Written Answers of 20 June 1994

TREASURY

  Taxpayers Charter
  Mrs. Ann Taylor
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if the Dewsbury tax office has achieved the targets set by the taxpayers charter.

  Mr. Dorrell
  Dewsbury tax office operates efficiently and is committed to achieving the targets set by the taxpayers charter.

  Hospital Developments
  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the role of Treasury Ministers in the approval for new hospital developments.

  Mr. Portillo
  The role of the Treasury is to advise its Ministers on the level of resources appropriate for individual departmental programmes and to satisfy itself that public funds—including funds for capital developments—are used efficiently and effectively.

  In this context, Treasury Ministers reserve the right to examine any proposed capital development to ensure that it is affordable and represents value for money. I also formally approve new hospital developments, or schemes which are part of a planned programme of development, which have a total capital cost over £50 million.

  Tax Office, Dewsbury
  Mrs. Ann Taylor
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the reason for closing the tax office in Dewsbury.

  Mr. Dorrell
  Revenue management is considering a proposal to move the work of Dewsbury tax office to a new office in Leeds. No decision is likely to be made on this proposal for some months. The proposal arises from the Revenue's change programme which is designed to improve the quality and efficiency of the service provided to taxpayers by the Department. The Dewsbury proposal will be assessed against those objectives.

  Mrs. Ann Taylor
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the annual cost of keeping the Dewsbury tax office open.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The estimated cost for 1994–95 of keeping the Dewsbury tax office open is £1,991,000.

  Mrs. Ann Taylor
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people have visited or telephoned the Dewsbury tax office, for information or advice, in each of the last three years.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The number of people who have visited or telephoned the Dewsbury tax office, for information or advice, in each of the last three years is as follows:
  2

  Year to April 1992

  1993

  1994

  Telephone calls

  49,717

  51,638

  55,961

  Personal callers

  10,597

  9,748

  9,577

  TOTAL

  60,314

  61,386

  65,538

  Mortgage Tax Relief, Scotland
  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the total value of providing mortgage tax relief in Scotland; and how many households received it in the latest year for which he has information.

  Mr. Dorrell
  It is estimated that the cost of mortgage interest relief for Scotland in 1993–94 was £280 million. It was received by about 710,000 married couples and single people. The estimates are based on the regional distribution of mortgages shown by the 1992 Family Expenditure Survey applied to the United Kingdom total estimates for 1993–94.

  Capital Gains Tax
  Mr. Burns
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the current legislation for reinvestment rollover relief which allows individuals and most trustees to defer capital gains tax on any chargeable gains which they reinvest in an unquoted trading company.

  Mr. Dorrell
  A loophole has been identified in the capital gains tax reinvestment rollover relief rules. This enables taxpayers in certain circumstances to convert what is meant to be a tax deferral into an outright exemption. The main circumstances are where someone reinvests in shares bought from a spouse or where someone realises gains on two or more disposals and reinvests in shares whose market value is less than the total gains realised.

  The Government intend to correct this defect in the next Finance Bill. The new rules will apply to disposals, acquisitions and other chargeable events occurring on or after today. Further details are given in a press release which the Inland Revenue is issuing.

  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will cause a case-stated to be delivered to Mr. Marriott of Barnstormers, West Lane, Higher Blagdon, Paignton, as requested, following the hearing at the beginning of February before the Commissioners with regard to capital gains tax liability arising from a defunct business; if he will make a statement as to the reasons for the delays in delivering a case-stated; and if he will cause bankruptcy proceedings to be halted until the case-stated has been delivered so as to provide the information needed for an appeal.

  Mr. Dorrell
  I wrote to my hon. Friend on 15 June.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Electricity
  Mr. Spellar
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what allowance for price rises will be made to the electricity supply industry to recover costs incurred through the reduction in electricity voltage.
  3
  Mr. Eggar
  Matters relating to pricing in respect of the electricity supply industry are for the Director General of Electricity Supply. Any costs are not likely to be incurred for several years and would also depend on the final stages of harmonisation which will not take place until some time after the year 2003.

  Airbus
  Sir Teddy Taylor
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will raise at the next meeting of the European Council the desirability of publishing the overall profit or loss of the airbus project and the amount of public or state industry financial commitment so far contributed.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  No. It is for the Airbus Industrie and its partners to decide what financial information it will publish.

  The United Kingdom Government have contributed £746.4 million towards British Aerospace's involvement in the consortium and has recouped £178.3 million to date.

  Coal Industry
  Mr. Burns
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade when the British Coal pension schemes will be guaranteed by Government; when the new industry-wide schemes for the privatised industry will be set up; what protected person status will mean; and what scheme contribution rates will be payable in future.

  Mr. Eggar
  It is currently envisaged that, subject to the Coal Industry Bill having secured parliamentary approval and Royal Assent, Government guarantees for the mineworkers' pension scheme—MPS—and the British Coal staff superannuation scheme—SSS—would come into effect in mid-September this year. At that time the schemes would be modified as necessary by regulations as proposed in the Bill. It is envisaged that the two new industry-wide schemes proposed for the industry after privatisation would then be established in December.

  On the day when the industry-wide schemes are established employers of contributing members of the MPS and SSS who cease to be or are not British Coal employees—that is, any employees of British Coal or its subsidiaries transferred on that day to successor companies and all other persons who are scheme members on that day but are no longer or were never employed by the corporation or its subsidiaries—will be obliged to give such employees the option to join the industry-wide schemes in which the employees will gain statutory protected-person status. Successor employers of members of the MPS or SSS who remain as British Coal employees for some period after the establishment of the industry-wide schemes and who are subsequently transferred to the successor employers will be obliged at the time of the transfer to give such employees the option to join the industry-wide schemes in which the employees will gain protected-person status. Protected person status will operate to safeguard the pension benefit structures of the MPS and SSS which will be reproduced within the industry-wide schemes.

  Contribution rates for employees and indicative estimates of initial employer contribution rates are set out for each industry-wide scheme as percentages of pensionable earnings:
  4

  Employees' contributions Per cent.

  Employees' contributions Per cent.

  IWS-MPS

  5·25

  9·25

  IWS-SSS

  5·00

  15·00

  There will be no transfer of employer contribution holidays from the MPS or SSS to the industry-wide schemes.

  Konver Programme
  Mr. Burns
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the total amount of money made available for training and reskilling under the Konver programme in Essex; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  A total of £201,000 was made available in Essex for training projects as part of £501,000 of grants to projects in the county from the United Kingdom's 1993 Konver programme. I shall seek to ensure that the United Kingdom receives its fair share from the £380 million available under Konver II for the period 1994–1997.

  Regional Assistance
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the total value by region of(a) regional selective assistance and (b) regional enterprise grants for the period 1 August 1993 to 19 May 1994.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The value of offers that have been made by region in England of (i) regional selective assistance and (ii) regional enterprise grants for the period 1 August 1993 to 19 May 1994 are as follows:

  Regional selective assistance £ million

  Regional enterprise grants £ million

  East

  0·4

  0·3

  East Midlands

  4·9

  1·7

  London

  0·5

  —

  Merseyside

  13·3

  1·5

  North East

  26·6

  1·5

  North West

  11·6

  —

  South East

  1·6

  0·6

  South West

  12·3

  1·0

  West Midlands

  13·9

  0·8

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  11·6

  4·4

  TOTAL

  96·7

  11·8

NATIONAL HERITAGE

  British Broadcasting Corporation
  Mr. Marlow
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will discuss with the chairman of governors of the BBC their proposal for ethnic quotas in trainee schemes; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Brooke
  No. The BBC is responsible for decisions about recruitment to its training schemes and other employment matters. The Race Relations Act 1976 permits discrimination on the basis of racial group in the selection of trainees when statutory criteria are satisfied.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  United Kingdom Passport Agency
  Ms Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what plans he has to contract out or privatise any function of the United Kingdom Passport Agency;

  (2) what was the result of stage II, dealing with the scope for privatisation and abolition, of the framework document review of the United Kingdom Passport Agency;

  (3) what plans there are to market test the United Kingdom Passport Agency during the next two years;

  (4) what was the result of stage I, dealing with the evaluation of performance, of the framework document review of the United Kingdom Passport Agency.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  In accordance with the normal practice of reviewing executive agencies after they have been in existence for three years the activities of the United Kingdom Passport Agency are currently under review. The review includes an evaluation of the agency's performance and an examination of the options for delivering its services. An announcement on the future of the agency, and on any plans for changing the arrangements for delivering its services, will be made in due course.

  Ms Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which private companies have been invited to tender for the post and data entry function at the United Kingdom Passport Agency.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  None. No tender has been issued.

  Firearms
  Mr. Robathan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what research into the origins of firearms and shotguns used in the pursuit of crime his Department has commissioned or undertaken;

  (2) what research his Department has commissioned or undertaken to identify how many legally held and licensed shotguns have been used in the pursuit of crime.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  Research which was commissioned by the Home Office into the use of firearms in offences of robbery has been conducted by the Oxford centre for criminological research. One of the aims of the research was to establish how the guns used in robbery were obtained. The report of the research has recently been completed.

  In addition, a study has been conducted by the Home Office research and planning unit into the theft of firearms from an analysis of police crime reports.

  It is expected that both reports will be published shortly.

  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make it his policy to permit firearms certificates to be issued to members of the public on condition that such arms will be used only on private land specified on the certificate and where land is located away from public highways and public rights of way.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  No. Chief officers of police already have extensive powers to refuse the issue of firearms certificates to anyone without a good reason to 6
  possess one, or to anyone who could not possess one without danger to public safety or the peace. In addition, chief officers may impose territorial conditions on firearm certificates, restricting the area where the firearm may be used.

  999 Calls
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will place in the Library a copy of the guidelines he issues to(a) chief police officers and (b) chief fire officers on the timing and release of information to the press following a 999 call to a serious road accident.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  No specific guidelines are issued to chief officers of police or to chief officers on the timing and release of information to the press following a 999 call to a serious road accident. This is matter for chief officers to decide. General guidance to all emergency services about dealing with the media is contained in the Home Office publication "Dealing with Disaster".

  Remand Prisoners
  Sir Russell Johnston
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many citizens of each country of the European Union have been remanded in custody in the United Kingdom for more than(a) two years and (b) one year.

  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 A. J. Butler to Sir Russell Johnston, dated 20 June 1994.
  The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question asking how many citizens of each country of the European Union have been remanded in custody in the United Kingdom for more than (a) two years and (b) one year.
  The latest available provisional information is for the population in Prison Service establishments in England and Wales on 30 April 1994. It is given in the attached table.

  Population of remand prisoners in Prison Service establishments in England and Wales on 30 April 1994, remanded in custody for more than (a) two years and (b) one year, by European Union country2

  Nationality

  Time since first remand in custody1

  Over two years

  Over one year but less than two years

  Belgium

  —

  —

  Denmark

  —

  —

  Netherlands

  —

  5

  France

  —

  1

  Germany

  —

  1

  Greece

  —

  —

  Ireland

  1

  7

  Italy

  —

  1

  Luxembourg

  —

  —

  Portugal

  —

  —

  Spain

  —

  1

  United Kingdom

  37

  287

  All EU Nationalities

  38

  303

  1Time since first remand into a Prison Service establishment; includes any intervening time on bail. Excludes any time spent in non-Prison Service establishments (eg police cells) before reception on remand into a Prison Service establishment.

  2Provisional figures.

  Animal Experimentation
  Mrs. Helen Jackson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to meet the European Commission's target of a 50 per cent. reduction in animals used in experiments by the year 2000.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  The Government fund research into alternatives to the use of animals in scientific work, and welcome the contribution which the European centre for validation of alternative methods—ECVAM—will make at a European level to the identification and validation of alternatives. The number of procedures carried out in the United Kingdom has been declining, and this process, combined with the search for alternatives, should make a significant contribution to meeting the European Commission target.

  Public Consultation
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in what circumstances it is his Department's practice, when issuing a public consultation document, to inform those consulted that their responses will be made public unless they explicity ask for them to be kept confidential; and if he will arrange for his Department to do so in all cases in future.

  Mr. Howard
  The code of practice on Government information commits the Department to publishing relevant facts and analysis underlying major policy proposals. This would include details of any public consultation exercise. Comments on public consultation documents are sought on the basis that the Department would not wish to publish individual responses without the agreement of those providing them.

  Civil Servants (Outside Appointments)
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many job offers were reported by staff in his Department under the requirements of the rules on the acceptance of outside appointments in each of the last 10 years by(a) staff of grade 3 and above, (b) staff below grade 3, (c) staff in sections concerned with procurement or contract work, under section 15 of the rules of 1 February 1993 and (d) staff in other sections, under section 14; and how many of these reports were followed by an application to join the company concerned.

  Mr. Howard
  The rules do not require staff below grade 3 level to report approaches to the centre of their departments. Five offers of jobs have been reported by staff at grade 3 level and above since 1989, all of which have been followed by a formal application. The rest of the information requested is either not available or is not maintained centrally.

  Blakenhurst and Doncaster Prisons
  Mr. Wareing
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make available in the Library details of contracts for the Blakenhurst and Doncaster prisons; what representations he has received concerning these contracts; and what has been the nature of such representations.
  8
  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 A. J. Butler to Mr. Robert Wareing, dated 20 June 1994:
  The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question about Blakenhurst and Doncaster prisons.
  A copy of the invitations to tender which formed the basis of the contracts are already in the Library and copies of the contracts without details of the contractor's prices will be placed there.
  From time to time the Director General receives questions concerning the nature of these contracts. They are diverse in their scope but have covered the costs of the contracts; staffing numbers and arrangements; which companies had tendered for the contracts; and the wrongly perceived 'privatisation' of the Prison Service.

  Illegal Immigrants
  Mr. Marlow
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement with regard to absconding by illegal immigrants from Jamaica who arrived at Gatwick in December 1993.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  Efforts are being made to trace, with a view to removal, 11 passengers who arrived on two charter flights at Gatwick last December and who are known to be here illegally because they have not complied with the terms of their temporary admission. If any other passengers who were allowed to enter for six months are found to have overstayed their visit, we will pursue them with a view to deportation in the normal way.

  Tamara Norashkaryan
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) whether the application for political asylum made by Tamara Norashkaryan, a Russian visitor to the United Kingdom, was considered under the normal procedures; who reviewed the recommendation on the application within the Immigration and Nationality Department at senior official level; and what conditions have been imposed on Ms Norashkaryan's leave to remain in the United Kingdom;

  (2) when Tamara Norashkaryan, a visitor to the United Kingdom from Russia, applied for political asylum in the United Kingdom; when her application was approved; whether a recommendation on her application was referred to Ministers for decision; when he was informed Ms Norashkaryan had married Sir Antony Buck; and if he will make a statement;

  (3) on what date Sir Antony Buck was interviewed concerning Tamara Norashkaryan's application for political asylum in the United Kingdom; what representations Sir Antony has made to Ministers concerning the immigration status of Ms Norashkaryan; and in what form and on what date or dates such representations were made;

  (4) how many meetings his officials have had with Ms Tamara Norashkaryan, a Russian visitor to the United Kingdom, in connection with her application for political asylum in the United Kingdom; when she completed the necessary application forms; when she told his officials she intended to marry or had married Sir Antony Buck; and for how long in total Ms Norashkaryan was interviewed.
  9
  Mr. Charles Wardle
  It has been the long-standing normal policy not to confirm or deny whether any individual has applied for political asylum or to provide details of the consideration of individual claims.

  Police Pay
  Mr. Shersby
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what decisions he has reached on the recommendations made by the Police Negotiating Board for the United Kingdom for changes to pay structures, pay levels and pay-related conditions of service for police officers in the ranks of inspector and above.

  Mr. Howard
  The Police Negotiating Board's recommendations for police officers of all ranks were sent to the Secretaries of State for the Home Departments at the beginning of April. The board subsequently put forward further proposals which took account of the decision which I announced on 26 April that the rank of chief inspector should be retained.

  We have now studied these proposals carefully. We accept the board's proposals for superintendents and their revised proposals for inspectors and chief inspectors. The proposals will be implemented with effect from 1 September 1994.

  New pay arrangements for chief constables and assistant chief constables are linked to the introduction from 1 April 1995 of fixed-term appointments for officers in these ranks. Once certain outstanding issues relating to these appointments have been settled I shall be in a position to announce the Government's decision on pay for this group of officers.

  Mentally Ill Prisoners
  Mr. Mates
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if discretionary life prisoners who have been transferred to hospital under the Mental Health Act 1983, and whom it is not appropriate to remit to prison even though they no longer require, or can effectively be given, hospital treatment, are able to have the question of their release considered by the Parole Board under section 34 of the Criminal Justice Act 1991.

  Mr. Howard
  The cases of discretionary life prisoners in this category are referred to the Parole Board under section 34 of the 1991 Act, while they remain in hospital, in the same way as if they had been remitted to prison.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Nuba Mountain
  Mr. Robert Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received from discussions recently held by the Intergovernmental Authority on Drought and Development about the killings and dispossession of the people of the Nuba mountains.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  We are not aware that the subject of the Nuba mountains has been discussed at the IGADD talks. A draft declaration of principles, now under consideration by the parties, makes general references to human rights and human suffering in war-affected areas.

  Korea
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the current situation in Korea in regard to military and nuclear developments.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  North Korea's continued non-compliance with its safeguards agreement remains a cause for great concern. In the United Nations Security Council we are consulting other member states and regional countries on the timing, tactics and substance of Security Council action. Another cause of concern is the large concentration of North Korean forces along its border with the Republic of Korea. We urge North Korea to recognise that peaceful means offer the best chance of resolving the current problems on the Korean peninsula.

  Turks and Caicos Islands
  Sir Thomas Arnold
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the use of the Turks and Caicos islands as a processing camp for Haitian refugees will be limited to a certain period of time.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  The agreement among the three Governments on the processing centre to be established in the Turks and Caicos islands is limited in duration to a period not exceeding six months.

  Sir Thomas Arnold
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to make the proposed United States of America processing camp for Haitian refugees on the Turks and Caicos islands subject to a formal leasehold agreement betwen the United Kingdom and the United States of America; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  The arrangement to establish a processing centre for Haitian boat people in the Turks and Caicos islands is contained in a memorandum of understanding signed by the British, United States and Turks and Caicos islands Governments. The UNHCR will be closely involved in the arrangement. Under the MOU, the TCI Government will make a site available in Grand Turk for the processing centre, which the United States authorities will occupy on a lease arrangement.

  Sir Thomas Arnold
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans exist to resettle those Haitians who are judged to be genuine political refugees; and whether they will have a right of abode in the Turks and Caicos islands.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  Under the arrangement agreed with the United States for the establishment of a processing centre for Haitian boat people in the Turks and Caicos islands, those Haitians considered by United States immigration officers running the processing centre to have a genuine claim to refugee status will be removed from the Turks and Caicos islands and resettled in third countries or in the United States. These Haitians will not have the right of abode in the Turks and Caicos islands.

  Lockerbie
  Sir Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will consult the authorities in Lebanon to secure more information on the
  11
  reported confession of Yusef Shaban that he had responsibility for the Lockerbie disaster; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  We are in contact with the Lebanese authorities on this matter.

  Visitor Visas
  Mrs. Wise
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many initial assessments prior to formal application for a visitor visa have in the last year resulted in the potential applicant being advised not to proceed with formal application on the grounds that they are unlikely to succeed.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  At the 27 posts worldwide where a formal preliminary examination of applicants is carried out, 33,890 applicants were advised in 1993 that their applications would be unlikely to succeed without further information being supplied. Such advice would no doubt also have been offered at other posts when appropriate, but precise figures are not available.

  Ukraine
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his letter of 27 May to the hon. Member for Linlithgow, what were the results of discussions with the Government of the Ukraine about maintaining and seeking to improve electricity supplies, and technical assistance and loan finance for safety upgrading and investment in completing of Ukraine nuclear power stations.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  So far, the talks have been at an exploratory level. Substantive discussions are not expected to take place before next month, when the Ukrainian presidential election process is completed, and the G7 summit in Naples has had the opportunity to consider the question of nuclear safety in eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, including Ukraine.

  Tamara Norashkaryan
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs at which British overseas post Tamara Norashkaryan, a language lecturer at Moscow university, applied to visit the United Kingdom; when her application was made; for how long a visit she applied and what were her reasons for visiting the United Kingdom; when the visa was granted; who sponsored her visit; whether Ms Norashkaryan had previously applied to enter the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  I will look into this matter and write to the hon. Member in due course.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION

  Natural Resources Institute
  Mr. Tom Clarke
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what work has been contracted out by the Natural Resources Institute as a direct result of the redundancies announced in January 1994 in(a) oilseeds, (b) mycotoxins and (c) other areas.
  12
  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  Responsibility for the subject of the question has been delegated to the Natural Resources Institute under its chief executive, Mr. Anthony Beattie. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter from Anthony Beattie to Mr. Tom Clarke, dated 20 June 1994:
  1. Mr. Lennox-Boyd has aked me to reply to your question about the amount of work contracted out by NRI as a direct result of the staff reductions announced in January.
  2. We have so far contracted out work to the value of £6,300 in the oilseeds area. No work has been contracted out so far in mycotoxins or in other areas. It may, of course, prove necessary to do so in due course but I have no reason at this stage to think that this will be a substantial requirement.

  Mr. Tom Clarke
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what steps he will take to protect and guarantee the integrity of aid expenditure decisions relating to work undertaken by the Natural Resources Institute following a change in ownership of the institute;

  (2) if he will rule out a change of ownership for the Natural Resources Institute.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Eastbourne (Mr. Waterson) on 26 January, at column 272. Options for the future ownership of the Natural Resources Institute are still being considered. Whatever the future ownership of NRI, contracts placed with it by the ODA will continue to be subject to all normal ODA procedures which are designed to ensure effective development and value for money.

  Brazil
  Mr. Wareing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his counterparts in Brazil respecting the provision of aid for health and environmental purposes; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  During his visit to Brazil in April, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and his Brazilian counterpart discussed issues relating to sustainable development agreeing, particularly, the importance of effectively following up the environmental objectives agreed at the Rio Earth summit. The Minister for Overseas Development also met the Brazilian Minister for the Environment and Amazonia earlier this month, when environmental issues in Amazonia and the urban areas were discussed.

  It is our intention to maintain an effective bilateral programme of technical co-operation with Brazil in areas of mutual priority, including the environment, both natural and urban, and health sector management reform. We also support health and environment projects managed by United Kingdom non-governmental organisations.

  UN Children's Fund
  Mr. Tom Clarke
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will give his reasons for the annual reduction in the United Kingdom's contribution to the core funding of the United Nations children's fund.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  Growing pressures on the aid programme mean that we are unable to insulate UN
  13
  voluntary funds from some reduction in our annual core funding. However, this is only part of our support. We also contribute generously to UNICEF's emergency and other extra budgetary programmes.

  Pergau Dam
  Mr. Tom Clarke
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what economic rate of return was projected by the Overseas Development Administration for the Pergau dam project in Malaysia(a) at the time of the contract proposal in January 1989 when the price was £316 million, (b) at the time of the revised contract proposal in April 1989 when the price was £397 million and (c) at the time approval was given in 1991 when the price was £417 million.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  The appropriate method of economic appraisal for projects like Pergau which are part of a financially viable interconnected grid system involves calculation of the least cost expansion path. This method utilises a computer model to analyse and minimise total systems costs as new generating units are added to meet the forecast levels of demand.

  In January 1989 ODA did not have sufficient information to judge whether Pergau appeared on the least cost path although this seemed likely at the then price of £316 million; at subsequent higher cost estimates the project was judged to be outside the least cost expansion path.

ENVIRONMENT

  Non-domestic Rating
  Mr. Straw
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many hereditaments were included in the 1990 non-domestic rating list; and how many appeals against valuation were lodged.

  Mr. Gummer
  A total of 1.584 million hereditaments were included in English 1990 non-domestic rating lists in April 1990. By the end of March 1994, 1.1 million proposals to alter the list had been made to the Valuation Office Agency, of which 633,000 were against the values originally shown in the list and 467,000 were made following changes in circumstances since the 1990 list came into force.

  Rough Sleepers
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many places were made available for those sleeping rough in central London in 1985, 1990, 1993, and what is his estimate for 1995; and what was the average take-up rate, expressed as a percentage.

  Sir George Young
  Accommodation for people sleeping rough in central London is provided by a variety of agencies, including the Resettlement Agency, housing associations, local authorities and the voluntary sector. My Department does not have detailed information on the total number of places available, nor average occupancy rates for any particular year, and I cannot estimate how many places might be available in a future year.

  As part of the rough sleepers initiative 1990–91 to 1995–96 in central London, the Government are funding emergency and temporary bedspaces in winter shelters,
  14
  nightshelters and hostels; temporary accommodation in properties leased from private sector landlords; and permanent accommodation in flats and houses for people to move on to. This provision, which includes at least 3,300 places in permanent move-on accommodation, has enabled many thousands of people to start a new life away from the streets, and will continue to do so.

  Housing, Harrogate
  Mr. Robert Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the present number of housing units provided by housing associations in the Harrogate borough council area.

  Sir George Young
  The information requested can be found in appendix 1, page 58 of "Housing Associations in 1993" published by the Housing Corporation and held in the Library.

  Somerset County Council
  Mr. Rowe
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many letters he has received in support of retaining the county council in a two-tier structure for the present county of Somerset.

  Mr. Baldry
  My right hon. Friend has received 1,754 written representations opposing the Local Government Commission's recommendation to replace Somerset county council and the five Somerset district councils with three unitary authorities. A large number of these did not state a preferred alternative. It is therefore not possible to give an accurate figure for those supporting a two-tier structure.

  Miss Patricia Eaton
  Mr. Raynsford
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what has been the total cost, including the cost of(a) staff time, (b) legal advice and representation and (c) litigation relating to this case to (i) the Inner London education authority, (ii) the London residuary body and (iii) the London Pension Fund Authority, of responding to the complaints lodged by Miss Patricia Eaton of Kidbrooke Park road, London SE3, relating to her treatment by the ILEA when she was in its employment, over the period from 1980 to the present date.

  Mr. Baldry
  This is a matter for the London Pensions Fund Authority and I suggest that the hon. Gentleman should contact the chief executive for the information he requires.

  Naval Firing Range, Cornwall
  Mr. Jamieson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if his Department has been consulted by the Ministry of Defence over the proposal to site a naval firing range off Dodman point in Cornwall; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Atkins
  Yes, in January 1994. The Department raised no objections to the proposal.

  European Regional Development Fund
  Sir Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement clarifying the manner in which ERDF grants are taken into account in
  15
  assessing the standard spending assessments of local authorities; and what steps have been taken to harmonise the principles of such policies with other parts of the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Curry
  When a local authority in England receives an ERDF grant for a capital project, a supplementary credit approval—SCA—is issued to it. Nether the grant, nor the related SCA, is taken into account in the calculation of its standard spending assessment.

  The systems of support for local authority expenditure in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland differ in a number of respects. Decisions on the operation of each system are the responsibility of the relevant Secretary of State.

  Park Homes
  Mr. Rendel
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many households his Department estimates to live in park homes; and what plans his Department has to introduce a council tax band below band A to cover park homes.

  Mr. Curry
  British Holiday and Home Parks Association Limited has estimated that there are about 96,000 residential mobile homes at mobile home parks in Britain. We have no plans to introduce a council tax band below the present band A.

  Traveller Sites
  Mr. Hicks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list both the statutory obligations that apply at present and guidance given to local authorities for the provision of sites for gipsies and travellers; and if he will outline the changes that will take place at the time of enactment of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Bill.

  Mr. Baldry
  Part II of the Caravan Sites Act 1968 requires local authorities to provide adequate accommodation on caravan sites for gipsies defined as"persons of nomadic habit of life, whatever their race or origin",
  residing in or resorting to their areas. In non-metropolitan counties in England and Wales the functions of site development and management are shared between county councils and district councils. County councils are required to consult district councils and other persons before adopting site proposals.

  Guidance on these and other relevant provisions is given in the Department's circulars 28/77, 57/78, 8/81 and 1/94.

  If enacted, clause 75 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Bill would repeal both part II of the 1968 Act and also the Secretary of State's power to pay grant in respect of the capital costs of site provision in England and Wales. Local authorities would continue to have discretionary powers, under the Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act 1960, to manage existing sites and to provide further sites.

  Clauses 72 and 73 of the Bill would give all local authorities in England and Wales new powers to control unauthorised camping in their areas.

  Urban Programme
  Mr. Byers
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish the conclusions reached as a result of the recent evaluation of the effectiveness of the Government's urban programme spending; and if he will place a copy in the Library.

  Mr. Baldry
  The report "Assessing the Impact of Urban Policy" which is part of the inner cities research programme of the Department of the Environment, will be published shortly.

  Abandoned Mineworkings
  Mr. Clapham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has agreed measures with British Coal to overcome potential pollution disasters resulting from its termination of pumping operations at abandoned mineworkings.

  Mr. Atkins
  [holding answer 17 June 1994]: Discharges from coal mines in England and Wales are subject to regulation by the National Rivers Authority. It is for British Coal, in consultation with the NRA, to determine what measures are necessary to avoid pollution.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

  Rough Sleepers and Beggars
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what instructions are given to security staff in his departmental offices in London for dealing with(a) those sleeping rough in departmental doorways and (b) beggars in the vicinity; and how many problems have been experienced with each category in the last three months.

  Mr. David Davis
  If there is a need to deal with beggars or anyone sleeping rough in doorways, security staff in London buildings occupied by the Cabinet Office, its agencies, HMSO and COI would contact the Metropolitan police.

  No problems have been experienced during the past three months.

PRIME MINISTER

  Department of Transport
  Ms Walley
  To ask the Prime Minister what plans he has to abolish the Department of Transport or merge it with another Government Department.

  The Prime Minister
  None.

  Disability
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Prime Minister which Ministers have been given a specific responsibility for disabled people within their respective departmental portfolios.

  The Prime Minister
  My right hon. Friend the Minister for Disabled People has a cross-Government remit for all issues affecting disabled people. The Cabinet Office produces a list of ministerial responsibilities which identifies the responsibilities of all Ministers, including
  17
  those with specific, designated responsibility for matters affecting disabled people within their departments. The list was updated in May and copies placed in both Libraries. Copies can also be obtained from the Vote Office on request.

  Civil Rights (Disabled Persons)
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Prime Minister when he expects ministerial consultation on legislation providing civil rights to the disabled will be complete; and if he will introduce a Government Bill before the summer recess.

  The Prime Minister
  In reply to the hon. Member for Leeds, East (Mr. Mudie) on 10 May 1994,Official Report, column 153, I stated that consultation would take place within six months. Preparations are now well advanced on proposals to help disabled people. Consultation will start as soon as possible and is expected to last for three months. No legislation will be introduced in advance of consultation.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Rough Sleepers and Beggars
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what instructions are given to security staff in his departmental offices in London for dealing with(a) those sleeping rough in departmental doorways and (b) beggars in the vicinity; and how many problems have been experienced with each category in the last three months.

  Mr. Hague
  No specific central guidance is given to security guards on these matters. It would be an issue for the managers of the individual offices concerned. No records are kept on the extent to which problems may be encountered.

  Disability Living Allowance
  Ms Lynne
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many applications there have been in the last six months in each of the English health authority regions for a disability living allowance;

  (2) how much money has been granted in disability living allowance in the last six months, nationally and by health authority region; and how much was granted during the same period a year earlier;

  (3) what proportion of those people applying for the disability living allowance between 1 January and 31 May in each health authority region and nationally had their application rejected; and what was the rejection rate for similar applicants between 1 January 1993 and 31 May 1993;

  (4) what are the rejection rates, by condition giving rise to an application for a disability living allowance, for applications in the last 12 months, set out by health authority region.

  Mr. Scott
  Information about disability living allowance is not available in the form requested. Nationally, between 1 December 1993 and 31 May 1994 there were 216,000 applications. In the same period 97,000 awards were made on initial claims, and between 1 December 1992 and 31 May 1993 132,000 awards were made. The proportion of applications made between 1 January 1994 and 31 May 1994 that were rejected was 50 18
  per cent. and for the same period in 1993 the proportion rejected was 46 per cent. Where a claim is rejected no information covering a claimant's disabling condition is recorded.
  Source: DSS Analytical Services Division—based on 100 per cent. count.

  Fire Safety, Quarry House
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether a fire certificate has been issued for Quarry House, Leeds, and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Burt
  An application to the Home Office for the issue of a fire certificate was made in July 1992. Such certificates are not normally issued until all defects within a new building, however small, have been rectified. The Home Office has confirmed that there is an extremely good fire prevention system in Quarry house, and there are no doubts about its effectiveness. The Home Office has begun the final scheduled inspection of the building prior to the issue of a fire certificate.

  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the date of the inspection for fire safety at Quarry house, Leeds(a) before the opening of the building, (b) between the opening of the building and 9 June 1994 and (c) since 10 June 1994; and if he will list those carrying out the inspection.

  Mr. Burt
  The construction of Quarry house commenced in November 1990 and the building was completed and occupied in three separate phases, the first phase being ready on 6 July 1992. The following site inspections were carried out

  (a) before the phased occupations:

  25 April 1991

  Property Services Agency (PSA) Fire Officer and PSA

  Building Control Section

  May 1991 to July 1992

  Site meetings and inspections involving PSA Fire Officer and PSA Building Control held at monthly intervals

  30 March 1992

  West Yorkshire Fire Brigade and PSA Fire Officer

  June 1992

  Weekly inspections by PSA Fire Officer, with further unannounced visits, to review fire precautions and evacuation procedures

  8 June 1992

  Witness testing of fire alarm system by Home Office Inspectorate, Health and Safety Executive, PSA Fire Officer and PSA Building Control Section

  6 July 1992

  PSA Fire Officer inspection immediately prior to, and following occupation of Phase 1 of building

  August 1992

  PSA Fire Officer witness testing of atria smoke extraction systems

  1 September 1992

  PSA Fire Officer inspection immediately prior to phase 2 occupation by staff

  18 November 1992

  Home Office inspectorate and Health and Safety Executive visited, and made further visit within 7 days

  5 February 1993

  PSA Fire Officer inspection immediately prior to and following Phase 3 occupation by staff

  1 March 1993

  PSA Fire Officer final inspection

  (b) between full occupation and 9 June 1994

  There were no formal fire inspections between February 1993 and June 1994.

  (c) since 10 June 1994

  13 June 1994

  Home Office Inspectorate

  Disability Working Allowance
  Ms Lynne
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many applications there have been in the last six months in each of the English health authority regions for a disability working allowance.

  Mr. Scott
  Information about disability working allowance is not available in the form requested. Nationally, between 1 December 1993 and 31 May 1994 there were 6,045 applications.

  Social Fund
  Mr. Tipping
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many claims for assistance from the social fund at the east Nottinghamshire, north Nottinghamshire and west Nottinghamshire benefits offices were made in the last year for which figures are available; how many were accepted and how many were refused.

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

  Letter from Michael Bichard to Mr. Paddy Tipping, dated 17 June 1994:
  The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the number of applications to the Social Fund in the Benefits Agency's East, North and West Nottinghamshire Districts.
  You asked for details of how many of these applications were successful and how many were refused. Those details are shown at Appendix A. Please note that Cold Weather Payments, which are paid without claims being made, are not included in the figures provided.
  I hope you find this reply helpful.

  Appendix A

  1993–94

  Applications

  Awards

  Refusals

  Nottinghamshire East

  22,875

  12,436

  9,583

  Nottinghamshire North

  20,139

  10,380

  8,425

  Nottinghamshire West

  26,246

  15,170

  10,301

  The above application figures include the following:Applications awaiting determination.Applications withdrawn before determination.Budgeting and crisis loan offers which are not accepted.

  Tamara Norashkaryan
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when Tamara Norashkaryan, a visitor to the United Kingdom applied to his Department for assistance; what assistance she was given; from what date such financial assistance was provided; if Ms Norashkaryan submitted a standard acknowledgement letter with her application or after submitting any application; what was the total amount of financial assistance given by his Department to Ms Norashkaryan; what advice was given to her to apply to any local authority or other public agency for assistance; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Burt
  The administration of income support 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. Max Madden, dated 17 June 1994:
  20
  The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking specific details about Ms Tamara Norashkaryan and her application to the Department for financial assistance.
  As you are already aware Ms Norashkaryan is currently visiting the United Kingdom. I can confirm that she has made a claim for financial assistance by way of income support and that a decision has been made on her claim. However due to the confidential nature of this case I have written to you separately and in greater detail about this matter.
  I hope you find this reply helpful.

HEALTH

  HIV/AIDS
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people over the next 10 years are expected to develop(a) HIV, (b) AIDS and (c) AIDS dementia.

  Mr. Sackville
  Projections of the incidence and prevalence of AIDS cases and other severe HIV disease in England and Wales have been made by a working group chaired by Professor N. E. Day. "Communicable Disease Report" 1993; 3 (Supplement 1): S1–17, copies of which are available in the Library.

  Treatment Abroad
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information is held by her Department on the number of NHS patients who have been sent abroad for surgical treatment from(a) GP fundholding practices and (b) GP non-fundholding practices.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  General practitioners cannot authorise such treatment.

  Vehicle Emissions
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what risk assessment she has commissioned on the link between benzene exhaust emissions from motor vehicles and human health.

  Mr. Sackville
  The Committees on Carcinogenicity—COC—and on Medical Effects of Air Pollutants—COMEAP—have considered hazards to health from inhalation of benzene, which is a component of exhaust emissions from motor vehicles and of vapour fumes from petrol.

  Benzine is toxic at high doses and is classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer as a human carcinogen. Long-term occupational exposure to benzene at concentrations a thousand times greater than those typically found in urban air in the United Kingdom has been shown to increase the risk of certain types of leukaemia in adults; its use in industry is therefore strictly controlled. Although it is not possible to define an absolute safe level of exposure to benzene, levels in outdoor air encountered in the United Kingdom are considered by the COC and the COMEAP to present very low risk to health.

  Psychological Testing
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much the NHS Executive, the Department of Health, NHS Trusts, NHS regions, district health authorities and
  21
  family health services authorities expend each year in employing (a) outside employment agencies and (b) employment agencies which conduct psychological testing.

  Mr. Sackville
  During 1993–94 the Department of Health, including its agencies and the National Health Service Executive spent the following amounts on recruitment exercises conducted by outside recruitment agencies, including Recruitment and Assessment Services, an executive agency of the Cabinet Office.

  Recruitment without psychological test £

  Recruitment with psychological test £

  DH (excluding agencies and the NHS Executive)

  173,708

  16,244

  NHS Executive

  54,902

  14,805

  Agencies

  NHS Pensions Agency

  20,566

  —

  NHS Estates

  —

  36,191

  Medicines Control Agency

  43,041

  —

  TOTAL

  292,217

  67,240

  Figures for NHS trusts, NHS regions, district health authorities and family health services authorities are not available centrally. NHS employers are autonomous and make their own arrangements.

  Distinction Awards
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much money has been paid by her Department as merit awards to medical consultants in each of the last 10 years.

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

  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will place in the Library a list of the names of the medical consultants who currently hold merit awards; and if she will indicate the grade that each has been awarded.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Information about the awards status of individual consultants is confidential.

  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many consultants in oral health have been awarded merit awards in the last 10 years.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  A total of 296 distinction awards were granted to dental consultants in England in the years 1984 to 1993 inclusive.

  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will place in the Library a copy of the first annual report of the advisory committee on the distribution of awards.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  This was done following publication in April 1994.

  Access to Treatment
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is her policy towards the application of the principle of equitable access to NHS services on the basis of need and its implementation in relation to the provision of hospital services to patients of fundholding and non-fundholding general practices.
  22
  Dr. Mawhinney
  Hospitals may not offer contracts to one purchaser which could disadvantage the patients of another. However, local waiting times for non-urgent treatment may vary according to clinical need and the priorities of different purchasers.

  Emergency patients are always treated immediately, and urgent cases treated within locally agreed time scales.

  Information Budgets
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will set out the budgets and projected budgets for her Department's information department from 1986 to 1996.

  Mr. Sackville
  Expenditure and budget figures for the Department's Information Division which now includes the recently established public inquiry office and the rationalisation of the Department's printing services are shown in the table.

  Year

  Publicity £ million

  Manpower and running costs £ million

  1986–87

  12·627

  —

  1987–88

  12·381

  —

  1988–89

  10·799

  —

  1989–90

  17·248

  0·890

  1990–91

  21·008

  1·250

  1991–92

  24·471

  1·491

  1992–93

  20·710

  1·749

  1993–94

  119·405

  1·897

  1994–95 (budgets)

  23·067

  2·247

  1Estimated.

  Information on manpower and running costs for the years 1986–87 to 1988–89 are not available in the form requested.

  Budgets for 1995–96 have yet to be decided.

  Serious Incidents
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list all circulars issued by her Department since 1985 on the investigation of serious untoward incidents affecting patients; and if she will place a copy of each of those circulars in the Library.

  Mr. Sackville
  Hospitals were reminded of their responsibility to report adverse incidents involving medical devices in health circular HC(88)51 published in June 1988. This was updated by HSG(93)13 published in June 1993. Copies of these documents will be placed in the Library.

  Merit Awards Committees
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will place in the Library a list of the members of the regional merit awards committee for each region in England.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  A list of the members of the Regional C Awards Committee and Higher Awards Committee for each region in England will be placed in the Library.

  Sports Injuries
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what provisions apply to the charging by NHS hospitals for treatment for sports injuries.

  Mr. Sackville
  None. National health service treatment is free of charge unless there is a specific statutory power to charge.

  European Union Health Expenditure
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what are the latest available per capita spending figures on the health services for each member state of the European Union.

  Mr. Sackville
  The national health service will be spending an estimated £674 for every man, woman and child in the United Kingdom in 1994–95. Figures for other member states of the European Union are not available on a comparable basis.

  Discrimination
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the publications of her Department on discrimination in the NHS since 1979.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The information requested from 1983 onwards is available in the Library. A comprehensive list of publications before 1983 is not available centrally.

  Central Heating
  Mr. Gapes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research the Department of Health has commissioned on the links between lack of central heating and long-term limiting illness and disability.

  Mr. Bowis
  We are not aware of the existence of any such research.

  Student Grants
  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will review the regulations governing the provision of help with national health service charges so that students are assessed solely on the basis of the student grant they actually receive and not on the assumption that they take up a student loan.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  No.

  Medical Negligence Cases
  Mr. Etherington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if she will list, by each district health authority in England and Wales, the average value of negligence cases brought by patients successfully concluded in each year since 1985;

  (2) if she will list, by each district health authority in England and Wales, the total number of successful negligence cases brought by patients against the district health authorities for each year since 1985, indicating the number resolved incorporating secrecy clauses.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  I refer the hon. Member to the replies I gave the hon. Member for Darlington (Mr. Milburn) on 14 March at columns 537–38 and on 10 May at columns 84–85. Information relating to Wales is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.

  Dentistry
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will publish the Government's response to the Bloomfield report on dentistry before the end of June.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The Government's response to Sir Kenneth Bloomfield's report will be published in due course.

  NHS Trusts
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list those national health service trusts that did not reach their target of 6 per cent. return on capital for(a) 1991–92, (b) 1992–93 and (c) 1993–94.

  Mr. Sackville
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Darlington (Mr. Milburn) on 20 April at column 541.

  Adrenalin Supplies
  Sir Cranley Onslow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she is taking to ensure that adequate supplies of adrenalin injections suitable for the immediate treatment of anaphylactic reaction are generally available; and what discussions her Department has had with the Medicines Control Agency on this subject.

  Mr. Sackville
  Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Medicines Control Agency under its chief executive, Dr. K. H. Jones. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter from Dr. K. H. Jones to Sir Cranley Onslow, dated 17 June 1994:
  Adrenaline Injections for the treatment of Anaphylactic Reactions
  The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question concerning supplies of Adrenaline injections suitable for the immediate treatment of anaphylactic reactions and their availability.
  The Medicines Control Agency is an Executive Agency of the Department of Health responsible for safeguarding public health by licensing medicines, monitoring adverse drug reactions, surveillance of marketed drugs and publication of standards. The Agency carries out the day to day activities of the Licensing Authority which comprises Ministers. The Chief Executive reports to the Secretary of State for Health, and the Agency remains in frequent and regular contact with the Department.
  Adrenaline Injection in a preloaded syringe (Min-I-Jet) was granted a product licence for the treatment of anaphylactic reactions after assessment for safety, quality and efficacy. The manufacturer however recently experienced production difficulties resulting in shortages of supply during April and May 1994. Further and adequate supplies of the Min-I-Jet became available during the week commencing 6 June 1994.
  It is a principle of UK Medicines Control that doctors have clinical freedom to prescribe unlicensed medicinal products and Section 13(1) of the Medicines Act grants an exemption allowing very limited quantities of imports of such products. This is allowed without reference to MCA and it is on this basis that an unlicensed Adrenaline Injection in a self-injecting syringe (Epipen) has been imported from the United States of America by or to the order of doctors in the UK for the treatment of their particular patients. This product has not been assessed by this Agency and prescribers assume full responsibility for its use.
  The shortage of licensed Min-I-Jets resulted in an increased demand for unlicensed Epipen and the Boots Company applied to the MCA for an exemption to import a significant quantity in anticipation of orders from doctors in accordance with Statutory Instrument SI (1984) 673. Normally exemption under this Regulation is refused if there is an equivalent licensed product on the market. In accordance with this practice, exemption was initially refused because of the restored availability of Min-I-Jets. However, it became apparent that although adequate supplies of Min-I-Jets had been resumed, those supplies might not have reached community pharmacists in all areas. The decision to refuse Epipen exemption status was therefore reviewed and subsequently reversed.
  The demand for Adrenaline Injection is currently being met by the licensed Min-I-Jets supplemented by the unlicensed Epipen. This Agency understands that an application for a UK product licence may be submitted for Epipen. In such circumstances the application would be assessed by the MCA and if granted the licence would enable Epipen to be marketed in the UK.

  Social Work Records
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what changes she intends to make to existing legislation or practice on access to social work records following the proposals issued for consultation by her Department on 26 February 1992 entitled, "Response to the Judgment of the European Court of Human Rights in the case of Graham Gaskin (Access to Records)".

  Mr. Bowis
  The 1993 White Paper on open government sets out the Government's proposals for a new statutory right of access to personal records, adding to existing rights of access.

  Accident and Emergency Services, Barking and Havering
  Mr. Gapes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information she has as to why the London borough of Redbridge was not formally sent a copy of the Barking and Havering health authority consultation document on changes to accident and emergency services.

  Mr. Sackville
  None. The hon. Member may wish to contact Mr. Bryan Littlewood, chairman of Barking and Havering health authority, for this information.

  Infertility
  Mr. Corbett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what provision is made for(a) infertility treatment and (b) infertility investigation in each of the Birmingham health districts;

  (2) what advice each of the Birmingham health districts has sought in the last three years from her Department as to the most cost-effective and cost-efficient means of providing infertility investigation and treatment;

  (3) what has been the (a) revenue spend and (b) capital spend in each of the Birmingham health districts in each of the last three years for which figures are available on infertility treatment;

  (4) what has been the (a) revenue spend and (b) capital spend in each of the Birmingham health districts by name in each of the last three years for which figures are available on infertility investigation.

  Mr. Sackville
  For information about infertility investigation and treatment in Birmingham the hon. Member may wish to contact Mr. B. Stoten, chairman of South Birmingham health authority and Dr. D. M. Skillicorn, chairman of North Birmingham health authority for further information.

  The national health service provides a wide range of treatments for subfertility. Individual health authorities determine priorities in the light of local needs and circumstances. Advice is available to health authorities and clinicians in two publications drawn to the attention of the national health service in 1992:

  (a) The Effective Health Care Bulletin on management of subfertility, published for the national health service Management Executive by a consortium of Leeds and York Universities and the research unit of the Royal College of Physicians.

  (b) The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists publication "Infertility Guidelines for Practice.

  Copies of these publications are available in the Library.
  26
  Mr. Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what is the provision for infertility treatment in South Manchester district health authority;

  (2) whether South Manchester district health authority has sought from her Department advice as to the most cost-effective and cost-efficient means of providing for infertility investigation and treatment in its area;

  (3) what provision is made for infertility investigation in South Manchester district health authority.

  Mr. Sackville
  For the information requested about infertility investigation and treatment in Manchester the hon. Member may wish to contact Professor Robert Boyd, chairman of Manchester health authority. We are not aware of requests for advice on this matter from the former South Manchester health authority.

  The national health service provides a wide range of treatments for subfertility. I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Birmingham, Northfield (Mr. Burden) on 18 May at column 520.

  General Practitioners
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the average budget for(a) GP fundholders and (b) non-fundholders in 1991–92, 1992–93 and 1993–94 for England and by region.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Average budgets for general practitioner fundholders by region in 1991–92, 1992–93 and 1993–94 are shown in the table. It is not possible to produce comparable information for non-fundholding general practitioners.

  Average budgets for general practitioner fundholders by region: 1991–92 to 1993–94

  £ million

  Region

  1991–92

  1992–93

  1993–94

  Northern

  1·7

  1·7

  1·8

  Yorkshire

  1·5

  1·7

  1·8

  Trent

  1·3

  1·4

  1·5

  East Anglian

  1·5

  1·7

  1·7

  North West Thames

  1·3

  1·4

  1·6

  North East Thames

  1·4

  1·2

  1·4

  South East Thames

  1·3

  1·4

  1·6

  South West Thames

  1·3

  1·3

  1·6

  Wessex

  1·3

  1·5

  1·8

  Oxford

  1·2

  1·4

  1·6

  South Western

  1·2

  1·4

  1·6

  West Midlands

  1·3

  1·4

  1·6

  Mersey

  1·3

  1·3

  1·6

  North Western

  1·3

  1·4

  1·5

  England

  1·4

  1·5

  1·6

  Note:

  From 1993–94, the scope of the general practitioner fundholder scheme was expanded to include the purchase of community health services. In addition, the minimum list size criterion for joining the scheme was reduced from 9,000 to 7,000 patients.

  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to investigate the extent to which general practitioner fundholders' savings have been used to fund the element of general practitioner staff costs normally paid by the general practitioner.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  None. The National Health Service (Fund-holding Practices) Regulations 1993 specifically preclude this.

  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have applied for recognised general
  27
  practitioner training courses in each year from 1989–90 to 1993–94; and what were the figures for individual courses for 1992–93 and 1993–94.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  This information is not available centrally.

  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients have been de-registered by general practitioners in each English health region in each year since 1989.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  This information is not available centrally.

  Yorkshire RHA
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will set out the total expenditure for each financial year since 1989–90 on the headquarters of the Yorkshire regional health authority at Harrogate.

  Mr. Sackville
  This is a matter for the Northern and Yorkshire regional health authority. The hon. Member may wish to contact Mr. John Greetham, CBE, chairman of the authority, for details.

  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the location of the new headquarters for the Yorkshire and North region of the NHS.

  Mr. Sackville
  The Northern and Yorkshire regional health authority is preparing a business case, to determine the best location of the new regional headquarters.

  Carers
  Ms Lynne
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health the number of cases of bad practice recorded of(a) un-registered carers and (b) registered carers in 1993–94.

  Mr. Bowis
  Informal carers are usually spouses, relatives or close friends of people with a range of mental or physical needs. They are not registered as such. Poor quality care provided by employed carers is a matter for the employer concerned.

  Ms Lynne
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what plans she has to set up an independent registration and regulatory body for unqualified paid carers within the health and social services departments;

  (2) what is her policy on the British Association of Social Workers proposals for an independent statutory register of social workers.

  Mr. Bowis
  There have been various proposals for a General Social Services Council to regulate those employed in social work. These proposals are being considered by the Government.

  Asthma
  Ms Lynne
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the adequacy of patient information material on asthma available to general practitioners; and if her Department will distribute information provided by voluntary organisations.
  28
  Mr. Sackville
  We are satisfied that general practitioners have adequate patient information on asthma available.

  Prescriptons
  Ms Lynne
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information she has on the numbers of private consultations which(a) result in a private prescription paid for by the patient and (b) are transcribed on to NHS prescriptions by the GPs.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  This information is not available.

  Burns Unit, Billericay
  Mr. Burns
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she expects to make the decision about moving the burns unit from Billericay to Broomfield hospital, Chelmsford; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Sackville
  The regional health authority is expected to refer this matter to Ministers shortly.

  Dental Treatment
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how much(a) a basic filling, (b) a crown and (c) a course of bridgework costs (i) an exempt NHS patient and (ii) a patient paying 80 per cent. of the cost of treatment;

  (2) how much a basic filling, a crown and a course of bridgework would cost (a) an exempt national health service patient and (b) a patient paying 80 per cent. of the cost of treatment, if the dental charges were to rise by (i) 5 per cent., (ii) 10 per cent., (iii) 15 per cent., (iv) 20 per cent. and (v) 25 per cent.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The statement of dental remuneration gives a range of fees payable to dentists depending on the complexity of the actual treatment provided. Exempt patients pay no charges. For a single filling, excluding root fillings, the charge for a patient paying 80 per cent. of the cost would be between £4.24 and £11.00. For a single crown, the patient's charge would be between £41.52 and £59.32. For a course of bridgework, the patient's charge would be between £184.24 and the maximum of £275 for a single course of treatment.

  The effect of each 5 per cent. increase would be to raise the patient's charge in the examples given above by £0.21, £0.55, £2.08, £2.97 and £9.21 respectively, but not beyond the maximum of £275.

  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many courses of dental treatment have been given to expectant and nursing mothers in each of the last 10 years; and what was the cost of the courses in each of the last 10 years.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The information is provided in the table.
  29

  General dental services number and gross cost of courses of treatment for expectant and nursing mothers from 1984 to 1993–941 adults England

  Courses of treatment

  Gross cost

  Total

  2Expectant mothers

  2Nursing mothers

  Total

  2Expectant mothers

  2Nursing mothers

  Year

  Number

  Number

  Number

  £

  £

  £

  1983

  886,090

  —

  —

  24,593,360

  —

  —

  1984

  890,470

  —

  —

  26,909,170

  —

  —

  1985

  903,760

  —

  —

  28,676,670

  —

  —

  1986–87

  968,720

  —

  —

  33,916,030

  —

  —

  1987–88

  978,770

  —

  —

  34,784,740

  —

  —

  1988–89

  1,015,140

  —

  —

  38,843,190

  —

  —

  1989–90

  1,044,250

  —

  —

  40,523,920

  —

  —

  31990–91

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1991–92

  1,117,865

  452,555

  665,310

  45,173,918

  15,074,247

  30,900,671

  1992–93

  1,116,531

  443,922

  672,609

  42,846,329

  14,133,933

  28,712,396

  41993–94

  1,060,683

  429,382

  631,301

  35,990,624

  12,327,137

  23,663,487

  Notes:

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

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

  3 Data for 1990–91 are not available.

  4 These figures are estimated using 5 per cent. sample; complete data are not yet available.

  Source: Dental Practice Board.

  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many courses of dental treatment have been given to patients who pay 80 per cent. of the cost of treatment.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  It is estimated that 21.7 million courses of treatment were completed between 1 April 1993 and 31 May 1994 for which no exemption or full or partial remission was claimed.1 Some of these courses of treatment will have been affected by the operation of the maximum charge and some will have been started before 1 April 1993—when the 80 per cent. proportion came into effect—and will therefore have been paid at an earlier rate.
  1 Estimated from a 5 per cent. sample of courses of treatments.
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many(a) adults and (b) children, who are registered with a dentist, are exempt from paying charges.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  All children are exempt from national health service dental charges. It is not possible to quantify the number of adult patients registered with a dentist who qualify for exemption.

  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the average cost per adult patient for each course of dental treatment in each year from 1990–91 to 1993–94.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The direct cost for a course of treatment for an adult patient is the fee paid to the dentist. The table shows the average fee in each year.

  Average cost per adult course of treatment England

  Year

  Average cost (£)

  1990–91

  36·20

  1991–92

  39·80

  1992–93

  39·11

  1993–94

  36·18

  Source: Dental Practice Board.

  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the total amount raised from all charges on NHS dental services.
  30
  Dr. Mawhinney
  Provisional data for 1993–94 indicates that patient charge income from the general dental services was £367 million, net of refunds to patients. Information is not available centrally on the small amount of income raised by the limited range of patient charges applicable in the community and hospital dental services.

  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) when she will be publishing her response to the report by Sir Kenneth Bloomfield on dental remuneration;

  (2) when she will be publishing the oral health strategy for England; and what status it will have when it is published.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The Government's response to Sir Kenneth Bloomfield's report will be published in due course. The oral health strategy for England will be published at or around the same time. The strategy will review the present state of oral health in England and set out objectives for the future.

  Community Nurses
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to empower general practitioner fundholders to employ community nurses directly; and if she will make a statement.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  We have no immediate plans to do so.

  Orthodontic Treatment
  Mr. McCartney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS episodes of orthodontic treatment there were for the period 1983 to 1993; and what was the cost of NHS orthodontic treatment for the same period.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  [holding answer 17 June 1994]: No consistent data are available until 1991–92. Data from 1991–92 onwards are shown in the table.

  General dental services: courses of orthodontic treatment England and Wales

  Year

  Number (thousands)

  Cost (£ million)

  1991–92

  280

  30·8

  1992–93

  340

  36·0

  Source: Dental Practice Board.

  NHS Staff
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many(a) men and (b) women were employed at the latest available date for each grade in the administrative and clerical pay group and of the ancillary staffs pay group of the national health service, for grades one to 30 in the senior managers pay group, for each grade in the ambulance staffs pay group and the ambulance officers pay group, and for general managers and chief executives in the national health service; and if she will express the figures as numbers and as full-time equivalents.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  [holding answer 25 April 1994]: The latest available information by grade and by gender for the relevant staff groups will be placed in the Library.

EMPLOYMENT

  Private Members' Bills
  Ms Lynne
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment on what occasions since April 1992 Ministers from his Department have(a) requested parliamentary counsel to assist in preparing amendments to private Members' Bills on behalf of other private Members and (b) authorised officials to instruct parliamentary counsel to prepare amendments which were subsequently passed to private Members.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Parliamentary counsel does not draft on behalf of private Members but on the instructions of Departments acting on the authority of Ministers. On one occasion since April 1992, in respect of the Civil Rights (Disabled) Persons Bill, Employment Department Ministers agreed that instructions should go to parliamentary counsel for amendments to a private Members' Bill with the intention that these should be tabled by the Government. These amendments were subsequently passed to private Members.

  European Committee of the Regions
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on what contacts his Department has had with the European Committee of the Regions.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The Department is in contact with the European Committee of the Regions through directors of Government offices for the regions, several of whom have had meetings with members and alternate members of the committee.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  Hunt Trespass
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Attorney-General if he will place a copy of his guidelines relating to hunt trespass on railway lines in the Library.

  The Attorney-General
  I have issued no guidelines of the ature suggested by the hon. Member.

  Euromac Ltd.
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Attorney-General what investigation he has made into the reasons for and conduct of the prosecution of Mr. Ali Ashour Daghir and Jeanine Speckman of Euromac Ltd., following their release as a result of a decision of the Court of Appeal.

  The Attorney-General
  None.

  General Pinochet
  Mr. Wareing
  To ask the Attorney-General what representations he has received respecting the bringing of criminal charges by the United Kingdom against General Augusto Pinochet; and if he will respond positively to such requests.

  The Attorney-General
  Amnesty International (British Section) requested that I should either initiate a prosecution against General Pinochet for alleged offences contrary to section 134 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 or grant consent for a prosecution to be brought. My office responded explaining that I do not myself investigate alleged crime or initiate criminal proceedings. Any action by the public prosecuting authorities would need to be preceded by a criminal investigation. Amnesty International was advised that, if it considered that the public prosecuting authorities in this country should take action, the proper course would be for them to place any evidence in the hands of the police and general guidance was given as to the evidence required to support any application for consent.

EDUCATION

  Student Grants
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many representations he has received over the last 18 months on the subject of discretionary grants for students.

  Mr. Boswell
  My right hon. Friend has received a number of representations on this subject.

  Student Numbers
  Mr. Robert Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) what has been the total number of students attending university and colleges in each of the last three years;

  (2) what was the number of students attending universities and colleges who are aged over 35, 40 and 45 years, for the latest available period.

  Mr. Boswell
  The numbers of United Kingdom domiciled higher education students in England were 800,600, 891,200 and 995,200 in academic years 1990–91, 1991–92 and 1992–93 respectively. The numbers of students aged 35 or over in 1992–93 on the same basis were 146,500. Information on the other age groups is not readily available.

  Mr. Murphy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what is the projected number of higher education franchised students in further education colleges for 1994–95; and what was the figure for the year in which the higher education students early statistics survey was last done.
  33
  Mr. Boswell
  In the academic year 1993–94, the higher education students early statistics survey showed an estimated 43,000 franchised home and EC fee-paying HE students in further education colleges. The number of franchised HE students in FE colleges in 1994–95 will depend on decisions taken by individual HE institutions on how and where to deliver the teaching supported by HEFCE funding allocations.

  Grant-maintained Schools
  Mrs. Ann Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education which grant-maintained schools, under section 93 of the Education Act 1993, have been transferred from one former maintaining local education authority to another for the purpose of the calculation and recovery of annual maintenance grant by the Funding Agency for Schools; what were the local education authorities in each case; and what was the effect on the annual maintenance grant of each school concerned.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  [pursuant to his reply, 18 May 1994, Official Report, c. 499]: I originally stated that only one operating grant-maintained school, All Hallows Roman Catholic school, formerly maintained by Hampshire local education authority and located within the boundaries of Surrey, had been affected by section 93 of the Education Act 1993. Further information has since been received by the Department indicating that the London Nautical school, formerly maintained by Southwark LEA, is located within the boundaries of Lambeth. The Funding Agency for Schools is currently considering the basis for the determination of the school's grant for 1994–95. In addition, Hockerill school, which began operating as a GM school on 1 June, was formerly maintained by Essex LEA, but is located within the boundaries of Hertfordshire. The funding agency is currently consulting on the school's grant for 1994–95.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Moorland
  Mr. Tyler
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when she expects to implement a scheme for moorland areas under the EU agri-environmental programme; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Jack
  The details of this scheme are under active consideration following a change in the quota transfer rules. We hope to be able to launch the scheme before the end of this year.

  Cereals £

  Oilseeds £

  Protein crops £

  Set-aside £

  Total £

  Avon

  1,263,110

  460,557

  205,187

  511,551

  2,440,405

  Bedfordshire

  5,060,128

  3,267,651

  2,628,276

  2,419,604

  13,375,657

  Berkshire

  3,568,382

  1,835,365

  353,265

  1,427,301

  7,184,312

  Buckinghamshire

  4,142,939

  3,321,845

  1,793,044

  2,043,092

  11,300,919

  Cambridgeshire

  16,635,924

  6,100,373

  6,974,190

  7,204,304

  36,914,791

  Cheshire

  1,780,105

  589,330

  337,828

  700,326

  3,407,590

  Cleveland

  1,445,379

  821,399

  229,832

  591,444

  3,088,054

  County Durham

  3,596,620

  2,216,667

  315,522

  1,545,029

  7,673,839

  Cornwall

  2,531,028

  450,525

  374,434

  989,125

  4,345,111

  Cumbria

  720,235

  118,848

  11,409

  265,105

  1,115,598

  Derbyshire

  2,584,475

  1,473,739

  604,494

  1,155,869

  5,818,577

  Devon

  4,274,237

  649,056

  1,142,828

  1,703,893

  7,770,015

  Dorset

  5,616,807

  682,290

  1,057,228

  2,067,180

  9,423,504

  East Sussex

  2,329,667

  1,148,079

  660,075

  1,019,306

  5,157,127

  Common Land
  Mr. Tyler
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what progress she has made in discussions with agricultural interests on the timetable for the introduction of the proposals of the Common Land Forum for legislation to resolve anomalies; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Jack
  The Department of Environment is currently formulating proposals to tackle the most immediate difficulties on common land and, in this context, has had discussions with agricultural organisations among others.

  Drift Nets
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will make a statement on compliance with the EU ban on drift nets over 2.5 km long.

  Mr. Jack
  The United Kingdom industry was reminded earlier this year that drift nets longer than 2.5 km were prohibited. Subsequently the Commission proposed that enforcement on the north east Atlantic drift net tuna fishery, which is prosecuted principally by French, but also by Irish and British vessels should be enhanced to ensure improved compliance with the regulations in force, including the ban on the use of nets longer than 2.5 km. I have made it clear that I am ready to examine additional cost-effective enforcement measures constructively. National enforcement procedures are kept under review and varied when appropriate.

  Arable Area Payments Scheme
  Dr. Strang
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the cost of payments made under last year's main arable area payments scheme in each county of England in respect of(a) cereals, (b) oilseeds, (c) protein crops, (d) linseed and (e) set-aside.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  The table gives the total payments claimed in 1993 for cereals, oilseeds, protein crops and set-aside on land situated in each county of England. The total amounts paid will have been slightly lower because of reductions made for various reasons. However, since such reductions normally have to be calculated on the basis of the total claim, which may include land in more than one county, it is not possible to give figures for the total amounts paid on a county basis. Linseed was not included in the scheme until 1993–94 and county-based figures are not available for 1992–93.
  35

  Cereals £

  Oilseeds £

  Protein crops £

  Set-aside £

  Total £

  Essex

  16,053,877

  7,973,011

  6,094,061

  7,106,416

  37,227,364

  Gloucestershire

  6,312,976

  3,891,434

  1,871,244

  2,816,647

  14,892,302

  Greater Manchester

  407,341

  170,722

  122,700

  175,019

  875,783

  Hampshire

  10,752,141

  3,407,796

  2,434,460

  3,976,396

  20,570,793

  Hereford and Worcestershire

  7,700,175

  2,978,188

  3,205,633

  3,433,498

  17,317,494

  Hertfordshire

  6,080,991

  2,729,974

  2,498,086

  2,696,533

  14,005,584

  Humberside

  18,726,645

  6,241,866

  7,116,120

  7,838,505

  39,923,137

  Isle of Wight

  795,051

  313,488

  262,757

  289,895

  1,661,192

  Kent

  8,733,521

  6,343,054

  4,020,186

  4,072,982

  23,169,743

  Lancashire

  1,315,884

  396,579

  663,464

  508,987

  2,884,913

  Leicestershire

  7,917,287

  5,151,317

  3,896,942

  3,797,855

  20,763,401

  Lincolnshire

  29,642,531

  10,635,771

  13,984,261

  12,882,312

  67,144,874

  Merseyside

  740,434

  253,374

  314,566

  314,379

  1,622,752

  Norfolk

  21,513,571

  2,126,744

  6,427,548

  8,394,303

  38,462,166

  North Yorkshire

  18,974,064

  6,110,437

  4,588,308

  7,722,108

  37,394,918

  Northamptonshire

  8,512,313

  6,787,823

  4,796,043

  4,366,080

  24,462,257

  Northumberland

  8,244,767

  4,439,934

  845,488

  3,364,373

  16,894,563

  Nottinghamshire

  7,779,274

  3,852,044

  2,924,559

  3,460,257

  18,016,135

  Oxfordshire

  9,951,094

  6,718,368

  2,651,441

  4,390,622

  23,711,525

  Shropshire

  7,576,999

  1,116,354

  1,573,403

  2,917,073

  13,183,829

  Somerset

  4,007,406

  650,164

  1,315,194

  1,567,290

  7,540,054

  South Yorkshire

  3,368,107

  1,963,770

  1,433,119

  1,559,266

  8,324,261

  Staffordshire

  3,934,570

  1,486,400

  1,069,211

  1,599,768

  8,089,950

  Suffolk

  17,586,154

  4,276,384

  6,526,543

  7,384,311

  35,773,392

  Surrey

  1,027,695

  649,340

  351,365

  485,067

  2,513,467

  Tyne and Wear

  741,792

  610,103

  29,078

  311,713

  1,692,686

  West Midlands

  458,864

  283,127

  84,256

  224,509

  1,050,755

  West Sussex

  3,906,997

  1,390,040

  1,762,035

  1,659,823

  8,718,895

  Warwickshire

  6,021,458

  4,544,970

  3,111,537

  2,989,801

  16,667,766

  West Yorkshire

  2,137,691

  967,120

  573,338

  929,196

  4,607,345

  Wiltshire

  11,213,128

  4,337,627

  1,824,493

  4,479,427

  21,854,675

  TOTAL

  308,034,248

  126,171,763

  105,162,516

  131,521,783

  670,890,310

  Dr. Strang
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is her estimate of payments to be made under this year's main arable area payments scheme in each county of England in respect of(a) cereals, (b) oilseeds, (c) protein crops, (d) linseed and (e) set aside.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  Forward estimates are not made on a county basis. Current estimates for total payments in England under the main arable area payments scheme are:

  £

  (a) cereals

  413,222,528

  (b) oilseeds

  136,070,860

  (c) protein crops

  85,940,727

  (d) linseed

  63,231,644

  (e) set-aside

  194,383,962

  Total

  892,849,721

  Dr. Strang
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment her Department has made of the overall environmental quality of the arable areas in England for which payments under the main arable area payments scheme are being made; and if she will make a statement.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  A three-year environmental and agronomic evaluation of set-aside under the arable area payments scheme is currently being commissioned, and is to start this autumn. The evaluation will identify the environmental and agronomic impact of different management conditions on the set-aside land itself, and on neighbouring and subsequent arable crops.
  36
  Dr. Strang
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps she intends to take to prevent environmental damage and improve environmental quality on land on which arable area payments are made.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to the information in the reply I gave him on 14 June, Official Report, column 444.

  Integrated Administration and Control System
  Dr. Strang
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the cost to her department of advertising in the media that 15 May 1994 was the deadline for receipt of completed area aid applications under the IACS; and if she will make a statement.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  The cost of advertising the 15 May 1994 deadline for IACS applications in the national farming press was £16,694 including production, advertising charges and VAT.

  The aid available under the common agriculture policy schemes which require submission of an IACS form is an important part of the income of many farmers. I considered it vital to ensure that there was wide publicity in respect of the deadline because 1994 is only the second year of IACS operation and because two extra schemes were subject to the IACS requirements this year.

  Fisheries, Cornwall
  Mr. Jamieson
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, fisheries and Food if she will make a statement about the effect on the fishing industry in south Cornwall of the Ministry of Defence's proposal to site a naval firing range off Dodman point.
  37
  Mr. Jack
  The Ministry of Defence has consulted widely about its proposals to move the naval gunfire support training area from Portland to Dodman point and has arranged meetings and a demonstration firing to inform fishermen of their intentions.

  I understand that a feature of gunfire support training is that the Royal Navy works around and does not disrupt fishing operations or disturb other marine activity. However, the area adjacent to Dodman point is regularly fished by a number of mainly inshore vessels from local ports and I am aware that considerable local concern has been expressed. MAFF officials have received assurances that MOD will give very careful consideration to the objections expressed by local fishing organisations.

  MoD is now analysing the comments received during the consultation period, which ended on 10 June, before reaching any decision.

  Less-favoured Areas
  Dr. Strang
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will provide figures for each year since 1979 for what was the total area of agricultural land in the English less-favoured areas in hectares in each year since 1979; and what are these figures as a percentage of the total current English less-favoured areas.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  [holding answer 17 June 1994]: The table shows the total area of land in England, designated as less favoured, in each year in which additional land has been designated and expresses this as a proportion of the current area of designated land.

  Cereal yield estimates

  Yield (tonnes per heactare)

  Year

  Wales

  England

  Farms wholly within less favoured areas

  Farms wholly outside less favoured areas

  Farms wholly with less favoured areas

  Farms wholly outside less favoured areas

  1986

  4·91

  5·47

  4·97

  6·28

  1987

  4·67

  4·85

  5·39

  5·61

  1988

  4·41

  5·02

  5·13

  5·49

  1989

  4·18

  4·36

  5·02

  6·03

  1990

  4·50

  4·85

  5·96

  6·23

  Average 1986–901

  4·53

  4·91

  5·18

  5·96

  1In each case excluding the year with the highest yield and the year with the lowest yield during the period.

  Medical Negligence Claims
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what funds his Department has available for statutory or non-statutory contingent liabilities for claims of medical or surgical negligence against GP fundholders.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  None of the Welsh Office funds are available to meet liabilities for claims of clinical negligence against GP fundholders. All general practitioners are obliged to make their own arrangements to cover such risks.

  Enzootic Bovine Leukosis
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the current number of cattle aged 30 months or under with enzootic bovine leukosis.
  38

  Total area in England designated as less favoured

  Area designated as less favoured

  ('000 hectares)

  As a proportion of total land currently designated per cent.

  1975

  1,476·0

  77·8

  1984

  1,889·4

  99·6

  1990

  1,897·8

  100·0

WALES

  Cereals
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what were the average cereal yields achieved on farms in(a) less favoured areas and (b) non-less favoured areas in Wales for each year from 1986 to 1990, excluding the highest and lowest values; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Redwood
  Estimates of cereal yields are derived from a sample survey, the cereals production survey and from the June agicultural census, both conducted jointly by MAFF and the Welsh Office. The sample survey is not specifically designed for results to be produced at below an all-Wales level and so the average yields are subject to a greater margin of error than for Wales as a whole. The average values shown in the final row of the table are estimated to be accurate to within plus or minus 20 per cent. The requested information is shown in the table. I have set out the position in England for the purpose of comparison.

  Mr. Redwood
  I know of none at 15 June 1994.

  Flood and Storm Emergency Services
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what provision he made in 1993–94 for flood and storm emergency services financial assistance to local authorities; and what provision he is making for 1994–95.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  Local authorities are expected to make provision for responding to emergencies such as storms and floods when setting their budgets. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State may provide extra financial assistance for large scale emergencies under the Bellwin scheme in accordance with section 155 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989. In 1993–94 Bellwin payments of £3.76 million have been made. Provision for 1994–95 is £50,000.

  Groundwork Trusts
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will place in the Library details of the financial contribution of his Department to the groundwork trusts in Wales in(a) 1992–93 and (b) 1993–94.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  In 1992–93 and 1993–94 the Welsh Office made the following contributions towards the administrative costs of the four groundwork trusts in Wales and to environmental improvement projects they have undertaken.

  £

  1992–93

  1993–94

  Core funding grant

  292,081

  329,407

  European regional development fund

  313,926

  639,311

  Urban programme

  710,000

  689,540

  Environment Wales

  60,389

  81,408

  TOTAL

  1,376,396

  1,739,666

  Sheep Quota
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many applications have been made in the current year for category 3 sheep quota from the national reserve; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Redwood
  We have received 2,011 applications—1,745 from producers in the less-favoured area in Wales and 266 from producers who fall within the Great Britain lowland—to category 3 of the 1993 sheep national reserves.

  These applications will be considered against the criteria established in S.I. 1993 No. 3036, and individual producers notified of the outcome in due course.

  Community Care
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what amounts were spent on the community care programme for each county council area, each district council area and for Wales as a whole since the introduction of the programme; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  Information on the amounts spent by local authorities on the care in the community

  ERDF Grant Payments made to Local Authorities by Financial Year

  Authority

  1989–90 £

  1990–91 £

  1991–92 £

  1992–93 £

  1993–94 £

  Aberconwy

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Alyn and Deeside

  0

  308,000

  677,000

  4,000

  138,000

  Arfon

  58,000

  0

  0

  65,000

  344,000

  Blaenau Gwent

  105,000

  73,000

  407,000

  150,000

  398,000

  Brecknock

  10,000

  0

  117,000

  0

  107,000

  Cardiff

  1,841,000

  273,000

  687,000

  1,982,000

  72,000

  Carmarthen

  98,000

  0

  127,000

  0

  0

  Ceredigion

  60,000

  66,000

  369,000

  570,000

  249,000

  Clwyd

  1,501,000

  292,000

  2,318,000

  2,123,000

  1,721,000

  Colwyn

  0

  0

  0

  0

  159,000

  Cynon Valley

  203,000

  85,000

  288,000

  430,000

  1,400,000

  Delyn

  292,000

  856,000

  764,000

  431,000

  496,000

  Dinefwr

  201,000

  1,000

  0

  575,000

  131,000

  Dwyfor

  0

  1,141,000

  826,000

  858,000

  322,000

  Dyfed

  175,000

  1,858,000

  10,640,000

  1,043,000

  4,053,000

  Glyndwr

  0

  74,000

  3,000

  0

  0

  Gwent

  115,000

  1,315,000

  3,634,000

  1,565,000

  2,791,000

  Gwynedd

  1,448,000

  1,091,000

  2,492,000

  595,000

  1,541,000

  Islwyn

  6,000

  0

  1,116,000

  121,000

  834,000

  40
  programme is not collected centrally. However, the amounts identified within the overall standard spending assessments for each county in Wales are given in the following table. Separately identifiable provision was not made for district councils.

  Provision for care in the community identified within standard spending assessments

  £ million

  1993–94

  1994–95

  Clwyd

  6·8

  14·4

  Dyfed

  4·6

  10·7

  Gwent

  5·5

  12·6

  Gwynedd

  3·5

  8·0

  Mid Glamorgan

  5·1

  13·6

  Powys

  1·6

  3·6

  South Glamorgan

  4·9

  11·0

  West Glamorgan

  5·4

  12·1

  WALES

  37·5

  86·0

  ERDF Grants
  Sir Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what has been the total of European regional development fund grants accruing to local authorities in Wales in each of the most recent five years; if he will make a statement clarifying the manner in which such grants are taken into account in assessing the standard spending assessments of local authorities in Wales; and what recent changes there have been in such procedures.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The total amount of ERDF paid to local authorities in Wales in each of the most recent five years is provided in the following table.

  Each local authority's outstanding loan debt is taken into account when it's standard spending assessment is determined.

  Since ERDF grants are used to redeem debt, the relevant debt figures for each authority is reduced annually by the amount of ERDF grant it has received up to the end of the last full financial year for which payments information is available. This procedure, which is agreed with the Welsh local authority associations, has not changed in recent years. Further details may be found in the "Local Government Finance Report (Wales) 1994–95" (HC 168).
  41

  Authority

  1989–90 £

  1990–91 £

  1991–92 £

  1992–93 £

  1993–94 £

  Llanelli

  465,000

  25,000

  574,000

  1,139,000

  1,032,000

  Lliw Valley

  0

  0

  185,000

  139,000

  225,000

  Meirionnydd

  31,000

  780,000

  784,000

  1,698,000

  997,000

  Merthyr Tydfil

  10,000

  13,000

  0

  0

  147,000

  Mid Glamorgan

  4,956,000

  4,291,000

  1,997,000

  3,694,000

  4,448,000

  Monmouth

  0

  0

  121,000

  73,000

  38,000

  Montgomeryshire

  642,000

  24,000

  1,270,000

  1,074,000

  329,000

  Neath

  74,000

  37,000

  709,000

  0

  374,000

  Newport

  261,000

  358,000

  741,000

  1,960,000

  765,000

  Ogwr

  708,000

  83,000

  0

  96,000

  274,000

  Port Talbot

  81,000

  0

  0

  0

  47,000

  Powys

  1,023,000

  249,000

  1,824,000

  1,815,000

  661,000

  Preseli Pembroke

  58,000

  0

  1,158,000

  556,000

  173,000

  Radnorshire

  31,000

  0

  316,000

  745,000

  169,000

  Rhondda

  415,000

  658,000

  907,000

  270,000

  807,000

  Rhuddlan

  3,000

  981,000

  1,956,000

  1,682,000

  1,011,000

  Rhymney Valley

  288,000

  77,000

  539,000

  185,000

  289,000

  South Glamorgan

  286,000

  69,000

  2,689,000

  5,210,000

  1,016,000

  South Pembrokeshire

  405,000

  288,000

  43,000

  0

  131,000

  Swansea

  0

  3,924,000

  215,000

  1,228,000

  1,456,000

  Taff Ely

  0

  19,000

  97,000

  238,000

  277,000

  Torfaen

  120,000

  706,000

  383,000

  1,219,000

  1,015,000

  Vale of Glamorgan

  0

  6,000

  517,000

  205,000

  155,000

  West Glamorgan

  1,556,000

  291,000

  5,582,000

  2,715,000

  2,386,000

  Wrexham Maelor

  0

  240,000

  2,259,000

  476,000

  132,000

  Ynys Môn

  710,000

  436,000

  1,404,000

  40,000

  82,000

  Total

  18,218,000

  20,988,000

  50,735,000

  36,969,000

  33,192,000

  /p>

HOUSE OF COMMONS

  Office Furnishings
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Chairman of the Finance and Services Committee how much will be spent in the next two financial years on office furnishing in the parliamentary estate.

  Mr. Channon
  Under the 10-year rolling programme of works some £260,000 has been set aside for office furniture in each of the next two financial years.

  Child Care
  Mr. Khabra
  To ask the right hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed, as representing the House of Commons Commission what is the timetable for progress on child care arrangements in Parliament.

  Mr. Beith
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave earlier to the hon. Member for Lewisham, East (Mrs. Prentice).

  European Debates
  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Lord President of the Council what considerations he takes into account when placing notices in the Order Paper to suspend Standing Order No. 102 relating to debates on matters concerning the European Community and Union.

  Mr. Newton
  A motion is occasionally tabled to de-refer a European Community document which stands referred to a European Standing Committee, so that it may be debated on the Floor of the House. The considerations will vary depending on the nature of the document concerned.

  Sitting Hours
  Dr. Spink
  To ask the Lord President of the Council what progress he has made in respect of reforming the sittings arrangements for the House.

  Mr. Newton
  I am currently engaged in constructive discussions with the hon. Member for Newcastle upon Tyne, East (Mr. Brown). Our aim is to find ways of enabling the House to do its business in more sensible ways, at more sensible hours, without either unacceptably reducing the Government's capacity to carry their programme or unacceptably reducing the Opposition's flexibility in deploying and pressing their case. It is my hope that those discussions will enable us to map the way forward before the summer recess.

  EC Legislation
  Mr. Jenkin
  To ask the Lord President of the Council what plans he has considered to improve the scrutiny of EC legislation by the United Kingdom Parliament in advance of its enactment by the Council of Ministers.

  Mr. Newton
  I expect to respond shortly to the report by the Select Committee on European Legislation entitled "Scrutiny after Maastricht" (First Special Report, 1993–94) which contained detailed proposals for the scrutiny of legislative proposals under the co-decision procedure.

  Parliamentary Questions
  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Lord President of the Council if he will list those hon. Members who have had oral questions 1 to 10 to the Secretary of State for Employment more than three times during 1994.

  Mr. Newton
  None.
  43
  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Lord President of the Council if he will list those hon. Members who have had questions 1 to 6 to the Prime Minister more than four times in 1994 to date.

  Mr. Newton
  The hon. Member for Chesham and Amersham (Mrs. Gillan) has had five such questions to the Prime Minister.

  Visitors
  Mr. Kilfoyle
  To ask the Lord President of the Council what is his timetable for improving facilities for visitors to the House of Commons.

  Mr. Newton
  It is hoped that the House will have an opportunity to consider the recommendations contained in the Catering Committee's First Report of Session 1992–93 on Line of Route facilities before the summer recess.

TRANSPORT

  Piggyback Rail System
  Mr. Robert Ainsworth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to support the introduction of a lorry piggyback rail system between the channel tunnel and the midlands.

  Mr. Freeman
  The proposal to build a piggyback freight railway from the midlands to the channel tunnel is being put forward by a private sector group. It is for them to seek planning permission and finance. The Government have not been asked to assist the project. More generally, we welcome in principle any worthwhile proposal to ship more freight by rail, either conventional containers or the whole lorry trailer and load.

  London Underground
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proposals he has in respect of train maintenance on the London underground.

  Mr. Norris
  The maintenance of London's under-ground system is an operational matter for London Underground Limited.

  Road Traffic, Eastbourne
  Mr. Waterson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he last had the opportunity to consider the road traffic needs of Eastbourne.

  Mr. Key
  Last month, when I visited the area.

  Runway Capacity
  Mr. Haselhurst
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to announce the Government's response to the consultation on the report on runway capacity in the south east.

  Mr. Norris
  We are currently considering the responses to the RUCATSE consultation and expect to respond before the end of the year.

  Motorways
  Mrs. Gillan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information he has on the proportion of car owners who regularly use motorways.
  44
  Mr. Key
  Research commissioned by the Department and summarised in the Green Paper, "Paying for Better Motorways" (Cm 2200), indicates that only about half of car drivers use motorways most months or more frequently.

  River Crossings
  Mr. Evennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to be able to make a further statement on river crossings and improved transport facilities in south-east London.

  Mr. Norris
  I am reviewing the strategy for river crossings in east London. I hope to make an announcement later this summer.

  Rail Privatisation
  Mr. Michael Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessments he has made of the effects on passengers resulting from plans to privatise the railways.

  Mr. Freeman
  I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Altrincham and Sale (Sir F. Montgomery) earlier today.

  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what indications there are from previous privatisations of transport industries of the effects on passengers of the privatisation of British Rail.

  Mr. Freeman
  Previous privatisations have consistently led to improved services for customers and greater efficiency for the industries concerned. The same will happen on the railways.

  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the line closures that are likely to result from the privatisation of British Rail; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Freeman
  There is no reason for privatisation to lead to any increase in the number of lines or stations being proposed for closure. The safeguards are at least as strong as they have been in the past.

  Aircraft Noise, Gatwick
  Mr. Peter Ainsworth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the level of noise caused by night-time commercial aircraft movements around Gatwick airport.

  Mr. Norris
  The night restrictions that we have set at Gatwick are designed to keep the night noise level below that in summer 1988.

  Rail Franchises
  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement about the timetable for franchising railway services.

  Mr. Freeman
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has set a target timetable for the franchising of services by the franchising director. The first six franchises are to be awarded by the end of 1995, and over half of British Rail's current passenger services are to be
  45
  franchised by April 1996. The franchising director published a programme in April setting out how he intends to meet these targets.

  Rail Services (Competition)
  Sir Trevor Skeet
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what results he expects from the introduction of competition in terms of improving rail services.

  Mr. Freeman
  Evidence from previous transport privatisations shows that the introduction of competition encourages the development of better quality services. I am confident that customers—passengers and freight consignors—will benefit from more services of higher quality, improved efficiency and better value for money.

  Transatlantic Air Routes
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress he has made towards liberalisation of transatlantic air routes.

  Mr. Gallie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress he has made towards liberalisation of transatlantic air routes.

  Mr. Norris
  When my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport met the US transportation secretary last month he once again signalled the United Kingdom's willingness to continue talks. We hope that the United Kingdom's approval of the Virgin/Delta deal will help get the talks going again.

  A12
  Mr. Jenkin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement about proposals for a new junction to be constructed on the A12 to join with the A134 at Great Hawkesley.

  Mr. Key
  The Department has no plans to increase capacity on this section of the A12, nor to construct any new junctions. We would therefore expect the cost of any new A12–A134 interchange which might be needed to facilitate development to be met by the developers.

  Railtrack
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the number of occasions, the reasons, and the cost to public funds of the use of helicopters by employees of Railtrack.

  Mr. Freeman
  This is a matter for Railtrack, but I understand from it that there has been no use of helicopters by its employees.

  Air Fares
  Mr. Deva
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what effect the third aviation package is having on air fares in Europe.

  Mr. Norris
  EC carriers are now free to set their own fares, and the EC licensing and market access provisions encourage competition. Since the beginning of 1993 we have seen some straight fare reductions, and various offers of seasonal tickets and promotional fares.

  Residential Areas
  Ms Coffey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to reduce the volume and speed of traffic in residential areas.

  Mr. Key
  It is for local highway authorities to design schemes which control the volume and speed of traffic on their roads. My Department provides technical advice on the regulations and individual design features in circulars and traffic advisory leaflets.

  Kidderminster, Blakedown, Hagley Bypass
  Mr. Anthony Coombs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what are the public costs associated with the Kidderminster, Blakedown. Hagley bypass incurred so far; and if he will break this down between(a) design, (b) compulsory purchase and (c) public inquiry costs.

  Mr. Key
  The question relates to matters which are the responsibility of the Highways Agency; the chief executive will write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from Lawrie Haynes to Mr. Anthony Coombs, dated 16 June 1994:
  You asked the Secretary of State for Transport about the public costs incurred so far with the Kidderminster, Blakedown and Hagley Bypass and if he would give a breakdown between: (a) design, (b) compulsory purchase and (c) public inquiry.
  The overall cost so far is about £15–4 million (inclusive of VAT). This does not include in-house staff costs, which are not readily available but are comparatively small.
  Of this, design costs amount of £1.95 million. This includes the costs of a number of consultants, ground investigation works and an archaeological survey, and of printing and compiling a range of documents.
  We have not yet reached compulsory purchase stage, but we have acquired property under either statutory or discretionary blight at a cost of £13.26 million. We will however be in a position to sell many of these properties after completion of the scheme and in the meantime many are rented to tenants. The net cost will therefore be lower.
  The direct cost of the Public Inquiry was about £189,000, not including the costs of our consultants for this purpose, which are included in the figures above.

  Cones Hotline
  Mr. Donohoe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on his Department's cones inquiry line.

  Mr. Key
  As the cones hotline is not an operational matter for the Highways Agency, the chief executive has written to the hon. Member.

  Letter from Lawrie Haynes to Mr. Brian Donohue dated 16 June 1994:
  You asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he would make a statement on the Department's cones enquiry line. As this is an operational matter for the Highways Agency, I am replying to your question.
  The cones hotline has been running for exactly two years. In that time it has dealt with 5,200 telephone calls of which just over 3,000 have been pursued as formal complaints or requests for information. It gives motorists direct access to the highway authority responsible for the motorway and trunk road network; and as such fits squarely with the wider Citizen's Charter initiative and the policy of improving driver information.
  The Cones Hotline is covered by the Highways Agency's 'Road User's Charter' which sets out standards of service for the

  47
  road network. In following this we undertake to deal with Hotline enquiries as efficiently as possible; and if it is established that there is no good reason for cones to be present, we undertake to get them removed.
  We have recently invited expressions of interest, through the EC Journal, from specialist companies who might be well placed to run the Cones Hotline on the Agency's behalf. This is part of a continuing review to ensure that the Hotline provides the most efficient and effective service.

  Railway Property (Hunt Trespass)
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many incidents of hunt trespass on railway property have been recorded to date in 1994.

  Mr. Freeman
  There are six recorded incidents of hunt trespass on railway property to date this year.

  Marine Safety
  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how he proposes to introduce the proposed 20 per cent. efficiency savings into the Marine Safety Agency.

  Mr. Norris
  Plans for delivering this saving are still being formulated.

  Civil Servants
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 4 May,Official Report, column 565, what percentage of male grade 7s received (a) box 1 and (b) box 2 markings in 1991–92, what were the figures for typists; what proportion of typists were (i) male and (ii) female; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Norris
  In the 1991–92 reporting year, 4.7 per cent. of male grade 7s received box 1 and 52.4 per cent. box 2 performance markings. No male typist received a box 1 or 2 marking. 0.3 per cent. of typist grades were male and 99.7 per cent. female.

  DISC Project
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 7 March,Official Report, column 3, what is the total cost to date of the DISC network policy project; and what tangible results have been obtained from the expenditure thereon.

  Mr. Norris
  The DISC network policy project finished in July 1993 when a policy governing the provision of wide-area computer network services was endorsed by the departmental Information Systems Committee. The project to develop the policy cost approximately £117,000—made up of consulting fees and official time. The end product was a policy that defines the framework within which the Department's executive agencies and other units address their individual requirements for data communications and the mechanism by which the Department as a whole achieves economies of scale in meeting these requirements.

  Heathrow and Gatwick Airports
  Dr. Marek
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will give details of the latest projections he has received from United Kingdom airlines of the proportion of both full day peak and morning peak time slots scheduled for a typical mid-August 1994 week at Heathrow and Gatwick as a proportion of total slots available for both periods.
  48
  Mr. Norris
  In a 1994 mid-August week the proportions of available slots allocated to airlines in the full-day peak—0700–2059—and the morning peak—0700–1159—are, respectively, 96.8 per cent. and 98.5 per cent. at Heathrow, and 95.2 per cent. and 95.9 per cent. at Gatwick.

  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 7 March,Official Report, column 3, on the study of EC directives undertaken by Coopers and Lybrand, what consideration was given to using civil service staff to undertake the work; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Norris
  Support from consultants was used as resources were not available within the Department to carry out all the work required in the limited time available.

  Information Campaigns
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Truro (Mr. Taylor) of 3 March,Official Report, column 833, if he will list the budgets for the various public information campaigns for the current financial year; and if he will make a statement on the extent to which the budgets will be affected following his recent statement of the 20 per cent. efficiency gains.

  Mr. Norris
  The budgets provisionally allocated to the various public information campaigns planned for the current financial year are as follows:

  £ million

  Road safety campaigns

  6·30

  drink drive

  2·50

  kill your speed and child road safety

  3·00

  other road safety

  0·80

  Other transport safety and public information campaigns

  0·65

  These budgets are not affected by the recently announced 20 per cent. efficiency gains statement, but as with all voted expenditure they are constantly reviewed in the light of the priorities and the resources available to meet them.

  Responsibility for marine and coastal public information campaigns and the relevant budgets is being transferred to the Marine Safety Agency and the Coastguard Agency.

  Rail Staff Pay Offer
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he or any of his Ministers or civil servants had any communications with members of the board of British Rail or Railtrack on the subject of the signalling staff pay offer; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. MacGregor
  [holding answer 17 June 1994]: Negotiations about the pay of signalling staff are a matter for Railtrack. But I, my Ministers and senior civil servants have made clear to members of the boards of British Railways and Railtrack on a number of occasions the importance which the Government attach to controlling public expenditure and restraining paybill costs.

  Jubilee Line Extension
  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what has been the approximate cost of preparation and auxiliary work occasioned by works for the Jubilee line at Westminster station that are not part of the contracts for that line; and what is the principal expenditures and the source of funding from(a) public and (b) private bodies.

  Mr. Norris
  In the parliamentary summer recesses of 1992 and 1993, London Underground Limited spent a total of around £3 million on utility diversions in the Westminster station area. All that expenditure was financed by the Government's grant to London Transport.

  A64
  Mr. Sykes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he last travelled in his official capacity along the A64 from York to Scarborough.

  Mr. MacGregor
  I have never travelled along the whole route in my official capacity but have frequently done so non-officially.

  Buses, London
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many(a) double decker and (b) single decker public service buses are estimated to be on London's roads at the latest available date; how many passengers they carried; what were the comparable figures five years ago; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Norris
  In 1992–93 there were 3,649 double decker and 1,395 single decker—including 1,232 midi and mini type—London Transport buses, excluding tendered service buses run by companies other than London Buses Ltd. In 1987–88, the comparable figures were 4,389 double decker and 624 single decker—including 170 midi and mini type.

  For total passenger figures, I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 29 November 1993 at column 340. Passenger figures by vehicle type are not available.

  London Traffic
  Sir Michael Neubert
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is his estimate of the proportion of traffic within Greater London carried by(a) road, (b) rail and (c) river.

  Mr. Norris
  In 1992, it was estimated that 78 per cent. of freight lifted in Greater London, by weight, was carried by road, 17 per cent. by river and 4 per cent. by rail.

  In 1991, 81 per cent. of the number of journeys made by individuals, excluding journeys involving only walking, were by road and 19 per cent. by rail. The proportion of journeys made by river was less than one tenth of 1 per cent.

SCOTLAND

  Litter Bins, A9
  Sir Russell Johnston
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the outcome of the Scottish Office experiment in the reduction in the deposit of litter in 50
  lay-bys which led to the removal of litter bins from lay-bys on the A9 from Aviemore to the Slochd; when these bins will be replaced; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The Environmental Protection Act 1990, which came in to force on 1 April 1991, and its associated litter code of practice transferred responsibility for sweeping and cleansing of trunk roads—other than motorways or designated special roads—from the Secretary of State to the district or island councils.

  Since the removal of the litter bins from the lay-bys on the section of the A9 trunk road from Aviemore to the Slochd, only one lay-by has given cause for concern. In response to this, Badenoch and Strathspey district council replaced the litter bin and is now content with the situation. It has no plans to replace any further litter bins on this section.

  Green Belt Policy
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his policy in respect of protecting the green belt which lies between(a) Paisley and Elderslie and (b) Elderslie and Johnstone; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Stewart
  The Government's policy on protection of the green belt in Scotland is contained in Scottish Development Department circular 24/1985, a copy of which is in the House Library. I shall arrange for a copy to be sent to the hon. Member.

  NHS Trusts
  Mr. Canavan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list individuals and organisations who responded to the consultation document on the proposal for a national health servive trust to merge the Royal Scottish National hospital with Forth Valley Healthcare; who was in favour of the proposal; and who was against.

  Mr. Stewart
  Copies of all comments received in response to the public consultation have been retained by Forth Valley health board and are available for inspection. In due course a copy will also be available for inspection in the Library of the Scottish Office at St. Andrew's house, Edinburgh.

  There were 32 responses, most of which provided comments but did not specifically indicate support or opposition to the proposed merger. Clearly stated opinions indicated eight in favour and two against, as follows:
  In favour

  Area Nursing and Midwifery Advisory Committee

  Falkirk and District Royal Infirmary NHS Trust

  Central Regional Council

  University of Stirling

  Relatives Association, Royal Scottish National Hospital

  Purchasing and Monitoring Team on Priority and Community Services, Forth Valley Health Board

  Forth Valley College of Nursing and Midwifery

  Mr. P. Dickens, Clinical Services Manager, Royal Scottish National Hospital

  Against

  Mr. Dennis Canavan, MP

  Dr. G. Dodds, Consultant Psychiatrist, Bellsdyke Hospital

  Comments

  Area Medical Committee

  GP Sub-Committee

  Area Pharmaceutical Committee

  51

  Area Paramedical Committee

  Psychology Advisory Committee, Forth Valley Healthcare

  British Medical Association

  The College of Speech and Language Therapists

  The Royal College of Nursing

  Clackmannan District Council

  Forth Valley Local Health Council

  Scottish Health Visitors' Association

  Friends of Bellsdyke Hospital

  Stirling and District Association for Mental Health

  Dr. P. Murdoch, Consultant Physician in Geriatric Medicine, Falkirk Unit

  Dr. R. Hall, Interim Clinical Director (Community) Forth Valley Healthcare

  Mr. and Mrs. J. McKelvie

  General Adult Psychiatry Clinical Directorate, Forth Valley Healthcare

  Professions Allied to Medicine, Forth Valley Healthcare Carers' Forum

  No comments

  The Royal College of Midwives, Scottish Board

  British Red Cross

  Strathcarron Hospice

  Mental Welfare Commission
  Mr. Canavan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) when he expects to announce the appointments of the new members of the Mental Welfare Commission;

  (2) if he will list the current members of the Mental Welfare Commission and their period of tenure.

  Mr. Stewart
  My right hon. Friend has today announced the appointment of Mrs. Norma Bennie, Mrs. E. Faith Cotter, Mr. Donald J. MacDonald and Mr. John A. Ross as part-time commissioners to the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland. Mrs. Patricia A. Baxter has been re-appointed for a further term.

  The current membership of the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland is as follows:

  Year of First Appointment

  Due to Demit Office

  Chairman

  Sheriff Hazel Aronson QC

  1991

  1 May 1995

  Full-time Medical Commissioners

  Dr. J. A. Dyer (Director)

  1991

  15 April 1995

  Dr. A. W. Drummond

  1993

  31 May 1995

  Full-time Social Work Commissioner

  Mrs. C. E. McGregor

  1993

  30 November 1997

  Part-time Commissioners

  Mrs. P. A. Baxter

  1990

  30 April 1998

  Mrs. N. Bennie

  1994

  31 May 1998

  Mr. P. H. Brodie QC

  1985

  31 December 1996

  Mrs. E. F. Cotter

  1994

  31 May 1998

  Mr. R. G. Davis

  1984

  31 May 1996

  Mrs. A. M. Green

  1984

  31 May 1996

  Mrs. M. Jeffcoat

  1992

  31 May 1996

  Dr. M. G. Livingston

  1994

  31 December 1997

  Dr. E. D. A. McCall-Smith

  1993

  31 July 1997

  Dr. R. G. McCreadie

  1994

  31 December 1997

  Mr. D. J. MacDonald

  1994

  31 May 1998

  Mr. J. C. Murray (Vice-Chairman)

  1991

  2 September 1995

  Miss L. Noble

  1992

  31 May 1996

  Mr. J. A. Ross

  1994

  31 May 1998

  Mr. J. G. Sutherland OBE

  1984

  31 May 1996

  Mr. Canavan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what criteria he will use for appointments to the Mental Welfare Commission;
  52
  (2) how many nominations he has received for vacancies on the Mental Welfare Commission.

  Mr. Stewart
  The criteria for appointments to the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland are set out in part II of the Mental Health (Scotland) Act 1984. Commissioners are appointed by Her Majesty the Queen on the recommendation of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland. Before making such a recommendation, my right hon. Friend is required to consult such bodies as appear to him to be concerned.

  In the past year, 11 nominations have been received for part-time vacancies on the Mental Welfare Commission. Recommendations for the appointment of full-time medical and social work commissioners are put forward following an open recruitment competition.

  Housing
  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the number and location of unoccupied housing held by Government Departments; and what proposals he has to bring these back into use for homeless families.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  My right hon. Friend is responsible only for property held by the Scottish Office. In April 1993, the Scottish Office Departments, health boards and trusts had 239 empty properties throughout Scotland out of a total stock of 1,625 properties. An agreed target was set to dispose of or bring back into use 80 of these properties by 31 March 1994. The figure achieved was 94. Sale or lease to a housing association for rent to those in housing need is one option to be considered for empty property, but the approach in each case will depend on local circumstances.

  Ravenspark Hospital
  Mr. Donohoe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) how many redundancies Ayrshire and Arran health board expect to result from the closure of Ravenspark hospital; and how many of these will occur among(a) ancillary, (b) nursing and (c) medical staff;

  (2) what assurances have been sought by Ayrshire and Arran health board or the Community Health Care NHS trust from the companies bidding for replacement provision resulting from the closure of Ravenspark hospital as regards the employment of national health service employees who will be made redundant by the closure of Ravenspark hospital.

  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 14 June 1994]: It is anticipated that Ravenspark hospital will close in early 1995. It is too early to talk about specific redundancies at this stage.

  All prospective tenderers have indicated to the health board that their recruitment programmes would give first consideration to staff currently caring for patients who will be transferred from Ravenspark hospital to the new facilities under their ownership and management. For its part, the community healthcare trust will ensure that staff and patient welfare issues are actively addressed during closure to ensure a smooth transition in the interests of staff and of quality patient care.

  Psychiatry (Statistics)
  Mr. McCartney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many high-security psychiatric patients were admitted to psychiatric wards in non-high security units in Scotland in the period from 1985 to 1993.

  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 17 June 1994]: None. The state hospital, Carstairs provides care for all Scottish psychiatric patients needing treatment in conditions of medium or maximum security.

  Mr. McCartney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what are the most common forms of mental illness for children and teenagers; and what was their incidence in Scotland in the period 1979 to 1993.

  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 17 June 1994]: This information is not available. However, in 1993 the number of admissions to mental illness hospitals in Scotland for the under-19 age group was as follows:

  1993

  Percentage of total admissions

  Alcoholic psychosis

  19

  2

  Alcohol dependence syndrome

  Drug abuse

  104

  11

  Schizophrenic psychoses

  85

  9

  Affective psychoses

  56

  6

  Other psychoses

  90

  10

  Disorders of childhood

  38

  4

  Neurotic disorders

  33

  4

  Depressions—non psychotic

  169

  16

  Personality disorders

  35

  4

  Other conditions

  1288

  31

  Total

  917

  100

  1Refers mainly to assessment or respite admissions.

  The total numbers of admissions for this age group since 1979 were as follows:

  All admissions

  First admissions

  1979

  1,032

  704

  1980

  1,095

  667

  1981

  1,269

  720

  1982

  1,102

  685

  1983

  1,145

  730

  1984

  1,082

  657

  1985

  1,033

  613

  1986

  935

  563

  1987

  941

  579

  1988

  909

  575

  1989

  898

  530

  1990

  916

  566

  1991

  961

  575

  1992

  1,056

  541

  1993

  917

  490

  Mr. McCartney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the national referral pattern for adolescent psychiatric services for Scotland; and what was the regional breakdown of contractual referral for each health region for the period 1979 to 1993.

  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 17 June 1994]: The information is not available in the form requested. Information is available that shows first attendances for
  54

  years 1984–93 only. However, the information is too lengthy to print in the Official Report so I will arrange for a copy to be sent to the hon. Member and for copies to be placed in the Libraries of the House. Adolescent psychiatric clinics are provided by the boards shown. For those that do not hold separate adolescent clinics, adolescents are likely to be referred to neighbouring boards or to their own adult psychiatric services.

  Mr. McCartney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many nursing and paramedical staff in Scotland are qualified in forensic psychiatry and working in(a) high security units and (b) admission wards in psychiatric hospitals and mental health trusts.

  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 17 June 1994]: The information requested is not available centrally.

  Mr. McCartney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what capital charges were levied on each regional adolescent psychiatric unit in the latest year for which figures are available.

  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 17 June 1994]: None. There are no regional adolescent psychiatric units in Scotland. Adolescent psychiatric services are part of the general psychiatric provision.

  Mr. McCartney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many nursing and para-medical staff working in psychiatric wards in mental health trust hospitals in Scotland have sustained non-accidental injuries from patients in each year since 1985.

  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 17 June 1994]: This information is not collected centrally.

  Mr. McCartney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many psychiatric patients have been contracted out for treatment to the private sector in Scotland in each year since 1979.

  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 17 June 1994]: This information is not available centrally. It is for individual health boards to determine the needs of their population and to purchase psychiatric services accordingly.

  Mr. McCartney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many beds designated specifically for adolescent psychiatry there were in Scotland in each year since 1979 and at the latest available date.

  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 20 June 1994]: The information requested is shown in the table.

  NHS Scotland average available staffed beds; Adolescent psychiatry: Years ending 31 March 1979–1993

  Year

  1979

  64

  1980

  64

  1981

  64

  1982

  64

  1983

  64

  1984

  79

  1985

  78

  1986

  76

  1987

  77

  1988

  77

  1989

  75

  1990

  67

  1991

  59

  55

  Year

  1992

  53

  11993

  61

  1Year ending 31 December 1993

  Mr. McCartney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what were the national referral patterns and regional referral patterns for all units providing psychiatric services for deaf people in Scotland in each year since 1987.

  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 17 June 1994]: The information requested is not held centrally.

  Mr. McCartney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many children and teenagers suffering from serious mental illnesses were admitted to psychiatric hospitals in Scotland in the period 1979 to 1993.

  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 17 June 1994]: The information requested is as follows:

  Admissions1 to Mental Illness and Psychiatric Units Scotland 1979–1993

  Aged 0–19 years

  Year

  All Admissions

  1st Admissions

  1979

  1,034

  705

  1980

  1,125

  670

  1981

  1,293

  725

  1982

  1,134

  690

  1983

  1,152

  730

  1984

  1,088

  658

  1985

  1,034

  613

  1986

  935

  563

  1987

  941

  579

  1988

  910

  575

  1989

  898

  530

  1990

  920

  566

  1991

  969

  575

  1992

  1,067

  541

  21993

  923

  490

  1Excludes patients with a mental handicap diagnosis.

  2Provisional.

  Mr. McCartney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many forensic psychiatric patients have been treated in Scotland in each year since 1985.

  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 17 June 1994]: Separate information on forensic psychiatric patients is not available. The position for all mental illness and psychiatric admissions is as follows:

  Admissions1 to Mental Illness and Psychiatric Units Scotland 1985–1993

  Year

  All ages All Admissions

  1985

  27,158

  1986

  27,418

  1987

  27,925

  1988

  28,907

  1989

  28,786

  1990

  29,771

  1991

  29,626

  1992

  29,095

  21993

  28,243

  1Excludes patients with a Mental Handicap diagnosis.

  2Provisional.

  56
  Mr. McCartney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many extra-contractual referrals for individuals requiring specialist psychiatric services for deaf people were made in Scotland in 1993–94.

  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 17 June 1994]: The information requested is not available centrally.

  Mr. McCartney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many doctors are trained each year in forensic psychiatry; and how many qualified in forensic psychiatry are practising in the national health service in Scotland.

  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 17 June 1994]: There are seven doctors in specialist training in forensic psychiatry in Scotland, corresponding to approximately one a year. There are 11 consultants and one associate specialist in the specialty.

  Dentistry
  Mr. McCartney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) how many general dental practitioners in Scotland received remuneration for NHS treatments in each year since 1983.

  (2) how many general dental practitioners in Scotland were registered with the Dental Practice Board in each year since 1983.

  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 17 June 1994]: To receive remuneration for national health service treatment a dentist must be on a health board's dental list. The number of general dental practitioners registered on health board dental lists to provide national health service general dental services in Scotland is contained in the table.

  Number of dentists on health board dental lists in Scotland at 31 December

  Year

  Number of dentists

  1983

  1,379

  1984

  1,360

  1985

  1,392

  1986

  1,456

  1987

  1,511

  1988

  1,528

  1989

  1,587

  1990

  1,626

  1991

  1,666

  1992

  1,680

  1993

  1,774

  Mr. McCartney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many general dental practitioners qualified and took up national health service practice in Scotland in each year since 1983.

  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 17 June 1994]: The numbers of dentists who qualified are as follows:

  Year

  Number

  1984

  152

  1985

  153

  1986

  127

  1987

  145

  1988

  150

  1989

  146

  1990

  142

  1991

  133

  57

  Year

  Number

  1992

  120

  1993

  135

  Information is not held centrally on how many took up NHS practice in Scotland. In recent years most dental graduates have undertaken a year's vocational training before becoming a general dental practitioner. As from October 1993 this became mandatory.

  Mr. McCartney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many dental de-registrations there were in Scotland in the period 1985 to 1993.

  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 17 June 1994]: Formal arrangements for patients to register with a specific dentist were introduced under the new contract for general dental services on 1 October 1990. Information supplied by health boards shows there have been around 17,000 de-registrations in the period October 1990 to December 1993.

  Mr. McCartney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has for a review of orthodontic services in Scotland.

  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 17 June 1994]: There are no plans for a review of orthodontic services specifically. However, the system of dental remuneration is currently under review, following consultation on the Bloomfield report.

  Mr. McCartney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many clients were registered in Scotland with general dental practitioners in each year since 1983.

  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 17 June 1994]: Formal arrangements for patients to be registered with a specific dentist were introduced under the new contract for general dental practitioners on 1 October 1990. The number of people registered with a dentist in Scotland is contained in the table.

  Number of people registered with a dentist in Scotland as at 31 March

  Year

  Number registered

  1991

  1,710,947

  1992

  2,485,531

  1993

  2,528,268

  1994

  2,514,816

  Mr. McCartney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many NHS episodes of orthodontic treatment there were for Scotland for the period 1983 to 1993; and what was the cost of NHS orthodontic treatment for Scotland for the same period.

  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 17 June 1994]: NHS orthodontic treatment is provided through the general dental service, community dental service and hospital dental service. Information on treatment and cost, where available, is shown in the tables.
  58

  Table 1 Orthodontic treatments in the General Dental Service in Scotland: 1983–1993

  Year 1

  Number of treatments 2 3

  Total cost (including patient contributions)4

  1983

  18,321

  1,556,020

  1984

  17,334

  1,613,631

  1985

  17,794

  1,882,173

  1986

  16,874

  2,220,719

  1987

  15,929

  2,567,395

  1988

  16,151

  3,183,938

  1989

  18,499

  3,445,292

  1990

  17,949

  3,622,600

  1991–92

  16,305

  3,009,660

  1992–93

  22,735

  3,513,233

  1Information is for calendar years from 1983 to 1990. From 1991–92 information is for financial years.

  2The number of treatments is a count of the number of forms with an orthodontic appliance. This includes retention and replacement applicances.

  3Differences in the number of treatments may be due to changes in the definition of orthodontic treatment items in 1987, 1989 and 1990.

  4The cost of orthodontic treatment from 1983 to 1990 include examinations and study models. From 1991 the cost excludes examinations and study models.

  Table 2 Orthodontic treatment episodes in the Hospital Dental Service in Scotland: 1983–1993

  Year ending 31 March

  New out-patients at consultant clinics

  In-patient and day case discharges

  1983

  14,523

  10

  1984

  14,371

  1

  1985

  15,514

  195

  1986

  16,059

  493

  1987

  18,012

  746

  1988

  19,103

  891

  1989

  18,898

  952

  1990

  119,487

  858

  1991

  18,825

  1,089

  1992

  20,739

  955

  1993

  22,597

  494

  1Estimated.

  Information on costs is not available centrally.

  Table 3 Orthodontic treatment episodes in the Community Dental Service in Scotland: 1988–1993

  Year1

  Number of Orthodontic Episodes of Treatment

  1988

  5,727

  1989

  7,349

  1990

  9,523

  1991

  8,550

  1992

  7,417

  1993

  6,992

  1No information is available prior to 1988.

  Information on costs is not available centrally.

  Mr. McCartney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his estimate of the number of individuals who received private orthodontic treatments in Scotland during the period from 1983 to 1993.

  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 17 June 1994]: No information is held on private dental treatment.
  59
  Mr. McCartney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many patients are waiting for orthodontic treatment in Scotland.

  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 17 June 1994]: At 31 December 1993, the latest date for which information is centrally available, there were 12 patients waiting for in-patient treatment in orthodontics and paediatric dentistry. No patients were waiting for day case treatment. Information on patients waiting for out-patient treatment is not centrally available.

  Prisons
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proposals he has to amend the Prison (Scotland) Rules 1952; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 17 June 1994]: The draft revised Prisons and Young Offenders Institutions (Scotland) Rules were issued for consultation last September. Consideration of the comments received has almost been completed and it is intended to lay the new rules before Parliament in the next few weeks.

  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish the attendance records of individual members of prison visiting committees for the last two years for which figures are available.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 17 June 1994]: Detailed attendance figures for all individual visiting committee members are not collated centrally and any exercise to obtain comprehensive data would involve disproportionate costs.

  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what consultations have been undertaken with the local authorities in Scotland about proposed changes in the membership of prison visiting committees.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 17 June 1994]: The draft revised Prisons and Young Offenders Institutions (Scotland) Rules, which contain proposals for changes in the constitution of prison visiting committees, were sent to the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities in September 1993 as part of a comprehensive consultation exercise.

  Ambulance Services
  Mr. McCartney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) how many private ambulance contracts there were for Scotland in the period 1985 to 1993;

  (2) how many private patient journeys were undertaken by NHS patients in Scotland for journeys to and from (a) nursing homes and (b) private hospitals in the period from 1985 to 1993; what ambulance charges were levied on these NHS patients; and what was the total money earned from these charges for the same period;

  (3) if he will list the NHS ambulance services in Scotland which have contracts with private sector health care providers.

  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 17 June 1994]: Information is not collected centrally on private ambulance contracts, but it is considered that there has been little use if any, of such contractors by NHS bodies in Scotland since the Scottish ambulance service exists to meet the needs of NHS patients.
  60
  No charges are levied on NHS patients for any ambulance journeys provided by the Scottish ambulance service for NHS treatment in nursing homes or private hospitals. Non NHS patients are carried by the Scottish ambulance service only on the basis where there is no detriment to NHS patients. A charge is made. The total income earned in respect of such patients for the period 1991 to 1993 was £48,131.

  There is only one ambulance service for the whole of Scotland and it has no contracts with any private health care provider.

PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMISSION

  Public Bodies
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Chairman of the Public Accounts Commission what arrangements are in hand to audit non-departmental public bodies; and what improvements to those arrangements are currently being considered.

  Sir Peter Hordern
  The Comptroller and Auditor General is the auditor of two-thirds of non-departmental public bodies. The auditor of the remaining bodies is appointed by the responsible Secretary of State, usually from the private sector, and accounts are laid before Parliament.

  In addition, as the auditor of all central Government Departments and agencies the C and AG checks the payment of grants to all public bodies funded by central Government. In most cases he has a right of access to the body receiving the money both so that he can check that the Department is supervising the spending of public money effectively and also to check that the body spends the money properly.

  The recent report by the Public Accounts Committee on the proper conduct of public business suggested that the National Audit Office be enabled to examine and inspect all non-departmental public bodies and other organisations which receive the greater part of their income from central Government funds. The Government have agreed to consider the need for the C and AG to examine bodies to which he currently does not have access on a case by case basis.

  National Audit Office
  Ms Lynne
  To ask the Chairman of the Public Accounts Commission if he will make a statement about the level of funding made available to the National Audit Office to investigate changes in the proportion of moneys spent by local authorities on the various duties they performed over the last five years.

  Sir Peter Hordern
  The audit of local authorities is the responsibility of the Audit Commission, and does not therefore come within the remit of the Public Accounts Commission and the National Audit Office.

DEFENCE

  Air Manoeuvres
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the members of each manoeuvres commission established under the Manoeuvres Act 1958 since 1979.
  61
  Mr. Hanley
  It has never been necessary to invoke the powers of the Manoeuvres Act 1958 as training has been accommodated on existing MOD land, or on the occasions this has not been possible, by negotiation with the landowners concerned.

  Naval Firing Range, Cornwall
  Mr. Jamieson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what consultations his Department has had with the Department of National Heritage concerning the siting of a naval firing range off Dodman point in Cornwall;

  (2) what is his estimate of the total savings to his Department of resiting a naval firing range off Dodman point in Cornwall from Lulworth cove in Dorset;

  (3) what consultations his Department has had with the Department of the Environment concerning the siting of a naval firing range off Dodman point in Cornwall;

  (4) what assessment his Department has made of the impact on the local economy of the siting of a naval firing range off Dodman point in Cornwall;

  (5) if he will make a statement about his Department's decision to resite the Navy's firing range from Lulworth cove in Dorset to the sea area off Dodman point in Cornwall;

  (6) if he will name all the sites which are being considered as a naval firing range to replace the current range at Lulworth in Dorset.

  Mr. Hanley
  The proposal to establish a new naval gunfire support training area has arisen as a result of the decision to move the Royal Navy operational sea training organisation from Portland to Plymouth, which will require transfer of training currently conducted at sea off Portland to exercise areas in the channel south of Plymouth. The move will involve the transfer of some 280 RN personnel to the Plymouth area, and will create an estimated 100 civilian jobs there, as well as bringing additional revenue to the areas.

  As well as undertaking extensive consultations locally, my Department has also consulted the Department of Transport, the Department of Trade and Industry, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, and the habitat protection branch and the water resources and marine division of the Department of the Environment. We did not consult the Department of National Heritage as it has no locus in this matter.

  The financial savings involved in establishing the new range, as opposed to continuing to use the current site at Lulworth, are difficult to quantify precisely. We expect, however, that the saving in man hours and fuel alone could be as much as £500,000 per annum. Also, were the task not transferred to the new range, there would be significant operational penalties elsewhere in the Navy's programme as a result of the greater amount of resources necessary to complete the NGS task.

  After a preliminary survey of the whole coast area from Lizard to Start Point, we have also given careful consideration to several alternative sites to that proposed off Dodman. These included Bolt Head, Bolt Tail, HMS Cambridge, Rame Head and the Eddystone Lighthouse. Each of these sites proved unsuitable, however, for various reasons.

  There has been local concern about the potential impact of this proposal on the local economy. As it is the Navy's intention to work round, rather than to disrupt, the
  62
  activities of fishing and commercial vessels and of leisure craft, we would expect there to be very little impact on Cornwall's economy.

  The formal phase of the public consultation period has now ended, and the various representations are being considered. We shall look very carefully at all the factors before making a final decision.

  D-day Veterans
  Mr. Wareing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans Her Majesty's Government have to compile a register of surviving British service men and other United Kingdom citizens who took part in the D-day landings to ascertain their living conditions; and if he will introduce measures to improve those conditions.

  Mr. Aitken
  It is the Government's aim to provide a full range of health and welfare facilities to meet the needs of all members of the population. This would include those who have served in the Armed Forces, and who may expect to benefit from them in the same way as other members of the community. There are of course also arrangements in place to cater for the special needs of former members of the armed services.

  D-day Commemoration
  Mr. Wareing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the cost to Her Majesty's Government of the events staged to commemorate D-day.

  Mr. Hanley
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave to the hon. Member for Redcar (Dr. Mowlam) on 24 May,Official Report, column 108. The estimated additional costs for the Department of National Heritage are approximately £230,000.

  Troops (Emergency Tours)
  Mr. Churchill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many(a) infantry battalions and Royal Marine Commandos, (b) Royal Artillery regiments, (c) Royal Armoured Corps regiments and (d) Royal Engineer regiments are currently projected to have an emergency tour interval in (i) 1994–95 and (ii) 1995–96 of less than 24 months, assuming continuation of the current level of commitments in Bosnia and Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Hanley
  On current plans the following number of units will deploy in each of the two years on emergency tours within 24 months of their last emergency tour:

  1994–95

  1995–96

  Infantry battalions and Royal Marine commandos

  6

  7

  Royal Artillery regiments

  1

  1

  Royal Armoured Corps regiments

  1

  2

  Engineer squadrons

  4

  8

  Household Division
  Mr. Churchill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of his duty hours(a) a guardsman and (b) a trooper in the Household Division has spent on

  63
  public duties over the most recent (i) quarterly and (ii) annual period for which figures are available; and what assessment he has made of the impact of public duties on recruitment to the Household Division; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hanley
  It is not possible to answer the question in the form requested. On average, however, a guardsman in a public duties battalion is committed to nine days public duties per month, rising to 13 days in the ceremonial season and a trooper to 10 days per month, rising to 14 days in the ceremonial season.

  There is no evidence to suggest that the Household Division's requirement to perform public duties has any effect on its ability to meet its recruitment targets.

  McCarthy and Sons
  Mr. Allason
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what grounds McCarthy and Sons (Contractors) Ltd. of Coombe road, Torquay, are ineligible to work on his Department's sites.

  Mr. Aitken
  Provided that McCarthy and Sons (Contractors) Ltd. of Coombe road, Torquay meets the MOD's contract terms, including security requirements, there is no reason why the company should not be eligible to undertake work at MOD sites.

  Military Bands
  Mr. Jessel
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the annual cost of maintaining and training(a) a military bandsman at the Royal Military School of Music, Kneller Hall, Twickenham, (b) a Royal Marine bandsman trained at Deal and (c) a Royal Air Force bandsman trained at Uxbridge, including all extraneous training costs; and what is the annual cost of training an Army bandsman at Kneller Hall.

  Mr. Hanley
  It is not possible to make meaningful comparisons between the costs of training bandsmen at these establishments for various reasons, such as the differences in course lengths and varying standards of musical ability on arrival. It is possible, however, to give
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  a broad indication of the approximate annual cost of training bandsmen at the three establishments in question, and this is as follows:

  £

  Deal

  72,000

  Kneller Hall

  16,000

  Uxbridge

  1Nil

  1The RAF recruits fully trained musicians although there is a small element of expenditure on higher level training.

  Mr. Jessel
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what sum was spent by his Department on the restoration of the Royal Military School of Music, Kneller Hall, after the decision to reprieve the RMSM and prior to the visit by Her Majesty the Queen to mark the completion of the restoration.

  Mr. Hanley
  Repairs to the roof and work on the stonework on the external facade of the Royal Military School of Music, Kneller Hall, was carried out in November 1990 at a cost of approximately £2,000,000.

  Special Air Service
  Dr. Reid
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to disband R Squadron of the Special Air Service.

  Mr. Hanley
  There are no plans to reduce the current strength of the SAS reserve although some restructuring will be necessary to enable more flexible use of the numbers available.

  Small Arms
  Dr. Reid
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the capability to produce small arms nitro compound currently exists in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Aitken
  Small arms nitro compound is not a term recognised within the Ministry of Defence. There is no capability in the United Kingdom to produce propellant for small arms ammunition.

  SANDZAK, SERBIA: TRIAL OF MUSLIMS
  SANDZAK, SERBIA: TRIAL OF MUSLIMS
  NORTH KOREA: DISCHARGING OF REACTOR AND IAEA INSPECTION
  NORTH KOREA: DISCHARGING OF REACTOR AND IAEA INSPECTION
  KOREA: RUSSIAN SECURITY CONFERENCE PROPOSAL
  KOREA: RUSSIAN SECURITY CONFERENCE PROPOSAL
  CROWN ESTATES PAVING COMMISSION
  CROWN ESTATES PAVING COMMISSION
  BOSNIA: BROADCASTS TO BRITISH FORCES
  BOSNIA: BROADCASTS TO BRITISH FORCES
  STONEHENGE: A303 ROUTE
  STONEHENGE: A303 ROUTE
  MENTAL HEALTH TASK FORCE: REPORT
  MENTAL HEALTH TASK FORCE: REPORT
  FLA PROGRAMME
  FLA PROGRAMME
  EAST MIDLANDS DEVELOPMENT COMPANY
  EAST MIDLANDS DEVELOPMENT COMPANY
  TOKAI MURA PLANT, JAPAN: NUCLEAR MATERIALS
  TOKAI MURA PLANT, JAPAN: NUCLEAR MATERIALS
  BRITISH COAL PENSION SCHEMES
  BRITISH COAL PENSION SCHEMES
  ENVIRONMENT COUNCIL, 8th AND 9th JUNE
  ENVIRONMENT COUNCIL, 8th AND 9th JUNE
  ENVIRONMENT AGENCY
  ENVIRONMENT AGENCY
  MRS. SURINDER KAUR RAM
  MRS. SURINDER KAUR RAM
  NATIONAL IDENTITY CARD SCHEME
  NATIONAL IDENTITY CARD SCHEME
  RACE RELATIONS ACT 1976, S. 69(2) CERTIFICATES
  RACE RELATIONS ACT 1976, S. 69(2) CERTIFICATES
  CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND PUBLIC ORDER BILL: NEW OFFENCES
  CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND PUBLIC ORDER BILL: NEW OFFENCES
  CHILDREN DETAINED UNDER POLICE AND CRIMINAL EVIDENCE ACT
  CHILDREN DETAINED UNDER POLICE AND CRIMINAL EVIDENCE ACT