Written Answers of 21 January 1994

NATIONAL FINANCE

  Forward: Civil Service Catering
  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has identified a prospective purchaser for Forward: Civil Service Catering.

  Mr. Nelson
  A number of offers were received from prospective purchasers on 17 January. I have considered these offers in consultation with KPMG Corporate Finance, the financial advisers to the privatisation, as a result of which detailed negotiations are under way with Sutcliffe Catering Group Ltd., a subsidiary of Granada Group plc, with the intention of reaching final agreement for an early completion of the sale to Sutcliffe of the business of Forward: Civil Service Catering.

  Uncollected Tax
  Mrs. Beckett
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much tax remained uncollected at the end of each fiscal year since 1978–79; and how much was written off in each of those years.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The amount of tax remaining uncollected at the end of the fiscal year and the amount of tax written off since 1978–79 are as follows:

  Year

  Amount remaining uncollected at end of year in £ millions

  Amount written off in each year in £ millions

  1979

  847·3

  60·3

  1980

  986·7

  73·0

  1981

  1,653·6

  82·5

  1982

  1,691·5

  133·6

  1983

  2,052·5

  146·0

  1984

  2,553·3

  195·3

  1985

  3,210·1

  229·1

  1986

  3,273·3

  299·8

  1987

  3,841·0

  333·3

  1988

  3,990·5

  629·2

  1989

  3,979·8

  530·9

  1990

  4,323·4

  568·8

  1991

  4,185·6

  883·9

  1992

  3,740·2

  1,694·2

  The amount of tax uncollected represents the amount of tax which was not collected during each year but which was available to be collected.

  Tax Fraud
  Mrs. Beckett
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many investigations were carried out for tax fraud in each year since 1978–79; and what was the success rate of those investigations.

  Mr. Dorrell
  Inland Revenue investigations into possible or actual tax fraud, and the percentage of those investigations which resulted in monetary settlements or recoveries of tax, are shown in the table.
  844

  Year

  Number of investigations

  Percentage success rate

  1985–86

  70,446

  92·0

  1986–87

  67,798

  92·0

  1987–88

  67,752

  92·0

  1988–89

  71,085

  91·0

  1989–90

  76,738

  92·0

  1990–91

  81,277

  92·0

  1991–92

  81,333

  91·0

  1992–93

  75,649

  91·0

  Comparable figures for earlier years are not available.

  Earnings Statistics
  Mrs. Beckett
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a table showing the percentage of gross earnings going in(a) income tax, (b) national insurance contributions, (c) VAT, (d) other indirect taxes and (e) local taxes, of (i) a single person, (ii) a married couple who are both working and (iii) a married couple with two children on (1) 50 per cent., (2) 75 per cent., (3) 100 per cent., (4) 150 per cent., (5) 200 per cent., (6) 500 per cent. and (7) 1,000 per cent. of average earnings in each year since 1978–79 including estimates for 1994–95.

  Mr. Dorrell
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Peckham (Ms Harman) on 19 January 1994 for the latest estimates of the burden of direct and indirect taxes for the years 1992–93, 1993–94 and 1994–95. For earlier years I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Garscadden (Mr. Dewar) on 15 December 1992,Official Report, columns 120–26; to the hon. Member for Newcastle upon Tyne, East (Mr. Brown) on 17 December 1991, Official Report, columns 121–24 and on 8 January 1990, Official Report, columns 558–64 and to the information placed in the House of Commons Library as noted in the answer to the hon. Member for Edinburgh, South (Mr. Griffiths) on 13 April 1989, Official Report, column 624.

  Mortgages
  Mrs. Beckett
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will update his answer to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Garscadden (Mr. Dewar) of 2 November 1993,Official Report, column 115, to take into account changes in the mortgage rate and further changes to the rate of relief announced in the autumn Budget, giving (a) numbers in receipt of MIRAS, (b) the average amount received and (c) the total cost (i) for 1994–95 and (ii) 1995–96, by income range as defined in the original question.

  Mr. Dorrell
  Estimates based on the conventional assumption that mortgage interest rates remain at their current levels are in the tables.

  Mortgage interest relief by range of total income1:

  Range of total income1 (lower limit)

  Number of single people or married couples benefiting from mortgage interest relief

  Average mortgage interest relief

  Cost of mortgage interest relief

  £

  thousands

  £

  £ million

  1994–95

  0

  840

  290

  250

  845

  Range of total income1 (lower limit)

  Number of single people or married couples benefiting from mortgage interest relief

  Average mortgage interest relief

  Cost of mortgage interest relief

  5,000

  1,050

  260

  270

  10,000

  2,080

  310

  650

  15,000

  2,230

  350

  770

  20,000

  1,440

  370

  530

  25,000

  890

  380

  340

  30,000

  780

  390

  310

  40,000

  690

  400

  280

  Total

  10,000

  340

  3,400

  1995–96

  0

  830

  220

  180

  5,000

  940

  200

  190

  10,000

  1,870

  250

  470

  15,000

  2,130

  290

  610

  20,000

  1,600

  300

  480

  25,000

  920

  320

  290

  30,000

  950

  320

  300

  40,000

  860

  330

  280

  Total

  10,100

  280

  2,800

  1Total income of husband for married couples

  Loans
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list, for each scheme operated by his Department under which loans are available, the objectives of the scheme, the number of unrecovered loans, the total value of unrecovered loans, the average number of unrecovered loans for each year since 1990, the average value of unrecovered loans for each year since 1990 and the annual cost of recovering loans.

  Mr. Nelson
  The Treasury operates no such schemes.

  Carbon Dioxide Energy Tax
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will discuss with the European Commission the relationship in fiscal terms of implementation of the carbon dioxide energy tax as proposed by the European Commission White Paper on employment to the yield of VAT on household fuel; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir John Cope
  A Commission proposal for a tax on carbon/energy has been under discussion for some time, and was considered most recently at the ECOFIN Council in December 1993. The Government have made it clear that the United Kingdom does not need a carbon/energy tax to fulfil our obligation on CO2 emissions under the United Nations convention on climate change, and could not agree to an EC-wide tax as proposed by the Commission.

  Private Medical Insurance
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will provide a regional breakdown of the revenue forgone from relief for private medical insurance premiums in each of the last five years.

  Mrs. Beckett
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Bristol, South (Ms Primarolo) of 6 December,Official Report,
  846
  column 16, regarding the cost of tax relief on private medical insurance, how many people are in receipt of tax relief for private medical insurance in each region.

  Mr. Dorrell
  No information is available on the regional breakdown of the 350,000 people claiming tax relief on private medical insurance for those aged 60 or more each year since relief was first granted in 1990–91. Similarly, there is no information on the regional breakdown on the cost of the relief.

  Mr. Brian Charrington
  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer in what circumstances all charges relating to the importation and possession of illegal drugs were withdrawn on 28 January 1993 against Mr. Brian Charrington.

  Sir John Cope
  Mr. Brian Charrington was arrested after consultation with the police and full consideration of the available evidence by lawyers acting for Customs and Excise. When additional evidence was forthcoming, further legal advice was sought. At this stage, it was concluded that there was no longer a realistic prospect of securing a conviction and the charges were withdrawn.

  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people have been convicted of drug offences where evidence was given on behalf of the prosecution by Mr. Brian Charrington.

  Sir John Cope
  Brian Charrington has never given evidence to support a prosecution by Customs and Excise.

  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people have been convicted of drug offences where assistance in the Customs and Excise investigation and detection was given by Brian Charrington.

  Sir John Cope
  It is not the policy of Customs and Excise to disclose sources of information. In the circumstances, I can neither confirm nor deny whether Brian Charrington has given assistance to Customs and Excise.

  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which Ministers signed public immunity certificates in relation to Brian Charrington; and if he will make a statement as to the circumstances requiring such immunity.

  Sir John Cope
  No public immunity certificates have been signed by Ministers in relation to Brian Charrington.

  Cocaine Seizure
  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people were arrested following the interception early in 1992 by Customs and Excise of ingots stored in a warehouse in Stoke on Trent of 95 per cent. pure Colombian cocaine.

  Sir John Cope
  Twenty-six persons were arrested by Customs and Excise and police during the investigation that followed the discovery of 907 kg of cocaine concealed in a consignment of lead ingots imported from Venezuela.
  847

  Mr. Joseph Kasser
  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which Ministers signed public immunity certificates in relation to the case which led to the conviction of Joseph Kasser at Newcastle Crown court in January; and if he will make a statement as to the circumstances requiring such immunity.

  Sir John Cope
  No public immunity certificates were signed by Ministers in this case.

PRIME MINISTER

  Mr. Gerry Adams
  Dame Angela Rumbold
  To ask the Prime Minister if a response has yet been made to the letter he received from Mr. Gerry Adams dated 7 January; and if he will make a statement.

  The Prime Minister
  I received an unsigned letter on Mr. Adams's headed notepaper, dated 7 January 1994., last week. I have placed in the Library a copy of that letter and of a reply from my private secretary which was sent on 20 January. Mr. Adams seeks to open issues for renegotiation by pointing back to a position which he asserts the Irish Government put forward in June last year.

  The joint declaration of 15 December was the result of many months of discussion between the United Kingdom and Irish Governments. It is a fair and balanced statement of constitutional principles and political realities, which safeguard the interests and aspirations of both sides of the community. As the Taoiseach and I have made clear, there can be no question of renegotiation of the joint declaration.

  "Back to Basics"
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Prime Minister what are the implications of the Government"s "Back to Basics" policy for his office during 1994.

  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the scope and effectiveness of his "Back to Basics" social policy.

  Mr. Rendel
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what working definition of "back to basics" he uses; and what he has done in the past three months to implement the policy.

  The Prime Minister
  "Back to basics" is intended to ensure that Government policies are based firmly on the common sense values of the British people and, in particular, that they encourage individual responsibility. The "back to basics" policy is especially important in such areas as education, law and order, and the provision of public services, but it applies across a range of other Government policies as well.

  Paymaster-General
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will set out the Departments to which the Paymaster-General has been attached since 1979.

  The Prime Minister
  The Departments to which the Paymaster-General has been attached are listed.
  848
  Date and Department to which responsible

  April 1976 to May 1979

  Department of Education and Science

  May 1979 to January 1981

  None

  January 1981 to September 1981

  None

  September 1981 to June 1983

  None

  June 1983 to September 1984

  Not applicable: post vacant

  September 1984 to September 1985

  None

  September 1985 to June 1987

  Department of Employment

  June 1987 to July 1989

  Her Majesty's Treasury1 2

  July 1989 to July 1990

  Her Majesty's Treasury1

  July 1990 to November 1990

  Her Majesty's Treasury1

  November 1990 to April 1992

  Northern Ireland Office

  April 1992 to date

  Her Majesty's Treasury1

  Note: Except where noted, responsibility for Customs and Excise held by other Treasury Ministers.

  1 Included responsibility for Customs and Excise.

  2 Responsibility for Customs and Excise passed to the Economic Secretary in 1988.

  General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade
  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Prime Minister what are the procedures which apply in(a) the United Kingdom Parliament and (b) the European Parliament on the ratification of the Uruguay round of the GATT.

  The Prime Minister
  The Government intend to present a White Paper to Parliament on the results of the Uruguay round later this year. The agreements will also be laid before Parliament, as with other international agreements. The European Community decision approving the results of the round will also be subject to United Kingdom parliamentary scrutiny in the usual way. The European Parliament is likely to be consulted, but the procedure used will depend on the treaty provisions which apply.

  Habitats
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Prime Minister whether he intends that all Secretaries of State should have a duty to comply with the requirements of the European Union directive 92/43 EEC on the conservation of natural habitats of wild fauna and flora; and if he will make a statement.

  The Prime Minister
  The Secretaries of State will have duties, both general and specific, as appropriate and commensurate with the requirements of the directive.
  849

  International Year of the Family
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Prime Minister what steps the Government are taking to encourage and promote the International Year of the Family.

  The Prime Minister
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Eccles (Miss Lestor) on 6 December 1993,Official Report, columns 29–30.

  Conservative

  Labour

  Liberal Democrats

  Independent/ Not known

  Barnsley

  46

  50

  15

  3

  Doncaster

  101

  62

  23

  6

  Rotherham

  46

  52

  62

  38

  Sheffield

  101

  112

  52

  84

  Humberside

  153

  73

  37

  49

  North Yorkshire

  233

  62

  93

  29

  West Yorkshire

  572

  397

  220

  163

  Market Testing
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 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. John M. Taylor
  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.

  Legal Aid
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what was the cost of legal aid provided to persons accused of(a) fraud and (b) theft exceeding £100,000 in each year since 1980.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The information sought is not available in the form requested. It is not possible to identify individual cases involving fraud or theft exceeding £100,000. Information on legal aid expenditure by type of offence is only available for the last six years, and is set out for the more serious cases of theft and fraud prosecuted in the higher courts. It is not possible to break down legal aid expenditure in magistrates courts by type of offence.

  Theft (theft and obtaining by deception)

  Fraud (fraud and forgery)

  £

  £

  1988–89

  19,839,017

  6,597,099

  1989–90

  23,660,073

  8,021,737

  1990–91

  26,149,491

  13,477,167

  850

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

  Magistrates
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what is the political balance of magistrates in(a) Barnsley, (b) Doncaster, (c) Rotherham, (d) Sheffield, (e) Humberside, (f) North Yorkshire and (g) West Yorkshire.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The political balance of magistrates in Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham, Sheffield, Humberside, North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire on the latest information available is as follows:

  Theft (theft and obtaining by deception)

  Fraud (fraud and forgery)

  £

  £

  1991–92

  28,982,870

  16,778,569

  1992–93

  32,490,267

  28,961,611

  Lord of the Manor
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what are the current statutory rights of holders of the title of lord of the manor; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  No rights are conferred by statute on any person holding the title of lord of the manor. Although certain pre-existing rights and liabilities were preserved by the Law of Property Act 1922, the nature of those rights and liabilities will depend in each case on the particular customs of the manor in question.

EMPLOYMENT

  Wages (London)
  Mrs. Bridget Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the average wage of(a) a male and (b) a female working in London for each year from 1975.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The information requested is published in tables 110 and 113 of the new earnings survey part E reports for each of the years requested. Copies of these can be found in the Library.

  EC Training Programmes
  Mr. Nicholas Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what were the total budgets of the European Commission's training programmes of(a) CEDEFOP, (b) COMETT, (c) DELTA, (d) EUROTECNET, (e) FORCE, (f) IRIS, (g) PETRA and (h) TEMPUS in each year since

  851
  their establishment; and what proportion of each was granted to (i) the northern region and (ii) the United Kingdom as a whole.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  It would require disproportionate time and cost to collect the information on the total budgets of the various training programmes mentioned in each year since their establishment.

  It is not possible to calculate accurately what proportion of those programmes was allocated to the United Kingdom, or to individual regions in the United Kingdom.

  Where available for the programmes listed, total budgets for the preceding three years are provided in the table>:

  Total budget (Million ECU)

  Programme name

  1991

  1992

  1993

  CEDEFOP

  10·350

  10·800

  12·850

  COMETT

  41·750

  55·100

  40·500

  DELTA

  0·900

  0·120

  —

  EUROTECHNET

  2·300

  1·250

  0·967

  FORCE

  13·850

  17·500

  20·300

  IRIS

  0·500

  0·500

  —

  PETRA

  21·100

  26·500

  30·700

  Total funding for the TEMPUS programme in the period 1990 to 1993 was 192 million ecu.

  Mr. Nicholas Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the total budget awarded under the European social fund to the European Commission's vocational training initiatives of(a) EUROFORM, (b) HORIZON and (c) NOW in each year since their establishment; and what was the total budget of each awarded to (i) the northern region and (ii) the United Kingdom as a whole.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The total budget from the European social fund—ESF—for EUROFORM is £218 million, for HORIZON £211 million and for NOW £109 million. These are global amounts allocated by the European Commission for the period 1991 to 1993.

  The allocation in Great Britain for each initiative is £25·5 million for EUROFORM, £20 million for HORIZON and £6·3 million for NOW. The figures given relate to Great Britain. The ESF in Northern Ireland is administered separately by the Department of Economic Development.

  The grants awarded to projects in the northern region amount to £920,519 for EUROFORM, £1,119,442 for HORIZON and £697,505 for NOW.

  Employment Statistics
  Mrs. Beckett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment, pursuant to his answer given to the hon. Member for Darlington (Mr. Milburn) of 7 December,Official Report, column 212, if he will give a breakdown for the same periods as in that question of the total numbers of temporary and permanent vacancies for each region by industrial classification as employed by his Department.

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

  Letter from M. E. G. Fogden to Mrs. Margaret Beckett, dated 21 January 1994:
  852
  The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question about the numbers of vacancies notified from April 1987, broken down by region, industrial classification and whether temporary or permanent.
  I am sorry I am unable to supply information in the form requested. Prior to April 1992, information was not collected in a way which fitted in with the sub-divisions which you are interested in. From April 1992 onwards, it has been collected but it is not collated in a way which fits your requirements. I am afraid it could only be provided at a disproportionate cost as a large number of separate returns are involved.
  You may like to know that information about the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) of vacancies notified to Jobcentres, covering the period April 1987 to February 1992, is held on the National On-Line Manpower Information System (NOMIS). Information for vacancies in each region by SIC is available, but it cannot be further broken down to distinguish between temporary and permanent vacancies. Information can be obtained from the NOMIS database in the House of Commons library.
  Similar information can be provided by the Employment Service in respect of the period from April 1992 onwards. If you would like to have this please let me know.
  I hope this is helpful.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION

  Population Projects
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proposals the Government have for(a) mobilising additional resources and (b) involving new donor agencies in this country and in other member states in the European Union to increase official development assistance on population projects.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  We are continuing to encourage the mobilisation of additional resources for population in all appropriate international fora, including the European Community. We are making full use of the preparatory process for the international conference on population and development—taking place in Cairo in September 19942014;to encourage greater commitment to population issues.

  We are working with the European Commission to increase the support of other member states of the Community for population activities. We would greatly welcome the involvement of more United Kingdom non-governmental organisations in family planning and reproductive health programmes.

  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans the Government have for encouraging other member states in the European Union to start funding family planning and related projects as part of their development and co-operation budgets.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  We are playing a leading role in pressing for concrete action to result from the 1992 EC resolution on population. Officials participate in regular expert meetings in Brussels to strengthen co-operation among member states and the Commission. We are also helping the Commission to organise a seminar for EC member states and senior Commission officials on 28 February.
  853

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Ministerial Cars
  Mr. Alan Williams
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will quantify the cost of the factors which led to an increase in the cost of cars for Ministers in her Department since 1990–91.

  Mr. Jack
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to the second paragraph of the reply given on 20 January by the Under-Secretary of State for the Environment, my hon. Friend the Member for Banbury (Mr. Baldry).

  Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what changes she intends to make to the compensation arrangements for bovine spongiform encephalopathy.

  Mr. Soames
  I am proposing to modity the BSE compensation arrangments from 1 April 1994. At present under the BSE Compensation Order 1990, the amount of compensation paid for an animal which is compulsorily slaughtered because it is suspected of having BSE is subject to a ceiling based on an average market price, calculated each month from actual market prices of commecial grade. Friesian cows and heifers in milk and in calf sold in specified markets. With an increasing proportion of older cattle being slaughtered as BSE suspects, we now need to reflect this in the calculation of the compensation price. I will, therefore, be consulting interested organisations on the proposed new arrangements whereby the price of older cattle being sold for slaughter rather than for breeding would be included in the calculation of the compensation ceiling.

  We propose to continue the arrangement whereby in the case of a slaughtered animal not confirmed for BSE the compensation paid would be subject to an enhanced ceiling. The new method of calculation would still result in a compensation price higher than the price the farmer would get for a dairy cow sold for meat so that farmers would not be discouraged from reporting all suspect BSE cases.

TRANSPORT

  Traffic Cones Hotline
  Mrs. Beckett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many calls have been received by the traffic cones hotline to date; and what action his Department has taken in response to those calls.

  Mr. Key
  Since its introduction in June 1992 until 15 January 1994, 383 calls registered as formal inquiries have been received by the cones hotline. Inquiries which cannot be answered immediately have been followed up by the regional office responsible for the particular road scheme; and written replies have been sent, or for recent inquiries are in the process of being sent, to each caller. Until recently, other calls received by the hotline have not been recorded, but they are currently running at two to three times the number of formal inquiries about specific road works.
  854

  Channel Tunnel Rail Link
  Ms Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what financial commitment the Government are prepared to make to the channel tunnel rail link project; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Freeman
  The Government are prepared to provide substantial financial support to the channel tunnel rail link. The precise amount required will be determined by the competition for a private sector promoter which was announced on 11 November 1993.

  Transport Safety
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish a full list of all organisations to which his Department sent, and from which it has received responses regarding the consultation paper on a new system for approving safety of railways and trams, together with the addresses of each such organisation.

  Mr. Freeman
  [holding answer 18 January 1994]: My Department issued 59 copies of the consultation paper to transport operators, passenger transport executives, trade unions, and manufacturers and we received 15 responses. In addition, a further 25 inquiries were received leading to nine further representations. It is not our practice to identify those organisations or individuals who respond to consultation exercises.

  Noise Regulations
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish a full list of all organisations to which his Department sent, and from which it has received responses, regarding the consultation letter on noise insulation regulations for new railways and other guided systems, together with the addresses of each such organisation.

  Mr. Freeman
  [holding answer 18 January 1994]: My Department issued 42 copies of the consultation paper to transport operators, PTEs, trade unions, the police, magistrates and the medical profession and we received 27 responses. It is not our practice to identify those organisations or individuals who respond to consultation exercises.

  Bus Services
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish a full list of all organisations to which his Department sent, and from which his Department has received responses, regarding the consultation paper on a bus strategy for London, together with the addresses of each such organisation.

  Mr. Norris
  [holding answer 18 January 1994]: In 1991 my Department issued some 2,500 copies of the consultation paper to: all London Members of Parliament; London local authorities; bus companies; trade unions; organisations representing business, freight transport operators, consumers, motorists, the disabled, public transport users; and individuals. We received 156 responses from organisations, and 49 responses from individuals. The consultation paper indicated that responses would be treated as public unless marked "confidential", and a list of those who had responded was deposited in the Library in July 1991.
  855

  RUCATSE Report
  Mr. Kenneth Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the responses in relation to the current consultation on the report of the RUCATSE—runway capacity in the south-east—working group, will be made public; and whether a summary of the responses will be published.

  Mr. Norris
  [holding answer 20 January 1994]: The individual responses to the consultation on the report of the RUCATSE working group will not be published by the Government, although it will, of course, be open to respondents to make public their responses if they wish to do so. When the Government make their own response to the consultation, they will make public a summary of the responses received.

  Beach Pollution
  Mr. Ainger
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what steps his Department is taking to discover the origin of oil which has recently polluted beaches in Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire;

  (2) what steps his Department is taking to discover the exact nature and source of the pollution which has recently affected marine life and beaches at Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire.

  Mr. Norris
  [holding answers 20 January 1994]: A small area of oil pollution measuring 2 ft wide on Amroth beach, Carmarthen bay, was first reported to the Department of Transport's marine pollution control unit on 3 January. On 4 January oil pollution in the form of tarry lumps covering four to five miles was reported at Pendine beach and the following day a "slick" two miles long and 4 yd wide was reported on the sea close to Pendine beach. The MPCU arranged for its aerial surveillance aircraft to be diverted to the area. No oil was reported at sea, and no vessels were seen in the area. MPCU has discussed the incident with Dyfed county council, who took action to clean the affected beaches. Despite prompt action to discover the source of the pollution, it has not proved possible to identify the cause.

EDUCATION

  Nursery Education
  Mrs. Beckett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many children aged three and four years were in receipt of nursery education; and what percentage of the total number of children in that age group that constituted(a) in England and Wales and (b) in each education authority in each year since 1978–79.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  Information about the provision of nursery education in maintained nursery and primary schools in each local education authority in England in January 1993 is shown in the table. Similar information for years 1980 to 1992 is published in statistical bulletins, copies of which are available in the Library. National results for January 1979 are shown in statistical bulletin 5/81. Information for each LEA in January 1979 is not readily available. Information on schools in Wales is the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.
  856

  Pupils under five in maintained nursery schools and nursery classes in maintained primary schools in each Local Education Authority in England January 1993

  LEA

  Pupils in Nursery Schools and Nursery Classes1

  Percentage of population

  Camden

  1,073

  27

  Greenwich

  3,245

  48

  Hackney

  2,354

  39

  Hammersmith and Fulham

  1,521

  42

  Islington

  1,888

  40

  Kensington and Chelsea

  886

  30

  Lambeth

  2,456

  34

  Lewisham

  2,620

  38

  Southwark

  2,948

  42

  Tower Hamlets

  3,100

  53

  Wandsworth

  2,356

  39

  Westminster2

  1,145

  33

  Barking

  1,797

  40

  Barnet

  2,456

  30

  Bexley

  1,225

  20

  Brent

  2,527

  38

  Bromley

  172

  2

  Croydon

  1,431

  16

  Ealing

  3,323

  44

  Enfield

  1,693

  23

  Haringey

  2,670

  47

  Harrow

  955

  18

  Havering

  357

  6

  Hillingdon

  3,242

  48

  Hounslow

  2,425

  42

  Kingston upon Thames

  1,132

  33

  Merton

  2,677

  57

  Newham

  4,927

  64

  Redbridge

  1,104

  18

  Richmond upon Thames

  745

  18

  Sutton

  1,711

  36

  Waltham Forest

  2,584

  40

  Birmingham

  10,429

  35

  Coventry

  2,266

  26

  Dudley

  2,951

  37

  Sandwell

  4,681

  57

  Solihull

  1,802

  35

  Walsall

  4,309

  60

  Wolverhampton

  3,780

  54

  Knowsley

  2,556

  51

  Liverpool

  6,181

  48

  St. Helens

  1,655

  36

  Sefton

  2,470

  32

  Wirral

  2,285

  25

  Bolton

  3,058

  40

  Bury

  1,505

  30

  Manchester

  7,531

  57

  Oldham

  2,473

  38

  Rochdale

  2,049

  33

  Salford

  3,411

  54

  Stockport

  1,885

  25

  Tameside

  2,499

  39

  Trafford

  1,988

  35

  Wigan

  2,138

  25

  Barnsley

  2,955

  50

  Doncaster

  3,397

  41

  Rotherham

  3,162

  44

  Sheffield

  5,768

  44

  Bradford

  6,252

  43

  Calderdale

  1,849

  34

  Kirklees

  4,343

  41

  Leeds

  8,979

  46

  Wakefield

  4,427

  50

  Gateshead

  1,861

  37

  Newcastle upon Tyne

  3,016

  43

  North Tyneside

  2,672

  55

  South Tyneside

  2,208

  53

  Sunderland

  3309

  40

  Avon

  5,052

  20

  Bedfordshire

  5,283

  33

  Berkshire

  5,900

  28

  Buckinghamshire

  2,683

  15

  857

  LEA

  Pupils in Nursery Schools and Nursery Classes1

  Percentage of population

  Cambridgeshire

  2,205

  12

  Cheshire

  5,526

  21

  Cleveland

  9,312

  57

  Cornwall3

  1,674

  14

  Cumbria

  3,035

  25

  Derbyshire

  9,467

  39

  Devon

  2,790

  11

  Dorset

  810

  5

  Durham

  7,072

  46

  East Sussex52

  1,465

  8

  Essex

  2,549

  6

  Gloucestershire

  0

  0

  Hampshire

  1,959

  5

  Hereford and Worcester

  1,296

  7

  Hertfordshire

  8,409

  31

  Humberside

  9,118

  38

  Isle of Wight

  186

  7

  Kent

  2,008

  5

  Lancashire

  7,239

  19

  Leicestershire

  5,473

  22

  Lincolnshire

  1,431

  10

  Norfolk

  861

  5

  North Yorkshire

  3,713

  21

  Northamptonshire

  2,852

  17

  Northumberland

  3,044

  40

  Nottinghamshire

  13,498

  49

  Oxfordshire

  2,635

  17

  Shropshire

  1,897

  17

  Somerset

  322

  3

  Staffordshire

  6,787

  24

  Suffolk

  3,097

  17

  Surrey

  2,860

  11

  Warwickshire

  2,179

  17

  West Sussex

  796

  5

  Wiltshire

  586

  4

  ENGLAND

  339,914

  26

  1 Excludes pupils who became five years of age by 1 January 1993.

  2 Includes Corporation of London.

  3 Includes Isles of Scilly.

  Parental Ballots
  Mr. Corbett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) what was(a) the lowest bid and (b) the highest bid from companies invited to tender for the running of parental ballots over proposals for schools to move to grant-maintained status;

  (2) whether he will list by registered name those companies invited to tender to conduct parental ballots over proposals for schools to move to grant-maintained status;

  (3) for what period Electoral Reform (Ballot Services) Ltd. has been contracted to run parental ballots over proposals for schools to move to grant-maintained status;

  (4) by what tendering process was Electoral Reform (Ballot Services) Ltd. appointed to conduct parental ballots over proposals for schools to move to grant-maintained status;

  (5) when he next intends to invite tenders for the running of parental ballots over proposals for schools to move to grant-maintained status;

  (6) what is the scale of charges made to his Department by Electoral Reform (Ballot Services) Ltd. for running parental ballots over proposals for schools to move to grant-maintained status.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  The Education Reform Act 1988 gave parents the right to vote on whether their children's858
  school should become grant maintained. The Electoral Reform Society's company, Electoral Reform (Ballot Services) Ltd., is the body currently prescribed in regulations to make the necessary arrangements for ballots of parents on the question of whether schools should apply for grant-maintained status. The Electoral Reform Society has had this function since 1988.

  Following implementation of the parts of the Education Act 1993 which streamline the arrangements for schools to acquire grant-maintained status, the Department is reviewing details of the balloting arrangements and considering seeking tenders for future contracts for balloting services.

  Charging arrangements between the Department and Electoral Reform (Ballot Services) Ltd. are commercial in confidence.

  Mr. Corbett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will publish the information held by his Department on the typical cost to schools of holding parental ballots on proposals to move to grant-maintained status.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  A small survey undertaken by the Department last year indicated that the governing body of an average-sized primary school typically spends approximately £900 and the governors of an average secondary school approximately £1,500 in the process of applying for grant-maintained status. Most of this is spent on providing information for parents, including in meeting the statutory requirement to place a summary statement about proposals to become GM in a local newspaper.

  From 1 January 1994, governing bodies of schools in the process of balloting for GM status or preparing statutory proposals may apply to the Department for a grant to help cover the expenses incurred.

  Bentley Drive Primary School
  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what current financial difficulties prevent a purpose-built block to be built at the Bentley Drive primary school, Walsall to replace the mobile classrooms.

  Mr. Forth
  Decisions on capital spending at a county school such as this are entirely a matter for the Walsall local education authority.

  Teacher Training
  Mr. David Martin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many students were recruited to courses of initial teacher training in 1993–94.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  A survey undertaken by my Department shows that 29,266 students entered courses of initial teacher training in universities and colleges in England this autumn, some 5 per cent. above target. I have placed a copy of the survey report in the Library.

  Compared to 1992–93, recruitment to primary ITT courses fell by 5 per cent., to 15,775, and recruitment to secondary courses increased by 5 per cent., to 13,491. These figures reflect the pattern of intake targets for 1993–94 adopted by the Higher Education Funding Council for England—HEFCE—at the request of the Secretary of State.

  Of the main secondary shortage subjects, mathematics increased recruitment by 4 per cent. to 1,769, science by

  859
  10 per cent. to 2,373 and modern languages by 13 per cent. to 1,542. English, religious education and music also increased recruitment, but technology fell by 7 per cent. to 2,057.

  The survey did not cover distance learning PGCE courses at the Open university and ITT courses by consortia of schools and city technology colleges, which are being run for the first time this academic year. These courses are expected to recruit 1,220 and 220 students respectively, including 115 in technology under the CTC trust's smallpiece programme.

  Taken together, this means that overall intakes for each of the secondary shortage subjects—mathematics, science, modern languages and technology—are higher this academic year than in 1992–93.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  Asbestos Pollution
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Attorney-General what discussions he has had with Lloyd's about outstanding and impending compensation claims for asbestos pollution from companies; and what assessment he has made of the prospects for compensation claims for mesothelima.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  I have been asked to reply.

  Underwriters at Lloyd's are required to maintain assets estimated to be sufficient to meet all liabilities arising from valid claims that may arise from current and past policies. In accordance with the Insurance Companies Act 1982, the adequacy of these reserves is certified annually by auditors, in accordance with rules approved by the Secretary of State. This process was successfully completed last summer for the year ended December 1992. The basis of reserving is reviewed annually, and it has recently been approved for the accounts to be submitted later this year.

ENVIRONMENT

  Tenant Incentive Scheme
  Mr. Battle
  : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) how many tenant incentive schemes grants have gone to people moving to homes overseas;

  (2) if he will list by country to which they moved the number of tenant incentive grant schemes going to tenants who have bought properties overseas.

  Sir George Young
  The information requested, based on returns to the Housing Corporation, for 1992–93 and 1993–94 to 17 January 1994 is as follows:

  Number

  1992–93

  Australia

  2

  Canada

  2

  Chile

  6

  Colombia

  2

  Cyprus

  6

  Egypt

  1

  Eire

  34

  France

  6

  Ghana

  3

  Gibraltar

  2

  Guyana

  2

  India

  1

  Jamaica

  7

  Malaysia

  1

  860

  Number

  Malta

  2

  New Zealand

  1

  Poland

  1

  Portugal

  2

  Spain

  6

  St. Lucia

  1

  Turkey

  1

  Uganda

  1

  USA

  2

  Unspecified

  18

  TOTAL

  110

  1993–94 (to 17 January 1994)

  Antigua

  1

  Australia

  3

  Barbados

  1

  Boliva

  1

  Colombia

  2

  Cyprus

  2

  Egypt

  1

  Eire

  31

  France

  2

  Germany

  1

  Ghana

  2

  Gibraltar

  1

  India

  1

  Iran

  1

  Jamaica

  3

  Mauritius

  1

  Nigeria

  1

  Poland

  1

  Portugal

  1

  Seychelles

  1

  Spain

  6

  Sri Lanka

  1

  St. Lucia

  1

  Trinidad

  2

  USA

  3

  Unspecified

  20

  TOTAL

  91

  Public Bodies
  Mr. Kilfoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment who are the members currently appointed to the Royal Commission on environmental pollution.

  Mr. Atkins
  Current members of the Royal Commission on environmental pollution are:

  Sir John Houghton—Chairman

  Sir Geoffrey Allen

  Professor Henry Charnock

  Professor Dame Barbara E. Clayton

  Mr. Henry R. Fell

  Mr. Peter R. A. Jacques

  Professor John H. Lawton

  Professor R. B. Macrory

  Professor J. G. Morris

  Mr. Donald A. D. Reeve

  Emma Rothschild

  Professor Z. A. Silberston

  The Earl of Selborne

  Government Offices
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what percentage of Government office accommodation in(a) the SW I postage district of London and (b) the remainder of the United Kingdom is now vacant; and what is the estimated annual net cost of these vacancies.
  861
  Mr. Baldry
  Office accommodation for general government use is managed on the common user estate. Including properties undergoing refurbishment, 5·8 per cent. is vacant in SW1 at an estimated cost in 1993–94 of £4·9 million. In the remainder of the United Kingdom, 9·6 per cent. is vacant at an estimated cost in 1993–94 of £51·9 million.

  National House Building Council
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of the extent to which the interest of consumers is being met by the National House Building Council; and if he will make a statement.

  Local Authority

  Estate/Scheme

  Barnet

  Grahame Park—phase 3

  Birmingham

  Ladywood—phase 2

  Birmingham

  Newtown—phase 2

  Birmingham

  The Firs—phase 4

  Blackburn

  Bennington Street

  Bradford

  Canterbury

  Bristol

  Barton Hill

  Bristol

  Lawrence Weston/Orlebar Gardens

  Burnley

  Trafalgar Gardens

  Carlisle

  Botcherby

  Cheltenham

  St. Pauls

  Chester

  Poet's Corner—phase 2

  Darlington

  Skerne Park

  Derby

  Austin

  Derby

  Harvey Road

  Doncaster

  Stainforth—phase 3

  East Yorkshire

  South Back Lane

  Great Yarmouth

  Middlegate

  Hackney

  Clapton Park—phase 4

  Hackney

  Holly Street

  Hackney

  Trowbridge

  Haringey

  Broadwater Farm—phase 3

  Harrogate

  Broadacres

  Hounslow

  Highfield

  Hull

  The Garths

  Knowsley

  Kirby

  Knowsley

  Lickers Lane

  Lambeth

  Penwith Manor

  Lambeth

  Thorlands

  Lambeth

  Myatts Field

  Lewisham

  Evelyn

  Lewisham

  Milton Court—phase 1

  Lewisham

  Pepys

  Liverpool

  Belle Vale

  Liverpool

  Dingle

  Liverpool

  Dovecot/Baycliffe and Southdene

  Liverpool

  Netherley

  Liverpool

  Norris Green/Sedgemoor

  Liverpool

  Norwood

  Manchester

  Benchill North—phase 2

  Manchester

  Monsall

  Manchester

  Newbank Street

  North Tyneside

  Meadowell—phases 1 and 2

  Nottingham

  Bridgeway/The Meadows

  Nottingham

  St. Anns

  Preston

  Callon—phase 2

  Redbridge

  Tiptree/Clayhall Avenue

  Rochdale

  College Bank—phase 2

  Salford

  Amersham Street

  Salford

  Ordsall—phase 4

  Southwark

  Gloucester Grove—phase 6

  St. Helens

  Peasley View

  Tower Hamlets

  Watney Market

  Vale Royal

  Over/St. Johns Gardens

  862
  Sir George Young
  This is a matter for the council itself, which is an independent body. A number of consumer interest groups are represented on both the council and its standards committee and are therefore able to influence the standards set.

  Estate Action
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give details of the estate action schemes currently in operation which have projected spend estimates beyond 1995–96.

  Sir George Young
  Of the estate action schemes given full approval on or before 4 January 1994, the following have projected spend estimates beyond 1995–96:
  863

  Tenant Management Organisation
  Mrs. Gorman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list those tenants and residents associations which received grant to develop a tenant management organisation in 1992–93, showing for each(a) the value of the grant in 1992–93, (b) the aggregate value of any previous grants and the years in which they have

  Tenants' organisation

  Authority

  1Agency

  Units

  2Start date

  3Progress

  Development cost

  41991–92

  1992–93

  1993–94

  5EMB

  6TMC

  Total £

  £

  £

  £

  Abbey Road

  Camden

  (None)

  279

  May 1992

  June 1992

  22,186

  22,186

  0

  0

  —

  1

  Agar Grove

  Camden

  CATCH

  247

  January 1994

  7,692

  0

  0

  7,692

  —

  1

  Alderwood

  Langbaurgh

  BOW

  20

  TD

  September 1992

  13,900

  13,900

  0

  0

  —

  1

  Alpha

  Sheffield

  YCHS

  255

  TD

  5,913

  0

  0

  5,913

  —

  1

  Angell Town

  Lambeth

  PEP

  844

  August 1991

  52,750

  21,011

  31,739

  0

  1

  —

  Arica Co-op

  Southwark

  HEXAGON

  82

  April 1992

  25,118

  0

  8,713

  16,405

  —

  1

  Ashb'ne and Buxton

  Trafford

  TPAS

  118

  October 1993

  8,580

  0

  0

  8,580

  —

  1

  Atholl and Braemar

  Westminster

  PIC SERVS

  42

  November 1992

  24,073

  0

  10,585

  13,488

  —

  1

  Bancroft

  Tower Hamlets

  SOLON CHS

  628

  September 1990

  19,898

  19,898

  0

  0

  —

  1

  Berryfields

  North Cornwall

  CPT

  273

  July 1993

  11,957

  0

  0

  11,957

  1

  —

  Bethnal Green

  Tower Hamlets

  PCHA

  158

  January 1994

  4,726

  0

  0

  4,726

  —

  1

  Birch Green

  West Lancashire

  PEP

  1,175

  June 1993

  24,023

  0

  0

  24,023

  1

  —

  Blackbrook

  Warrington

  PEP

  809

  November 1992

  40,767

  0

  12,838

  27,929

  1

  —

  Botcherby

  Carlisle

  BOW

  539

  April 1992

  35,323

  0

  24,041

  11,282

  1

  —

  Boulter Crescent

  Oadby/Wigston

  LHA

  140

  January 1994

  4,875

  0

  0

  4,875

  —

  1

  Broadwater Farm

  Haringey

  P W'HSE/T A

  1,063

  June 1993

  27,174

  0

  0

  27,174

  1

  —

  Browning

  Southwark

  CHURCH

  433

  TD

  26,394

  16,435

  9,959

  0

  1

  —

  Brunshaw

  Burnley

  PEP

  1,904

  May 1993

  31,917

  0

  0

  31,917

  1

  —

  Burrows St/Green L

  Walsall

  BCHS

  259

  June 1992

  29,315

  0

  18,290

  11,025

  —

  1

  Carol Street

  Camden

  (None)

  36

  January 1992

  June 1992

  10,662

  10,662

  0

  0

  —

  1

  Carrbrook

  Manchester

  CHS(NW)

  127

  TD

  February 1993

  9,806

  9,806

  0

  0

  —

  —

  Cartergate

  Nottingham

  LFHS

  52

  TD

  February 1992

  10,146

  10,146

  0

  0

  —

  1

  Chalkhill

  Brent

  TPAS

  1,800

  April 1992

  53,089

  0

  29,536

  23,553

  1

  —

  Chelsea Manor CT

  RBKC

  PEP

  83

  Failed

  9,776

  0

  9,776

  0

  —

  —

  Chuckery

  Walsall

  BCHS

  213

  September 1992

  25,755

  22,397

  3,358

  0

  —

  1

  Church Court

  Bradford

  YCHS

  32

  April 1992

  In abeyance

  21,892

  0

  17,006

  4,886

  —

  1

  Clapton Park

  Hackney

  PEP

  1,594

  January 1992

  60,255

  8,122

  31,363

  20,770

  1

  —

  Claybrow

  West Lancashire

  CDS (LIV)

  512

  July 1992

  35,324

  0

  9,697

  25,627

  —

  1

  Cleveland Est

  Tower Hamlets

  TENANT

  287

  April 1993

  20,632

  0

  0

  20,632

  —

  1

  Colesborne

  Liverpool

  PEP

  1,173

  January 1994

  10,113

  0

  0

  10,113

  1

  —

  Colwell Action G P

  Liverpool

  CDS (UV)

  340

  July 1992

  30,462

  0

  17,147

  13,315

  —

  1

  Cottington Gose

  Lambeth

  SLFHA

  227

  November 1992

  25,730

  0

  9,598

  16,132

  —

  1

  Cowley

  Lambeth

  SLFHA

  515

  April 1993

  21,025

  0

  0

  21,025

  —

  1

  Cranbrook

  Tower Hamlets

  HEXAGON

  435

  August 1993

  14,626

  0

  0

  14,626

  —

  1

  Crusader

  Lewisham

  CHISEL

  156

  April 1991

  28,490

  17,105

  11,385

  0

  —

  1

  De Beauvoir

  Hackney

  PEP

  877

  January 1992

  47,821

  3,656

  26,317

  17,848

  1

  —

  Digby Greenways

  Tower Hamlets

  HEXAGON

  890

  April 1993

  18,632

  0

  0

  18,632

  1

  —

  EwartRoad

  Lewisham

  HEXAGON

  182

  TD

  1,590

  1,590

  0

  0

  —

  1

  Fenside

  Boston

  LHA

  955

  April 1993

  21,059

  0

  0

  21,059

  1

  —

  Field Bottoms

  Hyndeburn

  PEP

  525

  October 1993

  11,489

  0

  0

  11,489

  1

  —

  Five Ways

  Lewisham

  CHISEL

  181

  March 1993

  26,802

  0

  5,809

  20,993

  —

  1

  Gascoyne

  Hackney

  CHURCH

  243

  Failed

  28,905

  0

  19,594

  9,311

  1

  —

  Gloucester Grove

  Southwark

  TIDE

  714

  April 1993

  36,422

  0

  0

  36,422

  1

  —

  Godwin/Crowndale

  Camden

  PEP

  173

  July 1990

  June 1992

  13,516

  13,516

  0

  0

  —

  1

  Goscote

  Walsall

  PEP

  422

  October 1993

  13,706

  0

  0

  13,706

  1

  —

  Greave Estate

  Rochdale

  TPAS

  268

  April 1993

  18,610

  0

  0

  18,610

  —

  1

  Halton Moor

  Leeds

  PEP

  1,319

  November 1991

  July 1993

  26,912

  26,912

  0

  0

  1

  —

  Harford House

  Westminster

  PIC SERVS

  104

  April 1993

  24,562

  0

  0

  24,562

  —

  1

  Haslingden

  Rossendale

  PEP

  1,461

  April 1992

  July 1992

  33,927

  33,927

  0

  0

  1

  —

  Higginshaw Village

  Oldham

  PEP

  339

  October 1991

  November 1993

  33,790

  11,327

  18,522

  3,941

  1

  —

  Holland Rise

  Lambeth

  PEP

  94

  June 1992

  22,626

  0

  18,788

  3,838

  —

  1

  Holland Town

  Lambeth

  SLFHA

  300

  January 1993

  22,729

  0

  5,645

  17,084

  —

  1

  Hollin

  Rochdale

  PEP

  1,200

  September 1990

  May 1993

  30,698

  30,698

  0

  0

  1

  —

  Holts Village

  Oldham

  CHS(NW)

  925

  April 1992

  46,108

  0

  33,750

  12,358

  1

  —

  Hornsey Lane

  Islington

  (Local Authority)

  173

  April 1990

  August 1992

  13,139

  13,139

  0

  0

  1

  —

  Ironbridge

  Liverpool

  CDS (LIV)

  227

  July 1993

  14,893

  0

  0

  14,893

  1

  —

  Kennington Park House

  Southwark

  HEXAGON

  40

  TD

  April 1992

  15,803

  15,803

  0

  0

  —

  1

  Kilburn Square

  Camden

  CATCH

  268

  July 1991

  28,056

  21,488

  6368

  0

  —

  1

  Kingsmead

  Hackney

  PEP

  976

  July 1992

  45,349

  0

  12,452

  32,897

  1

  —

  Lancaster West

  RBKC

  PEP

  829

  July 1991

  August 1993

  43,208

  20,542

  20,547

  2,119

  1

  —

  Langridge

  Middlesbrough

  BOW

  60

  TD

  December 1993

  4,997

  4,997

  0

  0

  —

  1

  Leather Market Gardens

  Southwark

  TPAS

  1,659

  October 1993

  27,740

  0

  0

  27,740

  1

  —

  Lillestone

  Westminster

  PPCR

  73

  November 1993

  6,870

  0

  0

  6,870

  1

  —

  Locknor

  Hackney

  FED HACK

  186

  April 1993

  19,649

  0

  0

  19,649

  —

  1

  Loggans

  Penwith

  CPT

  97

  April 1993

  15,706

  0

  0

  15,706

  1

  —

  Magdalen

  Lambeth

  SOLON W

  126

  March 1993

  26,276

  0

  1,000

  25,276

  —

  1

  Maiden Lane

  Camden

  PEP

  479

  July 1990

  May 1992

  19,794

  19,794

  0

  0

  —

  1

  Menzies

  Liverpool

  CDS (LIV)

  265

  August 1993

  14,460

  0

  0

  14,460

  1

  —

  Mowmacre

  Leicester

  PEP

  1,079

  June 1992

  In abeyance

  47,715

  0

  22,821

  24,894

  1

  —

  New Park Village

  Wolverhampton

  (None)

  415

  July 1992

  December 1992

  26,055

  15,286

  10,769

  0

  —

  1

  Nightingale CR

  Bromley

  CHISEL

  34

  TD

  13,169

  13,169

  0

  0

  —

  1

  North Garths

  Hull

  TPAS

  1,082

  December 1993

  11,689

  0

  0

  11,689

  1

  —

  North Peckham

  Southwark

  PEP

  1,429

  October 1991

  In abeyance

  54,350

  18,206

  36,144

  0

  1

  —

  Old/New Loughborough

  Lambeth

  PEP

  1,209

  August 1991

  48,703

  22,675

  26,028

  0

  1

  —

  Oslo Court

  Merton

  SOLON W

  16

  TD

  In abeyance

  11,423

  11,423

  0

  0

  —

  1

  Pare Mellan

  Penwith

  CPT

  39

  April 1993

  11,928

  0

  0

  11,928

  1

  —

  Park View

  Tower Hamlets

  HEXAGON

  307

  June 1993

  12,416

  0

  0

  12,416

  1

  —

  Parkwood Rise

  Bradford

  YCHS

  192

  October 1991

  26,446

  6,065

  20,381

  0

  —

  1

  864
  been paid, (c) the value of any grant paid in 1993–94, (d) the local authority, (e) what organisations are advising the association, (f) what progress has been made towards the successful establishment of a tenant manager co-operative or estate management board and (g) when the activity was first brought to the Department's attention.

  Sir George Young
  The information requested is as follows:
  865

  Tenants' organisation

  Authority

  1Agency

  Units

  2Start date

  3Progress

  Development cost

  41991–92

  1992–93

  1993–94

  5EMB

  6TMC

  Total £

  £

  £

  £

  Pembroke Res

  Plymouth

  DEVON CDA

  153

  October 1992

  34,244

  0

  14,046

  20,198

  1

  —

  Perronet

  Southwark

  TIDE

  102

  April 1993

  29,654

  0

  0

  29,654

  —

  1

  Pinehurst

  Liverpool

  CDS (LIV)

  750

  August 1993

  18,243

  0

  0

  18,243

  1

  1

  Pleck

  Walsall

  BCHS

  434

  October 1992

  32,278

  0

  11,246

  21,032

  1

  —

  Ridings Way

  Bradford

  YCHS

  134

  April 1992

  24,711

  0

  24,711

  0

  —

  1

  Rossmere

  Middlesbrough

  BOW

  35

  April 1993

  17,165

  0

  0

  17,165

  —

  1

  Rothbury Road

  Middlesbrough

  BOW

  16

  June 1991

  December 1993

  13,800

  13,800

  0

  0

  —

  1

  Saint Georges

  Southwark

  TIDE

  567

  April 1993

  33,503

  0

  0

  33,503

  1

  —

  Saint Giles

  Lincoln

  LHA

  1,383

  October 1993

  14,728

  0

  0

  14,728

  1

  —

  Saint Marks

  Leicester

  LHA

  439

  April 1992

  49,200

  19,805

  11,023

  18,372

  1

  —

  Saint Pancras Court

  Camden

  CATCH

  49

  April 1992

  April 1992

  22,874

  22,874

  0

  0

  —

  1

  Saint Pauls

  Cheltenham

  CHURCH

  274

  October 1992

  22,451

  0

  11,195

  11,256

  1

  —

  Samuda

  Tower Hamlets

  PEP

  505

  May 1990

  February 1993

  16,754

  16,754

  0

  0

  1

  —

  Sandbank

  Birmingham

  BCHS

  253

  April 1993

  23,169

  0

  0

  23,169

  —

  1

  Scotland Gate

  Carlisle

  BOW

  265

  March 1993

  31,069

  0

  9,011

  22,058

  —

  1

  South Bank

  Langbaurgh

  PEP

  865

  July 1990

  September 1992

  20,435

  3,080

  17,355

  0

  1

  —

  South Hornsey

  Haringey

  PEP

  668

  July 1993

  18,720

  0

  0

  18,720

  1

  —

  Springfield Horseshoe

  Wolverhampton

  PARTNERS IC

  128

  October 1992

  32,191

  0

  16,931

  15,260

  —

  1

  Staincliffe

  Kirklees

  PEP

  628

  September 1990

  July 1992

  27,875

  27,875

  0

  0

  1

  —

  Stamford Hill

  Hackney

  PPCR

  460

  September 1993

  19,224

  0

  0

  19,224

  1

  —

  Stockwell Park

  Lambeth

  SOLON W

  998

  May 1993

  28,551

  0

  0

  28,551

  1

  —

  Suffolk Estate

  Hackney

  FED HACK

  259

  February 1993

  27,095

  0

  3,094

  24,001

  —

  1

  Sutton Park 'A'

  Birmingham

  (Self)

  250

  April 1992

  26,644

  0

  13,238

  13,406

  —

  1

  Tabard Gardens

  Southwark

  TENANT ACT

  1,433

  November 1991

  81,673

  10,790

  43,954

  26,929

  —

  1

  Tanhouse

  West Lancashire

  BCHS

  533

  April 1993

  October 1992

  28,958

  0

  0

  28,958

  1

  —

  Tanner House

  Southwark

  PEP

  25

  July 1993

  17,827

  0

  0

  17,827

  —

  1

  Thorlands

  Lambeth

  PEP

  403

  July 1993

  15,776

  0

  0

  15,776

  1

  —

  Triangle

  Bradford

  TPAS

  255

  July 1993

  14,704

  0

  0

  14,704

  —

  1

  Trowbridge

  Hackney

  TENANT ACT

  555

  January 1992

  26,873

  3,965

  16,433

  6,475

  —

  1

  Tustin

  Southwark

  PEABODY

  476

  April 1992

  33,960

  0

  25,119

  8,841

  1

  —

  Walpole

  Greenwich

  TENANT ACT

  87

  September 1993

  13,677

  0

  0

  13,677

  1

  —

  Warwick Crescent

  Westminster

  PIC SERVS

  25

  December 1992

  23,983

  0

  8,019

  15,964

  —

  1

  West Houghton

  Bolton

  CHS (NW)

  534

  June 1992

  31,391

  0

  24,805

  6,586

  1

  —

  West View

  Wyre

  PEP

  843

  October 1991

  44,049

  10,624

  21,467

  11,958

  1

  —

  Weston Rise

  Islignton

  SNU

  147

  April 1993

  24,878

  0

  0

  24,878

  1

  —

  Whitworth Valley

  Rossendale

  PEP

  827

  July 1990

  July 1992

  26,165

  26,165

  0

  0

  1

  —

  Woolwich CRA

  Greenwich

  PEP

  1,220

  Failed

  49,677

  26,645

  23,032

  0

  1

  —

  Wyke

  Hackney

  FED HACK

  415

  February 1993

  11,863

  0

  3,333

  8,530

  —

  1

  Wyncote

  Hartlepool

  BOW

  15

  June 1991

  18,987

  13,404

  5,583

  0

  —

  1

  TOTALS

  119

  56,690

  2,893,121

  671,662

  843,761

  1,337,698

  59

  57

  1 Agency name abbreviations:

  BCHS

  Birmingham Co-operative Housing Services.

  BOW

  Bank of the Wear (CHS) Ltd.

  CATCH

  Catch Ltd.

  CDS (LIV)

  Co-operative Development Services (Liverpool).

  CHISEL

  Community Housing in South East London.

  CHS (NW)

  Community Housing Services (North West).

  CHURCH

  English Churches Housing Group.

  CPT

  Community Projects Trust.

  DEVON CDA

  Devon Co-operative Development Agency.

  FED HACK

  Federation of Hackney Tenants.

  HEXAGON

  Hexagon Housing Association.

  LFHS

  Leicester Federation of Housing Services.

  LHA

  Leicester Housing Association.

  P W'HSE/T A

  Price Waterhouse/Tenant Action Ltd.

  PARTNERS I C

  Partners In Change Ltd.

  PCHA

  Paddington Churches Housing Association.

  PEABODY

  Peabody Trust.

  PEP

  Priority Estates Project.

  PIC SERVS

  PIC Services.

  PPCR

  PPCR Associates.

  SLFHA

  South London Family Housing Association.

  SNU

  Safe Neighbourhoods Unit.

  SOLON CHS

  Solon Community Housing Services.

  SOLON W

  Solon Wandsworth Housing Association.

  TENANT ACT

  Tenant Action Ltd.

  TIDE

  Tenant Initiatives Development Services Ltd.

  TPAS

  Tenant Participation Advisory Service.

  YCHS

  Yorkshire Community Housing Services.

  2 Start date refers to the date on which a tenant management development programme began. TD refers to those developments which commenced under previous grant arrangements.

  3 Date is that on which a tenant management organisation's management agreement received the Secretary of State's approval. Where a date does not appear, this indicates that development is continuing.

  4 Information from previous years is not readily available.

  5 Estate management boards.

  6 Tenant management co-operatives.

  866 867

  Housing Associations
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what are(a) the budget and (b) the staff available to the housing associations' ombudsman service from the Housing Corporation for (i) 1993–94, (ii) 1994–95 and (iii) 1995–96.

  Sir George Young
  The ombudsman service for housing association tenants became operational in November 1993. The operating budget is as follows:

  1993–94

  1994–95

  1995–96

  £000

  £000

  £000

  Staff Costs

  150

  227

  227

  Non-Staff Costs1

  79

  145

  143

  Mediation/Legal Other Operational Costs

  103

  123

  110

  332

  495

  480

  1 In 1993–94, there was an additional sum of £24,000 to set up premises.

  The total staffing complement available to the ombudsman service is seven.

  Council Tenants
  Mr. Robert Ainsworth
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what measures he proposes to introduce to make it easier for local authorities to take action against council tenants displaying anti-social behaviour.

  Sir George Young
  Local authorities currently have a range of measures at their disposal to tackle anti-social behaviour. We have asked the local authority associations to let us know how their members are dealing with this problem and whether they think that there are any constraints on their ability to do the job effectively. We shall review the position in the light of the associations' response.

  Pennine Bridleway
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to announce his decision regarding the Pennine bridleway national trail; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Baldry
  The Countryside Commission published its supplementary report to the Secretary of State on 1 July 1993, outlining revised proposals for the bridleway. I am presently considering the matter and I expect to announce my decision shortly.

  Standard Spending Assessments
  Mr. Michael Spicer
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list those district councils whose provisional increase in their standard spending assessment between 1993–94 and 1994–95 is greater than 10 per cent.

  Mr. Baldry
  Those authorities with a provisional increase in their standard spending assessments of more than 10 per cent. in 1994–95 are listed in descending order.
  868

  List of District Councils with a provisional increase in SSA of more than 10 per cent.

  Local authority

  Percentage change

  Brentwood

  35·9

  Tewkesbury

  29·6

  South Bucks

  28·3

  North East Derbyshire

  25·8

  Ashfield

  24·8

  East Dorset

  23·4

  Three Rivers

  23·4

  Blyth Valley

  22·6

  Basildon

  22·3

  South Oxfordshire

  22·2

  Broxbourne

  22·1

  Welwyn Hatfield

  22·0

  Mole Valley

  22·0

  South Staffordshire

  21·7

  Epping Forest

  20·7

  Langbaurgh-on-Tees

  20·5

  Taunton Deane

  19·2

  Sevenoaks

  18·8

  Mansfield

  18·7

  Holderness

  18·7

  Halton

  18·6

  Runnymede

  18·4

  Thurrock

  18·3

  Wansbeck

  17·9

  Chiltern

  17·7

  Hereford

  17·7

  Eastleigh

  17·6

  Christchurch

  17·5

  Copeland

  16·7

  East Hertfordshire

  16·7

  Tamworth

  16·6

  Bolsover

  16·5

  Adur

  16·4

  Chesterfield

  16·4

  Durham

  16·3

  Rochford

  16·2

  Crawley

  16·1

  Lewes

  16·0

  Restormel

  15·8

  Hertsmere

  15·7

  Uttlesford

  15·6

  Berwick-upon-Tweed

  15·5

  Stockton-on-Tees

  15·3

  Rushcliffe

  15·0

  East Yorkshire

  14·8

  Chester-le-Street

  14·7

  Colchester

  14·4

  Test Valley

  14·3

  Harlow

  14·3

  North Kesteven

  14·3

  Ryedale

  14·2

  Lichfield

  13·9

  South Wight

  13·8

  Scarborough

  13·8

  Bromsgrove

  13·7

  Stratford-on-Avon

  13·7

  Caradon

  13·6

  Derwentside

  13·4

  Charnwood

  13·3

  Canterbury

  12·9

  Salisbury

  12·8

  Bassetlaw

  12·7

  Mid Sussex

  12·5

  Sedgefield

  12·4

  Winchester

  12·3

  West Dorset

  12·3

  Wealden

  12·2

  Dartford

  12·2

  Tendring

  12·1

  Gosport

  12·1

  North West Leicestershire

  12·1

  Scunthorpe

  12·0

  Wychavon

  11·9

  Amber Valley

  11·9

  Allerdale

  11·8

  869

  Local authority

  Percentage change

  Eastbourne

  11·7

  Lancaster

  11·7

  South Bedfordshire

  11·7

  Surrey Heath

  11·6

  Vale of White Horse

  11·5

  West Lancashire

  11·2

  Wyre Forest

  11·2

  Stevenage

  11·1

  Chelmsford

  11·1

  Great Grimsby

  11·1

  Mid Bedfordshire

  10·8

  North Cornwall

  10·7

  Rutland

  10·7

  Richmondshire

  10·7

  Purbeck

  10·6

  Middlesbrough

  10·5

  Kennet

  10·5

  West Lindsey

  10·5

  Glanford

  10·3

  Worcester

  10·2

  Cotswold

  10·1

  Castle Morpeth

  10·1

  East Lindsey

  10·0

  Lincoln

  10·0

  Housing (Westminster)
  Mr. Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give the figures for council house voids, as a percentage of its total housing stock, submitted to his Department by Westminster city council for each year since 1985.

  Sir George Young
  The percentage of their own dwellings that Westminster city council reported on its annual housing investment programme—HIP1—returns as vacant at 1 April in the years 1985 to 1993 were as follows:

  Per cent.

  1985

  3·6

  1986

  3·2

  1987

  2·8

  1988

  4·0

  1989

  5·6

  1990

  3·4

  1991

  2·9

  1992

  1·8

  1993

  2·0

  Mr. Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list, with appropriate dates, the chief housing officers and the housing committee chairmen who have served on the City of Westminster council since 1 April 1985.

  Sir George Young
  This is a matter for Westminster city council.

  Local Government Finance
  Mrs. Beckett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his latest estimate of the amount of capital receipts spent by local authorities since the relaxation of rules concerning such receipts(a) in total and (b) in each local authority.

  Mr. Baldry
  Under the temporary relaxation in the rules, local authorities can spend 100 per cent. of virtually 870
  all capital receipts received during the period from 13 November 1992 to 31 December 1993. The receipts can be spent at any time. The information which authorities provide to my Department on the spending of their usable capital receipts relates to financial years; I am arranging for their latest returns to be placed in the Library of the House. On the basis of these returns, authorities provisionally estimated spending of usable capital receipts of about £1 billion in 1992–93 and are forecasting spending of £1·8 billion in 1993–94. It is not possible for my Department to estimate the proportion of these totals relating to receipts received during the relaxation of the rules.

  Right-to-Buy
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many local authority-owned houses and flats have been sold since the introduction of right to buy in each housing authority in England and Wales.

  Sir George Young
  A table showing the available information on total right-to-buy sales for each English local authority for every financial year since 1980 and a cumulative total to September 1993 was recently placed in the Library. In addition, the table also gives data on total sales and on the number of flats sold.

  For information about Wales, I refer the hon. Member to the Secretary of State for Wales.

  Council House Sales
  Mr. Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment which councils are currently implementing a designated council house sales policy of the type described by the district auditor in his report on Westminster city council; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir George Young
  The Department does not collect information on voluntary sales undertaken by local authorities in a way which would permit the identification of policies of the type mentioned.

  Compulsory Competitive Tendering
  Mr. Willetts
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to publish consultation drafts of the statutory instruments which will implement the compulsory competitive tendering of housing management for consultation.

  Sir George Young
  On 26 November, I announced—Official Report, columns 264–65—how the Department proposed to proceed with the implementation of compulsory competitive tendering of housing management. My announcement followed detailed consultation with local authorities and their representatives. I am today publishing drafts of the orders and regulations which will put these proposals into effect.

  I am also publishing today draft guidance for local authorities designed to avoid anti-competitive behaviour. The guidance seeks to ensure that authorities can continue to deliver comprehensive and estate-based housing services and at the same time ensure that there is free and fair competition for their delivery. The wide-ranging guidance is designed to balance the needs of housing authorities and contractors, and to safeguard the interests of tenants.
  871
  Copies of all these documents are being sent to each local housing authority in England. Local authorities and others have until 4 March to let the Department have their views on these documents. Copies are also being placed in the Library.

  Mr. Whittingdale
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, what advice he proposes to give local authorities on the handling of issues related to the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 1981 in relation to compulsory competitive tendering.

  Mr. Baldry
  Today my Department has written to all local authority chief executives enclosing an issues paper on the handling of TUPE issues in relation to compulsory competitive tendering. This follows consultation with representatives of the local authority associations and industries engaged in CCT contracting.

  The paper covers, among other matters, the approach which authorities should adopt in relation to: requests for indemnities; the provision of information to contractors about workforce matters; delay to the CCT timetable; the treatment of tenders where there is a disagreement on the applicability of TUPE; and the evaluation of tenders.

  The paper also indicated that Department of the Environment circular 10/93 will be amended to provide that local authorities may give a preliminary view of the likelihood of T'UPE applying to a contract.

  The paper deals with matters of the handling of TUPE-related issues. As regards the substantive issue of whether or not TUPE applies to a particular contract, the position remains that this depends on the detailed facts of each case, as set out in the guidance which my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster issued on 11 March last year.

  I have today placed a copy of the letter to chief executives and the paper in the Library.

  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales has decided to issue the paper to local authorities in Wales. The Welsh Office has today written to all local authority chief executives in Wales enclosing the paper and indicating that Welsh Office circular 40/93 will be amended in line with DOE circular 10/93.

  The Government's view on pension rights in relation to TUPE and market testing of services is set out in "The Government's Guide to Market Testing" published by the Office of Public Services and Science efficiency unit in July 1993, paragraph 5.18. In my discussions, a number of industry organisations have commented on the matter of pensions rights in relation to CCT. I am considering these comments and will issue further advice on this matter as appropriate.

  Flagship Business Park, Nottinghamshire
  Mr. Tipping
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what criteria he has used to choose the site of the Flagship business park in Nottinghamshire outlined in "Prospects for Coal"; when he will announce this site; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Baldry
  [holding answer 14 January 1994]: Following the announcement of the intention to establish a Flagship business park in the Nottingham area by my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade on 25 March 1993, my right hon. Friend the Minister for Housing, Inner Cities and Local Government announced on Tuesday 18 January 1994 that four sites have been
  872
  selected in the east midlands for designation as enterprise zones. This is subject to the agreement of the European Commission.

  The sites have been chosen in areas where the work force has been directly affected by colliery closures, having regard to the need to strike a balance between those sites likely to attract development and generate jobs quickly and those which will make a significant contribution to the reclamation and regeneration of the area.

NATIONAL HERITAGE

  Sports Council
  Mr. Pendry
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will report on his consultations with the Sports Council GB following his statement of 9 July 1993,Official Report, column 599; and on what date he expects to announce his fresh proposals.

  Mr. Brooke
  Discussions with the Sports Council and other interested parties are continuing. I expect to announce fresh proposals for reorganisation around Easter.

  Commonwealth Games 2002
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what consideration and representations his Department has undertaken regarding the impact of a common visa list with other EC states on the Commonwealth games in 2002 in either Sheffield, London and Manchester; and if he will make a statement before the venue is announced.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  I have been asked to reply.

  None. It is too early to say what visa requirements will be in place in 2002.

WALES

  Grant-maintained Schools Centre
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what financial assistance he has granted to the Welsh grant-maintained schools centre in High Wycombe with respect to its activities in granted to the centre; what assistance in kind has been granted to the centre; what proposals he has for further grant in aid; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  The grant-maintained schools centre at High Wycombe provides a service for schools in both England and Wales. For the current financial year, the Department has offered a grant of up to £40,000 in respect of advice the centre offers to schools in Wales both prior to and after their incorporation as grant-maintained schools. In addition, the GMSC has been involved in the arrangement of three conferences on grant-maintained status. Details of the costs have yet to be finalised. No assistance in kind has been granted to the GMSC.

  No decisions have been taken concerning future levels of Government funding.

  Urban Investment Grant
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the members of the independent panel of professional advisers who advise on urban investment grants applications above £250,000.
  873
  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The membership of the urban investment grant appraisal panel is detailed in the publication "Public Bodies: Appointments made by the Secretary of State for Wales".

  A copy of this publication has been placed in the Library of the House.

  Ambulance Service
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what consultations he has had with the chairmen of NHS ambulance trusts about early retirement entitlement for ambulance drivers, control room staff and management aged over 55 years; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  None. My right hon. Friend is considering what arrangements might be introduced to facilitate the early retirement of long-serving ambulance staff in Wales.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what proposals he has for the rationalisation of the ambulance service in Wales; and what representations he has received on proposed alterations affecting boundaries, numbers of control rooms and senior management personnel required to maximise efficiency in the service.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  Proposals for the rationalisation of ambulance services in Wales are provided by the services themselves through applications for NHS trust status. Each application is subject to three months' public consultation and the representations received cover a variety of issues relating to the specific proposals for trust status. Every representation is taken into account, alongside the individual merits of the application, before a decision is made on whether to establish a trust.

  Applications have been approved in respect of the South and East Wales ambulance NHS trust, which became operational on 1 April 1993 covering services provided in Gwent, Powys and South Glamorgan, and the North Wales ambulance NHS trust which will become fully operational on 1 April 1994 covering services provided in Clwyd and Gwynedd.

  In addition, a joint application from East Dyfed and West Glamorgan ambulance services to form the West Wales ambulance NHS trust has been deferred with an invitation to re-present proposals to obtain trust status from 1 April 1995.

  Copies of the NHS trust applications have been placed in the Library of the House.

  One-Stop Shops
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the setting up of one-stop shops for enterprise support in Wales.

  Mr. Redwood
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to my answers of 16 December 1993,Official Report, columns 854–55, and 11 January 1994, Official Report, column 102.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Animal Health Programme
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he has taken to get financial assistance from the EC veterinary fund to assist in his animal health programme.
  874
  Mr. Ancram
  The Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland sumbitted on application in 1991 for assistance from the EC veterinary fund in respect of expenditure on animal disease eradication. The application was unsuccessful due to the fund being heavily oversubscribed and this was also the position in 1992 and 1993 when the application was carried forward. The Department's bid remains active for 1994.

  Badgers
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list by county the number of badgers shot and gassed in each year since 1988; and what percentage of those badgers were subsequently shown to have tuberculosis.

  Mr. Ancram
  In Northern Ireland badgers are protected by the Wildlife (Northern Ireland) Order 1985 and it is illegal for badgers to be shot or gassed. Since the order took effect, no badger has been shot or gassed for disease investigation purposes and there are no records of any illegal shooting or gassing.

  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what research he has carried out into the incidence of bovine tuberculosis in badgers in Northern Ireland; and what evidence he has that badgers are a source of tuberculosis in cattle in Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Ancram
  Past studies based mainly on road casualty badgers indicated that they do not represent a significant factor in the spread of bovine TB. In Northern Ireland there is no evidence that badgers are a major source of TB infection in cattle. It is estimated that badgers are responsible for some 2 per cent. of herd breakdowns at present.

  General Practitioners
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many general practitioners received gross payments in excess of £200,000 per year in each year since 1991–92.

  Mr. Ancram
  There were four in 1991–92 and 10 in 1992–93. In each case, the general medical practitioner was a dispensing doctor whose payments, in addition to the normal fees and allowances for providing general medical services, included dispensing fees and reimbursement of the cost of drugs supplied to patients.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Argentina
  Mr. George
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the current state of Anglo-Argentinian relations.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  Relations with Argentina are good. Ministers meet frequently. Trade and investment are growing fast. We co-operate in a wide range of areas. But we reject Argentina's continued claim to the Falkland Islands and other British dependent territories.

  China
  Sir Geoffrey Johnson Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the total money received in compensation from the Chinese
  875
  Government under the Foreign Compensation (People's Republic of China) Order 1987 in respect of losses incurred between 1949 and 1952; what is the total value of claims received; what is the total value of claims allowed; what is the total amount paid out to claims to date; what is the percentage settlement being used; what is the total amount spent on administration; how much interest was earned whilst Ernst and Young deliberated; and what is the current balance of the fund.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  In 1987, the Chinese Government agreed a settlement of £23,468,008 for all British claims arising before 1 January 1980 but had a counter-claim of their own. As a result, the net amount passed to the Foreign Compensation Commission was £21,873,660·35.

  The total value of claims received was £152,355,040. The total value awarded by the commission was £40,375,214. The percentage settlement being used is 62·25 per cent. The total amount paid to date is £25,127,550·34.

  To date, £3,323,506·97 has been spent on administration. Interest earned was £8,786,835·29 on which £2,198,277·30 has been paid in tax. The commission reports that there is currently £50,058 at the bank. The figure includes unclaimed payments.

  It is not possible without considerable research to differentiate the claims for losses incurred between 1949 and 1952.

  Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention
  Mr. Livingstone
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many papers have been presented by the United Kingdom Government to the United Nations and the review conferences of the 1972 biological and toxin weapons convention disclosing information on Britain's past biological warfare activities; and why and when these papers were presented.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The United Kingdom has twice provided a "Declaration of past activities in offensive and/or defensive biological research and development programmes" to the United Nations Department for Disarmament Affairs in Geneva. These declarations were required under the confidence-building measures adopted by the 1991 third review conference of the 1972 bacteriological—biological—and toxic weapons convention. They were submitted in April 1992 and April 1993.

  Council of Europe
  Mr. Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Bournemouth, East (Mr. Atkinson) of 17 January,Official Report, columns 354–55, which of the conventions arid agreements listed have entered into force.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  The following have entered into force:

  European convention on compulsory insurance against civil liability in respect of motor vehicles

  Agreement relating to application of the European convention on international commercial arbitration

  European convention of the supervision of conditionally sentenced or conditionally released offenders

  European convention on the punishment of road traffic offences European agreement of "au-pair" placement

  European convention on the international validity of criminal judgments

  European convention on the transfer of proceedings in criminal
  876
  matters

  European convention on the calculation of time limits

  European convention on social security

  Supplementary agreement to the European convention on social security

  Agreement on the transfer of corpses

  European convention on the international effects of deprivation of the right to drive a motor vehicle

  European convention on the legal status of migrant workers

  European convention on the service abroad of documents relating to administrative matters

  European convention on the obtaining abroad of information and evidence in administrative matters

  European convention on the control of the acquisition and possession of firearms by individuals

  European convention for the protection of animals for slaughter

  European outline convention of transfrontier co-operation between territorial communities or authorities

  European charter of local self-government

  European convention for the protection of pet animals

  European convention on the general equivalence of periods of university study

  Sovereign Islands
  Mr. Marlow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list all islands in the world larger than 10,000 sq m that are not subject to a unique sovereignty, setting out the different sovereign powers in each case.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  The information requested is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Foreign Compensation Commission
  Mr. Kilfoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs who are the members currently appointed to the Foreign Compensation Commission.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  The currently appointed members of the Foreign Compensation Commission are Mr. A. W. E. Wheeler, CBE—Chairman—and Mr. J. A. S. Hall, DFC.

  Law of the Sea Convention
  Mr. Peter Ainsworth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the current status of the United Nations convention on the law of the sea and the British Government's position on the convention; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  The United Nations convention on the law of the sea has now been ratified by 60 countries. It will enter into force in accordance with its terms on 16 November 1994. Although the convention contains many provisions of substantial value, we made known to the House in 1984 our objections to part XI of the convention which covers deep seabed mining. We welcomed and have participated fully in consultation under the auspices of the United Nations Secretary-General aimed at resolving the issues which have prevented industrialised countries from ratifying the convention. We will play an active part in the next round of consultations to be held in New York from 31 January to 4 February.
  877

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Mining Museums
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what steps he is taking to ensure that mining museums continue to receive technical expertise, services and material for collection after the privatisation of British Coal.

  Mr. Eggar
  It will be for the mining museums to establish links with the new coal mining companies when British Coal is privatised.

  Public Bodies
  Mr. Kilfoyle
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade who are the members currently appointed to the Coal Task Force.

  Mr. Eggar
  The Coal Task Force was recently superseded by a new body, the Advisory Committee on Coal Research, whose membership is as follows:

  Dr. K. Brown (Chairman)

  Energy Technology Support Unit

  Dr. J. Billingsley

  Power Gen

  Dr. H. Davies

  British Gas

  Dr. B. Gainey

  Shell Coal

  Mr. R. Haywood

  Rolls Royce Power Engineering

  Mr. J. Monson

  British Steel

  Mr. A. Oliver

  National Power

  Mr. J. Perrin

  Babcock Energy Ltd.

  Dr. D. Pollard

  European Gas Turbines Ltd.

  Miss B. Webster

  Webster Mining Co. Ltd.

  Dr. J. Whitehead

  Coal Research Establishment

  Prof. A. Williams

  Leeds University

  Prof. J. Patrick

  Loughborough University

  Mr. Kilfoyle
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade who are the members currently appointed to the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority.

  Mr. Eggar
  The information is as follows:

  Sir Anthony Cleaver—Chairman

  Mr. J. Bullock

  Dr. B. L. Eyre, CBE

  Professor Sir Peter Hirsch, FRS

  Dr. D. Pooley

  Mr. R. Sanderson, OBE

  Dr. R. S. Nelson

  Professor Sir Roger Elliott

  Mr. A. W. Hills

  Mrs. V. S. Shirley, OBE

  878
  Mr. Kilfoyle
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade who are the members currently appointed to the Fuel Cell Advisory Panel.

  Mr. Eggar
  The members currently appointed to the Fuel Cell Advisory Panel are:

  Dr. N A Pratten—chairman

  Manager, Energy Efficiency Technical Department

  Energy Technology Support Unit

  Dr. Gary Acres

  Director of Technology Planning

  Johnson Matthey plc

  Member, Advisory Council on Research and Development—ACORD

  Mr. Robert Carpenter

  Assistant Manager, Heating Plant Division,

  Midlands Research Station

  British Gas plc

  Dr. David Hodgett

  Operations Director

  EA Technology

  Dr. Susan Ion

  Head of Research and Development, Fuel Division

  British Nuclear Fuels plc

  Mr. John Loughead

  Director, Engineering Research Centre, Stafford

  GEC Alsthom Ltd.

  Dr. Julian Packer

  Engineering Director

  Combined Power Systems Ltd.

  Dr. Bryn Price

  Head of Applied Science Laboratory, Derby

  Rolls-Royce plc

  Mr. Clive Seymour

  Products Development Manager

  Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering Ltd.

  Dr. Colin Snowdon

  ICI Visiting Fellow, Department of Engineering Science

  University of Oxford

  Mr. Richard Liwicki—Assessor

  Programme Manager, Electrical and Power Industries

  SERC—Science and Engineering Council

  Mr. Adrian Hyde—Assessor

  Electricity Division

  Department of Trade and Industry

  Mr. Kilfoyle
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade who are the members currently appointed to the Offshore Industry Advisory Board.

  Mr. Eggar
  The members currently appointed to the Offshore Industry Advisory Board are:

  E. A. Blair

  President, Hamilton Brothers, Oil and Gas Ltd.

  K. A. Bray, CBE

  Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, European Gas Turbines.

  D. Clark, OBE

  Chairman, Process and Energy Sector, AMEC.

  B. L. Crowe, CMG

  International Economic Issues, Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

  H. W. Dalton

  MD, Exploration and Production, British Gas.

  879

  J. E. d'Ancona

  Director General, Offshore Supplies Office, Department of Trade and Industry.

  A. Davis

  Managing Director, British Steel, Seamless Tubes.

  Dr. C. E. Fay

  MD, Shell UK Exploration and Production.

  R. T Fox

  Vice Chairman, Kleinworth Benson Group plc.

  Mrs. L M. Fraser

  Assistant Treasurer, Mobil North Sea Ltd.

  R. Garrick, CBE

  MD and Chief Executive, Weir Group plc.

  Dr. C. S. Gibson-Smith

  Chief Executive—Europe, BP Exploration.

  D. Hall

  Head—Projects and Export Policy Division, Department Trade and Industry.

  K. N. Henry

  Chief Executive, Brown and Root Ltd.

  Mr. P. E. Kingston

  Consultant, Enterprise Oil plc.

  W. S. H. Laidlaw

  MD, Amerada Hess Ltd.

  P. C. K O'Ferrall, OBE

  Chairman, Lloyds Register.

  Robinson

  Chief Executive, John Brown plc

  C. M. Smith, CBE

  MD, Chevron UK Ltd.

  Dr. K. H. Taylor

  Chairman and Chief Executive, Esso Exploration and Production UK plc.

  Mrs. J. Verdon

  Managing Director, ISA Controls Ltd.

  J. J. Wildasin

  President and Chief Operating Officer, McDermott Marine Construction.

  Sir Ian Wood

  Chairman and MD, John Wood Group plc

  Nuclear Waste
  Mr. Boyes
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans he has to put nuclear waste materials down non-working pits; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Eggar
  I am advised that the nuclear industry has no such plans.

  Offshore Operators
  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what steps he will take to ensure that offshore operating companies are not able to avoid their legal and financial obligations relating to the payment of fines under health and safety prosecutions if they have been taken over; what time scale he envisages for this action; and if he will make a statement.
  880
  Mr. Eggar
  [holding answer 14 December 1993]: I am not convinced of the need to take steps for this purpose.

  Safety Regulations
  Mr. Donohoe
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) what responses were received by his Department to his recent consultation on relaxation of the Furniture and Furnishings Fire (Safety) Regulations 1988 and the Night Wear Safety Regulations 1985; which bodies expressed support for relaxing these regulations; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) if he will make a statement on what conclusions his Department has reached on the relaxation of the Furniture and Furnishings Fire (Safety) Regulations 1988 and the Night Wear Safety Regulations 1985.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  [holding answers 20 January 1994]: The recent consultation exercise on the Furniture and Furnishings Fire (Safety) Regulations 1988—as amended of—and the Nightwear Safety Regulations 1985, in the context of the deregulation initiative, brought forward responses from a wide range of business and consumer interests. The detailed responses are being analysed and it is too early to reach conclusions on what changes—if any—are appropriate.

HEALTH

  NHS Administration
  Mr. Alexander
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many managers and administrators are currently employed by(a) regional health authorities, (b) district health authorities and (c) family health service authorities; at what cost to taxpayers; and what were the corresponding figures in 1991 and 1992.

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

  Table 1 General and senior managers and administrative and clerical staff employed in the Regional/District Health Authority structure at 30 September—whole time equivalents.

  1991

  1992

  General/senior managers

  10,640

  10,470

  Administrative and Clerical

  100,660

  82,530

  Table 2 General and senior managers and administrative and clerical staff employed in Family Health Service Authorities in England at 30 September—whole time equivalents

  1991

  1992

  General/senior managers

  790

  1,040

  Administrative and clerical

  4,650

  5,240

  Source: DH Form KM49.

  Notes:

  1. Table 1 provides the numbers of staff in regional health authority and district health authority headquarters and directly managed units; NHS trusts, the London ambulance service, special health authorities and other statutory authorities are excluded.

  2. A small number of FHSA staff are employed by the RHAs and are included in table 1. These staff are excluded from the FHSA figures given in table 2.

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

  4. 30 September 1992 is the latest date for which information is
  881

  Table 3 Salaries and Wages Costs of General and Senior Managers in England

  £000s

  1990–91

  1991–92

  1992–93

  Regional Health Authorities

  24,142

  46,922

  59,106

  District Health Authorities

  223,221

  277,179

  290,149

  Table 4 Salaries and Wages Costs of Administration and Clerical Staff in England

  £000s

  1990–91

  1991–92

  1992–93

  Regional Health Authorities

  114,146

  131,275

  109,104

  District Health Authorities

  1,050,370

  1,056,824

  920,570

  Sources:

  1. Annual accounts of RHAs and DHAs for 1990–91.

  2. Annual financial returns of RHAs and DHAs for 1991–92 and 1992–93.

  Notes:

  1. The figures are for RHAs and DHAs. They include directly managed units, but exclude NHS Trusts, special health authorities and other statutory authorities.

  2. 1992–93 figures are provisional.

  3. The figures for general and senior managers should be treated with caution because the national increase in their number—and hence salary costs—is largely due to the reclassification of other professional and administrative staff as general and senior managers.

  Table 5 Salaries and Wages Costs of all Staff in FHSA's in England

  1990–91

  1991–92

  1992–93

  £000s

  £000s

  £000s

  Family health services authorities

  67,393

  88,564

  111,480

  Source: Annual accounts of FHSAs.

  Notes:

  1. Salaries and wages costs are not identified in separate categories for FHSA staff. The majority of expenditure will be for administration/ management staff.

  2. Figures for 1992–93 are provisional.

  3. "Salaries and wages costs" represent all employers' costs including gross salaries, national insurance and employers' pension costs.

  Alcohol Misuse
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what arrangements are currently in operation for cross-departmental co-ordination of Government policy in relation to alcohol misuse and its consequences; and what plans there are for future co-ordination.

  Mr. Bowis
  The Government remain committed to taking effective action to deal with the consequences of alcohol misuse both for the individual and the community.

  Action is focused on the promotion of sensible drinking habits including meeting the targets set out in "The Health of the Nation". I therefore welcome my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister's decision to transfer responsibility for the co-ordination of Government policy on alcohol misuse to EDH(H), the cabinet sub-committee responsible for "The Health of the Nation" and to expand its membership accordingly.

  University College London Hospitals
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the further efficiency measures she has suggested to University College London hospitals.
  882
  Dr. Mawhinney
  We have made clear our commitment to retaining University College London Hospitals as a world-class centre of medical teaching and research. UCLH is already undertaking a major cost improvement programme in 1993–94, and North East Thames regional health authority is discussing with the unit how services can be provided most efficiently in future.

  Family Health Services Authorities
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the budget of each family health services authority convened by the London implementation group for each year from 1990 to 1995.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Expenditure for the years 1990–91 to 1992–93 of each family health service authority whose area falls wholly or in part in the London initiative zone is shown in the table.

  Budgets are not set for family health services as most elements of expenditure are demand-led and funded accordingly. Budgets for FHSA cash-limited expenditure are issued by regional health authorities and are not available centrally.

  Gross expenditure of family health services authorities

  Authority

  Year

  1990–91

  1991–92

  1992–93

  (£)

  (£)

  (£)

  Brent and Harrow

  55,948,634

  51,986,077

  60,799,056

  Ealing, Hammersmith and Hounslow

  72,582,053

  71,167,352

  81,032,384

  Kensington, Chelsea and Westminster

  42,428,334

  41,604,503

  48,133,097

  Barking and Havering

  39,570,512

  38,935,837

  44,089,197

  Camden and Islington

  44,465,457

  40,875,179

  48,336,119

  City and East London

  72,327,505

  73,706,590

  86,561,387

  Enfield and Haringey

  50,226,717

  50,373,635

  58,238,102

  Redbridge and Waltham Forest

  48,575,570

  48,033,524

  55,881,603

  Greenwich and Bexley

  44,170,728

  45,761,746

  51,332,685

  Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham

  80,328,536

  83,416,519

  95,336,498

  Croydon

  32,996,828

  31,720,157

  35,950,625

  Merton, Sutton and Wandsworth

  63,235,072

  66,298,721

  74,237,746

  Notes:

  Source: Audited accounts of the authorities, total gross expenditure.

  2. Payments to general dental practitioners for general dental services are not included in 1991–92 and 1992–93 as the Dental Practice Board assumed responsibility for such payments from 1 April 1991.

  3. The authorities included are those which fall wholly or in part within the London initiative zone as defined in "Making London Better", February 1993.

  Medical Services Funding
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the funding for general medical services by region in each of the last three years; and what is projected for the next two years.

  Mr. Sackville
  Expenditure on general medical services by region for the years 1990–91 and 1992–93 is shown in the table.

  Projected expenditure for future years is not available: most elements of general medical services expenditure are demand led and funded accordingly. Budgets for

  883
  cash-limited expenditure on the general medical services are issued by regional health authorities and are not available centrally.

  General medical services expenditure by region

  Region

  1990–91

  1991–92

  1992–93

  £

  £

  £

  Northern

  122,989,021

  136,007,122

  147,860,526

  Yorkshire

  149,405,550

  170,025,108

  184,184,461

  Trent

  190,445,047

  213,810,189

  234,363,722

  East Anglian

  89,778,335

  102,767,280

  113,709,212

  North West Thames

  158,263,698

  177,377,481

  194,216,444

  North East Thames

  164,796,569

  181,707,722

  203,234,834

  South East Thames

  156,317,652

  179,843,993

  196,151,536

  South West Thames

  121,078,560

  141,373,233

  149,872,536

  Wessex

  122,291,245

  140,076,992

  151,505,080

  Oxfordshire

  109,953,026

  123,917,087

  138,089,077

  South Western

  157,299,584

  175,559,932

  185,364,931

  West Midlands

  204,916,256

  230,471,586

  252,117,604

  Mersey

  95,638,944

  108,302,334

  118,200,670

  North Western

  148,830,792

  169,855,541

  184,091,576

  Notes:

  Source: Family health services authorities' annual accounts.

  2. 1991–92 and 1992–93 figures include practice fund management allowances and general practitioner fundholder expenditure in respect of staff costs reimbursements. Expenditure in relation to general practitioner fundholder prescribing and hospital purchases is excluded.

  Ministerial Cars
  Mr. Alan Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she 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. Sackville
  Four main factors have led to the increase in the cost of Government car service cars for Ministers in the Department. First, the effect of inflation on GCS costs, particularly pay, vehicles and fuel. Secondly, during this period the GCS restructured its charges to reflect the fact that it had been under-recovering its full costs in 1990–91. Thirdly, the rate of value added tax has increased from 15 per cent. to 17½ per cent. Fourthly, there was the provision of an additional vehicle for an extra Minister in 1992, which accounts for some 20 per cent. of the increase.

  In Vitro Fertilisation
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the total cost to the NHS of the IVF programme over the past four years; how many babies have been born as a result of this programme; and how many embryos(a) have been donated, (b) are currently in storage and (c) were destroyed.

  Mr. Sackville
  The information requested cannot be separately identified.

  Educational Qualifications
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list in rank order for each district council in England the number and percentage of adult residents who have no post-18 educational qualifications.

  Mr. Sackville
  Information from a 10 per cent. sample from the 1991 census will be placed in the Library. In the table, local authority districts are ranked according to 884
  percentage of residents aged over 18, who have no qualifications obtained after age 18—other than those usually obtained at school.

  Information
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what considerations underlay her decision not to collect information centrally on(a) response times by ambulance services, (b) hospitals which failed to treat patients within the waiting time set out in the patients charter, (c) the disease optic neuritis, (d) the number of child patients unable to receive paediatric intensive care owing to shortage of paediatric intensive care beds, (e) the number of general practitioners receiving gross payments of £200,000 or over per year, (f) district health authorities running at (i) a surplus or (ii) a deficit on the number of people wishing to be inoculated against influenza, (g) waiting times for outpatient treatment by (i) regional health authorities and (ii) district health authorities, (h) the use of Concorde flights by health staff and (i) the number of children refused orthodontic treatment because of the limitation on extra-contractual referrals; and if she will reconsider her decision in each case.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The main thrust of the national health service reforms is the devolution of responsibility to appropriate levels, allowing those providing services to be fully in charge of planning and delivery. It would be counter to those reforms for the centre to impose unnecessarily restrictive monitoring systems and to require returns for, and about, every step in the process of procuring and delivering health care.

  Social Classes
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list for each district council in England the proportion of the district population in social classes 3G4 and 5.

  Mr. Sackville
  The available information, based on a 10 per cent. sample from the 1991 census will be placed in the Library. As there is no social class 3G, the table shows social class IIIM—skilled-manual.

  GPs (Misconduct)
  Mr. Raynsford
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations she has received about the length of time on average involved in determining cases involving complaints against general practitioners accused of professional misconduct.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Since we announced an independent review of all national health service complaints procedures, chaired by Professor Alan Wilson, a large number of representations have been received by the review committee, many of which have referred to the length of time taken to deal with complaints made by individuals.

  Market Testing
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health iuf she will list, by region and district, the responses made to NHS management executive circular EL(93)37 indicating the number of individual services(a) currently being market tested and (b) planned to be market tested.
  885
  Mr. Sackville
  We have no plans to publish this information. As stated in paragraph 2 of the annex to EL(93)37, the information will be available as a source of management information for the national health service and national health service management executive.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will place a copy in the Library of the advice circular to the national health service from the Government Actuary's Department in relation to the pension package minimum equivalence with respect to contractors seeking work from a Government Department under market testing and competitive tendering, where the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) (Regulations) 1981 apply; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Sackville
  The Government Actuary Department has not issued a general circular to the national health service as a result of the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 1981—TUPE.

  The national health service management executive issued guidance on TUPE on 5 November 1993, copies of which will be placed in the Library.

  Although pensions are not covered by the TUPE regulations, the management executive guidance suggests that advice on pensions equivalance may be obtained from the GAD on a case-by-case basis.

  Cars
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list in rank order for each district council in England the number of households without a car.

  Mr. Sackville
  Information from the 1991 census will be placed in the Library. In the table, local authority districts are ranked according to the percentage of households with no car.

  Long-term Illness
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many households in each district council in England include an occupant suffering limiting long-term illness; and what percentage this group constitutes of the area's total households in each case.

  Mr. Sackville
  Information from the 1991 census will be placed in the Library.

  Health Authority Expenditure
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was(a) the total final cash allocations and (b) the actual outturn expenditure for each district health authority in each of the last five years.

  Mr. Sackville
  Cash allocations to districts are issued by regional health authorities and are not recorded centrally. Information on revenue expenditure by district will be placed in the Library.

  Abortion
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of terminations of pregnancies were funded by the NHS in 1992.

  Mr. Sackville
  The information requested will shortly be published by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys in monitor AB 94/1.
  886

  Creutzfeldt-Jakob Dementia
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people under the age of 20 years in each of the last five years have suffered from Creutzfeldt-Jakob dementia; and of these how many had not had any growth treatment previously.

  Mr. Sackville
  We are not aware of any people under the age of 20 in the United Kingdom proven to be suffering from Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in the last five years.

  GPs (Staff)
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will give the average reimbursement to GPs for salaries for receptionists, practice managers, secretaries and administrators in each year since 1990–91, excluding the GP fundholding management allowance.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  This information is not available centrally.

  Patients' Notes
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) who, apart from doctors, has access to patients' notes in hospitals;

  (2) whether hospital managers have right of access to patients' notes.

  Mr. Sackville
  Personal health information is handled on a strict "need to know" basis in the national health service. Besides doctors and other health professionals, managers and administrative staff may also need to see patients' notes in order, for example, to plan services and arrange appointments. Individual members of staff should only have access to that part of the information which is necessary for them to carry out their duties. Advice to the NHS on this will be included in the guidance on confidentiality which we hope to issue for consultation shortly.

  GP Fundholders
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information she has as to the use to which GP fundholders have put surplus funds from 1991–92.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  All savings must be used for the benefit of patients. The detailed rules setting out the uses for which general practitioner fundholders may use savings are in paragraph 24 of the National Health Service (Fundholding Practices) Regulations 1993, copies of which are available in the Library.

  Hospital Closures
  Mrs. Wise
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what plans the Edgware health trust has to build new office premises in the grounds of the Barnet general hospital;

  (2) what plans there are for the closure of Edgware general hospital.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The Wellhouse Trust comprises the Edgware and Barnet general hospitals. Barnet health agency's five-year strategy proposes the development of Barnet hospital and the reshaping or closure of Edgware hospital. The period of public consultation ends on 31 January. Any formal proposal to close Edgware hospital would be subject to separate public consultation.
  887

  Casualty Services, London
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether she has received the report of the accident and emergency reference group on casualty services in London; and what plans she has to publish it.

  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health in what form the accident and emergency reference group reported for the London implementation group; and if she will publish this report.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The accident and emergency reference group was set up to advise the London implementation group on accident and emergency services in London. The group has not been asked to produce a report.

  Asthma
  Miss Lestor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to include the reduction of asthma in the objectives of "The Health of the Nation"; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Sackville
  We believe that further development and research is necessary before national targets in respect of asthma can be set. In 1992–93 the Medical Research Council, which receives its grant in aid from the office of my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, spent over £1·5 million on research into asthma and areas which may be relevant to the condition.

  Family Health Services Authorities
  Mr. Kilfoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health who are the members currently appointed to each of the family health services authorities.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Members of family health services authorities are appointed by regional health authorities.

  Barnet Health Agency
  Mrs. Wise
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the cost to public funds of the production and distribution of the publication "Focus on Health-A Strategic Framework 1993–1998" by the Barnet health agency in terms of(a) managerial costs, (b) production costs and (c) distribution costs.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Barnet health authority is still consulting on its five-year strategy. The hon. Member may wish to contact Mr. Alan Jacobs, chairman of the authority, for details.

  Infertility Treatment
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she proposes to raise the matter of an upper age limit on the availability of infertility treatment within the European Community; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Sackville
  The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority has stated in its second annual report that it will be addressing the issue of treatment for post-menopausal women in the coming year. The Government will consider this matter further after they receive the authority's advice.
  888

  Committee on Medical Aspects of Food Policy
  Mr. Kilfoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health who are the members currently appointed to the Committee on Medical Aspects of Food Policy.

  Mr. Sackville
  Current membership of COMA is:

  MEMBERS

  Dr. K. C. Caiman—Chair

  Government Chief Medical Officer, Department of Health

  Dr. P. Aggett

  Agricultural and Food Research Council, Institute of Food Research, Norwich

  Dr. S. Bingham

  Non-clinical Scientist, Dunn Clinical Nutrition Unit, Cambridge

  Professor F. Cockburn

  Samson Gemmell Professor of Paediatrics and Child Health, Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Glasgow

  Ms A. Foster

  Director, Scottish Consumer Council

  Dr. G. Fowler

  Clinical Reader in General Practice, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Radcliffe Infirmary, Oxford

  Professor Grimley Evans

  Professor of Geriatric Medicine, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford

  Professor A. A. Jackson

  Professor of Human Nutrition, University of Southampton

  Professor W. P. T. James

  Director, Rowett Research Institute, Aberdeen

  Professor M. Marmot

  Professor of Community Medicine, University College and Middlesex Medical School

  EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS

  Professor K. Alberti

  Director of Research and Development, Northern Regional Health Authority, Chairman of Nutrition Programme Committee

  Dr. J. Chambers

  Health Education Authority

  Dr. H. Denner

  Chief Scientist (Food), Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food

  Dr. Hine

  Chief Medical Officer, Welsh Office

  Dr. M. Kemp

  Medical Research Council

  Dr. Kendell

  Chief Medical Officer, Scottish Office

  Dr. McKenna

  Chief Medical Officer, Department of Health and Social Security, Northern Ireland

  NHS (Cars)
  Dr. Marek
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many cars have been allocated to the managers, advisers and administrators employed by the NHS trust hospitals in each of the last two financial years;

  (2) how many cars have been allocated to NHS managers, advisers, administrators and clerical staff in each of the last five years for which figures are available;

  (3) how many cars have been allocated to NHS nurses in (a) the hospital service and (b) the community service in each of the last five years for which figures are available.
  889
  Dr. Mawhinney
  This information is not available centrally.

  Food Safety
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made in her Department's review of food safety and hygiene; and when its conclusions will be reported.

  Mr. Sackville
  The Department has three major reviews under way in the area of food safety and hygiene. These form part of the Government's food law deregulation plan which my right hon. Friend the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food announced on 14 September 1993. These are:i. a wide-ranging review of all food temperature controls both in domestic and European Community legislation. A consultation on options both for change to United Kingdom legislation and for negotiation in the EC finished on 31 December. We shall make an announcement when the responses have been considered.
  ii. As part of the process of drafting regulations to implement the EC hygiene of foodstuffs directive, the Department has undertaken a review of domestic food hygiene legislation. We expect consultation on proposed new regulations will begin in February 1994. We plan to lay regulations before Parliament in the summer of 1994.
  iii. Under the EC hygiene of foodstuffs directive, the EC Commission must review the relationship between that directive and product specific food hygiene directives. We and my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food aim to consult UK industry and other interests in the spring about options arising from the review before taking them forward to EC forums for discussion.

  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what decision her Department's review of food safety and hygiene has reached in respect of the responsibility on retailers to check suppliers' storage areas if a product arrived at the required temperature.

  Mr. Sackville
  There is no requirement in food law for retailers to carry out checks on suppliers' storage areas.

  Dentistry
  Mrs. Beckett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many pregnant women received free dental treatment in each year since 1978–79.

  Number of dental patients registered at 31 March by region

  1991

  1992

  1993

  Region

  Adults

  Children

  Adults

  Children

  Adults

  Children

  Northern

  649,578

  239,078

  1,195,135

  389,836

  1,341,297

  420,265

  Yorkshire

  882,889

  311,465

  1,522,004

  486,054

  1,713,751

  524,295

  Trent

  1,051,920

  392,884

  1,871,795

  621,916

  2,114,935

  669,783

  East Anglia

  527,607

  213,725

  891,571

  289,320

  969,992

  300,802

  North West Thames

  593,438

  224,040

  1,252,037

  393,974

  1,457,164

  422,887

  North East Thames

  614,360

  238,172

  1,317,709

  416,204

  1,544,853

  450,396

  South East Thames

  740,094

  271,750

  1,405,098

  433,260

  1,525,461

  465,907

  South West Thames

  613,565

  240,174

  1,139,307

  377,684

  1,252,572

  400,101

  Wessex

  782,841

  273,117

  1,278,498

  399,876

  1,384,686

  423,329

  Oxford

  520,188

  235,926

  937,978

  355,515

  1,022,212

  376,492

  South West

  984,063

  344,602

  1,603,365

  497,499

  1,694,952

  522,918

  West Midlands

  1,183,315

  432,641

  2,068,975

  666,499

  2,294,996

  707,725

  Mersey

  564,545

  213,641

  1,001,407

  334,052

  1,134,834

  354,292

  North West

  942,400

  391,574

  1,621,160

  577,496

  1,781,811

  604,683

  England

  10,650,803

  4,022,789

  19,106,039

  6,239,185

  21,233,516

  6,643,875

  Mrs. Beckett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many dental practices accepted national health service patients in each region in each year since 1978–79.
  890
  Dr. Mawhinney
  Information is not available centrally on the number of women for whom treatment was provided. The table shows the available information on the number of courses of treatment provided.

  General dental services: England Courses of treatment—expectant and nursing mothers1 from 1978 to year ending March 19932

  Expectant mothers3

  Nursing mothers3

  Total

  1978

  —

  —

  760,030

  1979

  —

  —

  771,970

  1980

  —

  —

  845,530

  1981

  —

  —

  846,690

  1982

  —

  —

  879,190

  1983

  —

  —

  886,090

  1984

  —

  —

  890,470

  1985

  —

  —

  903,760

  1986–87

  —

  —

  968,720

  1987–88

  —

  —

  978,770

  1988–89

  —

  —

  1,015,140

  1989–90

  —

  —

  1,044,250

  1990–914

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  1991–92

  452,555

  665,310

  1,117,865

  1992–93

  443,922

  672,609

  1,116,531

  1 Mothers aged 18 and over.

  2 Data for 1978 to 1985 are available for calendar year only.

  3 Separate data for expectant and nursing mothers are not available before 1991–92.

  4 Data for 1990–91 are not available.

  Mrs. Beckett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people were registered as national health service dental patients in each region in each year since 1978–79.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Registration figures are only available from October 1990. The table shows by region in England the numbers of adults and children registered with national health service dentists at 31 March 1991, 1992 and 1993. Over this period there has been a net increase in patient registrations in every region.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  This information is not available centrally. However, there are now more dentists in contract with family health services authorities for the provision of national health service dental treatment than ever before.
  891

  Health Service Staff
  Mrs. Beckett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Darlington (Mr. Milburn) of 3 December,Official Report, columns 807–10, if she will give the total salary costs for each group in each region.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Number of prescriptions (millions) dispensed in the family health service authorities England 1979 to 1992

  Chargeable

  Year

  Charge at point of dispensing

  Pre-payment certificate

  Chargeable total

  No charge made

  Dispensing doctor and personal administration

  Grand total

  1979

  108·7

  10·4

  119·1

  185·5

  17·2

  321·8

  1980

  90·9

  15·2

  106·1

  197·2

  17·6

  320·9

  1981

  76·5

  18·3

  94·8

  205·2

  18·0

  318·0

  1982

  76·5

  18·4

  94·9

  216·4

  19·2

  330·5

  1983

  70·6

  17·8

  88·4

  226·9

  20·0

  336·3

  1984

  69·6

  17·5

  87·1

  233·4

  21·8

  342·3

  1985

  63·2

  16·9

  80·1

  238·5

  23·2

  341·8

  1986

  60·3

  15·7

  76·0

  246·6

  24·1

  346·7

  1987

  60·6

  15·6

  76·2

  259·0

  26·3

  361·6

  1988

  61·6

  16·1

  77·7

  268·8

  28·9

  375·5

  1989

  61·4

  16·8

  78·2

  273·7

  31·6

  383·5

  1990

  601

  17·6

  77·7

  282·8

  34·3

  394·8

  1991

  56·1

  18·2

  74·3

  296·4

  35·8

  406·5

  1992

  55·0

  18·6

  73·6

  313·1

  38·3

  425·1

  Notes:

  1. The analysis of the exempt and non exempt categories is based on a 1 in 20 sample of all prescriptions submitted to the Prescription Pricing Authority by community pharmacists and appliance contractors. Dispensing doctor and personal administration prescriptions are not analysed into exempt and non exempt categories.

  2. 1979 to 1990 data are based on fees. 1991 and 1992 data are based on items.

  3. Figures may not add up due to rounding.

  Child Meningitis
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of meningitis in children were recorded in the years 1983 to 1993; and in how many cases this was fatal.

  Mr. Sackville
  The information is shown in the tables.

  Number of recorded cases of meningitis in children (0–14 years old) in England and Wales from 1983–1992

  Year

  Notifications

  1983

  796

  1984

  795

  1985

  934

  1986

  1,462

  1987

  1,717

  1988

  1,876

  1989

  1,776

  1990

  1,673

  1991

  1,717

  11992

  1,693

  1 Data is provisional.

  Data for 1993 are not yet available

  Deaths of children (0–14 years) from all forms of Meningitis. 1ICD's 013·0, 036·0, 047·0, 047·1, 047·8, 047·9, 049·0, 049·1, 053·0, 072·1. 091·8, 094·2, 320 and 322 for 1983–1992 in England and Wales,

  Year

  Number of deaths

  1983

  120

  1984

  95

  1985

  130

  892

  Prescriptions
  Mrs. Beckett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the total number of prescriptions processed in each year since 1978–79; and of that total, how many were (i) free of charge, (ii) covered by a prepayment certificate and (iii) paid for in some other way.

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

  Year

  Number of deaths

  1986

  118

  1987

  132

  1988

  111

  1989

  110

  1990

  90

  1991

  112

  1992

  92

  1International Classification of Diseases 9th revision.

  Data for 1993 are not yet available.

  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she is taking to reduce the incidence of meningitis in children.

  Mr. Sackville
  The inclusion of a vaccine against haemophilus influenze type b, Hib-one of the two main causes of bacterial meningitis in young children—in the childhood immunisation programme from 1 October 1992 has resulted in a dramatic drop of over 80 per cent. in cases of invasive Hib disease in children under one year, the main target group for immunisation. Effective vaccines against the commonest form of meningococcal disease—the other main cause of bacterial meningitis in young children—are not yet available; the Department of Health is funding research to assist in the development of these vaccines.
  893

  NHS Trusts
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will give details of persons appointed to NHS trusts and authorities in England and Wales, showing name, current employment and whether resident in the relevant trust or authority area.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Darlington (Mr. Milburn) on 17 January at column 385, for information on chairmen and non-executive directors of national health service trusts in England.

  Non-executive members of district health authorities and family health services authorities are appointed by regional health authorities from amongst those who live or work in the area covered by the authority or trust, or have connections with it. Information on the place of residence of those persons appointed to NHS authorities and trusts is available from them.

  Details of chairmen and non-executive members of regional health authorities and special health authorities, and chairmen of district health authorities and family health services authorities will be placed in the Library.

  The appointment of persons to NHS authorities and trusts in Wales is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.

  Clinical Trials
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to reduce the regulations governing clinical trial authorisation.

  Mr. Sackville
  As part of the deregulation initiative task forces were set up to advise Ministers on priorities for the repeal of simplification of existing regulations so as to minimise the costs on business. The chemicals and pharmaceuticals deregulation task force identified clinical trial authorisation as an area of regulation that might be simplified.

  Number of NHS sight tests paid for by financial year

  Regional health authority

  1984–85

  1985–86

  1986–87

  1987–88

  1988–89

  1989–901

  1990–911

  1991–92

  1992–93

  Northern

  592,050

  599,980

  627,570

  697,970

  740,420

  336,840

  275,590

  314,710

  345,890

  Yorkshire

  722,730

  730,350

  752,340

  843,200

  906,140

  403,450

  311,630

  368,240

  408,800

  Trent

  912,550

  950,010

  980,900

  1,095,300

  1,166,700

  514,960

  406,780

  483,640

  528,080

  East Anglia

  380,580

  408,760

  422,030

  468,670

  493,110

  191,460

  159,900

  194,320

  222,090

  North West Thames

  828,710

  853,400

  862,330

  943,670

  1,016,600

  384,370

  290,210

  354,260

  397,350

  North East Thames

  894,530

  914,430

  943,440

  1,027,970

  1,054,960

  468,230

  361,430

  440,270

  494,040

  South East Thames

  734,580

  761,800

  803,560

  875,140

  927,760

  385,600

  296,850

  359,930

  406,730

  South West Thames

  625,840

  648,680

  652,880

  710,560

  735,310

  283,000

  220,360

  267,800

  295,330

  Wessex

  619,230

  645,870

  697,710

  739,430

  806,250

  343,160

  257,990

  312,010

  348,770

  Oxford

  489,640

  515,570

  546,070

  607,850

  657,320

  221,480

  205,650

  247,540

  276,510

  South Western

  761,550

  785,870

  826,630

  917,220

  1,017,480

  418,050

  324,470

  402,870

  435,370

  West Midlands

  1,096,610

  1,154,760

  1,188,830

  1,314,230

  1,438,370

  633,980

  488,220

  573,960

  640,530

  Mersey

  449,750

  465,660

  473,640

  531,580

  562,130

  259,840

  204,910

  246,340

  271,730

  North Western

  773,810

  810,630

  837,510

  922,020

  970,270

  435,340

  349,690

  413,550

  456,360

  England

  9,882,150

  10,245,780

  10,615,430

  11,694,800

  12,492,830

  5,279,750

  4,153,660

  4,979,420

  5,527,590

  Wales

  570,860

  600,710

  626,590

  697,280

  733,470

  292,060

  271,170

  332,240

  372,590

  Scotland

  884,730

  913,900

  965,160

  1,098,150

  1,168,610

  466,130

  418,130

  477,930

  521,440

  1 From 1 April 1989 NHS sight tests were restricted to certain eligible groups in the population.

  The figures for 1989–90 included 1·82 million sight tests paid for in 1989–90 but conducted in 1988–89 under the previous scheme. The remaining 4·22 million were conducted and paid for in 1989–90 which do not constitute a full 12 months of the new scheme. The figures for 1990–91 which do represent twelve months under the new scheme, are not therefore directly comparable with those for 1989–90.

  894
  The Medicines Control Agency of the Department of Health is currently consulting on proposals to simplify the operation of the clinical trial exemption—CTX—scheme. Schedule 2 to the Medicines (Exemption from Licenses) (Clinical Trials) Order 1981 lists the areas about which the Licensing Authority must be informed forthwith if the supplier proposes to make changes to an approved CTX. It is proposed to ease these requirements by removing the need to notify the Licensing Authority of changes of investigators and to introduce a usage guideline. The usage guideline will allow the supplier to supply the product for use in a new clinical trial or an on-going clinical trial without the need to notify the Licensing Authority providing that the new conditions of the trial are within the scope of the information contained in the usage guideline. This will allow pharmaceutical companies to carry out clinical trials within defined criteria without the need to notify the Licensing Authority of each and every change before proceeding. Any changes that are outside the terms of the usage guideline will still have to be notified to the Licensing Authority as currently happens.

  The consultation will close on 31 January. We will consider carefully the comments received and decide how to carry forward these proposals.

  Copies of the consultation letter, MLX203, will be placed in the Library.

  NHS Sight Tests
  Mrs. Beckett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many national health service sight tests took place in each region of the United Kingdom, in each financial year since 1984–85.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The number of national health service sight tests paid for in each financial year in Great Britain is shown in the table. The number of NHS sight tests carried out in Northern Ireland is a matter for my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.

  Nurses
  Mrs. Beckett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Darlington (Mr. Milburn) of 6 December,Official Report, columns

  895
  67–70, how many nurses who finished their training in each year since 1979 were offered a job in the national health service (a) in total and (b) by region in which they finished their training.

  Mr. Sackville
  This information is not available centrally.

  Public Bodies
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will update the answers given to the hon. Member for The Wrekin (Mr. Grocott) on 20 July 1993,Official Report, columns 112–14, on appointment to public bodies of peers, former hon. Members, their spouses and parliamentary candidates.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Available information about appointments made since 20 July 1993 is shown in the tables.

  National Health Service Authorities and Trusts

  FORMER HONOURABLE MEMBERS

  Mr. T. Flavell

  Chairman, Tameside and Glossop Acute Services NHS Trust, 1.11.93–31.10.97 (Conservative)

  SPOUSES OF HONOURABLE MEMBERS

  Mrs. S. Biffen

  Non-executive director, The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic and District Hospital NHS Trust, 4.1.94–31.10.97

  Lady June Onslow

  Non-executive director, North Downs Community Health NHS Trust, 1.11.93–31.10.97

  SPOUSES OF MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF LORDS

  Lady Butterworth

  Director, Royal National Throat, Nose and Ear Hospital Trust, 21.12.90–30.11.96

  Information concerning appointees to NHS authorities and trusts who have been party candidates for Parliament is not available centrally.

  Chairmen of NHS trusts are currently remunerated at a rate between £15,125 and £19,285 per year. Non-executive directors of NHS trusts and special health authorities receive £5,000 per year.

  Nadene Chouri
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what investigation she has made into the case of the delay in treating Nadene Chouri in casualty at King's College hospital; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Sackville
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Sheffield, Brightside (Mr. Blunkett) on 20 January.

  Community Care (Assessments)
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what data are being collected by her Department, in relation to assessment procedures, number of assessments required and number of assessments being undertaken, by local authorities, regarding care in the community.

  Mr. Bowis
  We are discussing with the local authority associations ways of including data on assessments in the Department's regular statistical collections.

  External Bodies (Funding)
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if she will make it her policy to operate a level playing field between opponents and supporters of Government health policies in future funding of external bodies;
  896
  (2) if organisations which oppose the introduction of the internal market have been offered financial support.

  Mr. Sackville
  [holding answer 11 January 1994]: The Department of Health funds external bodies on the merits of the individual applications for funding.

  NHS Trust Federation
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health under what powers, and for what purposes, a grant of £5,000 was made to the NHS Trust Federation.

  Mr. Sackville
  [holding answer 11 January 1994]: I understand that the payment was made to the National Health Service Trust Federation to contribute towards its development costs. There was no statutory authority for such a payment, and the federation has repaid the money to the Department.

  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if it is normal practice for her Department to operate a clawback procedure where grant-aided organisations generate surpluses in years in which they are grant aided; and whether such a condition applies to the grant of £5,000 made to the NHS Trust Federation.

  Mr. Sackville
  [holding answer 11 January 1994]: The Department encourages the voluntary organisations which it grant aids to seek additional sources of income. Grants are not necessarily withdrawn or reduced because a voluntary organisation makes a surplus in a particular year, but the Department expressly reserves the right to discontinue a grant and to recover it if it is not used for the purpose for which it is given. The payment to the trust federation, which is not grant aided by the Department, was made without statutory authority and has since been recovered.

  Health Benefits Review
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what recommendations were made by the health benefits review regarding the period of the certificate of entitlement to prescriptions;

  (2). whether the alternative schemes costed by the health benefits review included one based on exemptions and passporting;

  (3). whether the terms of reference of the health benefits review include part-payment of prescription charges for low-income persons; and what plans she now has to introduce such help;

  (4) when she commenced the review of the health benefits low-income scheme; what was the expected time scale for the review; and what was the expected date of publication of the results.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  [holding answer 14 January 1994]: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health announced on 22 May 1991 at column 530 that the Department of Health would undertake a review of the administration of the national health service low-income scheme during 1991, and would aim to produce proposals by the end of that year.

  The review made a number of proposals for consideration. These were reworked during 1992, as improved statistical information became available, and reconsidered afresh in 1993 as an integral part of the fundamental review of health expenditure. We plan to announce the outcome shortly.
  897

  Patients Charter
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will publish the package of key data about the patients charter performance of each district health authority, referred to in her answer of 4 November,Official Report, column 458.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  [holding answer 17 January 1994]: We have no plans to publish this health authority-based data which are collected by the national health service management executive for internal management purposes only.

  We have already announced our intention to publish this summer NHS performance tables which will include key provider-based information about the patients charter performance of every NHS hospital and trust. We believe it is this information that will be of most use and interest to the general public.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Durham
  Mr. Steinberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many(a) families, (b) pensioners and (c) children were living in poverty in Durham in each of the last 14 years.

  Single waged married couple with two children aged 4 and 6 Earnings and benefits as at April 1994

  Gross earnings

  Tax

  National Insurance contributions

  Take home pay

  Family credit

  Child benefit

  Rent

  Rent rebate

  Council lax

  Council tax benefit

  Total net income

  Net income after rent and council tax

  £

  £

  £

  £

  £

  £

  £

  £

  £

  £

  £

  £

  60·00

  0·00

  1·44

  58·56

  66·70

  18·45

  32·54

  19·11

  10·35

  6·22

  169·04

  126·15

  70·00

  0·00

  2·44

  67·56

  66·70

  18·45

  32·54

  13·26

  10·35

  4·42

  170·39

  127·60

  80·00

  0·00

  3·44

  76·56

  63·30

  18·45

  32·54

  9·62

  10·35

  3·30

  171·23

  128·34

  90·00

  0·00

  4·44

  85·56

  57·00

  18·45

  32·54

  7·87

  10·35

  2·76

  171·64

  128·75

  100·00

  0·13

  5·44

  94·43

  50·79

  18·45

  32·54

  6·14

  10·35

  2·23

  172·04

  129·15

  110·00

  2·13

  6·44

  101·43

  45·89

  18·45

  32·54

  4·77

  10·35

  1·81

  172·35

  129·46

  120·00

  4·13

  7·44

  108·43

  40·99

  18·45

  32·54

  3·41

  10·35

  1·39

  172·67

  129·78

  130·00

  6·44

  8·44

  115·12

  36·30

  18·45

  32·54

  2·10

  10·35

  0·98

  172·95

  130·06

  140·00

  8·94

  9·44

  121·62

  31·75

  18·45

  32·54

  0·83

  10·35

  0·59

  173·24

  130·35

  150·00

  11·44

  10·44

  128·12

  27·20

  18·45

  32·54

  0·00

  10·35

  0·20

  173·97

  131·08

  160·00

  13·94

  11·44

  134·62

  22·65

  18·45

  32·54

  0·00

  10·35

  0·00

  175·72

  132·83

  170·00

  16·44

  12·44

  141·12

  18·10

  18·45

  32·54

  0·00

  10·35

  0·00

  177·67

  134·78

  Single waged married couple with three children aged 3, 8 and 11 Earnings and benefits as at April 1994

  Gross earnings

  Tax

  National Insurance contributions

  Take home pay

  Family credit

  Child benefit

  Rent

  Rent rebate

  Council tax

  Council tax benefit

  Total net income

  Net income after rent and council tax

  £

  £

  £

  £

  £

  £

  £

  £

  £

  £

  £

  £

  60·00

  0·00

  1·44

  58·56

  85·25

  26·70

  32·54

  16·64

  10·35

  5·46

  192·61

  149·72

  70·00

  0·00

  2·44

  67·56

  85·25

  26·70

  32·54

  10·79

  10·35

  3·66

  193·96

  151·07

  80·00

  0·00

  3·44

  76·56

  81·85

  26·70

  32·54

  7·15

  10·35

  2·54

  194·80

  151·91

  90·00

  0·00

  4·44

  85·56

  75·56

  26·70

  32·54

  5·40

  10·35

  2·00

  195·21

  152·32

  100·00

  0·13

  5·44

  94·43

  69·34

  26·70

  32·54

  3·67

  10·35

  1·47

  195·61

  152·72

  110·00

  2·13

  6·44

  101·43

  64·44

  26·70

  32·54

  2·30

  10·35

  1·05

  195·92

  153·03

  120·00

  4·13

  7·44

  108·43

  59·54

  26·70

  32·54

  0·94

  10·35

  0·63

  196·24

  153·35

  130·00

  6·44

  8·44

  115·12

  54·85

  26·70

  32·54

  0·00

  10·35

  0·22

  196·89

  154·00

  140·00

  8·94

  9·44

  121·62

  50·30

  26·70

  32·54

  0·00

  10·35

  0·00

  196·62

  155·73

  150·00

  11·44

  10·44

  128·12

  45·75

  26·70

  32·54

  0·00

  10·35

  0·00

  200·57

  157·68

  160·00

  13·94

  11·44

  134·62

  41·20

  26·70

  32·54

  0·00

  10·35

  0·00

  202·52

  159·83

  170·00

  16·44

  12·44

  141·12

  36·65

  26·70

  32·54

  0·00

  10·35

  0·00

  204·47

  161·58

  Note:

  Benefit rates for April 1994 are shown, rent and council tax values for 1993 have been used as the values for 1994 are not yet known.

  Mrs. Beckett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish tables, similar to those in his
  898
  Mr. Burt
  Statistics on patterns of household disposable income, for the United Kingdom as a whole, are provided in "Households Below Average Income 1979—1990–91", published in June 1993, a copy of which is in the Library. Information is not available on a regional basis.

  Mr. Steinberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people are currently without accommodation and claiming income support in Durham.

  Mr. Burt
  The information is not available and can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Spending Power
  Mrs. Beckett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish tables, similar to those in his Department's tax benefit model table, showing net weekly spending power for each of a single waged married couple(a) with two children aged four and six years and (b) with three children aged three, eight and 11 years earning (i) £60, (ii) £70, (iii) £80, (iv) £90, (v) £100, (vi) £110, (vii) £120, (viii) £130, (ix) £140, (x) £150, (xi) £160 and (xii) £170 per week under the benefit system as per its latest uprating.

  Mr. Burt
  The information is in the tables.

  Department's tax benefit model table, showing net weekly spending power for a lone mother with two children aged

  899
  four and six years under the benefit system as uprated in April 1991 and in each of the following circumstances (a) not working after one year on benefits, (b)earning £20 a

  Lone Parent with two children aged 4 and 6 Earnings and Benefits as at April 1991

  Gross Earnings

  Tax

  National Insurance contributions

  Take Home Pay

  Income Support

  Free Welfare Foods

  Family Credit

  Child Benefit

  Rent

  Rent Rebate

  Community Charge

  Community Charge Benefit

  Total Net Income

  Net Income After Rent and Community Charge

  £

  £

  £

  £

  £

  £

  £

  £

  £

  £

  £

  £

  £

  £

  10·00

  0·00

  0·00

  0·00

  57·65

  5·27

  0·00

  21·10

  26·03

  26·03

  4·70

  3·76

  113·81

  83·08

  220·00

  0·00

  0·00

  20·00

  52·65

  5·27

  0·00

  21·10

  26·03

  26·03

  4·70

  3·76

  128·81

  98·08

  360·00

  0·00

  1·78

  58·24

  0·00

  0·00

  57·70

  21·10

  26·03

  8·03

  4·70

  0·00

  145·07

  114·34

  70·00

  0·00

  2·66

  67·34

  0·00

  0·00

  54·14

  21·10

  26·03

  4·43

  4·70

  0·00

  147·01

  116·28

  80·00

  0·00

  3·56

  76·44

  0·00

  0·00

  47·77

  21·10

  26·03

  2·66

  4·70

  0·00

  147·97

  117·24

  90·00

  0·00

  4·46

  85·54

  0·00

  0·00

  41·40

  21·10

  26·03

  0·88

  4·70

  0·00

  148·92

  118·19

  100·00

  0·00

  5·36

  93·75

  0·00

  0·00

  36·65

  21·10

  26·03

  0·00

  4·70

  0·00

  150·50

  119·77

  110·00

  3·39

  6·26

  100·35

  0·00

  0·00

  31·03

  21·10

  26·03

  0·00

  4·70

  0·00

  152·48

  121·75

  120·00

  5·89

  7·16

  106·95

  0·00

  0·00

  26·41

  21·10

  26·03

  0·00

  4·70

  0·00

  154·46

  123·73

  1 Not working after one year on benefits.

  2 Earning £20 per week from part·time working.

  3 Working full·time.

  Cold Weather Payments
  Mrs. Beckett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many cold weather payments have been made in each year since 1978–79(a) in total and (b) in each standard region.

  Mr. Scott
  All the information available on cold weather payments made since their introduction in December 1986 is held in the Library.

  Taxation
  Mrs. Beckett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Newcastle upon Tyne, East (Mr. Brown), of 14 December,Official Report, column 626, what are the numbers of (a) men and (b) women below (i) the tax threshold and (ii) the national insurance contribution threshold, by standard region of the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Hague
  I regret that information is not available in the form requested.

  Statutory Sick Pay
  Mrs. Beckett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his latest estimate of the average duration of sickness for those in receipt of statutory sick pay(a) in total and (b) by region.

  Mr. Hague
  The estimated average number of statutory sick pay days paid in Great Britain in the period 1 April 1991 to 4 April 1992 is 15. This information is not available by region.

  Mrs. Beckett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his latest estimate of the total number of firms defined as small for the purposes of special compensation for statutory sick pay(a) in total in the United Kingdom and (b) in each region.

  Mr. Hague
  Subject to parliamentary approval, the existing threshold of small employers' relief will rise from 900
  week from part-time working and (c) working full time and earning (i) £60, (ii) £70, (iii) £80, (iv) £90, (v) £100, (vi) £110 and (vii) £120 per week.

  Mr. Burt
  The information is in the table.

  £16,000 to £20,000 in 1994–95. We estimate that 750,000 employers in Great Britain will be eligible under the new definition. This information is not available by region. Figures for Northern Ireland are a matter for my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.

  Benefits Claimants
  Mr. Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people will still be in receipt of special transitional additions in 1994–95 and the percentage of benefit increase taking effect in April.

  Mr. Burt
  Due to the very small numbers presently in receipt of special transitional addition it is impossible to give an accurate forecast of the number likely to be in receipt in 1994–95. The latest figures available are for February 1993 when 500 people were receiving a special transitional addition. Special transitional additions will increase in April by 3·5 per cent.

  Independent Living Fund
  Mr. Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the average length of time between the date of application and an award from the independent living—1993—fund.

  Mr. Scott
  I am informed by the director of the fund that the average time taken for an application to the independent living—1993—fund to progress from initial contact to an offer of payment is 11 weeks. It takes on average a further five weeks for the offer to be accepted by the client and for payment arrangements to be made by the fund.

  Mr. Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the projected underspend of the independent living fund during 1993–94; and if this amount will be carried over into the 1994–95 budget.

  Mr. Scott
  Total provision for the independent living fund is £124 million in 1993–94. The projected underspend
  901
  of the independent living—1993—fund during 1993–94 is £3·5 million. There is no projected underspend for the independent living—extension—fund. Normal Government accounting rules will apply to any unspent provision.

  Mr. Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many applications for a review of a current award have been made to the independent living—extension—fund; and how many awards have been increased as a result of this application.

  Mr. Scott
  I am informed by the director of the fund that the information requested is not available. However, in October 1993 the trustees of the fund initiated a programme of reviews for those clients who, for a number of reasons, were not able to make full use of the original amounts offered to them. Increased funding has now been offered to 766 clients, of whom 166 have accepted the offer made. The value of the increases now in payment is £5,958·40 per week, an average increase of £35·89 per week per client.

  Child Support Agency
  Mr. Skinner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many(a) full-time and (b) part-time staff are employed by the Child Support Agency;

  (2) how many full-time staff on clerical officer grade or below employed by the Child Support Agency are (a) male and (b) female.

  Mr. Burt
  The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for Ros Hepplewhite, the chief executive. She will write to the hon. Member.

  Letter form R. Hepplewhite to Mr. Dennis Skinner, dated 21 January 1994:
  I am replying to your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security asking for details about the staffing of the Child Support Agency.
  At 1 Janaury 1994, the Agency had 4,937 members of staff, of whom 4,156 were full-time and 781 part-time. Of full-time staff employed in clerical grades and below, 663 were male and 1,696 female.
  You may also wish to know that work is undertaken on behalf of the Agency by the Northern Ireland Child Support Agency. On 1 January 1994, 440 members of staff at the Centre in Belfast were engaged on work relating to parents with care who live in mainland Britain. Of full-time staff at clerical grades and below employed in this work, 113 were male and 228 female.
  I hope you find this information useful.

  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many copies of the leaflet on proposed changes to child support maintenance have been printed; when they will be available at local Department of Social Security offices; what has been the cost of the leaflet; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Burt
  Five hundred thousand copies of the leaflet, "Proposed Changes to Child Support Maintenance" were printed. They have been available from local offices since the second week of January. The leaflets were printed at a total cost of £21,691—zero VAT.

  Girocheques
  Mr. Donohoe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) pursuant to his answer of 10 December 1993,Official Report, column 409, if he will make it his policy
  902
  that the Benefits Agency shall monitor centrally the number of girocheques issued by the Employment Service agency on behalf of his Department and the number of replacement girocheques issued to claimants;

  (2) how many girocheques have been issued by his Department for each of the last five years; and what was the total value of the girocheques issued for each of those years.

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

  Letter from M. Bichard to Mr. Brian Donohoe, dated 20 January 1994:
  The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Questions about girocheques issued by the Department of Social Security.
  The number of girocheques issued by the Department of Social Security in each of the last five years are as follows:

  DSS issued (million)

  Value of DSS issues (£ million)

  1988–89

  30·884

  2,292

  1989–90

  34·484

  2,619

  1990–91

  14·470

  2,814

  1991–92

  36·190

  3,304

  1992–93

  27·863

  3,509

  As you will be aware from my reply of 9.12.93., the Employment Service acts as our agent in the provision of girocheques to those who are unemployed and claiming Income Support. Data relevant to the number of girocheques issued cannot be separately identified as some girocheques are paid for a combination of benefits.
  We are advised of the number of girocheques issued by Employment Services and we are able to identify the total amount paid in respect of both Department of Social Security and Employment Service benefits. However, as a number of girocheques are issued for a combination of benefits administered by both Agencies, it is not possible to state how many girocheques were issued for Benefit Agency payments only, Employment Service payments only, or a combination of payments in respect of both Agencies.
  Within the Benefits Agency we are constantly monitoring the volume of losses of all Instruments of Payment including girocheques. Methods of preventing and reducing Instrument of Payment fraud are being developed in conjunction with Post Office Counters Ltd, Royal. Mail and the Employment Services. One of the areas we are seeking to improve is the Management Information System providing details of girocheque issues and losses. We are examining our systems to determine the detail we require to combat girocheque fraud. The decision on what information we collate centrally and subsequent implementation will be made after considering the costs involved and usefulness of such information.
  I hope you find this reply helpful.

  Market Testing
  Mr. Donohoe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what stage the market-testing process has reached in the DSS offices in Ayrshire; when he expects contracts to be awarded for these services; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Burt
  The market testing process in the DSS offices in Ayrshire is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member.
  903
  Letter from M.Bichard to Mr. Brian Donohoe, dated 20 January 1994:
  The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking about the progress of the market testing exercise in DSS offices in Ayrshire.
  The Benefits Agency is market testing accommodation and office services and management training services to all the Agency's offices in Scotland. Tenders for the provision of management training have been received and a contract will be awarded in the near future. Invitations to tender for messenger and security services have been issued and a contract is expected to be awarded in March. Invitations to tender for typing and telephonist services are expected to be issued in about six months time and a contract awarded about two months later.
  I hope that my reply has been helpful.

  Loans
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list for each scheme operated by his Department under which loans are available, the objectives of the scheme, the number of unrecovered loans, the total value of unrecovered loans, the average number of unrecovered loans for each year since 1990, the average value of unrecovered loans for each year since 1990 and the annual cost of recovering loans.

  Mr. Scott
  The administration of the social fund is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member with such information as is available.

  Letter from M. Bichard to Mr. Matthew Taylor, dated 20 January 1994:
  The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about loan schemes which are operated by his Department.
  The Social Fund (SF) scheme is intended to help people to meet large intermittent or unexpected expenses. There are two types of interest free loans available from the SF—Budgeting Loans (BL) and Crisis Loans (CL). BLs are available to people who have been on Income Support for at least 26 weeks to help with important expenses which are difficult to budget for out of weekly benefit. CLs are available to people who need financial help to meet expenses in an emergency or a disaster, whether they are receiving any benefit or not. However, a CL can only be awarded if it is the only way to prevent serious risk, or serious damage, to the health or safety of that person or a member of his family.
  The table at Annex A provides details of the number and total amount of unrecovered loans for each of the financial years ending March 1990 to March 1992 (latest year available).
  SF loans are normally recovered by weekly deductions from benefit. Customers can.only repay one loan at a time, so recovery of any subsequent loans is deferred to a later date. The amount outstanding therefore includes loans which have been deferred and also loans where recovery is continuing, but which have only been partially repaid.
  You also asked for the annual cost of recovering loans. Unfortunately this information is not available.
  I hope you find this reply helpful.

  Annex A

  Year End Date

  Number of loans unrecovered

  The value of the loans unrecovered

  (Thousands)

  £ (Millions)

  31 March 1990

  814·95

  107·691

  31 March 1991

  992·90

  138·783

  31 March 1992

  1,312·30

  178·376

  904

  Housing Benefit
  Ms Coffey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 11 January on housing benefit to private sector tenants, if he will provide a breakdown by each housing authority in Great Britain of the amount of DSS subsidy and local authority expenditure for the years 1989–90, 1990–91, 1991–92 and 1992–93.

  Mr. Burt
  [holding answer 14 January 1994]The information is not available in the form requested for the financial year 1989–90. In view of the amount of data involved, I am arranging for copies of the available information to be placed in the Library.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

  Central Drugs Co-ordination Unit
  Mr. Page
  To ask the Lord President of the Council what plans the Government have to set up a central drugs co-ordination unit.

  Mr. Newton
  My right hon. and learned Friend the Home Secretary announced in a written answer on 16 December 1993,Official Report, column 780, that a central drugs co-ordination unit was to be attached to the Privy Council Office. The unit will come into being on 24 January 1994 and report to me as chairman of the Cabinet Committee on drugs issues.

  Parliamentary approval to this new service will be sought in a spring supplementary estimate for the Privy Council vote—class XIX, vote 3. Pending that approval, urgent expenditure, estimated at £40,000, will be met by repayable advances from the Contingencies Fund.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Flight ULE 966
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to reply to the letters from the hon. Member for Nottingham, North of(a) 22 December regarding the detention of passengers on flight ULE 966 from Jamaica and (b) 10 January regarding the detention of the pregnant wife of Mr. Graham Doughty of Nottingham.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  I replied to the hon. Member's letters of 22 December and 10 January on 12 and 18 January respectively.

  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what redress he will offer Mrs. Maria Doughty of Honeymead drive, Daybrook Lane, for being held at Gatwick airport on 22 December 1993 before being allowed to join her husband in Nottingham.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  [holding answer 20 January 1993]: I have written to the hon. Member about this case. I do not believe that any redress is justified.

  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of the Jamaicans, detained from flight JQ001, were transferred to prison detention after leaving the Campsfield detention centre; and which prisons were used.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  One who was transferred to HM prison Pentonville.
  905
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department to what extent flight ULE 966 from Kingston, Jamaica on 21 December 1993 was targeted by immigration officials; and at what level in his Department such decisions are taken.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  For the reasons given in my letters of 12 and 18 January to the hon. Member, prior arrangements were made by immigration service managers at Gatwick, in consultation with senior officers at immigration service headquarters to enable a potentially large number of individual interviews to be conducted. Every decision to refuse entry was individually authorised by an officer of chief immigration officer or inspector grade, as the immigration rules require.

  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will outline the nature of the contingency planning that took place in relation to flight ULE 966 from Kingston, Jamaica, that arrived on 21 December 1993; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  The contingency planning included arrangements for the disembarkation of the aircraft in stages, the provision of a gate lounge where passengers could sit while awaiting interview, and making available additional immigration officers from the other Gatwick offices. The immigration service was also provided with a passenger manifest 3½ hours prior to the aircraft's arrival. Further details are contained in my letters of 12 and 18 January to the hon. Member.

  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reason passengers on board flight ULE 966 were segregated into distinct groups before they were allowed to disembark; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  Passengers on board flight ULE 966—JQ0001—were not segregated into groups before being allowed to disembark. European Community nationals and a number of unaccompanied children were invited to leave the aircraft first. The other passengers were asked to disembark progressively in groups by row number.

  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what specific evidence he has linking any of the 178 Jamaicans arriving on flight ULE 966 on 21 December 1993 who were detained, with criminal activity or with drug pushing.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  There is no evidence that any of these passengers is involved in criminal activity.

  Theft
  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Home Department (1) how many prisoners convicted for theft were unemployed at the time of their arrest;

  Incidents of terrorist activity in Great Britain since 21 February 1989

  Date

  Location

  (a) Connected with the affairs of Northern Ireland

  22 September 1989

  Royal marines School of Music, North Barracks, Deal, Kent

  Device exploded. Eleven people killed and 21 people injured.

  15 November 1989

  Kelso Place, Kensington

  Device made safe.

  18 November 1989

  Married Quarters, Messines Road, Colchester

  Device exploded. Two people injured.

  906
  (2) what were the educational attainments of prisoners convicted for theft at the time of their conviction for the latest available date.

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

  Letter from D. Lewis to Mr. Frank Field, dated 21 January 1994:
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Questions as to how many prisoners convicted for theft were unemployed at the time of their arrest, and what were the educational attainments of prisoners convicted for theft at the time of their conviction for the latest available date.
  No information is held centrally on convicted prisoners' employment status at the time of arrest. However, the National Prison Survey, conducted in January and February 1991, found that 59 per cent. of convicted prisoners whose principal offence was burglary or another offence involving theft were not in paid work just before they came to prison; 31 per cent. said they were unemployed seeking work.
  The National Prison Survey can also provide information on prisoners' educational qualifications. It found that qualifications of convicted prisoners whose principal offence was burglary or another offence involving theft were as follows:

  Per cent.

  Degree or teaching qualification

  1

  Other higher qualification

  2

  A level or equivalent

  2

  O level or equivalent

  36

  Apprenticeship

  7

  Foreign qualification

  1—

  Commercial

  1—

  Any other qualification

  3

  No qualification

  48

  1 Less than one.

  About one third of those with O level or equivalent qualifications said that some had been attained in prison, as did about a half of those with higher qualifications.
  The National Prison Survey had a total sample of almost 4,000 offenders. The total number of respondents in the sample convicted of burglary and other offences involving theft was 675. The statistics presented here are estimates, and there may be some sampling error. There are no more detailed or up-to-date figures held centrally.

  Terrorism
  Mr. William Powell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the incidents of terrorist activity in Great Britain since 21 February 1989 attributable to groups(a) connected with Northern Ireland and (b) not connected with Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Howard
  The list classifies acts of terrorism according to the definitions in section 14(2) of the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1989.
  907

  Date

  Location

  16 January 1990

  Army HQ, SE District, Aldershot

  Device made safe.

  20 February 1990

  Combined Services Recruitment Centre, Rutland Street, Leicester

  Device exploded. Two people injured.

  25 February 1990

  Army Recruiting Office, New Road, Halifax

  Device exploded.

  14 May 1990

  Service Education Centre, Eltham, South London

  Device exploded. Five people injured.

  16 May 1990

  Army Recruiting Centre, Wembly, Middlesex

  Device exploded. One person killed and four people injured.

  1 June 1990

  Lichfield Railway Station, Staffordshire

  One person killed and two people injured in shooting.

  9 June 1990

  Honourable Artillery HQ, City Road, London

  Device exploded. 19 people injured.

  12 June 1990

  West Green House, Hartley Witney, Hampshire

  Device made safe.

  21 June 1990

  RAF Stanmore Park, Uxbridge

  Device exploded.

  25 June 1990

  Carlton Club, St. James, London

  Device exploded. 20 people injured.

  6 July 1990

  The Strand, London WC2

  Device exploded.

  20 July 1990

  Stock Exchange, London

  Device exploded.

  30 July 1990

  The Dog House, Hankham, near Pevensey

  Device exploded. One person killed.

  6 August 1990

  Woronzow Road, St. Johns Wood, London

  Device made safe.

  13 August 1990

  Pye Bam, Moulsford Didcot

  Device made safe.

  10 September 1990

  Army and Navy Recruiting Office, Derby

  Device exploded.

  17 September 1990

  Army Information Office, Finchley, London

  One person injured in shooting.

  18 September 1990

  Milford, Staffordshire

  Two people injured in shooting.

  27 September 1990

  Royal Overseas League, Park Place, London WC1

  Device made safe.

  24 January 1991

  Territorial Army Firing Range, Cannock Chase, Staffordshire

  Device exploded.

  7 February 1991

  Downing Street, London SW1

  Three mortar bombs fired. One person injured.

  18 February 1991

  Paddington Station, London

  Device exploded.

  18 February 1991

  Victoria Station, London

  Device exploded. One person killed and 38 people injured.

  25 February 1991

  Napsbury Lane, St. Albans

  Device exploded.

  3 April 1991

  Preston Railway Station, Preston, Iancashire

  Devices made safe.

  5 April 1991

  Arndale Shopping Centre, Manchester

  Devices exploded.

  28 June 1991

  Beck Theatre, Hayes, Middlesex

  Device made safe.

  30 June 1991

  Royal Navy and RAF Recruiting Office, Fishergate Centre

  Device made safe.

  5 August 1991

  Cambridge Public House, Charing Cross Road, London

  Device exploded.

  29 August 1991

  London Underground Depot, Hammersmith

  Devices made safe.

  31 August 1991

  Bargain Bookshop, Charing Cross Road, London

  Device made safe.

  15 November 1991

  Old Barclays Bank, St. Peters Street, St. Albans, Hertfordshire

  Device exploded. Two people killed and one person injured.

  1 December 1991

  The Discount Furniture Store Habitat,

  Devices exploded.

  The World of Leather,

  The Reject Shop,

  Tottenham Court Road

  2 December 1991

  Littlewoods, Oxford Street, London Wl

  Devices exploded.

  7–8 December 1991

  Various locations in Blackpool

  Devices discovered.

  8 December 1991

  Arndale Centre, Manchester

  Devices exploded.

  14 December 1991

  Brent Cross Shopping Centre

  Devices discovered.

  15 December 1991

  Sainsbury Wing, National Gallery, London WC2

  Device exploded.

  16 December 1991

  Railway line near Clapham Junction

  Device exploded.

  23 December 1991

  Ilford Underground Depot

  Device exploded.

  908 909

  Date

  Location

  Neasden Underground Depot

  Device exploded.

  Train at Harrow-on-the-Hill

  Device exploded.

  10 January 1992

  Whitehall Place London SW1

  Device exploded.

  17 January 1992

  Marquis of Granby Public House, Shaftesbury Avenue, London

  Devices exploded.

  30 January 1992

  Elephant & Castle Underground Depot, London

  Devices discovered.

  3 February 1992

  Neasden Underground Depot

  Device discovered.

  7 February 1992

  London Underground Sidings between Barking & Upney Stations

  Device exploded.

  11 February 1992

  Telephone box, Parliament Street, London

  Device made safe.

  28 February 1992

  London Bridge Railway Station, London

  Device exploded. 29 people injured.

  29 February 1992

  Crown Prosecution Service, Furnival Street, London

  Device exploded. Two people injured.

  1 March 1992

  White Hart Lane BR Station, Tottenham, London N17

  Device made safe.

  10 March 1992

  Near Wandsworth Common Railway Station, London

  Device exploded.

  6 April 1992

  Bridle Lane, near Piccadilly Circus, London

  Device exploded.

  10 April 1992

  St. Mary Axe, City of London

  Device exploded. Three people killed, 91 people injured.

  11 April 1992

  Staples Corner, Junction of Ml and North Circular

  Device exploded.

  13 April 1992

  Army Careers Information Office, Derby

  One person killed in shooting.

  9/10 May 1992

  Metro Centre, Gateshead

  Devices exploded.

  7 June 1992

  Royal Festival Hall, London

  Device exploded.

  8 June 1992

  A64 Leeds-York near Tadcaster, North Yorkshire

  One person killed and one person injured in shooting.

  10 June 1992

  Wilcox Place, Victoria Street

  Device exploded.

  15 June 1992

  St. Albans Street, near Piccadilly Circus

  Device exploded.

  17/18 June 1992

  Marks and Spencer, Leeds

  Device made safe.

  Stop and Shop, Leeds

  Device exploded

  Waterstones Bookshop, Leeds

  Devices discovered.

  25 June 1992

  Coleman Street, City of London

  Device exploded. One person injured

  30/31 July 1992

  Milton Keynes (shops, Library)

  Device exploded

  25 August 1992

  Shropshire Regimental Museum and two furniture shops, Shrewsbury

  Devices exploded

  6 September 1992

  London Hilton Hotel, Park Lane, London

  Device exploded

  6 September 1992

  London Hilton Hotel, Park Lane, London

  Device exploded

  17 September 1992

  Madame Tussaud's, Marleybone Road, London

  Device exploded

  The Planetarium, Marylebone Road, London

  Devices exploded

  Imperial War Museum, Lambeth Road, London

  Devices exploded

  7 October 1992

  Junction of the Haymarket and Panton Street, Piccadilly

  Device exploded. Five People injured

  Near Centre Point, Flitcroft Street, London WC2

  Device exploded

  8 October 1992

  Tooley Street, London SE1

  Device exploded. One person injured.

  Melcombe Street, London NW1

  Device exploded.

  9 October 1992

  Royal British Legion, Nursery Riad, Southgate N14

  Device exploded.

  Car Park, Arnos Grove Underground Station.

  Device exploded

  10 October 1992

  Paddington Freen PS, Harrow Road, Paddington, W2

  Device exploded. One person injured

  12 October 1992

  Sussex Arms Public House, Long Acre, Covent Garden

  Devoce exploded. One person killed and four people injured.

  19 October 1992

  Novotel Hotel, Shortlands, Hammersmith, W6

  Device exploded

  910 911

  Date

  Location

  Oxenden Street, London SW1

  Device exploded. Two people injured

  21 October 1992

  Railway Line, near Silver Street Station, Edmonton

  Device exploded. Two people injured.

  Princess Louise Territorial Army Centre, Hammersmith Road, W6

  Device exploded. Three people injured.

  Railway Line, near Harrow Road (Junction with Furoess Road) NW10

  Device exploded.

  22 October 1992

  Sewage Pipe, Wick Lane, E3

  Device exploded.

  25 October 1992

  25–28 Morpeth Terrace, London SW1

  Device exploded.

  30 October 1992

  Whitehall, London SW1 (near Downing Street)

  Device exploded.

  14 November 1992

  Stoke Newington Road, London, N16

  Device discovered. One person injured in shooting.

  15 November 1992

  Canada Tower, Canary Wharf

  Device made safe.

  16 November 1992

  Collingwood Street, Bethnal Green, E1

  Device made safe.

  1 December 1992

  Stephens Street/Tottenham Court Road

  Device made safe.

  3 December 1992

  Deansgate and Cateaton Street, Manchester

  Two Devices exploded. 11 people injured.

  9 December 1992

  Woodside Park Underground Station, North London

  Device exploded.

  10 December 1992

  Wood Green Shopping Centre, London

  Two devices exploded. 11 people injured.

  16 December 1992

  John Lewis Department Store, Oxford Street

  Device exploded. One person injured.

  Cavendish Square, Oxford Street

  Device exploded.

  22 December 1992

  Hampstead Tube Station

  Device exploded.

  6 January 1993

  Reject Shop, Plaza Shopping Centre, Oxford Street

  Device exploded.

  Dillon's Bookshop, Northumberland Avenue

  Device exploded.

  C & A, Oxford Street

  Device exploded.

  Video Shop, 60 Oxford Street

  Device exploded.

  28 January 1993

  Harrods, Brompton Road, SW1

  Device exploded. Two people injured.

  3 February 1993

  Train at Kent House Station, Kent

  Device exploded.

  South Kensington Tube Station, London

  Device exploded

  7 February 1993

  Quarry at Westbury-Sub-Mendip, Somerset

  Two men arrested attempting to break into explosives store.

  10 February 1993

  Cadogan Place, London SW1

  Device exploded.

  26 February 1993

  Warrington, Cheshire

  One person injured in shooting.

  Warrington, Cheshire

  Device exploded.

  27 February 1993

  Camden High Street, London

  Devices exploded. 18 people injured.

  20 March 1993

  Bridge Street, Warrington, Cheshire

  Two small devices exploded in litter bins in shopping area. Two children killed and 55 people injured, four extremely seriously.

  7 April 1993

  Argyle Square, London WC1

  Small device exploded in builder's skip. No injuries.

  23 April 1993

  North Shields, Northumbria

  Small device exploded at oil refinery. No injuries.

  24 April 1993

  Bishopsgate, London EC2

  Very large HME device exploded in tipper truck. One man killed and 44 people injured. Very extensive damage.

  24 April 1993

  Manor House, N4

  Small device exploded in hijacked minicab, no injuries.

  24 April 1993

  Judd Street, WC1

  Small device exploded in hijacked minicab, no injuries.

  9 May 1993

  Galleries Shopping Centre, Bristol

  Two incendiary devices ignited causing little damage.

  12 May 1993

  Reject Shop, Cornmarket, Oxford

  Small device discovered—had malfunctioned.

  9 June 1993

  Gateshead, Tyne and Wear

  Device exploded at gas installation. Some damage.

  10 June 1993

  North Shields, Northumbria

  Device exploded at oil refinery.

  912 913

  Date

  Location

  28 August 1993

  Wormwood Street, London (City)

  Small device discovered and made safe. No damage, no injuries.

  16 September 1993

  Curzon Phoenix Cinema, Charing Cross Road

  Two small malfunctioned incendiary devices found. No damage, no injuries.

  MGM Cinema, Shaftsbury Avenue

  One small malfunctioned incendiary device found. No damage, no injuries.

  2 October 1993

  Finchley Road, London

  Three small devices exploded. Five people injured some localised damage. One device found and made safe.

  4 October 1993

  Tottenham Lane, London

  Two devices exploded. No injuries. Some localised damage.

  Archway Road, London

  Two devices exploded. No injuries. Some localised damage.

  Highgate High Street, London

  One device exploded. No injuries, some localised damage. A second device discovered and made safe.

  8 October 1993

  Junction of Coles Green Road and Humber Road near the North Circular Road junction at Staples Comer.

  One device exploded. No injuries. Some localised damage.

  Outside the Blacklion Public House at 295 West End Lane

  One device exploded. No injuries. Some localised damage.

  Imperial War Museum, Lambeth Road, London

  Devices exploded.

  24 October 1993

  Reading British Rail Station

  One device made safe. One device exploded causing some damage to railway equipment. No injuries.

  Basingstoke British Rail Station

  One device made safe.

  Railway line, Dorton near Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire

  Small device exploded. Minor damage, no injuries.

  29 October 1993

  Edwardes Square, Kensington High Street, London

  Small device exploded beside a car. Extensive damage to car, no injuries.

  14 December 1993

  Railway line near Woking station.

  Small device exploded on railway line. Slight damage to line. No injuries.

  16 December 1993

  Railway line near Brookwood and Farnborough stations

  Two devices discovered disrupted by means of a controlled explosion.

  20 December 1993

  King Edward Buildings, Sorting Office, London EC1

  Postal device discovered. Made safe. No damage, no injuries.

  Travellers Tavern, Elizabeth Street, Victoria, London SW1

  6 devices discovered in suitcases. No injuries. One ignited, minor damage.

  Mount Pleasant Sorting Office, Rosebury Avenue, London EC1

  Package exploded. No injuries, minor damage.

  Northfields Tube Station, Ealing, London W13

  Small device exploded in a litter bin. No significant damage. No injuries.

  (b)Other acts of terrorism

  9 April 1989

  Haigh and Hochland, Manchester

  Firebomb attack on bookshop selling, or thought to be selling, the 'Satanic Verses'.

  9 April 1989

  W. H. Smith, Moseley, West Midlands

  Firebomb attack on bookshop selling, or thought to be selling, the 'Satanic Verses'.

  9 April 1989

  Dillons, London

  Firebomb attack on bookshop selling, or thought to be selling, the 'Satanic Verses'.

  9 April 1989

  Collets, London

  Firebomb attack on bookshop selling, or thought to be selling, the 'Satanic Verses'.

  9 April 1989

  Books for a Change, London

  Firebomb attack on bookshop selling, or thought to be selling, the 'Satanic Verses'.

  13 May 1989

  Penguin Bookstore, London

  Firebomb attack on bookshop selling, or thought to be selling, the 'Satanic Verses'.

  6 July 1989

  Collets, London

  Firebomb attack on bookshop selling, or thought to be selling, the 'Satanic Verses'.

  3 August 1989

  Beverley House Hotel, London

  Terrorist killed by own bomb.

  914 915

  Date

  Location

  3 September 1989

  Liberty's, London

  Firebomb attack on bookshop selling, or thought to be selling, the 'Satanic Verses'. Passer-by injured.

  3 September 1989

  London Bookshop

  Firebomb attack on bookshop selling, or thought to be selling, the 'Satanic Verses'.

  13 September 1989

  Penguin Bookstore, Peterborough

  Firebomb attack on bookshop selling, or thought to be selling the 'Satanic Verses'.

  Penguin Bookstore, York

  Firebomb attack on bookshop selling, or thought to be selling, the 'Satanic Verses'.

  Penguin Bookstore, Guildford

  Firebomb attack on bookshop selling or thought to be selling the 'Satanic Verses'.

  14 September 1989

  Penguin Bookstore, Nottinghamshire

  Firebomb attack on bookshop selling, or thought to be selling, the 'Satanic Verses'.

  29 October 1993

  Turkish Airlines Office, London

  Petrol bomb thrown.

  4 November 1993

  Turkish Embassy, Belgrave Square, London

  Petrol bombs thrown. Minor damage. No injuries.

  Turkish Airlines Office, London

  Petrol bombs thrown. No injuries.

  London Islamic Turkish Association Centre, N16

  Petrol bombs thrown. Extensive fire damage. No inuries.

  British Telecom Office (wrongly identified as T C Zjraat Bank), EC2

  Bricks and petrol bombs thrown. Minor injuries.

  Sabanci Turkish Bank, EC2

  Petrol bomb thrown. Minor damage. Member of public injured.

  Mr. Keith Whitehouse
  Mr. Blair
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) whether Keith Whitehouse's name was placed on the police national computer, in accordance with Home Office rules, in order to alert police forces that he was wanted, after he failed to return from home leave in January 1991:

  (2) whether Keith Waterhouse was eligible for home leave under the Home Office rules barring leave for prisoners suffering from mental disorder; and when he was given home leave from HMP Risley in January 1991.

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

  Letter from D. Lewis to Mr. Tony Blair, dated 21 January 1994:
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Questions about the eligibility of Keith Whitehouse for home leave from prison in January 1991 and whether his name was placed on the Police National Computer after he failed to return to Risley prison on 11 June 1991. I have set out the circumstances and background 3n some detail because I think you will find it helpful in this tragic case.
  In January 1991 Mr. Whitehouse, then known as Nico Constantine or Keith Nicholas Constantine, was at Featherstone prison not Risley. He was a category C prisoner and was granted home leave between 18 and 21 January 1991 so that he could arrange a date for his wedding. He returned to Featherstone on time.
  He was later transferred to Lancaster prison and then moved to Risley in May 1991. He was allowed another period of home leave between 5–11 June, which had been agreed at Lancaster. The governor of Risley had no reason to interfere with that
  916
  decision He failed to return and was unlawfully at large until his arrest on 28 November 1991. He would have been released from prison at the end of his sentence on 29 August 1991.
  Prisoners who are "considered to be mentally ill or suffering from mental disorder, or who have been committed to prison as a place of safety" are ineligible for consideration for home leave. The definition of mental disorder is considered to be a condition requiring psychiatric care or treatment under the terms of the 1983 Mental Health Act. Mr. Whitehouse had been described in a report to court in 1990 as having a "psychopathic personality disorder", but he was not considered mentally ill and did not require psychiatric treatment. On each occasion when he was considered for home leave, prison doctors considered his case. They did not find any medical reason to suggest leave should not be granted.
  When a prisoner escapes, absconds or fails to return from temporary absence such as home leave it is the responsibility of the governor to inform the local police force. This was done within four hours of Mr. Whitehouse's failure to return on 11 June 1991. The Cheshire Police incident log confirms that Keith Nicholas Constantine was reported as unlawfully at large from Risley. I am advised that it is now impossible to confirm whether Cheshire Police then passed his details to the Police National Computer, as this data would have been deleted from the computer after 13 months.
  I naturally regret the very tragic outcome in this case. But I am satisfied that Mr. Whitehouse's requests for home leave were properly considered according to the rules that existed in 1991. His failure to return was properly reported to the police.
  Revised instructions now apply to requests for home leave. In particular, governors are required to make a rigorous risk assessment in each case, which is aimed at reducing the likelihood of further tragedies occurring.

  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many(a) male and (b) female nationals of other European countries were either remand or sentenced prisoners being held in prisons in England and Wales as of 10 January.
  917
  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter from D. Lewis to Mr. Tom Cox, dated 21 January 1994:
  MALE AND FEMALE NATIONALS FROM OTHER EUROPEAN COUNTRIES
  The home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question asking how many (a) male and (b) female nationals of other European countries were either remand or sentenced prisoners being held in prisons in England and Wales as of 10 January.
  The latest available provisional information is for prisoners in Prison Service establishments on 30 September 1993. On that date there were 1,022 males (of whom 309 were remanded and 713 were sentenced) and 46 females (of whom 17 were remanded and 29 were sentenced) recorded as nationals of European countries other than the United Kingdom. These figures exclude those for whom a nationality was not recorded.

  Population in Prison Service establishments by type of prisoner and nationality as at 30 September 1993

  Type of prisoner

  Nationality

  Remand

  Male Sentenced

  All

  Remand

  Female Sentenced

  All

  Angola

  —

  5

  5

  —

  —

  —

  Benin

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  1

  Central African Republic

  4

  2

  6

  —

  —

  —

  Ivory Coast

  1

  1

  2

  —

  —

  —

  Ethiopia

  1

  2

  3

  —

  —

  —

  Ghana

  16

  41

  57

  5

  18

  23

  Gambia

  —

  4

  4

  —

  —

  —

  Kenya

  2

  25

  27

  1

  —

  1

  Liberia

  1

  2

  3

  —

  —

  —

  Libya

  1

  7

  8

  —

  —

  —

  Morocco

  6

  18

  249

  —

  1

  1

  Mauritania

  —

  2

  2

  —

  1

  1

  Mauritius

  1

  8

  9

  —

  —

  —

  Malawi

  —

  3

  3

  —

  1

  1

  Nigeria

  37

  134

  171

  14

  48

  62

  Seychelles

  1

  4

  5

  —

  —

  —

  Sudan

  —

  1

  1

  —

  1

  1

  St. Helena

  —

  1

  1

  —

  —

  —

  Siena Leone

  2

  7

  9

  —

  —

  —

  Somalia

  9

  9

  18

  —

  —

  —

  Tunisia

  —

  6

  6

  —

  —

  —

  Tanzania

  4

  5

  9

  1

  —

  1

  Uganda

  4

  I5

  19

  —

  —

  —

  South Africa

  3

  17

  20

  —

  2

  2

  Zambia

  4

  3

  7

  —

  1

  1

  Zaire

  2

  6

  8

  —

  —

  —

  Zimbabwe

  2

  9

  11

  —

  —

  —

  Total

  101

  337

  438

  21

  74

  95

  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the foreign language documents available in prisons in England and Wales to be given to people serving sentences who do not speak English; in what languages the documents are available; and what information each contains.

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

  Letter from D. Lewis to Mr. Tom Cox, dated 21 January 1994:
  918
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many(a) male and (b) female nationals of each African country were either remand or sentenced prisoners being held in prisons in England and Wales on 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 D. Lewis to Mr. Tom Cox, dated 21 January 1994:
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question asking how many (a) male and (b) female nationals of each African country were either remand or sentenced prisoners being held in prisons in England and Wales on 10 January.
  The latest available information is given in the attached table.
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about foreign language documents available to be given to prisoners in England and Wales who do not speak English.The foreign language documents issued centrally by the Prison Service are listed below, along with details of the languages into which they have been translated and an outline of their content. Further foreign language documents may also have been produced locally by establishments or by other agencies, but details are not kept centrally.
  Prisoners Information Pack.

  Languages: Arabic, Bengali, Cantonese, Dutch, French, Gujerati, Hindi, Italian, Punjabi, Spanish, Turkish, Urdu, Vietnamese, and Welsh.

  Content: useful organisations; starting your sentence; visits, letters and phone calls; requests and complaints; race relations; social security and discharge grants; health and hygiene; welfare and religion; prison discipline; unconvicted and civil prisoners; women prisoners; young offenders; release; and visiting prisoners.
  919
  Foreign Prisoners Resource Pack

  Languages: staff section—English only; prisoner section—English, Arabic, Bengali, Dutch, French, German, Greek, Gujerati, Hincli, Italian, Spanish, and Urdu.

  Content: the criminal justice system; immigration; customs and excise; embassies and consulates.

  The Race Relations Policy Statement

  Languages: Arabic, Bengali, Greek, Gujerati, Hindi, Punjabi, Spanish, Turkish, Urdu, and Welsh.

  Content: Statement of Prison Service race relations policies.

  "Custody, Care and Justice: The way ahead for the Prison Service in England and Wales",

  Languages: Arabic, Bengali, Dutch, Greek, Gujerati, Hindi, Punjabi, Spanish, Turkish, and Urdu.

  Content: details of the Government White Paper "Custody, Care, and Justice."

  How to make a request or a complaint

  Languages: Bengali, Dutch, Greek, Gujerati, Hindi, and Spanish.

  Content: information on request and complaint procedure in establishments

  Repatriation of Prisoners Act 1984

  Languages: Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Italian, Spanish, Swedish, and Turkish.

  Content: information for foreign prisoners about the Repatriation of Prisoners Act 1984.

  Assisted Prison Visits Scheme
  Mr. Hanson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make it his policy to allow homosexual partners to benefit from the assisted prison visits scheme on similar terms to other partners.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The current assisted prison visits scheme is designed to help prisoners maintain their family ties by paying towards the costs of visits made by their close relatives on low incomes. Under the scheme, close relatives are defined as spouses, children, siblings and partners of prisoners. A partner is defined as a person of the opposite sex who was living with the prisoner for at least

  1992

  1993

  Total value

  £

  Merchant banks

  Lazards

  Report on attracting private firms for facilities management for secure training centres.

  Accountancy firms

  Touche Ross

  Asset survey for ED5

  Spectrum sizing study amendment. Police information system strategy study. Team assurance co-ordinator message handling system—EP Division. Radio spectrum sizing study Project advisor to PSRCP.

  228,795

  Ernst and Young

  Firearms licensing costs.

  PNCO security review.

  Police roles and responsibilities.

  Feasibility study of artificial intelligence study

  ICL Domain review.

  Feasibility of market testing Hendon Data centre.

  376,892

  KPMG Peat Marwick

  Review of organisation of PNCO.

  Scoping study for Design and illustration branch

  Privatisation of D/Tels.

  Radio spectrum study.

  Public safety radio communication project.

  302,000

  Price Waterhouse

  Development database demo facility.

  SSADN analyst work on AFIS project.

  920
  four months before imprisonment, or who has a child from the relationship. Consequently, homosexual partners of prisoners do not qualify for assisted visits, although consideration is being given to whether the scheme should be extended.

  Murder
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the names of all the people imprisoned for murder since 1967 who have subsequently(a) had their conviction overturned on appeal and (b) been released by the Home Secretary due to unsound convictions; and what are the total numbers in each category.

  Mr. Maclean
  The available information is for those originally sentenced to life for murder and whose sentences were subsequently reduced, or lifted on appeal whilst serving their sentences in Prison Service establishments in England and Wales. There were 127 cases between 1967 and 1992, of which 19 followed references to the Court of Appeal by the Home Secretary under section 17 of the Criminal Appeal Act 1968. Details of individual cases cannot be given.

  Consultancies
  Ms Abbott
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 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. Charles Wardle
  Information on accountancy and non-accountancy contracts awarded to all known accountancy firms and merchant banks is not recorded centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. Details of contracts awarded during the last two years to the main accountancy firms and merchant banks are set out in the table.
  921

  1992

  1993

  Total value

  £

  EDI in-house bid consultation support. Assisting In-house bid for the provision of security at Lunar House.

  Privatisation of D/Tels Principal advisor. In-house bid support, recruitment of immigration officers.

  409,495

  Cooper and Lybrand

  Market Testing review.

  VFM audit of action support

  Triple CJS report on criminal justice initiatives.

  Senior management workshop.

  192,000

  Crime, Durham
  Mr. Steinberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many convictions there were in Durham in each of the last 14 years for(a) house burglary,

  Number and percentage of offenders convicted for certain indictable offences in the Durham police force area and England and Wales 1979,1980,1982,1984,1986,1988,1990 and 1992

  Burglary in a dwelling1

  Theft from vehicles

  Robbery

  Total indictable

  Year/Area

  Number

  Per cent.

  Number

  Per cent.

  Number

  Per cent.

  [=100 per cent.]

  1979

  Durham

  279

  6

  175

  4

  24

  0

  4,837

  England and Wales

  19,310

  5

  7,368

  2

  3,188

  1

  412,346

  1980

  Durham

  353

  6

  223

  4

  25

  0

  5,477

  England and Wales

  22,808

  5

  8,559

  2

  3,470

  1

  455,425

  1982

  Durham

  373

  6

  263

  4

  32

  1

  5,964

  England and Wales

  24,827

  5

  2,918

  3

  4,375

  1

  475,131

  1984

  Durham

  316

  5

  222

  4

  28

  0

  5,917

  England and Wales

  25,842

  6

  10,970

  2

  4,282

  1

  449,449

  1986

  Durham

  328

  7

  156

  3

  27

  1

  4,774

  England and Wales

  20,527

  5

  9,145

  2

  4,196

  1

  384,209

  1988

  Durham

  345

  7

  89

  2

  35

  1

  4,623

  England and Wales

  19,468

  5

  8,406

  2

  4,311

  1

  386,236

  1990

  Durham

  265

  7

  212

  6

  36

  1

  3,825

  England and Wales

  18,386

  5

  7,622

  2

  4,806

  1

  342,759

  1992

  Durham

  254

  7

  177

  5

  39

  1

  3,641

  England and Wales

  18,637

  6

  6,257

  2

  5,082

  2

  324,910

  1Also includes "aggravated" burglary in a dwelling.

  Race Relations Act 1976
  Mr. Robert Ainsworth
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what action he intends to take following the Commission for Racial Equality's second review of the Race Relations Act 1976;

  (2) when he will respond to the Commission for Racial Equality's second review of the Race Relations Act 1976.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The Government are giving careful consideration to the Commission for Racial Equality's recommendations and have discussed the issues raised with them; we will respond formally as soon as possible.

  Immigration
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether and how visitors to the United Kingdom detained for questioning by immigration officials are made aware of their right to complain to the immigration and nationality department complaints unit.
  922
  (b) theft from vehicles and (c) robbery; and if he will give the total number of convictions for these offences in Durham during this period as a proportion.

  Mr. Maclean
  Information for 1979, 1980, 1982, 1984, 1986, 1988, 1990, and 1992 is given in the table. Data for other years would involve disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  Passengers who wish to complain are normally invited to speak to a supervising officer; if they remain dissatisfied they are given the address of the immigration and nationality department complaints unit and advised that they may put their complaint in writing.

  Probation
  Mr. Bermingham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of(a) probation orders and (b) community service orders successfully ran their course during 1992.

  Mr. Maclean
  The information published in the 1992 probation statistics for England and Wales, a copy of which is in the Library, shows that 81 per cent. of probation orders terminated successfully in 1992, in the sense that 65 per cent. ran their full course, 3 per cent. were replaced by a conditional discharge and 13 per cent. were terminated early by the courts for good progress. In the same year
  923
  72 per cent. of community service orders terminated successfully, in the sense that the specified number of hours was completed without termination of the order for failure to comply with its requirements, conviction of another offence or for other reasons.

  Bail Hostels
  Mr. Maclennan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much it cost to build the three most recently opened probation and bail hostels; and where they were sited.

  Mr. Maclean
  The costs of the three most recently opened hostels are:

  £

  Merseyside bail hostel, Merseyside

  934,299

  Bunbury House bail hostel, Cheshire

  545,537

  Scunthorpe bail hostel, Humberside

  1579,016

  1 Estimated.

  Mr. Maclennan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was, or will be, the projected underspend on the hostel expansion budget for 1992–93 and 1993–94.

  Mr. Maclean
  In 1992–93 the underspend on the approved hostel expansion programme was £3·26 million. The current projected underspend for 1993–94 is £1·2 million.

  Mr. Maclennan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what revision was made following a public expenditure survey to the probation accommodation grant scheme as originally set out in the three-year plan for the probation service 1994–97.

  Mr. Maclean
  Planned provision for the probation accommodation grants scheme as shown in the three-year planning document for the probation service 1994–97 is as follows. The spending plans set out in the 1993–96 planning document published following the 1992 public expenditure survey are shown in parentheses.

  £million

  1994–95

  10·8 (11·9)

  1995–96

  11·7 (13·2)

  1996–97

  12–0

  Mr. Maclennan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons will be made redundant as a result of the bail hostel closure plans.

  Mr. Maclean
  It will be for the individual probation committees and hostel managing committees concerned, as employers, to decide how to manage the consequences of closures in terms of staff redeployment or redundancy; we have not yet received full accounts of their conclusions.

  Mr. Maclennan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the average occupancy level for bail hostels in England and Wales for each of the last 10 quarters.

  Mr. Maclean
  Occupancy figures for the period April 1991 to March 1992 are not readily available on a quarterly basis. The occupancy figures for the most recent six quarters are as follows:924

  Per.cent

  April to June 1992

  66

  July to September 1992

  61

  October to December 1992

  62

  January to March 1993

  65

  April to June 1993

  64

  July to September 1993

  67

  Mr. Maclennan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were remanded to a probation or bail hostel in England and Wales; and how many of these were(a) black males and (b) black females, in the latest year for which figures are available.

  Mr. Maclean
  This information is not held centrally and is not readily available.

  Mr. Maclennan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many residents of probation and bail hostels were aged(a) under 17, (b) 17 to 21 and (c) 21 years or over, in the latest year for which figures are available.

  Mr. Maclean
  This information is not held centrally and is not readily available.

  Mr. Maclennan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made as to the number of persons who will be received into custody as a result of the proposed bail hostel closures; and what will be the estimated annual cost of such custody.

  Mr. Maclean
  It remains to be seen whether there are any additional custodial remands. These are decisions for the courts, who will continue to have the option of remanding defendants to other under-utilised bail hostels in the same or neighbouring probation areas.

  Drugs
  Mr. Maclennan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish a table showing the average length of custodial sentences in each of the last three years for offences of possession with intent to supply(a) class A, (b) class B and (c) class C substances as defined by the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Information regarding the average length of custodial sentences for the offence of possession of a controlled drug with intent to supply unlawfully, for the last three years for which figures are available, is contained in the table. The available information does not differentiate between the classes of drug involved.

  Table: average length of custodial sentence for possession of a controlled drug with intent to supply unlawfully. United Kingdom, 1990 to 1992

  Year

  Average length of sentence (months)

  1990

  21·1

  1991

  20·9

  1992

  19·6

  Crime Statistics
  Mrs. Beckett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Cardiff, South and Penarth (Mr. Michael) of
  925
  26 November, Official Report, columns 237–38, how many notifiable offences there were for each police force area in each year since June 1983, (a) in total, (b) broken down into each category of offence and (c) what was the clear-up rate in each category.

  Mr. Maclean
  Statistics on the number of notifiable offences recorded by the police by police force area and offence group are published annually in table 2.5 of the command paper "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales". Figures for clear-ups are published in table 2.9 of the volumes for 1991 and 1992 and in table 2.19 of the 1990 volume.

  Figures for clear-ups by selected offence groups are published in table 2.19 of the volumes for 1986 to 1989. Information for earlier years is not available centrally.

  Copies of the annual command paper "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales" are available in the Library.

  Deportees
  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total amount paid to private security firms for escorting detainees and their dependants overseas in 1993.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  The amount was £257,035, excluding ticketing costs.

  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) which private security firms are used by carriers required by the immigration service to effect the removal of a passenger refused leave to enter;

  (2) what checks his Department makes on private security firms employed by carriers required by the immigration service to effect the removal of a passenger refused leave to enter.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  Where directions are given to carriers under paragraph 8 of schedule 2 to the Immigration Act 1971 to remove people refused leave to enter, the carrier is responsible for all the arrangements necessary to comply with the directions. This includes making arrangements for any escort considered by the carrier to be necessary, the selection of the escorts and ensuring they are able to perform their duties satisfactorily. Where removal is directed at public expense under paragraph 10 of schedule 2 to the Act, any in-flight escort judged necessary is arranged by the immigration service in accordance with its normal policy.

  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to ensure that medical records of deportees are consulted before drugs are administered.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  Where the medical records of a person being deported are available, they are already consulted as necessary before the administration of any medication.

  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to ban the administration of drugs during deportations.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  The administration of medication to a deportee is a matter for a medical practitioner to decide.
  926
  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) which companies manufacture the arm and leg restraints and body belts with handcuffs used during deportations;

  (2) if he will publish his Department's regulations relating to the materials, size and specification of restraints used in deportations.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  I understand that the body belt and leg restraints are manufactured to a specification developed by the Metropolitan police and manufactured by its stores department. Hiatt and Company Ltd. supplies the Metropolitan police with handcuffs in accordance with standards evaluated by the Home Office police scientific development branch and approved by the Home Office and Association of Chief Police Officers in consultation with the Police Complaints Authority. The standard handcuff is manufactured from steel with either a chain or hinge link and the Quick-Kuff is made from steel with a nylon grip.

  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of in-flight escorts for deportations have been provided by private security firms since August 1993.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  In the period from 1 August to 31 December 1993, 93 per cent. of the in-flight escorts for people being removed at public expense—including deportees—were provided by the private sector.

  Crime Prevention
  Mrs. Beckett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much was spent in each year since 1978–79 on(a) crime prevention and (b) public relations by each police authority in cash and in current prices.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  This information is not collected centrally.

  Mrs. Joy Gardner
  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the cost to the Exchequer of the attempted deportation of Mrs. Joy Gardner.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  The cost of the police officers and the immigration officer directly involved in the attempt to deport Mrs. Gardner on 28 July 1993 was £539·79. The cost of the time of other officials of the immigration and nationality department involved in this case could not be established without disproportionate expense.

  Ethnic Communities
  Ms Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what projects have been funded in the London borough of Southwark under section 11 funding for ethnic communities; and what funding those projects will receive from the Home Office in 1994–95;

  (2) how much section 11 funding for ethnic communities there was in 1993–94; and what will be the section 11 funding for 1994–95.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Total provision for section 11 grant in 1993–94 is currently £130·8 million. The corresponding figure for 1994–95 amounts to £111·5 million. This includes funding transferred to the new single regeneration budget.
  927
  At present, the following projects in the London borough of Southwark are approved for section 11 grant:

  English as a second language and bilingual support project—primary and secondary

  Removing barriers to the education achievement of new pupils—primary and secondary

  Section 11 support for pupils in special schools

  Bilingual and language development support for NCW children under five including those with special needs

  Co-ordination and delivery of English for speakers of other languages—ESOL—to adult NCW members/groups in Southwark

  Caribbean teachers association teaching and educational project

  Southwark Muslim womens association

  Mental health project

  Child protection project

  Translation and interpretation service

  Bengal community development project.

  The level of grant paid to Southwark in 1994–95 will depend upon actual expenditure incurred by the authority. I shall write to the hon. Member setting out in more detail the position for 1994–95 funding in Southwark.

  Immigration (False Imprisonment)
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what redress is available to visitors detained at airports but eventually allowed entry in respect of false imprisonment; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  [holding answer 20 January 1994]: Paragraph 16 of schedule 2 to the Immigration Act 1971 provides that a person who may be required to submit to examination may be detained under the authority of an immigration officer pending his examination and pending a decision to give or refuse him leave to enter. It is open to anyone who considers that he has been falsely imprisoned to sue for damages.

SCOTLAND

  Large Combustion Plant Directive
  Mr. Kynoch
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on compliance to date with the Scottish limits in the United Kingdom national plan to meet the requirements of the EC large combustion plant directive.

  Sir Hector Monro
  None of the Scottish limits set in the plan was exceeded in the years 1991 to 1993 inclusive. However, on 21 December 1993 a transfer was made of 12 kilotonnes of sulphur dioxide from the other industry sector to the power stations sector with effect from 1996, declining pro rata to the existing reductions from 1999 to 2003. The revised figures are set out in the table. This minor technical change recognises the new five year contract agreed between British Coal and Scottish Power and the latter's commitment to fit flue gas desulphurisation equipment at Longannet power station.

  Revised LCPD national plan SO2 limits for Scotland (in kilotonnes)

  Power stations

  Refineries

  Other industry

  1993

  104

  14

  35

  1994

  102

  14

  34

  1995

  102

  14

  32

  1996

  114(102)

  14

  19 (31)

  1997

  114 (102)

  14

  18 (30)

  1998

  111 (99)

  13

  17 (29)

  1999

  98 (88)

  13

  17 (27)

  928

  Power stations

  Refineries

  Other industry

  2000

  86 (77)

  13

  16 (25)

  2001

  77 (68)

  12

  15 (24)

  2002

  70 (62)

  12

  14 (22)

  2003

  63 (57)

  12

  14 (20)

  Note: The figures in the existing national plan are shown in parenthesis, where any change has been made.

DEFENCE

  Arms Sales, Iraq
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he has anything to add to the answer by the Minister for Arms Procurement to the hon. Member for Walsall, North (Mr. Winnick) of 25 January 1991,Official Report, column 357.

  Mr. Aitken
  No. This issue is being investigated by Lord Justice Scott, and it would be inappropriate for me to comment before the publication of his final report. I can assure the hon. Gentleman, however, that Lord Justice Scott has access to all relevant documents.

  Artillery Shell Sales
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information his Department holds in regard to the underwriting by the Bank of Credit and Commerce International of the export of artillery shells from British companies to Iran since 1985.

  Mr. Aitken
  My Department holds no such information.

  Canira Technical Company Ltd.
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information he possesses in regard to the ownership and trading activities of the Canira Technical Company Ltd. of Northern Ireland in relation to the Iraqi arms procurement programme.

  Mr. Aitken
  This issue is being investigated by Lord Justice Scott, and it would be inappropriate for me to comment before the publication of his final report. I can assure the hon. Member, however, that Lord Justice Scott has access to all relevant documents.

  Low Flying
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence between what hours the night low flying system is activated.

  Mr. Hanley
  The United Kingdom night low flying system is operational between the following hours each month:

  Start

  Finish

  January

  16.30

  07.30

  February

  17.30

  07.00

  March

  18.30

  06.00

  April

  19.30

  04.30

  May

  20.30

  03.30

  June

  21.00

  03.00

  July

  21.00

  03.30

  929

  Start

  Finish

  August

  20.00

  04.00

  September

  18.30

  05.00

  October

  17.30

  06.00

  November

  16.30

  07.00

  December

  16.00

  07.30

  All times are Greenwich mean time.

  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for which portion of the flight by 29 Squadron Tornado F3s on 12 April 1993 the specified minimum authorised altitude applied; and who was responsible for issuing the authorisation.

  Mr. Hanley
  The specified minimum authorised altitude of 2,000 ft applied to the entire duration of the flight by 29 Squadron on 12 April 1993—apart from take-off and landing. Two thousand feet is the minimum altitude down to which all United Kingdom military aircraft can fly without specific authorisation, normally by either the squadron commander or one of his senior officers. On this occasion no such authorisation was given.

  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what instructions are given to military aircrew concerning use of an air traffic control radar service when descending into the United Kingdom low flying system in visual meteorological conditions in unregulated airspace in the flight information region.

  Mr. Hanley
  No instructions are given to military aircrew concerning the use of such a service when descending to low level in visual meteorological conditions in unregulated airspace in the flight information region.

  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the arrangements for separation of low-flying military aircraft from offshore industry support helicopters during the hours of darkness, in the coastal areas around(a) the Humber estuary, (b) Morecambe bay, (c) north-east Norfolk and (d) the Aberdeen-Fraserburgh area.

  Mr. Hanley
  Details of civil helicopter activity in each of the areas specified are brought to the attention of aircrews in the United Kingdom military low flying handbook and on the night low flying chart. Separation from offshore industry support helicopters is achieved by military aircraft operating in separate height bands.

  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on which date low flying area 10 was established in Suffolk; which unit is the controlling authority for the area; and what are the limits on entry of fast jets into the area.

  Mr. Hanley
  Low flying area 10 was established on 1 September 1993 and is controlled by Wattisham airfield. Fast jets wishing to operate in the area must seek permission from the controlling authority.

  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if aircrew are permitted to plan entries into particular areas in the night low flying system contrary to the sector-to-sector flow direction when no other aircraft have booked to fly in that area.
  930
  Mr. Hanley
  The fixed wing region of the United Kingdom night low flying system is divided into a series of numbered night low flying areas, each of which is sub-divided by letter into night low flying sectors. Aircraft crossing from sector to sector must follow the flow direction specified in the regulations except that when an aircraft or formation has exclusive use of an entire NLFA, it may cross the sector boundaries within that area in either direction, but must still comply with the flow direction if crossing to an adjacent area.

  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the minimum height for military aircraft transitting through the Leeming-Teesside gap at low level ; and on what date the current height limit was introduced.

  Mr. Hanley
  The minimum and maximum heights for fixed wing military aircraft transitting through the Leeming-Teesside gap are, respectively, 250 and 1000 ft. These limits have applied since the introduction of the present United Kingdom low flying system in 1979.

  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what date the requirement in the low flying regulations for military aircrew to make radio contact with Brough airfield prior to transitting the Hull-Brough gap, was changed to a requirement to contact Humberside airport.

  Mr. Hanley
  Military aircrew are strongly advised to call Humberside radar prior to transitting the Hull-Brough gap, but this is not a mandatory requirement. The change from Brough airfield to Humberside radar came into effect on 15 June 1992.

  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the transit areas established in the daytime low flying system are in force in the night low flying system.

  Mr. Hanley
  Yes. Transit areas apply equally to military aircraft operating during the day and at night.

  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what central records are held by his Department of the number of aircraft movements into each numbered low flying area in the night flying system.

  Mr. Hanley
  Central records are maintained on a monthly basis of the number of aircraft movements into each sector of the United Kingdom night low flying system.

  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what were the maximum permitted speeds and minimum permitted altitudes for Royal Air Force Vulcan aircraft, prior to their retiral from the strike/attack role, while operating in the United Kingdom low flying system(a) on the fixed tactical routes and (b) outside the tactical routes.

  Mr. Hanley
  RAF Vulcan aircraft were permitted to fly at an absolute maximum of 350 knots and a minimum height of 300 ft in the United Kingdom low flying system. The aircraft did not operate outside fixed tactical routes except when using designated range areas.

  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the locations and dates in the last five years on which No. 591 Signals Unit, Royal Air Force, has
  931
  conducted covert monitoring of tactical radio frequencies used by aircraft operating in the United Kingdom low flying system; and on how many occasions this has included monitoring of the common low flying frequency.

  Mr. Hanley
  No. 591 Signals Unit has never been tasked to carry out covert monitoring of tactical radio frequencies used by aircraft operating in the United Kingdom low flying system.

  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if night low flying is permitted over(a) the Western Isles, (b) Orkney, (c) Shetland and (d) the northern half of the Isle of Man; and what are the reasons for their exclusion from the system of numbered night low flying areas.

  Mr. Hanley
  With the exception of the Isle of Man, which is designated an avoidance area, aircraft are permitted to overfly the areas listed at low level at night. These areas are not included in the system of numbered night low flying areas because the amount of low flying carried out over them at night is not sufficient to justify their inclusion in the system of procedural deconfliction which exists elsewhere.

  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many low-level flights in instrument meteorological conditions were undertaken by RAF Tornados from Canadian forces base Goose Bay(a) during daylight hours and (b) at night during each of the years 1991, 1992 and 1993.

  Mr. Hanley
  The records of sorties flown from Goose Bay do not differentiate between those sorties flown under visual flying rules and those flown under instrument meteorological conditions. The statistics requested are therefore unavailable.

  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the agreed annual number of low-flying

  RAF(U) Goose Bay—breakdown of costs

  Financial year

  1986–87

  1987–88

  1988–89

  1989–90

  1990–91

  1991–92

  1992–93

  1993–94 to end October 1993

  £ million

  £ million

  £ million

  £ million

  £ million

  £ million

  £ million

  £ million

  Personnel

  0·560

  0·878

  0·771

  1·066

  4·509

  3·423

  3·876

  2·183

  O & M + Capital

  3·057

  2·973

  5·406

  6·842

  4·683

  6·245

  9·601

  4·382

  Total contribution payable to Canada

  3·617

  3·851

  6·177

  7·907

  9·192

  9·668

  13·476

  6·565

  Dedicated costs

  Buildings and Infrastructure

  1·831

  1·414

  1·941

  1·782

  0·608

  0·955

  2·424

  0·816

  Facilities

  0·530

  0·561

  1·195

  1·123

  0·942

  0·951

  1·439

  0·843

  Equipment

  0·050

  0·073

  0·144

  0·144

  0·085

  0·127

  0·033

  0·014

  Aviation/Land Fuels

  0·015

  0·003

  1·292

  2·810

  1·512

  1·476

  2·608

  1·264

  Total dedicated costs

  2·395

  2·051

  4·573

  5·859

  3·146

  3·508

  6·503

  2·936

  Common costs

  Buildings and Infrastructure

  0·452

  0·482

  0·160

  0·225

  0·922

  2·131

  2·433

  1·116

  Facilities

  0·175

  0·207

  0·460

  0·323

  0·141

  0·142

  0·158

  0·064

  Equipment

  0·034

  0·231

  0·212

  0·438

  0·407

  0·428

  0·393

  0·240

  Environmental Mitigation Measures

  0·000

  0·000

  0·000

  0·000

  0·67

  0·037

  0·114

  0·025

  Total common costs

  0·661

  0·921

  0·832

  0·985

  1·537

  2·738

  3·098

  1·446

  Exchange Rate £ =

  C$2·043

  C$2·12

  C$2·119

  C$1·923

  C$2·132

  C$1·996

  C$2·073

  C$1·96

  Figures shown are based on bills presented by the Canadian Government.

  932
  sorties over the United Kingdom by aircraft participating in North Atlantic Treaty Organisation tactical leadership programme courses.

  Mr. Hanley
  The NATO tactical leadership programme holds six courses per year and was permitted in 1993 to fly an average of two low-level sorties per course in the United Kingdom low flying system. Each low-level sortie in the United Kingdom may involve up to 24 aircraft.

  RAF Fast-jet Aircrew
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many person-days have been spent by Royal Air Force fast-jet aircrew on operational deployments to actual or potential areas of combat operations in each year since 1981.

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

  Goose Bay Training Base
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the amounts paid to the Canadian Government in each year since 1980 for use of the training facilities at Goose Bay, Labrador; and if he will provide a breakdown of the figures into(a) contributions to personnel, operations and maintenance expenditure, (b) contributions to common user building, infrastructure, facility and equipment expenditure, (c) payments for dedicated user buildings, infrastructure, facilities and equipment and (d) contributions to expenditure on environmental research and mitigation measures.

  Mr. Hanley
  Amounts paid for financial years prior to 1986–87 are not readily available. For financial years 1986–87 to the end of September 1993 the breakdown is as follows:
  933

  Tornado Incidents
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the action taken as a result of the incident involving a Scandinavian Airlines MD-80 and a Tornado from the trinational training establishment in the Manchester air traffic control zone in November 1992.

  Mr. Hanley
  The crew of the Tornado involved in the incident on 4 November 1992 were formally interviewed by their squadron commander upon their return to the Tornado trinational training establishment and extensively debriefed on the procedures for dealing with the situation which had arisen. A review of TTTE procedures was conducted at RAF Cottesmore in particular relating to briefing for low level flying and emergency pull-up procedures. These are re-emphasised at all pre-flight briefings and are rechecked by squadron authorising officers.

  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of the joint airmiss working group report on the airmiss between an Army Lynx helicopter and an RAF Tornado over the North Yorkshire moors on 12 January 1993.

  Mr. Hanley
  A copy of the report will be placed in the Library of the House.

  Tornado F3 (Fuel Tanks)
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the dates and circumstances of all incidents involving the inadvertent jettisoning of underwing fuel tanks by Tornado F3 aircraft from RAF Leeming.

  Mr. Hanley
  The information requested is as follows:

  Date

  Circumstances

  15 January 1991

  The cause was not positively determined, although it was considered the most likely cause was the inadvertent hitting of the selective jettison button by the pilot.

  5 October 1992

  Inadvertent operation of the selective jettison button by the navigator as he tried to resolve a fault in the underwing stores management panel.

  Both incidents were fully investigated and the lessons to be drawn were disseminated throughout the RAF.

  Phantom
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the circumstances of an incident at Bentham, North Yorkshire, in September 1991, in which a Phantom aircraft lost part of its engine during flight.

  Mr. Hanley
  On 11 September 1991 a RAF Phantom aircraft was flying at 500 ft and 420 knots over north Yorkshire when an explosion was heard from the right engine. The engine was shut down and the pilot diverted to RAF Leeming. On investigation the engine pressure and high pressure turbine assemblies were found to have seized. Small pieces of engine debris fell on the roof and car park of the Angus Fire factory in High Bentham, causing some minor damage. There were eight claims as a result of this incident, all of which have been settled.
  934

  Exercise Luce Belle
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the reason for the exclusion of the Buccaneer aircraft from the Exercise Luce Belle noise measurement programme.

  Mr. Hanley
  The Buccaneer's primary role is maritime strike/attack; it does not conduct a significant amount of low flying over land in the United Kingdom low flying system. It was excluded from Exercise Luce Belle on that basis.

  Military Aircraft (Radio Communication)
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list those military aircraft types in United Kingdom military, and United Kingdom-based United States military service, which do not possess radios capable of communicating on very high frequency civil air traffic control frequencies.

  Mr. Hanley
  All United Kingdom military aircraft are capable of communicating on very high frequency civil air traffic control frequencies. United Kingdom-based United States F15C and F15E aircraft are not capable of communicating on VHF frequencies, but would communicate with air traffic control using VHF frequencies.

  Instrument Meteorological Flights
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the regulations governing flight by military aircraft in instrument meteorological conditions at less than 3,000 ft altitude outside controlled or regulated airspace; and what measures are taken to ensure separation of aircraft flying in these conditions from other air traffic.

  Mr. Hanley
  Military aircraft are not permitted to operate below 3,000 ft above mean sea level in instrument meteorological conditions outside controlled or regulated airspace except: when they are taking off or landing; when they are descending to or climbing out from authorised low-level flight; or when special dispensation has been granted. In these circumstances, aircrew will as far as possible avoid areas of known airborne activity or will make use of air traffic services to maintain separation from other aircraft. In addition, military aircraft conduct low flying training in instrument meteorological conditions in the highlands restricted area using terrain-following radar.

  Military Aircraft (Live Weapons)
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list for each year since 1989 and by(a) location and (b) aircraft type when a military aircraft carrying live weapons has landed at a civil airport in the United Kingdom as a matter of urgency; and if he will show in his answer the type of weapons being carried.

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

  Skyguard
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the(a) date and (b) locations when the Skyguard surveillance system has been operated since its inception.
  935
  Mr. Hanley
  Since its introduction, Skyguard radar has been deployed to the following locations to monitor low flying:

  Location

  Dates

  Knaresborough, North Yorkshire

  27 to 29 June 1989

  Penrith, Cumbria

  1 to 3 August 1989

  Alnwick, Northumberland

  3 to 5 October 1989

  Morpeth, Northumberland

  27 to 29 March 1990

  Shepton Mallet, Somerset

  10 to 13 July 1990

  Grange-over-Sands/Camforth, Cumbria

  17 to 20 September 1990

  Leeming/Teesside Gap, North Yorkshire

  1 to 4 October 1990

  Peterborough, Cambridgeshire

  13 to 15 November 1990

  Richmond/Barnard Castle, North Yorkshire

  23 to 25 April 1991

  Rhaydar area, Powys

  1 to 4 July 1991

  Morpeth area, Northumberland

  16 to 18 July 1991

  Cley and Stiffkey, Norfolk

  22 to 24 October 1991

  East Fortune, Lothian

  10 to 13 February 1992

  Duns, Berwickshire

  9 to 12 March 1992

  Carmarthen, Dyfed

  7 to 9 April, 1992

  Dumfries area, Dumfries and Galloway

  18 to 21 May 1992

  Forest of Dean, Gloucester

  8 to 11 June 1992

  Beverley, Humberside

  29 June to 2 July 1992

  Conon Bridge, Ross and Cromarty

  21 to 24 September 1992

  Market Deeping, Lincolnshire

  17 to 18 November 1992

  Cockermouth, Cumbria

  23 to 25 February 1993

  Upper Dinmore, Hereford and Worcester

  26 to 29 April 1993

  Norwich, Norfolk

  21 to 24 June 1993

  Lake Bala, Gwynedd

  12 to 14 July 1993

  Thurso, Caithness and Sutherland

  20 to 23 September 1993

  Alnmouth, Northumberland

  27 to 30 September 1993

  Chirnside, Berwickshire

  25 to 28 October 1993

  Hornby, Iancashire

  23 to 25 November 1993

  Daventry, Northamptonshire

  7 to 9 December 1993

  Market Testing
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 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. Aitken
  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".

  Ships (Medical Provision)
  Mr. Nigel Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what medical provision is provided on board Royal Navy(a) aircraft carriers, (b) landing ships,

  Female officers

  Non-commissioned females

  Financial year

  Royal Navy

  Army

  Royal Air Force

  Royal Navy

  Army

  Royal Air Force

  Total

  1979–80

  4

  13

  7

  55

  174

  162

  415

  1980–81

  6

  13

  13

  72

  185

  179

  468

  1981–82

  11

  21

  23

  84

  250

  186

  575

  1982–83

  8

  15

  16

  95

  208

  186

  528

  1983–84

  5

  9

  12

  103

  179

  161

  469

  1984–85

  6

  14

  12

  113

  195

  175

  515

  1985–86

  6

  13

  15

  100

  226

  156

  516

  1986–87

  6

  10

  18

  104

  176

  151

  465

  1987–88

  7

  15

  16

  125

  205

  186

  554

  1988–89

  3

  12

  18

  86

  143

  160

  442

  1989–90

  4

  14

  15

  84

  157

  157

  431

  936
  (c) destroyers, (d) frigates, (e) minesweepers, (f) mine-hunters, (g) patrol boats and (h) other small craft in terms of qualified doctors, nurses and other staff.

  Mr. Hanley
  The information requested is as follows:

  (a) Aircraft Carriers

  2×Medical Officers—1 surgeon, 1 anaesthetist

  1×Dental Officer

  1×Operating Department Assistant

  1×Laboratory Technician

  6×Medical Assistants

  (b) Landing Ships

  1×Medical Officer

  1×Dental Officer

  7×Medical Assistants

  (c) Destroyers and Frigates

  The complements of all destroyers and frigates include a medical assistant; in addition, vessels designated to lead destroyer or frigate squadrons and those operating independently, or on directed tasks, carry a medical officer.

  (d) Minesweepers, Minehunters, Patrol Boats and Other Small Craft

  These ships are classed as minor war vessels and carry no dedicated medical personnel, but all minor war vessels Coxswains undergo special first aid training at the Royal Naval medical staff school.

  Pregnant Women
  Mr. Martlew
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimates he has of the amount of money that will be spent in 1993–94 and 1994–95 in compensation to women who had to leave the armed forces because they became pregnant; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hanley
  It is not possible to estimate reliably the amount of money that will be spent in 1993–94 and 1994–95 in compensation to women who were compulsorily discharged from the services on grounds of pregnancy between 9 August 1978 and August 1990.

  Mr. Martlew
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many women in each year since 1980 who left the forces because they became pregnant subsequently rejoined the forces; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hanley
  My noble Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Defence will write to the hon. Member.

  Mr. Martlew
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many women have left each of the armed forces in each year since 1980 because they became pregnant; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hanley
  The numbers of women who left the Armed Forces in each year since 1980 because they became pregnant, are as follows:
  937

  Female officers

  Non-commissioned females

  Financial year

  Royal Navy

  Army

  Royal Air Force

  Royal Navy

  Army

  Royal Air Force

  Total

  1990–91

  3

  17

  12

  60

  167

  124

  383

  1991–92

  4

  17

  15

  78

  177

  140

  431

  1992–93

  3

  16

  18

  85

  204

  112

  438

  Notes:

  1. Actual figures for the numbers of female officers leaving on pregnancy are not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate effort. The figures provided are therefore estimates based on the percentage of non-commissioned females leaving on pregnancy.

  2. Prior to August 1990, service women who became pregnant were compulsorily discharged. In August 1990, maternity leave was introduced and pregnant service women could choose whether to leave or take maternity leave. The figures for 1990–91 cover both those who were compulsorily discharged prior to August 1990 and those who opted to leave after that date.

  Mr. Martlew
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions his Ministry has had with the Equal Opportunities Commission about conditions covering women employed in the forces who became pregnant; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hanley
  There have been no formal discussions about conditions for service women who became pregnant between my Department and the Equal Opportunities Commission. The commission was, however, made aware in 1990 of the introduction of maternity leave for servicewomen.

  Mr. Martlew
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much money has been spent in compensation to women who had to leave the armed forces because they became pregnant; how many women have received compensation; what is the(a) maximum, (b) minimum and (c) average amount paid; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hanley
  A total of £7,822,943 has so far been paid in compensation to women who were compulsorily discharged from the armed forces on grounds of pregnancy between August 1978 and August 1990 when maternity leave was introduced. Compensation has been paid to 1,679 claimants. The average amount paid is £4,659. The maximum awarded by a tribunal is £172,921—but this will be the subject of an appeal by the MOD to the employment appeals tribunal. The minimum payment has been for £500.

  Department

  Compensation paid

  From

  To

  (nearest £000)

  British Rail

  4,427

  April 1992

  30 November 1993

  London Underground

  184

  August 1992

  7 January 1994

  Northern Ireland Railways

  2

  November 1992

  19 January 1994

  HM Customs and Excise

  14

  January 1992

  31 December 1993

  Benefits Agency

  4,071

  April 1992

  March 1993

  Contributions Agency1

  76

  April 1991

  March 1993

  Employment Service

  89

  April 1992

  March 1993

  Department of Health and Social Services, Northern Ireland1

  520

  April 1991

  20 January 1994

  1 These figures represent payments made from April 1991, four months before the Contributions Agency and Northern Ireland Social Security Agency charters were introduced.

  In addition, in the financial year 1992–93 the Inland Revenue paid £389,000 in compensation for "serious error" as defined in the code of practice "Mistakes by the Inland Revenue"; and between January 1992 and 31 December 1993 HM Customs and Excise paid £532,000 in repayment supplements.

  The privatised utilities also compensate customers for failure to meet service standards. Details of payments are not held centrally.
  938

  Creches
  Mr. Martlew
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list all the military bases where creches are available; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hanley
  Creche and child-minding facilities are available to service personnel and dependent parents on bases in the United Kingdom and overseas as a result of local initiatives. Details of these facilities are not, however, held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost. Child care legislation places no statutory obligation on the MOD to provide creche or child-minding facilities for service personnel or their dependants, and, as with the civilian population at large, service personnel are responsible for making their own arrangements for the care of their children and for meeting the costs involved.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

  Citizens Charter
  Mrs. Beckett
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what is the total amount paid out to date in compensation under provisions of the citizens charter(a) in total and (b) by relevant Department.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  An estimated £9,383,000 in total has been paid out in compensation under provisions of the citizens charter. This is broken down as follows:

  Mrs. Beckett
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what is the latest estimate of the number of inquiries dealt with to date under the citizens charter(a) in total and (b) by relevant Department.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  Since April 1992, over 5,000 letters have been received in the citizens charter unit. Individual Departments and agencies will, of course, receive their own citizens charter correspondence, but my Department does not hold records on this.
  939

  Iraq (Visits)
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list each of the visits made by Ministers or officials of his Department to Iraq since 1982, giving details of dates, names of Ministers or officials and the purpose of visit in each case.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  According to the information available, there is no record of either Ministers or officials 940
  of the Office of Public Service and Science having visited Iraq since centralised departmental records were begun in 1986.