Written Answers of 13 July 1994

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

  Civil Service
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether he will publish the report on the civil service fast stream entry.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  As I announced on 18 February, the team reviewing the civil service fast stream entry, as recommended by the career management and succession planning study, was asked to report by the end of June 1994. Its report will be published today. Copies have been placed in the Library of the House.

  The review team's report reaches five main conclusions:
  the fast-stream schemes make an essential contribution to meeting Departments' needs for high quality recruits; but Departments need to update and clarify what they expect from, and offer to, recruits to the main generalist fast-stream scheme for the Home Civil Service, and how that relates to the training and development of staff recruited by other routes; the way the Service is presented to potential recruits needs to be improved to reflect more accurately the nature of the Civil Service in the late 1990s and to strengthen and broaden its appeal;
  the selection process itself, although already well researched, should be subject to indpendent audit to ensure that it operates effectively;
  there needs to be a clearer distinction between the recruitment schemes and the later distinct process of indentifying people with top management potential. The term "fast-stream" confuses the two and should be abandoned.

  The Government will now consider these recommendations and would welcome comments on them in the context of the White Paper on the civil service, which is being published today, and in accordance with the procedure set out in paragraph 1.8 of that paper.

  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when he will publish the report of the review team which has been considering the respective responsibilities of the Civil Service Commissioners and Government Departments.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  The head of the home civil service commissioned in January an internal review of responsibilities for civil service recruitment, with the following terms of reference:"In the light of experience in practice and increasing open competition for posts to re-examine the specific split of responsibilities made between the Commissioners, the Recruitment and Assessment Services Agency and departments in 1991 by, in particular:

  —considering whether changes are required to improve effectiveness;

  —identifying any issues here which affect RAS's performance;

  —reviewing the definition of Commissioners' recruitment."

  The review team has now completed its work. Copies of its report, entitled "Responsibilities for Civil Service Recruitment", have been placed in the Library of the House. The review team has made a number of
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  recommendations designed to reinforce the principles of openness, fairness and merit in civil service recruitment and to clarify responsibilities for ensuring that these principles are properly and effectively applied. The main proposals are that:
  The Civil Service Commissioners should be given strengthened powers to maintain the principles of fair and open competition and selection on merit as they apply to all Civil Service recruitment.
  Departments and Agencies should be more clearly accountable for undertaking recruitment in accordance with those principles.
  The Commissioners should audit recruitment policies and practices within the Service and report on the outcome in their annual reports.
  The Commissioners should be required to approve individually only the most senior appointments, removing the present requirement for them to process around 700 cases a year in more junior grades. The Government proposes that the Commissioners' approval should be required for recruitment to the new Senior Civil Service as envisaged in the White Paper on the Civil Service.
  There should be a clear separation between the role of the Commissioners and that of the Recruitment and Assessment Services Agency.

  The Government welcome the review team's report and would also welcome comments on it. These should be addressed to Miss E. Goodison, the Office of the Civil Service Commissioners, Alencon Link, Basingstoke RG21 1JB and should be received by 30 September 1994. Copies of the report can be obtained free of charge from the same address.

  Sir Nicholas Bonsor
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make a statement on the Government's response to the efficiency unit's report on "Career Management and Succession Planning in the Civil Service".

  Mr. Waldegrave
  The statement I made to the House today and the accompanying White Paper on the civil service set out the main lines of the Government's response to the efficiency unit report, and build further upon it. I am placing in the Library of the House today a note of the detailed response to each of the report's recommendations.

  Chessington Computer Centre
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what key performance targets he has set for Chessington Computer Centre trading fund for the current year.

  Mr. David Davis
  The key performance targets for Chessington Computer Centre trading fund for 1994–95 are:

  * an operating surplus of £1·1 million;

  * an increase in pay clerk productivity of 6 per cent. (over 1993–94 performance);

  * increasing usage of the online data capture system (SPIRE) to 82·5 per cent.;

  * raising minimum online service and availability to 98·5 per cent;

  * continually improving services to customers by updating software.

  Market Testing
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will set out the criteria used in determining the allocation of a contract under the Government's policy of market testing.
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  Mr. Waldegrave
  All Government purchasers are encouraged to base all procurement of both goods and services on value for money criteria. They should take into account, as appropriate, the requirements of EC procurement directives, which in the case of services, have been put into effect in the United Kingdom by the Public Services Contracts Regulations 1993, SI 3228. Section 9 of the Government's "Guide to Market Testing", which is in the Library, outlines the main criteria which Departments should take into account in market testing.

  European Particle Physics Laboratory
  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what is the United Kingdom's current annual commitment to CERN; what are the budget projections for the next six years; and if he will make a statement on the effects of those spending proposals on the development of the large hadron collider.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  The United Kingdom's subscription to CERN for 1994–95 is £60·5 million, which is some 13·6 per cent. of CERN's overall budget. Our contribution for the next six years, at most recent exchange rates, are estimated to be:

  £million

  1995–96

  61·0

  1996–97

  61·7

  1997–98

  62·4

  1998–99

  63·1

  1999–00

  63·8

  2000–01

  64·5

  These figures are likely to change due to fluctuations in exchange rates and in the relative net national incomes of CERN members.

  These spending proposals, taken in association with the normal subscriptions to CERN of other member states, will make possible the construction of the large hadron collider. For the construction of the LHC to be on schedule, however, additional income will be required. CERN is currently in discussion with host states and non-member states to secure additional contributions towards the project.

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

  Small Claims Court
  Mr. Bermingham
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what was the average value, as stated by plaintiffs, of those claims heard in the small claims court for each year since 1990.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  [holding answer 29 June 1994]: The information requested is not recorded and can be obtained only at disproportionate cost. I previously gave a holding answer to enable further investigation to take place. This showed that it is not possible to extract relevant data at a reasonable cost.

  Disability
  Mr. Alan Howarth
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what involvement his Department will have in the Government's forthcoming consultation on disability.
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  Mr. John. M. Taylor
  My right hon. Friend the Minister for Social Security and Disabled People will be co-ordinating action on this front and will involve other Departments as necessary.

TREASURY

  Environmental Protection
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he has taken to ensure that discussion of economic policy at the Group of Seven summit meeting will include consideration of the ecological sustainability of economic activity.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given to him by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 11 July,Official Report, column 376.

  Public Sector Pay
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will set out the details of his public sector pay policy and indicate what the permitted level is; how it was arrived at; to which posts in the public sector it applies; and to what extent its effectiveness is measured by the(a) total wage or salary bill of a public sector organisation, (b) rates of pay or (c) comparability with outside rates.

  Mr. Portillo
  The Government expect pay across the public sector in 1994–95 to be considered in accordance with the approach which my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced in my statement of 14 September 1993 and which was reflected in the expenditure programmes announced in the Budget on 30 November. That approach will play a role in restraining the overall level of public expenditure and ensuring that within established ceilings resources can be devoted to public services and investment rather than running costs and pay.

  The effective application of this approach to public sector pay will constrain the overall Government pay bill and ensure that the costs of pay settlements are offset by efficiencies and other savings. Within this framework there is flexibility for different public sector groups to reach different pay settlements consistent with their own particular circumstances and under their usual pay determination procedures.

  Resource Accounting and Budgeting
  Mr. Watts
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects to publish detailed proposals on resource accounting and budgeting.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  My November 1993 Budget statement contained a commitment to produce detailed proposals on the introduction of resource-based accruals accounting in Government Departments. It also said that the Government would look at the implications of this development for the current arrangements for public expenditure planning and control. This initial review is now complete and I am today publishing a Green Paper entitled "Better Accounting for the Taxpayer's Money: Resource Accounting and Budgeting in Government". Copies are available from the Vote Office.

  The Green Paper announces the intention to proceed with the introduction of resource accounting for

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  Departments and that all Departments prepare these accounts by April 1998. The Green Paper also announces a commitment in principle to build on the introduction of resource accounting by developing a system of resource budgeting, which would mean changing the basis of the public expenditure survey and in-year control arrangements to reflect the full cost of resources, while retaining controls relating to cash.

  The Green Paper provides for a consultation period of six months, until January 1995.

  Government Staff
  Mr. Burns
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the number of staff in post in central Government Departments at 1 April.

  Mr. Portillo
  On 1 April 1994 there were 533,350 permanent staff in post in central Government, which is a new post-war low. This is a decrease of nearly 20,900 in the last year.

  Of the total staff in post 487,435 were non-industrials and 45,915 were classified as being in industrial work.

  A summary showing staff in post by Department has been placed in the Libraries of the House.

  Monetary Union
  Sir Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what powers the Monetary Commission and the Commission of the European Union have to initiate alterations in the conditions for nations proceeding to monetary union set out in the Maastricht treaty; arid if he will make a statement on the current discussions between the Commission and the Government of the Republic of Ireland.

  Mr. Nelson
  [holding answer 11 July 1994]: The conditions under which member states may proceed towards economic and monetary union are set out in the Maastricht treaty. The Commission has the right to propose amendments to that treaty but such amendments would require the unanimous consent of an intergovernmental conference. Discussions between the Commission and the Government of the Republic of Ireland are a matter for them.

  "The Arts and Compulsory Competitive Tendering"
  Ms Mowlam
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects to respond to the report on "The Arts and Compulsory Competitive Tendering" commissioned from the consultants Positive Solutions Ltd.

  Mr. Brooke
  I have been asked to reply.

  I will make a statement as soon as possible.

  Kenya
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what view he is taking about the quality of response by the Government of Kenya to previous World bank and International Monetary Fund criticisms; and what action will be urged by the British Government's director at the World bank in forthcoming debates in Kenya.

  Mr. Lennox Boyd
  I have been asked to reply. The IMF and World bank believe that there has been good progress 600
  recently in the implementation of Kenya's economic reform programme. We share that view. Macroeconomic stability is being restored; and the agreed structural reforms are broadly on schedule. We shall encourage the continued vigorous implementation of the economic reform agenda.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the consequences of World bank programmes on the poor of Kenya, the role of the Kenyan Government in promoting or alleviating poverty, and the action that should be taken in future programmes to alleviate poverty.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  I have been asked to reply.

  We have been assisting in the preparation of a poverty assessment, sponsored by the Kenyan Government and a number of donors, including the World bank. This aims to provide a thorough analysis of both the nature of poverty, and the impact on the poor of the Government's structural adjustment programme, which includes a social dimension. Poverty in Kenya will be reduced by faster economic growth, which effective implementation of the adjustment programme will help to achieve, and by direct interventions favouring specific poor groups.

HEALTH

  Departmental Running Costs
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) pursuant to her answer of 21 June,Official Report, columns 117–18, if she will break down to the smallest possible unit the budget heads for all expenditure on non-staffing costs within the Department of Health administration budget;

  (2) pursuant to her answer of 23 June, Official Report, column 306, with regard to her Department's administrative budget, if she will detail the amounts spent on those items listed in her answer including (a) buildings—rent, maintenance, fuel and utilities, security, cleaning and other services, (b) meetings of expert advisory committees and working groups, conferences, seminars and publications, (c) payments to other Government Departments and (d) consultancy, staff training and travel.

  Mr. Sackville
  Details of expenditure for 1992–93 and 1993–94 are shown in the table. The full information requested is not available centrally because individual managers set budgets for different types of non-staffing expenditure according to the particular needs of their business area. It is not possible to give the same level of detail prior to 1992–93.

  Expenditure details for 1992–93 and 1993–94

  £000s

  Expenditure

  1992–93

  1993–94

  Accommodation (rent)

  41,055

  30,928

  Building maintenance

  1,704

  1,280

  Fuel and utilities

  2,357

  1,609

  Security

  1,150

  1,139

  Cleaning

  1,426

  1,033

  Office services

  3,685

  3,670

  Committee expenditure

  1,098

  1,130

  Seminars/Conferences/Workshops

  1,086

  666

  Publishing, printing and stationery

  6,240

  4,258

  Payments to other Government Departments for services provided

  25,901

  17,793

  601

  Expenditure

  1992–93

  1993–94

  Consultancy

  19,439

  16,658

  Staff training

  3,155

  2,853

  Staff travel and subsistence

  6,052

  6,397

  Labour services

  1,615

  1,189

  Library and information services

  1,423

  1,234

  Telecoms

  3,853

  3,430

  Computer current

  2,852

  1,634

  Staff relocation costs

  5,890

  3,606

  Early retirement pension

  1,497

  4,931

  Civil service recruitment

  1,059

  651

  Other miscellaneous expenditure

  1,436

  2,562

  Notes

  1. Figures have not been adjusted for inflation.

  2. Expenditure of less than £1 million is shown separately under Other Expenditure.

  Dental Deregistrations
  Mr. McCartney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will give a regional breakdown of the number of dental deregistrations across England and Wales for each year since June 1992.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The available information will be placed in the Library. Patient deregistrations in Wales are a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.

  Violent Patients
  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of state for Health if she will make a statement on guidance to general practitioners and family health services authorities about the change in general practitioners' terms of service to allow the immediate removal of particularly abusive or violent patients from general practitioners' lists.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The national health service executive issued guidance, FHSL(94)24, in April which explained the new arrangements for removing violent patients from general practitioners' lists.

  Mental Illness
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what investigations she has undertaken into the treatment and resuscitation of patients with a history of mental illness;

  (2) what guidelines or advice she has issued concerning the treatment and resuscitation of patients with a history of mental illness.

  Mr. Bowis
  No recent investigations have been carried out. Hospital consultants are responsible for having clear policies for making decisions about resuscitation. Decisions should take account of the best interests of individual patients.

  The Department has not issued any specific guidelines about the resuscitation of patients with a mental illness. The Chief Medical Officer wrote to all regional and district directors of public health on 20 December 1991, PL/CM0(91)22, to make it clear that responsibility for resuscitation policy lies with hospital consultants, who should ensure that their policy is known to junior medical staff. Copies of the letter will be placed in the Library.

  Kawasaki Disease
  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if she will fund research into the cause, detection and treatment of Kawasaki disease;

  (2) what information she has on the incidence of Kawasaki disease in (a) England and Wales, (b) the west midlands and (c) Birmingham in each of the last 12 years;

  (3) what action she has taken to reduce deaths from Kawasaki disease;

  (4) if she will ask the Chief Medical Officer to issue advice to general practitioners on the diagnosis and treatment of Kawasaki disease.

  Mr. Sackville
  Kawasaki disease is an uncommon disease of childhood. Most children make a full recovery but, in a minority of cases, cardiac complications can arise. The following information is available centrally on the prevalence of the condition and deaths recorded:

  Annual total cases

  Total number of cases

  Year

  England and Wales

  West Midlands region

  1986

  59

  4

  1987

  72

  3

  1988

  87

  5

  1989

  81

  6

  1990

  123

  14

  1991

  151

  15

  1992

  147

  13

  Source: British Paediatric Surveillance Unit.

  Deaths from Kawasaki disease 1985–92

  England

  West Midlands

  Birmingham

  1989

  —

  —

  —

  1990

  6

  —

  —

  1991

  2

  —

  —

  1992

  —

  —

  —

  Source: OPCS mortality statistics.

  Information about the diagnosis and treatment of Kawasaki's disease is available to doctors. Although we are not aware of any current research directed specifically at this disease, basic research being carried out on pathology in childhood is relevant. The main agency through which the Government support biomedical and clinical research is the Medical Research Council, which receives its grant in aid from the office of my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. The MRC is always willing to consider for support soundly based new scientific proposals in competition with other applications.

  Hospital Treatment
  Mr. Robert Ainsworth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health in what circumstances a person in need of hospital care may choose the hospital in which they receive treatment under the national health service.

  Mr. Sackville
  It is a fundamental objective of the current national health service reforms to improve patient choice and it is the responsibility of district health authorities, in consultation with general practitioners and local people, to agree contracts with those hospitals where patients prefer to be treated. GPs will sometimes wish to
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  refer a patient to a hospital or service with which the DHA has no contract in place and DHAs hold funds to meet the cost of these extra-contractual referrals.

  Green Belt Hospitals
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many national health service hospitals that(a) are in use and (b) have been closed and are surplus to requirements lie in the green belt.

  Mr. Sackville
  The information is not available centrally.

  Conferences
  Mr. Spellar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the estimated cost to the national health service of officials attending conferences; and what guidelines she proposes to issue.

  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many chairs, chief executives and non-executive directors of NHS trusts and health authorities attended the recent NAHAT conference; who paid their fees; and what was the overall cost to public funds.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The information requested is not available centrally. We have no plans to issue central guidance. It is for individual health authorities and NHS trusts to decide what priority they attach to attendance at conferences. In doing so, however, we expect them to have proper regard to value for money and the potential benefits to the NHS and its staff, compared with other kinds of developmental training.

  Counselling
  Mr. Spellar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 17 May,Official Report, column 420, when he expects a report from the current departmental review of the cost and cost-effectiveness of counselling.

  Mr. Bowis
  The report of the Department's review of strategic policy on psychotherapy services, which will include a review of research evidence on the cost-effectiveness of counselling, is expected to be available towards the end of this year.

  Tranquillisers
  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer of 6 July,Official Report, column 215, if she will provide whatever figures are available from the prescribing analyses and costs data produced by the Prescription Pricing Authority on the quantity of minor tranquillisers prescribed in (a) York, (b) North Yorkshire and (c) England in those years for which figures were collected.

  Mr. Bowis
  The number of prescription items for minor tranquillisers dispensed nationally since 1979 and in North Yorkshire in 1992 and 1993 is shown in the table:—

  Minor tranquillisers: number of prescriptions (thousands) dispensed

  Year

  England

  North Yorkshire Family Health Services Authority

  1980

  12,631

  —

  1981

  12,354

  —

  1982

  11,964

  —

  604

  Year

  England

  North Yorkshire Family Health Services Authority

  1983

  11,292

  —

  1984

  10,290

  —

  1985

  9,090

  —

  1986

  8,606

  —

  1987

  8,086

  —

  1988

  6,810

  —

  1989

  6,044

  —

  1990

  5,548

  —

  1991

  5,554

  —

  1992

  5,339

  79

  1993

  5,175

  74

  Notes:

  1. The data included in the attached table are for minor tranquillisers referred to in section 4.1.2 of the British National Formulary.

  2. Information of this kind at FHSA level is not readily available for the years prior to 1992 and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  3. 1980 to 1990 data are estimates based on fees and cover prescriptions dispensed by community pharmacists and appliance contractors only.

  4. 1991 to 1993 data are based on items for all prescriptions dispensed by community pharmacists and appliance contractors, dispensing doctors and personal administration.

  Access to Health Records Act 1990
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement concerning the costs of implementing the Access to Health Records Act 1990.

  Mr. Sackville
  The costs of implementing the Act are minimal, and largely self-financing. The Act allows a charge of up to £10 to be made to people seeking access to records which have not been added to in the last 40 days. A fee may also be made, where applicable, to cover the cost of copying and postage.

  Hospitals (Disabled Access)
  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information she has for each national health service hospital or trust as to whether people with physical disabilities have access to all wards, clinics and out-patient departments.

  Mr. Sackville
  This is a matter for each individual hospital and trust and consequently no detailed information is available centrally. However, as part of the patients charter, hospitals should make arrangements to ensure that everyone, including people with disabilities, can use their services. In addition, we have published guidance—"Designing for Disabled People"—on the briefing and design stages of schemes for providing new or adapting existing health buildings and health authorities and trusts are encouraged to consult local representatives of disabled people on this issue. Copies of the guidance are available in the Library.

  Medicines Commission
  Mrs. Browning
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she expects to receive the annual report of the Medicines Commission for 1993.

  Mr. Sackville
  We have received the report, and copies have been laid today before both Houses of Parliament in accordance with the requirements of section 5(2) of the Medicines Act 1968.

  Bound volumes have been placed in the Library containing the 1993 reports of the Medicines Commission,

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  the Committee on Safety of Medicines, the Committee on Dental and Surgical Materials, the British Pharmacopoeia Commission and the Veterinary Products Committee.

  We are glad to pay tribute to the valuable work done by the distinguished members of the Medicines Act advisory bodies and thank them warmly for the time and effort which they contribute in the public interest to this most important field.

  Steroids
  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to ensure(a) the use of steroid warning cards and (b) that a right of informed consent is given to patients prescribed corticosteroids.

  Mr. Sackville
  The use of steroid treatment cards is a well-established practice. We have no plans to discontinue their use.

  Under the patients charter, patients have a right to be consulted about, and to be given an adequate explanation of, their proposed course of treatment, and information on alternatives available through the national health service. However, there will be some cases where doctors will feel that informing patients of the treatment proposed and possible risks could be counter-productive to the well-being of the patient. In such cases, the decision on whether the patient should be informed of the proposed treatment and possible risks or not is for the doctor's discretion.

  Official Complaints
  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many official complaints were received from NHS patients by each NHS hospital or trust between January and March.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  This information is not yet available centrally.

  Waiting Times
  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the average time that patients in(a) England, (b) each English regional health authority and (c) each hospital or trust waited from the date that their general practitioner referred them to a consultant until the date of their first out-patient appointment between January and March.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The information requested is not yet available.

  Youth Treatment Service
  Mr. Hendry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she will publish the annual report of the chief executive of the Youth Treatment Service for 1993–94; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Bowis
  Copies of the report have been placed in the Library today. The report contains, at annexe 7, the Youth Treatment Service's receipts and payments account for the year ended 31 March 1994. These accounts, which are unaudited and have no form of endorsement by the National Audit Office, represent the service's view of the financial outcome for the year.

  Operating Theatres
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if she will give the latest figures and those for the previous four years for the total number of operating theatres(a) for England, (b) by region and (c) by district;

  (2) if she will give the latest figures and those for the previous four years for the number of operating theatre sessions cancelled because suitable back-up resources are absent or insufficient (a) for England, (b) by region and (c) by district;

  (3) if she will give the latest figures and those for the last four years for operating theatre sessions cancelled because there was insufficient appropriate staff available to the operating theatre session (a) for England, (b) by region and (c) by district.

  Mr. Sackville
  Information on operating theatres for financial years 1988–89 to 1992–93 is published in "NHS Operating Theatres Availability and Use", financial year 1988–89, year ending 31 March 1992, year ending 31 March 1993—copies of which are available in the Library.

  Reasons for the cancellation of operating theatre sessions are not recorded centrally.

  Hospital Admissions
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if she will give by district the latest figures and those for the last four years for patients funded by general practitioner fundholders waiting for ordinary admission(a) less than three months, (b) three to five months, (c) six to eight months, (d) nine to 11 months, (e) 12–23 months, (f) more than 24 months and (g) in total;

  (2) if she will give by district the latest figures and those for the last four years for patients funded by district health authorities waiting for ordinary admission (a) less than three months, (b) three to five months, (c) six to eight months, (d) nine to 11 months, (e) 12–23 months, (f) more than 24 months and (g) in total.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Such information on waiting times for in-patient and day case treatment as is available is given in "Hospital Waiting List Statistics: England", copies of which are available in the Library.

  Administrative Expenditure
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will publish a table showing the total amount spent on administration by(a) regional health authorities, (b) district health authorities, (c) special health authorities, (d) family health service authorities, (e) trusts and (f) the Department of Health/NHS executive, in 1993–94, in each case breaking the figure down to show expenditure on (i) salaries and wages and (ii) establishment expenses.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  [holding answer 17 June 1994]: Expenditure on Department of Health administration, including national health service executive administration, in 1993–94 was £250 million, of which £117 million was on salaries and wages. The figures are provisional. Information on the 1993–94 expenditure of NHS bodies is not yet available.

  Cardiological Procedures
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what are the variations, adjusted by age and sex, in the number of cardiological procedures by purchaser; and what are the causes of these variations.

  Mr. Sackville
  [holding answer 4 July 1994]: Information about variations in the numbers of cardiological procedures by purchaser is not available centrally. The table shows the number of finished consultant episodes involving a heart operation in 1991–92 by region of residence of patient, expressed relative to the national total, England-100, adjusted for the age and sex distribution within each region.

  The Government asked the Clinical Services Advisory Group to advise on access to and the availability of coronary bypass grafting. Its report, which also covers coronary angioplasty, published in March 1993, sets out the possible causes of variations in the services provided; a copy has been placed in the Library.

  1991–92 index of finished consultant episodes involving a heart operation (England-100)

  Number

  Northern

  74

  Yorkshire

  133

  Trent

  89

  East Anglian

  79

  North West Thames

  156

  North East Thames

  149

  South East Thames

  124

  South West Thames

  89

  Wessex

  84

  Oxford

  83

  South Western

  59

  West Midlands

  83

  Mersey

  98

  North Western

  90

  England

  100

  These figures are based on preliminary, unpublished, data from Hospital Episodes Statistics.

  Immunisations
  Mr. McCartney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children per 100,000 have been damaged by vaccine for each category of damage, broken down by first and second immunisations, for each year since 1987.

  Mr. Sackville
  [holding answer 5 July 1994]: The information requested is not available. However, the number of awards made under the Vaccine Damage Payments Act 1979 since 1987 is as follows:

  Year

  Awards

  1987–88

  10

  1988–89

  3

  1989–90

  3

  1990–91

  1

  1991–92

  7

  1992–93

  13

  1993–94

  4

  Note: Awards do not necessarily relate to vaccines administered in that year.

  The Act, which is administered by the Department of Social Security, provides a scheme of one-off, lump-sum payments for people who have suffered either severe
  608
  mental and/or physical disablement of 80 per cent. or more where it can be shown on the balance of probability that damage has resulted from vaccination.

ENVIRONMENT

  Energy Saving Trust
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the future funding of the Energy Saving Trust.

  Mr. Atkins
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Blaby (Mr. Robathan) on 4 July,Official Report, column 22.

  Menwith Hill Station
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when a proposal for two radomes, support buildings, security fencing and extension of service road at Menwith hill station, Harrogate, was referred to him to determine whether the development should proceed; how many objections have been lodged against this development; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Baldry
  The proposal has not been referred to the Secretary of State.

  Energy Efficiency
  Mr. Ian Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what research the Energy Efficiency Office has carried out to explore top management attitudes to energy efficiency and the environment.

  Mr. Gummer
  A report outlining the findings of research carried out among a sample of firms with more than 200 employees over the past three years has been published by HMSO today. Copies have been placed in the Library of the House.

  The findings show improvements in top management attitudes to and practices on energy efficiency and the environment. The proportion of firms with an environmental policy has increased steadily over the period from 46 per cent. to 58 per cent. and those with an energy policy from 34 per cent. to 46 per cent. Yet much remains to be done if the Rio target of returning CO2 emissions to 1990 levels by the year 2000 is to be met.

  I welcome particularly the findings which show that organisations which have joined the "Making a Corporate Commitment" campaign are leading the way in contributing to the CO2 partnership I have called for. Campaign signatories agree to give board-level commitment to energy management, to reassess their energy efficiency strategy and to set performance improvement targets. The findings show that they are making good progress. For example:
  63% have already set energy targets compared to 37% in business generally; while
  85% have actual plans to implement energy efficiency measures in the next 12 months. The corresponding figure for business at large is only 52%.

  I urge all organisations to increase the priority they give to energy management and follow the lead of campaign signatories. Such action provides the ideal contribution to the CO2 partnership. The benefits to business are increased profits. The benefits for us all are a better environment, since energy efficiency is the quickest and most cost-effective response to the threat of global warming.

  North Circular Road
  Mr. Tracey
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on his position with regard to any decision on the proposed north circular road improvement scheme between Hangar lane and Gunnersbury avenue, Ealing.

  Mr. Gummer
  Given that my London residence is close to the proposed scheme I shall not be taking any part in the decision-making process which will pass to a colleague. Neither will I be commenting on the merits of the scheme as the inspector's report is currently under consideration. The tried and tested method for considering major road proposals is through a public inquiry of which there have been two into this particular stretch of the north circular road. Such inquiries enable the issues to be debated openly and a decision to be made on the merits of the scheme after all those concerned have had a chance to put their case.

  Privatisation
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment which organisations, agencies and other bodies relating to his departmental area of responsibility have been privatised since 1990; and what plans he has for further privatisation.

  Mr. Gummer
  [holding answer 12 July 1994]: Since 1990, the operating activities of the Property Services Agency Services were sold as follows:

  Division

  Date

  Purchaser

  PSA Projects

  1 December 1992

  Tarmac Construction Ltd.

  Building Management (BM) Scotland

  1 September 1993

  Serco

  BM Manchester

  1 October 1993

  W. S. Atkins

  NorEast BM

  1 October 1993

  Mowlems

  BM South East and BM South West

  1 October 1993

  Amec-Pell Frischmann Consoritum

  My Department continues to examine regularly all its activities to ensure that the best mode of delivery is achieved. In particular, the Government have a manifesto commitment to privatise the docklands light railway and an announcement will be made in due course.

  Victoria Street
  Mr. Mudie
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the estimated total cost of the refurbishment works on 1 to 19 Victoria street.

  Mr. Eggar
  I have been asked to reply.

  1–19 Victoria street is being refurbished for reoccupation by DTI as its headquarters building. The work is expected to cost £61·4 million, net of VAT, £59 million of which is being provided by the landlord, Legal and General Property.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

  Quality Standards
  Mr. David Shaw
  To ask the right hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed, representing the House of Commons Commission, what plans he has to introduce 610
  compliance with British Standards Institute quality standard BS 5750 in Departments of the House of Commons.

  Mr. Beith
  While there are no plans to require Departments of the House formally to comply with the performance standards contained in BS 5750, considerable importance is attached to the development of the quality control and management procedures by which performance can be assessed. Details of the measures so far adopted by individual Departments of the House may be found in the Commission's annual reports.

  7 Millbank (Lifts)
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Chairman of the Accommodation and Works Committee if he will make a statement on the number of times the lifts have broken down in 7 Millbank and the penalties incurred by the lift contractors.

  Mr. Ray Powell
  These are matters for the Director of Works and I shall ask him to write to the hon. Member.

EDUCATION

  Parents Charter
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many copies of the updated parents charter have been printed.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  A total of 20 million copies of the parents charter have been printed.

  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what was the printing cost of the updated parents charter.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  The cost of printing 20 million copies of the updated parents charter was some £2 million.

  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what was the delivery and distribution cost of the updated parents charter.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  The final cost of the household distribution of the updated parents charter has yet to be confirmed.

  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education where was the updated parents charter printed.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  The updated parents charter was printed in the north of England.

  Grant-maintained Schools
  Mr. Tracey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he intends to reply to the first report of the Education Committee of Session 1993–94, HOC 255, on the common funding formula for grant-maintained schools.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  The Government's formal response has been sent to the Chairman of the Committee today, together with a consultation paper, seeking views on the design and scope of the common funding formula in 1995–96. Copies of both documents have been placed in the Library.

  Student Loans
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what figures he has requested from the Student Loans Company for each year on graduates deferring payment of their student loans for(a) one year, (b) two years, (c) three years, (d) indefinitely and (e) refusing payment; arid if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Boswell
  The SLC provides certain statistics annually for inclusion in the Department's statistical bulletin "Student Loans". They are not in the form requested by the hon. Member. The last bulletin on student loans was published in February. I will place a copy in the Library.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Livestock Subsidies
  Dr. Strang
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the cost in 1993 in Northern Ireland of payments under(a) the sheep annual premium, (b) the suckler cow premium, (c) the beef special premium and (d) the hill livestock compensatory allowances; and what is his estimate of the cost in 1994.

  1991

  1992

  1993

  11994

  Number of applications for appointment2

  1

  24

  24

  12

  Number of appointments made2

  1

  23

  24

  12

  Number of notices to attend issued2

  1

  30

  29

  16

  Number of interviews conducted3

  1

  23

  26

  14

  Number of persons interviewed2

  1

  22

  19

  12

  Number of search warrants obtained2

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Number of persons charged with schedule 5 offences2

  0

  1

  0

  1

  Number of persons convicted of schedule 5 offences2

  0

  1

  0

  0

  Number of search warrants or orders obtained4

  0

  0

  0

  12

  Number of production orders obtained4

  0

  0

  1

  5

  Number of explanation orders obtained4

  0

  0

  0

  0

  1Up to 30 June.

  2Under the Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) Act 1991.

  3Some persons have been interviewed more than once.

  4Under the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1989.

  I remain of the view that use of the powers available under schedule 5 of the 1991 Act plays an important part in the investigation of terrorist finance.

  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people have been prosecuted as a result of investigations involving the use of powers authorised by section 57 of the Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) Act 1991 since 1991; in relation to what offences these people were prosecuted; and how many people have been convicted.

  Sir John Wheeler
  Four persons have been prosecuted as a result of investigations involving the use of the powers authorised by section 57 of the Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) Act 1991.

  One person has been convicted of failing to comply with a requirement made by an authorised investigator contrary to paragraph 4(1) of schedule 5 to the 1991 Act. A further person awaits trial on a charge of contravening that provision. One person awaits trial on two charges of false accounting contrary to section 17(1) of the Theft Act (Northern Ireland) 1969. The fourth person awaits trial on two charges of making a false instrument contrary to
  612
  Mr. Ancram
  The information requested is as follows:

  £ million

  1993 (cost)

  1994 (cost)

  Sheep annual premium

  41·7

  30·2

  Suckler cow premium

  8·8

  39·8

  Beef special premium

  4·9

  48·8

  Hill livestock compensatory allowances

  18·5

  13·6

  Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) Act 1991
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people have been interviewed by authorised investigators under schedule 5(2) of the Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) Act 1991 in each year and part year since 1991.

  Sir John Wheeler
  The following statistics indicate the number of persons interviewed by authorised investigators since schedule 5 of the Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) Act 1991 came into force. They also show the incidence of use, by authorised investigators, of the other powers available to them under schedule 5.

  section 1 of the Forgery and Counterfeiting Act 1981 and two charges of false accounting contrary to section 17(1) of the Theft Act 1968.

  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much money has been recovered under confiscation orders obtained under section 47 of the Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) Act 1991 since 1991.

  Sir John Wheeler
  No moneys have yet been recovered under the provision.

  Firearms
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many murders were committed in Northern Ireland in each of the last three years for which figures are available; of these how many were the result of terrorist activity; and, of the rest, how many persons were killed by(a) shotguns, (b) handguns and (c) other firearms.

  Sir John Wheeler
  The available information is as follows:
  613

  Murders committed in Northern Ireland

  Terrorist Murders

  Other Murders

  Total

  By shotgun

  By handgun

  By other firearms

  By other means

  1991

  89

  0

  6

  0

  19

  114

  1992

  81

  5

  2

  1

  19

  108

  1993

  82

  0

  0

  0

  19

  101

  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many of the persons charged with causing the death of another person by the use of a firearm of any description had authority to possess that firearm, excluding all those cases where terrorists were involved or where the death was caused by a member of the security forces, in each of the last three years.

  Sir John Wheeler
  The numbers of persons charged with non-terrorist murders involving the use of a firearm in each of the last three years are as follows:

  Number

  1991

  2

  1992

  5

  1993

  Nil

  In each case the firearm was legally held but not by the person committing the offence. In addition, in both 1991 and 1992, two persons who could otherwise have faced charges committed suicide.

TRANSPORT

  Vehicle Emissions
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what further proposals he has to reduce carbon emissions from road traffic.

  Mr. Key
  We have already introduced measures to address the problem of carbon emissions from vehicles.

  Year

  Core business capital grant

  Core business revenue support grant

  New lines and extensions capital grant

  Total grant

  Cash Prices

  1978

  64

  56

  —

  120

  1979

  97

  60

  —

  157

  1980

  116

  102

  —

  218

  1981

  135

  82

  —

  217

  1982

  126

  186

  —

  312

  1983

  167

  175

  —

  342

  1984–851

  137

  186

  —

  323

  1985–86

  182

  125

  —

  307

  1986–87

  224

  66

  —

  290

  1987–88

  159

  44

  —

  203

  1988–89

  150

  20

  —

  170

  1989–90

  204

  44

  —

  248

  1990–91

  366

  74

  2

  442

  1991–92

  405

  103

  65

  573

  1992–93

  546

  254

  83

  883

  1993–94

  506

  66

  120

  692

  1994–952

  360

  13

  527

  900

  1995–963

  477

  —

  453

  930

  1996–973

  556

  —

  431

  987

  1993–94 prices

  1978

  184

  161

  —

  345

  1979

  238

  147

  —

  385

  614
  Our fuel duty strategy, which gives a commitment to annual increases in fuel duty of at least 5 per cent., is estimated to save 2·5 million tonnes of carbon in the year 2000. This represents one quarter of the total carbon dioxide emissions the United Kingdom aims to save under the climate change convention. No other European state has given such clear long-term signals on fuel duty movements.

  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish his Department's assessment of the impact and effectiveness of the most recent change of regulations regarding vehicle exhaust emissions; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Key
  New emissions limits, which came into force on 31 December 1992, effectively require new cars to be fitted with catalytic converters which reduce emissions of carbon monoxide—CO—hydrocarbons—HC—and oxides of nitrogen—NOx—by over 75 per cent. Similar measures will apply to new light vans from 1 October 1994. Some three million cars are already fitted with catalytic converters.

  From 1 October 1993, emission limits for new diesel-engined trucks and buses over 3·5 tonnes, were reduced by 60, 50 and 45 per cent. respectively, for CO, HC and NOx, and a limit on particulates set for the first time. A further reduction, to be implemented in October 1996, by halving the particulate limit, will increase the level of stringency to that soon to be applied in the United States.

  London Transport (Grant)
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will set out in tabular form(a) total grant, (b) core business capital grant, (c) new lines and extensions capital grant and (d) revenue support grant, excluding the docklands light railway, awarded to London Transport in each year since 1978; and what is the planned expenditure for each year between 1994–95 and 1996–97, at both cash and 1993–94 prices.

  Mr. Norris
  The information requested is as follows:
  615

  Year

  Core business capital grants

  Core business revenue support grant

  New lines and extensions capital grant

  Total grant

  1980

  241

  212

  —

  453

  1981

  256

  155

  —

  411

  1982

  223

  329

  —

  552

  1983

  282

  296

  —

  578

  1984–851

  220

  299

  —

  519

  1985–86

  277

  191

  —

  468

  1986–87

  332

  98

  —

  430

  1987–88

  224

  62

  —

  286

  1988–89

  198

  26

  —

  224

  1989–90

  251

  54

  —

  305

  1990–91

  417

  84

  2

  503

  1991–92

  434

  110

  70

  614

  1992–93

  564

  262

  86

  912

  1993–94

  506

  66

  120

  693

  1994–952

  346

  13

  507

  866

  1995–963

  442

  —

  420

  862

  1996–973

  503

  —

  390

  893

  115 months accounting period.

  2In addition to grant in 1994–95 LT will benefit substantially from proceeds from the sale of the subsidiaries of London Buses Ltd. £13 million revenue grant is ear marked for the Dial-a-Ride service.

  3Grant, announced in the Unified Budget, for LT for 1995–96 and 1996–97 has not yet been allocated between revenue and capital spend, but it is expected that all of the core business grant will be used for capital investment with the exception of revenue support of Dial-a-Ride.

  These figures understate the growth in the level of investment by LT over the period arising from its improving financial position. With LT's move into operating surplus total capital investment is expected to be £1 billion per annum or more in each of the years 1994–95 to 1996–97 in cash prices.

  Bull Bars
  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make it his policy to introduce legislation to ban the attachment of bull bars to road vehicles; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Key
  As I indicated in my reply to the hon. Lady of 21 June,Official Report, column 133, it would not be sensible to legislate without compelling evidence of increased injuries in actual accidents. Meanwhile I support voluntary action by individuals and organisations to remove existing bull bars and my Department has invited the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders to discourage their sale.

  Petrol
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what estimate he has made of the trends in the relative use of(a) benzene and other aromatics and (b) lead additives in petrol; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) what estimate there is of the increase in the use of benzene and other aromatics as the level of lead additives in petrol has been reduced; and if he will make a statement;

  (3) what research has been conducted into the possible effects upon the environment of the increase in use of benzene in motor fuel; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Key
  Differences in the aromatic and benzene content of petrol are the result of the refinery processes used to make the components of the fuel. Benzene in petrol is controlled at 5 per cent. maximum by EC directive and available data indicate that the present content for United Kingdom fuels averages some 2 per cent., a reduction on previous findings. There is no significant upward or downward trend in the aromatic content of United 616
  Kingdom petrols, though the overall percentage of aromatics in unleaded fuel is slightly higher than in leaded. Lead added to petrol is restricted by EC directive to 0.15 per cent. grams/litre maximum. Average content varies between 0·12 and 0·14 per cent. grams/litre.

  Benzene in exhaust gases is, however, principally a product of the combustion process rather than the fuel itself. Of the trace quantities created in the combustion process over three quarters are removed by catalytic convertors. All pollution from motor vehicles, including benzene, is falling as a result of tighter controls on emissions.

  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the benefits of super-unleaded fuel over unleaded fuel; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Key
  High octane super unleaded petrol gives motorists whose cars were not originally designed to run on unleaded fuel the opportunity of choosing a fuel which will bring environmental benefits through a reduction of lead in the atmosphere. Current usage averages some 6 per cent. of total petrol sales and is expected to decline as cars built prior to 1991 are phased out. After this date all cars have been designed to use premium unleaded petrol.

  Catalytic Convertors
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate there is of the number of motor vehicles which are equipped with catalytic convertors; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Key
  The precise number of vehicles fitted with catalytic convertors is not known, but is estimated at approximately 3 million or 15 per cent. of the total licensed passenger car fleet, excluding diesel cars.

  Shipping Incidents, Bristol Channel
  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many incidents have taken place involving commercial(a) fishing vessels and (b) merchant ships in

  617
  the Bristol channel during each of the last five years; and how many lives have been lost as a result of those incidents.

  Mr. Norris
  The figures given relate to incidents involving UK-registered merchant or fishing vessels where it has been established that the accident happened in the Bristol channel.

  The figures are given only for the years shown as information relating to a particular sea area can only readily be obtained from the Marine Accident Investigation Branch computerised accident database. The database contains data from 1991 onwards only. To obtain the information requested for 1989 and 1990 would entail a great deal of research of the manual records for those years.

  1991

  1992

  1993

  1994 (to date)

  Registered Fishing vessels

  6

  2

  13

  3

  Registered Merchant vessels

  2

  1

  —

  1

  None of the incidents involved loss of life, but the Department is aware that an incident involving an unregistered fishing vessel resulted in the death of two sea anglers.

  Coastguard Service
  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will give for each of the last 10 years the full details of(a) coastguard station closures and (b) the number of sector posts reduced by (i) promotion, (ii) retirement and (iii) non-filling of vacant posts.

  Mr. Norris
  In the last 10 years the following coastguard rescue centres have been closed: Shoreham—1983; Tees—1984; Hartland Point—1988; Peterhead—1989; and Ramsey—1989.

  There have been no sector posts reduced in the last 10 years by promotion, retirement or the non-filling of vacant posts.

  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which office posts, in which districts, will be affected by the proposed efficiency savings for the Coastguard Service; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Norris
  The Coastguard Agency, along with other DOT executive agencies, has submitted proposals on how a 20 per cent. improvement in efficiency could be achieved. The Secretary of State is currently considering these proposals. No decisions have yet been made and it is not possible to give details of the office posts or districts which will be affected.

  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the effect of staff competence arising from fatigue relating to changed duties in coastguard stations around the country; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Norris
  During the 12 years that HM coastguard's existing watch structure in rescue co-ordination centres has been in place, there has been no documented evidence to suggest it has been necessary to conduct an assessment of the effect of staff competence arising from fatigue.

  Driving Tests
  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will reconsider his policy to suspend the practice of allowing heavy goods vehicles and motor cycle driving schools to block-book test slots.

  Mr. Key
  Responsibility for the subject of the question has been delegated to the Driving Standards Agency under its chief executive, Dr. Ford, and I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given. The agency's deputy chief executive, Mr. Lobo, will answer in Dr. Ford's absence on leave.

  Letter from G. Lobo to Ms Joan Walley, dated 12 July 1994:
  The Secretary of State has asked the Chief Executive to reply to your question about the plans to end the present block-booking arrangements for motorcycle and large vehicle driving tests. I am replying as Dr. Ford is on annual leave.
  Block-booking is an arrangement that has enabled certain trainers to reserve blocks of test appointments without nominating candidates to use the appointment. This has commercial attractions to those training bodies as it enables them to coordinate their training programmes with test appointments that they control. Trainers have not been charged a fee for this special facility; indeed they have frequently not submitted payments for the block-booked appointments when they were reserved, whereas tests are normally paid for when they are booked.
  Block-booking has not been operating satisfactorily. It has involved the Agency operating a shadow booking system and administering the individual agreements. Reserving test appointments where a candidate does not exist has prevented those appointments being used by other prospective candidates and led to examiner time being wasted thus reducing productivity and increasing costs. All of this has added to the cost of the service which has had to be recovered from the test fees paid by candidates. The change is part of a package of measures to reduce the Agency's costs by an estimated £148,000 annually. All parts of the Department have been tasked with finding 20% efficiency savings over the next two years and this package will help the DSA to achieve part of that objective.
  Some trainers have indicated that they wish to make proposals about how the booking system could be developed in ways that would help training organisations without the problems of the present block-booking system. The Agency will consider those closely.

  MV Derbyshire
  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will place in the Library a copy of the report presented by the International Transport Workers' Federation in respect of the search for the MV Derbyshire; and when he now expects to make a further statement.

  Mr. Norris
  The Department has not received such a report from the International Transport Workers Federation.

  The technical material which has been received is currently being examined by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch. When that examination is complete the chief inspector of marine accidents will advise my right hon. Friend on the course of action which he recommends.

  Highways Agency
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make it his policy to make announcements on restructuring of the Highways Agency
  619
  only while Parliament is sitting and to inform immediately those hon. Members with Highways Agency facilities in their constituencies of his proposals.

  Mr. Key
  An announcement on Highways Agency restructuring will be made as soon as possible. My right hon. Friend has asked the chief executive of the agency to consider what arrangements are appropriate for informing hon. Members with Highways Agency facilities in their constituencies.

  Transport Supplementary Grant
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what was the level of transport supplementary grant in each year since 1990; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Key
  Transport supplementary grant is payable to local highway authorities An England. The amounts of TSG made available in each of the last five settlements are as follows:

  £ million

  1990–91

  233·125

  1991–92

  317·790

  1992–93

  370·000

  1993–94

  430·841

  1994–95

  329·433

  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the projected figure for transport supplementary grant for 1995–96 based on the Government's expenditure plans for transport; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Key
  The amount of transport supplementary grant to be distributed to local authorities in 1995–96 will be determined later this year in the light of the total resources available for transport investment and the bids submitted by local authorities.

  Auxiliary Coastguard Service
  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is his budget for volunteer auxiliary coastguards in each of the last 10 years as a percentage of the budget for officer posts; and on how many occasions and in what circumstances auxiliary coastguards have been used in excess of 16 hours per week.

  Mr. Norris
  The budget for volunteer auxiliary coastguards for each year as a percentage of the budget for officer posts, including a small number of administrative staff was: 1990–91, 16·7 per cent.; 1991–92, 18·3 per cent.; 1992–93, 16·8 per cent.; 1993–94, 15·7 per cent.; 1994–95, 13·7 per cent. The figures for the years 1984 to 1989 are not now available as a different accounting system was then used.

  Details of how many occasions in the last 10 years and in what circumstances auxiliary coastguards have been used in excess of 16 hours per week could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will set out the details of(a) insurance liability and (b) responsibility for health and safety matters in respect of auxiliary coastguards; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Norris
  Auxiliary coastguards are volunteers. They have a call on the principal civil service pension scheme in 620
  the event of injury while on duty, limited to impairment of earning capacity. In all other insurance matters they receive the same cover as regular staff while on duty.

  Auxiliary coastguards are covered by the same health and safety arrangements as apply to regular staff.

  Transport of Children
  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what action he will now take to ensure that councils do not suffer financially by allocating a seat to every child on a school bus; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Key
  The Public Service Vehicles (Carrying Capacity) Regulations 1984 permit three children, each of whom is under 14, to share a double seat and count as two passengers.

  The Government are considering the way forward as part of the wider review.

  Lorry Bans
  Ms Jowell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has held with the Metropolitan and the City of London police on the enforcement of the London night-time and weekend lorry ban.

  Mr. Norris
  Enforcement of the ban is the responsibility of the London borough councils and the police. Informal contact with the Metropolitan police has indicated they see no particular difficulties with the Government's proposals to amend the ban. Once the Deregulation and Contracting Out Bill receives Royal Assent the police will be consulted on any draft order to amend the ban under the provisions of clause 24.

  Hartland MRSC
  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the need for additional staff arising from increased incidents following the closure of Hartland maritime rescue sub-centre in 1988.

  Mr. Norris
  Following the closure of Hartland maritime rescue sub-centre in 1988, staff complements were increased in the Maritime rescue co-ordination centre Seansea and an extra sector post established in the north Devon area. Experience since indicates that no additional staff are necessary.

  Driving Tests (Fraud)
  Mr. Spellar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is his Department's estimate of the scale of fraud in taking driving tests; and what steps are being taken to prevent abuse.

  Mr. Key
  Responsibility for the subject of the question has been delegated to the Driving Standards Agency under its chief executive, Dr. Ford, and I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given. The agency's deputy chief executive, Mr. Lobo, will answer in Dr. Ford's absence on leave.

  Letter from G. Lobo to Mr. John Spellar, dated 12 July 1994:
  The Secretary of State has asked the Chief Executive to reply to your question about preventing fraud at the driving test. I am replying as Dr. Ford is on annual leave.

  621
  The driving test provides an important safeguard for road safety and the risk of impersonation of driving test candidates is viewed seriously. A conviction could lead to a £5,000 fine or 2 years imprisonment.
  Test candidates are required to establish their identity at the start of the test, normally by showing the examiner their provisional driving licence. Candidates also provide a signature and examiners check that against the signature on candidates' driving licences. Driving examiners are trained to distinguish between experienced and learner drivers. If there are grounds for suspicion the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency can delay issuing the licence until the matter has been fully investigated. This system will be further strengthened by the introduction of photographs on driving licences planned from July 1996.
  Notwithstanding recent well publicised instances of candidate impersonation, the Agency does not have evidence to indicate that this is a large scale problem. Over the last 12 months there have been nine convictions for the offence nationally compared with 1·7 million driving tests conducted, similar to the number in previous years.

  Driver Licensing
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport by what date he intends(a) to go out to consultation on and (b) to implement regulations under the European Communities Act 1972 to implement the second EC directive on driver licensing.

  Mr. Key
  [holding answer 5 July 1994]: Consultation on the second EC directive on driver licensing began on 31 March and ended on 24 June. Regulations to be made under section 2(2) of the European Communities Act 1972 to implement the directive will be made as soon as remaining questions of interpretation have been clarified with the European Commission. The directive will come into effect on the due date of 1 July 1996.

  Pollution (Marine Incidents)
  Mr. Gerrard
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the date, the cause of the accident, and the extent of any resultant pollution for maritime losses, collisions and contacts in 1993 and 1994 to date in the sea areas of the Irish sea and the English channel.

  Mr. Norris
  The information given in the table relates to incidents involving one or more United Kingdom registered merchant or fishing vessels where is has been established that the accident happened in either the Irish sea or the English channel.
  622

  Date

  Accident

  Vessel

  Losses, collisions and contacts in the Irish sea

  1993

  6 January

  Collision

  Stephanie Jane/OSA Vooyager

  27 February

  Collision

  Breaksea/Tourmalet

  22 May

  Stranding/Loss

  Darmel

  14 July

  Collision

  Amber Rose/Opossum

  31 July

  Stranding/Loss

  Coeur De Lion

  17 September

  Collision

  Oakgarth/Bay Driller

  21 September

  Grounding/Loss

  Defiance III

  27 October

  Contact

  Artful Dodger III

  23 November

  Contact

  James Mervyn of Porthgain

  1994

  16 January

  Foundering/Loss

  Katy

  19 April

  Foundering/Loss

  Malin

  Losses, collisions and contacts in the English Channel

  1993

  4 January

  Foundering/Loss

  Lisa Marie

  7 January

  Foundering/Loss

  Doomey D

  28 January

  Foundering/Loss

  Helbri of Plymouth

  16 February

  Collision

  Reseda/HMS Cornwall

  16 February

  Capsizing/Loss

  Lia—G

  2 March

  Foundering/Loss

  Charlynne II

  18 March

  Foundering/Loss

  Heather Amorel

  18 April

  Foundering/Loss

  Nil Desperandum II

  17 July1

  Collision/Loss

  M.D.A.C./Lady Mira

  25 July

  Collision

  Sea Lady/Ocean Hound

  23 August

  Collision

  Condor 9/Huelin Despatch

  26 August

  Contact

  Norleader

  11 September

  Contact

  Cowes Castle

  25 September

  Collision

  Pride of Winchester/Duchess Anne

  26 September

  Collision

  Press On/Marcon Sabre

  30 September

  Collision

  Girl Allison II/Steel Fisher

  1994

  19 January

  Contact

  Dowlais

  27 January

  Contact

  Pride of Hampshire

  4 March

  Foundering/Loss

  Karen Marie II

  26 March

  Collision

  Canari/Jacomina

  28 March

  Foundering/Loss

  Karma

  30 March

  Collision

  Our Zoe Anne/Largs Bay

  1The pleasure craft Lady Mira was lost after collision with the fishing vessel M.D.A.C.

  There was very minor pollution in respect of the stranding/loss of the Coeur De Lion.

  There was very minor pollution in respect of the capsizing/loss of the LIA-G, the foundering/loss of the Charlynne II and the foundering/loss of Heather Armorel.

WALES

  Welsh Development Agency
  Mr. Jon Owen Jones
  To ask the Secretary of Slate for Wales (1) how much the Welsh Development Agency spent on legal fees in each year in the period 1983 to 1993;

  (2) what was the cost of the consultant hired by the Welsh Development Agency to report on a project entitled "Jobs and Pay"; and why its proposals were not implemented.

  Mr. Redwood
  I will arrange for the chief executive of the agency to write to the hon. Member and for a copy of his letter to be placed in the Library of the House.

  Public Bodies
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what percentage of the Welsh Development Agency, the Development Board for Rural Wales and the Land Authority for Wales are councillors.

  Mr. Redwood
  None of the current board members of the Welsh Development Agency is a councillor; 30 percent—three—of members of the Development Board for Rural Wales are councillors, which will be increased to five members following my statement on 7 July; and 50 percent—four—of members of the Land Authority for Wales are councillors.

  Water Quality (Llandudno and Rhyl)
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what initiatives he intends to take to improve water quality of Llandudno west shore and Rhyl beaches; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  Dwr Cymru's programme of improvements to bathing waters includes schemes at both of these waters which should be completed next year. The schemes are designed to enable the waters to meet the mandatory standards in the European bathing water directive.

  Unemployment
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the change in the numbers of the unemployed since May 1979; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Redwood
  On a consistent and seasonally adjusted basis the number of claimant unemployed in Wales was 68,700 in May 1979 and 122,200 in May 1994, an increase of 53,500.

  Historic Buildings
  Mr. Elfyn Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how many buildings of historical importance are currently being renovated in(a) Gwynedd, (b) Clwyd, (c) Dyfed, (d) Powys, (e) Gwent, (f) South Glamorgan, (g) Mid Glamorgan, (h) West Glamorgan and (i) Wales as a whole; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  Responsibility for the subject of the question has been delegated to Cadw: Welsh Historic Monuments executive agency under its chief executive, John Carr. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.
  624
  Letter from E. A. J. Carr to Mr. Elfyn Llwyd, dated 13 July 1994:
  The Secretary of State for Wales has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question originally put to the Secretary of State for National Heritage about the renovation of buildings of historical importance.
  There is no centrally collected information on the number of buildings of historical importance being renovated in Wales. What we do know is of Wales stock of some 16,165 buildings listed as being of special architectural or historic importance how many are the subject of listed building consent. The attached table [1] sets out this information.
  The other area in which we do have information relates to buildings which are receiving grant aid from Cadw. I have set out in the attached table [2] the numbers of properties currently the subject of grant aid.
  I hope this information is helpful. If you require more detailed information please do let me know and we will seek to provide it.

  (Table 1)

  1993–94

  Number of LBC applications received by CADW for each county

  Number

  Clwyd

  78

  Dyfed

  147

  Gwent

  64

  Gwynedd

  86

  Mid Glamorgan

  35

  Powys

  114

  South Glamorgan

  51

  West Glamorgan

  19

  594

  Alter/extend/partially demolish=584.

  Total demolition=l0.

  (Table 2)

  Live grant cases (CADW)

  Number

  Clwyd

  54

  Dyfed

  62

  Gwent

  55

  Gwynedd

  60

  Mid Glamorgan

  15

  Powys

  62

  South Glamorgan

  28

  West Glamorgan

  17

  Total

  353

  Schools (Security)
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) if he will outline his policies as they impinge upon meassures concerning the safety and the welfare of pupils on the school site with specific reference to the need for schools to be secure from casual visitors and passers by; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) what is his assessment of whether the infant and primary schools of Wales are safe and secure from the point of view of the personal safety of the children during school hours; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  It is the responsibility of individual local education authorities to ensure the health and safety of all children attending schools within their area. With regard to grant-maintained schools, this responsibility falls to the governing body of each school. Clearly, security is an important issue and local authorities and schools have a wealth of national guidance and advice to draw upon. They
  625
  can also seek the assistance of the local police as necessary. I am satisfied that local education authorities and schools take these responsibilities seriously.

  NHS Trusts
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list by wave(a) the number of non-executive directors of NHS trust hospitals and (b) the number of chairs of NHS trust hospitals, by salary band.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The information is as follows:

  Non-executive directors—1992–5

  1993–62

  1994–43

  Chairmen's Salary

  1992

  1993

  1994

  Band 1 (£19,285)

  —

  5

  2

  Band 2 (£17,145)

  1

  7

  5

  Band 3 (£15,125)

  —

  1

  3

  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his estimate of the cost of installing capital equipment in each of the hospital trusts of Wales over the last year; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  Information about the cost of installing capital equipment is not held centrally.

  Staff in post (whole-time equivalents) at

  Health authority area1

  September 1990

  September 1991

  September 1992

  September 1993

  March 1994

  Clwyd

  Doctors2

  312

  315

  331

  353

  —

  Nursing and Midwifery staff3:

  Learners

  406

  296

  169

  67

  12

  Other

  3,174

  3,270

  3,348

  3,328

  3,366

  Administrative and clerical staff

  840

  886

  944

  935

  944

  Managers4

  51

  98

  136

  147

  154

  East Dyfed

  Doctors2

  223

  213

  224

  246

  —

  Nursing and Midwifery staff3:

  Learners

  210

  208

  138

  70

  36

  Other

  2,043

  2,018

  2,052

  2,061

  2,046

  Administrative and clerical staff

  598

  636

  672

  688

  688

  Managers4

  36

  61

  70

  102

  108

  Gwent

  Doctors2

  362

  367

  391

  400

  —

  Nursing and Midwifery staff3:

  Learners

  364

  366

  239

  120

  70

  Other

  4,014

  3,924

  3,864

  3,747

  3,692

  Administrative and clerical staff

  980

  1,014

  1,018

  975

  975

  Managers4

  51

  69

  83

  129

  134

  Gwynedd

  Doctors2

  175

  175

  193

  212

  —

  Nursing and Midwifery staff3:

  Learners

  230

  165

  99

  30

  3

  Other

  1,912

  1,920

  1,968

  2,049

  2,035

  Administrative and clerical staff

  549

  574

  607

  631

  625

  Managers4

  21

  31

  66

  74

  76

  Mid Glamorgan

  Doctors2

  423

  429

  452

  473

  —

  Nursing and Midwifery staff3:

  Learners

  626

  635

  461

  269

  145

  Other

  4,777

  4,777

  4,901

  4,808

  4,753

  Administrative and clerical staff

  1,149

  1,184

  1,206

  1,184

  1,179

  Managers4

  235

  89

  90

  132

  145

  Pembrokeshire

  Doctors2

  79

  82

  87

  93

  —

  Community Care
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his estimate of the number of people employed in community care in(a) Clwyd and (b) Wales; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The whole-time equivalent numbers of staff directly employed by local authority social services departments to provide day and domiciliary services are as follows:

  Staff in post at 30 September 1992.

  Clwyd 544·7

  Wales 5,752·3

  These figures exclude local authority staff employed in the areas of care assessment, social work support and management and also exclude staff of other contracted agencies.

  Health Service Staff
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give the latest figures and list for each of the last four years by region the number of(a) doctors, (b) nurses, (c) midwives, (d) health visitors, (e) administration and clerical staff and (f) managers.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The available information is given in the table.
  627

  Staff in post (whole-time equivalents) at

  Health authority area1

  September 1990

  September 1991

  September 1992

  September 1993

  March 1994

  Nursing and Midwifery staff3

  Learners

  56

  56

  36

  21

  10

  Other

  677

  686

  643

  544

  525

  Administrative and clerical staff

  212

  233

  154

  107

  92

  Managers4

  16

  17

  3

  1

  1

  Powys

  Doctors2

  42

  39

  43

  43

  —

  Nursing and Midwifery staff3:

  Learners

  53

  50

  34

  23

  19

  Other

  1,059

  1,084

  1,044

  1,010

  1,009

  Administrative and clerical staff

  201

  216

  229

  243

  241

  Managers4

  25

  38

  39

  52

  54

  South Glamorgan

  Doctors2

  679

  684

  697

  702

  —

  Nursing and Midwifery staff3:

  Learners

  628

  678

  455

  250

  159

  Other

  4,309

  4,197

  4,378

  4,359

  4,390

  Administrative and clerical staff

  1,566

  1,598

  1,716

  1,674

  1,668

  Managers4

  87

  133

  187

  183

  189

  West Glamorgan

  Doctors2

  339

  371

  398

  398

  —

  Nursing and Midwifery staff3:

  Learners

  502

  480

  338

  183

  118

  Other

  3,043

  3,080

  3,181

  3,222

  3,265

  Administrative and clerical staff

  900

  940

  1,005

  1,074

  1,083

  Managers4

  67

  79

  89

  93

  101

  WHCSA5

  Doctors2

  14

  14

  14

  14

  —

  Nursing and Midwifery staff3:

  Learners

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Other

  10

  72

  73

  77

  73

  Administrative and clerical staff

  658

  766

  794

  1,064

  1,046

  Managers4

  27

  70

  86

  117

  133

  Wales

  Doctors2

  2,648

  2,689

  2,821

  2,934

  ߞ

  Nursing and Midwifery staff3

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Learners

  3,075

  2,934

  1,970

  1,033

  572

  Other

  25,018

  25,028

  25,451

  25,206

  25,153

  Administrative and clerical staff

  7,653

  8,050

  8,347

  8,577

  8,540

  Managers4

  416

  683

  848

  1,028

  1,095

  Notes:

  1Includes staff employed by those Family Health Service Authorities using Health Authority payroll systems.

  The use of locally devised payscales from 1991 may affect the comparability of figures as these staff cannot be allocated centrally to specific staff group and are not, therefore, included above. This affects figures for Pembrokeshire in particular. Staff employed by NHS Trusts have been amalgamated with the health authority area in which they are situated in order to show comparisons over time.

  2Doctors working in the hospital and community health service. The figures are obtained from an annual census of staff in post on 30 September and, therefore, no figures are available for March 1994.

  3Reliable estimates of the numbers of nursing staff employed in specific occupational groups, such as midwives and health visitors, are not available centrally. Since the autumn of 1991 learner (student) nurses have been classified as students and are no longer included in the NHS staff figures. Learner staff numbers shown in the table for 1992 onwards are learners finishing courses started before this change took place.

  4General managers, senior managers and managers.

  5Certain responsibilities and staff have transferred to the Welsh Health Common Services Authority from Health Authorities in recent years, affecting the comparability of figures over time.

  Customs House School, Deeside
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) if he will meet the chairman of the Education Assets Board and direct him to reverse his decision to transfer to and vest in the Deeside College a property within the grounds of Customs House county primary school, Deeside, Clwyd;

  (2) if he will make a statement concerning his working relations with the Education Assets Board (Leeds);

  (3) if he will meet the chairman and governors of Customs House county primary school, Deeside to discuss their plans for the future of the school.
  628
  Sir Wyn Roberts
  The Education Assets Board has responsibility under section 36 of the Further and Higher Education Act 1992 to secure that the transfer of property, rights and liabilities from any local authority to a further education corporation is fully effective. Where there is a disagreement about whether or not an asset should transfer, the board considers representations from each side before making a direction to the effect either that the asset should remain in local authority ownership or that it should transfer to the corporation. Both the local authority and the further education corporation have a right to appeal to my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Wales against a direction made by the board.

  No appeal has been received in respect of the board's decision that ownership of a property within the grounds of

  629
  Customs House CP school, Deeside, Clwyd should transfer to the Deeside further education corporation. If an appeal is received, my right hon. Friend will give it careful consideration.

  The Education Assets Board keeps the Welsh Office informed of the progress it is making in effecting the transfer of assets to the further education corporations and any disputes which arise in the course of its work.

  My right hon. Friend has no plans to meet the chairman and governors of Customs House CP school. I have met both the headmaster and a governor of the school with the hon. Member.

  Clinical Waste
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of whether hospital clinical waste is incinerated correctly and that localities are safe from injurious effects; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  All current guidance on the management of clinical waste, including incineration, has been issued to health authorities and NHS trusts in Wales. Under the pollution control provisions of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, the prime regulatory responsibility for hospital incinerators rests with district councils in Wales; and in licensing the operation of such facilities councils include safeguards to protect public health and the environment.

  Dental Health
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what measures he proposes to improve dental health among children of school age.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The "Protocol for Investment in Health Gain: Oral Health", published two years ago outlines arrangements necessary to secure improved oral health of the population including schoolchildren.

  The local strategy for health prepared by Clwyd health authority reflects the aims of the protocol in seeking to obtain improvements in patient care and quality of services.

  Health Service Staff
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of the fairness of the current terms and conditions of NHS authority; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  I asume this to be a question about the terms and conditions of service applicable to NHS staff, with the fairness of which I am broadly satisfied.

  Nurses Regrading
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the regrading of nurses in(a) Wales, and (b) Clwyd giving the date when regrading began; and how many regradings have taken place in each of the health authorities.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The new grading structure for nurses took effect on 1 April 1988. The other information requested is not held centrally.

  Dental Care
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what measures he proposes to obtain more NHS dentists in Clwyd; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The assessment of health need and the procurement of appropriate care is the responsibility of the relevant health authority. General dental practitioners are independent contractors who can locate their practices where they wish. The Welsh Office is considering the Clwyd family health services authority's application to employ salaried dentists.

  NHS Research and Development
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what arrangements are in place in his Department to collect centrally data on the numbers of people employed directly or indirectly to administer research and development in the national health service in Wales.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  This information is not held centrally.

  Land Schemes
  Dr. Strang
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the cost in 1993 in Wales of payments made under(a) the countryside stewardship scheme, (b) the hedgerow incentive scheme, (c) the countryside premium scheme and (d) the wildlife enhancement scheme; and what is his estimate of the cost in 1994.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  (a) The countryside stewardship scheme does not operate in Wales. The Countryside Council for Wales runs a broadly equivalent farm-based scheme called Tir Cymen, which was launched in July 1992.

  The estimated costs are as follows:

  £ million

  1993–94

  1994–95

  Total expenditure

  2·01

  3·42

  Grants paid

  1·57

  2·98

  Administration and research

  0·44

  0·44

  (b) The estimated costs of the hedgerow incentive scheme are as follows:

  £ million

  1993–94

  1994–95

  Total expenditure

  0·45

  0·51

  Grants paid

  0·38

  0·44

  Administration

  0·07

  0·07

  (c) and (d) There are no equivalent schemes in Wales.

  Day Surgery
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many operations on a day-care basis were carried out in the last year in each of the hospitals in Clwyd; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The information requested could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. However,
  631
  information on the number of day cases treated in each hospital in Wales is published annually in "Hospital Bed Use Statistics Volume 1: In-patients and Daycases" the latest edition of which, relating to the financial year 1992-93, is in the Library of the House.

DEFENCE

  Meteorological Office
  Mr. Richards
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what key performance targets have been set for the chief executive of the Meteorological Office executive agency for the financial year 1994–95.

  Mr. Hanley
  The agency has been set a range of quality, financial and efficiency targets to ensure that it delivers progressive improvements in the provision of weather-related services.

  The key quality targets set for the Meteorological Office during financial year 1994–95 are to achieve 80 per cent. of all business plan targets for customer satisfaction, forecast accuracy and timeliness; and in particular to attain an accuracy of at least 84 per cent. for the 24-hour national forecast broadcast at 1755 hours by BBC Radio 4.

  The financial targets are to deliver the agreed Meteorological Office programme within a business plan cash limit of £75,000,000; to reduce net expenditure, as shown in the annual report and accounts, to £93,200,000, representing a decrease of 9·1 per cent. on the 1993–94 budget; and to provide a net contribution to the agency's core costs and general overheads of £3,600,000 from commercial services to the public, industry and commerce, excluding the Civil Aviation Authority and the Department of the Environment, representing an increase of £300,000 over the 1993–94 budget.

  Individual areas of Meteorological Office have been set targets to increase efficiency by between 2 and 3 per cent., typically, through improvement in quality and volume of service and reduced unit costs.

  Defence Accounts Agency
  Mr. Richards
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what performance targets have been set for the Defence Accounts Agency 1994–95.

  Mr. Hanley
  The chief executive of the Defence Accounts Agency is responsible for providing accounting services for the Ministry of Defence as defined in the agency framework document. He has been set the following challenging key performance targets for 1994–95:

  a. To complete the following workload within the funds allocated for this purpose:

  Manage 92,500 non-industrial pay accounts

  Manage 45,200 industrial pay accounts

  Complete 150,000 pensions awards/transactions

  Approve 500,000 claims for travel or transfer expenses

  Pay 17,000 fees claims

  Pay 3,300,000 bills

  Process 48,000 invoices

  Make 420,000 personal payments

  Manage 9,000 imprest accounts

  Process 35,000 HQ receipts

  Process 2,750 banknote orders

  Process 2,150 bank fundings

  b. To meet the Agency's quality of service standards in Service Level Agreements and performance targets.

  632

  c. To achieve 10 per cent manpower reductions required by centrally managed efficiency measures by 31 March 1995.

  d. To make efficiency savings with a value of at least £1,100,000 which is approximately 2·5 per cent. of the initial cash allocation, concentrating on the fixed costs identified in a recent study.

  e. To compete for Payroll and Pension awarding business offered through the Government's Market Testing programme.

  f. To operate a Customer Charter for Civil Pay services by March 1995.

  g. To complete the Full Study Stage of the Mainframe Rationalisation Project.

  h. To develop a Quality Strategy by 31 March 1995.

  Base Storage and Distribution
  Mr. John Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about possible defence-agency status for the base storage and distribution organisation of the Army.

  Mr. Hanley
  I have decided that the Army base storage and distribution organisation should be considered as a candidate for defence agency status, under the next steps initiative. A prior options study will be undertaken to establish whether agency status or other options would be appropriate. I would welcome comments from interested parties. Comments should be sent by 9 September 1994 to:

  Major General D. L. Burden CBE

  Director General Logistic Support (Army)

  Headquarters Quartermaster General

  Portway

  Monxton Road

  Andover

  Hants SP11 8HT

  Directorate of Transport and Movements
  Mr. John Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about possible defence agency status for the Directorate of Transport and Movements (Army).

  Mr. Hanley
  I have decided that, subject to the satisfactory conclusion of normal trade union consultation, the Directorate of Transport and Movements (Army) should be considered as a candidate for defence agency status under the next steps initiative. The directorate will undergo a prior options study to determine whether agency status or alternative options would be most appropriate. Comments and ideas would be welcomed from any interested party. They should be sent by Friday 9 September 1994 to:

  Major General D. L. Burden CBE

  Director General Logistic Support (Army)

  Headquarters Quartermaster General

  Portway

  Monxton Road

  Andover

  Hants. SP11 8HT

  Parachute Training
  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the current arrangements for the use of balloons for Army parachute training; what annual costs are involved; what plans he has for the replacement of balloons by aircraft; what savings in costs and reductions in service and civilian numbers are expected; what are the operational implications; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hanley
  The RAF Balloon Operations Squadron—BOS—provides support both for initial parachute
  633
  training at No. 1 Parachute Training School and for continuation training for units of the three services. The squadron's operating costs for financial year 1993–94 were £3,858,000. The BOS is due to be disbanded on 1 April 1995, when its function will be taken over by a contractorised operation using Skyvan aircraft. Substantial savings are expected and there will be a reduction of 78 uniformed posts. As the Skyvan operation will mirror the existing operation, there will be no operational implications arising from this change.

  Army Service
  Mr. Ainger
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list those Army regiments or battalions which served in(a) the Falklands campaign and completed tours there since, (b) Gulf war, (c) Bosnia and (d) Northern Ireland since 1990.

  Mr. Hanley
  The information requested is set out in the table. Complete regiments and battalions only—the Royal Armoured Corps, Infantry and Royal Artillery—are listed in order of seniority.

  The Falklands.

  a. Operations 1982:

  2nd Battalion Scots Guards.

  1st Battalion Welsh Guards.

  2nd Battalion the Parachute Regiment.

  3rd Battalion the Parachute Regiment.

  1st Battalion 7th Duke of Edinburgh's Own Gurkha Rifles.

  4th Field Regiment Royal Artillery.

  29th Commando Regiment Royal Artillery.

  b. Post-Operations:

  2nd Battalion Grenadier Guards.

  1st Battalion Coldstream Guards.

  1st Battalion The Royal Scots (The Royal Regiment).

  2nd Battalion The Queen's Regiment.

  1st Battalion The King's Own Royal Border Regiment.

  1st Battalion the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers.

  2nd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers.

  3rd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers.

  1st Battalion The King's Regiment.

  3rd Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment.

  1st Battalion The Devonshire and Dorset Regiment.

  1st Battalion The Light Infantry.

  3rd Battalion The Light Infantry.

  1st Battalion The Green Howards (Alexandra, Princess of Wales's Own Yorkshire Regiment).

  1st Battalion The Cheshire Regiment.

  1st Battalion The Royal Welch Fusiliers.

  1st Battalion The Royal Irish Rangers.

  2nd Battalion the Royal Irish Rangers.

  1st Battalion the Duke of Wellington's Regiment (West Riding).

  1st Battalion the Royal Hampshire Regiment.

  1st Battalion the Queen's Own Highlanders (Seaforth and Camerons).

  1st Battalion The Gordon Highlanders.

  1st Battalion The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (Princess Louise's).

  2nd Battalion 2nd King Edward VII's Own Gurkha Rifles (The Sirmoor Rifles).

  1st Battalion The Royal Green Jackets.

  3rd Battalion The Royal Green Jackets.

  The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards (Carabiniers and Greys).

  The Queen's Royal Irish Hussars.

  14th/20th King's Hussars.

  16th/5th The Queen's Royal Lancers.

  2nd Field Regiment Royal Artillery.

  12th (Air Defence) Regiment Royal Artillery.

  26th Field Regiment Royal Artillery.

  32nd Heavy Regiment Royal Artillery.

  39th Heavy Regiment Royal Artillery.

  40th Field Regiment Royal Artillery.

  1st Battalion Coldstream Guards.

  1st Battalion The Royal Scots (The Royal Regiment).

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  3rd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers.

  1st Battalion The Royal Highland Fusiliers (Princess Margaret's Own Glasgow and Ayrshire Regiment).

  1st Battalion The King's Own Scottish Borderers.

  1st Battalion The Staffordshire Regiment (The Prince of Wales's).

  Bosnia.

  1st Battalion Coldstream Guards.

  2nd Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment.

  1st Battalion The Prince of Wales's Own Regiment of Yorkshire.

  1st Battalion The Cheshire Regiment.

  1st Battalion The Duke of Wellington's Regiment (West Riding).

  Northern Ireland since 1990.

  3rd Field Regiment Royal Horse Artillery.

  5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards.

  9th/12th Royal Lancers (Prince of Wales's).

  15th/19th Kings Royal Hussars.

  1st Royal Tank Regiment.

  3rd Royal Tank Regiment.

  2nd Regiment Royal Artillery.

  4th Field Regiment Royal Artillery

  16th (Air Defence) Regiment Royal Artillery.

  22nd Regiment Royal Artillery.

  26th Regiment Royal Artillery.

  32nd Regiment Royal Artillery.

  45th Field Regiment Royal Artillery.

  1st Battalion Grenadier Guards.

  1st Battalion Coldstream Guards.

  2nd Battalion Coldstream Guards.

  1st Battalion Scots Guards.

  2nd Battalion Scots Guards.

  1st Battalion Irish Guards.

  1st Battalion Welsh Guards.

  1st Battalion The Royal Scots (The Royal Regiment).

  3rd Battalion The Queen's Regiment.

  1st Battalion The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment.

  2nd Battalion The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment.

  1st Battalion The King's Own Royal Border Regiment.

  2nd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers.

  1st Battalion The King's Regiment.

  1st Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment.

  2nd Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment.

  3rd Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment.

  1st Battalion The Devonshire and Dorset Regiment.

  2nd Battalion The Light Infantry

  3rd Battalion The Light Infantry.

  1st Battalion The Prince of Wales's Own Regiment of Yorkshire.

  1st Battalion The Green Howards (Alexandra, Princess of Wales's Own Yorkshire Regiment).

  1st Battalion The Cheshire Regiment.

  1st Battalion The Royal Welch Fusiliers.

  1st Battalion The Royal Regiment of Wales (24th/41st Foot).

  1st Battalion The King's Own Scottish Borderers.

  2nd Battalion The Royal Irish Rangers.

  1st Battalion The Gloucestershire Regiment.

  1st Battalion The Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment (29th/45th Foot).

  1st Battalion The Royal Hampshire Regiment.

  1st Battalion The Staffordshire Regiment (Prince of Wales's).

  1st Battalion The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment).

  1st Battalion The Duke of Edinburgh's Royal Regiment (Berkshire and Wiltshire).

  1st Battalion the Queen's Own Highlanders (Seaforth and Camerons).

  1st Battalion The Gordon Highlanders.

  1st Battalion The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (Princess Louise's).

  1st Battalion The Parachute Regiment.

  2nd Battalion The Parachute Regiment.

  3rd Battalion The Parachute Regiment.

  1st Battalion The Royal Green Jackets.

  2nd Battalion The Royal Green Jackets.

  635

  3rd Battalion The Royal Green Jackets.

  Notes:

  1. The list for Northern Ireland covers resident battalions and major roulements only and does not include Royal Marines deployed in the infantry role and Royal Irish Home Service Battalions.

  2. Details for the Falkland Islands only given up to 1991 when reduction to Company strength was made.

  Iraq (Friendly Fire)
  Mr. John Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he has yet received the results of the United States board of inquiry into the shooting down of two Black Hawk helicopters over northern Iraq on 14 April; if the bereaved families have been informed; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hanley
  The United States Government have today announced the results of their board of inquiry. I have placed a copy of the executive summary, summary of facts and United States news release in the Libraries of both Houses. The board of inquiry concluded that a combination of human error and organisational failures led to a tragic sequence of events resulting in the shooting down of the two Black Hawk helicopters. The bereaved families visited the Adjutant General and myself at the Ministry of Defence this afternoon, before receiving a briefing at the United States embassy from the ambassador and a representative of the United States air force in Europe.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION

  Russia
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what consideration Her Majesty's Government and other Group of Seven nations gave to a Marshall-aid type programme to Russia; and what were the reasons for their decision.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  When they met in Tokyo last year, G7 leaders agreed a package of assistance to the Russian Federation worth $43·4 billion. They discussed progress on implementing this package in Naples on 8 to 10 July. A copy of the summit communiqué has been placed in the Libraries of the House.

  World Health Organisation
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the World Health Organisation about the improvement of its performance in crisis situations in developing countries.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  We welcome the World Health Organisation's increasing role in emergency situations and have supported its emergency work in a number of countries.

  The United Kingdom, through its official representatives to WHO, maintains a continuing dialogue with the division of emergency and humanitarian action on how best the division should develop its activities in providing assistance in emergency situations. We have fully supported the recent setting up, by WHO, of a task force to
  636
  examine this role. It is still working on its recommendations which we will examine carefully when they are released.

  Aid and Development Targets
  Mr. Tom Clarke
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the targets on aid and development co-operation established by the Development Assistance Committee of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, by the United Nations and by its agencies, including targets established at the world summit for children, Jomtien education-for-all conference, United Nations conferences on the least developed countries and the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development; which of these targets the United Kingdom has accepted; and what progress towards these targets has been made by the United Kingdom to date.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  There are three United Nations targets, accepted by the United Kingdom, for resource transfers to the developing countries. These are:

  (i) The United Nations Target for total net official development assistance (oda) to all developing countries equal to 0·7 per cent. of GNP. In 1993 United Kingdom net oda totalled £1·9 billion, equivalent to 0·31 per cent. of GNP;

  (ii) the United Nations target for total official and private flows to developing countries equal to 1 per cent. of GNP. In 1992, the United Kingdom spent 0·89 per cent. of GNP on total flows; and

  (iii) the United Nations Target for net oda to Least Developed Countries (LLDCs) equal to 0·15 per cent. of GNP. In 1991–92 the United Kingdom spent an average of 0·10 per cent. on net oda to LLDCs. (United Kingdom aid to India and Pakistan, two of our largest country programmes, does not score against this target even though both countries are poorer than many LLDCs).

  The world summit for children did not establish specific targets. It did, however, identify goals in such areas as child survival and development; child health; basic education, and the protection of children living in difficult circumstances. We were one of the first industrialised countries to publish its national report in response to the summit. The report, published in July 1992 by Command 1984, contains detailed information on the help we are giving to assist children in developing countries through our aid programme. Our commitment to the declaration and plan of action agreed at the summit is borne out in the pattern of activity supported by the aid programme. This programme benefits children directly, through health and education, and indirectly through safe water projects. In the financial year 1992–93 over £180 million or more than 31 per cent. of that part of our bilateral aid which can be allocated by sector, was spent in the social sectors such as education, health care, clean water and safe sanitation.

  No new targets were set at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development. We have, however, taken an active part in the successful fulfilment of the agreements at UNCED, as expressed in Agenda 21, to restructure the global environment facility, to agree a convention on desertification and to hold a conference on the sustainable development of small island developing states, which adopted an action plan.

  We support the shift to basic education for all children, youth and adults which was adopted by the Jomtien conference in 1990. The Jomtien declaration reaffirmed the right of all people to education—and urged countries and

  637
  donors to allocate more resources to primary education, literary programmes and basic training. The amount we allocate to basic education has increased from £6 million in 1991–92 to around £15 million in 1992–93.

  Bangladesh
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on Government aid policy with regard to Bangladesh.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Liverpool, Riverside (Mr. Parry) on Thursday 23 June 1994,Official Report, column 272.

  Bosnia
  Dr. Goodson-Wickes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what consultations he has had with his European counterparts to improve the delivery of humanitarian aid in Bosnia.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  I refer my hon. Friend to the reply he received from my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary on 27 June 1994,Official Report, 411. We are playing an active part with EU partners in the EU administration of Mostar.

  Indonesia
  Mr. Andrew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on Her Majesty's Government's policy for aid to Indonesia, indicating whether such aid is to be targeted in the future; and what arrangements Her Majesty's Government are making for its independent monitoring.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  [holding answer 11 July 1994]: Her Majesty's Government provide assistance for Indonesia because it is still a relatively poor country, is pursuing sound economic policies, has an impressive record of poverty reduction and is generally an effective user of aid. In agreement with the Indonesian Government, the United Kingdom aid programme is focused on natural resources including forestry, education, public administration, energy efficiency and transportation. We monitor the progress of projects through regular reports from the project authorities and through monitoring visits by ODA staff. The overall programme is reviewed every two years by ODA senior management.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Medical Referrals
  Mr. Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many claims for sickness and invalidity benefit were referred to the regional medical services in each quarter since September 1993; how many of these cases resulted in a medical examination; and what were the outcomes(a) where examinations took place and (b) where they did not.

  Mr. Scott
  The administration of sickness benefit and invalidity benefit is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member with such information as is available.
  638
  Letter from Michael Richard to Mr. Keith Bradley, dated 12 July 1994:
  The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many claims for sickness and invalidity benefit were referred to the regional medical services in each quarter since September 1993; how many of these cases resulted in a medical examination; and what were the outcomes (a) where examination took place and (b) where they did not.
  Figures are not yet available for the quarter ending 30 June 1994. Those figures which are available are shown in the attached table.
  I hope you find this information helpful.

  Outcome of claims to Sickness/Invalidity Benefit referred to Regional Medical Services in each Quarter since September 1993

  September 1993–December 1993

  January 1994–March 1994

  Total cleared

  230,000

  269,000

  Examination—capable of own work

  5,000

  5,000

  Examination—capable of alternative work

  25,000

  28,000

  Examination—incapable of all work

  48,000

  54,000

  No examination—incapable not examined

  131,000

  159,000

  No examination—claim terminated

  3,000

  3,000

  No examination—failed to attend

  17,000

  20,000

  Notes:

  1. Based upon a 100 per cent. count of cases, rounded to the nearest thousand

  2. Figures include severe disablement allowance references.

  Mr. Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many referrals to the Benefits Agency medical service were made during 1992–93 and 1993–94 of claimants of(a) sickness benefit, (b) severe disablement allowance and (c) invalidity benefit; and what percentage of each were found (i) capable of alternative work and (ii) capable of normal occupation.

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

  Letter from Michael Bichard to Mr. Keith Bradley, dated 12 July 1994:
  The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many referrals to the Benefits Agency Medical Services were made during 1992–93 and 1993–94 of claimants of (a) sickness benefit, (b) severe disablement allowance and (c) invalidity benefit; and what percentage of each were found (i) capable of alternative work and (ii) capable of normal occupation.
  The Benefits Agency Medical Service (BAMS) are asked an opinion on incapacity in relation to Sickness Benefit, Invalidity Benefit, and Severe Disablement. Allowance. I regret that the figures of cases cleared are not separated into the different benefits. The total figures for the three benefits are as follows:

  Number

  Per cent.

  1992–93

  References cleared

  872,000

  —

  Capable of alternative work

  62,000

  7·1

  Capable of normal occupation

  38,000

  4·4

  639

  Number

  Per cent.

  1993–94

  References cleared

  1,021,000

  —

  Capable of alternative work

  100,000

  9·8

  Capable of normal occupation

  22,000

  2·2

  Note: Figures subject to rounding to nearest thousand.

  I hope you find this reply helpful.

  Disability (Consultation)
  Mr. Alan Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) if he will make it his policy to widen the Government's consultation on disability to include(a) transport, (b) education and (c) the adoption of comprehensive civil rights legislation;

  (2) if he will make a statement detailing the terms of reference and time scales for the Government's consultation on disability discrimination issues;

  (3) what criteria were used by his Department in determining the areas for discussion in the consultation on disability.

  Mr. Scott
  My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister informed the House on 10 May that consultation would take place within six months on proposals in the fields of employment, access to goods and services, financial services, access to buildings, and the establishment of a new advisory body on disability. A consultation document will be issued very shortly.

  Invalidity Benefit
  Mr. Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what are the estimated savings to his Department in(a) 1995–96, (b) 1996–97 and (c) 1997–98 resulting from (i) freezing the additional pension payable with invalidity benefit and (ii) abolishing the additional pension for new claimants of invalidity benefit.

  Mr. Scott
  It is estimated that freezing the additional pension payable with invalidity benefit will generate net savings of £30 million in 1995–96, £40 million in 1996–97 and £50 million in 1997–98.

  It is estimated that abolishing additional pension for people who start receiving long-term incapacity benefit after April 1995 will generate-net savings of £20 million in 1995–96, £130 million in 1996–97 and £230 million in 1997–98.
  Note: Estimates are expressed in constant 1993–94 prices, are rounded to the nearest £10 million and are net of offsetting changes in expenditure on age allowances and income related benefits.

  1995–96

  1996–97

  1997–98

  Cost

  £3·25

  million

  £4·25

  million

  £5·25

  million

  Increase allowance for

  gainers

  4,000

  gainers

  5,500

  gainers

  6,500

  couples and lone parents

  floaters on

  1,000

  floaters on

  1,000

  floaters on

  1,500

  Increase threshold for

  gainers

  4,500

  gainers

  6,000

  gainers

  7,000

  single people

  floaters on

  500

  floaters on

  500

  floaters on

  1,000

  Introduce a disabled

  Gainers and

  <250

  Gainers and

  <250

  Gainers and

  <250

  child's premium

  floaters on

  floaters on

  floaters on

  Incapacity Benefit
  Mr. Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what are the estimated administration costs of incapacity benefit for the years 1995–96, 1996–97 and 1997–98.

  Mr. Scott
  Information is not available in the form requested.

  Forecasts of the costs of administering individual benefits are not available. It is estimated that the changes announced in the Social Security (Incapacity for Work) Act 1994 will add £40 million per annum to the Department's overall administrative costs in 1995–96 and 1996–97 and £10 million per annum from 1997–98.

  Social Security (Incapacity for Work) Bill
  Mr. Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what are the estimated savings to his Department arising from each clause of the Social Security (Incapacity for Work) Bill, as amended.

  Mr. Scott
  The Social Security (Incapacity for Work) Bill received Royal Assent on 5 July 1994.

  The estimated savings taking account of amendments passed are in the table. Sections 1 and 2 have been grouped because it is not feasible to apportion the savings further. The figures show only the savings arising out of the Act itself.

  Section

  1995–96 £ million

  1996–97 £ million

  1 and 2

  -150

  -335

  3

  n/a

  n/a

  4

  -160

  -475

  5

  -50

  -180

  6

  n/a

  n/a

  7

  n/a

  n/a

  8

  negligible

  negligible

  9

  n/a

  n/a

  10

  +5

  +5

  11

  n/a

  n/a

  12

  -25

  -90

  Note: Estimates are expressed in constant 1993–94 prices and are rounded to the nearest £5 million.

  Disability Working Allowance
  Mr. Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security(a) what are the estimated costs to his Department of the changes to disability working allowance and (b) how many people are estimated to gain, under (i) increases to the allowance for lone parents, and couples, (ii) increases to the single person's threshold and (iii) introducing a disabled child's premium.

  Mr. Scott
  The cost and expected number of gainers as a result of the disability working allowance changes are in the table.
  641
  Note: Costs are rounded to the nearest £0·25 million and are given at constant 1994–95 prices; caseloads are rounded to the nearest 500. It is very difficult to reliably estimate the behavioural consequences of these policy changes, therefore figures are not accurate to that degree.

  Statistics
  Mr. Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what percentage of claimants receiving(a) severe disablement allowance, (b) invalidity benefit and (c) unemployment benefit also received (i) housing benefit and (ii) council tax benefit.

  Mr. Scott
  Information relating to housing benefit is in the table.

  Information relating to council tax benefit is not yet available.

  Benefit

  Total Beneficiaries (000s)

  Beneficiaries also receiving Housing Benefit (000s)

  Percentage

  Severe Disablement Allowance

  302

  60

  20

  Invalidity Benefit

  1,439

  336

  23

  Unemployment Benefit

  669

  154

  23

  Notes:
  The Severe disablement Allowance and Invalidity Benefit figures are based on a I per cent. sample of claimants in Great Britain at 4 April 1992, and the Unemployment Benefit figures are based on a 5 per cent. sample of claimants in Great Britain at 14 May 1992. The Housing Benefit figures are based on a 1 per cent. sample of recipients at May 1992.
  All figures have been rounded to the nearest thousand and percentages to the nearest whole number.

  Council Tax
  Mr. Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what are the latest figures available for the level of use of(a) direct payments from benefits and (b) attachment of earnings, for each council tax collecting local authority in England and Wales.

  Mr. Hague
  I understand from my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment that the information is not available centrally.

  Mr. Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security why local authorities' responses to his Department's research on the amount of estimated council tax benefit local authorities were expecting to have processed by the end of March 1993 were not published in the report "Preparing for Council Tax Benefit" published in August 1993; and if he will now publish these responses.

  Mr. Hague
  Although the question was included in a departmental circular to local authorities giving examples of the type of information that might be required, it was not included in the research questionnaire subsequently issued. Professional advice was that responses to such a question would be inaccurate, as an estimate of council tax benefit case load assessed would have been based on an already estimated case load figure. The information is not therefore available.

  Mr. Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the estimated cost of reducing the council tax benefit taper(a) from 20 per cent. to 15 per cent. and (b) from 20 per cent. to 10 per cent.
  642
  Mr. Hague
  The cost is estimated to be £110 million and £300 million in 1994 and 1995 respectively.

  Source:
  Estimates use data drawn from the 1989–90–91 Family Expenditure Surveys and modelled at 1994–95 prices and benefit levels. Costs are rounded to the nearest £5 million.

  Income Support
  Mr. Rowe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the estimated average cost of keeping an individual on income support from the day he becomes eligible to receive it until he reaches pensionable age.

  Mr. Burt
  The information is not available. Such a cost would vary according to the personal circumstances of the claimant and the changes that occurred during the period on benefit.

  Asbestosis
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to introduce an asbestosis compensation scheme on the same basis as the pneumoconiosis compensation scheme; and if he will give reasons for his decision.

  Mr. Scott
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has no plans to introduce an asbestosis compensation scheme.

  Poverty
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what definition Her Majesty's Government use of absolute poverty.

  Mr. Burt
  No Government in the United Kingdom have ever accepted that it is possible to identify a single simple measure to define poverty in any meaningful way. A great many methods have been used by various academics to identify a "poverty line", but none has received general acceptance.

  Rather than relying on narrow arbitrary definitions this Department publishes an extensive range of analyses and information of the incomes and characteristics of people in the lower half of the income distribution. These analyses can be found in "Households Below Average Income", the latest edition of which was published on 30 June 1993 covering the years 1979 to 1990. A copy is in the Library. The next edition is due to be published on 14 July covering the years 1979 to 1991–92.

  Funeral Expenses
  Ms Coffey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many applications to the social fund for funeral expenses have been refused since SI 506, the social fund Maternity and Funeral Expenses (General) Amendment Regulations 1994 came into force; and how many refusals were on the grounds that the applicant is not considered a responsible person to meet the costs.

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

  Habitual Residence
  Mr. Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he received representations from the Irish Government regarding the proposed habitual residence regulations; what was the substance of the representations; and what plans his Department has to take action as a result of these representations.

  Mr. Burt
  Department of Social Security Ministers met members of the Irish Government on a number of occasions earlier this year. The regulations laid on 11 July, which introduce a habitual residence test into income support, housing benefit and council tax benefit from 1 August, enable people who are habitually resident in the United Kingdom, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man and the Irish Republic to qualify for those benefits, subject to satisfaction of the other conditions of entitlement. This maintains the reciprocal access to benefits between the United Kingdom and the Irish Republic based upon the common travel area which has existed for many years.

  Mr. Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he received representations from the European Commission regarding the proposed habitual residence regulation; what is the substance of the representations; if he will place them in the Library; and what plans his Department has in view of the representations.

  Mr. Burt
  The Commission for the European Communities wrote on 15 March drawing attention to the existence of Community law in relation to residence tests and the right of free movement. The regulations which introduce a habitual residence test into income support, housing benefit and council tax benefit, laid on 11 July, take account of the requirements of Community law.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Fur Farms
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) whether mink are currently present at Little Youlstone mink farm; and when the last licence was issued for this establishment;

  (2) whether mink are currently present at Lawleys mink farm; and when the last licence was issued for this establishment;

  (3) whether mink are currently present at Kelbain mink farm; and when the last licence was issued for this establishment;

  (4) whether Swaslemoor mink farm is currently licensed to keep mink;

  (5) whether mink are currently present at Brome mink farm; and when the last licence was issued for this establishment.

  Mr. Soames
  Ministry policy is not to disclose details of licences of mink farms.

  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) how many times officials of the State Veterinary Service have monitored the killing of arctic foxes on fur farms during each of the last five years;

  (2) what method is used to kill arctic foxes in fur farms.
  644
  Mr. Soames
  Officers of the State Veterinary Service monitored the slaughter of arctic fox once in the last five years. On that occasion the method of slaughter used was by lethal injection.

  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many welfare inspections were carried out on mink farms in 1993 by officers of the State Veterinary Service.

  Mr. Soames
  Officers of the State Veterinary Service carried out 13 inspections on mink farms in 1993.

  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the total breeding population of mink in England, by county.

  Mr. Soames
  The Mink Keeping Order 1992, which requires that mink farms are licensed by Agriculture Departments, does not require regular returns of the number of mink kept. However, best estimates suggest that the total number of mink being kept in fur farms in the United Kingdom has fallen from approximately 100,000 in 1987 to some 47,000 in 1992.

  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many mink were killed in fur factory farms in England last November.

  Mr. Soames
  The Mink Keeping Order 1992, which requires that mink farms are licensed by Agriculture Departments, does not require returns to be made of the number of mink killed.

  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many licensing applications for new mink fur factory farms have been made in each of the past five years.

  Mr. Soames
  In the last five years up to 30 June 1994, two licence applications have been made for new mink farms: one in 1991 and one earlier this year. All other licence applications received have been for licence renewals.

  Calves' Offal
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what consideration she gave to banning the use of the brains and spinal cords of calves under the age of six months in human food equally with the intestines and thymus; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Soames
  I have considered carefully the advice of the Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee and the Government's chief medical officer and concluded that on the basis of the scientific evidence there is no justification for banning the use of brain, spinal cord, tonsils and spleen of calves under six months of age from human food.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what research she is doing on the dangers of consumption of the thalamus.

  Mr. Soames
  The thalamus is part of the brain, and therefore from bovine animals over six months of age is a specified bovine offal which is prohibited for use in food for humans, animals and birds. The thalamus has not been
  645
  tested separately from the rest of the brain, which has been assayed on several occasions, and in which the BSE agent has been shown to be present in brains from clinically infected cattle.

  The hon. Member may have in mind the thymus gland which was specifically mentioned in the reply my right hon. Friend the Minister gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Woodspring (Dr. Fox) on 30 June, Official Report, column 264, about new controls on calf offals. The thymus is also a specified bovine offal and prohibited for human consumption. Thymus tissue from experimental calves orally challenged with a large dose of BSE-infected brain is being assayed for infectivity in mice under a project funded by the Ministry. This research is incomplete but so far there is no evidence of infectivity in thymus tissue.

  Spongiform Encephalopathy
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the background and field of expertise of each member of the Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee.

  Mr. Soames
  The information requested about members of the Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee is as follows:Dr. David A. J. Tyrrell: CBE, FRS. (Chairman)—Physician and Virologist. Former Director of the Medical Research Council (MRC) Common Cold Unit and Deputy Director of the MRC Clinical Research Centre.
  Dr. Robert G. Will (Deputy Chairman)—Consultant Neurologist at the Western General Hospital, Edinburgh and Head of the National Creutzfeldt Jakob Disease Surveillance Unit.
  Professor Ingrid V. Allen—Professor of Neuropathology at the Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast.
  Professor Fred Brown FRS—Virologist. Former Deputy Director (Scientific) Animal Virus Research Institute (Pirbright).
  Dr. William D. Hueston—Veterinary Epidemiologist, United States Department of Agriculture.

  Region

  Northern

  Mid/West

  Eastern

  South East

  South West

  Wales

  Scotland

  1989

  Beef

  31

  31

  43

  36

  102

  64

  47

  Dairy

  365

  886

  326

  1,017

  3,050

  374

  124

  1990

  Beef

  119

  88

  59

  92

  179

  145

  165

  Dairy

  882

  2,027

  678

  1,655

  4,935

  760

  242

  1991

  Beef

  226

  213

  127

  146

  423

  293

  260

  Dairy

  1,544

  3,566

  1,108

  2,262

  8,852

  1,604

  378

  1992

  Beef

  521

  602

  290

  356

  847

  647

  634

  Dairy

  2,740

  6,147

  1,669

  3,009

  11,223

  2,578

  831

  1993

  Beef

  782

  761

  438

  498

  952

  852

  1,043

  Dairy

  2,920

  6,537

  1,989

  3,014

  10,093

  2,634

  1,007

  19941

  Beef

  406

  329

  189

  248

  400

  363

  497

  Dairy

  1,284

  2,951

  1,050

  1,470

  4,069

  1,161

  437

  1As at 11 July 1994.

  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will list all research
  646
  Dr. Richard H. Kimberlin—Independent Consultant on Scrapie and Related Diseases.
  Mr. David B. Pepper—Veterinary Surgeon in Private Practice (Retired).
  Dr. William A. Watson—Veterinary Surgeon. Former Director of the Central Veterinary Laboratory.

  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what financial allowance is given to members appointed to the Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee.

  Mr. Soames
  All members of the committee receive reimbursement of necessarily incurred travel and subsistence expenses. The chairman and four members of the committee also receive a daily fee for attendance at meetings in accordance with provisions set out in Treasury guidelines. The fee is £165 per meeting for the chairman and £131 for those members who receive a fee.

  Mrs. Ann Taylor
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will make a statement about the supply of green top milk from dairy herds where BSE has been identified.

  Mr. Soames
  Green top milk from dairy herds where BSE has been identified is safe. Indeed, there is no evidence to indicate that milk will transmit any of the spongiform encephalopathies. Nevertheless, as part of the Government's ultra-cautious approach to BSE, the use of milk from BSE suspects is prohibited unless fed to their own calf, and all suspect BSE cattle are slaughtered and incinerated.

  Mrs. Ann Taylor
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many cases of BSE have been reported in each region of Britain in(a) beef cattle and (d) dairy cattle in each of the last five years.

  Mr. Soames
  The information requested is as follows:

  Projects related to BSE which have been supported by Government in the last three years; and which projects are currently under consideration for future financial support.
  647
  Mr. Soames
  The titles of research projects that, for the last three years, have been and are currently being supported by Government funding are shown in the table. Research on bovine spongiform encephalopathy is also

  Research projects related to bovine spongiform encephalopathy Supported by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in the last three years

  Project title

  Contractor

  Start date

  Proposed end date

  Infectivity of various tissues from animals with BSE

  Royal Veterinary College, Veterinary Pathology

  1 January 1989

  30 June 1993

  Evidence for the inheritance of susceptibility to BSE

  Dr. W. V. S. Wijeratne

  1 July 1990

  30 June 1993

  Experimental transmission of feline spongiform encephalopathy to mice

  Bristol University, Pathology and Microbiology

  29 August 1990

  28 August 1993

  Large scale isolation of abnormal prion protein from BSE-infected tissue

  Birmingham University, Chemical Engineering

  1 June 1991

  31 May 1993

  BSE deactivation studies (part of EC project)

  IAH, Compton Laboratory

  1 October 1991

  11 October 1994

  Bovine gene mapping with particular reference to BSE

  Roslin Institute, Edinburgh

  1 October 1991

  30 September 1994

  Further studies on oral transmission of BSE to mice

  Royal Veterinary College, Veterinary Pathology

  30 January 1992

  29 January 1995

  Investigation of the role of the embryo in maternal transmission of scrapie in sheep

  IAH, Neuropathogenesis Unit

  1 July 1992

  30 June 1995

  Potential role of anti-PrP in BSE

  Central Veterinary Laboratory

  1 April 1992

  31 March 1994

  Transferrin ion binding in normal and abnormal plasma

  UL, UCL, Medical Microbiology

  1 November 1992

  31 October 1993

  Genetic susceptibility of cattle to BSE

  Reading University, Department Applied Statistics

  1 July 1993

  30 June 1994

  Continued large scale isolation of abnormal PrP from BSE affected tissues

  Birmingham University

  1 June 1994

  31 May 1995

  BSE: Epidemiological studies

  Central Veterinary Laboratory

  1 April 1988

  31 March 1996

  BSE: Study to determine occurrence and incidence of maternal transmission

  Central Veterinary Laboratory

  1 October 1990

  31 March 1997

  Longitudinal studies of the brain pathology of BSE

  Central Veterinary Laboratory

  1 January 1992

  30 June 1996

  Brain pathology of clinical BSE in cattle born subsequent to exclusion of ruminant protein in ruminant feed

  Central Veterinary Laboratory

  1 April 1992

  31 March 1993

  Clinical and epidemiological correlates of the vacuolar profile in BSE

  Central Veterinary Laboratory

  1 April 1992

  31 October 1993

  Correlation of the histopathological diagnosis of clinically suspect but histopathologically unconfirmed BSE

  Central Veterinary Laboratory

  1 April 1992

  31 December 1993

  Comparative neuropathology of recently recorded scrapie-like encephalopathies in animal species other than cattle

  Central Veterinary Laboratory

  1 April 1992

  31 March 1998

  Identification of BSE infection in cattle tissue

  IAH, Neuropathogenesis Unit

  1 April 1992

  31 March 1996

  Transmission of BSE and natural scrapie into sheep and goats by intracerebral and oral routes

  IAH, Neuropathogenesis Unit

  1 April 1990

  31 March 1996

  Strain typing of BSE pathogens in mice, and comparison with strains from natural sheep scrapie

  IAH, Neuropathogenesis Unit

  1 April 1991

  31 March 1999

  Susceptibility of BSE and scrapie isolates to laboratory facsimilies of rendering practices

  IAH, Neuropathogenesis Unit

  1 April 1990

  31 March 1997

  Susceptibility of BSE agent to chemical and physical inactivation procedures applicable to the field/laboratory

  IAH, Neuropathogenesis Unit

  1 April 1990

  31 March 1996

  648
  supported by the Biotechnology and Biologial Sciences Research Council, but this Ministry does not hold detailed information on these.

  As new research projects are submitted by potential contractors "in confidence" for consideration by officials of this Ministry details of these projects are unavailable.
  649 650

  Project title

  Contractor

  Start date

  Proposed end date

  PrP gene variants and their potential as markers for natural and experimental scrapie susceptibility in sheep

  IAH, Neuropathogenesis Unit

  1 April 1990

  31 March 1994

  Analysis of neuclic acid and differences between control and scrapie/BSE infected animals

  IAH, Neuropathogenesis Unit

  1 April 1990

  31 March 1994

  Diagnosis of BSE by detection of abnormal deposits of PrP and other BSE-infection specific antigens

  IAH, Neuropathogenesis Unit

  1 April 1990

  31 March 1994

  Development of an antemortem test for BSE and natural scrapie infection through the detection of abnormal deposits of PrP

  IAH, Neuropathogenesis Unit

  1 April 1994

  31 March 1997

  Sheep PrP gene studies

  IAH, Neuropathogenesis Unit

  1 April 1992

  31 March 1993

  Further analysis of nucleic acid differences between control and scrapie/BSE infected animals

  IAH, Neuropathogenesis Unit

  1 April 1994

  31 March 1997

  Identification of genetic markers for susceptibility of sheep to scrapie

  IAH, Neuropathogenesis Unit

  1 April 1994

  31 March 1997

  Evaluation of electrophysiological methods for the study of BSE

  Central Veterinary Laboratory

  1 April 1992

  31 March 1993

  A study of the diagnostic potential of behavioural abnormalities in BSE

  Central Veterinary Laboratory

  1 April 1992

  31 March 1993

  Diagnostic potential of the pharmacological manipulation of clinical signs of BSE

  Central Veterinary Laboratory

  1 April 1992

  31 March 1993

  Electrophoretic analysis of body fluids to identify diagnostic markers in BSE and scrapie

  Central Veterinary Laboratory

  1 April 1992

  31 March 1996

  Identification of BSE and scrapie infected animals by the detection of a urinary metabolite

  Central Veterinary Laboratory

  I April 1992

  31 March 1995

  Sensitivity studies of fibril detection techniques used in Electron Microscopy for the diagnosis of scrapie

  Central Veterinary Laboratory

  1 April 1991

  30 September 1996

  Biochemical approaches to the differential diagnosis of BSE in the live animal

  Central Veterinary Laboratory

  1 November 1992

  31 March 1995

  Sensitivity of scrapie-associated fibrils from different breeds of sheep to proteinase K digestion

  Central Veterinary Laboratory

  1 July 1992

  31 March 1994

  TSE fibril immunolabelling studies

  Central Veterinary Laboratory

  1 July 1992

  31 March 1994

  Establishment of in-vitro culture of bovine cells for veterinary research

  Central Veterinary Laboratory

  1 January 1993

  31 March 1994

  Production of sera suitable for the development of immunodiagnostic tests for transmissible spongiform

  Central Veterinary Laboratory

  1 April 1992

  31 December 1993

  Gain information on use of resistant rams as method of controlling or eradicating scrapie

  ADAS

  1 April 1992

  31 March 1999

  Scale up of isolation of abnormal PrP from BSE infected tissue

  Birmingham University

  1 June 1993

  31 May 1994

  Molecular characterisation of a single stranded (SS) DNA observed in scrapie infected hamster and mouse brain—Jointly funded by MAFF and BBSRC

  London Hospital Medical College

  1 August 1993

  31 July 1994

  Studies of PrP gene of species naturally and experimentally infected with transmissible spongiform encephalopathies

  Central Veterinary Laboratory

  1 April 1992

  31 March 1995

  Significance of PrP and putative anti-PrP genes on susceptibility to transmission of spongiform encephalopathies

  Central Veterinary Laboratory

  1 April 1992

  31 March 1994

  Transcriptional control of the PrP promotor

  Central Veterinary Laboratory

  1 April 1994

  31 March 1997

  651 652

  Project title

  Contractor

  Start date

  Proposed end date

  Antibodies against the BSE agent

  Reading University, Department of Microbiology

  1 February 1994

  31 January 1995

  Molecular characterisation of bovine PrP

  IAH, Compton Laboratory

  1 April 1994

  31 March 1995

  BSE: Embryo transfer studies

  Central Veterinary Laboratory

  1 October 1989

  30 September 2000

  Transmissibility of BSE to pigs by injection with brain homogenate

  Central Veterinary Laboratory

  1 April 1989

  31 March 1998

  Transmissibility of BSE to pigs by oral exposure to brain homogenate

  Central Veterinary Laboratory

  1 April 1990

  31 May 1999

  Transmissibility of BSE to cattle by oranasal exposure to placentae of affected cattle

  Central Veterinary Laboratory

  1 April 1992

  31 May 1998

  Transmissibility of BSE to domestic fowl by injection with brain homogenate

  Central Veterinary Laboratory

  1 April 1992

  31 May 1999

  Transmissibility of BSE to domestic fowl by oral exposure to brain homogenate

  Central Veterinary Laboratory

  1 April 1992

  31 May 1999

  Transmissibility of BSE to mink by intracerebral and by oral exposure to brain homogenate

  Central Veterinary Laboratory

  1 April 1992

  31 December 1993

  Transmissibility of BSE and natural scrapie to marmoset by stereotoxic intracerebral inoculation of brain homogenate

  Central Veterinary Laboratory

  1 April 1992

  31 March 1993

  Comparative efficiencies of the bioassay of BSE infectivity in cattle and mice

  Central Veterinary Laboratory

  1 April 1992

  31 March 2006

  Peripheral tissue distribution of the agent of spongiform encephalopathy in kudu

  Institute of Zoology

  1 June 1993

  31 May 1996

  Injection of bovine embryos with BSE/PrP infectivity

  Central Veterinary Laboratory

  1 April 1993

  31 March 1994

  BSE: Transmissibility to cattle by injection with brain homogenate

  Central Veterinary Laboratory

  1 April 1993

  31 March 1994

  Transmissibility of scrapie to pigs by oral exposure to brain homogenate

  Central Veterinary Laboratory

  1 April 1993

  31 December 2005

  Pathogenesis of experimental BSE in cattle

  Central Veterinary Laboratory

  I April 1992

  31 July 1998

  Effect of oral innoculation dose on attack rate and incubation period of BSE in cattle

  Central Veterinary Laboratory

  1 April 1992

  31 March 1996

  Targeting of PrBSE: Immunohistological localisation

  Central Veterinary Laboratory

  1 April 1992

  31 December 1995

  Spinal cord pathology in BSE

  Central Veterinary Laboratory

  1 April 1992

  31 March 1993

  Extraneural pathology of natural and experimental BSE in cattle

  Central Veterinary Laboratory

  1 April 1992

  31 March 1993

  Neuronal morphology in BSE

  Central Veterinary Laboratory

  1 April 1992

  31 May 1995

  Morphometric and immunohistochemical studies of BSE

  Central Veterinary Laboratory

  1 April 1992

  31 March 1993

  Ultrastructural morphological and immunocylochemical studies of transmissible degenerative encephalopathies

  Central Veterinary Laboratory

  1 April 1992

  31 March 1996

  Potential role of anti-PrP in BSE

  Central Veterinary Laboratory

  1 January 1992

  31 March 1993

  Aetiological studies of brainstem neuronal chromatolysis; a disorder clinically similar to BSE

  Central Veterinary Laboratory

  1 October 1992

  31 October 1997

  Sequential observations of neurological signs in BSE

  Central Veterinary Laboratory

  1 April 1992

  31 December 1995

  Magnetic resonnance of imaging bovine brains

  Animal Health Trust

  1 December 1993

  31 January 1994

  Morphometric evaluation of scrapied mice

  Central Veterinary Laboratory

  1 May 1994

  31 August 1995

  Scrapie infection of sheep neural and extraneural cell lines

  Moredun Research Institute

  1 January 1994

  31 December 1996

  653

  Project title

  Contractor

  Start date

  Proposed end date

  For BSE work with ADAS

  ADAS

  1 April 1991

  31 March 1995

  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will list the projects which have been funded in the last three years; and which are under consideration for funding, that are related to establishing a live BSE identification test for cattle.

  Mr. Soames
  The table lists those research projects on bovine spongiform encephalopathy supported by

  Research projects concerned with the diagnosis of BSE in live animals supported by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food

  Project title

  Contractor

  Start date

  Proposed end date

  Large scale isolation of abnormal prion protein from BSE-infected tissue

  Birmingham University, Chemical Engineering

  1 June 1991

  31 May 1993

  Transferrin ion binding in normal and abnormal plasma

  UL, UCL, Medical Microbiology

  1 November 1992

  31 October 1993

  Continued Large scale isolation of abnormal PrP from BSE affected tissues

  Birmingham University

  1 June 1994

  31 May 1995

  PrP gene variants and their potential as markers for natural and experimental scrapie susceptibility in sheep

  IAH, Neuropathogenesis Unit

  1 April 1990

  31 March 1994

  Analysis of neuclic acid and differences between control and scrapie/BSE infected animals

  IAH, Neuropathogenesis Unit

  1 April 1990

  31 March 1994

  Diagnosis of BSE by detection of abnormal deposits of PrP and other BSE-infection specific antigens

  IAH, Neuropathogenesis Unit

  1 April 1990

  31 March 1994

  Development of an antemortem test for BSE and natural scrapie infection through the detection of abnormal deposits of Prp

  IAH, Neuropathogenesis Unit

  1 April 1994

  31 March 1997

  Sheep PrP Gene studies

  Neuropathogenesis Unit

  1 April 1992

  31 March 1993

  Further analysis of neuclicc acid differences between control and scrapie/BSE infected animals

  IAH, Neuropathogenesis Unit

  1 April 1994

  31 March 1997

  Evaluation of electrophysiological methods for the study of BSE

  Central Veterinary Laboratory

  1 April 1992

  31 March 1993

  A study of the diagnostic potential of behavioural abnormalities in BSE

  Central Veterinary Laboratory

  1 April 1992

  31 March 1993

  Diagnostic potential of the pharmacologicial manipulation of clinica; signs of BSE

  Central Veterinary Laboratory

  1 April 1992

  31 March 1993

  Electrophoretic analysis of body fluids to identify diagnostic markers in BSE and scrapie

  Central Veterinary Laboratory

  1 April 1992

  31 March 1996

  Identification of BSE and scrapie infected animals by the detection of a urinary metabolite

  Central Veterinary Laboratory

  1 April 1992

  31 March 1995

  Sensitivity studies of fibril detection techniques used in Electron Microsocopy for the diagnosis of scrapie

  Central Veterinary Laboratory

  1 April 1991

  30 September 1996

  Biochemical approaches to the differential diagnosis of BSE in the live animal

  Central Veterinary Laboratory

  1 November 1992

  31 March 1995

  Sensitivity of scrapie-associated fibrils from different breeds of sheep to proteinase K digestion

  Central Veterinary Laboratory

  1 July 1992

  31 March 1994

  TSE fibril immunolabelling studies

  Central Veterinary Laboratory

  1 July 1992

  31 March 1994

  Establishment of in-vitro culture of bovine cells for veterinary research

  Central Veterinary Laboratory

  1 January 1993

  31 March 1994

  Production of sera suitable for the development of immunodiagnostic tests for transmissible spongiform

  Central Veterinary Laboratory

  1 April 1992

  31 December 1993

  654
  Government during the last three years, which are related to establishing methods for diagnosing BSE in the live animal. Some of the other research projects funded by Government may also contribute to the developments of diagnostic methods, in as much as they contribute to knowledge about the nature of the infectious agent and the response of the infected animal.
  655

  Project title

  Contractor

  Start date

  Proposed end date

  Gain information on use of resistant rams as method of controlling or eradicating scrapie

  ADAS, Redesdale

  1 April 1992

  31 March 1999

  Scale up of isolation of abnormal PrP from BSE infected tissue

  Birmingham University

  1 June 1993

  31 May 1994

  Molecular characterisation of a single stranded (SS) DNA observed in scrapie infected hamster and mouse brain

  London Hospital Medical College

  1 August 1993

  31 July 1994

  Studies of PrP gene of species naturally and experimentally infected with transmissible spongiform encephalopathies

  Central Veterinary Laboratory

  1 April 1992

  31 March 1995

  Significance of PrP and putative anti-PrP genes on susceptibility to transmission of spongiform encephalopathies

  Central Veterinary Laboratory

  1 April 1992

  31 March 1994

  Transcriptional control of the PrP Promotor

  Central Veterinary Laboratory

  1 April 1994

  31 March 1997

  Antibodies against the BSE agent

  Reading University, Department of Microbiology

  1 February 1994

  31 January 1995

  Molecular characterisation of Bovine PrP

  IAH, Compton Laboratory [FPC]

  1 April 1994

  31 March 1995

  Scrapie infection of sheep neural and extraneural cell lines

  Moredun Research Institute

  1 January 1994

  31 December 1996

  Bovine Immunodeficiency Virus
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to her answer of 22 June Official Report, column 168 what assessment she has made of the risk to humans posed by bovine immunodeficiency virus.

  Mr. Soames
  Bovine immunodeficiency-like virus, which was first identified in 1969, is one of a group of viruses that make up the lentivirus—slow virus—group. There is no evidence that it affects humans whether through contact with animals, drinking milk or eating meat. Experimental efforts to grow the virus in human cells have failed. Two United States laboratory personnel who had accidentally had needle stick injuries with BIV-infected cell culture material some five years ago have shown no signs of illness. Cattle with BIV antibodies have been identified in a number of countries and the virus is thought to have a worldwide distribution. No country as far as we are aware has considered it necessary to impose restrictions on known positive cattle herds in order either to protect the public or to prevent spread to other herds. It is characteristic of the lentiviruses to be highly species specific and it is important to note that mankind for generations has been in contact with horses, sheep, goats and cats many of which will have been infected with lentiviruses.

  Racing Pigeons
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many cases of paramyxovirus infection in commercial poultry have been attributed to racing pigeons for each year since 1987.

  Mr. Soames
  The virus which causes paramyxoviruses in pigeons causes Newcastle disease in poultry. The last confirmed outbreak of Newcastle disease in commercial poultry was in 1984, when racing pigeons were implicated.

  Durum Wheat, Italy
  Mr. Marlow
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to her answer of 27 June,Official Report, columns 401–2 what were the areas and discrepancies of durum wheat measured by remote sensing in Italy; what subsequent action was taken by the Italian authorities; and what evidence she has on whether such action has been effective.

  Mr. Jack
  [holding answer 30 June 1994]: The information requested is not held by my Department. Further details of the results and the nature of the action taken by the Italian authorities can be obtained from the European Commission in Brussels.

  Recycled Paper
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what percentage of her Department's(a) press releases and (b) written answers are printed on recycled paper.

  Mr. Jack
  [holding answer 4 July 1994]: Although the paper used for MAFF press releases and written answers is not at present recycled, they are all printed on an environmentally friendly paper made from pulp obtained from sustainable and managed forests. Tests of recycled paper on the high-speed and high-volume printing machines used to produce press releases and written answers have so far been unsuccessful. MAFF does use recycled or environmentally friendly paper wherever this is available, of adequate quality and represents value for money. Later this year, another type of paper is to be used which has been subject to an environmental audit and awarded an "Eco-check" four-star rating. Ministers' correspondence, which is not copied in large quantities, is printed on recycled paper.

  Privatisation
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food which organisations, agencies and other bodies relating to her departmental area of responsibility have been privatised since 1990; and what plans she has for further privatisation.

  Mr. Jack
  [holding answer 12 July 1994]: In March this year, the status of the former Agricultural Training Board was changed from that of a statutory, controlled non-departmental public body to a non-statutory private sector organisation with charitable status. The new organisation is known as ATB-Landbase. In 1990, it was announced that the Government intended to dispose of the assets of the Covent Garden Market Authority when legislative time permits. My right hon. Friend has taken no decisions regarding the transfer to private ownership of any other organisation of which she is owner or joint owner.

  Bovine Somatotropin
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food which interested parties she has written to on the licensing of BST; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Soames
  [holding answer 12 July 1994]: Following the announcement of my intention formally to consult all interested parties about BST I wrote on 28 April to 173 organisations, including welfare interests consumer organisations and industry bodies. A copy of the consultation package, including a list of those consulted, was placed in the Library of the House on 9 June.

  Up to 7 July, copies had also been sent to a further 38 members of the public, hon. Members and organisations, a list of which has been placed in the Library of the House today.

  Comfrey
  Mr. Tredinnick
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether her Department will make a grant to the Society for the Promotion of Nutritional Therapy to fund the undertaking of further research into the safety of comfrey and comfrey products.

  Mr. Soames
  The Ministry will shortly publish its "Food Research Requirements Document 1995–96" which describes the research topics that the Ministry is prepared to fund in the next financial year. These topics include research on the toxic properties of natural constituents of food which may cover the research requirements of the Society for the Promotion of Nutritional Therapy. The society is therefore welcome to submit its proposal for research in this area which will be assessed for its suitability for funding against the selection criteria listed in the document.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  Police Computers (Misuse of Information)
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Attorney-General how many police offices have been prosecuted for misusing personal information from police computers in the last year; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  I have been asked to reply.
  658
  The information held centrally on prosecutions under the Data Protection Act 1984 and the Computer Misuse Act 1990 does not include the profession of the defendant. But I understand that the Association of Chief Police Officers is aware of two cases during 1993 of police officers being prosecuted for offences arising from the misuse of computer-held information.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Firearms
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many murders were committed in England and Wales in each of the last three years for which figures are available, and, of these, how many were persons killed by(a) shotguns, (b) handguns and (c) other firearms.

  Mr. Maclean
  The available information which relates to homicide is published in "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales", copies of which can be found in the Library, latest edition, 1992, Cm 2410, table 3.4.

  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will show for each of the last three years(a) the total number of crimes reported to the police, (b) the number of crimes which were believed to involve firearms, (c) the categories of crimes in which firearms were used, (d) the type of firearms used, (e) the number of persons charged with using firearms in the commission of crime, and (f) how many of those persons had authority to possess the firearms.

  Mr. Maclean
  The available information is published in "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales", copies of which can be found in the Library—latest edition, 1992 Cm. 2410, table 2.1—for total offences recorded by the police; table 3.1 for offences in which firearms were used; table 3.3 for the type of firearm involved; and table 3.13 for persons found guilty.

  Figures for 1993 are not yet available.

  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people charged with causing the death of another person by the use of a firearm of any description in England and Wales had authority to possess that firearm, in each of the last three years.

  Mr. Maclean
  The information requested is not available centrally.

  Vehicle Emissions
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions have taken place in respect of vehicle exhaust emissions in each of the last five years from(a) freight vehicles, (b) other vehicles and (c) in totals; and how many have resulted in conviction.

  Mr. Maclean
  The information requested is not available centrally.

  Red Routes
  Ms Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment has been made by his Department of the effect of the introduction of red routes in parts of London on the incidence of crime locally.
  659
  Mr Norris
  [holding answer 5 July 1994]: I have been asked to reply.

  No specific assessment has been made, but there is no reason why red route controls should lead to any increase in crime whatever.

  Private Prisons
  Ms Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what services are provided to his Department by(a) Wackenhut and (b) Wackenhut Corrections Corporation other than running prisons.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The named companies are not under contract with the Home Office to provide any services other than running prisons.

  Ms Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in what circumstances there is a bar on awarding contracts for private prisons to companies whose parent companies, subsidiaries or consortium partners have been in breach of the criminal law in the United Kingdom or elsewhere.

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

  Letter from Philippa Drew to Ms Joan Ruddock, dated 13 July 1994:
  The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question about whether any bar exists on awarding contracts to private companies whose parent companies, subsidiaries or consortium partners have been in breach of the criminal law in the United Kingdom or elsewhere.
  The Prison Service awards contracts in accordance with the Public Services Contracts Regulations 1993 Section IV, paragraph 14(1)(d) of the Regulations, amongst other matters, provides that a contracting authority may treat a services provider as ineligible to tender for, or to be included amongst those persons from whom it will make the selection of persons to be invited to tender for or to negotiate a contract, on the grounds that the services provider has been convicted of a criminal offence relating to the conduct of his business or profession.
  An assessment of whether a services provider should be treated in this way would include considering the nature of the service to be provided to the Prison Service and the nature of the business that led to a conviction for a criminal offence.

  Ms Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what security checks and clearances were made by his Department on(a) Wackenhut and (b) Wackenhut Corrections Corporation prior to the award of the contract to manage Doncaster prison;

  (2) what checks were made on (a) Wackenhut and (b) Wackenhut Corrections Corporation by his Department prior to the award of the contract to manage Doncaster prison to Premier Prison Services.

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

  Letter from Philippa Drew to Ms Joan Ruddock, dated 13 July 1994:
  The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent
  660
  Questions about security checks and clearances made by his Department on (a) Wackenhut and (b) Wackenhut Corrections Corporation prior to the award of the contract to manage Doncaster Prison.
  Checks were carried out in accordance with Part IV, paragraph 14(1) of the Public Services Contracts Regulations 1993 (SI 1993 No. 3228).

  Ms Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff at Blakenhurst prison have(a) resigned and (b) been dismissed since the prison opened.

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

  Letter from Philippa Drew to Ms Joan Ruddock, dated 13 July 1994:
  The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question about the number of staff at Blakenhurst Prison who have (a) resigned and (b) been dismissed since the prison opened.
  42 staff have resigned and six have been dismissed.

  Ms Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department who is the Crown monitor at Doncaster Prison; and at what grade is the post.

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

  Letter from Brian Landers to Ms Joan Ruddock, dated 13 July 1994:
  The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question about who is the Crown Monitor at Doncaster Prison; and at what grade is their post.
  The controller at Doncaster prison, who is a Crown servant, is a Governor Grade 2.

  Ms Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many managerial staff working at(a) Blakenhurst prison and (b) Doncaster prison are former employees of the Prison Service.

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

  Letter from Brian Landers to Ms Joan Ruddock, dated 13 July 1994:
  The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question about the number of managerial staff working at Blakenhurst and Doncaster prisons who are former employees of the Prison Service.
  There are nine former employees of the Prison Service working at Blakenhurst prison and eight at Doncaster prison. All are employed in senior or middle management positions.

  Ms Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what trade unions are recognised by Premier Prison Services Ltd. at Doncaster prison.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.
  661
  Letter from Brian Landers to Ms Joan Ruddock, dated 13 July 1994:
  The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question about which trade unions are recognised by Premier Prison Services Ltd at Doncaster Prison.
  It is Premier Prison Services' company policy to allow the staff in each establishment, on a site-by-site basis, to decide whether they wish to be represented by a trade union in discussion on conditions of employment.
  However, during the start up of a new operation, representation will be by way of a locally elected staff association. Such a staff association is in the process of being established at Doncaster Prison.

  Ms Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what trade unions are recognised by United Kingdom Detention Services Ltd., at Blakenhurst prison.

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

  Letter from Brian Landers to Ms Joan Ruddock, dated 13 July 1994:
  The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question about which trade unions are recognised by United Kingdom Detention Services Ltd. at Blakenhurst Prison.
  It is not UKDS' current intention to recognise any particular union for negotiation of terms of employment for any individual employee or groups of employees. A Staff Consultative Committee has been established to enable representative staff members to meet with senior management on a regular and formal basis.

  Prison Service (Performance Bonuses)
  Ms Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many performance bonuses have been awarded to Prison Service agency officials in 1994 to the latest available date;

  (2) if he will list the Prison Service agency officials who received performance bonuses in 1993.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The Director General of the Prison Service has received performance bonuses in respect of the periods 6 January 1993, when he was appointed, to 31 March 1993 and 1 April 1993 to 31 March 1994. Other members of the Prison Service have received performance pay increases, where appropriate, in accordance with the arrangements for the civil service generally.

  Emergency Arrangements
  Lady Olga Maitland
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the steps being taken to ensure the introduction of a uniform national early warning public alert system of a kind urged by the Association of County Councils and the professional organisations concerned with civil protection.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  At this stage we are not persuaded that a uniform national public alert system can be justified on threat or cost grounds.

  Future national arrangements for warning the public of an air attack will be based around the use of radio and television broadcasts.

  Peacetime Disasters
  Lady Olga Maitland
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action is being taken to enhance the arrangements for the designation of Government Departments and the precise allocation of responsibilities in response to major peacetime disasters in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The designation of Government Departments to take the central Government lead in response to a major peacetime disaster is the responsibility of the Cabinet Office civil contingencies unit. The designations are kept under constant review, as are the responsibilities to be discharged by Departments. The Home Office publication "Dealing with Disaster" explains the role of the lead Government Department and which Departments have been pre-nominated for particular disasters. A copy is in the Library of both Houses.

  Obscene Publications Branch
  Sir Ivan Lawrence
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to receive the recommendations of the Metropolitan police review of specialist units in relation to the future of the obscene publications branch.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  I refer my hon. and learned Friend to the reply I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Macclesfield (Mr. Winterton) on 26 May, col.265.

  Data Protection
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to amend the Data Protection Act 1984 to reduce the bureaucratic burden associated with compliance with the data protection principles; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  We shall consider what amendments may be needed to the Data Protection Act 1984 when the outcome of the negotiations on the draft EU directive on data protection is known.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will list those who contributed to his paper "Costs of Implementing the Data Protection Directive"; and if he will place in the Library the answers to his Department's questionnaires from data user organisations, if necessary in a form which would not breach confidentiality.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  I have placed in the Library of the House a list of those from outside the Home Office who responded to the costings questionnaire. It would not be possible to anonymise all the responses as many of these contain comments which indicate their source. The hon. Member may wish to approach the respondents direct, to ask them for a copy of their response.

  Juvenile Crime
  Mr. Rowe
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the reoffending rate for young people who complete their sentence in an institution compared with that of young people who undertake community service in the community in the last four weeks of their sentence.
  663
  Mr. Maclean
  The information requested is not centrally available.

  Mr. Rowe
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the estimated cost to the Exchequer of the average young person under 24 years who completes a youth custody sentence from the known commencement of his criminal career.

  Mr. Maclean
  I regret that the available information does not allow any such estimate to be made.

  Mr. Rowe
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the comparable reoffending rate for young people sentenced to a young offenders institution and young people sentenced to work in the community.

  Mr. Maclean
  The available information is given in the table. The comparison reflects not only the effectiveness of the sentences involved but the different characteristics of offenders receiving the sentences. Research to be published shortly by the Home Office has shown that the criminal history, age and sex of the offender are associated with re-offending. Furthermore, the statistics of reconvictions contain a proportion of convictions relating to additional offences committed before the current sentence was passed.

  Percentage of offenders aged under 21 commencing Community Service Orders in 1987 or discharged from prison in 1987 who were reconvicted of a 'standard list' offence3 within two years.

  Those discharged from prison service establishments1 Per cent.

  Those commencing a community service order2 Per cent.

  Males

  71

  65

  Females

  51

  43

  1Source: Prison Statistics England and Wales 1992 (Cm. 2581 HMSO).

  2Source: Home Office Statistical Bulletin "Reconvictions of those given Probation and Community Service Orders in 1987" (Issue 18–93).

  3Reconviction statistics relate to "standard list" offences as defined in Appendix 4 of "Criminal Statistics England and Wales, 1992" (Cm. 2410).

  Money Laundering
  Mr. Spellar
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what arrangements have been made with the Governments of the Isle of Man and Jersey to harmonise procedures to prevent money laundering.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The Isle of Man and Jersey—and Guernsey—have all endorsed the 40 recommendations of the financial action task force against money laundering, established at the G7 summit in Paris in 1989, and have formally agreed to undergo an evaluation exercise, similar to that carried out by the task force in the United Kingdom in 1992, which will submit their anti-money laundering systems to a thorough examination. They have all also issued anti-money laundering notes for guidance to their financial institutions, similar to those issued in the United Kingdom. In addition, all three have criminalised drug money laundering in legislation modelled on the Drug Trafficking Offences Act 1986.

  Immigration
  Mr. Duncan Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have chosen to be voluntarily repatriated under the scheme in the Immigration Act 1971, in each year from 1974 to 1986.
  664
  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The voluntary repatriation scheme established under section 29 of the Immigration Act 1971 is operated by the International Social Service of the United Kingdom on behalf of the Home Office. During the financial years 1973–74 to 1986–87 the number of people repatriated under the scheme is as follows:

  Year

  Number

  1973–74

  239

  1974–75

  156

  1975–76

  219

  1976–77

  110

  1977–78

  130

  1978–79

  178

  1979–80

  131

  1980–81

  142

  1981–82

  218

  1982–83

  152

  1983–84

  144

  1984–85

  81

  1985–86

  72

  1986–87

  65

  Firearms Certificates
  Mr. Robert Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he now has any firm proposals for increases in the cost of firearm and shotgun certificates; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  The fees for the grant and renewal of firearm and shot gun certificates are currently under review. An announcement will be made as soon as possible.

  Official Cars
  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the value of his official car.

  Mr. Howard
  The Home Office provides three official cars for the Secretary of State's use. Two were purchased in 1988 at a cost of £27,000 each. A replacement third car was purchased earlier this year at a cost of £19,000.

  Uninsured Drivers
  Mr. French
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of those convicted of driving without insurance received fines of more than £1,000 in each of the past three years.

  Mr. Maclean
  Information available to me indicates that five convictions for driving without insurance in 1990 in England and Wales resulted in fines of over £1,000 being imposed, six in 1991 and 25 in 1992.

  Figures for 1993 are not yet available.

  Contracts
  Mr. Byers
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what occasions in the last 10 years he or a Minister in his Department has given a direction to civil servants to award a contract against the advice of the civil service; what was the subject matter of the contract and its value; and when it was awarded.

  Mr. Howard
  [holding answer 8 July 1994]: There are no known instances during the last 10 years of Ministers in

  665
  the Home Office issuing written instructions in pursuance of paragraphs 13 or 14 of section 6.1.5 of "Government Accounting".

  Asbestos-related deaths and disorders Table 1—Deaths from asbestosis without mention of mesothelioma for each region and health board area of Scotland, 1984–93

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  1989

  1990

  1991

  1992

  1993

  Scotland

  12

  22

  16

  12

  17

  19

  17

  18

  13

  16

  Borders

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Central/Forth Valley

  0

  1

  0

  1

  0

  0

  0

  0

  1

  1

  Dumfries and Galloway

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Fife

  1

  2

  2

  3

  2

  3

  2

  2

  3

  1

  Grampian

  0

  1

  1

  0

  3

  0

  1

  1

  1

  1

  Highlands

  0

  0

  1

  0

  0

  0

  1

  1

  0

  0

  Lothian

  2

  4

  2

  2

  0

  1

  1

  3

  0

  2

  Strathclyde

  8

  13

  10

  5

  11

  13

  12

  10

  8

  10

  Tayside

  0

  1

  0

  1

  1

  2

  0

  0

  0

  1

  Orkney Islands Area

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Shetland Islands Area

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Western Isles Islands Area

  1

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  1

  0

  0

  Table 2-Deaths from asbestosis mentioning mesothelioma for each region and health board area of Scotland, 1984–93

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  1989

  1990

  1991

  1992

  1993

  Scotland

  3

  4

  4

  7

  7

  2

  6

  0

  5

  4

  Borders

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Central/Forth Valley

  0

  0

  1

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Dumfries and Galloway

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Fife

  1

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Grampian

  0

  1

  0

  0

  0

  0

  1

  0

  0

  0

  Highland

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Lothian

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  1

  0

  0

  1

  Strathclyde

  2

  3

  3

  7

  7

  2

  4

  0

  5

  3

  Tayside

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Orkney Islands Area

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Shetland Islands Area

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Western Isles Islands Area

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Scottish Enterprise and Scottish Development Agency
  Mr. Jon Owen Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many legal actions were initiated by Scottish Enterprise and the Scottish Development Agency which were(a) discontinued and (b) settled out of court for each year in the period 1983 to 1993.

  Mr. Stewart
  Decisions to initiate, discontinue or settle legal actions are operational matters for Scottish Enterprise and I have asked its chairman to write to the hon. Member. I understand that the Scottish Development Agency did not maintain a record of cases discontinued or settled out of Court.

  Council Tax
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the Government's policy on allowing council tax bands to be used as a basis for charging by third parties.

SCOTLAND

  Asbestosis
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the incidence and geographical distribution of deaths in Scotland from asbestosis and related diseases for the last 10 years.

  Mr. Stewart
  The information requested is given in the tables.

  Mr. Stewart
  Information on council tax bands in Scotland is publicly available under the provisions of section 91 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992. Charging methods used by third parties should be appropriate to their circumstances.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State (1) for Scotland how many households in Scotland, by region, receive the 25 per cent. discount on council tax charges;

  (2) what percentage of people in Scotland are in each of the council tax bands, nationally and by region.

  Mr. Stewart
  Council tax banding relates to dwellings and statistics are maintained only on that basis. The table shows the total number and percentage of dwellings by band, and the number of dwellings where there is an entitlement to a single discount, nationally and by region.
  667 668

  Number of dwellings by band and single discounts

  Band A

  Band B

  Band C

  Band D

  Band E

  Band F

  Band G

  Band H

  Total

  Borders

  Number of chargeable dwellings1

  15,040

  11,693

  5,491

  4,407

  4,482

  2,652

  2,321

  401

  46,487

  Percentage of total

  32·4

  25·2

  11·8

  9·5

  9·6

  4·7

  5·0

  0·9

  100·0

  Number of dwellings entitled to single discount

  7,399

  3,087

  1,309

  1,003

  860

  399

  295

  52

  14,404

  Central

  Number of chargeable dwellings1

  34,162

  31,764

  9,482

  10,197

  12,301

  6,660

  4,844

  503

  109,103

  Percentage of total

  31·1

  28·9

  8·6

  9·3

  11·2

  6·1

  4·4

  0·5

  100·0

  Number of dwellings entitled to single discount

  17,360

  9,693

  2,862

  2,457

  2,420

  1,118

  694

  73

  36,677

  Dumfries and Galloway

  Number of chargeable dwellings1

  10,864

  21,321

  9,445

  8,112

  8,117

  3,189

  1,592

  156

  62,796

  Percentage of total

  17·3

  34·0

  15·0

  12·9

  12·9

  5·1

  2·5

  0·2

  100·0

  Number of dwellings entitled to single discount

  5,095

  5,598

  2,075

  1,680

  1,498

  501

  203

  19

  16,669

  Fife

  Number of chargeable dwellings1

  40,124

  43,509

  19,199

  13,701

  15,322

  6,584

  3,637

  380

  142,456

  Percentage of total

  28·2

  30·5

  13·5

  9·6

  10·8

  4·6

  2·6

  0·3

  100·0

  Number of dwellings entitled to single discount

  22,029

  14,241

  5,003

  3,191

  2,932

  1,026

  546

  63

  49,031

  Grampian

  Number of chargeable dwellings1

  50,976

  48,510

  31,635

  24,024

  28,435

  15,737

  11,269

  1,042

  211,628

  Percentage of total

  24·1

  22·9

  14·9

  11·4

  13·4

  7·4

  5·3

  0·5

  100·0

  Number of dwellings entitled to single discount

  26,584

  17,999

  8,619

  5,748

  5,523

  2,419

  1,335

  114

  68,341

  Highland

  Number of chargeable dwellings1

  18,138

  19,984

  16,721

  13,215

  12,230

  4,685

  2,278

  281

  87,532

  Percentage of total

  20·7

  22·8

  19·1

  15·1

  14·0

  5·4

  2·6

  0·3

  100·0

  Number of dwellings entitled to single discount

  8,422

  7,121

  4,672

  3,051

  2,241

  654

  318

  28

  26,507

  Lothian

  Number of chargeable dwellings1

  46,782

  85,710

  63,520

  37,479

  39,300

  24,095

  19,673

  3,366

  319,925

  Percentage of total

  14·6

  26·8

  19·9

  11·7

  12·3

  7·5

  6·1

  1·1

  100·0

  Number of dwellings entitled to single discount

  23,079

  37,653

  24,138

  12,594

  10,609

  5,788

  3,760

  498

  118,119

  Strathclyde

  Number of chargeable dwellings1

  292,389

  235,023

  147,392

  98,728

  90,851

  42,118

  27,831

  2,760

  937,092

  Percentage of total

  31·2

  25·1

  15·7

  10·5

  9·7

  4·5

  3·0

  0·3

  100·0

  Number of dwellings entitled to single discount

  146,276

  89,582

  44,569

  23,598

  16,7447

  6,184

  3,242

  232

  330,427

  Tayside

  Number of chargeable dwellings1

  52,077

  43,510

  19,932

  19,699

  18,259

  7,485

  4,881

  719

  166,562

  Percentage of total

  31·3

  26·1

  12·0

  11·8

  11·0

  4·5

  2·9

  0·4

  100·0

  Number of dwellings entitled to single discount

  30,921

  15,919

  5,948

  4,915

  3,519

  1,051

  639

  86

  62,998

  Orkney

  Number of chargeable dwellings1

  2,584

  2,360

  1,550

  1,157

  608

  108

  13

  1

  8,381

  Percentage of total

  30·8

  28·2

  18·5

  13·8

  7·3

  1·3

  0·2

  0·0

  100·0

  669

  Band A

  Band B

  Band C

  Band D

  Band E

  Band F

  Band G

  Band H

  Total

  Number of dwellings entitled to single discount

  1,214

  675

  348

  185

  65

  9

  3

  0

  2,499

  Shetland

  Number of chargeable dwellings1

  3,312

  1,593

  2,194

  1,179

  699

  117

  24

  2

  9,120

  Percentage of total

  36·3

  17·5

  24·1

  12·9

  7·7

  1·3

  0·3

  0·0

  100·0

  Number of dwellings entitled to single discount

  1,079

  481

  548

  150

  56

  8

  1

  0

  2,323

  Western Isles

  Number of chargeable dwellings1

  4,533

  3,434

  2,319

  1,134

  587

  102

  20

  6

  12,135

  Percentage of total

  37·4

  28·3

  19·1

  9·3

  4·8

  0·8

  0·2

  0·0

  100·0

  Number of dwellings entitled to single discount

  2,001

  1,081

  470

  149

  71

  13

  1

  0

  3,786

  Scotland

  Number of chargeable dwellings1

  570,981

  548,411

  328,880

  233,032

  231,191

  113,532

  78,383

  9,617

  2,114,027

  Percentage of total

  27·0

  25·9

  15·6

  11·0

  10·9

  5·4

  3·7

  0·5

  100·0

  Number of dwellings entitled to single discount

  291,459

  203,130

  100,561

  58,721

  46,538

  19,170

  11,037

  1,165

  731,781

  1Number of chargeable dwellings after adjustment for disabled reduction.

  Source: Statistical return from local authority finance departments, October 1993.

  Erskine Bridge
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much money has been spent on the fabric of the Erskine bridge in each year since it opened.

  Lord James Douglas Hamilton
  The information is set out in the table. The amounts prior to 1989 relate to the whole Erskine complex including approach roads, Dalnottar interchange, toll booths and administration buildings. Expenditure on the cable stay bridge could be separated only at disproportionate cost.

  Year

  Maintenance costs

  1971–72

  52,458

  1972–73

  88,274

  1973–74

  100,037

  1974–75

  121,185

  1975–76

  1456,192

  1976–77

  1681,976

  1977–78

  1934,462

  1978–79

  1817,467

  1979–80

  1814,800

  1980–81

  1772,151

  1981–82

  11,564,378

  1982–83

  12,051,090

  1983–84

  1966,915

  1984–85

  1267,609

  1985–86

  1264,615

  1986–87

  1278,810

  1987–88

  289,941

  1988–89

  269,878

  1989–90

  40,409

  1990–91

  110,446

  1991–92

  67,157

  1992–93

  188,812

  1993–94

  134,310

  1994–95

  25,370,000

  1Includes £7,341,322 for strengthening superstructure to comply with new design rules for steel box bridges.

  670
  2Includes £5,100,000 for major but routine waterproofing and resurfacing which are currently requiring traffic management on the bridge.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the projected expenditure on Erskine bridge for each of the next five years.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  In addition to routine maintenance expenditure each year of £100,000 to £150,000, repainting the outside of the steel boxes supporting the carriageways will be required at an estimated cost of £2 million during the next five years. Expenditure on routine and programmed inspections and assessments will be made in line with standard practice for long-span bridges in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the condition of the Erskine and Kingston bridges and the likely disruptive effects of repairs to these bridges over the coming year.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Erskine bridge is structurally sound and only works to maintain it in good condition have been identified. These can be carried out without full closure of the bridge but may from time to time require traffic management and lane closures.

  Kingston bridge in Glasgow is the responsibility of Strathclyde regional council and information on this structure can be obtained from its director of roads.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make it his policy that Erskine bridge will not be closed because of repairs this year.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Given present knowledge of the bridge and the works planned, there will be no need to close the bridge in the foreseeable future.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what are the early findings of the current principal inspection being carried out on Erskine bridge.
  671
  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The consulting engineers carrying out the principal inspection are in general very pleased with the condition of the bridge. The final report has not yet been received. In practical terms, the inspection has confirmed that the original protective coatings to the cable stays should be replaced next year as expected after over 20 years in service.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make the findings of the present inspection being carried out on Erskine bridge publicly available

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Routine technical documents are not generally published, but there is no reason why interested parties should not have access to the principal inspection report. The report is expected towards the end of the year.

  Water Charges
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if it is his policy that the new water companies should base their charges on the amount used;

  (2) for how long the new water boards will be able to use rateable values as a basis for charging.

  Sir Hector Monro
  It will be for the new water and sewerage authorities to prepare charges schemes. These will need to be approved by the Customers Council or, failing that, by the Secretary of State before they come into effect.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what access to(a) the council tax banding of individuals, (b) income tax assessments and (c) DSS records the proposed new water boards will have in levying water charges.

  Sir Hector Monro
  There is provision in the Local Government, etc. (Scotland) Bill for my right hon. Friend to require local authorities to supply information held on the setting, levying or collection of council tax to the new water and sewerage authorities if he considers this will assist the latter either in making a charges scheme or collecting water and sewerage charges made under such a scheme. The new water and sewerage authorities will have no right of access to income tax assessments and DSS records.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how the proposed new water boards will be able to take into account ability to pay in levying charge.

  Sir Hector Monro
  This will be a matter for the new water and sewerage authorities to consider in preparing their charges schemes.

  Medical Staff (Performance-related Pay)
  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what model of performance-related pay he intends to introduce for consultants, medical academic staff and junior doctors.

  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 11 July 1994]: The salary levels of hospital doctors are determined by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on the advice of the Doctors' and Dentists' Review Body. There are proposals that an
  672
  element of doctors' salaries be set on the basis of performance but these have yet to be discussed in the appropriate negotiating committees prior to being put to the review body.

  It is not intended, should these proposals come into being, that a model of performance-related pay schemes be introduced in Scotland. It would be a matter for determination at local level as to how a national health service employing authority rewards its employees with regard to their performance and contribution to the objective of the provision of high-quality patient care.

  Privatisation
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland which organisations, agencies and other bodies relating to his departmental area of responsibility have been privatised since 1990; and what plans he has for further privatisation.

  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 12 July 1994]: The following organisations for which I had responsibility have been privatised since 1990:

  Scottish Power;

  Scottish Hydro-Electric;

  Scottish Bus Group.

  I announced on 24 March 1994 that the board of the Common Services Agency is taking forward proposals for privatisation of the building division of the Common Services Agency in Scotland. I will continue to keep under review all activities for which I am responsible and privatisation will be pursued wherever it is apparent that activities presently carried out by Government would be better dealt with by the private sector.

EMPLOYMENT

  Cricket Professionals
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many work permits have been(a) issued and (b) refused to individuals seeking employment as cricket professionals in each of the last five years.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Information about the number of work permits issued and refused for cricket professionals is not available.

  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what restrictions exist on the appointment of West Indian cricketers as club professionals; what changes to the regulations have occurred recently; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  West Indian cricketers are treated in the same way as cricketers who are citizens of other countries outside the European Economic Area. Unless they qualify under the immigration rules to be able to take employment without restriction, they must obtain a work permit before they enter the country. Work permits are issued only for cricketers who have experience of playing first-class cricket in their own country and who it is considered will not take employment away from resident player. The minimum terms and conditions on offer to them must be equivalent to those which apply to resident players. The Department has a consistent policy with regard to the issue of work permits and there have been no recent changes to the regulations.
  673
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what cricket tournaments in the West Indies are regarded as first class for the purposes of work permits being issued by his Department.

  Mr. Forsyth
  The Department follows the regulations of the International Cricket Council on what cricket is regarded as first class.

  In the West Indies the following qualify: matches played by teams representing Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, Trinidad, the Windward Islands and the Leeward Islands either for the Red Stripe Cup or against other opponents adjudged first class; the final of the inter-county tournament in Guyana between Berbice, Demerara and Essequibo is also accepted.

  Contracts
  Mr. Byers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment on what occasions in the last 10 years he or a Minister in his Department has given a direction to civil servants to award a contract against the advice of the civil service; what was the subject matter of the contract and its value; and when it was awarded.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  [holding answer 8 July 1994]: Ministers in this Department have not issued any directions, as described in paragraphs 13 and 14 of the Treasury memorandum of the responsibilities of the accounting officer, during the last 10 years. A copy of this memorandum is available in the Library.

  Earnings
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) if he will provide a table indicating the average gross weekly earnings of(a) women and (b) men

  Civilian Employment: Annual Changes

  Thousands

  United Kingdom

  France

  U.S.A.

  Japan

  Year

  Number

  Percentage

  Number

  Percentage

  Number

  Percentage

  Number

  Percentage

  1979

  +380

  +1·5

  +42

  +0·2

  +2,776

  +2·9

  +710

  +1·3

  1980

  -56

  -0·2

  +29

  +0·1

  +479

  +0·5

  +570

  +1·0

  1981

  -981

  -3·9

  -131

  -0·6

  +1,094

  +1·1

  +450

  +0·8

  1982

  -430

  -1·8

  +37

  +0·2

  -871

  -0·9

  +570

  +1·0

  1983

  -282

  -1·2

  -72

  -0·3

  +1,308

  +1·3

  +950

  +1·7

  1984

  +649

  +2·8

  -187

  -0·9

  +4,171

  +4·1

  +330

  +0·6

  1985

  +285

  +1·2

  -66

  -0·3

  +2,145

  +2·0

  +410

  +0·7

  1986

  +29

  +0·1

  +40

  +0·2

  +2,447

  +2·3

  +460

  +0·8

  1987

  +556

  +2·3

  +68

  +0·3

  +2,843

  +2·6

  +580

  +1·0

  1988

  +854

  +3·4

  +173

  +0·8

  +2,528

  +2·2

  +1,000

  +1·7

  1989

  +804

  +3·1

  +262

  +1·2

  +2,374

  +2·1

  +1,170

  +1·9

  1990

  +268

  +1·0

  +225

  +1·0

  +572

  +0·5

  +1,210

  +2·0

  1991

  -880

  -3·3

  +450

  +2·1

  -1,037

  -0·9

  +1,200

  +1·9

  1992

  -570

  -2·2

  -143

  -0·6

  +721

  +0·6

  +670

  +1·1

  1993

  -392

  -1·5

  -286

  -1·3

  +1,708

  +1·5

  +140

  +0·2

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

  Trichlorethylene Poisoning
  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what steps he will take to investigate deaths by trichlorethylene poisoning; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  At those premises for which it is the enforcing authority, the Health and Safety Executive investigates all work-related deaths associated with the use 674
  in(i) each standard planning region and (ii) each county area in the northern region for each year since 1979 (a) at current prices and (b) at 1979 prices;

  (2) if he will provide a table indicating the number and proportion of (a) women and (b) men earning less than 68 per cent. of the national average gross weekly wage in (i) each standard planning region and (ii) each county area in the northern region in each year from 1979.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  [holding answer 11 July 1994]: Information showing the average weekly earnings of men and women in standard regions and counties is published for each year in part E of the "New Earnings Survey". Table 110 and 113 cover full-time males and females respectively.

  The information on the retail prices index, all items at April needed to convert 1979 figures to 1993 prices, is published in table 6.4 of the Employment Gazette and in table 26 of the annual supplement to "Economic Trends" for April of earlier years.

  Estimated numbers of employees earning less than specified amounts can be prepared only for full-time employees and for standard planning regions. The available information closest to 68 per cent. of average weekly earnings is given in tables which have been placed in the Library.

  Copies of the publications can be found in the Library.

  Employment Statistics
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what has been the year-on-year change in employment in(a) the United Kingdom, (b) France, (c) the United States of America and (d) Japan for each year since 1979.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The information is shown in the table:

  of trichlorethylene. During an investigation inspectors are able to call upon medical, scientific and technical expertise in seeking to establish the cause of an incident and the degree of compliance with the relevant health and safety legislation.

  Full Employment
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on Her Majesty's Government's current policy on achieving full employment; and when it last changed.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The Government pursue policies designed to achieve high levels of employment consistent with low inflation. Their policies have not changed, and measures to make the labour market competitive, flexible and efficient continue to be essential.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Oil and Gas Exploration
  Mr. Ainger
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) if he will exclude from the 16th and subsequent oil and gas licensing rounds those areas which meet the criteria for designation as special areas for conservation under the European Union directive on the conservation of species and habitats;

  (2) if he will make it his policy to exclude from the 16th oil and gas licensing round those United Kingdom continental shelf blocks which include, or could affect, special protection areas for birds or Ramsar sites.

  Mr. Eggar
  In considering whether to offer individual blocks for licensing in the 16th and subsequent rounds I will consult Departments and other relevant bodies, including the Department of the Environment and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee, and take into account any environmental or other concerns which they bring to my attention including the requirements of European directives and other international obligations. If necessary, strict conditions will be attached to blocks to ensure that any environmental sensitivities in them are addressed.

  Mr. Ainger
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if those United Kingdom continental shelf blocks that were withdrawn from the 14th and 15th oil and gas licensing rounds for environmental reasons will also be withheld from the 16th and subsequent licensing rounds.

  Mr. Eggar
  The circumstances surrounding the non-offer of a block in a particular round may change. We cannot therefore say that a block excluded from the 14th round of offshore licensing will not be offered in a future round. No blocks have been withdrawn from the 15th round for environmental reasons.

  Company

  Inspectors

  Companies Act Power

  Date of Appointment

  Cost of inspection £ (000's)

  Graylaw Holdings Ltd.

  Miss E. Appleby QC

  S165 CA 1948

  11 March 1983

  474

  Link Service Station Ltd.

  and Mr. P. Foss FCA

  11 March 1983

  British Anzani plc

  11 March 1983

  Bank Street Securities Ltd.

  Miss E. Appleby QC

  S165 CA 1948

  4 October 1983

  172

  Medway Secondary Metals Ltd.

  and Mr. P. Foss FCA

  16 February 1984

  100

  Consolidated Gold Fields plc

  Mr. P. Heslop QC

  S442 CA 1985

  10 December 1986

  3,799

  Mr. R. Lewis FCA

  AEA Technology
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) if he will set out the apportionment for 1994–95 of current costs, current income, historic, contingent and future liability between the faculties services, Government and commercial divisions of AEA Technology;

  (2) if he will set out how current costs, historic debt and contingent and future liabilities have been apportioned between the facilities services, Government and commercial divisions of AEA Technology; who advised, and who approved such apportionment; and what external audit approval exists for such apportionment.

  Mr. Eggar
  The United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority's budget for 1994℃95 is a management matter for the UKAEA. For internal purposes an apportionment of the UKAEA's balance sheet will be made in due course between AEA Technology and UKAEA Government division. The consolidated UKAEA balance sheet will continue to be audited by the Comptroller and Auditor General who is the UKAEA's external auditor.

  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the subjects on which consultants have been appointed to advise AEA Technology on all issues related to the divisional separation and sale of its businesses; what are the terms of appointment of such consultants; and whether, in all cases, they were appointed after competitive tender.

  Mr. Eggar
  These are management matters for the UKAEA.

  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how he proposes to fund pensions and redundancy liabilities consequent upon the sale of parts of AEA Technology Ltd.

  Mr. Eggar
  No decisions have been taken on the form or timing of the privatisation of the business activities of AEA Technology. Arrangements for dealing with pensions matters and any redundancy liabilities which might arise will be determined in the light of those decisions.

  Company Investigators (Reports)
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the reports of investigators under the Companies Acts which have been completed but not published, indicating in each case the names of the inspectors, the company investigated, the section of the Act under which has been taken, the costs of the inquiry and the date of commencement of the inquiry.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  The table covers all Companies Act inspections where the inspection has been announced and the report completed but not yet published.
  677

  Company

  Inspectors

  Companies Act Power

  Date of Appointment

  Cost of inspection £ (000's)

  Atlantic Computers plc

  Mr. E. Hamilton QC

  S432 CA 1985

  15 June 1990

  6,492

  Atlantic Computer Systems plc

  Mr. J. Scott FCA

  Exports
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will place in the Library tables showing the total value of United Kingdom exports to Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Syria and Oman and also the values of each of the broad category titles of the standard international trade classification for(a) 1971 to 1980 and (b) 1981 to 1990.

  Mr. Needham
  The information is given in the table.

  United Kingdom exports to Iraq

  (£ million, current prices)

  Section

  Description

  1971–80

  1981–90

  0

  Food and live animals

  20·0

  174·0

  1

  Beverages and tobacco

  64·5

  196·1

  2

  Crude materials, inedible, except fuels

  5·9

  13·6

  3

  Mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials

  5·3

  19·0

  4

  Animal and vegetable oils, fats and waxes

  1·0

  5·1

  5

  Chemicals and related products

  121·2

  549·9

  6

  Manufactured goods classified chiefly by material

  286·2

  694·8

  7

  Machinery and transport equipment

  708·6

  2,369·5

  8

  Miscellaneous manufactured articles

  113·8

  517·9

  9

  Commodities and transactions not classified elsewhere

  8·4

  17·0

  Total

  1,3348·8

  4,557·0

  United Kingdom exports to Saudi Arabia

  (£ million, current prices)

  Section

  Description

  1971–80

  1981–90

  0

  Food and live animals

  202·3

  1,050·4

  1

  Beverages and tobacco

  164·6

  556·2

  2

  Crude materials, inedible, except fuels

  5·9

  37·7

  3

  Mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials

  112·9

  123·7

  4

  Animal and vegetable oils, fats and waxes

  3·8

  14·1

  5

  Chemicals and related products

  352·0

  2,030·6

  6

  Manufactured goods classified chiefly by material

  662·6

  1,516·0

  7

  Machinery and transport equipment

  2,190·6

  8,484·8

  8

  Miscellaneous manfatured articles

  410·9

  1,273·0

  9

  Commodities and transactions not classified elsewhere

  84·6

  1,169·8

  Total

  4,190·2

  16,255·9

  United Kingdom exports to Kuwait

  (£ million, current prices)

  Section

  Description

  1971–80

  1981–90

  0

  Food and live animals

  77·4

  221·5

  1

  Beverages and tobacco

  45·8

  127·5

  2

  Crude materials, inedible, except fuels

  2·4

  8·8

  3

  Mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials

  14·9

  17·5

  4

  Animal and vegetable oils, fats and waxes

  2·0

  1·3

  5

  Chemicals and related products

  137·2

  424·0

  6

  Manufactured goods classified chiefly by material

  236·0

  387·6

  678

  Section

  Description

  1971–80

  1981–90

  7

  Machinery and transport equipment

  666·8

  1,110·7

  8

  Miscellaneous manufactured articles

  166·1

  371·3

  9

  Commodities and transactions not classified elsewhere

  135·3

  100·5

  Total

  1,484·0

  2,770·7

  United Kingdom exports to Syria

  (£ million, current prices)

  Section

  Description

  1971–80

  1981–90

  0

  Food and live animals

  10·2

  14·1

  1

  Beverages and tobacco

  8·5

  9·6

  2

  Crude materials, inedible, except fuels

  4·5

  11·8

  3

  Mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials

  14·3

  6·6

  4

  Animal and vegetable oils, fats and waxes

  2·9

  0·6

  5

  Chemicals and related products

  63·9

  132·2

  6

  Manufactured goods classified chiefly by material

  88·3

  101·6

  7

  Machinery and transport equipment

  188·1

  259·5

  8

  Miscellaneous manufactured articles

  28·1

  54·5

  9

  Commodities and transactions not classified elsewhere

  3·6

  19·5

  Total

  412·3

  610·0

  United Kingdom exports to Oman

  (£ million, current prices)

  Section

  Description

  1971–80

  1981–90

  0

  Food and live animals

  23·6

  59·7

  1

  Beverages and tobacco

  23·1

  103·6

  2

  Crude materials, inedible, except fuels

  1·6

  4·9

  3

  Mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials

  11·2

  18·9

  4

  Animal and vegetable oils, fats and waxes

  0·4

  0·7

  5

  Chemicals and related products

  45·3

  207·5

  6

  Manufactured goods classified chiefly by material

  98·7

  303·6

  7

  Machinery and transport equipment

  518·5

  1,689·7

  8

  Miscellaneous manufactured articles

  103·1

  645·7

  9

  Commodities and transactions not classified elsewhere

  49·1

  296·6

  Total

  874·6

  3,33·9

  Note: Totals may not equal the sum of component parts due to rounding.

  Source: Overseas Trade Statistics of the United Kingdom.

  National Environment Technology Centre
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what were the costs of providing(a) a visitors' dining suite, (b) the refurbishment of toilets, (c) the refurbishment of the entrance foyer and (d) the car park extension at the national environment technology centre prior to its opening on 10 June.

  Mr. Eggar
  These are matters for the UKAEA.

  Competition White Paper
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what progress has been made in implementing each of the proposals in "Competitiveness: Helping Business to Win".

  Mr. Sainsbury
  Progress on implementing the proposals in "Competitiveness: Helping Business to Win", will be carefully monitored by the ministerial group on competitiveness.

  Children's Homes
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his answer of 1 July,Official Report, column 748, what aspects of the Children Act 1989 and the Registered Homes Act 1984 the inter-departmental scrutiny team is looking at other than fire safety; and what recommendations the team has made.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  As I made clear in my earlier response on 1 July 1994,Official Report, column 748, the report of the inter-departmental review makes a number of recommendations regarding fire safety legislation and enforcement which may affect the operation of the legislation mentioned or premises covered by them. The report, copies of which are in the Library of the House, does not deal with any issues other than fire safety and is now the subject of consultation.

  Questions about other aspects of the legislation and its enforcement should therefore be addressed to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health.

  Deregulation
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will set out the terms and conditions of those appointed to the deregulation task force.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade to my hon. Friend the Member for Surrey, East (Mr. Ainsworth) on 6 July 1994,Official Report, column 224, which set out the terms of reference of the deregulation task force. Members of the task force have been appointed for an initial period of two years. Individuals will not receive payment for their work as members of the deregulation task force.

  Mr. Spellar
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what will be the remuneration for members of the deregulation task force.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Northfield (Mr. Burden), on 25 May 1994,Official Report, column 174.

  Contracts
  Mr. Byers
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade on what occasions in the last 10 years he or a Minister in his Department has given a direction to civil servants to award a contract against the advice of the civil service; what was the subject matter of the contract and its value; and when it was awarded.

  Mr. Eggar
  [holding answer 8 July 1994]: From records currently available, there have been no such occasions.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  East Timor
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what initiative he is proposing to assist the inhabitants of East Timor, and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The best assistance we can render the East Timorese people is to continue to support the current dialogue between the Indonesians and the Portuguese, under the auspices of the United Nations Secretary-General, the aim of which is to seek a solution on East Timor acceptable to all concerned.

  Cyprus
  Dr. Spink
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Secretary-General of the United Nations regarding recent developments in respect of the confidence-building measures for the Cypriot communities; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary met the United Nations Secretary-General in New York on 21 June and discussed the prospects for agreement on the confidence-building measures for Cyprus. He reaffirmed our continuing support for the Secretary-General's efforts to make progress on these measures and on an overall settlement.

  Mr. Waterson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to mark the 20th anniversary of the Turkish invasion of Cyprus; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  There are no plans to mark the 20th anniversary of the Turkish intervention in Cyprus in 1974.

  Ms Janet Anderson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the possibility of the accession of Cyprus to the European Union.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  The Corfu Council confirmed that the next phase of enlargement will involve Cyprus. The Council will review progress in the inter-communal process, and Cyprus's readiness for accession, in January 1995.

  European Commission
  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the latest situation over the position of the presidency of the European Union Commission.

  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the Government's position concerning candidates for President of the European Commission.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  The German presidency is consulting other member states to find a candidate for the next president of the Commission who meets with the common accord of all 12 member states. We are playing a full part in those consultations.

  European Union (Enlargement)
  Mr. Bates
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will outline the benefits to the United Kingdom of the accession of four new member states expected on 1 January 1995.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  The accession of these states will fulfil in part the Government's vision of an EU more widely representative of the peoples of Europe. Their membership will consolidate the benefits to United Kingdom business and consumers already flowing from the European Economic Area. Three of the four will be net contributors to the Community budget, and all are likely to share the United Kingdom's concern for budget discipline. Their accession will add extra weight to the group of member states which favour free trade over protectionism, and subsidiarity over centralism.

  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about the current situation regarding the enlargement of the European Union.

  Mr. Keen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about the current situation regarding the enlargement of the European Union.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  A treaty of accession to the EU was signed with Norway, Austria, Sweden and Finland at the Corfu European Council on 24 June. Provided that referendums in the Nordic countries are positive—the Austrian people have already voted in favour of membership—all four will accede to the Community on 1 January 1995. The Corfu European Council conclusions included the statement that the next phase of enlargement will involve Malta and Cyprus. The Commission has been asked to prepare opinions on recent Polish and Hungarian applications for EU membership.

  Rwanda
  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the impact of French troops on the situation in Rwanda.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  As I said today, we have supported the French initiative to send a humanitarian mission.

  EU Intergovernmental Conference
  Mr. Lidington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the Government's preparations for the 1996 intergovernmental conference of the European Union.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  We will participate in the study group which will convene in mid-1995 to prepare for the conference.

  Iraq
  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the effect of sanctions on Iraq.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Sanctions are imposed on Iraq in order to ensure that the regime meets its international 682
  obligations. Iraqi co-operation with United Nations weapons inspectors resulted from sustained international pressure including the determined application of sanctions.

  We are concerned by reports of suffering among the civilian population. For that reason food and medicines are exempt from sanctions and we have contributed over £66 million to international relief efforts since April 1991.

  We call on the Iraqi regime to make the purchase of humanitarian supplies a priority, to lift the internal embargo on northern Iraq and accept United Nations offers to allow a limited sale of oil in return for further aid.

  Sir Michael Neubert
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has received about the continued detention of Kuwaiti prisioners in Iraq; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  I met a delegation from the Kuwaiti National Assembly on 29 June to discuss this issue. We raise the plight of Kuwaiti and other missing persons at the United Nations at every possible opportunity, for example when the Security Council last reviewed sanctions against Iraq on 17 May. Our acting head of mission at the United Nations told the Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister in New York on 12 July that British Ministers remained seriously concerned about the detainees and expected Iraq to produce information on all the outstanding files. The International Committee of the Red Cross chaired a meeting of the tripartite commission—coalition countries, Iraq and the ICRC—in Geneva on 1 July at which the Iraqi delegation gave its initial response to 71 out of the 609 inquiry files passed to Iraq by the ICRC over 18 months ago. We are demanding that Iraq offer information on the other files very soon. A further tripartite commission will be held in two months' time to review progress.

  Middle East
  Mr. Cyril D. Townsend
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on Britain's support for the Washington accord on resolving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  We announced last week an extra £5 million of assistance for the new Palestinian Administration, £3 million for immediate running cost needs and £2 million for bilateral technical assistance. Much of these funds will be for the Palestinian police force. All this is in addition to the £70 million we have already pledged in aid to the Palestinians over the next three years, through bilateral and multilateral channels.

  Mr. Janner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the Ministers who have visited(a) Bahrain, (b) Egypt, (c) Iran, (d) Iraq, (e) Israel, (f) Jordan, (g) Kuwait, (h) Lebanon, (i) Oman, (j) Qatar, (k) Saudi Arabi, (l) Syria, (m) the United Arab Emirates and (n) the Yemen since 1979, together with the purpose of each visit; and which Ministers they met.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  No central record is kept in the FCO of overseas travel by Ministers from other Government Departments.

  Since June 1983 Foreign and Commonwealth Office Ministers have made the following visits to these countries:
  683
  Information about visits prior to June 1983 and information about Ministers met during the the visits could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Country/Minister

  Date

  Purpose of visit

  Bahrain

  Mr. Luce

  January 1985

  Bilateral

  Mr. Renton

  March 1986

  Bilateral

  Mr. Mellor

  February 1988

  Bilateral

  Mr. Waldegrave

  February 1989

  Bilateral

  Secretary of State

  March 1989

  Bilateral

  Secretary of State

  January 1991

  Bilateral

  Mr. Hogg

  October 1991

  Bilateral

  Mr. Hogg

  May/June 1994

  Bilateral

  Egypt

  Mr. Luce

  November 1987

  Bilateral

  Secretary of State

  January 1984

  Bilateral

  Mr. Luce

  May 1985

  Bilateral

  Mr. Renton

  September 1986

  Bilateral

  Secretary of State

  November 1987

  Bilateral

  Mr. Waldegrave

  December 1988

  Bilateral

  Mr. Patten

  March 1989

  Bilateral

  Mr. Waldegrave

  November 1989

  Bilateral

  Secretary of State

  October 1990

  Bilateral

  Secretary of State

  February 1991

  Bilateral

  Mr. Hogg

  December 1991

  Bilateral

  Secretary of State

  May 1992

  Bilateral

  Mr. Hogg

  May 1993

  Bilateral

  Baroness Chalker

  November 1993

  Bilateral

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd

  May 1994

  Middle East Peace Treaty

  Iran

  Mrs. Chalker

  April 1991

  Bilateral

  Iraq

  Mr. Luce

  November 1984

  Bilateral

  Mr. Mellor

  February 1988

  Bilateral

  Mr. Waldegrave

  February 1989

  Bilateral

  Israel

  Mr. Luce

  November 1983

  Bilateral

  Secretary of State

  October 1984

  Bilateral

  Mr. Renton

  December 1985

  Bilateral

  Mr. Mellor

  December 1987

  Bilateral

  Mr. Waldegrave

  February 1989

  Bilateral

  Secretary of State

  October 1990

  Bilateral

  Mr. Hogg

  May 1991

  Bilateral

  Mr. Hogg

  July 1993

  Bilateral

  Secretary of State

  January 1994

  Bilateral

  Jordan

  Mr. Luce

  November 1983

  Bilateral

  Mr. Luce

  March 1984

  Bilateral

  Mr. Renton

  September/October 1986

  Bilateral

  Secretary of State

  November 1987

  Bilateral

  Mr. Mellor

  February 1988

  Bilateral

  Mr. Waldegrave

  February 1989

  Bilateral

  Secretary of State

  May 1990

  Bilateral

  Secretary of State

  September 1990

  Bilateral

  Mrs. Chalker

  September 1990

  Bilateral

  Secretary of State

  January 1991

  Bilateral

  Mr. Hogg

  March 1991

  Bilateral

  Mr. Hogg

  July 1993

  Bilateral

  Secretary of State

  January 1994

  Bilateral

  Kuwait

  Mr. Luce

  December 1983

  Bilateral

  Mr. Luce

  April 1985

  Bilateral

  Secretary of State

  January 1986

  Bilateral

  Mr. Mellor

  December 1987

  Bilateral

  Secretary of State

  January 1989

  Bilateral

  Mr. Waldegrave

  February 1989

  Bilateral

  Mr. Hogg

  February 1992

  Bilateral

  Secretary of State

  May 1992

  Bilateral

  Mr. Hogg

  May/June 1994

  Bilateral

  684

  Country/Minister

  Date

  Purpose of visit

  Lebanon

  Mr. Luce

  September 1983

  Bilateral

  Secretary of State

  October 1984

  Bilateral

  Mr. Renton

  December 1985

  Bilateral

  Mr. Hogg

  June 1991

  Bilateral

  Secretary of State

  January 1994

  Bilateral

  Oman

  Mr. Luce

  December 1983

  Bilateral

  Mr. Luce

  January 1985

  Bilateral

  Secretary of State

  January 1986

  Bilateral

  Mr. Renton

  February 1987

  Bilateral

  Mr. Mellor

  November 1987

  Bilateral

  Secretary of State

  January 1989

  Bilateral

  Mr. Waldegrave

  December 1989

  Bilateral

  Secretary of State

  March 1990

  EC/GCC

  Secretary of State

  September 1990

  Bilateral

  Qatar

  Mr. Luce

  April 1984

  Bilateral

  Mr. Luce

  April 1985

  Bilateral

  Mr. Renton

  March 1986

  Bilateral

  Mr. Waldegrave

  October 1988

  Bilateral

  Secretary of State

  March 1989

  Bilateral

  Secretary of State

  January 1991

  Bilateral

  Mr. Hogg

  October 1991

  Bilateral

  Mr. Hogg

  May/June 1994

  Bilateral

  Saudi Arabia

  Secretary of State

  January 1984

  Bilateral

  Mr. Luce

  March 1985

  Bilateral

  Secretary of State

  January 1986

  Bilateral

  Mr. Renton

  February 1987

  Bilateral

  Mr. Mellor

  December 1987

  Bilateral

  Mr. Waldegrave

  October 1988

  Bilateral

  Secretary of State

  January 1989

  Bilateral

  Secretary of State

  May/June 1990

  Bilateral

  Secretary of State

  September 1990

  Bilateral

  Secretary of State

  February 1991

  Bilateral

  Mr. Hogg

  February 1992

  Bilateral

  Secretary of State

  September 1993

  Bilateral

  Mr. Hogg

  May 1994

  EU/GCC Ministerial

  Syria

  Mr. Luce

  December 1983

  Bilateral

  Secretary of State

  January 1984

  Bilateral

  Mr. Renton

  December 1985

  Bilateral

  Mr. Hogg

  March 1991

  Bilateral

  Mr. Hogg

  June 1991

  Bilateral

  Secretary of State

  October 1993

  Bilateral

  United Arab Emirates

  Mr. Luce

  December 1983

  Bilateral

  Mr. Luce

  March 1985

  Bilateral

  Mr. Renton

  March 1986

  Bilateral

  Mr. Mellor

  November 1987

  Bilateral

  Mr. Waldegrave

  October 1988

  Bilateral

  Secretary of State

  January 1989

  Bilateral

  Mr. Waldegrave

  May 1989

  Bilateral

  Secretary of State

  September 1990

  Bilateral

  Secretary of State

  January 1991

  Bilateral

  Mr. Hogg

  October 1991

  Bilateral

  Mr. Hogg

  December 1992

  Bilateral

  Secretary of State

  September 1993

  Bilateral

  Yemen

  Mr. Renton

  February 1987

  Bilateral

  Secretary of State

  January 1989

  Bilateral

  Mr. Waldegrave

  December 1989

  Bilateral

  Mr. Hogg

  December 1992

  Bilateral

  Mr. Janner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the current progress in the middle east peace process.
  685
  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  I welcome Mr. Arafat's return to Gaza and Jericho which symbolises progress in the peace process. We will continue to provide assistance to his new administration. We welcome recent progress on the Jordanian track of the peace process and hope for progress on the Syrian and Lebanese tracks.

  Unemployment
  Mr. Burns
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what measures to reduce unemployment were decided by the European Council at Corfu.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  The European Council discussed the follow-up to the action plan to reduce unemployment which was agreed at Brussels. They endorsed the Commission's decision to set up a group of independent experts to examine the burden of Community and national legislation on business. They agreed a list of 11 priority trans-European network transport projects. They also received a report from the Bangemann group with recommendations for action to exploit opportunities in the field of information technology and agreed to follow up the issues raised in the report.

  Germany
  Mr. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next plans to meet his German counterpart to discuss Anglo-German relations.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  When Dr. Kinkel and my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary meet regularly, as they do on both bilateral and multilateral occasions, they review our bilateral co-operation. I met my German counterpart for talks yesterday and my right hon. Friend will be meeting Dr. Kinkel at the special European Council on 15 July.

  Sierra Leone
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress is being made in the trial of four British passport holders being tried for subversive activities in Sierra Leone.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  A magistrate has decided that there is a case to answer and the men are scheduled to appear before a jury in the High Court in September. They enjoy regular consular visits from the British high commission and are in good health.

  Liberia
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports are sent to the European Union about the operation of the Economic Community of West African States monitoring group initiative in Liberia; to what are the reports mainly directed; and if they are publicly available.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  The United Nations Secretary-General's progress reports on the United Nations Observer Mission in Liberia, UNOMIL, include reference to the ECOWAS monitoring and observing group, ECOMOG, and provide comprehensive accounts of political, military and humanitarian developments. These reports are 686
  available to all member states, including the European Union and are also available publicly in London from the United Nations information centre. A copy of the fifth progress report has been placed in both Libraries of the House.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if proposals exist for a European Union mission in Liberia.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  No.

  Nigeria
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Nigerian Government about its failure to obey a Federal High Court order to produce Chief Abiola in court on 30 June.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  Chief Abiola was finally arraigned in court in Abuja on 6 July. Together with our EU partners, we have made clear to the Nigerian Government the importance we attach to the rule of law, and respect for human rights. Putting Chief Abiola on trial cannot resolve Nigeria's political problems.

  Data Protection
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 16 June,Official Report, column 640, whether he will describe, in each case, the specific inconsistency which obliged the United Kingdom Government to enter a derogation from the first sentence of paragraph 2.4, the second sentence of paragraph 3.1, and from the whole of paragraph 3.3 of Council of Europe recommendation R(85)20; and whether he will make a statement.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  The reservation on the first sentence of paragraph 2.4 was made because the Government did not believe that individual notification of data subjects at the time of collection should always be required.

  The reservation on the second sentence of paragraph 3.1 was made because United Kingdom law does not require an individual's consent to be obtained before data about him are disclosed.

  The reservation on paragraph 3.3 was made because in the Government's view it is impracticable for controllers of marketing files to know to whom their lists have been provided by the original recipients of the lists.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 16 June,Official Report, column 640, whether he will in each case describe the specific inconsistency which obliged the United Kingdom Government to enter a derogation from principles 6.2 and 6.3 paragraph 2 of Council of Europe recommendation R(91)10; and whether he will make a statement.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  The reservations on principle 6.2 and principle 6.3, paragraph 2, were made because these provisions go beyond what is required by United Kingdom data protection legislation.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 16
  687
  June, Official Report, column 640, whether he will in each case describe the specific inconsistency which obliged the United Kingdom Government to enter a derogation from principles 2.2 and 2.4 of Council of Europe recommendation R(87)15; and whether he will make a statement.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  The reservation on principle 2.2 was made because in the Government's view it would be undesirable to provide the information in question in some circumstances.

  The reservation on principle 2.4 was made because in the Government's view this principle could seriously inhibit the police in preventing and detecting crime.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 16 June,Official Report, column 640, whether he will, in each case describe the specific inconsistency which obliged the United Kingdom Government to enter a derogation from the second sub-paragraph of 1.2, the second sentence of paragraph 3.3, and from paragraph 5 of Council of Europe recommendation R(86)1; and whether he will make a statement.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  The reservation on the second sub-paragraph of paragraph 1.2 was made to ensure that the recommendation did not apply to occupational pensions schemes in the United Kingdom.

  The reservation on the second sentence of paragraph 3.3 was made because United Kingdom law does not require consent before personal data may be obtained from third parties.

  The reservation on paragraph 5 was made because the United Kingdom does not have legislation governing the use of the national insurance number.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 16 June,Official Report, column 640, whether he will describe the specific inconsistency which obliged the United Kingdom Government to enter a derogation from extending the Council of Europe recommendation R(83)10 to manually processed data; and whether he will make a statement.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  The reservation was made because United Kingdom data protection law does not apply to manually processed data.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 16 June,Official Report, column 640, whether he will in each case describe the specific inconsistency which obliged the United Kingdom Government to enter a derogation from paragraphs 3.3, 3.4, 5.1c, and 7.1 of Council of Europe recommendations R(90)19; and whether he will make a statement.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  The reservations on paragraphs 3.3 and 5.1.c were made because these paragraphs depend upon the individual's consent which is not required under United Kingdom law.

  The reservation of paragraph 3.4 was made because in the Government's view the paragraph is unnecessarily restrictive on businesses which use non-cash means of payment.

  The reservation on paragraph 7.1 was made because the paragraph could require the data subject to be given access to security information.

  Hong Kong
  Mr. Turner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the progress of recent discussions on the future of Hong Kong.

  Mr. Faulds
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the proegress of recent discussions on the future of Hong Kong.

  Mr. Goodlad
  The 29th plenary session of the Sino-British joint liaison group was held in Hong Kong in June. Full agreement was reached, after seven years of negotiations, on the future of the military estate in Hong Kong. Agreement was also reached, among other things, on the continued application to Hong Kong of nine multilateral treaties on merchant shipping, the text of two new bilateral treaties on extradition and investment and the localisation of three more items of United Kingdom legislation.

  Poland
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his policy in respect of Poland's borders.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  We fully respect Poland's sovereignty, territorial integrity and the involability of her borders, in accordance with United Nations and Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe principles.

  GATT Headquarters
  Sir John Hannam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will support the retention of the headquarters of GATT, now to become the World Trade Organisation, at Geneva; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  The Swiss and German Governments have put forward generous and attractive offers of sites for the headquarters of the World Trade Organisation in Geneva and Bonn respectively. The British Government could support a consensus in favour of either place; but we see some advantage in the WTO remaining in Geneva to avoid the disruption of a move.

  Gas-related Deaths (Spain)
  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make joint representations with the Irish Foreign Secretary to the Spanish authorities about further gas-related deaths of British and Irish citizens in Spain.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  No. There is no evidence that the recent deaths in the Canary Islands from carbon monoxide poisoning were connected. Nor is there any evidence that a criminal offence was committed in connection with the death of the British national. If they wish the family can make a claim for compensation through the civil courts.

  Macedonia
  Mrs. Gorman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the EC's policy on trade with the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.
  689
  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  Trade is a key way of promoting prosperity and stability. We hope to see the 690
  early lifting of Greek trade restrictions with the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and the resolution of their bilateral dispute.

  NORTHERN IRELAND: REVENUE APPORTIONMENT
  NORTHERN IRELAND: REVENUE APPORTIONMENT
  NORTHERN IRELAND: UK SUBVENTION
  NORTHERN IRELAND: UK SUBVENTION
  NATIONAL FOREST PROJECT
  NATIONAL FOREST PROJECT
  GUATEMALA: HUMAN RIGHTS
  GUATEMALA: HUMAN RIGHTS
  UN DOCUMENTS: ELECTRONIC ACCESS
  UN DOCUMENTS: ELECTRONIC ACCESS
  JUDICIAL APPOINTMENTS: EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES
  JUDICIAL APPOINTMENTS: EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES
  HEALTHCARE IN LONDON: FIGURES
  HEALTHCARE IN LONDON: FIGURES
  HELICOPTER SHOOTING DOWN: US INQUIRY
  HELICOPTER SHOOTING DOWN: US INQUIRY
  PEERS' EXPENSES
  PEERS' EXPENSES
  TURKISH ASYLUM SEEKERS
  TURKISH ASYLUM SEEKERS