Written Answers of 16 March 1994

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Quangos
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the number of quangos for which he is responsible; how much in public funds has been given to each quango in each of the last three years; what is the current staffing establishment of each quango; and what it was five years ago.

  Mr. Howard
  Such information is contained in the publication "Public Bodies 1993" and earlier editions of the same publication. Copies of all editions are available in the Library of the House.

  Self-financing Regulatory Authorities
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many self-financing regulatory authorities his Department has set up since 1979; what was the annual running cost of each of the self-financing regulatory authorities in each of the last three years; what is the current staffing establishment; and what it was last year and two years ago.

  Mr. Howard
  No self-financing self regulatory authorities have been set up by my Department since 1979.

  Rules and Regulations
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many rules and regulations his Department has passed in each of the last three years.

  Mr. Howard
  The number of sets of rules and regulations signed by me or by previous Home Secretaries in each of the years 1991 to 1993 is as follows:

  Calendar year

  Rules

  Regulations

  Total number

  1991

  1

  19

  20

  1992

  9

  25

  34

  1993

  6

  15

  21

  Criminal Justice
  Mr. Hutton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions under section 31 of the Criminal Justice Act 1948 have been undertaken in each year since 1979; in what countries the defendants were serving; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maclean
  Information on procedures instituted under section 31 of the Criminal Justice Act 1948, as amended by schedule 3 of the Criminal Law Act 1967 are not collected centrally by my Department.

  Animal Welfare
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the statutes concerning the welfare of captive animals in terms of(a) circuses, (b) zoos, (c) pet shops, (d) breeding establishments, (e) kennels, (f) residential homes and (g) other.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  The Protection of Animals Act 1911, as subsequently amended, governs the welfare of all captive and domestic animals. The following statutes provide additional safeguards in the individual sectors mentioned:

  The Performing Animals (Regulation) Act 1925

  The Zoo Licensing Act 1981

  The Pet Animals Acts 1951 and 1983

  The Breeding of Dogs Acts 1973 and 1991

  The Animal Boarding Establishments Act 1963

  The Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976 regulates the keeping of such creatures in the home. Other principal animal welfare statutes are:

  The Cinematograph Films (Animals) Act 1937

  The Docking and Nicking of Horses Act 1949

  The Cockfighting Act 1952

  The Abandonment of Animals Act 1960

  The Animals (Cruel Poisons) Act 1962

  The Riding Establishments Acts 1964 and 1970

  The Farriers (Registration) Acts 1975 and 1977

  The Protection Against Cruel Tethering Act 1988

  West Midlands Police
  Mr. Hawksley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the approved strength of the West Midlands police force in(a) 1979 and (b)

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  The establishment of the West Midlands police was 6,509 on 1 April 1979 and 6,977 on 1 April 1993.

  Italy (Extradition)
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations Her Majesty's Government have received since 1980 from the Italian authorities to extradite suspected criminals and terrorists; what has been his response; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maclean
  Since 1980, the Italian Government have requested the extradition of 67 people from the United Kingdom, for a wide range of offences.

  Of these, 61 were accused of the offences for which their extradition was requested and six had been convicted. Sixteen of those sought have been returned to Italy, eight requests have been refused and 12 remain outstanding. Of the remainder, either the requests were subsequently withdrawn, or the person sought could not be traced here or was arrested in another country or was deported from this country. In one case, the person sought committed suicide before the conclusion of the proceedings.

  Fines (Non-Payment)
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were imprisoned for non-payment of fines and other debts who were legally represented at the hearing at which they were imprisoned in the most recent year for which records are available.

  Mr. Maclean
  Information on the number of people legally represented at specific types of hearings is not collected centrally.

  Forensic Psychiatric Service
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what considerations underlie the timing of the changeover of funding of the forensic psychiatric service in Doncaster to the Prison Service.

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

  Letter from Mr. D. Lewis to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 16 March 1994:
  The Home Secretary has asked me, to reply to your recent Question about Prison Service funding of psychiatric services in Doncaster.
  There are no plans to change the way in which the Forensic Psychiatric Service for prisoner patients is funded. Medical treatment of prisoners transferred to an outside hospital is funded by the District Health Authority in whose area the prisoner resided before imprisonment.
  The three establishments in the Doncaster area, Lindholme, Moorland and Hatfield, contract in and pay for a visiting consultant psychiatrist. The Prison Service receives no funds from the District Health Authority in support of this service.

  Agency Chief Executives
  Mr. Radice
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 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. Howard
  One, who was recruited directly from outside the civil service.

  Management Systems
  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 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 16 February,Official Report, column 804.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  The Department has no computer-aided facilities management systems in place.

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

  Sex Discrimination Tribunals
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will make legal aid available to women appealing to industrial tribunals in cases of sexual discrimination.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  There are no plans to extend full civil legal aid to any type of case before an industrial tribunal. However, legal advice and assistance under the green form scheme is available to those who are financially eligible.

  Agency Chief Executives
  Mr. Radice
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department 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. John M. Taylor
  Neither of the chief executives of HM Land Registry and the Public Record Office, the agencies for which the Lord Chancellor has responsibility, is paid more than £82,925 per annum excluding performance-related bonuses.

  The current chief executive of HM Land Registry was appointed from within the registry after open competition. The current chief executive of the public Record Office was formerly director of special collections at the British Library.

CHURCH COMMISSIONERS

  Dividend Stripping
  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the right hon. Member for Selby, as representing the Church Commissioners, if the Commissioners have been involved in dividend stripping as distinct from any gilt stripping activities; and if he will list the gains from such activity in each of the last five years?

  Mr. Alison
  The amounts shown in my answers of 25 February and 4 March on the subject of gilt stripping represented the differences between interest on gilts calculated on the receipts basis and interest calculated on the accruals basis. No such alternative bases apply to dividends from equities: in common with other investment funds, the Church Commissioners account for dividends on the receipt basis and consider it impractical either to account for dividends on the accruals basis or to recalculate with hindsight what the dividends would have been if calculated on this basis.

  While the Commissioners continue to manage their investments with the intention of generating a high level of income, this is achieved in relation to their equities portfolio through the selection of appropriate investments.

TREASURY

  Ways and Means Advances
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the interest currently paid on ways and means advances; and for what reason he needs to pay any interest.

  Mr. Dorrell
  Most ways and means borrowing takes the form of surplus Exchequer moneys, which are used to minimise Government borrowing overnight. No interest is paid on such borrowing, though interest must be paid at market-related rates to attract ways and means advances from other sources.

  Taxation
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the number and percentage of basic rate and higher rate taxpayers in(a) Lancashire, (b) Cambridgeshire and (c) the United Kingdom for the most recent year for which figures are available.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The table provides estimates for 1991–92, the latest available year for which information can be provided below the United Kingdom level.

  Basic and higher rate taxpayers 1991–92

  Taxpayers liable at only basic rate

  Taxpayers liable at higher rate

  000s

  Per cent.

  000s

  Per cent.

  Lancashire

  601

  95·2

  30

  4·8

  Cambridgeshire

  326

  94·2

  20

  5·8

  United Kingdom

  24,800

  93·9

  1,620

  6·1

  Sub-Saharan Countries (Debt)
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are his Department's plans for assisting sub-Saharan countries in meeting debt repayments to multilateral agencies; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Nelson
  The poorest countries benefit from the IMF's enhanced structural adjustment facility (ESAF), which provides highly concessional long-term assistance at an interest rate of only 0·5 per cent. in support of economic reform in the poorest countries. The United Kingdom has just announced that it will provide an extra £50 million to subsidise the interest rate of the ESAF successor facility, on top of our earlier contribution of up to £327 million; over time the United Kingdom will contribute about one ninth of the subsidy required by ESAF.

  These countries also benefit from concessional credits from the World Bank's International Development Association, to which the United Kingdom contributed £620 million at the last replenishment, which concentrates on lending to the poorest countries. They also have help meeting interest repayments on non-concessional loans to the World Bank through the bank's fifth dimension facility.

ENVIRONMENT

  Water Charges
  Mrs. Helen Jackson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what consultations he is having with regard to future methods of paying for water.

  Mr. Atkins
  The basis of charging for water is a matter for the water companies. It is among the topics discussed at meetings with the Director General of Water Services and representatives of water companies.

  Liverpool
  Mr. Wareing
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the standard spending assessment and revenue grant provision as proposed for the city of Liverpool in 1994–95; and if he will undertake a complete review of the city's financial situation in consultation with Liverpool city council.

  Mr. Curry
  Standard spending assessments are calculated on principles applicable to all authorities, taking 674
  account of each authority's social, demographic and physical characteristics. Liverpool's SSA of £419 million for 1994–95 is equivalent to £875 per head, the third highest of any metropolitan district. The total external support for Liverpool that year, which includes revenue support grant, SSA reduction grant and redistributed non-domestic rates, will be £363 million, equivalent to £758 per head, again the third highest.

  We look each year at the calculation of standard spending assessments. In the forthcoming round we will certainly bear in mind the points made by the city of Liverpool and by the hon. Member. It is for the city council to manage within the resources available to it: it would not be appropriate for me to intervene in the way implied in the question.

  Homelessness
  Mrs. Lait
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how he intends to stop further categories from jumping the homelessness housing queue.

  Mr. Gummer
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave earlier to my hon. Friend the Member for Sutton and Cheam (Lady O. Maitland).

  Municipal Housing Policy
  Mr. Dykes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on developments in Government policy on municipal housing.

  Sir George Young
  The Government are extending the benefits of competition in the provision of local authority services to council housing management, consulting on new proposals for access to local authority and housing association tenancies and introducing important new rights for council tenants.

  Council Tax
  Mr. Riddick
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the average increase in council tax bills for 1994–95.

  Mr. Curry
  The average headline council tax based on those authorities for which my Department has actual or provisional information shows an increase of 2·4 per cent. over the 1993–94 average.

  Mr. Trend
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the top and bottom 10 council taxes so far declared.

  Mr. Curry
  The top and bottom 10 headline council taxes (band C, two adults) based on actual and provisional information where available are:

  1994–95 headline council tax (band C)

  Highest 10 authorities

  Liverpool

  770

  Manchester

  691

  Newcastle upon Tyne

  686

  Coventry

  669

  Langbaurgh-on-Tees

  658

  Salford

  658

  Bristol

  652

  Middlesbrough

  645

  675

  1994–95 headline council tax (band C)

  Hartlepool

  643

  Kirklees

  635

  Lowest 10 authorities

  Westminster

  218

  Wellingborough

  261

  Wandsworth

  306

  Isles of Scilly

  358

  City of London

  368

  Hambleton

  396

  Tewkesbury

  398

  Rochester upon Medway

  402

  South Cambridgeshire

  408

  Teesdale

  409

  Rents
  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to introduce legislation to limit the amount that property companies and private landlords can charge in residential rents.

  Sir George Young
  None.

  Bathing Water Directive
  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what are his current proposals for re-negotiating the EU Bathing Water directive.

  Mr. Gummer
  We will be examining the proposal for revision announced by the EC Commission on 16 February to assess how far it concentrates on essential quality and health parameters and is a framework directive meeting the requirements of subsidiarity, up-to-date science and cost-effectiveness.

  Cardiff Bay Barrage
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on his correspondence with his opposite number in the European Commission in relation to the Cardiff bay barrage and the EC Habitats Directive.

  Mr. Atkins
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 1 March at column 643.

  Local Government, Staffordshire
  Dr. Wright
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the review of local government in Staffordshire.

  Mr. Curry
  The Local Government Commission began its review of Staffordshire in December 1993, and interested parties have until 8 April to submit their initial proposals to it. The commission will then publish draft recommendations for consultation. In preparing its final report, the commission will take account of any representations made about the draft recommendations. The commission proposes to submit its final report and recommendations for Staffordshire to my right hon. Friend in the autumn.

  Single Regeneration Budget
  Mr. Bill Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what consultations were undertaken in the development of the single regeneration budget.

  Mr. Baldry
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave earlier to the hon. Member for Nottingham, North (Mr. Allen).

  Compulsory Competitive Tendering
  Mr. Luff
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement about his plans for the application of CCT to housing management.

  Sir George Young
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answers I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Southport (Mr. Banks) on 26 November 1993 at columns 264–65; to my hon. Friend the Member for Chelmsford (Mr. Burns) on 15 December 1993 at columns 733–34; and to my hon. Friend the Member for Havant (Mr. Willetts) on 21 January 1994 at columns 871–73.

  Community Stadium, Southampton
  Mr. Denham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to determine the appeal on the planning application for a new community stadium at Stoneham, Southampton.

  Mr. Baldry
  The appeals will be decided as soon as possible.

  Sites of Special Scientific Interest
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many sites of special scientific interest there are in England and Wales; and how many of these were created in the last 12 months.

  Mr. Gummer
  In England, at 3 March 1994 there were 3,775 SSSIs. This includes 45 sites notified or re-notified to date in the current financial year. I am advised by my hon. Friend, the Secretary of State, that there were 882 SSSIs, at 31 December 1993, in Wales. This includes 32 sites newly notified between 1 January and 31 December 1993.

  Local Government Finance
  Mr. Enright
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he intends to take to secure an independent inquiry into the comparative fairness of the standard spending assessment from one region to another; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Baldry
  Standard spending assessments are calculated on a consistent basis using the same formulae for each authority. We carried out a thorough review of the SSA system for 1994–95 in partnership with the local authority associations.

  The Audit Commission published a study of the SSA system in May 1993. The Environment Select Committee published its own report on SSAs earlier this year. The Government will publish their response to the Select Committee's recommendations later this month.

  Water Quality
  Dr. Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he next plans to meet representatives of the water companies to discuss water quality.

  Mr. Atkins
  My right hon. Friend meets regularly with representatives of the water companies to discuss a variety of issues including water quality.

  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on United Kingdom compliance with EU water quality directives.

  Mr. Atkins
  The United Kingdom is committed to fulfilling its obligations under these directives.

  Fraud and Corruption
  Mr. Eastham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement about fraud and corruption in local government.

  Mr. Curry
  It is the responsibility of local authorities themselves, both members and officers, to take measures to prevent and detect fraud and corruption in their affairs. The Audit Commission's recent report on probity in the public sector concluded that"probity in local government is generally in good order".
  There is no room for complacency, however; fraud and corruption are always to be condemned, wherever they occur.

  City Pride
  Mr. Austin-Walker
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action he has taken in relation to City Pride.

  Sir George Young
  I refer the hon. Member to the oral answer I gave earlier to the right hon. Member for Salford, East (Mr. Orme).

  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what actions have been taken in relation to City Pride.

  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what actions have been taken in relation to City Pride; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Baldry
  The partners in the three City Pride cities, Birmingham, London and Manchester, have all formed partnerships to take forward the preparation of prospectuses for their areas, and are making good progress.

  Rural Housing
  Mrs. Helen Jackson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many new houses have been completed with Housing Corporation funding in rural areas in each of the last three years.

  Sir George Young
  The Housing Corporation's capital programme provided 98 new homes in rural areas—defined as settlements with a population of 3,000 or less—in 1990–91, 491 in 1991–92, 1,665 in 1992–93 and 1,701 this financial year up to the end of February 1994. These figures exclude completions of new homes which were approved before 1989–90, since the Housing Corporation did not collect such information on rural schemes approved prior to this date.

  Waste Water
  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proportions of waste water in each member state of the European Union are treated.

  Mr. Atkins
  The percentage of population in each member state served by sewage treatment works is given in the table:

  Member State

  Percentage of population served by sewage works

  Belgium1

  33

  Denmark

  100

  France

  52

  Germany (West)

  92

  Greece

  76

  Ireland

  44

  Italy

  60

  Luxembourg

  92

  Netherlands

  90

  Portugal

  45

  Spain

  47

  United Kingdom

  88

  1 Wallone region only

  Source: 10th Report of the House of Lords Select Committee on the European Communities, Municipal Waste Water Treatment, volume I, May 1991.

  Water Analyses
  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment in which member states of the European Union there are available for public inspection analyses of water and waste water.

  Mr. Atkins
  In England and Wales analyses of water and waste water carried out by water companies, local authorities, and the National Rivers Authority, are made available for public inspection. The drinking water inspectorate publishes annually the results of the analyses of drinking water. So far as we are aware, comprehensive information is not available on the position in other member states.

  Domestic Consumers
  Miss Lestor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what financial means he will employ to encourage efficiency and conservation for domestic consumers.

  Mr. Atkins
  My Department uses a number of financial means to encourage domestic energy efficiency.

  The home energy efficiency scheme provides grants for basic energy efficiency measures for vulnerable members of society. On 1 April funds for the scheme are to be almost doubled and the scheme extended to elderly and disabled people. Local authorities run substantial council housing repair and improvement programmes which include energy efficiency measures. The new single regeneration budget will incorporate energy efficiency work currently covered in the estate action programme. VAT on domestic fuel and power will also contribute to improved efficiency and conservation.

  Acid Batteries
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment United Kingdom authorities are able to make of the health effects on battery recycle workers in industrialising third world nations which import acid batteries from the United Kingdom for recycling.

  Mr. Atkins
  There is no requirement under present legislation for United Kingdom authorities to make assessment of the type suggested. When the EC Waste Shipments Regulation applies in May, the export of waste for recovery will be prohibited if a competent authority of dispatch has reason to believe that a shipment will not be managed in accordance with environmentally sound methods in the country of destination. Guidelines for environmentally sound recovery operations are being prepared by a working group under the Basel convention.

  Sustainable Development Strategy
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what evaluation he has made of the relevance to the United Kingdom sustainable development strategy of the report to the European Parliament's Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Consumer Protection on the monitoring by the EC of the implementation of Agenda 21 of the UN Conference on Environment and Development by Mrs. Guadalupe Ruiz-Giminenez Aguilar, MEP.

  Mr. Atkins
  None yet. The report by the Committee on the Environment was tabled in the European Parliament on 3 January and so far as I am aware remains subject to discussion.

  Water Disconnections
  Mrs. Bridget Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his estimate of the number of domestic water disconnections in each London borough for 1993.

  Mr. Atkins
  Data on disconnections by local authority district are not available centrally.

  Local Records
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to abolish the county records offices.

  Mr. Baldry
  As my right hon. Friend considers the recommendations of the Local Government Commission in each of the shire counties, he will be looking to ensure that they enable adequate provision to be made for all existing local government functions, including records and archives.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the Government's policy on the level of public expenditure on(a) the collection and maintenance and (b) the availability locally for public inspection of local records.

  Mr. Baldry
  These are matters for local authorities to decide.

  Energy Saving Trust
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he proposes to allow the Energy Savings Trust to offer a lower rate of support to eligible owner-occupiers than to social housing; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) what plans he has to exclude low-rise flats from the Energy Saving Trust grant schemes; and if he will consider including (a) low-rise owner-occupier flats and (b) low rise social housing flats that are an integral part of housing layouts in energy savings trust schemes.

  Mr. Atkins
  The Energy Saving Trust is an independent organisation. The terms of its schemes are for the trust to establish in consultation with the bodies providing the funds.

  Government Offices
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer of 7 March,Official Report, columns 38–39, if he will provide the total cost of each listed refurbishment where such figures are available, an analysis of the nature and cost of each refurbishment where it is available on an economic basis and the total cost of all refurbishments in (a) the SW1 postal district of London and (b) the remainder of the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Baldry
  As advised in my answer of 7 March,Official Report, columns 38–39, the detailed information requested on the nature and cost of the 77 refurbishment schemes listed cannot be provided at an economic cost.

  Hazardous Wastes
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the reason for the proposed increase in expenditure between 1993–94 and 1994–95, on hazardous wastes, as set out in figure 10 of his annual report and expenditure plans 1994–95 to 1996–97, Cm. 2507.

  Mr. Atkins
  The expenditure represents contributions to trust funds established under the UNEP Basel convention on the control of transboundary movements of hazardous waste and their disposal. Until this year, the United Kingdom made voluntary contributions of United States $50,000 to support the work of the convention. From 1994, the United Kingdom is required to make a mandatory contribution as a party to the convention of United States $119,930. The United Kingdom also makes additional voluntary contributions to the Basel technical trust fund which assists developing and other countries in need of assistance to implement the convention.

  Since the figures in Cm. 2507 were finalised, it has been agreed that the United Kingdom should pay its mandatory contribution at the start of the relevant calendar year. As a result the first mandatory payment will now fall in 1993–94 and total payments in 1993–94 will be £131,807.

  Lancashire (Capital Receipts)
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list for each local authority in Lancashire the capital receipts held by them resulting from the sale of land, property and other assets.
  681
  Mr. Baldry
  The available information is as follows:

  Usable capital receipts at 1 April 1993 £'000

  Lancashire county council

  3,427

  Blackburn

  0

  Blackpool

  6,561

  Burnley

  1,184

  Chorley

  982

  Fylde

  458

  Hyndburn

  0

  Lancaster

  619

  Pendle

  1,391

  Preston

  1,823

  Ribble Valley

  1,097

  Rossendale

  12

  South Ribble

  243

  West Lancashire

  1,434

  Wyre

  371

  Tenant Participation
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the future of section 16 and section 87 funding for tenant participation initiatives.

  Sir George Young
  Support in the form of grants is available both directly and indirectly to tenants to encourage and develop greater tenant participation in the management of local authority and housing association housing. The powers to pay grant derive from section 429A of the Housing Act 1985—as inserted by section 16 of the Housing and Planning Act 1986—and from section 87 of the Housing Associations Act 1985 respectively.

  With the introduction of the right to manage on 1 April 1994, section 16 grant will be focused increasingly on the development of tenant management organisations. Grant provision of £6·4 million is available during 1994–95.

  Housing association tenant participation is sponsored by the Housing Corporation. In 1994–95 the corporation expects to spend £2·4 million in providing grants under section 87. The emphasis of this programme is on the establishment of tenants groups and for aid to housing associations wishing to involve tenants in the management of their homes.

  Quangos
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the number of quangos for which he is responsible; how much in public funds has been given to each quango in each of the last three years; what is the current staffing establishment of each quango; and what it was five years ago.

  Mr. Baldry
  Information on the numbers, funding and staffing of non-departmental public bodies is published annually in "Public Bodies," copies of which are available in the Libraries of the House.

  Self-financing Regulatory Authorities
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many self-financing regulatory authorities his Department has set up since 1979; what was the annual running cost of each of the self-financing regulatory 682
  authorities in each of the last three years; what is the current staffing establishment; and what it was last year and two years ago.

  Mr. Baldry
  Only one relevant authority has been set up since 1979. The Office of Water Services—OFWAT—was established in 1989 by the Water Act.

  The figures for its running costs over the last three financial years are:

  £ million

  1991–92

  5·7

  1992–93

  6·1

  1993–94

  18·2

  1 Estimate.

  Staff figures for those years are respectively—

  Number

  1991–92

  116

  1992–93

  131

  1993–94

  153

  Rules and Regulations
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many rules and regulations his Department has passed in each of the last three years.

  Mr. Baldry
  The number of statutory instruments laid before Parliament by my Department in each of the last three years was as follows:

  Number

  1991

  149

  1992

  181

  1993

  174

  Environmental Health Officers
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many environmental health officers there were in each of the last five years; how many support staff they have; what they cost in each year; what mileage allowances were offered to environmental health officers; and whether they get cars supplied.

  Mr. Baldry
  The information is not available centrally.

  Integrated Government Office for London
  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will state(a) the location of the new integrated Government office for London and when it will commence operations, (b) the numbers of civil servants attached to, or related to, specific Government Departments to be posted to it, (c) the number of any other employees located there, (d) the date when he expects to announce the name of the services' regional controller and (e) the date that post will be taken up.

  Mr. Baldry
  The principal regional offices of the Departments of Employment, Environment, Trade and Industry and Transport responsible for London are
  683
  currently located at 236 Grays Inn road, Millbank tower, Bridge place and 2 Marsham street respectively. In the short term, the functions of the new office will continue to be performed from those offices. The Government Office for London will open for business in April, staffed by some 320 civil servants from existing regional offices and related divisions. We hope to announce the appointment of the regional director in the near future and the successful candidate should take up their post shortly thereafter.

  Shopping Centres
  Mr. Lewis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on his current planning guidance in respect of out-of-town shopping centres.

  Mr. Gummer
  Planning policy guidance note 6 contains our current policy. It encourages retail development that respects town centre vitality and viability, in locations that are accessible by a choice of means of transport and which encourage economy in fuel consumption. PPG 13, published yesterday, underlines the importance of these policies.

  Bradford City Centre Project
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received about the funding of Bradford's city centre project; what funding applications from the project he has received in the past year; how many have been(a) approved, (b) refused and (c) how many are still being considered; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Baldry
  [holding answer 15 March 1994]: The Department is currently funding the Bradford city centre project under the urban programme and under section 73 of the Housing Act 1985. We have received no representations about the project's funding. The Department has offered BCCP section 73 grant to expand the organisation's outreach scheme in 1994–95.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION

  Aid and Trade
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what were the reasons for the dates of approval of individual aid and trade provision projects not being given in the list to which he referred in his answer to the right hon. Member for Copeland (Dr. Cunningham) of 28 October 1993,Official Report, column 732; and if he will now make it his policy to provide the approval dates to Parliament.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  The aid and trade provision scheme was established in 1978 and has been successful in securing over 270 overseas projects for Britain. In many of these projects the extended period of negotiation has meant that the project has been submitted for approval on more than one occasion. The list of successful ATP projects placed in the Library of the House is based on the dates when the formal Government-to-Government agreements or exchanges were signed for each project; this is the operative date for project commencement. Details of the 684
  dates of each individual approval is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. There are no plans to maintain such records centrally.

  Malaysia
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answers of 3 March,Official Report, column 800, on what basis the payment to Antah Biwater JV is consistent with his answer on payments to Malaysian companies.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  My answers in the Official Report, column 800 are consistent. The status of the rural water supply project had changed from that of a proposed project to that of a project formally agreed between the two Governments before the payment referred to was made.

  Pergau Dam
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs for what reasons the ODA appointed a temporary rock expert to the Pergau design review panel; what is the cost likely to be of further steel lining for the power tunnels; what assessment the ODA has made of whether the contractors had an adequate geological evaluation of the cost of the project when they were given the work; if he will place in the Library the relevant documents explaining the geological reasons requiring an increase in Balfour Beatty—Cementation costs; and if he will make it his policy that any extra cost should be borne by the contractor.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  ODA appointed a rock mechanics expert for 2 weeks in early 1993 to advise Tenaga Nasional Berhad Malaysian power authority and ODA whether the design of the power tunnel and power cavern proposed by the contractor would ensure long term satisfactory and safe operation of the completed project. The cost of the additional steel lining in the power tunnel is the subject of a claim by the contractor for extra payment; this is currently being discussed by the contractor and Tenaga Nasional Berhad. Geological information available to the Contractor was taken into account in the price submitted to DTI and ODA in March 1989 and at the time of contract signature in 1991. Under the terms of the contract it is the contractor's responsibility to deliver the completed project for a fixed basic price subject only to (i) the application of agreed indices for cost escalation of certain items and (ii) for specified geological risks, the cost of which is to be shared between the Contractor and the client. The geological reasons for the likely cost increase for further steel lining are the concern of the contractor and Tenaga Nasional Berhad. ODA is not a party to the contract between them. ODA will not meet any of the additional costs.

  Sudan
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which international relief organisations have been forced to evacuate their humanitarian activities and in which locations in Sudan; and what representations he has made to the Sudan Government.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  Information provided by Operation Lifeline Sudan indicates that a number of agencies have
  685
  been affected by the fighting. World Vision has reduced numbers in Thiet; GOAL and AICF have taken people out of Ame, Aswa and Atepi camps, as has IRC; and AAIN has been forced to reduce its staff in Maridi and evacuate its staff from Mundri, as has Oxfam from Mundri. Relief workers have also withdrawn from Ulang, Kier and temporarily from Akobo.

  The United Nations has, with our support, made direct representations to the Government of Sudan about the indiscriminate bombing of civilians and the effects of the hostilities on the distribution of relief aid.

  Overseas Aid
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proportion of United Kingdom gross national product was spent on overseas aid in each year since 1979.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  The figures are as follows:

  United Kingdom net official development assistance as a percentage of GNP 1979–1992

  Year

  Percentage

  1979

  0·52

  1980

  0·35

  1981

  0·43

  1982

  0·37

  1983

  0·35

  1984

  0·33

  1985

  0·33

  1986

  0·31

  1987

  0·28

  1988

  0·32

  1989

  0·31

  1990

  0·27

  1991

  0·32

  1992

  0·31

NATIONAL HERITAGE

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

  Mr. Brooke
  The cost of such receptions is included in the running costs for my Department, which are published in the annual report.

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

  Mr. Brooke
  None.

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

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

  Arts (Business Sponsorship)
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what action he proposes to take over the Association for Business Sponsorship of the Arts current management difficulties; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Brooke
  The Association for Business Sponsorship of the Arts—ABSA—is a company limited by guarantee with charitable status. As part of its activities, ABSA administers on behalf of my Department the business sponsorship incentive scheme. In that regard, my Department maintains a close working relationship with ABSA. I am not aware of any current management difficulties related to the scheme which would require action on my part.

  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what assessment he has made of the management arrangements at the Association for Business Sponsorship of the Arts in respect of handling Government grant aid; when the organisation was last evaluated; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Brooke
  In July 1993 the Association for Business Sponsorship of the Arts reported to my Department on the outcome of an independent, external review of its financial and management arrangements for the Government-funded business sponsorship incentive scheme. In the light of that detailed review, I am satisfied that efficient and effective systems are in place.

  National Lottery
  Mr. Peter Atkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what instructions have been given to the Director General of OFLOT about how he discharges his responsibilities under section 5.6 of the invitation to apply to run the national lottery; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Brooke
  None.

  Mr. Peter Atkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage (1) whether the article by Mr. Richard Branson in the Sunday Times of 20 February, constitutes a breach of section 5.6 of the invitation to apply; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) what constitutes a breach of section 5.6 of the invitation to apply to run the national lottery; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Brooke
  This is an operational issue and therefore a matter for the director general of the national lottery.

TRANSPORT

  Quangos
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the number of quangos for which he is responsible; how much in public funds has been given to each quango in each of the last three years; what is the current staffing establishment of each quango; and what it was five years ago.

  Mr. Norris
  The information which my hon. Friend seeks is contained in "Public Bodies 1993" and previous editions of the same publication. Copies of all editions are available in the Libraries of the House.

  Rules and Regulations
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many rules and regulations his Department has passed in each of the last three years.

  Mr. Norris
  The Department passed 91 statutory instruments in 1993, 115 in 1992 and 100 in 1991. A significant proportion of these set fees and charges only.

  Seat Belts
  Mr. Maclennan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information is available to his Department about the range of costs of fitting seat belts to minibuses and coaches.

  Mr. Key
  The diversity of vehicle types and the way in which they are constructed are such that it is not possible to estimate the full range of costs involved in fitting belts to individual vehicles.

  1990–91

  1991–92

  1992–93

  Launched as agency

  Total expenditure (£ million)

  Staff

  Total expenditure (£ million)

  Staff

  Total expenditure (£ million)

  Staff

  Driving Standards Agency

  1990

  50·0

  2,105

  52·5

  2,192

  51·3

  1,898

  Vehicle Certification Agency

  1990

  2·5

  80

  2·6

  84

  2·7

  75

  Vehicle Inspectorate1

  1988

  40·3

  1,653

  41·2

  1,879

  50·5

  1,861

  1 Traffic examiner staff passed to the Vehicle Inspectorate's establishment in 1991–92, but the inspectorate became formally responsible for their costs in the following financial year.

  Vehicle Licensing
  Mr. Rendel
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport into which vehicle licensing category mechanical organs fall which are permanently fixed to the vehicle and used for display purposes only.

  Mr. Key
  Vehicles used to transport mechanical organs for solely private purposes, for example use at charity events, fall to be licensed in the private and light goods—PLG—tax class. The HGV rate would apply only where there was a commercial purpose.

  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the names of those consulted in respect of proposals on passengers and goods vehicle operating licences circulated on 27 May 1993.

  Mr. Key
  I refer the hon. Member to my previous answer of 14 December 1993 at column 592. In addition the Department sent copies of the consultation document to a wide-ranging number of bodies and individuals with an interest in operator licensing.

  "O" Licences
  Mr. Snape
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he intends to implement the proposals for continuous "O" licensing included in the Deregulation and Contracting Out Bill; how the annual fee for the renewal of the "O" licence is to be paid and collected; what provision

  Self-financing Regulatory Authorities
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many self-financing regulatory authorities his Department has set up since 1979; what was the annual running cost of each of the self-financing regulatory authorities in each of the last three years; what is the current staffing establishment; and what it was last year and two years ago.

  Mr. Norris
  Four relevant authorities have been established since 1979.

  The Rail Regulator was appointed and the office of the Rail Regulator was established as a non-ministerial Government Department on 1 December 1993. However, the majority of the Rail Regulator's statutory functions will not be exercisable until the remaining provisions of the Railways Act are commenced at the beginning of April 1994. The Rail Regulator's running costs for 1994–95 are estimated to be £5·2 million. The average planned staffing establishment for 1994–95 is 55.

  The executive agencies of the Department of Transport listed in the table have regulatory functions and are required to recover total costs through fees and charges. Information given is taken from agencies' annual reports.

  there will be to bring to the attention of the licensing authority any misdemeanour committed by an operator during the previous year; how and how often the licensing authority will check an operator's licence; on what basis the licensing authority will decide to hold a public inquiry following objections to an "O" licence proposal or transfer; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Key
  Continuous operator licensing will be introduced as soon as possible after Royal Assent, consistent with the need for a smooth transition from the current system. Details of changes to fee arrangements are currently the subject of separate consultation. Any further changes as a consequence of continuous licensing will also be the subject of prior consultation. The enforcement of the requirements on vehicles subject to operator licensing will be unaffected by the change to continuous licensing. Checks on the details of an operators business will continue to be made at the same five year intervals as provided by the present five year licensing system and operators will continue to be required to notify the licensing authorities about changes whenever they occur. The licensing authorities will continue to hold public inquiries as at present when they need to be satisfied about a matter arising out of an application for a licence or a variation of a licence. In addition, at the five-yearly review point, they will also be able to hold inquiries to consider objections to the operating centre of an operator.

  Mr. Snape
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the effect the proposal to end the requirement for "O" licence operators to prove to
  689
  the Traffic Commissioner that they have adequate maintenance facilities for their vehicles, set out in his Department's 1993 consultation document, will have on (a) road safety and (b) general vehicle maintenance standards.

  Mr. Key
  This proposal is not being taken forward. Operators will continue to be required to satisfy traffic commissioners that they have adequate maintenance arrangements for their vehicles.

  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many public inquiries have been held in each traffic region in each of the last three years in respect of(a) HGV operator licences and (b) PSV operator "O" licences; and, in each case, if the operator licence was revoked or retained; and, in the latter case, what conditions were applied.

  Mr. Key
  The appendices to the annual reports of the licensing authorities and traffic commissioners published for the last three years, 1990–91 to 1992–93, contain information on the number of public inquiries held in each traffic area. Specific information about disciplinary inquiries is in the main text of each licensing authority's report.

  Of those cases heard at public inquiry, the number of goods vehicle and public service vehicle operator licences revoked or retained, or where conditions were applied to PSV operator licences is in some instances mentioned in the reports and appendices to the reports. More detailed information on the action taken by each traffic commissioner and licensing authority against operator licences could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Copies of the "Annual Reports of the Licensing Authorities" and "Annual Reports of the Traffic Commissioners" are available in the Library of the House.

  Road-rail Transport
  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is his estimate of the current capacity of combined road-rail transport operations.

  Mr. Freeman
  Table 5.14 of Transport Statistics Great Britain 1993 contains statistics on "other traffic" which includes intermodal road-rail traffic. A copy of this publication has been placed in the Library.

  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what documentary evidence will be required relating to the destination of the loading unit used in a combined transport operation from or to a rail terminal; and what enforcement measures will be implemented.

  Mr. Freeman
  The Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 1994, which were laid in the House on 25 February exempt from the 38 tonne maximum weight limit a vehicle carrying a loading unit as part of a combined transport operation either(a) to a railhead pursuant to a contract for the transport of that unit by rail, or (b) from a railhead to which the unit has been transported by rail. The regulations require a document to be carried in the cab of the vehicle which specifies, in the case of (a), the railhead, the date of the relevant contract and the parties thereto or, in the case of (b), the railhead and the date and time at which the unit was collected from the railhead.
  690
  Enforcement of lorry weight limits is carried out by the vehicle inspectorate, the police, and local authority trading standards departments. The 44 tonne weight limit will apply only to vehicles carrying containers and swap-bodies and therefore vehicles not carrying these weights will be unable to operate legitimately above 38 tonnes.

  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will give details and locations of the rail terminals he has identified for use by 44-tonne lorries in combined road-rail transport operations.

  Mr. Freeman
  Any rail terminal with facilities for the transhipment of containers and swap-bodies will qualify as a railhead for the purposes of the relevant regulations. It will also be necessary for the loading units in question to travel, or to have travelled, by rail on a network operated by British Rail or under a network licence.

  Tickets
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to replace the limitless journey travel card with a stored-value ticket limiting the number of journeys that can be made; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Norris
  The Government have made clear their commitment to continuation of the London travel card and have no plans to replace it by a stored-value ticket. The stored-value ticket which London Transport will shortly be introducing as part of its current trial of smart card technology on buses in Harrow will be in addition to, not a replacement for, the present travel card.

  Executive Agencies
  Mr. Snape
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what consultations have been held with existing traffic area staff about his proposals to turn the existing traffic areas into executive agencies.

  Mr. Key
  Traffic area office staff have been kept informed about the proposal for executive agency status and will be consulted as proposals are developed.

  Mr. Snape
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what consultations have been held between his Department and the Council on Tribunals about his proposals to turn the existing traffic areas into executive agencies; and whether agreement to such a proposal would need to be given by the Council on Tribunals.

  Mr. Key
  The Council on Tribunals views will be sought before any decision is taken on whether to give the traffic area network executive agency status.

  Mr. Snape
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will list the future responsibilities of traffic commissioners under his proposals to turn the existing traffic areas into executive agencies;

  (2) what will be the relationship as regards decision making at traffic area office level between the traffic commissioner and the chief executive if his proposals to turn the existing traffic areas into executive agencies are implemented.

  Mr. Key
  The responsibilities of the traffic commissioners for the licensing and disciplining of operators and drivers would remain unchanged if it were decided to
  691
  establish a traffic area network executive agency. The chief executive or director of the executive agency would be responsible for the management and performance of the traffic area offices, whose staff would continue to provide support for the traffic commissioners.

  Mr. Snape
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what consultations have been held with the road haulage industry about his proposals to turn the existing traffic areas into executive agencies.

  Mr. Key
  The proposal for executive agency status is concerned with improving management and will not affect the operator licensing regime; nevertheless, any views expressed by the road haulage industry will be given careful consideration.

  Mr. Snape
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what consultations have been held with traffic commissioners about his proposals to turn the existing traffic areas into executive agencies.

  Mr. Key
  Traffic commissioners are being consulted through the senior traffic commissioner and are represented on the steering group that has been established to develop the proposals for agency status.

  Air Misses
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many air misses there have been in each of the last four years involving aircraft(a) taking off and (b) landing at (i) Leeds-Bradford and (ii) Humberside airports.

  Mr. Norris
  The responsibility for the safety regulation of United Kingdom civil aviation rests with the Civil Aviation Authority—CAA.

  All air miss reports in United Kingdom airspace, involving civil or military aircraft, are investigated initially by the joint air miss section of the National Air Traffic Services, which is a joint CAA/Ministry of Defence organisation. They are then examined by the joint air miss working group—JAWG—an independent committee drawn from a wide cross-section of responsible aviation bodies.

  The records held by the joint air miss section, of air miss reports submitted by pilots show that for the period in question, no air miss reports were submitted for Leeds airport, while for Humberside airport only two such reports have been submitted. The first incident occurred on 23 May 1991 and involved a civilian aircraft in the final descent phase of its flight, which came into conflict with a military aircraft. The second incident took place on 13 October 1992 and also involved a loss of separation between a military aircraft and a civilian aircraft. The latter was in the landing phase of its flight. In both cases the incidents were subsequently judged by the JAWG to have involved no risk of collision.

  Drink Driving
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Shettleston (Mr. Marshall) of 21 February,Official Report, column 83, if he will set out the terms of reference of the sociological study of hard-core drink-drivers being carried out with the assistance of the Portman Group; and if he will make a statement.
  692
  Mr. Key
  The study is designed to give a better understanding of the circumstances surrounding drinking and driving offences. The contract for this research was let by the Portman Group, which is funding the study, and it would be for it to decide whether to release any details at this stage.

  Severn Bridge
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will introduce a discount for those purchasing in advance electronic tags for crossing the Severn bridge.

  Mr. Key
  Discounts of 20 per cent. for cars and light vans and 10 per cent. for heavy vehicles are already available on electronic tags valid for one month or three months, based on the assumption of 22 and 66 return trips respectively. These are the only discount requirements on the concessionaire, Severn River Crossing plc, under its concession agreement with the Secretary of State. Any further discounts are a matter for SRC's commercial judgment.

  Copia
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what information he has about the sinking of the fishing vessel Copia; what consideration he has given to recovering the ship and crew; what representations he has received on the subject; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) where responsibility lies for the recovery of bodies on fishing vessels sunk in inland waters; what arrangements are made for such a recovery in the case of the Copia; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Norris
  [holding answer 15 March 1994]: The marine accident investigation branch inquiries into the accident are in progress. No representations have been received by this Department on the subject, other than the letter of 7 March from the hon. Member.

  The Department will not contemplate salvaging a wreck except where there are firm grounds for surmising that raising a wreck would establish the nature and cause of the accident and there are no other means of achieving this.

  There is no general requirement on the part of any official organisation to recover bodies in such circumstances. Nevertheless, immediately after the accident when police divers located the wreck they looked for the bodies of the crew, but unfortunately without success.

  Shipping Register
  Mr. Parry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the representations he has received for Liverpool to be the base for a national open register of shipping; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Norris
  [holding answer 14 March 1994]: Since the Baltic Exchange's proposals for a British open register for shipping were received in early December, the Liverpool chamber of commerce and industry has written to reaffirm its support for it and for the proposal that the registry should be located in Liverpool.

  As I explained to my hon. Friend the Member for Eastbourne (Mr. Waterson) on 24 January, Official Report,

  693
  column 78, the proposal raised complex issues which required careful study. An announcement will be made shortly.

  Road Franchising
  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to franchise local roads; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Key
  We have no such plans.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

  Self-Financing Regulatory Authorities
  Mr. Steen
  'To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many self-financing regulatory authorities his Department has set up since 1992; what was the annual running cost of each of the self-financing regulatory authorities in each of the last three years; and what was the staffing establishment at the latest available date, last year and two years ago.

  Mr. David Davis
  There are no self-financing regulatory authorities in the departments for which the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster has responsibility.

  Quangos
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list the number of quangos for which he is responsible; how much in public funds has been given to each quango in each of the last two years; what is the current staffing establishment of each quango; and what it was five years ago for the comparable bodies.

  Mr. David Davis
  Such information is contained in the publication "Public Bodies 1993" and earlier editions of the same publication. Copies of all editions are available in the Libraries of the House.

  Rules and Regulations
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many rules and regulations his Department has passed in each of the last two years.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  Rules and regulations made by my Department during this period are as follows:

  Chessington Computer Centre Trading Fund Order (1993)

  Race Relations (Prescribed Public Bodies) Regulations (1994)

  Research Councils (Transfer of Property etc) Order (1994)

  Citizens Charter
  Mr. Waterson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when he will give a full report of progress on the citizens charter since the publication of the first report in November 1992.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  "The Citizen's Charter Second Report: 1994" setting out progress in fulfilling citizens charter commitments across the public service is published today. Copies of the report have been placed in he Libraries of both Houses.

WALES

  Management Systems
  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales 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 16 February,Official Report, columns 884–85.

  Mr. Redwood
  The Welsh Office does not have a computer-aided facilities management system. However, a computerised system holding information relating to the Department's information technology assets is in place and a project is under way to provide by the end of the year a system which will cater for the Department's real estate, property management and asset inventory requirements.

  The existing system was purchased from Workgroup Systems at a cost of £7,500 and commissioning is estimated to have taken 150 person hours. It was installed in order to provide a secure record of assets rather than in the expectation of direct savings. There is no evidence to suggest that it has influenced the level of reported theft and losses.

  Public Bodies
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) how many persons responded to press advertisements inviting applications for positions on non-departmental public bodies in Wales in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) how many persons who responded to press advertisements for positions on non-departmental public bodies have been appointed by him in the last 12 months.

  Mr. Redwood
  More than 2,500 people made inquiries following the advertisements in Welsh newspapers in July 1993 inviting nominations to the Welsh Office register of candidates for public appointments. Of these, 959 returned completed nominations. Most of the nominations were received between September 1993 and January 1994. The new names have been added to those considered as and when vacancies arise.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales which non-departmental public body chairman and board members will be required to hold their annual review meeting with Ministers in the first quarter of the year 1994–95; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Redwood
  [holding answer 15 March 1994]: My ministerial colleagues and I hold meetings with all the NDPB chairmen to consider their targets for the forthcoming year. Some of these will take place during the first quarter of this year.

  Equal Pay
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement concerning the 1975 equal pay directive as it refers to Wales.
  695
  Mr. Redwood
  The 1975 Equal Pay Directive is implemented in Great Britain by means of the Equal Pay Act 1970 as amended by the Equal Pay (Amendment) Regulations 1993.

  Female Workers
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of the part-time earnings of female workers; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Redwood
  According to the New Earnings Survey, in April 1993 average gross earnings for part-time females on adult rates in Wales were £71·30 per week for manual employees and £101·90 for non-manual employees. These averages are similar to those of most other regions.

  F. L. Steelcraft
  Mr. Beggs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much grant aid has been paid out from public funds in the past to(a) F. L. Steelcraft or (b) F. L. Steelcraft Ltd. of Borth, Aberystwyth, Wales; and on what dates.

  Mr. Redwood
  To comment on the Department's relationship with individual companies would be a breach of commercial confidentiality.

  Farm Workers
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will undertake a tour of Wales meeting farm workers to discuss wages, conditions of work and the future of the Agricultural wages board; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Redwood
  No. The future of the Agricultural wages board is currently being considered in the light of the responses to the consultation exercise completed last year.

  Earnings
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what measures he will take to improve the wages of female workers.

  Mr. Redwood
  My strategy is based on the continued success of United Kingdom macroeconomic policy; improving standards of education and training in Wales; 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 for both men and women in Wales to increase still further.

  Documents
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) if he will list the titles of all items published during the last three years by his office and by all public bodies to which he makes appointments, which were available for sale, and which were published in the English language only indicating the price, reference numbers, and dates of publication in each case;

  (2) if he will list the full titles of all publications issued during the last three years by his office and by public bodies to which he makes appointments, which were
  696
  available for purchase, and which were printed in both the Welsh and English languages, indicating the prices, reference numbers, and dates of publication in each case.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  The information as requested is not centrally available but details of documents published by the Department indicating the price, reference numbers, year of publication and whether available in Welsh are contained within the "Welsh Office Publications List 1992". It is published annually and a copy has been placed in the Library of the House.

  Disabled People
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what initiatives or schemes he has launched in Wales to compensate disabled people for the additional value added tax costs being imposed.

  Mr. Redwood
  I refer the hon. Member to the package of assistance announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in his statement on 30 November 1993 at columns 922–24.

  Cardiac Surgery
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his answer of 28 February,Official Report, column 595, regarding cardiac surgery in Wales, what level of additional resources is being made available and to which health authorities for purchasing purposes; in which trusts and directly managed units for provider purposes new facilities are being developed; and what are the relevant dates for commencement and completion of such developments.

  Mr. Redwood
  In addition to their discretionary allocations, from which cardiac services are also purchased, £6·5 million is available in 1993–94 to assist health authorities move towards the target level of cardiac surgery in Wales. I shall announce provision for 1994–95 in due course.

  We have completed the development of cardiac facilities at the University Hospital of Wales which can now deliver 800 adult cardiac operations a year. New facilities, which will deliver the balance of need in South Wales, are to be developed at Morriston Hospital NHS Trust. Planning is currently underway and the centre is expected to become operational in 1997.

  Rules and Regulations
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many rules and regulations his Department has passed in each of the last three years.

  Mr. Redwood
  The number of rules and regulations made by statutory instrument for Wales alone by the Secretary of State for Wales during the past three years is as follows: 1991–73; 1992–131; 1993–84.

  Quangos
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the number of quangos for which he is responsible; how much in public funds has been given to each quango in each of the last three years; what is the current staffing establishment of each quango; and what is was five years ago.
  697
  Mr. Redwood
  Such information is contained in the publication "Public Bodies 1993" and earlier editions of the same publication. Copies of all editions are available in the Library of the House.

  Health Service Costs
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his estimate of administration costs for family health service authorities for Wales as a whole for each year since 1989–90, indicating the percentage increase in constant prices which has taken place since 1989–90 and the latest available year.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  Revenue expenditure of family health service authorities in Wales on administration was £4,242,000 in 1989–90, £6,910,000 in 1990–91, £8,265,000 in 1991–92 and £9,150,000 in 1992–93.

  This represents an increase over the period of 81 per cent. at constant prices. In 1992–93 the cost of this administrative expenditure represented 1·9 per cent. of the total spent on family health services in Wales.

  Source: FHSA White Paper Accounts.

  Self-financing Regulatory Authorities
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many self-financing regulatory authorities his Department has set up since 1979; what was the annual running cost of each of the self-financing regulatory authorities in each of the last three years; what is the current staffing establishment; and what it was last year and two years ago.

  Mr. Redwood
  The Welsh Office has not set up any self-financing regulatory authorities since 1979.

  Welsh Economic Council
  Mr. Richards
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what decision he has reached on the proposal to establish a Welsh Economic Council.

  Mr. Redwood
  I have carefully considered the responses to the Government's consultation paper on this proposal and have decided to proceed with the establishment of a Welsh Economic Council.

  The Welsh Economic Council, which will be classified as an advisory non-departmental public body, will provide a forum for discussing with wealth-creators and interest groups the economic and industrial progress of Wales. Its role will be to advise on areas like improvements in training and education and to discuss how to boost enterprise, jobs and development further.

  The council will comprise between 10 and 20 members from the private and public sectors, appointed by me on an
  698
  individual, rather than representational, basis. It will usually meet no more than three times a year, with the first meeting to be held on Wednesday 30 March.

  Health Service Funding
  Mr. Richards
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what decisions he has now reached about the allocation of resources for hospital and community health and related services for Wales in 1994–95.

  Mr. Redwood
  I announced on 17 December my decision on the overall allocation to the national health service in Wales for 1994–95. Within the £2,076 million cash available I now propose to allocate £1,536 million to hospital and community health services—H and CHS—and the cash-limited element of the family health services—FHS—in Wales.

  The funds will be distributed as follows.

  Health authorities will receive £1,295 million for current purposes—an increase of £53 million or 4·3 per cent. over 1993–94 plans. Health authorities will receive £113·5 million for capital investment. The sum of £67·4 million will be provided for education and training of NHS staff and as contributions toward the running costs of England and Wales bodies, and family health service authorities will receive £14 million for their management and administration costs and £45·8 million for general medical service practice support costs.

  In addition, authorities and trusts will be expected to generate efficiency savings of 2·25 per cent. and to achieve a further 5 per cent. reduction in their management, administrative and clerical costs. These savings will be available to meet the cost of pay settlements next year and for further investment in patient care.

  Details of the allocations to health authorities and family health authorities and the provisional external financing limits for NHS trusts is contained in a statement which has been placed today in the Library of the House.

  Cathedrals
  Mr. Richards
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what conclusions he has reached on the provision of grant aid for cathedrals.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  After careful consideration of detailed information presented to us by the cathedral authorities and on advice from our independent advisers, the Historic Buildings Council for Wales, we have decided to help underpin the architectural needs of Welsh cathedrals.

  Over the next three financial years we will set aside some £675,000 towards the restoration costs faced by Welsh cathedrals.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Entry Clearance Officers
  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what guidance is given to entry clearance officers overseas regarding answering queries from solicitors about their clients' applications for visas; if he will publish this guidance; and what plans he has to issue revised guidance.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  Entry clearance officers overseas are advised that posts should reply direct to letters from solicitors in the United Kingdom on routine matters unless they have reason to believe that the Home Office or the FCO has already become involved. In that case, the letter should be briefly acknowledged and a copy sent to the correspondence unit of the migration and visa department in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London, with a memorandum containing relevant information.

  There are no plans to revise this advice.

  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many people currently work as entry clearance officers in British embassies and high commissions; where they are situated; what grades they work at; what number and percentage are women; and what is the ethnic breakdown of officers.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  In 1993, 259 man-years were spent at British posts overseas on entry clearance officer—ECO—work. This figure includes staff who have other responsibilities as well as entry clearance work.

  Most ECOs are grade DS9 or equivalent—immigration officer in the case of immigration service staff serving on secondment, or LEII in the case of locally engaged ECOs.

  A list of posts designated to receive applications for entry clearance is available in the Library of the House.

  A precise breakdown of the gender and ethnic background of those officers currently serving as ECOs could be furnished only at disproportionate cost, but 50 per cent. of the FCO's DS9 complement are women, and 1·6 per cent. are from ethnic minorities. I understand that the corresponding figures for immigration officers overseas are 22 per cent. and 4 per cent.

  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what training entry clearance officers receive.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  All diplomatic service officers receive induction and other vocational training. Those appointed as entry clearance officers also attend a three-week training course in London before taking up their appointments. Locally engaged ECOs also attend these courses.

  Home Office staff seconded as entry clearance officers attend a short pre-posting "conversion" course.

  Like other staff, ECOs also receive on-the-job training, in the light of their posts' workload and resources.

  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many requests he received from hon. Members in(a) 1993, (b) 1992, (c) 1991 and (d) 1990 to exercise ministerial discretion over visa applications; in how many in each year the decision of the entry clearance officer was overturned; to how many in each year he replied personally; and to how many in each year the migration and visa unit replied.
  700
  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  The table shows the number of representations on visa matters received during 1990–93 inclusive and the number which received ministerial replies. The others were replied to by the migration and visa correspondence unit, except in cases where no reply was necessary.

  Total

  Ministerial replies

  1990

  4,561

  884

  1991

  4,577

  588

  1992

  5,069

  287

  1993

  5,879

  346

  It is not possible to say how many of these representations specifically requested the exercise of ministerial discretion, but many of them did so, if only by implication.

  Ministers overturn ECOs' decisions only in exceptional circumstances, as described in my letter to the hon. Member of 7 July 1993.

  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what guidance is given to entry clearance officers overseas regarding answering queries from hon. Members about their constituents; if he will publish this guidance; and what plans he has to issue revised guidance.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  Entry clearance officers at posts are instructed not to reply direct to letters received from Members of Parliament but to acknowledge them and return them to the migration and visa correspondence unit for reply.

  The arrangements for handling enquiries on immigration were set out in the booklet "Representation by Members of Parliament on Visa and Immigration Cases—A Guide" which was circulated to Members under cover of my letter of 7 July 1993.

  There are no current plans to update this guidance.

  Belize
  Sir Thomas Arnold
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions have taken place with the Belize Government for assistance consequent upon the withdrawal of the battalion from Belize; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Goodlad
  We have made it clear to the Belize Government that we stand ready to participate in any consultations that they may request on Belize's future security and that we are prepared to play our part in any consultations which would lead to an appropriate response should the security of Belize be threatened in the future. We will also maintain our programme of assistance to the Belize defence force and Belize will continue to be a beneficiary under Britain's bilateral aid programme.

  Jammu and Kashmir Document
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action he has taken to date with the Indian authorities in respect of Madam Speaker's statement of 21 February,Official Report, column 21, regarding the document from Jammu and Kashmir; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  We have taken no action with the Indian authorities.

  "National Security"
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will provide an explanation of the phrase "national security" used in the Intelligence Services Bill; and how this term relates to the use of the term "national security" in section 27 of the Data Protection Act 1984.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The term "national security" has been in general use for many years and is well recognised and understood in statute. It is used in both the Intelligence Services Bill and Data Protection Act 1984 in the same way as in the many other statutes in which it is included with no further definition.

  "Serious Crime"
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what are the differences between the meaning of "serious crime", used in the Intelligence Services Bill[Lords] and the term "serious arrestable offence" used in the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  A detailed definition of "serious arrestable offence" is provided in the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 for the particular purposes of that Act. The term "serious crime" is widely understood and in the context of the Intelligence Services Bill does not require further definition.

  Public Interest Immunity Certificates
  Mr. Darling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many public interest immunity certificates he has signed in each year since 1990.

  Mr. Goodlad
  [holding answer 15 March 1994]: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has signed two public interest immunity certificates since 1990. The first was dated 26 June 1991 and the second 26 January 1992. Both were signed in connection with the case of Andrew Balfour, who was dismissed from the diplomatic service.

  Chemical Weapons Treaty
  Mr. Canavan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects to introduce legislation to ratify the chemical weapons treaty; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  We intend to introduce the legislation necessary to ratify the chemical weapons convention as soon as parliamentary time permits.

  Korea (Military Manoeuvres)
  Mr. Parry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on reports of the cancellation of team spirit military manoeuvres on the Korean peninsula.

  Mr. Goodlad
  Exercise Team Spirit is a matter for the Governments of the Republic of Korea and the United States of America.

  Pakistan
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he has taken to secure a report from the Pakistani authorities concerning the murder of Mohammed Afzal in Juarah village, Pakistan on 4 October 1992.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  The British high commission in Islamabad continues to press the Pakistani authorities for a full report. However, as Mr. Afzal was a dual British-Pakistani national, they are not compelled to provide it.

EDUCATION

  Self-financing Regulatory Authorities
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many self-financing regulatory authorities his Department has set up since 1979; what was the annual running cost of each of the self-financing regulatory authorities in each of the last three years; what is the current staffing establishment; and what it was last year and two years ago.

  Mr. Boswell
  The Department has set up no self-financing regulatory authorities since 1979.

  Rules and Regulations
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many rules and regulations his Department has passed in each of the last three years.

  Mr. Boswell
  The Department's records give the number of general statutory instruments passed in each of the last three years as follows:

  Year

  Number

  1991

  59

  1992

  68

  1993

  74

  TOTAL

  201

  The number of local statutory instruments for each of the last three years is as follows:

  Year

  Number

  1991

  12

  1992

  9

  1993

  7

  TOTAL

  28

  Quangos
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will list the number of quangos for which he is responsible; how much in public funds has been given to each quango in each of the last three years; what is the current staffing establishment of each quango; and what it was five years ago.

  Mr. Boswell
  Such information is contained in the publication "Public Bodies 1993" and earlier editions of the same publication. Copies of all editions are available in the Libraries of the House.

  Pupils (Exclusion)
  Mr. Eastham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many pupils are wrongly excluded(a) for a fixed term, (b) indefinitely and (c) permanently, in the (i) north, (ii) central and (iii) south districts in Manchester.

  Mr. Forth
  Such information is not held centrally.

  Doncaster College
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what correspondence he has had with the principal of Doncaster college during the last three months in respect of(a) the appointment and (b) the ending of appointment of college governors; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Boswell
  There has been no such correspondence during this period between my right hon. Friend and the principal of Doncaster college. The Department has, however, received correspondence from a governor on a number of matters relating to the conduct of the corporation and this is being pursued with the chairman of governors of Doncaster college.

  School Tuck Shops
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will make it his policy to recommend to the governing body of schools that only drinks which are sucrose-free should be stocked in tuck shops on school premises indicating from which manufacturers such drinks can be bought.

  Mr. Forth
  Local education authorities and, where appropriate, governing bodies of self-governing—grant-maintained—schools are responsible for providing meals and any other food, including drinks, at their schools. It is for them to decide what is provided, taking into account local circumstances.

PRIME MINISTER

  Ministerial Receptions
  Mr. Boyes
  To ask the Prime Minister what was the cost of prime ministerial receptions in 1993–94.

  The Prime Minister
  The cost to my office of ministerial receptions in 1993–94 is included in the overall administrative expenditure which is published every year in the Cabinet Office departmental report.

  Iraq (Sanctions)
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Prime Minister following the meeting on 23 February between the head of the middle eastern department of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Riad El Taher and the hon. Member for Linlithgow, if he will consider the case for urging the United Nations to lift sanctions before the summer heat arrives in the valleys of the Tigris and Euphrates; and what estimate he has made of the incidence of disease in the river valleys.

  The Prime Minister
  [holding answer 10 March 1994]: I am looking into the specific point which the hon. Member put to me in the House on 8 March.
  704
  The Security Council decided on 18 January that there are no grounds for lifting sanctions but medical supplies have never been subject to sanctions. There is no authoritative estimate of the incidence of disease in the river valleys.

  Renault
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer of 11 February,Official Report, column 581, whether he will urge the French Government to sell Renault to a German car manufacturer.

  The Prime Minister
  No.

  Mr. Paul Bennett
  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Prime Minister which Minister signed in July 1992 the public interest immunity certificate in relation to the prosecution of Paul Bennett.

  The Prime Minister
  My right hon. and learned Friend the then Home Secretary signed the certificate.

  Royal Tour (Caribbean)
  Mr. Lewis
  To ask the Prime Minister what is the purpose of the royal tour of the Caribbean and the cost, including the use of the royal yacht Britannia; and under which expenditure heads the cost will be borne.

  The Prime Minister
  The purpose of Her Majesty the Queen's visit to Commonwealth countries and dependent territories in the Caribbean basin and to Bermuda was to reaffirm the close relationship which exists between the United Kingdom and those countries and territories. In each destination a number of specific objectives were achieved. These included demonstrating the importance we attach to our continuing responsibility for the dependent territories; and the Queen's continuing commitment to her realms. The visit to Guyana marked our recognition of the restoration of democratic government there.

  Costs to the United Kingdom will be borne by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Ministry of Defence, the Metropolitan police and by Buckingham palace. Exact figures are not available: some bills have not yet been presented and the cost of diplomatic service staff who worked on the visit could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Information on the cost of individual voyages by the royal yacht is not maintained.

  General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade
  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer of 21 January,Official Report, column 850, which treaty provisions will apply when deciding whether the European Parliament will be consulted on the ratification of GATT.

  The Prime Minister
  The European Parliament will be consulted in accordance with the provisions of article 228 of the treaty of Rome, as amended by the Maastricht treaty. The Foreign Affairs Council agreed on 21 February that the assent procedure, as set out in that article, will apply.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Management Systems
  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 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 16 February,Official Report, columns 857–59.

  Sir John Wheeler
  The majority of the systems were developed in-house using existing equipment with the remaining six systems being purchased at a cost of £320,000 from the companies listed:

  Britannia Information Business Systems Ltd.

  BIS Ltd.

  RMS Service.

  It is not possible to estimate the time taken to commission the various systems.

  The systems were not designed with the intention of producing savings, but as an effective and efficient means of providing proper asset management. Therefore no figures for savings are available.

  At this stage the systems have not had any discernible impact on the identification of theft.

  Rules and Regulations
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many rules and regulations his Department has passed in each of the last three years.

  Sir John Wheeler
  The information is as follows:

  Statutory rules laid

  Statutory instruments made by the Secretary of State

  Regulations

  Orders

  Regulations

  Orders

  1991

  12

  25

  3

  3

  1992

  10

  20

  3

  6

  1993

  19

  17

  Nil

  4

  Quangos
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the number of quangos for which he is responsible; how much in public funds has been given to each quango in each of the last three years; what is the current staffing establishment of each quango; and what it was five years ago.

  Sir John Wheeler
  Such information is contained in the publication "Public Bodies 1993" and earlier editions of the same publication. Copies of all editions are available in the Libraries of the House.

  Arts (Business Sponsorship)
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) what reports he has sought or received from the Association for Business Sponsorship of the Arts (Northern Ireland) on its recent sex discrimination admission; and if he will make a statement on the 706
  Association for Business Sponsorship of the Arts' capabilities to conform to the law and accepted standards of good practice in recruitment and selection policies and procedures;

  (2) what action he proposes to take to ensure that the Association for Business Sponsorship of the Arts (Northern Ireland) designs and implements appropriate equal opportunities and fair employment policies, following its recent sex discrimination admission; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Ancram
  My Department is aware of a settlement by the Association for Business Sponsorship of the Arts in a recent sex discrimination case. Senior appointments within the association are made by its headquarters office in London in consultation, as appropriate, with regional committees.

  The Association for Business Sponsorship of the Arts is an independent company and it is a matter for it to ensure that its recruitment policies conform with the law and with accepted standards of good practice.

  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of whether the Association for Business Sponsorship of the Arts (Northern Ireland) conforms to his recently promulgated policy appraisal and fair treatment guidelines; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Ancram
  None. Northern Ireland Departments are still considering how best to apply the policy appraisal and fair treatment guidelines to services provided by or on behalf of the Government in the Province.

  Ulster Young Militants
  Mr. Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will proscribe the Ulster Young Militants; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir John Wheeler
  The question of whether this and other organisations should be proscribed is kept under review. The fact that a particular organisation is not proscribed confers no immunity from prosecution in respect of criminal acts which it or its members may commit.

  Victim Support
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the outcome of Victim Support Northern Ireland's request for additional funds to develop its services to victims of crime in Northern Ireland.

  Sir John Wheeler
  The Government acknowledge and commend the important work carried out by the staff and volunteers of Victim Support Northern Ireland to provide advice and support for the victims of crime. The organisation has been directly funded by the Northern Ireland Office since 1988.

  Victim Support Northern Ireland recently submitted a request for additional funding to enable it to create an executive management structure and develop its services to people of Northern Ireland. The Government recognise the importance of these developments and have allocated an additional £60,000 to the organisation. This represents a 30 per cent. increase on current annual funding—which will

  707
  bring total funding to £267,000 in 1994–95, and underlines the Government's commitment to the provision of effective support for victims recovering from the distress caused by crime.

SOCIAL SECURITY

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

  Mr. Hague
  The information requested is not available.

  Rules and Regulations
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many rules and regulations his Department has passed in each of the last three years.

  Mr. Scott
  The available information is in the tables.

  Number

  Statutory instruments made

  1991

  84(21)

  1992

  87(101)

  1993

  77(21)

  Government Bills which became Act

  1991

  4

  1992

  1

  1993

  2

  1 Orders in Council which are included in the total.

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

  Mr. Hague
  The cost of ministerial receptions and similar functions so far in 1993–94 is £4,990·60.

  In addition, the annual reception for disabled people and representatives of disability organisations was held on 10 March at an estimated cost of £6,000.

  Housing Benefit
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what percentage of(a) council tenants, (b) housing association tenants, (c) private tenants and (d) owner occupiers were in receipt of housing benefit in the Doncaster area for the latest date for which he has figures available; and what were the figures (i) 12 months and (ii) 24 months ago.

  Mr. Burt
  The available information is in the table.

  Percentage of Tenants in Receipt of Housing Benefit in Doncaster

  1991

  1992

  1993

  Local Authority

  65

  64

  62

  Housing Association2

  not collected

  40

  47

  Private3

  58

  not available

  not available

  Data Sources:

  The housing benefit management information system quarterly caseload counts of the number of claims where housing benefit is in payment, and,
  708
  1991 census figures and the housing investment programme returns made to the Department of the Environment for 1992 and 1993 of the numbers of tenancies, by tenure type.

  Notes:

  1 Because the information has had to be drawn from various sources, consistent data for the three years cannot be provided. The figures are, therefore, the best estimate based on the available information.

  2 The number of housing association tenants in receipt of housing benefit was not collected before May 1992.

  3 The information on private tenancies is not available for 1992 and 1993 because the data source of tenancy types cannot isolate owner-occupiers from non-housing association private tenancies. It also cannot identify unoccupied dwellings.

  4 Owner-occupiers in England and Wales have not been eligible for housing benefit (rate rebates) since April 1990 when community charge benefit was introduced.

  Child Support Agency
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement as to why the Child Support Agency's headquarters in Belfast refused to believe that the husband of Christine Joyce, the late Derek Joyce, had died four years ago, for the purposes of continuing to pay widow's benefit.

  Mr. Burt
  Owing to a clerical error, a maintenance application form was sent to Mrs. Joyce on 19 April 1993. An apology was sent to Mrs. Joyce on 4 May 1993 and the case was closed. The agency has had no further contact with Mrs. Joyce.

  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many cases referred to the Child Support Agency by hon. Members in 1993 have not yet resulted in a conclusive response being provided; and what action he is taking to ensure that such delays are avoided.

  Mr. Burt
  The chief executive of the Child Support Agency received more than 2,200 letters from hon. Members in 1993, of which 255 remain to be answered. Targets for answering letters are not currently being met, but necessary steps are being taken to ensure that letters from hon. Members are answered as promptly as possible.

  Maternity Pay
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement concerning maternity pay in Wales and on the EC pregnant workers directive 1992.

  Mr. Hague
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Erewash (Mrs. Knight) on 8 March at cols.139–40. The proposals outlined in the reply include maternity pay in Wales.

  Prisoners
  Mr. Blair
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) whether the Benefits Agency requests the Prison Service to inform it if a person is received into custody in England and Wales;

  (2) how much benefit he estimates was claimed fraudulently by prisoners in England and Wales last year;

  (3) how much he estimates to be the total amount of benefit fraudulently claimed by prisoners in England and Wales between 1987 and 1992;

  (4) how many fraudulent claims from prisoners in England and Wales have been reported by staff or the inmates themselves to the relevant authorities since 1987;
  709
  (5) what action has been taken since 1988 to close loopholes which may contribute to fraudulent claims for benefit from prisoners in England and Wales.

  Mr. Burt
  As with all referrals of benefit fraud, individual reports of benefit claims continuing after people have entered prison are always followed up, investigated where necessary and benefit terminated where appropriate. We do not, however, keep statistics to enable us to separate this type of fraud referral from other categories and are not, therefore, in a position to quantify historical losses.

  In response to the continuing problem of benefit fraud amongst prisoners new controls were introduced on 4 March. The Prison Service now provides the Benefits Agency and the Employment Service with a weekly list of all newly convicted prisoners in England and Wales. This will ensure that all benefit recipients have their cases reviewed on entry to prison.

  Furthermore, an exercise is being carried out by the three agencies to identify all benefits payments being made in the name of people who are currently in prison. Investigations will follow, benefit will be terminated where appropriate and recoveries sought in all overpayment cases. Prosecutions will also be considered in each case.

  Mr. Blair
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether the national insurance contributions unit informs the Benefit Agency following the receipt of form F1113 after a claimant is received into custody.

  Mr. Burt
  If a prisoner indicates on form F1113 that he was receiving a social security benefit immediately prior to his arrest the Contributions Agency informs the appropriate district office of the Benefits Agency or the Employment Services Agency, or both. However, new procedures now incorporate a full exchange of information between the Prison Service and the Benefits Agency so that all benefit claims will be reviewed on a person's entry to prison in England and Wales.

  Information Technology Services Agency
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what are(a) the staff numbers at each location of the Information Technology Services Agency and (b) the numbers of such staff at each location who are banned from transfer to other posts elsewhere within the Government service; what is the operative date of the ban; and on what date staff were made known of the ban.

  Mr. Hague
  The Information Technology Services Agency—ITSA—employs 4,500 permanent staff at locations in the north east, north west, Reading and London. ITSA's plans to transfer its day to day operations to the private sector, announced on 31 January, may affect up to 2,000 jobs mainly based in the north east and north west. Staff will be expected to transfer with the work under the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 1981.

  None of ITSA's staff has been banned from applying for posts elsewhere within the Government service.

  Quangos
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the number of quangos for which he is responsible; how much in public funds has been given to 710
  each quango in each of the last three years; what is the current staffing establishment of each quango; and what it was five years ago.

  Mr. Hague
  Such information is contained in the publication "Public Bodies 1993", and earlier editions of the same publication. Copies of all editions are available in the Libraries of the House.

  Self-financing Regulatory Authorities
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many self-financing regulatory authorities his Department has set up since 1988; what was the annual running cost of each of the self-financing regulatory authorities in each of the last three years; what is the current staffing establishment now; and what is was last year and two years ago.

  Mr. Hague
  None.

  Social Fund
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the budget for his Department's district social fund in respect of the Doncaster area for the current year as set at 1 April 1993; whether the budget was subsequently increased; how much remains in the budget; how many applicants have been refused a grant, giving the reason for refusal; how many applicants have been refused a loan, giving the reasons for refusal; how many applicants refused made an appeal; and how many of these appeals were successful.

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

  Letter from Mr. M. Bichard to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 15 March 1994:

  The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Social Fund (SF) in the Benefits Agency's (BA) Doncaster District.

  Details of the initial budget allocations for the Doncaster District for the 1993–94 financial year are in the Library. There has not been any subsequent additional budget allocation this year. The balance outstanding as at 28 February 1994, the latest date for which figures are available, was £100,544 for grants and £130,270 for loans.

  You asked for the number of applicants refused a grant or loan in the District. Information on the SF is not kept by SF applicant but by SF application. At 28 February 1994 the numbers of grant and loan applications refused were 4,873 and 4,407 respectively. The reasons for refusal are given at Annex A.

  The new Social Fund Computer System, introduced to Doncaster in September 1993, provides a more detailed record of the reason each individual item within an application is refused. This was not previously the case. Consequently, statistics from the two systems are not always compatible.

  There is no right of appeal against discretionary SF decisions. Applicants dissatisfied with a decision may seek a review of the decision and this is initially conducted within the District. If still dissatisfied, the applicant can ask for a review by the Independent Review Service (IRS) which is independent of the Department and the Agency. For the period 1 April 1993 to 28 February 1994, 1,503 review applications were received by Doncaster District. These figures include those that requested a review by the IRS. Overall, 370 resulted in a changed decision.

  I hope you find this reply helpful.
  711

  Annex A

  Details of grant and loan refusals for the Doncaster District— 1 April 1993 to 28 February 19941 by reason.

  Reason for refusal

  Grants

  Loans

  Not in receipt of income support (IS)

  412

  520

  In receipt of IS for less than 26 weeks

  —

  1,959

  Direction 4 not satisfied

  8,694

  —

  Applicant exluded by Direction

  1

  3

  No serious risk to health or safety

  —

  720

  Requested amount below minimum allowable

  12

  100

  Repeat application

  156

  474

  Item excluded by Direction

  94

  158

  Alternative item available

  8

  43

  Help available from another source

  25

  80

  Grant awarded on loan request

  —

  567

  Savings over £500 meet cost

  7

  3

  Savings over £1,000 meet cost (customer or partner over 60)

  3

  2

  Enough money available to meet crisis

  —

  1

  Total debt exceeds £1,000

  —

  10

  Inability to repay

  —

  191

  Insufficient priority

  13

  602

  Other reasons

  54

  137

  1 Latest available data

  Mr. Robert Ainsworth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what restrictions are currently being imposed on payments from the social fund in Coventry;

  (2) what extra provision has been made to meet the extra demand on the social fund as a result of Bosnian refugees taking up residence in Coventry.

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

  Letter from Mr. M. Bichard to Mr. Robert Ainsworth, dated 15 March 1994:

  The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Questions about the Social Fund (SF) in Coventry.

  Firstly, you asked what restrictions are currently being imposed on payments from the SF in Coventry. It might be helpful if I explain that it is the duty of the Area Social Fund Officer (ASFO) to manage the District SF allocation so that the highest priority needs are consistently met throughout the year. To do this the ASFO issues guidance to Social Fund Officers (SFO) on the high, medium and low priority needs within the District. It must be pointed out that whilst SFOs must take this guidance into account it is not binding on them. As such, a SFO may raise the priority of an application in order to make a payment.

  I can inform you the ASFO at Coventry has decided that high and medium priority application can be consistently met from the District allocation. Other than the exclusions mentioned in the Secretary of State directions no restrictions are imposed on any Benefit Agency District with regard to making payments from the SF.

  Finally, in answer to your second question, the District has been able to meet the SF expenditure as a result of applications from Bosnian refugees taking up residence in the Coventry area from their existing allocation.

  I hope you find this reply helpful.

  Benefit Recipients (Hospital)
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what steps he is taking to clarify whether the item in social security form BR2215, referring to the need to inform the Benefits Agency if a recipient goes into hospital, applies to out-patient visits.
  712
  Mr. Hague
  The administration of retirement pension and widows benefit, for which this form is used, is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from Mr. M. Bichard to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 15 March 1994:

  The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking about clarification of the wording in form BR2215.

  Form BR2215 is used where a customer has their Retirement Pension or Widows Benefit paid direct into an account every four or thirteen weeks. The form comprises of a set of notes which advise the customer which changes in their circumstances should be reported; the form is issued every year at the time of the uprating. The note which refers to "going into hospital" does not apply to customers who are visiting a hospital as an out-patient. The wording of the note on the BR2215 is identical to the corresponding note that appears in order books.

  We have no evidence to suggest that the present wording is misleading our customers into notifying us of out-patient visits. Therefore, at this stage, there are no plans to alter the wording of the note.

  I hope you find this reply helpful.

  Cold Weather Payments
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many cold weather payments have been made in each region of Scotland since October 1993.

  Mr. Scott
  The administration of the cold weather payment scheme is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from Mr. M. Bichard to Mr. Malcolm Bruce, dated 14 March 1994:

  The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many cold weather payments have been made in each region of Scotland since October 1993.

  Statistics relating to cold weather payments are not collated on a regional basis, however they are kept for each Benefit Agency District.

  The attached appendix shows the number of cold weather payments made to people in the areas covered by each Benefits Agency District in Scotland from 1 November 1993, the date when the current cold weather payment season began, to 31 January 1994, the latest date for which figures are available.

  I hope you find my reply helpful.

  Cold weather payments in Scotland 1 November 1993 to 31 January 1994

  Benefits agency district

  Number of payments

  Clyde Coast and Cowal

  16,686

  Clyde Valley

  32,297

  Coatbridge

  24,157

  East Lowlands

  35,495

  Fife

  31,984

  Forth Valley

  28,354

  Glasgow City

  21,081

  Glasgow East

  37,892

  Glasgow Laurieston

  36,842

  Glasgow South West

  20,730

  Glasgow West

  22,794

  Grampian and Shetland

  43,815

  Highlands and Islands

  20,671

  Irvine and Kilmarnock

  25,848

  Lomond and Argyll

  8,538

  Lothian Central

  20,787

  Lothian West

  26,700

  Renfrew

  23,381

  713

  Benefits agency district

  Number of payments

  South West Scotland

  26,107

  Springburn and Cumbernauld

  26,471

  Tayside

  48,538

EMPLOYMENT

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

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The cost of receptions held by Ministers in the Employment Department in 1993–94 is £4,042.

  Employment Policy
  Mr. Jenkin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what aspects of Government employment policy are subject to legal proceedings.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  All actions, decisions or legal instruments by Government Departments are in principle subject to judicial review. The EC Commission may bring infraction proceedings under article 169 of the EC treaty where it believes the legislation of a member state is inconsistent with EC law. A member state may also bring proceedings in the European Court of Justice to challenge the legal basis on which EC directives or other instruments have been adopted.

  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is responsible for two areas of employment law which are currently subject to judicial review or infraction proceedings:

  (i) The Unfair Dismissal (Variation of Qualifying Period) Order 1985, which introduced the two-year qualifying period for unfair dismissal, is being challenged as constituting indirect sex discrimination in the case of R. v. Secretary of State for Employment ex parte Smith and Perez;

  (ii) proceedings against the United Kingdom under article 169 of the EC treaty, in respect of the acquired rights and collective redundancies directive, are currently before the European Court of Justice, where the outstanding issue is whether the United Kingdom must specifically provide for employee representatives for the purpose of consultation.

  The United Kingdom has initiated proceedings in the European Court of Justice to challenge the health and safety legal basis of the recently adopted directive on working time.

  Accidents
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what are the latest annual accident figures for(a) the Doncaster area and (b) South Yorkshire, as a whole; and what are the corresponding figures for (i) five years and (ii) 10 years ago.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The available information is provided in the following table. Due to changes in the reporting of major injury legislation, figures for 1983 are not directly comparable with those for later years.
  714
  Occupational injuries in Doncaster and South Yorkshire as reported to the Health and Safety Executive's factory and agricultural inspectorates and local authorities1

  Fatal

  Major2

  Over 3 days3

  Doncaster

  1988–89

  —

  216

  955

  1992–935 4

  2

  206

  824

  South Yorkshire

  1988–89

  8

  940

  4,785

  1992–935 4

  9

  831

  3,923

  1 Injuries at work to employees and self-employed people, and members of the public injured as a result of someone else's work activity. Figures based on reports made under the Notification of Accidents and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations for the calendar year 1983 and under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1985.

  2 Chiefly amputations, serious fractures and other injuries requiring hospitalisation for more than 24 hours. The definition was extended by the introduction of RIDDOR in April 1986 and therefore later figures should not be directly comparable with those for 1983.

  3 Injuries causing incapacity for normal work for more than three days.

  4 Includes injuries reported to HSE's quarries inspectorate.

  5 Provisional.

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. Alan W. Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what has been the change in the number of(a) full-time male employees and (b) part-time female employees since May 1979.

  Miss Widdecombe
  Estimates of part-time and full-time employees are available only for quarter months. The available information is shown in the table:

  Employees in employment: Great Britain (Seasonally adjusted)

  Thousands

  Male Full-time

  Female Part-time

  Jun 1979

  112,390

  3,837

  September 19932

  9,405

  4,794

  Change

  -2,985

  +957

  1 June 1978. Male full-time estimates are not available for 1979.

  2 Latest available.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what percentage of people were shown as out of work or seeking it in the labour force survey, in each quarter since 1979; what was the percentage of official unemployment as measured at the time and the percentage on the unemployment count as now calculated; and if he will make a statement explaining trends in the differences between the figures.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The official measure of unemployment from the labour force survey is shown for the period requested in the table. These figures have remained the same as when first published. For comparative purposes, the claimant unemployment figures on the consistent seasonally adjusted and unadjusted bases are also given. Since the introduction of the internationally comparable International Labour Organisation measure of unemployment in 1984 both official measures of unemployment have shown broadly similar trends.
  715

  Comparative Great Britain unemployment rates 1979–1993 (seasonally adjusted)

  Period1

  ILO unemployment rate (per cent.)2

  Claimant unemployment rate (per cent.)3

  Unadjusted unemployment rate (per cent.)4

  Spring 1979

  25·6

  4·0

  55·4

  Spring 1981

  29·5

  7·6

  510·4

  Spring 1983

  211·0

  10·3

  12·9

  Spring 1984

  11·7

  10·4

  11·3

  Spring 1984

  11·7

  10·4

  11·3

  Spring 1985

  11·1

  10·8

  11·6

  Spring 1986

  11·1

  11·0

  11·7

  Spring 1987

  10·6

  10·3

  10·8

  Spring 1988

  8·6

  8·3

  8·7

  Spring 1989

  7·1

  6·3

  6·4

  Spring 1990

  6·6

  5·4

  5·5

  Spring 1991

  8·2

  7·4

  7·6

  Spring 1992

  9·5

  9·5

  9·6

  Summer 1992

  9·9

  9·7

  9·7

  Autumn 1992

  10·2

  10·1

  10·0

  Winter 1992–93

  10·6

  10·5

  10·7

  Spring 1993

  10·3

  10·3

  10·5

  Summer 1993

  10·3

  10·3

  10·3

  1 From 1979 to 1983 the labour force survey was carried out biennially, and between 1984 and 1992, annually. Since spring 1992 the LFS has been conducted quarterly.

  2 The labour force definition of unemployment applied for the years 1979–1984. Thereafter, the internationally agreed ILO definition of unemployment has been used. This definition counts as unemployed those people without paid jobs who were available to start work within the next two weeks and had either looked for work in the four weeks prior to interview or were waiting to start a job they had already obtained. The LF definition of unemployment used prior to 1984 is essentially the same as the ILO version, except for the fact that it is based on looking for work in the single week prior to interview rather than four weeks as with the ILO definition. The ILO unemployment rate is the percentage of economically active people who are unemployed on the ILO measure.

  3 Seasonally adjusted unemployment consistent with current coverage. This series is based on the count of those claiming unemployment related-benefits at Employment Service local offices, formerly unemployment benefit offices—"the claimant count"—who on the day of the count were out of work, available for work, and actively seeking employment. The denominator used to calculate the rate consists of the unemployed, employees in employment, the self-employed, those on work related Government training schemes and Her Majesty's forces. The claimant count figures are the weighted averages of the published figures for the months of each LFS quarter.

  4 (a) "Claimant" or "Registrant" count figures that have not been adjusted for seasonal influences or for changes in the coverage of the monthly count.

  (b) From 1981 onwards the figures are from the claimant count. The 1983 rate uses the same denominator as the registrant count. Thereafter the denominator as described in (3) above.

  5 The 1979 and 1981 figures are from the "registrant count", a count of those registered as out of work. This count was abandoned in October 1982 when registration at a jobcentre became voluntary and threatened the integrity of the count. The denominator used to calculate the rate consisted of the unemployed and employees in employment.

  Public Bodies
  Mr. Kilfoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment who are the members currently appointed to the Race Relations Employment Advisory Group.

  Mr. Forsyth
  The members currently appointed to the Race Relations Employment Advisory Group are: Mr. S. Azam, Ms K. Carberry, Mr. R. Cochrane, Mr. E. Cotter, Mr. R. Gilbert, Dr. A. Hirmis, Ms M. Lai, Ms G. Mills, Mr. H. Ouseley, Mrs. K. Siviter, Ms S. Sootarsing, Mr. G. Taylor, Ms J. Tomlin, Mr. S. Ward and Mrs. C. Wells.
  716
  Mr. Kilfoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment who are the members currently appointed to the committees for the employment of people with disabilities.

  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. Employment Service regional directors and directors for Scotland and Wales appoint members of these committees on behalf of the Secretary of State. However, Ministers appoint their chairmen, and I am attaching a list of the current chairmen. All current appointments to CEPDs expire on 31 March 1994. The committees will be reconstituted for a term of three years, and all appointments considered afresh, from 1 April 1994.

  Committees for the employment of people with disabilities Current chairmen (to 31 March 1994)

  Name

  London and South East

  Essex

  Mr. Maurice Austin

  Hampshire

  Mrs. Jennifer Anderson

  Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and North Buckinghamshire

  Mr. Peter Banton

  Isle of Wight

  Mr. David Guy, MBE

  Kent

  Mr. Robin Carver, MBE

  London North

  Mr. Geoffrey Busby, OBE

  London south

  (vacant)

  Oxfordshire, Berkshire and South Buckinghamshire

  Ms Anne Dreydel, OBE

  Surrey

  Mrs. Heather Sheppard

  Sussex

  Mr. Martin Long

  North West

  Cumbria

  Mr. Brian Porter, MBE

  Cheshire

  Dr. David Robertson

  Lancashire

  (vacant)

  Greater Manchester

  (vacant)

  Merseyside

  Mrs. Linda Morris

  Scotland

  Ayrshire, Inverclyde and Argyll

  Mrs. Helen Ostrycharz

  Central Scotland

  Mr. Ian Sneddon

  Dumfries and Galloway

  Mr. John Henderson

  Glasgow, Renfrew and Dunbarton

  Mr. Alan Malcolm

  Grampian

  Mr. Keith White

  Highlands and Western Isles

  Mr. Donald Mackay

  Lanarkshire

  Mr. Arthur Bell

  Lothian and Borders

  Mr. John Denholm

  Orkney and Shetlands

  Mr. Peter Malcolmson, OBE

  Tayside and Fife

  Councillor Charles Farquhar

  Wales

  Clwyd and Powys

  Mr. John Ashton Edwards, OBE

  Gwent

  Miss Nina Shields

  Gwynedd

  Mr. Hugh Williams

  Mid Glamorgan

  Mr. Anthony Arnold, MBE

  South Glamorgan

  Mr. Lawrence Johnon

  South West Wales (covering West Glamorgan and Dyfed)

  Mr. William Gareth Davies

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  Bradford, Calderdale, and Kirklees

  Professor Mark Baker

  Humberside

  Mrs. Wendy Witter, MBE

  Leeds and North Yorkshire

  Dr. Patrick Nuttgens, CBE

  Sheffield and Rotherham

  Mr. Donald Fleet

  Wakefield, Barnsley and Doncaster

  Mr. Paul Jagger

  South West

  Avon

  Mrs. Susan Marshfield

  Cornwall and Plymouth

  Mrs. Margot Berry

  717

  Name

  Devon

  Mr. Peter McDonald

  Dorset

  Mr. Andrew Child

  Gloucestershire

  Mr. Neil Frewer

  Somerset

  Major General Tony Palmer

  Wiltshire

  Mr. Tim Papé

  Northern

  Cleveland

  Mr. Ted Fuller

  Durham

  Mr. Michael Smith

  North Tyne

  Dr. Graham Grant, MBE

  South Tyne and Wear

  Mr. Ian Armstrong

  East Midlands and Eastern

  Derbyshire

  Mr. Peter Broxham

  Leicestershire

  Mr. Philip Dawson Smith, MBE

  Lincolnshire

  Mrs. Katie Phillips

  Northamptonshire and Cambridgeshire

  Mr. Paul Newton

  West Midlands

  Birmingham and Solihull

  Mrs. Jane Harrison

  Coventry and Warwickshire

  Mrs. Jennifer Gove, OBE

  Dudley and Sandwell

  Mr. Michael Garrett

  Hereford and Worcester

  Mr. Michael Price, CBE

  Shropshire

  Mrs. Kate Moore

  Staffordshire

  Mr. Douglas Garvie

  Wolverhampton and Walsall

  Mr. Harold Canning

  Letter from M.E.G. Fogden to Mr. Peter Kilfoyle, dated 16 March 1994:

  The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking who are the members appointed to the Committees for the Employment of People with Disabilities.

  There are 60 CEPDs, each with an independent chairman, and up to 14 members. Chairmen are appointed by the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Employment with special responsibility for the employment of people with disabilities, on behalf of the Secretary of State. Members are appointed by my Regional Directors and Directors for Scotland and Wales, on behalf of the Secretary of State.

  CEPDs were established under the provisions of the Disabled Persons (Employment) Act 1944. Their statutory role is to advise and assist the Secretary of State for Employment on matters related to the employment and self-employment of people with disabilities in their areas. In practice they work closely with my people within their areas, particularly with Placing, Assessment and Advisory Teams, in promoting employment opportunities for people with disabilities.

  Each Committee includes equal numbers (either two or three) of members appointed after consultation with organisations representing employers and workers—to represent employers and workers generally. The other members are appointed as independents on the basis of the personal contribution they can make to work of their Committee. They usually include the manager of a local sheltered workshop, a member of the medical profession and other with a direct interest in the employment of disabled people locally.

  Because members are appointed at regional level, and the Committees work primarily with PACTs locally, we do not maintain an up to date national list of the 800 to 900 members of the Committees.

  I hope this is helpful.

  Youth Unemployment
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what new initiatives he plans to reduce youth unemployment in the Doncaster area.

  Miss Widdecombe
  The local employment service and training and enterprise council deliver a wide range of employment, enterprise and training programmes to help 718
  young people in the area find the best and quickest route to employment. The number of young people who have waited for more than eight weeks for a youth training place in the Doncaster area has fallen by 98 per cent. in the last year. The Government intend to improve the range of opportunities available to school leavers still further in Doncaster and elsewhere by introducing modern apprenticeships in 1995.

  European Regional Funding
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how his Department assesses applications made for European Union objective 3 funding from Wales; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The European social fund is very heavily subscribed and highly competitive. Initially, project selection criteria are applied by each of the sectors responsible for managing ESF applications. These criteria reflect the priorities set out in the objective 3 plan to use ESF resources throughout Great Britain for 1994 onwards. They ensure that sector managers recommend to the Employment Department those projects which provide high quality and best value for money. The Department then considers the applications and issues approval letters where appropriate. This assessment process applies to applications across the whole of Great Britain, including Wales.

  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish a list of all applications made for EU objective 3 funding to his Department in respect of areas of Wales; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Until the negotiations on the objective 3 plan to use European social fund resources throughout Great Britain have been concluded, it is not possible for the Employment Department to invite or approve any applications for ESF assistance. Meanwhile the sector managers involved in objective 3 have already applied selection criteria to prospective projects. This will minimise delay in submitting recommended applications to the Department once the Commission has approved the plan. I advised the hon. Member in the reply I gave to him on 14 February 1994,Official Report, column 643, that we continue to press upon the Commission the need to have an urgent decision.

  Social Charter
  Mr. Dykes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will itemise(a) the key elements of policy listed in the principal items of the existing European Community's social action programme and (b) the principal items in the proposed social charter provisions restricted to the other 11 EU member states.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  For the complete list of items included in the social action programme, I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to the hon. Member for Battersea (Mr. Bowis) on 19 October 1992,Official Report, columns 116–20.

  The only item to have been taken forward so far under the agreement on social policy by the other 11 member states is the proposal for a Council directive on mechanisms for informing and consulting employees.

  Quangos
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the number of quangos for which he is responsible; how much in public funds has been given to each quango in each of the last three years; what is the current staffing establishment of each quango; and what it was five years ago.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Such information is contained in the publication "Public Bodies 1993" and earlier editions of the same publication. Copies of all editions are available in the Library.

  Outdoor Education Centres
  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list all outdoor education centres, giving their location and the frequency of visits made by the Health and Safety Executive over the last five years.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The information is not collected in the form requested and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

HEALTH

  Ambulance Services
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the percentage response by each ambulance service in England meeting the minimum standard within the patients charter; what are the comparable figures for meeting the ORCON standard; what were the comparative figures for the previous two years; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Sackville
  The information available is included in "Patient Transport Services 1992–93", copies of which are available in the Library.

  Ambulance emergency response time standards, commonly referred to as ORCON standards, were first introduced in 1974. Revised standards, introduced following a 1990 review, are in the patients charter.

  Health Visitors
  Ms Jowell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many health visitors are now being trained; and how many in 1984.

  Mr. Sackville
  The information is shown in the table.

  Year Ending 31 March

  Entries to Training

  1984

  848

  1992

  694

  Source: English National Board for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting Annual Report Table 5.3.

  The number of whole-time equivalent health visitors in 1994 was 9,700 and in 1992 was 10,250—an increase of 5·6 per cent. over the last eight years.

  Counterfeit Medicines
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many manufacturers of counterfeit medicines have been detected in the United Kingdom this year; and 720
  what steps are being taken by the Medicines Control Agency to protect NHS patients from counterfeit medicines, particularly in respect of those that are entering the country under the guise of parallel imports.

  Mr. Sackville
  Two. All reports of possible counterfeits are immediately investigated by the enforcement unit of the Medicines Control Agency, MCA, and any subsequent investigation given a high priority. The MCA also assesses the degree of hazard to the public and if necessary alerts relevant organisations and the public accordingly.

  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many reports her Department has received of counterfeit medicines being(a) detected and (b) distributed in the United Kingdom in each year since 1990 and to date in 1994; and if she will name the products involved and the source of the products.

  Mr. Sackville
  Information in this detail could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  The Department of Health receives between 20 and 30 such reports each year, the products involved are usually major brand leaders or—more recently—anabolic steroids. Eighty per cent. of the reports are related to "diverted" products. These products are legally manufactured within product specification but diverted to the United Kingdom from other markets.

  Greater London Health Authority
  Ms Jowell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much money was allocated to Greater London health authority purchasers in each year since 1990; and what percentage this represents of all revenue funding for hospitals and community health services in each year.

  Mr. Sackville
  Allocations to district health authorities as purchasers of health care were made for the first time in the 1991–92 financial year. It is the responsibility of regional health authorities to allocate resources to districts and this information is not separately identifiable in the information collected by the Department.

  Expenditure by district health authorities in Greater London in 1991–92 and 1992–93 is shown in the table; it excludes expenditure by general practitioner fund holders. The figures for individual authorities over the two years are not directly comparable in every case because of boundary changes.

  Figures for 1993–94 are not yet available.

  Greater London district health authorities' expenditure accounted for 18·1 per cent. of total expenditure by district health authorities in England in 1991–92 and 18·0 per cent. in 1992–93.

  1991–92 (£)

  1992–93 (£)

  Barnet DHA

  130,730,177

  132,241,755

  Harrow DHA

  88,397,307

  90,006,782

  Hillingdon DHA

  83,518,302

  86,111,744

  Hounslow and Spelthorne DHA

  107,625,179

  112,230,351

  Ealing DHA

  103,110,478

  109,108,576

  Riverside DHA

  186,629,392

  194,018,538

  Parkside DHA

  238,303,679

  247,777,479

  Barking, Havering and Brentwood DHA

  153,568,011

  159,857,405

  Hampstead DHA

  60,483,821

  62,510,951

  City and Hackney DHA

  107,363,560

  99,429,552

  Newham DHA

  99,756,200

  103,351,059

  Tower Hamlets DHA

  80,426,175

  78,932,970

  721

  1991–92 (£)

  1992–93 (£)

  Enfield DHA

  96,196,452

  101,677,262

  Haringey DHA

  92,736,373

  99,423,594

  Redbridge DHA

  88,194,556

  92,187,298

  Waltham Forest DHA

  96,763,754

  100,435,238

  Bloomsbury and Islington DHA

  178,471,140

  191,942,037

  Bexley DHA

  71,303,254

  77,543,500

  Greenwich DHA

  91,659,692

  99,359,709

  Bromley DHA

  110,819,831

  119,819,385

  West Lambeth DHA

  88,371,499

  471,547

  Camberwell DHA

  84,269,767

  482,703

  Lewisham and North Southwark DHA

  145,155,564

  365,351,088

  Croydon DHA

  109,082,512

  116,944,624

  Kingston and Esher DHA

  68,653,248

  75,032,766

  Richmond, Twickenham and Roehampton DHA

  96,517,808

  99,424,758

  Wandsworth DHA

  104,631,717

  111,878,599

  Merton and Sutton DHA

  132,302,204

  141,250,768

  Authority name

  1992–931

  1991–92

  1990–91

  1989–90

  1988–89

  £

  £

  £

  £

  £

  North Derbyshire DHA

  1,174

  364

  65,691

  133,139

  86,340

  South Derbyshire DHA

  300,615

  272,887

  332,618

  260,008

  206,840

  Leicestershire DHA

  132,907

  343,566

  199,517

  486,702

  550,638

  North Lincolnshire DHA

  33,106

  63,260

  67,243

  116,566

  58,369

  South Lincolnshire DHA

  505,789

  400,036

  275,659

  238,824

  280,774

  Bassetlaw DHA2

  —

  122,903

  52,677

  49,560

  46,758

  Central Nottinghamshire DHA2

  —

  61,576

  30,522

  25,842

  27,395

  Nottingham DHA

  256,491

  315,829

  202,942

  252,601

  172,033

  Barnsley DHA

  96,461

  51,293

  46,239

  51,051

  35,182

  Doncaster DHA

  0

  0

  43,246

  44,584

  41,742

  Rotherham DHA

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Sheffield DHA

  0

  204,081

  453,053

  412,272

  295,469

  North Nottinghamshire DHA2

  67,282

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Source: Receipts and payments returns for district health authorities.

  1 Latest figures available are for 1992–93 and are provisional.

  2 Bassetlaw and Central Notts merged to form North Nottinghamshire in 1992–93.

  Powered Wheelchairs
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the estimated cost of including powered wheelchairs for occupant control out of doors in the artificial limb and appliance centre service; and what plans she has to provide this service.

  Mr. Bowis
  Decisions about the issue of wheelchairs, including powered indoor-outdoor wheelchairs, are matters for arrangement between district health authorities and national health service trusts. No estimate of the cost of providing these wheelchairs on a national basis has been made. In 1991–92 total expenditure on the wheelchair service was £46·93 million.

  Number of places in staffed residential care homes for people who are mentally ill or have learning disabilities 1

  Doncaster DHA

  Trent RHA

  Local authority

  Private

  Voluntary

  Local authority

  Private

  Voluntary

  1989

  168

  0

  73

  1,530

  1,440

  470

  1990

  168

  0

  73

  1,550

  1,640

  580

  1991

  183

  0

  75

  1,520

  1,780

  880

  1992

  220

  0

  93

  1,550

  1,940

  910

  1 Includes places in homes primarily for elderly mentally infirm people.

  722

  1991–92 (£)

  1992–93 (£)

  Total, DHAs Greater London

  3,095,041,652

  3,268,802,038

  Total, DHAs England

  17,114,662,189

  18,182,143,979

  Source: Annual accounts of health authorities (England).

  Notes:

  1. Figures shown are for total revenue expenditure.

  2. Figures for 1992–93 are provisional.

  Private Beds
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list for each district health authority in the Trent regional health authority the private bed income for each financial year since 1988–89 and for the current year to date.

  Mr. Sackville
  The information is shown in the table.

  Nursing and Residential Homes
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information she has on the changes in the number of places in staffed residential care homes catering primarily for people who are mentally ill or have learning difficulties in(a) the Doncaster health authority area and (b) Trent regional health authority in each of the last four years, divided into (i) publicly owned, (ii) privately owned and (iii) voluntary sector owned.

  Mr. Bowis
  The information requested is shown in the table.

  Cornwall Health Trust
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what date the non-executive directors of the Cornwall health trust requested assistance towards the cost of their defence on charges of libel; and what is her Department's response.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Officials of the National Health Service Management Executive received a letter dated 26 January from the chief executive of the Cornwall Healthcare NHS trust asking that consideration be given to meeting the cost of the legal action against the trust's non-executive directors from central funds. Mr. J. H. Askham has recently been appointed as chairman of the Cornwall Healthcare NHS trust: officials will shortly be discussing with him the way forward for the trust.

  Limb Defects
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what investigations or research her Department is carrying out in respect of children who have been born in England and Wales during the last 10 years with missing or defective limbs; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Sackville
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Hartlepool (Mr. Mandelson) on 1 March at column 678.

  Disciplinary Procedures
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what procedures her Department has to collect information from NHS trusts in regard to disciplinary action taken under the new procedure HC(90)9.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  We do not collect such information.

  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many doctors accused of personal misconduct under the new procedure have appealed to the Secretary of State under paragraph 190(d) procedures, for each year since 1990; and of these how many cases were(a) dismissed, (b) settled through premature retirement and (c) reinstated.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has received representations from two doctors under paragraph 190(d) of the "Terms and Conditions for Hospital Medical and Dental Staff (England and Wales)" to refer to a panel the question whether their appointment was terminated on the sole ground of personal misconduct. These representations were made in 1993 and the cases are still under consideration.

  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many doctors suspended from duty under the new procedure HC(90)9 for each year since 1990 have been suspended for(a) personal misconduct, (b) professional misconduct, (c) professional incompetence or (d) some other substantial reason;

  (2) how many doctors suspended from duty under the new procedure HC(90)9, for each year since 1990, have had (a) internal hearings only and (b) full independent professional hearings under annex B HC(90)9 procedures; how many cases were dismissed; in how many cases settlements were made out of court involving premature retirement of the doctor; and how many were reinstated;
  724
  (3) how many doctors were suspended from duty under the new procedure HC(90)9 for each year since 1990 in each region.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  This information is not available centrally. Decisions on disciplinary action for hospital doctors or dentists rest with the employing authority or trust. This includes the decision as to whether to suspend a practitioner.

  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many doctors suspended from duty under the new procedure HC(90)9 have been refused a request for a paragraph 190 hearing because the original ground for dismissal was personal misconduct.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Doctors who are suspended from duty cannot request a paragraph 190 hearing unless they are subsequently dismissed.

  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many doctors dismissed under the new procedures HC(90)9, for each year since 1990, have appealed to the Secretary of State under paragraph 190 procedures; and of these how many cases were(a) dismissed, (b) settled through premature retirement and (c) reinstated.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  A total of 11 appeals have been lodged by doctors eligible to appeal under paragraph 190 of the terms and conditions of service since the new procedures set out in HC(90)9 were introduced in March 1990. None of these appeals arose from the application of the procedures in HC(90)9.

  Of these 11 appeals two were upheld, two were dismissed and one was withdrawn. The outcome of the remaining six appeals is not yet known.

  Rheumatoid Arthritis
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what sums she has expended in each of the last five years for research into(a) the causes and (b) the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis; and if he will make a statement.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The Department is funding a resarch project to investigate long-term progression in rheumatoid arthritis and to study aetiology and prognostic factors. Departmental funding for this ongoing project began in 1980 at the clinical operational research unit—CORU—at University college London. The project is being funded in collaboration with pharmaceutical companies. The central funding is approximately £15,000 per year although this forms only part of the £327,975 allocated to CORU in 1993–94 to undertake its remit of studying applications of operational research and information technology to clinical aspects of health care.

  The main agency through which the Government support biomedical and clinical research is the Medical Research Council—MRC—which receives its grant-in-aid from the office of my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. The MRC is an independent body deciding what research to support on its own expert judgment.

  Psychiatric Care (Women's Wards)
  Ms Jowell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether she will direct that health authority purchasers must ensure that women who are admitted to psychiatric hospitals are guaranteed care on a women-only ward if they request it.

  Mr. Bowis
  Our advice to health authorities contained in the "Mental Illness Key Area Handbook", copies of which are available in the Library, is that one of women's particular concerns is the choice of a single sex ward or single sex area. In addition the patients charter requires health authorities to provide services which respect patients' privacy, dignity and religious and cultural beliefs.

  Mentally Ill People
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will ask the Mental Health Act Commission to monitor arrangements made for the aftercare of patients covered by section 117 of the Mental Health Act 1983, as recommended in the Ritchie report.

  Mr. Bowis
  We will consider this in consultation with the Mental Health Act Commission.

  Abortions
  Mrs. Bridget Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many abortions were performed on women who were less than 13 weeks pregnant(a) in each regional health authority and (b) in each district health authority, in England and Wales in 1992 and 1993; and how many of these operations involved admission and discharge of the patient on the same day.

  Mr. Sackville
  The information for 1992 will be placed in the Library. For reasons of confidentiality, statistics for district health authorities are presented by DHA of woman's usual residence, not by DHA of termination. Information for 1993 is not yet available.

  Mrs. Bridget Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many fee-paying private bed abortions were performed in NHS hospitals in each regional health authority in England and Wales in 1992 and 1993.

  Mr. Sackville
  Information on private abortions carried out in national health service hospitals is collected as part of the hospital episode statistics system. The quality and completeness of this data is at present inadequate to provide regional level data but analysis conducted so far indicates that in both 1991–92 and 1992–93 the proportion of all abortions carried out in NHS hospitals that were performed privately was approximately 1·5 per cent.

  Osteoporosis
  Mrs. Bridget Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding has been made available in each of the past five years to regional health authorities in London for screening osteoporosis; how many women in London have been screened for osteoporosis in each of the past five years; how many clinics exist in London for the specific purpose of screening for osteoporosis; and how many women in London have been diagnosed as suffering from osteoporosis in each of the past five years.

  Mr. Sackville
  There is no national population screening programme for osteoporosis and therefore no 726
  central funding as there is not yet evidence to show that such a programme would be effective. District health authorities are responsible for assessing need and for ensuring that suitable diagnostic services for individual women are made available.

  Medical Product Licences
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if the licensing authority responsible for granting product licences for parallel imports of medicines is currently subject to a legal challenge in the courts.

  Mr. Sackville
  On 26 January a pharmaceutical company in the United Kingdom was granted leave for a judical review of a decision by the Medicines Control Agency, on behalf of the licensing authority, to grant a parallel import product licence to a company to market a product imported from Belgium. The hearing is expected in April.

  Blue-green Algae
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information she has concerning the number of people in the North West Water region who are allergic to blue-green algae.

  Mr. Sackville
  None. The numbers of people with allergies are not available centrally.

  Illnesses including skin rashes, eye irritation, vomiting, diarrhoea, fever and pains in muscles and joints have occurred in people who swam through or swallowed water with an algal scum. Very few reports of such occurrences have come from the United Kingdom. There have been no reports of long term effects or deaths in humans from such exposures.

  In 1990, the Department advised that although algal scum is not always harmful, it is a sensible precaution to avoid contact with the scum and the water close to it.

  Accommodation
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what is the tenure of the Trent regional health authority headquarters' premises;

  (2) what is the tenure of the Doncaster health authority headquarters' premises.

  Mr. Sackville
  Trent regional health authority headquarters is freehold. Doncaster health authority headquarters is leasehold for 125 years from 4 December 1992.

  GP Fundholding
  Mr. Clapham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what were the average savings made by each fundholding practice in 1992–93.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Darlington (Mr. Milburn) on 17 January at column 387.

  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of the resources of fundholding general practice is being used to purchase health provision from the private sector; what is her policy in respect of such purchasing; and if she will make a statement.
  727
  Dr. Mawhinney
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Bristol, South (Ms Primarolo) on 7 February at column 52.

  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list those health authorities which have indicated to general practitioners an inability to fund extra-contractual referrals during the current financial year.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  This is a matter for individual district health authorities. The National Health Service Management Executive has issued guidance to district health authorities who are expected to work closely with general practitioners in managing their budget for extra contractual referrals. Copies of the guidance contained in FDL(93)07 are available in the Library.

  NHS Information
  Mr. Duncan Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will announce the results of the review of her Department's requirements for information from the NHS.

  Mr. Sackville
  We are anxious to do all we can to reduce further the number of forms which currently have to be filled in by national health service units and returned to the Department, as part of our statistical database.

  We have already reduced and rationalised the contents of 21 different forms. A further five returns are being abolished, because the information they contain is now available from other sources.

  In addition, I am pleased to announce that from 1 April this year the Department will no longer require returns giving the following information:

  Form KH10—Radiotherapy Machine Activity;

  Form KH13—Diagnostic Departments—Physiological Measurements;

  Form KO39—Hospital Eye Services.

  There is clearly a limit to the amount of information required by the Department and the NHS Management Executive on a national service regionally and locally administered. Moreover, release from the burden of filling in forms will give NHS units more time for activities which have a greater bearing on direct patient care.

  All statistical returns from the NHS are being continually reviewed.

  Michael Buchanan
  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health who are the members of the inquiry team set up by the North West London mental health trust to investigate the care and treatment of Michael Buchanan, convicted of manslaughter after discharge from Shenley psychiatric hospital; and whether the report will be published.

  Mr. Bowis
  The membership of the independent inquiry panel is:

  Mr. C. Heginbotham, Chief Executive, Riverside Mental Health Trust (Chairman);

  Dr. R. Hale, Consultant Psychiatrist, Tavistock Clinic;

  Mrs. L. Warren, Non-Executive Member, Brent and Harrow Health Authority;

  Mr. T. Walsh, Assistant Director of Commissioning, Brent and Harrow Health Authority;

  Mrs. J. Carr, Non-Executive Director, Parkside Health NHS Trust.

  The report of this panel will be made public.

  Food Poisoning
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of food poisoning of all types were recorded monthly in each year since 1988, by health authority.

  Mr. Sackville
  This information is not available in the form requested. Data are published weekly, quarterly and annually by regional health authority, standard regions and local authority areas in the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys MB2 series—Communicable disease statistics, copies of which are available in the Library.

  Rules and Regulations
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many rules and regulations her Department has passed in each of the last three years.

  Mr. Sackville
  The information is shown in the tables.

  Statutory Instruments Made

  Number

  1991

  122

  1992

  147

  1993

  141

  Government Bills which became Acts

  Number

  1991

  1

  1992

  0

  1993

  0

  Quangos
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the number of quangos for which she is responsible; how much in public funds has been given to each quango in each of the last three years; what is the current staffing establishment of each quango; and what it was five years ago.

  Mr. Sackville
  This information is contained in the publication "Public Bodies 1993" and earlier editions of the same publication. Copies of all editions are available in the Library.

  Peto Institute
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, (1) pursuant to her answer of 1 February,Official Report, column 597–98, what study her Department has made of the extent to which families and institutions in the United Kingdom now require the services of the proposed International Peto Institute in Budapest;

  (2) what assessment her Department has made of whether the proposed International Peto Institute will deliver training to meet United Kingdom standards and requirements;

  (3) when she will issue new briefing on conductive education;

  (4) what assessment she has made of whether the Government's policy that conductive education should be

  729
  available as an option within the system would be more effectively achieved by supporting the development of an equivalent facility in this country.

  Mr. Bowis
  The demand for the services of the proposed new International Peto Institute will become apparent when it comes into operation. Under the agreement between the United Kingdom and Hungarian Governments, the proposed new institute has to provide training in accordance with the standards established by the present Peto Institute. The Department of health has already provided funding under its section 64 scheme to the Birmingham Foundation for Conductive Education and the Hornsey centre. There are no current plans to issue guidance on conductive education.

  Self-financing Regulatory Authorities
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many self-financing regulatory authorities her Department or its predecessors has set up since 1979; what is the annual running cost of each of the self-financing regulatory authorities in each of the last three years; and what was the current staffing establishment at the latest available date, last year and two years ago.

  Mr. Sackville
  Since 1979, the Department has set up the United Kingdom Central Council for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting as a self-financing regulatory body.

  The total gross expenditure for 1992–93 was £8·657 million. Information on running costs for 1991–92 and 1990–91, and staffing for the last three years is detailed in "Public Bodies 1993" and earlier editions of the same publication. Copies of all editions are available in the Library.

  London Health Authorities
  Ms Jowell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients have been treated by each health authority in(a) Inner London and (b) Greater London since March 1993; and what were the figures in each of the three previous years.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Information is not yet available for the period since March 1993. Information for previous years is published in "Ordinary and Day Case Admissions for England", copies of which are available in the Library.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Agricultural Support
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what proportion of total agricultural support through direct payments is secured annually by(a) the largest 20 per cent. of farmers and (b) the smallest 20 per cent. of farmers.

  Mr. Jack
  I regret that the information is not available. While the farm business survey collects details of direct agricultural support payments from a sample of farms, it does not provide us with farm by farm returns which would be required to answer this question.

  Horticultural Imports
  Sir Roger Moate
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations she has received about damage to United Kingdom growers caused by the importation of foreign horticultural produce, with particular reference to lettuces, tomatoes and cucumbers, at prices below the cost of production, packaging and transport; and what powers exist either in the United Kingdom or the European Community to prevent such market distortions whether caused by EC or non-EC member states.

  Mr. Jack
  The Department has received representations from the NFU and growers about difficulties in the markets for salad crops. Market management of horticultural crops is a matter for the Commission. However, under the transitional terms provided for in the treaty of accession, the Commission may take measures in the event of exports from Spain to the rest of the Community disrupting markets. Some horticultural produce, including tomatoes and cucumbers but not lettuces, are currently subject to a reference price system which establishes minimum import prices at certain times of the year for produce from third countries.

  Self-financing Regulatory Authorities
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many self-financing regulatory authorities her Department has set up since 1979; what was the annual running cost of each of the self-financing regulatory authorities in each of the last three years; what is the current staffing establishment now; and what it was last year and two years ago.

  Mr. Jack
  Unfortunately this question could be answered only at disproportionate cost. I will write to the hon. Member to explain why this is the case.

  Quangos
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will list the number of quangos for which she is responsible; how much in public funds has been given to each quango in each of the last three years; what is the current staffing establishment of each quango; and what it was five years ago.

  Mr. Jack
  Such information is contained in the publication "Public Bodies 1993" and earlier editions of the same publication. Copies of all editions are available in the Libraries of the House.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

  Public Interest Immunity Certificates
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Lord President of the Council if he will make a statement on parliamentary scrutiny of the use of public interest immunity certificates; what proposals he has to improve such scrutiny; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Newton
  Scrutiny of public interest immunity certificates is a matter for the Courts in each case.

SCOTLAND

  Quangos
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the number of quangos for which he is responsible; how much in public funds has been given to each quango in each of the last three years; what is the current staffing establishment of each quango; and what it was five years ago.

  Mr. Lang
  Such information is contained in the publication "Public Bodies 1993" and earlier editions of the same publication. Copies of all editions are available in the Libraries of the House.

  Rules and Regulations
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many rules and regulations his Department has passed in each of the last three years.

  Mr. Lang
  The numbers of statutory instruments, including orders, schemes, rules, and regulations but excluding instruments made jointly with other Departments, made by my Department in the years 1991, 1992 and 1993 are:

  Table 1

  Current expenditure by education authorities on repair and maintenance of school buildings

  £ million at 1992–93 prices

  1978–79

  1984–85

  1989–90

  1990–91

  1991–92

  1992–93

  Borders

  0·825

  0·941

  1·233

  1·215

  1·226

  1·240

  Central

  4·081

  4·374

  4·065

  4·105

  4·471

  4·400

  Dumfries and Galloway

  0·850

  2·216

  2·889

  1·966

  2·875

  2·851

  Fife

  4·679

  5·878

  5·845

  6·359

  4·889

  5·697

  Grampian

  6·396

  9·848

  8·012

  8·439

  11·655

  15·726

  Highland

  2·303

  3·074

  4·394

  4·443

  4·012

  3·302

  Lothian

  12·949

  11·477

  8·182

  7·420

  7·309

  11·964

  Strathclyde

  58·646

  51·011

  49·342

  43·382

  43·785

  44·180

  Tayside

  4·351

  5·895

  5·705

  6·066

  6·844

  7·433

  Orkney

  0·186

  0·256

  0·265

  0·204

  0·220

  0·278

  Shetland

  0·325

  0·502

  0·574

  0·966

  1·322

  1·711

  Western Isles

  0·797

  0·500

  0·927

  1·166

  1·196

  1·001

  Table 2

  Capital expenditure by education authorities on school buildings

  £ million at 1992–93 prices

  1978–79

  1984–85

  1989–90

  1990–91

  1991–92

  1992–93

  Borders

  0·767

  1·423

  1·898

  3·491

  3·612

  2·718

  Central

  9·757

  1·688

  5·956

  5·175

  3·984

  5·877

  Dumfries and Galloway

  2·906

  3·702

  2·158

  1·527

  3·251

  3·787

  Fife

  6·604

  4·489

  6·938

  9·539

  4·432

  5·104

  Grampian

  19·942

  9·046

  4·671

  6·413

  7·624

  6·725

  Highland

  8·243

  1·273

  4·656

  3·437

  3·818

  5·119

  Lothian

  25·029

  9·258

  13·802

  10·425

  8·709

  18·011

  Strathclyde

  64·691

  31·117

  31·590

  25·984

  31·037

  29·226

  Tayside

  6·407

  3·294

  4·200

  3·467

  3·980

  5·458

  Orkney

  1·159

  1·953

  1·181

  1·422

  0·431

  1·154

  Shetland

  4·923

  2·850

  0·863

  0·922

  1·490

  4·001

  Western Isles

  1·131

  1·502

  1·890

  2·512

  2·990

  2·499

  Notes:

  1. The figures in table 1 have been compiled from local authority financial returns and in table 2 from capital payment returns submitted by local authorities to the Scottish Office. Both sets of figures have been adjusted to 1992–93 prices using the GDP deflator.

  2. Generally capital expenditure (table 2) is less in later years compared with 1978–79. This reflects a substantial and progressive decline in school pupil numbers which has reduced the requirement for new school building.
  732

  Number

  1991

  307

  1992

  381

  1993

  346

  Not all such instruments will have contained substantive regulatory provisions; information as to which instruments contained such provisions is not held centrally.

  School Buildings
  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what information he has regarding the amount spent by each local education authority in Scotland on the repair and maintenance of school buildings in(a) 1978–79, (b) 1984–85 and (c) in each year since 1989–90 at constant 1993 prices.

  Mr. Lang
  The available information is given in the tables. The capital figures in table 2 include expenditure on new building work as well as on repairs and maintenance, information on which is not recorded separately.

  Assisted Places Scheme
  Mr. Raymond S. Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he has yet determined the level of fee remission grant which will be available to parents under the assisted places scheme in school session 1994–95.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  My right hon. Friend is making £10·251 million available for fee remission in 1994–95. Fifty-five schools across Scotland will participate in the scheme. This funding should enable the number of pupils currently benefiting to be maintained at slightly above 3,000.

  Sea Birds
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the latest information he has on the number and species of birds found dead recently on the east coast of Scotland.

  Sir Hector Monro
  [holding answer 11 March 1994]: The Institute for Terrestrial Ecology, under contract to the Joint Nature Conservation Committee, is investigating levels of heavy metals and pesticide residues in samples of dead sea birds beached recently. Initial results indicate no significant level of contamination.

  Surveys of beached birds are carried out by various organisations and I understand that post mortems have been carried out to determine the general condition of dead birds. In many cases birds have been found to have suffered starvation.

  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what investigations are under way on the causes of deaths of sea birds on the east coast of Scotland.

  Sir Hector Monro
  [holding answer 11 March 1994]: The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds organised a survey of dead birds on beaches in east Scotland on the weekend of 26 and 27 February. The number of dead birds recorded was nearly 6,400, which is four times higher than a similar count last year.

  Eighty per cent. of birds found were guillemots, but other prominent species were shag and razorbill. The total number of dead birds will never be known exactly, but an estimate of 50,000 total fatalities is still valid.

  Forestry Commission
  Mrs. Bridget Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland which forests have been sold by the Forestry Commission in each of the last five years; to whom they were sold; for how much they were sold; and to what use they were put after sale.

  Sir Hector Monro
  Lists giving details of the areas of forest land sold by the Forestry Commission from the start of the disposals programme in July 1981 to December 1992 are held in the Library of the House. The lists provide the name of the purchaser and the price paid where the purchaser has agreed that this information can be made public. The Commission is compiling a list of the areas sold in 1993 and a copy will be placed in the Library shortly. The Commission does not maintain records of the subsequent use of the woodlands it sells. However, woodlands cannot normally be converted to another use without planning permission.

  Freshwater Fishing Rights
  Mr. Canavan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list full details, including the price of the lease from the Forestry Commission, of the freshwater fishing rights, excluding salmon, on Loch Awe and Loch Avich; and for what reasons the lease was not put up for public auction.

  Sir Hector Monro
  The Forestry Commission's fishing rights on Loch Awe and Loch Avich are leased to the Loch Awe Improvement Association for three years from 1 May 1992. The rent is £1 per annum; the association manages the fishings on behalf of the commission and issues day permits to the public.

  The lease was not offered on the open market because the commission considered that a lease to the association would be more successful in conserving the fish stocks and increasing the availability of authorised fishing for freshwater fish in the lochs, in accordance with the objectives of the Loch Awe and Associated Waters Protection Order 1992.

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

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  In Scotland there are 159 miles of trunk road motorway and a further 15 miles on non-trunk motorway, responsibility for which lies with local authorities.

  Twenty-two miles of new motorway is currently under construction, with a further 58 miles of new motorway planned.

  Much of the motorway network constructed in the 1960s and 1970s is reaching the end of its structural life and requires major maintenance or reconstruction. Some of this work may involve widening.

  Health Care International
  Mr. Galbraith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what system he has to monitor adherence to the conditions of authorisation as set out in the annex of the letter of authorisation for the Health Care International hospital at Clydebank dated 6 October 1987 and signed by N. S. Munro, assistant secretary, Scottish Home and Health Department.

  Mr. Stewart
  The Scottish Office has regular contact with senior representatives of HCI. These discussions cover matters relevant to the development of the hospital at Clydebank, including those specified in the authorisation.

  Outdoor Education Centres
  Mr. Jamieson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the names, location and county of each of the outdoor education centres in Scotland.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  I shall write to the hon. Member as soon as possible and place a copy of the letter in the Library of the House.

  GPs (Drug Sales)
  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will estimate the annual value of sales of Adifax, Tenuate, Dospan and Duromine direct to general practitioners;

  (2) what plans he has to control the supply of dangerous drugs direct to general practitioners.

  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 11 March 1994]: This information is not available. The sale of medicinal products direct to GPs for private purposes is outwith the national health service.

  The supply of dangerous drugs direct to general practitioners is already strictly regulated under the provisions of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and its subordinate legislation. Under regulations 9(4)(a) and 14(2) of the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 1985, an authorised supplier may supply schedule 3 drugs to a general practitioner only upon receipt of a written requisition.

  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will investigate allegations as to the sale of addictive dangerous drugs to general practitioners and their subsequent sale to customers for slimming purposes, without medical examination, at prices far in excess of the cost to the NHS;

  (2) what safeguards are in place to protect patients from being given addictive, hallucinogenic drugs for slimming purposes, without prior medical examination or control and supervision.

  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 11 March 1994]: If an allegation is made that a GP working within the NHS has breached his/her terms of service, it would be for the health board to consider in the first instance. The subsequent disciplinary procedure may involve the Secretary of State or the General Medical Council—GMC—at a later stage. Allegations of professional misconduct against a medical practitioner, whether or not he/she is working within the NHS, should be directed to the GMC.

  The safeguards in place to protect patients are as follows.

  All practising doctors in the United Kingdom must be registered with the GMC. A doctor found guilty of serious professional misconduct such as the prescription or supply of dependence—inducing drugs other than in the course of bone fide treatment, can be struck off or suspended from the register of the GMC.

  Also, detailed and specific guidance on the prescribing of drugs likely to cause dependence is provided in the British National Formulary—BNF—which is published

  General dental service expenditure on children in Scotland: 1992–93

  (a)

  (b)

  (c)

  (d)

  (e)

  Gross expenditure (£000)

  Number of registered children

  Number of children in the population

  Cost per registered child (£)

  Cost per child in the population (£)

  29,626

  702,037

  1,153,147

  42·20

  25·69

  Notes:

  1. The gross expenditure on general dental services (GDS) in column (a) comprises capitation payments, weighted entry payments, child item of service payments for treatments given under capitation, and child item of service payments for treatments given on an occasional basis in the financial year 1992–93.

  2. Column (b) is the number of children registered with a general dental practitioner (GDP) at September 1992.

  3. Column (c) is for June 1992.

  4. Children may also be treated in the community or hospital dental services as well as in the general dental service. Children who are not registered with a GDP may receive GDS treatment on an occasional basis.
  736
  jointly by the British Medical Association and the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain. The BNF is provided free of charge to all GPs within the NHS.

  Glasgow development agency
  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will investigate the withdrawal of Glasgow development agency funding from projects in the city; and if he will take steps to ensure the loss of this money is made up.

  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 11 March 1994]: The question of funding support from the local enterprise company for individual projects in the city of Glasgow is a matter for Glasgow development agency.

  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans the Glasgow development agency has to reduce funding to(a) the Glasgow regeneration fund, (b) Glasgow works and (c) the Glasgow education business partnership.

  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 11 March 1994]: This is a matter for the local enterprise company, which I am sure will be happy to discuss the matter with the hon. Member.

  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will investigate the reasons for Glasgow development agency's withdrawal of funding from Firhill business centre; and if he will take steps to save the project.

  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 11 March 1994]: The organisation, decision making and performance of Glasgow development agency are matters for the board of the local enterprise company itself, and for Scottish Enterprise.

  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will investigate the reasons for Glasgow development agency's withdrawal of funding from Firhill business centre; and if he will take steps to save the project.

  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 11 March 1994]: The level of support which Glasgow development agency provides for the Firhill business centre is a matter for the local enterprise company, but my right hon. Friend is not aware of any decision on its part to withdraw funding.

  Dentistry
  Ms Lynne
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the amount spent per child on general dental services, including in the calculation those not registered with a general dental practitioner.

  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 11 March 1994]: The information requested is as follows:
  737
  5. There is also some non-fee expenditure on general dental services (eg, reimbursement of non-domestic rates, maternity payments, and employer's superannuation payments) which cannot be apportioned between child and adult treatments. In the financial year 1992–93, this represented approximately 4 per cent. of expenditure on the GDS.

  Child Care
  Ms Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland 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. Stewart
  [holding answer 14 March 1994]: Good quality day care has a valuable part to play in the development of young children. Out-of-school care can help older children to develop a broad range of interests and to adopt a positive approach to the use of their leisure time.

  The Scottish Office supports the provision of various forms of day care through the urban programme and through grants under section 10 of the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968. In 1993–94 almost £7 million has been made available from these sources. Grants for out-of-school care projects are also available through local enterprise companies under the initiative launched last year by the Secretary of State for Employment.

  Within the local authority expenditure settlement for 1993–94 provision of £30·37 million was made for day care for children.

  The latest available information about the form and level of day care provision in Scotland is contained in the Scottish Office Bulletin "Services for Children 1991 and 1992", a copy of which has been placed in the Library.

  Public Interest Immunity Certificates
  Mr. Darling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many public interest immunity certificates he has signed in each year since 1990.

  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 15 March 1994]: In 1993, I signed two public interest immunity certificates and in each of the other years none.

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

  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 15 March 1994]: 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 Scotland how many bottles of(a) whisky and gin and (b) sherry and port were consumed by his private offices in 1993–94.

  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 15 March 1994]: Detailed information of this sort could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease
  Mr. George Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) how many people have died each year in Scotland from Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease over the past five years;

  (2) if he will list the dates and locations of each death in Scotland from Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease over the past five years and the respective dates on which the Department of Health's Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease surveillance units were first notified of each suspected case; and in any case where notification was not provided before death, if he will explain why notification was not provided earlier;

  (3) what is his Department's procedure for notifying health authorities of suspected cases of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.

  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 7 March 1994]: The number of people in Scotland who have died from Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) in each of the past five years is as follows:

  Definite

  Probable

  Possible

  1989

  5

  —

  —

  1990

  3

  —

  —

  1991

  5

  —

  —

  1992

  4

  —

  —

  1993

  5

  2

  2

  The location of deaths from CJD, both definite and probable, for the period 1 May 1990 to 30 April 1993 is given in figure 1 of the second annual report of the CJD surveillance unit. Of the cases notifed to the CJD surveillance unit before death, this occurred on average 61 days before death. However, in five cases diagnosis was made at post mortem by the CJD surveillance unit's dedicated pathology laboratory. This is an important source of data for the unit as there is no diagnostic test for CJD in life.

  There is no departmental procedure for notifying health boards of suspected cases of CJD, since the information would already be known to the clinician involved in the case. Information on suspected cases is available from the unit's annual report, a copy of which is available in the Library.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  Management Systems
  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Attorney-General how much the Law Officer's 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 16 February,Official Report, column 783.

  The Solicitor-General
  The Departments for which I am responsible have no computer-aided facilities management systems in place.

  Mr. Paul Bennett
  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Attorney-General (1) what representations he received from agencies of either the Government of South Africa, or the prosecution or judicial authorities of South Africa prior to committal proceedings against Mr. Paul Bennett;

  (2) what representations he received from agencies of either the United States Government or the United States prosecution or judicial authorities prior to committal proceedings against Mr. Paul Bennett.

  The Attorney-General
  None.

  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Attorney-General why a public immunity interest certificate was originally applied in the case of Paul Bennett; in what circumstances; and for what reason it was subsequently lifted.

  The Attorney-General
  Paul James Bennett was committed for trial on 22 May 1991 at Southwark Crown court by the Horseferry Road magistrates court. He then sought judicial review of the committal on the ground that he had been brought within the jurisdiction in circumstances which were unlawful.

  The applicant sought discovery of a number of documents relating to communications between police forces or prosecuting authorities, both in this country and abroad, in connection with the detention and investigation of crime and the apprehension of offenders. That is a class of document which ordinarily attracts public interest immunity and in July 1992 the then Home Secretary signed a public interest immunity certificate in respect of those documents. In the event the question of disclosure did not arise for decision at that stage because the divisional court dismissed the application for judicial review on the ground that it had no power to inquire into the circumstances by which a person had been brought within the jurisdiction.

  That ruling was the subject of a successful appeal to the House of Lords, which remitted the case to the divisional court on 24 June 1993. That court considered the question of disclosure on 19 October 1993. The Crown agreed on the advice of counsel that the court should be invited to order discovery of the documents, on the ground that they went to the heart of a factual dispute which had by then been made material by the decision of the House of Lords. The court upheld the claim for public interest immunity, but accepted that, in the circumstances of the particular case, the balance of the competing public interests lay in disclosure.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Quangos
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the number of quangos for which he is responsible; how much in public funds has been given to each quango in each of the last three years; what is the current staffing establishment of each quango; and what it was five years ago.

  Mr. Eggar
  Such information is contained in the publication "Public Bodies 1993" and earlier editions of the same publication. Copies of all editions are available in the Libraries of the House.

  Aid and Trade
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade which aid and trade provision projects approved for Indonesia since 1979 could be used to support military activity; and what monitoring takes place of whether aid and trade provision projects are used to support Indonesian military activity.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  I have been asked to reply. The majority of the aid and trade provision allocations in Indonesia have been for civil infrastructure, e.g. for electricity generation, railways development and the provision of bridging materials. We have also supported projects for a wide range of other purposes, e.g. coal mining and improvement of university science facilities. None of the projects we have supported is designed to support military activity and we have no indication that any have been so used. Frequent monitoring visits to assess progress in implementation and ex-post project evaluation visits have not indicated any evidence of military use.

  Mr. Tom Clarke
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will publish the Government's best estimates of the number of jobs created within the United Kingdom as a direct result of support provided to projects in developing countries under the aid and trade provision in each of the last five years; and if he will explain the method by which these estimates have been reached.

  Mr. Needham
  Projects supported by ATP have created a significant number of United Kingdom jobs since the scheme's inception in 1977–78. The precise number is difficult to estimate. This information could be compiled only at disproportionate cost.

  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
  For a detailed list of all ATP projects, I refer the hon. Member to the reply that my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary gave to the right hon. Member for Copeland (Dr. Cunningham) on 28 October 1993,Official Report, column 732.

  Malaysia (Contracts)
  Mr. Beggs
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the estimated value of confirmed United Kingdom contracts and contracts presently under negotiation with Malaysian authorities; and how many British jobs are involved.

  Mr. Needham
  It is not possible to give precise figures. But exports worth hundreds of millions of pounds have been under discussion, involving thousands of jobs.

  Ryrie Rules
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how the Ryrie rules are applied to each agency and enterprise for which he is responsible.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The Ryrie rules were abolished in 1989.

  Mr. Asil Nadir
  Mr. Darling
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his answer of 14 February,Official Report, column 575, what information he has as to whether the Official Receiver intends to apply for the suspension of the discharge of the bankruptcy of Mr. Asil Nadir.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  The Official Receiver is taking legal advice on matters relating to a possible application under Section 279(3) of the Insolvency Act 1986 for the suspension of Mr. Nadir's automatic discharge from bankruptcy. The Official Receiver expects to be able to make a decision in the light of that advice in the near future.

  World Trade Organisation
  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what powers the World Trade Organisation will have once the general agreement on tariffs and trade is ratified to require a country that refuses to bring its legislation into line with a GATT ruling to change its laws.

  Mr. Needham
  The proposed World Trade Organisation (WTO) will have no powers to compel members to bring domestic legislation into conformity with the adverse findings of dispute settlement proceedings. In such circumstances, the member would be able to choose between bringing measures into conformity with WTO rules, offering compensatory market access concessions—either temporary or permanent—or accepting retaliatory withdrawal of market access concessions by the aggrieved member. Both compensatory and retaliatory measures would be proportional to the impairment involved—there is no punitive or coercive element.

  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what role he envisages for the World Trade Organisation once the GATT is ratified.

  Mr. Needham
  The proposed World Trade Organisation (WTO) will organise and help give effect to the structure of rules and market access commitments agreed among its prospective members in the course of the Uruguay round, as well as providing a forum for future trade negotiations as its members see fit. Each member of the WTO will itself be responsible for following those rules and implementing its market access commitments, assisted by the WTO secretariat. The secretariat will be fully accountable to WTO members.

  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade whether the World Trade Organisation will be democratically accountable.

  Mr. Needham
  The proposed World Trade Organisation (WTO) will provide an institutional structure to give effect to the rules and market access commitments agreed between prospective members of the WTO in the Uruguay round. As such it will be fully accountable to its members.

  Engineering Products
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the United Kingdom output of engineering products in the fourth quarter of each year since 1979.
  742
  Mr. Sainsbury
  The information is provided in the following table:

  United Kingdom output of Engineering Products1

  Year

  Index of production Base year: 1990 = 100 (seasonally adjusted)

  1979–Q4

  86·1

  1980–Q4

  74·8

  1981–Q4

  75·3

  1982–Q4

  73·5

  1983–Q4

  76·8

  1984–Q4

  78·9

  1985–Q4

  79·3

  1986–Q4

  85·2

  1987–Q4

  86·3

  1988–Q4

  95·7

  1989–Q4

  100·0

  1990–Q4

  98·5

  1991–Q4

  90·7

  1992–Q4

  91·5

  1993–Q4

  91·6

  Source: Central Statistical Office

  1 Standard Industrial Classification (1992) Subsections DK, DL and DM

  Manufacturing
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what has been the percentage change in imports of finished manufactures since 1973; what has been the change in United Kingdom production and exports of finished manufactures; and what has been the effect on manufacturing employment.

  Mr. Needham
  Between 1970 and 1993 the value of United Kingdom imports of finished manufactures increased by 1,450 per cent. Over the same period, the value of exports of finished manufactures increased by 985 per cent.

  Due to major differences between the industrial and trade classifications, it is not possible to provide comparable information on United Kingdom production and employment.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if, on current trends, United Kingdom manufacturing output will exceed the 1989 level by the end of the century.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  On the basis of the "Financial Statement and Budget Report 1994–95", manufacturing output is likely to pass its 1989 level within the next year and a half.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what figures for the terms of trade of manufactured goods from 1979 to date he is using for his study of the competitiveness of British manufacturing; and if he will publish these figures.

  Mr. Needham
  The terms of trade can be readily derived from unit value indices held on the Central Statistical Office database, which can be accessed from the Library of the House.

  Single Market
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what evidence he has that United Kingdom manufacturers generally have gained more than they have lost as a result of the single market.

  Mr. Needham
  One year on from the completion of the single market framework, it is too early for a full assessment of its effect on United Kingdom manufacturers. It will take some time for companies fully to adjust to the single market changes and to exploit all the new opportunities. This is true for all member states: thus the European Commission will not be producing an assessment of the economic impact of the single market. until 1996.

  Nonetheless, a number of surveys indicate that British firms are already benefiting from the single market. For example, a CBI survey in November 1993 found that 68 per cent. of United Kingdom companies interviewed were experiencing greater opportunities for trade with the rest of the European Community now, compared with five years ago.

  In 1992 Customs and Excise produced an analysis of the costs and benefits to business as a result of changes under the single market customs, VAT, excise and trade statistics regimes. They have recently, as part of a single market implementation review involving consultation with about 1,000 businesses, carried out an initial validation of the cost/benefit analysis. This confirms the original assessment that there should be an overall net benefit to United Kingdom business of at least £440 million during the first five years. Additional benefits, arising from increased trade opportunities and the scope for efficiencies in transport units and stock levels, which were not included in the initial analysis, were also identified.

  Japan
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will urge the Japanese Government to reduce its export surplus by allowing the exchange rate to rise without imposing other impediments on trade.

  Mr. Needham
  The Japanese trade surplus is due to structural economic factors including the persistently high savings rate in Japan. Changes in the yen parity will be conditioned by market factors. We and our Community partners urge the Japanese Government to stimulate demand in the economy and to increase imports by macro-economic means such as the recent package of fiscal measures, and by introducing an effective programme of deregulation in the Japanese economy.

  Overseas Investment
  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the level of United Kingdom overseas investment in 1979; and what it was in 1993.

  Mr. Needham
  Information for 1979 is published in table 8.2 of "The Pink Book 1990, United Kingdom Balance of Payments". Information for 1993 is available only up to the third quarter. I refer the hon. Gentleman to "First Release, Balance of trade with countries outside the EC November 1993, Central Statistical Office, (94)191", table G. Both publications are available in the Library of the House.

  Post Offices
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list for south Yorkshire the post offices currently being considered by the Post Office for franchising.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  I understand from the Post Office that no post offices in south Yorkshire are currently being considered for franchising.

  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade which post offices in south Yorkshire are still under the authority of the Post Office.

  Mr. McLouglin
  I understand from the Post Office that there are four directly-managed Crown post offices in south Yorkshire at Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield. In addition there are some 380 post offices with agency status in the county.

  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many post offices in south Yorkshire have been franchised in each year since the introduction of the policy.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  I understand from the Post Office that the numbers of post offices which have been franchised in south Yorkshire are as follows:

  Number

  1992

  1

  1993

  2

  1994 (to date)

  1

  Of these, three resulted from Crown office conversions and one from the transfer of an agency office to a franchisee.

  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many post and sub-post offices have been given agency status in south Yorkshire; and if he will list them.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  I understand from the Post Office that six Crown post offices have been converted to agency status in south Yorkshire. These are:

  Wombwell

  West street Sheffield

  The Moor Sheffield

  Mexborough

  Hillsborough

  Leopold street, Sheffield.

  SL Homes Ltd.
  Mr. David Shaw
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) if he will list the directors of SL Homes Ltd. last notified to Companies house;

  (2) what is the date of filing and the financial period covered by the most recent accounts filed by the company SL Homes Ltd.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  Responsibility for the subject has been delegated to the Chief Executive of Companies House Executive Agency for which my Department is responsible. I have therefore asked Mr. Durham to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter from Mr. D. Durham to Mr. David Shaw, dated 14 March 1994:
  745
  The latest list of directors of SL Homes Limited notified to Companies House is as follows:

  Morris Aitchison

  William Drummond

  William McCracken

  Harry Sneddon Miller (resigned 20 August 1993)

  James McLean Chalmers

  John Davidson

  Brian John Dempsey

  William Paterson

  John Scullion

  The most recent accounts filed by SL Homes Limited cover the financial period 1 January 1991 to 31 December 1991 and were delivered to Companies House on 9 October 1992.

  The accounts to 31 December 1992 were due to be delivered by 31 October 1993 but are still outstanding. A default letter was issued to the company at its registered office address on 5 November 1993 informing the company that the accounts were outstanding. As a response was not received, a second letter was issued to the same address on 8 March 1994 in which the company was asked whether it is still in business or operation, to date we have not received a reply to this letter either. We now propose to issue final reminders to each director at their homes addresses.

  I hope this information is of help to you.

  Scott Inquiry
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade following the letter to the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent, from the Minister for Trade of 17 February, if he will publish in the Official Report a correction to his answer of 8 February, Official Report, columns 228–29.

  Mr. Needham
  My letter of 17 February to the hon. Member has already been placed in the Library of the House. It corrected an omission from the list of witnesses to have appeared before the Scott inquiry in open session, provided in my answer to the hon. Member of 8 February,Official Report, columns 228–29. Mr. Stephen Day, formerly an official of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, appeared before the inquiry on 4 May 1993.

  Haulage Contractors
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what discussions he has had with insurance companies concerning the impact of increased insurance premiums on haulage contractors.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  None. This is a matter for the commercial judgment of individual insurance companies, with which the Government cannot interfere.

  Nuclear Review
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what undertakings were given in respect of the timing of the nuclear review in response to the first report of the Trade and Industry Select Committee of Session 1992–93 on the future of British energy policy and the market for coal; when he now expects the review to begin; with what remit; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Eggar
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave on 16 December 1993,Official Report, columns 759–60 to the hon. Member for Beckenham (Mr. Merchant).

  Energy Industries
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what resources are committed to the monitoring of the performance of the publicly owned energy industries,746
  to which reference is made at page 50 of his departmental annual report 1994, and expenditure plans 1994–95 to 1996–97, Cm 2504.

  Mr. Eggar
  The information is contained within part 5 of MINIS 93, a copy of which is available in the Library of the House.

  Waste Recycling
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is his Department's contribution to the jointly funded programme promoting research into waste recycling and cleaner technologies to which reference is made at page 33 of his departmental annual report and expenditure plans 1994–95 to 1996–97, Cm 2504.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The Department has committed £11·2 million under grant schemes which closed to new applications during 1993 to support research and demonstration of innovative environmental technology. On 7 December 1993,Official Report, column 149 my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade announced a successor joint programme with the Department of the Environment which would have the aim of encouraging the adoption by industry of best practice in environmental technology and techniques. The Department will be contributing £11 million to this £16 million programme which is due to run for five years.

  Agency Chief Executives
  Mr. Radice
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade 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. McLoughlin
  No agency chief executive in this Department is currently paid more than £82,925.

  Coal Imports
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what were the sources of coal imported in 1993 by volume.

  Mr. Eggar
  Imports of coal by country of origin in 1993 were:

  Thousand tonnes

  USA

  4,288

  Australia

  4,105

  Colombia

  2,453

  Poland

  1,712

  South Africa

  781

  Russia

  713

  Canada

  632

  Other extra EC

  694

  Intra EC1

  3,022

  Total Imports

  18,400

  Source: HM Customs and Excise.

  1 Following the introduction of the "Intrastat" system for collecting data on trade with our EC partners, the figure for Intra EC trade involves some estimation of unrecorded imports. It also includes an estimated proportion of imports routed to the United Kingdom via other EC countries.

  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the value of coal imported in 1993.
  747
  Mr. Eggar
  The value of coal imported in 1993 is estimated as £687 million this includes types of coal which are not mined in the United Kingdom.

  Following the introduction of the "Intrastat" system for collecting data on trade with our EC partners, this value involves some estimation of unrecorded imports. It may, therefore, be subject to greater subsequent revision than figures collected on the previous basis.

  Deregulation
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade in what ways he plans to amend the individual divisional objectives in each of his departments to reflect the Government's commitment to deregulation.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  [holding answer 15 March 1994]: The reduction of regulatory and administrative burdens on business is one of the Department's overall objectives. My right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade is using the management information for Ministers—MINIS—system to ensure that divisional objectives reflect this as appropriate.

  Distillers plc
  Mr. Quentin Davies
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he proposes to publish his Department's inspector's report on the takeover of Distillers plc by Guinness plc in 1986.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  [holding answer 15 March 1994]: The inspectors have not yet been able to conclude their enquiries and in consequence have not submitted a final report. When they do it will be considered for publication.

  Office of Water Services, Yorkshire
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what indication he has received from Eric Wilson on his proposed appointment as the chairman of OFWAT's Yorkshire customer services committee; what representations he has received concerning the decision not to reappoint Dianne Scott to the chair of the committee; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  [holding answer 15 March 1994]: The appointment of the chairman of OFWAT's Yorkshire customer service committee is a matter for the Director General of Water Services after consultation with my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade. I understand that no representations have been received by the President following the announcement of the appointment of Mr. Eric Wilson to the chair of this committee.

  Mr. Madden
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many members of OFWAT's Yorkshire customer services committee have, to date, tendered their resignation; what indications he has received from other members of their intention to resign from the committee; how many places on the committee are currently vacant; and what is the recommended total membership of the committee.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  [holding answer 15 March 1994]: These are matters for the Director General of Water Services.

  Vehicle Exports
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the percentage change in the levels of exports of buses, coaches and mini-buses between 1988 and 1992; what were corresponding figures for United Kingdom (i) imports and (ii) exports from Germany, Italy, Belgium, Sweden, Spain and France; which countries accounted for the bulk of the change in United Kingdom exports; and when he expects United Kingdom exports to reach their 1988 level.

  Mr. Needham
  The available data are published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders Limited in the annual series of "Motor Industry of Great Britain, World Automotive Statistics". Data for United Kingdom exports of buses and coaches, defined as vehicles with 10 seats or more, in total and by country can be found in table 62; the equivalent for imports is in table 91. This publication is available in the Library of the House. My Department does not forecast the balance of payments.

DEFENCE

  Management Systems
  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 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 16 February,Official Report, column 821.

  Mr. Aitken
  Information on computer-aided facilities management systems in my Department is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, a computerised system known as the works information management system, is currently being introduced in MOD headquarters buildings in Whitehall, Bath and Glasgow, principally to provide a register of assets in accordance with Government accounting regulations. The system is operated under licence from Pierce Management Services and is being commissioned on behalf of my Department by Building and Property Facilities Management Ltd. at an estimated cost of £357,000, of which £253,260 has been spent to date. It is not possible to identify the hours spent on commissioning the system nor the savings from its operation, since it is not yet fully operational.

  Defence Export Services Organisation
  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the purpose of the Defence Export Services Organisation; and what its annual expenditure was in each of the last five years.

  Mr. Aitken
  The Defence Export Services Organisation exists to help British defence manufacturers market and sell their products abroad, within the parameters laid down by Government policy, and to dispose of surplus MOD equipment. The net cost of the organisation in 1993–94 is expected to be some £16·3 million. Changes in accounting conventions make exact comparisons with earlier years difficult.

  Agency Chief Executives
  Mr. Radice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many civilian 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. Hanley
  The chief executive of the Defence Research Agency is the one chief executive in my Department who earns more than £82,925 per annum. He was recruited from outside the civil service.

  Arms Sales
  Mr. Tom Clarke
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what arms or defence-related equipment have been sold to the Philippines in each year since 1986.

  Mr. Aitken
  It is not our policy to reveal details of arms sales to individual countries.

  Military Training
  Ms Corston
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many fatalities occurred during static line training between 1970 and 1990; how many of them were head injury cases; and how many were reservists or Territorial Army members.

  Mr. Hanley
  There were five fatalities during the course of military static line training between 1970 and 1990, one of which resulted from injuries to the head. Four of these fatalities involved reservists or members of the territorial army.

  Ms Corston
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many deaths there were at the military training drop zone at West-on-the Green in the period 1978 to 1983; and what were the dates of each incident.

  Mr. Hanley
  There were four fatal accidents in the course of military parachute training at the drop zone at Weston-on-the-Green during the period 1978 to 1983. These occurred on 30 March 1978, 13 June 1978, 20 June 1979 and 16 September 1981. Static line parachute jumps were being performed in all four cases.

  RAF Finningley
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which is the largest civilian aircraft that could be landed at RAF Finningley in normal operating conditions.

  Mr. Hanley
  The runway, taxiways and parking area at Finningley are capable of normal use by aircraft of up to the size and weight classification of the Boeing 747. However, the operation of aircraft of this size is currently constrained by ground obstacles adjacent to the taxiways.

  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the length of the runway at RAF Finningley; and how many(a) civilian and (b) military aircraft have landed or taken off from RAF Finningley for each of the last four years and the current year to date.
  750
  Mr. Hanley
  RAF Finningley has a single runway, RW 20/02, which is 2,744·5 m in length. Civilian and military aircraft movements to or from Finningley in the past three years and the current year to date are as follows; figures for 1990 are not available:

  Year

  Civilian aircraft movements

  Military aircraft movements1

  1991

  17

  45,000

  1992

  16

  60,000

  1993

  20

  61,000

  19942

  4

  9,300

  1 Approximate.

  2 To date.

  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what scope there is to extend the existing runways at RAF Finningley within the aerodrome's existing curtilage.

  Mr. Hanley
  There is 800 ft of land between the airfield boundary and the threshold of the runway at Finningley. However, the use of this space for a runway extension is not considered practical, partly because of the obstacle presented to aircraft taking off or approaching by the railway line immediately outside the airfield's northern boundary, and partly because the land in question is low-lying and would therefore require extensive works to render it suitable for a runway extension.

  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which is the largest(a) military and (b) civilian aircraft to have landed, or taken off, from RAF Finningley during the last 10 years.

  Mr. Hanley
  The largest military aircraft to have landed at, or taken off from, RAF Finningley during the last 10 years is a Lockheed C5 Galaxy, and the largest civilian aircraft to have done so is Concorde.

  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the total annual cost of running the aerodrome at RAF Finningley.

  Mr. Hanley
  For financial year 1993–94 the estimated running costs for RAf Finningley are £30,700,000. This includes the operating costs of units based at or run from RAF Finningley, as well as the operating costs of the airfield.

  Runway Capacity
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list for each of the airports and aerodromes in Yorkshire and Humberside that his Department owns or controls, other than RAF Finningley, what scope there is to extend the existing runways within the airports or aerodromes existing curtilage.

  Mr. Hanley
  The runways in question could in principle be extended by the following distances:
  751

  Runway

  Metres

  RAF Leeming (only one operational runway)

  1,000

  RAF Linton-on-Ouse

  RW 04

  100

  RW 22

  350

  RW 28

  220

  RW 10

  60

  Church Fenton

  RW 06

  Nil

  RW 24

  360

  RW 16

  120

  RW 34

  Nil

  Dishforth

  RW 34

  150

  RW 16

  Nil

  RW 28

  (after levelling) 320

  RW 10

  Nil

  Topcliffe

  No extension is possible at Topcliffe; the runways are due to be reduced in length to accommodate Army training requirements

  Apart from RAF Leeming, all figures assume that runway approach lighting could be placed on adjacent farmland.

  Airport Running Costs
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list for each of the airports or aerodromes that his Department owns or controls in Yorkshire and Humberside, other than RAF Finningley, the total annual cost of running them.

  Mr. Hanley
  For financial year 1993–94 the total running costs for RAF Leeming and RAF Linton-on-Ouse are estimated at £54,760,000 and £20,300,000 respectively. The figure for RAF Linton-on-Ouse includes the cost of running the relief landing grounds at Church Fenton, Dishforth and Topcliffe.

  Airports and Aerodromes
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the area of each of the airports or aerodromes that his Department owns or controls in Yorkshire and Humberside.

  Mr. Hanley
  The total area of each site is as follows:

  Site

  Area in hectares1

  RAF Finningley

  367

  RAF Leeming

  474

  RAF Linton-on-Ouse

  291

  Church Fenton

  206

  Dishforth

  191

  Location

  County

  Numbers

  March 1994

  November 1990

  RAF Alconbury

  Cambridgeshire

  2,159

  2,759

  RAF Bentwaters/Woodbridge

  Suffolk

  0

  4,800

  RAF Brawdy

  Dyfed

  340

  340

  Broughton Moor

  Cumbria

  0

  0

  RAF Burtonwood

  Cheshire

  0

  250

  RAF Caerwent

  Gwent

  0

  6

  RAF Chicksands

  Bedfordshire

  1,237

  1,300

  Chilwell

  Nottinghamshire

  0

  0

  RAF Croughton

  Northamptonshire

  420

  420

  RAF Daws Hill1

  Buckinghamshire

  724

  724

  RAF Edzell

  Tayside

  820

  820

  RAF Fairford

  Gloucestershire

  120

  40

  Felixstowe

  Suffolk

  30

  30

  Ministerial Visits
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the purpose of his Minister of State for the Armed Forces' visit to south Yorkshire on 27 January; what locations he visited; with whom he had discussions; what notification of his visit was given to hon. Members who have constituencies in south Yorkshire; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hanley
  I visited Menwith Hill station, in north Yorkshire, on 27 January 1994. I received briefings on the current role of the station from various United States and United Kingdom personnel including the chief of station. I gave advance notice of this visit to my hon. Friend the Member for Skipton and Ripon (Mr. Curry), in whose constituency Menwith Hill station is situated.

  United States Military Personnel
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the total number of United States military personnel based in the United Kingdom; how many United States military personnel are at each base or facility operated by the United States forces in the United Kingdom; what is the total number of United States military personnel based in each local authority area in the United Kingdom; and what are the corresponding figures for November 1990.

  Mr. Hanley
  There are currently 15,954 United States military personnel based in the United Kingdom at the following locations. The breakdown, as of March 1994 and November 1990, is as follows:
  753

  Location

  County

  Numbers

  March 1994

  November 1990

  RAF Feltwell

  Norfolk

  62

  62

  RAF Fylingdales

  North Yorkshire

  1

  1

  Glen Douglas

  Strathclyde

  0

  19

  RAF Greenham Common

  Berkshire

  0

  2,000

  Holy Loch

  Strathclyde

  0

  2,100

  RAF Hythe

  Hampshire

  2

  2

  RAF Kemble

  Gloucestershire

  0

  19

  RAF Lakenheath2

  Suffolk

  4,288

  4,688

  RAF Machrihanish

  Strathclyde

  74

  104

  Menwith Hill Station

  North Yorkshire

  360

  360

  RAF Mildenhall

  Suffolk

  3,033

  2,650

  RAF Molesworth

  Cambridgeshire

  423

  16

  RAF Nocton Hall

  Lincolnshire

  12

  12

  RAF Oakhanger

  Hampshire

  275

  275

  RAF Sculthorpe

  Norfolk

  0

  0

  RAF Spadeadam

  Cumbria

  5

  4

  RAF St. Mawgan

  Cornwall

  100

  60

  RAF Thurso

  Highland

  0

  330

  RAF Upper Heyford3

  Oxfordshire

  1,194

  4,500

  RAF Upwood

  Cambridgeshire

  175

  181

  RAF Uxbridge

  London borough of Hillingdom

  100

  100

  RAF Wethersfield

  Essex

  0

  290

  1 Includes personnel at Dunstable, Eastcote, Hayes, Central London and West Ruislip.

  2 Includes RAF Feltwell and RAF Sculthorpe.

  3 Includes RAF Bicester (currently 0), RAF Little Rissington (currently 31) and RAF Welford (currently 37).

  European Regional Development Grant
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence to what use his Department has, or plans to, put the £1,000,000 allocated by the European regional development fund grant listed in table 1 on cash plans of his Department for 1993–94, in his departmental annual report and expenditure plans, 1994–95 to 1996–97, Cm. 2501.

  Mr. Hanley
  The EC grant listed at table 1—Cash Plans—of Cm. 2501 reflects the payment during 1993–94 of the sum of £1,375,000 to the Royal British Legion as a contribution towards the design and construction of their joint services training and resettlement centre at Tidworth. The purpose of this grant is to provide job-related training for ex-service personnel and the wives and dependants of service personnel based in the Tidworth area, and for civilians in the local community.

  Self-financing Regulatory Authorities
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many self-financing regulatory authorities his Department has set up since 1979; what was the annual running cost of each of the self-financing regulatory authorities in each of the last three years; what is the current staffing establishment; and what it was last year and two years ago.

  Mr. Aitken
  My Department has not set up any self-financing regulatory authorities since 1979.

  Quangos
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the number of quangos for which he is responsible; how much in public funds has been given to each quango in each of the last three years; what is the current staffing establishment of each quango; and what it was five years ago.
  754
  Mr. Hanley
  Such information is contained in the publication "Public Bodies 1993" and earlier editions of the same publication. Copies of all editions are available in the Libraries of the House.

  Rules and Regulations
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many rules and regulations his Department has passed in each of the last three years.

  Mr. Aitken
  My Department has not been responsible for any secondary legislation with a regulatory impact on business in the last three years.

  Sir Bedivere
  Mr. Hutton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to invite tenders for the refitting of Royal Fleet Auxiliary Ship Sir Bedivere; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Aitken
  RFA Sir Bedivere is presently the subject of a competition for a ship life extension programme as opposed to a programmed refit. An invitation to tender for Sir Bedivere's SLEP was issued on 26 November 1993 and tender return date is 24 March 1994.

  Landing Platform Dock
  Mr. Hutton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the project definition studies for the landing platform dock began; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Aitken
  There have been two phases of project definition studies for the landing platform dock replacement. Initial project definition studies began in November 1991 and were completed in early 1993. A second phase commenced in May 1993 and is due to complete this spring. We will then take a decision on the issuing of an invitation to tender for the design and build of the first of class.

  Malaysia
  Mr. Alan Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence project team's advice under the Malaysian memorandum of understanding, on the reasonableness of prices quoted by United Kingdom suppliers was based on the final delivered price in Malaysia.

  Mr. Aitken
  The advice given was on a Government-to-Government basis and as such is confidential.

  Mr. Alan Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which activities of United Kingdom suppliers are being monitored by the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence project team under the Malaysian memorandum of understanding.

  Mr. Aitken
  The MOD project team monitors progress on those contracts designated under the MOU.
  756
  Mr. Alan Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what elements within the designated contracts under the Malaysian memorandum of understanding the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence project team advised the Malaysian Government on how to negotiate most effectively.

  Mr. Aitken
  My Department has not been asked to provide advice on negotiations.

  Mr. Alan Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the cost of the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence project team set up under the Malaysian memorandum of understanding; how much of the cost will be covered by the management fee; and what are the component costs of the project team.

  Mr. Aitken
  The cost of the project team is funded entirely from the management fee.

  SECURE TRAINING CENTRES
  SECURE TRAINING CENTRES
  REMAND IN SECURE ACCOMMODATION
  REMAND IN SECURE ACCOMMODATION
  LONDON BOROUGHS TRANSPORT SCHEME: PERMIT SYSTEM
  LONDON BOROUGHS TRANSPORT SCHEME: PERMIT SYSTEM
  PUBLIC SECTOR EMPLOYEES: PENSIONS ADVICE
  PUBLIC SECTOR EMPLOYEES: PENSIONS ADVICE
  PUBLIC SECTOR EMPLOYEES: OCCUPATIONAL PENSION SCHEME OPT-OUTS
  PUBLIC SECTOR EMPLOYEES: OCCUPATIONAL PENSION SCHEME OPT-OUTS
  ALBANIA: MILITARY BASE
  ALBANIA: MILITARY BASE