Written Answers of 14 March 1994

NATIONAL FINANCE

  Ministerial Offices
  Mr. Boyes
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many bottles of(a) whisky and gin and (b) sherry and port were consumed by each of his private offices in 1993–94.

  Mr. Nelson
  Disaggregated information of this sort could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Boyes
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the cost of new furniture for each private office in his Departments during the year 1993–94.

  Mr. Nelson
  The cost of new furniture in the Chancellor's office was £1,150. There was no expenditure on new furniture in other private offices.

  Agency Chief Executives
  Mr. Radice
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many agency chief executives in his Departments are currently paid more than £82,925, excluding performance-related bonuses; and whether such chief executives were recruited directly to their present post from outside the civil service.

  Mr. Dorrell
  One agency chief executive in the Chancellor of the Exchequer's Departments is paid more than £82,925 per year, excluding performance-related bonuses. The person in question was recruited directly to the post from outside the civil service.

  Exchequer Property
  Mr. Enright
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what property, leased or owned for the purposes of the Exchequer, is not in current use.

  Mr. Nelson
  None. All the properties occupied and used by the Treasury form part of the Government's common user estate which is the responsibility of the Secretary of State for the Environment, who will answer in respect of that property. The Treasury has no other property holdings.

  Inflation
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what steps the Government are taking to prevent inflation in asset prices from spreading to goods and services;

  (2) what assessment the Government have made of the inflationary effect of increases in house prices; and what steps the Government intend to take to prevent house prices from rising further in 1994.

  Mr. Nelson
  The Government are committed to low inflation and will continue to conduct monetary policy so as to deliver their inflation target.
  456
  Monetary policy decisions are based on assessments of a range of monetary and other indicators, including house prices and other asset prices. Asset price movements have in the past been valuable leading indicators of inflation, but the Government do not rely on any single indicator.

  As stated in the 1994–95 "Financial Statement and Budget Report," while some recovery in house prices is expected in 1994, inflation is still forecast to remain within the Government's target range.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer to what extent the Government distinguish between asset inflation, cost-push inflation and demand-pull inflation for the purposes of fiscal and monetary policy; and which of the three principally characterised inflation between 1987 and 1990.

  Mr. Nelson
  The Government's monetary policy is set to deliver low inflation irrespective of its cause. Figures on a wide range of monetary and other indicators are monitored, including asset prices, earnings, other input prices and activity. These are published regularly in the monthly monetary report, which has included charts for the period referred to.

  PSBR
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what were the proportions and the amounts of the public sector borrowing requirement funded by the trading banks for each year since 1985 in the United Kingdom, Germany, France and Italy; and what amount of United Kingdom gilts in each year were purchased and held by(a) banks, (b) pension funds and (c) other financial institutions.

  Mr. Nelson
  Data on Government financing by type of debt holder are published by the International Monetary Fund in its "Government Finance Statistics Yearbook". This covers the United Kingdom, Germany, France and Italy. More detailed sectoral analyses of United Kingdom gilt transactions are published by the Bank of England in its "Statistical Abstract".

  Value Added Tax
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many collection staff were working for the Inland Revenue in each year since 1980(a) in London and the south-east and (b) in the United Kingdom as a whole in the area of value added tax.

  Mr. Dorrell
  No Inland Revenue staff are employed in the area of value added tax. Value added tax is entirely dealt with by Customs and Excise.

  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what was the total number of Customs and Excise officers engaged in value added tax inspections in the Doncaster area in each year for the last 10 years;

  (2) what was the total number of value added tax inspections carried out in the Doncaster area by Customs and Excise officers in each year for the last 10 years.

  Sir John Cope
  Information is not available for the whole period requested. For the years to the end of March 1991, March 1992 and March 1993 Doncaster local VAT office assigned 48, 50 and 47 officers respectively to visiting duties. For the year to the end of March 1994, it is expected that 45 officers will be assigned to this work.
  457
  A total of 4,088 visits were carried out by those staff in the year ending 31 March 1991, 3,197 in 1992 and 2,956 in 1993. It is planned to complete some 2,500 visits by the end of March 1994. Businesses are selected in accordance with their risk profile which may vary from year to year. Better targeting of resources and the time needed to carry out each visit also has an effect.

  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of what proportion of the total value added tax revenue is raised in(a) Wales, (b) England, (c) Scotland and (d) Northern Ireland.

  Sir John Cope
  Estimated proportions are:

  Per cent.

  Wales

  4·6

  England

  85·2

  Scotland

  8·0

  Northern Ireland

  2·2

  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the outstanding value added tax debt of registered business in the Doncaster area.

  Sir John Cope
  Information regarding total outstanding value added tax debt is not analysed by geographical areas. Providing this information for the Doncaster area would involve disproportionate cost.

  Excise Duties (Evasion)
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what basis cases of evasion of duty on imports of wine, spirits or tobacco are dealt with in magistrates courts.

  List of voluntary organisations and housing associations who receive funding through section 73 of the Housing Act 1985 under the Rough Sleepers Initiative in 1993–94

  Organisation/Association

  Project

  London Borough

  Total grant (£)

  Alone in London Service

  Resettlement Work

  Camden

  21,000

  Arlington HA

  Arlington House hostel1

  Camden

  31,000

  Resettlement Work

  Centrepoint

  Vauxhall Hostel1

  Lambeth

  894,327

  'Off the Streets'

  Westminster

  Management of PSL properties1

  Westminster

  Resettlement Work

  Camden/Lambeth/Westminster

  Soho Square winter shelter

  Westminster

  CLHAS

  Resettlement Work

  Westminster/Camden/Islington

  80,467

  Crisis

  Tooley Street winter shelter

  Southwark

  216,225

  DePaul Trust

  Lord Clyde nightshelter1

  Lambeth

  295,211

  Moorhouse Road hostel1

  Westminster

  Resettlement Work

  Lambeth

  Drink Crisis Centre

  Hostel Workers

  Lambeth

  50,000

  English Churches

  Station Hotel hostel1

  Camden

  880,164

  Housing Group

  New To London hostel1

  Westminster

  MacNaghten House hostel1

  Camden

  Nevern Mansions hostel1

  Kensington and Chelsea

  Resettlement Work

  Camden/Westminster

  Allied House winter shelter

  Islington

  Homeless Network

  Improved Support Project

  Westminster

  59,000

  Housing Services

  Managing PSL properties

  Camden

  273,295

  Agency

  Clearing Housing Project

  Camden

  Resettlement Work

  Camden

  Hyde HA

  Private Sector Leasing1

  Bromley

  106,100

  London Borough of Camden

  Albert Street winter shelter

  Camden

  79,000

  458
  Sir John Cope
  Proceedings for such cases may be taken in the magistrates court under sections 170(A) or (B) of the Customs and Excise Management Act 1979, or under sections 170(1) or (2) of that Act if the magistrates court accepts jurisdiction where it considers its powers of sentencing adequate following representations from Customs and the defendant or his representative.

  Sections 170(A) or (B) carry maximum penalties of £5,000. Sections 170(1) or (2) involve fraudulent intent to evade duty and carry maximum penalties of six months' imprisonment and a penalty of £5,000 or three times the value of the goods concerned.

ENVIRONMENT

  Rough Sleepers Initiative
  Mr. Dowd
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the projects which have received rough sleepers initiative funding during 1993–94, the amounts allocated and the London boroughs in which they are located.

  Sir George Young
  As part of the rough sleepers initiative in central London my Department has allocated grant aid in 1993–94 under section 73 of the Housing Act 1985 to the housing associations and voluntary organisations shown in the following table.

  In addition, the Housing Corporation has made capital allocations of £67 million to 23 housing associations to provide at least 1,500 places in permanent accommodation for people who are in hostels or on the streets to move on to.
  459

  Organisation/Association

  Project

  London Borough

  Total grant (£)

  London Connection

  Resettlement Work

  Westminster

  182,448

  London and Quadrant Housing Trust

  Private Sector Leasing1

  Lewisham

  89,000

  Look Ahead HA

  Resettlement Work

  Westminster

  18,000

  Met Office

  Weather Forecasting

  —

  1,463

  National Council of YMCAs

  West Cromwell Road Hostel1

  Kensington and Chelsea

  74,000

  New Horizon Youth Centre

  Resettlement Work

  Westminster

  26,000

  North Lambeth Day Centre

  Resettlement Work

  Lambeth/Southwark

  95,730

  Netting Hill Housing Trust

  Private Sector Leasing Rent Deposit Fund

  Kensington and Chelsea

  228,000

  The Passage

  Passage Nightshelter

  Westminster

  190,000

  Providence Row

  47/49 Crispin St. hostel1

  City of London

  418,000

  50 Crispin St. hostel1

  City of London

  Ede House hostel1

  Hackney

  Resettlement Work

  City of London

  Resource Information Service

  Information gathering

  —

  3,180

  Riverpoint

  Management of PSL properties1

  Hammersmith and Fulham

  241,622

  John Street winter shelter

  Camden

  St. Mungo Association

  Nevern Square hostel1

  Kensington and Chelsea

  1,205,005

  Bassett Road hostel

  Kensington and Chelsea

  Vartry Road hostel1

  Haringey

  Chichester Road hostel1

  Brent

  City Road hostel1

  Islington

  Hatton Gardens hostel

  Islington

  Siddons Buildings hostel

  Westminster

  Outreach/Resettlement Work

  Westminster/Lambeth/Camden

  Neville House winter shelter

  Westminster

  Salvation Army

  Outreach/Resettlement

  Hackney

  168,641

  Tudor Street winter shelter

  Camden

  SHAC

  Hostels Vacancy Information Project

  Westminster

  114,000

  Shaftesbury Society

  Lansdowne Centre hostel1

  Southwark

  171,000

  John Kirk Centre hostel1

  Southwark

  Aldershot Road hostel1

  Brent

  Short Term Leasing

  Management of PSL properties1

  Islington

  167,000

  South London Family HA

  Private Sector Leasing1

  Lambeth

  11,000

  Thames Reach

  Outreach/Resettlement Work

  Southwark

  59,000

  Lincoln's Inn Outreach Team

  Camden

  Threshold HA

  Private Sector Leasing1

  Wandsworth

  21,000

  West Hampstead HA

  Private Sector Leasing1

  Camden

  173,000

  1 These organisations also receive RSI revenue funding from the Housing Corporation.

  Use Classes Order
  Mr. Gale
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has completed his review of the working of the use classes order in relation to houses in multiple occupation; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. David Atkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environenmt if he will make a statement on the control of the change of use of hotels to hostels by planning authorities.

  Mr. Curry
  The review has now been completed. The Government are satisfied that there is a real and specific threat to the amenity of tourist areas from the establishment 460
  of such hostels in traditional hotel areas. It is investigating the feasibility of legislation to introduce a licensing system for the establishment of hostels.

  As a temporary measure pending the introduction of any such licensing scheme, an amending order being made today will amend the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 1987 to require planning permission for the change of use from a hotel to a hostel.

  Derelict Land
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects the interdepartmental working group on derelict land to report; and if he will make a statement.
  461
  Mr. Atkins
  There is no interdepartmental working group on derelict land. If, however, the hon. Member is referring to the review of the arrangements for dealing with contaminated land, I refer him to the answer I gave on 8 March 1994,Official Report, column 110.

  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to complete the register of derelict land; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Atkins
  If the hon. Member is referring to registers of land subject to contaminative uses under section 143 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, the Government withdrew their proposals on 24 March 1993,Official Report, column 633.

  If the hon. Member is referring to the registers of vacant and underused public sector land, these are compiled each year by local authorities and other public bodies. My Department does not have a central register.

  Area Cost Adjustment
  Mr. Robert Ainsworth
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has for changes to the area cost adjustment.

  Mr. Baldry
  The area cost adjustment was given extensive consideration during the 1993 review of standard spending assessments. We do, however, wish to look again at the way the adjustment works within the south-east region outside London. We shall be discussing shortly with the local authority associations the 1994 programme of technical work on SSAs.

  Wind Farms
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he is taking to ensure that wind farms are not located in environmentally sensitive areas or in areas of natural beauty.

  Mr. Baldry
  Planning policy guidance note 22 gives advice on renewable energy projects which local planning authorities should take into account when they consider planning applications for wind farms. This guidance makes it clear that authorities must always weigh the desirability of exploiting a clean, renewable energy resource against the visual impact which the development may have on the landscape.

  The PPG also emphasises that particular care should be taken in assessing proposals for developing all renewable projects, including wind farms, in national parks, areas of outstanding natural beauty, the Broads and sites of special scientific interest.

  Grand Island Gas Scheme
  Mr. Robert Ainsworth
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) how much grant was paid to British Gas by Greater Manchester development corporation for the development of the Grand Island scheme;

  (2) what is the current situation concerning the grant dispute with British Gas for the Grand Island scheme in Manchester.

  Mr. Baldry
  The Central Manchester development corporation has paid grant of £4,464,940 to British Gas land division. CMDC is now taking steps to recover this grant.

  Development Grants
  Mr. Robert Ainsworth
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what checks are made by his Department to ensure that grant levels paid for development purposes are appropriate.

  Mr. Baldry
  My Department operates a range of grants. Grant schemes have a stipulated set of conditions including monitoring and appraisal requirements.

  City Grant
  Mr. Robert Ainsworth
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received concerning possible abuse of grants analogous to city grant which are offered by urban development corporations in their own areas.

  Mr. Baldry
  None.

  Foleshill Gas Works
  Mr. Robert Ainsworth
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether agreement has been reached with British Gas on the appropriate level of grant needed to ensure the development of the Foleshill gas works site in Coventry.

  Mr. Baldry
  English Partnerships has made a proposal to British Gas, the site owners, under which a grant could be offered for a first phase of development on the Foleshill site. English Partnerships has also suggested a possible joint venture for the development of a second phase.

  Child Care
  Ms Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much his Department spends on child care provision for the under-fives and out-of-school provision for children aged over five either directly, excluding provision for departmental staff, or indirectly through resources made available to local authorities or other organisations; what form of provision is thereby provided; how many places are thereby provided; and if he will make a statement on child care.

  Mr. Baldry
  The amount included in local authority standard spending assessments for 1994–95 in respect of the education of children under five is £935·2 million. The amount spent by local authorities on provision for child care, and the number of places thereby provided, are matters for individual authorities.

  Single Regeneration Budget
  Mr. Parry
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what consultations were made in the development of the single regeneration budget; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Baldry
  There has been extensive consultation on draft bidding guidance for the single regeneration budget, both centrally and at local level. Some 10,000 copies of the draft bidding guidance on the single regeneration budget have been distributed; 11 seminars organised by the Department have been held throughout England; and several hundred written responses have been received. The responses will be taken into account in finalising the bidding guidance which is expected to be issued in early April.

  Dog Fouling
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what powers individual citizens have to force local authorities to control fouling by dogs; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) what powers local authorities have to control and deal with dog faeces; what representations he has received to increase those powers; and if he will make a statement;

  (3) what plans he has to amend the law to classify dog mess as litter; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Atkins
  Under the provisions of part IV of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, local authorities have a duty to keep certain public areas, such as parks and highways, clear of dog faeces. Citizens can apply to a magistrates court for a litter abatement order if a local authority fails to carry out this duty.

  Local authorities in England and Wales can also adopt "poop-scoop" byelaws which make it an offence for owners not to clear up after their dogs in designated areas. It is however, for each local authority to decide whether or not to adopt such byelaws.

  The Tidy Britain Group and others have proposed replacement of poop-scoop byelaws with national legislation to make it an offence for any person to allow a dog to foul any area to which the public have access. 'The Department's advisory group on litter is currently considering this proposal as well as the suggestion that dog mess should be defined as litter. The advisory group's report is expected to be completed in the near future.

PRIME MINISTER

  Ministerial Visits
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Prime Minister (1) what was the(a) budgeted and (b) actual expenditure by his office on (1) internal and (2) overseas travel by the Prime Minister in 1990–91 and after 28 November 1990, 1991–92, 1992–93 and so far in 1993–94;

  (2) what was the (a) budgeted and (b) actual expenditure by his office on (1) internal and (2) overseas travel by the Prime Minister in 1990–91, after 28 November 1990, 1991–92, 1992–93 and so far in 1993–94.

  The Prime Minister
  Disaggregated budget information is not available, nor is information for portions of financial years. The outturn for total travel and subsistence costs for domestic and overseas travel recorded in the financial years in question was as follows:

  Domestic travel £

  Overseas travel £

  1990–91

  617,943

  1991–92

  89,810

  860,307

  1992–93

  71,078

  1,190,087

  Information on spending in 1993–94 will be available after the end of the financial year.

  These figures relate to sums paid in the relevant financial years: in some cases payments may relate to travel in the previous financial year.

  No. 10 Downing Street (Costs)
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Prime Minister what is the budget for the running cost for the Prime Minister's residence at 10 Downing street for 1994–95; and what was the running cost of 10 Downing street over the last 14 years.

  The Prime Minister
  Figures on a consistent basis are not available. In 1980–81, recorded spending on 10 Downing street and Chequers on the votes of the Cabinet Office, OPSS, was £1·745 million. In 1981–82, charges were introduced for the use of Ministry of Defence aircraft. Including those charges, spending was £2·415 million in 1981–82 and £2·700 million in 1982–83. In 1983–84, charges were introduced by the Property Services Agency for buildings and services. Including those charges, spending was £3·026 million in 1983–84. In 1984–85, charges were introduced for use of the Government car service and for service personnel at Chequers. Including those charges, spending was £3·787 million in 1984–85 and £4·406 million in 1985–86. In 1986–87, the cost of office services was included in the No. 10 budget. Including those costs, spending since then has been as follows:

  Year

  £ million

  1986–87

  4·963

  1987–88

  5·418

  1988–89

  6·554

  1989–90

  7·669

  1990–91

  8·226

  1991–92

  8·664

  1992–93

  9·866

  An outturn for 1993–94 will be available shortly; it is likely to be around the same level of spending as in 1992–93. The provisional budget for 1994–95 is £9·486 million.

  "Back to Basics"
  Mr. Grocott
  To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent (Mr. Smith) of 21 February,Official Report, column 849, what has been the total expenditure to date by the Government on the Government's "back to basics" policy; and how many departmental staff are currently working on the Government's "back to basics" policy.

  The Prime Minister
  As "back to basics" applies across a range of Government policies, the information which the hon. Gentleman requests could be supplied only at disproportionate cost.

  "Jimmy Young Programme"
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will place in the Library a copy of the transcript of his interview of the "Jimmy Young Programme" on BBC Radio 2 broadcast on 7 March; and if he will make a statement on new policy positions announced in the interview.

  The Prime Minister
  No. The objectives of this Government remain unchanged.

  10 Downing Street (Jewellery)
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Prime Minister when the last independent audit of the 10 Downing street jewellery inventory took place; who carried out the audit; and what were the findings.
  465
  The Prime Minister
  There has been no such audit in recent years, although the items are and have been available for inspection by the auditors in the Cabinet Office or in the National Audit Office. I am satisfied that all the items concerned are in safe-keeping in Number 10.

  Ministers
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will publish a list of the number of Ministers in each Department with the numbers of Ministers in each corresponding Department in the period 1964 to 1970; and how the responsibilities of the respective Departments have altered.

  The Prime Minister
  Current information on the number of Ministers in each Department can be found in the "List of Ministerial Responsibilities", a copy of which is in the Library of the House. The responsibilities of Departments and the numbers of Ministers changed during the period 1964–1970. Tables of ministeral office holders were published regularly in Hansard.

  Cornwall
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on ministerial responsibility for Cornwall.

  The Prime Minister
  The Government are collectively responsible for all regions of the United Kingdom.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Output
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his answer of 16 February,Official Report, columns 829–30, by how much United Kingdom output has fallen since the United Kingdom joined the EEC; and what have been the corresponding percentage changes since 1973 in Germany, France, Italy, Belgium and Spain.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  Changes in output between 1973 and 1983, as measured by the number of cars produced, were as follows:

  Per cent.

  United Kingdom

  -21

  Germany

  +3

  France

  -1

  Italy

  -39

  Belgium1

  -26

  Spain

  +113

  1 The comparision for Belgium is for the period from 1976 to 1992.

  Sources: "Motor Industry of Great Britain: World Automotive Statistics" and Motorstat Express, Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.

  Motor Industry
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his answer of 16 February,Official Report, column 830, by what percentage employment in the United Kingdom vehicle and parts industry has fallen since 1973; and what have been the corresponding percentage changes in Germany, France, Italy, Belgium and Spain.
  466
  Mr. Sainsbury
  Between 1973 and 1993 the number of people employed in the United Kingdom motor vehicle and parts industry fell by 58 per cent.

  Figures for Germany, France, Italy, Belgium and Spain are not available for the same period. But available figures show changes in people employed in the motor vehicles and parts industry were as follows:

  1976–1995 Per cent.

  1980–1992 Per cent.

  United Kingdom

  -52

  -45

  Germany

  +20

  +11

  France

  +35

  -32

  Italy

  -45

  -37

  Belgium

  n/a

  +3

  Spain

  n/a

  -6

  Source: Eurostat VISA database.

  Know-how Projects
  Mr. David Evans
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade to what extent his Department participates in the know-how projects to assist the development of enterprise in eastern Europe.

  Mr. Needham
  My Department works closely with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, which has responsibility for the know-how fund scheme, on schemes to encourage enterprise in eastern Europe, including the former Soviet Union. The Department is consulted on applications from United Kingdom companies for grants under the pre-investment feasibility scheme for potential investment projects in the region and for support under the training investment personnel scheme. My Department also provides advice as appropriate on projects to encourage the development of enterprise under the know-how fund country programmes and is consulted on aspects of the joint industrial company awards programme under which entrepreneurs from the region are seconded to United Kingdom companies in order to gain valuable commercial experience. Two officials from the Department have been seconded to the FCO to work on the know-how-fund programme.

  Mr. David Evans
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what assessment he has made of the contribution of the university of Hertfordshire to the know-how-funded projects in Romania.

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

  The university of Hertfordshire has made an important contribution to the know-how fund's activities in Romania through its involvement in the successful launch of the Romanian centre for the improvement of management performance. The know-how fund will continue to support the university's work with the centre into the next financial year. It is planned that the centre will be financially self-sustainable in early 1995.

  Departmental Property
  Mr. Enright
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how much office space, currently on lease to, or owned by, his Department, is not in current use.

  Mr. Eggar
  None.

  Eastern Europe
  Mr. David Evans
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans he has to assist the countries of eastern Europe to benefit from the experience of the United Kingdom in respect of encouraging small businesses and the privatisation of state-owned industries.

  Mr. Needham
  The know-how fund, for which the Foreign and Commonwealth Office is responsible, is the Government's principal programme to assist the countries of eastern Europe, including the former Soviet Union, to move to free market economies through the provision of advice and expertise. Two of the know-how fund key priority areas are assistance with the development of small and medium-sized enterprises and the encouragement of privatisation.

  United Kingdom imports of manufactures

  (£ million, current prices)

  Percentage change

  Annualised percentage change

  1970

  1992

  1993

  1970–92

  1970–93

  1970–92

  1970–93

  Irish Republic

  128

  3,249

  n/a

  2,432

  n/a

  16

  n/a

  Sweden

  236

  2,783

  3,006

  1,077

  1,171

  12

  12

  Norway

  118

  965

  1,048

  719

  789

  10

  10

  Denmark

  75

  1,305

  n/a

  1,642

  n/a

  14

  n/a

  Switzerland

  188

  3,823

  4,375

  1,935

  2,229

  15

  15

  Austria

  73

  922

  942

  1,157

  1,185

  12

  12

  Portugal

  56

  962

  n/a

  1,604

  n/a

  14

  n/a

  Note:

  n/a—1993 information on United Kingdom trade with EC member states is not available.

  Source: Overseas Trade Statistics of the United Kingdom.

  Proton Cars
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many Proton cars were imported from Malaysia in each year since 1990.

  Mr. Needham
  The figures for imports by manufacturer are not available. Information on United Kingdom new registrations of Proton cars, all of which were imported from Malaysia, are published annually by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders in "Motor Industry of Great Britain: World Automotive Statistics." The most recent data are published in "Monthly Statistical Review". Copies are available in the Library of the House.

  Economic Development Agencies (North-west)
  Sir Thomas Arnold
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what assessment he has made of the number of economic development agencies in the north-west; and if he will list them.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  There is no agreed definition on the basis of which to identify bodies as economic development agencies.

  A number of organisations in the north-west are involved in assisting economic development, some independent, and some directly attached to existing bodies such as local authorities and chambers of commerce. The Government seek to promote a coherent and co-ordinated approach by all these bodies, for example through the business link initiative.
  468
  When Ministers from this Department visit the countries of eastern Europe, they use every opportunity to encourage the Governments concerned to continue on the path of economic reform including following policies which will promote the growth of a vibrant small firms sector and accelerate privatisation.

  Manufactures (Imports)
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the increase in the United Kingdom of imports of manufactures by the Irish Republic, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Switzerland, Austria and Portugal since 1970; and what was the forecast in the 1970 "Economic Assessment", Cm 4289.

  Mr. Needham
  Information concerning the increase in United Kingdom imports is given in the following table. Cm 4289 is available in the Library of the House.

  Malaysia
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list in order of pound sterling volumes the 10 principal product imports from Malaysia.

  Mr. Needham
  The information is provided in the following table.

  Top ten imports from Malaysia (£ million, current prices)

  Commodity

  Value

  Microprocessors with a processing capacity between 16 bits and 32 bits.

  208

  Motor vehicles of a cylinder capacity between 1000cc and 1500cc, new, assembled, other than station wagons and estate cars

  84

  Digital monolithic integrated units, other than memories, microprocessors, microcontrollers; other than gate arrays, standard cells, programmable logic devices; other than control circuits, interface circuits.

  51

  Data processing equipment, not elsewhere specified, other than peripheral units, punches, verifiers and calculators.

  29

  Microcontrollers with a processing capacity not exceeding 8 bits.

  25

  Plywood consisting solely of sheets of wood, each plynot exceeding 6mm thickness with at least one outer ply of: Dark Red Meranti, Light Red Meranti, White Lauan, Sipo, Limba, Okoume, Obeche, Acajou' Afrique, Sapelli, Baboen, Mahogany, Palissandre du Bresil or Bois de Rose Femelle.

  24

  Unwrought tin, not alloyed.

  23

  Wood of Dark, Red Meranti, Light Red Meranti and Meranti Bakau, sawn or chipped lengthwise, sliced or peeled, of a thickness exceeding 6mm.

  23

  469

  Commodity

  Value

  Colour TV receivers with an integral tube, with a screeen width/height ratio less than 1·5, with a diagonal measurement of the screen between 32cm and 37cm.

  23

  Non-ditigal monolithic integrated units other than amplifiers, voltage and current regulators, control circuits, interface circuits.

  22

  Source: HM Customs and Excise.

  Vehicle Imports
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the number of buses, coaches and mini-buses on British roads(a) in 1970, (b) 1979, (c) 1988 and (d) 1992; what was the proportion of imported vehicles in each year; and what factors underlie the trend in this proportion.

  Mr. Needham
  The available data are published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders Ltd. in the annual series of "Motor Industry of Great Britain, World Automotive Statistics". Data for the number of buses and coaches, excluding minibuses, in use can be found in table 40—Great Britain—and table 47—Northern Ireland. The number of vehicles with 10 or more seats imported by the United Kingdom can be found in table 91 of the aforementioned publication. Table numbers refer to the 1993 edition; there may be differences in earlier years. Figures for the proportion of imported vehicles in the total stock are not available.

  This publication is available in the Library of the House.

  EC Trade
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what proportion of United Kingdom trade is with the EC; and what are his sources for the statistic.

  Mr. Needham
  The latest information on United Kingdom trade with EC and the rest of the world was published in the first release, balance of United Kingdom visible trade December 1993, CSO(94)47, by the Central Satatistical Office on 11 March 1994. The release is available in the Library of the House.

  Lloyd's
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list all regulatory and statutory changes which were designed to have, or had, the effect of benefiting persons who have been or remained members of syndicates of Lloyd's of London.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  The regulation of Lloyd's is based mainly on the Lloyd's Act 1982 and the Insurance Companies Act 1982. Under the latter, the Secretary of State monitors the adequacy of Lloyd's solvency to ensure that its assets are sufficient to pay policyholders' valid claims rather than being designed to benefit members of Lloyd's. Regulation under the Lloyd's Act is a matter for the council of Lloyd's. Substantial changes to the taxation of individual members of Lloyd's were made by the Finance Act 1993. Further changes are proposed in the current Finance Bill; these reflect the admission of corporate members and also align the taxation of 470
  individual members with the self-assessment procedures introduced for individuals generally. Taken as a whole, the measures have no significant cost to the Exchequer, and therefore convey no benefit to members of Lloyd's.

  Iran
  Mr. Parry
  To ask the Secretary of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the trade figures between the United Kingdom and Iran since the restoration of relations in September 1990.

  Mr. Needham
  Information on United Kingdom visible trade is regularly published in "Overseas Trade Statistics of the United Kingdom", a copy of which is available in the Library of the House.

  Indonesia
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the purpose and outcome of his visit to Indonesia in December 1993.

  Mr. Needham
  My right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade did not visit Indonesia in December 1993.

  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what discussions he has had with his Portuguese counterpart over EC and United Kingdom trade with Indonesia.

  Mr. Needham
  Neither I nor my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade have held such discussions, although when I visited Portugal recently I stressed the importance of increasing trade with far eastern markets generally.

  Aid and Trade Provision
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade which British firms have benefited from aid and trade provision assistance; by how much; and for what projects in Malaysia and Indonesia in each year since 1979.

  Mr. Needham
  Information on the topic was published annually in "Business Monitor MA20, Overseas Trade Statistics of the United Kingdom" until 1992, and summary tables spanning 10 years are published in the "Annual Abstract of Statistics". Figures for 1993 are published in the December 1993 issue of "Business Monitor MM20, Overseas Trade Statistics of the United Kingdom with countries outside the European Community (Extra-EC Trade)". Copies of these publications are available in the Library of the House.

  Design Council
  Mr. Duncan Smith
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he will announce the Government's response to the review of the Design Council undertaken by Mr. John Sorrell.

  Mr. Heseltine
  I am grateful to Mr. Sorrell for his review of the future of the Design Council, which he presented to my Department on 27 January. I shall place a copy of the review, together with the Government's response, in the Library of the House on 15 March.

  Public Interest Immunity Certificates
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his answer of 21 February,Official Report, column 22, if he will provide whatever information is available of those occasions on which he, or other Ministers in his Department, have signed public interest immunity certificates, and for what reasons.

  Mr. Heseltine
  [holding answer 10 March 1994]: This information is not immediately available. I will write to the hon. Gentleman.

  Manufacturing Industry
  Sir Geoffrey Johnson Smith
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what assessment he has made of the change in competitiveness of United Kingdom manufacturing industry relative to France.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  [holding answer 9 March 1994]: Between 1973 and 1979, manufacturing productivity and unit wage costs for the United Kingdom and France were as follows:

  Annual average growth 1973–79

  Per cent.

  United Kingdom

  France

  Manufacturing production

  -0·96

  1·54

  Manufacturing productivity

  0·6

  3·7

  Manufacturing unit wage costs

  18·0

  11·2

  Source:OECD Main Economic Indicators.

  During the last economic cycle, 1979 to 1990, however, manufacturing output and productivity grew more rapidly in the United Kingdom than in France. More recently, the latest available quarterly figures shows that manufacturing unit wage costs have risen, since the same period last year, by 1 per cent. in the United Kingdom and 6 per cent. in France.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Zimbabwe
  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) if he will make a statement on the legal rights of United Kingdom citizens in Zimbabwe when threatened with deportation to the United Kingdom;

  (2) on what legal basis, other than extradition, United Kingdom citizens may be deported from Zimbabwe to the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  That is a matter for the Zimbabwe authorities.

  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the circumstances surrounding the return from Zimbabwe to the United Kingdom of Nicholas Mullen in February 1989 and their legal basis.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  We understand that Mr. Mullen, who had an Irish passport, was deported on 6 February 1989 on the grounds of offences against Zimbabwe Immigration law. Our understanding is that the legal basis for deportations from Zimbabwe is contained in the Zimbabwe Immigration Act 18 of 1979.

  Kurds
  Mr. Parry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received concerning the treatment of the Kurds in Syria; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  We have received a number of representations about the plight of the Kurdish community in Syria and elsewhere. We regularly raise our concerns about human rights issues with the Syrian authorities.

  Mr. Parry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received concerning the treatment of the Kurdish community in Iran; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  We have received some representations on the treatment of Kurds in Iran. We are naturally sympathetic to the plight of the Kurdish people throughout the region and are following closely developments in this area, including Iranian action against the Kurdish democratic party of Iran on the Iran-Iraq border, about which we have made clear our concern to the Iranian authorities.

  Mr. Parry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received concerning the treatment of the Kurds in Iraq; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  I have received a number of letters from honourable Members about the treatment of Kurds in Iraq. Foreign Office officials are in regular contact with representatives of the Kurdish administration.

  We condemn Iraq's continued abuse of the human rights of all its citizens, including the Kurds. We urge Iraq to observe Security Council resolution 688, which calls on Iraq to cease repression of its civilians. We condemn the continued blockade of the Kurdish area of northern Iraq, and the cutting off of electricity to Dohuk governorate.

  Occupied Territories
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has about the number of deaths in the occupied territories following the Hebron massacre.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  We understand that there were around 30 Palestinian deaths in disturbances in the occupied territories in the two weeks following the Hebron massacre on 25 February.

  Sudan
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions have been held at the United Nations or in the European Union on the issue of the establishment of safe havens in southern Sudan; and what was the outcome.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  There have been no such discussions at the United Nations or within the European Union.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has about Sudanese-backed terrorist infiltration into Eritrea.
  473
  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The Eritrean Government have informed the president of the United Nations Security Council of an incursion into Eritrean territory from Sudan by 20 agents of Eritrean Jihad on 16 December 1993. The Eritreans have subsequently informed the President that gunmen killed an Eritrean official in the Sudanese town of Kassala on 18 February.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what further steps he intends to urge upon the international community to maintain pressure upon the Sudanese Government to end the civil war and human rights abuses.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  We will continue to support the peace initiative of the Kenyan, Ugandan, Ethiopian and Eritrean Governments and to urge the parties to the conflict to respond positively. With our European Union partners we have decided to impose an arms embargo on Sudan as a further expression of our abhorrence of the continuing violence.

  On 10 March, the United Nations Commission on Human Rights passed by 35 votes to nine a further resolution, which we fully supported, highlighting continued human rights abuses in Sudan. We will continue to press bilaterally and with our European union partners for an end to such abuses. The resolution renewed the mandate of the special rapporteur.

  Bosnia
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has identified whose planes were recently shot down by NATO forces over Bosnia; and from where they were flying.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  United Nations investigations continue, but it is almost certain that the planes were flying from Udbina airfield in the Serb-held area of Croatia. It is not yet certain to whom these aircraft belonged.

  East Timor
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 7 March,Official Report, column 20, if he will set out what Her Majesty's Government were told by the Indonesian authorities in response to the inquiries made about the death of Mr. Peters and Mr. Rennie in East Timor.

  Mr. Goodlad
  The deaths occurred over seven weeks before the Indonesian invasion of East Timor.

  Facts were difficult to establish in a territory for which Indonesia was not the administering authority. But the results of its inquiries, at our and Australia's request, led to the conclusion that Mr. Peters and Mr. Rennie, along with the other members of the Australian TV crew, had been killed in Balibo on 16 October 1975. Local reports at the time suggest that the House in which the crew were sheltering was caught in heavy crossfire between the forces of the three internal warring parties—UDT, APODETI and FRETILIN—and set on fire. There were no survivors.

  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his latest estimate of the number of Timorese killed by arms exported from the United Kingdom; what representations Her Majesty's474
  Government have made to the United Nations Human Rights Commission concerning the actions of the Indonesian Government in East Timor; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Goodlad
  None. We have no evidence that British-supplied defence equipment has ever been used against the people of East Timor. With our European Union partners we have welcomed Indonesian and Portuguese agreement to a consensus statement on East Timor at this year's session of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights.

  Mr. Parry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the supply of military hardware by British companies to Indonesia for use by Indonesian forces in East Timor.

  Mr. Goodlad
  In accordance with our guidelines for considering export license applications, we have not supplied any military equipment to Indonesia which is likely to be used for repressive purposes against the civilian population in East Timor.

  Sri Lanka
  Mr. Parry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the current situation regarding human rights in Sri Lanka.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  Sri Lanka's human rights record continues to improve. The Sri Lankan Government committed themselves to a further programme of reform on 7 March at the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in Geneva.

  Macedonia
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action is being taken by the Government and the European Union to end Greece's unilateral blockade of Macedonia.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  We have strongly urged the Greek Government to lift these unjustifiable measures. The Commission has written to the Greek Government questioning the legality of their action in respect of the European Community's customs union, the common commercial policy and the functioning of the internal market. It is for the Commission, as guardians of the treaty, to decide whether to institute infraction proceedings before the European Court of Justice.

  European Union
  Mr. Cash
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will place in the Library all draft treaties and proposals relating to economic, monetary and political union as soon as they are received.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  Yes. All published proposals emanating from Community institutions or from member states will be placed in the Library.

  General Affairs Council
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which Minister or Ministers represent the United Kingdom at the European
  475
  Council's General Affairs meetings; how it is decided how the United Kingdom will be represented at the General Affairs Council; and what matters were discussed and decisions taken at the General Affairs Council in Brussels on 7 and 8 March.

  Mr. Hurd
  I normally represent the United Kingdom at the Foreign Affairs Council and I am normally accompanied by a Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs. Where issues concerning other Departments feature on the Council agenda, a Minister from the relevant Department may also attend.

  I take the decision on who represents the United Kingdom at these meetings, in consultation with my colleagues.

  I attended the Foreign Affairs Council on 7–8 March accompanied by my hon. Friends the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, the Member for Wells (Mr. Heathcoat-Amory), the Minister for Trade, the Member for Wiltshire, North (Mr. Needham), and the Minister of State, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, the Member for Fylde (Mr. Jack).

  Association councils were held with Poland and Hungary. These were the first to take place under the terms of the European Community's association agreements with those countries.

  Ministers agreed a package of proposals to involve the six central and eastern Europe associate countries—Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Bulgaria and Romania—in the work of the CFSP pillar of the European Union. This builds on the initiative which Mr. Andreatta, the Italian Foreign Minister, and I launched in December 1993. The proposals will now be put to the six associate countries.

  Ministers discussed the practical arrangements for handling CFSP expenditure and instructed officials to undertake further work on the options.

  The President of the Commission, Mr. Delors, presented a progress report on follow-up to the December European Council conclusions on the White Paper on Growth, Competitiveness and Employment. He highlighted four main areas of action: deepening the single market; taking forward the creation of trans-European networks; improving information infrastructures; and making labour markets more flexible.

  The Council discussed the own resources decision and reached agreement on most outstanding points. The budget discipline decision was also discussed, but no agreement was reached.

  The Commission reported to the Council on market access offers following the completion of the Uruguay round negotiations. The Council decided that the Presidency and the Commission should sign the final act embodying the results of the Uruguay round negotiations, and the agreement establishing the World Trade Organisation, on behalf of the Council on 15 April at Marrakesh. Signature will be subject to verification of the final text and completion of the necessary approval procedures. Representatives of the member states will also sign the final act and the WTO agreement at Marrakesh.

  The Council agreed a statement expressing concern at the recent announcement by the United States of its intention to resuscitate the Super 301 procedures of the Trade Act 1974. It requested the Commission to scrutinise
  476
  the legality and implementation of these provisions to ensure that the European Community's GATT rights are not violated.

  The Council heard a report from Sir Leon Brittan on the meeting of the EC-China joint commission in Peking on 28 February.

  The President of the European Commission introduced the Commission's communication on immigration and asylum. The communication will now be discussed in working groups within the justice and home affairs pillar. The Government will shortly provide the House with an explanatory memorandum in accordance with the usual scrutiny procedures.

  Ministers discussed latest developments in the former Yugoslavia. The Council agreed to extend for six months the Union's joint action to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to Bosnia.

  Ministers issued a declaration calling for the resumption of middle east peace negotiations and noting the Union's willingness to contribute to an international presence in the occupied territories, should this be agreed in the United Nations Security Council.

  The Council agreed in principle on the extension to the EFTA states, under the European Economic Area agreement, of some 300 single market measures passed between August 1991 and December 1993, the interim acquis. Ministers also discussed aspects of the EEA internal regulation.

  The Council discussed the negotiating mandates for voluntary restraint agreements on steel imports from Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan.

  Members of the Council reconstituted themselves as a ministerial meeting in order to continue the accession negotiations in Norway. This followed the good progress made at the ministerial meeting held between 28 February and 1 March to negotiate the accession of Austria, Sweden and Finland.

  By the time of the conclusion of a meeting on 8 March, agreement had been reached on the following main elements:

  A wide-ranging package of measures to enable the orderly integration of the four applicants into the common agriculture policy. Agriculture prices in all four countries will be aligned with EC prices on accession. But in Austria, Finland and Norway, it was agreed that, for a transitional period, digressive national aids to farmers should be authorised where support levels differ significantly.

  It was agreed that the Austrian region of Burgenland should be designated eligible for objective 1 status under the structural funds. In recognition of the unique problems of northern Scandinavia, it was also agreed to institute a new objective 6 for regions with a very low population density—less than eight inhabitants per sq km. A number of areas in Sweden, Finland and Norway were designated eligible for objective 6. Eligibility for objectives 2 to 5b will be determined before accession.

  All four applicants were granted a number of derogations in the fields of VAT and excise. Similar derogations are already enjoyed by a number of existing member states.

  The Union has agreed to fund, after accession, the applicants' commitments to the financial mechanism set up under the European Economic Area agreement. The operation of the mechanism, which benefits Northern Ireland, will remain unchanged.

  All four applicants will pay their full contribution to the EC budget from the date of accession. But in recognition of the shortfall in CAP receipts in the first year of membership, and the financial costs of bringing their agricultural policies into line with the CAP, the Union has agreed a temporary package of financial

  477
  assistance to the applicants, worth 2,966 mecu in 1995–98. The four applicants will, collectively, remain net contributors to the Community budget over this period.

  The European Union has assured Austria that the essential objectives of the 1992 EC/Austria bilateral transit agreement will be respected. The eco-points system for controlling transit traffic through Austria will continue for a transitional period after accession, if necessary until 2004. There will also be a progressive liberalisation of the arrangements for terminating traffic from accession, with complete liberalisation on 1 January 1997.

  All four applicants have been granted a five-year transitional period during which they can maintain national legislation on the purchase of second homes.

  Discussion of the institutional consequences of enlargement, and of Norwegian fisheries, are expected to resume on 15 March.

  World Summit on Social Development
  Mr. Watson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what decision Her Majesty's Government have made on the establishment of a national committee on the World summit on social development; which Government Departments have been involved in discussions to formulate the United Kingdom Government's approach to the summit; and which Government Department will be leading co-ordination of United Kingdom activity in relation to the summit.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  There has been no decision to establish a national committee for the World summit for social development. Consultations at official level have taken place with the participation of several Whitehall Departments. These include the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Departments of Social Security, of Trade and Industry, of Employment, and of Health, Her Majesty's Treasury and the Overseas Development Administration. Other interested Departments have been made aware of preparations for the summit. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is co-ordinating the United Kingdom's approach to the summit.

  Haiti
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representation Her Majesty's Government have in Haiti; what reports have been received concerning abuses of human rights in Haiti; and what representations have been made to the Haitian authorities.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  Britain is represented by Her Majesty's ambassador resident at Kingston, Jamaica, and a vice-consul in Port au Prince, Haiti, Reports of human rights abuses are compiled by a special rapporteur of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights; by United Nations civilian observer in Port au Prince who also register complaints locally; and by non-governmental organisations such as Amnesty International. We have supported United Nations resolutions expressing concern about human rights violations in Haiti. The European Union has also made several statements on this question.

  Algeria
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with representatives of the Government of Algeria concerning the reasons citizens of Algeria seek asylum elsewhere.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  None.

  Russia
  Mr. Radice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the progress of reform and democracy in Russia.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Russia has come a remarkably long way since the collapse of the Soviet Union two years ago. She now has a new constitution guaranteeing human rights and a democratically elected parliament. The way ahead will not be easy, not least in terms of economic reform; but President Yeltsin and Prime Minister Chernomyrdin have both stressed their commitment to the reform process.

  Yugoslavia
  Mr. Marlow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the annualised level of reimbursement from(a) international and (b) other non-United Kingdom sources paid to the United Kingdom to defray the cost of British military operations associated with Yugoslavia.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The United Kingdom can reclaim from the United Nations about 50 per cent. of the total Ministry of Defence extra costs for United Kingdom military participation in UNPROFOR, but the timing of actual reimbursement depends on the United Nations cash flow situation.

  UNPROFOR Croatia—UNPROFOR I—started operations in February 1992. UNPROFOR Bosnia Hercegovina command—UNPROFOR II—first deployed in September 1992, but was only brought on to United Nations assessed contribution funding from 1 April 1993. National costs were therefore non-reimbursable in financial year 1992–93. Reimbursement in financial year 1992–93, for the British contribution to UNPROFOR I totalled £191,663. Refunds for financial year 1993–94, UNPROFOR I and II, so far total £18·1 million.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Motability Scheme
  Mr. Riddick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will outline the number of people currently provided with vehicles under the motability scheme, the number of new people coming on to the scheme each year, the current annual cost of the scheme and the estimated annual profit to the motor industry from the scheme.

  Mr. Scott
  As at 31 December 1993, 178,317 vehicles were being provided under the motability scheme. The number of vehicles provided under the scheme each year since 1983, the first year for which records are available, are in the table. Motability's annual administration cost during the last full accounting year, 1992–93, was £1·8 million. Details of estimated annual profit to the motor industry as a result of the scheme are not available.
  479

  Vehicles supplied since 1983

  Year

  HP (new)

  Contract Hire

  Total (new)

  HP (used)

  Total cars

  Total wheelchair

  Total vehicles

  1983

  4,656

  3,915

  8,571

  1,141

  9,712

  858

  10,570

  1984

  5,058

  4,217

  9,275

  1,354

  10,629

  821

  11,450

  1985

  5,509

  5,436

  10,945

  1,461

  12,406

  820

  13,226

  1986

  5,953

  11,693

  17,646

  1,183

  18,829

  712

  19,541

  1987

  5,885

  17,530

  23,415

  853

  24,268

  655

  24,923

  1988

  7,064

  21,357

  28,421

  646

  29,067

  807

  29,874

  1989

  4,692

  31,808

  36,500

  587

  37,087

  926

  38,013

  1990

  2,873

  40,299

  43,172

  685

  43,857

  900

  44,757

  1991

  2,324

  44,136

  46,460

  1,145

  47,605

  1,005

  48,610

  1992

  2,896

  57,898

  60,794

  1,587

  62,381

  1,364

  63,745

  1993

  4,542

  69,748

  74,290

  2,949

  77,239

  1,924

  79,163

  Grand total vehicles supplied (1978 to 31 December 1993)

  HP (new)

  Contract Hire

  Total (new)

  HP used

  Total cars

  Total wheelchair

  Total vehicles

  57,354

  320,375

  377,729

  14,461

  392,190

  11,641

  403,831

  Departmental Property
  Mr. Enright
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what property, leased or owned for the purposes of his Department, is not currently occupied.

  Mr. Hague
  There are no properties currently unoccupied on the departmental estate. The provision and disposal of property leased for Government Departments is the responsibility of Property Holdings, Department of the Environment, which is replying on behalf of the common user estate.

  Housing Benefit
  Mr. David Shaw
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list for each local authority(a) the total amount paid by his Department in housing benefit, (b) the number of council properties, (c) the political control of the authority, (d) the average claim per council property and (e) the average claim per claimant in respect of the most recent year for which figures are available.

  Mr. Burt
  Information is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Child Support
  Mr. Simon Coombs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many child support cases have been referred to him by(a) hon. Members and (b) the general public.

  Mr. Hague
  Information is not available in the form requested and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Between 1 September 1993 and 10 March 1994 Ministers received 5,089 letters from hon. Members concerning child support issues. These included questions about both individual cases and general policy.

  The number of letters received from the general public about child support cases is not available.

  Savings Disregard
  Mr. Eastham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security by how much the savings disregard of £3,000 would have to be increased to have the same value as when it was introduced in 1988.
  480
  Mr. Burt
  An increase of £960 would be required to restore the real value of the £3,000 disregard, at 1993–94 prices, to its level in 1988.

  Note: Calculation based on Rossi index, rounded to nearest £10.

  Performance-related Pay
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many employees of(a) his Department and (b) agencies established by him are on (i) individual contracts and (ii) performance-related pay; and what were the average salaries and bonuses paid to these people in (1) 1992–93 and (2) 1993–94.

  Mr. Hague
  There are currently five such employees in the Department's agencies, and one in the war pensions unit which will achieve agency status from April 1994. All have contracts which incorporate performance bonus arrangements. The average salary, including bonuses, paid to these employees in 1992–93 was £55,834. Figures for 1993–94 are not yet available.

  Savings Rule
  Mr. Eastham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the basis for calculating the savings rule for people with between £3,000 and £8,000; and how this has changed since the rule was introduced.

  Mr. Burt
  A weekly deduction of £1 is made for each £250, or part of £250, of capital held between £3,000 and the upper capital limit, which was increased from £6,000 to £8,000 in 1990. This rule gives most help to those with the least savings. The formula is not linked to any particular rate of return that could be secured from investment and has not changed since the rule was introduced.

NATIONAL HERITAGE

  Arts Council
  Ms Mowlam
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage how many touring weeks have been lost as a result of the reductions made to the Arts Council's national touring allocation for drama.

  Mr. Brooke
  These are matters for the Arts Council.

  Film Exports
  Ms Mowlam
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what contribution the export of United Kingdom-produced films has made to the United Kingdom's annual balance of trade in each of the past 10 years.

  Mr. Brooke
  Over the past 10 years for which figures are available, United Kingdom-produced films have contributed the following amounts to the balance of trade:

  Year

  £ million at current prices

  1983

  99

  1984

  104

  1985

  131

  1986

  115

  1987

  147

  1988

  145

  1989

  158

  1990

  179

  1991

  182

  1992

  189

  These figures do not take account of earnings from overseas companies which pay for production services in the United Kingdom.

  Royal Palaces
  Mr. Alan Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what is the range of rents paid for all accommodation at each of the occupied royal palaces.

  Mr. Sproat
  [holding answer 3 March 1994]: Rent paid by official employees of the Queen is presently set at 6 per cent. of after-tax salary wherever they are housed. This is equivalent to 7·5 per cent. of pre-tax salary—not 8·5 per cent. as stated on 9 February, Official Report, column 352. Pensioners allocated accommodation since 1 April 1991 and Crown Estate employees pay 8·5 per cent. of their gross pension or pensionable pay wherever housed.

  Rents paid by the Queen's private employees and by Royal Collection Enterprises Ltd. staff are equivalent to local authority rents in the area.

  Since my reply to the right hon. Member on 12 January, Official Report, column 201, about costs of accommodation borne by the Department it has been brought to my attention that in accordance with the memorandum of understanding the Department has been bearing the cost of furnishing apartments in the occupied royal palaces occupied by heads of department in the royal household.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION

  Kenya (Cereals)
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Government of Kenya as to the possible purchase of surplus EC cereals; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  None. The primary relief need in Kenya is for white maize which is not produced within the EC. We are supplying 15,000 tonnes of white maize bought from African regional sources and financed from our bilateral food aid funds.

  Philippines
  Mr. Tom Clarke
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what has been the level of aid to the Philippines(a) from the European Community and (b) from the British overseas aid programme, for each year since 1986; and what is (b) as a proportion of (a).

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  (a) European Community aid expenditure on the Philippines for each year since 1986 has been:

  Million ecu

  Sterling equivalent million1

  1986

  21·90

  16·31

  1987

  4·50

  3·35

  1988

  14·00

  10·43

  1989

  22·50

  16·76

  1990

  31·66

  23·90

  1991

  5·46

  4·07

  1992

  53·15

  39·59

  1993

  49·06

  36·54

  1 ecu—sterling exchange rate £1 = 1·3426.

  (b) British bilateral aid expenditure on the Philippines since 1986 has been:

  £'s million

  1986

  0·205

  1987

  0·262

  1987–88

  0·666

  1988–89

  1·003

  1989–90

  13·290

  1990–91

  4·042

  1991–92

  1·934

  1992–93

  9·038

  (C) As a proportion of (a), (b) is:

  Per cent.

  1986

  1·3

  1987

  7·8

  1987–88:1988

  6·4

  1988–89:1989

  5·9

  1989–90:1990

  55·6

  1990–91:1991

  99·3

  1991–92:1992

  4·9

  1992–93:1993

  24·7

  In respect of United Kingdom financial year 1989–90 the percentage figure is high because it coincided with payments, made under our aid and trade programme; in 1990–91, EC aid was, as will be seen from table (a), unusually low. Direct comparisons of this sort can be misleading, as is shown by the figures for these two financial years.

  Occupied Territories
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what medical assistance he had offered the Palestinians in the occupied territories following the Hebron massacre.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  We have provided £34,000 via Medical Aid for Palestinians, a non-governmental
  483
  organisation. This contributed to the expenses of a Jordanian specialist surgical team and associated medical supplies. We are discussing with MAP a donation of up to £40,000 in order to purchase additional life-saving equipment for two of the hospitals concerned in treating the victims.

  Aid
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list for each country the financial amount of overseas aid received in 1993, five years ago and 10 years ago.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  This information is given in "British Aid Statistics", published annually, copies of which are in the Library of the House. Expenditure is now recorded on a financial year, rather than calendar year, basis.

  Health Projects
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement outlining the policy of the degree of priority to be afforded to future primary health projects in least developed countries within Her Majesty's Government's overseas aid programme.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  Our overall aid policy includes better health as an essential element in promoting human development which is one of our seven priority objectives. Programmes to implement this objective are settled at country level in the framework of establishing our overall pattern of assistance to the particular country. The countries we have selected for particular attention with regard to our health care and Children by Choice objectives include: Bangladesh, Nepal, Cambodia, Uganda, Tanzania, the Gambia, Zambia and Malawi which are least developed countries.

  Our approach at country level focuses on assisting health sector reform, Children by Choice policies and better reproductive health and combating particularly significant problems with malaria, tuberculosis and HIV.

  China
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what evidence he has of the effects of the Chinese population control programme in creating an imbalance between the sexes in China;

  (2) what information he has regarding the incidence of female infanticide, abortion of female unborn children and female slavery as a result of the Chinese population control programme.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  [holding answer 11 March 1994]: Her Majesty's Government are aware of reports from China of female infanticide and abortion of female foetuses, and of an imbalance between the sexes. We have received no authoritative information which would lead to relating these reports to Chinese Government policies.

  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what meetings officials from his Department have had with the Chinese Family Planning Association to discuss the implementation of the Chinese population control programme since November 1992;
  484
  (2) what meetings officials from his Department have had with the Committee of Population and the Economy to discuss the implementation of the Chinese population control programme since November 1992;

  (3) what meetings officials from his Department have had with the Chinese state Family Planning Commission to discuss the implementation of the Chinese population control programme since November 1992.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  [holding answers 11 March 1994]: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 5 November 1993, Official Report, columns 599–600. Staff of the British embassy in Beijing have also had contacts with the two other organisations to which the hon. Member refers.

  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what information he has received since November 1992 from the United Nations Fund for Population Activities regarding human rights violations as a result of the implementation of the Chinese population control programme;

  (2) what information he has received from the International Planned Parenthood Federation regarding human rights violations as a result of the implementation of the Chinese population control programme.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  [holding answers 11 March 1994]: The United Nations Population Fund and International Planned Parenthood Federation have not provided authoritative information on such human rights violations. These organisations are encouraging the Chinese authorities and the Chinese Family Planning Association to establish mechanisms for reporting and dealing with any such violations.

  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations his Department has received from other Government Departments regarding the need to continue overseas aid provision to China.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  [holding answer 11 March 1994]: By long-standing convention discussions of this sort between Departments are confidential.

  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what meetings officials from his Department have had with the United Nations Fund for Population Activities to discuss the implementation of the Chinese population control programme since November 1992;

  (2) what meetings officials from his Department have had with the International Planned Parenthood Federation to discuss the Chinese population control programme since November 1992.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  [holding answers 11 March 1994]: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my noble Friend Baroness Chalker of Wallasey to Lord Braine of Wheatley in another place on 20 January 1994, House of Lords Official Report, column 53.

  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what meetings officials from his Department have had with the campaign Free Tibet to discuss the implementation of the Chinese population control programme.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  [holding answer 11 March 1994]: Officials of the Overseas Development Administration and

  485
  diplomatic wing of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office have had contacts with the campaign Free Tibet, including a meeting on 1 December 1993 at which human rights issues were discussed.

  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has as to differences between the implementation of the Chinese population control programme in China and Tibet.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  [holding answer 11 March 1994]: There are variations in the family planning programmes between individual provinces throughout China, including Tibet. An analysis of the regulations will be undertaken by the Chinese Family Planning Association during 1994.

  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what evidence he has on trends in the level of breaches of human rights arising from the Chinese population control programme since November 1992.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  [holding answer 11 March 1994]: Authoritative information is not available.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  Ministerial Offices
  Mr. Boyes
  To ask the Attorney-General how many bottles of(a) whisky and gin and (b) sherry and port were consumed by each of his private offices in 1993–94.

  The Attorney-General
  (a) none and (b) none.

  Mr. Boyes
  To ask the Attorney-General what was the cost of new furniture for the private offices in his Department during the year 1993–94.

  The Attorney-General
  The cost was £2,900.

  Ministerial Receptions
  Mr. Boyes
  To ask the Attorney-General what was the cost of receptions held by Ministers in his Department in 1993–94.

  The Attorney-General
  The cost was £1,300.

  Racial Hatred
  Ms Ruddock
  To ask the Attorney-General how many prosecutions for incitement to racial hatred under the Public Order Act 1986 he has authorised in each year since 1987; and on how many occasions the prosecution has been successful.

  The Solicitor-General
  In each of the years since 1987 consent has been given to prosecute the following numbers of persons for offences contrary to part III of the Public Order Act 1986:

  Number

  1987

  0

  1988

  2

  1989

  1

  1990

  2

  1991

  3

  1992

  3

  1993

  2

  1994

  1

  486
  Seven cases resulted in conviction and one in acquittal. In addition, one defendant was bound over, one died before trial and one case was discontinued by the Crown Prosecution Service. Prosecutions have been started, but have not been concluded, in three cases. In one further case, although consent was originally granted, it was later withdrawn on public interest grounds.

  Student Unions
  Mr. Bryan Davies
  To ask the Attorney-General if he will make a statement on the current standing of the 1983 guidance issued in respect of expenditure by student unions; how many complaints about breach of the guidance have been received; how many have been investigated; how many were substantiated; and with what results.

  The Attorney-General
  The guidance on expenditure by student unions, first issued in 1983, is still valid and applicable save that it refers to section 24 of the Charities Act 1960 which has been repealed and re-enacted in the same terms by section 29 of the Charities Act 1993.

  The guidance is intended to assist union officers who may find themselves called to account for their actions as trustees of charitable moneys in the discharge of their responsibilities for union funds.

  Complaints of breach of charity law made to me are referred to the Treasury Solicitor for investigation. No single continuous record is maintained, but a search of files shows that since the guidance was issued, 53 complaints have been referred to the Treasury Solicitor, all of which have been investigated.

  In one case there is now no record of the result and two other cases are current.

  Of the remaining cases, seven were found to be substantiated. The action taken in these cases is as follows:

  (a) in one case an injunction was obtained after one ultra vires payment to halt a proposed further payment,

  (b) in four cases repayments (in whole or in part) of ultra vires payments were secured,

  (c) in one case the union agreed not to make a proposed ultra vires payment and made arrangements to recover previous ultra vires payments, and

  (d) in one case the union agreed to discontinue ultra vires payments.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

  Information Super Highways
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what measures he has taken to promote the development of information super highways in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  Information super highways are an emerging technology on which much interest has focused recently, particularly on the possible access to services for the citizen that such technology could offer. There are to date only a few pilots in operation globally, most notably in the United States.

  Clearly, these developments are being watched with interest. The Government are also working closely with other members of the European Union in considering the requirements for such networks within Europe. The CCTA—Government centre for information systems—has already begun work on a study to look in detail at the

  487
  possible development of information super highways within the United Kingdom It will be working closely with the Department of Trade and Industry in considering this issue.

  It is important that the roles of the private and public sector are taken into account. Full and thorough analysis of the global pilot projects will be needed to evaluate their benefits to the citizen and to the public and private sectors both within the United Kingdom and across Europe as a whole.

  National Science Week
  Mr. Donald Anderson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make a statement on the proposed national science week; and what contribution he will make to it.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  The national week of science, engineering and technology—"SET7"—will begin on Friday 18 March 1994. It is being organised, with Government funding, by the British Association for the Advancement of Science, and will involve over 1,000 events taking place in some 230 towns and cities nationwide. SET7 will, I am confident, make a significant impact by promoting a better appreciation among the general public of the invaluable contribution that science, engineering and technology make to our well-being as a nation.

  My hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State and I will be doing our best to get to as many events as possible during SET7. Among other things, I will be opening the week at the natural history museum on the Friday morning; I will also deliver the Friday evening discourse at the Royal Institution; my family and I will be visiting the Bristol Exploratory on Saturday; on Monday, I will be opening the new science line telephone answering service at Channel 4's headquarters; on Wednesday, I shall be attending a Royal Society of Chemistry presentation ceremony at the House of Commons; and on Friday 25 March, I will be holding a breakfast briefing on the week in the House. I will also, of course, be doing a number of radio and television interviews.

  British Antarctic Survey
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the Government have paid to the British Antarctic Survey in each of the past 10 years; and what grant is proposed for 1994–95.

  Mr. David Davis
  The Government make money available to the research councils through the science budget. The amounts of such money allocated to the British Antarctic Survey from its parent body, the Natural Environment Research Council, are as follows:

  Capital £ million

  Recurrent £ million

  Total £ million

  1984–85

  1·435

  9·354

  10·789

  1985–86

  2·873

  9·375

  12·248

  1986–87

  2·458

  9·211

  11·669

  1987–88

  3·156

  10·898

  14·054

  1988–89

  12·032

  12·693

  24·725

  1989–90

  18·559

  14·064

  32·623

  1990–91

  30·023

  16·067

  46·090

  1991–92

  9·030

  17·064

  26·094

  1992–93

  4·010

  18·016

  22·026

  1993–94

  2·177

  19·491

  21·668

  488
  The proposed grant for 1994–95 is £24·31 million, including £2·15 million for capital expenditure.

  Public Bodies
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, pursuant to his answer of 4 March,Official Report, columns 899–900, if he will provide a list of known (a) Conservative and (b) Liberal Democrat supporters appointed to public bodies to which he referred.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  No. The list I provided in my answer on 4 March was constructed by me for use in the Opposition Day debate on 24 February. I have no other list.

  HMSO
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster pursuant to the answer of 2 March,Official Report, columns 767–68, what was the result of the response to each HMSO campaign listed.

  Mr. David Davis
  HMSO's revenue from the sale of publications and videos in 1993 increased by 5·6 per cent. over the previous year, while revenue from the sale of IT products increased by 37 per cent. Sales of BSI titles at HMSO bookshops over the first five months since becoming main agents totalled £146,000. The campaign to strengthen awareness in central and local government, the health service and public utilities took place more recently and it is too soon to assess the impact.

  Questions
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many questions he has declined to answer on the grounds that to do so would incur disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  Since my Department was established in May 1992 I have declined to answer six questions on a disproportionate cost basis. I have also declined to answer parts of 10 further questions on the same basis.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  CAP
  Mr. Nicholas Brown
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the latest figure she has for(a) the total value of moneys purloined from the common agricultural policy's export refund and price support schemes and (b) how much the common agricultural policy has lost through the evasion of customs duties and farm levies; and if she will estimate the proportion of defrauded funds that are recouped.

  Mr. Jack
  Cases reported by member states of iregularity, including details of the amounts recovered, under the EAGGF guarantee, fund, which includes CAP export refund and price support schemes, and cases of irregularity under the own resources regulation, which includes customs duties and farm levies under the CAP, are shown in table 1.1 of the annual report from the Commission on the Fight Against Fraud1, a copy of which has been placed in the Library. Details of the value of own resources irregularities recovered are not separately identifiable.
  489
  Irregularity in this context encompasses all reported overpayments, whether caused by simply negligence or deliberate intent to defraud. Statistics on the number of irregularities should not therefore be interpreted as an indication of the extent of detected fraud within the Community.
  1 1992 Report, COM(93) Final of 20 April 1993—Table 1.1, cases of fraud or irregularity reported above deminimus level of 10,000 ecu Own Resources and 4,000 ecu Guarantee Fund.

  Mr. Nicholas Brown
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what level of European Community expenditure will be necessary to sustain the current level of production.

  Mr. Jack
  Level of agricultural production is ultimately determined by the aggregate decisions of individual farmers, who when making these decisions will take into account forecast returns for each crop, including Community support payments to which they may be entitled.

  Mr. Nicholas Brown
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will estimate by how much common agricultural prices have risen in weak currency countries as a direct result of the system of pegging farm prices to the deutschmark via the switchover system for each country.

  Mr. Jack
  Common agricultural policy support prices in all European Community member states are 20·75 per cent. higher in national currency terms than they would be without the application of the switchover coefficient. The effect of this coefficient has, however, been offset to some extent by associated reductions in the common ecu level of support prices: the net effect is that prices are just under 19 per cent. higher. However, support prices are set by the Council of Ministers in the annual price-fixing negotiations. It is not possible to say what prices would have been set had the switchover system not existed.

  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what proportion of the common agricultural policy's budget is accounted for by(a) administrative costs, (b) storage costs, (c) disposal costs and (d) export restitutions in the current financial year.

  Mr. Jack
  The CAP budget for 1994 has been set at 36,465 mecu—£27,566 million. This does not cover expenditure incurred by either the Commission or the member states in the administration of the CAP, with the exception of some anti-fraud measures, which account for about 0·4 per cent. of the budget. Intervention storage, including depreciation costs and profits on sale, and export refunds account for 9 per cent and 20·8 per cent., respectively. With regard to disposal costs, surpluses are generally either exported on to world markets with the aid of export refunds, or purchased into intervention storage, from which they are eventually sold out again. Some perishable products, such as fruit and vegetables and fish, may be withdrawn from the market, and may, for example, be used for non-food purposes or be donated to charities. Some of this produce, because of its perishable nature, may be destroyed. Withdrawals and similar operations account for 2·6 per cent. of the 1994 budget.

  Beef
  Mr. Nicholas Brown
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will state(a) the price at which British wholesalers buy beef per tonne,
  490
  (b) what she estimates the price of beef per tonne would be in a free market without European Community price intervention, (c) the levels of European Community production and consumption of beef, (d) the level of common agricultural policy expenditure on beef subsidies and (e) the cost to the British Exchequer of European Community intervention in the beef market.

  Mr. Jack
  The cattle reference price for the week commencing 17 February 1994 was £1,152·30 per tonne. However, it is not possible to make precise estimates about what prices might result if there were no market support in the EC. A large number of assumptions would be required in order to assess how domestic and world markets would react if Community policy were to be changed.

  It is provisionally estimated that EC production of beef in 1993 was 7,980 thousand tonnes and EC consumption was 7,755 thousand tonnes.

  The level CAP expenditure on beef subsidies in the 1993 EC budget years was some £3,131 million and the Exchequer costs of CAP support for beef in the United Kingdom is estimated at £308 million for the 1993–94 financial year. The United Kingdom also contributes to the EC budget as a whole, which funds the cost of beef support in other member states.

  Apples
  Sir Roger Moate
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what proposals are under consideration for introduction by the European Community in respect of grubbing grants for apple orchards; and what is her policy on this matter;

  (2) what proposals are under consideration for altering the intervention system for apples within the European Community; and what is her policy on this matter.

  Mr. Jack
  The Council of Ministers has asked the Commission to come forward with proposals to reform the EC regime in fruit and vegetables. Their proposals are awaited; our view is that the intervention system for apples, and other products, sustains over-production and distorts the market, to which the regime should pay more attention. Our view on grubbing grants, should those be included in the Commission's proposals, will depend on the shape of the package as a whole. Such schemes have been unsuccessful in the past when introduced in isolation.

  Ministerial Receptions
  Mr. Boyes
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the cost of receptions held by Ministers in her Department in 1993–94.

  Mr. Jack
  The cost of receptions is included in the Department's overall administration costs which are published every year in the MAFF-IBEA departmental report.

  Ministerial Offices
  Mr. Boyes
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the cost of new furniture for her private office during the year 1993–94.

  Mr. Jack
  The cost of such furniture is included in the Department's overall administration costs which are published every year in the MAFF-IBEA departmental report.

  Horses
  Mr. Gale
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what will be the effect of the introduction of maximum residue levels on the veterinary care of horses in the United Kingdom; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Soames
  Under Council regulation 2377/90, maximum residue limits must be established by 1996 for active ingredients in veterinary medicines used in food producing species. The status of horses as food producing animals was established under directive 64/433/EEC relating to the sanitary conditions for the production and marketing of fresh meat. The European Commission has now confirmed however that, in line with existing United Kingdom policy, if a horse is not destined for human consumption, maximum residue limits will not be required. In addition, the Commission has emphasised that it is not the intention of the regulatory authorities to deny veterinarians the possibility of treating any animals.

  In the United Kingdom, therefore, we shall continue to require that where no MRLs have been established, the medicinal product should be clearly marked as not to be used on any animal that might be intended for human consumption. This applies to all horses irrespective of value. I am satisfied this provides the necessary guarantees to consumers of the safety of food whilst safeguarding animal health and welfare. The introduction of MRLs should therefore have no effect on the veterinary care of horses in the United Kingdom.

  Cereals
  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food for what reasons the United Kingdom did not apply for derogation on the moisture content of cereals in the 1993 harvest.

  Mr. Jack
  The state of interventionable grain at harvest did not justify the application of the moisture content derogation on this occasion.

  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food which major cereal-producing countries in the EC obtained derogation on the moisture content of the 1993 cereal harvest.

  Mr. Jack
  Of the four largest cereal producers in the EC, France and Germany both obtained the moisture content derogation for the 1993 harvest. Italy and the United Kingdom did not apply.

  Fishing (Norway)
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what species and quantitites of fish are caught by Norway in waters within the Fishery Limits Act 1976.

  Mr. Jack
  The Fishery Limits Act 1976 established British fishery limits extending to 200 miles from baselines or, where appropriate, to the median line. Since the establishment of the common fisheries policy in 1983 these waters, except for those out to 12 miles from baselines, are Community waters. Norway's entitlements to fish in Community waters are fixed annually under bilateral EC-Norway agreements in relation to specified ICES—International Council for the Exploration of the Sea—492
  zones. Listed in the table are the species and quantities of fish for 1994 which Norway is entitled to take in the Community waters around the United Kingdom:—

  ICES area

  Species

  Tonnage ('000)

  IV

  Cod

  8·8

  Haddock

  20

  IV and IIIa

  Saithe

  40

  IV

  Whiting

  10

  Plaice

  6

  IV and IIIa

  Mackerel

  63·79

  IV and VIId

  Herring

  50

  IV

  Norway pout

  20

  IV

  Sanded

  30

  II, IVa, VIa, VIb, VII

  Blue whiting

  205

  IV, Vb, VI, VII, IIa

  Blue ling

  1

  IV, Vb, VI, VII, IIa

  Ling

  10

  IV, Vb, VI, VII, IIa

  Tusk

  5

  Vb, VI, VII

  Combined quota1

  2

  IV, VI, VII

  Dogfish

  1·5

  IV, VI, VII

  Basking shark (liver)

  0·1

  IV, VI, VII

  Porbeagle

  0·2

  IV

  Shrimps

  0·1

  IV

  Horse mackerel

  5

  IV, IIa

  Others

  5

  VIa

  Herring

  6·2

  IV

  Sprat

  20

  IIa, VI

  Greenland halibut

  1·7

  1 Fishing with long lines for grenadiers, rat tails, mora mora and greater fork beard.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what species and quantities of fish were caught by(a) British, (b) German and (c) Spanish vessels within Norwegian fishing limits in (i) 1977, (ii) 1982, (iii) 1986, (iv) 1990 and (v) 1993.

  Mr. Jack
  The table details landings from Norwegian waters, by vessels of the three nationalities in question, in each of the years 1986, 1990 and 1993.

  Comparable data for the earlier two years are not available.

  Tonnes liveweight

  Nationality and species

  Year

  1986

  1990

  11993

  United Kingdom

  Cod

  6,572

  2,573

  9,667

  Haddock

  429

  320

  1,065

  Saithe

  48

  257

  384

  Redfish

  122

  129

  455

  Greenland Halibut

  2

  0

  0

  Other species

  1,702

  2,051

  7,974

  German

  Cod

  1,938

  649

  2,598

  Haddock

  880

  123

  426

  Saithe

  3,452

  1,050

  3,580

  Blue whiting

  0

  0

  2

  Mackerel

  0

  0

  17,760

  Redfish

  3,367

  1,118

  464

  Greenland Halibut

  9

  4

  4

  Other species

  772

  386

  374

  Spanish

  Cod

  0

  0

  203

  1 Provisional year-end data.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what proportion and
  493
  quantity of Norwegian fish exports went to (a) the United Kingdom (b) Denmark, (c) the Netherlands and (d) France in the last year for which figures are available.

  Mr. Jack
  Norwegian exports of fish and fish products to the European Union in 1992 totalled 411,808 tonnes, of which:

  Tonnes

  Per cent

  United Kingdom

  43,263

  11

  Denmark

  116,575

  28

  Netherlands

  25,772

  6

  France

  68,156

  17

  Agency Chief Executives
  Mr. Radice
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many agency chief executives in her Department are currently paid more than £82,925, excluding performance-related bonuses; and whether such chief executives were recruited directly to their present post from outside the civil service.

  Mr. Jack
  None.

  Cattle Transport
  Mr. Ray Michie
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what discussions she has had with(a) France and (b) other European Union countries regarding European Union restrictions on the transport of British cattle to Switzerland: and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Soames
  None. European Community animal health rules prevent the export from the United Kingdom to non-EC countries via other member states of live cattle, other than those of less than six months of age or which have been imported into the United Kingdom after 18 July 1988.

  Departmental Property
  Mr. Enright
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what buildings or open spaces, on lease or owned by her Department, are not in current use.

  Mr. Jack
  Storage depots at the following locations are closed and awaiting disposal.

  Abergavenny

  Adlington, Nr Macclesfield

  Alton, Hants

  Betchworth, Surrey

  Bishops Lydeard, Nr Taunton

  Brenchley, Nr Tonbridge

  Burscough, Nr Ormskirk

  Carmarthen

  Chobham, Surrey

  Dalston, Nr Carlisle

  Earl Shilton, Nr Leicester

  Glen Parva, Nr Leicester

  Grimsargh, Nr Preston

  Gunthorpe Lock, Nr Nottingham

  Honeybourne, Nr Evesham

  Humshaugh, Nr Hexham

  Hemel Hempstead, Herts

  Lanark

  Marden, Kent

  Newark, Notts

  Pollington, Nr Goole

  Rattlesden, Suffolk

  Redhill, Surrey

  494

  Ringmer, Nr Lewes

  Sevenhampton, Nr Swindon

  Sowerby, Nr Thirsk

  Strubby, Nr Alford, Lincs

  Sunbury on Thames

  Tring, Herts

  West Pennard, Nr Glastonbury

  Westerham, Kent

  In addition, 4 acres of agricultural land at Luddington, Warwickshire, 2 acres of agricultural land at Potton in Bedfordshire and 95 acres of agricultural land near Wickford in Essex are not being used by the Ministry pending disposal.

  Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
  Mr. Pickthall
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will publish the criteria for contractors taking on the disposal of BSE-infected carcases.

  Mr. Soames
  Contractors disposing of BSE-suspect carcases by incineration must first obtain relevant planning and pollution approval from the appropriate local authority.

  Contractors must also comply with contractural obligations drawn up by this Ministry to minimise the contamination of premises, prevent contamination of water and air and provide for safe handling of material by operators.

  Mr. Pickhall
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many BSE-infected carcases were incinerated in each region in 1991–92, 1992–93 and thus far in 1993–94.

  Mr. Soames
  The number of suspect BSE carcases slaughtered in each region and subsequently incinerated, from 1991 to 1994, is as follows. This information can be obtained only on a calendar year basis.

  Region

  1991

  1992

  1993

  1994

  Northern

  2,376

  4,457

  5,042

  392

  Midlands and West

  4,679

  9,164

  9,096

  726

  Eastern

  1,680

  2,557

  2,555

  235

  South East

  2,785

  3,975

  3,855

  343

  South West

  15,394

  16,860

  13,467

  1,063

  Wales

  2,570

  4,518

  4,043

  374

  South Scotland

  551

  1,281

  1,651

  124

  North Scotland

  271

  635

  816

  71

  Total

  30,306

  43,447

  40,525

  3,328

  1994 figures are as at 31 January.

  Integrated Administration and Control
  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when the 1994 forms and explanatory booklet relating to the integrated administration and control system will become available in England and Wales.

  Mrs. Shephard
  The material is now available and is being sent out to farmers. I have arranged for copies to be placed in the Library of the House.

  Child Care
  Ms Harman
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much her Department spends on child care provision for the under-fives and out-of-school
  495
  provision for children aged over five either directly, excluding provision for departmental staff, or indirectly through resources made available to local authorities or other organisations; what form of provision is thereby provided; how many places are thereby provided; and if she will make a statement on child care.

  Mr. Jack
  In the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food expenditure on child care is only for the benefit of Ministry staff and provision is subject to the need to establish a value-for-money case.

  Fish Landing Prices
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations Her Majesty's Government have made to the European Commission in relation to minimum landing prices for fish.

  Mr. Jack
  [holding answer 8 March 1994]: In recent discussions in the Council of Ministers, our representations on minimum import prices have been guided by the fact that we believe they have only a short-term role in exceptional circumstances. We will continue to oppose their permanent application. From a United Kingdom perspective, minimum import prices have the serious disadvantage of making our processing industry pay more for essential raw material which cannot be obtained from Community sources.

  Milk
  Dr. Strang
  : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what quantity and value of milk and milk products formerly distributed under the school milk scheme have been redirected since 1 April 1993; and what have been their destinations.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  No definitive information is available on the quantity, value or use to which the milk and milk products no longer utilised under the school milk scheme have been put.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Administration
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to his answer of 16 December,Official Report, column 874, if he will publish in the Official Report a substantive answer to the question tabled by the hon. Member for Cardiff, West for answer on 16 December 1993 concerning the administrative expenditure of his Department.

  Sir John Wheeler
  The information which I provided the hon. Member in a letter dated 11 January was as follows:

  i. The provisional outturn from 1992–93 is £697 million.

  ii. The running costs limit for 1993–94 is £730 million (£707 million at 1992–93 prices). An estimated outturn will be published in the Spring in the "1994 Departmental Report and the Unified Budget Statement".

  The 1994 departmental report on expenditure plans and priorities which is available in the Library, gives updated information on these matters.

  Independent Commissioner for the Holding Centres
  Mr. Beggs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he hopes to publish Sir Louis Blom-Cooper's first annual report as Independent Commissioner for the Holding Centres.

  Sir Patrick Mayhew
  I have today arranged for copies of Sir Louis Blom-Cooper's first annual report as Independent Commissioner for the Holding Centres to be placed in the Library.

  I welcome the report, which contains a very comprehensive and detailed examination of the procedures governing the custody of detainees in the police offices.

  I am pleased to note that Sir Louis reports that he has
  "found absolutely nothing that might give anyone the slightest cause for concern about the care and treatment of detainees held in the custody of uniformed officers of the RUC".

  It is most important that the police offices should permit the very necessary detention provisions of the Prevention of Terrorism Act to be operated properly and effectively. The police must be able to take all proper measures to secure the information they need in the interests of justice, and suspects while in custody must be treated fairly and in accordance with all relevant statutory and administrative safeguards. The Independent Commissioner provides a valuable source of information and advice in that regard, and I am most grateful to Sir Louis Blom-Cooper for his work throughout the past year.

  I intend to give careful and detailed consideration to the report.

  Ministerial Offices
  Mr. Boyes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many bottles of(a) whisky and gin and (b) sherry and port were consumed by his private offices in 1993–94.

  Sir John Wheeler
  The cost of such purchases is included in the entertainment expenditure for the Department, which is published in the departmental annual report.

  Mr. Boyes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the cost of new furniture for his private office during the year 1993–94.

  Sir John Wheeler
  Such purchases are included within the Department's overall administration expenditure which is published every year in the departmental annual report.

  Lough Neagh
  Mr. Beggs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps are being taken to conserve fish stocks in Lough Neagh.

  Mr. Ancram
  The Fisheries Consolidated and Amendment Byelaws (NI) 1989 (1989 No. 483) as amended by the Fisheries Amendment Byelaws (NI) 1992 (1992 No. 483) contain measures to conserve fish stocks in Lough Neagh. The byelaws are available in the Library.

  The 1992 byelaws increased the minimum size of mesh which may be used in set nets or trammel nets for the taking of pollen, trout, perch, pike and beam respectively. They increased the minimum takeable size of pollen and trout respectively and introduced a minimum takeable size for perch. They also introduced an annual close season

  497
  —1 March to 31 May—and a weekend closure—0600 hours Saturday to 0600 hours Monday—in respect of commercial fishing for perch, bream and pike.

  These measures are enforced by the Fisheries Conservancy Board for Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Beggs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the estimated length of illegal nets confiscated on Lough Neagh in each of the last three years; and what action is being taken by the Fisheries Conservancy Board to control illegal netting on Lough Neagh.

  Mr. Ancram
  The length of illegal nets confiscated on Lough Neagh is set out in the table:

  Year

  Length of nets— metres

  1991

  15,340

  1992

  52,590

  1993

  38,185

  The Fisheries Conservancy Board for Northern Ireland controls illegal netting through regular patrols on the lough. The number of patrols has doubled since early 1993.

  Mr. Beggs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he plans to introduce quotas for fish harvested from Lough Neagh.

  Mr. Ancram
  No. There are no powers to impose quotas in respect of freshwater fish species and existing controls are considered to be adequate to conserve fish stocks in Lough Neagh.

  Constitutional Talks
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on further constitutional talks on the future of Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Ancram
  My right hon. and learned Friend recently met the leaders of the three Northern Ireland parties that have been engaged in private bilateral discussions with me. He showed them a document containing ideas for giving direction to the talks process based on earlier discussions and covering all the main relationships. I am holding further meetings with representatives from the parties to discuss these ideas. At the last intergovernmental conference on 10 March both Governments mandated further intensive work to provide a framework to carry the talks process forward.

  Ministerial Receptions
  Mr. Boyes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the cost of receptions held by Ministers in his Department in 1993–94.

  Sir John Wheeler
  The cost of such receptions is included in the entertainment expenditure for the Northern Ireland Office and Northern Ireland Departments which is published in the departmental annual report.

  Blood Donation
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland in which of the Northern Ireland health board areas there is a surplus of donated blood; and in how many areas blood plasma is in short supply.
  498
  Mr. Ancram
  [holding answer 10 March 1994]: The Northern Ireland Blood Transfusion Service is a regional service and figures are not collected on a board basis. Since April 1993 blood collection and needs for Northern Ireland have been in balance. There has been no shortage or surplus of either donated blood or blood plasma.

LORD CHANCELLORS DEPARTMENT

  Legal Aid
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what proposals he has to facilitate representative actions on behalf of groups of victims in drug safety, consumer safety, safety at work and medical standards under legal aid.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The Legal Aid Board and others have suggested changes in the procedures surrounding multi-party actions which are being considered.

  Debt Recovery
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what action he is taking to improve procedures for the recovery of debts due as a result of court judgments; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  Both the Lord Chancellor and I are committed to improving the efficiency of the court system through simplifying and streamlining procedures, reducing paperwork and reducing the need to attend court. In my answer to the hon. Member for Newcastle upon Tyne, East (Mr. Brown) on 18 February 1994, column 1006, I mentioned the changes to county court procedures made in recent years and the plans for the introduction of some minor amendments to debt recovery procedures later this year. In addition, work is currently being done to improve the oral examination procedure with a view to introducing the new system by the beginning of 1995. There are also plans to look at ways of simplifying and improving the garnishee and charging order procedures later this year. Any proposed changes will be subject to our usual wide-ranging public consultation and it would not, therefore, be appropriate to make a statement about these initiatives at this stage.

  Road Accidents
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, what were the numbers of road accidents(a) per police officer and (b) per 100,000 population for each year since 1979 and this year to date for (i) South Yorkshire, (ii) North Yorkshire, (iii) West Yorkshire and (iv) Humberside police authority areas.

  Mr. Key
  I have been asked to reply.

  The information requested is shown in the table. Information for 1993 and the year to date is not yet available.

  Injury accidents by police force area: 1979–1992

  Rate

  Rate per police officer

  Year of accident

  North Yorkshire

  West Yorkshire

  South Yorkshire

  Humberside

  1979

  2·4

  1·7

  1·8

  2·0

  1980

  2·4

  1·7

  1·7

  2·0

  1981

  2·4

  1·7

  1·6

  1·9

  499

  Rate per police officer

  Year of accident

  North Yorkshire

  West Yorkshire

  South Yorkshire

  Humberside

  1982

  2·4

  1·7

  1·7

  2·0

  1983

  2·3

  1·6

  1·6

  1·9

  1984

  2·3

  1·7

  1·6

  2·1

  1985

  2·2

  1·6

  1·5

  2·1

  1986

  2·4

  1·6

  1·6

  2·1

  1987

  2·3

  1·6

  1·4

  2·0

  1988

  2·5

  1·6

  1·5

  2·1

  1989

  2·6

  1·7

  1·7

  2·2

  1990

  2·5

  1·7

  1·6

  2·2

  1991

  2·3

  1·6

  1·4

  1·9

  1992

  2·2

  1·7

  1·5

  1·9

  Injury accidents by police force area: 1979–1992

  Rate

  Rate per 100,000 population

  Year of accident

  North Yorkshire

  West Yorkshire

  South Yorkshire

  Humberside

  1979

  484

  401

  354

  438

  1980

  480

  425

  370

  464

  1981

  477

  419

  360

  444

  1982

  482

  429

  381

  451

  1983

  450

  390

  344

  432

  1984

  441

  405

  345

  472

  1985

  439

  386

  336

  475

  1986

  468

  392

  344

  478

  1987

  451

  393

  321

  462

  1988

  488

  412

  348

  482

  1989

  509

  423

  379

  507

  1990

  476

  429

  375

  499

  1991

  440

  405

  333

  428

  1992

  422

  401

  338

  439

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Ministerial Offices
  Mr. Boyes
  'To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the cost of new furniture for his private office during the year 1993–94.

  Mr. Howard
  Such purchases are included within my Department's overall administration expenditure which is published every year in the annual report.

  Mr. Boyes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many bottles of(a) whisky and gin and (b) sherry and port were consumed by his private offices in 1993–94.

  Mr. Howard
  Such consumption is included in the entertainment expenditure for my Department which is published in the annual report.

  Freephone and Freepost
  Mr. Donohoe
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the use of freephone and freepost facilities currently being operated by his Department; how much these facilities are costing; for what purposes these facilities are being used; and how much his Department has spent on operating freephone and freepost facilities in each financial year since 1979.

  Mr. Howard
  Exceptionally, where there has been a major incident, the Prison Service has set up a temporary 500
  free telephone number for the use of relatives of those affected. The expenditure is small and could be quantified only at disproportionate expense. Freepost facilities are not used.

  National Alliance of Women's Organisations
  Mrs. Bridget Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give his reasons for withdrawing core funding from the National Alliance of Women's Organisations.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The Home Office has never paid core funding to the National Alliance of Women's Organisations, so there is no question of its being withdrawn.

  Ministerial Receptions
  Mr. Boyes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the cost of receptions held by Ministers in his Department in 1993–94.

  Mr. Howard
  The cost of such receptions is included in the entertainment expenditure for my Department which is published in the annual report.

  Women's Voluntary Sector
  Mrs. Bridget Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what support his Department gives to the women's voluntary sector.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The Home Office does not support work carried out by voluntary organisations exclusively on women's issues. Under the drugs prevention initiative funding has been provided for 20 separate drug prevention projects targeted specifically at women.

  Asylum Seekers
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will allow asylum seekers in Britain to be joined by family members who have been given asylum in other European countries.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  Close family members are entitled to join refugees granted asylum in this country. The same arrangements would not be justified for asylum seekers before it has been established whether they qualify for refugee status and have a long-term future here.

  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the average length of time that asylum seekers are held in detention; and what are the figures for each year since 1990, including provisional figures for 1994 to date.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  The information requested is not available.

  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people who have been given exceptional leave to remain have not had their exceptional leave to remain status renewed in each year since 1991 and in 1994 to date.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  Precise figures are not available but, in each of the three years 1991–93, the number of asylum applications refused an extension of exceptional leave does not exceed a figure of the order of 15. Information for 1994 to date is not yet available.
  501
  Mr. Gerrard
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 22 February,Official Report, column 151 to show many of those asylum seekers held in detention who had applied (a) before 26 July 1993 and (b) after 26 July 1993 had been in detention for the whole of their stay in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  The information requested is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Gerrard
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 22 February,Official Report, column 151, how many of the asylum seekers currently detained are being held in ordinary prisons; how many of these are being held with people convicted on criminal charges; and how many of these are being held with people awaiting trial.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  On 9 March 1994, 274 asylum seekers were detained in Prison Service establishments, including 82 at the Home Office holding centre, Haslar, which is used almost exclusively for immigration detainees.

  At Haslar there are 14 convicted prisoners who undertake tasks connected with the running of the centre which the detainees cannot be required to do. The further details requested are not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The general policy is not, however, to hold immigration detainees together with convicted inmates unless the detainees are themselves convicted prisoners or strict segregation would be to their disadvantage by preventing them from having access to facilities enjoyed by others.

  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people seeking political asylum in the United Kingdom were detained(a) in hostels or detention centres, (b) in police custody, in hostels or detention centres, (b) in police custody, (c) in prisons and (d) in other places on 1 January and on 1 October, 1 July and 1 April 1993.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  The information requested is not available.

  Young Offenders
  Miss Lestor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his policy on whether future secure accommodation for young offenders should be sited in the grounds of adult prisons.

  Mr. Maclean
  The search for suitable sites on which to locate the new secure training centres for persistent juvenile offenders has included an evaluation of Prison Service sites, both those which are redundant and those surplus to requirements. No final decisions have been taken, but if Prison Service sites are used for one or more of the centres, they will operate as self-contained and fully autonomous units.

  Sheehy Inquiry
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish the detailed accounts of the Sheehy inquiry.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him on 2 December 1993, columns 665–66.

  Detainees (Access to Doctors)
  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what access people held in detention by the immigration service have to a doctor.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  It is our normal practice to ask port medical inspectors to examine those passengers who are detained upon their arrival in the United Kingdom. Those subsequently detained in immigration detention centres have access on a daily basis to either a resident or visiting doctor. The Prison Service is responsible for providing similar access to a doctor for those Immigration Act detainees accommodated in prisons, and the police for those held for short periods in police cells.

  Criminals (Payments)
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to make it a criminal offence to make payments to convicted criminals, their relatives, or agents for publishing, by any means, details of their criminal past or crimes.

  Mr. Maclean
  None. It would not be feasible to devise legal restraints sufficiently broad to prevent criminals, or their associates, from profiting from published accounts of their criminal activities, while at the same time avoiding unjustifiable restrictions on media reporting of matters of legitimate public interest. Enforcement could be particularly difficult since payment could be made indirectly, covertly or outside the jurisdiction of the courts.

  Video Evidence
  Mrs. Golding
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what equipment his Department is using to prepare video evidence for use in courts; and what assessment he has made of the quality.

  Mr. Maclean
  The procurement of equipment for the preparation of video evidence is a matter for chief officers of police but the Home Office has issued technical guidelines to assist them. Video playback equipment for viewing video evidence is now available in 71 Crown court centres. The Home Office has commissioned research into the new provisions for child witnesses in the Criminal Justice Act 1991, which will include an assessment of the quality and acceptability of video taped statements. Also, an interdepartmental working group was reconvened in February 1994 to consider the effectiveness of current arrangements for the presentation of video-recorded evidence at court.

  Heroin
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the findings of the reports "Trends in the Cost Effectiveness of Enforcement Activity in the Illicit Heroin Market 1979–1990", published by the centre for health economics at York university; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maclean
  We shall be considering the report, which was published on 7 March 1994. Heroin trafficking is a clandestine activity and so, as the authors readily acknowledge, the report relies on many assumptions, estimates and crude measures of the effectiveness of
  503
  enforcement. It is also debatable whether conclusions can be drawn about the effectiveness of drug enforcement from assumptions about the market in one particular drug.

  In any case there have been significant developments in drug enforcement since the period covered by the report including improvements in the provision of drugs intelligence and the introduction by Customs of the new and successful flexible anti-smuggling teams.

  Drugs (Police Informants)
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police informants involved in informing on drug-related crimes have been prosecuted for acting as agents provocateur in each year since 1979.

  Mr. Maclean
  Information on prosecutions of police informants is not collected centrally.

  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what percentage of drug seizures made by the police and HM Customs and Excise were facilitated by police informants in each year since 1979;

  (2) how many police informants have been engaged by the police to provide information on drug-related crime in each year since 1979.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  This information is not available.

  Yugoslavia
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many citizens of the former Yugoslavia, by current republic, are(a) permanent residents, (b) students, (c) visitors, (d) asylum applicants and (e) refugees in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  At 31 January 1994 an estimated 6,640 nationals of former Yugoslavia, excluding dependants, were awaiting a decision on their application for asylum in the United Kingdom. During the period 1 January 1985 to 31 January 1994 a total of nine nationals of the former Yugoslavia were granted asylum, and 114 were given exceptional leave. An analysis by republic of origin, and the other information requested for those in the United Kingdom, are not available.

  Algeria
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many citizens of Algeria are in Britain as(a) permanent residents, (b) students, (c) visitors, (d) asylum seekers and (e) refugees.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  At 31 January 1994, an estimate of about 350 nationals of Algeria, excluding dependants, were awaiting a decision on their application for asylum in the United Kingdom. During the period 1 January 1985 to 31 January 1994 a total of 15 nationals of Algeria were granted asylum, and 31 were given exceptional leave. The other information requested for those in the United Kingdom is not available.

  Criminal Injuries Compensation
  Mr. Boateng
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he or his officials have(a) requested or (b) received advice from the Attorney-General or his officials concerning the legality of the procedures by which he is seeking to reform the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board.
  504
  Mr. Maclean
  It is the convention neither to confirm nor deny having sought or received the advice of the Attorney-General on legal matters.

  Mr. Boateng
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he last met the Attorney-General and if the legality of the procedures by which he is seeking to reform the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board was discussed at that meeting.

  Mr. Maclean
  The Home Secretary and the Attorney-General meet regularly. Their last formal bilateral meeting was on 21 September 1993. It is not the practice to disclose what matters are discussed when they meet.

  Detention Centres
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people held in(a) Haslar and (b) other detention centres have refused food for more than one day in the past year; what discussions are held with such individuals; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  The available information is as follows.

  In the 12 months ending 10 March 1994, 32 detainees have refused food for three days or more at the Home Office holding centre, Haslar.

  In the period 10 May 1993 to 10 March 1994 the numbers of detainees who have refused food for three days or more in Immigration Service detention centres are as follows:

  Number

  Campsfield House1

  21

  Harmondsworth

  7

  Queens Building, Heathrow

  1

  Total

  29

  1 Since its opening on 29 November 1993.

  Each case is handled on its merits, but it is made clear to detainees that they are not assisting their cases by taking such action.

  Sammy Davis
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received concerning the removal of Sammy Davis from Britain; what response he gave to the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants and the hon. Member for Islington, North; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  Representations about the deportation of Mr. Sammy Davis were received from a noble Lord, four hon. Members, eight Members of the European Parliament, 14 organisations and 20 members of the public. Nevertheless, my right hon. and learned Friend decided that in all the circumstances the decision to deport Mr. Davis was correct. The reasons for this decision were fully explained to the hon. Member and to the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants before Mr. Davis left the United Kingdom on 8 March.

  Racial Attack Group
  Ms Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the inter-departmental racial attack group last met; who is represented on the group; and when the group is next scheduled to meet.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  My right hon. and learned Friend has recently reconvened the racial attacks group. It had its first meeting on 25 February 1994 and next meets on 9 May 1994.

  The group is chaired by the Home Office and draws members from the Home Office, the Scottish Office, the Department of the Environment, the Department for Education, the Department of Health, the Crown Prosecution Service, the legal secretariat to the Law Officers, and representatives from the Association of Chief Police Officers, the Metropolitan police and the Commission for Racial Equality. In addition, other groups and individuals will be invited to contribute to the working of the group as circumstances and subject matter dictate.

  Foreign National Flags
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what current regulations and restrictions there are for prohibiting the flying of a foreign national flag from a building other than the embassy which is the property of the country concerned; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Baldry
  I have been asked to reply.

  Provisions in the Town and Country Planning Act (Control of Advertisements) Regulations 1992 permit the flying of the national flag of any country, provided it is on a single, vertical flagstaff and displays no advertisement or subject matter additional to the flag's design. If the flagstaff is not vertical, it may require planning permission. If any building to which the flagstaff is attached is statutorily "listed", it may require listed building consent.

  My right hon. Friend has no proposals to amend these provisions.

TRANSPORT

  Public/Private Partnerships
  Mr. Harvey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will list those transport projects involving public/private partnerships, initiated since 1989 which(a) await parliamentary approval, (b) have been approved but are not yet to begin construction, (c) are under construction or (d) are completed or opened;

  (2) if he will list those transport projects involving public/private partnerships, initiated between 1979 and 1989 which (a) await parliamentary approval, (b) have been approved but are not yet to begin construction, (c) are under construction or (d) are completed or opened.

  Mr. MacGregor
  The information is as follows:

  1979–1989

  Since 1989

  (a) Awaiting parliamentary approval

  —

  Second Channel Tunnel Rail Link

  Crossrail

  Croydon Tramlink

  506

  1979–1989

  Since 1989

  (b) Awaiting construction

  —

  Birmingham Western Orbital Route

  West Coast Main Line

  (c) Under construction

  Jubilee Line Extension

  Ashford International Station

  Heathrow Express

  Bypasses
  Mr. Harvey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many bypasses in the trunk roads programme are expected to be opened in the period 1992 to 1995; and if he will list them.

  Mr. Key
  I set out the bypasses completed in 1991–92 to 1993–94 and plans for 1994–95 to 1995–96:

  1991–92

  15 bypasses completed:

  A5 Chirk Bypass

  A6 Burton Latimer Bypass

  A6 Quorn-Mountsorrel Bypass

  A16 Louth Bypass

  A30 Zelah Bypass

  A35 Axminster Bypass

  A41 Whitchurch Bypass

  A43 Blisworth Bypass

  A47 Eye Bypass

  A65 Draughton Bypass

  A134 Fornham St. Martin Bypass

  A418 Leighton Linslade Bypass

  A516 Etwall Bypass

  A595 Hensingham Bypass

  A650 Drighlington Bypass

  1992–93

  14 bypasses completed:

  A3 Liphook-Petersfield Bypass

  A3 Milford Bypass

  A5 Little Brickhill Bypass

  A5 Telford-Shrewsbury Bypass

  A6 Market Harborough Bypass

  A16 Ludborough Bypass

  Al6 Stickford Bypass

  A27 Brighton and Hove Bypass (Patcham-Coldean)

  A47 East Dereham-North Tuddenham Bypass

  A47 Norwich Southern Bypass (Contracts 1, 2, 3 and 4)

  A66 Bowes Bypass

  A523 Macclesfield Relief Road Bypass

  A420 Kingston Bagpuize and Southmoor Bypass

  A602 Little Wymondley Bypass

  1993–94

  8 bypasses completed:

  A27 Crossbush Bypass

  A27 Westhampnett Bypass

  A39 Wadebridge Bypass

  A41 Berkhamsted Bypass

  A41 Kingslangley Bypass

  A339 Basingstoke Northern Bypass (Stage 3)

  A595 Egremont Bypass

  A596 Wigton Bypass

  507
  1994–95

  5 bypasses planned to complete:

  A19 Easingwold Bypass

  A52 Ashbourne Relief Road Bypass

  A65 Burley in Wharfedale Bypass

  A564 Foston, Hatton, Hilton Bypass

  A568 Widnes Eastern Bypass (North)

  1995–961

  10 bypasses planned to complete:

  A5 Fazely—Two Gates Bypass

  A17 Leadenham Bypass

  A17 Wigtoft—Sutterton Bypass

  A27 Brighton & Hove Bypass (Kingston—Hangleton)

  A30/A39 Indian Queens—Fraddon Bypass

  A46 Leicester Western Bypass

  A249 M2—Iwade Bypass Improvement

  A417 Brockworth Bypass

  A428 Bedford Southern Bypass

  A435 Norton—Lenchwick Bypass

  1 subject to successful completion of statutory procedures and the availability of funds.

  Rail Privatisation
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what is his current estimate of the cost of rail privatisation in the forthcoming financial year;

  (2) what is the current estimate for the costs of rail privatisation for the forthcoming financial year.

  Mr. Freeman
  Planned expenditure by my Department, the Office of the Rail Regulator, and the Office of Passenger Rail Franchising for 1994–95 is £28·9 million. British Rail's and Railtrack's estimates of costs associated with reorganisation are a matter for them.

  The breakdown of this estimate is given in the following table:

  Expenditure on rail privatisation 1994–95

  Staff and internal costs (£ million)

  External consultants (£ million)

  Total (£ million)

  Department of Transport

  2·0

  12·0

  14·0

  Office of the Rail Regulator

  3·8

  1·6

  5·4

  Office of Passenger Rail Franchising

  3·6

  5·9

  9·5

  28·9

  Aircraft (Smoke Hoods)
  Mr. French
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received about the fitting of smoke hoods in aircraft; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Norris
  The responsibility for the safety regulation of United Kingdom civil aviation rests with the Civil Aviation Authority. It is for the authority to determine the requirements for passenger safety equipment. In the past five years my Department has received the following representations on the subject of smokehoods:

  Number

  Transport Select Committee Meetings

  3

  Early Day Motions

  3

  Parliamentary Questions

  17

  Letters from Members of Parliament

  23

  Letters from the public/smokehood manufacturers

  8

  Meetings between DOT Ministers and Interested parties

  2

  Ministerial Offices
  Mr. Boyes
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the cost of new furniture for his private office during the year 1993–94.

  Mr. MacGregor
  The total cost of furniture for my private office for the year 1993–94 was £1,149·15.

  British Rail
  Mr. Andrew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 23 February,Official Report, columns 244–45, whether the public service obligation grant to British Rail was taxed (a) in the year to 31 March 1992 and (b) in the year to 31 March 1991.

  Mr. Freeman
  Although the revenue element of PSO grant is taxable, and is taken into account as income in calculating BR's liability for corporation tax, none has been payable for the last few years because BR has had a trading loss even after taking the grant payment into account. The capital element of PSO grant is also taxable, but is taken into account by reducing the amount of expenditure which would otherwise have qualified for tax depreciation allowances.

  Network SouthEast Stations
  Mr. Raynsford
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish a list of all the stations under the Network SouthEast operational area indicating whether they are(a) staffed at all times when rail services are operating, (b) unstaffed at certain times of day, (c) unstaffed at weekend or (d) unstaffed at all times, and listing the number of (i) reported assaults, (ii) other reported crimes, (iii) other incidents, (iv) complaints relating to the availability of tickets and (v) other complaints that have occurred at each station over the past year.

  Mr. Freeman
  The information requested is not held centrally and, therefore, is not available in the form requested.

  Within the operational area of Network SouthEast, which includes five stations belonging to InterCity, there is a total of 948 stations. Of these, as at June 1993, 191 were totally unstaffed, 104 were staffed at all times when rail services were operating, with the remaining 653 being staffed at certain times during the day. I am placing a list of staffed and unstaffed stations in the Library of the House.

  The British Transport police keep statistics of crimes by category rather than by station. The Network SouthEast operational area falls within two of the BTP's operational areas, London north and London south. The total reported crime for the London north area in 1993 was 14,680 and 17,826 for London south. There were a total of 645 reported assaults throughout Network SouthEast in 1993 together with 800 reported robberies.

  Agency Chief Executives
  Mr. Radice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many agency chief executives in his Department are currently paid more than £82,925, excluding performance-related bonuses; and whether such chief executives were recruited directly to their present post from outside the civil service.
  509
  Mr. Norris
  One. Mr. L. J. Haynes took up post on 14 February as chief executive designate of the Highways Agency. He was recruited from outside the civil service following an open competition.

  New Road Schemes
  Mr. Lewis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the extent to which his proposed new procedures for expediting new road scheme approvals will be compatible with existing European Union rules.

  Mr. Key
  The proposed changes to the Highways Inquiries Procedure Rules 1976 and the Compulsory Purchase by Ministers Inquiry Procedure Rules 1967 are compatible with existing European Community rules.

  HGVs (Taxation)
  Mr. Clifton-Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to amend the criteria for restricted HGV taxation class to exclude all vehicles with a plating certificate; what are the reasons for these plans; and if he will ensure that no amendments are made until the next licence renewal or the end of 1994 whichever is the later.

  Mr. Key
  The restricted HGV taxation class is for vehicles with no plated weight. After April 1994 and only when current licences expire, a small number of vehicles which have been issued with a plating certificate specifying a plated weight but which are currently exempt from plating and testing will, on legal advice, be excluded from the restricted HGV tax class.

  Mr. Clifton-Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to narrow the criteria for heavy and light locomotives and motor tractors, as defined in the Road Traffic Act 1988, in relation to the equipment that may be carried, to qualify for showman's concessionary HGV licensing class; what are the reasons for these plans; and if he will allow a phasing in period to allow showmen and others to adapt their vehicles to meet the Department's new criteria.

  Mr. Key
  There are no plans to change the definitions of a heavy or light locomotive or a motor tractor in the Road Traffic Act 1988. For the purposes of the Road Traffic Act none of these vehicles, by definition, is designed itself to carry a load—though a crane, a dynamo or welding plant or other special appliance or apparatus which is an essentially permanent fixture, is not regarded as a load. Under the Vehicle Excise Act, if operated by a travelling showman, they should be licensed in the showman's haulage tax class, or else, if carrying any of the equipment mentioned above—which would, for vehicle excise purposes, be considered goods or burden—the showman's HGV tax class.

  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what action is being taken to avoid potential danger to the public through usage of under-strength bridges by coaches which exceed the current United Kingdom weight limit.

  Mr. Key
  The Department has a clear enforcement policy in respect of coaches and other vehicles which do not comply with current weight restrictions in the United Kingdom. The safety and protection of the public is fundamental to this policy.

  Railway Rolling Stock (Brakes)
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information he has received from British Rail on the safety of freight wagon brakes.

  Mr. Freeman
  I understand from the Health and Safety Executive's railway inspectorate that freight wagon brakes are subject to planned preventative maintenance, visually examined at regular intervals, and tested at each change in the make-up of a train.

  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will meet the chairman of British Rail to discuss the safety of brakes on BR rolling stock;

  (2) if he will discuss with the chairman of British Rail the safety of simplified braking systems on freight wagons.

  Mr. Freeman
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has regular meetings with the chairman during which various railway safety matters are discussed. I understand from the Health and Safety Executive's railway inspectorate that it is continuing its discussions with British rail on these matters.

  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will forbid the introduction of European braking systems on British Rail rolling stock until they have received clearance from the Chief Inspecting Office of Railways.

  Mr. Freeman
  The Health and Safety Executive's railway inspectorate advise me on matters of railway safety. The inspectorate is continuing its inquiries into the proposed changes to a simplified brake testing system on certain freight wagons. It has requested both statistical and technical information from British Rail—Trainload Freight, in order to give detailed consideration to the proposal.

  Traffic Cones Hotline
  Mr. Stevenson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many complaints have been received by the traffic cones hotline; how many have been followed up; how many have resulted in the removal of cones; and what publicity the hotline has been given.

  Mr. Key
  Some 2,500 calls have been answered by the cones hotline between its introduction in June 1992 and 9 March 1994. Of these, some 1,200 have been followed up as formal complaints or observations. In three cases inquiries have led directly to the removal of cones. The cones hotline telephone number is displayed at the end of each set of major roadworks on the motorway and trunk road network. It has also been registered with directory enquiries. A press notice about the hotline was issued by the Department on 1 March 1994.

  A1
  Ms Quin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what consultations he has had with representatives of public transport groups in Gateshead prior to his decision on the preferred route for the A1 western bypass through Gateshead.

  Mr. Key
  The Department met Tyne and Wear passenger transport executive and the local highway
  511
  authority Gateshead metropolitan borough council to discuss public transport issues as part of the consultation on the A1 Gateshead western bypass scheme.

  Specialist sub-consultants in transportation were appointed to carry out an appraisal of the public transport issues involved and their report was fully considered before a decision was made on the preferred route.

  A review of existing information regarding current public transport services and future proposals in Tyne and Wear was carried out. Consultations were held with the local authorities in the area including Gateshead MBC.

  The final report concluded that
  "the impact of public transport improvements on the A1 corridor is likely to be small, even with the best possible system".

  Further, the final conclusion indicated that
  "they (public transport improvements) are not an alternative to improving the road network at this particular location".

  Mr. Jack Thompson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress is being made in the programme to dual carriageway the A1 between Newcastle and Edinburgh; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Key
  Two sections of dual carriageway have been completed and opened to traffic at Marshall Meadows and Brownieside. Two schemes to complete the dualling of the Alnwick bypass are in preparation. A scheme to complete the continuous dualling between Newcastle and north of Alnwick is in the road programme currently under review. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport expects to announce the results of the review shortly.

  In Scotland proposals have been published for dualling between Tranent and Haddington and two small schemes south of Dunbar. A further five dualling schemes are in preparation.

  Further progress on the upgrading of the A1 will depend upon potential schemes meeting environmental, economic and safety objectives, the overall availability of resources and the relative claims of potential schemes elsewhere in the country.

  Traffic, Hastings
  Mrs. Lait
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what weighting has been given in his Department's traffic projections for the bypasses along the A259 through Hastings and Rye, to the full and successful completion and operation of the Hastings shopping centre;

  (2) what weighting has been given in his Department's traffic projections for the bypasses along the A259 through Hastings and Rye, to the full production by current industry along the Rye Harbour road and to the successful and operating development of the industrial area along that road;

  (3) what weighting has been given in his Department's studies of the traffic along the A21 to the full and successful completion and operation of the Hastings shopping centre.

  Mr. Key
  The effects of existing and projected development and of a range of assumptions about economic growth have been fully taken into account in the forecasts of traffic which have been used for the A21 and A259 scheme appraisals.

  Entrance Project, Southampton
  Mr. Denham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will reconsider his refusal to fund the Entrance project in Southampton.

  Mr. Key
  Not at this stage. We are considering the issues raised by this project with Hampshire county council.

  British Rail Pension Fund
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent representations he has received about the future of the British Rail pension fund.

  Mr. Freeman
  There have been frequent detailed discussions on the future pension arrangements between officials from the Department, the BR board and the BR pension trustees. In addition, since the beginning of the year, I have met representatives from the three main railway trade unions and the British Transport Pensioners Federation.

  We expect to bring forward proposals shortly for the future of BR pensions funds.

  East London River Crossing
  Mr. Austin-Walker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list by address all properties acquired by his Department along the line of the proposed east London river crossing and which are(a) occupied by tenants of his Department, (b) vacant but available for letting, (c) vacant but awaiting repair and renovation prior to letting, (d) vacant but unsuitable for letting and which could not be renovated at reasonable expense, (e) let or leased to the London borough of Greenwich and (f) let or leased to housing associations.

  Mr. Norris
  [holding answer 11 March 1994]: I will write to the hon. Member to supply him with the addresses of the 158 properties along the original route of the east London river crossing acquired by the Department.

  The bare facts are that, of those, 133 are currently let, four are vacant but available for letting and 21 are vacant awaiting assessment for repairs and renovations. It is probable that some properties could not be renovated at reasonable expense and in such cases letting will not be possible.

  Of the 133 properties currently let, 49 are let to the London borough of Greenwich and 30 to housing associations.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

  Commercial Organisations
  Mr. Barnes
  To ask the Chairman of the Accommodation and Works Committee if he will list all commercial organisations that have been allocated space in the Palace of Westminster, giving in each case details of space allocated, rent and other charges paid per annum, the procedures that govern such arrangements and the dates on which they started.

  Mr. Ray Powell
  Accommodation in the Palace has been allocated to commercial organisations as follows:
  513

  m2

  Press Gallery

  350

  Post Office

  150

  British Telecom/TRG Telecom

  150

  BBC

  130

  Press Association

  80

  Transport Office

  35

  Susan Hamilton Agency

  20

  Reuters

  20

  Rediffusion

  10

  Florist

  7·5

  The accommodation of these organisations within the Palace derives from long-standing agreements and decisions reached by the relevant authorities and Committees of both Houses. It is not possible to identify in any meaningful way the dates on which the respective agreements began. No revenue is received in respect of the provision of this accommodation.

  Divisions
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Lord President of the Council how many hours were spent on Divisions in each of the last five Sessions.

  Mr. Newton
  Because precise timings are not available for individual divisions, any figure must be an approximation. It may be assumed that divisions take, on average, 14 minutes each. On that assumption, the following shows, by Session, the number of divisions; the total hours taken; and, since the length of the Sessions veries widely, the average time per day in each Session.

  Number of Divisions

  Hours taken

  Per day

  1988–89

  409

  95·26

  0·33

  1989–90

  345

  80·30

  0·29

  1990–91

  233

  54·22

  0·20

  1991–92

  114

  26·36

  0·19

  1992–93

  402

  93·48

  0·23

  Register of Members' Interests
  Sir Ralph Howell
  To ask the Lord President of the Council what are the percentage changes between the most recent and the previous HMSO published editions of the Register of Members' Interests in respect of(a) number of pages, (b) cover price and (c) costs of printing and publishing.

  Mr. Newton
  The percentage increase between the most recent and the previous edition of the Register of Members' Interests, HC 205 (93–94) and HC 325 (92–93) respectively are:

  Percentage

  Page content

  1+47

  Price

  +30·5

  Estimated printing and publishing costs

  21·4

  1 Calculated on printed pages.

  2 Calculated per printed page.

  HMSO regrets that the estimate of printing and publishing costs included in HC 325 (92–93) was incorrect. The figure should be £15,009.

EMPLOYMENT

  Agency Chief Executives
  Mr. Radice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many agency chief executives in his Department are currently paid more than £82,925, excluding performance-related bonuses; and whether such chief executives were recruited directly to their present post from outside the civil service.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  There is no agency chief executive in this Department who is currently paid more than £82,925.

  Mines (Accidents)
  Mr. Hain
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what were the numbers of serious accidents and fatalities in(a) British Coal pits and (b) private licensed mines for each year since 1987.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The table shows the number of fatal and major injuries from that date:

  British Coal

  Licensed mines

  Year

  Fatal injuries

  Major injuries

  Fatal injuries

  Major injuries

  1986–87

  15

  952

  3

  30

  1987–88

  9

  729

  3

  27

  1988–89

  18

  685

  2

  25

  1989–90

  18

  587

  1

  23

  1990–91

  11

  501

  1

  13

  1991–92

  10

  469

  2

  17

  1992–93

  3

  326

  3

  7

  Note: The introduction of the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurences Regulations on 1 April 1986 further widened the coverage of the major accident category and therefore figures from 1986 onwards are not directly comparable with earlier years.

  Mr. Hain
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what were the numbers of serious accidents and fatalities per 100 miners employed in(a) British Co-al pits and (b) private licensed mines for each year since 1987.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  I refer the hon. Member for to the answer I gave him on Monday 24 January,Official Report, column 13.

  Unemployment Benefit
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what has been the cost of administering unemployment benefit in the Doncaster area in each of the past four years; and if he will make a statement.

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

  Letter from M. E. G. Fogden to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 14 March 1994.
  The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question concerning the cost of administering unemployment benefit in the Doncaster area over the last four years.
  It may be helpful if I explain that the Employment Service (ES) has responsibility for delivering a number of benefits in

  515
  addition to unemployment benefit, as well as a range of other services to people seeking employment and training opportunities. Since 1990 the ES has been pursuing a policy of bringing together Unemployment Benefit offices and Jobcentres, with the aim of providing a more efficient and effective service to our clients. Individual ES staff are responsible for all aspects of ES work and it is not possible to provide accurate or meaningful breakdowns of the costs of specific activities after 1990. Therefore, I have provided figures, for the most recent years, relating to the costs of delivering the full range of our services in Doncaster. But I have additionally provided an estimated breakdown of the cost of administering unemployment benefit for you, but I must stress this is an estimate and can only be used as a guide. The figures for 1990–91 are before the Doncaster Unemployment Benefit Offices and Jobcentre costs were merged, and are actual data.
  The figures also exclude fixed premises costs, ie the costs of leasing and purchasing premises and the associated running costs. The various methods of collecting this information over the years makes it time consuming and costly to trace those costs relating to the Doncaster offices.
  Given these provisions, the relevant costs, which include staff salary and other running costs, such as fuel and telecommunications, are in the attached table.
  I hope this is helpful.

  Year

  Total cost (£)

  Administering unemployment benefit (£)

  1990–91

  1,596,296

  11,291,148

  1991–92

  2,226,527

  21,424,977

  1992–93

  2,543,453

  21,627,810

  1993–943

  2,754,376

  21,707,713

  1 Actual.

  2 Estimate.

  3 Projected.

  Job Club Contracts
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the training companies which currently have job club contracts in the Doncaster area.

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

  Letter from M. E. G. Fogden to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 14 March 1994:
  The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question about Jobclub contracts in the Doncaster area.
  The attached table lists those organisations operating Jobclubs on behalf of the Employment Service as of 10 March 1994.
  I hope this is helpful.

  Organisations holding jobclub contracts in the Doncaster area March 1994

  Name of organisation

  Type

  Number of contracts

  Doncaster:

  Prospect Training (Yorkshire) Ltd.

  PR

  2

  Instant Muscle Ltd.

  CH

  2

  Roger Worth Training

  PR

  1

  Microcom

  PR

  1

  Thorne:1

  Prospect Training

  PR

  1

  Key PR—Private Provider.

  CH—Charity.

  1 The Doncaster area information includes Thorne as this forms part of Doncaster's travel to work area.

  Employment Service
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many females occupy senior officer positions in the Employment Service in Wales(a) in total and (b) as a percentage of all such posts.

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

  Letter from M. E. G. Fogden to Mr. Barry Jones, dated 14 March 1994:
  The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question about the numbers of women occupying senior officer positions in the Employment Service in Wales.
  There are nine posts at Grade 7 level and above in the Employment Service in Wales, one of which is filled by a woman. This represents 11 per cent of the total.
  You will wish to know the Employment Service in Wales, along with Employment Service nationally, aims to be an Equal Opportunities employer.
  We have produced an Equal Opportunities Policy, signed by my Director in Wales and the Trade Union Side, which has been copied to all my people in the Principality.
  There is, too, a five year equal opportunities action plan which sets out targets for disabled, ethnic minority and women representation at various grades.
  Particular attention is paid to the development of those who work part-time, the majority of whom are women, as it has been recognised that alternative working patterns are a key element in the retention and development of a valuable, fully trained workforce.
  I hope this is helpful.

DEFENCE

  Ministerial Receptions
  Mr. Boyes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the cost of receptions held by Ministers in his Department in 1993–94.

  Mr. Hanley
  The cost of such receptions is included in the entertainment expenditure for my Department which is published in the supply estimates.

  Ministerial Offices
  Mr. Boyes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many bottles of(a) whisky and gin and (b) sherry and port were consumed by his private offices in 1993–94.

  Mr. Hanley
  Entertainment expenditure for my Department is published annually in the supply estimates.

  Jet Provost Aircraft
  Mr. Cann
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Jet Provost aircraft have been sold in the current financial year; and if he will list the associated equipment sold with the quantity and the price received for each item.

  Mr. Aitken
  My Department has contracted to sell 62 Jet Provost aircraft in the current financial year. In the same period 87 engines, six tip tanks and 10 trollyaccs have been sold. Prices are commercial in confidence.

  Mr. Cann
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the marks or categories of the Jet Provost
  517
  aircraft sold in the current financial year; what flying time was left to each aircraft under existing operational rules; and what price was received for each aircraft.

  Mr. Aitken
  Type 3A, type 4 and type 5A Jet Provost aircraft have been sold in the current year. Jet Provost aircraft are not lifed in hours but by a fatigue index factor which is based upon the operational conditions under which the aircraft are flown; and these will determine further flying life. The prices are commercial in confidence.

  Yugoslavia
  Mr. Marlow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what(a)financial and (b) personnel contribution is made by the Federal Republic of Germany towards international activities in Yugoslavia.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  I have been asked to reply.

  Germany pays 8·977 per cent. of costs, on the UN scale of assessment, towards peacekeeping operations. In 1993 its assessment for UNPROFOR was $489·8 million. Total humanitarian aid to the former Yugoslavia for the period January 1993 to 16 February 1994 donated by Germany to UN agencies, according to the latest UN Department of Humanitarian Affairs figures, is $25,318,046. There are no German military personnel serving in the former Yugoslavia. We do not have details of German civilian personnel.

  Mr. Marlow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the annualised cost of British military operations associated with Yugoslavia.

  Mr. Hanley
  I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave to the hon. Member for South Shields (Dr. Clark) on 4 March,Official Report, columns 942–43.

DEFENCE

  NATO
  Mr. Robert Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the current level of direct financial contributions to the NATO organisation by each of the member countries; and what is proposed for future years.

  Mr. Hanley
  I shall write to the hon. Member.

  Air Training Corps
  Mr. Lidington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the nearest available alternative to RAF Halton as a flying base for the Air Training Corps; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hanley
  The nearest available airfield which could be used as a flying base for the ATC is RAF Henlow. However, this would not necessarily be a practical alternative since the volunteer gliding schools are regional in character, and RAF Henlow is well outside the catchment area for the local ATC and combined cadet force units.

  RAF Halton
  Mr. Lidington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) How many years RAF Halton has been used as an operational airfield; and if he will make a statement;
  518
  (2) for how many years the ATC has flown aircraft from RAF Halton.

  Mr. Hanley
  Military flying has taken place at Halton for 82 years. It was first used by the Army between 1912 and 1981; since then, it has been used for RAF operational flying. The ATC has flown aircraft from RAF Halton for 46 years.

  Mr. Lidington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will give his Department's estimate in decibels of the noise nuisance caused to local residents of aircraft flying from RAF Halton; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hanley
  Over a two-week period last year, monitoring equipment positioned on the property of those complainants most affected by noise from flying at RAF Halton revealed that aircraft operations increased the average background noise by up to 8dB(A).

  HIV/AIDS
  Mr. Davidson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many armed forces personnel were tested for HIV/AIDS in each of the last four years; what factors he has taken into consideration for deciding whether such tests should be made compulsory and regular; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hanley
  Information on the number of service personnel tested for HIV is not recorded centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. In accordance with stated Government policy, there is no compulsory HIV/AIDS testing of service personnel, but those who consider themselves to be at risk are encouraged to undergo voluntary testing.

  Drug Testing
  Mr. Davidson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on Government policy on drug testing for military personnel.

  Mr. Hanley
  My Department is at present considering the introduction of compulsory random drug testing to supplement existing measures to deter service personnel from drug abuse; the Army conducted trials last year to examine the procedures involved.

  Freephone and Freepost
  Mr. Donohoe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the use of freephone and freepost facilities currently being operated by his Department; how much these facilities are costing; for what purposes these facilities are being used; and how much his Department has spent on operating freephone and freepost facilities in each financial year since 1979.

  Mr. Hanley
  Freephone facilities are not at present operated by my Department.

  A freepost address is used by the armed forces to enable potential recruits to respond to regular and reservist recruitment campaigns. The cost of this service could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  The forces aerogramme can be posted free of charge to and from service personnel serving in designated operational areas and their next of kin. Since 1986, the

  519
  annual cost of this facility has been some £220,000. Earlier financial information is not available. During the Gulf crisis, this figure rose to £1,400,000. The most recent figure available, for the financial year 1992–93, is £262,000 reflecting increased usage as a result of operations in the former Yugoslavia.

  Pregnant Service Women
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many women who formerly served with(a) the Royal Navy, (b) the Army and (c) the Royal Air Force and who were dismissed from the service because they were pregnant have received compensation by way of industrial tribunals finding for them; what were the individual sums paid; what is the total sum paid so far to claimants; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hanley
  As at 8 March 1994, 1,790 women—350 Royal Navy, 686 Army, 754 RAF—who were dismissed from the services on the grounds of pregnancy had received compensation from the Ministry of Defence to the value of £7,575,912. Such payments have resulted from industrial tribunal awards but most payments followed acceptances by claimants of MOD offers of compensation. To identify individual sums paid could be done only at disproportionate cost.

  Dr. Godman
  'To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will estimate the number of outstanding cases due to be heard by the industrial tribunals concerning claims for compensation by women who were dismissed from the service because they were pregnant; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hanley
  Some 2,000 cases concerning claims for compensation by women who were dismissed from the services on the grounds of pregnancy remain to be settled and some 1,200 of these are currently listed for hearing at industrial tribunals.

  Hunting
  Mr. Jamieson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) on how many occasions personnel from the Britannia royal naval college in Dartmouth have hunted with the Britannia Beagles Association during duty hours for each year since 1989;

  (2) if he will make a statement about the benefits to officers' training of hunting with dogs;

  (3) if he will list the number of officers of each rank who have hunted with the Britannia Beagles Association during duty hours, in each of the last five years.

  Mr. Hanley
  Hunting with dogs, either on foot or on horseback, promotes physical fitness and good tactical ground appreciation, both of which are of great value to military training.

  Although beagliing, like all other recreational activities, is not part of the BRNC Dartmouth training curriculum, and is not therefore undertaken by personnel while on normal duty, members of the Britannia Beagle Association may, if they wish, run with the beagles during compulsory sports afternoons, which are aimed at developing character and promoting fitness, or during off-duty hours.

  Records are not maintained by my Department of the number of officers who have hunted with the Britannia Beagles Association, whether during compulsory sports afternoons or during off-duty hours.

  Beauforts Dyke Sea Dump
  Mr. Parry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received on the Beauforts Dyke sea dump situated between Larne and Stranraer; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hanley
  My Department has received a number of inquiries about phosphorus objects which have been washed ashore in Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man in recent years. Some of these suggested that the objects may originate from the former Beauforts Dyke explosives dumping site. Subsequent Ministry of Defence investigations have been unable to identify the origin or purpose of these objects except that our records show that no phosphorus objects were ever stored at Beauforts Dyke.

  Civilian Establishments
  Dr. Reid
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 8 March,Official Report, column 202, if he will list, from information publicly available, his Department's civilian establishments, their locations and the number of people they each employ.

  Mr. Hanley
  I have nothing to add to the answer I gave on 8 March,Official Report, column 202.

  Military Bases
  Dr. Reid
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 8 March,Official Report, column 202, if he will list, from information publicly available, the United Kingdom's home military bases, their locations and the number of service personnel based and civilians employed at each of them.

  Mr. Hanley
  I have nothing to add to the answer I gave the hon. Member on 8 March 1994,Official Report, column 202.

WALES

  European Structural Funds
  Mr. Richards
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the failure of parts of Colwyn borough to get approval for objective 5(b) status under the EU structural funds.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  I am disappointed that we secured a smaller than hoped for objective 5(b) coverage for Clwyd in spite of a long and hard struggle with the Commission. At a very late stage the Commission insisted on changes to the population basis on which the discussions were being conducted. As a result, reductions had to be made to the United Kingdom's proposals. Within Wales, Colwyn was considered by the Commission to present the weakest case for objective 5(b) status.

  Incomes
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of the extent to which the average income of workers in Wales is compatible with his economic strategy.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  My right hon. Friend's strategy is based on improving standards of education and training;
  521
  improving access to markets; and ensuring a good supply of development land and facilities for industry and commerce. The continuing success of this strategy should enable average earnings in Wales to increase still further.

  Government Reorganisation
  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what consideration he has given since April 1992 together with the Home Secretary, the Secretary of State for Scotland and the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland to ways of improving the system of government of the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The Government keep under review ways of improving the system of government in the United Kingdom.

  Industry and Agriculture
  Mr. Ainger
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he next plans to meet German Government Ministers to discuss common concerns in industry and agriculture.

  Mr. Redwood
  I have no plans to meet German Federal Government Ministers.

  Gross Domestic Product
  Mr. Alan W. Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what are the most recent estimates of gross domestic product per capita for the people of(a) Wales and (b) Britain.

  Mr. Redwood
  In 1992, the latest available, GDP per head was estimated at £7,515 in Wales and £8,813 in Great Britain in 1992.

  Satellite Communications
  Mr. Fabricant
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what action he has taken to encourage high technology firms in the area of satellite communications to set up manufacturing plant in Wales.

  Mr. Redwood
  Inward investment in this and other areas of the information technology sector is promoted actively through IT Wales, with encouraging results.

  Public Bodies
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what new measures he will introduce to make quangos accountable to the people of Wales.

  Mr. Redwood
  Non-departmental public bodies in Wales are accountable to Parliament—as we have seen in recent months.

  I report to the House on money and policy, and the accounting officer on regularity.

  Civil Service
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what new proposals he has to increase the total of civil service jobs in Wales.

  Mr. Redwood
  Responsibility for assessing the advantages of relocating Government work rests with 522
  departmental Ministers. Within the framework of the guidelines covering relocations, every effort is made to attract civil service jobs to Wales.

  St. Dogmaels Landslip
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what action he proposes to take in relation to the St. Dogmaels landslip.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  My officials visited the site last week and have provided me with a full report on the situation. My officials and I stand ready to offer advice and assistance where possible.

  Gross National Product
  Dr. Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the gross national product per capita currently in Mid Glamorgan and in Wales.

  Mr. Redwood
  Figures on GNP are not available below United Kingdom level. GDP however is available for 1991, which showed Mid Glamorgan at £5,883 compared with Wales £7,218. The estimates tend to understate output in areas where people commute elsewhere for their work.

  Unemployment
  Mr. Roy Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the level of male unemployment in Wales at the latest available date; and what was the percentage unemployment rate.

  Mr. Redwood
  In January 1994, there were 100,500 male unemployed claimants in Wales, representing 13·7 per cent. of the work force.

  Rural Railways
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has received during the last 12 months on the future of rural railway services.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  My right hon. Friend and I have received a total of 36 representations.

  Pigmeat
  Mr. Roger Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what steps he is taking to relieve the effects of pigmeat overproduction upon producers in Wales.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  The problem in the pigmeat market is one of oversupply, largely from elsewhere in the European Union. Prices should recover once production has declined.

  Disabled Facilities Grant
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales on what date he transferred the funding of the disabled facilities grant from the supplementary credit allowance to the basic credit allowance.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  Disabled facilities grants have been funded from local authorities' basic credit approvals since April 1992.

  Freephone and Freepost
  Mr. Donohoe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the use of freephone and freepost facilities currently being operated by his
  523
  Department; how much these facilities are costing; for what purposes these facilities are being used; and how much his Department has spent on operating freephone and freepost facilities in each financial year since 1979.

  Mr. Redwood
  A total of £31,465 is expected to be spent on freephone and freepost facilities in 1993–94. This expenditure is related to citizens charter activities and the provision of information on the council tax arid on agriculture grant applications. Information on such expenditure in previous years is not readily available.

  Pupils (Costs)
  Sir Harold Walker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the unit cost per pupil in each local education authority in Wales in 1992–93 for(a) nursery/primary and (b) secondary pupils.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  Provisional data on the net expenditure per pupil in maintained schools in each local education authority area in Wales for 1992–93 are given in the table.

  £ per pupil Nursery/Primary1

  £ per pupil Secondary1

  Clwyd

  1,486

  2,243

  Dyfed

  1,807

  2,164

  Gwent

  1,479

  2,226

  Gwynedd

  1,673

  2,430

  Mid Glamorgan

  1,476

  2,300

  Powys

  1,911

  2,088

  South Glamorgan

  1,494

  2,144

  West Glamorgan

  1,794

  2,403

  Wales

  1,590

  2,256

  1 LEA and grant-maintained schools.

  Schoolchildren (Vaccinations)
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what information is held by his Department on the number of schoolchildren who have been vaccinated in schools as part of the school health service.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  Complete information on the number of school children vaccinated as part of the school health service is not available centrally. However information on the number of children aged five to 15 vaccinated in any setting in Wales is given in the table. All information relates to the financial year 1992–93.

  Number of children aged five to 15 who:

  Vaccinated against

  Completed a primary course

  Received a booster/ reinforcing dose

  Diphtheria

  369

  5,591

  Tetanus

  455

  16,106

  Pertussis

  98

  1—

  Polio

  471

  16,622

  MMR2

  1,221

  1—

  BCG (tuberculosis)

  315,442

  1—

  Single antigen rubella4

  11,122

  1—

  1 Denotes not applicable.

  2 Measles, mumps and rubella.

  3 Includes children aged one to four.

  4 Females only, aged 15 and under.

  Tesco (Grant Aid)
  Mr. Faber
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what is the total sum of grant aid to be made available to Tesco plc by his Department to assist with the building of 524
  its new distribution depot at Magor, Gwent; over what period the grant will be paid; and in how many instalments of what value;

  (2) what job creation or other criteria need to be met by Tesco plc at its new distribution depot at Magor, Gwent, in order to receive the grant offered to it by his Department.

  Mr. Redwood
  For reasons of commercial confidentiality, I am unable to comment on the details of any specific application for grant assistance.

  Agency Chief Executives
  Mr. Radice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many agency chief executives in his Department are currently paid more than £82,925, excluding performance-related bonuses; and whether such chief executives were recruited directly to their present post from outside the civil service.

  Mr. Redwood
  No agency chief executives in the Welsh Office are currently paid more than £82,925.

  Motorways
  Mr. Roy Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many miles of motorway are currently(a) open, (b) under construction and (c) planned in Wales either (i) as new motorway or (ii) as existing motorway being widened.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  The mileages are:

  (a) Open—77 miles

  (b) Under construction—7½ miles

  (c) Planned—15 miles (new)

  12 miles (widening of existing).

  Wages Councils
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will meet the Trades Union Congress to discuss the consequences of the abolition of wages councils; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Redwood
  I have no plans to meet the TUC to discuss this issue. The abolition of wages councils is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Employment.

  Waste Recycling
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the progress made in Welsh local authorities towards the recycling of 25 per cent. of household waste.

  Mr. Redwood
  Information relating to the numbers of bottle banks and amounts of glass collected by local authorities has been published in the 1992 series of the "Environmental Digest for Wales". Definitive information on other aspects of recycling will not be available until all authorities finalise their recycling plans under the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to allow supplementary credit approvals to be used for recycling investment.

  Mr. Redwood
  Local authorities may apply for grant and supplementary credit approvals for waste recycling facilities under the strategic development scheme.

  Head Injuries
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales which hospitals in Wales employ multidisciplinary rehabilitation teams for treating local patients who have suffered severe head injuries.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  Details of the information requested are not held centrally. However, the major neurosurgical units at Morriston hospital and the University hospital of Wales, Cardiff, have multidisciplinary rehabilitation teams for neurosurgical conditions, including brain injury. These regional centres also treat local patients. Neurosurgical patients from north Wales go to Walton hospital, Liverpool. Post-acute rehabilitation may take place closer to patient's homes, in local hospitals or in the community, but information on local provision is not held centrally.

  M4
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to introduce variable text signs to warn motorists of problems on the M4 on the approaches to the motorway in south Wales sited at places that would allow drivers to take alternative non-motorway routes.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  The motorway network in south Wales has a system of variable message signs providing advanced warning for the Severn bridge. These signs will be upgraded in preparation for the completion of the second Severn crossing and additional variable message signs will be installed on the immediate approaches to the crossings. At present, the Welsh Office has no plans to extend this network.

  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to(a) appoint a road manager for the M4 and (b) introduce active traffic management measures to reduce congestion arising from accidents on the M4.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  I have no plans to appoint a road manager for the M4. The Welsh Office manages the M4 in conjunction with the county highway authorities as its agents.

  Traffic management measures already exist. These will be added to should circumstances indicate the need.

  NHS Trusts
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to section B, subhead B1 of vote 7 of his Department's spring supplementary estimates, if he will list each additional loan to NHS trusts, and the principal capital items for which they are required; and if he will list those trusts which have interest bearing loans outstanding.

  Mr. Redwood
  The information is as follows:

  Amount £

  Bridgend and District NHS trust Princess of Wales hospital, psychiatric unit

  4,703,000

  Carmarthen and District NHS trust West Wales hospital ward blocks

  2,345,000

  Ceredigion and Mid Wales NHS trust North Road Development

  432,000

  Clwydian Community Care NHS trust Psychiatric unit, Ysbyty Glan Clwyd

  2,013,000

  526

  Amount £

  Glan Clwyd district general hospital NHS trust Upgrading of wards, paediatric unit

  1,515,000

  Glan Hafren NHS trust Reorganisation of acute service

  3,306,000

  Gwent Community Health NHS Trust Community hospital developments

  3,000,000

  Llandough hospital NHS trust Barry neighbourhood hospital

  3,615,000

  Llanelli Dinefwr NHS trust Minor capital schemes

  341,000

  Pembrokeshire NHS trust Minor capital schemes

  670,000

  Powys health care NHS trust Brecon war memorial

  2,545,000

  South and East Wales ambulance NHS trust Vehicle replacement

  600,000

  Swansea NHS trust Operating theatres

  1,097,000

  Wrexham Maelor hospital NHS trust Wrexham Maelor phase IIA

  3,723,000

  Total

  29,905,000

  All NHS trusts have a long-term loan established via their originating capital debt or new long-term loans agreed with the Welsh Office.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what proposals he has to issue guidelines to trusts in the NHS in Wales on the refinement of the estimating procedure for the level of interest-bearing loans they will require.

  Mr. Redwood
  Through the process of setting, on an annual basis, the external financing limit for each trust, the element for new loans to fund capital developments is determined. Currently, there are no plans to issue further guidance but the position is kept under constant review via the monitoring regime applicable to trusts in Wales.

  Milk Marque
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to establish a regional office of Milk Marque in Wales, to cover the whole of Wales as a single region.

  Mr. Redwood
  Decisions on where Milk Marque should locate its area offices is an operational matter for the Milk Marketing Board initially and for Milk Marque after vesting day.

  Child Care
  Ms Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much his Department spends on child care provision for the under-fives and out-of school provision for children aged over five either directly, excluding provision for departmental staff, or indirectly through resources made available to local authorities or other organisations; what form of provision is thereby provided; how many places are thereby provided; and if he will make a statement on child care.
  527
  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  Welsh Office circular 13/93 stated that the Government see a continuing need for expansion in the range and scale of day care services available to parents and children. It referred to the duty on local authorities under the Children Act 1989 to review the level and pattern of such services, including those available through the medium of Welsh, and to the basis this would provide for planning future provision for their area.

  Tables 11.1 and 11.2 of "Activities of Social Services Departments: Year Ended 31 March 1992" show, for example, that numbers of places with registered childminders and in day nurseries have increased by 71. per cent. and 207 per cent. respectively since 1988. Nearly 70 per cent. of children aged three and four attend a maintained school. Detailed figures are contained in "Statistics of Education and Training in Wales: Schools No. 2 1994".

  Local authority resources provided under the local government revenue settlement are unhypothecated. It is for each local authority to decide in line with its statutory duties and local needs and priorities how much they provide for these services.

  No information is held centrally about expenditure on child care provision by the national health service in Wales.

  The Welsh Office has made available £153,000 in 1993–94 for after school and holiday care through the out-of-school grant initiative which the Chwarae Teg consortium is co-ordinating on behalf of the training and enterprise councils. No information is yet available on numbers of places provided. Grants in support of child and family services and for the promotion of the Welsh language, together amounting to some £1,180,000, have gone to voluntary organisations whose members provide day care service for children under eight.

  Capital Expenditure
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list those capital expenditure items that have given rise to The supplementary amount of £263,000 required by his Department under subhead A3 of vote 9 of the Welsh Office spring supplementary estimates.

  Mr. Redwood
  The increase for capital expenditure obtained under subhead A3 of class XV, vote 9 of the Welsh Office spring supplementary estimate was £283,000. This was covered by unspent resources within my Department's planned total of public expenditure, which was not therefore increased. The bulk of the expenditure is towards the costs, of relocating the training, education and enterprise department from Companies house, Cardiff to the Welsh Office's main building at Cathays park. This follows the release of floor space by the Export Credits Guarantee Department, it will lead to a substantial annual savings in accommodation costs, of around £250,000 per annum. The balance is being spent on (i) capital requirements—furniture and information technology—of the Advisory Committee on Staffing Matters in connection with local government reorganisation, £38,000, and (ii) Welsh Office information technology, £33,000, which represents take-up of entitlement to end-year flexibility following an underspend in 1992–93.

  Welsh Development Agency
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what consultations he has had with the chairman of the Welsh Development agency in relation to the motions of no confidence in the board and in the executive directors passed by the UNISON WDA staff branch.

  Mr. Redwood
  [holding answer 11 March]:None.

  GPs (Gymnasiums)
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will issue guidelines to family health service authorities concerning the prescribing by general practitioners of sessions in a gymnasium for NHS patients; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Redwood
  [holding answer 11 March 1994]: I understand that a growing number of GPs are making arrangements with their local leisure centres for vouchers which the doctors can give to patients whom they have assessed as likely to benefit from a suitable course of exercise. This is a matter for GPs' clinical judgment: these are local initiatives, I have no current plans to issue guidance on the subject.

EDUCATION

  Grant-maintained Schools
  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will approve a proposed development, which he has rejected, for a local authority or voluntary-aided school upon educational grounds should the school become grant maintained.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  My right hon. Friend considers all statutory proposals relating to a significant change of character in grant-maintained and local education authority schools on their merits, and takes full account of all the circumstances.

  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what is his estimate of the expenditure upon capital works which will be undertaken by grant-maintained schools in the current year and in 1994–95.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  Capital grant of £85·7 million was set aside for 1993–94 and £114·9 million is available for 1994–95 to grant maintained schools for expenditure on capital work, reflecting their increased numbers.

  Grant-maintained schools are also free to use annual maintenance grant and other funds available to them for capital expenditure.

  Cornish Language and Culture
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has to restore the education and support training funding in Cornwall to assist the teaching of the Cornish language, Cornish history and culture.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  None. The Department funded this work for five years as a pilot project which the education support grant programme related to educational needs in a multi-ethnic society. It is for the local education authority to determine whether or not to continue the work as part of its mainstream provision.

  City Technology Colleges
  Mrs. Ann Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what is his estimate of the number of surplus places in each city technology college.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  Some city technology colleges are still building up to full capacity. Total numbers will rise from about 12,000 pupils now to about 15,000 pupils in steady state. Recruitment at age 11, however, is in all cases oversubscribed; there are typically around three applications for every place.

  Schools (Surplus Places)
  Mrs. Ann Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will give, for each local education authority for which figures are available, the number of surplus places in(a) maintained primary schools and (b) maintained secondary schools in January 1992 and January 1993; and what percentage each is of the capacity of school places in each category.

  Mr. Forth
  The Department collected comprehensive information on surplus school places through a detailed survey in 1991. For the figures derived from that survey, I refer the hon. Member to the reply to the hon. Member for Warwickshire, North (Mr. O'Brien) on 31 January 1994,Official Report, columns 517–21.

  We intend to make regulations later this year under section 21 of the Education Act 1993 requiring all LEAs and, where it has relevant responsibilities, the new Funding Agency for Schools, to submit information to the Secretary of State annually, beginning in 1994, on the numbers of surplus places in LEA-maintained and grant-maintained schools respectively.

  Child Care
  Ms Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much his Department spends on child care provision for the under-fives and out-of-school provision for children aged over five either directly, excluding provision for departmental staff, or indirectly through resources made available to local authorities or other organisations; what form of provision is thereby provided; how many places are thereby provided; and if he will make a statement on child care.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  In 1993–94, my Department has made grants totalling £1,004,000 to national organisations —including the Pre-School Playgroups Association, the British Association for Early Childhood Education and the National Children's Bureau—concerned with promoting good practice in educational provision for the under-fives. This Department does not currently fund out-of-school provision for children aged over five. Information on local education authority expenditure on under-fives is not held centrally. In 1992–93, local education authorities in England spent some £6,954 million on provision for all pupils in maintained nursery and primary schools. In 1993, 656,000 children aged under five attended maintained nursery and primary schools, and nearly 700,000 attended pre-school playgroups. Other forms of provision for children under five are matters primarily for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health.

  Further Education Colleges
  Mr. Don Foster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what is the projected total cost, as identified by the 1993 Hunter building conditions survey, of repairing and restoring the colleges which are the responsibility of the Further Education Funding Council to maintain.

  Mr. Boswell
  The survey commissioned from Hunter and Partners by the Further Education Funding Council estimated that the total cost of remedial works at colleges entering the further education sector was £839 million, of which £359 million was needed for urgent health and safety work. The maintenance of college premises is the responsibility of the colleges themselves; but the Further Education Funding Council is assisting them through capital grant with the costs of the necessary work.

  St. Patrick's School, Birkby
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) what consultation processs occurred with the head teacher of St. Patrick's Catholic primary school, Birkby, Huddersfield, before his Department issued an instruction to the governors of the school to conduct a ballot on the question of grant-maintained status;

  (2) what consultation he had with the Bishop of Leeds before issuing instructions to the governors of St. Patrick's Catholic school, Birkby, Huddersfield with regard to grant-maintained status;

  (3) what reason he had for issuing a directive to the governors of St. Patrick's Catholic primary school, Birkby, Huddersfield, to carry out a ballot of parents on the issue of grant-maintained status;

  (4) what consultation he had with the chairman of governors of St. Patrick's Catholic school, Birkby, Huddersfield, before issuing instructions to the governors in relation to grant-maintained status.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  On 31 August 1993, the governing body of St. Patrick's Catholic primary school received a parents petition in favour of the school holding a ballot on grant-maintained status. As that petition met the requirements of section 60(2) of the Education Reform Act 1988, the governing body were placed under a duty to hold a ballot.

  The Department wrote to the chairman of governors of the school on four occasions during October 1993 about this. The governing body having failed to initiate a ballot within the period required by the Act, the Department informed the chairman of governors on 2 December 1993 that the Secretary of State was minded to direct the governing body to hold a ballot.

  In the light of the chairman of governors' response to that letter, the Secretary of State directed the governing body to hold a ballot and to give notice in writing of that ballot to the local education authority and to the trustees of the school.

  Neither my right hon. Friend nor the Department has consulted the head teacher of the school or the Bishop of Leeds about this matter.

  Ministerial Offices
  Mr. Boyes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what was the cost of new furniture for his private office during the year 1993–94.

  Mr. Patten
  Nil.
  531
  Mr. Boyes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many bottles of(a) whisky and gin and (b) sherry and port were consumed by his private offices in 1993–94.

  Mr. Patten
  Information at this level of distillation is not readily available.

  Ministerial Receptions
  Mr. Boyes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what was the cost of receptions held by Ministers in his Department in 1993–94.

  Mr. Patten
  The cost of such receptions is included in the administration expenditure for my Department, which is published in the annual report.

  Schools, London
  Mrs. Bridget Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many(a) primary and (b) secondary local authority controlled schools in (i) London and (ii) Lewisham he has visited in the last 12 months.

  Mr. Patten
  I have visited four local authority secondary schools in London in the last 12 months. None of these schools is in Lewisham.

  Numbers of school leavers and students in further education attempting A levels

  (Thousands)

  Maths

  Physics

  Chemistry

  All science subjects1

  Any subject

  1980

  64·11

  46·67

  39·48

  196·37

  206·02

  1981

  65·69

  47·98

  41·51

  202·22

  206·75

  1982

  71·P08

  51·77

  44·48

  216·89

  219·21

  1983

  72·49

  50·10

  43·95

  218·54

  216·15

  1984

  73·46

  50·49

  43·86

  219·09

  227·67

  1985

  73·64

  48·21

  43·56

  215·13

  223·86

  1986

  72·40

  45·70

  42·58

  208·41

  221·87

  1987

  70·16

  42·56

  39·79

  201·53

  225·11

  1988

  69·42

  41·26

  39·47

  194·03

  220·50

  1989

  65·27

  40·14

  37·41

  183·09

  221·90

  1990

  64·02

  40·14

  40·25

  188·39

  238·54

  1991

  60·07

  36·86

  37·80

  176·37

  240·39

  1992

  60·44

  36·74

  37·86

  184·05

  244·18

  1993

  59·37

  36·76

  38·12

  184·93

  283·64

  Notes:

  1The "all science subjects" category contains the total number of students attempting mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology or other science. Students taking more than one science subject will therefore be counted more than once.

  Sources:

  From 1980 to 1991, figures come from the DFE School Examinations Survey and the FE113 survey. They relate to school leavers and students in FE instutions, of any age.

  From 1992, the figures come from the DFE database of information for the school performance tables. They relate to pupils of any age, and students in FE of any age.

  Grant-maintained Technology Colleges
  Mrs. Ann Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many schools, other than those 12 Departmental Property announced on 28 February, are at each stage of preparing an application to become grant-maintained technology colleges; and if he will name them.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  There are no separate formal stages in preparing an application to become a technology collage. Over 200 secondary schools have asked for information on the technology colleges initiative. We know that many of these are actively seeking to prepare applications, but we are not collecting centrally

  School Discipline
  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the implications of the Children Act 1989 for discipline in schools.

  Mr. Forth
  None.

  Schools, Gloucestershire
  Mr. Clifton-Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will list the date on which all schools in Gloucestershire that have been transferred from grammar to comprehensive status in the last 20 years changed status.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave to the hon. Member on 8 March,Official Report, column 288.

  Undergraduates (Subjects)
  Mr. Alan W. Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will publish a table giving for every year since 1979 the total number of undergraduates in(a) mathematics, (b) physics, (c) chemistry, (d) all science subjects and (e) all subjects.

  Mr. Boswell
  This information is shown in the table. All figures relate to England only.

  information on precisely which schools are doing so. Technology colleges will be either grant-maintained or voluntary-aided secondary schools.

  Departmental Property
  Mr. Enright
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what property, leased or owned for the purposes of his Department, is not in current use.

  Mr. Boswell
  All property currently leased to the Department for its central purposes is part of the Government's common used estate. The Department of the Environment—Property Holding—will be replying for the common user estate.

HEALTH

  NHS (Fraud)
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the secretary of State for Health (1) pursuant to her answer of 21 February,Official Report, column 37, for what reasons her Department does not monitor the progress of fraud investigation in the national health service;

  (2) what conditions she considers need to change before she will institute routine monitoring of fraud in the NHS.

  Mr. Sackville
  Responsibility for taking action on suspected fraud lies with the health body concerned. Standing financial instructions of each body should set out responsibilities if fraud is suspected. The Department collects information on completed fraud investigations but it is not necessary or practicable continuously to monitor the status of each inquiry.

  Vacant Accommodation
  Mr. Enright
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many rooms, previously occupied as living accommodation by hospital and ancillary staff are currently vacant in each regional health authority.

  Mr. Sackville
  The results of a survey carried out in December 1992 estimated that there were 1,800 empty residential houses and flats and 11,400 vacant places in staff hostels; of these 150 and 1,019 respectively were identified as surplus, the balance were vacant between lettings. Separate figures for regional health authorities are not available.

  Guy's Hospital
  Ms Jowell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health where each department of Guy's hospital will physically go if the hospital is closed; and how many of the jobs in each department will remain.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Following my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State's announcement on 10 February, the Guy's and St. Thomas's hospital trust is working with the London implementation group and other key parties to work up detailed proposals for developing Guy's as a centre for local health services and for teaching and research. The future location of departments and staffing implications will depend on the outcome of this work, which will be subject to public consultation.

  Maternity Units
  Ms Jowell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the most recent average length of stay in maternity units in London hospitals is; and what it was in 1984.

  Mr. Sackville
  a Figures for London could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Figures available for the average length of stay, ordinary admissions, non-psychiatric hospitals, by sector, national health service hospitals, England for 1984 and 1991–92 are:
  534

  Maternity

  1984

  1991–921

  Number of days

  4·8

  3·3

  1 (Provisional data for 1991–92).

  Source:

  Table 14 Department of Health statistical bulletin on hospital activity statistics 10/93, a copy of which is available in the Library.

  Ms Jowell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether any London hospitals require patients in maternity units to provide their own bedding for themselves and their new-born babies.

  Mr. Sackville
  This is a matter for the hospitals themselves, although we are not aware of any such requirements.

  Primary Health Care Funding
  Ms Jowell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of her recently announced package of £85 million funding for primary health care is new money which has not hitherto been set aside for any health programme.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The £85 million funding for primary health care in the London initiative zone in 1994–95 comprises £57 million from central funds and £28 million from funds specifically set aside for this purpose by health authorities in LIZ.

  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list each primary care project within the London implementation zone, giving the amount of money already expended and the proposed date of completion of the project.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave her on 18 January Official Report, column 525, for much of this information. This stated that detailed management and monitoring of development programmes is carried out by local health authorities. Expenditure details and proposed completion dates of individual projects are not held centrally.

  Financial Information Project Ltd.
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health who decided upon the rate of interest to be payable by FIP Ltd. on the unauthorised unsecured loan from West Midlands regional health authority.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  West Midlands regional health authority was responsible for calculating the interest payable on the loan to FIP Ltd.

  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action was taken about the unauthorised transfer of £300,000 to FIP Ltd. with a view to investigation of whether a criminal offence had been committed.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  This is a matter for West Midlands regional health authority.

  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action she has taken to establish whether directors of FIP Ltd. have personally benefited from the £300,000 loaned to it.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Financial Information Project Ltd. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Health Management Trust, a registered charity, and has no directors.

  Birth Defects
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children have been born with missing or defective limbs in(a) the Trent regional health authority and (b) the Yorkshire regional health authority in each year for the last 10 years.

  Mr. Sackville
  The information is shown in the table.

  Number of children born with missing or deformed limbs (ICDs 755.0–755.9)1 notified to Office of Population Censuses and Surveys in each year 1983–1992 for the Trent and Yorkshire regional helth authorities

  Year

  Yorkshire RHA

  Trent RHA

  1983

  137

  209

  1984

  139

  177

  1985

  154

  183

  1986

  110

  200

  1987

  120

  189

  1988

  126

  184

  1989

  127

  206

  1990

  88

  166

  1991

  115

  164

  1992

  89

  127

  1 International Classification of Diseases 9th revision.

  Note:

  Prior to 1990 all malformations, however minor, were reportable to OPCS. In January 1990 an exclusion list was introduced. As a result, minor malformations of the toe, coded to ICD 755.6 were no longer notifiable.

  NHS Trusts
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to require all NHS health trusts to use NHS in their title.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The words "National Health Service" already appear in the full titles of all NHS trusts as recorded in their establishment orders.

  South Yorkshire Ambulance Trust
  Mr. Blunketlt
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many people were employed by South Yorkshire ambulance trust to work in the stations in(a) 1992 and (b) 1993–94;

  (2) how many paramedics are employed by South Yorkshire ambulance trust; and how many have been transferred to work in the station.

  Mr. Sackville
  The hon. Member may wish to contact the chairman, Dr. B. M. Kingston, for details.

  Region

  1990–91 cases

  Cost£

  1991–92 cases

  Cost £

  Northern

  109

  1,612,542

  207

  3,310,101

  Yorkshire

  152

  4,604,209

  111

  3,302,305

  Trent

  73

  2,611,419

  119

  2,068,685

  East Anglian

  38

  1,359,416

  88

  1,736,907

  North West Thames

  89

  8,550,981

  221

  6,953,648

  North East Thames

  136

  8,463,955

  108

  5,888,020

  South East Thames

  n/k

  6,117,511

  106

  7,113,075

  South West Thames

  104

  3,233,021

  90

  4,663,394

  Wessex

  52

  1,525,320

  51

  918,639

  Oxford

  231

  2,257,063

  131

  3,338,657

  South Western

  56

  2,104,301

  83

  2,872,417

  West Midlands

  154

  3,157,255

  145

  2,572,646

  Mersey

  218

  1,420,924

  108

  1,002,181

  North Western

  183

  2,580,467

  145

  4,729,832

  SHAs

  23

  3,638,822

  38

  876,858

  n/k = Not known.

  Dog Faeces
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research her Department has commissioned on the health hazards posed by dog faeces in public places; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Sackville
  The Department has not commissioned any recent research in this area.

  The Public Health Laboratory Service communicable disease surveillance centre monitors human infections including those which may be transmitted from dog to man through the inadvertent ingestion of faeces from infected dogs or soil, environment, food or water contaminated by the source. The CDSC and Central Veterinary Laboratory are currently undertaking a study into the transmission of campylobacter from puppies to humans. Also, a multidisciplinary group on human toxocara infections, initiated by CDSC, has been convened within the United Kingdom, the primary aim of which is to investigate cases of childhood toxocariasis.

  The Department takes the health risks posed by dog mess very seriously and strongly encourages adherence to basic hygiene procedures, such as wearing gloves when gardening and washing hands after gardening or, with children, when they have been playing in the garden or parks, et cetera, as well as responsible dog ownership.

  Medical Negligence
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many medical negligence claims involving the NHS were brought in each year since 1987–88 in each region.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  This information is not available centrally.

  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many medical negligence claims involving the NHS were settled in each year since 1987–88; and what were the costs involved in each region.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Before the introduction of the national health service indemnity scheme in January 1990, no information was collected on the number of costs of medical negligence claims. For the financial years 1990–91 and 1991–92, the information obtained from NHS bodies on the number of cases settled and the total costs of damages awarded and legal costs is shown in the table, though for the latter the returns are incomplete. For 1992–93, the information is not yet available.

  Consultants
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what has been the total expenditure within the NHS on independent private management consultants in the last 12 months; and how many have been employed;

  (2) what has been the total expenditure within the NHS on independent financial consultants in the last year; and how many have been employed.

  Mr. Sackville
  Expenditure on financial and management consultants is included on the annual financial return under the category "external contract staffing and consultancy services", and cannot be separately identified. The figures could include non-clinical services provided by outside bodies in areas such as cleaning, accountancy and computer services.

  GP Fundholders
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many fundholders overspent their budget in(a) 1991–92 and (b) 1992–93.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  In 1991–92, 49 of the 294 general practitioner fundholders overspent their budgets. Final audited information is not yet available for 1992–93.

  Public Relations
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the total expenditure within the NHS on independent public relations companies in the last 12 months; and how many have been employed.

  Mr. Sackville
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Darlington (Mr. Milburn) on 16 February,Official Report, column 866.

  Child Care
  Ms Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how much her Department spends on child care provision for the under-fives and out-of-school provision for children aged over five either directly, excluding provision for departmental staff, or indirectly through resources made available to local authorities or other organisations; what form of provision is thereby provided; how many places are thereby provided; and if she will make a statement on child care;

  (2) if she will make a statement about child care.

  Mr. Bowis
  The Government are committed to encouraging expansion of independent day care services. The pattern and levels should be determined at local level by local authorities, voluntary bodies, the private sector, employers and individuals—including parents, working together. The Children Act 1989 gives local authorities a strategic duty for day care, which ensures coherent and sensible expansion, building on the recent growth in day nurseries, numbers of childminders and other types of service.

  Information on local authority expenditure on child care is not available centrally by separate age group. Standard spending for children's services generally in 1993–94 is £1,723 million, 16 per cent. higher in real terms than in 1990–91.

  The latest statistics on day care provision are in "Children's Day Care Facilities at 31 March 1992—England", a copy of which is in the Library.
  538
  Detailed information about the cost and level of nursery provision in the national health service is not available centrally. It is for individual NHS employers to provide for the child care needs of their staff in the light of local recruitment and retention needs.

  The Department has an active programme of grant aid to voluntary organisations to support the development of innovative services. During 1993–94 over £2·3 million has been made available to support 13 national voluntary organisations, including the National Childminding Association, the Pre-School Playgroups Association and the Kids' Club Network. The Department's out-of-school initiative, which involves national and local voluntary organisations in the management of projects, is pump priming expansion of day care for school age children. It complements the Department of Employment's child care grant to training and enterprise councils.

  Skin Cancer
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in the last two years have(a) been diagnosed as having skin cancer and (b) have died from skin cancer; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Sackville
  The information is shown in the tables:

  Number of newly diagnosed cases of skin cancer 1(ICDs 172 and 173) in England and Wales 1987–88

  ICD

  172 (Malignant melanoma of skin)

  173 (Other malignant neoplasm of skin)

  Year

  1987

  3,139

  26,246

  1988

  3,882

  31,998

  Number of people who have died from skin cancer 1(ICDs 172 and 173) in England and Wales 1987–92

  ICD

  172 (Malignant melanoma of skin)

  173 (Other malignant neoplasm of skin)

  Year

  1987

  1,030

  441

  1988

  1,078

  430

  1989

  1,099

  447

  1990

  1,170

  436

  1991

  1,169

  465

  1992

  1,142

  486

  1 International Classification of Diseases, ninth revision.

  Multiple Sclerosis
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research is currently being undertaken in the United Kingdom on the causes of, and cure for, multiple sclerosis; and by how much the Government have grant aided the research institutions in each year since 1987.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  I have been asked to reply.

  The main agency through which the Government support medical and related biological research is the Medical Research Council, which receives its grant in aid from my Department. The MRC is an independent body

  539
  deciding what research to support in the light of its own judgment of priorities and the quality of research applications it receives. The council is always willing to consider soundly based scientific proposals in competition with other applications for research funding.

  The MRC supports a wide range of neurological research relevant to multiple sclerosis, in particular studies of the neuromuscular system. The 1992–93 funding in this area was a total of £13·3 million. The council's specific expenditure on multiple sclerosis in the period 1987–88 to 1992–93 was as follows:

  Financial year

  £

  1987–88

  297,000

  1988–89

  216,000

  1989–90

  181,000

  1990–91

  181,000

  1991–92

  80,000

  1992–93

  64,000

  In addition, the MRC's new initiative on the neurosciences approach to human health will help to promote several approaches which may be relevant to the disease.

  Besides MRC-funded work, there is also research being undertaken in various universities and NHS hospitals with public funding. However, information is not collected centrally on other Government-funded research on multiple sclerosis.

  Doctors (Management of Services)
  Ms Lynne
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures she is currently taking to encourage the involvement of doctors and other medical staff in the management of services.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  [holding answer 11 March 1994]: Ensuring effective collaboration between clinicians and managers has been central to the reforms in national health service management.

  One of the basic elements of the resource management programme in the hospital and community health services was the encouragement of clinical staff to become involved in management. This led in many cases to the appointment of doctors and other health professionals as clinical directors. Most NHS trusts now have a medical director on their board, contributing to their strategic and operational management.

  The need for managers and clinicians to work closely together is essential to the success of contracting. Guidance has been issued to purchasers and providers requiring them to involve clinicians and other professionals in the contracting process. The need to involve doctors and nurses in the contracting process was also stressed in the second of my speeches on "Purchasing for Health" last year.

  Encouraging general practitioners to join the GP fundholding scheme brings them in to the heart of NHS management and patients have clearly benefited from the more sensitive management of NHS resources which this brings.

  Opportunities for specific training in aspects of management are available to doctors during their postgraduate training and are included in continuing education programmes.
  540
  The National Health Service Management Executive also supports, and partly funds, the British Association of Medical Managers, whose overall aim is to achieve the highest quality in health care management.

CHURCH COMMISSIONERS

  Clergy Numbers
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the right hon. Member for Selby, representing the Church Commissioners, what projections the Church Commissioners are using of future numbers of clergy and their pay; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Alison
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answers I have just given to the hon. Members for Aylesbury (Mr. Lidington) and for Newham, North-West (Mr. Banks).

  Stipends
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the right hon. Member for Selby, representing the Church Commissioners, what advice the Church Commissioners have given to the diocese about the contribution to be made by the diocese towards stipends and pensions in each of the next five years.

  Mr. Alison
  The commissioners have recently discussed with dioceses their projected support for stipends and expenditure on pensions up to 1997. In 1993, the commissioners met 37 per cent. of the total stipends bill, with the remaining 63 per cent. provided from parishes, fees and diocesan income. By 1997, that figure is likely to rise to 80 per cent. as a consequence of cuts in the commissioners support. The longer-term funding of pensions, which currently take up 44 per cent. of the commissioners' income, is being considered by the commissioners and pensions board in the light of actuarial advice and a range of possible options will be discussed with dioceses and others later this year.

  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the right hon. Member for Selby, representing the Church Commissioners, what changes have occurred in the past three years in the funds available to the Church Commissioners.

  Mr. Alison
  The Church Commissioners manage the Church's centralised historic assets; it is a "closed fund" with no new contributions coming in. The commissioners' assets were valued at £2·4 billion at 31 December 1990, £2·3 billion in 1991 and £2·2 billion in 1992; their investment income was £164·5 million, £169·5 million and £168 million respectively. 1993 figures are not yet available.

  Assets Committee (Investments)
  Mr. Clifton-Brown
  To ask the right hon. Member for Selby, representing the Church Commissioners what procedural changes have been made in the reporting mechanism from the assets committee to the Church Commissioners on investment performance.

  Mr. Alison
  The Church Commissioners' board of governors has recently taken a number of steps to strengthen the commissioners' financial management and accountability. The board's actions come as a direct result of the recommendations of the Lambeth report and are part of an ongoing process to address all the issues raised in it.
  541
  The board has strengthened its relationship with the commissioners' assets committee through general rules under which the assets committee is to work. These provide for the assets committee:

  To review, at least annually with external professional advice, asset allocation and investment performance.

  To manage the Commissioners' assets with full regard to the commissioners' ethical policy approved by the Board on the recommendation of the assets committee.

  To seek the express approval of the board before any new borrowing.

  To report quarterly to the board.

  The rules are designed to offer direction and guidance to the assets committee and to reinforce the link between the two bodies.

  Theological Colleges
  Mr. Roger Evans
  To ask the right hon. Member for Selby, representing the Church Commissioners, what steps the Church Commissioners are taking to ensure that theological colleges which receive their financial support comply with the law in respect of canon C7.

  Mr. Alison
  This is not a matter for the Church Commissioners. The cost of training is met from General Synod and other funds, not from the commissioners. The training of candidates for ordination is carried out under the direction of the House of Bishops, which is advised by the Advisory Board of Ministry.

  Pensions Board (Discretionary Help)
  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the right hon. Member for Selby, representing the Church Commissioners what instructions the pensions board has been given for those applying for discretionary help under the Ordination of Women (Financial Provisions) Measure 1993; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Alison
  The pensions board has formulated internal guidelines, in consultation with the commissioners, for

  Health Board

  General Manager

  Address

  Constituencies covered

  Argyll and Clyde

  Mr. I. C. Smith

  Gilmour House

  Argyll and Bute

  Paisley

  Paisley North,

  PA1 1DU

  Paisley South,

  Dumbarton,

  Greenock and Port Glasgow

  Renfrew West and Inverclyde

  Ayrshire and Arran

  Mr. J. M. Eckford OBE

  PO Box 13

  Cunninghame North

  Seafield House

  Cunninghame South

  Doonfoot Road

  Ayr

  Ayr

  Kilmarnock and Loudoun

  KA7 4DW

  Carrick Cumnock and Doon Valley

  Borders

  Mr. D. A. Peters OBE

  Huntleyburn

  Tweeddale Ettrick and Lauderdale

  Melrose

  Roxburgh and Berwickshire

  Roxburghshire

  TD6 9BP

  Dumfries and Galloway

  Mr. D. Banks

  Nithbank

  Dumfries

  Dumfries

  Galloway and Upper Nithsdale

  DG1 2SD

  Fife

  Miss P. Frost

  Springfield House

  Dunfermline West

  Cupar

  Dunfermline East

  Fife

  Kirkcaldy

  KY15 5UP

  Central Fife

  North East Fife

  542
  handling applications for discretionary provision. The board will consider each case on an individual basis, having regard to those guidelines.

SCOTLAND

  Contracts
  Mr. David Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received on the practice of United Kingdom companies imposing contracts on domestic consumers in Scotland which state that the governing law of the contract shall be English law.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  An examination of records held by the Scottish Office has revealed no such representations.

  Health Boards
  Mr. Donohoe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what procedures are used by Ayrshire and Arran health board to verify the credentials of individuals seeking employment with the health board.

  Mr. Stewart
  The procedures used by Ayrshire and Arran health board to verify the credentials of a potential candidate will depend on the qualifications requirement for the post in question. References are taken up in respect of all potential employees.

  Mr. Donohoe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the parliamentary constituencies covered by each of Scotland's health boards; and if he will list the names of the general managers and chief executives and the correspondence addresses of each of the boards.

  Mr. Stewart
  The information requested is contained in the table.
  543

  Health Board

  General Manager

  Address

  Constituencies covered

  Forth Valley

  Mr. D. Hird

  33 Spinal Street

  Clackmannan

  Stirling

  Stirling

  FK8 1DX

  Falkirk East

  Falkirk West

  Grampian

  Mr. F. Hartnett OBE

  Summerfield House

  Aberdeen North

  2 Eday Road

  Aberdeen South

  Aberdeen

  Kincardine and Deeside

  AB9 1RE

  Gordon

  Moray

  Banff and Buchan

  Greater Glasgow

  Mr. T. A. Divers (Acting)

  112 Ingram Street

  Clydebank and Milngavie

  Glasgow

  Strathkelvin and Bearsden

  G1 1ET

  Garscadden

  Maryhill

  Springburn

  Provan

  Shettleston

  Rutherglen

  Central

  Cathcart

  Eastwood

  Pollock

  Govan

  Hillhead

  Highland

  Dr. G. Stone

  Reay House

  Caithness and Sutherland

  17 Old Edinburgh

  Ross Cromarty and Skye

  Road

  Inverness Nairn and Lochaber

  Inverness

  IV2 3HG

  Lanarkshire

  Prof. F. Clark CBE

  14 Beckford Street

  Cumbernauld and Kilsyth

  Hamilton

  Monklands West

  ML3 OTA

  Monklands East

  Motherwell North

  Motherwell South

  Hamilton

  Clydesdale

  East Kilbride

  Lothian

  Mr. J. Lusby

  148 The Pleasance

  Edinburgh Central

  Edinburgh

  Edinburgh East

  EH8 9RR

  Edinburgh West

  Edinburgh South

  Edinburgh Pentlands

  Leith

  Linlithgow

  Livingston

  East Lothian

  Mid Lothian

  Orkney

  Mr. G. Jackson

  Balfour Hospital

  Orkney and Shetland

  New Scapa Road

  Kirkwall

  Orkney

  KW15 1BQ

  Shetland

  Mr. B. J. Atherton

  Brevik House

  Orkney and Shetland

  South Road

  Lerwick

  Shetland

  ZE1 ORB

  Tayside

  Miss L. Barrie

  PO Box 75

  Dundee East

  Vernonholme

  Dundee West

  Riverside Drive

  Perth and Kinross

  Dundee

  North Tayside

  DD1 9NL

  Angus East

  Western Isles

  Mr. R. Mullen

  37 South Beach Street

  Western Isles

  Stornoway

  Isle of Lewis

  PA87 2BN

  544

  NHS Trusts
  Mr. Donohoe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the parliamentary constituencies and health board areas within which each of Scotland's NHS

  NHS Trust

  Health Board Area

  Chief Executive

  Trust Address

  Parliamentary constituency

  Aberdeen Royal Hospitals

  Grampian

  Mr. J. Barbour OBE

  Foresterhill House

  Aberdeen North

  Ashgrove Road West

  Aberdeen

  AB9 1ZB

  Ayrshire and Arran Community Healthcare

  Ayrshire and Arran

  Mr. H. Sutherland

  1A Hunters Avenue

  Ayr

  Ayr

  KA8 9DW

  Caithness and Sutherland

  Highland

  Mr. G. Buchanan

  Caithness General Hospital

  Caithness and Sutherland

  Wick

  Caithness

  KW1 5LA

  Dundee Teaching Hospitals

  Tayside

  Mr. T. E. W. Brett

  Ninewells Hospital

  Dundee West

  Dundee

  DD1 9SY

  Grampian Healthcare

  Grampian

  Mr. J. Taylor

  Westholme

  Aberdeen North

  Woodend General Hospital

  Eday Road

  Aberdeen

  AB2 6LR

  Monklands and Bellshill Hospitals

  Lanarkshire

  Mr. J. Currie

  Monklands District

  Monklands East

  General Hospital

  Monks Court Avenue

  Airdrie

  ML6 OJS

  Moray Health Services

  Grampian

  Mrs. E. Hogg

  Maryhill House

  Moray

  317 High Street

  Elgin

  Moray

  IV30 1AJ

  North Ayrshire and Arran

  Ayrshire and Arran

  Mr. D. J. Fraser

  Crosshouse Hospital

  Kilmarnock and Loudoun

  Kilmarnock

  KA2 OBE

  Raigmore Hospital

  Highland

  Mr. K. G. Mackie

  Raigmore Hospital

  Inverness Nairn and Lochaber

  Perth Road

  Inverness

  IV2 3UJ

  Royal Alexandra Hospital

  Argyll and Clyde

  Mr. M. F. Hill

  Corsebar Road

  Paisley South

  Paisley

  PA2 9PN

  Royal Scottish National and Community

  Forth Valley

  Mr. D. Pollacchi

  Old Denny Road

  Falkirk West

  Larbert

  FK5 4SD

  South Ayrshire Hospitals

  Ayrshire and Arran

  Mr. D. McNeil

  The Ayr Hospital

  Ayr

  Dalmellington Road

  Ayr

  KA6 6DX

  Southern General Hospital

  Greater Glasgow

  Mr. R. Calderwood

  Southern General Hospital

  Govan

  1345 Govan Road

  Glasgow

  G51 4TF

  546
  trusts lies; and if he will list the names of the general managers and chief executives and the correspondence addresses of each of the NHS trusts in Scotland.

  Mr. Stewart
  The information requested is contained in the following table.
  547

  NHS Trust

  Health Board Area

  Chief Executive

  Trust Address

  Parliamentary constituency

  Stirling Royal Infirmary

  Forth Valley

  Mr. K. W. O. Thomson

  Stirling Royal Infirmary

  Stirling

  Livilands

  Stirling

  FK8 2AU

  Victoria Infirmary

  Greater Glasgow

  Mr. J. G. Connaghan

  Queens Park House

  Glasgow Central

  Langside Road

  Glasgow

  G42 9TT

  West Lothian

  Lothian

  Mr. P. B. Taylor

  St. John's Hospital at Howden

  Livingston

  Livingston

  West Lothian

  EH54 6PP

  Yorkhill

  Greater Glasgow

  Mr. G. Marr

  Royal Hospital for Sick Children

  Hillhead

  Yorkhill

  Glasgow

  G3 8SJ

  Management Systems
  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much his Department's computer-aided facilities management systems cost; from whom they were purchased; how many person hours were required to commission them; what the estimated and actual saving has been from their operation; and to what extent the use of such systems accounts for the apparent rise in theft noted in his answer to the hon. and learned Member for Fife, North-East (Mr. Campbell) of 17 February,Official Report, column 961.

  Mr. Lang
  The Scottish Office does not have an integrated computer-aided facilities management system. Computers which also perform other functions provide some elements of such a system. Sun Hardware is used, which was acquired from Design Computer-Aids Ltd. Information about the cost of the facilities management elements, the time required to commission them and the savings resulting from their operation cannot be separately identified. No part of the system has been stolen.

  Forestry
  Mr. McFall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if Forest Enterprise will co-operate with customers who wish to conduct inspections of its operations in order to satisfy consumer demands for independently certified timber.

  Sir Hector Monro
  [holding answer 3 March 1994]: Forest Enterprise is always willing to show its customers, and the general public, how it manages Forestry Commission woodland. However, there is no need to duplicate the inspections already carried out by the Forestry Authority arm of the Commission. Forest Enterprise is required to follow the environmental guidelines published by the authority and prepared in consultation with forestry industry and environmental organisations.

  Blood Supplies
  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what is the price per unit of supplies of blood and plasma to Health Care International; and on what date this price was set;

  (2) if the price per unit of supplies of blood and plasma to private hospitals is the same for all; and how frequently the price per unit is reviewed;

  (3) what is the current minimum cost at which blood and plasma can be supplied to private hospitals.

  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 10 March 1994]: The charges for the supply of blood or blood products made by the Scottish Blood Transfusion Service are the same to all private hospitals including Health Care International. The current charges were fixed in October 1993 to come into effect from 1 April 1994 and are reviewed annually. There is no minimum as the charges reflect actual costs and are as follows:

  £

  Whole Blood

  64·00

  Red Cell Concentrate

  36·75

  Specialised (Washed) RCC

  66·75

  Specialised (Filtered) RCC

  61·75

  Specialised (Frozen) RCC

  166·75

  Platelet Concentrate (random donation)

  30·25

  Platelet Concentrate (apheresis donation)

  150·00

  Fresh Frozen Plasma (220 ml)

  29·50

  Cryoprecipitate

  27·50

  Stable Plasma Protein Solution (4·5 per cent.) (18g)

  30·00

  There are a number of other blood products which are derived from blood donations. These are not usually required by private hospitals but if they were and there was a surplus to NHS needs, the price would be calculated on application.

  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what percentage of total blood supplies was supplied to private hospitals over the last five years;

  (2) what percentage of total plasma supplies was supplied to private hospitals over the last five years;

  (3) what are the projected levels of demand for blood and plasma from private hospitals over the next five years.
  549
  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 10 March 1994]: The information is as follows:

  Percentage

  Year

  Total blood supplied

  Total plasma supplied

  1988–89

  0·97

  0·42

  1989–90

  0·94

  0·48

  1990–91

  0·90

  0·53

  1991–92

  0·79

  0·46

  1992–93

  0·89

  0·57

  No estimate of projected levels of demand from private hospitals has been made since the priority is to meet NHS demands and only surplus over-needs will be available to the private hospitals.

  Blood Transfusion Region

  Number of registered donors

  Number of donations of blood from 1 April 1993 to January 1994

  Number of issues of whole blood 1 March 1993 to 30 June 1993

  North of Scotland

  21,988

  13,067

  126

  Aberdeen and North East of Scotland

  35,762

  23,243

  294

  East of Scotland

  29,356

  22,309

  195

  Edinburgh and South East Scotland

  86,368

  60,332

  243

  Glasgow and West of Scotland

  219,264

  116,212

  15

  Total

  392,738

  235,163

  873

  Note 1

  The number of issues of blood to health bodies within Health Board areas is equal to their requirements. Regional Centres extract fresh blood components from donations and send the remaining plasma to the Protein Fractionation Centre for processing into blood products and which are then issued to hospital and other NHS users.

  The Regional Centres are self sufficeint in whole blood and all fresh blood and plasma products. Blood plasma is not in short supply in any area in Scotland.

  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) how many units of blood and plasma are to be supplied annually by the Scottish blood transfusion service to Health Care International; and what percentages these amounts will form of total blood and plasma supplies;

  (2) if there is an upper limit contained within the Transfusion Service's supply contract for the supply of blood to Health Care International;

  (3) what are the projected levels of demand for blood and plasma from Health Care International over the next five years.

  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 10 March 1994]: Under the contract, the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service will supply the undernoted maximum number of units of fresh blood components and plasma annually, subject to NHS needs in Scotland being met first. The contract will be kept under continuous review and the level of demand over the next five years placed on the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service will relate to availability of supplies.

  Unit

  Quantity

  Red cell concentrate

  donation

  5,000

  Platelets—single donor

  procedure

  600

  —random

  donation x 5

  100

  Fresh frozen plasma

  donation

  800

  Cryoprecipitate

  donation

  56

  The SNBTS will also supply to Health Care International processed stable plasma protein solution made from plasma after other components have been
  550
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what was(a) the number of blood donors, (b) the quantity of blood donated and (c) the amount of blood required for each health board for each month since April 1993;

  (2) in how many of the Scottish health board areas there is a surplus of donated blood; and in which areas blood plasma is in short supply.

  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 10 March 1994]: Monthly figures for the regional centres could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The available information is as follows:

  removed and made into pharmaceutical products for use within the NHS. The maximum amount of SPPS to be supplied is as follows:

  Unit

  Quantity

  SSPS (18 gram)

  400 mls

  Up to a maximum of 4,000 units (if available)

  If the maximum units specified in the contract are supplied in response to clinical needs this will represent 2 per cent. of the total number of units supplied in Scotland.

  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will list the statutory safeguards which ensure blood and plasma supplies will only go to private hospitals if national health service needs are satisfied;

  (2) if he will publish the supply contract for blood and plasma between the Scottish blood transfusion service and Health Care International;

  (3) what powers the transfusion service has to recover supplies from Health Care International if faced with shortages of blood for the national health service in any part of the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 10 March 1994]: My right hon. Friend has power under section 44 of the NHS (Scotland) Act 1978 where he has acquired supplies of human blood for the purpose of carrying out blood transfusion or supplies of other substances or preparations for the purposes of providing services under the 1978 Act, to make arrangements for making such supplies available to medical practitioners and other persons who require

  551
  them and he may make those available on such terms including terms as to payment of charges and on such conditions as he may determine.

  Under section 54 of the 1978 Act he is required to exercise the powers conferred on him under section 44 only to the extent that he is satisfied that anything which he purported to do or allow under that power—

  (a) will not to a significant extent interfere with the performance by him of any duty imposed on him by the 1978 Act to provide services of any kind, and

  (b) will not to a significant extent operate to the disadvantage of persons having access to services at Health Service hospitals otherwise than as private patients.

  My right hon. Friend has delegated his powers in relation to section 44 of the Common Services Agency of
  552
  which the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service is a division. The supply of blood and blood products to private hospitals is therefore subject to the obligation under section 54.

  Arrangements are being made for a copy of the contract with the Health Care International to be placed in the Library. The contract stipulates that in situations of extreme shortage the regional director or depute will have the right to retrieve products from the hospital in order to maintain supplies essential for the immediate and pressing requirements of NHS-funded patients. Responsibility for blood supplies in other parts of the United Kingdom is a matter for the appropriate Secretary of State.

  LOCAL PRISONS: POPULATION AND ACCOMMODATION
  LOCAL PRISONS: POPULATION AND ACCOMMODATION
  APPOINTMENTS BY THE HOME SECRETARY
  APPOINTMENTS BY THE HOME SECRETARY
  PRISONERS: TRANSFER REQUESTS
  PRISONERS: TRANSFER REQUESTS
  INTERNATIONAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY CENTRE
  INTERNATIONAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY CENTRE
  UK CIVIL SERVANTS IN BOSNIA
  UK CIVIL SERVANTS IN BOSNIA
  EC LAW: IMPOSITION
  EC LAW: IMPOSITION
  ALBANIA: EUROPEAN OPEN SKIES TREATY
  ALBANIA: EUROPEAN OPEN SKIES TREATY
  PARTNERSHIP FOR PEACE
  PARTNERSHIP FOR PEACE
  EUROPEAN WEAPONS SYSTEMS: DISPOSAL
  EUROPEAN WEAPONS SYSTEMS: DISPOSAL
  ALTERNATIVES TO NUCLEAR TESTING: US-UK CO-OPERATION
  ALTERNATIVES TO NUCLEAR TESTING: US-UK CO-OPERATION