Written Answers of 1 July 1994

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

  Compensation Orders
  Mr. Bates
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department (1) what was the total amount and number of compensation orders made by(a) Teesside Crown court, (b) Teesside magistrates court and (c) Gainsborough magistrates court in (i) 1990, (ii) 1991, (iii)1992 and (iv) 1993;

  (2) what is the total number and amount of unpaid compensation orders awarded by (a) Teesside Crown court, (b) Teesside magistrates court and (c) Gainsborough magistrates court in (i) 1990, (ii) 1991, (iii) 1992 and 1993.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  My Department does not hold this information. Information about the numbers of offenders ordered to pay compensation is contained in "Home Office Criminal Statistics England and Wales," copies of which are in the Library of the House.

  Disputes
  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will support pilot programmes for alternative dispute resolution.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The Lord Chancellor has publicly welcomed the development of private and voluntary dispute resolution services, and their availability to parties who do not need the compulsion, certainty and finality that only the courts provide. The Lord Chancellor is currently evaluating the potential of alternative dispute resolution and the various research options which may assist him.

  Small Claims Courts
  Mr. John Greenway
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department whether he intends to make a provision for costs in the small claims court.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  Although often referred to as a "no-costs" regime, the small claims procedure does provide for the recovery of some costs, as detailed An order 19, rule 4 of the county court rules. Under this rule, the costs stated on the summons and the costs of enforcing the award may be recovered. In addition, the court may award allowances relating to the party's and witness's expenses and to experts' fees.

  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many personal injury cases were pursued through the small claims courts in each of the last three years; and if he will place in the Library the number of cases pursued through each such court in the last three years.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The term "small claims court" refers to the arbitration procedure in the county courts.730
  Until March 1994 only the total number of arbitrations heard in each county court was recorded. Statistics on arbitrations are now collected by nature of claim—for instance, personal injury—and the figures for the last nine months of 1994 will be published in "Judicial Statistics Annual Report 1994".

EMPLOYMENT

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. Thurnham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what assessment he has made of the factors causing the rate of unemployment in Bolton to change at a different rate from the rate for the country as a whole in the past 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

  Miss Widdecombe
  The Department has made no such explicit assessment. However, I believe that the Department has created the right framework for employers to create jobs and reduce unemployment in Bolton, as in the rest of the United Kingdom. Indeed, I am pleased to see that over the past 12 months unemployment in my hon. Friend's constituency has been falling faster than the national average.

ENVIRONMENT

  Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if it is his policy to provide financial support towards the costs that will be incurred by people from the United Kingdom invited to participate in the intergovernmental panel on climate change workshop on equity and social considerations to be held in Nairobi in July.

  Mr. Atkins
  My Department is providing financial support towards the costs incurred by United Kingdom experts who have been invited to act as lead or contributing authors for the IPCC's current work programme, including costs associated with attendance at relevant IPCC workshops. On that basis we are supporting the costs of attendance of one United Kingdom expert at the workshop on equity and social considerations. The Department is not, however, providing support for the attendance of other possible United Kingdom participants at IPCC workshops.

  Staff Sickness (Local Authorities)
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what statistics he collects on days lost through staff sickness in local authorities.

  Mr. Baldry
  The information requested is not collected by this Department.

  Ornithology
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what level of funding is provided by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee to the British Trust for Ornithology; and what this figure is as a proportion of the British Trust for Ornithology's total expenditure for each of the last four years.

  Mr. Atkins
  The Joint Nature Conservation Committee's contract with BTO will be worth £414,000
  731
  this year. Figures comparing the value of the contract and the trust's expenditure over the last four financial years are as follows:

  £ thousands

  1990–91

  1991–92

  1992–93

  1993–94

  BTO Expenditure

  1,024

  1,660

  1,225

  N/a

  Value of JNCC contract

  301

  365

  399

  393

  Contract as percentage of BTO expenditure

  29.4

  22.0

  32.6

  —

  N/a—Not available.

  Figures for 1990–91 are for BTO's contract with the former NCC.

  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the annual cost of administering the statutory bird-ringing scheme and licensing activities which are contracted out to the British Trust for Ornithology in 1993–94 and 1994–95.

  Mr. Atkins
  The British Trust for Ornithology operates a national bird-ringing scheme under contract from the Joint Nature Conservation Committee. This scheme is not statutory. In 1993–94, funding from the JNCC amounted to approximately £112,000. In 1994–95, funding will be about £138,000. The BTO is licensed by English Nature, the Countryside Council for Wales and Scottish Natural Heritage to issue permits for ringing or marking birds or examining any ring or mark.

  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received concerning the funding of the British Trust for Ornithology.

  Mr. Atkins
  My Department has received three written representations about the Joint Nature Conservation Committee's contract with the British Trust for Ornithology for the provision of bird-ringing data, including one from the hon. Member.

  Biodiversity
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps are now being taken to monitor and evaluate biodiversity in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Atkins
  The monitoring and evaluation of biodiversity in the United Kingdom are described in "Biodiversity: The UK Action Plan", Cm. 2428. A steering group, chaired by my Department, has a remit which includes reviewing and reporting on existing and future monitoring programmes. The steering group is assisted by a specialist sub-group on data, chaired by the chief officer, Joint Nature Conservation Committee, which is seeking to improve the accessibility and co-ordination of existing biological datasets and the integration of monitoring studies and programmes.

HEALTH

  Health Commissions
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many health commissions are in operation; what are their functions; what is the estimated cost of each one; which health authorities have such commissions; and if she will make a statement.
  732
  Dr. Mawhinney
  All district health authorities and family health services authorities are developing close links in response to Government policy on integrated working.

  Disciplinary Procedures
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what documents her Department has produced in the last year; what is the process of production in the disciplinary procedures against doctors; and when she will publish them.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Documents from the Department are issued on a wide range of issues.

  We are consulting representatives of national health service management and the medical and dental professions on guidance relating to suspensions and disciplinary action involving hospital medical and dental and community medical staff. Guidance will be issued to NHS employing bodies in due course.

  Pensions
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what criteria she uses to decide whether those who have transferred from national health service to private pensions are better or worse off as a result.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  None.

  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many nurses, doctors and other national health service employees by category have transferred their pensions from national health service to private schemes in each year since 1986.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The table shows the total number of national health service employees who have transferred accrued pension rights from the national health service pension scheme to private schemes in each year since August 1989. Data are not available before that date and are not held by occupational groups. The majority of these transfers relate to former members of the scheme who have left national health service employment.

  Number

  11989

  2,027

  1990

  6,938

  1991

  7,852

  1992

  8,434

  1Figure from August 1989.

  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the total amount of money given as inducement to transfer from a national health service to a private pension in each year since 1986.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  None.

  Child Records
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many health authorities are using patient-held child records.

  Mr. Bowis
  Information from the British Paediatric Association, which has produced a model personal child
  733
  health record, shows that currently 101 health authorities or national health service trusts are contracting for copies of the record. On the basis of the information from the BPA we estimate that the proportion of children issued with personal child health records has increased by about 25 per cent. in the last year.

  Ethnic Minority Staff
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what specific policies or mechanisms were implemented as part of the programme of action for ethnic minority staff in the national health service launched on 10 December 1993.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The programme of action is for national health service trusts and health authorities to implement locally.

  Infertility Treatment
  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what is the provision for(a) infertility investigation and (b) infertility treatment in the North West regional health authority ;

  (2) what discussions have been held between the North West regional health authority and her Department as to the most cost-effective means of providing for infertility investigation and treatment in its area.

  Mr. Sackville
  For the information requested about infertility investigation and treatment in the North West region the hon. Member may wish to contact Sir Donald Wilson, chairman of the North West regional health authority.

  There have been no discussions on this matter between the North West regional health authority and the Department. The national health service provides a wide range of treatments for subfertility. I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave the hon. Member for Birmingham, Northfield (Mr. Burden) on 18 May, Official Report, column 520.

  Ministerial Visits
  Mr. Evennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to visit Queen Mary's hospital, Sidcup and Erith and district hospital, Erith.

  Mr. Sackville
  Ministers have no current plans to visit Queen Mary's Sidcup Hospital national health service trust.

  Press and Public Relations
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer to the hon. Member for Wentworth (Mr. Hardy) of 2 March,Official Report, column 763, how many press releases were issued by NHS trusts in each of the last three years; and if she will list those trusts with a named press officer or contact on those releases.

  Mr. Sackville
  This information is not available centrally.

  Psychiatric Beds
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many private psychiatric hospital beds there were for each year since 1979; and how many of those beds were for children.
  734
  Mr. Bowis
  The number of psychiatric beds in private hospitals, homes and clinics registered under section 23 of the Registered Homes Act 1984 is shown in the table for the years 1982 to 1992–93. On average, fewer than 100 beds per year are allocated specifically to children.

  Number

  1982

  1,994

  1983

  2,394

  1984

  2,176

  1985

  2,340

  1986

  3,165

  1987–88

  4,507

  1988–89

  5,864

  1989–90

  7,693

  1990–91

  10,722

  1991–92

  12,653

  1992–93

  16,946

  The bulk of this growth is to cater for the needs of elderly mentally ill people.

  Source: 1982–86 SBH212 returns. 1987–88 to 1992–93 K036 return. Information not available prior to 1982.

  Social Services
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the cost of redundancy payments for local authority social services departments, by authority, for the last financial year.

  Mr. Bowis
  Returns from social services departments do not separately identify such payments.

  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the amount spent on consultants' fees by social services departments during the last financial year, by authority.

  Mr. Bowis
  Returns from social services departments do not separately identify consultants' fees.

  Hospital Beds
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what annual rate of reduction in hospital beds she has assumed for the next eight years; and what assessment she has made of the likely impact of such reductions on patient care.

  Mr. Sackville
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave him and the hon. Member for Bristol, South (Ms Primarolo) on 28 June,Official Report, column 536. We have made no such assumptions. The disposition and number of hospital beds is a matter for local determination. However, we confidently expect that future developments in medical science and technology and in clinical practice will enable an increasing number of patients to be treated as day cases or in their own homes, leading to reductions in the number of hospital beds required, continuing the trend in evidence since 1960.

  Council for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the future of the United Kingdom Central Council for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting.

  Mr. Sackville
  The council's role is determined by the Nurses, Midwives and Health Visitors Acts of 1979 and
  735
  1992. It was reconstituted on 1 April 1993 so as to be directly accountable to the professions that it represents. We have no plans at present to change these arrangements.

  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what meetings and communications she has had with officials of the United Kingdom Central Council for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting in the last three months.

  Mr. Sackville
  My noble Friend Baroness Cumberlege, the Under-Secretary of State for Health, met the president of the council on 19 April to discuss its proposals for post-registration education and practice, and officials maintain regular contact with the council on a range of issues.

  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will indicate her responsibilities in relation to the United Kingdom Central Council for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting.

  Mr. Sackville
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is responsible for appointing one third of the council's members and for making orders relating to its constitution and statutory functions.

  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to set up an inquiry into the running and function of the United Kingdom Central Council for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting.

  Mr. Sackville
  None. It is for the council to determine its methods of working.

  NHS Trusts
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list, for each NHS trust in the former Northern region, those chairmen and non-executive directors who live outside the boundaries of the district health authority in which that trust is situated.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  [holding answer 28 June 1994]: Some 151 or 77 per cent. of the 197 chairmen and non-executive directors appointed to national health service trusts within the former Northern region live within the boundaries of the district health authority in which that trust is situated. The names of the appointees who live outside the relevant district health authority boundaries are:

  Cheviot and Wansbeck NHS Trust

  Miss C. E. Thompson

  City Hospitals Sunderland NHS Trust

  Mrs. R. M. Blacklock

  Mrs. A. M. Mason

  Mr. E. Timmins

  Cleveland Ambulance NHS Trust

  Mr. T. Weastell

  Ms S. Bush

  Community Healthcare, North Durham NHS Trust

  Mr. J. B. Williams

  Darlington Memorial Hospital NHS Trust

  Mrs. C. E. Griffen

  Durham County Ambulance Service NHS Trust

  Mr. D. D'Arcy

  Gateshead Healthcare NHS Trust

  Mr. P. Smith

  736

  Ms P. Remfrey

  Mr. D. Mitford

  Gateshead Hospitals NHS Trust

  Mr. C. N. Morton

  Mrs. N. E. Cookson

  Mrs. A. S. Cooper

  Mr. D. Irwin

  Miss M. Davies

  Hartlepool Community Care NHS Trust

  Mr. T. A. Lough

  Newcastle City Health NHS Trust

  Lady S. Irvine

  Sir B. Tomlinson

  Mrs. D. M. Jenkins

  North Durham Acute Hospitals NHS Trust

  Mr. C. P. Douglas

  Mr. D. F. Henlet

  Mr. G. W. Hook

  Ms A. Cottman

  Northgate and Prudhoe NHS Trust

  Professor J. Rear

  Northumberland Mental Health NHS Trust

  Mrs. J. Turner

  Northumbria Ambulance Service NHS Trust

  Mrs. S. E. Craig

  Priority Healthcare Wearside NHS Trust

  Mr. J. L. Mills

  Mr. K. Parkinson

  Royal Victoria Infirmary and Hexham NHS Trust

  Mrs. A. G. Galbraith

  Mrs. S. Wilson

  Miss A. Willis

  Mrs. K. Brunton

  Mr. P. Stoddart

  South Durham Healthcare NHS Trust

  Mr. J. V. Parsons

  Mr. R. J. Winter

  South Tees Acute Hospitals NHS Trust

  Mr. D. Collier

  South Tees Community and Mental Health NHS Trust

  Dr. S. Miller

  Mr. J. F. Wilson

  South Tyneside Healthcare NHS Trust

  Mrs. F. M. Walker

  Mr. M. C. Wright

  South West Durham Mental Health NHS Trust

  Mr. P. Briggs

  Mr. D. Bright

  Mr. N. T. Hart

  Westmorland Hospitals NHS Trust

  Mr. G. A. Turnbull

  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list, for each national health service trust in the former East Anglian region, those chairmen and non-executive directors who live outside the boundaries of the district health authority in which that trust is situated.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  [holding answer 28 June 1994]: Softie 99, or 84 per cent., of the 118 chairmen and non-executive directors appointed to national health service trusts within the former East Anglian region live within the boundaries of the district health authority in which that trust is

  737
  situated. The names of the appointees who live outside the relevant district health authority boundaries are given as follows:

  Addenbrookes Hospital NHS Trust

  Mr. C. J. Mellor

  Allington NHS Trust

  Ms S. Rendall

  Anglian Harbours NHS Trust

  Mrs. K. Currie

  Mr. M. J. Barnard

  Mrs. D. H. Addison

  Mr. M. Upcroft

  Hinchingbrooke Health Care NHS Trust

  Mr. A. Cumber

  Mr. J. Barrett

  James Paget Hospital NHS Trust

  Mr. N. Johnson

  Mr. N. Brighouse

  Mrs. L. M. Handford

  Kings Lynn and Wisbech Hospital NHS Trust

  Mr. E. Hubbard

  Mr. T. F. Shephard

  Mrs. P. A. Jeffery

  Norfolk and Norwich Health Care NHS Trust

  Mr. A. Holden

  Papworth Hospital NHS Trust

  Sir D. Williams

  Mr. A. R. Tyrrell

  Mr. P. Pemberton

  West Suffolk Hospitals NHS Trust

  Mr. R. Allan

  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of state for Health if she will list, for each NHS trust in the former Wessex region, those chairmen and non-executive directors who live outside the boundaries of the district health authority in which that trust is situated.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  [holding answer 29 June 1994]: Some 135, or 89 per cent., of the 151 chairmen and non-executive directors appointed to National Health Service trusts within the former Wessex region live within the boundaries of the district health authorities in which that trust is situated. The names of the appointees who live outside the relevant district health authority boundaries are listed.

  Swindon and Marlborough Hospitals NHS Trust

  Mr. Vyv Attwood

  Mrs. Victoria Pickering

  Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust

  Mrs. Elizabeth Broderick

  Mr. David D'Arcy Hughes

  Southampton Community Services NHS Trust

  Mrs. Jane Buchanan

  Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals NHS Trust

  Mrs. Sheila Collins

  Mr. Sydney Jackson

  Miss Jane Manning

  Bath and West Community NHS Trust

  Mrs. Gillian Convey

  North Hampshire Hospitals NHS Trust

  Madame Anne de Montpensier-Budd

  Mrs. Annette Moor Mr. Andrew Prince

  738
  Salisbury Health Care NHS Trust

  Mrs. Helena Feltham

  Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust

  Ms Kay Glendinning

  Wiltshire Ambulance NHS Trust

  Dr. John Moxon

  Portsmouth Health Care NHS Trust

  Mrs. Sue Todd

  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list for each NHS trust, in the former South Western region, those chairmen and non-executive directors who live outside the boundaries of the district health authority in which that trust is situated.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  [holding answer 30 June 1994]: Some 127, or 94 per cent., of the 135 chairmen and non-executive directors appointed to national health service trusts within the former South Western region live within the boundaries of the district health authorities in which that trust is situated. The names of the appointees who live outside the relevant district health authority boundaries are listed.

  Southmead NHS Trust

  Professor Ian Silver

  Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust

  Sir Vernon Seccombe

  Plymouth Community Services NHS Trust

  Mr. Eric Distin

  East Somerset NHS Trust

  Mr. Timothy Chappel

  Mr. John Keegan

  Mr. Thomas George

  Gloucestershire Royal NHS Trust

  Lady Sonia Hornby

  Mr. Gerard Lane

  Necrotising fasciitis
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list research projects into(a) vaccination and (b) other preventive measures against necrotising fasciitis in British hospitals and universities in the past 10 years; and what consultations she has had with the chief medical officer of health and the Medical Research Council concerning their assessment and funding.

  Mr. Sackville
  [holding answer 30 June 1994]: Necrotising fasciitis is a very rare condition which may be caused by a large number of different infections. For this reason, it is not feasible to develop a single vaccine against necrotising fasciitis. It is difficult to envisage the circumstances in which a vaccine might be useful against such a rare condition, which is associated with varying aetiological organisms.

  There is a large body of research on the prevention of hospital-acquired infection of all types, which would include prevention of infections that might cause post-operative necrotising fasciitis.

  There is considerable general research into infection with group A streptococci, the organism which was the cause of the recent cases of necrotising fasciitis in Gloucestershire.
  739
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State regularly consults the Chief Medical Officer and others about research matters.

  For details of Medical Research Council research into necrotising fasciitis, I refer the hon. Member to the reply that my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster gave to the hon. Member for Sheffield, Brightside (Mr. Blunkett) on 14 June, Official Report, column 434.

  Ulster Unionist Party (UUP)

  Ulster Democratic Unionist Party(UDUP)

  Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP)

  Alliance Party

  25 September 1993

  1 October 1993

  22 September 1993

  15 September 1993

  11 November 1993

  22 October 1993

  21 October 1993

  20 October 1993

  13 January 1994

  —

  24 January 1994

  18 January 1994

  7 March 1994

  —

  12 April 1994

  24 February 1994

  14 April 1994

  —

  —

  —

  I have also attended meetings between the Prime Minister and the UDUP on 9 November 1993 and 21 March 1994, and between my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State and the Alliance party on 22 March 1994.

  Disabled Voters
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he takes to ensure that all disabled people are able to exercise their right to vote in elections for which he is responsible; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Ancram
  Section 14 (4)(d) of the Electoral Law Act (Northern Ireland) 1962 as substituted by article 6(1) of the Electoral Law (Northern Ireland) Order 1972 requires the Chief Electoral Officer for Northern Ireland to prepare polling station schemes. Such a scheme can require the provision of facilities to be made available for the disabled. The Government also provide financial assistance towards the cost of providing temporary ramps for access at polling stations and, in addition, disabled people may take advantage of the arrangements for postal and proxy voting should they find this more convenient.

  Tourism
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many tourist visitors there are in each council area, by such categories as are convenient; and what is his estimate of the number of day trippers to each council area for each of the last three years.

  Mr. Tim Smith
  The table indicates estimated total visitor numbers to each council area for 1991, 1992 and 1993. Figures are not available for day trippers.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Talks
  Mr. Trimble
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on which dates the Minister of State met representatives of each of the major constitutional parties since 1 September 1993 to discuss political developments in Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Ancram
  Since 1 September 1993, I have had meetings with the main Northern Ireland parties on the following dates:

  Thousands

  Council area

  1991

  1992

  1993

  Antrim

  73·1

  65·1

  59·7

  Ards

  93·5

  78·9

  82·3

  Armagh

  52·8

  39·4

  39·1

  Ballymena

  52·8

  45·3

  51·4

  Ballymoney

  14·2

  15·8

  14·4

  Banbridge

  14 2

  13·8

  12·3

  Belfast

  341·3

  339·1

  331·2

  Carrickfergus

  20·3

  19·7

  20·6

  Castlereagh

  8·1

  7·9

  10·3

  Coleraine

  282·4

  270·1

  267·4

  Cookstown

  30·5

  23·7

  22·6

  Craigavon

  44·7

  43·4

  41·1

  Derry

  79·2

  74·9

  82·3

  Down

  172·7

  187·3

  187·2

  Dungannon

  24·4

  21·7

  20·6

  Fermanagh

  136·1

  126·2

  146·0

  Larne

  81·3

  74·9

  82·3

  Limavady

  28·4

  29·6

  32·9

  Lisburn

  52·8

  53·2

  51·4

  Magherafelt

  16·3

  11·8

  12·3

  Moyle

  117·8

  126·2

  123·4

  Newry and Mourne

  85·3

  92·7

  107·0

  Newtownabbey

  50·8

  53·2

  59·7

  North Down

  103·6

  110·4

  141·9

  Omagh

  30·5

  27·6

  30·9

  Strabane

  24·4

  19·7

  26·7

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Iron and Steel Industry
  Mr. Bates
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade by how many the number of jobs in the British iron and steel industry changed in each successive year since 1979; and what was the output in million tonnes of the British iron and steel industry in each year since 1979.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The figures are as follows:
  741

  Year

  Employment in the iron and steel industry (thousands)

  Percentage change year on year

  Pig iron production (millon tonnes)

  Crude steel production (million tonnes)

  1979

  156·6

  -5·32

  12·9

  21·5

  1980

  112·1

  -28·42

  6·3

  11·3

  1981

  88·2

  -21·32

  9·6

  15·6

  1982

  74·5

  -15·53

  8·4

  13·7

  1983

  63·7

  -14·50

  9·6

  15·0

  1984

  61·9

  -2·83

  9·6

  15·1

  1985

  59·0

  -4·68

  10·5

  15·7

  1986

  55·9

  -5·25

  9·8

  14·7

  1987

  54·9

  -1·79

  12·1

  17·4

  1988

  55·1

  0·36

  13·2

  19·0

  1989

  53·8

  -2·36

  12·8

  18·7

  1990

  50·8

  -5·58

  12·5

  17·8

  1991

  45·1

  -11·22

  12·1

  16·5

  1992

  40·8

  -9·53

  11·7

  16·2

  1993

  40·2

  -1·47

  11·6

  16·5

  Source: ISSB.

  Notes:

  (1) All figures are based on ECSC figures.

  (2) The figure for pig iron production should not be added to the crude steel production figures to give a total figure as this would involve double counting.

  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is his estimate of the public moneys which have been devoted to sustaining the engineering steel industries of each of the other EC states in each of the last three years and of the sums which will be so expended during 1994–95.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  There is insufficient information available on which to base a reliable estimate.

  Receivers
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what consideration he has given to preventing accountants who have acted as advisers to banks from acting as receivers of client companies.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  I have considered the arguments for and against preventing accountants who act as advisers to banks from acting as receivers of client companies and I am not convinced that the practice should be proscribed.

  Post Office
  Mr. Hain
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what assessment he has made as to the possibility of a conflict of interest arising from the business relationship between the Post Office and Lex Service Group for the chief executive of the Post Office.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  My right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade is satisfied that there is no conflict of interest.

  Mr. Hain
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he was consulted over the appointment of the chief executive of the Post Office as a non-executive director of the Lex Service Group.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  Yes.

  Mr. Hain
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if the advice of his Department has been sought over commercial relations between Lex Service Group and the Post Office in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.
  742
  Mr. McLoughlin
  No, nor would my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade expect to be consulted. Such matters are within the operational responsibilities of the Post Office.

  Coal Industry
  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will state the maximum level of dust measured at each colliery operated by British Coal during each of the last three years.

  Mr. Eggar
  This information is held by British Coal. I have asked the chairman to write to the hon. Member.

  Fire Safety
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what recommendations the inter-departmental scrutiny team has made to Ministers regarding the provisions of the Children Act 1989 and the Registered Homes Act 1984.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  My right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade announced the publication of the report of the inter-departmental review of fire safety legislation and enforcement on 22 June,Official Report, columns 228–29.

  The report makes a number of recommendations for change, including some proposals which may affect the operation of the Children Act 1989 and the Registered Homes Act 1984 or premises covered by them. As my right hon. Friend made clear on 22 June, the Government are committed to full consultation with all interested parties before any changes are made to existing arrangements.

  Electricity Industry
  Mr. Tipping
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what recent discussions he has had with the industry's regulator about the profits of regional electricity companies.

  Mr. Eggar
  Ministers meet the Director General of Electricity Supply regularly to discuss a wide range of issues. I understand that the director general will take the
  743
  financial circumstances of the companies into account as part of his review of the regional electricity companies' distribution price controls.

EDUCATION

  Public Bodies
  Mr. Kilfoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) if he will list those of his Department's advisory non-departmental public bodies which the Government are required to consult prior to legislation proposals; and in respect of which bodies the Government must publish their response to advice supplied by them;

  (2) if he will list the advisory non-departmental public bodies sponsored by his Department which have a statutory base;

  (3) if he will list the advisory non-departmental public bodies sponsored by his Department which are required to lay their annual reports before Parliament;

  (4) if he will list his Department's advisory non-departmental public bodies which are required to produce annual reports;

  (5) if he will list his Department's advisory non-departmental public bodies which are required to publish their advice to Government.

  Mr. Boswell
  On the assumption that the hon. Member is using the definition of an advisory non-departmental public body adopted for the document "Public Bodies 1993", there are no such bodies which fall to be listed.

  Mr. Kilfoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will list any advisory bodies which he has set up in his Department since the publication of "Public Bodies 1993."

  Mr. Boswell
  None.

  Special Educational Needs
  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what is the effect of his Department's funding of the Special Educational Needs Tribunal on other education budgets.

  Mr. Forth
  None. The running costs of the tribunal will be met by this Department, which will itself benefit from some consequent savings in its own running costs. The Welsh Office will contribute in respect of the tribunal's activities in Wales.

  Bullying
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what action his Department is taking on bullying in primary schools; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Forth
  My right hon. Friend is concerned to ensure that all schools treat the issue of bullying seriously and take steps to combat it promptly and firmly wherever and whenever it occurs. We have taken a number of measures to help schools to tackle bullying.

  In 1992, the Department issued the "Action Against Bullying" pack to all schools in England. We have stressed the importance of effective action on bullying in the guidance on pupil behaviour and discipline, published on 27 May as part of the "Pupils With Problems" series of
  744
  circulars. We have recently published leaflets of guidance for pupils and parents on the theme of "Don't Suffer in Silence", and will be making available soon to all television channels a public information film on the same theme. In addition, we intend to publish in the autumn further practical guidance for schools in England based on DFE-funded research at Sheffield university into strategies against bullying.

  Nursery Education
  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of three and four-year-old children attend a state-run nursery school or nursery class in each local education authority area in Yorkshire and Humberside.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  Information on pupils under five being taught in maintained nursery schools and nursery classes in primary schools in each local education authority in Yorkshire and Humberside in January 1993 is shown in the table.

  Provision of education for under fives in maintained nursery schools and nursery classes in primary schools for each LEA in Yorkshire and Humberside January 1993

  Percentage of population at 31 December 1992

  Local Education Authority

  Nursery schools

  Nursery classes in primary schools

  Barnsley

  3

  47

  Doncaster

  0

  41

  Rotherham

  6

  39

  Sheffield

  7

  38

  Bradford

  4

  40

  Calderdale

  0

  34

  Kirklees

  5

  36

  Leeds

  1

  45

  Wakefield

  5

  45

  Humberside

  5

  34

  North Yorkshire

  2

  19

  Primary Schools
  Mr. Robert Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many primary schools there are of fewer than 20 pupils in each of the English county authorities.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  The number of maintained primary schools with fewer than 20 pupils in each of the non-metropolitan counties in England in January 1993 is shown in the table.

  Maintained primary schools with less than 20 pupils in non-metropolitan counties in England in January 1993

  LEA

  Number

  Avon

  1

  Bedfordshire

  1

  Berkshire

  0

  Buckinghamshire

  2

  Cambridgeshire

  0

  Cheshire

  0

  Cleveland

  0

  Cornwall

  3

  Cumbria

  1

  Derbyshire

  3

  Devon

  3

  Dorset

  0

  Durham

  0

  745

  LEA

  Number

  East Sussex

  0

  Essex

  0

  Gloucestershire

  2

  Hampshire

  0

  Hereford and Worcester

  0

  Hertfordshire

  0

  Humberside

  0

  Isle of Wight

  0

  Isles of Scilly

  2

  Kent

  0

  Lancashire

  3

  Leicestershire

  0

  Lincolnshire

  1

  Norfolk

  5

  North Yorkshire

  5

  Northamptonshire

  1

  Northumberland

  9

  Nottinghamshire

  1

  Oxfordshire

  1

  Shropshire

  3

  Somerset

  0

  Staffordshire

  2

  Suffolk

  1

  Surrey

  2

  Warwickshire

  0

  West Sussex

  0

  Wiltshire

  1

  Mr. Robert Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many primary schools of fewer than 20 pupils were judged to have failed to meet educational standards in inspections during 1993.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  This is a matter for Her Majesty's chief inspector of schools, who heads the indpendent Office for Standards in Education. I have asked Professor Sutherland to write the hon. Member.

  National Curriculum
  Mr. Hain
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will publish a table outlining the costs of implementing the national curriculum; what are the costs so far of the current review procedure; and what is the forecast cost of the national curriculum subjects to be implemented in September 1995.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  The main elements of direct Government expenditure since 1988 on developing and implementing the national curriculum in England are as follows (in £ million):

  1988–94 (outturn)

  1994–95 (estimate)

  Grants for Education, Support and Training (GEST):

  457

  93

  Government grants to:

  National Curriculum Council:

  37

  —

  School Examinations and Assessment Council:

  66

  —

  School Curriculum and Assessment Authority:

  21

  32

  Direct expenditure by the Department for Education:

  29

  8

  Totals

  611

  133

  Notes:

  1. GEST is mainly in respect of books, equipment, training and assessment related to the basic curriculum as a whole (that is the National Curriculum, including information technology plus
  746
  religious education and sex education).

  2. Grants to the NCC and SEAC cover the period from 15 August 1988 to 31 December 1993. The grant to SEAC includes some elements attributable to Wales.

  3. Grants to SCAA cover the period from 1 October 1993 to 31 March 1995. The grant in 1993–94 includes some elements attributable to Wales.

  4. Direct expenditure by the DFE excludes staff costs and grants to the NCC, SEAC and SCAA.

  The cost of the review of the national curriculum in England is estimated at £9.3 million. This includes:

  (i) £755,000 for the interim and final Dearing reports on the national curriculum,

  (ii) £528,000 for work on slimming down the curriculum by SCAA and its advisory groups (excluding SCAA internal staff costs),

  (iii) an estimated £2 million for the current consultation on the revised curriculum proposals (including the cost of publishing and distributing the consultation documents and a report on the outcome of consultation), and

  (iv) an estimated £6 million for the publication and distribution of the final subject documents in January 1995 (excluding staff costs).

  These estimates are subsumed within the expenditure figures for NCC, SCAA and DFE above.

  Grant-maintained Schools
  Mr. Byers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many complaints were received by his Department about(a) the Government's advertisements for grant-maintained status which appeared in January and February and (b) the information published by governing bodies about grant-maintained status in the run-up to a ballot taking place.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  The Department has received 61 letters concerning the advertising campaign, of which 54 have been letters of complaint. These figures include letters from correspondents who have written on more than one occasion.

  Over the past 18 months, the Department has received 13 complaints about the accuracy of information disseminated by governing bodies prior to school ballots for grant-maintained status.

  Assessment and Testing
  Mr. French
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what his plans are for the assessment and testing of seven, 11 and 14-year-olds in 1995; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Patten
  High educational standards are of crucial importance for our children and to improve our international competitiveness. The chairman of the School Curriculum and Assessment Authority, Sir Ron Dearing, has confirmed that the tests are educationally sound and the independent school inspectorate, Ofsted, has found that they are raising standards. The Government are determined that these benefits should be extended to all state schools in 1995. To that end, I propose to introduce next year a system of external marking and, where appropriate, additional supply cover. These arrangements will ensure that the tests are marked to tough and objective standards by outside agencies and that the results are made available quickly.

  The 1995 assessment and testing arrangements

  Detailed proposals for assessing and testing seven, 11 and 14-year-olds next year are set out in a consultation

  747
  document to be published today. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales is making parallel and appropriate arrangements. We shall continue with mandatory tests for seven and 14-year-olds and, as already announced, introduce mandatory national tests for 11-year-olds following this summer's large-scale pilot. As an integral part of these arrangements, teachers will also make their own assessment of pupils' progress in English, mathematics and science to set alongside the test results.

  The tests focus on the vital basics of English, mathematics and science and are therefore unaffected by changes to the curriculum. There has been extensive teacher involvement in their development, which will ensure that the tests are fair and appropriate for all pupils, while remaining rigorous.

  Teachers' work load

  In order to meet concerns about work load, the tests have already been streamlined. The time taken up by testing was halved in 1994 compared with the year before and the marking and administration were greatly

  However, I intend to take more radical action. I propose to:
  introduce external marking for the tests of 11 and 14-year-olds.
  fund supply cover for teachers of seven-year-olds engaged on administering tests and for any teachers of 11 and 14-year-olds responsible for administering practical classroom tests to the least able pupils in these age groups;
  end mandatory external audit of teachers' own assessments of classroom work—although audit of teachers' marking of the English and mathematics tests for seven-year olds will continue.

  Taken together, these steps mean that there can be no possible defensible case for industrial action against the tests. The ending of mandatory audit of teachers' own assessments places increased reliance on their professional judgment so far as their own direct area of responsibility is concerned. Although many more schools carried out the tests this year, a substantial number did not, allegedly on the grounds that they involved excessive work load. The arrangements for external marking and supply cover will now remove any vestige of a case on work load grounds for not carrying out the tests in 1995. Parents will not understand if, with no plausible argument based on work load, the demonstrable benefits of testing are denied to pupils because of ideological opposition by some teachers who refuse, in clear breach of their contractual duties, to simply hand out papers and invigilate examinations.

  Accountability

  A key function of the assessments and tests is to promote accountability to parents. In line with the parents charter, schools will therefore be required to report children's results to parents and to publish the school's overall results in all prospectuses and governers' annual reports. The new arrangements will ensure that schools receive results of their pupils' performance in the tests promptly. The results of seven and 14-year-olds will not be included in school performance tables. It remains the Government's policy that results of 11-year-olds should be included once the tests are established.

  Results in national curriculum assessments provide an objective and reliable measure of a school's performance. That is the kind of hard information that I need when considering how to allocate scarce public resources. The results also complement the detailed published Ofsted
  748
  reports on individual schools. If they are not available, I shall have to discuss with Her Majesty's chief inspector of schools the future format and pattern of inspections.

  This is a package designed to raise standards. It will ensure that all pupils are tested in the basics at seven, 11 and 14. It will ensure that tests are marked objectively and rigorously. It will ensure that parents receive prompt and robust information about the strengths and weaknesses of their children's performance.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Yemen
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what international action is being taken to protect and care for civilian casualties of the Yemeni war in Aden.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The Security Council of the United Nations adopted on 29 June a second resolution, No. 931, expressing its deep concern at the humanitarian situation and requesting the Secretary-General to urgently address the needs of those affected by the conflict, in particular the inhabitants of Aden. The International Committee of the Red Cross is active in Yemen, including Aden, and we have responded to its appeal for donations.

  Israel
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Israeli Government about the effect of new Israeli settlements in the Golan Heights on the peace process.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  We regularly raise the issue of settlements with our Israeli interlocutors. We welcome recent signs of progress on the Syrian track and Prime Minister Rabin's statements that his Government are prepared to dismantle settlements for peace. We consider all settlements in the occupied territories to be illegal and an obstacle to peace.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Invalidity Benefit
  Mr. Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many individuals over retirement age are in receipt of an invalidity addition to their pension.

  Mr. Scott
  At 4 April 1992, the latest date for which information is available, there were 47,000 invalidity benefit recipients over pension age also receiving an invalidity allowance1. At 30 September 1993, the latest date for which information is available, there were 128,000 retirement pensioners receiving an increase of retirement pension for invalidity under section 47 of the Social Security (Contributions and Benefits) Act 19922.
  1 Based on a 1 per cent. sample of claimants in Great Britain, rounded to the nearest thousand.2 Based on a 10 per cent. sample of retirement pensioners, rounded to the nearest thousand.

  Child Support Agency
  Mr. Lidington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to publish details of the performance and targets of the Child Support Agency; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lilley
  The Child Support Agency's annual report for 1993–94 and business plan for 1994–95 will be published on Monday 4 July. Copies will be available in the Vote Office from 10.30 am.

  Chronic Bronchitis and Emphysema (PD D12) by Area Directorate

  Area

  Claims received

  1Disallowed on employment grounds

  2Disallowed on medical grounds

  3Assessed at 14 per cent. or over disabled

  South

  Anglia

  24

  4

  4

  3

  Chilterns

  22

  5

  3

  0

  South East

  449

  28

  304

  31

  West Country

  147

  8

  41

  4

  Wales and Central England

  East Midlands

  5,328

  109

  3,791

  461

  Greater Manchester

  313

  13

  225

  29

  Lancashire and Cumbria

  2,165

  116

  1,418

  123

  Merseyside

  472

  22

  329

  35

  Midlands South West

  624

  26

  449

  48

  Wales

  8,696

  543

  5,469

  1,152

  West Mercia

  3,532

  180

  2,318

  324

  Scotland and North

  East Scotland

  2,366

  79

  1,867

  85

  Glasgow

  233

  12

  94

  8

  North and West Yorkshire

  2,511

  83

  1,757

  339

  North, Central and West Scotland

  1,870

  84

  1,520

  49

  South Yorkshire and Humberside

  6,272

  141

  4,504

  671

  Tyne Tees

  6,889

  135

  5,555

  517

  Grand Total

  41,913

  1,588

  29,648

  3,879

  1Claims disallowed on employment grounds are those where the customer had not worked underground in a coal mine for a period of at least 20 years.

  2Claims disallowed on medical grounds include—customers with insufficient lung function loss; where category 1 pneumoconiosis has not been diagnosed, and those where chronic bronchitis and/or emphysema has not been diagnosed.

  3Claims assessed at 14 per cent. or more will result in an award of benefit.

  Note:

  Not all claims received would have been decided by 19 June 1994.

  Based on a 100 per cent. count and subject to amendment.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION

  Desertification
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much additional funding will be made available by the United Kingdom to assist in the implementation of the international convention to combat desertification.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  We are currently providing substantial funding to assist developing countries to combat desertification. The provision of any additional funding will depend on the extent to which those of our developing country partners that ratify the convention implement the approaches it promotes. Funding decisions will also depend on the degree of priority that they give to such activities in relation to other projects and programmes proposed by them for our support.

  Mine Workers
  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many applications have been considered under the scheme to provide compensation for former mine workers who suffer from serious bronchitis and emphysema; how many of those have been accepted; and how many were secured and accepted in each region.

  Mr. Scott
  The information is not available in the form requested. The following table gives the information by Benefits Agency area directorate as at 19 June 1994, not all the claims received would have been decided by that date:

  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on progress in the implementation of the international convention to combat desertification.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  The text of the convention was adopted on 18 June. It is likely to come into force next year.

  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans the United Kingdom has to ratify the international convention to combat desertification.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  We are studying the provisions of the convention. No decision has been taken on signature or ratification.

  Nigeria
  Mrs. Ann Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to resist the imposition by the European Community
  751
  and other international bodies of further economic and political sanctions against Nigeria; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  I refer my hon. Friend to the replies that I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Surrey, North-West (Sir M. Grylls) and to her on 29 June,Official Report, columns 684–85.

  Mrs. Ann Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has concerning the extent to which repressive press decrees imposed following the annulment of the June 1993 presidential election in Nigeria have now been repealed; and what response he has made to such repeals.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  Most of the repressive press decrees have been repealed; we welcomed those moves. However, two publishing houses were shut down by the military Government in the run-up to the anniversary of the 12 June 1993 election. We are concerned by this, and urge the military to reverse this repressive action.

TREASURY

  Trade Statistics
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will publish a table showing for(a) each year since 1987, (b) each quarter since 1991 and (c) each month since October 1992 the value, volume and unit value for United Kingdom imports and exports of manufactures with EEC, non-EEC countries and world trade in semi-manufactures, finished manufactures and manufactures on a balance of payments basis to take account of the latest statistical revisions;

  (2) if he will publish a table showing for each year since 1987, each quarter since 1991 and each month since October 1992 the levels of United Kingdom overseas trade in consumer goods, intermediate goods and capital goods with EC, non-EC countries and total trade on a balance of payments basis to take account of the latest statistical revisions;

  (3) if he will publish a table showing for (a) each year since 1987, (b) each quarter since 1991 and (c) each month since October 1992 the value of United Kingdom imports and exports of consumer goods, intermediate goods and capital goods with EEC, non-EEC countries and total trade on a balance of payments basis to take account of the latest statistical revisions.

  Mr. Nelson
  [holding answer 30 June 1994]: The information requested is available on the Central Statistical Office database, which can be accessed through the Library of the House.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a table showing for 1968, 1973, 1979 and 1988 the ratio of exports to sales of manufactures of consumer goods, intermediate goods and capital goods as described in table B6 of the "Monthly Review of External Trade Statistics" on the same statistical basis as in ratio 3 of table 15.10 of the April 1991 "Monthly Digest of Statistics" together with his best estimate of the corresponding figures for the years 1989 to 1993 and this year to date.

  Mr. Nelson
  The information requested is not available.
  752
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will publish a table showing for countries other than the EC 12 for 1968, 1973, 1979 and 1988 the ratio of imports to home demand for manufactures on the same basis as in ratio 1 of table 15.10 of the April 1991 "Monthly Digest of Statistics" together with his best estimate of the corresponding figures for the years 1989 to 1993 and this year to date;

  (2) if he will publish a table showing for countries other than the EC 12 for 1968, 1973, 1979 and 1988 the ratio of exports to sales of manufactures on the same basis as in ratio 3 of table 15.10 of the April 1991 "Monthly Digest of Statistics" together with his best estimate of the corresponding figures for the years 1989 to 1993 and this year to date;

  (3) if he will publish a table showing for the EC Twelve for (a) 1968, (b) 1973, (c) 1979 and (d) 1988 the ratio of imports to home demand for manufactures on the same basis as in ratio 1 of table 15.10 of the April 1991 monthly digest of statistics together with his best estimate of the corresponding figures for each year since 1989 and the current year to date.

  Mr. Nelson
  [holding answer 30 June 1994]: The information requested is not available.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a table showing for 1968, 1973, 1979 and 1988 the ratio of imports to home demand for manufactures on the same basis as in ratio 1 of table 15.10 of the April 1991 "Monthly Digest of Statistics" together with his best estimate of the corresponding figures for the years 1989 to 1993 and this year to date.

  Mr. Nelson
  This ratio was first published by the Central Statistical Office in an article published in the August 1977 edition of Economic Trends, presenting data on this and other ratios for the period 1968 and 1976. Comparable estimates for later periods have already been published in CSO "Business Monitor MQ12—Import Penetration and Export Sales Ratios for Manufacturing Industry," as well as in the "Monthly Digest of Statistics." Copies of both are available in the House of Commons Library. However, calculation of the ratio involves the use of quarterly sales information from manufacturing industry. The collection of such information was stopped in line with recommendations made in the 1989 review of Department of Trade and Industry statistics. As such, the most recent estimates for the ratio cover the 12-month period to end-June 1989, and are as published in the April 1991 edition of the "Monthly Digest of Statistics" Estimates for more recent periods are not available.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a table showing for(a) each year since 1987, (b) each quarter since 1991 and (c) each month since October 1992 the volume of United Kingdom imports and exports of consumer goods, intermediate goods and capital goods with EEC, non-EEC countries and total trade on a balance-of-payments basis to take account of the latest statistical revisions.

  Mr. Nelson
  [holding answer 30 June 1994]: The information requested is being placed in the House of Commons Library in a table entitled "Volume Indices of Exports of Consumer, Intermediate and Capital Goods—Balance of Payments Consistent."

  Market Testing
  Mr. Radice
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if Departments which achieve savings through market testing and contracting out will be able to apply those savings for the benefit of their programmes.

  Mr. Portillo
  Yes.

  Local Authority Expenditure
  Mr. Straw
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which international rules and conventions require United Kingdom local authority self-financing expenditure to be categorised as public expenditure; and which states adhere to these rules and conventions.

  Mr. Portillo
  [holding answer 30 June 1994]: Local authorities are part of the public sector and their expenditure is public expenditure. All local authority expenditure, including self-financed expenditure, in the United Kingdom has, for many years, been included in general Government spending under international conventions. These conventions were restated most recently in the "System of National Accounts", published jointly by the Commission of the European Communities, International Monetary Fund, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, United Nations and World Bank at the end of last year. It is expected that all European Union and European Free Trade Association countries will produce accounts on this basis.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Drug Addiction
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many notifications were made of drug addiction for London and for England in each of the last five years.

  Mr. Maclean
  The information requested is published in table A3 of the Home Office statistical bulletin, issue 10/94, "Statistics of Drug Addicts Notified to the Home Office, United Kingdom 1993 (Area Tables)". A copy of this publication is in the Library.

  Police Baton Training
  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what extra resources this Department will provide to finance the costs of special training needed to make available to all officers the side-handled baton.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  It is for chief officers of police to decide how to equip and train their officers. The cost must be met out of normal police funds.

  EU Meetings
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what were the results of the meeting of the interior Ministers of the member states of the European Union treaty in Thessalonika, Greece on 6 and 7 May.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer which I gave him on 18 May,Official Report, column 461.
  754
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what agenda has been proposed for the next meeting of the Justice and Home Affairs Ministers of the member states of the European Union meeting in accordance with title VI of the European Union treaty on 20 and 21 June in Greece.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  The meeting took place on 20 June in Luxembourg. It was the third Justice and Home Affairs Council held under the provisions of the treaty on European Union. The main points dealt with by the Council were as follows:

  The Council adopted the resolution on limitations on admission of third-country nationals to the member states for employment.

  The Council expressed its appreciation for the Commission's communication on immigration and asylum policies and undertook to consider the possibility of including in a forthcoming work programme those aspects of the proposals which fall within title VI of the treaty on European Union.

  The Council agreed the selection of consultants to undertake a study of users' requirements for EURODAC, the proposed automated fingerprinting system for asylum applicants.

  The Council approved the budget for the European Drugs Unit for 1995. It appointed Mr. Jurgen Storbeck as director of the Europol Drugs Unit and decided to extend the temporary appointment of Mr. Willy Bruggeman, the acting assistant director, for a further six months.

  The Council noted progress on the Europol convention, and commissioned further work by officials on the outstanding points.

  The Council invited officials to continue their work on the customs information system convention with a view to its being concluded as quickly as possible. The Council agreed that the incoming German presidency would inform the European Parliament about the main elements of the draft convention. It also discussed progress on the European information system convention.

  The Council heard presentations from the Commission on its overall strategy to combat drugs, and on its proposals on the legal protection of the Community's financial interests. The Council agreed that work on fraud should proceed on the basis of both the joint action proposed by the United Kingdom in March and the Commission's proposals.

  The Council considered means of carrying on contracts with certain third countries on title VI matters. Officials were instructed to continue work in this area, with a view to agreement being reached by the end of the German presidency.

  The Council agreed that work should proceed on the extension of the Brussels convention to matters of family and succession law.

  The Council heard a report from the presidency which summarised the current status of work on extradition.

  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will provide a list of the formal meetings at which representatives of the British Government have attended in accordance with article K3 of the European Union treaty since the coming into force of that treaty together with the subject matter under consideration at the meeting and the title of the official representing the British Government.
  755
  Mr. Charles Wardle
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave him on 16 May,Official Report, columns 339–40.

  EU Citizens
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many citizens of the European Union to whom notices that their presence in the United Kingdom was no longer lawful were issued in the past 12 months had already been in employment;

  (2) how many applications were received for residence permits for citizens of the European Union seeking to establish themselves in business in the United Kingdom over the past 12 months.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  The information requested is not available.

  Immigration
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what action is currently being undertaken as proposed in the Commission's communication on immigration and asylum of February 1994 to approximate the harmonisation admission policies for humanitarian reasons of the European Union member states;

  (2) what action is being taken to harmonise schemes for temporary protection in the European Union member states as proposed in the Commission's communication on immigration and asylum of February 1994.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  No specific proposals for harmonisation in these areas have been put forward.

  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what actions have been taken under the European Council's 1992 declaration on principles governing the external aspects of migration policy to tackle root causes of various types of migratory movements.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  No specific action has been taken, but the declaration has informed subsequent discussions on these issues between the member states.

  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications were made over the past 12 months for persons to come to the United Kingdom or continue residence in the United Kingdom as persons of independent means on the basis of capital assets of £200,000 or guaranteed income of £20,000 and a close connection with the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  Information on persons of independent means applying for entry clearance, or admitted to the United Kingdom is not available. The available information relates to such persons with capital assets of not less than £200,000 or income of not less than £20,000 a year and a close connection with the United Kingdom, plus if there were no close connection, capital assets of not less than £500,000; 120 such persons were granted an extension of stay, and 140 were granted settlement, in 1993.

  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications were(a) received and (b) refused in the past 12 months for a person to come to the United Kingdom as a business person under the immigration rules.
  756
  Mr. Charles Wardle
  The information requested is not available.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will reconsider his decision to expel Dr. Xu Li-Quin as an illegal immigrant.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  Dr. Xu is not and has not been treated as an illegal entrant, nor has he been subject to any procedures to expel him. He had been refused further leave to remain in the United Kingdom, in accordance with the immigration rules, following a decision by the Department of Employment not to extend its approval of his employment. That Department has now reconsidered the case in the light of further information, and as a result Dr. Xu will be granted further leave to remain.

  Firearms
  Mr. Lord
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make it his policy not to raise the level of fees for firearm and shotgun certificates.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  No. The fees for the grant and renewal of firearm and shotgun certificates are currently under review.

  Blakenhurst Prison
  Ms Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will provide a list of all the subcontractors providing services at or relating to Blakenhurst prison; and if he will list in each case the services provided, the length of the contract, and the cost of the contract.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  [holding answer 30 June 1994]:Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter from Derek Lewis to Ms Joan Ruddock, dated 1 July 1994:
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the subcontractors at Blakenhurst; the services provided, the length of the contract and the cost of the contract.
  The subcontractors concerned and the services they provide are as follows:

  Mowlem Training: Education

  Worcester Royal Infirmary: Hospital

  Maintenance

  Robert O'Neill: Mechanical Services

  Sword Brothers: Electricians

  Detail Design Engineering

  Marcom Camera Services

  CHS Water Treatment

  DJS: Painters

  Westwoods: Carpenters

  Wormold Britannia: Alarm specialists

  Baron Pest Control

  Elliot Brothers: Lightening Conductors

  Huffey Construction

  HMP Newell Grange: Ground maintenance

  Although they may not employ subcontractors without our express authority, the value and length of the contracts with subcontractors are matters for United Kingdom Detention Services to determine and to decide whether they should be disclosed.

  Crime Statistics
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will give the number of offences reported in each police force area in England and Wales for each quarter of 1993 and for the first quarter of 1994 for each category of crime;

  (2) if he will give the percentage change in offences reported in each police force area in England and Wales between each quarter of 1993 and the first quarter of 1994 and the corresponding quarter 12 months previously for each category of crime;

  (3) if he will give the number of offences reported in each police force area in England and Wales for (a) home burglary, (b) other burglary, (c) theft of a motor vehicle and (d) theft from a motor vehicle for each quarter of 1993 and for the first quarter of 1994;

  (4) if he will give the percentage change in offences of (a) home burglary, (b) other burglary, (c) theft of a motor vehicle and (d) theft from a motor vehicle between each quarter of 1993 and the first quarter of 1994 and the equivalent quarter 12 months previously.

  Mr. Maclean
  [holding answers 28 June 1994]: The available statistics for 1993 are in the form of notifiable offences recorded by the police. In view of the length of the relevant statistical tables these have been placed in the Library. Information for the first half of 1994 will be published later this year.

  Betting and Gaming
  Sir Fergus Montgomery
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give consideration to allowing the sale of national lottery tickets in licensed betting offices.

  Mr. Brooke
  I have been asked to reply.

  I have no plans to reconsider the regulations made under section 12 of the National Lottery etc. Act 1993 which prohibit the sale of national lottery tickets in licensed betting offices.

DEFENCE

  Dreadnought Seamen's Hospital
  Mr. Raynsford
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for how long the buildings formerly occupied by the Dreadnought seamen's hospital, adjoining the Royal Naval College at Greenwich, have been vacant and unused.

  Mr. Hanley
  The site, which has been vacant and unused for eight years, has been leased by the Greenwich hospital trust to the Greenwich health authority, which is responsible for maintaining the buildings in a wind and weatherproof state and for providing site security.

  Civil Servants
  Mrs. Golding
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many civil servants are employed in his Department.

  Mr. Aitken
  The total number of civilian personnel employed by my Department on 1 May 1994 was 141,700.

  Test Ranges (Radiation)
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessments have been undertaken by his Department's Defence Radiological Protection Service of the health and environmental aspects of testing conducted at the departmental test ranges at Dundrennan and Eskmeals.

  Mr. Aitken
  Although no assessment has been carried out this year, we intend to conduct a survey in the autumn.

  Drivers and Batmen
  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many posts for serving officers there are where there is an entitlement to the services of(a) a driver and (b) a batman.

  Mr. Hanley
  Information on entitlements to drivers is only held centrally for two-star officers and above—currently there are 114 such officers in posts which carry an entitlement to a dedicated staff car and driver. Officers below this level may be entitled to such facilities depending on the nature of their duties. The majority of these are commanders of Army formations and units, whose drivers carry out the same duties for them on deployments.

  Information on all posts which carry an entitlement to the services traditionally carried out by a batman—usually a steward who can carry out the duties in addition to his or her other tasks—is not held centrally. There are currently 77 posts where the postholder occupies an official service residence and is thereby entitled to this service from the house staff. Other posts will carry a similar entitlement only where the representational and official entertainment obligations warrant it.

  Arms Sales
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what role Richard John Rainey Unwin played in connection with(a) the Jordanian defence packages, (b) the Al Yamamah Saudi arms deal, (c) the Pergau and Malaysian arms deal, (d) the Oman arms deal, (e) the Brunei arms deal and (f) the Indonesian arms deal.

  Mr. Aitken
  It is not the policy of the Government to comment in detail on defence export matters.

SCOTLAND

  Environmentally Sensitive Areas
  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the actual expenditure on the environmentally sensitive area schemes in(a) Whitlaw and Eildon and (b) Stewartry in each financial year since 1989.

  Mr. Lang
  The information is set out in the table:

  Whitlaw/Eildon £

  Stewartry £

  1989–90

  34,798

  307,461

  1990–91

  45,155

  456,357

  1991–92

  53,785

  480,039

  1992–93

  54,735

  511,826

  1993–94

  50,143

  452,770

  759
  Mr. Lang
  As explained in the answer I gave the hon. Member on 23 May, columns 21–22, individual ESAs are not given an allocated budget. Expenditure is contained within the overall ESA scheme provision.

  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the allocated budget for each of the environmentally sensitive area schemes in Scotland for each year since 1989.

  Creutzfeld-Jakob Disease
  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what consideration was given to holding fatal accident inquiries following the deaths of three people in Scotland from Creutzfeld-Jakob disease; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The Crown Office has been able to identify only one case reported by a procurator fiscal in which one of the causes of the death was given as Creutzfeld-Jakob disease. Consideration was given to the possibility of holding a fatal accident inquiry, but Crown counsel concluded that it was not appropriate to hold an inquiry in that case.

  Dumbarton Sheriff Court
  Mr. McFall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has for the future of Dumbarton sheriff court.

  Mr. Lang
  A new site at Meadow Park in central Dumbarton has now been identified for the replacement sheriff court house and, subject to a satisfactory survey of the ground and completion of negotiations for its acquisition, detailed planning will start as soon as possible.

  Dangerous Plants
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to bring forward measures to restrict the sale from supermarkets, garden centres and other retail outlets of Dieffenbachia picta (Dumb Cane) and other species of that genus, or to make the prominent display of safety warning labels mandatory at sites of sale; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir Hector Monro
  The conditions under which potentially hazardous plants are sold by supermarkets and garden centres is a matter currently being considered by the horticultural industry. This is an industry-led initiative and a good example of self-regulation.

  Final consideration is being given to a voluntary code of practice which will be published later in the summer.

  National Monuments
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will designate the Wallace monument in Elderslie as a national monument; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) if he will publish a table showing all listed buildings in the Paisley, South constituency, their location, their category listing and the reason for their listing.

  Sir Hector Monro
  The subject of the question relates to matters undertaken by Historic Scotland. I have asked its chief executive, Mr. Graeme Munro, to arrange for a reply to be given.
  760
  Letter from Graeme Munro to Mr. Gordon McMaster, dated 1 July 1994:
  I refer to your written Questions to the Secretary of State, for answer on 24 June, regarding listed buildings in the Paisley South constituency and the Wallace Monument at Elderslie.
  Copies of the lists for Paisley Burgh and the remainder of Renfrew District were enclosed with my letter of 19 May 1993 in reply to your previous Question about listed buildings (see Official Report, Vol. 225, col. 215). There have been some additions to and deletions from the statutory lists since that date and I enclose copy extracts to add to the lists you already have. I have also deposited this information in the House of Commons Library.
  You have asked that the Wallace monument at Elderslie be designated as a national monument. It is already listed as a building of special architectural or historic interest. Among the set of list descriptions you already have you will find a copy of the list description for the Wallace monument in Elderslie which was listed category B on 10 June 1971. For each of reference, I enclose another copy of the description.

  Sheltered Housing
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish a table showing the level of expenditure on sheltered placement schemes for each regional council in Scotland; what is the per capita expenditure region by region; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Stewart
  The planned level of expenditure by each regional authority on sheltered employment in 1994–95 and the per capita amount in each case is shown in the table.

  Region

  1994–95 Budget Estimate (£000)

  Expenditure per capita (£)

  Borders

  53

  0·50

  Central

  354

  1·30

  Dumfries and Galloway

  41

  0·28

  Fife

  1,321

  3·76

  Grampian

  1,536

  2·91

  Highland

  354

  1·71

  Lothian

  1,470

  1·95

  Strathclyde

  2,692

  1·18

  Tayside

  1,242

  3·14

  Nature Conservation Orders
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer of 3 February,Official Report, columns 917–18, how many more nature conservation orders he has granted or refused under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 in Scotland; how many are still in force; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir Hector Monro
  One further nature conservation order has been made by my right hon. Friend and is still in force, bringing the total in force in Scotland to 12. No requests to make such orders from Scottish Natural Heritage have been refused.

  Wildlife and Countryside Act
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer of 8 March,Official Report, column 124, how many further prosecutions have been taken under section 28 or 29 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 in Scotland; and if he will make a statement.
  761
  Sir Hector Monro
  As before, the information requested is not separately identifiable in the Scottish Office classification of crimes and offences.

  Children's Play Areas
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make available additional funding to district councils in Scotland to be specifically targeted on the installation of safety surfacing in children's play areas; what studies he has undertaken on the cost benefit of such surfacing; how much was spent by the Scottish health service in each of the past five years on the treatment of accidents associated with children's play areas; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Stewart
  My right hon. Friend has no plans to target resources in this way. District councils have complete freedom to determine their own priorities for capital expenditure on their general services programme. They are, therefore, free to invest in the installation of safety surfacing in children's play areas if they so wish. The Scottish Office has not undertaken any studies on the cost benefit of such surfacing and information is not collected separately about the treatment of accidents associated with children's play areas.

  Right to Buy
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the total revenue gathered by the sale of(a) local authority and (b) Scottish Homes houses in each year since 1980; what was the percentage of the housing capital programme for (a) each local authority and (b) for

  Capital receipts from house sales expressed as a percentage of HRA capital programme

  1981–82

  1982–83

  1983–84

  1984–85

  1985–86

  1986–87

  1987–88

  1988–89

  1989–90

  1990–91

  1991–92

  1992–93

  1993–94

  Local housing authorities in Scotland

  24·9

  39·9

  40·4

  46·5

  36·0

  34·8

  37·0

  55·1

  63·5

  52·6

  52·6

  60·9

  55·2

  Berwickshire

  34·9

  37·7

  87·8

  109·6

  44·4

  101·5

  67·0

  118·7

  89·6

  74·3

  78·6

  85·8

  91·6

  Ettrick and Lauderdale

  64·1

  73·5

  103·8

  198·2

  115·6

  88·2

  80·1

  87·4

  86·6

  56·8

  52·8

  46·5

  46·0

  Roxburgh

  53·1

  18·4

  30·5

  50·9

  44·6

  43·7

  38·8

  52·7

  37·2

  28·7

  40·5

  41·4

  53·0

  Tweeddale

  98·8

  225·7

  126·5

  69·0

  59·9

  34·4

  31·3

  113·9

  121·4

  63·0

  39·4

  41·3

  45·7

  Clackmannan

  31·2

  28·3

  56·6

  66·5

  42·8

  42·1

  44·0

  59·0

  72·4

  61·0

  56·4

  76·5

  82·8

  Falkirk

  34·6

  50·0

  68·3

  65·5

  44·0

  37·2

  49·2

  62·0

  74·3

  54·2

  47·2

  69·4

  65·1

  Stirling

  11·4

  20·8

  50·7

  50·4

  37·8

  43·0

  44·4

  60·7

  66·2

  61·4

  56·6

  68·8

  70·5

  Annandale and Eskdale

  34·8

  31·9

  21·0

  29·4

  32·7

  35·8

  38·3

  53·1

  54·4

  41·9

  48·3

  63·9

  63·7

  Nithsdale

  94·6

  25·7

  44·4

  40·3

  44·5

  43·1

  43·7

  56·1

  45·1

  33·7

  38·4

  46·8

  47·8

  Stewartry

  50·9

  35·8

  21·9

  40·6

  24·0

  35·8

  51·0

  41·8

  47·7

  42·3

  51·4

  68·7

  77·1

  Wigtown

  76·6

  31·5

  49·1

  54·2

  35·2

  32·2

  30·4

  36·8

  32·5

  30·9

  35·1

  66·7

  60·9

  Dunfermline

  79·8

  66·0

  122·9

  71·8

  43·2

  38·5

  40·8

  67·1

  77·5

  61·9

  52·9

  67·6

  61·8

  Kirkcaldy

  14·2

  35·8

  58·0

  86·3

  72·7

  47·9

  40·1

  52·4

  60·8

  59·1

  70·7

  88·1

  85·7

  North East Fife

  78·3

  83·4

  66·2

  71·1

  52·6

  52·9

  58·3

  84·4

  104·2

  0·0

  80·6

  78·4

  72·0

  Aberdeen

  13·0

  99·4

  64·8

  69·5

  49·5

  33·5

  28·8

  45·3

  52·6

  62·3

  60·8

  109·8

  109·2

  Banff and Buchan

  31·8

  38·3

  65·0

  89·0

  73·9

  64·9

  58·7

  77·7

  74·3

  63·3

  74·7

  118·4

  86·8

  Gordon

  26·4

  39·3

  56·8

  62·5

  26·7

  32·5

  17·0

  13·7

  21·4

  25·6

  36·7

  46·0

  39·9

  Kincardine and Deeside

  72·9

  35·5

  33·8

  28·7

  33·9

  20·8

  15·1

  23·7

  17·4

  14·9

  33·9

  42·0

  80·7

  Moray

  37·4

  24·0

  49·8

  68·6

  73·6

  67·8

  55·8

  79·9

  84·6

  62·9

  71·0

  87·6

  95·0

  Badenoch and Strathspey

  47·5

  20·6

  31·7

  28·4

  31·5

  104·3

  61·9

  96·1

  59·1

  29·0

  37·8

  42·1

  72·6

  Caithness

  53·7

  24·1

  32·8

  33·3

  24·5

  22·5

  29·7

  20·3

  12·7

  16·0

  17·8

  26·7

  38·8

  Inverness

  49·5

  55·1

  28·8

  28·1

  36·3

  27·7

  30·5

  37·4

  49·1

  40·6

  43·7

  67·1

  55·9

  Lochaber

  17·5

  22·8

  22·8

  18·7

  15·2

  26·5

  31·6

  36·3

  36·1

  0·0

  40·4

  43·4

  54·3

  Nairn

  36·5

  61·0

  51·2

  76·8

  33·5

  33·7

  16·7

  22·0

  25·3

  32·1

  38·8

  40·7

  59·8

  Ross and Cromarty

  37·0

  17·8

  19·6

  13·6

  14·7

  19·8

  13·3

  20·9

  21·7

  26·7

  40·0

  49·1

  45·2

  Skye and Lochalsh

  38·2

  9·8

  19·0

  16·6

  9·8

  15·7

  11·5

  15·8

  10·6

  22·7

  17·8

  22·2

  35·1

  Sutherland

  32·2

  14·0

  18·1

  8·5

  13·5

  6·4

  15·1

  18·8

  14·8

  15·9

  33·2

  37·9

  41·4

  East Lothian

  18·7

  69·9

  62·0

  82·2

  46·6

  49·0

  61·7

  81·5

  92·4

  69·0

  80·6

  82·8

  68·0

  Edinburgh

  45·6

  60·2

  50·5

  67·8

  44·9

  30·8

  30·9

  70·5

  83·2

  63·2

  53·5

  46·8

  38·4

  Midlothian

  26·0

  100·4

  107·4

  84·1

  62·9

  61·1

  73·4

  134·8

  137·9

  80·8

  72·8

  76·6

  50·1

  West Lothian

  27·1

  32·2

  53·0

  45·2

  38·5

  33·7

  41·4

  70·6

  86·5

  84·2

  69·8

  108·9

  78·9

  Argyll and Bute

  20·7

  24·4

  35·5

  47·7

  61·5

  36·1

  32·0

  37·9

  48·1

  62·7

  73·8

  61·8

  70·3

  Bearsden and Milngavie

  56·8

  40·4

  99·5

  85·9

  43·1

  33·9

  25·1

  33·4

  63·4

  78·8

  65·4

  69·0

  75·4

  Clydebank

  0·0

  30·1

  23·2

  24·0

  22·2

  35·8

  32·8

  64·4

  65·6

  84·3

  63·6

  75·1

  49·4

  Clydesdale

  22·0

  17·0

  22·4

  29·7

  45·6

  48·0

  50·8

  95·7

  107·9

  53·8

  52·7

  57·6

  60·0

  Cumbernauld and Kilsyth

  23·1

  15·4

  42·1

  35·6

  45·6

  52·8

  47·8

  85·3

  103·3

  58·0

  76·1

  67·3

  81·4

  Cumnock and Doon Valley

  37·0

  21·4

  40·9

  27·4

  32·7

  57·4

  59·9

  77·6

  60·0

  47·2

  62·9

  61·7

  75·4

  Cunninghame

  23·0

  36·5

  34·3

  56·2

  45·3

  53·7

  59·7

  75·1

  85·3

  0·0

  56·5

  54·9

  66·2

  762
  Scottish Homes which was financed from the sale of houses during the same period; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The information requested is shown in the tables. Disaggregated details of receipts from house sales are not available for 1980–81.

  Since 1980, the sale of public sector housing in Scotland has enabled over 284,000 tenants to fulfil their aspirations to home ownership, while generating capital receipts of over £3 billion for reinvestment in Scotland's housing stock.

  Capital receipts from house sales

  £million

  Local authorities

  Scottish Special Housing Association/Scottish Homes

  1980–81

  26

  16

  1981–82

  63

  17

  1982–83

  102

  19

  1983–84

  123

  30

  1984–85

  119

  35

  1985–86

  106

  25

  1986–87

  120

  22

  1987–88

  169

  46

  1988–89

  258

  78

  1989–90

  309

  70

  1990–91

  258

  38

  1991–92

  247

  51

  1992–93

  270

  51

  1993–94

  246

  64

  763

  Capital receipts from house sales expressed as a percentage of HRA capital programme

  1981–82

  1982–83

  1983–84

  1984–85

  1985–86

  1986–87

  1987–88

  1988–89

  1989–90

  1990–91

  1991–92

  1992–93

  1993–94

  Dumbarton

  15·7

  45·5

  59·3

  84·7

  32·4

  32·0

  31·0

  78·3

  85·8

  55·7

  36·2

  50·6

  50·3

  East Kilbride

  50·1

  38·2

  33·7

  42·3

  52·2

  86·9

  113·5

  168·8

  109·2

  90·6

  59·4

  78·7

  62·9

  Eastwood

  73·7

  159·3

  44·2

  49·9

  41·3

  77·0

  58·7

  67·2

  68·2

  47·7

  34·3

  84·0

  66·3

  Glasgow

  2·8

  27·5

  13·8

  12·5

  11·9

  13·6

  17·8

  32·9

  45·6

  45·8

  41·8

  43·0

  33·2

  Hamilton

  9·2

  45·1

  39·0

  43·7

  30·7

  54·3

  58·0

  82·6

  89·7

  79·2

  66·2

  76·7

  80·3

  Inverclyde

  20·5

  22·2

  37·4

  63·6

  65·8

  40·2

  43·7

  36·1

  42·9

  38·3

  42·0

  52·0

  38·1

  Kilmarnock and Loudoun

  38·4

  43·7

  48·6

  47·5

  44·0

  54·8

  53·8

  83·6

  91·0

  48·1

  55·7

  61·3

  56·5

  Kyle and Carrick

  18·7

  38·5

  51·1

  72·7

  63·6

  83·9

  75·1

  98·7

  109·4

  82·1

  63·6

  84·4

  76·8

  Monklands

  5·3

  11·0

  9·9

  21·4

  19·1

  38·6

  34·9

  51·0

  70·0

  54·1

  61·7

  72·7

  76·8

  Motherwell

  10·0

  25·0

  19·7

  34·2

  36·1

  36·5

  47·3

  54·4

  61·8

  67·2

  48·8

  62·1

  65·6

  Renfrew

  30·4

  67·5

  35·2

  42·6

  38·0

  38·6

  51·1

  57·4

  82·8

  55·5

  55·8

  66·1

  46·2

  Strathkelvin

  43·3

  38·1

  41·3

  42·1

  50·5

  54·4

  79·3

  89·4

  74·6

  56·6

  59·4

  80·2

  63·3

  Angus

  70·1

  69·3

  92·2

  109·0

  66·5

  61·0

  72·3

  90·2

  76·9

  54·0

  70·3

  56·9

  66·1

  Dundee

  16·6

  24·3

  24·2

  42·8

  32·4

  28·6

  24·1

  47·4

  66·8

  74·7

  63·2

  52·3

  53·1

  Perth and Kinross

  66·5

  140·8

  76·1

  51·7

  58·6

  56·6

  63·8

  66·7

  76·7

  93·9

  81·2

  92·6

  38·7

  Orkney

  146·7

  24·0

  15·9

  9·9

  29·9

  54·8

  41·3

  64·8

  67·2

  46·1

  306·1

  182·2

  121·2

  Shetland

  25·5

  20·5

  24·3

  10·0

  9·7

  7·4

  16·0

  10·5

  8·7

  8·6

  12·6

  19·3

  29·3

  Western Isles

  11·3

  24·4

  20·7

  14·5

  13·5

  13·2

  7·0

  5·8

  9·2

  10·4

  15·2

  11·3

  24·9

  Scottish Special Housing Association/Scottish Homes1

  37·8

  32·2

  47·6

  59·3

  56·8

  39·3

  71·9

  125·8

  71·4

  20·3

  19·1

  15·0

  17·4

  1Based on the housing capital programme of the Scottish Special Housing Association up to 1988–89; and, thereafter, on Scottish Homes total programme expenditure.

  Test Range, Dundrennan
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Defence or the director of the Defence Research Agency in regard to the future of the test range at Dundrennan, Kirkcudbright.

  Mr. Lang
  I am in regular contact with my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Defence about this and many other matters.

  Marshland
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his assessment of the value of marshland areas in lochs for the safeguarding of water quality; and what advice he has had on this topic from the advisory committee on sites of special scientific interest.

  Sir Hector Monro
  [holding answer 28 June 1994] : There is no doubt about the importance of marshland areas in lochs both for safeguarding water quality and for providing shelter for wildfowl and other aquatic wildlife. The United Kingdom is a contracting party to the Ramsar convention on wetlands of international importance and a total of 25 sites in Scotland have been designated under its terms. More will follow. In additon many marshlands and similar wetland areas such as fens, flushes and mosses have been notified as sites of special scientific interest. It is for Scottish Natural Heritage to advise my right hon. Friend in relation to these issues. The advisory committee on sites of special scientific interest provides advice to SNH where there are objections on scientific grounds to the notification of such sites.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what advice he and SNH have had from the advisory committee on sites of special scientific interest in relation to the Lake of Menteith concerning the preservation of the peripheral marshland areas, and their value in controlling the chemistry of inflowing burns.

  Sir Hector Monro
  [holding answer 28 June 1994]: The statutory function of the advisory committee on sites of special scientific interest is to provide advice to Scottish Natural Heritage when there are objections on scientific grounds to the notification of a particular site. The committee does not provide advice to my right hon. Friend.
  764
  In its advice to SNH the committee endorsed, inter alia, the inclusion in the site of special scientific interest of the burns which feed the Lake of Menteith so as to maintain its hydrological integrity. It recommended that the width of the areas adjacent to the burns should vary according to topography, soil type and land use.

  SNH accepted nine of the committee's 10 recommendations on aspects of this case but did not accept the recommendation on "buffer zones". It proceeded with "buffer zones" of uniform width to produce a boundary that would be more straightforward to apply in practice. The committee provided no advice on marshland areas, of which the site has relatively few.

  Sheep Quotas
  Mr. Maclennan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects to have installed the necessary computer programme to enable the issue of top-up payments to those whose sheep quota entitlements have been adjusted; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir Hector Montro
  [holding answer 30 June 1994]: The computer programme is already in place and the payments of sheep annual premium issued in May 1994 to more than 15,500 claimants reflected their latest quota position. This includes any adjustment already made to take account of quota allocated from categories 1 and 2 of the national reserve. Any top-up payments to producers whose quotas are further adjusted will be made as soon as possible after the adjustment has been made.

  Departmental Books
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the titles of the(a) video recordings, (b) audio recordings, (c) books, (d) periodicals and magazines, (e) professional and trades journals and (f) other publications he has obtained for his Department since 1 June 1993.

  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 24 June 1994]: During the period from 1 June 1993, a large number of books and periodicals have been purchased for use by my Department and its agencies. I regret that information in the form requested is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

WALES

  Rhydlafar Hospital
  Mr. Rowlands
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many hip and joint replacement operations upon Mid Glamorgan patients have been made at Rhydlafar hospital in 1992, 1993 and so far in 1994.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones: Information for 1993–94 is not yet available. Figures for 1991–92 and 1992–93 financial years are given in the table:

  Hip and knee replacement operations1

  Year

  Number

  1991–92

  137

  1992–93

  160

  1 Includes joint replacements, revisions and conversions.

  Source: Patient Episode Data base for Wales.

  Dental Services
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the average salary for dentists offering a full NHS service in Wales in 1993; what was the average salary of a dentist who practises in the private sector in Wales in 1993; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The information is not available in the form requested. During 1993, general dental practitioners in Wales received £65,820,972 in respect of their NHS patients. On the basis that there were 834 general dental practitioners in Wales as at 30 June 1993 this would give average gross income of £78,922 per practitioner. The income for individual practitioners ranged from £2 to £276,437. Figures for dentists' earnings in the private sector are not available.

  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many dental practices which offered a full NHS dental service closed in Wales in 1993; how many practices which offered the same full NHS dental service opened in Wales in 1993; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The requested information is not available centrally.

  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many registered dentists there are in(a) Clwyd, (b) Gwynedd, (c) Dyfed, (d) Powys, (e) Gwent, (f) South Glamorgan, (g) West Glamorgan, (h) Mid Glamorgan and (i) Wales; how many of these registered dentists offer a full NHS dental service for the population of the above areas; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The latest available information, which relates to the number of registered dentists—principals, assistants and vocational trainees—in the general dental service as at 31 March 1994, is given in the table. Dentists practising in more than one family health services authority are counted in each FHSA but only once in the Wales total. It is not known centrally how many of these dentists offer a full NHS dental service.

  1Number of dentists

  Clwyd

  128

  Gwynedd

  72

  Dyfed

  114

  766

  1Number of dentists

  Powys

  40

  Gwent

  169

  South Glamorgan

  153

  West Glamorgan

  140

  Mid Glamorgan

  138

  WALES

  858

  1Provisional (based on notifications received up to 28 April 1994).

  Development Board for Rural Wales
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what arrangements he proposes to make for the filling of the post of chairman of the Development Board for Rural Wales; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Redwood
  [holding answer 30 June 1994]: An announcement will be made in due course.

TRANSPORT

  M25
  Sir Geoffrey Pattie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will clarify the time scale for the pilot scheme to introduce variable speed limits by using electronic sensors to monitor traffic flows and activate message signs on the south-west sector of the M25.

  Mr. Key
  I expect the M25 controlled motorways pilot scheme to be operational by Easter 1995, subject to the granting of type approval for the new system by the Home Office, and to the enforcement procedures with the police being in place. The pilot scheme will be assessed after the first 12 months of operation.

  Civil Service (Privilege Day)
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if the privilege day as granted to staff in his Department for the official birthday of Her Majesty the Queen is a privilege day within the meaning of section 3.5 of the civil service management code.

  Mr. Norris
  I can confirm that the privilege day referred to is a privilege day within the meaning of section 3.5 of the civil service management code.

  Transport Research Laboratory
  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the effect on road safety research of the proposed reduction in the number of staff at the Transport Research Laboratory.

  Mr. Key
  The chief executive has assured me that the proposed reduction in the number of staff at the Transport Research Laboratory will have regard to the need to meet, in competition with other research suppliers, the Government's future requirement for road safety research.

  Air Traffic Safety
  Mr. Gapes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the near miss between two large passenger aircraft over Ilford at approximately 18.16 hours on Friday 17 June.
  767
  Mr. Norris
  My officials have consulted the Civil Aviation Authority about this. They have so far been unable to find any evidence of an air miss on the day stated involving two large passenger aircraft in the Ilford area.

  Sir Peter Fry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what reports he has received of problems for aircraft following immediately behind Boeing 757 aircraft in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Norris
  Reports of this kind are made to the Civil Aviation Authority's national air traffic services, under the wake vortex incident reporting scheme. In 1991, NATS reported its findings from operating the Wake Vortex database in CAA paper 91015—"United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority Wake Vortex Database: Analysis of Incidents Reported Between 1982 and 1990". The subject of B757 aircraft was covered in section 7 of that report.

  Highways Agency
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much the Highways Agency has spent on public relations to date; what is its public relations budget for this year; and to which companies it has awarded any contracts for public relations work.

  Mr. Key
  This question is an operational matter for the Highways Agency. The chief executive, Mr. Lawrie Haynes, has written to the hon. Member.

  Letter from Lawrie Haynes to Mr. Simon Hughes, dated 24 June 1994:
  I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question on how much the Highways Agency has spent on public relations; what is the public relations budget for this year; what companies have been awarded contracts for public relations work.
  Latest figures show that the Highways Agency has spent some £38,000, excluding VAT, on public relations, mainly on regional press activity relating to road maintenance and construction schemes.
  An overall public relations budget has yet to be established.
  The Central Office of Information provides press services in the regions. The Highways Agency has its own press office to deal with national issues.

  Railways (Objectives)
  Mr. Dunn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what objectives he has set for the chairmen of British Rail and Railtrack for 1994–95.

  Mr. MacGregor
  I have written to the chairmen, separately, setting their objectives. Copies of the letters have been placed in the Library.

  Cones Hotline
  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what has been the total cost to public funds of the cones hotline.

  Mr. Key
  [holding answer 14 June 1994]: This is an operational matter for the Highways Agency. I have asked the chief executive, Mr. Lawrie Haynes, to write to the hon. Member.
  768
  Letter from Lawrie Haynes to Mrs. Barbara Roche, dated 30 June 1994:
  You asked the Secretary of State for Transport what has been the total cost to public funds of the Cones Hotline. As this is an operational matter for the Highways Agency, I have been asked to reply.
  The new dedicated Cones Hotline telephone number, which became operational in March this year, is costing approximately £450 per month, including call charges. Other running costs are not separately identifiable since they have been, and are still being, met from within budgets agreed before the Hotline was established.

  Twyford Down
  Mr. Denham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the total cost to date of court action taken against protestors against the M3 Twyford Down section; and what amount he expects to recoup from protestors.

  Mr. Key
  [holding answer 27 June 1994]: This question relates to operational matters of the Highways Agency. I have asked the chief executive, Mr. Lawrie Haynes, to write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from Lawrie Haynes to Mr. John Denham, dated 30 June 1994:
  The Minister for Roads and Traffic, Mr. Robert Key, has asked me to write to you in reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the cost of court action against protestors against the M3 through Twyford Down and how much we expect to recover from them.
  The total cost of legal fees to date in connection with action against trespassers on the M3 construction site is approximately £216,000 excluding VAT.
  The amount of award against the defendants is the matter for adjudication by the Court.

  Batheaston Bypass
  Mr. Don Foster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which firm of private detectives is employed by the Highways Agency to monitor the Batheaston bypass; if he will give details of the value, period and purpose of the contract; and what guidelines and instructions have been given to the firm by the Highways Agency.

  Mr. Key
  [holding answer 28 June 1994]: The question is an operational matter for the Highways Agency. The chief executive, Mr. Lawrie Haynes, is writing to the hon. Member.

  Letter from Lawrie Haynes to Mr. Don Foster, dated 30 June 1994:
  I am writing in response to your recent Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Transport about the use of a firm of private detectives to monitor the Batheaston/Swainswick Bypass. This is a matter for which the Highways Agency is responsible.
  Brays Detective Agency has been appointed by solicitors engaged by the Highways Agency. The appointment will last only as long as the firm's services are required, so its cost and duration are not known at present. The firm is being employed at Batheaston in connection with possible legal action to gain control of the land on which this much needed bypass is being built. Their instructions are to record and collate evidence relating to trespass on the construction site, so that such evidence may be presented in legal proceedings if required.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Nitrate Sensitive Areas
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what progress has been made with the implementation of the nitrate sensitive areas scheme; and if she will make a statement.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  Following extensive consultations on the nitrate sensitive areas scheme, I am very pleased to announce that details of the new scheme are available from today. The necessary Statutory Instrument designating the NSAs and setting out the measures and associated payment rates has been laid before Parliament.

  The new scheme will build upon and extend the voluntary approach introduced by the 10 pilot NSAs in 1990. The 22 new NSAs cover 28 separate water sources where nitrate levels exceed, or are predicted to exceed, the EC limit of 50 mg per/litre and will add a further 35,000 hectares to the 10,500 hectares of the pilot NSAs.

  Farmers in these areas will have the opportunity to reduce nitrate leaching from their land by opting to make
  770
  substantial changes to their farming systems. The new scheme offers increased flexibility and farmers can choose to enter land on a field-by-field basis, within a range of options, into agreements lasting for five years. I hope that all farmers in the NSAs will feel able to enter land into the scheme.

  The pilot NSAs are already demonstrating that NSA measures, are effective in reducing nitrate leaching. I am confident that this new scheme will make a major contribution towards ensuring the future viability of these key sources of public drinking water.

  All farmers with land in the NSAs will automatically be sent an information pack about the scheme by their local Ministry regional service centre. Applications to join the scheme this year must be returned to regional service centres by 19 August.

  The new nitrate sensitive areas scheme is one of the six EC-assisted environmental schemes which MAFF is launching this year as a consequence of the common agricultural policy reforms agreed in 1992. Total expenditure on the NSA schemes is planned to rise to £8.3 million a year.