Written Answers of 21 March 1994

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

  Social Security Appeal Tribunals
  Mrs. Helen Jackson
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, pursuant to his answer of 11 March,Official Report, column 405, if the 433 days mentioned as average waiting time between an appeal against a social security appeal tribunal's decision and its determination by a social security commissioner are working days; and what steps he is taking to reduce this waiting time.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The number of days referred to are calendar days. The chief commissioner is making full use of existing deputy social security commissioners to help reduce waiting times. He has also arranged for the transfer of some cases to commissioners in Scotland, where waiting times are shorter. A committee is also examining ways to improve the appeal procedures.

PRIME MINISTER

  Open Government
  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Prime Minister what will be the implications for the operation of the Cabinet Office of the code of practice on open government.

  The Prime Minister
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend, the. Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, today.

  Ministers (Legal Action)
  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will list each occasion in the past five years when Ministers of the Crown have requested financial assistance in legal actions, on the grounds that these impinged upon their ministerial duties; and how each of these applications was determined.

  The Prime Minister
  No central record is kept of such requests.

  Correspondence
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Prime Minister how many letters were received from, and written to, hon. Members by him in February.

  The Prime Minister
  A considerable number.

  Car Industries
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer of 14 February,Official Report, column 581, concerning the sale of indigenous car industries, what assessment he has made of the effect of the takeover of Rover on output and employment in the United Kingdom.
  2
  The Prime Minister
  The hon. Gentleman is aware of the assurances given by BMW to my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade on 31 January. Nothing has happened since then to change our view that the acquisition offers good prospects for Rover and for output and employment in our vehicle industry.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer of 14 February,Official Report, column 581, concerning the sale of indigenous car industries, if he will publish the source of his information concerning the intentions of French Government, together with the timetable for the sale.

  The Prime Minister
  The French Government have stated publicly on several occasions that they intend to privatise Renault, and the company was one of 21 firms, banks and insurance companies listed in an annex to their privatisation Bill in July 1993. Mr. Longuet, French Minister of Industry and International Trade, has recently indicated to the press that, despite the breakdown of the planned merger of Renault and Volvo, it is still intended to privatise Renault, although this is understood to be unlikely to take place before the presidential elections in May 1995.

  Trinidad Terms
  Sir Thomas Arnold
  To ask the Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the progress to date on the implementation of the Trinidad terms; if he will raise this matter at the next G7 summit; and if he will make a statement.

  The Prime Minister
  A total of 20 of the poorest and most indebted countries have benefited from Trinidad debt reschedulings by the Paris club. These are Benin, Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea Republic, Guyana, Honduras, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Niger, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Vietnam and Zambia. Over $5·5 billion of debt has been restructured under the terms and over $2 billion of debt and debt servicing has been reduced.

  We shall continue to work for full Trinidad terms, including increasing the level of debt reduction for the poorest and most indebted countries from 50 to 80 per cent. on a case-by-case basis, and for earlier action on reducing the whole stock of official debt. The summit of G7 Heads of Government later this year will provide such an opportunity.

  Parliamentary Questions
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Prime Minister on how many occasions in the last five years he has knowingly provided incomplete information to answers to parliamentary questions other than on grounds of disproportionate cost; and on what subjects.

  The Prime Minister
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster on 15 March 1994,Official Report, column 645.

  India
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Prime Minister if he raised the matter of the proliferation consequences of India's nuclear capability with his Indian counterpart during his recent visit.
  3
  The Prime Minister
  No. The Indian Government are well aware of our concerns about nuclear proliferation in south Asia, which were raised with the Indian Foreign Secretary during Mr. Narasimha Rao's visit.

  Parliamentary Bills
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Prime Minister if he would support a measure that would introduce a block on parliamentary Bills in the British Parliament if 27 per cent. of hon. Members opposed them.

  The Prime Minister
  No.

  Official Gifts
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Prime Minister what rule applies to Ministers; and who is responsible for registering gifts received by(a) himself and (b) other Ministers.

  The Prime Minister
  [holding answer 2 March 1994]: Gifts received by Ministers who are Members of the House of Commons have to be registered in the Register of Members' Interests if they exceed £125 in value and if they relate in any way to membership of the House. Registration is the responsibility of the individual Member.

  "Questions of Procedure for Ministers" provides separately that all gifts accepted by Ministers in their official capacity should be reported to the permanent secretary of the Department. In addition, it provides that any gift exceeding £125 in value must be surrendered or purchased at its cash value abated by £125. Since such gifts accepted by Ministers in their official capacity must be either purchased or surrendered, there is no interest to register.

  Orsett Hospital
  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Prime Minister if, on his next visit to Basildon, he will meet officers of the Basildon and Thurrock community health council to discuss the possible closure of Orsett hospital.

  The Prime Minister
  [holding answer 18 March 1994]: When I next visit Basildon, I look forward to meeting a wide range of people.

  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will visit Orsett hospital, Thurrock in addition to his proposed visit to the maternity unit at Basildon hospital.

  The Prime Minister
  [holding answer 18 March 1994]: I have no current plans to visit Thurrock.

  Serious Crime Criteria
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will set out in a form which does not jeopardise national security the criteria used by the Secret Intelligence Service and the Security Service to assess what constitutes a serious crime.

  The Prime Minister
  [holding answer 18 March 1994]: No. The term "serious crime" is widely understood and, in the context of the Intelligence Services Bill, does not require further definition.

  Economic Well-being Criteria
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will set out in a form which does not jeopardise national security the financial criteria used by the Secret Intelligence Service and the Security Service to assess matters which relate to the economic well-being of the country.
  4
  The Prime Minister
  [holding answer 18 March 1994]: The term
  "economic well being of the United Kingdom"
  is a well-known provision, used in the Intelligence Services Bill, the Security Service Act 1989 and the European Convention on Human Rights without definition.

  My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary gave two examples of where the Secret Intelligence Service might act in this area in his speech introducing the Intelligence Services Bill on 22 February 1994 Official Report, column 157.

  Shoot-to-kill Policy
  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Prime Minister what is Her Majesty's Government's policy towards a shoot-to-kill policy arising from terrorism; and if he will make a statement.

  The Prime Minister
  [holding answer 18 March 1994]: We have no such policy. What is normally implied by a "shoot-to-kill" policy would not be consistent with section 3 of the Criminal Law Act 1967 or section 3 of the Criminal Law (Northern Ireland) Act 1967.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Information Technology Services Agency
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many bridging and relocation loans are outstanding with the staff of the Information Technology Services Agency; what is the total sum of such loans outstanding; and what will be the status of such loans in the event of transfer to the private sector.

  Mr. Hague
  The information available as at 18 March 1994 is as follows:

  Number outstanding

  Total sum outstanding

  Bridging loans1 20

  £1,008,144

  Advances of Salary2 231

  £840,112·84

  1 Bridging loans include all bridging and relocation loans as they are, essentially, the same thing—short term loans which are repaid when an individual's former property is sold.

  2 Advances of salary are long term loans used to purchase property and are repayable over a maximum of 15 years.

  The status of these loans in the event of transfer to the private sector is still being considered.

  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what are the terms of reference guiding the competition to choose a strategic partner for the Information Technology Services Agency in his Department.

  Mr. Hague
  The ITSA plans to transfer its day-to-day computer and output handling operations to the private sector. A project team is taking forward the detailed work required in preparation for the tendering process. The objectives of the project team are as follows:To improve IT service provision to ITSA.
  To make recommendations to ministers.

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  To negotiate terms and conditions which will support the smooth transfer of civil servants to the private sector.
  To ensure security of service supply whilst generating ongoing competition.

  Disabled Employees
  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many registered disabled people are employed in his Department; and what percentage this is of the total.

  Mr. Hague
  The information requested is contained in the magazine "Independent", a copy of which is in the Library.

  Child Support Agency
  Sir Thomas Arnold
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security which changes recommended by the Social Security Select Committee in its first report of 1993–94, and agreed by the Government, have still to be implemented by the Child Support Agency.

  Mr. Burt
  All the recommendations made by the Select Committee that were accepted by the Government have now been introduced.

  War Pensions
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what provisions exist to uprate war pensions for individuals whose circumstances have changed since their last assessment.

  Mr. Hague
  Any war pensioner who feels that his pensioned disablement has deteriorated since it was last assessed can request a review of that assessment at any time.

  Housing Benefit
  Mr. Darling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his estimate of the number of people claiming income support who are aged 25 years or under who are having deductions made from their benefit in respect of rent arrears because they failed timeously to renew their claim for housing benefit; and what is his estimate of the value of housing benefit thus unclaimed.

  Mr. Burt
  The information requested is not available.

  Mr. Rooker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on the circumstances in which a full-time mature student in higher education is eligible for housing benefit for any part of the year.

  Mr. Burt
  Mature students in higher education are eligible to claim housing benefit throughout the year if they are within one of the specified vulnerable groups, which include single parents, student couples with dependent children and disabled students. Non-student partners can also claim on behalf of the couple if they satisfy the normal qualifying conditions.

  Council House Sales
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what has been the implications for his Department of right-to-buy legislation and increases in service charges for tenants who have taken advantage of such legislation; and if he will make a statement.
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  Mr. Burt
  Former council tenants who buy their homes under right-to-buy legislation while receiving income support have the amount of housing costs included in their assessment restricted to the eligible rent payable immediately before the purchase of their properties.

  In such cases, income support is adjusted to reflect subsequent changes in mortgage interest rates and in the amount of eligible service charges levied.

  Social Security Expenditure
  Mr. Jenkin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the current share of gross domestic product taken by social security expenditure in(a) the United Kingdom and (b) each of the other Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries.

  Mr. Hague
  The customary measure used when making international comparisons is public social protection expenditure, which includes public health care costs, personal social services and compulsory occupational pensions as well as social security spending. The figures for social protection for the United Kingdom and OECD countries are in the table.

  Social protection expenditure as a percentage of GDP

  Country

  1990 Per cent.

  United Kingdom

  23

  Belgium

  27

  Denmark

  30

  France

  28

  Germany

  27

  Greece

  121

  Ireland

  20

  Italy

  24

  Luxembourg

  26

  Netherlands

  32

  Portugal

  17

  Spain

  21

  Australia

  13

  Austria

  25

  Canada

  219

  Finland

  27

  Japan

  12

  Norway

  29

  New Zealand

  19

  Sweden

  34

  United States

  215

  1 1989.

  2 Estimate.

  Source: Eurostat, OECD.

  Invalidity Benefit
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what are the totals of claimants receiving invalidity benefit in(a) Wales, (b) Scotland and (c) England in each of the last 15 years.

  Mr. Scott
  The available information is in the table.

  Invalidity Benefit recipients1

  Date

  England

  Scotland

  Wales

  2 June 19792

  465,000

  76,000

  69,000

  31 May 1980

  464,000

  78,000

  67,000

  30 May 1981

  468,000

  88,000

  71,000

  29 May 1982

  504,000

  95,000

  79,000

  2 April 1983

  542,000

  102,000

  87,000

  31 March 1984

  581,000

  110,000

  98,000

  30 March 1985

  618,000

  116,000

  108,000

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  Date

  England

  Scotland

  Wales

  5 April 1986

  654,000

  125,000

  112,000

  4 April 1987

  704,000

  135,000

  122,000

  2 April 1988

  767,000

  147,000

  127,000

  1 April 1989

  829,000

  158,000

  132,000

  31 March 1990

  895,000

  169,000

  137,000

  30 March 1991

  971,000

  181,000

  147,000

  4 April 1992

  1,072,000

  200,000

  159,000

  1 Based on a 1 per cent. sample of claimants in Great Britain, rounded to the nearest thousand.

  2 A breakdown of recipients by standard statistical region is only available from 1980. Figures for 1979 include a small number of people claiming but not receiving benefit.

  Mr. Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people received invalidity benefit following an award of non-contributory sickness benefit(a) between April 1992 and April 1993, (b) since April 1993 and (c) in total since April 1983.

  Mr. Scott
  [pursuant to his reply, 25 January 1994, c. 188–89]: The figures of 4,000 in the period 2 April 1990 to 31 March 1991 and 1,000 in the period 1 April 1991 to 4 April 1992 should read 3,000 and 2,000 respectively.

  Market Testing
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the total cost of market testing work carried out in his Department.

  Mr. Hague
  The information requested is published in the "Citizen's Charter White Paper: Second Report", a copy of which is in the Library.

  Sickness Benefit
  Mr. Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people(a) claimed and (b) were awarded non-contributory sickness benefit (i) between April 1992 and April 1993, (ii) since April 1993 and (iii) in total since April 1983.

  Mr. Scott
  [pursuant to his reply, 25 January 1994, c. 187–88]: The figure of 6,000 for the period 2 April 1990 to 31 March 1991 should have read 3,000.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Open Government
  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what will be the implications for the operation of his Department of the code of practice on open government.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  The code of practice on Government information will reinforce and build the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's existing arrangements for the provision of information. I see it as an important element in our commitment to open government, which has been demonstrated during recent months by the release of unprecedented quantities of previously withheld material into the public domain.
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  Disabled Employees
  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many registered disabled people are employed in his Department; and what percentage this is of the total.

  Mr. Goodlad
  I refer the hon. Lady to the annual disability report contained in the 18 March issue of "Independent" magazine, a copy of which has been placed in the Library of the House.

  Students (Military Training)
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the countries from which foreign students visited the United Kingdom for military training and the countries that United Kingdom military personnel visited to train military students, to which reference is made at paragraph 30 of his departmental annual report and expenditure plans 1994–95 to 1997–98, Cm. 2502.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The countries from which foreign students visited the United Kingdom in 1992–93 for military training are:

  Antigua

  Mauritius

  Bahamas

  Morocco

  Bangladesh

  Mozambique

  Barbados

  Namibia

  Belize

  Nepal

  Botswana

  Nigeria

  Brazil

  Pakistan

  Bulgaria

  Paraguay

  Chile

  Peru

  Colombia

  Philippines

  Czech Republic

  Poland

  Egypt

  Romania

  Fiji

  Russia

  Gambia

  Senegal

  Ghana

  Seychelles

  Guyana

  Singapore

  Hungary

  South Korea

  India

  Sri Lanka

  Indonesia

  St. Lucia

  Ireland

  Swaziland

  Jamaica

  Tanzania

  Jordan

  Thailand

  Kenya

  Trinidad

  Lebanon

  Uganda

  Malawi

  Yemen

  Malaysia

  Zambia

  Maldives

  Zimbabwe

  Malta

  The countries that United Kingdom military personnel visited to train military students are:

  Angola

  Lesotho

  Antigua

  Malaysia

  Bangladesh

  Maldives

  Barbados

  Mauritius

  Belize

  Mozambique

  Chile

  Namibia

  Dominica

  Nigeria

  Gambia

  St. Lucia

  Ghana

  St. Vincent

  Grenada

  Swaziland

  Indonesia

  Uganda

  Latvia

  Zimbabwe

  Mr. Lorraine Osman
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which Ministers signed public interest immunity certificates in the case of Lorraine Osman; and when they did so.
  9
  Mr. Goodlad
  The then Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the former hon. Member for Warwickshire North, on 12 June 1990; and the then Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, the right hon. Earl of Caithness, on 21 February 1992.

  Middle East
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on progress in the Syria-Israel peace talks.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The most recent bilateral talks between Syrian and Israeli delegations were held in Washington from 24 January. The Syrian delegation returned to Damascus after the Hebron massacre on 25 February. We and our European Union partners have encouraged all parties to the peace process to resume direct negotiations as soon as possible.

  Iraq
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has about military attacks by the Iraqi regime in the marshes in southern Iraq in the past two weeks.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  We are aware of increased Iraqi military activity in the southern marshes and condemn any violation of Security Council resolution 688. We are monitoring the situation closely with our coalition allies.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has on the use by Iraqi forces of napalm incendiary bombs in military attacks in the marshes in southern Iraq; what is the status of such devices; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  We are aware of increased Iraqi military activity in the southern marshes and condemn any violation of Security Council resolution 688. There is no evidence of napalm attacks against the marsh Arabs. We are monitoring the situation closely with our coalition allies.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has regarding the recent change in the level of Iraqi troop and militia deployment along the border of the Kurdish-controlled region of the country.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  We have received reports from the Kurdish administration in northern Iraq of increased Iraqi troop movements and deployments in the area. We are assessing these reports and are monitoring the situation closely with our coalition allies.

  We require the Iraqi regime to comply with United Nations resolution 688 which called on Iraq to cease the repression of its civilian population.

  Sudan
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action he proposes to take to extend the European Union arms embargo on Sudan into a comprehensive United Nations-led arms embargo.
  10
  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  A global arms embargo would require the passage of a United Nations Security Council resolution. We have not ruled out recourse to the United Nations Security Council, but would not want to pursue this option unless we were sure that this was the right tactic.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the European Union is making representations that there should be a strengthened and resident human rights presence in Sudan under the United Nations Commission on Human Rights' special rapporteur.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  At the recent meeting of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights we and our European Union partners whole-heartedly supported the resolution on the human rights situation, commending the report of the United Nations special rapporteur, which recommended that the situation should be monitored by national and international non-governmental human rights organisations, who should enjoy free access throughout the country.

  Parliamentary Questions
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list for the last 12 months how many parliamentary questions he has referred to one of his Department's agencies for answer; and what precentage of parliamentary questions to his Department this represents.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  A part of one written parliamentary question was referred to the Wiston House Conference Centre, Wilton Park. The reply appeared with my answer in the Official Report of 18 February, at column 1034. This represents less than 0·01 per cent. of the parliamentary questions dealt with by this Department over the last 12 months.

  Overseas Students
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many scholarships are being awarded to overseas students; how much is being spent on those from the ODA budget during the current year; what was the number and cost in real terms(a) five, (b) 10 and (c) 15 years ago; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  The 1993–94 expenditure figures are not yet complete. But we expect a total of 15,100 scholarships for overseas students funded by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to have been taken up this financial year. The ODA's provision—11,300 awards—is worth some £118 million, which includes an estimate of £10 million for other training activities for which an accurate forecast is not available.

  The number and cost in real terms five, 10 and 15 years ago are as follows:
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  Cost in Real Terms—(1993–94 prices)

  £ million

  Year

  ODA component

  ODA component

  1988–89

  19,088

  (13,882)

  129·91

  (112·17)

  1983–84

  9,081

  (6,666)

  84·76

  (76·53)

  1978–79

  7,709

  (7,643)

  55·95

  (55·12)

  Foreign Affairs Council
  Mr. Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Norwich, North (Mr. Thompson) of 9 March,Official Report, column 245, on items agreed and adopted at the meeting of the European Community's Foreign Affairs Council held on 21 to 22 February, what formal votes were taken otherwise than on the United States' and European Community's mutual recognition on spirit designations; and if he will make it his practice to record automatically in future answers on all such votes, including those where no formal votes have been taken.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  There were no votes on the other items discussed in the Council and recorded in my statement on 9 March.

  The Council also formally approved a number of measures on which agreement had already been reached—known as A points—without further discussion. Details are given in the Council secretariat press releases issued after Council meetings. Copies will be placed in the Library.

  Mr. Wells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the outcome of the Foreign Affairs Council held on 15 March in Brussels.

  Mr. Hurd
  I attended the Foreign Affairs Council held in Brussels on 15 March.

  The Council reached a satisfactory agreement on the fisheries aspect of Norway's accession negotiations. The common fisheries policy's rules applying within the waters of the Twelve generally, and the special rules applying to Spain and Portugal under the accession treaty, are unchanged. Reciprocal arrangements for access to Community and Norwegian resources, including the setting of total allowable catches and quotas, fully respect the principle of relative stability. Transitional arrangements have been agreed which enable Norway to continue its fisheries agreement with Russia until it expires at the end of June 1998, and to continue various features of its current management and control system north of 62 deg north for up to three years on a non-discriminatory basis. The Council also agreed arrangements to provide additional quotas of cod for the cohesion countries. On this basis, Norway settled its terms of accession to the European Union.

  The Foreign Affairs Council also discussed the qualified majority voting arrangements which will apply once the EFTAn applicants have joined the European Union. With Spanish support, I emphasised the need to ensure the adequate protection of significant minorities in the Council. Other Ministers argued that the qualified majority should be kept constant as a proportion of the total
  12
  number of votes after enlargement. The matter will be discussed again at a specially convened Foreign Affairs Council on 22 March.

  There was a useful discussion on the new own resources decision and the budget discipline decision in which some progress was made towards securing United Kingdom objectives. Both issues will be discussed at ECOFIN on 21 March, where we hope for agreement on all outstanding points.

  There were no formal votes.

  Angola
  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the current situation in Angola, with particular reference to the number of villages being besieged by UNITA troops; and what representations he has made to the United Nations for action to bring to an end the civil war.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  Fighting in Angola continues, mainly in the north and north-east. The principal towns currently besieged by UNITA are Menongue, Luena, Kuito and Malange.

  We were actively involved in drawing up United Nations Security Council resolution 903 of 16 March, which maintained the sanctions against UNITA which brought them to the negotiating table. We continue to support the efforts of the United Nations to persuade both sides to reach a settlement.

  Yugoslavia
  Mr. Wareing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent communication he has received from Lord Owen in respect of the bomb explosion in Sarajevo market on 5 February and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Lord Owen is in regular communication with European Union Foreign Ministers. These communications are confidential.

  Malaysia
  Mr. Alan Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what date he first became aware of the inclusion of reference to civil aid and arms sales contained in the March 1988 Malaysian protocol.

  Mr. Goodlad
  [holding answer 8 March 1994]: In October 1993.

TREASURY

  Taxation
  Sir David Knox
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 3 February,Official Report, column 826, if he will show tax-free incomes,

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  defined as personal income tax allowances plus child benefits, as percentages of average male manual earnings for single-wage families with (a) one, (b) two, (c) three and (d) four children in each year since 1979–80.

  Mr. Dorrell
  These figures should be interpreted with care as a £1 increase in child benefit is worth four tunes as much to a taxpayer with a marginal rate of 25 per cent. as a £1 increase in the personal allowance. The figures given in my answer of 3 February therefore give a more reliable picture of the effect of income tax allowances and child benefit on the incomes of the relevant families.

  Personal allowance plus married couple's allowance1 plus child benefit expressed as a percentage of average male manual earnings2

  Year

  With 1 child

  With 2 children

  With 3 children

  With 4 children

  1979–80

  39·0

  43·0

  47·0

  51·1

  1980–81

  39·6

  43·3

  47–0

  50·7

  1981–82

  36·4

  40·3

  44·2

  48·1

  1982–83

  38·6

  42·6

  46·6

  50·6

  1983–84

  40·8

  45·0

  49·1

  53·3

  1984–85

  42·7

  46·9

  51·1

  55·3

  1985–86

  43·7

  47·8

  51·9

  56·0

  1986–87

  43·4

  47·3

  51·2

  55·2

  1987–88

  41·7

  45·5

  49·3

  53·1

  1988–89

  41·3

  44·8

  48·3

  53·8

  1989–90

  40·5

  43·1

  46·9

  50·1

  Average impact of 1993 budget measures on households1

  1994–95

  1995–96

  £ per week

  Percentage of net income

  £per week

  Percentage of net income

  All households

  5·75

  1·9

  8·75

  2·8

  Pensioners

  1·00

  0·7

  1·90

  1·3

  Poorest 20 per cent.

  1·40

  1·2

  2·55

  2·1

  Richest 20 per cent.

  12·00

  2·0

  16·70

  2·8

  1 Estimates based on the 1989–91 Family Expenditure Surveys, uprated to 1994–95 price and earnings levels on the basis of illustrative assumptions about price and earnings growth. The figures are relative to indexation and include the main tax measures directly affecting households. They are net of the increases in benefits to help meet higher fuel bills. The 1994–95 figure includes measures implemented between November 1993 and the November 1994 Budgets. The 1995–96 figures also includes other pre-announced measures to be implemented before the November 1995 Budget.

  Ms Harman
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his answer of 19 January,Official Report, columns 635–41, (1) if he will provide estimates in 1993–94 prices of the real disposable income after tax of similar family types across a similar range of incomes in 1993–94 and 1994–95;

  Income after income tax and National Insurance contributions, 1993–94

  £ per week

  Multiples of average earnings

  50

  75

  100

  150

  200

  300

  400

  500

  700

  1,000

  2,000

  Single

  141·65

  201·04

  260·42

  387·30

  495·27

  711·21

  927·15

  1,143·09

  1,574·97

  2,222·79

  4,382·19

  Married, one working, no children

  149·92

  209·31

  268·69

  398·24

  508·50

  724·44

  940·38

  1,156·32

  1,588·20

  2,236·02

  4,395·42

  Married, one working, two children

  168·02

  227·41

  286·79

  416·34

  526·60

  742·54

  958·48

  1,174·42

  1,606·30

  2,254–12

  4,413·52

  Married, both working, no children

  168·72

  231·87

  291·58

  410·34

  530·18

  774·31

  1,003·77

  1,219·71

  1,651·59

  2,299·41

  4,458·81

  Notes:

  1. Income tax payments are calculated on the assumption that the household receives no tax reliefs other than the standard allowances and only has income from employment. All earners, including wives, are assumed to pay class 1 National Insurance Contributions at the contracted-in-rate.

  2. Child benefit is included in the income of the married couple with two children.

  3. Average earnings are taken to be the average gross weekly earnings of full-time males on adult rates with pay unaffected by absence. These are assumed to be £359·90 a week in 1993–94, based on the illustrative earnings growth assumption of 3·5 per cent. Where both partners are working, the husband and wife are assumed to share the relevant multiple of average male earnings in the ratio 60:40.
  14

  Year

  With 1 child

  With 2 children

  With 3 children

  With 4 children

  1990–91

  40·1

  43·1

  46·1

  49·0

  1991–92

  40·4

  43·3

  46·1

  48·9

  1992–93

  40·1

  42·9

  45·8

  48·7

  1993–943

  38·8

  41·7

  44·6

  47·5

  1 Married man's allowance for years up to 1990–91.

  2 Full-time males paid at adult rates working a full week.

  3 Assuming that the husband receives the full married couple's allowance Provisional.

  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what will be the increase in the tax bill for a typical family in the next year compared with the current year; and what is the increase in earnings for the average family since 1979.

  Mr. Dorrell
  Estimates of the impact of the main tax-related measures in the 1993 Budgets are in the table. Since 1978–79, average gross male earnings have increased by 40 per cent. in real terms. Over the same period, real net take-home pay—after tax and inflation—has increased by the same amount.

  (2) if he will provide estimates in 1993–94 prices of the real disposable income after tax of a married couple with two children on average earnings in 1993–94 and 1994–95.

  Mr. Dorrell
  [holding answer 10 March 1994]: Estimates of disposable income in 1993–94 for the hypothetical families requested are in the table. Real disposable income in 1994–95 will depend on what happens to earnings and prices.

  Exchange Rates
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what is his estimate of the real exchange rate for sterling, the deutschmark, the United States dollar and the French franc for each year since 1981;

  (2) what is his estimate of the real exchange rate for sterling on (a) April 1992, (b) February 1993 and (c) March 1994;

  (3) if he will make a statement on the reasons for the current trend in sterling's relative position against the ecu; and if he will set out the difference between sterling's actual position and its previous ERM value in (a) November 1992, (b) February 1993, (c) November 1993 and (d) February 1994;

  (4) what was the nominal exchange rate against the ecu in (a) January 1993 and (b) December 1989; what was the corresponding change in the real exchange rate against the ecu based on (i) relative producer prices, (ii) relative export unit values and (iii) the terms of trade for manufactures; and what has been the effect on the output and employment in manufacturing industry;

  (5) if he will give the devaluation since September 1992 in real and nominal terms up to February 1994 of (a) the pound sterling, (b) the Italian lira and (c) the Spanish peseta coupled with the changes in the national balance of trade and the rate of inflation of these countries over the same period;

  (6) what is the Government's policy on the level to which sterling may fall against the deutschmark in relation to the level agreed when the United Kingdom entered the exchange rate mechanism in October 1990.

  Mr. Nelson
  Sterling's exchange rate against the Community currencies, the United States dollar and the ecu can be found in the monthly Central Statistical Office's "Financial Statistics" publication. The weighted composition of the ecu is set by the European Commission and can be found in the "Official Journal" No. L189, 4 July 1989. Export and import prices for all Community countries can be found in the monthly International Monetary Fund "International Financial Statistics" publication. Price and trade figures for all Community countries can be found in the monthly Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development "Main Economic Indicators" publication. Together these data can be used to calculate the information requested. "Main Economic Indicators" also provides output figures, including industrial production, and manufacturing employment data for the United Kingdom.

  The real exchange rate is only one factor affecting output and employment in manufacturing industry. It is difficult to isolate the effect of changes in the real exchange rate from that of other factors, such as activity in the United Kingdom's trading partners and barriers to free trade. Manufacturing output in the three months to January was up 2·1 per cent. on the same period a year ago and manufacturing productivity in the three months to January was up 2·9 per cent. on the same period a year ago.

  Movements in the exchange rate form part of our continuing assessment of monetary conditions but we have no specific targets for sterling's exchange rate. Since leaving the exchange rate mechanism, sterling's exchange rate has floated. Sterling's exchange rate against the ecu reflects day-to-day market trading in all the Community currencies.

  Bank of England
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are the regulatory functions of the Bank of England; how many staff are employed in each case and at what cost to the Exchequer directly or indirectly; and what consideration has been given to creating executive agencies to do the work or to privatisation.

  Mr. Nelson
  The Bank of England regulatory functions consist of banking supervision and the supervision of the wholesale market. About 300 staff are employed in banking supervision and about 30 more on wholesale market. The costs of these functions are in effect met by the Bank's income from non-interest bearing deposits placed with the Bank by the banking sector. There is no cost to the Exchequer.

  A move to create executive agencies would not be appropriate since such agencies are parts of a Government Department, while the Bank of England is a public corporation. There are no plans to privatise these functions.

  Unemployment
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give the change in the level of unemployment between 1979 and 1993 in each of the founder members of the EEC and in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Nelson
  The relevant statistics can be found in the latest edition of "European Economy"—1993, No. 55,—published by the European Commission, in the statistical annexe table 3.

  Economic Growth
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the rate of economic growth between 1979 and 1993(a) in Britain and (b) in each other founder member of the EEC.

  Mr. Nelson
  The figures requested can be found in table 10 of the statistical annexe to the latest edition of "European Economy", published by the European Commission.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his latest estimate for the average annual rate of United Kingdom economic growth in 1988–1993 and the average rate in 1968 to 1973, 1973 to 1979 and 1979 to 1988; and if he will include corresponding figures for the EEC Six collectively and for the United States of America.

  Mr. Nelson
  The figures requested can be calculated from section VI, table 7 of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development publication, "National Accounts", the table on gross domestic product in the appendix to the OECD publication "Main Economic Indicators", and table 10 of the statistical annexe to the latest edition of "European Economy", published by the European Commission.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the average rate of growth of the United Kingdom and the six founder members of the EEC since 1979; and what conclusions he has drawn from these figures.
  17
  Mr. Nelson
  The figures requested are published by the European Commission in table 10 of the statistical annexe to "European Economy".

  Manufactures
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what was the change in the terms of trade for finished manufactures since the winter of 1986–87; and what has been the effect of the change on(a) imports and exports of finished manufactures and (b) output and employment in manufacturing industry;

  (2) what was the change in the terms of trade for finished manufactures since the second half of 1973; and what has been the effect on (a) imports and exports of finished manufactures and (b) output and employment in manufacturing industry.

  Mr. Nelson
  In the fourth quarter of 1993, it is estimated that the terms of trade of finished manufactures were 12 per cent. higher than in the two winter quarters of 1986–87 and 32 per cent. higher than in the second half of 1973. No estimates are available for the contribution of the terms of trade in finished manufactures to changes in exports and imports of finished manufactures or manufacturing output and employment.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of semi-manufactures imported from non-EEC countries competes on price directly or indirectly with home-produced goods; whether the prices of such imports have risen or fallen in the last three years; and what effect the price changes have had on domestic production.

  Mr. Nelson
  Figures for the prices of imported semi-manufactures from non-EEC countries are available on the Central Statistical Office data base, which can be accessed through the House of Commons Library. The identifier is ENUK. All imported semi-manufactures potentially compete directly or indirectly with home-produced goods. No estimates are available of the effect of these import price changes on domestic production.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a table showing the reduction in imports and increase in exports of manufactures which the Treasury model of the economy shows would follow a reduction in the sterling exchange rate against the ecu to its average in February 1993 after 12 and 24 months.

  Mr. Nelson
  All hon. Members have access to the Treasury model through the House of Commons Library. It is Treasury practice not to provide the results of model simulations in answer to parliamentary questions. This is due both to the excessive cost involved and the difficulty in making appropriate assumptions without knowing the context in which the figures will be used.

  Interest and Exchange Rates
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) by whom the United Kingdom was represented at the recent meeting of the European Monetary Institute to co-ordinate interest rate policy; what was the purpose of that meeting; what proposals were made to co-ordinate interest rate policies or to use the leeway provided by 15 per cent. bands to achieve economic convergence; and what is the Government's policy on the proposals;
  18
  (2) who represents the United Kingdom in the discussions between the EEC central banks aimed at restoring the former currency parities within the exchange rate mechanism; what steps are taken to ensure the views expressed by the United Kingdom representative have had the prior approval of the Government; and what undertakings, assurances and understandings, express or implied, have been given concerning the future rate of exchange between sterling and the Ecu.

  Mr. Nelson
  The Governor of the Bank of England is a member of the council of the European Monetary Institute —EMI. Article 10 of the EMI statute states that the proceedings of the EMI council meetings shall be confidential, though the council may, acting unanimously, decide to make the outcome of its deliberations public.

  Articles 3 of the EMI statute requires the EMI to carry out the tasks and functions conferred upon it by the Maastricht treaty and the statute without prejudice to the responsibility of the competent authorities for the conduct of monetary policy within the respective member states. In accordance with article 8 of the EMI statute, the Governor, representing the Bank of England, acts according to his own responsibilities. These include implementation of the Government's monetary policy.

  Decisions concerning the parities of participating currencies in the ERM are taken by Ministers and central bank governors of the member states. No undertakings, assurances or understandings, express or implied, have been given concerning the future rate of exchange between sterling and the ecu.

  Consumer Goods
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the change in the output of consumer goods between 1985 and June 1993 for(a) the United Kingdom and (b) the other member states of the EEC; and if he will make a statement on the changes.

  Mr. Nelson
  Statistics for the output of consumption goods in EC member states are shown in table 0408 of "Data for Short-term Economic Analysis", published monthly by Eurostat. This publication is available in the Library.

  Semi-manufactures
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the unit value of semi-manufactures imported from non-EC countries in the three months to the end of January; how this has affected the change since 1990 of the nominal exchange rate against non-EEC currencies; what proportion of such imported semi-manufactures is used by United Kingdom manufacturers of goods other than food, drink and tobacco; what effect that value had on the input price of the materials used by such manufactures; and what was the corresponding change in the nominal exchange rate for sterling against those currencies.

  Mr. Nelson
  Figures for the prices of imported semi-manufactures from non-EC countries are available on the Central Statistical Office database, which can be accessed through the House of Commons Library. The identifier is ENUK. The proportion of imported semi-manufactures used by different United Kingdom manufacturers is not available for recent years.
  19
  Semi-manufactures are not included in the CSO's producer price index of inputs. No estimates are available for the effect of import prices of semi-manufactures on the exchange rate.

  Japanese Trade
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effect of the Japanese trade surplus on the world economy.

  Mr. Nelson
  The Japanese trade surplus reflects, in the main, structural factors, such as the high domestic savings ratio, and Japan's relative cyclical position. Free trade is vital to maximise the opportunities for world growth; the world economy would benefit from any reduction in restrictions on access to the Japanese market.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a table showing for each year since 1964(a) Japanese imports and exports of (i) goods and services, (ii) goods less manufactures and (iii) manufactures, (b) the trade-weighted nominal exchange rate and (c) the relative export prices of manufactures.

  Mr. Nelson
  The relevant statistics are available from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development statistics directorate publication "Current Economic Indicators", the OECD publication "Monthly Statistics of Foreign Trade" and the International Monetary Fund publication "International Financial Statistics", monthly and yearly editions.

  Exports
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the change in the volume of exports in the period 1985 to 1992 for(a) the United Kingdom and (b) the other member states of the EEC; and if he will make a statement on the changes.

  Mr. Nelson
  Figures for United Kingdom export volumes are available on the Central Statistical Office data base, which can be accessed through the House of Commons Library. Figures for other member states of the EC are available in "OECD Economic Outlook", December 1993, available through the House of Commons Library.

  Tourism
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the change since the second half of 1973 in the real exchange rate relative to that of the EC Six; what has been the effect of this on the prosperity of the south coast resorts; and if he will publish a table showing for each year since 1970 (i) imports of tourism from and exports to the EC Six in terms of 1993 prices and (ii) the net effect on output and employment in the United Kingdom tourist industry.

  Mr. Nelson
  Sterling's exchange rate against the currencies of the six original members of the Community can be found in the monthly Central Statistical Office's "Financial Statistics" publication. Price data for these countries can be found in the monthly Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development "Main Economic Indicators" publication. Together, these data can be used to calculate the change in the real exchange rate since 1973.
  20
  The real exchange rate is only one factor affecting prosperity of the south coast resorts and output and employment in the United Kingdom tourist industry as a whole. It is impossible to isolate the effect of changes in the real exchange rate from that of other factors, such as activity in the tourist industries of other regions and countries. Data on the number of tourists and their related expenditure in current prices from and to the six countries are available in the "Business Monitor MQ6", published by the CSO. The yearly CSO "United Kingdom Balance of Payments" publication contains a service industry deflator which can be used to convert to 1993 prices.

  Intermediate Goods
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the change in the output of intermediate goods between 1985 and June 1993 for(a) the United Kingdom and (b) other member states of the EC; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Nelson
  Statistics for the output of intermediate goods in EC member states are shown in table 0406 of "Data for Short-term Economic Analysis", published monthly by Eurostat. This publication is available in the Library.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the relative position of the United Kingdom in table 0406 of the February issue of "Eurostat Data for Short term Economic Analysis" in terms the percentage change in output in intermediate goods between 1985 and the 1993 of the USA, Japan and the EC member countries.

  Mr. Nelson
  Total industrial production is a more important indicator than any of its market sector components. In the latest three months for which figures are available, compared to a year earlier, production rose 3¾ per cent. in the United Kingdom, while it fell in Japan, Germany, France and Italy.

  Gross Domestic Product
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the change in the volume of gross domestic product in the period 1985 to 1992 for the United Kingdom and the other member states of the EEC; and if he will make a statement on the changes.

  Mr. Nelson
  GDP statistics for the United Kingdom and other EC member states are published by Eurostat and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Copies of their latest publications are available in the Library.

  Company Directors
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what evidence he has as to the effect of the reduction in direct taxation on non-income benefits of directors of companies.

  Mr. Dorrell
  Directors pay tax on their total income. The cash equivalent of any benefits in kind is added to money income for tax purposes. There has been no significant change in the proportion of directors receiving taxable benefits in kind. Reductions in income tax rates have applied equally to benefits in kind and other income.
  21
  Low income tax rates, which apply equally to benefits in kind and other income, promote incentives and wealth creation. This has contributed to the 40 per cent. increase in the real take-home pay of a family on average earnings since 1978–79.

  Intrastat
  Sir Thomas Arnold
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a further statement about the quality of the statistics produced by Intrastat.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  I have little to add to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Chelmsford (Mr. Burns) on 8 February,Official Report, column 121.

  The investigations are proceeding well. Customs and Excise and the Central Statistical Office aim to publish a full report in the summer at around the same time as data from the 1994 edition of the Pink Book on the United Kingdom balance of payments are released. If the investigations point to substantial revisions these will be made at the earliest opportunity.

  Uganda (Debt)
  Mr. Tom Clarke
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans Her Majesty's Government have to review the current position regarding the level of Ugandan debt, in the light of the forthcoming meeting of the Paris club.

  Mr. Nelson
  Uganda received a concessional rescheduling of her official bilateral debts from the Paris club creditors on 17 July 1992. The agreement was on Trinidad terms.

  Under the terms of this agreement, creditors agreed to consider reducing the whole stock of official bilateral debt by up to 50 per cent. subject to Uganda maintaining a three to four-year track record of reform with the IMF.

  Parliamentary Questions
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on how many occasions in the past five years he has knowingly provided incomplete information in answers to parliamentary questions other than on grounds of disproportionate cost; and on what subjects.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  I and my ministerial colleagues seek to provide parliamentary answers which are as complete and accurate as possible.

  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list for the past 12 months how many parliamentary questions he has referred to one of his Department's agencies for answer; and what percentage of parliamentary questions to his Department this represents.

  Mr. Nelson
  In the last 12 months, no parliamentary questions have been referred by Treasury Ministers to the chief executives of agencies for answer.

  Drugs
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the street value of drugs seized by Customs and Excise in each year for the past four years in South Yorkshire, North Yorkshire, West Yorkshire and Humberside.
  22
  Sir John Cope
  HM Customs and Excise is divided into a number of geographically based collections, which do not coincide with county boundaries. The counties of South Yorkshire, North Yorkshire, West Yorkshire and Humberside are straddled by the collections of east midlands, Leeds and northern England. These collections also include areas of Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire, Derbyshire, Cumbria, Durham and Northumberland.

  The street value of drugs seized in these three collections for the past four calendar years was as follows:

  East Midland

  Leeds

  Northern England

  £

  £

  £

  1990

  181,110

  2,894,723

  406,422

  1991

  3,838,692

  2,717,989

  5,611

  1992

  92,162

  1,195,476

  86,196

  1993

  434,295

  1,311,932

  1,801,765

  TOTAL

  4,546,259

  8,140,120

  2,299,944

  These values are for drugs seized within the boundaries of the collections and may include seizures made by officers based outside the collection area.

  Arms Sales
  Mrs. Anne Campbell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of the United Kingdom's gross domestic product was derived from the sale of armaments in 1990–91, 1991–92 and 1992–93 at 1992–93 prices.

  Mr. Nelson
  The information is not available.

  Cheque Presentation System
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what account he has taken of the effect of technological advances on the requirement for the cheque presentation systems under the Bills of Exchange Act 1882.

  Mr. Nelson
  The Government are committed to introduce legislation, as soon as parliamentary time will permit, to enable a collecting bank to capture electronically the details of a cheque and to pass on to a paying bank those details instead of the cheque itself. The Government will need to consider carefully appropriate safeguards for consumers.

  Correspondence
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many letters were received from, and written to, hon. Members by him and his ministerial colleagues in February.

  Sir John Cope
  My ministerial colleagues and I received 1,606 from, and wrote 1,171 letters to, hon. Members in February.

  Belize
  Sir Thomass Arnold
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the total public indebtedness to the United Kingdom of Belize; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Nelson
  Belize's outstanding public sector debts with the United Kingdom total £16·61 million, all of which are owed to the Overseas Development Administration.

  Value Added Tax
  Mr. Rooker
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the shortfall in VAT on fuel in 1994–95 due to the use of special companies created to receive advance payments.

  Sir John Cope
  Customs is not in a position to determine the extent to which "special" companies may be set up to receive advance payments for supplies of fuel and power made from 1 April 1994. Consequently it is not possible to provide an estimate of any shortfall in revenue there might be as a result.

  Civil Servants
  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list for each civil service grade in his Department(a) the total number of persons employed and (b) the percentage of this figure that are women.

  Mr. Nelson
  [holding answer 17 March 1994]: The information requested is set out in the table and represents the position as at 1 January 1994.

  Grade

  Total number employed (staff in post)

  Percentage of women

  1

  1

  0

  1a

  3

  0

  2

  6

  0

  Chief Accountancy Adviser

  1

  0

  3

  24

  13

  4

  3

  0

  5

  68

  13

  6

  23

  0

  7

  194

  19

  Senior Executive Officer

  85

  28

  Senior Scientific Officer

  1

  0

  Senior Information Officer

  1

  0

  Senior Librarian

  1

  100

  Higher Executive Officer(D)

  13

  39

  Senior Economic Assistant

  27

  11

  S/Assistant Statistician

  5

  0

  Higher Scientific Officer

  2

  100

  Higher Executive Officer

  122

  34

  Librarian

  4

  100

  Administrative Trainee

  12

  25

  Economic Assistant

  16

  25

  Assistant Statistician

  4

  25

  Information Officer

  1

  100

  Graduate Trainee

  1

  0

  Executive Officer

  163

  34

  Assistant Librarian

  5

  40

  Administrative Officer

  208

  51

  Administrative Assistant

  94

  61

  Chief Typing Manager

  2

  100

  Senior Personal Secretary

  16

  100

  Typing Manager

  3

  100

  Personal Secretary

  111

  98

  Typist

  49

  92

  Support Manager Band 1

  1

  0

  Support Manager Band 2

  4

  50

  Support Manager Band 3

  7

  29

  Support Grade Band 1

  53

  28

  Support Grade Band 2

  113

  32

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT

  Kenya
  Mr. Legg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what Her Majesty's Government are doing to assist drought-affected people in Kenya.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  We have pledged nearly £15 million in humanitarian assistance since the onset of the present drought in 1992. We were the first donor to respond to the Government of Kenya's appeal for food aid in December 1993, allocating 15,000 tonnes of food aid, worth about £3.8 million, since then for the immediate needs of drought victims in Kenya.

  Aid and Trade Provision
  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans the Government have to review the operation of aid and trade provision.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  The Government have recently reviewed the aid and trade provision. I refer the hon. Member to the statement I made to my hon. Friend the Member for Croydon, South (Mr. Ottaway) on 17 June 1993,Official Report, column 679 which announced the conclusions of that wide-ranging review. The Government have no plans to conduct a further review.

  Mozambique
  Mr. Willetts
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance is being given to help Mozambique.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  We expect to spend about £40 million in the current financial year.

  Ukraine
  Sir Thomas Arnold
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about the International Monetary Fund and the World bank's lending policy towards the Ukraine.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  As a member of both IMF and the World bank group, Ukraine is eligible for the full range of non-concessional facilities offered by those institutions, including the IMF's new systemic transformation facility, designed to assist former command economies in the early stages of transition. The fund is involved in discussion with the Ukrainian authorities on an economic adjustment programme, which would help to facilitate lending by both institutions.

  Aid Budget
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the reason for the projected reduction in the overseas aid budget between 1994–95 and 1995–96, as set out at table 23 of his annual report 1994, Cm. 2502.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  The budget for the Overseas Development Administration's total external assistance programmes, including non-voted expenditure, is planned to rise from £2,191 million in 1994–95 to £2,245 million in 1995–96, as shown in table 23 of the report.
  25
  The decline in voted expenditure between 1994–95 and 1995–96 reflects the rise in non-voted expenditure, the latter representing essentially the United Kingdom share of EC budgetary spending on aid for developing countries and assistance to central and eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union.

  Overseas Aid
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will set out the definition of(a) low income countries, (b) lower middle income countries, (c) upper middle income countries and (d) high income countries as used to define the allocations of overseas aid in figure 10 of his annual departmental report and expenditure plans, 1994–95 to 1997–98, Cm. 2502.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  The classifications are those used by the development assistance committee of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and are defined as follows:Low income country: GNP per capita below $765 in 1991;
  Lower middle income country: GNP per capita in 1991 of $765 or above but not exceeding $2,556;
  Upper middle income country: GNP per capita in 1991 of $2,555 or above but not exceeding $7,380;
  High income country: GNP per capita in 1991 above $7,380

  Subsistence Farmers
  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will name the three most recent development projects whose objectives are to improve the income of subsistence farmers, which illustrate the programme and policies of Her Majesty's Government in pursuit of that objective.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  Recently approved projects aimed at improving the livelihoods of subsistence farmers in pursuit of the Government's support for sustainable agriculture under the aid programme include the farming systems development and training project, Ghana; the Krishak Bharati co-operative rainfed farming project in India and the Khosi Hills seed and vegetable project, Nepal.

  Global Environment Assistance
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the reason for the projected reduction on expenditure on global environment assistance between 1993–94 and 1994–95 as set out at table 23 of his departmental annual report and expenditure plans 1994–95 to 1997–98 Cm. 2502.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  The planned reduction reflects the scheduled drawdown agreements of the global environment facility and the Montreal protocol multilateral fund, and anticipates expenditure needs. This same expenditure profile leads to a sharp rise in subsequent years.

  China
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what evidence he has that the involvement of agencies funded by his Department in the Chinese population control programme lessens the extent to which that programme breaches human rights.
  26
  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  The United Nations Population Fund—UNFPA—and the International Planned Parenthood Federation neither support nor condone coercive population programmes in China. Both agencies have a moderating effect on Chinese population policies. A recent example is the decision of the Chinese Government, following a recommendation by UNFPA, to seek advice from the World Health Organisation on the draft "natal and health care law", which had been widely criticised.

  Cocoa
  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much financial assistance has been given by the Government to(a) the international cocoa gene bank in Trinidad, (b) the CATIE cocoa genebank in Costa Rica, (c) the international cocoa germplasm database at Reading, Berkshire and (d) the international cocoa quarantine station at Reading, Berkshire in each of the last five years.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  Over the past five years, the ODA has not provided financial assistance to the international cocoa gene bank in Trinidad, the CATIE cocoa genebank in Costa Rica, or the international cocoa germplasm data bases in Reading.

  The international cocoa quarantine station at Reading is funded by the Biscuit, Cake, Chocolate and Confectionery Alliance and the EC. However, in 1993, the ODA provided £18,000 to support the participation of Ghana.

  Aid Offers
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the dates on which aid offers in principle were made to the Governments of countries overseas in each year since 1986.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  [holding answer 17 March 1994]: Our bilateral aid programme is managed in close consultation with aid recipient countries. This involves continuing liaison over programmes and individual projects. It is not possible to list the dates when individual aid offers were made.

  Aid Grants
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the total amount of overseas aid grants made to(a) Indonesia and (b) Tanzania for each year since 1979 and in total for each country in constant 1993 prices.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  [holding answer 17 March 1994]: United Kingdom gross bilateral aid flows to Indonesia and Tanzania from 1979 to the end of the financial year 1992–93 in cash and constant 1992–93 prices were as follows:

  £ thousands

  Indonesia

  Tanzania

  Year

  Gross bilateral aid

  1992–93 prices

  Gross bilateral aid

  1992–93 prices

  1979

  11,720

  27,899

  23,559

  56,082

  1980

  11,190

  22,513

  32,119

  64,619

  1981

  15,350

  28,158

  30,040

  55,106

  1982

  17,219

  29,486

  27,328

  46,798

  1983

  12,358

  20,225

  30,384

  49,725

  27

  Indonesia

  Tanzania

  Year

  Gross bilateral aid

  1992–93 prices

  Gross bilateral aid

  1992–93 prices

  1984

  28,292

  44,086

  33,033

  51,474

  1985

  33,649

  49,678

  17,967

  26,526

  1986

  8,898

  12,763

  12,715

  18,238

  1987

  12,223

  16,645

  28,789

  39,205

  1987–88

  14,660

  19,964

  33,617

  45,780

  1988–89

  17,366

  22,161

  31,956

  40,780

  1989–90

  21,616

  25,791

  20,060

  23,935

  1990–91

  24,854

  27,442

  41,403

  45,715

  1991–92

  34,425

  35,747

  32,454

  33,700

  1992–93

  33,164

  33,164

  62,370

  62,370

  The basis on which these figures are recorded was changed from calendar to financial years with effect from 1992; the previous five financial years have been included above for ease of comparison.

  The figures shown include disbursements of Commonwealth Development Corporation investments, and also bilateral concessional aid loans committed prior to 1979, but since forgiven under the retrospective terms adjustment policy.

NATIONAL HERITAGE

  Open Government
  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what will be the implications for the operation of his Department of the code of practice on open government.

  Mr. Sproat
  The code of practice will reinforce and build on my Department's existing arrangements for the provision of information. Operational details will be announced nearer to the time of the launch.

  Royal Palaces
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what progress is being made in compiling the inventory of works of art in the royal palaces.

  Mr. Sproat
  The Lord Chamberlain has stated that the inventory of the works of art in the royal palaces is making good progress and is on target for completion by the end of 1997.

  Mr. Alan Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage (1) pursuant to his answer of 14 March,Official Report, column 481, what is the range of all actual rents paid at each of the royal places for all accommodation; how many heads of department in the royal household have furnishing costs paid by his Department; and how much has been spent in each of the last five years;

  (2) pursuant to his answer of 15 March, Official Report, column 612, what in money terms is the range of all those actual rental payments for grace and favour accommodation in the occupied royal places; how many rents make up the £69,000; how much relates to each palace; how much of the rent is received by the Royal Household and how much by his Department; and by what criteria it is determined which rentals are paid to the Royal Household and which to the Department.

  Mr. Sproat
  [holding answer 18 March 1994]: The rents in respect of each palace are as follows:
  28

  £000

  Buckingham Palace and Mews

  8

  St James's Palace

  15

  Kensington Palace

  11

  Windsor Castle and Home Park

  35

  69

  A total of £30,000 is received by the civil list and £39,000 by the grant in aid, according to which account pays the wages. The £69,000 relates to 47 occupants who pay rent. In addition to these 47 occupants, seven occupants pay rent through deductions from wages to the Crown estate and two through deductions of £3,000 from wages to the royal collection. It would not be appropriate to disclose rents paid by individuals.

  Six heads of departments have furnished accommodation provided. Costs incurred in this respect during the last five years are: 1989–90, £112,000; 1990–91, none identified; 1991–92, £99,000; 1992–93, £88,000 and 1993–94, £26,000.

  Archaeology
  Ms Mowlam
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what consideration he has given to widening the terms of reference to his Department's review of the Museum of London archaeological service to include the provision of archaeology services for London as a whole.

  Mr. Sproat
  The terms of reference of the review being jointly financed by this Department, English Heritage, the corporation of London and the museum of London require the consultants to assess the demand of archaeological services in London as a whole, and to recommend how services of the nature at present provided by the museum of London archaeological service could be provided in future, taking into account services provided by other organisations. I therefore consider the terms of reference of the review to be satisfactory as they stand.

  Correspondence
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage how many letters were received from, and written to, hon. Members by, him and his ministerial colleague in February.

  Mr. Brooke
  My hon. Friend and I received 300 letters from, and wrote 237 letters to, hon. Members during February.

  Parliamentary Questions
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage on how many occasions he has knowingly provided incomplete information in answers to parliamentary questions other than on grounds of disproportionate cost; and on what subjects.

  Mr. Brooke
  The Department of National Heritage is less than two years old, coming into being on April 13 1992. I answer parliamentary questions on the basis set out in paragraph 27 of "Questions of Procedure for Ministers". I also seek to comply with the Speaker's guidance on the need for brief answers to oral questions.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Bail Hostels
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list for the latest date available, the current occupancy rate for each bail hostel in Humberside, and each of the three counties of Yorkshire; and what the corresponding figures were 12 months ago.

  Mr. Maclean
  The figures requested, based on total approved places, are as follows:

  Percentage occupancy rates

  February 1993

  February 1994

  Humberside

  Queen's Road

  32

  47

  Scunthorpe1

  —

  39

  South Yorkshire

  Centre 45

  91

  45

  Norfolk Park

  60

  62

  Rookwood

  37

  78

  Town Moor

  79

  85

  West Yorkshire

  Howden House

  71

  61

  Walmer Villas

  76

  84

  Elm Bank

  100

  71

  Albion Street1

  —

  84

  Cardigan House

  84

  68

  St. John's

  90

  92

  Ripon House

  84

  93

  North Yorkshire

  No hostels currently.

  1 Both Scunthorpe and Albion Street opened subsequent to February 1993.

  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consideration he is giving to the closure of bail hostels in Humberside and each of the three counties of Yorkshire; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maclean
  The closure of 11 approved hostels was announced at the end of November last year. The South Yorkshire probation committee was asked to identify one hostel for closure; and it has now been agreed that the Centre 45 hostel in Sheffield should close. None of the approved hostels in Humberside or West Yorkshire is affected. There are currently no hostels in North Yorkshire, although a new hostel in York is expected to open shortly.

  The Government continue to support the provision of approved hostels where these meet the needs of the courts in a cost-effective way and within the requirements of national standards.

  Yorkshire and Humberside Prisoners
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many prisoners from(a) South Yorkshire, (b) North Yorkshire, (c) West Yorkshire and (d) Humberside are currently serving custodial sentences in prisons in Northern Ireland; and if he will give for each prisoner, the length of their sentence, when they were committed and the nature of their offence;

  (2) how many prisoners from (a) South Yorkshire, (b) North Yorkshire, (c) West Yorkshire and (d) Humberside are currently serving custodial sentences in prisons in
  30
  Scotland; and if he will give for each prisoner, the length of their sentence, when they were committed and the nature of their offence.

  Mr. Maclean
  The information requested is not recorded centrally.

  Television Licences
  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will bring forward proposals to abolish custodial sentences as a punishment for the non-payment of fines imposed for not paying the television licence fee.

  Mr. Maclean
  Committal to prison is one of a range of measures available to courts for enforcing fines. We have no plans to remove this power in relation to fines imposed for any particular offence.

  Amylnitrite
  Ms Estelle Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to make the sale of amylnitrite to children illegal.

  Mr. Maclean
  The substance amylnitrite belongs to the group of chemicals known as alkylnitrites. While it is not strictly speaking a solvent, it can be misused by inhalation of its vapours. Sales of intoxicating substances are already regulated by the Intoxicating Substances (Supply) Act 1985 which makes it an offence for people such as retailers to sell or supply intoxicating substances to persons under 18 whom they believe intend to misuse them. The Act has no specific list of chemicals; there is a wide range of everyday products which can be misused by inhalation.

  The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs has considered the misuse of alkylnitrites and the possibility of controlling them under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 on three occasions—in 1984, 1987 and 1991. On each occasion, the council concluded that, although the misuse of those substances posed a limited health hazard, such misuse did not lead to dependency and did not give rise to social problems of a scale to justify use of the controls in the 1971 Act. The advisory council is, however, keeping the matter under review.

  Police Firearms
  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many guns are owned by the police for their use, setting out separately pistols, shotguns, rifles, semi-automatic and automatic weapons; how many policemen are qualified to use firearms; and how many armed response units are available on average at any one time(a) in each constabulary and (b) nationally.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  Figures for police firearms and average numbers of armed response vehicles are not available centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Certain other related information is provided each year by police forces in England and Wales. At 31 December 1992, the latest date for which information is available, there were 6,850 authorised firearms officers. There were 1,669 operations involving armed response vehicles during that year. Thirty one forces currently operate armed response vehicles.

  Operation Barnard
  Mr. Gerrard
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were arrested during Operation Barnard in Wanstead on 16 February on suspicion of having been involved in a riot at Welling last October; and of these who many were subsequently released without any charges being brought.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  I understand from the Metropolitan Police Commissioner that five people were arrested on suspicion of having been involved in disturbances at Welling. All were subsequently released without charge.

  Human Rights
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on his policy on the proposed change to the European Court of Human Rights' treatment of human rights cases.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  As I said in my reply to the hon. Member for Brent, South (Mr. Boateng) on 24 February,Official Report, column 314, the Government are contributing fully to work within the Council of Europe on the reform of the European Commission and Court of Human Rights by their replacement by a single court, with the aim of enabling the increasing number of cases to be dealt with more speedily while maintaining the highest standards of jurisprudence.

  Traffic Videos
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what guidelines he has issued to police forces regarding the disposal of traffic videos to private companies;

  (2) if he will make a statement regarding the sale and disposal of police videos;

  (3) what representations he has received about the disposal of traffic videos to private companies and their subsequent resale.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  No guidelines have been issued to police forces about the release of road traffic video footage to private companies. One hon. Member has made representations.

  The supply of police video material is an operational matter for individual chief officers of police. I understand though that the traffic committee of the Association of Chief Policer Offices is to consider the matter.

  Campsfield House Detention Centre
  Mr. Andrew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many detainees at Campsfield House have been subjected to forced feeding; under what powers such action is taken; and what safeguards there are for the human rights of those concerned.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  No person detained under immigration powers has been force fed at Campsfield House or elsewhere.

  Mr. Andrew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what factors were taken into account in determining the level of security measures installed at Campsfield House detention centre.
  32
  Mr. Charles Wardle
  The security measures at Campsfield house are designed to allow as much freedom of movement as possible within the centre, but to take account also of the needs to maintain good order and prevent detainees from absconding.

  Prisons (Drugs)
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will list each prison where there have been no incidents of illegal drug use in each of the past seven years;

  (2) in how many prisons there have been incidents of illegal drug use in each of the past seven years; and what proportion they are of the total numbers of prisons.

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

  Letter from A. J. Butler to Mr. Paul Flynn, dated 21 March 1994:
  The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General, Mr. Derek Lewis, from the office, to reply to your two Parliamentary Questions about incidents of illegal drug use in each of the past seven years in Prison Service establishments.
  The available information is for the period up to 1992 and for charges proved at adjudication of the offence of possession or selling or delivering controlled drugs (including any proved charges of attempt, incite or assist). This information is published annually for each establishment in Statistics of Offences Against Prison Discipline and Punishments England and Wales. Copies are available in the library of the House of Commons. In each of the years 1986 to 1992 some 80 per cent. to 90 per cent. of establishments have had one or more cases of drugs offences.

  Drugs Trafficking
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his estimate of the numbers of people engaged full time in the trafficking of illegal drugs in each of the past seven years.

  Mr. Maclean
  As drug trafficking is a clandestine activity, it is not possible to estimate the numbers of people engaged full-time in the trafficking of illegal drugs. However, information on the number of persons convicted or cautioned for drugs trafficking offences is contained in table 3.3 of the Home Office statistical bulletin "Statistics of drugs seizures and offenders dealt with, United Kingdom, 1992" a copy of which is in the Library.

  Immigration
  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make it the practice that when the hon. Member for Walsall, North is making written representations to a Minister in his Department on behalf of a constituent he will not be telephoned by a chief immigration officer to try to persuade him to drop the representation.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  Written representations submitted to Ministers which the Immigration Service has not had the opportunity to consider are sent first to the port concerned for consideration. It is not the practice of the Immigration Service to try to persuade an hon. Member not to pursue his representations.

  Ethnic Minorities
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many(a) teaching and (b) non-teaching posts, by full-time equivalent, were funded by section 11 money in (a) 1992–93, (b) 1993–94 and (c) proposed for 1994–95, by each local education authority.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  [holding answer 14 March 1994]: The available information is set out in the table. The figures

  Local education authority

  Posts as at 1 April 1992

  Posts as at1 April 1993

  Posts as at1 April 1994

  Teachers

  Others

  Teachers

  Others

  Teachers

  Others

  Avon

  38·9

  5

  38·6

  5

  38·6

  5

  Barking and Dagenham*

  13·6

  4·2

  13·6

  4·2

  13·6

  3

  Barnet*

  47·54

  32·16

  47·54

  11·756

  47·54

  11·765

  Bedfordshire

  165·9

  63·7

  165·4

  59·2

  165·4

  58·5

  Berkshire*

  73·5

  17·8

  73·5

  17

  73·5

  17

  Bexley

  7·04

  3·61

  6·327

  1·08

  6·327

  1·08

  Birmingham*

  251

  343

  250·15

  223

  243·79

  221·23

  Bolton

  40·2

  23·0

  40·2

  23·2

  40·2

  23–2

  Bradford

  260·1

  182·17

  260·1

  151·35

  260·01

  151·35

  Brent

  119·2

  26·9

  115

  1·9

  90·5

  1·9

  Buckinghamshire*

  91

  48·67

  86·4

  47·67

  81·1

  44·67

  Bury

  23·3

  12·35

  23·3

  12·35

  23·3

  12·35

  Calderdale

  50·5

  33·04

  50·5

  33·04

  50·5

  33·04

  Cambridgeshire

  64

  29·1

  64

  16

  64

  16

  Camden*

  76·4

  16·3

  76·4

  12·6

  76·4

  12·6

  Cheshire

  5

  2

  5

  2

  5

  2

  Cleveland

  31

  13·5

  30

  14·5

  29·4

  15·1

  Coventry City**

  114

  56·46

  141

  44·22

  141

  44·22

  Croydon*

  63·4

  23·55

  63·4

  17·75

  63·2

  18·5

  Derbyshire**

  96

  12

  96

  12

  96

  12

  Devon

  1

  0

  1

  0

  1

  0

  Doncaster

  8

  5·2

  8

  2·95

  8

  2·95

  Dudley

  64

  18

  64

  7

  64

  6·6

  Ealing

  172·4

  64·1

  172·4

  57·6

  172·4

  57·6

  East Sussex

  10

  1·6

  10

  1·6

  10

  1·6

  Enfield*

  64

  24·25

  64

  5·5

  64

  5·5

  Essex*

  2

  —

  2

  —

  2

  —

  Gateshead

  2

  2·2

  2

  0

  2

  0

  Greenwich**

  86

  34

  86

  32

  86

  32

  Gwent

  14

  7

  14

  7

  14

  7

  Hackney

  226

  25·5

  226

  2·5

  226

  2·5

  Hammersmith

  41

  9·85

  41

  7

  41

  7

  Hampshire

  39

  13·9

  39

  13·9

  39

  13·9

  Haringey**

  181·05

  51·68

  181·05

  36·88

  172·73

  38·55

  Harrow**

  36

  14·3

  36

  1

  36

  1

  Havering

  3

  —

  3

  —

  3

  —

  Hertfordshire

  114·5

  33·86

  114·5

  17·4

  114·5

  17·4

  Hereford and Worcester

  24

  0

  24

  0

  24

  0

  Hillingdon

  12

  15·95

  12

  11·35

  12

  11·35

  Hounslow

  91·4

  8

  91·4

  8

  91·4

  8

  Humberside

  18·2

  5·2

  18·2

  5·2

  18·2

  5·2

  Islington

  102

  4·95

  102

  —

  102

  —

  Kensington and Chelsea

  58

  3·3

  58

  1

  58

  1

  Kent

  59·16

  31·59

  57·79

  30·72

  57·79

  30·72

  Kingston

  7–08

  1

  7–08

  1

  7·08

  1

  Kirklees

  149·5

  80·72

  149·5

  65·92

  149·5

  65·92

  Lambeth

  61·2

  —

  61·2

  —

  61·2

  —

  Lancashire

  265·7

  192·4

  265·7

  192·4

  265·7

  192·4

  Leeds

  8

  180·46

  7·03

  153·98

  5·03

  151·01

  Leicestershire

  214·7

  75·25

  214·7

  68·95

  214·7

  68·95

  Lewisham

  98·5

  12·95

  98·5

  12·95

  98·5

  12·95

  Lincolnshire

  4·5

  —

  4·5

  —

  4·5

  —

  Liverpool

  7·2

  9·5

  7·2

  9·5

  7·2

  9·5

  Manchester

  110

  78·42

  110

  68·38

  110

  68·38

  Merton

  28

  6·28

  28

  6·28

  28

  6·28

  Newcastle

  19

  5

  19

  2

  19

  2

  Newham

  130·8

  37·6

  127·8

  14

  127·8

  14

  Norfolk

  4·9

  0·75

  4·9

  0·75

  4·9

  0·75

  Northamptonshire

  45

  24·01

  43

  7·91

  43

  7·91

  North Tyneside

  8·8

  0·9

  8·8

  0·9

  8·8

  0·9

  North Yorkshire

  4

  0

  4

  0

  4

  0

  Nottinghamshire

  93

  22·1

  91

  8·9

  91

  8·9

  Oldham

  123·45

  41·9

  125·7

  42·7

  125·7

  36·95

  Oxfordshire

  44·1

  14·3

  44·1

  14·3

  44·1

  14·3

  Redbridge

  56·8

  5·97

  56·8

  5·97

  55·2

  5·97

  34
  relate to (a) posts designated to be filled by qualified teachers, and (b) other posts, eligible for funding under section 11.
  35

  Local education authority

  Posts as at 1 April 1992

  Posts as at 1 April 1993

  Posts as at 1 April 1994

  Teachers

  Others

  Teachers

  Others

  Teachers

  Others

  Redditch

  1

  0·67

  1

  0·67

  1

  0·67

  Richmond

  4

  0·5

  4

  0·5

  4

  0·5

  Rochdale

  69

  27·7

  68

  25·7

  67

  25·7

  Rotherham

  19·5

  16·15

  19·5

  13·4

  19·5

  13·4

  Salford

  2·0

  4·5

  2·0

  4·5

  2·0

  4·5

  Sandwell**

  91·0

  16·5

  91·0

  16·5

  91·0

  11·5

  Sheffield

  113·5

  42·5

  105·5

  16·0

  105·5

  16·0

  Shropshire

  6·0

  1·0

  6·0

  1·0

  6·0

  1·0

  South Glamorgan

  30·8

  9·1

  30·8

  9·1

  30·8

  9·1

  Southwark

  108·5

  37·75

  108·5

  37·75

  108·5

  37·75

  Staffordshire**

  53·0

  12·0

  53·0

  12·0

  53·0

  12·0

  St. Helens

  0·7

  1·0

  0·7

  1·0

  0·7

  1·0

  Stockport

  4·0

  2·52

  4·0

  2·52

  4·0

  2·52

  Suffolk

  15·8

  7·16

  15·8

  7·16

  15·8

  7·16

  Sunderland

  8·8

  0·49

  8·8

  0·49

  8·8

  0·49

  Surrey*

  17·5

  7·0

  17·5

  7·0

  17·5

  7·0

  Sutton

  2·0

  1·5

  2·0

  1·5

  2·0

  1·5

  Tameside

  20·0

  18·62

  20·0

  15·49

  20·0

  15·49

  Tower Hamlets

  426·5

  79·7

  426·5

  50·0

  425·5

  52·0

  Trafford

  15·5

  5·5

  15·0

  5·5

  15·0

  5·5

  Wakefield

  22·0

  2·0

  22·0

  0·0

  22·0

  0·0

  Waltham Forest

  114·0

  28·0

  114·0

  24·0

  114·0

  24·0

  Walsall

  101·0

  32·25

  101·0

  30·0

  101·0

  30·0

  Wandsworth

  112·0

  14·3

  105·0

  4·9

  103·0

  4·9

  Warwickshire*

  54·5

  12·92

  54·5

  12·92

  54·5

  12·92

  Westminster

  95·5

  3·56

  95·5

  0·9

  95·5

  0·9

  West Sussex**

  13·5

  10·89

  13·5

  3·39

  13·5

  3·39

  Wigan

  3·5

  0·0

  3·5

  0·0

  3·5

  0·0

  Wiltshire

  8·625

  1·575

  8·625

  1·575

  8·625

  1·575

  Wirral*

  6·0

  1·0

  6·0

  1·0

  6·0

  0·0

  Wolverhampton

  101·5

  37·0

  101·5

  37·0

  101·5

  37·0

  Notes:

  1. The figures for 1992–93 and 1993–94 are as at 1 April 1992 and 1 April 1993 respectively.

  2. As to 1994–95, the figures relate to posts eligible for funding from 1 April 1994. It is a matter for authorities to decide, within the overall financial provision, how they propose to proceed in the light of the reductions in section 11 funding. Authorities marked * have indicated that they propose to make no substantive change in 1994–95. In cases marked **, authorities' proposals for change are receiving attention. In other cases, responses are awaited from authorities.

  3. Since currently approved projects came into effect on 1 April 1992, a number of schools which were previously covered by local authority projects but which have since opted for grant maintained status have chosen to set up their own project funded directly under section 11.

  4. Since 1 April 1993, most further education colleges, and a small number of sixth form colleges, which previously benefited from section 11 funding paid to the local education authority have begun receiving grant direct.

  5. Some projects approved with effect from 1 April 1992 were, in the light of their particular circumstances, approved for periods of 2 years or less.

  6. Figures relate to posts in full-time equivalent terms.

  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received and from whom regarding the reductions in section 11 funding.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  We have received a large number of representations from a wide range of organisations and individuals against the reductions in section 11 funding. These include local authorities, local authority associations, teaching unions, racial equality councils, ethnic minority voluntary organisations, school heads and other teachers, school governors and parents.

  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many teachers will be affected by the reductions in section 11 funding;

  (2) what projects will be affected (a) nationally and (b) in Coventry by reductions in section 11 funding;

  (3) what advice he has issued to local authorities as how best to apply the reduced amount of section 11 funding in order that access by ethnic minorities to the national curriculum is maintained.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  It is for local authorities to decide how they propose to proceed in the light of the reductions in section 11 funding which we regret that it has been 36
  necessary to make. We have suggested that any local authority that may need to form judgments about the relative priorities of different projects and posts may wish to take into account a range of considerations, including in particular the importance to the targeted ethnic minority communities of a project's objectives and the effectiveness of a project in delivering the improvements or achievements sought.

  We have been gratified by the number of authorities that have already notified us that they are planning to make good the shortfall in funding in order that projects can continue at their present level. We are currently considering proposals submitted by some authorities which are planning to reduce the level of activity under their approved projects from 1994–95. Other authorities have yet to notify us of their intentions.

  I understand that Coventry city council intends to make no change to existing education projects before September, but has not yet finalised its plans thereafter. No advice has yet been received with regard to Coventry's non-education projects.

  I also refer the hon. Member to my reply today to a question from the hon. Member for Islington, North (Mr. Corbyn).

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Indonesia
  Mrs. Mahon
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans he has to introduce a human rights clause into future trade agreements with Indonesia.

  Mr. Needham
  Trade agreements fall within the competence of the EU. It is standard practice for human rights clauses to appear in agreement between the EU and third countries.

  Conflicts of Interest
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade on how many occasions in the last, and current, financial year, consultants to his Department have advised him of possible conflicts of interest; on how many occasions he has issued directions to consultants to avoid or overcome conflicts of interest; and if he will place in the Library copies of the standard contract clauses covering these issues.

  Mr. Eggar
  The information requested in respect of the first part of the question is not collected and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. There is a standard clause within all consultancy contracts which requests them to inform the Department should a conflict of interest arise. I have placed copies of the clause in the Library of the House.

  Mechanical Engineering Products
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the change in the volume of United Kingdom sales of mechanical engineering products between 1990 and 1992; what were the corresponding figures for Germany, France and Italy; if he will publish a table showing the value and volume of United Kingdom output, imports, exports and consumption of mechanical engineering products in 1970, 1979, 1990 and 1992 together with the numbers employed in the United Kingdom industry; and when he expects United Kingdom output to reach the 1990 levels.

  Mr. Needham
  Available information on the annual output of the mechanical engineering industry in United Kingdom, France, Germany and Italy can be obtained from the Eurostat CRONOS database, which can be accessed in the Library of the House.

  Figures of United Kingdom sales, exports and imports from which consumption can be derived, are publishing in the "Business Monitor" series covering the mechanical engineering industries. Compatible information on the volume of trade, and, therefore, consumption is not readily available. Employment figures are published in the "Annual Abstract of Statistics". Copies of these publications are in the Library of the House.

  My Department does not forecast industrial production.

  Cotton Cloth
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what assessment he has made of the reasons for the relative amount of output of cotton cloth in the United Kingdom from 1989 to 1993 on(a) the United Kingdom and (b) Italy, Germany and France; if he will publish a
  38
  table showing the corresponding figures for 1973 and 1979 together with, for each of those years (i) production, imports, exports and consumption of cotton cloth by each country and (ii) United Kingdom imports from and exports of cotton cloth to each of the other three countries.

  Mr. Needham
  The Department has not undertaken such an assessment. Information on cotton cloth production is regularly published by the UN in "Monthly Bulletin of Statistics", a copy of which is available in the Library of the House. Information on trade in cotton cloth for the United Kingdom, Italy, France, and Germany is regularly published by the United Nations in "Yearbook of International Trade Statistics", a copy of which is available in the Library of the House. Information for the United Kingdom's trade with the other countries in cotton cloth is published by the Central Stastical Office in "Overseas Trade Statistics of the United Kingdom" which can he obtained from the Library of the House. Information on consumption of cotton cloth is not collected.

  Vehicle Output
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the change in the level of output of buses, coaches and minibuses between 1988 and 1992; what were the corresponding figures for Germany, France and Italy; if he will publish a table showing the value and volume of output, imports, exports and consumption of buses, coaches and minibuses in the four countries in 1970, 1979, 1988 and 1992 together with the numbers employed; and when he expects United Kingdom output to regain the 1990 level.

  Mr. Needham
  The available data can be found in publications in the Library of the House.

  International data for the volume of production of buses are published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders Ltd. in table 12 of the 1993 edition of "Motor Industry of Great Britain, World Automotive Statistics". New registrations of buses and coaches can be found in table 36 of the same publication. Information regarding the value and volume of exports for the United Kingdom can be found in table 62, and imports in table 91. For the other countries, the volume of exports is in tables 81 to 83. The table numbers referred to may vary in earlier editions. The data from this source may not be strictly comparable between countries. Figures showing the value of trade are published by the United Nations in "International Trade Statistics Yearbook volume 2". Data for the value of output and the numbers employed in the production of buses, coaches and minibuses are not available. My Department does not forecast output.

  Semi-manufactures
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will publish figures for British imports of semi-manufactures from(a) inside and (b) outside the EC for the three months ending in January and for the same period a year ago and in 1990; which import categories, which exporting countries, and which user industries account for the bulk of the change; what were the corresponding changes in the level of United Kingdom output of like goods over the same periods; and by how much the import content of goods produced in the United Kingdom has changed as a result.
  39
  Mr. Needham
  Summary information regarding total United Kingdom imports of semi-manufactures, on a balance of payments basis, is available only up to December 1993 and was published by the Central Statistical Office in "First Release, Balance of United Kingdom visible trade-December 1993", CSO(94)47. The most recent figures for imports from non-EC countries only, for January 1994, were published in "First Release, Balance of trade with countries outside the EC-January 1994," CSO(94)38.

  More detailed information, on an "Overseas Trade Statistics" basis, is published in the December 1993 issue of the Business Monitor MM20, "Overseas Trade Statistics of the United Kingdom with countries outside the European Community (Extra—EC Trade)" and the third quarter 1993 issue of Business Monitor MQ20, "Overseas Trade Statistics of the United Kingdom with countries within the European Community (Intra-EC Trade: Intrastat)". These are available in the Library of the House.

  Figures for 1990, by country, are not available on the balance of payments basis. The 1990 figures for individual countries, on an "Overseas Trade Statistics" basis, are available from Business Monitor MA20, "Overseas Trade Statistics of the United Kingdom". Copies of the publication are also available in the Library of the House.

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

  It is not possible to identify industries importing semi-manufactures. Figures for the import content of United Kingdom output of finished manufactures are not available.

  Exports
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what assessment he has made of the reasons for the comparative performance of British exports between 1980 and 1988; what were the corresponding figures for Germany, Italy, France, Belgium and the Netherlands on the same basis as table 6.3 of Eurostat's "Basic Statistics of the Community"; and if he will publish the corresponding figures for the period since 1988.

  Mr. Needham
  The Department has not undertaken such an assessment. The information requested is regularly published by Eurostat in "Basic Statistics of the Community", a copy of which is available in the Library of the House.

  Wool Yarn
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the(a) output, (b) level of exports, (c) level of imports and (d) consumption of wool yarn in (i) Italy and (ii) the United Kingdom in (1) 1973, (2) 1979 and (3) 1991; what was United Kingdom output as a percentage of the Italian output in each of these three years; and what were United Kingdom imports from and exports to Italy of wool yarn in each of the three years.

  Mr. Needham
  Information of wool yarn production is regularly published by the UN in "Monthly Bulletin of Statistics", a copy of which is available in the Library of the House. Information on the trade in wool yarn of the United Kingdom and Italy is regularly published by the UN in "Yearbook of International Trade Statistics", a copy of 40
  which is available in the Library of the House. Information on the United Kingdom's trade with Italy in wool yarn is published by the Central Statistical Office in "Overseas Trade Statistics of the United Kingdom", which can be obtained from the Library of the House.

  Imports
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the percentage change in the volume of imports in(a) the United Kingdom, (b) Italy and (c) France between (i) 1975 to 1979 and (ii) 1979 to 1993.

  Mr. Needham
  Information on change in the volume of imports can readily be derived from the "Monthly Statistics of Foreign Trade", published by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, a copy of which is available in the Library of the House. Consistent information for 1993 is not currently available.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the percentage change in imports between 1980 and 1989 into(a) the United Kingdom, (b) France, (c) Italy, (d) the Netherlands, (e) Germany and (f) Belgium; and what were the corresponding percentage increases from 1988 in each case.

  Mr. Needham
  The information can be readily derived from the "Monthly Statistics of Foreign Trade", published by the OECD, a copy of which is available in the Library of the House.

  EC Trade
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the implied degree of change in the United Kingdom share of world trade between the latest available three months and the same period in 1990; what were the corresponding changes in the level of exports to the rest of the EC and non-EC countries; what is the estimated change in the import content of United Kingdom exports since 1990; what is his assessment of the extent to which the change in both the nominal and real exchange rate for sterling against the ecu is responsible for that performance; and if he will publish a table showing the terms of trade and relative volume for United Kingdom trade in finished manufactures with the rest of the EC, non-EC and all countries in the latest three months, the third quarter of 1992, the third quarter of 1990, the first quarter of 1987, the second quarter of 1979 and the second half of 1973.

  Mr. Needham
  The United Kingdom share of world trade can be readily derived from information regularly published in "Direction of Trade Statistics", published by the International Monetary Fund, a copy of which is available in the Library of the House. United Kingdom exports to the rest of the EC, non-EC and all countries, together with the associated terms of trade and volumes for United Kingdom trade in finished manufactures may be readily derived from data held on the Central Statistical Office data base, which can be accessed from the Library of the House. Estimates of the import content of United Kingdom exports since 1990 are not available.

  United Kingdom exports are now around 20 per cent. more cost competitive than prior to exchange rate mechanism withdrawal. This is clearly of benefit to United Kingdom exporters. However, the United Kingdom export

  41
  performance must be viewed in the light of the weakness of the economies of our major EC trading partners. Nor should we lose sight of the fact that it is tight control over costs which determine the competitiveness of the United Kingdom economy in the long run.

  Manufacturing
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his answer of 23 February,Official Report, column 229, to what extent his Department monitors the effect of changes in terms of trade for finished manufactures on production and trade of industries other than the motor industry; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The Department has not conducted a study to isolate the effect of changes in the terms of trade for finished manufactures on industries other than the motor industry.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will publish a table showing for 1964, 1973, 1979, 1989 and the latest available date the number of manufacturing plants, their distribution by number of employees and the number of employees in each category; and what is his assessment of the factors which contributed to the changes over that period.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  Data for 1964 are not available. The quinquenniel census of production for 1963 contained structure data in summary tables, table 4. For 1973 and 1979, figures were published in the summary tables of the "Annual Census of Production", table 6. For 1989 and 1991, the latest available year, figures were published in the summary volumes of the "Annual Census of Production", table 6. Copies of these publications are available in the Library of the House.

  There were changes in the standard industrial classification, on which these figures are based, in 1968 and 1980, but in the main the figures reflect the industry's response to changes in the marketplace in the United Kingdom and overseas.

  Motor Industry
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his answer of 23 February,Official Report, column 229, for what reasons he cannot provide detailed information concerning the effect of the change in the terms of trade for finished manufactures on United Kingdom production and trade in motor cars.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The production and trade in motor cars in international markets are determined by market forces, including the competitiveness of individual car manufacturers.

  Coal Mining
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is his current estimate of the number of coal mining jobs lost since 1979 in the South Yorkshire area.

  Mr. Eggar
  Since March 1979, the number of coal mining jobs lost in the South Yorkshire area, including Barnsley and Doncaster, is 47,956.

  Malaysian Airline
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the dates Ministers, or officials from his Department, including his Department's agencies, have used the Malaysian airline MAS for each year since 1985 including this year to date on official business; and what was the cost of each flight to his Department.

  Mr. Needham
  My Department does not keep central records of the airlines used by Ministers and officials carrying out official business.

  Electricity Market
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will place in the Library a copy of the speech made by the Minister for Energy to the conference on the future electricity market held in London on 11 March.

  Mr. Eggar
  I have placed a copy of my speech of 11 March in the Library of the House.

  Malaysia
  Mr. Spellar
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what assessment he has made of whether the current actions of the Malaysian Government in relation to buying British are in breach of GATT regulations; and what action he proposes to take.

  Mr. Needham
  As long as any Malaysian action is limited to direct purchases by Government, there would be no breach of GATT rules, since Malaysia has not signed the GATT agreement on Government procurement. The Government will continue to monitor the position carefully, including by keeping in close touch with United Kingdom companies that may be affected.

  Inntrepreneur Estates Ltd.
  Mr. Wareing
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what information he has received on future developments or changes in arrangements between Courage and Grand Metropolitan in respect of Inntrepreneur Estates Ltd.; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  Neither I nor my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade, have received any information about such matters. However, under section 88 of the Fair Trading Act, the Director General of Fair Trading—DGFT—has a duty to keep under review undertakings given to the Secretary of State under that section. From time to time, this may require the DGFT or his officials to meet with the parties to such undertakings. This would include Courage and Grand Metropolitan, two of the firms that gave undertakings following the Monopolies and Mergers Commission report on the Elders IXL Ltd./Grand Metropolitan plc merger. The matters discussed at any such meetings are confidential to the parties.

  Renewable Energy
  Mr. Barnes
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what are the latest available figures for the percentages of United Kingdom energy production and consumption which are accounted for by renewable energy sources.
  43
  Mr. Eggar
  Renewable energy sources accounted for 1·2 per cent. of the United Kingdom's energy production and consumption in 1992, the latest year for which figures are available.

  Charles Barker
  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his answer of 7 February,Official Report, column 4, if he will examine the speed of the sale of Charles Barker, the price involved, whether any other bidders were involved and the position of creditors of the original company.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  On the basis of the information presently before me, I am not persuaded that an investigation should be undertaken. If, however, the hon. Member is able to provide further relevant material, this will be considered.

  Coal Privatisation
  Mr. Duncan
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade whether he will make a statement about the continuation of British Coal's health and safety research programme in the period up to and after privatisation.

  Mr. Eggar
  In the light of the advice we received from the Health and Safety Commission on the issue of heath and safety research, the Government have now approved further expenditure of £2·1 million between 1995 and 1998 to ensure the completion of British Coal's current health and safety research and development programme.

  Coal Authority
  Mr. Duncan
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans he has for the setting up of the Coal Authority.

  Mr. Eggar
  The Coal Industry Bill currently before Parliament includes provisions for setting up the Coal Authority which, among other functions, will be responsible for licensing coal mining operations and granting interests in coal; and taking over British Coal's responsibilities for historic physical liabilities, including subsidence, where these are not transferred to the private sector.

  Subject to parliamentary approval of the Coal Industry Bill and granting of Royal Assent, the aim is to establish the authority, and thus the new independent licensing regime, about two months after the Bill receives Royal Assent, though its members may be appointed shortly before that date. The Department has sought provision for the Coal Authority in the 1994–95 estimates. Urgent expenditure, estimated at £500,000, will be met by repayable advance from the contingencies fund.

  Coal Reserves
  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if coal reserves exist under all or part of(a) Dorset, (b) Wiltshire, (c) Oxfordshire, (d) Avon, (e) Herefordshire, (f) Worcestershire, (g) Buckinghamshire, (h) Berkshire, (i) Cheshire, (j) Lincolnshire, (k) Norfolk, (l) Kent, (m) Cambridgeshire, (n) Cumbria, (o) North Yorkshire and (p) Humberside; and at what depth the shallowest seam lies in respect of each.
  44
  Mr. Eggar
  My Department does not hold the information requested. Information provided by the British Geological Survey suggests that coal either does not occur, or where it does occur, it is not economically recoverable at the present time in Dorset, Oxfordshire, Herefordshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Kent, Cambridgeshire and Humberside. There are deep mines in North Yorkshire where coal reserves occur at depths ranging from 300 m to 1,000 m.

  Opencast coal mining and small-scale shallow underground mining currently takes place in Cumbria. Shallow coal occurs at or near the surface in localised areas in Cheshire, Worcestershire and Avon, extending slightly into west Wiltshire, but the potential is considered to be very limited in these counties.

  Paramount Airways Court Case
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what assessment he has made of the implications of the Paramount court case; and what changes he plans to the law on receivership.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  [holding answer 18 March 1994]: My right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade made a statement to the House on this issue on 14 March, Official Report, columns 615–16.

  Cuba
  Mr. Parry
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the trade figures between the United Kingdom and Cuba over the past five years for which figures are available.

  Mr. Needham
  [holding answer 17 March 1994]: The United Kingdom continues to run a trade surplus with Cuba although total bilateral trade was significantly lower in 1993 than in 1992. This reflects the contraction of the Cuban economy following the loss of Cuba's subsidised trading arrangements with the Soviet Union and of the guaranteed markets for Cuba's exports in eastern Europe. The resulting shortage of foreign exchange has led to a significant drop in Cuba's import capacity during 1989–93.

  Data on United Kingdom bilateral trade with Cuba are found in the Business Monitor MM20, available in the Library of the House.

  Internal Market
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what matters were discussed and what decisions taken at the European council meeting on the workings of the internal market in Brussels on 10 March.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  [holding answer 11 March 1994]: I attended the first Internal Market Council—IMC—of the Greek presidency in Brussels on 10 March 1994.

  Common positions on proposals on food additives other than colours and sweeteners; the application of open network provision to voice telephony; and extraction solvents used in the production of foodstuffs and food ingredients were agreed as A points.

  An amendment to directive 83/189 on technical standards and a proposal on equipment for use in explosive atmospheres were finally adopted as A points.

  This was a debate on the progress of follow-up work on the Commission's strategic programme for the internal

  45
  market including Commission proposals on administrative co-operation and the management of the mutual recognition of national rules. The Committee of Permanent Representatives—Coreper—was asked to prepare substantive conclusions for discussion at the IMC in June.

  The proposed counterfeit goods regulation was remitted to Coreper for further discussion of the legal base.

  There was an orientation debate on a proposed regulation to establish the free circulation of novel foods within the single market. The proposal was remitted to Coreper for further detailed work.

  The next meeting of the Council is planned for 16 June 1994.

SCOTLAND

  Arable Land Payments
  Dr. Strang
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the total paid to farmers in(a) arable aid scheme set-aside payments and (b) total arable area scheme payments in Scotland following the 1993–94 harvest; and how many farmers in Scotland have received arable area payments of £1 million or more.

  Sir Hector Monro
  Under the arable area payments scheme—AAPS—Scottish farmers have received the following aid to date in respect of their 1993 AAPS claims:(a) £15·47 million in set-aside payments; and (b) £79·09 million in total arable aid. A further £11·5 million in respect of the final oilseeds payment is being issued this week. No Scottish farmer has received more than £1 million of arable aid.

  Gaelic
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what are the totals spent on promoting Scottish Gaelic in each of the last 15 years.

  Sir Hector Monro
  Government support for Gaelic centres on three areas, specific grants for Gaelic education, Gaelic organisations and Gaelic television. The totals spent in each of the last 15 financial years are given in the table.

  Additional public sector financial support for Gaelic includes support by Highlands and Islands Enterprise, local enterprise companies, local authorities and the Scottish Arts Council. Information on the amounts spent by these bodies is not held centrally.

  Scottish Office support for Gaelic

  Specific grants for Gaelic Education

  Gaelic Organisations

  Gaelic Television

  Total

  1979–80

  0

  60,996

  0

  60,996

  1980–81

  0

  72,281

  0

  72,281

  1981–82

  0

  87,517

  0

  87,517

  1982–83

  0

  101,356

  0

  101,356

  1983–84

  0

  77,190

  0

  77,190

  1984–85

  0

  81,050

  0

  81,050

  1985–86

  0

  121,000

  0

  121,000

  1986–87

  250,000

  131,000

  0

  381,000

  1987–88

  300,000

  179,723

  0

  479,723

  1988–89

  500,000

  208,000

  0

  708,000

  1989–90

  850,000

  298,000

  0

  1,148,000

  1990–91

  1,200,000

  306,000

  0

  1,506,000

  1991–92

  1,500,000

  362,800

  100,000

  1,962,800

  1992–93

  1,650,000

  814,000

  9,500,000

  11,964,000

  1993–94

  1,716,000

  879,558

  9,500,000

  12,095,558

  Area Tourist Boards
  Mr. Raymond S. Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement about the reorganisation of area tourist boards in Scotland.

  Mr. Lang
  I am most grateful to the Scottish tourist board for the work it has done in developing a range of options for the reorganisation of area tourist boards—ATBs—in Scotland. After wide consultations, and within the framework of these options, I have concluded that the needs of Scotland's tourist industry will be best served by a 14-board structure, to be established on 1 April 1996. In order to ensure a smooth transition I intend to appoint the initial members of the new area tourist boards entirely on the basis of nominations from existing boards and from local authorities.

  The Scottish tourist board will be responsible for advising me on the detailed arrangements for establishing this new network, including the individual schemes which will be required by each of the new boards. In carrying out this responsibility I will require it to collaborate closely with existing ATBs, with existing and shadow local authorities and with the tourist industry generally.

  Many of those involved in the operation of area tourist boards have put it to me that, in order to meet local needs and retain local loyalties, it will be essential for the new boards to be locally accountable for their operational arrangements. I accept this advice and am asking the Scottish tourist board to pay particular attention to identifying suitable local arrangements in the schemes it works up for individual boards. Here again, it will be required to work in close collaboration with the tourist industry itself.

  I am confident that the new 14-board structure will provide visitors to Scotland with a greatly improved service. Our tourist industry will be given a competitive edge by a network which is sensitive to local needs and which delivers the effective marketing called for in the tourism review. A map illustrating the new structure is being placed in the Library. Subject to parliamentary approval the composition of the new boards will be as follows:

  Proposed area tourist board1

  Proposed new councils2

  1. Shetland

  Shetland

  2. Orkney

  Orkney

  3. Western Isles

  Western Isles

  4. Highland

  Highland

  5. Grampian

  City of Aberdeen

  Aberdeenshire

  Moray

  6. Tayside

  Angus

  City of Dundee

  7. Fife

  Fife

  8. Perthshire

  Perthshire and Kinross

  9. Loch Lomond, Stirling and Trossachs, Argyll and Bute

  Argyll and Bute

  Stirling

  Clackmannan and Falkirk

  Dumbarton and Clydebank

  47

  Proposed area tourist board1

  Proposed new councils2

  10. Glasgow and the Clyde Valley

  City of Glasgow

  Inverclyde

  Renfrewshire

  East Renfrewshire

  East Dunbartonshire

  North Lanarkshire

  South Lanarkshire

  11. Edinburgh and Lothian

  City of Edinburgh

  East and Midlothian

  West Lothian

  12. Scottish Borders

  The Borders

  13. Ayrshire and Arran

  North Ayrshire

  South Ayrshire

  East Ayrshire

  14. Dumfries and Galloway

  Dumfries and Galloway

  1 The exact name of the Board will be a matter for local decision.

  2 Position following First Scottish Standing Committee's consideration of the Local Government, etc. (Scotland) Bill. Boundaries of local authorities lying within each ATB may be subject to change during the remaining stages of the Bill.

  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 Libraries of the House.

  Health Care International
  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give full details of all discretionary grants awarded to Health Care International for the building of its new hospital complex at Clydebank; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what level of Government subsidy has been provided towards the Health Care International hospital in Clydebank.

  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 8 March 1994]: Details of such assistance are generally treated as commercially confidential. However information about the offer of regional selective assistance made to the company under Section 7 of the Industrial Development Act 1982 was published in the April 1992 edition of the "Employment Gazette", a copy of which is available in the Library.

  Land reclamation work was also undertaken on the site by the Scottish Development Agency/Scottish Enterprise. This work was required to deal with the effects of industrial dereliction, primarily asbestos pollution, and to render the site capable of use and was largely undertaken prior to the sale of the site to Health Care International.

  School Books
  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 books in 1993 prices in(a) 1979–80, (b) 1984–85, (c) 1989–90 and (d) 1992–93.
  48
  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 14 March 1994]: The available information on education authorities' spending on books and equipment is given in the table. The table shows combined figures for books and equipment in 1984–85 and later years because not all authorities' returns identify separately spending on books in those years.

  Expenditure by education authorities on books and educational equipment adjusted to 1992–93 prices using the GDP deflator

  £000

  1979–80

  1984–85

  1989–90

  1992–93

  Borders

  38

  349

  353

  1,619

  Central

  726

  3,107

  4,392

  4,438

  Dumfries and Galloway

  436

  1,292

  1,695

  2,817

  Fife

  947

  3,838

  4,419

  5,758

  Grampian

  3,878

  4,538

  7,320

  9,043

  Highland

  528

  2,479

  3,294

  3,860

  Lothian

  2,078

  4,366

  7,377

  10,183

  Strathclyde

  8,344

  19,932

  26,629

  33,133

  Tayside

  607

  2,009

  6,510

  5,794

  Orkney

  186

  265

  142

  166

  Shetland

  81

  310

  688

  723

  Western Isles

  143

  362

  550

  979

  Note 1: The figures include expenditure on books and educational equipment in local authority schools, further education colleges and community education establishments.

  Note 2: The figures for 1979–80 relate to expenditure on text and library books only.

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

  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 14 March 1994]: The cost of receptions held by Ministers in my Department during 1993–94 was £23,973.

EMPLOYMENT

  Training
  Ms Short
  To ask the Secretary of state for Employment (1) if he will show for each region and for Great Britain as a whole, for the latest available period, for all leavers and separately for male and female, for each ethnic group, and for those with a disability or health problem, the number and proportion of employment training trainees who three months after leaving were(a) in a full-time job with their work experience employer, (b) in a full-time job with another employer, (c) employed in their own business, (d) in a part-time job, (e) in voluntary work, (f) on another Government training programme, (g) on a full-time education or training course, (h) unemployed and claiming benefit, (i) unemployed and not claiming benefit, (j) in a job club and (k) doing something else;

  (2) what proportion of respondents to the youth training leavers survey were early leavers showing the reasons for early leaving by percentage; for each region; and for Great Britain as a whole, giving information separately for males, females and in total;

  (3) how many people have participated in (i) training for work—employment training/employment action—(ii) the business start-up allowance and (iii) youth training in each year since 1987–88; and how many people are expected to participate in those programmes and (a) community action and (b) learning for work in 1993–94 and 1994–95 in (1) London, (2) each standard region and (3) Great Britain;
  49
  (4) if he will give the latest available results from the employment training leavers survey for each training and enterprise council area in respect of employment training leavers who (a) had been entered for a vocational qualification, (b) had obtained a vocational qualification, (c) had failed to obtain a vocational qualification and (d) were awaiting their results; and how many of the employment training leavers in the relevant period had completed the training agreed in their initial action plan;

  (5) if he will show (a) for London, (b) for each standard region and (c) for Great Britain, the latest information he has on the characteristics of those who have entered training for work in respect of (i) the number of entrants covered, (ii) whether male or female, (iii) duration of unemployment, (iv) ethnic origin and (v) whether they have a disability;

  (6) if he will give for each region and for Great Britain as a whole, the latest information he has on the number and level of national vocational qualifications and Scottish vocational qualifications gained by people leaving youth training in the past year, broken down by (a) ethnicity, (b) disability and (c) gender; and if he will make a statement;

  (7) what (a) number and (b) proportion of employment training leavers had (a) been entered for a vocational qualification, (b) obtained a vocational qualification, (c) had failed to obtain a vocational qualification and (d) were awaiting their results; and how many of the employment training leavers in the relevant period had completed the training agreed in their initial action plan in the latest period for which figures are available, giving a breakdown between male and female, by ethnic group and for those with a disability

  (8) what number and proportion of respondents to the employment training/training for work leavers survey were early leavers showing the reasons for early leaving by percentage, and showing the figures separately for male, female and in total

  (9) if he will publish tables showing the latest available results from the youth training leavers survey for each training and enterprise council area broken down to show the number and proportion of youth training leavers who were (a) in full-time work with the same employer, (b) in full-time work with a different employer, (c) in part-time work, (d) on a full-time course at a college or training centre, (e) on another youth training scheme, (f) doing something else, (g) who were unemployed, (h) who had obtained a vocational qualification; and if he will also indicate (i) the number of questionnaires issued, (ii) the usable percentage response rate and (iii) the percentage of respondents who were early leavers;

  (10) if he will give the latest available results from the employment training leavers survey for each training and enterprise council area in England and Wales broken down to show the number and proportion of employment training leavers who were (a) in a full-time job with their work experience employer, (b) in a full-time job with another employer, (c) employed in their own business, (d) in a part-time job, (e) in voluntary work, (f) on another Government training programme, (g) on a full-time education or training course, (h) unemployed and claiming benefit, (i) unemployed and not claiming benefit, (j) in a job club and (k) doing something else;

  (11) if he will show for each region and for Great Britain as a whole, for all trainees and separately for male and female, for the latest available period, the wages
  50
  earned by employment training trainees who three months after leaving were (a) in a full-time job, (b) in a part-time job and (c) self-employed;

  (12) if he will give for each region and for Great Britain as a whole the latest information he has on the characteristics of those who have entered employment training showing (a) the number of entrants covered, (b) whether male or female, (c) duration of unemployment, (d) ethnic origins and (e) whether they have a disability;

  (13) what is the latest information he has on the number and level of national vocational qualifications and Scottish vocational qualifications gained by people leaving training for work in the past year in each region and for Great Britain as a whole, broken down by (a) ethnicity, (b) disabilty and (c) gender; and if he will make a statement;

  (14) if he will give for each region and for Great Britain as a whole, the latest results of the youth training scheme/youth training leavers survey, to show for all trainees, for male and female trainees and for each separate ethnic group and for those with a disability, (a) those in full-time work with the same employer, (b) those in full-time work with a different employer, (c) those in part-time work, (d) those on a full time course at a college or training centre, (e) those on another youth training scheme, (f) those doing something else, (g) those who were unemployed and (h) those who had obtained a vocational qualification; and if he will also show (i) the number of questionnaires issued, (ii) the usable percentage response rate and (iii) the percentage of respondents who were early leavers.

  Miss Widdecombe
  As the information is contained in a large number of tables, I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy in the Library.

  Ms Short
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) if he will list separately for each region and for London the contractors who have been approved to deliver places in respect of(a)job clubs, (b) restart courses, (c) job plan workshops, (d) community action, (e) employment rehabilitation courses and (f) sheltered workshops and sheltered placements in 1993–94 and the number of places they have been contracted for;

  (2) if he will outline for (a) job clubs, (b) restart courses, (c) job plan workshops, (d) community action, (e) employment rehabilitation courses and (f) sheltered workshops and sheltered placements, the process which is followed in inviting tenders to operate the scheme, the criteria by which successful bids are chosen, the length of contracts awarded and the element of contract funding which is determined by successful outcomes; how that performance element is assessed; and if he will make a statement.

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

  Letter from M. E. G. Fogden to Ms Clare Short, dated 21 March 1994:
  As the Employment Service is an Executive Agency, the Secretary of State has asked me to write to you direct to respond to your Parliamentary Questions about the tendering process which apply to:

  (a) Jobclub

  (b) Restart Course

  (c) Jobplan Workshops

  51

  (d) Community Action

  (e) Employment Rehabilitation Course

  (f) Sheltered Workshops and Sheltered Placements

  This is something which falls within the responsibilities he has delegated to me as Chief Executive of the Agency.
  It is Employment Service policy that tenders are evaluated to ascertain the economically most advantageous tender taking into account quality, skills, experience, resources and price.
  The arrangements which apply to (a)-(c) and (e) are set out in the Employment Service Programmes Contract and Tendering Guide and a copy is enclosed for your information. In addition, for Employment Rehabilitation, a copy of the information pack "Employment Rehabilitation—Information for Contractors" is enclosed.
  Of these four programmes, only Jobclub relates funding to successful outcomes and the arrangements are outlined in Part Two of the Contracts Guide. One recent change has been made which does not appear in the Guide. The maximum length of a contract has been increased from two to three years to bring programmes in line with contracting arrangements which operate elsewhere in the Employment Service.
  For Community Action the contracting process differs from our other programmes in that contracts are for one year and providers are paid a fixed rate of £40 per filled place per week. The contracting process is described in the Community Action Specification and standard contract (copy enclosed). This also lists the criteria used to select successful bids. The primary aim of Community Action is to help long-term unemployed people back into work. No extra funding is available to providers for successful outcomes, though each contract is monitored and we expect a reasonable proportion of participants to leave the programme for jobs, training or other positive outcomes, e.g. education or self-employment.
  Turning to Sheltered Employment, the Secretary of State for Employment, approved on 10 March new arrangements which will come into force on 1 April for the funding of Supported Employment (formerly Sheltered Employment). ES officials are in the process of negotiating formal contracts with SE providers for the provision of places in sheltered workshops and in sheltered placements with host employers.
  This change will be the first occasion that formal contracts operate within this programme and the contracts are being placed with existing providers of the service. The contracts will formalise existing arrangements and will not be subject to competitive tendering. Formal contracts will clearly spell out the respective responsibilities of the Employment Service and the contractors who provide this service and will enable the ES to negotiate several qualitative and quantitative targets which will form part of the contract.
  In your second question about the same programmes and services, you asked for lists of contractors and numbers of places contracted for. The responsibility for contracting in the ES is decentralised and records are not held centrally at the moment. However, a contracts data base is currently being set up which will provide information on Restart Courses, Jobplan Workshops and Community Action providers. This information will be ready in the summer. Formal contracts do not exist for Supported Employment in 1993–94.
  I hope this is helpful.

  Open Government
  Ms Short
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what new detailed information his Department, the Employment Service and training and enterprise councils will be making available to the public under the code of practice on open government; how people will be able to obtain such information and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The Employment Department, Employment Service and training and enterprise councils already answer between them many hundreds of thousands of inquiries each year. The code of practice will reinforce and build on existing arrangements for providing information to the public.

  Career Development Loans
  Ms Short
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many applications for career development loans by unemployed people have been turned down by the banks; how many unemployed people awarded career development loans subsequently go into full-time employment after completing training; how many unemployed people have been served with career development loan default notices; and if he will make a statement.

  Miss Widdecombe
  Information on the number of rejected career development loan—CDL—applications from unemployed people is not available. The current approval rate for all CDL applicants is approximately 70 per cent.

  Follow-up surveys on a 20 per cent. sample of CDL trainees are carried out three months after they have completed their training course. Information from responders to this survey indicates that over 60 per cent. of CDL trainees, who are registered unemployed at the time of taking out a CDL, have a positive outcome to their training at the three-month stage; 36 per cent. go into full-time employment, 5 per cent. into part-time employment and 10 per cent. into self employment. A further 5 per cent. are waiting to take up an unaccepted job offer and 5 per cent. go on to take further training.

  Information on the number of unemployed CDL trainees who have defaulted on their loan repayments is not available. However, recent analysis undertaken by the banks of reasons for CDLs defaulting would suggest that of the 1,687 loans defaulted in the current financial year to February, approximately a third were due to unemployment at the end of the course.

  Community Action
  Ms Short
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people have entered community action in total; and how many were participating in community action in each month since September 1993(a) for London; (b) for each standard region; and (c) for Great Britain.

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

  Letter from M. E. G. Fogden to Ms. Clare Short, dated 21 March 1994:
  The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question about Community Action.
  To the end of February (the latest date for which figures are available) 14,476 people had participated in Community Action. The number of people participating on the last Friday of each month since September for each of our nine regions and for Great Britain as a whole are contained in the attached table.
  I am unable to provide the information you request on participants in London as figures are collected regionally.
  Early indications show that Community Action is proving to be effective in helping long-term unemployed people into jobs or training.
  53

  Table showing community action occupancy by region at the end of each month since September 1993

  September

  October

  November

  December

  January

  February

  Northern

  —

  33

  66

  118

  207

  503

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  —

  73

  286

  436

  730

  1,139

  East Midlands and Eastern

  21

  108

  332

  472

  667

  960

  London and South East

  86

  296

  702

  1,239

  2,380

  4,330

  South West

  95

  233

  436

  639

  855

  1,171

  Wales

  11

  80

  187

  311

  451

  659

  West Midlands

  5

  55

  190

  320

  518

  810

  North West

  36

  215

  440

  633

  909

  1,412

  Scotland

  21

  104

  237

  399

  561

  1,178

  Total

  275

  1,197

  2,876

  4,567

  7,278

  12,162

  Source: Employment Service Regional Offices.

  Young Unemployed (Guidance and Support)
  Ms Short
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give further details about the objectives, procedures, benefit penalties and location of the pilot schemes he recently announced to provide more guidance and support to unemployed 18 to 24-year-olds with poor work histories; and if he will make a statement.

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

  Letter from M. E. G. Fogden to Ms Clare Short, dated 21 March 1994:
  The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question about the pilot schemes to help unemployed 18–24 year olds back into work.
  The Employment Service (ES) is developing two pilots designed to help 18–24 year olds unemployed for a year or more. Each pilot will consist of 10,000 places and will run for a year from April 1994. They are designed to test out new alternative approaches to helping young adults back to work.
  One pilot is a four week course designed to provide advice, guidance and jobsearch through group activities. It will run in the following regions: London and the South East, South West, Norther, East Midlands and Eastern and in Scotland.
  The second pilot involves placing people on to a caseload operated by an ES adviser. There will be a series of up to six interviews for each client over a six to 12 week period. It will run in London and the South East, the West Midlands, Yorkshire and Humberside, Wales and the North West.
  Participation in both programmes is a requirement for people aged 18–24 unemployed for a year or more who decline or fail to take up all other offers of help at their Restart interview.
  If people fail to attend the course when asked they will be interviewed to establish the reason. If a satisfactory reason is not given their details will be passed to a Benefits Agency Adjudication Officer for a decision as to whether a reduction should be applied to their Income Support payment. Individuals can lose up to 40% of their personal allowance for each week they fail to attend. Similar procedures have been in place for some time in relation to Jobplan and Restart Courses.
  If people fail to attend a caseloading interview a further invitation to interview letter will be issued. Should they fail to attend on the second occasion their benefit will be suspended and their case referred to adjudication. Normally their entitlement will be reinstated as soon as they do attend an interview. These are the same procedures which have applied for many years for all other interviews with ES advisers.
  I hope this is helpful.

  Parliamentary Questions
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment on how many occasions in the last five years he has knowingly provided incomplete information in answers to parliamentary questions other than on grounds of disproportionate cost; and on what subjects.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The Department answers questions on the basis set out in paragraph 27 of "Questions of Procedure for Ministers", a copy of which is available in the Library.

  Unemployment
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the note on chart 4A in his booklet produced jointly with the Treasury, "The UK Approach" for distribution at the Detroit G7 jobs summit, that "Definition of unemployment changes slightly through period covered"; and if he will make a statement.

  Miss Widdecombe
  The chart in question shows United Kingdom unemployment under two definitions. From 1948 onwards, the United Kingdom unemployment rate represented the number registering as unemployed at employment exchanges and youth employment service careers offices, as a percentage of these registered unemployed plus the total number of employees in employment. These are the rates shown in the chart between 1949 and 1970.

  When, in 1982, the Rayner review led to registration becoming voluntary and thereby threatened the integrity of official statistics, the basis of the count was changed to become a count of those claiming unemployment-related benefits at Employment Service local offices.

  In order to ensure that this series remains a valid economic indicator, Employment Department statisticians compile a seasonally adjusted claimant unemployment series with a coverage which is consistent with current eligibility criteria. The unemployment rate derived from this series, which goes back to 1971, represents the number of unemployed claimants as a percentage of the claimant unemployed plus employees in employment, self employed, HM forces, and people on work-related Government training programmes. These rates from the consistent seasonally adjusted series appear in the chart from 1971 onwards.

  ABB
  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment, pursuant to his answer of 15 March, at column 636, how many of the former ABB workers to

  55
  whom he refers have had their unemployment benefit suspended for any period since they were made redundant by ABB.

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

  Letter from M. E. G. Fogden to Mr. Hugh Bayley, dated 21 March 1994:
  The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question about people made redundant by ABB Transportation Ltd who have had their unemployment benefit suspended for any period.
  For reasons explained in my letter of 24 November, I regret that this information is not available. No records are kept on the number of clients claiming benefit who have been made redundant by a particular company, or about the status of their claim. This information could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
  Claims are filed alphabetically by client's name, and it would not be cost effective to make a retrospective check seeking to match clients against redundancy from ABB Transportation Ltd.
  I am sorry I cannot be of more help on this occasion.

  Equal Opportunities
  Mr. Duncan Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what assessment he has made of the implications of the judgment of the House of Lords in Regina v. Secretary of State for Employment Ex-parte Equal Opportunities Commission and Another.

  Miss Widdecombe
  The Government are carefully considering this judgment and will take what action may be necessary to comply with its legal obligations.

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what number of employed people have been counted(a) twice and (b) more than twice in employment figures in each of the last 15 years.

  Miss Widdecombe
  Precise information on the number of people with more than one job included in the published work force in employment estimates is not available. However, the labour force survey collects information on the number of people who have two or more paid jobs. A distinction cannot be made between the number of people counted twice or more than twice in the employment figures. Consistent information is available only from 1984 and is given in the table:

  Numbers of people with a second job: Great Britain

  Thousands

  Spring 1984

  698

  Spring 1985

  778

  Spring 1986

  813

  Spring 1987

  834

  Spring 1988

  960

  Spring 1989

  1,054

  Spring 1990

  1,073

  Spring 1991

  1,074

  Spring 1992

  962

  Spring 1993

  1,029

  Autumn 1993

  1,127

  Source: Labour Force Survey.

  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) what are the totals of self-employed in the 56
  Government employment figures in each of the past 15 years; and what proportion they are of (a) the employed work force and (b) the population;

  (2) what are the totals of part-time workers included in employment figures in each of the last 15 years; and what proportion they are of (a) the total employed work force and (b) the total of the population.

  Miss Widdecombe
  As the information requested is derived from a number of statistical tables, I shall write to the hon. Member and place a copy in the Library.

  Outdoor Adventure Centres
  Mr. Jamieson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many commercial outdoor adventure centres are currently operating in England; and if he will list them by county.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The information is not collected in the form requested and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. It is estimated that about 3,000 outdoor activity centres operate in Great Britain.

  Mr. Jamieson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many outdoor adventure centres will be inspected by the Health and Safety Executive between 1 April 1994 and 31 March 1995; and if he will list them.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  This is a programme being run jointly by the Health and Safety Executive and local authorities, representatives of which will visit more than 100 activity centres. As an element of surprise is integral to this programme, it would not be helpful to alert the centres concerned to the intention to visit them.

  Job Vacancies, Doncaster
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) what is the current number of unfilled vacancies in the jobcentres in the Doncaster area; and what was the figure(a) five years and (b) 10 years ago;

  (2) how many vacancies were listed in the Doncaster area jobcentres during (a) December, (b) January, (c) February and (d) at the latest date for which he has figures available; and if he will make a statement as to the nature of these vacancies.

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

  Letter from M. E. G. Fogden to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 14 March 1994:
  The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your questions about vacancies in Jobcentres in the Doncaster area.
  There are six Jobcentres in the Doncaster travel to work area, five in Doncaster and one in Thorne. The Doncaster Jobcentres have one central vacancy taking point.
  Information about the current number of unfilled vacancies and the number five and ten years ago is shown in Table 1 attached.
  The number of vacancies notified in the statistical period 6 December 1993 to 7 January 1994 is shown in Table 2. Information from 8 January is not yet available.
  Information about the nature of vacancies is collected on a quarterly basis. During the period covered by your question the information was collected on 7 January and is shown on Table 3.
  I hope this is helpful.
  57

  Table 1

  Unfilled vacancies

  Doncaster jobcentres

  Thorne job-centre

  7 January 1994

  384

  67

  6 January 1989

  338

  42

  6 January 1984

  166

  20

  Table 2

  Vacancies notified 6 December 1993 to 7 January 1994

  Doncaster jobcentres

  316

  Thorne jobcentre

  60

  Total

  376

  Vacancies notified 11 October 1993 to 7 January 1994

  Doncaster Jobcentres

  Thorne Job-centre

  Permanent full-time

  568

  172

  Permanent part-time

  417

  60

  Temporary full-time

  168

  2

  Temporary part-time

  76

  0

  Total

  1,229

  234

EDUCATION

  Malaysian Airlines
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will list the dates Ministers, or officials from his Department, including his Department's agencies, have used the Malaysian airline MAS for each year since 1985 including this year to date on official business; and what was the cost of each flight to his Department.

  Mr. Boswell
  This information is not collected centrally.

  Parliamentary Questions
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will list for the last 12 months how many parliamentary questions he has referred to one of his Department's agencies for answer; and what percentage of parliamentary questions to his Department this represents.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  No such referrals have been made during the last 12 months.

  Correspondence
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many letters were received from, and written to, hon. Members by him and his ministerial colleagues in February.

  Mr. Boswell
  Nearly 1,200 letters were received from hon. Members and just over 1,300 replies were dispatched in February 1994.

  Mandatory Awards
  Mr. Bryan Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what was the number of mandatory award holders, excluding European Community and sandwich 58
  students on their placement year, in 1991–92, 1992–93 and 1993–94; and what are the projected numbers for 1994–95, 1995–96 and 1996–97.

  Mr. Boswell
  The table shows the information requested.

  Academic year

  Award-holders Thousands

  1991–92

  553

  1992–93

  1636

  1993–94

  2719

  1994–95

  2761

  1995–96

  2767

  1996–97

  2763

  1 Provisional.

  2 Projected.

  Discretionary Awards
  Mr. Bryan Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what was the total amount spent in current prices on discretionary awards by local authorities in the last three academic years for which figures are available.

  Mr. Boswell
  Expenditure on discretionary awards by local authorities in England and Wales in 1992–93 constant prices was £231·1 million in 1990–91, £248·9 million in 1991–92 and £238·1 million—provisional—in 1992–93.

  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what additional help he is proposing to provide to local education authorities to assit them in their role of providing discretionary student awards.

  Mr. Boswell
  The provision of discretionary awards is a matter for local education authorities. A national survey of LEA discretionary awards—supported by the Department—is in progress. My right hon. Friend and I will wish to consider carefully the findings of the survey once they are available.

  Drop-out Rates
  Mr. Bill Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what details are kept on the number of students who leave college before the end of term or course for financial reasons; and if he will list them by area.

  Mr. Boswell
  Higher education drop-out rates are published in the departmental report. Table 14 in the latest report—Cm 2510—a copy of which is available in the Library, shows that drop-out rates have remained broadly steady over the period from 1982–83 to 1991–92. The Department does not collect information on the reasons why students leave courses prematurely, whether it is for financial reasons or otherwise; nor does it collect data by area.

  Higher Education
  Mr. Rooker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what information he has about the numbers of applicants for places in higher education institutions who decline to give information about the occupation of parents; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Boswell
  In 1991–92, of the 274,255 United Kingdom applicants to the polytechnics central admissions
  59
  system 37,277–13·6 per cent.—failed to answer the relevant question on the application form. The corresponding figures for applicants to the Universities Central Council on Admissions were 21,884–9·1 per cent.—out of 241,660 applicants.

  Mr. Rooker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if students applying for places in higher education have the right to see references given about them to the institutions.

  Mr. Boswell
  This is a matter for the institutions themselves and the individuals and bodies supplying the references, except where the references are held on computer, which are subject to the access provisions of the Data Protection Act 1984.

  Mr. Rooker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education for what purpose his Department uses local education authorities to transfer mandatory awards of maintenance grants and tuition and college fees to students and institutions of higher education.

  Mr. Boswell
  Local education authorities have been under a duty since 1962 to make mandatory awards to eligible students. Regulations made under the Education Act 1962 require LEAs to decide the eligibility of students; to assess and meet their maintenance requirements; and to pay specified fees in respect of their course. Since 1 April 1990 my right hon. Friend has paid specific grant to LEAs at 100 per cent. for this expenditure.

  Mr. Rooker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what are the numbers of full-time students in higher education institutions who are(a) home-based, (b) living away from the parents' home and studying in London or (c) living away from the parents' home and studying elsewhere.

  Mr. Boswell
  Information on term-time accommodation of all full-time higher education students is not held centrally. However, data for students in receipt of mandatory awards are shown in the table.

  Mandatory awards held by students domiciled in England and Wales 1991–92

  Rate received

  Numbers

  Parental home rate

  49,800

  London rate of grant

  76,800

  "Elsewhere" rate of grant

  413,800

  National Curriculum
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he is taking to safeguard access to the national curriculum for members of ethnic minorities who have English language difficulties(a) nationally and (b) in Coventry.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  Provision for the education of pupils from minority ethnic groups who have English language difficulties is primarily a matter for schools and local education authorities. Authorities with high proportions of children with origins outside predominantly English-speaking countries generally receive within their education standard spending assessment higher allowances to spend per pupil than other authorities in otherwise 60
  comparable circumstances. Nationally, when undertaking the recent review of Education SSAs for the 1994–95 financial year, we took account of the reduction in the section 11 grant rate. But SSAs are not prescriptive and Coventry will remain responsible for determining its own spending priorities.

  Fuel Bills
  Mr. Rooker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what information he has regarding special companies created by colleges and universities to accept advance payments for annual fuel bills for the next five years; and if the funding councils will be asked to take into account such payments.

  Mr. Boswell
  My right hon. Friend is not aware that any special companies have been established by colleges or universities for the purpose of accepting advance payments for fuel bills, but he understands that colleges in the further education sector have received advice from independent consultants on schemes for paying fuel bills in advance. Where any such schemes entailed borrowing by colleges above a certain level, the consent of the Further Education Funding Council would be required. It would be for individual colleges to determine how to meet the cost of borrowing.

  Teaching Posts (Applications)
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he is taking to ensure that local education authorities treat applications for teaching posts from both locally managed and grant-maintained schools equally on individual merits; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  When a school has a delegated budget under the local management of schools scheme, it is the governing body that decides which teachers should be appointed to any vacant posts at the school. The local education authority may offer advice, but cannot insist on a school appointing only candidates of which it approves. The Department's publications for school governors stress that all applicants for posts must be judged on their merits.

  Undergraduates (Personal Identifiers)
  Mr. Rooker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will bring forward proposals to allow the University and College Admissions Service and the Student Loans Company to make use of national insurance numbers as personal identifiers.

  Mr. Boswell
  My right hon. Friend has no plans to bring forward such proposals.

  Post-16 Courses
  Mr. Rooker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will bring forward proposals to ensure that all school pupils have a right of access to information about all post-16 courses available in their locality.

  Mr. Boswell
  Under the Education Act 1993, maintained schools, and city technology colleges, are now required to distribute to their year 11 pupils information published and supplied to them by local colleges. This complemented by the guidance on the whole range of
  61
  post-16 options in the publication "It's Your Choice", and by information on school and college performance in the comparative tables published by the Department.

  Cornish Language, History and Culture
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what are the totals of money spent from his Department on promoting Cornish language, history and culture in each of the past 15 years.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  My right hon. Friend does not make specific provision for this purpose. Schools are free to teach the Cornish language if there is sufficient demand and they have the resources to do so. National curriculum geography requires that all pupils develop a knowledge and understanding of their local area and there is provision in national curriculum history to study local history.

  Grant-maintained Schools
  Mr. Byers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many approaches his Department's territorial teams have received from parents who have failed to get their children admitted to the grant-maintained school of their choice; and what plans he has to begin keeping a central record of such approaches.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  The Department does not keep detailed records of different categories of written and telephone inquiries from members of the public. There are no present plans to collect data on the number of approaches made to members of the Department's school territorial teams about the specific issue of admissions to grant-maintained schools. Both the Department and the Office for Standards in Education have however noted that when a school becomes grant-maintained there tends to be an increase in the number of applications for admission.

  Ethnic Minorities
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has to monitor the effects of reductions in section 11 funding(a) nationally and (b) in Coventry.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  My right hon. Friend will continue to monitor the standard of educational provision for all pupils including those for whom English is not their first language, through the Office for Standards in Education.

  National Curriculum Council
  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to his answer of 2 February,Official Report, column 737, how many square yards of carpet woven with the NCC logo were purchased by the National Curriculum Council for its offices in York; and from whom it was purchased.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  Approximately 275 sq yds of the carpet is currently in place in the former NCC offices in York but information on how much carpet was purchased by the NCC and from whom is not held centrally and is not identifiable from published NCC documents.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Public Interest Immunity Certificates
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when, and for what reasons, he or any other Minister has signed a public interest immunity cerificate in connection with the Fair Employment (Northern Ireland) Act 1976.

  Sir Patrick Mayhew
  Neither I nor any other Northern Ireland Office Minister has signed such a certificate since I became Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.

  Interdepartmental Co-operation
  Mr. Beggs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the steps he has taken to develop co-operation between Departments in the Northern Ireland Office and the Scottish Office on trade, industry and transport matters.

  Mr. Tim Smith
  Northern Ireland officials regularly meet their counterparts from the Scottish Office on areas of mutual interest in trade, industry and transport. Those include inward investment, electricity interconnection and transportation links. The permanent secretary of the Department of Economic Development and his senior colleagues will be meeting the secretary and top officials of the Scottish Office Industry Department in May in Belfast.

  Community Care
  Rev. Ian Paisley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make it his policy that the moneys from both the people first budget and the transfer from protected rights are utilised solely for community care and not for capital projects.

  Mr. Ancram
  The people first community care allocation, which includes the social security transfer, is earmarked for community care services. To secure a comprehensive range of community services it will be necessary for health and social services boards to spend capital relevant to community care such as aids, equipment, transport and day care facilities.

  Poultry
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many poultry birds were slaughtered in each year since 1988 in Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Ancram
  Total recorded poultry slaughterings in Northern Ireland in each year since 1988 were as follows:

  Million birds

  Total slaughterings

  of which, broilers

  1988

  39·12

  37·37

  1989

  35·19

  33·87

  1990

  41·71

  39·82

  1991

  45·74

  43·90

  1992

  52·03

  49·63

  1993

  55·91

  54·12

  Eggs
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what were the figures for egg consumption in Northern Ireland for each year since 1988.
  63
  Mr. Ancram
  The information requested is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Open Government
  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what will be the implications for the operation of his Department of the code of practice on open government.

  Sir John Wheeler
  The code of practice will reinforce and build on existing arrangements for the provision of information by the Northern Ireland Departments and the Northern Ireland Office.

  Operational arrangements within each Department will be announced in the near future.

  Product and Process Development Scheme
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to his answer of 9 March,Official Report, columns 260–61, what was the total number of applications for (a) the number of companies participating in and (b) the number of first-time users of the product and process development scheme so far in 1993–94; and what were the comparable figures in the previous year.

  Mr. Tim Smith
  So far in 1993–94, 113 companies —43 first-time users—have submitted 173 applications under the product and process development scheme compared to 65 companies—24 first-time users—and 153 applications in 1992–93.

  Airports Police
  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what procedures will exist for the Northern Ireland airport police to have access to information contained in the police computers operated by the RUC, Home Office forces and Scotland's constabularies, following the airports police privatisation.

  Mr. Tim Smith
  The Northern Ireland airports constabulary does not and will not have direct access to information held on computers operated by the RUC, Home Office forces or Scottish constabularies. Where the airport police require such information to carry out their duty, they will seek advice from the local RUC, as is the case at present.

  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to ensure that the Northern Ireland airport police will be subject to all existing criminal evidence procedure and legislation following their privatisation.

  Mr. Tim Smith
  The Police and Criminal Evidence (Northern Ireland) Order 1989 has been amended for that purpose and will apply to all airport constabularies authorised under article 19 of the Airports (Northern Ireland) Order 1994.

  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what arrangements will be made to ensure that the Northern Ireland airport police continue to be subject to the existing police complaints procedures following their privatisation.
  64
  Mr. Tim Smith
  The present arrangement between Northern Ireland Airports Ltd. and the Independent Commission for Police Complaints for Northern Ireland will be extended to the successor company after privatisation of the airport.

  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will review the decision to privatise the Northern Ireland airport police following the decision to review security at United Kingdom's international airports.

  Mr. Tim Smith
  A detailed review of security at Belfast international airport has just been completed and Government security advisers are content with the proposed arrangements for policing after privatisation.

  HMS Caroline
  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will seek to retain HMS Caroline in Belfast, following its de-commission, as a floating maritime museum and tourist attraction.

  Mr. Ancram
  I understand that there are no plans to de-commission HMS Caroline.

  Imperial War Museum
  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what arrangements exist for the collection of the imperial war museum to be exhibited in Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Ancram
  There are no specific arrangements for the collection of the imperial war museum to be exhibited in Northern Ireland. It is however open to museums in Northern Ireland to borrow artefacts from other national museums by negotiation.

  Arable Land Payments
  Dr. Strang
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the total paid to farmers in(a) arable aid scheme set-aside payments and (b) total arable area scheme payments in Northern Ireland following the 1993–94 harvest; and how many farmers in Northern Ireland have received arable area payments of £1 million or more.

  Mr. Ancram
  In Northern Ireland to date, the total amount paid to farmers for set-aside under the EC arable area aid scheme is £243,086. The amount paid under the arable area aid scheme for eligible crops harvested in 1993 is £3,727,725.

  No farmer in Northern Ireland has received arable area payments of £1 million or more.

  Housing
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many Housing Executive dwellings, and of what types, have been demolished in each of the last five years and the current year to date; and what are the projections for the next three years in each council area in Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Tim Smith
  This is a matter for the Northern Ireland Housing Executive but I have been advised by the chief executive that the information is as follows:
  65

  District Council Area

  1988–89

  1989–90

  1990–91

  1991–92

  1992–93

  1993–94

  Projection for three years

  Antrim

  —

  6

  323

  13

  17

  13

  56

  Ards

  14

  —

  50

  45

  —

  —

  70

  Armagh

  2

  24

  10

  3

  7

  1

  —

  Ballymena

  —

  5

  13

  29

  —

  2

  130

  Ballymoney

  —

  4

  —

  —

  —

  —

  47

  Banbridge

  36

  21

  41

  2

  1

  —

  3

  Belfast

  1,321

  911

  734

  645

  514

  —

  1,653

  Carrickfergus

  34

  1

  —

  6

  69

  4

  28

  Castlereagh

  —

  —

  1

  2

  —

  11

  —

  Coleraine

  6

  3

  2

  8

  —

  —

  80

  Cookstown

  3

  —

  —

  —

  17

  —

  4

  Craigavon

  117

  139

  145

  16

  54

  —

  29

  Deny

  38

  123

  52

  14

  3

  63

  84

  Down

  10

  10

  32

  1

  —

  —

  85

  Dungannon

  5

  13

  2

  10

  2

  4

  24

  Fermanagh

  13

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2

  16

  Lame

  1

  —

  4

  —

  59

  —

  19

  Limavady

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Lisburn

  7

  2

  2

  —

  4

  —

  61

  Magherafelt

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Moyle

  1

  1

  —

  1

  —

  —

  26

  Newry and Moyle

  60

  61

  31

  8

  —

  10

  —

  Newtownabbey

  3

  43

  16

  95

  152

  15

  335

  North Down

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  5

  Omagh

  6

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Strabane

  1

  19

  7

  13

  1

  —

  2

  Information on types of dwellings demolished is available only for Northern Ireland as a whole, and is estimated as follows:

  Per cent.

  Bungalows

  7

  Houses

  67

  Maisonettes

  9

  Flats

  16

  Rural cottages

  1

  The above figures include dwellings acquired or which the executive hope to acquire, for re-development or housing action area activity.

  Illegal Fishing
  Mr. Beggs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the present position within the Fisheries Conservancy Board of the scientist alleged to have been involved in the unauthorised removal of salmon from the Grillagh river for the purpose of stripping salmon eggs from them in 1990.

  Mr. Ancram
  [holding answer 11 March 1994]: It would not be appropriate to disclose this information.

HEALTH

  Family Health Centres
  Ms Jowell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many family health centres per 1,000 population there are in(a) Inner London, (b) Greater London, (c) Birmingham, (d) Newcastle, (e) Liverpool, (f) Leeds and (g) Manchester.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Health centres are furnished by district health authorities under the terms of section 21 of the National Health Service Act 1946, and provide 66
  community health care. Some general practitioners, about a quarter, practise from them, but may use them partly in conjunction with their own premises.

  The number of health centres per 1,000 of the population for the areas in question at 1 April 1993 is shown in the table:

  Family health services authority

  Health centers

  Population

  Health centers per 1,000

  Inner London

  118

  5,770,000

  0·02

  Greater London (inclusiveof Inner London figures)

  135

  6,906,000

  0·02

  Newcastle

  9

  282,000

  0·032

  Leeds

  19

  722,000

  0·026

  Birmingham

  28

  1,009,000

  0·028

  Liverpool

  12

  479,000

  0·025

  Manchester

  13

  435,000

  0·03

  Amyl Nitrate
  Ms Estelle Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what research has been carried out into the effects of amyl nitrate on children; and if she will publish the results.

  (2) what research her Department has carried out into the extent of the use of amyl nitrate among school children.

  Mr. Bowis
  The Department has not carried out any research directed specifically at the extent of the use of amyl nitrate among school children, nor are we aware of any research carried out specifically into the effects of amyl nitrate on children.

  The Department gives financial support to St George's hospital medical school for its collection of statistics on deaths associated with abuse of volatile substances.

  We are aware of concerns that alkyl nitrites are being misused by young people in the rave scene. Both the Government and the Advisory Council on the Misuse of

  67
  Drugs, an independent body of experts set up under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, are keeping the matter under review.

  Dental Services
  Mr. Nigel Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what controls exist on the prices which may be charged for private dental treatment; and what plans she has to change them.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Arrangements for private dental treatment, private dental charges and information about them are matters between the dentist and the patient.

  Schizophrenia
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the reason for drugs used to treat schizophrenia being excluded from the list of drugs exempted from prescription charges.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The list of medical conditions that confer prescription charge exemption was drawn up in 1968, when prescription charges were reinstated. This was done with the full co-operation of medical practitioners, whose representatives made it clear that they could only agree to exemption for certain readily identifiable medical conditions, which called automatically for life-long medication.

  The list has been reviewed on a number of occasions, but on each it has been concluded that no change should be made. There are extensive general arrangements for prescription charge exemption, which coupled with charge remission under the national health service low income scheme, protect vulnerable groups in the community. These arrangements ensure that no one need be deterred from obtaining necessary medication for financial reasons.

  Mental Health
  Mrs. Browning
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will introduce standardised forms for use in all aftercare cases, covered by section 117 of the Mental Health Act 1983.

  Mr. Bowis
  We are actively considering that proposal.

  North Yorkshire Health Authority
  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what are the reasons why North Yorkshire health authority has appointed a chief medical officer in addition to a director of public health; and if she will describe the responsibilities of each post.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  That is the responsibility of North Yorkshire health authority. The hon. Member may wish to contact the chairman, Mrs. Susan Wrigley, for details.

  London Ambulance Service
  Mrs. Bridget Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many paramedics are employed by the London ambulance service; and how many have been transferred to work in stations in(a) south-east London and (b) Lewisham.

  Mr. Sackville
  The London ambulance service currently employs around 400 paramedics. It plans to train more than 750 further paramedics by the end of 1996.
  68
  Operational decisions on the deployment of staff are made by individual ambulance services in the light of local circumstances. The hon. Member may wish to contact Mr. Martin Gorham, chief executive of the London ambulance service, for futher information.

  NHS Trusts
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many National Health Service trusts she expects to be operational on 1 April.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  I have today approved a further eight applications from units wishing to become national health service trusts in the fourth wave. That will bring the total for the fourth wave to 143. There will now be 419 fully operational NHS trusts from 1 April 1994.

  The eight new trusts are: Hammersmith hospitals—incorporating Charing Cross hospital, Hammersmith hospital, Queen Charlotte's hospital and Acton hospital—Chelsea and Westminter Healthcare; Mount Vernon and Watford hospitals; West Hertfordshire Community Health; Harrow and Hillingdon Healthcare; University College London hospitals; Royal Victoria infirmary and associated hospitals; and Newcastle City Health. I have not approved the application from Surrey Heartlands.

  Eye, Ear and Throat Surgery, Shrewsbury
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many representations she has received(a) for and (b) against retaining eye, ear and throat surgery in Shrewsbury; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Sackville
  We have received a number of representations all of which have been referred to Shropshire health authority, which is currently undertaking a public consultation exercise on the future provision of the service.

  Yorkshire Regional Health Authority
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the cost to public funds of the retirement dinner for the former chairman of the Yorkshire regional health authority; and from which budget the function was funded.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  That is a matter for the Yorkshire regional health authority.

  Prescribing Patterns
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information she has about the prescribing patterns of(a) fundholding and (b) non-fundholding general practitioners; and if she will make a statement.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  General practitioner fundholders are leading the way in improving the cost-effectiveness of prescribing while ensuring that patients receive all the medicines that they need. They prescribe drugs in generic form more often than non-fundholders—49 per cent. compared with 43 per cent.—and their prescribing costs are increasing by around 4 per cent. per year less than those of other GPs.

  Hospital Beds
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospital beds there were in each year between 1978–79 and 1988–89 in the area covered by the London implementation group.

  Year

  Inner London district health authorities

  Special health authorities

  Outer London district health authorities

  Inner, Outer London DHAs and SHAs

  1979

  28,629

  3,411

  32,812

  64,852

  1980

  27,396

  3,357

  31,910

  62,663

  1981

  27,006

  3,393

  31,462

  61,861

  1982

  26,476

  3,346

  30,877

  60,699

  1983

  26,092

  3,328

  30,171

  59,591

  1984

  25,222

  3,236

  28,922

  57,380

  1985

  24,140

  3,087

  27,918

  55,145

  1986

  23,024

  3,025

  26,660

  52,709

  1987–88

  21,202

  2,860

  25,052

  49,114

  1988–89

  20,454

  2,780

  23,543

  46,777

  Source: SH3 1979–1986.

  KHO3 1987–88 to 1992–93.

  In 1979 there were 1,061,064 in-patients treated in inner and outer London district health authorities and special health authorities. The figure for 1988–89 increased to 1,373,377—a 29 per cent. increase.

  Pacemaker Leads
  Mrs. Bridget Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have been implanted with(a) Sorin S80049 bi-polar leads and (b) Medtronic 4012 leads since 1987; and how many in each case have since died.

  Mr. Sackville
  There is no S80049 pacemaker lead made by Sorin Biomedica.

  Data returned on a voluntary basis to the national pacemaker database show that, since 1987, 611 patients were implanted with Sorin Biomedica lead model S800149, 25, of whom have since died, while 954 patients were implanted with Medtronic 4012 lead model, 140 of whom have since died.

  In none of the above cases was the cause of death recorded as lead related.

  Heart Valves
  Mrs. Bridget Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people who have been implanted with heart valves since 1980 have died; and how many have died as a result of faulty valves.

  Mr. Sackville
  No figures are available for heart valve implants before 1986. However, according to the United Kingdom heart valve registry 31,271 patients were implanted with heart valves between 1 January 1986 and 31 December 1992. Of those, 5,841 have died. None of the deaths was related to faulty valves.

  Of patients implanted prior to 1986, 43 deaths have been reported following failure of mechanical heart valves.

  Thalidomide
  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the product licence for the drug thalidomide was lapsed or was withdrawn; and how long it had been in force.

  Mr. Sackville
  Thalidomide was first made available to doctors in the United Kingdom in 1958 and withdrawn on
  70
  Dr. Mawhinney
  The average daily number of available beds, wards open night and day—24 hours—1979 to 1988–89 in the area covered by the London implementation group is shown in the table:

  2 December 1961 before the introduction of the Medicines Act 1968. A product licence was therefore not necessary at the time.

  Allergens
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the link between exposure to traffic fumes and susceptibility to allergens.

  Mr. Sackville
  The Department's advisory group on the medical aspects of air pollution episodes has concluded that there is evidence that certain but not all constituents of traffic fumes, or chemicals formed from them, such as ozone, may worsen the symptoms of some allergic conditions. The group was assisted in its considerations by a leading immuno-toxicologist, and is reviewing the evidence in its current assessment of the interaction of all traffic pollutants.

  Further advice has been sought from the Department's Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants. It has asked for information from two leading research workers currently undertaking studies into the relationship between levels of air pollutants in London and symptoms among hay fever sufferers.

  The British Society for Clinical Allergy and Immunology has set up a working party to look at the possible relationship between pollutants and allergic disease. The Department is represented on that group.

  Psychiatric Unit, Torbay
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients have died within six months of being discharged from the Edith Morgan psychiatric unit, Torbay hospital in the latest convenient period.

  Mr. Bowis
  The information is not available centrally.

  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what consultations she has had with the Edith Morgan psychiatric unit, Torbay hospital.

  Mr. Bowis
  The Department of Health consults national health service authorities and trusts on a wide variety of matters.
  71
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list for each of the five years, the number and causes of deaths at the Edith Morgan psychiatric Unit, Torbay hospital.

  Mr. Bowis
  I refer the hon. Member to the chairman of the South Devon healthcare trust, for these details.

  Air Pollution
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information her Department has regarding any correlation between levels of disease and of air pollution; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Sackville
  The Department is advised on these matters by the Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants and by the advisory group on the medical aspects of air pollution episodes. The latter's three reports are in the Library; they are on ozone; on sulphur dioxide, acid aerosols and particulates; and on oxides of nitrogen. MAAPE is reviewing the evidence in its current assessment of the interaction of all traffic pollutants. Also, COMEAP has formed two sub-groups; one is to consider the relationship between air pollution and asthma and the other the medical effects of particulates in the air.

  Advice and information for the public is provided on the freephone helpline: 0800 556677.

  Management Costs
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the expenditure on management and financial consultants by her Department, the National Health Service Management Executive and any centrally run patient care services, not including trusts and health authority direct spending.

  Mr. Sackville
  The Department spent £19,377,397 on all types of consultancy in 1992–93. It is not possible separately to identify expenditure on management and financial consultants.

  Orthopaedic Services, Hampshire
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will outline her reasons for endorsing the proposal of the Basingstoke and North Hampshire district health authority to transfer orthopaedic services from Lord Mayor Treloar hospital to Basingstoke district hospital.

  Mr. Sackville
  The proposal arose following the decision of a local health authority to withdraw from 1993 its substantive contract for elective orthopaedic services from Lord Mayor Treloar hospital in order to purchase those same services locally. Without new work from other health authorities, the cost to Basingstoke and North Hampshire district health authority of obtaining the same level of service from Lord Mayor Treloar hospital would increase substantially at the expense of reduced services elsewhere. We gave very careful consideration to the proposal to transfer orthopaedic services from Lord Mayor Treloar hospital to Basingstoke district hospital and to the views of the organisations and individuals who had responded to consultation. In deciding to approve the proposal, we were satisfied that the proposal would enable the district health authority to make better use of its resources in meeting the overall health needs of the local 72
  population, that the consultation process had been adequate; and that the alternative proposals that had been suggested did not provide a more appropriate option.

  Breast Screening
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the expenditure on public relations by her Department, the national health service management executive and the breast cancer screening programme that can be identified, excluding trusts and health authority direct spending, in the last year for which figures are available.

  Mr. Sackville
  Functions that are commonly associated with press and public relations are carried out by the Department's information division. The service also covers the national health service management executive. Manpower and running costs for 1992–93 were £1·749 million.

  The breast cancer screening programme spent £42,400 on publicity in 1993–94. That included the production of an annual review, quarterly newsletters to those involved in breast screening and responses to press questions and articles about the screening programme. In addition, £18,000 was provided to part fund the production of an information leaflet for women and £25,000 on the production of videos specifically for ethnic groups on the benefits of breast screening.

  Food Hygiene
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list those local authority areas where environmental health officers have prosecuted under food hygiene regulations restaurants and public houses engaged in the culinary practice of cooking and serving beef on hot stones.

  Mr. Sackville
  The information is not separately identifiable from the returns provide from local authorities. Such practices would not necessarily constitute an offence under the Food Hygiene (General) Regulations 1970.

WALES

  Library Services
  Mr. Ray Powell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to ensure that the new local authorities he proposes for Wales will be able to fulfil the statutory duty to provide a comprehensive and efficient library service in accordance with the Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  The Local Government (Wales) Bill sets out the powers that it is proposed should be available to my right hon. Friend. The existing powers under the Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964 remain unchanged.

  Under the Bill, the new authorities will be required to produce service delivery plans for all services, including the public library service.

  Poultry Slaughtering
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many poultry birds were slaughtered in each year since 1988 in Wales.
  73
  Mr. Redwood
  Information on poultry birds slaughtered in Great Britain because of salmonella infection has been collected by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food since 1989. Figures for Wales are given in the table.

  Poultry slaughtered in Wales1

  Year

  Birds slaughtered

  1989

  381

  1990

  106,715

  1991

  64,790

  1992

  18,060

  1993

  22,896

  Source: Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.

  1 There is wide variation in the number of birds slaughtered in each individual case of salmonella infection depending on the size of the flock that may have been affected or potentially affected.

  Disabled Employees
  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many registered disabled people are employed in his Department; and what percentage this is of the total.

  Mr. Redwood
  As at 1 January 1994, 39 staff—1·6 per cent. of the total in my Department—had registered as disabled. My Department also employs several unregistered disabled people.

  Egg Consumption
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what were the figures for egg consumption in Wales for each year since 1988.

  Mr. Redwood
  Estimates of household consumption of eggs are provided from the national food survey which is carried out by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. The estimates, which are expressed in terms of average numbers of eggs consumed per person per week, exclude eggs used in manufacturing or catering and institutions. The figures are given in the table.

  Egg consumption in Wales

  Year

  Number per person per week

  1988

  2·39

  1989

  2·09

  1990

  2·14

  1991

  2·23

  1992

  2·15

  Parliamentary Questions
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for 'Wales if he will list for the last 12 months how many parliamentary questions he has referred to his Department's executive agency for answer; and what percentage of parliamentary questions to his Department this represents.

  Mr. Redwood
  The chief executive of Cadvv has answered six parliamentary questions in the last 12 months from a total of 3,425 received by my Department.

  Cwmcarn Grant-maintained School
  Mr. Murphy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales under what regulations the former head teacher of Cwmcarn secondary grant-maintained school, Gwent, was given early retirement and sick leave, in the second year of grant-maintained status.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  The Teachers (Compensation for Redundancy and Premature Retirement) Regulations 1989 provide arrangements for the governing bodies of grant-maintained schools to compensate teachers who are prematurely retired. Decisions in respect of sick leave are the responsibility of the governing body as employer of staff at the school.

  Grant-maintained Schools
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) how many schools in Wales voted during 1993 to adopt grant-maintained status;

  (2) how many schools in Wales have voted to adopt grant-maintained status; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  Eighteen schools in Wales have voted in favour of applying for grant-maintained status. Six of the ballots were held in 1993.

  Rent Forms
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what statutory forms used by rent officers will be available in the Welsh language.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  When the Rent Act 1977 (Forms, etc). (Welsh Forms and Particulars) (Amendment) Regulations 1994, laid before the house on 16 March, comes into force on 6 April 1994.

  School Inspectors
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) how many reports were produced by Her Majesty's inspectors in Wales in(a) 1991–92 and (b) 1992–93;

  (2) what percentage of Her Majesty's inspectors appointed after 1992 have (a) no teaching experience and (b) over five years' experience of teaching in primary or secondary schools.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  These are matters for the office of Her Majesty's chief inspector for schools in Wales. I have therefore asked the chief inspector, Mr. R. L. James, to write to the hon. Member.

  A476
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when work will commence on the A476 Blaenau Ffestiniog to Betws-y-Coed road; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  Full details of my right hon. Friend's forward programme will be set out in a revised edition of "Roads in Wales" to be published in the spring.

  Arable Area Payments
  Dr. Strang
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the total paid to farmers in(a) arable aid scheme set-aside payments and (b) total arable area scheme

  75
  payments in Wales following the 1993–94 harvest; and how many farmers in Wales have received arable area payments of £1 million or more.

  Mr. Redwood
  Total payments to date in Wales under the arable area payments scheme amount to £5,257,009, including set-aside payments of £617,480. These figures do not include final oilseed payments, which are being made now.

  No farmers in Wales received payments of £1 million or more.

  House Prices
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what changes have taken place in the average prices of(a) council houses and (b) housing association houses in Wales during each of the past 14 years.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  Information on the changes in average market prices of council dwellings in Wales for each year since 1981 is shown in the following table. Information on average prices for housing association dwellings is not available centrally.

  Average market prices of council dwellings in Wales1

  Year

  Average price £

  Percentage change on previous year

  1981

  13,844

  —

  1982

  13,602

  -1·7

  1983

  14,258

  4·8

  1984

  15,272

  7·1

  1985

  16,346

  7·0

  1986

  17,404

  6·5

  1987

  18,844

  8·3

  1988

  20,219

  7·3

  1989

  25,233

  24·8

  1990

  29,476

  16·8

  1991

  29,161

  —1·1

  1992

  32,078

  10·0

  1993

  31,319

  —2·4

  1 The data provided are based on the market prices of council dwellings sold in each year rather than the value of council stock. Information is only available for market prices of all council dwellings sold, no distinction being made between houses and flats. Consistent information is not available for 1980.

  Nursery Education
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many three and four-year-old children are in receipt of nursery education in each education authority area; and what percentage this represents of the total number of children of that age group in each area.

  Mr. Redwood
  The number and percentage of three and four-year-old children receiving nursery education in each local education authority in Wales as at January 1993 are as follows:

  Number1

  Per cent.1

  Clwyd

  8,809

  83

  Dyfed

  5,529

  64

  Gwent

  8,943

  70

  Gwynedd

  2,775

  46

  Mid Glamorgan

  11,112

  71

  Powys

  1,582

  55

  South Glamorgan

  7,163

  61

  West Glamorgan

  7,925

  84

  76
  1 Ages as at 31 December 1992 (estimated)

  Others receive some other form of pre-school education or nursery.

  GP Fundholders
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what information he has about the prescribing patterns of(a) fundholding and (b) non-fundholding general practitioners.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  There is evidence that many GPs in Wales are taking positive steps to rationalise their prescribing, and to improve cost-effectiveness while ensuring that their patients receive all the medicines they need. Prescribing costs of GP fundholders are, on average, rising at present by about 7·6 per cent. a year, while those of other GPs are rising by an average of about 11·1 per cent. a year.

  Jobs (Location)
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his estimate of the number of jobs that have(a) located in Wales from areas outside of Wales and (b) located from Wales to areas outside Wales in each of the last 15 years.

  Mr. Redwood
  Comprehensive information is not available. However, the 1,120 inward investment projects from overseas and the rest of the United Kingdom recorded by Welsh Development International since April 1983 forecast almost 110,000 new and safeguarded jobs.

  The figures are based on information provided by companies at the time of their decision to invest and take no account of subsequent developments.

  Brynglas Tunnels and Malpas Road Scheme
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his latest estimate of the final cost and completion date of the Brynglas tunnels and Malpas road scheme.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  The recent departmental report by the Welsh Office shows the estimated gross cost of the scheme as £76 million. The current contract completion date is December 1994.

  Public Bodies
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his answer of 15 March,Official Report, column 634, if he will list the dates of setting up of each of the executive non-departmental bodies under his sponsorship and if he will list the years in which each of them has their financial management and policy review or reviews.

  Mr. Redwood
  [holding answer 18 March 1994]: The requirement that non-departmental public bodies should be subject to a financial management and policy review every five years was introduced in 1988. The dates of the establishment of each body and of the reviews carried out since 1988 are shown in the table:

  Body

  Established

  FMPR(S)

  Cardiff Bay Development Corporation

  1987

  1993–94

  Countryside Council for Wales

  1991

  1994–95

  Curriculum Council for Wales

  1988

  1—

  77

  Body

  Established

  FMPR(S)

  Development Board for Rural Wales

  1977

  1986–87 and 1991–92

  Further Education Funding Council for Wales

  21993

  scheduled for 1998–99

  Higher Education Funding Council for Wales

  21993

  scheduled for 1998–99

  Housing for Wales

  1989

  1993–94

  Land Authority for Wales

  1975

  1991–92

  National Library of Wales

  1907

  1987–88 and 1993–94

  National Museum of Wales

  1907

  1987–88 and 1993–94

  Royal Commission on Ancient and Historical Monuments

  1908

  1988–89 and 1993–94

  Sports Council for Wales

  1972

  1991–92

  Wales Tourist Board

  1969

  1992–93

  Wales Youth Agency

  1992

  scheduled for 1997–98

  Welsh Development Agency

  1976

  1991–92

  Welsh Language Board

  1993

  scheduled for 1999–2000

  Welsh National Board for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting

  1983

  1989–90

  1 The Curriculum Council for Wales is to be replaced by the new Curriculum and Assessment Authority for Wales from 1 April 1994.

  2 Began operations from April 1993.

  Child Care
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the awarding of a contract for administering a child care creche and holiday play scheme for civil servants' children on behalf of the consortium of Cardiff Government Departments led by his Department.

  Mr. Redwood
  [holding answer 18 March 1994]: The contract to manage the civil service nursery, which was awarded to Acorns Nurseries in September 1993, and the contract to provide holiday playcare, which has been awarded to South Glamorgan county council to run from I April 1994 were both awarded following fair and open competition.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Fruit and Vegetables
  Mr. Nicholas Brown
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will state(a) the latest European Commission estimate for the amount, in tonnes, of (i) apples, (ii) tomatoes, (iii) cauliflowers and (iv) peaches and nectarines withdrawn from the market per year as part of the European Community's market intervention and (b) the cost of this policy per taxpayer in the United Kingdom, breaking this figure down into (1) the running costs of the policy and (2) the amount which the policy adds on to food prices.

  Mr. Jack
  The following are the latest estimates from the European Commission of the amounts of produce withdrawn within the Community for the 1993–94 marketing year.

  Tonnes

  Apples

  616,758

  Tomatoes

  47,630

  Cauliflowers

  27,809

  Peaches

  686,903

  Nectarines

  153,040

  78
  The Exchequer cost of CAP support of fresh fruit andvegetables in the United Kingdom is estimated at £2·8 million for the 1993–94 financial year. This represents 1 per cent. of total United Kingdom Exchequer cost of CAP support. The United Kingdom also contributes to the EC budget as a whole, which funds the cost of withdrawals of fresh fruit and vegetables in other member states.

  It is not possible to make precise estimates of the consumer costs of the fresh fruit and vegetables support without making a large number of assumptions.

  Fish Testing
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations she has made to the French Government about biological testing of third-party fish; what effect such testing has had on fish markets particularly as respects the United Kingdom; and what proposals she has to get such testing stopped.

  Mr. Jack
  The embassy in Paris has made representations to the French authorities about the unacceptable delays caused to fish imports of third country origin by the strict controls presently being imposed by the French authorities. Clearly these controls are likely to be adding to market disruption elsewhere by diverting goods from the French market. We have also written to the European Commission explaining that we consider the controls go further than is permitted by EU requirements and requesting the Commission urgently to consider their legality.

  European Fishermen (Financial Support)
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what financial aid and support, regional and national, is paid to(a) the French, (b) the Spanish and (c) the Danish fishing industry which is not available to British fishermen.

  Mr. Jack
  Member states are free to operate aids which benefit fishermen provided they comply with the conditions of article 92 of the treaty of Rome and the guidelines on the examination of state aids in the fisheries and aquaculture sectors. The European Commission has responsibility, under article 93 of the treaty, for keeping under constant review all systems of aid operating in each member state to ensure that they do not result in unfair competition. We are not ourselves in a position to construct a complete picture of the aids operated in other member states, or to analyse all the financial regimes of other member states to establish their relevance to fishermen. Indeed, it would be disproportionately costly to attempt this. We do, however, press the Commission to fulfil its responsibility when we suspect another member state is operating an unfair aid, and we have recently written to the Commission in relation to certain French and Spanish aids.

  Animal Welfare
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to her answer of 10 March,Official Report, column 384, if she will set out the grounds for her assessment that the advice offered on animal welfare issues will contribute to a better understanding of animals' needs in circumstances where unnecessary suffering might otherwise occur.
  79
  Mr. Jack
  The guidance is intended to help farmers and others in understanding legal requirements and in taking practical steps to ensure that animals do not suffer unnecessarily. In preparing this advice, a wide range of experts are consulted.

  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when the policy of slaughtering broiler and laying poultry flocks was rescinded.

  Mr. Soames
  The compulsory slaughter of commercial egg laying poultry flocks found on investigation to be infected with salmonella enteritidis ceased on 25 February 1993. At no time has there been a compulsory slaughter

  Birds slaughtered

  1989

  1990

  1991

  1992

  1993

  1994

  Total

  Layers

  867,460

  576,202

  248,936

  297,721

  20,691

  0

  2,011,010

  Layer breeders

  6,043

  17,573

  43,320

  13,614

  22,535

  3,036

  106,121

  Broiler breeders

  0

  164,390

  290,800

  148,542

  149,685

  58,050

  811,467

  Total

  873,503

  758,165

  583,056

  459,877

  192,911

  61,086

  2,928,598

  Disabled Employees
  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many registered disabled people are employed in her Department; and what percentage this is of the total employed.

  Mr. Jack
  The information requested is available in the Cabinet Office publication of the "Independent", copies of which have been placed in the Library of the House.

  Small Producers of Food
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to her answer of 10 March,Official Report, column 384, how many people have commented on the "Small producers of Food" booklet; and of those how many gave positive responses.

  Mr. Jack
  Sixty-four people took the opportunity to comment, 90 per cent. of whom said they found it a useful reference guide for their business.

  Advertising
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to her answer of 18 February,Official Report, columns 1056–58, what was the qualitative assessment of inquiries and the number of leaflets distributed following the plant health campaigns; how many environmentally sensitive area grants had been taken up by farmers before and after the advertising campaign; and how many inquiries have been received concerning the national agricultural exhibitions.

  Mr. Jack
  The plant health and seeds inspectorate is satisfied that publicity has significantly assisted in acquainting growers with the requirements of the new European single market in plant health, and has assisted in raising awareness among producers of plants particularly at risk from disease. Approximately 121,000 leaflets, posters and newsletters dealing with plant health have been distributed; the environmentally sensitive, areas scheme has been publicised since it was first launched, the provisional number of current management agreements 80
  policy in operation in respect of commercial broiler poultry flocks. Controls on layer breeder and broiler breeder flocks operate in accordance with directive 92/117/EEC on zoonoses.

  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many poultry birds were slaughtered in England in each year since 1988.

  Mr. Soames
  The numbers of poultry birds compulsorily slaughtered because of salmonella infection in England since the introduction of the policy in March 1989 are set out in the table.

  stands at 4,761; there are no central records of enquiries received as a result of the national exhibition programme. Any inquiries are directed to the appropriate policy areas or to regional service centres. To attempt to gather any statistics would involve disproportionate cost.

  Blackdown Hills
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will make a statement on the launch of the Blackdown Hills environmentally sensitive area, indicating the consultation that has taken place, and the arrangements to ensure that fanners and other relevant organisations are aware of the opportunities arising from this environmentally sensitive area.

  Mr. Jack
  The Blackdown Hills environmentally sensitive area—ESA—was launched on 16 March. We carried out full public consultation on this ESA last spring with interested bodies both locally and nationally. All farmers within the area have been notified of the launch of the ESA and have been invited to attend one of a series of evening information meetings.

  Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
  Dr. Strang
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when the BSE maternal transmission experiment commenced; and when it is expected to be completed.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  The Ministry's study into the occurrence of maternal transmission started in July 1989 and will continue until the cattle develop clinical BSE or reach seven years of age—the youngest animal in the study will not reach this age until late 1996.

  Dr. Strang
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will make an interim statement on the results of the Ministry BSE maternal transmission experiment.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  This experiment is incomplete so no conclusions can be drawn. All animals in the study will be killed and their brains examined, either when they
  81
  develop clinical signs of BSE, or when they are seven years old. The youngest animal in the study will not be seven years old until late 1996, and at the present time the experiment cannot be completed before that date.

  Dr. Strang
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) how many cases of BSE have been confirmed among the experimental animals involved in the BSE maternal transmission experiment;

  (2) how many cattle involved in the experiment set up to investigate the possibility of maternal transmission of BSE have been confirmed as being infected by BSE to date; how many were among the offspring of cows confirmed to have BSE and how many were among the controls; and how many infected animals had access to contaminated feed.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  Of the 630 cattle involved in the study, 19 have been confirmed as BSE cases to date. For scientific reasons, the study is being conducted blind, and it is therefore not known whether these cases are offspring of confirmed BSE cases or control animals. All these animals were purchased and their feeding history before purchase is unknown, and irrelevant to the study.

  Arable Aid Scheme
  Dr. Strang
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the total paid to farmers in(a) arable aid scheme set-aside payments and (b) total arable area scheme payments in England following the 1993–94 harvest; and how many farmers in England have received arable area payments of £1 million or more.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  Total payments to date in England under the arable area payments scheme amount to £625 million, including set-aside payments of just under £125 million. These figures do not include final oilseeds payments, which are being made now. Since some applicants receive payments made up of a number of separate elements, the precise number who have received total payments of £1 million or more can currently only be provided at disproportionate cost.

  Sheep Scab
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many incidents of sheep scab there have been in each county of England in each year since 1988; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Soames
  The numbers of outbreaks of sheep scab in each county of England from 1988 to 1992 are listed in the table. Figures are not available after June 1992, when the obligation to notify ended.

  County

  1988

  1989

  1990

  1991

  11992

  Avon

  —

  1

  1

  1

  1

  Bedfordshire

  —

  —

  2

  —

  —

  Buckinghamshire

  —

  —

  1

  3

  1

  Cambridgeshire

  —

  1

  1

  —

  —

  Cheshire

  4

  1

  2

  2

  2

  Cornwall

  2

  15

  11

  13

  6

  Cumbria

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  Derbyshire

  2

  1

  6

  4

  1

  Devon

  3

  15

  6

  16

  13

  Dorset

  3

  4

  1

  2

  1

  East Sussex

  —

  —

  —

  2

  —

  Essex

  —

  1

  —

  2

  —

  Gloucestershire

  1

  —

  4

  11

  —

  82

  County

  1988

  1989

  1990

  1991

  11992

  Hereford and Worcester

  1

  3

  2

  1

  1

  Hertfordshire

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  Humberside

  —

  —

  5

  —

  —

  Lancashire

  —

  —

  9

  15

  7

  Leicestershire

  —

  —

  1

  5

  4

  Lincolnshire

  2

  —

  1

  1

  3

  Merseyside

  —

  1

  —

  —

  Norfolk

  —

  —

  7

  2

  —

  North Yorkshire

  —

  —

  —

  —

  5

  Northamptonshire

  —

  —

  7

  1

  —

  Northumberland

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  Nottinghamshire

  —

  —

  1

  —

  1

  Oxfordshire

  —

  —

  1

  1

  —

  Shropshire

  3

  2

  2

  1

  3

  Somerset

  4

  10

  7

  3

  5

  Staffordshire

  —

  3

  1

  2

  3

  Suffolk

  —

  —

  1

  2

  —

  Warwickshire

  1

  —

  —

  —

  2

  West Yorkshire

  —

  —

  —

  6

  —

  Wiltshire

  —

  3

  —

  —

  2

  Totals

  26

  60

  82

  96

  63

  1 January-June only.

  Animal Transportation
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if she will make a statement on the European Community decision of 3 February giving certain derogations to Greece from directive 91/628/EEC on the protection of animals during transport;

  (2) what are the implications of the European Commission decision of 3 February giving derogations to Greece from directive 91/628/EEC for the export of United Kingdom animals to Greece; and what views were given by her representatives on the Standing Veterinary Committee when that committee considered the granting of derogations to Greece.

  Mr. Soames
  Article 16 of directive 91/628/EEC provides for measures to be adopted to take account of the natural constraints specific to certain territories. The Commission decision of 3 February applies to the transport of animals in certain areas of Greece which are remote from the Greek mainland. The decision provides that certain detailed requirements of the directive need not apply to such transport, provided that other specified conditions are met in order to safeguard animal welfare. When the Standing Veterinary Committee was asked to give its opinion, the United Kingdom delegation stressed the importance of proper safeguards and considered that the decision fell within the scope of the measures envisaged in article 16. It does not affect the conditions for the transport of animals to Greece from elsewhere in the Community.

  Forestry Grants
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will make a statement on the take-up of forestry grants since EC regulation 2080/92 forestry measures in agriculture was introduced.

  Sir Hector Monro
  I have been asked to reply. Since European Council regulation No. 2080/92 came into force on 30 July 1992, the Forestry Commission has approved 10,162 applications under the woodland grant scheme, including those associated with the farm woodland
  83
  premium scheme. The grants paid by the Government under these schemes will be part-financed by the European Community. The approved applications are for establishing 41,000 hectares of new woodlands, restocking 25,000 hectares of felled woodlands, and managing 149,000 hectares of existing woodlands.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

  Open Government
  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what will be the implications for the operation of his Department of the code of practice on open government.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  The code of practice applies to all Departments, agencies and public bodies within the jurisdiction of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration. This includes the part of the Cabinet Office for which, with my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Civil Service—the Prime Minister—I am responsible—the Office of Public Service and Science; Her Majesty's Stationery Office and the Central Office of Information. The code will reinforce and build on their existing arrangements for the provision of information. Operational details will be available nearer to the time of the launch.

  Duchy Council Meetings
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will hold future meetings of the Council of the Duchy of Lancaster in Lancashire.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  I have no plans to hold meetings of the Duchy Council in Lancashire. Council members pay visits to Duchy surveys including the Lancashire survey, each year.

  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how long each of the last five meetings of the Council of the Duchy of Lancaster took.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  The average length of the last five Duchy Council meetings was approximately two hours.

  Science, Engineering and Technology Week
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what contribution his Department will make to the science, engineering and technology week, beginning 18 March, in terms of speeches by Ministers, publications and financial support.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  I refer the hon. Member in part to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Swansea, East (Mr. Anderson) on 14 March 1994,Official Report, column 487. I and my ministerial colleagues will be attending as many events as possible during the week. In terms of financial support, the Office of Science and Technology—OST—has made around £150,000 available to the British Association for the Advancement of Science for the organisation of the week. The OST will also be publishing
  84
  a booklet during the week entitled "Science Connections —a guide to leading organisations promoting science, engineering and technology." I will ensure that a copy is placed in the Library of the House.

  Citizens Charter
  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make it his policy to present an annual report on the citizens charter to Parliament.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  Citizens charter policy is to ensure that the individual public services publish performance against commitments and standards at regular intervals. Reports to Parliament on the initiative as a whole will be made when appropriate.

  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what factors led him not to make a statement when the second report on the citizens charter was published.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  "The Citizens Charter Second Report: 1994" was announced by means of a written parliamentary question. A statement was not thought appropriate since the publication of reports has now become established practice.

  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many months intervened between the publication of the first and second annual report of the citizens charter; and what factors underlay the length of the interval.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  Just under 16 months elapsed between the publication of the first report on 25 November 1992 and the publication of the second report on 16 March 1994. There is no commitment to publish an annual report.

  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when the third report of the citizens charter will be published.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  No date has yet been set for publishing a further report on the citizens charter. The results of individual public services performance against the charter principles will continue to be published.

  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster why he made a statement to the House when the first report on the citizens charter was published.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  It was considered appropriate to issue a statement to mark the first full-scale report on the Government's new policy initiative.

  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much compensation has been paid as a result of successful complaints under each of the citizens charters over the last 12 months.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  There are six charters for England, Scotland and Wales that contain provision for financial compensation. Information on the amount of compensation paid covering the most recent 12 month period currently available is as follows:
  85

  Department

  Compensation paid (nearest £000)

  From

  To

  British Rail Passenger's Charter

  1,932

  April 1992

  March 1993

  2,495

  April 1993

  1November 1993

  London Underground's Customer Charter

  241

  March 1993

  February 1994

  Her Majesty's Customs and Excise Traveller's Charter

  10

  January 1993

  December 1993

  Contributions Agency Contributors' Charter and Employers' Charter2

  64

  April 1992

  March 1993

  Benefits Agency Customer Charter

  4,071

  April 1992

  March 1993

  1 Most recent figures available.

  2 Separate figures for the Contributions Agency contributors' charter and the Contribution Agency employers' charter are unavailable.

  In addition to this, in the financial year 1992–93 the Employment Service paid £88,000 in special payments; in the same period the Inland Revenue paid £389,000 in compensation for "serious error" as defined in the code of practice "Mistakes by the Inland Revenue".

  Parliamentary Questions
  Mr. Raynsford
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will estimate the number of occasions since 1992 on which he has felt it necessary to restrict information provided in answer to parliamentary questions, other than on grounds of disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Great Grimsby (Mr. Mitchell) on 15 March,Official Report, column 645.

  Market Testing
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many meetings have been held of the private sector forum he has established; to what extent it is informing his Department over the market testing and contracting out of civil service work; and if he will publish the names of the members of the forum.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  The precise arrangements for the forum which I am setting up are still under consideration, and the names of those who might be invited have not been settled. I am eager to take account of the private sector's views on market testing and contracting out of civil service work and hold meetings from time to time with their representatives. Most recently, on 31 January my hon. Friend the Financial Secretary and I met representatives from a number of private sector companies to seek their views on these issues.

  £ million at 1994–95 prices

  England

  Wales

  Scotland

  N Ireland

  UK Total

  1992–93

  AFRC

  105·6

  8·6

  12·5

  0·7

  127·4

  Per cent.

  82·9

  6·8

  9·8

  0·5

  100·0

  ESRC

  39·9

  0·7

  4·3

  0·6

  45·5

  Per cent.

  87·7

  1·5

  9·4

  1·3

  100·0

  MRC

  204·3

  1·8

  25·6

  0·4

  232·1

  Per cent.

  88·0

  0·8

  11·0

  0·2

  100·0

  Government Information
  Mr. Alan Howarth
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when he expects to publish the final version of the code of practice on Government information upon which he has been consulting and which is due to come into operation on 4 April.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  I hope to make an announcement shortly.

  Diabetes
  Mr. Parry
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much was spent on research into diabetes by the Medical Research Council for the last year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  In the last financial year, 1992–93, the Medical Research Council's expenditure on research into diabetes was £3 million. The council is always willing to consider soundly-based scientific proposals in competition with other applications for research funding.

  Science Research Establishments
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will publish for(a) England, (b) Wales, (c) Scotland, (d) Northern Ireland and (e) the United Kingdom, and for each year since 1964, the total amount of expenditure and the percentage of overall science research spending by (i) the Natural Environment Research Council, (ii) the Science and Engineering Research Council, (iii) the Medical Research Council, (iv) the Economic and Social Research Council, (v) the Agriculture and Food Research Council, (vi) the Royal Society and (vii) other public body, in constant prices.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  This information is not held in the form requested. The table gives a breakdown of total research council expenditure by region for the period 1983–84 to 1989–90 together with a breakdown by research council for 1991–92 and 1992–93. The two sets of data were compiled on slightly different bases.
  87

  England

  Wales

  Scotland

  N Ireland

  UK Total

  NERC

  107·7

  14·7

  13·9

  0·5

  136·8

  Per cent.

  78·7

  10·7

  10·2

  0·4

  100·0

  SERC

  389·7

  10·5

  43·9

  3·3

  447·4

  Per cent.

  87–1

  2·3

  9·8

  0·7

  100·0

  Total

  847·2

  36·3

  100·2

  5·5

  989·2

  Per cent.

  85·6

  3·7

  10·2

  0·6

  100·0

  1991–92

  AFRC

  91·0

  7·7

  9·1

  0·2

  108·0

  Per cent.

  84·2

  7–1

  8·5

  0·2

  100·0

  ESRC

  32·1

  0·9

  4·0

  0·4

  37·4

  Per cent.

  85·7

  2·4

  10·7

  1·2

  100·0

  MRC

  186·0

  2·0

  27·8

  0·4

  216·2

  Per cent.

  86·0

  0·9

  12·8

  0·2

  100·0

  NERC

  102·8

  20·4

  11·5

  0·3

  135·0

  Per cent.

  76·1

  15·1

  8·5

  0·2

  100·0

  SERC

  341·4

  8·0

  37·9

  2·6

  389·9

  Per cent.

  87·6

  2·1

  9·7

  0·7

  100·0

  Total

  753·3

  39–0

  90·3

  4·0

  886·6

  Per cent.

  85·0

  4·4

  10·2

  0·5

  100·0

  1989–90

  Total

  812·9

  30·1

  82·5

  1·5

  927·1

  Per cent.

  87·7

  3·2

  8·9

  0·2

  100·0

  1988–89

  Total

  727·7

  25·6

  72·8

  0·8

  826·4

  Per cent.

  88·0

  3·1

  8·8

  0·1

  100·0

  1987–88

  Total

  701·5

  29·2

  86·1

  2·6

  819·5

  Per cent.

  85·6

  3·6

  10–5

  0·3

  100·0

  1986–87

  Total

  685·5

  25·9

  77·8

  2·6

  791·7

  Per cent.

  86·6

  3·3

  9·8

  0·3

  100·0

  1985–86

  Total

  681·4

  25·5

  78–8

  2·7

  788·4

  Per cent.

  86·4

  3·2

  10·0

  0·3

  100·0

  1984–85

  Total

  682·5

  25·4

  78·0

  2·5

  788·4

  Per cent.

  86·6

  3·2

  9·9

  0·3

  100·0

  1983–84

  Total

  680·8

  27·2

  73·6

  3·0

  784·6

  Per cent.

  86·8

  3·5

  9·4

  0·4

  100·0

  1990–91 No information is available.

  Differences in totals are accounted for by rounding.

  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will publish for(a) England, (b) Wales, (c) Scotland, (d) Northern Ireland and (e) the United Kingdom, the total number and percentage of staff employed, and the total number of research establishments funded in whole or in part by (i) the NERC, (ii) the SERC, (iii) the AFRC, (iv) MRC, (v) the ESRC, (vi) the Royal Society or (vii) other public body, for each year since 1964.

  England

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  1989

  1990

  1991

  1992

  1993

  NERC

  Research establishments Staffing

  14

  14

  14

  14

  13

  14

  14

  15

  14

  14

  15

  Number

  2,489

  2,249

  2,085

  1,985

  2,177

  2,155

  2,125

  2,292

  2,346

  2,455

  2,531

  Per cent.

  78

  76

  78

  78

  77

  80

  79

  80

  80

  83

  84

  SERC

  Research establishments Staffing

  3

  3

  3

  3

  3

  3

  3

  3

  3

  3

  3

  88
  Mr. David Davis
  The information is not available in the form requested.

  The tables give a regional analysis by research council for the years 1983 to 1993 and 1986 to 1993 for the Medical Research Council. The Royal Society does not fund any research establishments.
  89

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  1989

  1990

  1991

  1992

  1993

  Number

  2,359

  2,164

  2,084

  2,064

  2,107

  2,034

  2,012

  2,000

  1,992

  1,864

  1,830

  Per cent.

  95

  95

  95

  95

  95

  94

  95

  95

  94

  95

  95

  AFRC

  Research establishments

  23

  23

  20

  15

  8

  8

  8

  8

  7

  7

  7

  Staffing

  Number

  5,374

  5,259

  4,739

  4,555

  3,728

  3,665

  3,517

  3,517

  2,772

  2,872

  2,839

  Per cent.

  89

  89

  89

  89

  79

  80

  79

  80

  78

  82

  82

  MRC

  Research establishments

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  43

  43

  41

  41

  41

  41

  40

  39

  Staffing

  Number

  —

  —

  —

  2,309

  2,274

  2,405

  2,322

  2,422

  2,432

  2,429

  2,226

  Per cent

  —

  —

  —

  85

  84

  84

  84

  84

  84

  84

  84

  ESRC

  Research establishments

  4

  3

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Staffing

  Estimated number

  160

  160

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Per cent.

  100

  100

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Note: Staff numbers and percentages relate only to staff employed at the research establishments.

  Wales

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  1989

  1990

  1991

  1992

  1993

  NERC

  Research establishments

  4

  4

  4

  4

  4

  4

  4

  4

  4

  4

  4

  Staffing

  Number

  273

  268

  173

  210

  202

  202

  198

  183

  185

  184

  185

  Per cent.

  10

  9

  7

  8

  7

  8

  7

  7

  7

  6

  6

  AFRC

  Research establishments

  1

  1

  1

  1

  1

  1

  1

  1

  1

  1

  1

  Staffing

  Number

  272

  266

  245

  224

  638

  630

  609

  527

  483

  321

  300

  Per cent.

  5

  5

  5

  4

  14

  14

  14

  12

  14

  9

  9

  MRC

  Research establishments

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  2

  1

  1

  1

  1

  1

  1

  1

  Staffing

  Number

  —

  —

  —

  34

  24

  25

  21

  23

  25

  32

  15

  Per cent.

  —

  —

  —

  2

  1

  1

  1

  1

  1

  1

  1

  Note:

  Staff numbers and percentages relate only to staff employed at the research establishments.

  Scotland

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  1989

  1990

  1991

  1992

  1993

  NERC

  Research establishments

  6

  6

  6

  6

  5

  6

  6

  6

  6

  6

  6

  Staffing

  Number

  392

  440

  400

  400

  439

  328

  381

  382

  382

  310

  288

  Per cent.

  l2

  15

  15

  15

  15

  12

  14

  13

  13

  11

  10

  SERC

  Research establishments

  1

  1

  1

  1

  1

  1

  1

  1

  1

  1

  1

  Staffing

  Number

  114

  108

  106

  105

  117

  122

  111

  112

  119

  106

  102

  Per cent.

  5

  5

  5

  5

  5

  6

  5

  5

  5

  5

  5

  AFRC

  Research establishments

  2

  2

  2

  2

  2

  2

  2

  2

  2

  2

  2

  Staffing

  Number

  388

  364

  343

  337

  327

  292

  330

  339

  308

  321

  314

  Per cent.

  6

  6

  6

  7

  7

  6

  7

  8

  8

  9

  9

  MRC

  Research establishments

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  8

  7

  7

  7

  7

  8

  7

  7

  Staffing

  Number

  —

  —

  —

  363

  404

  422

  412

  439

  444

  446

  389

  Per cent.

  —

  —

  —

  13

  15

  15

  15

  15

  15

  15

  15

  Note:

  Staff numbers and percentages relate only to staff employed at the research establishments.
  90 91

  Northern Ireland

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  1989

  1990

  1991

  1992

  1993

  NERC

  Research establishments funded Staffing (all less than 1 per cent.)

  1

  1

  1

  1

  1

  1

  1

  1

  1

  1

  1

  Number

  8

  9

  8

  8

  8

  8

  7

  8

  8

  8

  8

  Note:

  Staff numbers and percentages relate only to staff employed at the research establishments.

  United Kingdom

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  1989

  1990

  1991

  1992

  1993

  NERC

  Research establishments Staffing

  25

  25

  25

  25

  23

  25

  25

  26

  25

  25

  26

  Number

  3,156

  2,966

  2,646

  2,608

  2,826

  2,693

  2,711

  2,805

  2,921

  2,957

  3,012

  SERC

  Research establishments Staffing

  4

  4

  4

  4

  4

  4

  4

  4

  4

  4

  4

  Number

  2,473

  2,272

  2,190

  2,169

  2,224

  2,156

  2,123

  2,112

  2,111

  1,970

  1,932

  AFRC

  Research establishments Staffing

  26

  26

  23

  18

  11

  11

  11

  11

  10

  10

  10

  Number

  6,034

  5,889

  5,327

  5,116

  4,693

  4,587

  4,456

  4,383

  3,563

  3,514

  3,453

  MRC

  Research establishments Staffing

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  53

  51

  49

  49

  49

  50

  48

  47

  Number

  —

  —

  —

  2,706

  2,702

  2,852

  2,755

  2,884

  2,901

  2,907

  2,630

  ESRC

  Research establishments Staffing

  4

  3

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Estimated number

  160

  160

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Note:

  Staff numbers and percentages relate only to staff employed at the research establishments.

  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list for(a) England, (b) Wales, (c) Scotland and (d) Northern Ireland, the names of all science research establishments which have been in operation at any time since 1964, together with the year of closure or removal if appropriate.

  Mr. David Davis
  The information is not available in the form requested.

  The tables list establishments operated by the research councils since 1964–1986 for the Medical Research Council. Establishments are referred to by their most recent name.

  England

  Natural Environment Research Council

  Establishment

  Year closed

  British Geological Survey Keyworth

  Exhibition Road, London

  1984–85

  Princes Gate, London

  1981–82

  Gorst Road, London

  1985–86

  Bashley Road, London

  1985–86

  Leeds

  1985–86

  Clerkenwell Road, London

  1987–88

  Grays Inn Road, London

  1988–89

  Sussex

  1985–86

  Newcastle

  Hartland. Devon

  Exeter

  Wallingford

  92

  Establishment

  Year closed

  Institute of Oceanographic Sciences, Taunton

  1986–87

  Institute of Oceanographic Sciences, Deacon Laboratory

  Wormley

  The James Rennell Centre

  Robert Hooke Institute, Oxford

  1991–92

  Proudman Oceanographic Laboratory

  Plymouth Marine Laboratory

  West Hoe, Plymouth

  Citadel Hill, Plymouth

  Institute of Hydrology

  Institute of Terrestrial Ecology

  Merlewood, Cumbria

  Monks Wood, Huntingdon

  Furzebrook, Dorset

  Institute of Virology and Environmental Microbiology

  Fisheries Helminthology Unit

  1971–72

  Water Resource Systems Research Unit

  1990–91

  Centre for Population Biology

  Unit of Comparative Plant Biology

  Unit of Behavioural Ecology

  NERC/ESRC Land Use Programme

  NERC Unit for Thematic Information Systems

  Experimental Cartography Unit

  1981–82

  Institute of Freshwater Ecology

  Windermere

  East Stoke, Dorset

  Coastal Ecology Research Unit

  1978–79

  British Antarctic Survey

  Sea Mammal Research Unit

  93

  Medical Research Council (INFORMATION FROM 1986 ONLY)

  Year closed

  Anatomical Neuropharmacology Unit

  Applied Psychology Unit

  Biochemical and Clinical Magnetic Resonance Unit

  Biochemical Parasitology Unit

  1987

  Biostatistics Unit

  Blood Group Unit

  Cell Biophysics Unit

  1990

  Cell Mutation Unit

  Cellular Immunology Unit

  Child Psychiatry Unit

  Clinical Oncology and Radiotherapy Unit

  Clinical Pharmacology Unit

  Clinical Research Centre

  Cognitive Development Unit

  Common Cold Unit

  1990

  Cyclotron Unit

  Dental Research Unit

  Development and Integration of Behaviour Unit

  1991

  Development Neurobiology Unit

  1988

  Dunn Nutrition Unit

  Environmental Epidemiology Unit

  Epidemiology and Medical Care Unit

  Experimental Embryology and Teratology Unit

  Human Biochemical Genetics Unit

  Human Movement and Balance Unit

  Immunochemistry Unit

  Institute of Hearing Research

  Institute of Molecular Medicine

  Laboratory of Molecular Biology

  Leukaemia Unit

  Mammalian Development Unit

  1992

  Mineral Metabolism Unit

  1988

  Molecular Genetics Unit

  1991

  Molecular Haematology Unit

  Molecular Immunopathology Unit

  Molecular Neurobiology Unit

  1992

  MRC/ESRC Unit of Social and Applied Psychology

  Muscle and Cell Motility Unit

  Neural Mechanisms of Behaviour Unit

  1987

  Neuro-otology Unit

  1989

  Neurochemical Pathology Unit

  Neurological Prostheses Unit

  1992

  National Institute of Medical Research

  Perceptual and Cognitive Performance Unit

  1988

  Protein Function and Design Unit

  Radiobiology Unit

  Social and Community Psychiatry Unit

  Social Psychiatry Unit

  1989

  Tuberculosis and Related Infections Unit

  Tuberculosis and Chest Diseases Unit

  1986

  Toxicology Unit

  Trauma Unit

  1986

  Agricultural and Food Research Council

  Year closed

  Institute of Animal Health

  Compton

  Pirbright

  Houghton

  1993

  Babraham Institute

  Institute of Food Research

  Lanford

  Norwich

  Reading

  1990

  Letcombe Laboratory

  1987

  Wood Research Organisation

  1987

  Commonwealth Bureau

  1987

  Horticulture Research International

  East Mailing

  Littlehampton

  Wellesborough

  —

  94

  Year closed

  Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research Hurley

  1992

  Institute of Plant Science Research

  Norwich (John Inns Institute)

  Brighton

  —

  Institute of Arable Crops Research

  Long Ashton

  Rothamstead

  —

  Silsoe Research Institute

  —

  Plant Breeding Institute

  1987

  Wye College, Hops Research Department

  1987

  Reproductive Physiology Unit, Cambridge

  1985

  Experimental Agronomy Unit, Oxford

  1973

  Plant Physiology Unit, Imperial College

  1973

  Systematic Fungicides Unit, Wye

  1976

  Flower Crop Physiology Unit, Shinfield

  1973

  Soil Physics Unit, Cambridge

  1979

  Structural Chemistry Unit, London

  1978

  Muscle Mechanisms Unit, Oxford

  1979

  Invertebrate Chemistry Unit

  1987

  Developmental Botany Unit

  1979

  Economic and Social Research Council

  Year closed

  Survey Research Unit, LSE

  1976

  Race Relations Research Unit, Bristol

  1976

  Ethnic Relations Research Unit, Aston1

  1983

  Industrial Relations Research Unit, Warwick1

  1984

  Centre for Socio-legal Studies, Oxford1

  1984

  Cambridge Group for the History of Population and Social Structure

  1984

  Science and Engineering Research Council

  Year closed

  Royal Green Observatory

  Cambridge

  Herstmonceux

  1988

  Daresbury Laboratory

  Rutherford Appleton Laboratory

  Chilton

  Astrophyics Research, Culham

  1973

  Appleton Laboratory, Ditton

  1981

  Atlas Computer Laboratory

  1975

  1 Units marked 1 converted to designated research centres within host universities.

  Wales

  Natural Environment Research Council

  Year closed

  British Geological Survey Aberystwyth

  —

  Institute of Terrestrial Ecology Bangor

  —

  Institute of Hydrology Plynlimon

  —

  NERC Research Vessels Service Barry

  —

  Unit of Marine lnverterate Biology Menai Bridge

  1981–82

  Medical Research Council (information from 1986 only)

  Year closed

  Epidemiology Unit

  —

  Pneumoconiosis Unit

  —

  95

  Agricultural and Food Research Council

  Year closed

  Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research, Aberystwyth

  —

  Scotland

  Natural Environment Research Council

  Year closed

  British Geological Survey

  Murchison House, Edinburgh

  —

  Grange Terrace, Edinburgh

  1993–94

  Newbattle Abbey, Edinburgh

  1993–94

  Peffermill, Edinburgh

  1993–94

  Gilmerton Road, Edinburgh

  1993–94

  Eskdalemuir, Dumfries

  —

  Loanhead, Edinburgh

  —

  Institue of Hydrology

  Balquidder

  —

  Stirling

  —

  Institute of Terrestrial Ecology

  Banchory

  —

  Bush

  —

  Dunstaffnage Marine Laboratory

  —

  Radiocarbon Dating Laboratory

  —

  Institute for Marine Environmental Research

  1977–78

  Institute of Marine Biochemistry

  1986–87

  Unit of Aquatic Biochemistry

  —

  Medical Research Council

  INFORMATION FROM 1986 ONLY

  Year closed

  Blood Pressure Unit

  —

  Brain Metabolism Unit

  —

  Epidemiological Studies in Psychiatry Unit

  1991

  Human Genetics Unit

  —

  Mammalian Genome Unit

  1986

  Medical Sociology Unit

  —

  Protein Phosphorylation Unit

  —

  Reproductive Biology Unit

  —

  Virology Unit

  —

  Agriculture and Food Research Council

  Year closed

  Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics Research, Edinburgh

  —

  Edinburgh Computing Centre

  1986

  Statistics Unit, Edinburgh

  1986

  Institute for Animal Health, Edinburgh

  —

  Roslin Institute

  —

  Science and Engineering Research Council

  Year closed

  Royal Observatory, Edinburgh

  —

  Northern Ireland

  Natural Environment Research Council

  Year closed

  British Geological Survey, Belfast

  —

ATTORNEY GENERAL

  Public Interest Immunity Certificates
  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the Attorney-General if he will make a statement on the use of public interest immunity certificates.

  The Attorney-General
  I shall be giving evidence to Lord Justice Scott on 24 March.

  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Attorney-General if he will publish in a White Paper clarification as to the purpose of public interest immunity certificates and when they should be used along with any proposals for reform of the procedure.

  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Attorney-General what plans he has to review the procedures on the use of public interest immunity as a reason for the non-publication of documents.

  The Attorney-General
  I refer the hon. Members to the answer I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Bolsover (Mr. Skinner).

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  To ask the Attorney-General when judges in court have recently pronounced on the public interest immunity certificate process.

  The Attorney-General
  Decisions of the court are a matter of public record.

  Lenient Sentences
  Mr. Brandreth
  To ask the Attorney-General how many sentences he has referred to the Court of Appeal as being unduly lenient in the last year; and what the outcome has been in these cases.

  The Solicitor-General
  For the period 1 March 1993 to 28 February 1994, the Attorney-General applied for leave to refer a total of 32 sentences to the Court of Appeal of which one was to the Court of Appeal in Northern Ireland. Two cases were later withdrawn. Twenty-one cases have so far been considered by the court. In each case, leave was granted and in 16 the court substituted a higher sentence. Nine cases await hearing.

  Mr. Paul Haley
  Mr. Raynsford
  To ask the Attorney-General if he will make a statement on the conclusions to be drawn from the prosecution of Mr. Paul Haley of 28 Woodlands Park road, London SE10, following a motor vehicle accident on 12 January 1993.

  The Attorney-General
  The case was dealt with at all stages on its own merits and having regard to its particular circumstances in accordance with the general principles set out in the "Code for Crown Prosecutors". The outcome has no general implications.

TRANSPORT

  Red Routes
  Mr. Cyril D. Townsend
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what benefits have been derived from the pilot red route project.
  97
  Mr. Norris
  The red route in north and east London has resulted in quicker and more reliable journey times, particularly for buses, and improved conditions for pedestrians and cyclists. In addition, bus patronage has increased, accidents have been reduced, and there has been less rat running through unsuitable residential areas.

  Regional Airports
  Mr. William O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the progress of additional long-haul flights using regional airports.

  Mr. Norris
  We are continuing to seek to agree liberal air services agreements which give equal access to all United Kingdom airports for carriers of both sides. Since last February, we have reached agreements with seven countries allowing access to all United Kingdom airports and with a further two offering more access to some regional airports.

  "Paying For Better Motorways"
  Sir Anthony Grant
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what responses he has had from motoring organisations to his Green Paper "Paying for Better Motorways".

  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what responses he has had from motoring organisations to his Green Paper "Paying for Better Motorways".

  Mr. MacGregor
  The AA and RAC have publicly recognised the potential benefits that motorway charging could bring. Both organisations favoured electronic technology as the means by which charging should be implemented.

  United Kingdom Vessels (Safety)
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proposals he has to improve the rules and regulations governing the safety of officers and crews of United Kingdom-registered merchant vessels and the skippers and crews of United Kingdom-registered fishing vessels.

  Mr. Norris
  My Department has just completed the development of a system of vocational qualifications—VOs—for all seafarers, including those on fishing vessels, in conjunction with the industry and trade unions. The VOs are designed to produce a better trained and therefore more safety conscious work force. My Department is also playing a leading role in the revision of the standards of training certification and watchkeeping convention at the International Maritime Organisation.

  Motorway Use Surveys
  Mr. Deva
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what further plans he has for surveys of the proportion of car owners who regularly use motorways.

  Mr. Key
  Independent surveys last year broadly confirmed surveys carried out for the Department in 1992 and recorded in the Green Paper "Paying for Better Motorways". All show that about half of drivers regularly use motorways. We have no plans for further surveys.

  Channel Tunnel Rail Links
  Mr. Wareing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to ensure the provision of a direct rail link between Liverpool and the channel tunnel.

  Mr. Freeman
  The provision of rail services through the channel tunnel is a commercial matter for British Rail and its successors. I understand that freight services through the tunnel will operate from Royal Seaforth and passengers from Liverpool will be able to join day and overnight services to the continent from Crewe.

  M65-M6 Link
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the traffic implications for Colne of the decision to link the M65 to the M6.

  Mr. Key
  None. However, our studies have shown that the opening of the link from the M65 to the M6 could increase traffic on the M65 east of Blackburn by some I I per cent. There could be between 9,000 and 11,000 vehicles per day on the A56 east of Colne in 1997.

  Rail Users, Harborough
  Mr. Garnier
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assistance his Department is providing to rail users in the Harborough constituency.

  Mr. Freeman
  In the financial year 1993–94, the Government are providing £930 million through the public service obligation grant to assist British Rail to provide rail passenger services. The grant is not yet broken down by service or constituency. In due course, the total level of grant will be disaggregated by franchise.

  Thames Passenger Traffic
  Sir Michael Neubert
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of passenger traffic within the Greater London area he estimates is carried by the River Thames.

  Mr. Norris
  Less than one tenth of 1 per cent. The River Thames working group is examining the potential for greater use of the river.

  Motorways, Eastern England
  Dr. Michael Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of motorways by length are in eastern England.

  Mr. MacGregor
  The Department's eastern region covers Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire. The length of motorway in these counties is 316 km over 11 per cent. of the national motorway network in England.

  London Transport
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received about investment in London Transport.

  Mr. Norris
  My right hon. Friend has received a number of representations from a variety of organisations and individual members of the public about investment in London Transport.

  Traffic Statistics
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will publish a table showing the number of road traffic accidents involving injury to(a) vehicle users and (b) pedestrians in the Doncaster town centre area in each year for the past four years;

  (2) what was the average volume of commuter car traffic entering the central areas of (a) Doncaster, (b) Barnsley, (c) Rotherham and (d) Sheffield per day for each of the past 10 years; and what are his Department's predictions for the next four years.

  Mr. Key
  The information requested in the questions is only available from the local authorities concerned.

  Exhaust Fumes
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what action he intends to take to reduce PM10 particulate emissions from exhaust fumes.

  Mr. Key
  The Government are supporting EC measures to cut particulate emissions from road transport which are produced mainly by diesel-engined vehicles. Limits were introduced in December 1992 for new cars and in October 1993 for new heavy trucks and buses. These will be reduced by over 40 per cent. for passenger cars from January 1997 under EC proposals, and by 50 per cent. for heavy vehicles from October 1996, under a directive already adopted. We are participating in discussions in the EC on further tightening of heavy diesel limits for the year 2000.

  The limits apply to the total mass of particulates emitted and not just to PM10 in isolation. Evidence indicates however that this method is a reliable way of limiting PM10 levels.

  Nuclear Materials (Transport)
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proposals the United Kingdom representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency's Sagstram special committee on nuclear materials transport plans to put to the Sagstram meeting on 21 to 25 March in Vienna; and if he will place a copy of the United Kingdom submission in the Library.

  Mr. Key
  None.

  Rail Privatisation
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what estimates were given to him by British Rail for the costs of reorganisation for rail privatisation in(a) the current financial year and (b) the forthcoming financial year;

  (2) if he will list the percentage of public funding to British Rail that has been used for restructuring of British Rail in preparation for privatisation in (a) 1992–93 and (b) 1993–94; what is his estimate for 1994–95; and if he will make a statement;

  (3) what funds he has made available to British Rail for reorganisation in preparation for privatisation;

  (4) what funds he has made available to Railtrack to implement privatisation in 1993–94; and what is his estimate for 1994–95.

  Mr. Freeman
  These costs are primarily a matter for British Rail and, after April, Railtrack. In 1992–93 British 100
  Rail reported that around £10 million was spent on reorganisation. In 1993–94, we understand that British Rail expects to spend around £56 million. In 1994–95 British Rail and Railtrack have estimated that they will require an additional £50 million for running costs and up to £30 million for expenditure on new equipment and systems in support of reorganisation.

  Reorganisation costs will facilitate the biggest railway reorganisation for half a century that will bring substantial benefits to the travelling public. Reorganisation costs in 1992–93 represented around 0·5 per cent. of public funding to British Rail; the comparable percentages in 1993–94 and 1994–95 are estimated to be 3·7 and 6·5 per cent. respectively.

  Additional funds to meet the full costs of reorganisation have been provided within the public expenditure provision for the railway industry was set out in the transport report published on 10 March.

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

  Mr. Norris
  Enforcement of the ban is a matter for the London borough councils and the police. There have been informal discussions with the Metropolitan police concerning the proposal to amend the London-wide ban. They foresee no particular difficulty with the changes we propose. We have no reason to believe that the City of London police take a different view.

  Taxis, London
  Ms Jowell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received in response to his consultation on the future of taxi services in London.

  Mr. Norris
  The consultation covered England and Wales, including London; the consultation period ended on 1 March 1994.

  My Department issued about 4,500 copies of the consultation paper to organisations and individuals who have an interest in the subject. These include local authority associations and all individual county and district councils, local and national taxi and private hire vehicle organisations, the licensing officers organisation, the police, organisations concerned with people who have mobility problems and vulnerable members of society, consumer groups, transport interests, the press, car, taxi and taximeter manufacturers and those concerned with tourists. We have received some 700 responses.

  Disabled People
  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many registered disabled people are employed in his Department; and what percentage this is of the total.

  Mr. Norris
  On 1 June 1993, the Department employed 186·5 registered disabled staff, which was 1·3 per cent. of its total staff. This information, together with information on other Departments is given in the Cabinet Office magazine, the "Independent" which was published on 18 March. A copy of the magazine is in the Libraries of the House.

  Staff Reporting Practices
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list which parts of his Department's guide for staff reporting officers are mandatory; in cases where reporting officers do not comply with all the notes, whether his Department's personnel management officers must make a judgment as to whether or not compliance with the notes would have led to a different marking or other comments; and whether the individual concerned is informed of judgments.

  Mr. Norris
  The Department required all reporting and countersigning officers to study the staff appraisal and reporting notes for guidance before completing any staff reports. The notes, which are advisory, aim to achieve the greatest possible consistency of approach across a wide ranging and diverse group of staff.

  Personnel officers review all completed staff reports, and where necessary, return completed reports to the reporting officers for clarification or amendment. Personnel officers would query a report which had been completed in a way which conflicts with the guidance. However, judgments on standards are for reporting and countersigning officers. Personnel officers may draw attention to marks which appear inconsistent, but, except in a few cases where officers are on secondment to other organisations and reports are being completed by non-civil servants, decisions or marks awarded are for reporting and countersigning officers, who have had the opportunity to observe and oversee an officer's work.

  Vocational Drivers
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list, by traffic area office, the number of vocational drivers called to disciplinary hearings over the last 12 months; and how many of these drivers would not have been called under the arrangements he intends to introduce shortly.

  Mr. Key
  Approximately 9,000 driver disciplinary hearings took place nationally in the last 12 months, but the figures for individual traffic area officers are not readily available. We estimate that under the new arrangements. the total will fall to about 3,000 disciplinary hearings a year.

  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what will be the impact on the staffing levels of(a) the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency and (b) the traffic area offices of the changes to the criteria for calling vocational drivers to disciplinary hearings.

  Mr. Key
  We estimate that staffing requirements in each of the traffic area offices will be reduced by about one post. There are no staffing implications for the DVLA.

  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the financial savings he estimates will be made by his Department following the changes to the criteria for calling vocational drivers to disciplinary hearings.

  Mr. Key
  We estimate that the changes to the criteria for calling vocational drivers to disciplinary hearings will achieve savings of about £160,000.

  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the organisations with which he had 102
  consultations before announcing the introduction of the guidelines for calling vocational drivers to disciplinary hearings.

  Mr. Key
  The Department's consultation document on proposals for passenger and goods vehicle operator licensing, circulated in May 1993, also sought views on the necessity for a separate disciplinary regime for drivers of lorries and coaches. The majority of organisations consulted were in favour of maintaining a separate conduct regime. The guidelines for calling drivers to disciplinary hearings are an administrative matter and there was no outside consultation.

  Agency Chief Executives (Pay)
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the chief executives covered by his Department, their salaries, dates of appointment and when their contracts expire; and whether they will be eligible to apply for re-appointment to the posts when their contracts expire.

  Mr. Norris
  There are currently five agencies in the Department of Transport. They are:

  (1) Vehicle Inspectorate Executive Agency

  (2) Vehicle Certification Agency

  (3) Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency

  (4) Transport Research Laboratory

  (5) Driving Standards Agency

  Mr. R. J. Oliver, chief executive VI, first took up his post on 1 August 1988 and was re-appointed in April 1991. His current appointment expires on 31 March 1993. His salary is currently £52,286 per annum.

  Mr. D. W. Harvey, chief executive VCA, took up his post on 2 April 1990. His initial appointment expired on 1 April 1993 but has been extended. His salary is currently £43,836 per annum.

  Mr. S. R. Curtis, chief executive DVLA, took up his post on 12 March 1990. His appointment expires on I April 1995. His salary is currently £51,360 per annum.

  Mr. H. J. Wootton, chief executive TRL, took up his post on 11 November 1991. His appointment expires on 16 November 1996. His salary is £66,503 per annum.

  Dr. S. J. Ford, chief executive DSA, took up his post on 1 September 1993. His appointment expires 22 August 1996. His salary is £47,900 per annum.

  They will all be eligible to apply for reappointment when their contracts expire.

  On 1 April 1994, three further agencies are being created:

  Highways Agency

  Coastguards Agency

  Marine Safety Agency

  Mr. L. J. Haynes will be appointed as chief executive of the Highways Agency from 1 April 1994 to 13 February 1999. His salary is currently £100,000 per annum.

  Mr. C. J. Harris will be appointed as chief executive Coastguard Agency from 1 April 1994 to 19 May 1997. His salary is currently £47,994 per annum.

  Mr. R. M. Bradley will be appointed as chief executive of the Marine Safety Agency from 1 April 1994 until 31 December 1995. His salary is currently £45,675 per annum.

  Redundancy Arrangements
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many postcards he has received to date from members of his Department objecting to the imposition of new redundancy arrangements.

  Mr. Norris
  The permanent secretary has to date received some 3,950 pre-printed postcards from members of two trade unions, the CPSA and the NUCPS.

  Correspondence
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many letters were received from, and written to, hon. Members by him and his ministerial colleagues in February.

  Mr. MacGregor
  The number of letters received from hon. Members by Ministers in the Department of Transport in February was 1,144. The number of letters written to hon. Members by Ministers in the Department of Transport in February was 1,196.

  Victoria to Gatwick Rail Service
  Dr. Marek
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what are the track costs that are charged to the Victoria to Gatwick InterCity service; how they differ from other services being prepared for privatisation; and what is the average figure for Great Britain.

  Mr. Freeman
  On 15 February, Railtrack published the illustrative revenue from the sale of track access rights to passenger train operating units—TOUs. The estimate of revenue from the sale of track access rights to Gatwick express in 1994–95 is £8 million. Railtrack estimated that total revenue from the sale of track access rights in 1994–95 to the 24 mainland passenger TOUs would be £2·2 billion.

  Charges for Gatwick express and all other passenger TOUs have been calculated using the methodology set out in the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport on 15 February Official Report, column 237.

  Ticket Purchase
  Lady Olga Maitland
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the London Underground stations which do not have full-time ticket kiosks.

  Mr. Norris
  Every London Underground station has at least one full-time ticket purchasing facility.

  Private Railway Companies
  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the passengers charter will apply to private railway companies which win franchises to run passenger railway services.

  Mr. Freeman
  The existing passengers charter is BR's document, setting out BR's code of practice for dealing with passengers and for paying compensation when things go wrong. Franchisees will be required, as a condition of their franchise agreement, to produce and publish their own passenger's charters, which will be expected to cover the same ground, including the payment of compensation, as BR's existing charter.

  London Traffic Cameras
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what has been the effect of introducing camera enforcement of road traffic regulations in London.

  Mr. Norris
  Cameras have been used to record red light violations since 1989, and have reduced red light violations by 45 per cent. and violation-related accidents by 60 per cent.

  The "speed" cameras introduced on west London trunk roads in October 1992 show considerable benefit from reduced numbers of road accidents and casualties. Traffic congestion and delay following accidents have also been reduced. I expect to release full-year accident figures in the near future.

  There is no direct effect on road traffic regulations. The Road Traffic Act 1991 permitted the use of photographic evidence in courts. These regulations came into effect in July 1992.

  Heathrow Night Flights
  Mr. Khabra
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received about the current restrictions on night flights at Heathrow.

  Mr. Norris
  The current restrictions, on which we consulted last October, end on 27 March. I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 21 February,Official Report, column 78, concerning the representations we received on these.

  We consulted from 10 November to 31 December 1993 on the restrictions to apply from 27 March to 23 October 1994—the summer season—and for the following four years. I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport on 31 January, Official Report, column 506, concerning details of consultation. The number of responses given referred to those for the 1994 summer season.

  London Buses' Subsidiaries (Privatisation)
  Mr. Khabra
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the application of the expected receipts from the privatisation of London Buses' subsidiary companies.

  Mr. Norris
  London Transport will retain the full amount of any proceeds from the sale of the companies up to a specified amount and 25 per cent. of any proceeds above that sum. The amount involved is commercially confidential at this stage in the sale process.

  Road Building and Improvements
  Mr. Rathbone
  To ask the Secretary of State for Tranport what causal relationship his Department has established between the amount of new road building or road improvements and the increase in car ownership and car use.

  Mr. Key
  None. Growth in car ownership and use is best explained by growth in incomes and the economy. Nor is there conclusive evidence that individual road improvement schemes are a significant factor in creating traffic; but this relationship is being studied by the Standing Advisory Committee on Trunk Road Assessment, which is due to report shortly.

  Vehicle Inspectors
  Mrs. Helen Jackson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many vehicle inspectors are employed in each region by the traffic licensing offices.

  Mr. Key
  The Vehicle Inspectorate—VI—is the Department of Transport's principal vehicle inspection agency. The VI employs two main groups of inspection staff: vehicle examiners—PTOs, HPTOs and SPT0s—

  Location

  Senior professional and technical officer

  Higher Professional and technical officer

  professional technical and officer

  Enforcement coordinators

  Senior traffic examiners

  Traffic examiners

  Total

  1. Inverness-Perth

  2

  1

  6

  —

  1

  4

  14

  2. Glasgow-Kilmarnock

  —

  —

  12

  —

  —

  5

  17

  3. Edinburgh

  1

  1

  6

  —

  1

  7

  16

  4. Carlisle-Preston

  —

  2

  9

  —

  1

  7

  19

  5. Manchester-Derby

  1

  —

  17

  —

  1

  6

  25

  6. Liverpool-Wrexham

  1

  1

  13

  —

  1

  7

  23

  7. Stoke-Wolverhampton

  —

  2

  13

  —

  2

  9

  26

  8. Birmingham-Kidderminster

  1

  1

  12

  —

  1

  8

  23

  9. Cardiff-Swansea

  1

  1

  12

  —

  1

  7

  22

  10. Bristol-Gloucester

  1

  1

  10

  —

  1

  5

  18

  11. Exeter-Plymouth

  1

  2

  13

  —

  1

  7

  24

  12. Bicester-Southampton

  1

  1

  9

  —

  2

  9

  22

  13. Mitcham-Lancing

  1

  1

  11

  —

  1

  10

  24

  14. Canterbury-Gillingham

  —

  2

  9

  —

  3

  11

  25

  15. Yeading-Edmonton

  1

  —

  13

  —

  1

  8

  23

  16. Purfleet-Royston

  1

  1

  10

  —

  1

  7

  20

  17. Norwich-Ipswich

  —

  2

  8

  —

  1

  6

  17

  18. Leicester-Leighton Buzzard

  1

  1

  9

  —

  1

  9

  21

  19. Grantham-Peterborough

  —

  3

  7

  —

  2

  4

  16

  20. Nottingham-Doncaster

  1

  1

  12

  —

  —

  7

  21

  21. Grimsby-Beverley

  —

  2

  5

  —

  —

  5

  12

  22. Leeds-Walton

  1

  1

  12

  —

  —

  9

  23

  23. Darlington-Newcastle

  1

  1

  9

  —

  —

  7

  18

  Group regional offices

  8

  18

  1

  5

  1

  —

  33

  502

  Note: Figures relate to substantive grade of staff.

  Public Service Vehicles (Spot Checks)
  Mrs. Helen Jackson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many spot checks on public service vehicles are done on average each year.

  Mr. Key
  Based on figures for the past three years the Vehicle Inspectorate executive agency—VI—has conducted an average of about 58,000 roadworthiness and traffic enforcement spot checks annually. The relevant information is as follows.

  1. Roadworthiness spot checks

  Year

  Spot checks

  1990–91

  20,527

  1991–92

  21,106

  1992–93

  124,895

  Total

  66,528

  Average

  22,176

  1 Excludes 4,647 special checks on emissions.

  106
  who are responsible for conducting roadworthiness checks; and traffic examiners—TEs and STEs—who monitor and enforce regulations relating to drivers' hours and vehicle operating weights. Vehicle and traffic examiners also advise the traffic commissioners on licensing matters. The table summarises the number of staff engaged in this work by each of the VI's 23 enforcement areas.

  2. Traffic Enforcement spot checks

  Year

  Spot checks

  1990–91

  32,584

  1991–92

  33,778

  1992–93

  40,508

  Total

  106,870

  Average

  35,623

  The VI took over responsibility for the Traffic Enforcement Organisation from April 1991.

  Motor Cycle Leg Protectors
  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what research is currently being conducted and at what cost into the use of leg protectors on motor cycles; what have been the conclusions drawn from previous research; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Key
  Research on leg protectors is continuing at the Transport Research Laboratory—TRL. Most of the current effort is in support of the United Kingdom contribution to the International Standards Organisation—ISO—proposals for an ISO standard on "Test and analysis procedures for research evaluation of rider crash protection devices fitted to motorcycles", in which the motor cycle industry is participating. The cost over the last 10 years has been roughly £300,000 per annum at current
  107
  prices and at present represents some 29 per cent. of total expenditure on motor cycle related research. The research to date shows that properly designed leg protectors could reduce the severity of, or even eliminate, at least 25 per cent. of leg injuries without increasing injuries to other parts of the body. I refer the hon. Member to TRL's working paper WPNS/213 entitled "TRRL Review of Research on Motorcycle Leg Protection—1991", a copy of which was placed in the Library in July 1992.

  Fishing Crews
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement concerning the implementation of European Community 93/103/EC concerning minimum safety and health requirements for the crews of fishing vessels.

  Mr. Norris
  [holding answer 17 March 1994]: Arrangements for the implementation of European Community directive 93/103/EC, which will only apply to new fishing vessels from 23 November 1995, will be discussed at the May meeting of the fishing industry safety group.

  Negative Equity
  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement concerning the problem of negative equity on property subject to compulsory purchase orders for road improvements.

  Mr. Norris
  [holding answer 17 March 1994]: The Government take very seriously the problem of negative equity and since October 1992 we have introduced measures, such as those designed to facilitate mortgage transfers between properties, to help affected home owners. We are actively considering whether, should a home which is the subject of negative equity be compulsorily acquired, any further measures are necessary and if so, what form these measures should take.

  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to announce his decision concerning the construction of an underpass at the junction of Newham way and Prince Regents lane in Newham; and if prior to that date he will announce his proposals to meet the problems of negative equity in the area.

  Mr. Norris
  [holding answer 17 March 1994]: The inspector's report on the public inquiry into the scheme was received earlier this month and is now being considered. I cannot yet say when a decision will be announced.

  On negative equity, I refer the hon. Member to my reply to his other question which I have answered earlier today.

  Civil Servants
  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list for each civil service grade in his Department(a) the total number of persons employed and (b) the percentage of this figure that are women.

  Mr. Norris
  [holding answer 17 March 1994]: The table shows total staff in post, and percentages of women employed in each grade in the Department of Transport and its agencies. The figures reflect staff in post as at 1 April 1993.
  108

  Department of Transport—Staff in Post—1 April 1993

  Grade

  Total

  Total Female

  Female Percentage

  Grade 1

  1

  0

  0

  Grade 2

  4

  0

  0

  Grade 3

  25

  2

  8·0

  Grade 4

  16

  0

  0

  Grade 5

  110

  8

  7·3

  Grade 6

  146

  7

  4·8

  Grade 7

  763

  73

  9·6

  SEO

  951

  81

  8·5

  HEO

  1,395

  330

  23·7

  EO

  4,468

  1,049

  23·5

  AO

  3,676

  2,563

  69·7

  AA

  3,683

  2,833

  76·9

  Chair/Member of Commission

  8

  0

  0

  Total

  15,246

  6,946

  45·6

  Shipping Forecast
  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has made to the broadcasting authority about having the shipping forecast times on the long wave.

  Mr. Hanley
  I have been asked to reply.

  This is a matter for the Meteorological Office under its framework document. I have asked the chief executive, Meteorological Office to write to my hon. Friend.

  Letter from J. C. R. Hunt to Mr. Barry Field, dated 15 March 1994:
  I am responding to your Parliamentary Question concerning the timing of the shipping forecasts.
  The importance of the shipping forecast is well recognised by the BBC, the Met Office and the Department of Transport. Although the situation has been considered in the context of other BBC radio programme changes, it has been agreed that the times of the shipping forecast will remain unchanged. On very rare occasions, the 1750 shipping forecast may be delayed if test matches (to be broadcast on Radio 4) are at a critical stage; if so an announcement will be made at 1750 giving the new time of broadcast.

ENVIRONMENT

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

  Mr. Gummer
  That information is not available.

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

  Mr. Gummer
  The details of my Department's annual expenditure on running costs are published every year in the annual report. Expenditure on receptions is included within this figure and is less than 0·00002 per cent. of total net expenditure.

  Expenditure, London
  Mr. Thomason
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the total Government spending in the London boroughs of(a) Hackney, (b) Haringey, (c) Islington, (d) Lambeth and (e) Newham.

  Mr. Baldry
  The latest available information on central Government financial support for the London boroughs concerned is as follows:

  Government Grants: 1993–94 estimates

  £ thousands

  Revenue grants1

  Capital grants

  Housing subsidies2

  Total

  Hackney

  291,191

  3,679

  116,565

  411,435

  Haringey

  269,069

  3,887

  70,361

  343,317

  Islington

  196,857

  4,854

  135,725

  337,436

  Lambeth

  310,941

  5,166

  137,080

  453,187

  Newham

  279,019

  20,166

  67,841

  367,026

  1 Revenue grants consist of Revenue Support Grant, Specific and Special Grants; redistributed non-domestic rates are excluded.

  2 This consists of Housing Revenue account Subsidies and contributions towards running costs of Approved Homes Improvement Agencies.

  Rents, Doncaster
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what has been the average percentage increase in rents for private(a) unfurnished and (b) furnished lettings set by rent officers in each for the last 10 years in the Doncaster area.

  Sir George Young
  The available information, which relates to south Yorkshire, is given in the table. Comparable data for the Doncaster area is not readily available.

  South Yorkshire

  Average yearly percentage increase in registered fair rents

  Year

  Private Unfurnished Lettings

  Private furnished Lettings

  1983

  2·9

  7·4

  1984

  15·2

  -3·5

  1985

  5·2

  15·6

  1986

  10·3

  6·4

  1987

  3·9

  8·1

  1988

  12·6

  12·3

  1989

  6·4

  8·9

  1990

  10·8

  13·6

  1991

  10·8

  14·5

  1992

  8·1

  -5·0

  Disabled Employees
  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many registered disabled people are employed in his Department; and what percentage this is of the total.

  Mr. Gummer
  I refer the hon. Member to the "Independent" magazine, which was published on Friday 18 March and contains the information requested.

  Copies have been placed in the Library of the House.

  Government Spending
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the total Government spending in(a) Pendle, (b) Bath and (c) Bournemouth.

  Mr. Baldry
  The latest available information on central Government financial support to the district councils in the areas concerned is as follows:

  Government Grants: 1993–94 estimates

  £ thousands

  Revenue grants1

  Capital grants

  Housing subsidies2

  Total

  Pendle

  11,508

  1,570

  3,996

  17,074

  Bath

  14,004

  894

  6,589

  21,487

  Bournemouth

  39,768

  606

  6,278

  46,652

  1 Revenue grants consist of Revenue Support Grant, Specific and Special Grants; redistributed non-domestic rates are excluded.

  2 This consists of Housing Revenue Account Subsidies and contributions towards running costs of Approved Home Improvement Agencies.

  Children at Risk
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the allocation within Doncaster's standard spending assessment, on a per capita basis, for children at risk, during the next financial year; what is the allocation for each of the other metropolitan borough councils in South Yorkshire; and on what basis this formula operates.

  Mr. Baldry
  The children's personal social services element for 1994–95 for Doncaster is £32 per head of resident population. Information for the other metropolitan borough councils is in the table:

  Table showing the children's personal social service (PSS) element for 1994–95 per head of resident population for Doncaster and the other metropolitan borough councils in south Yorkshire.

  PSS for children (£/head)

  Doncaster

  32

  Barnsley

  26

  Rotherham

  27

  Sheffield

  33

  The formula uses a "client group approach"; the client group is the estimated number of children at risk. Cost adjustments are made to reflect the increased costs associated with social conditions and differences in the costs of provision between areas. The formula for the children's PSS element, along with the formulae for other SSA elements, has been revised in the light of the SSA review.

  Abandoned Mines (Discharges)
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Caernarfon (Mr. Wigley) of 9 February,Official Report, column 315, when he hopes to complete his review of the legal framework governing discharges from abandoned mines.

  Mr. Atkins
  We are still considering this subject. The consultation paper "Paying for our Past", published on 8
  111
  March, said that the justification for the special exemptions for abandoned mines should be reassessed in the light of the emerging conclusions of the review of contaminated land and liabilities.

  Carbon Dioxide Emissions
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer of 11 January,Official Report, column 6, what is the source of information on which he based his reply regarding the carbon dioxide emission implications of the latest GATT agreement.

  Mr. Atkins
  The terms of reference of working group III of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, as agreed at the IPCC eighth session in Harare, require working group III to consider and develop as necessary a range of internally consistent scenarios for future emissions based on reasonable economic, demographic and technological projections and taking account of the gaps and uncertainties in available knowledge. Any available evidence on the impact of GATT on emissions would be considered as part of IPCC's review.

  Fuel Bills (Advance Payments)
  Mr. Rooker
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has regarding the use of special companies by local authorities to accept advance payments for fuel bills for the next five years.

  Mr. Baldry
  I have no such information.

  Trunk Townstal Estate
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he will give approval to the Trunk Townstal estate action scheme, Dartmouth; how much the scheme will cost; and how many older council houses will be refurbished.

  Sir George Young
  My Department is currently processing the application and a decision will be reached shortly. The total cost of the proposed scheme is £6·7 million, including estate action resources of £1·6 million, and provides for the refurbishment of 299 units as well as 98 new houses.

  Air Quality Standards
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects his Department's expert panel on air quality standards to reach its conclusions on PM10 levels.

  Mr. Atkins
  The expert panel on air quality standards, a group of independent medical and scientific experts, is considering a standard for particles—PM 10—and I expect it to reach its conclusions as soon as reasonably practicable.

  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the estimated cost of including the 12 towns recommended by his Department's quality of urban air review group in the enhanced urban network.

  Mr. Atkins
  The costs for including the 12 towns recommended by the Department of the Environment's quality of urban air review group in the enhanced urban network are £5,382,229 to March 1994.
  112
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether levels of PM10 monitored in towns in the enhanced urban network have exceeded(a) United States air quality standards and (b) World Health Organisation air quality guidelines.

  Mr. Atkins
  In 1992, levels of PM10 exceeded the United States air quality standard at Belfast on three days. World Health Organisation guidelines were exceeded in 1992 at Belfast on 10 days and in Birmingham on four days.

  Provisional data for the first half of 1993 show that the United States standard was exceeded in Cardiff and Liverpool on one day each and that the WHO guideline was exceeded in London on two days, Belfast on seven days, Liverpool on three days and in Birmingham and Newcastle on one day each.

  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action he plans to take to control levels of PM10 particulates in the air.

  Mr. Atkins
  Road transport is the main source of PM10 emissions in urban areas. I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him by my hon. Friend the Minister for Roads and Traffic earlier today. Further action to reduce levels of fine particles will be considered in the light of advice from the Department of Health's independent committee on medical effects of air pollutants and the independent expert panel on air quality standards, a group of independent medical and scientific experts which recommends air quality standards to the Secretary of State for the Environment, which is currently considering a standard for particles.

  Castle Point Borough Council
  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what explanation was given to his Department for the financial crisis at Castle Point borough council prior to his decision to impose capping on that council for the year 1993–94.

  Mr. Baldry
  In its representations to the Department, the authority set out its view of both the manner in which deficits on the general fund had been incurred in 1991–92 and 1992–93 and the timing of their identification. The deficits were due, in the main, to incorrect budgeting for interest receivable and interest payable. The deficit for 1991–92 was identified by the district auditor during closure of the accounts in autumn 1992; the scale of the 1992–93 deficit had not been apparent until February 1993.

  Water
  Mr. Tyler
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made as to the cost implications for Government and the water industry if an area is designated as a high natural water dispersal area; and what is the timetable for changes in designation.

  Mr. Atkins
  For a high natural dispersion area to be identified, the waters must meet the criteria set out for less sensitive areas in the urban waste water treatment directive. The cost implications for water industry discharges into waters identified as HNDAs will, in each case, depend on the actual arrangements made for the treatment of sewage and the discharge of the treated
  113
  effluent. The directive requires the identification of these areas to be reviewed at intervals of not more than four years.

  Homeless Accommodation
  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will take steps to ensure that any borough or district council using accommodation in respect of its duties to the homeless in areas of other councils will be required to inform that council of their presence and terms of occupancy.

  Sir George Young
  The Housing Act 1985 requires local housing authorities to have regard to the homelessness code of guidance for local authorities, third edition, issued by my right hon. Friend, which includes guidance about placing homeless households in accommodation outside an authority's own boundary. My Department is consulting on possible changes to this legislation.

  District Heating Schemes
  Ms Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will provide estimates of the number of council tenants who receive unmetered supplies of gas and electricity through local authority district heating schemes and the number of council tenants who receive metered supplies of gas and electricity through local authority district heating schemes(a) in the United Kingdom and (b) in each local authority in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Baldry
  [holding answer 14 March 1994]: This information is not held centrally. Estimates of the number of local authority dwellings receiving unmetered supplies of energy for heating vary widely, from about 100,000 to about 300,000.

  Private Residential Homes
  Mr. Corbett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will list those concessions and rebates applicable to owners of private residential homes under the Disabled Persons Act 1978 on matters relating to his Department.

  Sir George Young
  [holding answer 18 March 1994]: I am not aware of any concessions or rebates granted by my Department to owners of private residential homes under disabled persons legislation. Matters relating to these properties are primarily for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health.

DEFENCE

  Belize
  Sir Thomas Arnold
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the terms of the memorandum of understanding have now been communicated to the Belize Government; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hanley
  A draft memoranda of understanding—MOU—has been submitted to the Government of Belize. This will replace the existing status of forces agreement which covers the presence of the garrison. The aim of the MOU is to reflect the evolvement of the British garrison into a residential training presence, rather than make any substantive changes.
  114
  Sir Thomas Arnold
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his latest timetable for the withdrawal of the battalion from Belize; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hanley
  It is planned to withdraw the infantry battalion which is currently in Belize at the end of this month. The garrison drawdown is well under way and is planned to be complete by the end of September this year. Thereafter, there will be a residual United Kingdom training presence.

  Ferranti International plc
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the defence orders and projects in which Ferranti International plc has an involvement; and if he will state the general nature of the involvement in each case.

  Mr. Aitken
  A comprehensive list of all projects in which Ferranti International plc, in administrative receivership, is involved is not held centrally, but the company is involved in the following types of project: submarine command systems, counter-measures and training systems; surface ship command and control systems, air defence systems, information-handling systems, the Seawolf weapons system, and shore training facilities; Eurofighter 2000 sub-systems, the Tornado radar system, Harrier FRS2 components, the radar warning receiver for Army Lynx and Gazelle helicopters, and air traffic control simulation; Rapier weapon system.

  The nature of the work may range from design and development, through production, to the provision of in-service support, spares, repairs and post-design services.

  Defence Contracts
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for South Shields (Dr. Clark) of 9 March,Official Report, column 254, if he will list which of the memoranda of understanding listed in his answer were (a) wholly or (b) partially related to exclusion from export licence controls; and whether such exclusions formed part of the memoranda.

  Mr. Aitken
  Such exclusion formed no part of any memoranda of understanding.

  Biological Warfare
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what studies he is undertaking of security from, or counter-measures against, environmental or biological attack.

  Mr. Hanley
  The United Kingdom continues an extensive and broad based programme of research aimed at providing our armed forces with effective protection against attack by chemical or biological weapons.

  Political Advisers
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what access political advisers in his Department have to classified information;

  (2) what level of vetting is undertaken of political advisers to his Department.

  (3) what access political advisers in his Department have to data held by his Department as commercial-inconfidence.
  115
  Mr. Hanley
  Classified information, and information with privacy markings such as commercial in confidence, is distributed within my Department on a need-to-know basis. All staff employed by my Department, including my right hon. and learned Friend's special adviser, have access to such information which they require to perform their duties effectively. It is Government policy to vet all staff who require regular access to material classified secret and above; the level of vetting will depend on the classification of material to which staff require such access.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list all persons who have held the post of political adviser in his Department since 1979, giving the dates of office for each.

  Mr. Hanley
  Individuals who have held the post of special adviser in my Department since 1979 are as follows:

  Andrew Dunlop Esq.—October 1986 to May 1988

  Keith Simpson Esq.—June 1988 to December 1990

  John Gardner Esq.—June 1991 to March 1992

  Perry Miller Esq.—April 1992 to February 1993

  Crispin Blunt Esq.—February 1993 to present

  Low Flying
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the authorised height and speed of the pair of military jet aircraft that overflew the village of Clayton in South Yorkshire on 7 March at approximately 15.35 hours; what was their actual recorded height and speed; from which airfield they took off and landed at; and what was the nature of their sortie.

  Mr. Hanley
  Central records are only maintained of low-level military flights, which are those carried out below 2,000 ft. No military jet aircraft were booked to fly at low level in the low flying area concerned at approximately 15.35 hours on 7 March. However, it is possible that military aircraft overflew Clayton at heights above 2,000 ft.

  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many low flying exercises have taken place in Wales in which planes have flown below 100 ft in the last year.

  Mr. Hanley
  Flying below 100 ft by fixed wing military aircraft is not permitted in the United Kingdom low flying system.

  Malaysia
  Mr. Canavan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what contribution was made by his Department to the luxury yacht "Tunas Samudera" handed over to the Malaysian Government in 1989.

  Mr. Aitken
  My Department made no financial contribution to the sail training ship "Tunas Samudera".

  Rescue Co-ordination Centre, Pitreavie
  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what is the current personnel establishment of the rescue co-ordination centre at Pitreavie; and what plans he has to increase it;

  (2) what plans he has for the improvement of the improvement of the facilities of the rescue co-ordination centre at Pitreavie; and what sums have been allocated for that purpose;
  116
  (3) if he will make a statement about the future of the rescue co-ordination centre at Pitreavie.

  Mr. Hanley
  Detailed internal work continues on the implementation of our plans to locate the single military rescue co-ordination centre—RCC—at Pitreavie. The current personnel establishment for the RCC is 24. On current plans, the single RCC will require 36 staff, however manning could be reduced to 27 following the introduction of improved information technology. Funding of some £3,900,000 has been allocated for improved accommodation, communications and IT systems to support the single RCC.

  "Options for Change"
  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many redundancies will occur under the "Options for Change" programme; if he will list the ranks and regiments involved; and if he will make a statement with regard to his Department's policy concerning redundancy during active service.

  Mr. Hanley
  The ranks involved in redundancy so far are as follows:

  Navy

  Army

  Royal Air Force

  Ordinary Rate

  Private

  Corporal

  Able Rate

  Lance Corporal

  Sergeant

  Leading Rate

  Corporal

  Chief Technician

  Petty Officer

  Sergeant

  flight Sergeant

  Chief Petty Officer

  Staff Sergeant

  Warrant Officer

  Warrant Officer

  Warrant Officer 1 and 2

  Master Aircrew

  Sub Lieutenant

  Lieutenant

  Flying Officer

  Lieutenant

  Captain

  Flight Lieutenant

  Lieutenant Commander

  Major

  Squadron Leader

  Commander

  Lieutenant Colonel

  Wing Commander

  Captain

  Colonel

  Group Captain

  Brigadier

  Air Commodore

  Air Marshal

  Air Chief Marshal

  All regiments and corps of the Army, with the exception of the Royal Army Veterinary Corps, Royal Irish Regiment —home service part time—and Adjutant General's Corps —military provost staff—were involved in the redundancy programme.

  Personnel serving overseas who are selected for redundancy can return to the United Kingdom for their last six months of service to enable them to take their full entitlement of leave and resettlement training.

  UNPROFOR (Pay and Conditions)
  Sir Michael Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received regarding unfavourable comparisons of pay and conditions as between British and other forces currently serving in UNPROFOR in Bosnia and other parts of former Yugoslavia; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hanley
  My Department has received a considerable number of representations on this subject, based largely on misinformation and misunderstanding.

  The full position on the pay of British troops serving with UNPROFOR was set out in my answer to the hon. Member for Pembroke (Mr. Ainger) on 7 February, Official Report, column 112.

  Head of Defence Sales
  Sir Thomas Arnold
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to announce the name of the next head of defence sales.
  118
  Mr. Aitken
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent (Mr. Smith) on 9 March 1994,Official Report, column 253.

  INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS TREATIES: UK REPORTS
  INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS TREATIES: UK REPORTS
  COUNCIL OF EUROPE AND WEU: UK DELEGATION ACTIVITIES
  COUNCIL OF EUROPE AND WEU: UK DELEGATION ACTIVITIES
  GIBRALTAR: PICKETING
  GIBRALTAR: PICKETING
  INDONESIA: ARMED FORCES
  INDONESIA: ARMED FORCES
  TURKEY: MPs' APPEAL FOR PROTECTION
  TURKEY: MPs' APPEAL FOR PROTECTION
  WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION: PRE-EMPTION
  WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION: PRE-EMPTION
  AIRPORT SERVICES: COMPETITION
  AIRPORT SERVICES: COMPETITION
  JUBILEE LINE EXTENSION: FUNDING
  JUBILEE LINE EXTENSION: FUNDING
  MERSEYSIDE: RAIL LINK WITH CHANNEL TUNNEL
  MERSEYSIDE: RAIL LINK WITH CHANNEL TUNNEL
  CYCLING POLICY
  CYCLING POLICY
  A13: SIGNING TO M25
  A13: SIGNING TO M25
  FACTORY AND DISTRIBUTION CENTRE DEVELOPMENT IN NORTHERN FRANCE AND SOUTHERN BRITAIN
  FACTORY AND DISTRIBUTION CENTRE DEVELOPMENT IN NORTHERN FRANCE AND SOUTHERN BRITAIN
  EC FINANCIAL PROJECTS: CURRENCY DENOMINATION
  EC FINANCIAL PROJECTS: CURRENCY DENOMINATION
  CO-OPERATIVE MOVEMENT: 150th ANNIVERSARY
  CO-OPERATIVE MOVEMENT: 150th ANNIVERSARY
  SHIPPING: SUBSIDIES
  SHIPPING: SUBSIDIES
  "BETTER INFORMATION FOR BETTER EDUCATION"
  "BETTER INFORMATION FOR BETTER EDUCATION"