloway Standard

  Lennox Herald

  Helensburgh Advertiser

  South West Advertiser

  My noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence wrote to the hon. Member and to the right hon. and hon. Members for the following constituencies on 24 November 1993 informing them of the exercise:

  Salisbury

  Westbury

  Devizes

  Hampshire North West

  Galloway and Upper Nithsdale

  Dunfermline East

  Angus East

  Argyll and Bute

  Ross, Cromarty and Skye

  Inverness, Nairn and Lochaber

  Caithness and Sutherland

  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the role of Hunterston power station during Exercise Hadrian's Wall.

  Mr. Hanley
  Hunterston power station had no role in the exercise. A small amount of activity did, however, take place at the disused British Steel direct reduction plant at Hunterston.

  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many sorties during Exercise Hadrian's Wall entered the airspace(a) within one nautical mile of Hunterston power station, (b) within the Glasgow airport control zone and (c) within the Scottish control zone; and what permissions were obtained from the relevant authorities for this activity.

  Mr. Hanley
  The numbers of sorties which entered the specified areas were as follows:

  Number

  Within one nautical mile of Hunterston Power Station

  4

  Within the Glasgow Airport Control Zone

  7

  Within the Scottish Control Zone

  29

  My Department consulted Scottish Nuclear and Hunterston power station before granting permission for flights within the provost marshal's prohibited area which affords special protection to the power station. Normal air traffic control clearances were obtained from airspace controlling agencies in the case of flights within the Glasgow airport and the Scottish control zones.

  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the nature and purpose of Exercise Hadrian's Wall in December 1993; what locations were used during the exercise; how many personnel and aircraft were involved; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hanley
  Exercise Hadrian's Wall was designed to test aspects of the land, air and maritime skills of the armed
  503
  forces. The locations used were RAF Boscombe Down, RAF West Freugh, Oban, Mallam Charles camp, Barry Budden camp, Aldourie Castle estate, Rosyth dockyard, Hunterston and some stretches of the Caledonian canal. The exercise involved 450 personnel, seven helicopters, two Hercules transport planes and two Tornados.

  Hercules
  Mr. Marland
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many flight crew members are required to operate the C-130K Hercules aircraft; and what are their responsibilities.

  Mr. Hanley
  A minimum of five flight members are required to operate a Hercules C130K aircraft; the captain, co-pilot, navigator, air engineer and air loadmaster. The captain is a pilot and responsible for the overall safety of the aircraft; the co-pilot assists the captain with flight management and acts as a safety pilot in the event of incapacity of the captain; the navigator is responsible for the safe navigation of the aircraft in all phases of flight; the air engineer is responsible for all aircraft systems and the air loadmaster is responsible for all aspects of freight, passenger safety and security within the aircraft.

  Mr. Nigel Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what criteria, in addition to value for money, his Department will use in coming to a judgment on whether to replace half the existing fleet with the new C-130J Hercules or to opt for refurbishment.

  Mr. Aitken
  The basis on which we evaluate bids for military equipment is affordability, value for money, and technical considerations. In considering overall value for money, my Department will consider, with the DTI and Treasury, wider economic factors.

  Anti-personnel Mines
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what action the Government are taking to end the supply of anti-personnel mines to any faction attempting to buy them; and what attempts are made to halt the general trade in other weapons to sources outside the law.

  Mr. Aitken
  The United Kingdom supports responsible international efforts to control trade in defence equipment. We also adopt a responsible approach to the export of defence equipment and have one of the most rigorous systems for scrutinising licence applications. The United Kingdom has not produced or exported conventional anti-personnel landmines for some time.

  "Front Line First"
  Mr. Hargreaves
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if his Department's "Front Line First" review will include study of tactical aircraft; and if the study would go beyond basic air trooping.

  Mr. Aitken
  The DCS is not examining tactical combat aircraft, but is looking at the provision of air transport aircraft in all roles, including basic air trooping, as part of a wider study of procurement projects and practices.

  Iraq
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he, or his predecessors, have held since 1982 with his counterpart in the United States,504
  or with officials in the United States Department of Defense in regard to (a) the implications for United Kingdom policy of the United States removing Iraq from its priority list of terrorist states and (b) the provision of arms, military equipment or defence-related technology to Iraq by the United States or its allies.

  Mr. Hanley
  Since 1982, my right hon. and learned Friend and his predecessors have had frequent discussions with their United States counterparts covering a wide range of security and defence issues. The topics in question may have been included, but it would involve disproportionate cost to establish the details of such discussions.

  Pregnant Women (Radiation Exposure)
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what research has been conducted or sponsored by his Department into the effects of radiation exposure on pregnant women and their foetuses.

  Mr. Hanley
  We are not aware of any such research being conducted or sponsored by this Department.

  Persian Gulf
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information he received from his counterparts in the Gulf Co-operation Council in regard to decisions taken at the GCC meeting in Riyadh on 20 to 22 December 1993 affecting British forces in the Gulf.

  Mr. Hanley
  During his recent visit to the Gulf, my right hon. and learned Friend discussed a wide range of defence-related matters, including the outcome of the GCC meeting in December. The GCC plan for an expansion of the Peninsula Shield force does not affect British forces.

  Small Battlefield Arms
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assistance his Department gave to the production of the "Horizon" programme on the human impact of small battlefield arms, broadcast on 10 January.

  Mr. Hanley
  Mr. Martin Freeth, the senior producer in the BBC science and features department responsible for the "Horizon" programme, was given a number of unclassified background briefings while examining the feasibility of the programme. When a decision was taken by the BBC to proceed to make the programme, further unclassified briefings and interviews were provided.

  Trident
  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the United Kingdom's Trident missiles will be more accurate than the Polaris ones they replace.

  Mr. Hanley
  Yes.

  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the warheads deployed on the United Kingdom's Trident missiles will be independently targetable.

  Mr. Hanley
  Yes.

  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of the total number of Trident missiles being purchased by the United Kingdom are to form part of a processing margin.
  505
  Mr. Aitken
  On current plans, about 5 per cent. of the total number of United Kingdom's Trident missiles will form part of a processing margin.

  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he plans any demonstration that the Trident deployment will not involve any increase in strategic nuclear warheads above Polaris levels.

  Mr. Hanley
  In keeping with the practice of successive Governments, we do not make public the number of warheads actually deployed on our submarines. The question of verification does not arise.

  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he plans to deploy conventional warheads on the United Kingdom's Trident missiles.

  Mr. Hanley
  The Government have no such plans.

  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the maximum number of warheads assumed to be carried by each United States Trident D5 missile under the terms of the strategic arms reduction treaties.

  Mr. Hanley
  The details of the START I and START II treaties are a matter for the parties to those treaties. Under the memorandum of understanding on the establishment of the data base relating to the treaty between the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics on the reduction and limitation of strategic offensive arms—START I—deployed United States Trident II ((D5) missiles are attributed with eight warheads. START II sets additional limits on the overall number of warheads attributed to deployed submarine-launched ballistic missiles and modifies the rules established under START I for reducing the number of warheads attributed to deployed missiles.

  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his policy on revealing the number of missiles and warheads deployed on the United Kingdom's Trident submarines; and in what circumstances the policy is reconsidered.

  Mr. Aitken
  It is our policy to be as open about the United Kingdom's nuclear deterrent as is possible without revealing information which might diminish the effectiveness of the system. For that reason we do not make public the number of missiles or warheads actually deployed on our submarines.

  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will apply a maximum ceiling to the number of warheads carried on any individual Trident missile.

  Mr. Aitken
  No. Overall, each Trident submarine will deploy with no more than 96 warheads.

  Chevaline
  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if Chevaline has been fitted to every Polaris missile.

  Mr. Aitken
  All in-service United Kingdom Polaris missiles are fitted with the Chevaline modification.
  506

  Submarines (Fishing Vessels)
  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what representations he has received regarding a complete ban on the movement of submarines in designated fishing areas; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) what discussions he intends to initiate with appropriate organisations and Her Majesty's Navy following the recent incident involving a fishing vessel and HMS Valiant;

  (3) what discussions he has had with the Royal Navy regarding the alleged breaching of guidelines on separation distances between submarines and fishing vessels;

  (4) when he expects to receive the report of the Royal Navy inquiry into the incident involving HMS Valiant during naval exercise off Cape Wrath; and if he will make a statement on this incident.

  Mr. Hanley
  I have received no representations in the last 12 months regarding a complete ban on the movement of submarines in designated fishing areas.

  I should, however, like to report that, during a training exercise off the coast of north-west Scotland on 8 November 1993, the submarine HMS Valiant's towed sonar array was lost after it apparently caught on the trawl of the fishing vessel Audacious. Communications were at once established with the fishing vessel, which reported that all was well.

  A full investigation was immediately put in hand. This is not yet complete, but preliminary findings have concluded that HMS Valiant accidentally breached the 4,000 yard separation distance laid down in the submarine and fishing vessel code of practice. However, as soon as this was realised, HMS Valiant, in accordance with the requirements of the code, immediately reduced speed, returned to periscope depth and established communications to ensure the safety of other vessels. The towed array which HMS Valiant lost is a lightweight plastic tube and, as such, presents no hazard to the other vessels.

  I have instructed that the report be concluded as soon as possible and its findings made available to the members of the Department of Transport's fishing industry safety group sub-group on submarine and fishing vessel interaction, which includes representative of the fishermen's federations. It does appear that, while the code of practice was accidentally breached, its subsequent observance prevented a possibly more serious incident. Nonetheless, the issue of safety at sea is one which I take very seriously and I shall be considering what lessons might be learnt for the future.

  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what detailed investigations have taken place into alleged incidents between submarines in Scottish waters and fishing vessels within the past 12 months.

  Mr. Hanley
  Other than the surface collison which occurred between HMS Opossum and the FV Amber Rose in poor visibility on 14 July 1993, in which no one was hurt and only minimal damage sustained, the only incident to have occurred in or close to Scottish waters within the last 12 months is that between HMS Valiant and the FV Audacious.

  The surface collision between Opossum and Amber Rose, which is not covered by the code of practice as this governs the conduct of dived submarines, was investigated by the MOD and the marine accident investigation branch of the Department of Transport.
  507
  The incident between Valiant and Audacious is currently the subject of an internal MOD investigation, the findings of which will be made available as soon as possible to members of the Department of Transport's fishing industry safety group sub-group dealing with submarine and fishing vessels matters.

  Competition Shooting
  Sir James Spicer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the Army's policy on competition shooting.

  Mr. Hanley
  A major review of the Army's policy on training in shooting skills, including the role of the Regular Army skill-at-arms meeting, has recently been completed. The RASAM, which involved eight shooting days, was highly manpower intensive. Against the background of the Army's very heavy commitments at a time of restructuring and reducing numbers, I have taken the view that RASAM should be replaced by a one-day event, to be known as the Regular Army Queen's Medal competition. The new competition will continue to encourage excellence in Army shooting and meet the terms governing the award of the Queen's Medal. Competitors will be selected from divisional and district meetings, to be held under new guidelines issued by the Inspector General, Doctrine and Training. These guidelines will be designed to ensure a high standard of marksmanship throughout each Army unit, and that resources are available to improve the less proficient as well as enhance the skills of those who are already excellent shots.

  The Royal Navy, the Royal Marines and the Royal Air Force will continue to hold their own central skill-at-arms meeting, overlapping with the new Army competition. This will be run by the Royal Air Force on behalf of the other services. International competitors will be able to take part, as before, in the various service and National Rifle Association competitions as well as in the international match on the last day of the meeting.

  The Territorial Army skill-at-arms meeting and the combined cadet force (schools) and the inter-service cadet rifle meeting will take place as before.

  Nuclear Weapons
  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the policy of the Government on involvement of the United Kingdom in strategic nuclear arms control negotiations.

  Mr. Hanley
  Our policy continues to be that if, in time, the United States and former Soviet arsenals were further reduced substantially, and there had been no significant improvements in defensive capability, we would consider what further contribution we might make to nuclear arms control in the changed circumstances.

  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 30 November,Official Report, column 527, if an increase in accuracy of delivery allows a reduction in the number of warheads deployed or the yield of the warheads deployed.

  Mr. Hanley
  I have nothing to add to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Newport, West (Mr. Flynn) on 30 November 1993,Official Report, column 527.
  508
  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether any nuclear arms control treaties have measured nuclear capability according to comparative explosive yield of the weapons involved.

  Mr. Hanley
  The United Kingdom is not party to all nuclear arms control treaties, most of which are bilateral between the nuclear super-powers, but we are not aware of any that measure nuclear capability in this way.

  European Fighter Aircraft
  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) when his Department originally determined the total procurement buy for the RAF of the European fighter aircraft;

  (2) what are the implications of the recently announced reductions in frontline RAF combat aircraft for the total procurement buy of the Eurofighter 2000 for the RAF.

  Mr. Aitken
  A decision on the number of Eurofighter 2000 aircraft to be procured for the RAF is not required until 1995. However, for planning purposes, we have assumed—and declared to our partners—an offtake of 250 aircraft, with deliveries commencing in 2000.

  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which Royal Air Force combat aircraft types are due to be replaced by the Eurofighter 2000.

  Mr. Hanley
  Our current plan is to procure 250 Eurofighter 2000s to replace RAF Tornado F3s and Jaguars. The scope for replacing other RAF aircraft by the Eurofighter 2000 remains under consideration.

  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what slippage has occurred in the expected initial delivery date of the Eurofighter 2000 to the RAF since the inception of the programme; and what are the cost implications.

  Mr. Aitken
  The initial delivery date of the Eurofighter 2000 to the RAF has slipped by some two years from that envisaged at the start of development. Most of this results from the decision which the four partner nations took in December 1992 to delay the commitment to production. The cost implications of this delay will depend on the outcome of negotiations with industry on the necessary contract changes.

  Procurement Executive
  Mr. Ian Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 12 January,Official Report, column 156, if he will list the planned time scale for the project to move the Procurement Executive to Abbey Wood; by which date the decision on new computers will be taken; and what is his Department's latest estimate of the cost of the new computer equipment and software.

  Mr. Aitken
  The Procurement Executive's future corporate IT system is planned to replace the PE's existing IT system from the completion of collocation. A final decision will be taken later this year when the definition stage is complete.

  It would be prejudicial to the tendering process to disclose the current estimates.
  509

TRADE

  Iran
  Sir Paul Beresford
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what representations have been made to his Department following the announcement by the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on 1 March concerning the Government's export licensing policy towards Iran.

  Mr. Needham
  We have received a number of representations about export business which was entered into before the moratorium on export licences was imposed on 17 December 1992. An exception has been made in one case to date: this concerns completion of a contract for repair and overhaul of non-lethal aircraft components, for which the company concerned held a valid export licence issued before the moratorium was announced. For reasons beyond its control the company was unable to complete the work within the time frame of the extant licence, which we have now renewed.

  Loan Guarantee Scheme
  Mr. Nigel Jones
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans he has to amend the rules applying to the loan guarantee scheme.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The small firms loan guarantee scheme was improved significantly twice during 1993. There are no current plans further to amend the rules applying to the scheme.

  Mr. Nigel Jones
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the take-up rate for the loan guarantee scheme.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The DTI is currently guaranteeing an average of around 240 loans each month. From its inception in June 1981 to 30 September 1993 a total of 34,689 loans have been guaranteed under the scheme.

  Mr. Nigel Jones
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what adverse representations he has received concerning the attitude of banks involved in the loan guarantee scheme.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  Complaints are received frequently from businesses unable to obtain a loan under the small firms loan guarantee scheme. The vast majority of these are from businesses which either fall outside of the scope of the scheme or whose proposals have been rejected by lenders on commercial grounds. With both public and lender funds at risk, successful applications under the scheme must be assessed carefully as commercially viable and meet fully the other conditions of the scheme.

  Fire Safety
  Mr. Robin Cook
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) if he will make the recommendations of the construction task force, and the evidence upon which they are based, public; and if they will form the basis of a consultation exercise between his Department, the fire and emergency planning department of the Home Office and organisations representing the fire service;

  (2) if he will provide details of the findings and recommendations of the construction task force with regard to the provision and enforcement of the current fire safety laws and regulations in England and Wales.
  510
  Mr. Heseltine
  The recommendations of all seven business task forces will be published shortly and the working documents on which they are based will be made available. The recommendations of the construction task force and other views will help inform any wider consideration of fire safety matters.

  Data Protection
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade whether he will make arrangements for the data protection registrar to inspect relevant contracts with suppliers of IT services that involve the use of personal data held by his Department in order to check whether all appropriate arrangements in relation to the Data Protection Act 1984 have been made, and whether such contracts make provisions for the registrar to make random inspections in order to check the suppliers' compliance in with the eighth data protection principle.

  Mr. Eggar
  The Data Protection Registrar has a wide range of powers, under the Data Protection Act 1984, to ensure that all individuals and organisations holding personal data on computer systems are registered and observe the data protection principles as required by the Act. When IT services are contracted out by a data user, the contractor and the user will be subject to the application of the data protection principles, and to the registrar's powers to promote compliance with them, as provided for in the Act. It is for the registrar to decide how he will use his powers under the Act, and I do not consider that any further arrangements are necessary by this Department for him to discharge his duties effectively.

  Ministerial Cars
  Mr. Alan Williams
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will quantify the cost of the factors which led to an increase in the cost of cars for Ministers in his Department since 1990–91.

  Mr. Eggar
  Factors which led to an increase in the cost of ministerial cars were(a) an increase in the rate of VAT from 15 per cent. to 17·5 per cent. which accounted for an additional £12,000, (b) an increase in the weekly rate charged for cars by the Department of Environment which accounted for £38,500 and (c) the costs relating to two additional Ministers, since April 1992, which amounted to £105,400 for a total increase of £156,000. Against this can be offset reduced expenditure of £210,000 on cars following the amalgamation of the Department of Energy with the Department of Trade and Industry.

  Telecommunications Licences
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list all the outstanding applications for new telecommunications licences, together with the date of the placing of the application with him.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The "Register of Licence Applications" which is published weekly by OFTEL lists all applications for new telecommunications licences which have been made since the publication of the duopoly review White Paper in March 1991. The register does not list the dates on which the applications were made; these are provided in the table for all applications under consideration appearing on the register as at 14 January 1994.
  511
  Since publication of the White Paper, 35 licences for new telecommunication systems have been issued.

  Name of applicant

  Date of application

  National Network Ltd.

  30 July 1991

  Mercury Personal Communications Ltd.

  11 November 1991

  Atlantic Telecom

  19 November 1991

  Millicom Holdings (UK) Ltd.

  4 December 1991

  Atlantic Telecommunications Ltd.

  13 December 1991

  Sprint Holding (UK) Ltd.

  3 January 1992

  Hutchison Microtel Ltd.

  5 February 1992

  WorldCom International Inc.

  11 February 1992

  BRT Ltd.

  28 February 1992

  Taxi Rank Telephones Ltd.

  18 March 1992

  Atlantic Telecommunications Ltd.

  20 March 1992

  Telecom Securicor Cellular Radio Ltd.

  2 April 1992

  SAT-COM

  29 June 1992

  Amera Tela Communications (UK) Ltd.

  22 October 1992

  East Midlands Telecommunications Ltd.

  23 November 1992

  ANT Nachrichtentechnik GmbH

  3 December 1992

  Telstra (UK) Ltd.

  8 January 1993

  Transline Europe Ltd.

  10 February 1993

  Telia International UK Ltd.

  8 March 1993

  INCOM (UK) Ltd.

  25 March 1993

  Midlands Cable Communications Ltd.

  30 March 1993

  AT&T (UK) Ltd.

  15 April 1993

  NORWEB plc

  23 April 1993

  Yorkshire Cable Group Ltd.

  5 May 1993

  Videotron City and Westminster Ltd.

  13 May 1993

  Securicor Datatrak Ltd.

  30 June 1993

  Premium Phone Services Ltd.

  6 July 1993

  Videcom Customer Services Ltd.

  26 July 1993

  United Artists Communications (North Thames Estuary) Ltd.

  27 July 1993

  Racal Network Services Ltd.

  16 August 1993

  INCOM (UK) Ltd.

  27 September 1993

  Midland Network Services Ltd.

  16 November 1993

  Services Sound and Vision Corporation

  1 December 1993

  NEWCO (BT/MCI joint venture)

  23 December 1993

  BT

  *

  Mercury Communications Ltd.

  *

  * Applications for licences to provide terrestrial flight telecommunication services dating from before the Duopoly Review. They are being taken forward following allocation of radio spectrum at the 1992 World Administrative Radio Conference.

  Defence Contracts
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the size of the unused tranche of ECGD support for large defence contracts when this facility was withdrawn in August 1991.

  Mr. Needham
  It was £392 million.

  European Space Year
  Mr. David Atkinson
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the United Kingdom's contribution to European Space Year 1993.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  There was no European Space Year 1993 with which the Government was involved. However, the United Kingdom made a significant contribution to International Space Year 1992, which did much to raise awareness of space through a wide variety of events and activities.

  Radio Frequencies
  Mr. Spellar
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what restrictions are imposed on those allocated radio frequencies regarding hiring these out to third parties.
  512
  Mr. McLoughlin
  Licences issued by the Radiocommunications Agency under the Wireless Telegraphy Acts authorise the licensee to use one or more radio frequencies for specified purposes. Licences are not transferable and do not permit the licensee to hire out radio channels to third parties except for certain types of licences issued to radio dealers and manufacturers to meet the temporary needs of their customers.

  Military Exports
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the most recent date on which his Department's export licence unit manual of instructions was revised in respect of weapons or technology used in the manufacture of weapons or military equipment.

  Mr. Needham
  All staff in the licensing units of the Export Control Organisation were issued with new and very detailed working instructions in March 1993. These instructions are continually brought up to date to reflect changing requirements and circumstances. For example, in the context of arms exports they have just been amended to reflect the use of the new standard document required to accompany consignments of arms transferred between member states of the EC. The ECO will also shortly issue to all its staff a new handbook which will, among other things, consolidate into a single volume many existing separate items of higher level guidance on all aspects of the conduct of the ECO's business.

  Nuclear Fuel Reprocessing
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what assessment he has made of the implications for United Kingdom policy on commercial reprocessing of nuclear fuel of the extra-territorial mandate to the United States President, contained in United States congressional resolution 1163 as part of the amended Defense Authorisation Bill 1994 (HR 2401) to take action to encourage the reduction of and cessation of civil nuclear reprocessing world wide.

  Mr. Eggar
  The Government have taken note of this resolution, which is not binding on the United States Administration.

  Company Accounts
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the cost to his Department of the advertising campaign on Classic FM regarding the submission of company accounts; and at whose instigation the campaign was undertaken.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  Responsibility for the subject has been delegated to the chief executive of Companies House, for which my Department is responsible. I have, therefore, asked Mr. David Durham to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter from David Durham to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 14 January 1994:

  On 12 January you tabled the following Parliamentary Question:

  "To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the cost to his department of the advertising campaign on Classic FM regarding the submission of company accounts, and at whose instigation the campaign was undertaken."
  513
  Following the answer given by the President of the Board of Trade, I am replying as Chief Executive of Companies House Executive Agency.

  In the current financial year, Companies House has spent £47,000 on radio advertising with Classic FM with a further £23,500 committed.

  This figure includes VAT and covers radio advertising paid for directly by Companies House. The campaign was instigated by Companies House.

  The introduction of Late Filing Penalties in July 1992 has provided a major boost to the completeness of the company register. However, many companies appear to remain unsure of their filing obligations and continue to file late. Companies House recognises that awareness of the legal obligations, which include dates by which company accounts must be filed, is an important aspect of the process of enabling companies to meet their obligations under the Companies Acts. We see it as our duty to ensure that we use all reasonable means to make the business community aware of the deadlines for filing the accounts and the mandatory penalties which apply. Independent market research is commissioned to monitor the effectiveness of our communications.

  I hope this is helpful to you.

  Monopolies and Mergers Commission
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his answer of 6 December,Official Report, column 36, when the hon. Member for Don Valley can expect to receive a list of biographical details and relevant dates of appointment of members of the Monopolies and Mergers Commission.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  I have now written to the hon. Member with the information requested. I apologise for any inconvenience caused to the hon. Member by the delay in providing this.

  Heating Bills
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his answer of 15 December,Official Report, column 681, in what form information in respect of the annual heating bills to his Department's offices is available.

  Mr. Eggar
  The costs of energy consumption disaggregated by building or by use are not available. Overall expenditure on energy has been:

  £ million

  1990–91

  5·16

  1991–92

  5·95

  1992–93

  5·49

  These figures include estimated apportionments of costs in multi-occupancy buildings, and include former Department of Energy buildings throughout. We do not have comprehensive data before 1990–91 and data for 1993–94 have not yet been collated.

  Market Testing
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will publish for each service that has been market tested in his Department in 1993(a) the cost of the testing process, including consultancy costs, (b) the result of the test, (c) the name of the successful contractor, (d) the value and duration of the contract, (e) the number of staff involved, (f) estimated annual cost reductions and (g) whether the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 1981 were deemed to apply.
  514
  Mr. Eggar
  My Department is currently analysing the outcome of the 1992–93 "Competing for Quality" programme with the efficiency unit in the Cabinet Office. Much of the information requested in the question will, once it has been finalised, be published in aggregate form in the "Citizen's Charter Second Report". On an individual contract basis, much of the information is commercially confidential.

  Royalties
  Mr. Page
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what would be the expected net inflow to the United Kingdom recording rights owners of a harmonised European private copying royalty on blank tapes and recording equipment.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The European Commission has not submitted any proposal for harmonised European private copyright royalty, nor is it clear whether or when it will do so. It is therefore not possible to say what money flows involving the United Kingdom would occur, since these would be determined by factors which cannot be known in the absence of a proposal, in particular the rate of royalty and whether payments are to be made to nationals of countries outside the European Union.

  Television Relay Masts
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the average cost of(a) erecting and (b) maintaining local low-power television relay masts in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The average cost of erecting a low-power broadcaster's television relay station is in the order of £40,000, with maintenance costs of about £3,000 per year. However, these costs can be markedly affected by factors such as site rental and access, laying-on of electricity at remote sites, and mast erection and equipment housing.

  Thermal Oxide Reprocessing Plant
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his oral answer to the hon. Member for Carmarthen (Mr. Williams) of 12 January,Official Report, column 167, if he will give the basis for his statement on the number of jobs dependent on THORP.

  Mr. Eggar
  The employment figures given in that answer derive from estimates set out in the British Nuclear Fuels plc document "The Economic and Commercial Justification for THORP". A copy of this document has been placed in the Library of the House.

  Accounts Service Agency
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the future of the Accounts Service Agency.

  Mr. Eggar
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Hertfordshire, North (Mr. Heald) on 29 October 1993,Official Report, column 805. The review of the Accounts Services Agency has recently been concluded. I hope to make an announcement in the near future.
  515

  Rechar 2
  Mr. Ronnie Campbell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make it his policy to support the EU Rechar 2 initiative in areas that have suffered substantial job losses in the mining industry.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  No such initiative yet exists. Precise Commission proposals for the future of the structural fund's community initiatives are still awaited.

  Car Prices
  Mr. Barnes
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what assessment his Department has made of price differentials wthin the European Community between vehicles made by European Community-based manufac-turers; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The issue of differences in car prices within the European Community has been looked at by the Monopolies and Mergers Commission and the European Commission. Neither concluded that the difference in prices was the result of anti-competitive practices but both agreed that the market should be kept under review. Car manufacturers now provide details of car prices to the Commission, which publishes comparative EC price lists for selected vehicles twice a year. The latest data relating to the situation on 1 November 1993 indicate that manufacturers have tended to reduce price differentials for most of their models.

  Plutonium Reprocessing
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the Government's policy on the storage of surpluses of plutonium from reprocessing foreign spent fuel at Sellafield and the length of time that those surpluses will be stored.

  Mr. Eggar
  Plutonium recovered from reprocessing by British Nuclear Fuels plc will be stored at Sellafield on behalf of the company's customers until transferred to them under safeguards for recycling or other civil purposes. In the meanwhile, storage will be undertaken subject to stringent safety, security and safeguards procedures.

  GM Buses-North
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade on what date his Department received the recommendation of the Director-General of Fair Trading regarding the proposed acquisition by British Bus plc of GM Buses-North; what was the substance of the Director General of Fair Trading's recommendation; and when he intends to make a decision on the possible referral of the decision to the Monopolies and mergers Commission.

  Name

  Post

  Salary

  Duration

  Viscount Chelmsford

  Member of the Simple Trade Procedures Board

  Unpaid

  1 November 1992—31 October 1995

  Lord Justice Mustill (now Baron Mustill)

  Chairman of the Advisory Committee on Arbitration Law

  Unpaid

  1985 to December 1989

  Lord Rockley

  Member of the Design Council

  Unpaid

  12 December 1987—20 December 1993

  516
  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  I understand that the proposed acquisition by British Bus plc of Greater Manchester Buses North Ltd. is currently being considered by the Director General of Fair Trading. Ministers in due course shall need to take a decision on whether or not to refer the acquisition to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission, taking account of advice from the Director General. The substance of his advice is confidential. I can, however, assure the hon. Member that all relevant factors will be taken into account in considering the case.

  Post Office
  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what representations he has received regarding the review of the Post Office; when his Department is expected to announce the findings of the review; what consultation his Department has undertaken with other countries during the review; what has been the total cost to date of the review exercise; what is the total number of staff employed and resources devoted to the exercise; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  We have received numerous representations on the subject of the Post Office review, including from the Post Office itself, hon. Members, members of the public, other customers of the Post Office, trade unions and other interested parties.

  No decisions on the review have yet been taken. We shall make an announcement when they are.

  In the course of the review Ministers and officials have looked at the experience of a number of countries in the postal sector, including among others the Republic of Ireland, Sweden, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Australia and Canada.

  I gave the outturn costs for consultancy work on the Post Office review and the sale of Parcelforce in 1992–93 to the hon. Member for Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Central (Mr. Brown), Official Report, 5 November 1993, column 513–14.

  I gave the figures for the staff employed on the review in my Department in the reply to the hon. Member for Pendle (Mr. Prentice), Official Report, 25 November 1993, column 111.

  Quangos
  Mr. Meale
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade 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 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. Eggar
  [holding answer 11 January 1994]: The table sets out the information available:
  517

  Name

  Post

  Salary

  Duration

  Earl of Limerick

  Chairman of the British Overseas Trade Board

  £5,000 per annum

  1979 to March 1983

  Member of the British Overseas Trade Board

  Unpaid1

  November 1984–1991

  Earl Jellicoe

  Chairman of the British Overseas Trade Board

  £7,500 per annum2

  £7,726 per annum3

  £7,988 per annum4

  £10,000 per annum5

  £10,760 per annum6

  £11,515 per annum7

  April 1982 to 1985

  Lord Bridges

  Member of the British Overseas Trade Board

  Unpaid1

  1979–1982

  Lord Selsdon

  Member of the British Overseas Trade Board

  Unpaid1

  1983–1985

  Baroness Miller

  Member of the Monopolies and Mergers Commission

  £12,735 per annum

  3 March 1992–31 December 1993

  1 Unpaid (was able to claim expenses when he attended meetings).

  2 1 April 1983—31 March 1984.

  3 1 April 1984—31 October 1984.

  4 1 November 1984—31 December 1984.

  5 1 January 1985—30 June 1985.

  6 1 July 1985—28 February 1986.

  7 1 March 1986—15 July 1986.

  Regional Assistance
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he expects to be in a position to announce the final EC agreement on those areas within the United Kingdom which will be eligible for objective 5b funding; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  [holding answer 17 January 1994]: Shortly.

  Nuclear Review
  Mr. Tipping
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he now intends to announce the scope and terms of reference of the nuclear review; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Eggar
  [holding answer 17 January 1994]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Beckenham (Mr. Merchant) on 16 December 1993, Official Report, column 759.

  British Coal
  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is his estimate of the cost to public funds of the support which is to be available to assist private individuals or companies to prepare bids for the purchase of British Coal collieries and property.

  Mr. Eggar
  [holding answer 17 January 1994]: We announced on 25 March 1993 that up to £1 million would be available to assist management and employee buy-out teams preparing to bid for pits offered for licence or main privatisation.

  Patenting of Human Genes
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his answer of 7 December 1993, Official Report, column 152, if he will set out those criteria which
  518
  will be used to determine which sequences of nucleotides of specific industrial application, which may be derived from human genes, will be suitable to be patentable.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  [holding answer 17 January 1994]: Since the law does not specifically preclude patents for genetic sequences, judgments need to be made on any applications for patents in this area by the patent examiner dealing with a particular application. These judgments will turn on the individual circumstances of the case and the law provides that they can be tested in the courts. It is therefore not possible for the Patent Office to set down specific criteria to determine which sequences may be patentable.

  As explained in the answer of 7 December 1993, normal criteria of novelty and inventive step are used to determine when a sequence of nucleotides is patentable. This means, for novelty, that the sequence must not have been disclosed anywhere before the filing of the application and, in relation to the inventive step, that the patent examiner must make a judgment on the degree of ingenuity involved in locating the gene of interest and any subsequent cloning or sequencing work.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

  Employees
  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the right hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed, representing the House of Commons Commission, if he will publish details of the numbers employed full and part time in the Palace of Westminster; and if he will break this down by main divisions.

  Mr. Beith
  Details of those staff employed by the House of Commons Commission are as follows:
  519

  Department

  Full-time permanent staff

  Part-time permanent staff

  Fixed term appointees

  Secondments

  Speaker's Office

  11

  1

  Nil

  1

  Clerk's Department

  170

  17

  15

  5

  Serjeant's Department

  311

  69

  1

  3

  Finance and Administration Department

  105

  2

  5

  1

  Library

  153

  33

  Nil

  1

  Official Report

  94

  5

  13

  Nil

  Refreshment Department

  280

  36

  2

  Nil

  Fire Regulations
  Mr. Clifton-Brown
  To ask the Chairman of the Accommodation and Works Committee when the fire regulations for the Palace of Westminster were last reviewed; and what assessment has been made of their adequacy.

  Mr. Ray Powell
  The Home Office fire service inspectorate recently reviewed the fire precautions in the Palace of Westminster and recommended additional measures. Works are progressing and a new fire certificate is expected to be issued later this year.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Forensic Laboratory
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if the site of the former forensic science laboratory at Newtownbreda will be sold; what proposals he has for the future of this site; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir John Wheeler
  It is not known at present if the Newtownbreda site will be sold. The site is no longer required by the Northern Ireland Office and its future use is currently under consideration.

  Defaulters
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the average prison sentence imposed for defaulting on a fine; what is the average period actually spent in prison by such a defaulter in Northern Ireland; and what is the average cost of such a person's imprisonment.

  Sir John Wheeler
  The average prison sentence imposed for fine defaulting in Northern Ireland is 18 days and the average period actually served by such a defaulter is seven days. These figures have remained constant in recent years.

  The current weekly cost of a prisoner, inclusive of all categories, in the Northern Ireland prison system is £1,238. No separate figure for fine defaulters is available.

  Market Testing
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish for each service that has been market tested in his Department in 1993(a) the cost of the testing process, including consultancy costs, (b) the result of the test, (c) the name of the successful contractor, (d) the value and duration of the contract, (e) the number
  520
  of staff involved, (f) estimated annual cost reductions and (g) whether the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 1981 were deemed to apply.

  Sir John Wheeler
  My Department is currently analysing the outcome of the 1992–93 "Competing for Quality" programme with the efficiency unit in the Cabinet Office. Much of the information requested will, once it has been finalised, be published in aggregate form in the "Citizen's Charter Second Report". On an individual contract basis, much of the information is commercially confidential.

  Strip Searches
  Ms Corston
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will refer the practice of strip searching to the Standing Advisory Commission on Human Rights.

  Sir John Wheeler
  No. The issues for consideration by the Standing Advisory Commission on Human Rights must be for the commission to determine.

  Ulster Museum
  Mr. Faulds
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish the attendance figures for 1993 reported by the Ulster museum, including its outstations, with the percentage increase or decrease on the attendance figures for 1992.

  Mr. Ancram
  In 1993 a total of 268,300 people visited the Ulster museum and the Armagh County museum—a decrease of 40·5 per cent. on the attendance figure for 1992.

  Irish Broadcasting Act 1960
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will arrange for a copy of the guidelines issued by broadcasting organisations in the Republic of Ireland arising from the non-renewal of section 31 of the Irish Broadcasting Act 1960 to be placed in the Library; and how many households in Northern Ireland he estimates are able to receive television and radio broadcasts originating from the Irish Republic.

  Sir Patrick Mayhew
  It is not considered appropriate to place a copy of the guidelines in the Library. It is estimated that approximately 20,000 television sets can receive signals from the Republic in Northern Ireland; radio signals can be received in any interference-free area in Northern Ireland.
  521

  "Next Steps" Initiative
  Lady Olga Maitland
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how the departments of the Northern Ireland civil service and the Northern Ireland Office are responding to the "next steps" initiative; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir John Wheeler
  The response of the Departments of Northern Ireland Civil Service and the Northern Ireland Office to "next steps" forms an important component of the overall programme of civil service management reform in Northern Ireland.

  In the province the important work of the administration has continued in spite of the many difficulties faced by our civil servants, in common with the private sector work force. The "next steps" programme is designed to enhance effectiveness and efficiency, and to improve standards of service and value for money. "Next steps" is the vehicle for providing, through those executive agencies which serve the public in Northern Ireland, the improved quality which is necessary if we are to meet our citizens charter commitments.

  In line with the progress reported by the Government recently in the White Paper on the fourth "Next Steps Review" (Cm 2430), agency coverage in Northern Ireland has been increasing steadily. There are now nine agencies in place covering some 30 per cent. of the work force.

  We have plans to look at the scope to extend this coverage to include the remaining significant executive activities, and in doing so to establish, on a case-by-case basis, that these activities continue to be appropriate for the civil service.

  There is no presumption that every existing business unit must be an agency. We will wish to confirm, by way of prior options studies, that an activity remains necessary, and also to consider whether it should be pursued through privatisation, or contracting out. Four such studies are coming close to completion and are looking in depth at the Public Records Office, the Estate Services Directorate of the Management Executive for HPSS, the Industrial Research and Technology Unit, and the Forensic Science Laboratory. If agency status is agreed for any of these I will make a further announcement.

  The schedule set out lists additional studies for which a timetable is now settled. I am still considering further possibilities, and will make another announcement to the House in due course.

  Schedule

  Dept.

  Departmental proposed completion dates

  DED

  Insolvency Service

  by January 1995

  DED

  Health and Safety

  by December 1994

  DED

  Trading Standards

  by April 1994

  DFP

  Departmental Information Systems Units

  by September 1994

  DFP

  Telecommunications

  by May 1995

  DFP

  Civil Service Superannuation (in conjunction with HPSS Superannuation)

  by March 1995

  DFP

  Business Development Services

  by March 1994

  DFP

  Statistics, Census Office, GRO

  by March 1994

  DHSS

  HPSS Superannuation

  See DFP, Superannuation above

  DHSS

  Health Service Information Systems

  by June 1994

  Dept.

  Departmental proposed completion dates

  522

  DOE

  Roads Services

  by December 1994

  DOE

  Environment Services

  by December 1994

  DOE

  Land/Deeds Registration

  by December 1994

  DOE

  Planning Service

  by December 1994

  NIO

  Prison Service

  by June 1994

NATIONAL FINANCE

  Works of Art
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much revenue is forgone by having a lower VAT rate of 2½ per cent. rather than 17½ per cent. on imported works of art; and if he will make a statement on the impact of the seventh VAT directive on this.

  Sir John Cope
  At present works of art are exempt from VAT at importation into the United Kingdom. Under a derogation from the seventh VAT directive agreed in principle at ECOFIN on 13 December the United Kingdom will apply the standard rate of VAT to one-seventh of the value of works of art at importation. This is expected to yield in a full year about £2 million. To apply the standard rate to the whole value would yield more if the market were unaffected but in practice the amount would depend on the effects of such a measure on the United Kingdom art market.

  1993 Budgets
  Mrs. Anne Campbell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the average percentage loss of annual income due to the March and November 1993 Budgets for the 10 per cent. lowest income group and the 10 per cent. highest income group.

  Mr. Dorrell
  Relative to indexation, the main tax-related measures taking effect before the next Budget will cost the 10 per cent. of households with the lowest net incomes, adjusted for family composition, just over 1 per cent. of their net income on average and the 10 per cent. of households with the highest net incomes just under 2 per cent. of their net income on average.

  Alcohol
  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his most recent estimate as to the amount of revenue lost through the purchase of beer made on the continent and sold in the United Kingdom.

  Sir John Cope
  At this stage Customs and Excise estimate that the revenue loss through illegal sales in the United Kingdom of alcohol and tobacco purchased in other EC member states does not exceed £35 million. The bulk of this is on hand rolling tobacco.

  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what considerations underlie the practice of destroying alcoholic drinks confiscated by the Customs.

  Sir John Cope
  Customs destroy seized alcoholic drinks when they judge it necessary to safeguard the
  523
  Revenue, or to protect the market for legitimate United Kingdom traders, and there is no acceptable alternative means of disposal.

  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what action is being taken to reduce the amount of beer and wine purchased in France for own consumption and then sold in the United Kingdom.

  Sir John Cope
  The law prescribes severe penalties of up to seven years' imprisonment for anyone attempting to defraud the Revenue in this way. In addition, goods imported by offenders and the vehicles used are liable to seizure. Customs and Excise are using excise verification officers to detect and prosecute the individuals involved. A range of controls are applied, which include checks made at retail outlets. In the 11 months to November 1993, EVOs made 1,016 detections involving £1,624,543 revenue.

  Widow's Bereavement Allowance
  Mr. Nigel Jones
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much the Government will save from the reduction in the tax allowance on widow's bereavement allowance.

  Mr. Dorrell
  At 1994–95 income levels, the full-year yield from restricting the widows' bereavement allowance to 20 per cent. is about £6 million. Restricting this allowance to 15 per cent. as announced for 1995–96, would yield an estimated further £9 million.

  Football Pools Betting Duty
  Mr. Pendry
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a table showing the Government's total income from the football pools betting duty for each of the years 1991–92 and 1992–93 and as a total over the same period.

  Sir John Cope
  Receipts from pool betting duty were as follows:

  £ million

  1991–92

  319·5

  1992–93

  318·2

  Total

  637·7

  Relocation
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many civil servants were located in Greater London at the beginning of(a) 1964, (b) 1974, (c) 1984 and (d) 1994; and what he expects the figure to be in 2004.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The number of civil servants, full-time equivalents, located in Greater London, was 131,451 at January 1984 and 111,252 at 1 April 1993, latest available. Data for earlier years are not available; nor are projections made by location.

  Unicorn Heritage plc
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what precise grounds(a) Cork Gully recommended that the debt owed by Unicorn Heritage plc be written off and (b) the Treasury accepted that the debt could not be repaid by the directors of the company.
  524
  Mr. Dorrell
  Cork Gully, as liquidator of Unicorn Heritage plc, assessed the assets and liabilities of the company and on 12 October 1990 informed the English tourist board that there was no prospect of any payment of a dividend to unsecured creditors. As a result on 16 April 1991 the English tourist board decided that it would seek approval for the debt to be written off from the Department of National Heritage and the Treasury, and wrote to the Department of National Heritage on 12 March 1992. In the light of the information provided by Cork Gully and the ETB, the Treasury on 14 May 1993 accepted that there was no prospect of a dividend. As Unicorn Heritage plc had limited liability status the directors were not personally responsible for the debts incurred by the company.

  Air Passenger Duty
  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made regarding the revenue derived from air passenger duty per annum in respect of(a) scheduled passenger flights to and from airports in Scotland, (b) charter flights to and from airports in Scotland; and (c) scheduled passenger flights to and from airports operated by Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd.

  Sir John Cope
  On the basis of statistics provided by the Civil Aviation Authority, the total revenue yield from air passenger duty from passengers departing from Scottish airports is estimated to be around £20 million. Around 55 per cent. of this total is from scheduled flights and 45 per cent. from chartered flights. No separate estimates have been made for arriving passengers as this can give rise to double counting. The revenue yield is likely to be similar to that from departing passengers.

  We estimate that around £1 million will be paid from passengers departing from highland and island airports.

  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which passengers will be exempt from air passenger duty; what types of aircraft will be exempt; what plans there are to exempt users of aircraft flying to and from the Highlands and Islands of Scotland; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir John Cope
  The Finance Bill proposes that passengers will be exempt from air passenger duty if they are on the return leg of a domestic return ticket; if they are transferring at a United Kingdom airport to another aircraft or a further flight on the same aircraft; or if they are under two years of age and are not allocated a separate seat before entering the aircraft. Passengers on aircraft taking off from airports outside the United Kingdom will not be within the scope of the duty. Aircraft will be exempt if they have a maximum take-off weight of under 10 tonnes or if they seat fewer than 20 passengers. There are no plans for an exemption for all passengers flying to and from the highlands and islands of Scotland.

  Grants
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list all the grants of over £50,000 for commercial and industrial ventures that his Department has written off as not recoverable in the past three years.

  Mr. Nelson
  [holding answer 17 January 1994]: None.
  525

HEALTH

  Primary Care Projects
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the projects in primary care under "London: Making the Best Better" that have been financed by the London implementation group and the cost of each project.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  In 1993–94, £40 million has been made available to fund primary care development plans produced by each of the 12 family health services authorities—FHSAs—within the London initiative zone —LIZ. A list will be placed in the Library of projects contained within those plans which are being progressed in 1993–94. Detailed management and monitoring of development programmes is carried out by FHSAs, and costings for individual projects are therefore not available centrally.

  Pathology Services
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the private tendering of pathology services in NHS hospitals.

  Mr. Sackville
  It is for trusts to take account of the range of options available for the provision of pathology services, including provision by the independent sector, in securing the best service for patients.

  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the time scale for the Government review of pathology services.

  Mr. Sackville
  The strategic review of pathology services began in November 1993, and is expected to report to the Department in June this year.

  Hepatitis B Vaccinations
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of surgeons have been vaccinated against hepatitis B.

  Mr. Sackville
  This information is not available centrally, but surgeons have been among the high risk groups recommended to receive hepatitis B vaccine since its introduction in 1982. Guidance to health authorities and trusts was reinforced last August by the issue of the booklet "Protecting Health Care Workers and Patients from Hepatitis B", with accompanying health service guidelines. These guidelines ask provider units to aim to immunise and check the immunity of all surgeons by the middle of 1994. Copies of the booklet and guidelines are available in the Library.

  Air Pollution
  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will place a copy of the third report of the advisory group on medical aspects of air pollution episodes, produced in December, in the Library.

  Mr. Sackville
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 15 December at column 720.
  526

  Food Safety
  Mr. Welsh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what measures are taken in food poisoning investigations to determine sources of infection; and what assessment she has made of the extent to which these measures are adequate;

  (2) when the proposed draft guidelines on the investigation of food poisoning will be released for consultation.

  Mr. Sackville
  It is for the authorities involved to decide upon the structure and priorities of any investigation undertaken regarding an outbreak of food poisoning.

  Guidance on the management of such outbreaks will be released for consultation shortly.

  Mr. Welsh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will place in the Library the detailed protocols of the research into the incidence and sources of salmonella food poisoning being administered by the steering group on the microbiological safety of food.

  Mr. Sackville
  Copies of a background note summarising the protocol for the steering group's study of infectious intestinal disease in England will be placed in the Library. The study will provide information on the incidence, but not the sources, of salmonella food poisoning. More detailed information about the protocol will be available when the results of the study are published after its completion in 1995.

  Mr. Welsh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what basis the research funding administered by the steering group on the microbiological safety of food has been, or will be, awarded; and whether the research work has been advertised to independent laboratories and research groups, on a tender basis.

  Mr. Sackville
  The steering group makes decisions on the need for new microbiological food safety surveillance projects on the basis of available epidemiological data and other data on food, food processes and food hygiene. Contracts are awarded by officials in the Department of Health and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on behalf of the steering group to organisations in the public and private sectors with the relevant expertise. Neither of the national projects currently under way was appropriate for tender procedures, given their complexity. It is envisaged that suitable projects will be advertised in the future and subsequent contracts awarded on a tender basis.

  Television and Radio Interviews
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the television and radio interviews, and the topics covered, by her and her departmental Ministers between 18 December and 10 January.

  Mr. Sackville
  The subjects on which Ministers at the Department gave television and radio interviews between 18 December and 10 January are:

  Home Alone Children

  In vitro Fertilisation

  Services for Juvenile Delinquents

  Smoking

  Reforming London's Health Services

  527

  Accident and Emergency Services

  Patient's Charter

  Drugs Campaign Launch

  Family Values—International Year of the Family

  Detailed records of individual interviews are not kept. Ministers responded to requests on the topics listed as they were received.

  In Vitro Fertilisation
  Dr. Spink
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what measures she can take to prevent the use of in vitro fertilisation as a mechanism for social engineering as in the fixing of foetus characteristics such as sex or ethnicity; and if she will make a statement;

  (2) what measures she can take to prevent the use of in vitro fertilisation in respect of post-menopausal women; and if she will use such measures;

  (3) what measures she can take to prevent the use of in vitro fertilisation in circumstances such as the mixing of the ethnicity of donor and recipient.

  Mr. Sackville
  The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority established by Parliament in 1990 under the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act regulates centres carrying out in vitro fertilisation.

  The authority maintains a code of practice setting out its requirements for the proper conduct of licensed activities. The code is approved by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health and is laid before Parliament. It makes clear the age of the prospective parents is one factor which should be considered when deciding whether or not in vitro fertilisation should be offered. Where donated eggs or sperm are used in treatment, it is good practice to try to match the physical characteristics of the donor to those of the couple being treated. The use of sex selection techniques in centres licensed by the authority is permitted only for medical reasons. An essential feature of the 1990 Act and the activities regulated under its provisions is the welfare of any child born as a result of treatment.

  Mentally Ill Patients
  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will order independent inquiries into every death caused by patients discharged under medication from mental illness hospitals.

  Mr. Bowis
  New guidance to the national health service on the discharge of psychiatric patients, issued for consultation on 12 January, states that it will always be necessary to hold an inquiry which is independent of service providers in cases of homicides involving mentally ill people.

  NHS Contracts
  Mr. Miller
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she intends to take in the event of a dispute between a contractor and a national health service trust, when that dispute is outside the terms of the National Health Service Contracts (Dispute Resolution) Regulations 1991, to ensure that the trust has acted wholly within the law.

  Mr. Sackville
  National health service contracts between purchasers and providers are subject to the National Health Service Contracts (Dispute Resolution)528
  Regulations 1991. Where a purchaser or provider contracts with the independent sector these contracts will be legal contracts and therefore subject to the proper legal process.

  NHS Supplies Authority
  Mr. Whittingdale
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what levels of savings in purchasing and administrative costs have been targeted by the NHS Supplies Authority for the years 1994 to 1996.

  Mr. Sackville
  The authority is preparing its business plan for 1994–95, and the national health service management executive has not yet, therefore, agreed purchasing or running cost savings targets with the authority for that or subsequent years. The NHS management executive will, however, require the authority to build significantly on the purchasing savings of £57 million which it is on target to achieve in 1993–94, and further to reduce its warehousing and distribution costs through the new logistics strategy currently being prepared.

  Mr. Whittingdale
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the extent to which the NHS Supplies Authority's financial savings and efficiency targets could be improved or accelerated by transfering it to the private sector; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Sackville
  After taking independent, specialist consultancy advice, our assessment is that privatisation of the National Health Service Supplies Authority in its present form would not offer the prospect of increased financial savings or increased efficiency, and would risk diverting management effort from the significant service improvements and cost reductions which are being planned. However, the core function of the authority is acknowledged to be purchasing and contracting. Its other activities, particularly warehousing, distribution, and information technology services, could gain added value from more extensive use through market testing of private sector skills, experience and resources. This will be taken forward by the authority as it develops its new logstics and IT strategies.

  Psychiatric Hospital Closures
  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health where published copies of the handbook of good practice in psychiatric hospital closures prepared by the mental health task force are available.

  Mr. Bowis
  The handbook of good practice will be available shortly and copies will be placed in the Library.

  Blood Donors
  Mr. Spellar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer of 16 December 1993,Official Report, column 811, whether the screening tests required for blood or plasma collected overseas for processing into blood products to be imported are conducted in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Sackville
  It is a requirement throughout the European Community that all plasma donations used in the manufacture of blood products marketed in the European Community must be screened for hepatitis B, hepatitis C,
  529
  HIV 1 and HIV 2. Such testing is performed in the country of origin. For all products which are to be marketed in the United Kingdom, however, samples of plasma pools are submitted for independent testing in the United Kingdom by the National Institute for Biological Standards and Control.

  Mental Health
  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made by the mental health task force towards its strategic objective of developing a vision of the shape of the market for mental health services in years to come.

  Mr. Bowis
  On 4 October 1993, a conference was held at the Queen Elizabeth II conference centre, London on "Mental Health—Visions for the Future". It was organised jointly by the National Association of Health Authorities and Trusts, the Association of Directors of Social Services and the Mental Health Task Force. I gave the keynote address and over 200 health service managers and others attended.

  The task force support group, which includes many of the major interests in the field, held a seminar in November which sought to anticipate developments in mental health services over the next 20 years. The issues identified by participants and suggestions for further work during 1994 are being considered.

  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she will publish the report of the review of mental health nursing.

  Mr. Bowis
  Shortly.

  AIDS Support Grant
  Mr. Dowd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when is the deadline for London boroughs to apply for AIDS support grant for 1994–95; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Sackville
  The local authority circular LAC(94)3, explaining arrangements for continuation in 1994–95 of the AIDS support grant scheme has been issued and invites authorities to submit their expenditure plans to the Department by 18 February. Copies of the circular are available in the Library.

  Oral Health
  Mr. Spellar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when her Department commenced work on the proposals for an oral health strategy.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Work on an oral health strategy started in October 1991, with the setting up of an oral health strategy group, chaired by the chief dental officer.

  Lister Hospital, Stevenage
  Mr. Spellar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what inquiry she has conducted into the placing of the control by North Hertfordshire health trust to manage the pathology services for the Lister hospital, Stevenage.

  Mr. Sackville
  It is for the trust to determine which source of pathology provision provides the best service for patients, and to specify and monitor the standards to be met in contracts.
  530

  Embryology
  Dr. Spink
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action she has taken or will take to encourage the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority to prevent research into the use of foetal eggs from aborted foetuses for human reproductive purposes; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Sackville
  The consultation document on donated ovarian tissue in embryo research and assisted conception issued on 7 January by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority invites comments on whether eggs or ovarian tissue from foetuses should be used in research. The Government welcome this wide-ranging consultation. We look forward to receiving advice from the authority in due course, when we can consider what further action, if any, is required.

  Health Care, London
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding is being allocated on 1994–95 to regional health authorities to purchase health care in London; and what was the figure for 1993–94.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Allocations are made to the four Thames regions and it is they who allocate to district health authorities in London. For 1993–94 and 1994–95, the main regional allocations were:

  £000"s

  1993–94

  1994–95

  North West Thames

  1,320,749

  11,352,165

  North East Thames

  1,490,187

  1,561,379

  South East Thames

  1,439,276

  1,519,821

  South West Thames

  1,116,107

  11,163,130

  1The allocations are not directly comparable because of boundary changes.

  In addition, the Thames regions will have received during 1993–94 further allocations for specific purposes, some of which will have been deployed in London. Similar allocations will be made during 1994–95.

  Information on allocations for 1994–95 is not yet available centrally. The 1993–94 revenue allocations to London DHAs are as follows:

  Region and District Health Authority

  £,000's

  North West Thames

  Barnet

  99,709

  Hillingdon

  72,384

  Brent and Harrow

  151,175

  Ealing/Hammersmith/Hounslow

  193,428

  Kensington/Chelsea/Westminster

  127,078

  North East Thames

  Barking and Havering

  118,879

  Camden and Islington

  185,044

  East London and The City

  243,662

  New Rivers

  170,366

  Redbridge/Waltham Forest

  159,278

  South East Thames

  Bexley

  68,422

  Greenwich

  86,135

  Bromley

  97,490

  South East London

  299,968

  South West Thames

  Croydon

  102,565

  531

  Region and District Health Authority

  £,000's

  Kingston and Richmond

  150,538

  Wandsworth

  87,243

  Menon and Sutton

  122,744

  NHS Trusts
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidelines she has issued to trust hospitals on their pension fund investment policies.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  None. For an occupational pension scheme to obtain Inland Revenue approval the rules on scheme investment would have to meet Inland Revenue criteria.

  Abortion
  Mr. Tredinnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she is taking in respect of re-approval of private sector places to carry out termination of pregnancy under the Abortion Act 1967 when the current approval period ends at the end of January.

  Mr. Sackville
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health will be extending by six months from 1 February 1994 current private sector approvals to carry out termination of pregnancy under the Abortion Act 1967, as amended. This will allow the Department of Health to complete a review of current arrangements for approving and monitoring places so approved. Any changes will be introduced from 1 August 1994. All places currently approved under section 1(3) of the Act are being informed.

  Staffordshire Ambulance Trust
  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will meet employees of the Staffordshire ambulance trust to discuss patient transport services.

  Mr. Sackville
  I have no plans to do so. Employee relations in national health service trusts are the responsibility of NHS trust boards.

  Royal Orthopaedic Hospital, Birmingham
  Mr. Burden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what was the relocation plan on which she approved the closure of the Royal orthopaedic hospital in Birmingham;

  (2) when she gave her approval to the closure of the Royal orthopaedic hospital in Birmingham.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Agreement to the permanent closure of the Birmingham accident and the Royal orthopaedic hospitals was given on 1 February 1993. In order to effect the closures, trauma, orthopaedic, plastic surgery and burns services were to transfer to the Birmingham general hospital and later relocate to the Selly Oak hospital site. In order to make sufficient space at the general hospital, general surgery and general medicine were to be transferred to the Queen Elizabeth and Selly Oak hospitals.

  Mr. Burden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations she has received to change the relocation plan associated with the closure of the Royal orthopaedic hospital in Birmingham; and if she will make a statement.
  532
  Dr. Mawhinney
  Since South Birmingham district health authority put forward suggestions for the closure of the Royal orthopaedic hospital and reprovision of these services on the Selly Oak hospital site, we have received 12 letters from hon. Members and 51 from members of the public.

  Mr. Burden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what response she has made to the South Birmingham health authority financial review into the Royal orthopaedic hospital compiled by KPMG Peat Marwick, a copy of which has been sent to her.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  It is for the South Birmingham district health authority, which commissioned this report, to consider what response, if any, to make to it.

  Mr. Burden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will set out the financial grounds on which she gave her approval to the closure of the Royal orthopaedic hospital in Birmingham.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  At the time the proposal for the closure of the Royal orthopaedic hospital was considered in February 1993, concerns were expressed about a possible loss of income to the hospital as a number of health authorities were signalling their intention of reducing contracts with it. However, the financial position of the hospital was only one of the issues which was considered. The main reason for agreeing the closure of the Royal orthopaedic hospital and reprovision of orthopaedic services on to one site was to improve the quality of care available to patients.

  Hospital Closures
  Mr. Burden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what powers a health authority has to alter a relocation plan for a hospital scheduled for closure under a different plan approved by her.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  When a health authority proposes to make significant changes to proposals for hospital closures and service reprovision which my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has agreed, we would expect them to consult on their new proposals.

  Gene Therapy Advisory Committee
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will set out the terms of reference of the Gene Therapy Advisory Committee.

  Mr. Sackville
  The terms of reference for the Gene Therapy Advisory Committee are:"To consider and advise on the acceptability of proposals for gene therapy research on human subjects on ethical grounds, taking account of the scientific merits of the proposals and the potential benefits and risks.
  To work with other agencies which have responsibilities in this field, including local research ethics committees, and agencies with statutory responsibilities—the Medicines Control Agency, the Health and Safety Executive and the Department of the Environment.
  To provide advice to United Kingdom Health Ministers on developments in gene therapy research and their implications."

  Crownhill Hospital, Plymouth
  Mr. Jamieson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the total cost of converting the former Crownhill hospital in Plymouth into offices for Plymouth and Torbay health authority.
  533
  Mr. Sackville
  Information is available centrally on schemes with a cost of over £1 million. The Crownhill conversion was below this figure and the hon. Member may therefore wish to contact Mrs. Judith Leverton, chairman of the Plymouth and Torbay health authority, for details.

  Health Authorities
  Mr. Burden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether each health authority seeks or holds details of the political affiliations of people nominated to or appointed to it.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  We are not aware that any health authority either seeks or holds such information.

  Ambulance Personnel (Retirement)
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what arrangements exist in England to allow ambulance personnel employed by district health authorities or NHS trusts to retire at 55 years.

  Mr. Sackville
  The national health service pension scheme for England and Wales provides for retirement below the age of 60 on grounds of ill health, organisational change, redundancy and in the interests of the efficiency of the service. The employer meets the additional costs involved in cases other than ill health, and resources have been made available in 1993–94 for the ambulance service in England to cover the costs of a limited programme of early retirement.

  Pay Beds
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the number of dedicated NHS pay bed units, their location and number of beds contained in each year since 1990.

  Mr. Sackville
  This information is not available centrally.

  Clothier Inquiry
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what external public relations staff from(a) the private sector or (b) other NHS bodies have been employed by (i) Grantham and Kesteven district general hospital, (ii) South Lincolnshire district health authority or (iii) Trent regional health authority to assist with work relating to the Clothier inquiry; and what was the cost of any of these contracts.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  This is a matter for the Trent regional health authority. The hon. Member may wish to contact the chairman of Trent regional health authority, Sir Michael Carlisle, for details.

  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the total cost to date of the Clothier inquiry.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Up to 14 January, £96,574.

  Nuclear Weapons
  Mr. Chisholm
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make it her policy to oppose in the World Health Assembly the withdrawal of resolution WHA4640 of 534
  14 May 1993 on the request to the International Court of Justice for an advisory opinion on the legal status of the use by a state of nuclear weapons in armed conflict.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The agenda for the May 1994 World Health Assembly has not yet been published. We are unaware of any proposal for a resolution which would negate resolution WHA 46.40.

  NHS Beds (Private Use)
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will give details of the costs to public funds that arise through the provision of authorised NHS beds for private use, listing each separate budget head, and the total costs thereby incurred by each hospital with authorised beds.

  Mr. Sackville
  Since 1 April 1991 health authorities, on behalf of directly managed units, and trusts have, subject to certain safeguards, been able to determine their own private patient activity. National health service private patient charges are calculated at the appropriate commercial rate generating valuable income for improving services for all patients.

  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the location and number of authorised NHS beds for private use in each year since 1990.

  Mr. Sackville
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply my hon. Friend the Member for Loughborough (Mr. Dorrell) gave the hon. Member for Livingston (Mr. Cook) on 16 March 1992 at columns 857–66 for the latest available information. Since 1 April 1991 health authorities, on behalf of directly managed units, and trusts have, subject to certain safeguards, been able to determine their own private patient activity.

  Health Spending, North Essex
  Mr. Burns
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what will be the percentage increase in health spending in the North Essex health authority area in 1994–95; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Sackville
  The 1994–95 revenue cash limit for North Essex health authority represents a 5·3 per cent. increase over 1993–94. The allocation is made by North East Thames regional health authority.

  Brook Hospital
  Mr. Austin-Walker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the South East Thames regional health authority authorised the purchase of a second-hand mobile MRI scanner for use at the Brook hospital; when the authority had paid a non-refundable deposit; what was the total cost paid for the scanner and the amounts borne by(a) the authority and (b) Greenwich Healthcare Trust; when the scanner was delivered to the Brook hospial; when it became operational; how many NHS patients have been scanned with this equipment; what consultation took place with consultants at the Brook hospital prior to the purchase of this equipment; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Sackville
  The hon. Member may wish to contact Mr. Peter Barker, chairman of South East Thames regional health authority concerning its involvement in the purchase of the MRI scanner at Greenwich Healthcare national
  535
  health service trust and Mr. Neville Thompson, chairman of Greenwich Healthcare NHS trust about the installation and use of medical equipment at the trust.

  GPs (Suspension)
  Mr. Austin-Walker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of whether the actions of the Greenwich and Bexley family health services authority were appropriate and satisfacory in dealing with complaints against the doctor concerned in the recent case raised with her by the hon. Member for Woolwich; and whether the actions of the General Medical Council were appropriate and satisfactory in dealing with the complaints.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  It would not be right to comment on the actions of Greenwich and Bexley family health services authority in this case until proceedings to which the family health services authority is a party have been formally concluded.

  The General Medical Council is an independent statutory body whose constitution and functions are governed by the Medical Act 1983. The council has sole

  See

  Suffragan See

  Bishop

  Date of appointment

  Bath and Wells

  Taunton

  John Lewis

  3 July 1992

  Birmingham

  Aston

  John Austin

  3 September 1992

  Blackburn

  Lancaster

  John Nicholls

  25 April 1990

  Bristol

  Malmesbury

  Peter Firth

  30 November 1983

  Canterbury

  Dover

  Richard Llewellin

  9 October 1992

  Maidstone

  Gavin Reid

  9 October 1992

  Carlisle

  Penrith

  George Hacker

  10 October 1979

  Chelmsford

  Barking

  Roger Sainsbury

  17 January 1991

  Colchester

  Michael Vickers

  2 February 1988

  Bradwell

  Laurence Green

  23 February 1993

  Chester

  Birkenhead

  Michael Langrish

  2 March 1993

  Stockport

  Frank Sargeant

  25 January 1984

  Chichester

  Horsham

  Lindsay Urwin

  30 November 1993

  Lewes

  Ian Cundy

  3 July 1992

  Coventry

  Warwick

  Clive Handford

  5 December 1990

  Derby

  Repton

  Henry Richmond

  30 January 1986

  Durham

  Jarrow

  Alan Smithson

  21 September 1990

  Ely

  Huntington

  Gordon Roe

  1 November 1980

  Exeter

  Crediton

  Peter Coleman

  2 July 1984

  Plymouth

  Richard Hawkins

  29 June 1988

  Gloucester

  Tewkesbury

  Jeremy Walsh

  29 January 1986

  Guildford

  Dorking

  David Wilcox

  1 February 1986

  Hereford

  Ludlow

  Ian Griggs

  1 August 1987

  Lichfield

  Shrewsbury

  John Davies

  5 February 1987

  Stafford

  Michael Scott-Joynt

  1 September 1987

  Wolverhampton

  Michael Bourke

  29 September 1993

  Lincoln

  Grantham

  William Ind

  23 October 1987

  Grimsby

  David Tustin

  25 January 1979

  Liverpool

  Warrington

  Michael Henshall

  1 February 1976

  London

  Fulham

  John Klyberg

  25 March 1985

  Kensington

  John Hughes

  26 October 1987

  Stepney

  Richard Chartres

  22 May 1992

  Willesden

  Graham Dow

  22 May 1992

  Edmonton

  Brian Masters

  20 December 1984

  Manchester

  Hulme

  Colin Scott

  13 September 1984

  Bolton

  David Bonser

  13 September 1991

  Norwich

  Thetford

  Hugo de Waal

  17 January 1992

  Oxford

  Buckingham

  Simon Burrows

  18 October 1974

  Dorchester

  Anthony Russell

  2 February 1988

  Reading

  John Bone

  4 October 1989

  Peterborough

  Brix worth

  Paul Barber

  25 January 1989

  Ripon

  Knaresborough

  Malcolm Menin

  2 December 1986

  Rochester

  Tonbridge

  Brian Smith

  2 November 1993

  St. Albans

  Hertford

  Robin Smith

  25 January 1990

  St. Edmunds and Ipswich

  Dunwich

  Jonathan Bailey

  3 December 1992

  Salisbury

  Ramsbury

  Peter Vaughan

  21 April 1989

  Sherborne

  John Kirkham

  1 December 1976

  Sheffield

  Doncaster

  Michael Gear

  2 March 1993

  Southwark

  Kingston

  Martin Wharton

  3 November 1992

  Woolwich

  Peter Hall

  29 November 1984

  536
  responsibility for the registration and regulation of the medical profession and it would not be appropriate for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health to intervene in the way that it carries out its responsibilities under the Act or to comment on individual cases in which the council has directed the removal of a doctor's name from the register.

CHURCH COMMISSIONERS

  Suffragan Bishops
  Mr. William Powell
  To ask the right hon. Member for Selby, as representing the Church Commissioners if he will list those suffragan bishops for whose salary the Commissioners are responsible, with their dates of appointment, and such suffragan sees as are currently vacant.

  Mr. Alison
  The suffragan bishops whose stipends the Commissioners are empowered to pay and their dates of appointment are as follows:
  537

  See

  Suffragan See

  Bishop

  Date of appointment

  Croydon

  Wilfred Wood

  25 July 1985

  Southwell

  Sherwood

  Alan Morgan

  1 September 1989

  Truro

  St. Germans

  Graham James

  23 February 1993

  Wakefield

  Pontefract

  John Finney

  14 May 1993

  Winchester

  Southampton

  John Perry

  5 February 1989

  Worcester

  Dudley

  Rupert Hoare

  29 September 1993

  York

  Hull

  Donald Snelgrove

  28 May 1981

  Selby

  Humphrey Taylor

  1 September 1991

  Whitby

  Gordon Bates

  9 June 1983

  Europe

  Europe

  Edward Holland

  22 July 1986

  The following suffragan sees are currently vacant but will be filled by the person named on the date indicated:

  Blackburn

  Burnley

  Martyn Jarrett

  2 February 1994

  Manchester

  Middleton

  Stephen Venner

  2 February 1994

  Norwich

  Lynn

  David Conner

  2 February 1994

  St. Albans

  Bedford

  John Richardson

  23 February 1994

  Winchester

  Basingstoke

  Geoffrey Rowell

  2 February 1994

EDUCATION

  Education Assets Board Recommendations
  Mr. Rooker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) if he will describe in general terms the nature and use of the premises at each educational establishment where his determination of an Education Assets Board recommendations is awaited;

  (2) how many recommendations from the Education Assets Board are awaiting a decision by his Department; if he will list them; and for how long each of them has been with his Department.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  There are 17 cases awaiting determination by my right hon. Friend. They are:

  Institution

  Date received

  Grant-Maintained Schools

  Abbotswood School, Hampshire

  October 1993

  Arnewood School, Hampshire

  November 1993

  Daitford Grammar School for Girls, Kent

  December 1992

  Epsom and Ewell High School, Surrey

  March 1993

  Great Barr School, Birmingham

  August 1992

  Kingsley Park School, Northamptonshire

  September 1992

  Pate's Grammar School, Gloucestershire

  November 1991

  Reading School, Berkshire

  April 1993

  Ringwood School, Hampshire

  November 1993

  St. George's School, Lincolnshire

  July 1993

  Thamesview School, Kent

  March 1993

  Wilson's School, Sutton

  June 1993

  Wymondham College, Norfolk

  December 1992

  Higher Education Institutions

  Falmouth College of Art and Design

  September 1991

  University of Greenwich

  September 1991

  University of West of England; Bath College of HE

  November 1991

  Further Education Institutions

  Lincolnshire College of Agriculture and Horticulture

  December 19931

  1 Appeal received.

  Note: Under the provisions of the Further and Higher Education Act 1992, the Education Assets Board (EAB) may determine the transfer of property, rights and liabilities in respect of further education institutions where it appears that agreement between the parties is unlikely to be reached. Under the 1992 Act both the institution and local authority have the right of appeal to the Secretary of State against determinations made by the EAB.
  538
  Of the 17 cases being considered by my right hon. Friend, 13 involve the transfer of land and/or property. They are:

  GRANT-MAINTAINED SCHOOLS

  Abbotswood School, Hampshire—A dispute with Hampshire county council concerning the ownership of an area of land which acts as an access road to the school and another of the council's properties.

  Arnewood School, Hampshire—A dispute concerning the ownership of a recreation centre and land used by the school and community.

  Dartford Grammar School for Girls, Kent—A dispute between the school and Kent county council over (i) transfer of an area of playing field, (ii) pedestrian rights of access and (iii) transfer of a further area of land.

  Great Barr School, Birmingham—A dispute between the school and Birmingham county council over the ownership of an adjacent sports hall and an area of playing field which is used by both the school and the local community.

  Kingsley Park School, Northamptonshire—A dispute between the school and Northamptonshire county council over the transfer of a gymnasium block in a building on the school site which is also used by another of the Authority's schools.

  Pate's Grammar School, Gloucestershire—A dispute between the school and Gloucestershire county council over the transfer of the site of a former secondary school which had been leased to Pate's grammar school whilst major building work was carried out on their own school site.

  Ringwood School, Hampshire—A dispute concerning the ownership of a recreation centre and land used by the school and community.

  St. George's School, Lincolnshire—The dispute with Lincolnshire county council concerns the ownership of a property the school shares with the county's adult education and library services and an area of land which is also used by a local scout group.

  Thamesview School, Kent—A dispute between the school and Kent county council concerning the transfer of a house occupied by a teacher at the school.

  Wilson's School, London Borough of Sutton—This dispute concerns the authority's refusal to sign documents transferring ownership of property to the school pending clarification of the authority's continued use of a swimming pool owned by the school's Trustees.

  HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS

  Greenwich—A dispute between the London borough of Wandsworth, which inherited ILEA's education responsibilities in the area, and Thames polytechnic (now the university of

  539
  Greenwich) over the transfer of the freehold of property known as Manresa house, and the grounds surrounding this property. Wandsworth use part of Manresa house for adult education.

  Falmouth School of Art and Design—A dispute between Cornwall county council and Falmouth school of art and design over the transfer of properties in Falmouth and Camborne, used by the school.

  FURTHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS

  Lincolnshire College of Agriculture and Horticulture—This appeal case concerns the Education Assets Board's determination that ownership of a veterinary investigation centre which was used prior to 1 April 1993 under a lease between Lincolnshire county council and the Minister of Public Buildings and Works should transfer to the college.

  Student Awards
  Mr. Robert Ainsworth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to his answer of 11 January 1994,Official Report, column 72, if he will publish in the Official Report the comparable figures on the percentage of dependent students receiving full and nil maintenance given in the "Statistics of Education Student Awards" volume for 1988–89 to 1990–91; and what is the reason for the differences between those figures and the data given in his previous answer.

  Mr. Boswell
  Figures on the percentage of dependent students receiving full and nil maintenance published in the Statistics of Education Student Awards Volume show scale 1 and scale 2 contributions as follows:

  Percentage of dependent students receiving full and nil maintenance in England and Wales.

  1988–89

  1989–90

  1990–911

  Scale 1

  full maintenance

  28·8

  27·3

  27·5

  nil maintenance

  30·7

  33·0

  32·4

  Scale 2

  full maintenance

  29·6

  27·4

  27·0

  nil maintenance

  23·1

  25·8

  28·3

  1 Calculated from subset of LEAs able to provide data.

  The figures given in the reply of 11 January, Official Report, column 72 differed from these in that they represented the combination of the two scales.

  Education Costs
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has to issue vouchers to parents to pay towards education costs.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  We have no present plans to do so.

  Higher National Diploma Courses
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will make it his policy to ensure that students who are entitled to a mandatory grant for a higher national diploma course are allowed to continue to receive that grant for a degree at another institution while continuing to study the same subject.

  Mr. Boswell
  A student who has already received a mandatory award for an HND course and who goes on to study for a first degree will normally be eligible for a further, modified mandatory award for the final year or 540
  years of a designated first degree course, depending upon its duration. Local education authorities can make discretionary payments in respect of any other year. It is for individual institutions to decide whether to give exemption from any part of the course to students enrolling on a first degree course who have already completed an HND in the same subject.

  Further Education
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many(a) 16-year-olds and (b) 17-year-olds in the Doncaster area continued in full-time education in each year since 1988.

  Mr. Boswell
  The numbers of 16 and 17-year-olds in the Doncaster LEA continuing in full-time education in each year since 1988 are shown in the table.

  16 and 17-year-olds in full-time education in the Doncaster LEA Area Age as at 31 August at the start of the academic year

  1988–89

  1989–90

  1990–91

  1991–92

  16 Year Olds

  1,824

  1,873

  1,934

  1,987

  17 Year Olds

  1,280

  1,278

  1,332

  1,444

  Pupil Numbers
  Mr. Robert Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many schools in England have fewer than 20 pupils.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  In January 1993, 200 schools in England had fewer than 20 full-time equivalent pupils.

  Data Protection
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether he will make arrangements for the Data Protection Registrar to inspect relevant contracts with suppliers of IT services that involve the use of personal data held by his Department in order to check whether all appropriate arrangements in relation to the Data Protection Act 1984 have been made, and whether such contracts make provisions for the Registrar to make random inspections in order to check the suppliers' compliance with the eighth data protection principle.

  Mr. Boswell
  The Data Protection Registrar has a wide range of powers, under the Data Protection Act 1984, to ensure that all individuals and organisations holding personal data on computer systems are registered and observe the data protection principles as required by the Act. When IT services are contracted out by a data user, the contractor and the user will be subject to the application of the data protection principles, and to the registrar's powers to promote compliance with them, as provided for in the Act. It is for the registrar to decide how he will use his powers under the Act, and I do not consider that any further arrangements are necessary for him to discharge his duties effectively.

  Schools, Wandsworth
  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the oral answer to the hon. Member for Edinburgh, Leith (Mr. Chisholm) of 14 December 1993,Official Report, column 825, how many children at

  541
  the latest available date in the borough of Wandsworth were (a) in attendance in nursery classes or nursery schools, (b) in reception classes in primary schools under school starting age and (c) in other pre-school groups; how many (i) qualified nursery teachers, (ii) qualified nursery nurses and (iii) other qualified or non-qualified teachers and nurses, were employed in the borough on nursery education at the latest available date; and what is the latest estimate of the number of children aged three and four years currently resident in that borough.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  In Wandsworth, in January 1993 —the latest date for which information on schools is available—there were nearly 2,400 pupils below compulsory school age in maintained nursery schools and nursery classes in maintained primary schools. A further 1,700 pupils below compulsory school age were in infant classes in maintained primary schools. Information on reception classes only is not collected centrally.

  The maintained nursery schools and nursery classes were staffed by 71 full-time equivalent teachers, of whom two were unqualified 75 full-time equivalent qualified nursery assistants and a further 26 full-time equivalent unqualified nursery assistants and other education support staff.

  As regards other pre-school groups, we are informed by the Pre-school Playgroups Association that their member playgroups in Wandsworth had nearly 400 three and four-year-olds in attendance in mid-1992, the latest date for which such information is available. Information on other forms of pre-school group provision, such as day nurseries, is the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health. Information on nursery classes in independent or special schools is not collected centrally.

  In January 1993, the estimated three and four-year-old population in Wandsworth was just over 6,000. I should perhaps add that Wandsworth now has a policy of offering a nursery class place to all parents who want one for the year before entering compulsory education. This policy is not yet fully reflected in the figures available.

  University Expenditure
  Mrs. Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) what amount of university student fees was paid by Her Majesty's Government in the academic years 1990–91, 1991–92 and 1992–93; what is the expected level of expenditure for 1993–94 and 1994–95; and how much was spent per registered student in each of the years;

  (2) what was the level of Government expenditure on student grants in (a) higher and (b) further education in the academic years 1990–91, 1991–92 and 1992–93; what are the expected levels of expenditure for 1993–94 and 1994–95; and how much was spent per registered student in each of the years.

  Mr. Boswell
  My right hon. Friend pays 100 per cent. specific grant to local education authorities—LEAs—in England and Wales in respect of their expenditure on mandatory awards in respect of students who are domiciled in their areas. Mandatory awards, which cover both maintenance grants and fees, are available to eligible students attending full-time or sandwich courses provided by institutions including universities in the United Kingdom and leading to a first degree or comparable qualification, or to a diploma in higher education or the 542
  higher national diploma. They are also available for full-time and part-time courses of initial teacher training. Mandatory awards are not availble for further education courses. LEAs may give discretionary awards to students on such courses and to students who are personally ineligible for a mandatory award but must meet the expenditure themselves.

  Departmental records of expenditure and plans relate to financial years. It is not possible to distinguish expenditure on fees to universities from fees for other higher education institutions. The actual expenditure on mandatory awards and the average expenditure per award holder in the financial years 1990–91 to 1992–93 are shown in the table. The table also shows the total announced expenditure for 1993–94 and 1994–95.

  My right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Scotland and for Northern Ireland are responsible for Government expenditure on support for students domiciled in Scotland and Northern Ireland respectively. The table therefore relates to expenditure in England and Wales only.

  Total Expenditure

  Average per Student1

  Fees £ million

  Maintenance £ million

  Fees £

  Maintenance £

  1990–91

  593

  701

  1,228

  1,451

  1991–92

  1,172

  813

  2,178

  1,511

  1992–93

  1,559

  985

  2,467

  1,559

  21993–94

  1,534

  1,098

  31994–95

  1,171

  1,145

  1 Average per award holder.

  2 Announced expenditure including Winter Supplementary Estimate.

  3 Planned.

  Student Loans Company
  Mrs. Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much has been spent on the administration of the Student Loans Company ; how many people are employed by the company; and how many cases of non-repayment have been legally pursued under(a) Scottish law and (b) English and Welsh law.

  Mr. Boswell
  These are matters for the Student Loans Company. I have asked the chief executive to write to the hon. Member.

  Local Education Authorities
  Mr. Byers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what was the pupil to teacher ratio as at January 1993 for each local education authority in(a) the primary sector, (b) the secondary sector and (c) overall.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  The information requested is shown in the table.

  Pupil teacher ratios in maintained primary and secondary schools and overall in each local education authority in England

  Primary (including self-governing (GM) schools) (1)

  Secondary (including self-governing (GM) schools (1)

  Overall maintained nursery, primary and secondary schools (2)

  Corporation of London

  15·2

  n/a

  13·9

  Camden

  20·8

  15·6

  16·4

  Greenwich

  20·4

  16·7

  16·6

  Hackney

  19·9

  14·6

  15·1

  543

  Primary (including self-governing (CM) schools) (1)

  Secondary (including self-governing (GM) schools (1)

  Overall maintained nursery, primary and secondary schools (2)

  Hammersmith and Fulham

  19·8

  15·1

  14·4

  Islington

  19·8

  15·0

  14·1

  Kensington and Chelsea

  17·6

  13·3

  14·5

  Lambeth

  19·4

  15·5

  15·9

  Lewisham

  21·1

  16·5

  17·2

  Southwark

  21·6

  16·9

  17·3

  Tower Hamlets

  17·8

  14·0

  14·2

  Wandsworth

  19·9

  14·7

  15·0

  Westminster

  17·2

  14·5

  13·7

  Barking and Dagenham

  22·1

  17·0

  18·0

  Barnet

  21·1

  15·0

  16·1

  Beley

  23·4

  16·7

  18·5

  Brent

  21·6

  15·3

  16·6

  Bromley

  23·3

  16·3

  17·8

  Croydon

  21·5

  16·0

  17·5

  Ealing

  20·7

  15·3

  17·5

  Enfield

  21·3

  16·3

  17·1

  Haringey

  20·8

  14·5

  17·1

  Harrow

  21·3

  15·7

  17·1

  Havering

  22·8

  16·4

  17·4

  Hillingdon

  22·0

  15·8

  17·5

  Hounslow

  20·5

  16·4

  17·2

  Kingston upon Thames

  22·5

  15·8

  16·5

  Merton

  19·6

  15·5

  16·5

  Newham

  24·1

  16·6

  19·1

  Redbridge

  23·0

  17·2

  18·0

  Richmond upon Thames

  20·3

  16·5

  16·8

  Sutton

  23·4

  16·8

  18·3

  Waltham Forest

  22·2

  15·2

  16·5

  Birmingham

  23·6

  16·3

  18·0

  Coventry

  22·3

  15·1

  17·2

  Dudley

  20·9

  15·3

  16·8

  Sandwell

  22·0

  15·5

  16·4

  Solihull

  23·1

  16·1

  18·0

  Walsall

  22·6

  16·0

  17·7

  Wolverhampton

  21·0

  14·9

  16·1

  Knowsley

  23·0

  16·5

  19·5

  Liverpool

  23·5

  15·7

  18·6

  St. Helens

  22·2

  15·2

  17·4

  Sefton

  23·2

  16·3

  18·0

  Wirral

  22·3

  15·9

  17·5

  Bolton

  22·0

  15·1

  17·1

  Bury

  22·9

  16·5

  18·5

  Manchester

  21·9

  14·6

  17·2

  Oldham

  22·9

  15·0

  17·8

  Rochdale

  24·1

  16·3

  18·1

  Salford

  23·4

  15·5

  17·9

  Stockport

  23·5

  15·8

  18·3

  Tameside

  24·0

  16·3

  17·8

  Trafford

  23·9

  15·9

  18·9

  Wigan

  22·3

  15·2

  16·0

  Barnsley

  23·9

  17·0

  19·1

  Doncaster

  22·8

  16·0

  17·8

  Rotherham

  21·3

  15·2

  17·9

  Sheffield

  22·5

  16·1

  17·6

  Bradford

  20·7

  17·1

  16·7

  Calderdale

  23·3

  16·0

  17·5

  Kirklees

  21·3

  15·6

  16·7

  Leeds

  22·0

  16·0

  17·5

  Wakefield

  22·6

  15·9

  17·7

  Gateshead

  21·2

  15·6

  17·0

  Newcastle upon Tyne

  22·4

  15·7

  17·3

  North Tyneside

  22·3

  16·0

  17·2

  South Tyneside

  22·6

  17·1

  18·3

  Sunderland

  22·1

  15·9

  18·0

  Isles of Scilly

  14·9

  7·4

  10·1

  Avon

  22·7

  16·2

  17·4

  Bedfordshire

  21·7

  17·1

  17·1

  Berkshire

  22·8

  16·0

  17·3

  Buckinghamshire

  22·8

  16·6

  18·3

  Cambridgeshire

  23·0

  16·5

  17·6

  Cheshire

  23·9

  16·6

  18·8

  544

  Primary (including self·governing (GM) schools) (1)

  Secondary (including self·governing (GM) schools (1)

  Overall maintained nursery, primary and secondary schools (2)

  Cleveland

  23·5

  15·7

  18·1

  Cornwall

  23·4

  1·68

  18·7

  Cumbria

  22·3

  15·3

  17·3

  Derbyshire

  22·9

  15·4

  16·9

  Devon

  22·8

  16·1

  18·8

  Dorset

  23·2

  17·0

  18·9

  Durham

  22·7

  16·3

  17·5

  East Sussex

  22·3

  15·9

  17·2

  Essex

  23·1

  16·9

  18·3

  Gloucestershire

  21·9

  17·1

  18·5

  Hampshire

  21·9

  16·1

  17·9

  Hereford and Worcester

  21·8

  16·8

  17·6

  Hertfordshire

  22·1

  15·7

  17·7

  Humberside

  23·1

  16·3

  18·0

  Isle of Wight

  22·1

  17·1

  17·5

  Kent

  23·9

  17·0

  18·7

  Lancashire

  22·8

  15·9

  17·7

  Leicestershire

  22·5

  15·8

  18·4

  Lincolnshire

  23·1

  15·8

  17·7

  Norfolk

  21·8

  15·6

  17·6

  North Yorkshire

  22·6

  15·7

  17·0

  Northamptonshire

  22·6

  16·6

  17·1

  Northumberland

  23·8

  17·8

  18·4

  Nottinghamshire

  22·6

  15·7

  17·5

  Oxfordshire

  21·6

  16·7

  17·4

  Shropshire

  22·0

  15·3

  17·2

  Somerset

  22·5

  16·3

  17·6

  Staffordshire

  24·7

  16·9

  19·2

  Suffolk

  21·4

  16·1

  16·9

  Surrey

  21·7

  15·8

  17·9

  Warwickshire

  22·3

  16·2

  17·7

  West Sussex

  22·1

  16·4

  17·5

  Wiltshire

  22·6

  16·3

  17·5

  England

  22·4

  16·1

  17·7

  Note:

  1. Excluding all unqualified teachers and teachers providing short-term cover as well as teachers absent for a term or more but including the latter's qualified replacements, if any.

  2. Including qualified teachers (including those not in schools and teachers providing short-term cover), student teachers, instructors and licensed teachers employed by local education authorities and self-governing (GM) schools.

  Primary School Classes
  Mr. Byers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what was the average size of maintained primary school classes taught by one teacher in January.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  In January 1993—the latest date for which information is available—the average size of single teacher classes in maintained primary schools in England was 26·6.

  Quangos
  Mr. Don Foster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will list the grants given to quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisations by his Department in each year from 1985.

  Mr. Boswell
  The grants given to the executive non-departmental public bodies sponsored by the Department are listed in the table. Those made to the research councils and to the Sports Council, formerly sponsored by the then Department of Education and
  545
  Science and now by the Office of Public Service and

  1985–86 £ million

  1986–87 Cash

  1987–88

  1988–89

  1989–90

  1990–91

  1991–92

  1992–93 Outturn

  1993–94 Estimate

  Business and Technology Education Council1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Central Bureau for Educational Visits and Exchanges2

  1·831

  1·731

  1·760

  1·813

  2·184

  3·021

  3·498

  3·848

  4·084

  Centre for Information on Language Teaching and Research

  0·359

  0·369

  0·395

  0·383

  0·472

  0·535

  0·652

  0·949

  0·807

  Council for Educational Technology (United Kingdom)

  0·758

  0·998

  0·870

  Merged April 1988 to form National Council for Educational Technology

  Micro-Electronics in Education Support Unit

  —

  2·791

  3·075

  National Council for Educational Technology3

  —

  —

  —

  4·729

  4·227

  4·660

  4·961

  5·658

  4·946

  Council for National Academic Awards4

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Further Education Unit

  3·495

  3·359

  3·038

  3·525

  2·486

  3·871

  3·129

  3·545

  5—

  National Youth Bureau

  0·483

  0·478

  0·490

  6—

  0·557

  0·571

  7—

  7—

  7—

  National Youth Agency

  8—

  8—

  8—

  8—

  8—

  8—

  1·840

  1·495

  1·706

  Education Assets Board3

  —

  —

  —

  0·770

  0·642

  0·552

  0·500

  0·858

  2·694

  School Curriculum and Development Council

  1·053

  1·140

  1·340

  Wound up August 1988. Replaced by School Examinations and Assessment Council and National Curriculum Council

  School Examinations Council

  2·341

  2·484

  2·339

  School Examinations and Assessment Council

  Established 1988 Wound up 1993

  3·681

  5·250

  7·730

  10·532

  12·383

  10·427

  National Curriculum Council

  5·338

  7·345

  7·340

  7·698

  8·135

  6·400

  School Curriculum and Assessment Authority9

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  3·600

  Teaching as a Career Unit3

  —

  —

  0·513

  0·934

  0·954

  1·487

  1·402

  1·407

  1·182

  Polytechnics and Colleges Funding Council10

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1,113·603

  1,104·255

  993·158

  1,034·601

  —

  Universities Funding Council11

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1,851·661

  1,836·708

  1,782·142

  1,806·426

  —

  Higher Education Funding Council for England 12

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  130·500

  2,806·458

  Further Education Funding Council12

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1324·417

  2,552·911

  Funding Agency for Schools14

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  132·000

  1 Nil (self-funded body). Became wholly independent and ceased to be NDPB sponsored by Department of Further Education October 1993.

  2 Merged with British Council December 1993. Henceforth sponsored by Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

  3 Established 1988.

  4 Nil (self-funded body). Wound up March 1993.

  5 Subsumed in Further Education Funding Council grant.

  6 Not separately available.

  7 Wound up 1991 and replaced by National Youth Agency.

  8 Established April 1991 incorporating National Youth Bureau and Council for Education and Training in Community Work.

  9 Established October 1993.

  10 Up to April 1989 polytechnics funded by local authorities. Polytechnics and Colleges Funding Council established April 1989, wound up March 1993.

  11 Up to April 1989 grants to universities distributed on advice of University Grants Committee. Universities Funding Council established April 1989, wound up March 1993.

  12 Established April 1993.

  13 Preparatory costs.

  14 To be established April 1994.

  546
  Science and the Department of National Heritage respectively, are published in the appropriation accounts, copies of which are in the Library.
  547

  Home Students
  Mr. Don Foster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many full-time home students in the United Kingdom are over the age of 50 years.

  Mr. Boswell
  In the academic year 1992–93, there were 5,400 full-time, home-domiciled higher education students aged 51 and over in the United Kingdom.

EMPLOYMENT

  Fast Food Industry (Wages)
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what monitoring is undertaken by his Department of wage levels in the fast food industry.

  Mr. David Hunt
  Information on earnings of workers in catering, including the fast food industry, is collected as part of the new earnings survey.

  Railway Engineering Industry
  Mr. Gunnell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is his estimate of the jobs lost in the railway engineering industry since April 1992; and how many of those losses have occurred in Yorkshire and Humberside.

  Miss Widdecombe
  Information is not available in the form requested.

  Departmental Efficiency
  Mr. Thurnham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what steps he is taking to improve the efficiency of his Department.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  We have embarked on a programme of market tests. Early results are good news for the taxpayer, with savings of 52 per cent. on typing services, 33 per cent. on reprographic services and 42 per cent. on security services.

  Industrial Relations
  Mr. Dunn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on industrial relations in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. David Hunt
  Thanks to this Government's reforms of industrial relations and trade union law, the number of strikes is the lowest for over a century.

  Health and Safety Executive (Grant Aid)
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what assessment he has made as to the effect of the proposed cut in grant aid to the Health and Safety Executive on charges to industry.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  I refer the hon. Member to my earlier reply to the hon. Members for Liverpool, Walton (Mr. Kilfoyle) and for Leeds, East (Mr. Mudie).

  Statutory Minimum Wage
  Mr. Whittingdale
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what assessment he has made of the effects on employment levels of a statutory minimum wage; and if he will make a statement.
  548
  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The introduction of a statutory national minimum wage of the kind proposed by the Labour party makes economic nonsense. It could cost up to 2 million jobs and would irreversibly damage the labour market.

  The Government's policies are designed to create the conditions for an effective and flexible labour market.

  Employment, Warwickshire
  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what are the current levels of employment in Warwickshire; and what they were in 1983 and 1987.

  Miss Widdecombe
  Information by county as opposed to regions is only available from the periodic censuses of employment. Employment in Warwickshire rose from 176,900 in September 1984 to 180,700 in September 1987, and to 186,600 in September 1991.

  Industrial Relations
  Mr. Jacques Arnold
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the recent record on strikes.

  Mr. David Hunt
  In 1979 the United Kingdom lost 1,270 working days per thousand employees; in 1992 we lost 24.

  Employment (Construction)
  Mr. Chisholm
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many construction jobs have been lost since the beginning of 1990.

  Miss Widdecombe
  The information is not available in the exact form requested but between March 1990 and September 1993 employment in the construction industry in Great Britain fell by 424,000.

  Statutory Working Week
  Mr. Spring
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what estimates he has made about the cost to United Kingdom industry of a statutory 35-hour limit on the working week.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  A compulsory 35-hour weekly limit would cost United Kingdom industry up to £20,000 million. It would be disastrous for competitiveness, jobs and the economic recovery.

  Youth Training
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what special measures he plans to offer training and employment opportunities to young people in local communities with particularly high rates of unemployment.

  Miss Widdecombe
  Unemployment need not be an option for young people because this Government guarantee a training place for 16 and 17-year-olds who have left full-time education and do not yet have a job.

  Our plans also include the introduction of modern apprenticeships offering young people high quality work-based training leading to higher level qualifications.

  If employers respond, as we hope they will, modern apprenticeships will treble to over 40,000 a year the

  549
  number of young people who qualify at national vocational qualification level 3 or above through our programmes in England.

  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the effectiveness of youth training.

  Miss Widdecombe
  Since 1983, over 3½ million young people have benefited from high quality vocational training by participating in youth training and its predecessors. The increasing availability of youth credits and the introduction of modern apprenticeships will encourage even more young people to train, and to higher levels.

  Building Sites (Accidents)
  Mr. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many accidents occured on building sites in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Provisional figures for the most recent year available, 1992–93, show that 15,885 injuries, including those to members of the public, arose from accidents in the construction industry reported to the relevant enforcing authorities. This is lower than for the previous four years 1988–89 to 1991–92 at 21,509, 22,872, 22,337, and 19,772 respectively.

  Employment Service
  Mr. Bates
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people in the north of England have been placed in work by the Employment Service in the last 12 months.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  A total of 79,600 job placings were made by the Employment Service in the north of England in the 12 month period ending 3 December 1993. More than 70,000 of these placings were of unemployed people. Over 19,000 were people unemployed more than six months, and 2,200 were unemployed people with disabilities.

  Apprenticeships
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is his estimate of the current number of apprenticeships in England and Wales; and if he will make a statement.

  Miss Widdecombe
  Estimates from the labour force survey suggest that in summer 1993, nearly 190,000 people were undertaking some form of trade apprenticeship in England and Wales.

  Health and Safety
  Mr. Burden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the change in the number of health and safety inspectors over the last year.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Over the 12 months to 1 December 1993, the number of health and safety inspectors employed by the Health and Safety Executive has increased by 70 from 1,533 to 1,603.
  550

  Data Protection
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will make arrangements for the Data Protection Registrar to inspect relevant contracts with suppliers of IT services that involve the use of personal data held by his Department in order to check whether all appropriate arrangements in relation to the Data Protection Act 1984 have been made, and whether such contracts make provisions for the registrar to make random inspections in order to check the suppliers' compliance with the eighth data protection principle.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Under the Data Protection Act 1984, the Data Protection Registrar has a wide range of powers to ensure that all individuals and organisations holding personal data on computer systems are registered and observe the data protection principles as required by the Act.

  The Department is committed to observing the data protection principles when it obtains and processes personal data. Where the Department contracts with a third party for the processing of personal data, the contracts stipulate that the Act must be complied with.

  The registrar's powers to promote compliance with the principles apply to both the owner of the personal data and the service provider. It is for the registrar to decide how he will use his powers under the Act. Further arrangements for him to discharge his duties effectively are not considered to be necessary.

  Access to Work
  Mr. Miller
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what support will be available to a disabled person whose employer refused to contribute as proposed under the access to work scheme.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  In reaching final decisions about the details of the access to work scheme, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and my noble Friend Lord Henley are considering carefully a range of representations made by disability and employer groups, including representations about the proposed employer contribution. My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State hopes to announce decisions soon.

  Girocheques
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for 3Employment (1) what irregularities there have been in the delivery of unemployment benefit girocheques in the Doncaster area during the past four months; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) by what method unemployment benefit girocheques are currently delivered to the Doncaster area.

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

  Letter from M. E. G. Fogden to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 18 January 1994:

  The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your questions about the method by which unemployment benefit girocheques are delivered to the Doncaster area and what irregularities have occurred in their delivery over the last four months.
  551
  It may be helpful if I explain that the Employment Service (ES) is in the process of updating it's benefit payments computer system. The National Unemployment Benefit Computer (NUBS 1) has been in operation since the mid eighties. We are currently replacing it with NUBS 2; this process will be complete by the end of September 1994.

  For people on Training for Work, Learning for Work and Community Action, payments are made by a different system, the Employment Service Payments system (ESP).

  NUBS 1 girocheques are processed at Reading, and NUBS 2/ESP at Washington, Tyne and Wear. The Royal Mail service for each of these is different.

  It is the objective of the ES to achieve delivery of a girocheque to clients within three working days of attending the local office to make the declaration which generates a payment. Clients are given this information in writing when they first attend to claim benefit.

  Under NUBS 1 girocheques are produced in postcode order and are sorted on the Reading site by Royal Mail staff. They are then transported by rail, road or air depending on the destination. Many of the destinations are served by "direct bags" which go directly to the local Royal Mail delivery office.

  The NUBS 2 girocheques are postcode sorted at the point of despatch (Washington) and delivered direct to the Royal Mail delivery offices via Royal Mail Streamline courier service. This ensures that bags containing the girocheques do not enter the Royal Mail system until the bags reach the destination town and it is only then that they are opened.

  ESP girocheques are sent direct to clients from Washington via the normal First Class post. To support the use of First Class post, offices are loaded onto the Area Computer Centre closest to their own locality.

  Close liaison is maintained between NUBS/ESP management teams and their Royal Mail counterparts to ensure that delivery systems support the ES business objectives and, where problems occur, remedial action is urgently introduced.

  During the last four months there have been 15 delays in the receipt of girocheques reported in Doncaster. Eleven of these were ESP payments and four were NUBS 2. In each case the girocheque was delivered within three days. It appears that clients have reported non receipt after two days as a delay.

  At Mexborough, there have been nine reported delays in receipt of NUBS 1 giros since September 1993. All of these were caused by split responsibility for Mexborough postcodes between Rotherham and Sheffield sorting offices. It has now been arranged for Royal Mail staff at Reading to perform a more precise identification of mail to ensure that it goes to the correct sorting office in future. Again it is confirmed that none of the delays exceeded three days between signing and receipt.

  I hope this is helpful.

  Paternity Leave
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what plans he has to arrange paternity leave for fathers upon the birth of a baby to their wife; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  None. Matters such as this are best dealt with by agreement between the parties concerned, taking account of their particular circum-stances.

  Labour Statistics
  Sir Michael Neubert
  To ask the Secretary of State for employment how many people in the United Kingdom are in work, as a percentage of the total population of working age; and what information he has as to the figure in each other EC country.

  Miss Widdecombe
  The available information is as follows:552

  Total employment as a percentage of the population aged 15 to 64; 19911

  Per cent.

  Denmark

  76

  Portugal

  71

  United Kingdom

  69

  Germany

  65

  Netherlands

  63

  Luxembourg

  61

  France

  60

  Belgium

  57

  Italy

  56

  Greece

  55

  Ireland

  52

  Spain

  49

  Source: OECD, except United Kingdom (Employment Department).

  1 1991 is the latest year for which comparable data are available.

  Poly Aluminium Chloride
  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what regulations exist laying down safety standards for the production and handling of poly aluminium chloride and aluminium chlorohydrate.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1992 require employers to make appropriate arrangements to control risks to the health and safety of their employees whilst they are at work. In addition, where there are specific risks from the production, handling or other use of chemical substances, the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 1988—COSHH—will apply. These include requirements for exposure to these compounds to be prevented or, where this is not reasonably practicable, adequately controlled.

  Industrial Relations
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what guidelines he has issued to large companies concerning their responsibilities under the provisions of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992.

  Miss Widdecombe
  The statutory procedure for handling redundancies, originally enacted in the Employment Protection Act 1975, was incorporated into the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidated) Act in October 1992. The provisions are explained in the Employment Department's leaflet "Redundancy Consultation and Notification". Information and advice is also available from the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS).

  Memory Lane Cakes, Cardiff
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) what representations he has received concerning the announced redundancies at Memory Lane Cakes, Maesycoed road, Cardiff;

  (2) what notification he received from Memory Lane Cakes, Maesycoed road, Cardiff, under the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992, concerning redundancies over the Christmas and new year period.

  Miss Widdecombe
  Information given to the Department under the redundancy handling provisions is provided in confidence.
  553

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Data Protection
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether he will make arrangements for the Data Protection Registrar to inspect relevant contracts with suppliers of information technology services that involve the use of personal data held by his Department in order to check whether all appropriate arrangements in relation to the Data Protection Act 1984 have been made, and whether such contracts make provisions for the registrar to make random inspections in order to check the suppliers' compliance with the eighth data protection principle.

  Mr. Scott
  The Data Protection Registrar has a wide range of powers, under the Data Protection Act 1984, to ensure that all individuals and organisations holding personal data on computer systems are registered and observe the data protection principles as required by the Act. When IT services are contracted out by a data user, the contractor and the user will be subject to the application of the data protection principles, and to the registrar's powers to promote compliance with them, as provided for in the Act. It is for the registrar to decide how he will use his powers under the Act, and I do not consider that any further arrangements are necessary for him to discharge his duties effectively.

  Child Support Agency
  Mr. Spellar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the level of benefit savings achieved in 1992–93 when the child support unit was acting as a shadow agency taking responsibility for the collection of existing child maintenance.

  Mr. Burt
  The child support unit achieved benefit savings of £313 million.

  Mr. Spellar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how the Child Support Agency takes into consideration for housing expenditure loans which have been taken out in order to provide handicapped accommodation.

  Mr. Burt
  Where a loan is taken out to purchase a property, the interest and capital repayments are taken into account in calculating the parent's essential expenditure. If the parent or his partner is disabled, there is no upper limit to the amount allowed. The costs of a loan are also allowed where it is taken out for improvements to a property which a child support officer considers reasonable in the circumstances.

  Mr. Spellar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what consideration has been given to introducing a level of disregard of income from invalidity benefit and disabled living allowance for Child Support Agency assessments.

  Mr. Burt
  Disability living allowance, which recognises the special care and mobility needs of disabled people, is disregarded in full in the assessment of child maintenance. Invalidity benefit, which is payable to people who have been incapable of work for more than 28 weeks through illness, is taken into account in the same way as net earnings would be if the parent were working.
  554
  Our proposed increase in the "protected income" provided for in the assessment of child support maintenance liability means that an absent parent whose only source of income is invalidity benefit will not be required to pay maintenance.

  Mr. Mudie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many copies of "The Proposed Changes to Child Support Maintenance" were published; when they were printed; and at what cost.

  Mr. Burt
  Five hundred thousand copies of "The Proposed Changes to Child Support Maintenance" were published. These were printed at the beginning of January at a total cost of £21,691—zero VAT.

  Students (Council Tax)
  Mrs. Anne Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the annual cost of making students eligible for council tax benefit.

  Mr. Burt
  The vast majority of students are not liable for council tax because they live in student-only accommodation, such as halls of residence, which is exempt for council tax purposes. Only a minority of students will be liable for council tax where they share accommodation with people who are not also students. Many of them are currently able to claim help through council tax benefit if they are vulnerable students, for example, lone parents and disabled students, or part-time students. Council tax benefit can also be claimed by the partners of students and any liable student may claim second adult rebates if he or she satisfies the normal conditions of entitlement.

  No information is held about the number of students who are liable for council tax but are not eligible to claim council tax benefit and it is not possible, therefore, to estimate the additional cost of allowing all students access to council tax benefit.

  Year of Older People
  Mr. Bowden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what contribution his Department made to the European Year of Older People and Solidarity between Generations in terms of financial support, practical support for particular events and the provision of information.

  Mr. Hague
  We have worked closely with the Department of Health, which had overall co-ordinating responsibility for the year. We provided a total of £79,000 to support the funding for the year, together with an officer on secondment to the secretariat at an approximate cost of £11,000. Officials have sat as members of both the European Community and the United Kingdon advisory committees to oversee the varied programme of events. The Benefits Agency produced a new client group leaflet to inform older pensioners and their carers of their benefits rights as part of its continuing improved customer care provisions for older people and, working with the voluntary sector, organised a co-ordinated programme of information activities nationwide.
  555

  Disability
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what steps he is taking to ensure that moneys, not taken up by applications to the independent living fund 1993 in the current financial year, will still be earmarked for the living expenses of severely disabled people.

  Mr. Scott
  The independent living—1993—fund receives a grant in aid from the Department of Social Security and the Department of Health and Social Services in Northern Ireland.

  Payments to the fund are made on a monthly basis according to the most recent estimates of its present and future commitments.

  Normal Government accounting rules apply to any unallocated provision.

  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people are in receipt of each component of(a) disability living allowance and (b) attendance allowance in the Doncaster area.

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

  Benefit Administration
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what assessment he has made of the administration from Northern Ireland of Department of Social Security benefits to Doncaster; if this procedure is currently under review; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Burt
  No social security benefits for people in Doncaster are administered from Northern Ireland.

  Retirement Pensioners
  Mr. Bowden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his best estimate of the number of people who draw their state retirement pension while continuing to work.

  Mr. Hague
  it is estimated that approximately 663,000 people in the United Kingdom receiving state retirement pension also have income from earnings.

  Source: 1990 and 1991 family expenditure surveys.

  Mr. Bowden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the number of pensioners who will not receive the full 50p and 70p increases in the pension in compensation for VAT on fuel because they neither qualify for a full state pension nor claim income-related benefits.

  Mr. Hague
  The information is not available in the form requested.

  Housing Benefit expenditure and recipients

  Ealing

  London

  England

  Expenditure £ millions

  Cases 000s

  Expenditure £ millions

  Cases 000s

  Expenditure £ millions

  Cases 000s

  1988–89

  24

  16

  683

  553

  3,099

  3,228

  1989–90

  36

  18

  821

  524

  3,518

  3,122

  1990–91

  42

  19

  1,062

  553

  4,269

  3,214

  1991–92

  69

  17

  1,468

  595

  5,418

  3,368

  Notes:

  Expenditure figures have been rounded to the nearest million.

  Caseload figures are averages and rounded to the nearest thousand. They also include estimates for non-responding authorities.

  Information is supplied for rent rebate and rent allowance cases only—rate rebate cases are excluded from the figures for 1988–89 and 1989–90.
  556
  At 31 March 1993, 937,610 retirement pensioners resident in Great Britain received a pension at less than the standard rate, 135,940 of whom were in receipt of income support, and both benefits were paid by a combined order book.

  Information regarding the number receiving income support and retirement pension at less than standard rate where payment is made separately is not available.

  Information regarding the number receiving retirement pension at less than standard rate and an income-related benefit other than income support is not available.

  Mr. Bowden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his best estimate of the number of people who retire from paid employment each year.

  Mr. Hague
  The information is not available.

  Mr. Bowden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will give the proportion of(a) men and (b) women who deferred drawing their state pension in each year since 1988 for which figures are available.

  Mr. Hague
  The information is not available in the form requested.

  The table shows the estimated percentage of men aged 65 to 69 and women aged 60 to 64 in Great Britain who were not in receipt of retirement pension, invalidity benefit or widow's benefit in the years 1988 to 1993. Included in the percentage figures are those who did not have underlying entitlement to retirement pension and therefore were not deferring drawing state pension.

  Year

  Percentage of men aged 65–69 in Great Britain not in receipt of Retirement Pension or Invalidity Benefit

  Percentage of women aged 60–64 not in receipt of Retirement Pension, Invalidity Benefit or Widow's Benefit

  1988

  6

  26

  1989

  6

  28

  1990

  2

  26

  1991

  3

  25

  1992

  3

  24

  1993

  2

  23

  Housing Benefit
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how much is paid in housing benefit, to how many households, each year in(a) Ealing, (b) London and (c) England; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Burt
  The available information is in the tables.
  557
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many(a) 16-year-olds and (b) 17-year-olds currently receive housing benefit in the Doncaster area; and what percentage this represents of those in receipt of housing benefit.

  Mr. Burt
  The information is not available.

  Housing Allowance
  Mr. Robert Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the maximum amount of weekly housing allowance paid to a single unemployed person in London.

  Mr. Burt
  From a 1 per cent. sample of cases, the maximum weekly amount of housing benefit found in 1992 in London, where the claimant was single and unemployed, was £134·21.

  Notes:

  (i) The data has been obtained from a 1 per cent. sample of cases, therefore, the figure is the maximum in the sample and the highest amount payable may not have been included.

  (ii) "Housing Allowance" has been assumed to mean housing benefit.

  (iii) "Unemployed" has been defined as those in receipt of unemployment benefit.

  (iv) "London" has been defined as the inner and outer London boroughs.

  Data Sources:

  The housing benefit and community charge benefit management information system and the income support annual statistical inquiry. The enquiries are a 1 per cent. sample of cases in Great Britain in May 1992.

  Fuel Bills
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list by location, for each of his Department's properties in the Doncaster area, the annual fuel heating bills by year for the last four years.

  Mr. Burt
  Information is not available in the form requested. Such information as is available is in the table.

  Annual fuel bills for DSS offices in Doncaster

  Year

  Amount £

  Doncaster District Office

  1990–91

  19,515·17

  (Castle House)

  1991–92

  20,464·16

  1992–93

  18,812·07

  Doncaster Branch Office

  1990–91

  15,940·80

  (St. Peters House)

  1991–92

  15,274·41

  1992–93

  16,811·42

  Doncaster Medical

  1990–91

  178·66

  Examination Centre

  1991–92

  202·87

  1992–93

  200·12

  Doncaster Medical

  1990–91

  1,506·37

  Adjudication Centre

  1991–92

  1,694·74

  1992–93

  2,084·30

  Thorne Caller Office

  This is a building jointly occupied and as the Department is the minor occupier no figures are available.

  Notes:

  1. Prior to April 1991, fuel and utility charges for the Government estate were met by the Property Services Agency and details are,
  558
  therefore, not held by this Department.

  2. Fuel bills include a range of energy use, such as hot water, lighting and air conditioning and it is therefore not possible to identify the heating element of each bill.

  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish for each service that has been market tested in his Department in 1993(a) the cost of the testing process, including consultancy costs, (b) the result of the test, (c) the name of the successful contractor, (d) the value and duration of the contract, (e) the number of staff involved, (f) estimated annual cost reductions and (g) whether the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 1981 were deemed to apply.

  Mr. Scott
  This Department is currently analysing the outcome of the 1992–1993 "Competing for Quality" programme with the efficiency unit in the Cabinet Office. Much of the information requested in the question will, once it has been finalised, be published in aggregate form in the "Citizen's Charter Second Report". On an individual contract basis, much of the information is commercially confidential.

  Family Benefit
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his current estimate of eligible households in the Doncaster area which do not claim family benefit; what means are used to improve the take-up rate; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Burt
  Take-up figures for family credit are not available on a regional basis. The latest estimates for take-up of family credit for Great Britain for 1991 are that 64 per cent of families eligible to receive the benefit were claiming it, and that 71 per cent of available benefit was being claimed.1As at 24 December 1993, 2,876 families in Doncaster were receiving family credit.

  There have been family credit advertising campaigns every year since 1989 which have stimulated claims and increased awareness. Over this period, the case load has increased from 280,000 in 1989 to around half a million now. The 1993 campaign was aimed at helping the unemployed understand how in-work benefits could help them to return to work. We have introduced special fast track procedures for people just starting work which enable the vast majority of urgent claims to family credit to be cleared, and payment issued, within one week. These special arrangements, in both employment and DSS local offices, help with completing the claim form and ensure that people starting work are aware of family credit. The family credit helpline, launched in April 1993, receives over 30,000 calls a week.

  A continuing aspect of family credit awareness is the personalised message in the child benefit order book—or notification of automatic credit transfer payment—which tells the family concerned how much income they can have and still be eligible for family credit. A further stimulus to take-up of small amounts is the introduction from October 1993 of lump sum awards of family credit for awards of £4 a week or less. This provides one-off payments of up to £104, encouraging more people to claim and helping with back-to-work expenses.

  Note:

  1 "Families, Work and Benefits"—Policy Studies Institute, June 1993.
  559

  Bed-and-Breakfast Accommodation, London
  Mr. Robert Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people claiming unemployment benefit are living in bed-and-breakfast accommodation in each of the London boroughs; and what are the costs to the Exchequer at the latest available date.

  Mr. Burt
  The information requested is not available.

  Raynaud's Disease
  Mr. Nigel Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what specific help with increased heating and fuel bills will be available to those with Raynaud's disease after the imposition of VAT on fuel.

  Mr. Burt
  Those with Raynaud's disease may be entitled to receive any of the wide range of social security benefits which are available, subject to individual circumstances. Details of the extra help in respect of VAT on domestic fuel were given in reply to the hon. Member for Gainsborough and Horncastle (Mr. Leigh) on 30 November 1993 at columns 437–38.

  Unemployment Benefit
  Mr. Khabra
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list by parliamentary constituency in London the number of people who will be affected by the decision to reduce the entitlement to unemployment benefit from 12 months to six months.

  Mr. Burt
  Information on the rates of benefit received by unemployed people residing in a particular parliamentary constituency is not available and no estimate can be made of the numbers in each London constituency who may be affected by the introduction of jobseeker's allowance in April 1996.

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what information he has on the numbers of(a) males and (b) females leaving the unemployment register in the latest statistically convenient recent time period (i) because of loss of unemployment benefit without succeeding to eligibility for income support while remaining without work and (ii) loss of eligibility for income support due to spouse finding work.

  Mr. Burt
  The information requested is not available.

TRANSPORT

  Supplementary Grant
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will list for each(a) county council, (b) metropolitan district and (c) London borough a summary of the transport supplementary grant made available for each of the past five years, broken down into (i) committed major schemes (gross), (ii) newly supported major schemes, (iii) bridge works, (iv) principal roads carriageways, (v) local safety schemes, (vi) packages, (vii) scheme specific, including bus priority, (viii) bus priority alone, (ix) minor works, (x) European regional development fund schemes and (xi) Industrial Development Act schemes;
  560
  (2) if he will list for each (a) county council, (b) metropolitan borough and (c) London borough in England a summary of the transport capital expenditure settlement for local authorities for each of the past five years, broken down into (i) committed major schemes gross, (ii) newly supported major schemes, (iii) bridge works, (iv) principal roads carriageways, (v) local safety schemes, (vi) packages, (vii) scheme specific, including bus priority, (viii) bus priority alone, (ix) minor works, (x) European regional Development fund schemes and (xi) Industrial Development Act schemes.

  Mr. MacGregor
  I am placing the information in the Library. Tables 1 to 5 show the amounts of expenditure accepted for transport supplementary grant under the various categories. Grant is payable at 50 per cent. of accepted expenditure.

  Airport Regulation
  Mr. Haselhurst
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will review the system of economic regulation of airports.

  Mr. Norris
  I have asked officials to review the system of economic regulation of airports established under the Airports Act 1986. This review will include examination of the role of the CAA and MMC, the frequency and cost of reviews of designated airports, and the benefit of any alternative systems. The aim is to produce a discussion paper in spring 1994.

  Christmas Drink-drive Campaign
  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what were the results of the Christmas drink-drive campaign(a) in 1993 and (b) in previous years; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Key
  The results this year show continuing good progress in reducing drink-driving.

  I am very grateful to the police for the excellent support they have given. In England and Wales they conducted nearly 11 per cent more breath tests than in the 1992 Christmas campaign. I am also grateful to all those who supported the campaign through sponsorship or publicity at national and local level.

  Final figures for England and Wales show that the proportion of drivers tested who were over the legal limit was 6·8 per cent., compared with 7·2 per cent. in the 1992 Christmas campaign and 7·9 per cent. in the 1991 campaign. This is a significant reduction, bearing in mind that progress must become more difficult as the problem is reduced.

  It is clear, therefore, that if we are to keep up this rate of progress we must maintain our efforts to get the message across that drinking and driving wrecks lives.

  Light Rapid Transit Schemes
  Mr. Tipping
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the bids for financial assistance for light rapid transit schemes that he is currently considering.

  Mr. Freeman
  Bids for financial assistance for light rapid transit schemes are submitted by local authorities as part of the annual local authority transport expenditure round. The outcome of the 1993 bidding round, covering
  561
  expenditure in 1994–95, was announced on 15 December 1993, Official Report, columns 699–706. Bids for expenditure in 1995–96 will be invited later this year.

  Light rapid transit schemes may be eligible for grant under section 56 of the Transport Act 1968. Applications for section 56 funding are under consideration in respect of light rapid transit schemes in Birmingham—Midland Metro—Leeds—Leeds Supertram—and Nottingham—Greater Nottingham light rapid transit.

  Mr. Tipping
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what budget provision he has to support light rapid transit schemes in the current and future financial years.

  Mr. Freeman
  There is no budget provision specifically reserved for light rapid transit schemes. Future

  (£ million)

  1988–89 and 1989–90

  1990–91

  1991–92

  1992–93

  11993–94

  Manchester Metrolink

  Credit approval

  16·88

  31·25

  23·00

  6·00

  —

  Grant

  5·88

  27·68

  20·75

  1·75

  —

  Midland Metro

  Credit approval

  —

  —

  0·75

  3·46

  —

  Grant

  —

  —

  0·40

  0·44

  —

  SY Supertram

  Credit approval

  —

  8·70

  14·10

  22·60

  35·30

  Grant

  1·10

  2·95

  6·40

  20·50

  14·50

  1 Original allocation subject to adjustment in the course of the year.

  As part of the local authority transport settlement announced on 15 December 1993, Official Report, columns 699–706, we have made further provision of £54·71 million for the funding of South Yorkshire supertram in 1994–95.

  Vehicle Excise Duty
  Mr. Andrew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to cut the amount of uncollected vehicle excise duty.

  Mr. Key
  The number of VED evaders brought to book has steadily increased in recent years following the implementation of the recommendations of an efficiency scrutiny, the introduction of new technology, and the continuing programme of joint local campaigns with the police. Last year over 435,000 evaders were penalised with £37·5 million in revenue recovered. In addition, an estimated 180,000 evaders relicensed as a direct result of enforcement action, recovering an extra £14 million. This trend is set to continue.

  Mr. Andrew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many convictions there were in each of the last 10 years in respect of non-payment of vehicle excise duty.

  Mr. Key
  The figures for successful prosecutions and out of court settlements are set out in the table.

  Out of court settlements

  Successful prosecutions

  Total cases successfully completed

  1984–85

  123,000

  167,000

  290,000

  1985–86

  136,000

  179,000

  315,000

  1986–87

  159,000

  186,000

  345,000

  1987–88

  173,000

  183,000

  356,000

  562
  proposals for funding of such schemes will be considered as part of the package approach to local transport expenditure.

  Mr. Tipping
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the light rapid transit schemes to which he has made financial contributions; and if he will detail the total amount contributed and the amount paid in each financial year.

  Mr. Freeman
  The Government have made funding available for the Manchester Metrolink and South Yorkshire Supertram schemes, and for some preliminary expenditure in connection with Midland Metro. The figures are as follows:

  Out of court settlements

  Successful prosecutions

  Total cases successfully completed

  1988–89

  185,000

  187,000

  372,000

  1989–90

  190,000

  180,000

  370,000

  1990–91

  223,000

  163,000

  386,000

  1991–92

  243,000

  177,000

  420,000

  1992–93

  242,000

  193,000

  435,000

  11993–94

  237,000

  213,000

  450,000

  1 Projected.

  Mr. Andrew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many staff, and how much staff time, was invested in tackling non-payment of vehicle excise duty in each of the last 10 years.

  Mr. Key
  The staff figures, expressed in man years, are as follows:

  Man years

  1984–85

  900

  1985–86

  908

  1986–87

  943

  1987–88

  973

  1988–89

  975

  1989–90

  973

  1990–91

  983

  1991–92

  936

  1992–93

  957

  1993–94

  992

  Mr. Andrew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is his estimate of the amount of vehicle excise duty uncollected in each of the last 10 years; and what estimates he has made for the current and future years.
  563
  Mr. Key
  Estimates of the revenue loss through evasion of vehicle excise duty in Great Britain are as follows:

  Revenue loss £ million

  Car VED rate £

  1984–85

  80

  90

  1985–86

  85

  100

  1986–87

  90

  100

  1987–88

  95

  100

  1988–89

  100

  100

  1989–90

  105

  100

  1990–91

  105

  100

  1991–92

  105

  100

  1992–93

  130

  110

  1993–94

  145

  125

  130

  Estimates are derived from periodic roadside surveys. Details of the most recent survey can be obtained from the transport statistics report "Vehicle Excise Duty Evasion in Great Britain in 1989–90", which is available in the House of Commons Library. The next survey is planned for later this year.

  Airports (Baggage Reconciliation)
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish a table showing the names of all airports in the United Kingdom where trials on potential baggage reconciliation technology have taken place over the past five years, or are currently taking place, the date on which each trial commenced and was completed, the nature of the technology involved, the company undertaking the trial, the commissioning organisation for each trial, and whether the results of the trial were published or made available to his Department; and if he will place details of the trials in the Library.

  Mr. Norris
  Though the Department of Transport has stated its requirements for baggage reconciliation, known as accounting and authorising for carriage, it is not the commissioning agent for trials of baggage reconciliation technology as its requirements can be met in a number of ways. Technology trials are therefore conducted as a result of commercial arrangements between airports, airlines, handling agents and the suppliers of baggage reconciliation systems. To the Department's knowledge, such trials have taken place or are under way at Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted and Manchester airports, and there may be or may have been trials at other locations.

  For reasons of commercial confidentiality and security, the Department is not able to provide the details requested of the trials without the consent of those involved.

  Chelmsford Bypass
  Mr. Burns
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects work to begin on widening the A12 Chelmsford bypass; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Key
  Subject to the present review of the trunk road programme we hope to consult the public about our proposals for widening the A12 Chelmsford bypass later this year. Further progress will depend on the successful outcome of subsequent statutory procedures and the availability of funds.
  564

ENVIRONMENT

  Franchise Rights
  Ms Short
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will make a statement on the role of local authorities in the operation of markets;

  (2) what plans he has to abolish market franchise rights.

  Mr. Curry
  The Deregulation Bill published today includes provision for the abolition of the rights of local authorities which own market franchises to object to any proposal to establish a new market within a six-mile radius of their own.

  Ms Short
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will meet representatives of the National Association of British Market Authorities to discuss the abolition of market franchise rights.

  Mr. Curry
  Ministers will be happy to meet representatives of this association to discuss our proposals for legislation on this issue.

  Ms Short
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many responses his Department has received in response to the consultative paper on market franchise rights; how many of the responses were in favour of the proposal and how many opposed; and if he will place them in the Library.

  Mr. Curry
  The Government have received a total of 2,322 individual responses to this consultation document, of which 273 supported our proposal. The categories of responses received and the numbers in each category were as follows:

  Support

  Oppose

  Neutral

  Local authorities

  8

  174

  2

  Market traders

  240

  1,568

  —

  Others (including consumer groups and private individuals)

  25

  340

  8

  Copies of the responses from those bodies that agreed that their comments could be made public will be deposited in the Library as soon as possible.

  Mr. Corbett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will list the names of the organisations which responded to the consultation paper of 16 August on market franchise rights;

  (2) if he will place in the Library copies of responses to the Government's consultation paper of 16 August on market franchise rights;

  (3) how many responses he has received in response to the consultation paper of 16 August on market franchise rights; how many supported the proposal; and how many opposed it;

  (4) if he will meet representatives of the National Association of British Market Authorities before he comes to a conclusion on the future of market franchise rights;

  (5) if it is his intention to include the future of market franchise rights in the forthcoming Deregulation and Contracting Out Bill.

  Mr. Curry
  [holding answer 16 December 1993]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Ladywood (Ms Short).
  565

  North Circular Road (Land Contamination)
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what account he took when he issued exchange land certificates in November 1990 for land on and immediately adjoining one of the exchange land sites for the north circular road east of Falloden way, of a report commissioned in 1988 by Barnet council on the contamination of the land; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Atkins
  The 1988 report is unknown to both my Department and the Department of Transport. A small area of contamination was discovered in June 1993 during preparation of the land to be given in exchange for land required for the trunk road improvement between east of Falloden way and east of high road, Finchley. As a result, the whole site was systematically tested. The Department of Transport has sent the report of the test, including recommendations for the treatment of the land, to the London borough of Barnet and its response is awaited. The treatment of the exchange land for the adjacent improvement of the trunk road at Regents Park road is the subject of negotiations with the borough.

  Habitats and Species Directive
  Mr. Denham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the dates of the meetings planned by his Department with the statutory nature conservation advisers Scottish National Heritage, the Countryside Council for Walks and English Nature on the subject of the transposition of the EC habitats and species directive; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Atkins
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Southwark and Bermondsey (Mr. Hughes) by my hon. Friend the then Minister for the Environment and Countryside, on 16 December 1993,Official Report, column 821.

  Biodiversity
  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many countries had by 29 December 1993 ratified the biodiversity convention drawn up at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development.

  Mr. Atkins
  On the basis of notifications to the United Nations legal office in New York, 38 countries and the EC had ratified the biodiversity convention by 29 December 1993.

  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when the United Kingdom will ratify the Rio summit's biodiversity convention.

  Mr. Atkins
  We have made it clear that we intend to ratify the biodiversity convention subject to satisfactory progress towards securing safeguards against our concerns about its financial provisions. We have made some progress towards such safeguards and are considering what further progress can be made before we take a final decision on ratification. In the meantime, we remain fully committed to the aims of the convention as demonstrated by our "Action Plan on Biodiversity", to be published later this month, and by the Darwin initiative.
  566

  Imported Waste
  Mr. Michael Spicer
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what amounts of industrial and household waste were imported during the last 12 months for which information is available; and what quantities of this waste were buried or processed in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Atkins
  The only data available are for hazardous wastes covered by the Transfrontier Shipment of Hazardous Waste Regulations 1988. In the 12 months ending April 1993, the United Kingdom imported 46,948 tonnes of hazardous waste, 98 per cent. of which was imported into England and Wales.

  None of the imported waste was landfilled without treatment. Twenty-four thousand one hundred and eighteen tonnes received some form of treatment to reduce the hazard before landfilling, 19,168 tonnes were incinerated and a further 3,662 received some other form of treatment of which 3,474 tonnes were recovered or reprocessed.

  Radioactive Waste
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has with regard to the disposal of radioactive waste at Lumms lane, Agecroft in Greater Manchester.

  Mr. Atkins
  The only company currently authorised under the Radioactive Substances Act 1960—now 1993 —to dispose of low-level radioactive waste at Lumms lane is Magnesium Elektron Ltd.—MEL—which is authorised to dispose of solid waste to the on-site landfill, liquid waste to the River Irwell and gaseous waste to the atmosphere. Environmental monitoring data are collected from around MEL's landfill site as part of Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution's national environmental monitoring programme. I will arrange for a copy of the annual report of this programme to be made available in the Library of the House.

  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer of 11 January,Official Report, column 6, what deadline has been set for the Radioactive Waste Management Advisory Committee to reply on nuclear waste substitution.

  Mr. Atkins
  No deadline has been set for the committee's advice.

  Waste (Brazil)
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has received from the Sao Paulo State Environment Protection Agency in Brazil with regard to the return to the United Kingdom by the Produquimica company of Brazil of a consignment of copper, arsenic and cadmium wastes in December 1993.

  Mr. Atkins
  I presume that the question refers to material exported by London Metals Ltd. to the Produquimica Company in Brazil, which was recently returned to the United Kingdom.

  My Department has received no information or other communication directly from the Sao Paulo State Environment Protection Agency—CETESB. However, information received indirectly may be summarised as follows.
  567
  The Produquimica Company has claimed that it returned the material to the United Kingdom on the grounds that the terms of the original contract had not been fulfilled. CETESB joined in recommending re-export on these grounds: at this stage its own analysis of the cargo was not complete. The shipment left Brazil on 21 December 1993.

  Subsequently, CETESB carried out an analysis of a sample from the cargo, which showed its composition to be largely zinc—44·9 per cent.—with some copper—8·25 per cent.—a substantial amount of moisture—14·3 per cent. —and trace amounts of metals such as cadmium and arsenic—in total about 1 per cent. CETESB concluded that the material should be classified as "ash and residues, principally containing zinc". Under Brazilian regulation No. 138—of 22 December 1992—such residues can be imported into Brazil only after prior authorisation from IBAMA—Federal Environment Agency—and DECEX—Department of Foreign Trade. Produquimica is not registered with IBAMA. CETESB therefore took the view that the import was in breach of this regulation, and formally demanded the return of the cargo to its place of origin. This demand was made only after the shipment had already left Brazil.

  Thorne and Hatfield Moors
  Mr. Kevin Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) when he now expects the agreement between Fisons and English Nature over Thorne and Hatfield moors to be signed;

  (2) what information he has on the legal complexities preventing the signature of the proposed agreement between Fisons and English Nature over the future of Thorne and Hatfield moors.

  Mr. Atkins
  Conveyancing work and other legal matters have been time consuming but conditions associated with the proposed lease back are now mostly resolved. English Nature and Fisons hope to conclude matters shortly.

  Mr. Kevin Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what percentage of the total budget for English Nature was spent on work on Fison's peatlands on Thorne and Hatfield moors in each of the years since 1991;

  (2) how much money was spent by English Nature on work on Fisons' peatlands on Thorne and Hatfield moors in each year since 1991.

  Mr. Atkins
  The information requested, which includes money spent on the Thorne Moors national nature reserve owned by English Nature, is set out:

  Approvals/allocations to co-operative housing associations in greater London 1990–91 to 1994–95

  Approvals/allocations (see note)

  As percentage of total Housing Corporation programme

  £ million

  Units

  £ million

  Units

  1990–91

  18·33

  152

  6·96

  4·06

  1991–92

  20·51

  208

  3·23

  1·94

  1992–93

  9·01

  145

  1·02

  0·79

  1993–94

  4·06

  92

  1·23

  1·29

  1994–95

  2·86

  178

  0·62

  1·38

  Notes:

  For 1990–91 to 1992–93 figures represent approvals, i.e., allocations taken up.

  For 1993–94 and 1994–95 figures are for allocations.
  568

  Year

  Expenditure on work on Thorne and Hatfield moors £

  Percentage of total budget Per cent.

  1991–92

  3,077

  0·01

  1992–93

  70,401

  0·2

  11993–94

  40,148

  0·1

  1 To 11 January 1994.

  Condoms (Pollution)
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of the pollution effects of used condoms discarded into the sewage system.

  Mr. Atkins
  The discharge of used condoms and other sewage-related debris in effluent has unsightly effects. Most of this material is intercepted and dealt with effectively by the sewerage system. Improvements planned for outfalls and treatment works will further reduce this form of pollution.

  Radwell Motorway Services Station
  Mr. Heald
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects the outcome of the planning inquiry into Radwell motorway services station to be announced.

  Mr. Baldry
  The inspector's report into this planning appeal has yet to be received, although I understand it is almost complete.

  Depending on the complexity of an appeal, we normally expect to be able to issue a decision within eight weeks of receipt of a report. In this case, I expect the Secretary of State's decision to be issued by early April.

  Co-operative Housing Associations
  Mr. Raynsford
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish a table showing the allocation of Housing Corporation approvals to cooperative housing associations in London over the financial years 1990–91 to 1994–95, indicating the financial allocation, the number of homes to be created and the proportion of the total programme allocated to cooperatives in each year.

  Sir George Young
  The table below sets out the requested information on allocation of Housing Corporation approvals to co-operative housing associations in London over the financial years 1990–91 to 1994–95. The Housing Corporation also makes significant and increasing allocations to other housing associations for housing which, when developed, will be either owned or managed by co-operative housing associations.
  569

  Local Authorities (Northamptonshire)
  Mr. William Powell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list by local authority in Northamptonshire the total value of asset sales, excluding houses and flats, for each year since 1986–87.

  The value of asset sales, excluding housing, since 1986–87

  £'000

  1986–87

  1987–88

  1988–89

  1989–90

  1990–91

  1991–92

  1992–93

  Northamptonshire CC

  4,143

  6,800

  28,420

  4,767

  8,741

  1,629

  4,815

  Corby

  960

  1,024

  3,464

  4,841

  55

  1,211

  86

  Daventry

  382

  751

  1,295

  3,767

  3,009

  2,106

  2,161

  East Northamptonshire

  6

  626

  195

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Kettering

  321

  9,689

  1,905

  1,479

  409

  981

  374

  Northampton

  122

  175

  332

  21,725

  11,076

  12,368

  146

  South Northamptonshire

  1,357

  7

  9,013

  157

  2

  12

  1900

  Wellingborough

  3,450

  3,668

  9,082

  6,459

  2,275

  480

  2,628

  Source: Local authority returns.

  1 Provisional.

  Waterways
  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list those rivers and waterways recommended by the National Rivers Authority for priority clean-up under the Water Act 1989; and which of these waterways will receive treatment during the next six years.

  Mr. Atkins
  A list of the water quality schemes in England and Wales recommended by the National Rivers Authority has been placed in the Library of the House. These schemes are still under review as part of the wider review of water company investment and charges by the Director General of Water Services.

  Protected Species
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give details of licences issued under section 16 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 to destroy protected species in 1991, 1992 and 1993.

  Mr. Atkins
  Details of licences issued under section 16 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 in respect of wild birds are contained in the reports by the United Kingdom to the European Community on derogation under article 9 of the directive on the conservation of wild birds—79,409/EEC—for the years 1991 and 1992. Figures for 1993 are not yet available. Copies of the derogation report are held in the Library of this House.

  Set out is a table of licences issued in England, Scotland and Wales in 1993, and those issued in Scotland and Wales in 1991 and 1992. The figures for England for those years cannot be provided without disproportionate costs being incurred, as English Nature—the licensing authority—only has manual records prior to 1993.

  Licences under section 16 are also issued by the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, and the Secretaries of State for Scotland and for Wales. I will write to the hon. Member when details are available.
  570
  Mr. Baldry
  The information is given in the table.

  Species

  Number of specimens licensed for taking

  Issed under subsection

  1991

  Rainbow leaf beetle

  small sample

  16(3)(a)

  Killarney fern

  small sample

  16(3)(a) and (c)

  Foxtail stonewort

  small sample

  ditto

  Freshwater pearl mussel

  100

  ditto

  Freshwater pearl mussel

  3 kilos

  16(3)(a)

  Young's helleborine

  1

  16(3)(a) and (c)

  1992

  Crayfish

  100

  16(3)(a)

  Pipistrelle bat

  30

  ditto

  1,000 young

  Allis shad (see note 1)

  100 adults

  ditto

  1,000 young

  Allis shad (see note 1)

  100 adults

  ditto

  Fen orchid

  5

  16(3)(a) and (c)

  Floating water plantain

  small samples

  16(3)(a)

  Spiked speedwell

  100

  ditto

  Killarney fern

  small samples

  16(3)(a) and (c)

  1993

  Medicinal leech

  1

  16(3)(a)

  1,000 young

  Allis shad (see note 1)

  100 adults

  ditto

  1,000 young

  Allis shad (see note 1)

  100 adults

  ditto

  Swallowtail butterfly

  20

  ditto

  Beetles

  2

  ditto

  De Folin's lagoon snail

  40

  ditto

  Natterjack toad eggs/tadpoles

  5,000

  ditto

  Natterjack toad

  50 tadpoles

  ditto

  Natterjack toad tadpoles

  175

  ditto

  Lagoon sandworm

  unknown

  ditto

  Lagoon sand shrimp

  unknown

  ditto

  Starlet sea anemone

  unknown

  ditto

  Lundy cabbages

  10

  ditto

  Floating water plantain

  unknown

  ditto

  Foxtail stonewort

  unknown

  ditto

  Note 1: Licences issued for maximum take over a three-year period

  Imported Building Materials
  Mr. Rooker
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list by value the major 25 imported building materials in the latest year stating the import as a
  571
  percentage of the United Kingdom market; and what were the comparable figures by value and import penetration five years ago.

  Mr. Baldry
  The table gives the estimated value of building materials imported during 1992, the latest year for which comprehensive information is available, together with the equivalent figures for 1988. Reliable information on import penetration will not be available until the information on United Kingdom production has been harmonised with overseas trade using the new PRODCOM classification; the first results of which are expected to be available this autumn.

  £ millions

  1992

  1988

  Sawn and Laminated Wood

  1,050

  1,452

  Builders Ironmongery

  321

  264

  Plastic Sheets and Profiles

  209

  179

  Structural Steel Components

  158

  131

  Electric Wires

  144

  100

  Air Conditioning Units

  122

  102

  Metal Sheets etc.

  116

  111

  Glazed Ceramic Tiles

  116

  107

  Lamps and Fittings

  114

  82

  Central Heating Boilers

  88

  51

  Wooden Doors

  82

  85

  Paints and Varnish

  72

  62

  Steel Tubes and Pipes

  66

  47

  Hardboard and Fibreboard

  64

  57

  Mastics, putty etc.

  62

  36

  Nails, Screws etc.

  56

  52

  Building Stone

  49

  50

  Concrete Reinforcing Bars

  49

  62

  Radiators

  47

  57

  Ordinary Portland Cement

  46

  33

  Structural Aluminium Components

  45

  67

  Plastic Floor Coverings

  43

  41

  Plastic Doors, Windows, Shutters and Fittings

  41

  35

  Mineral Insulating Materials

  35

  37

  Wood Veneers

  32

  46

  Defective Housing
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his Department's estimate of the repair bill to local authority properties designated as defective housing.

  Sir George Young
  That information is not available in the form requested.

  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many(a) local authority and (b) private properties are designated as defective housing.

  Sir George Young
  Local authorities report some 128,000 designated defective dwellings in their ownership, and some 31,000 with private owners eligible for

  Member

  Position

  Dr. Elizabeth Nelson Chairman

  Former Chairman of Taylor Nelson A.G.B. plc.

  Mr. Kenneth Miles Deputy Chairman

  Director General, Incorporated Society of British Advertisers Ltd.

  Mr. Tim Brown

  Information and public relations officer for the National Society for Clean Air and Environmental Protection.

  Professor Roland Clift

  Professor of Environmental Technology and Director of the Centre for Environmental Strategy, University of Surrey.

  572
  assistance under part XVI of the Housing Act 1985. The number of defective dwellings in private ownership but where the owners are ineligible for assistance is not known.

  Public Bodies
  Mr. Kilfoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will name the members currently appointed to the Commission for the New Towns.

  Mr. Baldry
  The current members of the Commission for the New Towns are:

  Sir Neil Shields, MC—Chairman

  Lord Finsberg, MBE—Deputy Chairman

  Lord Bellwin, JP

  Mr. R. B. Caws, CBE

  Mr. F. C. Graves, OBE, DL

  Sir Brian Jenkins, GBE

  Ms W. Luscombe

  Mr. W. J. Mackenzie, OBE

  Mr. M. H. Mallinson

  Lady Marsh

  Sir Gordon Roberts, CBE, JP, DL

  Mr. J. R. Trustram Eve

  Mr. Kilfoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment who are the members currently appointed to the Countryside Commission.

  Mr. Atkins
  The current membership of the Countryside Commission is:

  Sir John Johnson—Chairman

  Mr. David Fletcher

  Mrs. Sarah Ward

  Sir Richard Carew-Pole

  Professor Allan Patmore

  Mrs. Rachel Thomas

  Mr. Rodney Swarbrick

  Lord Denham

  Mr. Kilfoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment who are the members currently appointed to the Advisory Committee on Hazardous Substances.

  Mr. Atkins
  The members currently appointed to the Advisory Committee on Hazardous Substances are:

  Professor P. Calow—Chairman

  Mr. A. Brown, CB

  Dr. D. Ball

  Dr. I. F. Carney

  Mr. P Chave

  Dr. B. Crathorne

  Dr. J. F. Duffus

  Mr. M. Gittins

  Professor T. M. Roberts

  Mr. M. Wadsley

  Mr. R. Young

  Mr. Kilfoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment who are the members currently appointed to the United Kingdom Ecolabelling Board.

  Mr. Atkins
  The current chairman and members of the United Kingdom Ecolabelling Board are:
  573

  Member

  Position

  Ms Anne Foster

  Director of the Scottish Consumer Council.

  Ms Julia Hailes

  Director of Sustainability Ltd., author of "Green Consumer Guide".

  Dr. Keith Humphreys

  Chairman and managing director, Rhone—Poulenc Ltd.

  Ms Pippa Hyam

  Senior Associate, PDA International.

  Mrs. Harriet Kimbell

  Consumer laywer and law lecturer.

  Dr. Melanie Miller

  Expert on environmental and consumer issues working for the Sustainable Agriculture, Food and Environment Alliance.

  Miss Jyoti Munsiff

  Company Secretary, Shell Transport and Trading.

  Mr. Derek Norman

  Director of Environmental Affairs, Pilkington plc.

  Dr. Richard Pugh

  Director, Tesco plc.

  Mr. Lew Scott

  Manufacturing director, Hoover Ltd.

  Miss Catherine Whitehead

  County trading standards officer, Staffordshire county council.

  Mr. Nigel Whitaker

  Executive director, Kingfisher plc.

  Mr. Kilfoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment who are the members currently appointed to the London Docklands development corporation.

  Mr. Baldry
  The members currently appointed to the London Docklands development corporation are:

  Michael Pickard—Chairman

  Lord Cocks—Deputy Chairman

  Viscountess Cobham

  Sir Christopher Foster

  Cllr Janet Ludlow

  Cllr Conor McAuley

  Cllr John McTernan

  Peter Mead

  William Jack

  Eric Sorensen

  Neil Spense

  Mr. Kilfoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment who are the members currently appointed to the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment.

  Mr. Atkins
  The members currently appointed to the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment are:

  Professor J. E. Berigner—Chairman

  Professor E. M. Cooke

  Dr. P. J. Dale

  Dr. A. Garland

  Dr. C. J. Gliddon

  Ms J. Hill

  Dr. J. Kinderlerer

  Mr. J. MacLeod

  Professor D. Onions

  Professor L. Partridge

  Professor N. J. Poole

  Dr. D. J. Robinson

  Mr. Kilfoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment who are the members currently appointed to the Local Government Commission for England.

  Mr. Baldry
  The Local Government Commission currently has 15 members:

  Sir John Banham—Chairman

  David Ansbro

  Professor Michael Chisholm

  Christopher Chope, OBE

  Sir Kenneth Couzens

  Ken Ennals, CB

  574

  Professor Malcolm Grant

  Brian Hill, CBE, DL

  Margaret Hodge, MBE

  Mary Leigh

  Ann Levick

  Robert Scruton

  David Thomas

  Lady Wilcox

  Clive Wilkinson

  Mr. Kilfoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment who are the members currently appointed to each rent assessment panel.

  Sir George Young
  There are approximately 440 members appointed to the 13 rent assessment panels in England. I have arranged for a copy of the most recent list, showing the position at 31 December 1993, to be placed in the Library.

  Mr. Kilfoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the members currently appointed to the British Board of Agrément.

  Mr. Baldry
  The current members of the Board of the British Board of Agrément are:

  Mr. W. J. W. Courtney, CBE—Chairman. Chairman, Southern Water plc

  Dr. P. C. Hewlett, PhD, BSc, CChem, FRSC, FInstCeram, APRI, FInst Conc Tech—Director

  Mr. N. M. Chaldecott, OBE, Director General, National Council of Building Material Producers

  Mr. A. M. Cooper, FCIOB, Hon. FIAS, consultant to the National House Building Council

  Mr. R. F. Gainsford, MITSA, DCA, DMS, assistant chief executive of the local Authorities Co-ordinating Body on Trading Standards (LACOTS)

  Mr. T. Henney, MBE, M Arch(MIT), DA(Edin), RIBA, FRIAS, FCIOB, FBIM, an architect, practising in Edinburgh

  Mr. D. C. Leonard, FCMA, ACIS, managing director of British Gypsum Ltd. and a director of BPB Gypsum Industries Ltd and Westroc Ltd.

  Mr. T. P. O'Brien, MA, BSc. Director, Ove Arup Partnership. Technical Director within the Arup Research and Development

  Dr. A. C. Paterson, CBE, DSc, FEng, FICE, FIMechE, FIStructE, consultant partner, Bullen and Partners, consulting engineers

  Mr. A. J. Peach, MCIM, JP, former marketing director and now a non-executive Director of Catnic Ltd.

  Mr. D. W Quinion, BSc, FEng, FICE, FIStructE, consultant to Tarmac Construction

  575

  Mr. C. A. Rackliffe, FIBC, building control manager, Waverley borough council

  Miss P. R. Tindale, architect, chairperson of the HNBC RIBA housing design awards and a trustee of he Building Conservation Trust

  Mr. J. W Turner, CBE, FCIOB, former chairman of the Building Regulations Advisory Committee. Former chairman, E Turner and Sons Ltd, building contractors, Cardiff. Past president of Building Employers Confederation and Concrete Society

  Mr. C. A Wilson, MA DA(Manc), Dip Arch, RIBA, MRTPI, director of development, Lancaster city council

  Mr. Kilfoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment who are the members currently appointed to the Letchworth garden city corporation.

  Mr. Baldry
  The constitution of the Letchworth garden city corporation makes provision for a board of six members. Four—including the chairman—are appointed by the Secretary of State for the Environment, one by North Hertfordshire district council and one by Hertfordshire county council. The current members of the board are as follows:

  E. Lyall, CBE—(Chairman)

  A. R. Atherton, CB

  P. W. Harkness

  P. E. McMenemy

  Mrs. L. A. Needham

  F. Peacock

  EC Environment Strategy
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the implications for United Kingdom environment policy of the environment strategy released by the Greek presidency of the European Union.

  Mr. Atkins
  We welcome the announcement that the Greek presidency intends to encourage measures to prevent environmental damage and improve the quality of life and look forward to discussing more detailed proposals in the coming months.

  Urban Development Corporations
  Mr. Byers
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much has been spent by each urban development corporation since their inception on acquiring land and buildings; and what money has been received by each urban development corporation for the sale of land and buildings.

  Mr. Baldry
  Expenditure and receipts in respect of the acquisition and sale of land and buildings for each urban development corporation from inception until 31 March 1993 are as follows:

  Expenditure (£ million)

  Receipts (£ million)

  Bristol1

  26·911

  2·709

  Black Country2

  86·119

  4·946

  Birmingham Heartlands

  3·311

  —

  Central Manchester

  13·224

  0·608

  Leeds

  23·918

  5·909

  London Docklands

  168·000

  319·000

  Merseyside

  37·711

  8·745

  Sheffield

  34·348

  1·167

  Teesside

  63·004

  36·683

  Trafford Park

  49·898

  10·462

  Tyne and Wear

  37·758

  7·603

  1 Includes £10,332 million expenditure for the Bristol spine road.

  2 Includes £15,449 million expenditure for the black country spine road, and £6,099 million for open space.

  576

  Council Housing
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many council leaseholders there are in each local authority.

  Sir George Young
  Information on the number of council leaseholders in each local authority is not held centrally.

  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the total number of applications for council housing now held by local authorities in England.

  Sir George Young
  Local authorities provide information on the numbers of households on their council housing waiting lists on their annual housing investment programme—HIP1—returns.

  At 1 April 1993, the latest date for which figures are available, a total of 1,208,800 households were reported as being on council housing waiting lists in England.

  Homelessness
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what discussions his Department has had with the Department of Health on the progress of the homeless mentally ill initiative; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir George Young
  Officials of my Department meet with those of the Department of Health from time to time to discuss issues relating to the homeless mentally ill initiative, and in particular the contribution which the Housing Corporation is able to make to the provision of move-on accommodation.

  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many homeless people are estimated to have used each of the cold weather shelters so far this winter.

  Sir George Young
  As part of the rough sleepers initiative, the Government are funding seven cold weather shelters this winter, providing a total of 353 places until 31 March 1994 for people who would otherwise sleep rough on the streets of central London, as follows:

  Location

  Bedspaces

  Managing organisation

  Male

  Female

  St. John Street, EC1

  76

  15

  English Churches Housing Group

  Tudor Street, EC4

  30

  —

  Salvation Army

  Albert Street, NW1

  —

  25

  Camden Borough Council

  Soho Square, W1

  20

  20

  Centrepoint Soho

  Page Street, SW1

  60

  10

  St. Mungo's Association

  Tooley Street, SE1

  50

  10

  Crisis

  John Street, WC1

  26

  11

  Riverpoint

  The shelters have had high occupancy rates since they opened early in December. On the night of Thursday 13 January, 313 bedspaces were occupied. More detailed information about the people using the shelters will become available from reports which the managing organisations are due to send to the Department by 31 May 1994.

  Lambeth Council
  Mr. Fraser
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has now received the audited accounts of Lambeth council's direct labour trading divisions; and
  577
  what conclusions he has reached as to whether each of those divisions shall continue to provide services to the local authority.

  Mr. Baldry
  The London borough of Lambeth has provided my right hon. Friend with accounts relating to the council's direct labour organisations—DLOs. These cover the financial year ending 31 March 1993 and earlier years, going back in the case of some activities to 1985–86.

  The accounts have been certified by the authority's internal auditors but await certification by the district auditor. The internal auditor has qualified some of the accounts in respect of matters already made public in reports issued by the authority's former chief executive and the district auditor.

  The accounts were specifically required as a result of directions given, on 23 July 1993 by my right hon. Friend, under section 19B of the Local Government, Planning and Land Act 1980 and section 14 of the Local Government Act 1988.

  Subject to any changes which might be required by the district auditor the accounts show that the following defined activities met any necessary financial objectives; sports and leisure management, welfare catering, other cleaning, refuse collection and street cleaning, building cleaning, and grounds maintenance.

  Losses were made in relation to general highways work. Under the terms of the relevant direction, the authority must cease carrying out the work, except for work of an emergency nature, snow clearance and gritting, as from 1 April 1994. Losses were also made on new construction work. The authority has now ceased to carry out such work.

  Heavy losses have also been recorded for building maintenance work. The relevant direction already required work to be retendered by 1 April 1994 and my right hon. Friend's consent will be required before any new building maintenance work can be awarded to the authority's own DLO.

  Lambeth has been notified of my right hon. Friend's views on these matters.

  Protected Tenancies
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many households have protected tenancies in(a) Ealing, (b) London and (c) England.

  Sir George Young
  There is no information available centrally on the number of protected tenancies in Ealing. Provisional estimates from the first half year of data collection from the new survey of English housing are that in 1993 there were around 70,000 protected tenancies in Greater London and 350,000 in England.

  Central Heating
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list for each district council in England(a) the number of houses without central heating and (b) the proportion of the area's housing stock such homes constitute.

  Mr. Baldry
  Information on the number of houses without central heating in each district is not available. The number of households without central heating in each district can be found in Office of Population Censuses and Surveys, General Register Office for Scotland,"1991
  578
  Census, Housing and Availability of Cars, Great Britain", London: HMSO, 1993—table 3, Housing characteristics —copies of which are in the Library.

  Home Energy Efficiency Scheme
  Mr. Robert Ainsworth
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many low-income households will have received assistance under the home energy efficiency scheme programme by 2000; and how many low-income households will remain unassisted at that date at the current level of funding.

  Mr. Atkins
  On current plans the total number of households receiving grants under the home energy efficiency scheme—HEES—in the United Kingdom is expected to be almost half a million a year in the three years from 1 April 1994. Because Government expenditure plans for later years have yet to be agreed, it is not possible to make a firm estimate of the number of households which will receive assistance by the year 2000.

  Nor can a realistic estimate be made of the number of households which will remain unassisted in the year 2000. The number will depend not only on the numbers of households eligible for and assisted under HEES. It will reflect the number of households which already have basic insulation measures and those which will be insulated by the year 2000, either by householders themselves or through the other schemes which are improving energy efficiency.

  Housing Management
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the maximum number of local authorities' properties that can be included in proposed compulsory competitive tendering of housing management packages.

  Sir George Young
  The local government Acts do not set limits for contract sizes for compulsory competitive tendering. We have indicated that we would not normally expect comprehensive area-based housing management contracts in large authorities to exceed 5,000 dwellings. It would, however, be acceptable good practice for small authorities with up to 7,500 dwellings to proceed on the basis of one contract, provided that reasonable competition can be secured.

  Environment Council
  Mr. Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Langbaurgh (Mr. Bates), of 17 December 1993,Official Report, column 1106, what was the voting record of each member state on (a) the packaging directive and (b) the UN framework convention on climate change.

  Mr. Atkins
  The common position on the packaging directive was agreed by qualified majority vote without the agreement of Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands. As my hon. Friend the Member of Suffolk, South (Mr. Yeo) stated in the answer he gave on 17 December last, although the United Kingdom strongly supports Community ratification of the climate change convention, we abstained on the formal resolution because of doubts about the choice of legal base.
  579

  Local Government Commission
  Mr. Tipping
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether it is his intention that in an area reviewed by the Local Government Commission short-term start-up costs will be offset by future savings.

  Mr. Baldry
  We have said on our guidance to the commission that change to the structure of local government should be worthwhile and cost-effective over time. Cost-effectiveness cannot be measured purely in financial terms, but for most review areas we would expect structural change to produce financial savings.

  Mr. Tipping
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether the Local Government Commission is precluded from recommending an option which results in transitional costs which are not offset by future savings.

  Mr. Baldry
  The policy guidance which we issued to the commission in November 1993 provides that the commission"is not precluded from recommending an option which would be marginally more expensive than the status quo if the extra cost would be outweighed by other considerations."

  Mr. Tipping
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) how any net transitional or ongoing costs are to be met in areas reviewed by the Local Government Commission if future ongoing savings are not identified;

  (2) how the additoinal ongoing costs in respect of options, put forward by the Local Government Commission in areas reviewed, which are more expensive than the status quo, are to be met by the new local authorities.

  Mr. Baldry
  We expect recommendations which would be more expensive than the status quo, or which would not lead to ongoing savings, to be the exception. We shall look at the issue of any additional ongoing costs in the light of particular recommendations. We are currently considering the treatment in years after 1994–95 of all aspects of transitional costs.

  Waterlogged Soil
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what consultations he has had with the Housebuilders Federation, the Council of Mortgage Lenders, the National Federation of Housing Associations and local authority associations concerning the implications for housing and planning policies of the confirmation

  Local Government, Planning and Land Act 1980

  Local Government Act 1988

  Compulsory Competitive Tendering Statutory Action Bulletin England

  4th Quarter 1993 (October—December)

  4th quarter 1993

  Total for 1993

  Total from January 1989

  Notices served relating to anti-competitive behaviour

  3

  20

  57

  Calderdale MBC—Ground Maintenance

  Harrow LB—Other Catering

  Langbaurgh on Tees BC—Ground Maintenance

  Notices served relating to financial failure

  0

  80

  88

  Nil

  Directions given relating to anti-competitive behaviour

  3

  12

  30

  Birmingham CC—Building Maintenance

  Bradford MDC—Highways and Sewers

  Warrington BC—Ground Maintenance

  580
  of the positive correlation between winter waterlogging of soils and the level of infant mortality; and what further action he proposes to take.

  Mr. Atkins
  None.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what consultations he has had with the chairman of the National Rivers Authority on the relationship between the level of infant mortality and winter waterlogging of soils; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Atkins
  None.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proposals he has for commissioning research into the positive relationship between winter waterlogging of soils and higher levels of infant mortality.

  Mr. Atkins
  My Department has no plans to commission such research.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on land drainage policy in relation to the effect of winter waterlogging on the level of infant mortality.

  Mr. Atkins
  Land drainage policy is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.

  Compulsory Competitive Tendering
  Mr. Heald
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will issue the latest details about statutory action taken against local authorities in relation to compulsory competitive tendering of local council services following publication of the position as at the end of September 1993.

  Mr. Baldry
  The table lists the authorities against which statutory action was taken in the period 1 October to 31 December 1993. It also gives a cumulative figure for the number of notices and directions given under the Local Government Act 1988 and the Local Government, Planning and Land Act 1980 for 1993 as a whole, and since 1989 when the anti-competitive provisions were brought into effect.
  581

  4th Quarter 1993 (October—December)

  4th quarter 1993

  Total for 1993

  Total from January 1989

  Directions given relating to financial failure

  7

  16

  48

  Bedfordshire CC—Ground Maintenance

  Camden LB—Building Maintenance

  Canterbury CC—New Construction £50k

  Castle Point BC—Ground Maintenance

  Hillingdon LB—Other Catering

  Manchester CC—New Construction £50k

  South Bedfordshire DC—Refuse Collection

  Local Government Finance
  Mr. Forman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received on his proposed notional amounts for capping in 1994–95; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Curry
  We have received a small number of representations from authorities, including new information and revised data, which we are considering carefully. However, we have now reached preliminary views on all these representations, and we are today informing authorities of our current proposals reflecting these preliminary conclusions. I am arranging for a table showing our current proposals for notional amounts to be placed in the Library.

  Mr. Bates
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer of 29 November to the hon. Member for Erewash (Mrs. Knight),Official Report, column 380, if he has reached any decisions on the Local Government Commission's final recommendations for Cleveland: and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gummer
  I have today written to Sir John Banham, chairman of the Local Government Commission, giving my decisions on the commission's recommendations for Cleveland as set out in its report "Final Recommendations on the Future Local Government of Cleveland and Durham".

  After considering the commission's recommendations and the representations made, I have concluded that effective and convenient local government in Cleveland would be achieved by abolishing Cleveland county council and establishing four unitary authorities for the area—commission recommendation 1—and that this would reflect the identities and interests of local people. I have accepted in principle that the county of Cleveland should be abolished, but I shall defer a final decision until I have reached decisions on the commission's forthcoming recommendations for Durham and North Yorkshire.

  The remaining recommendations for Cleveland have been accepted as submitted, except that I am still considering the proposal that I direct the commission to undertake a further parish review.

  In agreeing with the establishment of unitary authorities based on existing districts, I have given careful consideration to representations which I received about the implications for those services and functions currently performed on a wider basis. My decision is based on a presumption that the authorities which are to become unitary will work together to plan for these services and functions, and will forge working links with other bodies such as health authorities.
  582
  The boundaries of the four proposed unitary authorities, which I intend to establish in April 1995, correspond to those of the existing district councils. Where the boundaries of unitary authorities and existing authorities coincide in this way I propose as a general rule to consult the local authorities concerned about the desirability of holding elections for the whole council in the May preceding the 1 April reorganisation date. Accordingly, I am now consulting the majority and minority groups on each district council, and Cleveland county council, to seek their views about whether or not elections should be held in May 1994. I will make a further announcement about the outcome of that consultation.

  An order giving effect to the commission's recommendations for Cleveland, with the aforementioned modifications, will be laid before the House in due course. A copy of my letter to Sir John Banham has been placed in the Library.

  Urban Development Corporations
  Mr. Kilfoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the members currently appointed to each urban development corporation.

  Mr. Baldry
  The members currently appointed to the urban development corporations are as follows:

  1. Birmingham Heartlands Development Corporation

  Chairman:

  Sir Reginald Eyre

  Deputy Chairman:

  Sir Richard Knowles

  Members:

  Albert Bore

  Randal Brew, JP OBE

  David Brooks

  Fred Chapman, JP

  Ms Hazel Duffy

  Mrs. Cath Finegan

  Reg Hales, JP

  Paul Sabapathy

  Jim Shedden

  Michael Wilcox, JP

  2. Black Country Development Corporation

  Chairman:

  Sir William Francis

  Deputy Chairman:

  Christopher Hawkins

  Members:

  James Antill

  Mike Bird

  Roger Burman

  Bill Clarke

  John Edwards

  Ian Flanagan

  583

  Dr. Diana Green

  Hugh Ellis Rees

  Rupert Nabarro

  Michael Worley, JP

  3. Bristol Development Corporation

  Chairman:

  Christopher Thomas

  Deputy Chairman:

  Andrew Reid

  Members:

  Mrs. Stella Clarke

  Phillip Gregory

  Geoffrey Matthews

  Lady Merrison

  John Portch

  Graham Robertson

  Sir Robert Wall

  David Yorke, FRICS

  4. Central Manchester Development Corporation

  Chairman:

  Dr. James Grigor, OBE

  Deputy Chairman:

  Derek Boothman

  Members:

  Ken Alford

  Ms Deborah Buchanan

  Peter Carmichael

  Jack Flanagan

  Raymond Gerrard

  Mrs. Joyce Hill, OBE

  Sir Robert Scotts

  Graham Stringer

  5. Leeds Development Corporation

  Chairman:

  Peter Hartley

  Deputy Chairman:

  John Hardman

  Members:

  Andrew Carter

  Edward Holroyd, FCA

  John Jackson

  Baroness Lockwood

  David Richardson

  Jon Trickett

  Brian Walker

  6. Merseyside Development Corporation

  Chairman:

  Sir Desmond Pitcher

  Deputy Chairman:

  Clive Lewis, FRICS

  Members:

  Leslie T Byrom, FRICS IRRV

  Eric Clarke

  Mrs. Muriel Downs

  John Hale, IPFA

  Dr. John Handley

  Professor Michael Parkinson

  Geoff Prince

  Mrs. Paula Ridley, JP

  Harry Rimmer

  Dr. Protasia Torkington

  584
  7. Plymouth Development Corporation

  Chairman:

  Sir Robert Gerken

  Deputy Chairman:

  John Ingham

  Members:

  Mrs. Nicola Cutts

  Simon Day

  Tudor Evans

  Philip Hamilton

  Johnathan Harris, FRICS

  Mrs. Jacqueline Gourlay

  Mrs. Jean Nelder

  Tom Savery

  8. Sheffield Development Corporation

  Chairman:

  Hugh R. Sykes

  Deputy Chairman:

  Norman Adsetts, OBE

  Members:

  Ms Jenny Bacon

  Mike Bower

  Mike Buckley

  Mrs. Janet Cohen

  Frank Eul

  David Heslop, OBE

  Peter Newman

  Derek Nice

  Professor Gareth Roberts

  Alfred A. Wood, CBE

  9. Teeside Development Corporation

  Chairman:

  Ron Norman, OBE

  Deputy Chairman:

  Lord Dormand of Easington

  Members:

  Sandy Anderson

  Mrs. Susan Bush

  Michael Carr

  Alan H. Cherry, MBE

  Lady Diana Eccles

  Bryan Hanson, OBE

  Roger Kingdon, CBE

  Ian Mathieson

  John Sutcliffe

  Lawrie Wild, JP

  10. Trafford Park Development Corporation

  Chairman:

  Bill Morgan

  Deputy Chairman:

  Anthony Russell, JP

  Members:

  James Barker

  Peter Collins, JP

  Ms Beverley Hughes

  Geoffrey Lord

  William Moores

  Hugh Richards, FRICS

  Derek H. Roberts

  Colin Warbick, MIMI

  11. Tyne and Wear Development Corporation

  Chairman:

  Sir Paul Nicholson

  585

  Deputy Chairman:

  John Ward

  Members:

  John Barnsley

  Eric Bramfitt

  Jane Darbyshire

  Tony Flynn

  Ian Gibson, CBE

  Ian Gordon, OBE

  Professor Patsy Healey

  Dr. Ralph Iley, CBE

  Joe L. Mills

  Chris Sharp, CBE

  Frank Sharratt

  Dearne Valley City Grant Project
  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) when he expects that all toxic materials lying within the Dearne valley city grant area will have been removed or property contained;

  (2) what is the total area of land reclaimed as part of the city grant project in the Dearne valley ; and what area of derelict land remains to be reclaimed;

  (3) what has been the total payment from central funds in support of the city grant project for the Dearne valley to date; and what is his estimate for the total spending in the current year and in 1994–95.

  Mr. Baldry
  [holding answer 17 January 1994]: The three current city grant projects in the Deane valley involve the reclamation of about 220 acres of derelict land. One site has now been fully reclaimed, and the reclamation of a second site is expected to be completed in about three months time. The remaining site accounts for around 80 per cent. of the total area covered by these projects and its reclamation is expected to be completed by the end of
  586
  1994. On completion of the projects, the toxic materials will either have been removed from the sites or contained in an appropriate manner.

  Grant payments by my Department in support of the projects have to date totalled £6·9 million. In 1993–94 payments are expected to total about £2·4 million, with around a further £1·1 million to be paid in 1994–95.

  Housing (Flood Risks)
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of the effects of the construction of housing on river flood plains exacerbation of recent floods in the south and east of England.

  Mr. Jack
  I have been asked to reply.

  In December 1992, the Ministry together with the Department of the Environment and the Welsh Office, issued updated guidance to local planning authorities on the need to take account of flood risk due to increased run-off from new developments and the need for measures to be taken to alleviate this as a condition of granting planning permission. The National Rivers Authority provides advice to local planning authorities on application for developments in flood risk areas.

  The Ministry has an ongoing programme of research into the flood response of rivers to rainfall and the development of design procedures which can take into account changes within river catchments such as urbanisation. Changes in flood run-off can be assessed in a number of ways, including by reference to 1975 flood studies report by the Institute of Hydrology, which has been substantially updated through Ministry-funded research. It is for the National Rivers Authority and the other responsible flood defence bodies to assess the causes of flooding on individual rivers using these techniques.

  YOUNG PEOPLE: POLICY CO-ORDINATION
  YOUNG PEOPLE: POLICY CO-ORDINATION
  NURSES: EMPLOYMENT COSTS
  NURSES: EMPLOYMENT COSTS
  COT DEATHS AND VACCINATIONS
  COT DEATHS AND VACCINATIONS