Written Answers of 4 May 1994

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

  Privatisation (Consultants)
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will estimate the cost of employing consultants in connection with privatisation programmes in which his Department has been engaged since 1980.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  No Department for which the Lord Chancellor is responsible has incurred any consultancy costs in connection with privatisation programmes since 1980.

HEALTH

  Generic Prescribing
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the average proportion of generic prescribing undertaken by general practitioner fundholders now and before they became fundholders.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Information is not available to make such an assessment. The generic prescribing rate for fundholders in 1992–93 was 49 per cent. compared with 43 per cent. for other general practitioners.

  NHS Trust Chairmen
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the current salary paid to each chairman of an NHS trust.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Darlington (Mr. Milburn) on 14 February at column 987.

  Alzheimer's Disease
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to increase Government funding for research into Alzheimer's disease.

  Mr. Bowis
  The Medical Research Council is always willing to consider support for soundly based new scientific proposals in competition with other applications. Funding for the MRC is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.

  Dental Services (Stoke-on-Trent)
  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the availability of NHS dental care in the Stoke-on-Trent family health services authority area; and if she will make a statement.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Staffordshire family health services authority, which includes Stoke-on-Trent, reports that 500
  national health service dentistry is available in the area. Patients who need help in obtaining NHS dental treatment should contact the FHSA.

  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list those dental practices in the Stoke-on-Trent family health services authority area which in the last 12 months have withdrawn NHS dental services.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  No dentist in Stoke-on-Trent has given such notice to the Staffordshire family health services authority during the last 12 months.

  Ambulance Services (Humberside)
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health by how much Humberside Ambulance Trust is overspent on budget.

  Mr. Sackville
  The 1993–94 finalised accounts will be published later this year.

  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list purchases of ambulance vehicles by Humberside Ambulance Trust since April 1993.

  Mr. Sackville
  This is a matter for the Humberside Ambulance Service National Health Service Trust. The hon. Member may wish to contact Mrs. Margaret Cracknell, chairman of the trust, for details.

  Dental Services
  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will revise the patients charter so that every patient seeking dental care under the NHS has access to NHS dental treatment on a planned and emergency basis; and if she will make a statement.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  A working group, including representatives of the profession, has been set up to consider a charter for primary dental services. All family health services authorities report that they can if necessary assist patients seeking their help to receive national health service dental treatment.

  Junior Doctors
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many postgraduate deans have taken action against hospitals where juniors are working 83 hours a week since 1 April 1993.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Postgraduate deans are core members of all our regional task forces. As such they are actively involved in developing and implementing plans to reduce junior doctors' hours.

  Children Act 1989 (Annual Report)
  Miss Lestor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when was the annual report on the Children Act 1989 due to be published; when it is now likely to be published; and what are the reasons for the change of date.

  Mr. Bowis
  There is no set timetable for producing the Children Act report. The second report is in preparation and will be published shortly.

  Medical Ethics
  Mr. Hendry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will publish the Government's response to the report of the House of Lords Select Committee on Medical Ethics.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The Government's response to the report of the House of Lords Select Committee on Medical Ethics has been published today. A copy has been placed in the Library.

  Privatisation (Consultants)
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will estimate the cost of employing consultants in connection with privatisation programmes in which her Department and its predecessor have been engaged since 1980.

  Mr. Sackville
  The Department has no record of any consultants having been employed in connection with privatisation from 1980.

  Cardiac Unit, Plymouth
  Mr. Jamieson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she expects to make an announcement regarding the business plan for the cardiac unit in Plymouth.

  Mr. Sackville
  The business case for a cardiac unit at Derriford hospital, Plymouth is currently being considered by the south and west regional office of the national health service executive.

  Hospital Officers and Nurses (Training)
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment her Department has made of the report on the introduction of competency-based training for hospital officers and nurses, commissioned by the Home Office; and if she will ensure with her ministerial colleagues that it is published.

  Mr. Bowis
  This is a matter for my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department.

  National Blood Authority
  Mr. Kaufman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what annual salary is paid to(a) the chairman, (b) the chief executive, (c) the finance and administration director, (d) the medical director and (e) each of the non-executive directors of the National Blood Authority; what other remuneration and perquisites each of these received; and what is the total cost to the public funds of the National Blood Authority.

  Mr. Sackville
  [holding answer 22 April 1994]: The information available centrally is shown in the table. Information about payments other than annual salary and about the total cost of the National Blood Authority is not yet available, as the authority came into being on 1 April 1993. In 1992–93 central funding for the National Blood Authority's predecessor body, the Central Blood Laboratories Authority, for revenue and capital expenditure totalled £6.788 million. This figure derives from the Central Blood Laboratories Authority's audited accounts
  502
  which are still subject to review by the National Audit Office. The bulk of the Central Blood Laboratories Authority's funding came from sales of plasma products primarily to national health service bodies.

  Current annual salary rate

  £

  Chairman

  8,968

  Chief executive1

  276,388

  Finance and administration director1

  258,114

  Medical director1

  351,165

  Non-executive members

  Mr. L. Banks

  5,000

  Mr. D. Allison

  5,000

  Professor Van Aken

  5,000

  1 The chief executive, finance and administration and medical
  directors are members of the NHS pension scheme.

  2 Salary of chief executive and finance and administration director
  includes performance related pay.

  3 The current post holder also receives an A+ distinction award at the
  rate of £48,605.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Disability Working Allowance
  Dr. Wright
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 29 November,Official Report, column 317–18, if he will update the information provided on awards of disability working allowance, also indicating the respective proportions of new and repeat claims which resulted in an award of benefit.

  Mr. Scott
  As of 31 March 1994 there were 3,680 current awards of disability working allowance.

  The total number of claims for DWA with percentages, in the five-month period November 1993 to March 1994, was:

  Number

  Percentage resulting in awards

  New claims

  3,356

  35.13

  Repeat claims

  2,302

  85.88

  TOTAL

  5,658

  —

  The number of claims adjudicated upon in the last five months is 5,230.

  The reasons for unsuccessful claims with numbers and percentages for each ground for disallowance in the last five months are in the table.

  Reason

  Number

  Percentage

  Capital exceeds £16,000

  5

  0·24

  Not in remunerative work

  710

  34·23

  Income exceeds DWA level

  342

  16·49

  No qualifying benefit

  891

  42·96

  Disability test

  2

  0·1

  Other reasons

  124

  5·98

  Child Support Agency
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what assessment he has made of whether the Child Support Agency is adequately staffed to deal speedily and effectively with its caseload.
  503
  Mr. Burt
  We are keeping all parts of the agency's operations, including staffing levels, under close review. If changes should be needed we will make them.

  War Pensions
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 30 March,Official Report, column 788, to the right hon. Member for Manchester, Wythenshawe (Mr. Morris), if he will publish his correspondence with the Central Advisory Committee on War Pensions.

  Mr. Hague
  Correspondence between members of the Central Advisory Committee on War Pensions and Ministers is in confidence. It has never been the practice to publish such correspondence.

  Privatisation (Consultants)
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the cost of employing consultants in connection with privatisation programmes in which his Department has been engaged since July 1988.

  Mr. Scott
  This Department has no privatisation programme.

  Disability Living Allowance
  Mrs. Jane Kennedy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what analysis the Benefits Agency makes of claims for disability living allowance which are referred to disability appeals tribunals; and if he will provide a numerical breakdown of these cases.

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

  Letter from Michael Bichard to Mrs. Jane Kennedy, dated 3 May 1994:
  The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question, asking for an analysis of disability living allowance claims which are referred to disability appeal tribunals.
  I have provided, in the attached appendix, a table of the analysis made by the Benefits Agency within this area. The table covers the period February 1992 to the end of March 1994.
  I hope you find this reply helpful.

  Appendix: DLA claims referred to disability appeal tribunals between 1 February 1992 and 31 March 1994

  Number

  Number referred

  34,679

  Number decided:

  Award increased

  2,082

  Award maintained

  7,075

  Award varied1

  84

  Award reduced

  8

  Allowed

  7,320

  Disallowed

  1,292

  Superseded increased2

  874

  Withdrawn

  794

  Lapsed

  4

  Defective

  14

  Total

  19,547

  504
  1 The length of award changes, or monetary value remains the same but the components change.

  2 The appeal was lodged but current decision was revised in the appellants favour without reference to the appeals tribunal.

TREASURY

  Mortgage Interest Relief
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people will face larger mortgage statements at the end of this month following the Government's decision to reduce mortgage interest relief to 20 per cent.

  Mr. Dorrell
  There are about 10 million single people or married couples with mortgages. Not all of them will make larger interest payments straight away as a result of the restriction of mortgage interest relief to 20 per cent. This is because some mortgages are subject to annual reviews and these may take place at different times of year. Lenders may apply the new rate of relief, and make any necessary adjustments, then.

  In addition, some 200,000 borrowers receiving tax relief have loans that are not in the MIRAS—mortgage interest relief at source—scheme. For them, the restriction of relief has no effect on their interest payments, but will be made through their PAYE coding or in an annual assessment.

  The number of borrowers with annual review mortgages is not known: a precise answer to the question is therefore not available.

  VAT (Domestic Energy)
  Mr. Mills
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received on the application of value-added tax to the standing charge portion of central heating and electrical supply bills; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir John Cope
  I have received a large number of representations. I have made it clear on a number of occasions that the standing charge has always been regarded as part of the consideration for a single supply of fuel and power. If it were not, it would already have been standard rated as the services covered, when taken in isolation, have attracted VAT at the standard rate since 1 April 1973.

  Valuation List
  Ms Eagle
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many proposals to alter the valuation list have been referred to the valuation tribunal by each district valuation officer.

  Mr. Nelson
  The number of proposals to alter the valuation list which have been referred to the valuation tribunal by each valuation officer was 660,384 in total as at 31 March 1994. The numbers referred by each office individually are not held centrally; however, the numbers referred in respect of each valuation office region are as follows:

  Region

  Appeals transmitted

  East Anglia

  71,730

  East Midland

  60,547

  London

  98,031

  505

  Region

  Appeals transmitted

  Northern

  63,008

  North Western

  58,738

  South Eastern

  65,501

  Southern

  80,150

  Western

  68,321

  West Midland

  57,936

  England total

  623,962

  Wales

  36,422

  Total England and Wales

  660,384

  Ms Eagle
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many proposals to alter the valuation list have been received by each district valuation officer.

  Mr. Nelson
  As at 31 March 1994, a total of 945,795 proposals to alter the valuation list had been received by district valuation officers.

  A breakdown by valuation office area of initial proposals received up to 30 November 1993 is available in the Members' Library.

  EU Own Resources
  Mr. Andrew Smith
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will bring forward in the current parliamentary Session a Bill to give effect to the own resources decision agreed at the Edinburgh summit.

  Sir John Cope
  Before a Bill to approve the new own resources decision can be introduced, a text must be adopted unanimously in the Council of Ministers. Agreement is at present being blocked by Italy. Once agreement has been reached, and before the new decision can finally be adopted by the Council and sent to member states for their approval, conciliation must take place with the European Parliament.

  It is therefore not possible to know when the new own resources decision will be ready for final adoption by the Council and accordingly the Government are not in a position to say when the Bill might be introduced.

  Public Service (Pay Rise)
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer for which categories of public service employee provision has been made for an average pay rise of more than 1.5 per cent. in the current year; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Portillo
  The Government expect public sector pay to be considered in accordance with the approach which the Chancellor announced in his statement of 14 September 1993. In 1994–95 Government Departments are expected to keep their running costs, including pay bills, to their 1993–94 levels in cash terms. A similar approach applies to other public sector pay groups. Provision has been set on this basis. This is not a freeze on pay settlements and does not pre-empt annual pay determination arrangements. Pay should be set at levels necessary to recruit, retain and motivate staff within what can be afforded. All parts of the public sector should be able to make efficiency savings and other economies necessary to accommodate the costs of pay increases on this basis.

  Foreign Currency Earnings
  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the impact on foreign currency earnings from overseas visitors to the United Kingdom as a result of EC Commission proposal Com (94) 5813 to amend directive 77/388/EEC.

  Sir John Cope
  There are trade concerns that there could be an adverse effect on sales in the event of the adoption of the European Commission proposals for a minimum threshold of 175 ecu before non-EC visitors can claim a VAT refund. The United Kingdom has accordingly registered its opposition to this proposal and will continue to listen carefully to trade concerns.

  Company Cars
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the annual value to Customs and Excise of the special provisions in respect of VAT recovery of company cars; and when the provisions were imposed and under what authority.

  Sir John Cope
  Taxation of the private use of business cars is mandatory under Community law. Since the inception of the tax in April 1973, the United Kingdom has achieved this through restricting tax recovery on the purchase of cars. The current legal basis for this simplified procedure is permitted under article 17(6) of the sixth directive (77/388/EEC) implemented in the United Kingdom by an Order made under section 14(10) of the VAT Act 1983. The provision is expected to contribute around an estimated £1.6 billion to the Exchequer in 1994.

  Customs and Excise
  Mr. Nigel Evans
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many excise verification officers are employed by Her Majesty's Customs and Excise on tasks connected with duty-paid imports to the United Kingdom from elsewhere in the European Union; and what is the cost to public funds.

  Sir John Cope
  [holding answer 29 April 1994]: During the financial year 1993–94 Her Majesty's Customs and Excise allocated 253 staff years to single market duties. The majority of this work, for which the salaries bill was £4 million, was performed by excise verification officers. In addition, VAT staff and others assist in the course of their normal work in the control of the sale of excise goods which have not paid United Kingdom duty.

  Civil Servants (Business Appointments)
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many civil servants in his Departments applied in each year since 1986 through the business appointments system to take up an outside appointment(a) as an independent consultant, (b) with a firm of consultants and (c) in other employment; how many were referrred to the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments; and how many were granted.

  Mr. Nelson
  [holding answer 3 May 1994]: The following table gives information from 1987 on applications from civil servants in my Department through the business appointments system to take up outside

  507
  appointments. Information prior to that date could be obtained only at disproportionate cost as it would involve sifting through individual files. The table also shows which

  (a) Independent consultant

  (b) Firm of consultants

  (c) Other employment

  Referred to advisory/committee

  Total granted

  1987

  0

  0

  4

  0

  4

  1988

  1

  2

  4

  0

  7

  1989

  0

  6

  9

  1

  15

  1990

  0

  6

  12

  0

  18

  1991

  1

  1

  5

  1

  7

  1992

  0

  1

  2

  0

  3

  1993

  0

  0

  4

  1

  4

  Council Tax
  Mr. Burden
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what targets the Valuation Office Agency has set for clearing council tax valuation appeals.

  Mr. Nelson
  [holding answer 3 May 1994]: The Valuation Office Agency expects four out of five appeals to be settled by 31 December 1994 and the remainder as quickly as possible thereafter.

  1993

  1994

  1995

  1996

  1997

  1998

  1999

  Own resources ceiling agreed at Edinburgh (per cent. of community GNP)

  1·20

  1·20

  1·21

  1·22

  1·24

  1·26

  1·27

  Value of Edinburgh own resources ceiling on basis of growth projections available at the time
  (becu—1992 prices)

  65·8

  67·3

  69·5

  71·9

  74·9

  78·0

  80·6

  Value of Edinburgh own resources ceiling on basis of latest growth projections
  (becu—1992 prices)

  64·4

  65·2

  67·1

  69·4

  72·3

  75·2

  77·8

  Change in estimated available resources since Edinburgh (becu—1992 prices)

  -1·4

  -2·1

  -2·4

  -2·5

  -2·6

  -2·8

  -2·8

  The own resources ceiling is a legally binding limit on the amount of own resources which can be called up by the European Community to finance payments from the budget. In setting the annual budget, the budgetary authority—the Council of Ministers and the European Parliament—must ensure that the own resources ceiling is respected, if necessary by agreeing expenditure totals which are less than those in the financial perspective agreed at Edinburgh. The policies to be affected by these reductions would be for decision at the time.

  Civil Servants
  Mr. Kaufman
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the latest available figure for the total number of civil servants(a) including and (b) excluding those employed by "next steps" agencies.

  Mr. Dorrell
  [holding answer 3 May 1994]: On 1 October 1993 there were in total 546,339 civil servants, the lowest in the post-war period. Of these 209,936 were not working in "next steps" agencies.

  Upper Limb Disorders (Civil Servants)
  Dr. Marek
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the present number of civil servants taking legal action against their employer as a result of work-related upper limb disorders.
  508
  cases were referred to the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments and the total number of cases granted.

  Edinburgh Summit
  Mr. Marlow
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 27 April,Official Report, columns 164–65, what was the projected monetary resources ceiling at the time of the Edinburgh summit; how that has been affected in monetary terms by current projections of growth and GNP; what are the implications for each year to 1999 in terms of change in available resources; and what are the implications for moneys available for cohesion.

  Sir John Cope
  [holding answer 3 May 1994]: The information is in the following table:

  Mr. Waldegrave
  I have been asked to reply. This information is not held centrally.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Cross-channel Electricity Interconnector
  Mr. Spellar
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what proposals his Department has for expanding the capacity of the cross-channel electricity interconnector.

  Mr. Heseltine
  None. It is for the industry to make any proposals of this kind.

  Sizewell B
  Mr. Spellar
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what are the costs in lost revenue from the delay in commissioning the Sizewell B nuclear reactor; and what are the reasons for the delay.

  Mr. Heseltine
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent (Mr. Smith) on 22 April 1994,Official Report, column 708.

  Telecommunications
  Mr. Spellar
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on progress in negotiations with the United States of America regarding access for British telecommunications companies to the United States market.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The Government strongly support the effort of United Kingdom telecoms companies to enter the United States market and work closely with them. In particular, the Government have taken up with the United States authorities specific issues, including discriminatory regulation already in force or being proposed.

  The Government are continuing to press for further liberalisation and market opening in and outside Europe to provide better access for United Kingdom companies, and to benefit United Kingdom consumers through lower prices for international calls.

  Private Detective Agencies
  Mr. Donohoe
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the use of private detective agencies and security companies by his Department.

  Mr. Heseltine
  My Department does not use private detective agencies. Private sector security firms are contracted to provide access control to departmental premises.

  Launch Aid
  Mr. Davidson
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) how much money has returned to the Government as partial repayment of launch aid for aircraft and engine programmes in each of the last 25 years;

  (2) how much public money has been used in launch aid for specific aircraft and engine programmes in each of the last 25 years.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  [holding answers 3 May 1994]: The information is as follows:

  £ million

  Airframes (including helicopters)

  Aeroengines

  Year

  Payments

  Receipts

  Payments

  Receipts

  1969–70

  0.2

  1.9

  0.1

  1.5

  1970–71

  0

  1.0

  0.7

  2.3

  1971–72

  0

  0.4

  56.6

  1.5

  1972–73

  0

  0.4

  49.2

  1.3

  1973–74

  1.6

  0.4

  15.7

  1.3

  1974–75

  1.6

  5.2

  41.4

  1.6

  1975–76

  2.1

  0.5

  3.1

  2.7

  1976–77

  2.0

  0.4

  10.6

  2.6

  1977–78

  0.5

  0.3

  0

  14.6

  1978–79

  0

  0.4

  16.0

  6.8

  1979–80

  0

  0.4

  105.1

  4.0

  1980–81

  0

  0.5

  62.2

  8.7

  1981–82

  0

  0.4

  92.6

  8.3

  1982–83

  10.0

  0.4

  53.7

  12.7

  1983–84

  10.7

  0.4

  74.3

  7.9

  1984–85

  64.2

  0.4

  19.9

  10.2

  1985–86

  81.6

  0.5

  22.7

  15.2

  1986–87

  91.7

  0.5

  27.3

  22.2

  1987–88

  52.6

  0.4

  0

  28.3

  1988–89

  97.7

  0.3

  0

  21.5

  1989–90

  133.6

  10.5

  0

  31.9

  1990–91

  141.1

  34.5

  0

  17.3

  1991–92

  78.7

  55.7

  0

  27.3

  510

  Airframes (including helicopters)

  Aeroengines

  Year

  Payments

  Receipts

  Payments

  Receipts

  1992–93

  31.4

  41.1

  0

  33.6

  1993–94

  0.6

  29.5

  0

  123.8

  1 Provisional figure.

  Note:

  All amounts are at cash prices.

  Overseas Mail
  Mr. Davidson
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the Government's policy in respect of the criteria to be used in determining which airline should carry British mail abroad.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  [holding answer 3 May 1994]: Decisions about which airlines are used to carry British mail abroad are a commercial matter for the Post Office.

  Steel Production
  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what agreement was reached by the Council of Ministers at its recent meeting in Luxembourg in regard to excessive steel production capacity and unfair trading practices by steel producers and regional or national administrations in other EC member states.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  [holding answer 3 May 1994]: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to my hon. Friends the Members for Basildon (Mr. Amess) and for Colchester, North (Mr. Jenkin) on 29 April, Official Report, columns 348–49.

  Local Government
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what provisions of the Children Act 1989 and the Registered Homes Act 1984, as amended, have been considered by his interdepartmental scrutiny of local government enforcement; what proposals have arisen as a result; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  [holding answer 3 May 1994]: The interdepartmental scrutiny team is looking at all aspects of local government enforcement as they affect business and this will be reflected in their report. This includes social services activities. The scrutiny team will complete its investigations and make recommendations to Ministers by the end of May.

  I understand that the specific legislation mentioned is being considered under a separate review by the Department of Health, but that the review and scrutiny teams are in regular contact.

  Radio Frequencies
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what assessment he has made of the probable level of interference with aeronautical radio navigation services of high-powered national broadcasting on the 105 to 108 MHz radio frequencies; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  [holding answer 3 May 1994]: Broadcasting services in the frequency band 87.5 to 108 MHz have the potential to cause interference to

  511
  aeronautical radio navigation services. It is the Government's responsibility, however, to ensure that any planned new radio station will not cause unacceptable interference. The assessment of potential interference is a complex task involving not only the power and frequency of a proposed new transmitter, but those of existing transmitters and, in particular, the dispositions of transmitters relative to each other, to airports and to flight paths. These assessments are made by the Radiocommunications Agency, in my Department.

  It is not possible to carry out an assessment of the interference potential of radio stations in the band 105 to 108 MHz until the details of all proposed broadcasting transmitters are known. However, in preparation for the opening of that band, some hypothetical studies were made by the Radiocommunications Agency which led it to the opinion that transmitting powers as high as 40KW may be acceptable in locations and at frequencies that are favourable.

  The Radio Authority is currently conducting a public consultation exercise about the possible service options in this new band of frequency spectrum, which the Government have made available for independent radio. These options range from the provision of a new national radio service to the provision of numerous low power and highly localised services. Having reached a decision, the Radio Authority will present a detailed transmitter plan for the proposed services to the Radiocommunications Agency for clearance. Until then, it is not possible to comment further, but I am confident that it will be possible to agree a plan which is fully compatible with aeronautical navigation services.

  Coal Industry
  Mr. Tipping
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he last met representatives of trade unions within the coal industry to discuss redundancy schemes and payments after 30 April; what was the conclusion of those meetings; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Heseltine
  [holding answer 3 May 1994]: Both my hon. Friend the Minister for Energy and I meet representatives of trades unions from within the coal industry from time to time to discuss a wide variety of matters affecting the industry. I understand that British Coal is currently discussing with the unions the redundancy arrangements to apply after 30 April.

  Directors (Disqualification)
  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many adverse reports on directors have been submitted by insolvency practitioners in Scotland to the company directors disqualification unit in Edinburgh in each year since 1986.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  [holding answer 3 May 1994]: The numbers of unfitted conduct reports on directors, submitted by insolvency practitioners in Scotland to the company directors disqualification unit in Edinburgh since 1986, are as follows:—

  Number

  1986

  nil

  1987

  67

  1988

  189

  1989

  152

  512

  Number

  1990

  173

  1991

  181

  1992

  154

  1993

  241

  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many disqualifications of directors of companies registered in Scotland have taken place under the Company Directors Disqualification Act in each year since 1986.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  [holding answer 3 May 1994]: Since 1986 the number of disqualification orders made under section 6 of the Company Directors Disqualification act 1986 against directors of companies registered in Scotland is as follows:

  Number

  1986

  Nil

  1987

  Nil

  1988

  3

  1989

  4

  1990

  12

  1991

  17

  1992

  54

  1993

  54

  Gross Domestic Fixed Capital
  Ms Armstrong
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the amount of manufacturing investment gross domestic fixed capital formation in each region in 1991; and if he will provide a consistent series of figures back to 1979.

  Mr. Nelson
  I have been asked to reply.

  The latest available estimates of gross domestic fixed capital formation by region within manufacturing for 1988 to 1990 were published in the December 1992 issue of "Economic Trends", available in the House of Commons Library. Estimates for 1991 are to be published in the May 1994 issue of "Economic Trends". Information prior to 1988 is not available on a consistent time series basis.

PRIME MINISTER

  Sir Peter Levene
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer to the right hon. Member for Mitcham and Morden (Dame A. Rumbold) of 10 March,Official Report, column 319, if he will list all the relevant interests of Sir Peter Levene, and any issues so far identified where a potential conflict of interest exists.

  The Prime Minister
  Sir Peter Levene is chairman of Canary Wharf Ltd. and its subsidiaries, deputy chairman of Wasserstein Perella and Co. Ltd., and an alderman of the City of London. No issues which involve a conflict of interest for Sir Peter Levene have arisen under the arrangements which I set out in my answer to the right hon. Member for Mitcham and Morden (Dame A. Rumbold) on 10 March, column 319.

  Scott Inquiry
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Prime Minister when he expects the Scott inquiry report to be published; and in what form he intends to make known the Government's observations on the findings of the inquiry.

  The Prime Minister
  On the question of the timing of the publication of Lord Justice Scott's report, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Hazel Grove (Sir T. Arnold) on 15 March,Official Report, column 645.

  It is too early to say in what form the Government will make their observations on the report.

  Miss Beata Brookes
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Prime Minister whether the re-appointment of Miss Beata Brookes to be chairman of the Welsh Consumer Council was referred to his public appointments unit; and if he will make a statement.

  The Prime Minister
  [holding answer 3 May 1994]: The re-appointment of Miss Brookes was referred to the public appointments unit before my views were sought. This is in line with the answer I gave on 14 May 1993, Official Report, column 583.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  Driving Offences
  Mr. Miller
  To ask the Attorney-General in what form statistics are collected by the Crown Prosecution Service relating to the prosecution of drivers for(a) drink driving offences, (b) other offences and (c) offences causing death.

  The Attorney-General
  The Crown Prosecution Service maintains no central records relating to the prosecution of drivers in respect of specific offences. Details are recorded on individual case files.

  Offence-based figures are available in the "Criminal Statistics England and Wales" published by the Home Office.

  Privatisation (Consultants)
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Attorney-General if he will estimate the cost of employing consultants in connection with privatisation programmes in which his departments have been engaged since 1980.

  The Attorney-General
  None.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Prisoners
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what was the total number of prisoners in custody in England and Wales on the first day of each month from April 1992 until the latest month for which figures are available;

  (2) what was the total number of remand prisoners in custody in England and Wales on the first day of each month from April 1992 until the latest month for which figures are available.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Responsibility for these matters has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply.
  514
  Letter from A. J. Butler to Mr. Martin Redmond dated 4 May 1994:
  The Secretary of State has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Questions about (a) the total number of prisoners and (b) the number of remand prisoners in custody on the first day of each month from April 1992 until the latest month for which figures are available.
  The available information for the number of prisoners in custody is for the last day of each month. It is given in the attached table for the period March 1992 to February 1994.

  Prison population1 by type of custody: England and Wales—March 1992 to February 1994

  Total remand

  Sentenced

  Total2

  1992

  March

  10,678

  36,751

  47,746

  April

  10,646

  36,721

  47,738

  May

  10,294

  36,057

  46,696

  June

  10,404

  36,065

  46,832

  July

  9,942

  36,603

  46,875

  August

  10,128

  35,929

  46,350

  September

  10,020

  35,589

  45,835

  October

  9,605

  34,019

  43,905

  November

  9,459

  33,333

  43,064

  December

  9,490

  31,845

  40,606

  1993

  January

  9,433

  31,793

  41,561

  February

  9,933

  32,461

  42,882

  March

  9,996

  32,661

  43,195

  April

  9,997

  32,796

  43,391

  May

  10,181

  32,805

  43,585

  June

  10,632

  33,046

  44,246

  July

  10,572

  33,653

  44,830

  August

  11,407

  33,616

  45,633

  September

  11,445

  34,139

  46,211

  October

  11,829

  34,445

  46,886

  November

  11,895

  34,585

  47,153

  December

  10,763

  33,818

  45,214

  1994

  January

  12,109

  34,089

  46,902

  February

  12,109

  35,095

  47,906

  1 Includes prisoners held in police cells.

  2 Includes non-criminal prisoners.

  Prisons (Drug Abuse)
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what action is being taken to seek to reduce the incidence of drug abuse at each HM prison, HM remand centre and HM detention centre in(a) South Yorkshire, (b) North Yorkshire, (c) West Yorkshire and (d) Humberside;

  (2) how often cells and other parts of the building are searched for drugs by staff and sniffer dogs at each HM prison and HM remand centre and HM detention centre in (a) South Yorkshire, (b) North Yorkshire, (c) West Yorkshire and (d) Humberside.

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

  Letter from Derek Lewis to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 4 May 1994:

  515
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Questions about the action being taken to reduce the incidence of drug abuse at prisons in Yorkshire and Humberside and the searching of cells and other parts of prison buildings.
  All prisons in Yorkshire and Humberside search cells and other areas of the prison on a daily, but random basis. Searches using dogs trained in drug detection are carried out at the more secure prisons in Yorkshire and Humberside. For example, Full Sutton uses dogs every six weeks, Leeds every three months and Hull uses them to search non living accommodation weekly. All prisons in the area will make special searches with or without dogs when security intelligence indicates need.
  Security measures including the use of X-ray scanners for parcels, increased searching of visitors and prisoners and using security information to target other searches within the establishment, are aimed at preventing drugs being brought into prison.
  All prisoners are warned of the dangers of drug abuse and are offered drug counselling about the dangers of drug abuse. There are also courses to help prisoners tackle their drug problem. Some establishments run self help or drug awareness groups.
  In addition to these general measures, the establishments have tailored their programmes for tackling drug abuse to meet the differing needs of their prisoner population.
  For example, in South Yorkshire, Moorland prison and young offenders institution screens all prisoners on admission offering those with a serious drug problem immediate treatment in the Health Care Centre. In North Yorkshire, Northallerton remand centre targets a Personal Social Education course at those in need using outside agencies to assist in counselling. Full Sutton prison has introduced a confidential telephone line.
  Prisons in West Yorkshire have similar approaches. Rudgate has a trained drugs worker to help identify those with drug problems and refer them for specialist help. New Hall and Wakefield prisons offer drug rehabilitation courses through probation and local agencies.
  In Humberside, Hull prison is training two dogs specifically for drug searching and female Prison Auxiliaries have been recruited for searching female visitors.

  Chelmsford Prison
  Mr. Burns
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home department (1) when work will be completed on sanitation at Chelmsford prison to enable slopping out to be ended; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) what measures are being taken to reduce prisoner numbers at Chelmsford prison.

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

  Letter from A. J. Butler to Mr. Simon Burns, dated 4 May 1994:
  The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Questions about Chelmsford prison.
  Integral sanitation has now been installed in most of the cells at Chelmsford. The work to complete the installation in the remaining 65 cells is scheduled to be completed in September this year.
  On 26 April there were 363 prisoners in Chelmsford prison. Although the prison's certified normal accommodation is 217, its operational capacity is 381. Chelmsford serves the courts in Essex and its prison population is determined by the numbers remanded or awaiting trial or sentence.
  Sentenced prisoners are quickly transferred to training prisons in the region, in order to reduce pressure on places in Chelmsford. As another measure to ease this pressure, the prison's Bail Information Unit interviews remand prisoners in order to alert the courts to cases suitable for conditional bail.
  Two new houseblocks are to be built and the first should be ready for occupation in 1996. These are intended to allow existing double cells to be converted for single use. The net effect of each block will be to provide 37 extra places.
  516
  Mr. Burns
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the average number of prisoners in Chelmsford prison in each of the last six months.

  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. Simon Burns, dated 4 May 1994:
  The Secretary of State has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question about the average number of prisoners in Chelmsford prison in each of the last six months.
  The available information for the historical prison population is for the last day of each month. It is given in the attached table for the period October 1993 to March 1994.

  Prison population in Chelmsford: October 1993 to March 1994

  End of month

  Population

  1993

  October

  321

  November

  359

  December

  315

  1994

  January

  321

  February

  349

  March

  364

  Firearms
  Mr. Robathan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what information he has about the origins of firearms and shotguns used in the pursuit of crime;

  (2) what proportion of firearms and shotguns used by criminals in criminal activity are believed to have been licensed, purchased legally and in the possession of an authorised person.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  No statistical information is available. Firearms are only rarely recovered from scenes of crime and, in cases where they are, identifying marks have, almost invariably, been erased. Tracing the firearms back to their source is therefore extremely difficult. There is, however, no evidence to suggest any widespread use of legally held firearms by criminals in crime.

  Prison Population
  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the certified accommodation and the actual population at each prison in England and Wales at the latest possible date.

  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. Doug Hoyle, dated 4 May 1994:
  The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question about the certified accommodation and actual population at each prison in England and Wales.

  517
  The attached table shows the certified normal accommodation (CNA) and population in all establishments in England and Wales on 28 April 1994.

  Certified normal accommodation (CNA) and population of prisons in England and Wales on 28 April 1994

  Establishment

  Certified normal accommodation

  Population

  Acklington

  658

  623

  Albany

  436

  380

  Aldington

  127

  114

  Ashwell

  404

  385

  Askham Grange

  126

  112

  Aylesbury

  241

  214

  Bedford

  302

  279

  Belmarsh

  841

  750

  Birmingham

  558

  761

  Blakenhurst

  649

  608

  Blantyre House

  95

  95

  Blundeston

  408

  379

  Brinsford

  547

  471

  Bristol

  423

  450

  Brixton

  483

  585

  Brockhill

  135

  133

  Bullingdon

  635

  630

  Bullwood Hall

  125

  113

  Camp Hill

  378

  377

  Canterbury

  184

  233

  Cardiff

  334

  411

  Castington

  300

  285

  Channings Wood

  594

  551

  Chelmsford

  230

  363

  Coldingley

  292

  276

  Cookham Wood

  120

  117

  Dartmoor

  538

  508

  Deerbolt

  450

  395

  Dorchester

  138

  192

  Dover

  316

  219

  Downview

  287

  270

  Drake Hall

  255

  214

  Durham

  399

  574

  East Sutton Park

  81

  86

  Elmley

  627

  592

  Erlestoke

  250

  229

  Everthorpe

  228

  227

  Exeter

  274

  381

  Featherstone

  599

  570

  Feltham

  842

  758

  Finnamore Wood

  106

  52

  Ford

  536

  449

  Frankland

  447

  419

  Full Sutton

  604

  550

  Garth

  512

  496

  Gartree

  277

  273

  Glen Parva

  767

  773

  Gloucester

  211

  252

  Grendon

  190

  178

  Guys Marsh

  240

  177

  Hollesley Bay

  365

  315

  Haslar

  145

  141

  Hatfield

  180

  173

  Haverigg

  405

  352

  Hewell Grange

  156

  165

  High Down

  549

  520

  Highpoint

  679

  606

  Hindley

  280

  303

  Holloway

  517

  460

  Holme House

  649

  633

  Hull

  328

  426

  Huntercombe

  226

  207

  Kingston

  154

  135

  Kirkham

  644

  611

  Kirklevington

  74

  72

  L'caster Farms

  364

  358

  Lancaster

  260

  255

  Latchmere House

  145

  137

  Leeds

  814

  1,155

  Leicester

  192

  331

  Lewes

  282

  346

  518

  Establishment

  Certified normal accommodation

  Population

  Leyhill

  410

  390

  Lincoln

  444

  624

  Lindholme

  567

  514

  Littlehey

  593

  554

  Liverpool

  931

  1,253

  Long Lartin

  362

  349

  Low Newton

  198

  248

  Maidstone

  485

  471

  Manchester

  470

  505

  Moorland

  635

  639

  Morton Hall

  168

  167

  New Hall

  169

  170

  North Sea Camp

  201

  199

  Northallerton

  150

  151

  Norwich

  457

  467

  Nottingham

  222

  211

  Onley

  516

  464

  Oxford

  109

  10

  Parkhurst

  286

  240

  Pentonville

  559

  700

  Portland

  420

  332

  Preston

  382

  496

  Pucklechurch

  56

  60

  Ranby

  347

  350

  Reading

  182

  158

  Risley

  751

  705

  Rochester

  294

  232

  Rudgate

  287

  267

  Send

  113

  110

  Shepton Mallet

  158

  175

  Shrewsbury

  168

  288

  Spring Hill

  210

  209

  Stafford

  532

  533

  Standford Hill

  384

  372

  Stocken

  396

  392

  Stoke Heath

  300

  274

  Styal

  180

  203

  Sudbury

  413

  330

  Sudbury Foston

  96

  92

  Swaleside

  512

  500

  Swansea

  155

  212

  Swinfen Hall

  182

  181

  Thorn Cross

  209

  180

  The Mount

  484

  474

  The Verne

  552

  520

  The Wolds

  339

  364

  Thorp Arch

  166

  166

  USK

  241

  231

  W'wood Scrubs

  714

  894

  Wakefield

  718

  684

  Wandsworth

  821

  825

  Wayland

  580

  553

  Wellingborough

  314

  312

  Werrington

  110

  107

  Wetherby

  196

  150

  Whatton

  216

  210

  Whitemoor

  534

  472

  Winchester

  368

  386

  Woodhill

  566

  511

  Wymott

  432

  284

  TOTAL

  48,218

  48,350

  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are his latest projections of prison population growth for the next 12 months.

  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.
  519
  Letter from Derek Lewis to Mr. Doug Hoyle, dated 4 May 1994:
  The Secretary of State has asked me to write to you in reply to your recent Question about the latest projections of prison population growth for the next twelve months.
  The latest population projection is described in paragraph 2.5 and Annex 1 of the HM Prison Service Corporate Plan 1994–97, a copy of which is enclosed. The projection is for an average population of 48,800 for 1994–95 and a population of 50,800 by March 1995. The projection is subject to considerable uncertainty as the population reflects what happens elsewhere in the Criminal Justice System.

  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the average certified normal accommodation and the average prisoner population, at each prison since 1980.

  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 Derek Lewis to Mr. Doug Hoyle, dated 4 May 1994:
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question asking what was the average certified normal accommodation and the average prisoner population, at each prison since 1980.
  The information you have requested is published annually in the "Report on the work of the Prison Department" for years 1980–84 and 1985–86 to 1991–92 and in the "Prison Service Annual Report and Accounts" (Volume 2, Cm. 2385) for 1992–93. Copies of these publications are available in the House of Commons library.

  Security
  Mr. Donohoe
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the use of private detective agencies and security companies by his Department.

  Mr. Howard
  I know of no instance where a private detective agency has been employed by my Department. I refer the hon. Member to the reply to the hon. Member for Walsall, South (Mr. George) on Tuesday 26 April, column 98, for information in respect of security companies employed by my Department.

  Prison Hostages
  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many hostage incidents in prisons in each of the last five years have involved women staff.

  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 Derek Lewis to Mr. Doug Hoyle, dated 4 May 1994:
  The Home Secretary has sked me to reply to your recent Question about the number of hostage incidents in prisons in each of the last five years involving women staff.
  There was one such incident in 1989 and two in 1991.

  Civil Servants (Career Breaks)
  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many civil servants in his Department, including those working for agencies, have taken career breaks in each of the past five years; and how many of those civil servants were prison officers.

  Mr. Howard
  The number of civil servants in the Home Office, excluding the Prison Service, who have taken a career break in each year since 1989 is set out in the table. This information was taken from the Home Office personnel information system on 29 April 1994.

  Number of civil servants who have taken a career break

  Number

  1989

  6

  1990

  22

  1991

  50

  1992

  39

  1993

  25

  11994

  5

  1 To date.

  I have asked the Director General of the Prison Service to write to the hon. Member about career breaks in the Prison Service.

  Prison Building
  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on his future prison building plans.

  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 Derek Lewis to Mr. Doug Hoyle, dated 4 May 1994:
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the new prison building programme.
  A further six new prisons are planned under the prison building programme. On 2 September 1993 the Home Secretary announced that the design, construction, management and potential financing of future new prisons would be contracted out to the private sector. It is intended that all six of the planned new prisons will be procured in this way.
  Sites at Fazakerley in Merseyside and at Bridgend in South Wales have been identified for the first two prisons. The proposals to build a prison on the Fazakerley site was the subject of a non-statutory public local inquiry held between 26 October and 10 November 1993 and we are awaiting the outcome. We have outline planning clearance to build a prison on the site at Bridgend. If we obtain planning clearance for a new prison on the Fazakerley site we expect construction work on the site and on the Bridgend site to begin in 1995–96 and the two prisons to open as early as possible in 1997–98.
  Work is currently in progress to identify suitable sites for the other four prisons and it is too early to indicate a timetable for their construction and opening.

  Notifiable Offences
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answers to the hon. Member for Cardiff, South and Penarth (Mr. Michael) of 26 April,Official Report, columns 98–102, regarding notifiable offences in 1993, if he will show (a) the total offences, (b) burglary, (c) theft, (d) criminal damage,

  521
  (e) theft from a vehicle and (f) theft of a vehicle in each police authority area (i) per uniformed officer and (ii) per thousand of population.

  Mr. Maclean
  The available information is given in the tables.

  Notifiable offences recorded by the police—1993 England and Wales

  Police force area

  Offences per police officer

  Offences per 1,000 population

  Avon and Somerset

  57

  122

  Bedfordshire

  50

  110

  Cambridgeshire

  51

  97

  Cheshire

  42

  83

  Cleveland

  54

  140

  Cumbria

  36

  89

  Derbyshire

  50

  97

  Devon and Cornwall

  41

  80

  Dorset

  39

  78

  Durham

  47

  111

  Essex

  38

  77

  Gloucestershire

  52

  113

  Greater Manchester

  51

  142

  Hampshire

  44

  86

  Hertfordshire

  33

  67

  Humberside

  69

  160

  Kent

  50

  105

  Lancashire

  42

  95

  Leicestershire

  53

  111

  Lincolnshire

  43

  88

  Merseyside

  30

  98

  Metropolitan Police District1

  32

  124

  Norfolk

  44

  84

  Northamptonshire

  50

  101

  Northumbria

  59

  148

  North Yorkshire

  43

  80

  Nottinghamshire

  67

  155

  South Yorkshire

  51

  121

  Staffordshire

  44

  94

  Suffolk

  35

  67

  Surrey

  31

  68

  Sussex

  37

  78

  Thames Valley

  51

  101

  Warwickshire

  44

  93

  West Mercia

  40

  75

  West Midlands

  47

  125

  West Yorkshire

  60

  144

  Wiltshire

  32

  72

  Dyfed-Powys

  25

  53

  Gwent

  39

  89

  North Wales

  35

  74

  South Wales

  52

  125

  Total

  43

  108

  1 Including City of London.

  Notifiable offences of burglary recorded by the police—1993 England and Wales

  Police force area

  Offences per police officer

  Offences per 1,000 population

  Avon and Somerset

  13

  28

  Bedfordshire

  13

  29

  Cambridgeshire

  12

  22

  Cheshire

  12

  23

  Cleveland

  13

  33

  Cumbria

  9

  22

  Derbyshire

  14

  27

  Devon and Cornwall

  11

  21

  Dorset

  7

  14

  Durham

  10

  23

  Essex

  9

  18

  Gloucestershire

  15

  32

  Greater Manchester

  14

  38

  Hampshire

  10

  19

  Hertfordshire

  8

  16

  522

  Police force area

  Offences per police officer

  Offences per 1,000 population

  Humberside

  23

  54

  Kent

  9

  20

  Lancashire

  9

  21

  Leicestershire

  13

  28

  Lincolnshire

  11

  22

  Merseyside

  7

  23

  Metropolitan Police District1

  6

  24

  Norfolk

  12

  24

  Northamptonshire

  13

  27

  Northumbria

  17

  44

  North Yorkshire

  12

  23

  Nottinghamshire

  17

  39

  South Yorkshire

  17

  40

  Staffordshire

  13

  29

  Suffolk

  7

  14

  Surrey

  8

  17

  Sussex

  9

  19

  Thames Valley

  10

  20

  Warwickshire

  12

  26

  West Mercia

  9

  16

  West Midlands

  14

  38

  West Yorkshire

  19

  45

  Wiltshire

  7

  16

  Dyfed-Powys

  5

  10

  Gwent

  7

  16

  North Wales

  9

  18

  South Wales

  12

  29

  Total

  11

  27

  1 Including City of London.

  Notifiable offences of the theft recorded by the police—1993 England and Wales

  Police force area

  Offences per police officer

  Offences per 1,000 population

  Avon and Somerset

  32

  69

  Bedfordshire

  26

  57

  Cambridgeshire

  29

  56

  Cheshire

  20

  40

  Cleveland

  29

  74

  Cumbria

  18

  44

  Derbyshire

  23

  45

  Devon and Cornwall

  21

  41

  Dorset

  22

  45

  Durham

  25

  58

  Essex

  20

  41

  Gloucestershire

  29

  61

  Greater Manchester

  25

  68

  Hampshire

  23

  45

  Hertfordshire

  17

  35

  Humberside

  31

  72

  Kent

  28

  59

  Lancashire

  22

  50

  Leicestershire

  27

  57

  Lincolnshire

  22

  44

  Merseyside

  14

  47

  Metropolitan Police District1

  16

  61

  Norfolk

  23

  44

  Northamptonshire

  24

  49

  Northumbria

  24

  61

  North Yorkshire

  22

  42

  Nottinghamshire

  33

  76

  South Yorkshire

  23

  55

  Staffordshire

  20

  42

  Suffolk

  18

  35

  Surrey

  16

  36

  Sussex

  19

  40

  Thames Valley

  29

  57

  Warwickshire

  22

  46

  West Mercia

  22

  42

  West Midlands

  21

  57

  West Yorkshire

  28

  68

  Wiltshire

  16

  37

  Dyfed-Powys

  12

  25

  523

  Police force area

  Offences per police officer

  Offences per 1,000 population

  Gwent

  21

  48

  North Wales

  17

  36

  South Wales

  24

  59

  Total

  22

  54

  1 Including City of London

  Notifiable offences of criminal damage recorded by the police—1993 England and Wales

  Police force area

  Offences per police officer

  Offences per 1,000 population

  Avon and Somerset

  7

  15

  Bedfordshire

  6

  14

  Cambridgeshire

  6

  11

  Cheshire

  6

  12

  Cleveland

  10

  24

  Cumbria

  6

  16

  Derbyshire

  9

  17

  Devon and Cornwall

  5

  10

  Dorset

  5

  9

  Durham

  8

  19

  Essex

  6

  12

  Gloucestershire

  5

  10

  Greater Manchester

  9

  24

  Hampshire

  7

  13

  Hertfordshire

  5

  11

  Humberside

  10

  22

  Kent

  8

  18

  Lancashire

  8

  18

  Leicestershire

  8

  16

  Lincolnshire

  7

  14

  Merseyside

  5

  16

  Metropolitan Police District1

  6

  24

  Norfolk

  5

  10

  Northamptonshire

  8

  16

  Northumbria

  14

  35

  North Yorkshire

  5

  10

  Nottinghamshire

  11

  25

  South Yorkshire

  8

  18

  Staffordshire

  7

  14

  Suffolk

  5

  10

  Surrey

  4

  9

  Sussex

  6

  13

  Thames Valley

  8

  16

  Warwickshire

  6

  13

  West Mercia

  6

  11

  West Midlands

  7

  19

  West Yorkshire

  9

  21

  Wiltshire

  5

  10

  Dyfed-Powys

  5

  11

  Gwent

  7

  15

  North Wales

  6

  12

  South Wales

  12

  28

  Total

  7

  18

  1 Including City of London.

  Notifiable offences of theft from a vehicle recorded by the police—1993 England and Wales

  Police force area

  Offences per police officer

  Offences per 1,000 population

  Avon and Somerset

  12

  26

  Bedfordshire

  10

  21

  Cambridgeshire

  9

  17

  Cheshire

  7

  14

  Cleveland

  6

  16

  Cumbria

  7

  17

  Derbyshire

  9

  18

  Devon and Cornwall

  8

  16

  Dorset

  7

  13

  Durham

  7

  15

  Essex

  7

  13

  524

  Police force area

  Offences per police officer

  Offences per 1,000 population

  Gloucestershire

  13

  27

  Greater Manchester

  8

  21

  Hampshire

  9

  17

  Hertfordshire

  7

  15

  Humberside

  10

  23

  Kent

  8

  18

  Lancashire

  7

  17

  Leicestershire

  9

  19

  Lincolnshire

  5

  11

  Merseyside

  4

  12

  Metropolitan Police District1

  5

  21

  Norfolk

  9

  17

  Northamptonshire

  8

  17

  Northumbria

  7

  17

  North Yorkshire

  7

  13

  Nottinghamshire

  9

  22

  South Yorkshire

  8

  19

  Staffordshire

  8

  16

  Suffolk

  5

  9

  Surrey

  6

  13

  Sussex

  7

  14

  Thames Valley

  11

  22

  Warwickshire

  9

  18

  West Mercia

  7

  13

  West Midlands

  8

  21

  West Yorkshire

  10

  23

  Wiltshire

  5

  12

  Dyfed-Powys

  3

  6

  Gwent

  7

  15

  North Wales

  6

  13

  South Wales

  9

  21

  Total

  7

  18

  1 Including City of London.

  Notifiable offences of theft of a vehicle recorded by the police—1993 England and Wales

  Police force area

  Offences per police officer

  Offences per 1,000 population

  Avon and Somerset

  8

  18

  Bedfordshire

  7

  16

  Cambridgeshire

  5

  10

  Cheshire

  5

  9

  Cleveland

  9

  24

  Cumbria

  3

  6

  Derbyshire

  5

  10

  Devon and Cornwall

  3

  5

  Dorset

  3

  6

  Durham

  7

  15

  Essex

  4

  7

  Gloucestershire

  4

  9

  Greater Manchester

  8

  22

  Hampshire

  3

  6

  Hertfordshire

  4

  7

  Humberside

  7

  15

  Kent

  6

  12

  Lancashire

  4

  9

  Leicestershire

  6

  13

  Lincolnshire

  3

  6

  Merseyside

  3

  11

  Metropolitan Police District1

  3

  10

  Norfolk

  3

  6

  Northamptonshire

  6

  13

  Northumbria

  8

  20

  North Yorkshire

  4

  7

  Nottinghamshire

  7

  16

  South Yorkshire

  7

  17

  Staffordshire

  5

  10

  Suffolk

  2

  4

  Surrey

  3

  6

  Sussex

  3

  5

  Thames Valley

  6

  12

  Warwickshire

  5

  10

  West Mercia

  4

  8

  525

  Police force area

  Offences per police officer

  Offences per 1,000 population

  West Midlands

  6

  15

  West Yorkshire

  8

  18

  Wiltshire

  2

  5

  Dyfed-Powys

  1

  3

  Gwent

  4

  8

  North Wales

  2

  5

  South Wales

  7

  17

  Total

  5

  12

  1 Including City of London.

  Somali Refugees
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make it his policy to assist Somalis with refugee status or with permission for an extended stay in the United Kingdom who wish to return to help in the redevelopment of their country without losing the right to return if the situation in Somalia deteriorates.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  Any refugee or person with exceptional leave to remain in the United Kingdom is free to seek to re-establish themselves in their country of origin, but this must raise the question whether they continue to have a well-founded fear of persecution or a humanitarian case for exceptional leave.

  Hospital Officers and Nurses (Training)
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when his Department received a copy of the report commissioned on the introduction of competency-based training for hospital officers and nurses; and when he intends to publish it.

  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. David Blunkett, dated 4 May 1994:
  The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question as to when his Department received a copy of the report commissioned on the introduction of competency based training for hospital officers and nurses; and when he intends to publish it.
  The report commissioned on the introduction of competency based training was received on the 28 February 1992. The report was judged to meet neither quality standards nor the tender specification. The report was therefore rejected by the Head of Nursing Services and not published. A further report was commissioned from an alternative source and received on 20 November 1992. As a direct result of this second report a policy of providing National Vocational Qualifications in care at levels 2 and 3 has been introduced for all hospital officers now called health care officers.

  Pregnant Prisoners
  Ms Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many women prisoners gave birth during imprisonment in England and Wales in each of the last 10 years; in which prisons the women were held before the birth; in which prisons the women were held after the birth; and where the births took place.
  526
  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 Derek Lewis to Ms Joan Ruddock, dated 4 May 1994:
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the number of women who have given birth while serving a prison sentence in each of the last ten years; in which prisons the women were held before the birth; in which prisons the women were held after the birth; and where the births took place.
  The annual reports on the work of the Prison Service until 1991–92 record the number of women temporarily removed to outside hospital for delivery and returning to establishments afterwards. Figures are now published in the annual report of the Director of Health Care for prisoners. The figures are:

  Numbers

  1983

  70

  11984–85

  70

  1985–86

  71

  1986–87

  62

  1987–88

  75

  1988–89

  63

  1989–90

  74

  1990–91

  65

  1991–92

  56

  1992–93

  29

  1 15 month period.

  In addition there were six deliveries within Prison Service establishments:

  Numbers

  1983

  1

  1984–85

  1

  1985–86

  1

  1987–88

  1

  1988–89

  2

  Pregnant women who wish to keep their babies with them in prison are held in Holloway, Styal or Askham Grange. It is not possible to say which prisons women were held in after the birth as such detailed records are not kept. If the baby remained with the mother on a prison mother and baby unit they would have been in Holloway, Askham Grange or Styal prisons. If the mother made alternative arrangements for the care of her baby then it is possible she may have been held in any of the women's establishments.

NATIONAL HERITAGE

  Sunday Trading (Cinemas)
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what representations he has received about the effect the Sunday Trading Bill will have on the operation of cinemas on Sunday; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Brooke
  I have received no such representations.

  Orchestras
  Sir Thomas Arnold
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what information he has about the financial position of the Halle orchestra, the Royal
  527
  Liverpool philharmonic, the Bournemouth symphony orchestra and the City of Birmingham symphony orchestra.

  Mr. Brooke
  I am aware of concerns that the orchestras to which my hon. Friend refers are currently facing varying degrees of financial difficulty. However, I have no locus in matters relating to the funding of individual arts organisations. The orchestras in question are clients of the Arts Council of England, which closely monitors their financial as well as artistic and management performance.

  Community Radio
  Mr. Nicholas Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what information he has concerning the number of broadcasting franchises which have to date been allocated to community radio broadcasters; who are the broadcasters concerned; and on what date they took over the franchise in question.

  Mr. Brooke
  Government policy is that the responsibility for licensing independent radio services lies with the Radio Authority, which will have the detailed answers my hon. Friend seeks.

  Some general information on independent radio licenses may be found in the Authority's annual report, a copy of which is in the Library.

  Sleeping Drugs
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what restrictions are in place on advertising drugs available without prescription which are designed to aid sleep; what checks are carried out to ensure that addictive or potentially harmful drugs are not advertised for mass consumption; what health warnings should be given in such advertisements; in what ways regulations or guidelines on the advertisement of such drugs have been amended or relaxed within the past five years; what plans he has to introduce new legislation, statutory orders or guidelines to regulate the promotion of aids to sleep which are available without prescription; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Brooke
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply to his similar question given on 27 April, column 203, by my hon. Friend the Member for Bolton, West (Mr. Sackville). The Independent Television Commission and the Radio Authority issue codes of advertising standards and practice, which include provisions on medicines and treatments. These codes are reviewed from time to time.

ENVIRONMENT

  Retirement Housing
  Mr. Miller
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) whether the current remit of the housing association tenants ombudsman will allow the extension of his work to incorporate those members of the Association of Retirement Housing Managers which are not registered housing associations; what is his policy on such an extension; and what is the estimated additional cost;

  (2) what plans he has to support attempts by the Association of Retirement Housing Managers to bring all their members under the jurisdiction of the housing association tenants ombudsman.
  528
  Sir George Young
  The housing association tenants ombudsman service was established by the Housing Corporation last autumn to handle complaints from tenants and leaseholders of properties owned or managed by housing associations registered with the Corporation. This is a very early stage at which to consider posible extensions of its remit, particularly outside the registered housing association sector. I shall, however, seek the views of the Housing Corporation about the feasibility of the proposal made by the Association of Retirement Housing Managers.

  Tenants' Cash Incentive Scheme
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will set out the sums given to each London borough for the year 1994–95 for the tenants' cash incentive scheme; and how each sum is arrived at.

  Sir George Young
  The table shows the additional Government resources allocated to London borough councils for cash incentive schemes in 1994–95.

  In assessing bids and allocating the £16.2 million my right hon. Friend took account of a number of factors, including: how the housing needs of the area would benefit from a cash incentive scheme; the general needs index for the authority; the amount the authority proposed to allocate to the scheme from its own resources, and whether it had the means to do so; whether the authority had previously run a successful scheme; and the value of encouraging a local authority to run a scheme for the first time.

  Local Authority

  Allocation (£)

  Barnet

  500,000

  Bexley

  110,000

  Brent

  520,000

  Camden

  1,500,000

  Corporation of London

  110,000

  Croydon

  1,420,000

  Ealing

  350,000

  Enfleld

  700,000

  Greenwich

  460,000

  Hackney

  690,000

  Hammersmith and Fulham

  450,000

  Haringey

  820,000

  Harrow

  450,000

  Havering

  100,000

  Hillingdon

  810,000

  Hounslow

  380,000

  Islington

  610,000

  Kensington and Chelsea

  180,000

  Kingston upon Thames

  400,000

  Lambeth

  540,000

  Lewisham

  180,000

  Merton

  270,000

  Newham

  630,000

  Redbridge

  450,000

  Richmond upon Thames

  500,000

  Southwark

  150,000

  Sutton

  210,000

  Tower Hamlets

  310,000

  Waltham Forest

  810,000

  Wandsworth

  750,000

  Westminster

  840,000

  Totals

  16,200,000

  Ofwat
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what guidelines have been issued by his Department to Ofwat with regard to its scrutiny of future
  529
  price limits for water companies; what responsibility they have to take into account the views of the consumer; and by what means.

  Mr. Atkins
  The Director General of Water Services, Mr. Byatt, has responsibility for setting water price limits. It is not for the Secretary of State to guide him. However, in preparation for his current periodic review of price limits, the Director General sought the perspective of the Secretaries of State for the Environment and for Wales on the environmental and safety obligations which water companies will have to meet in the period 1995 to 2005. The Secretaries of State published their perspective, "Water Charges: The Quality Framework", in October 1993. The Director General has a duty to protect the interests of customers under section 2 of the Water Industry Act 1991. To assist him in this task, Ofwat has established 10 regional customer service committees and a National Customer Council.

  Urban Development Corporations
  Mr. Byers
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will carry out an investigation into the amount being spent by urban development corporations on private sector consultants.

  Independent consultants

  Firm of consultants

  Other employment

  Referred to advisory committee

  Granted

  1986

  7

  4

  40

  2

  All

  1987

  7

  3

  29

  0

  All

  1988

  8

  3

  44

  0

  All

  1989

  10

  12

  37

  0

  All

  1990

  11 (12)

  4

  27 (29)

  1 (3)

  All

  1991

  9

  3

  16 (29)

  1 (3)

  All

  1992

  9 (13)

  4

  39 (43)

  2 (6)

  All

  1993

  6 (10)

  10

  23 (34)

  2 (5)

  All

  1994

  4 (7)

  0

  13 (20)

  2 (3)

  All

  Note: The figures in brackets are the number of applications received; all other figures refer to the number of individuals who applied.

  Planning Appeals
  Mr. Tyler
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment at what date the guidance in the revised planning policy guidance note 13 came into effect; and what influences it is expected to have on planning inspectors sitting on appeals at that time.

  Mr. Baldry
  [holding answer 3 May 1994]: The revision of planning policy guidance note 13 was published on 15 March 1994. It is capable of being a material consideration in any planning decision taken after that date—whether by a local planning authority, the Secretary of State or a planning inspector appointed to take a decision on his behalf.

  Water Charges
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of the effects of increases in water charges on old-age pensioners; and what plans he has for specific assistance.

  Mr. Atkins
  [holding answer 3 May 1994]: The Director General of Water Services has a duty to protect the interests of customers and ensure no undue preference or discrimination in the fixing of charges. In performing this
  530
  Mr. Baldry
  Urban development corporations make use of architectural, engineering, property, legal and other specialist consultancy to provide the necessary expertise in managing major regeneration projects. It provides better value for money to the Exchequer for corporations to make use of private practice in this way than to employ such staff with the appropriate technical expertise in-house. Consultants are appointed by competitive tendering and in accordance with strict procedures which are open to inspection by independent auditors, appointed by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State.

  Civil Servants (Business Appointments)
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many civil servants in his Department applied in each year since 1986 through the business appointments system to take up an outside appointment(a) as an independent consultant, (b) with a firm of consultants and (c) in other employment; how many were referred to the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments; and how many were granted.

  Mr. Gummer
  [holding answer 3 May 1994]: The information is given in the following table, which includes applications by staff of the Property Services Agency:

  duty he is required to take into account, in particular, the interests of those who are disabled or of pensionable age. The Director General is currently undertaking a periodic review of charge limits for the 10 years from 1 April 1995 and will be announcing the results of his review in July.

  Both the Government and the Director General are aware of the impact of rising water charges on all customers and are very keen to ensure that future charges are no higher than necessary. Specific assistance to those in need is a matter for the Secretary of State for Social Security.

  River Pollution
  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many miles of rivers and streams in England and Wales are polluted or are at risk of pollution from former mine workings; and what action he is taking in each region to ensure that such pollution is prevented following the passage of the Coal Industry Bill.

  Mr. Atkins
  [holding answer 3 May 1994]: In its report "Abandoned Mines and the Water Environment" published in March 1994, the National Rivers Authority estimated that some 200 km of waters in England an Wales are affected by abandoned coal mines. My noble Friend the Minister of State, Department of Trade and Industry

  531
  addressed the issue in another place on 26 April. He noted that the Government are reviewing the framework of pollution legislation relating to abandoned mines. Pending the outcome of that review he made clear that the Government would expect the Coal Authority, as owner of all abandoned coal mines in Great Britain, to go beyond the minimum standards of environmental responsibility which are set by its present legal duties in these areas and to seek the best environmental result which can be secured from the use of the resources available to it for these purposes. The Coal Authority will have a specific budget for this, which will enable it to carry forward in full the role and activities of British Coal in this area.

  European Regional Funding
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what are the criteria for bids for a share of the money allocated to East Anglia under objective 5b funding; what qualifying schemes he has been advised upon; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) if he will make a statement clarifying how £46 million for East Anglia is to be allocated from the funds available under objective 5b funding; what is now the timetable for bids; and when he expects fund allocations to be made.

  Mr. Baldry
  [holding answer 3 May 1994]: The Government presented six plans to the European Commission on 26 April for the development of those rural areas of England which are eligible to receive EC structural funds under objective 5b. One such eligible area covers parts of East Anglia. The plans describe the strategies and priorities which will be pursued with the funds in these areas for the period 1994–99.

  The plan for the East Anglia objective 5b area identifies the types of activities for which assistance from structural funds will be sought. These include support for the development of businesses, agricultural and fishery diversification, the development of human resources, development of tourism arid cultural activities and for research and development.

  Under the structural funds regulations, the European Commission is required to respond to the plan within six months of receipt. It is not possible to draw upon the £46 million allocated to the region to fund projects until the Commission has reached a decision on the East Anglia plan. However, I hope bids can be invited before the autumn. The Government office for the eastern region is continuing to work closely with other local partners, such as local authorities and training and enterprise councils, on measures to implement the plan. In due course, a monitoring committee will be established to determine the detailed criteria for selecting projects.

  Radioactive Waste
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his policy in regard to evaluating independent expert studies of the long-term safety of the storage of high-level radioactive waste liquor in the Sellafield storage tanks.

  Mr. Eggar
  I have been asked to reply.

  I refer the hon. Member to the answer which I gave him on 8 March, Official Report, column 203.

  Council Tax
  Mr. Robert Ainsworth
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the press statements, parliamentary answers and other official documents in which the average household council tax has been used as a measure since April 1992.

  Mr. Curry
  [holding answer 29 April 1994]: The average household council tax was published in "Local Government Financial Statistics No. 4" 1990–91 to 1993–94 and in two departmental press notices, the first dated 31 March 1993, the second 31 March 1994. In each instance, a corresponding headline council tax figure for band C, two adults was also shown. The average household council tax has also been given in answer to four parliamentary questions:
  On 24 February 1993 to my hon. Friend the Member for Ealing, North (Mr. Greenway) Official Report, columns 872–74;
  On 28 April 1993 to the hon. Member for Houghton and Washington (Mr. Boyes) Official Report, column 941 and the hon. Member for Southampton, Itchen (Mr. Denham) Official Report, column 422;
  On 7 February 1994 to my noble Friend Lord Braine of Wheatley, Official Report, column 118.

  The Government believe that using the band C, two adults figure is the best way to compare council with council. But the average figure can be useful in comparing the council tax with the community charge, and in looking at year-on-year changes.

WALES

  Water Services
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what correspondence he has had during 1994 with Dwr Cymru plc concerning water and sewage services to householders in Wales for 1994–95; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  My right hon. Friend and his Department are in regular contact with Dwr Cymru on matters of common interest. The Director General of Water Services has responsibility for protecting the interests of customers for water and sewerage services in England and Wales.

  Junior Doctors (Working Hours)
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many junior hospital doctors in Wales are currently contracted for more than 72 hours per week; and what percentage of the total number of junior doctors in Wales this represents.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The latest returns for September 1993 showed that a total of 786 junior doctors were contracted to work for more than 72 hours per week, which represents 47 per cent. of the total number in Wales, while none was contracted to work more than an average of 83 hours per week, as required under the Government's programme to reduce the hours of junior hospital doctors. The next stage is to reduce contracted hours to 72 hours on average in hard-pressed specialties by 31 December 1994.

  Wind Energy
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many representations he has received on the content of annexe 1 to planning policy guidance note 22 referring to the development of wind energy plants; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  Since the publication of planning policy guidance note No. 22, my right hon. Friend has received two representations about the annexe on wind energy.

  Local Structure Plans
  Mr. Alan W. Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish a table showing on how many occasions each district council in Wales has granted planning permission(a) in departure from its structure plan and (b) against the advice of its chief planning officer in each year since 1990.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  This information is not held centrally.

  In the Government response to the Welsh Affairs Committee's report on rural housing, it was accepted that it would be prudent to survey the performance of local planning authorities in the handling of departure cases in view of the recent changes in planning legislation. Consideration is currently being given to how best to collect this information.

  Suicides
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his answer of 25 March,Official Report, column 454, if he will publish for each district council in Wales, and for Wales as a whole, for the latest available year (a) the total number of suicides, (b) the number of suicides by farmers and (c) the figures in (b) as a percentage of (a); and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Redwood
  The information requested is for 1992 and is shown in the following table:

  (a)

  (b)

  (c)

  Residents of:

  Total suicides and undetermined deaths

  Suicides and undetermined deaths of farmer1

  Farmers1 suicides as a percentage of total suicides

  Alyn and Deeside

  9

  —

  —

  Colwyn

  10

  1

  10

  Delyn

  5

  —

  —

  Glyndwr

  6

  1

  16.7

  Rhuddlan

  6

  —

  —

  Wrexham Maelor

  19

  —

  —

  Carmarthen

  9

  —

  —

  Ceredigion

  6

  —

  —

  Dinefwr

  9

  1

  11.1

  Llanelli

  13

  —

  —

  Preseli Pembrokeshire

  7

  —

  —

  South Pembrokeshire

  5

  —

  —

  Blaenau Gwent

  10

  —

  —

  Islwyn

  2

  —

  —

  Monmouth

  7

  —

  —

  Newport

  16

  —

  —

  Torfaen

  10

  —

  —

  Aberconwy

  10

  —

  —

  Arfon

  13

  —

  —

  Dwyfor

  3

  —

  —

  Meirionnydd

  5

  —

  —

  Ynys Mon-Isle of Anglesey

  12

  —

  —

  534

  (a)

  (b)

  (c)

  Residents of:

  Total suicides and undetermined deaths

  Suicides and undetermined deaths of farmer1

  Farmers1 suicides as a percentage of total suicides

  Cynon Valley

  3

  —

  —

  Merthyr Tydfil

  7

  —

  —

  Ogwr

  18

  —

  —

  Rhondda

  10

  —

  —

  Rhymney Valley

  14

  —

  —

  Taff-Ely

  13

  —

  —

  Brecknock

  4

  —

  —

  Montgomeryshire

  6

  1

  16.7

  Radnor

  6

  1

  16.7

  Cardiff

  38

  —

  —

  Vale of Glamorgan

  11

  —

  —

  Lliw Valley

  9

  —

  —

  Neath

  9

  —

  —

  Port Talbot

  5

  —

  —

  Swansea

  29

  1

  3.4

  Wales

  374

  6

  1.6

  1 Farmers, horticulturalists and farm managers.

  Source: OPCS.

  Community Care
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make it his policy to obtain budgeted revenue information on community care for each local authority area in Wales since introduction of the programme; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  This information is already collected.

  Environmental Agency
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has for local government representation on the proposed Environment Agency serving Wales.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The Government propose that the Environment Agency should be established as an England and Wales organisation. The precise regional, and supporting committee, structure has yet to be determined; but the interests of local government in Wales will be taken fully into account when appointments come to be made.

  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to ensure local delivery of service by the proposed Environment Agency; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The detailed arrangements for service provision at the local level will be a matter for the Environment Agency itself to determine. However, Ministers will expect it to plan its operations so as to develop a close and responsive relationship with those whom it will regulate, the public and local communities.

  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to provide additional funding to local authorities to assist them to carry out surveys required by the Environment Agency by 1 April 1995.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  Some information is needed from local authorities in Wales in connection with the planned transfer of the waste regulation function to the Environment Agency. However, the Welsh Office, and the
  535
  Department of the Environment in England, intend to keep such requests to the absolute minimum; and no additional financial provision for local authorities is considered necessary.

  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make it his policy to locate a regional headquarters of the proposed Environment Agency in Wales.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The precise regional structure of the Environment Agency will be a matter for its board to determine. However, Welsh Office Ministers regard it as of importance that it should have a strong regional presence in Wales.

  Milk Marketing
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the objections he has received with respect to the revised scheme of reorganisation in milk marketing; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Redwood
  I have received five responses to the consultation on the amended reorganisation scheme submitted by the Milk Marketing Board. They expressed support for the scheme in general, but were concerned about some points of detail.

  Privatisation (Consultants)
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will estimate the cost of employing consultants in connection with privatisation programmes in which his Department has been engaged since 1980.

  Mr. Redwood
  Since 1980 the Welsh Office has not incurred any expenditure on consultants in connection with privatisation programmes. The Department of Environment and the Department of Trade and Industry respectively took responsibility for the privatisation of Welsh Water and South Wales Electricity in 1989.

  Miss Beata Brookes
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the public appointments of Miss Beata Brookes; what pay and time is allocated to each appointment; what is the term of office for that appointment; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Redwood
  [holding answer 3 May 1994]: The information is as follows:

  Welsh Consumer Council—Chair

  Remuneration: £4,730 per annum

  Time Commitment: 8 days per month

  National Consumer Council—Member

  Remuneration: £4,730 per annum

  Time Commitment: 12–15 days per annum

  Both appointments run from 1 June 1991 to 30 April 1997; these appointments are made by the President of the Board of Trade.

  EC Economic and Social Committee—Member

  Remuneration: Nil

  Time Commitment: Approximately 100 days per annum

  This appointment is made by the EC Council of Ministers; the appointment runs from 19 November 1993 to 31 August 1994.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has received in relation to Miss Beata Brookes' appointment as chairperson of the Welsh Consumer Council; and if he will make a statement.
  536
  Mr. Redwood
  [holding answer 3 May 1994]: I have received a number of letters concerning the reappointment of the chair of the Welsh Consumer Council, all of which supported Miss Brookes' reappointment.

  I am consulted about this appointment, which is made by my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Canine Spongiform Encephalopathy
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to her answer of 26 April,Official Report, column 92, what reports she has received of unconfirmed cases of spongiform encephalopathies in canines.

  Mr. Soames
  Since November 1986 41 brains from canines in Great Britain with signs of neurological disease have been submitted to the Ministry. None of these has been identified as being affected by a spongiform encephalopathy on laboratory examination.

  We are also aware of on-going investigations into a single, unconfirmed case overseas. However, I am not in a position to provide further details, as the information was passed on in confidence.

  Fisheries
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list for each member country of the EC the number of fishing vessels, the total quota of fish by species of each country, the fishing capacity of each country as a percentage of their quota, the number of fisheries inspected and the number of fishing protection vessels and aircraft employed.

  Mr. Jack
  As regards the number of fishing vessels, I refer the hon. Member to the multi-annual guidance programme of each member state as set out in Commission decisions 92/588/EEC to 92/598/EEC, as amended and, as regards quotas, to regulation 3676/93. These documents are in the Library of the House. It would be misleading to compare total capacity and total quota, but the multi-annual guidance programmes do give a broad indication of the reductions needed to bring national fleets into better balance with the stocks they fish.

  The most recent information available about fisheries inspected and the number of fishing protection vessels and aircraft employed by each member state is in the Commission report on monitoring implementation of the common fisheries policy, published in 1992. This document, which is also in the Library of the House, contains information about inspections carried out during 1990 and about member states' enforcement resources. As from 1995, the Commission will be publishing an annual report on the enforcement activities of member states under the provisions of the new fisheries control regulation, Council regulation 2847/93, which came into operation on 1 January this year.

  Animal Slaughter (Costs)
  Mr. O'Hara
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what arrangements she will be making to reduce the costs on the meat slaughtering industry; and
  537
  what consideration she has given to (a) withdrawing the burden of veterinary supervision or (b) directly reimbursing veterinary costs.

  Mr. Soames
  The Government's policy is that the cost of the meat inspection service should be recovered from the industry. We have taken a number of steps to minimise costs, including in particular the introduction in mid-1993 of an upper limit on local authority charges. We have developed in consultation with the industry a hygiene assessment system, the results of which will help local authorities to ensure that supervision effort is targeted at the plants which present the greatest risk. We have no plans to withdraw the requirement for veterinary supervision, which is a fundamental element of the European single market legislation.

  The new meat hygiene service, due to be launched in April 1995 to take over responsibility for meat hygiene enforcement, will be required to meet demanding financial and management targets to ensure that it delivers a cost-effective service.

  Fishing (Conservation)
  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on how many occasions since the decision in December 1993 to suspend the operation of the Sea Fisheries (Conservation) Act 1992 she or the Minister of State has met representatives of the fishing industry to discuss alternative conservation strategies; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Jack
  I have had various contacts with the industry since December 1993. Ministry and Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland officials met the National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations and representatives of the Northern Ireland Industry on 8 March to examine their technical conservation proposals in detail, and there was a meeting with the Commission services on 5 April.

  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what arrangements are in place for the setting up of appeals tribunals under the Sea Fisheries (Conservation) Act 1992; and how many departmental officials and staff were engaged in work related to the setting up of these tribunals on 1 April.

  Mr. Jack
  Work on the Sea Fish Licence Tribunal has been suspended, and no staff were engaged on this work on 1 April 1994.

  Beef
  Dr. Strang
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what evidence she has of damage to the export of British foodstuffs to Germany by the stance of the German Government towards British beef.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  [holding answer 29 April 1994]: According to Meat and Livestock Commission

  Exports of sheep and sheepmeat 1979 to 1993

  Metric tonnes

  1979

  1980

  1981

  1982

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  1989

  1990

  1991

  1992

  11993

  Live sheep and lambs

  All countries

  17,261

  14,281

  8,026

  5,833

  4,348

  3,564

  2,990

  5,857

  12,767

  17,835

  22,451

  22,225

  33,040

  52,051

  30,712

  EC

  17,222

  14,273

  7,934

  5,810

  4,333

  3,555

  2,960

  5,785

  12,760

  17,809

  22,436

  22,217

  33,023

  51,993

  30,709

  Of which:

  Belgium/Luxembourg

  1,429

  1,517

  2,689

  1,108

  993

  —

  655

  482

  70

  342

  981

  258

  1,568

  3,071

  3,572

  538
  export survey statistics, beef exports to Germany declined from just under 2,500 tonnes in 1992 to 900 tonnes in 1993. So far in 1994, exports are running at an annualised rate of 300–400 tonnes. In addition, individual companies have given me reports of lost or threatened business for beef and other meats. The promotion of other British products has also been affected.

  I have made the European Commission aware of these effects, which amount to an unjustified trade barrier against British goods in the single market.

  Fisheries Management
  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether Her Majesty's Government intend to propose or introduce effort limitation in respect of United Kingdom-registered vessels currently entitled to fish in the Irish sensitive zone.

  Mr. Jack
  [holding answer 3 May 1994]: It is the responsibility of the Commission, and not individual member states, to bring forward proposals, by 1 June 1994, for the Community arrangements which will, inter alia, replace the sensitive zone of the Irish box when current provisions expire on 31 December 1995. The regulation concerned specifies that these arrangements must provide for close monitoring of the development of fishing effort deployed and of the state of resources in order that the necessary measures may be taken, where appropriate, to preserve the balance.

  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what fisheries management arrangements were proposed by her Department at the most recent meeting of the European Commission's working group dealing with the fisheries implications of Spanish accession.

  Mr. Jack
  [holding answer 3 May 1994]: The implications of the review of the Spanish and Portuguese accession arrangements for fisheries will be the subject of proposals to be made by the Commission by 1 June 1994, for subsequent discussion in Council and decision by the Council itself before 1 January 1995.

  Lamb and Sheep Exports
  Dr. Strang
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what tonnage of domestically reared lamb and sheep was exported for each year since 1979; to which countries; and in what form.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  [holding answer 26 April 1994]: Export data specifically referring to domestically reared lamb and sheep are not available. Total exports of lamb and sheep from the United Kingdom, by destination and form, for years 1979 to 1993, are shown in the following table.
  539

  1979

  1980

  1981

  1982

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  1989

  1990

  1991

  1992

  11993

  Germany2

  6,257

  6,770

  1,977

  1,136

  1,993

  1,111

  —

  161

  —

  132

  467

  —

  143

  1,830

  1,060

  Irish Republic

  9,377

  5,623

  907

  2,169

  1,326

  1,856

  1,662

  905

  1,921

  2,071

  2,909

  3,133

  3,704

  2,540

  10

  France

  —

  —

  2,297

  1,394

  —

  —

  —

  4,047

  10,701

  15,175

  17,645

  18,733

  26,943

  43,250

  24,193

  Non-EC

  39

  8

  92

  23

  15

  9

  30

  72

  7

  26

  15

  8

  17

  58

  3

  Meat of sheep and lambs3—Fresh/chilled/frozen

  All countries

  40,922

  36,949

  37,531

  37,041

  43,317

  47,330

  48,701

  60,019

  71,188

  75,985

  89,160

  79,697

  79,960

  105,146

  95,059

  EC

  36,630

  33,304

  32,601

  34,676

  39,851

  44,239

  44,441

  57,134

  68,643

  73,689

  86,725

  77,371

  77,810

  103,173

  92,684

  Of which:

  Belgium/Luxembourg

  14,126

  13,704

  6,103

  5,584

  4,120

  4,053

  5,983

  7,016

  7,904

  8,068

  8,539

  8,936

  9,362

  9,615

  10,315

  Germany2

  13,593

  13,647

  5,138

  5,521

  4,529

  2,977

  2,453

  2,889

  2,544

  3,054

  3,662

  2,784

  2,118

  4,882

  4,174

  France

  5,107

  3,466

  19,797

  22,246

  29,953

  35,625

  34,550

  43,937

  53,865

  56,625

  66,402

  55,229

  53,383

  72,410

  65,147

  Italy

  2,361

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2,262

  2,796

  2,359

  3,502

  4,477

  4,624

  3,849

  Spain

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  3,822

  5,223

  1,565

  8,380

  5,838

  Non-EC

  4,292

  3,645

  4,930

  2,365

  3,466

  3,091

  4,260

  2,885

  2,545

  2,296

  2,435

  2,326

  2,150

  1,973

  2,375

  Of which:

  Switzerland

  1,630

  1,529

  1,508

  1,943

  2,271

  2,158

  2,560

  2,450

  2,170

  1,964

  2,177

  1,928

  1,882

  1,557

  1,845

  1 Data for 1993 are provisional and subject to revision.

  2 Data pre-1991 covers the Federal Republic only.

  3 Data pre-1988 also includes meat of goats.

  Sources:

  CSO/Department of Trade Annual Edition of Overseas Trade Statistics and Her Majesty's Customs and Excise.

LORD PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL

  Official Entertainment
  Mr. Boyes
  To ask the Lord President of the Council what was the total cost of official entertaining in his office in each year since 1990–91; if he will list the receptions held in each year at his office's expense; and what was the cost of each reception.

  Mr. Newton
  The cost of official entertainment in the Privy Council Office in 1992–93 was £9,776, and in 1993–94 £9,892. Figures for previous years were not recorded. Expenditure on hospitality is, however, included within the running cost expenditure for my Department which is published each year in the annual report. Expenditure on entertainment covers a variety of functions, including receptions. Details of the expenditure attributable to particular functions could not be provided except at disproportionate cost.

  Bolton Institute of Higher Education
  Mrs. Ann Taylor
  To ask the Lord President of the Council when he intends to announce his decision on the application by Bolton Institute of Higher Education in May 1993 for research degree awarding powers under the procedures and criteria formulated by the Higher Education Quality Council.

  Mr. Newton
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Bolton, North-East (Mr. Thurnham) on 3 May,Official Report, column 460.

  Parliamentary Questions
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Lord President of the Council how many parliamentary questions to his Department have not been answered because of disproportionate costs or because the information requested was not held centrally over the last five years; how many could be answered now due to computerisation and/or more effective operational systems; and if he will list each such question along with the name and constituency of the hon. Member who tabled it.

  Mr. Newton
  I and my predecessors have answered more than 900 questions, of which 1·7 per cent. have not 540
  been answered because of disproportionate costs or because the information requested was not held centrally. Information on how many of these questions could now be answered and details of the questions and the hon. Member who tabled them could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

  General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Lord President of the Council what plans he has to ensure that adequate opportunities are made available for full parliamentary scrutiny of agreements made in the GATT negotiations.

  Mr. Newton
  I have no current plans for a debate on GATT. However, I will certainly keep the matter under consideration.

  Christmas Cards
  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Lord President of the Council how many official Christmas cards were sent out in 1993 by(a) Ministers, (b) civil servants and (c) staff of Government agencies working in or to his Department; and how much these cards cost (i) to buy, (ii) to post and (iii) in staff time to sign, address and place in envelopes.

  Mr. Newton
  Last year 175 Christmas cards were sent out by me and 63 were issued by my private office at a cost, including second class postage, of approximately £312. It is not possible to ascertain the staff costs involved.

  European Works Councils
  Mr. Jenkin
  To ask the Lord President of the Council, pursuant to his answer of 18 April,Official Report, column 371, about scrutiny of activities of countries of the European Community, what official debate there has been on the proposed EC Council directive on mechanisms for informing and consulting employees in Community-scale undertakings or groups of undertakings prior to the Social Affairs Council of 19 April; and what draft reports have been available to hon. and right hon. Members.

  Mr. Newton
  The European Commission's proposal for the establishment of European Works Councils—
  541
  Council document reference 4466/91—was debated in European Standing Committee B on 3 July 1991. Both it and the subsequent amended proposal—Council document reference 8319/91—have been the subject of explanatory memoranda by the Department of Employment as follows:
  4466/91: Explanatory memoranda dated 4 February and 6 March 1991;
  8319/91: Explanatory memoranda dated 18 November 1991, 29 January 1992, 24 March, 20 May and 22 October 1993.

  The Commission informed the Council on 19 April of its intention to table a revised version of the proposal under the agreement on social policy concluded between 11 member states. The revised proposal will not apply in the United Kingdom.

  Former Members
  Mr. Meale
  To ask the Lord President of the Council (1) if he will list the names of all former hon. Members who since 1979 have been appointed to quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisations, excluding appointments as justices of the peace, giving in each case the title of the post, any salary payable and the duration of the appointment;

  (2) if he will list the names of all former British representative members in the European Parliament who since 1979 have been appointed to quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisations, excluding appointments as justices of the peace, giving in each case the title of the post, any salary payable and the duration of the appointment;

  (3) if he will list the names of all individuals who are or were members of the House of Lords who since 1979 have been appointed to any quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisations, excluding appointments as

  Agency

  Chief Executive

  Staff

  Accounts Services Agency

  Michael Hoddinott

  95

  ADAS

  Dr. Julia Walsh

  2,320

  Army Base Repair Organisation1

  Brigadier Jim Drew

  3,785

  Building Research Establishment

  Roger Courtney

  660

  CADW

  John Carr

  230

  Central Office of Information

  Mike Devereau

  540

  Central Science Laboratory

  Dr. Peter Stanley

  700

  Central Statistical Office

  Bill McLennan

  1,265

  Central Veterinary Laboratory

  Dr. Tony Little

  645

  Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment1

  Dr. Graham Pearson CB

  625

  Chessington Computer Centre

  Bob Edwards

  415

  Civil Service College

  Dr. Stephen Hickey

  245

  Coastguard

  Chris Harris

  580

  Companies House

  David Durham

  940

  Compensation Agency (Northern Ireland)

  John Robinson

  150

  Defence Accounts Agency

  Mike Dymond

  2,000

  Defence Analytical Services Agency1

  Paul Altobell

  110

  Defence Animal Centre1

  Colonel Paul Jepson

  210

  Defence Operational Analysis Centre1

  Dr. David Leadbeater

  180

  Defence Postal and Courier Services Agency1

  Brigadier Michael Browne

  500

  Defence Research Agency1

  John Chisholm

  9,645

  Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency

  Stephen Curtis

  4,160

  Driver and Vehicle Licensing (Northern Ireland)

  Brendan Magee

  230

  Driver and Vehicle Testing Agency (Northern Ireland)

  Brian Watson

  250

  Driving Standards Agency

  Dr. John Ford

  1,785

  Duke of York's Royal Military School1

  Colonel Gordon Wilson

  100

  Employment Service

  Mike Fogden

  44,245

  Fire Service College

  Brian Fuller CBE

  280

  Forensic Science Service

  Dr. Janet Thompson

  635

  Government Property Lawyers

  Tony Osborne

  130

  Highways Agency

  Lawrence Haynes

  2,400

  Historic Royal Palaces

  David Beeton

  400

  Historic Scotland

  Graeme Munro

  650

  542
  justices of the peace, giving in each case the title of the post, any salary payable and the duration of the appointment;

  (4) if he will list the names of all living former hon. Members of this House since 1964, giving their seats by region.

  Mr. Newton
  I regret this information is not available in an easily accessible form and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

  Executive Agencies
  Mr. Kaufman
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list for each of the "next steps" agencies now in operation and for each such agency due to come into operation for which the relevant information is available,(a) its chairman or chairwoman, (b) its chief executive and (c) other directors, executives and officers; and if he will set out the annual salary and emoluments for each, together with the cost to public funds, and number of employees, of each agency.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  There are 96 agencies and the name of the chief executive and the number of staff, as at 1 October 1993, of each is set out in the table. There are a further 56 agency candidates and four chief executives-designate have been appointed, who are also listed.

  There are no chairmen or chairwomen; chief executives normally report directly to the responsible Minister. Information on the salaries and emoluments of chief executives and officers and the cost to public funds is not held centrally but can be obtained from the annual reports and accounts of each agency, which are available in the Library of the House. Some of the information will also be available in departmental annual expenditure reports.
  543

  Agency

  Chief Executive

  Staff

  Her Majesty's Land Registry

  John Manthorpe

  8,970

  Her Majesty's Prison Service

  Derek Lewis

  38,105

  HMSO

  Dr. Paul Freeman CB

  2,955

  Hydrographic Office1

  Rear Admiral Nigel Essenhigh

  830

  Insolvency Service

  Peter Joyce

  1,585

  Intervention Board

  Guy Stapleton

  925

  Laboratory of the Government Chemist

  Dr. Richard Worswick

  315

  Marine Safety Agency

  Robin Bradley

  350

  Medicines Control Agency

  Dr. Keith Jones

  350

  Meteorological Office

  Professor Julian Hunt

  2,480

  Military Survey1

  Major General Mike Wilson

  1,190

  National Physical Laboratory

  Dr. Peter Clapham CB

  755

  National Weights and Measures Laboratory

  Dr. Seton Bennett

  45

  Natural Resources Institute

  Anthony Beattie

  470

  Naval Aircraft Repair Organisation1

  Captain David Symonds

  1,560

  NEL

  William Edgar

  345

  NHS Estates

  John Locke FRICS

  105

  NHS Pensions Agency

  Alec Cowan

  530

  Northern Ireland Child Support Agency

  Pat Devlin

  575

  Occupational Health Service

  Dr. Elizabeth McCloy

  120

  Ordnance Survey

  Professor David Rhind

  2,220

  Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland

  Michael Brand

  210

  Patent Office

  Paul Hartnack

  990

  Paymaster

  Keith Sullens

  810

  Pesticide Safety Directorate

  Geoff Bruce

  170

  Planning Inspectorate

  Stephen Crow

  610

  Public Record Office

  Mrs. Sarah Tyacke

  450

  Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre

  Marcus Buck

  70

  Queen Victoria School

  Julian Hankinson

  65

  Radiocommunications Agency

  Jim Norton

  530

  RAF Support Command's Maintenance Group Defence Agency1

  Air Vice Marshal Richard Kyle MBE

  10,875

  RAF Training Group Defence Agency1

  Air Vice Marshal Chris Coville

  8,500

  Rate Collection Agency (Northern Ireland)

  David Gallagher

  280

  Recruitment and Assessment Services Agency

  Michael Geddes

  165

  Registers of Scotland

  James Barron

  1,225

  Royal Mint

  Roger Holmes

  955

  Royal Parks Agency

  David Welch

  265

  Scottish Agricultural Science Agency

  Dr. Robert Hay

  145

  Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency

  Andrew MacLeod

  220

  Scottish Office Pensions Agency

  Norman McLeod

  175

  Scottish Prison Service

  Edward Frizzell

  4,605

  Scottish Record Office

  Patrick Cadell

  115

  Security Facilities Executive

  John King

  1,160

  Service Children's Schools (NWE)

  Ian Mitchelson

  900

  Social Security Agency (Northern Ireland)

  Alec Wylie

  5,290

  Social Security Benefits Agency

  Michael Bichard

  64,885

  Social Security Child Support Agency

  Mrs. Ros Hepplewhite

  4,220

  Social Security Contributions Agency

  Miss Ann Chant

  9,790

  Social Security Information Technology Services Agency

  Ian Magee

  4,220

  Social Security Resettlement Agency

  Tony Ward

  310

  Social Security War Pensions Agency

  Peter Mathison

  1,405

  Student Awards Agency for Scotland

  Ken MacRae

  135

  Teachers' Pensions Agency

  Mrs. Denyse Metcalfe

  325

  The Buying Agency

  Stephen Sage

  95

  Training and Employment Agency

  Julian Crozier

  1,470

  Transport Research Laboratory

  John Wootton

  600

  United Kingdom Passport Agency

  John Hayzelden

  1,285

  Valuation and Lands Agency (Northern Ireland)

  David Bell

  330

  Valuation Office

  John Langford

  4,935

  Vehicle Certification Agency

  Derek Harvey

  75

  Vehicle Inspectorate

  Ron Oliver

  1,655

  Veterinary Medicines Directorate

  Dr. Mike Rutter

  85

  Wilton Park Conference Centre

  Richard Langhorne

  30

  Agency Candidates

  Court Service

  Michael Huebner

  8,210

  Medical Devices Directorate

  Alan Kent

  165

  Ministry of Defence Police1

  John Reddington

  5,060

  Public Trust Office

  Julia Lomas

  590

  1 Figures include military personnel.

  Parliamentary Accountability
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what plans he has to improve the accountability to Parliament of quangos and executive agencies.
  545
  Mr. Waldegrave
  Non-departmental public bodies, formerly called quangos, are fully accountable for the use of public funds. All executive NDPBs publish an annual report and accounts which enable Parliament, the taxpayer and customers to judge whether that NDPB is securing value for money. The National Audit Office, which reports to Parliament, is either the auditor of, or has inspection rights to, all executive NDPBs. The Public Accounts Committee scrutinises the activities of NDPBs closely and may summon the chief executive to give evidence, if necessary.

  The Government are committed to applying citizens charter principles to NDPBs and to encouraging executive NDPBs to prepare management statements, as a means of clarifying respective roles and responsibilities. The Government also want to see increasing emphasis placed on the use of performance targets covering financial performance, quality of service and efficiency; and publication of how those targets have been met.

  Executive agencies are units within Government which were set up as a result of the "next steps" initiative. All staff in executive agencies are civil servants, or military personnel in defence agencies. They are accountable to Ministers, and through them to Parliament, in the same way as all other civil servants in Departments.

  The "next steps" initiative has increased the accountability of whole areas of civil service work, through greater openness and clearer lines of responsibility. The Minister responsible sets each agency a number of annual targets covering efficiency, effectiveness and service to customers. Its performance is monitored by Ministers, and full details are reported to Parliament and published in its annual report and accounts. Agency chief executives may be called before the PAC and other Select Committees to account for the discharge of their responsibilities. However, the main line of accountability remains to the Minister, who is in turn accountable to Parliament.

  Privatisation (Consultants)
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will estimate the cost of employing consultants in connection with privatisation programmes in which his Department has been engaged.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  There has been no such expenditure by the Office of Public Service and Science.

DEFENCE

  Nuclear Material (Transport by Rail)
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if British Transport Police are informed of the movement by rail of nuclear warheads and nuclear material; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hanley
  The British Transport police are informed whenever nuclear submarine fuel cores are transported by rail. Rail transport is not used for the movement of our nuclear warheads.

  HMS Unseen
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how long HMS Unseen and her sister submarine have been in active service; when it is planned to withdraw 546
  them from service; what has been the cost to his Department of maintaining these vessels to date; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hanley
  The four Upholder class submarines were accepted by the Royal Navy from builders on the following dates:

  HMS Upholder—6 December 1990

  HMS Unseen—19 July 1991

  HMS Ursula—2 June 1992

  HMS Unicorn—23 July 1993

  HMS Unseen and HMS Upholder were withdrawn from service on 6 April and 28 April 1994 respectively. Although it is not our practice to reveal the planned pay-off dates of individual vessels, we have previously made clear that the entire class will be withdrawn by 1995.

  The cost incurred in maintaining the vessels of the Upholder class since their acceptance from builders has been approximately £2,690,000.

  Naval Exercises (English Channel)
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which area of the English channel was closed to traffic on 5 and 6 April due to a Sea Wolf missile failing to explode during a Royal Navy exercise.

  Mr. Hanley
  On 5 April, HMS Brazen was conducting routine training off Portland Bill, Dorset, which involved firing Sea Wolf missiles. Due to a minor technical malfunction, one missile veered off its intended course and fell into the sea. As a purely precautionary measure, the Portland naval authorities alerted HM Coastguard. A safety broadcast, advising shipping to avoid a 2–mile radius around the point where the missile fell into the sea, was issued immediately. Once it became clear that there was no risk to traffic in the area, HM Coastguard was advised and the safety broadcast was cancelled. The Sea Wolf is a fragile missile which travels at high speed and would almost certainly have disintegrated on impact with the sea.

  Recruitment
  Mr. Donohoe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many military recruiting establishments are currently operating throughout the United Kingdom; how many of these lie in Scotland; how many recruits have been recruited through these facilities; what plans he has to rationalise these facilities; and what is the annual cost of operating these facilities.

  Mr. Hanley
  At present, there are 251 service careers information offices in the United Kingdom. Of these, 31 are located in Scotland. In the financial year 1993–94, 10,494 personnel were recruited, of whom, 1,117 were recruited in Scotland. These recruiting figures reflect reduced targets as a result of the force restructuring under "Options for Change". The operating costs of the CIOs totalled £45,090,000 in financial year 1993–94, of which £5,320,000 related to the offices in Scotland.

  It is our policy to collocate CIOs in bi-service or tri-service premises wherever practicable and cost-effective. Many CIOs are already collocated and future requirements are kept under regular review. In addition, recruitment arrangements are being considered as part of the "Defence Costs Study".

  South African National Defence Force
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what role his military representatives will play in the integration of the new national defence force in South Africa; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hanley
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him to an identical question on 27 April,Official Report, column 227.

  Market Testing
  Mr. Loyden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what sections of his Department he plans to make the subject of market testing.

  Mr. Aitken
  The Department intends to pursue vigorously market testing opportunities across the whole range of defence support activities with the aim of maximising value for money for the defence budget. The "Defence Costs Study" will, however, have a significant influence on the scale of the future programme and decisions on future plans will therefore be taken in the light of the outcome of the study.

  Bosnia
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many troops there are currently on active service in Bosnia; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hanley
  There are currently some 3,500 British service personnel deployed on the ground in Bosnia and Croatia in support of United Nations peacekeeping operations. In addition, there are some 3,000 service personnel deployed offshore and in Italy in support of operations in the region.

  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many British aircraft there are in use in Bosnia; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hanley
  There are currently 33 British aircraft, both rotary and fixed wing, deployed in the Adriatic theatre in support of United Nations and NATO operations in the former Yugoslavia.

  Royal Devonport Dockyard
  Mr. Jamieson
  To ask the Secretary of Stale for Defence what is the total amount paid to consultants by his Department for work concerned with the privatisation of HM Royal Devonport dockyard.

  Mr. Aitken
  Since October, when my right hon. and learned Friend announced our policy towards the future management of the royal dockyards,Official Report, 18 October 1993, columns 39–41, total expenditure of some £2 million has been incurred in the use of specialist consultants for work related to the proposed privatisation of the royal dockyards. Costs attributable to Devonport cannot be separately identified.

  Privatisation (Consultants)
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will estimate the cost of employing consultants in connection with privatisation programmes in which his Department has been engaged since 1980.
  548
  Mr. Aitken
  The only privatisation programme for which information on the use of consultants can be made available without disproportionate cost and effort is that in connection with the proposed privatisation of the royal dockyards at Devonport and Rosyth, about which my right hon. and learned Friend made an announcement on 18 October last,Official Report, columns 39–41. I refer the hon. Member to the answer I have given today to the hon. Member for Plymouth, Devonport (Mr. Jamieson).

  Defence Budget
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the reason for the removal from the defence budget from 1994–95 of the financial provisions for the security and intelligence services, as set out in note one to figure 10 of paragraph 502 of the "Statement on the Defence Estimates 1994", Cm. 2550.

  Mr. Hanley
  As foreshadowed by the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister to my hon. Friend the Member for Somerton and Frome (Mr. Robinson) on 24 November 1993,Official Report, column 52, expenditure on the security and intelligence services has been brought together into a single Cabinet Office vote from 1994–95—class XIX, vote 2.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Bosnia
  Mr. John Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with Mr. Slobodan Milosevic regarding Bosnia.

  Mr. Hurd
  I have not met President Milosevic since the European Union Foreign Ministers' meeting with the parties in November 1993. My right hon. and learned Friend the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs is meeting President Milosevic in Belgrade today.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what offers he has made to international relief agencies to treat casualties of the Bosnian war in British hospitals.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  We have told the International Organisation for Migration, which is responsible for the placement abroad of patients from Bosnia, that we will consider applications on a case-by-case basis. After the recent events in Gorazde, we exceptionally agreed to take up to 50 of those wounded by the shelling.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information is available from the International Red Cross, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and other United Nations sources about the number of people who require major medical attention which, because of the war, cannot be met within Bosnia.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees medical committee has to date identified 763 patients in need of medical treatment unavailable in Bosnia. Of these, 626 patients have already been evacuated, 41 have places abroad and are waiting to travel, and 96 are awaiting placement.
  549
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what requests are being made by the Red Cross and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees for medical attention to the wounded from the war in Bosnia; and what representations they have made about the adequacy of the international response when those wounded people cannot be treated in Bosnia.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Both the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross have issued appeals for their operations in the former Yugoslavia, which include provision for medical supplies and health care. The International Organisation for Migration appealed to Governments in August 1993 for offers of hospital places for patients from the former Yugoslavia who could not be treated locally. As a result, 2,277 places were offered by 33 countries.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many patients injured in the war in Bosnia each European Union country has treated in its own hospitals.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Statistics do not distinguish between patients injured in the war and patients who are seriously ill and cannot be treated locally. The latest figures from the International Organisation for Migration are as follows: Belgium: 25; Denmark: 87; France: 10; Germany: 19; Greece: 19; Ireland: 23; Italy: 134; Luxembourg: 5; Netherlands: 15; Portugal: 0; Spain: 16; United Kingdom: 66.

  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proportion of the state of Bosnia has now been taken by the Serbs as a result of military action.

  Mr. Hurd
  The Bosnian Serb army controls about 70 per cent. of the republic of Bosnia-Herzegovina. A substantial Bosnian Serb withdrawal from territory it now holds will be an essential element in any future peace settlement.

  Mrs. Gorman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what British interests are served by involvement of British troops in Bosnia.

  Mr. Hurd
  It is a British interest to ensure that the war in Bosnia does not spread. It is in keeping with our interests and our position in the UN, EU and NATO that a negotiated settlement should be achieved. We have a responsibility to help relieve human suffering in this tragic corner of Europe.

  The presence of UN troops is necessary to underpin the international diplomatic and humanitarian effort and to help restore regional peace and security. The British military contribution, although not the largest, is extremely effective.

  European Union
  Ms Eagle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his European Union counterparts about the public accountability and openness of European Union decision-making.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  The General Affairs Council has had a number of discussions aimed at making the 550
  European Union more open and accountable, which led to agreements at the end of last year on the publication of votes and public access to documents. The United Kingdom strongly supports these moves.

  Mr. Hayes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will publish a statement on the forthcoming business in the Council of the European Union.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  The following meetings are planned:

  6 May: Development Council

  16 May: ECOFIN Council

  16/17 May: FAC Council

  25 May: Energy Council

  26 May: Education Council

  27 May: Tourism Council

  30 May: Telecommuncations Council

  30/31 May: Agriculture Council

  (a) Development Council: 6 May
  Agenda not yet available.

  (b) ECOFIN Council: 16 May

  White Paper on Growth, Competitiveness and Employment.

  Recent developments in the European Economy.

  Financial assistance to Central and Eastern Europe and to the Former Soviet Union.

  Deposit Guarantee.

  Fraud.

  Lunch.

  Preparation for Joint meeting with Central and Eastern European Finance Ministers at 6 June ECOFIN.

  (c) Foreign Affairs Council: 16–17 May

  White Paper follow-up.

  CFSP financing.

  EC/Egypt: preparation of Cooperation Council.

  Preparation of EEA Council.

  Russia: partnership agreement.

  Relations with Ukraine.

  Relations with Switzerland.

  Ex-Yugoslavia.

  Stability Pact: economic incentives.

  Relations with EP in Titles V and VI of the Treaty of European Union.

  (Possible) Textiles: inward processing relief.

  (Possible) Classified documents.

  (Possible) Committee of Regions: Rules of Procedure.

  (Possible) Enlargement: Council decision under Article 0 of the Treaty of European Union.

  Public access to Council documents.

  Site of European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training.

  In the margins:

  Cooperation Council with Egypt.

  EEA Council.

  (d) Energy Council: 25 May

  Electricity liberalisation: Orientation Debate.

  Energy TENs Guidelines: Political Agreement. Energy Policy.

  Energy and Cohesion: Council conclusions.

  Nuclear Safety assistance for Central and Eastern Europe and for the Commonwealth of Independent States.

  Energy Charter Treaty: stocktake.

  (Possible) Commission proposal on Thermie II: Commission presentation.

  (e) Education Council: 26 May
  Agenda not yet arrived.

  (f) Tourism Council: 27 May
  Agenda not yet arrived.
  551
  (g) Telecommunications Council: 30 May
  Agenda not yet arrived.

  (h) Agriculture Council: 30–31 May

  Plant Breeders rights.

  (Possible) Uniform Principles.

  (Possible) Price Fixing.

  (Possible) Milk Quotas.

  (Possible) Wine Regime.

  (Possible) Revision of rules on structural support.

  South Korea
  Mr. Bill Walker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next plans to visit South Korea; and if he will make a statement on United Kingdom relations with South Korea.

  Mr. Goodlad
  My right honourable Friend the Foreign Secretary has no plans to visit South Korea in the immediate future. I last visited Seoul in January this year. The United Kingdom's relations with South Korea are excellent.

  Bulgaria
  Mr. McFall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Bulgarian authorities following the incidents involving the Bulgarian police and supporters of Rangers football club following the latter's European Cup match in Sofia last September.

  Mr. Goodlad
  Following complaints received by Glasgow Rangers fans about their treatment by the Bulgarian police, the embassy in Sofia made formal representations to the Bulgarian authorities on 23 November 1993. A reminder was sent on 22 December and again on 8 March. No reply has yet been received. We will continue to press the Bulgarian authorities.

  Eastern Europe
  Mr. David Shaw
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the effectiveness of the know-how fund in making east Europeans aware of democracy and free markets.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  The know-how fund is generally well regarded for the effectiveness of the advice and expertise which it provides to help the countries of eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union move towards democracy and free market economies. Both the President and the Prime Minister of Russia commented favourably on the quality of know-how fund support to my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister during his recent visit.

  Council of Europe
  Mr. David Atkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his policy towards the enlargement of the Council of Europe.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  The United Kingdom welcomes the accession of countries which meet the criteria laid down in the statute of the Council of Europe.

  Foreign Affairs Council
  Sir Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what particular issues he intends to raise for consideration at the next meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council of the European Union.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  The agenda for the next Foreign Affairs Council on 16–17 May has not yet been agreed. It is too early to say what particular issues we shall wish to raise.

  Italy
  Mr. Heald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what contacts he has had with the new Government in Italy.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  The new Italian Government are not yet in place. When they are, we shall look forward to working closely with our new Italian colleagues.

  Cross-border Enforcement
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he hopes to meet the President of the European Commission to discuss cross-border enforcement.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  I meet the President of the European Commission regularly, and we discuss a range of issues.

  Kashmir
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Prime Minister of India, or his representatives, regarding Kashmir.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary discussed the situation in Kashmir when he met the Indian Prime Minister in March during his visit to Britain.

  Russia
  Ms Rachel Squire
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last met representatives of the Russian Government to discuss security and co-operation in Europe.

  Mr. He,athcoat-Amory
  When my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister and my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary visited Moscow in February, they discussed a range of issues with members of the Russian Government, including security and co-operation in Europe. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mamedov recently discussed these issues in London with my right honourable and learned Friend the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs.

  Mr. David Atkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in which countries along the border of the former Soviet Union Russian forces are currently deployed.

  Mr. Goodlad
  There are currently Russian forces in Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, the Transcaucasus and Central Asia, as well as in Latvia and Estonia.
  553
  Mr. David Atkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has as to the Russian plan to establish or confirm bases in countries which formerly belonged to the Soviet Union.

  Mr. Goodlad
  There have been reports that Russia intends to establish or confirm up to 30 bases in the rest of the former Soviet Union, on the basis of agreement with the Governments of the countries concerned.

  Mr. David Atkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list those countries in which Russian forces are currently deployed(a) with the agreement of the Government concerned and (b) without agreement.

  Mr. Goodlad
  Moldova has asked for the withdrawal of the Russian 14th army. The future of the Black sea fleet is currently under discussion between Russia and Ukraine. An agreement has been signed between Russia and Latvia on withdrawals of Russian troops from Latvia by 31 August. Estonia is seeking the withdrawal of Russian troops by 31 August. We are not aware of objections, on the part of the Governments concerned, to the presence of Russian troops in any other countries where they are currently stationed.

  Mr. Ian Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Russian Foreign Secretary about Russia's intentions in its near abroad.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary discussed Russia's policy towards the other states of the former Soviet Union with the Russian Foreign Minister, Mr. Kozyrev, when he was in Moscow with my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister in February.

  General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has held with representatives of central and Latin American Governments relating to the GATT agreement.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  I discussed this issue regularly with representatives of central and Latin American Governments in the period leading up to the Marrakesh ministerial meeting. I underlined the importance of the round and the need for rapid conclusion and implementation. With certain banana-producing countries which were also GATT contracting parties I also urged them to accept the Commission's banana offer so that this could be included as part of the Uruguay round.

  European Political Union
  Sir David Knox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next expects to meet his counterparts in the European Union to discuss greater political union.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  There are no plans for a meeting of Community Foreign Ministers to discuss greater political union.

  European Union
  Mr. Pickthall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his European Union counterparts about the public accountability and openness of European decision-making.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  The General Affairs Council has had a number of discussions aimed at making the European Union more open and accountable, which led to agreements at the end of last year on the publication of votes and public access to documents. The United Kingdom strongly supports these moves.

  Iran
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth affairs if he will make a statement about relations between Iran and the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  We restored our relations with Iran on 27 September 1990 on the basis of mutual respect and non-interference in each others' affairs.

  The revelation of Iran—Provisional IRA links and the fatwa against Mr. Rushdie demonstrate why Iran's behaviour continues to cause us and other European member states serious concern.

  It remains the case that improved behaviour will be important in determining the extent to which closer relations with, and confidence in, Iran can be developed.

  Foreign Service (BBC Documentary)
  Ms Lynne
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the effect of the BBC documentary on the Foreign Service on the public's opinion of that service; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  No such assessment has been made, but I enjoyed the programme immensely.

  Falkland Islands
  Mr. Paice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his recent visit to the Falkland Islands.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  The visit by my right hon. Friend was the first by a Foreign Secretary. He received a warm welcome. The islanders are proud of their way of life and much attached to it and to the United Kingdom. They are confident about the future. He reassured them that sovereignty was not for discussion and that we would continue to support their right to self-determination. Clearly life would be simpler if Argentina dropped her claim.

  Somalia
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the recent theft of money from the United Nations compound in Mogadishu in Somalia; and what action is now being taken on this matter.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The matter is being investigated by United Nations civil police and a team from the United Nations investigations unit. It would be imprudent to comment further before these investigations are complete.
  555
  Mr. Mudie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much of the £237,000 of departmental funds lost in Somalia in 1992–93 indicated in the appropriations accounts was(a) lost in transit and (b) lost from balances in the embassy bank accounts; how these losses occurred; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Goodlad
  The loss of £237,000 occurred as follows:

  (a) £130,000 lost in transit consisted of three fundings sent to the Bank of Somalia in 1989 for the credit of the Embassy account. Exhaustive inquiries with the Bank of England and the National Westminster Bank, the United Kingdom intermediary bank of the transactions, confirmed that this account had been sent to Somalia. Embassy staff investigated these missing items but were unable to locate them before they were evacuated following the collapse of law and order in Somalia. The decision to write off this sum was taken in 1992 because it was considered very unlikely that the bank of Somalia would ever be able to locate these missing funds following the extensive looting which occurred in Mogadishu.

  (b) £103,000 from embassy bank accounts and £4,000 cash and miscellaneous items less some small recoveries were shown in the balances of the last imprest account submitted to the FCO before the evacuation. As the embassy and its bank in Somalia had been looted it was considered unlikely that these assets would ever be recovered.

  Due to the complete collapse of law and order all diplomatic missions in Mogadishu were withdrawn and it was not possible to follow the usual procedures for protecting departmental funds overseas. There continues to be no recognised Government or banking system in Somalia.

  North Korea
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what explanation North Korea gave for its withdrawal from the nuclear non-proliferation treaty; arid if he will make a statement on the prospects of that country's return to the treaty.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  North Korea announced its intention to withdraw from the non-proliferation treaty under article X (i) on 12 March 1993. North Korea cited the joint United States-South Korea military exercise Team Spirit, and the International Atomic Energy Authority's request for special inspections of its nuclear facilities, as being grounds for withdrawal. North Korea subsequently suspended its intention to withdraw from the treaty on 11 June. We continue to urge North Korea to resolve all suspicions about its nuclear programme by complying fully with its safeguards agreement and by affirming permanent commitment to the NPT.

  Macedonia
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on Bulgarian and Romanian co-operation in the installation of a United Nations presence in Macedonia.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Equipment destined for UNPROFOR Macedonia passed through Romania and Bulgaria and reached the Bulgaria/Macedonia border on 18 April. UNPROFOR Macedonia has taken delivery of the equipment.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent report he has received of armed Serbian activity around the border with Macedonia.
  556
  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  We have had no recent reports of any armed Serbian activity on the Macedonian border.

  Hamas
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations have been made to him by the Government of Israel about the activities of Hamas within Britain.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  We have regular contact with the Israelis on a wide range of issues.

  Brazil
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what arms sales were discussed during his recent visit to Brazil; and what plans he has to make an announcement on this.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs reaffirmed the importance of the continuing partnership between British defence equipment suppliers and Brazil's armed forces, exemplified by the recent sale of Super Lynx helicopters to the Brazilian navy. He also discussed prospects for future sales.

  Georgia
  xMr. David Atkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with representatives of the Government of Georgia; whether British know-how fund assistance was offered; and if he will make a statement on the state of relations with Georgia.

  Mr. Goodlad
  We have regular contacts with the Georgian Government through our ambassador in Moscow. In addition, my right hon. and learned Friend the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs also met senior advisers to President Shevardnadze last week. Know-how fund assistance is already available to Georgia and in 1993 we spent £71,000. The United Kingdom also contributed over £2 million in humanitarian relief since March 1993.

  Relations between the United Kingdom and Georgia are good. We continue to emphasise the need for co-operation with the UN and CSCE in seeking a peaceful solution to disputes on Georgian territory.

  Security
  Mr. Donohoe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the use of private detective agencies and security companies by his Department.

  Mr. Goodlad
  There is no record of the FCO ever having employed a private detective agency. Up to now the only recorded instance of the FCO employing a private security company in the United Kingdom was for the guarding of Wiston House conference centre for six months in 1992–93. However, under the market testing programme, six private security companies have been invited to tender, along with an in-house team, for guarding all FCO premises in London from 3 January 1995. The result will be announced in August.

  We do not keep central records of security companies employed at our posts overseas.

  Libya
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made as to the effect of current sanctions in respect of medical supplies upon Libya in respect of(a) the poor and (b) women and children; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Goodlad
  The supply of medical products is not prohibited under the current United Nations sanctions against Libya. As a matter of general principle, with which the United Kingdom agrees, the supply of medicines is exempt from the effects of all United Nations sanctions regimes.

  Occupied Territories
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the effect of the closure of the occupied territories by the Israel Government on the economic life of the Palestinians and the peace process; and what representations he has made to the Israeli Government.

  Mr. Goodlad
  We welcome the agreement reached in Paris on 29 April between Israel and the PLO on economic aspects of Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and Jericho, including the movement of goods and labour between the Palestinian areas and Israel.

  Argentina and Brazil
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on relations with Argentina and Brazil.

  Mr. Goodlad
  On Argentina I would refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs gave earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Stroud (Mr. Knapman).

  Our relations with Brazil are excellent. On his recent visit with a party of senior business men, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs was able to see for himself how dynamic the Brazilian economy is and what opportunities there are for the United Kingdom. The Brazilian Foreign Minister has accepted his invitation to visit Britain later this year. Increasingly the United Kingdom and Brazil share a common international agenda.

  Angola
  Mr. Loyden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commownealth Affairs what discussions he has had with EU Ministers on the situation in Angola.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  There are regular working level discussions of Angola at meetings in the framework of the common foreign and security policy.

  Occupied Territories
  Mr. Sykes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance Her Majesty's Government are providing bilaterally and through the EC for a Palestinian police force in the occupied territories.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The United Kingdom is providing 200 sets of riot-control equipment and organising training 558
  courses in the United Kingdom for senior police officers. The European Union has adopted a joint action which provides for up to ecu 10 million in grant funds from the Community budget towards the Palestinian police force. The United Kingdom played a leading role in stimulating the European Union contribution.

EMPLOYMENT

  Self-employment
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on what is currently being done to encourage people to be self-employed; and what further changes he will make.

  Miss Widdecombe
  The business start-up scheme encourages unemployed people to set up their own new businesses. It offers a weekly allowance together with business training and counselling. Nearly 700,000 people have entered the scheme to date. The budget for the scheme has been transferred to the Department of Environment's single regeneration budget, one of the aims of which is the encouragement of sustainable economic growth and wealth creation by improving the competitiveness of the local economy, including business support.

  The Department supports the Prince's Youth Business Trust in making funds available to disadvantaged young people to set up their own businesses. We have recently agreed additional funding to help the trust in its aim of doubling the number of young people it supports.

  My right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade is developing a network of business links, which will provide world class support to business—including those who are contemplating starting a new business.

TRANSPORT

  M25
  Mr. Spellar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what cost-benefit analysis his Department has undertaken of the delays experienced by motorists in roadworks for widening the M25 compared with the final benefits of a widened road; when he anticipates road widening on the M25 will be completed; and what will be the total cost of widening the M25.

  Mr. Key
  This question relates to operational matters of the Highways Agency. I have asked the chief executive, Mr. Lawrie Haynes, to write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from Lawrie Haynes to Mr. John Spellar, dated 29 April 1994:
  The Minister for Roads and Traffic, Mr. Robert Key, has asked me to write to you in reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the M25.
  The cost of delays to motorists caused by construction works is assessed as part of the overall economic cost benefit analysis of motorway widening schemes. The results of this analysis are published as part of the assessment framework for each scheme.
  We have recently completed widening the M25 to dual four lanes between junctions 15 (M4) and 16 (M40) and two further schemes are under way between junctions 7 (M23)–8 (Reigate) and junctions 10 (A3)–11 (Chertsey) for completion during next year. Other schemes for widening most of the M25 to dual four lanes within the highway boundary were included in the recent review of the road programme and details published in the 1994

  559
  Review report. The total cost of widening to dual four lanes between junctions 5–28 (excluding junctions 11–15 which has been dual four lanes for some time) is approximately £672 million. Subject to the availability of funds, all these schemes should be completed over about the next 10 years.
  There are also schemes in the programme for increasing the capacity of the western section of the motorway beyond dual four lanes. Two of these, between junctions 12 (M3)–15 (M4) and

  M25 Programme

  Construction schemes

  Status and Cost £ million

  Widening to D4

  Junctions 3 (M20)—5 (M26)

  Longer term scheme, to be reviewed later.

  Junctions 5 (M26)—7 (M23)

  Priority 2 scheme, programme to be reviewed.

  Cost: £101.1.

  Junctions 7 (M23)—8 (Reigate)

  Works started in March 1994. Construction expected to take about 15 months.

  Cost £63.5.

  Junctions 8 (Reigate)—10 (A3)

  Proposals published February 1994 with work likely to get underway early 1995.

  Cost: £78.2.

  Junctions 10 (A3)—11 (A320)

  Works started in February 1994. Construction expected to take about 12 months.

  Cost: £50.5.

  Junctions 11–15

  Already D4 standard

  Junctions 15 (M4)—16 (M40)

  Construction started 4 January 1993. The works completed end April 1994.

  Cost: 35.3.

  Junctions 16 (M40)—19 (Watford)

  Proposals published February 1994. Public exhibitions held and comments are now being considered.

  Cost: 71.3

  Junctions 19 (Watford)—23 (A1)

  Priority 2 scheme, programme to be reviewed.

  Cost: 86.5.

  Junctions 23 (A1)—26 (A 121)

  Details published February and comments are now being considered.

  Cost: £81.1.

  Junctions 26 (A121)—28 (A12)

  Priority 2 scheme, programme to be reviewed.

  Cost: £104.

  Capacity beyond dual four lanes

  Junctions 3 (M20)—10 (A3) and Junctions 21A (M1)—30 (A13)

  Announced on 22 July 1993 that for foreseeable future there would be no widening beyond dual four lanes for these sections which make up some 70 per cent, of M25.

  Junctions 10 (A3)—12 (M3)

  Consultants appointed October 1992 to study options. Proposals may be published Autumn 1994

  Cost: £123.9.

  Junctions 12 (M3)—15 (M4)

  Draft highway orders published 7 April 1994. Already announced that public inquiry will have to be held, probably towards the end of this year.

  Cost: £164.3.

  Junctions 15 (M4)—16 (M40)

  Decision to proceed to order publication state with proposals for 2 lane link roads announced on 30 March.

  Cost: £66.2.

  Junctions 16 (M40)—21A (M1)

  No work on feasibility of providing capacity beyond D4 will be undertaken for many years.

  Junction Improvement

  Junctions 30 (A13)—31(A1306)

  Consultants appointed 1 January 1994.

  Cost: £43–5.

  560
  between junctions 15–16 (M40), have an estimated total cost of some £231 million. The timetable for construction of these schemes would depend on the time needed to complete the statutory procedures and the availability of funds. Widening beyond dual four lanes is also under consideration for the length between junctions 10 (A3) and 12 (M3) but the form of any scheme, and hence its cost, is not yet known.

  A40
  Mr. Luff
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to review the various speed limits on the A40 between the A40 (M) and the M40.

  Mr. Norris
  This question raises an operational matter for the Highways Agency. I have asked Lawrie Haynes, the chief executive, to write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from Lawrie Haynes to Mr. Peter Luff, dated 26 April 1994:
  The Secretary of State for Transport has asked me to reply to your question about his plans for reviewing the various speed limits on the A40 between the A40(M) and the M40 because this is now an operational matter for the Highways Agency.
  Much has been, and still is being done to improve the length of the A40 in question and it is important to ensure current speed limits reflect today's conditions. Accordingly we intend to review the speed limit on the length between Hanger Lane and the Polish Memorial Junction later this year after the Traffic Director has announced his plans for red route measures for the road. Reviews of the speed limits elsewhere on the A40 will follow as and when the major improvement schemes currently under construction at Long Lane and Northolt Airport are completed at the end of the year, and when those planned at Gypsy Corner and Western Circus have been undertaken.

  Annual Staff Reports
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 21 February,Official Report, column 86, if he will list by annual staff report box marking for the same reporting year the numbers of male grade sevens receiving box 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 performance markings.

  Mr. Norris
  In the reporting year 1991–92, 29 grade 7 males received box 1; 322 box 2; 260 box 3: and 3 box 4 ASR markings. No male grade 7 received a box 5 marking.

  Vehicle Excise Duty
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 21 February,Official Report, column 81, what targets and budgets he has set for the collection of unpaid vehicle excise duty.

  Mr. Key
  On the question of targets I refer the hon. Member to the answer of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State on 29 April, column 385. The agreed budget to carry out this work during 1994–95 is around £27 million.

  Civil Aviation Authority
  Dr. Spink
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will report progress on the privatisation of the Civil Aviation Authority.

  Mr. Norris
  We announced at the time of the 1993 Budget that we were asking a group of officials to examine whether the national air traffic services of the Civil Aviation Authority could be privatised. This group has now reported and we are considering its recommendations. We hope to announce our response shortly.

  Vehicle Excise Duty
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what was the total amount of revenue that was collected in vehicle excise duty in each of the last three years.
  562
  Mr. Key
  Net vehicle excise duty, after refunds, collected in the last three financial years was:

  Year

  £ millions

  1991–92

  2,931

  1992–93

  3,225

  1993–941

  3,655

  1 Provisional.

  Motorway Pollution
  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what steps he is taking to improve the treatment of surface water from motorways and other trunk roads so that it does not cause pollution;

  (2) what steps he is taking to ensure that all surface water run off from (a) existing motorways and (b) new motorways, is properly treated before discharge to the environment; and what are the implications for construction and maintenance costs for ensuring all surface water from motorways is properly treated;

  (3) what assessment he has made of the future cost implications to his Department of the out-of-court settlement in respect of the case brought by Mr. Mohamed Al Fayed for pollution of his land by run-off from the M25; and if he will make a statement;

  (4) what assessment he has made of the likelihood of future legal actions from people who have suffered as the result of pollution from motorways; and what contingency fund his Department has for such actions.

  Mr. Key
  These four questions relate to operational matters of the Highways Agency. I have asked the chief executive, Mr. Lawrie Haynes, to write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from Lawrie Haynes to Ms Joan Walley, dated 4 May 1994:
  The Minister for Roads and Traffic, Mr. Robert Key, has asked me to write to you in reply to your recent four Parliamentary questions about the treatment of surface water from motorways and other trunk roads.
  The Highways Agency is now responsible for research previously commissioned by the Department of Transport jointly with the National Rivers Authority on the design of highway drainage systems to avoid pollution problems. When the research has been completed I expect to issue advice to designers and those responsible for maintaining the drainage systems.
  The out-of-court settlement in the case you mentioned reflected the particular circumstances of that case and cannot be taken to have implications for situations elsewhere. The settlement involved damages of £5,000 and agreed works to the drainage system likely to cost in the order of £60,000. In addition there will be legal costs of an amount yet to be agreed.
  In the case of existing motorways, the arrangements for treating surface water run off before discharge to the environment have been accepted by the relevant water regulatory authority. The arrangements for new motorways will be considered within the environmental assessment and agreed with the water regulatory authority. We are currently reviewing the implications for construction and maintenance costs.
  The Department does not, in general, assess the likelihood of future legal actions from people who claim to have suffered as a result of pollution from motorways and no contingency fund is kept for such actions.

  Detective Agencies
  Mr. Denham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Clwyd, South-West (Mr. Jones) of 25 April,Official Report, column 42, if he will list all contracts with private detective agencies for the purpose of collecting evidence and serving papers on those who have trespassed on his Department's land, and the expenditure to date on each; how many former employees were inadvertently overpaid; and what was the total sum involved.

  Mr. Key
  [holding answer 3 May 1994]: A single detective agency has been employed to serve papers and collect evidence on those who have trespassed on the Department's land. The recorded expenditure stands at £250,829.52p.

  Detective agencies have also been used in connection with inadvertent overpayment of 15 staff, totalling £22,030.06p. Of this sum, £17,556.76p has been or is being recovered.

SCOTLAND

  Correspondence
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what percentage of letters sent by his office to hon. Members are written in the Gaelic language;

  (2) if it is his practice to sign personally letters in reply to hon. Members which are written in the Gaelic language.

  Sir Hector Monro
  Neither my right hon. Friend nor his office has had occasion to write to hon. Members in Gaelic.

  Ardrossan, Saltcoats and Stevenston Bypass
  Mr. Donohoe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions the Scottish Office has had with the appropriate authorities concerning the implementation of plans for the Ardrossan, Saltcoats and Stevenston bypass; and when he expects the project to be started.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Officials have consulted regularly with district council officers. They have been made aware of the further work being undertaken to identify the best layout for a bypass. A further meeting has been arranged for May to explain the progress which has been made while these studies continue.

  At this stage it is not possible to predict when work on construction might start.

  Colorado Beetle
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent reports he has received about sightings of Colorado Beetle(a) tendered voluntarily and (b) in response to requests; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir Hector Monro
  So far this year six Colorado beetles have been found in Scotland, as a result of inspections undertaken by officials of the Scottish Office Agriculture and Fisheries Department.

  Colorado beetle is a notifiable quarantine pest under the Plant Health (Great Britain) Order 1993 and the United Kingdom is recognised as a protected zone against this pest under the EU single market plant health arrangements.
  564
  Each year the Scottish Office Agriculture and Fisheries Department conducts a publicity campaign which has helped to increase public awareness of the pest.

  No breeding colony has ever been established in Scotland or elsewhere in the United Kingdom.

  Strathclyde PTA
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what will be the future boundaries of the Strathclyde passenger transport authority.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The future boundaries of the Strathclyde passenger transport area will be decided in due course after consultation with appropriate bodies. It is not expected that there will be any reduction in the present area, but there may be some increase.

  Fish Conservation
  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland on how many occasions since the decision to suspend the operation of the Sea Fisheries (Conservation) Act 1992 pending a decision of the European Court of Justice he or other Ministers have met representatives of the Scottish fishing industry to discuss alternative conservation strategies; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lang
  My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary with responsibility for agriculture and fisheries in Scotland, my noble and learned Friend the Minister of State and I have all met representatives of the Scottish fishing industry since 14 December 1993. In addition, my officials are in constant contact with fishermen's organisations regarding conservation issues.

  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what expenditure has been incurred by his Department(a) up to 31 December 1993 and (b) since 1 January 1994 in making preparations, including the purchase of equipment, for the implementation of the Sea Fisheries (Conservation) Act 1992.

  Mr. Lang
  Total expenditure on staff and associated costs up to 31 December 1993 amounted to approximately £140,000. Expenditure after 1 January 1994 totalled £16,000.

  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what amount of computer hardware and software has been purchased by his Department for the purposes of implementing the provisions of the Sea Fisheries (Conservation) Act 1992.

  Mr. Lang
  None.

  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many officials of his Department were engaged in work related to the implementation of the Sea Fisheries (Conservation) Act 1992 on 31 December 1993; and how many officials continue to be engaged in work related to the implementation of this Act.

  Mr. Lang
  At the beginning of December 1993, seven officials were responsible for assessing fishermen's representations against their provisional days-at-sea allocations. Since then all have been redeployed.

  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what arrangements are in place for the setting up of appeals
  565
  tribunals under the Sea Fisheries (Conservation) Act 1992; and how many departmental officials and staff were engaged in work related to the setting up of these tribunals on 1 April.

  Mr. Lang
  Work on the sea fish licence tribunal has been suspended and no staff were engaged on this work on 1 April 1994.

  Temporary Sheriffs
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many temporary sheriffs hold commissions to serve in sheriff courts in Scotland; how many sessions were undertaken by temporary sheriffs in each of the past five years; how many temporary sheriffs were employed in the Scottish courts for more than 80 per cent. of the available court sitting days in each of the past five years; what is the current daily rate paid to a temporary sheriff; what was the total cost to his Department of temporary sheriffs during the same period; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 21 April 1994]: One hundred and seven temporary sheriffs hold commissions to serve in sheriff courts in Scotland. The current daily fee paid to temporary sheriffs is £246. Information is provided on the number of sitting days undertaken, the usage made of temporary sheriffs and the total costs.

  Court sitting days provided by temporary sheriffs

  Number

  1989

  4,046

  1990

  4,236

  1991

  5,147

  1992

  6,093

  1993

  6,660

  Number of temporary sheriffs who sat for more than 80 per cent. of available sitting days

  Number

  1989

  0

  1990

  3

  1991

  3

  1992

  5

  1993

  4

  Total costs (£)

  1989–90

  950,000

  1990–91

  952,000

  1991–92

  1,512,000

  1992–93

  2,041,000

  1993–94

  2,308,000

  The services of temporary sheriffs have contributed significantly to reducing inconvenience to court users resulting from cancellation of court sittings and to avoiding increases in court delays due to increases in workloads. The average waiting period for summary criminal trials at the end of 1993 was the lowest recorded over the past five years.

  Police (Firearms)
  Mr. Gallie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what firearms training police officers undergo who carry out duties(a) as an authorised firearms officer, (b) as a member of the tactical firearms unit, (c) as a CID firearms officer and (d) as a member of the firearms training department; and with what frequency in each case;

  (2) if he will make a statement on the availability for call out of each category of firearms officers.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 29 April 1994]: Firearm training undertaken by police officers in Scotland is carried out in strict compliance with the manual of guidance on the police use of firearms adopted by the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland. Training input varies from force to force. In general, authorised firearms officers receive training on weapon handling and safety, firearms tactics, administration of firearms incidents and shooting skills. Where forces have tactical firearms units, or their equivalent, officers in them receive additional training which includes instruction on rapid intervention techniques. In forces which deploy them, CID firearms officers undergo the same training as authorised firearms officers and, if appropriate, receive additional specialised training in VIP protection duties. Officers who are members of firearms training departments have in most cases successfully completed the national firearms instructor's course conducted at one of the national police firearms training centres. In addition some personnel have undertaken a national bodyguard's course, a national rifleman's course and a local marksman's course.

  Length of initial training also varies from force to force. On average authorised firearms officers receive 11 days' training; members of tactical firearms units, or their equivalent, receive 25 days' training; CID firearms officers receive 15 days' training; and members of firearms training departments receive 18 days' training. In each case refresher training is provided annually.

  Chief constables can deploy police officers who have undergone firearm training in each category on a 24–hour basis.

  Mr. Gallie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) how many police officers in(a) the Strathclyde police area and (b) Scotland are authorised to carry firearms;

  (2) on how many occasions in the last two years police firearms have been discharged in Scotland.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 29 April 1994]: There are currently 210 police officers in Strathclyde police authorised to carry firearms and a total of 712 officers in Scotland. Police firearms have been discharged on six occasions in the last two years in Scotland.

  Public Appointments
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the(a) name, (b) occupation or former occupation, (c) place of residence, (d) date of appointment and (e) salary, honorarium or allowance of the highest-earning 20 people appointed by him to any organisation or body, both inclusive and exclusive of expenses for travel, subsistence and other items in the latest year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.
  567
  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 29 April 1994]: This information is not held centrally and culd be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The level of any salary or fee paid to a member of a nationalised industry, non-departmental public body or NHS body sponsored by my Department is listed in the Cabinet Office publication "Public Bodies 1993", a copy of which is in the Library of the House.

  Road Accidents
  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many children were killed or injured in road accidents in Scotland in 1992 and 1993.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 3 May 1994]: The requested information is given in the following table. The 1993 figures are provisional.

  Child casualties (aged 0–15 years) in road accidents in Scotland by severity, 1992 and 1993.

  Year

  Fatal

  Fatal and Serious

  Total

  1992

  40

  897

  4,052

  11993

  39

  773

  3,688

  1 Provisional

  Bullying
  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will estimate the incidence of bullying at primary and secondary schools in Scotland.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 3 May 1994]: Because bullying can take many different forms, it would be impossible to estimate meaningfully the incidence over the country. All instances of bullying are, however, serious matters and, in the interests of all children, schools should address the issue, whether or not they perceive bullying as a problem in their own circumstances.

  That is why the Government commissioned and issued copies of a pack entitled "Action Against Bullying" to all Scottish schools in 1992. The pack, which was drawn up by the Scottish Council for Research in Education, stresses that the simple most important thing a school can do to prevent bullying is to have a clear policy to which teachers, pupils and parents are committed.

  The Government also funded the distribution to all Scottish schools in September 1993 of a follow-up pack, also produced by SCRE. This pack contains a school booklet aimed at non-teaching staff and a family booklet. Its focus is how to ensure that the whole school community works together.

  The Scottish Office Education Department is also funding the appointment by SCRE of an anti-bullying development officer.

  Student Grants
  Mr. Dunnachie
  To ask the Secretary of Stale for Scotland what is his target for the percentage of adults returning to education and training; what plans he has to increase student grants to the level of the present grant plus the present student loan; and if he will make a statement.
  568
  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 29 April 1994]: My right hon. Friend has no specific target for adults returning to education and training, but he has endorsed the target set by the Advisory Scottish Council for Education and Training Targets which is that, by 1996, all employees should take part in training or development activities.

  On student support, we announced last November that we would gradually adjust the relative amounts of grant and loan over the next few years with the aim of bringing the two elements into broad balance in 1996–97. We have no plans to change those arrangements.

  Mr. Dunnachie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to encourage more adults to enter further and higher education, with particular reference to the making of Scottish Office Environment Department grants to students taking courses on a part-time basis.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 29 April 1994]: More adults than ever before are entering further and higher education in Scotland and we are encouraging more part-time study. Our vocational qualifications reforms are stimulating wider. access and progression. Education authorities have a discretionary power to make bursaries available to part-time students and I have no plans to change that.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Residential Homes, Down and Lisburn
  Mr. McGrady
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) what is the role of the independent advocates who have been appointed by the Eastern health board in respect of residential homes in the Down and Lisburn unit of management;

  (2) how many independent advocates have been appointed by the Eastern health and social services board in respect of residential homes in the Down and Lisburn unit of management;

  (3) if he will list the names of the independent advocates who have been appointed by the Eastern health board in respect of residential homes in the Down and Lisburn unit of management.

  Mr. Ancram
  Prior to 1 April 1994, the Eastern health and social services board had not appointed independent advocates in the Down and Lisburn unit of management. Since 1 April the unit has been a health and social services trust and it has not yet taken any decision on the appointment of independent advocates.

  Roads
  Mr. McGrady
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what financial amounts were allocated and spent on the maintenance of roads in each roads division since 1 April 1980; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Tim Smith
  The information is as follows:
  569

  Expenditure in £'000's

  Financial year

  Ballymena

  Belfast

  Coleraine

  Craigavon

  Downpatrick

  Omagh

  Total

  1980–81

  5,497

  5,270

  5,385

  6,501

  5,435

  6,758

  34,846

  1981–82

  5,776

  7,557

  6,003

  6,417

  6,192

  7,736

  39,681

  1982–83

  5,603

  5,888

  4,845

  7,266

  6,191

  7,200

  36,993

  1983–84

  6,581

  8,745

  5,940

  8,248

  7,552

  7,542

  44,608

  1984–85

  6,863

  8,362

  5,768

  10,336

  8,915

  8,845

  49,089

  1985–86

  6,948

  8,084

  6,009

  10,711

  9,358

  9,889

  50,999

  1986–87

  6,194

  8,471

  6,027

  7,969

  8,819

  8,370

  45,850

  1987–88

  6,195

  9,217

  5,404

  7,813

  9,166

  8,605

  46,400

  1988–89

  6,275

  9,583

  6,261

  8,477

  9,298

  9,541

  49,435

  1989–90

  7,272

  11,044

  7,019

  9,015

  10,438

  10,739

  55,527

  1990–91

  7,792

  11,142

  7,734

  10,259

  10,903

  12,101

  59,931

  1991–92

  7,350

  11,195

  7,727

  9,842

  10,465

  11,398

  57,977

  1992–93

  7,815

  10,993

  8,065

  10,162

  10,345

  12,513

  59,893

  11993–94

  7,368

  11,198

  7,834

  10,255

  10,411

  13,194

  60,260

  1 Provisional figures.

  Housing
  Mr. McGrady
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many houses were constructed by the Housing Executive between 1 April 1984 and 31 March 1994; what were the locations of these developments; and, of these, how many are still in public ownership.

  Mr. Tim Smith
  This is a matter for the Northern Ireland Housing Executive. I have been advised by the chief executive that information on the location of houses constructed between 1 April 1984 and 31 March 1994 is available by Housing Executive region and is as follows:—

  Number of houses constructed

  Region

  Number

  Belfast

  8,254

  North-East

  1,079

  North-West1

  2,224

  West1

  1,518

  South

  1,314

  South-East

  3,543

  TOTAL

  17,932

  1 On 1 April 1990, Coleraine District transferred from North-West to North-East Region and the remainder of North-West Region amalgamated with West Region.

  The number of these specific houses that are still in public ownership is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. McGrady
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many houses have been constructed under the co-ownership housing scheme between 1 April 1984 and 31 March 1994; and what were the locations of these developments.

  Mr. Tim Smith
  The Northern Ireland Co-ownership Housing Association, which operates the co-ownership scheme, does not construct or commission the construction of houses. People interested in the scheme select the house they wish to purchase, either newly built or second hand, from the open market. Between 1 April 1984 and 31 March 1994 the association has purchased 8,976 houses, distributed as follows:
  570

  Council area

  New-build

  Existing property

  Total participants

  Derry

  524

  82

  606

  Limavady

  91

  32

  123

  Coleraine

  275

  111

  386

  Ballymoney

  90

  23

  113

  Moyle

  40

  7

  47

  Larne

  65

  39

  104

  Ballymena

  131

  16

  147

  Magherafelt

  183

  36

  219

  Cookstown

  142

  41

  183

  Strabane

  95

  17

  112

  Omagh

  161

  18

  179

  Fermanagh

  157

  19

  176

  Dungannon

  125

  7

  132

  Craigavon

  524

  133

  657

  Armagh

  110

  17

  127

  Newry and Mourne

  274

  51

  325

  Banbridge

  121

  37

  158

  Down

  303

  87

  390

  Lisburn

  587

  299

  886

  Antrim

  186

  55

  241

  Newtownabbey

  310

  200

  510

  Carrickfergus

  270

  100

  370

  North Down

  653

  382

  1,035

  Newtownards

  276

  134

  410

  Castlereagh

  297

  105

  402

  Belfast

  471

  467

  938

  TOTAL

  6,461

  2,515

  8,976

  Mr. McGrady
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) how much was allocated to each regional division of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive in each year from 1 April 1984 to 31 March 1994;

  (2) how much has been allocated to each regional division of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive in the 1993–94 financial year; and how much is to be allocated to each district office in the 1994–95 financial year.

  Mr. Ancram
  These are matters for the Northern Ireland Housing Executive. I am advised by its chief executive that the information is not available in the form requested. Expenditure by region for the years requested over the main expenditure blocks was as follows:—
  571

  Expenditure by regional division (£
  million)1

  Year

  North East

  South East

  West3

  South

  Belfast

  1984–85

  41·251

  42·710

  62·949

  35·242

  109·587

  1985–86

  37·130

  45·546

  66·075

  38·301

  112·928

  1986–87

  35·905

  47·694

  62·313

  33·957

  95·482

  1987–88

  39·097

  44·507

  60·102

  34·678

  95·770

  1988–89

  41·641

  49·095

  62·764

  36·269

  89·789

  1989–90

  44·415

  51·355

  63·349

  35·795

  82·017

  1990–912

  44·275

  46·524

  64·131

  37·536

  77·315

  1991–922

  53·409

  51·659

  58·044

  36·328

  74·575

  1992–932

  54·724

  50·885

  62·437

  37·592

  77·631

  1993–942

  56·940

  51·678

  69·001

  42·028

  69·891

  TOTAL

  448·787

  481·653

  631·165

  367·726

  884·985

  1 Comprises expenditure on new housebuilding, land and property acquisition, improvement work, office accommodation and equipment, maintenance, supervision and management and grants to the private sector. Loan charges, headquarters administrations and other costs not allocated to the regions are excluded.

  2 Includes figures for miscellaneous expenditure, such as insurance and write-offs, which are only available by Region from 1990–91.

  3 The figures for West region include those for the former North West region which was subsumed on 1 April 1991, with the exception of the Coleraine district which transferred to the North East region.

  Information on the allocations to district offices for 1994–95 is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. McGrady
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many houses have been constructed by housing associations between 1 April 1984 and 31 March 1994; and what were the locations of these developments.

  Mr. Tim Smith
  Between 1 April 1984 and 31 March 1994, registered housing associations in Northern Ireland completed 6,599 new-build houses, flats and bungalows. This figure includes 30 hostels for special needs groups, each recorded as a single dwelling and 108 sheltered dwellings built by the Housing Executive but transferred on completion to housing associations.

  A schedule of the 314 locations of these developments has been placed in the Library.

  Education Reforms
  Mr. McGrady
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the cost of introducing educational reforms under the Education Reform (Northern Ireland) Order 1989 between 1 April 1990 and 31 March 1994.

  Mr. Ancram
  From April 1990 to April 1994 some £136 million additional resources have been made available for the implementation of the reform programme. These resources have been applied, on top of targeted baseline provision, to a number of areas, in broad terms the main ones being curriculum development, assessment and support—£67 million—the introduction of local management of schools and colleges—£16 million—and the accommodation and equipment needs of schools—£50 million. It is not, however, possible to identify expenditure due solely to the changes introduced in the 1989 Order.

  Mr. McGrady
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the cost of introducing assessment arrangements as part of the education reforms for(a) 1992–93 and (b) 1993–94.

  Mr. Ancram
  The cost of introducing assessment arrangements as part of education reform is £2.50 million in 1992–93 and £2.63 million in 1993–94. These figures do not include in-service training costs incurred by education and library boards; this information is not held centrally.

  Orthopaedic Operations
  Mr. McGrady
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people are on the waiting list for orthopaedic operations; how long they have been on the waiting list; and what is the expected date for their operation.

  Mr. Ancram
  The number of people and the length of time for which they have been waiting for treatment in the trauma and orthopaedic speciality at 31 December 1993, the latest date for which information is available, is set out in the table:

  Waiting times (months)

  Ordinary Admissions

  Day Cases

  Total

  0–2

  847

  215

  1,062

  3–5

  564

  165

  729

  6–8

  501

  115

  616

  9–11

  374

  69

  443

  12–14

  242

  63

  305

  15–17

  211

  61

  272

  18–20

  134

  45

  179

  21–23

  139

  23

  162

  24+

  178

  9

  187

  Totals

  3,190

  765

  3,955

  With regard to the final part of the question about expected dates for the above patients' operations, this information is not held centrally.

  Mr. McGrady
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what financial amounts have been allocated to orthopaedic surgery in Northern Ireland from 1 April 1980 to 31 March 1994 under(a) PARR and (b) capitation funding; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Ancram
  None. Capitation funding, like its predecessor PARR, is not a mechanism for distributing resources for specific services. It is a means of allocating total revenue resources to the four health and social services boards which, in the light of perceived need, other competing service demands and the amount of resources available, then determine the amount to spend on specific services such as orthopaedic.

  Information about the amount spent on orthopaedic surgery in Northern Ireland from 1 April 1980 to 31 March 1994 is not available centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Asthma
  Mr. McGrady
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is his policy in respect of community care grants and loans from the social fund for specialised furnishings for those who suffer from asthma; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Ancram
  Every application for a grant or loan from the social fund is decided on its merits. There are no special arrangements for sufferers from asthma or any other illness.

  Arthur Andersen
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on progress in the Department's civil action against Arthur Andersen in the New York courts.

  Mr. Tim Smith
  The Department continues to pursue its civil action against Arthur Andersen and Co., former auditors of De Lorean Motor Cars Ltd. No date has been set yet for the trial, but it is expected that the pre-trial procedures should be completed by September 1994.

  Deer (Tuberculosis)
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list, by region, the number of cases of tuberculosis in deer in each year since 1985.

  Mr. Ancram
  In Northern Ireland bovine tuberculosis has been detected in deer in one case in 1991 and four cases in 1992.

  School Leavers
  Mr. McGrady
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what new measures he will introduce to reduce the number of school leavers with no qualifications; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Ancram
  The proportion of Northern Ireland school leavers with no qualifications has fallen steadily from a figure of 17.7 per cent. in 1986–87 to 7.4 per cent. in 1991–92. Pupils potentially in this category will continue to benefit from a range of education reform initiatives and from additional resources allocated through the targeting social needs policy and making Belfast work initiative. Consideration is also being given to targeting selected schools undertaking development plans to address the problem of under-achievement.

  Economic Development
  Mr. McGrady
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will ensure that a comprehensive review and progress report is issued annually covering all agencies involved in economic development and their activities, following the economic assessment by the Northern Ireland Economic Council.

  Mr. Tim Smith
  I am considering the Northern Ireland Economic Council's recommendation. Before deciding, I need to be sure that such a document would bring benefits over and above the considerable amount of material already published in the agencies' own annual reports.

  Tree Planting
  Mr. Beggs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the present policy of the Forest Service Department of Agriculture, Northern Ireland in respect of planting in proximity to public roads.

  Mr. Ancram
  The general policy of the Forest Service is to keep planting back 10 to 20 m from the edge of a public road. The average distance would be about 15 m.

  Sea Fish Licence Tribunal
  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what arrangements are in place for the setting up of appeals tribunals under the Sea Fisheries (Conservation) Act 1992; and how many departmental officials and staff were engaged in work related to the setting up of these tribunals on 1 April.

  Mr. Ancram
  Work on the sea fish licence tribunal has been suspended, and no staff were engaged on this work on 1 April 1994.

  Fish Conservation
  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on how many occasions since the decision in December 1993 to suspend the operation of the Sea Fisheries (Conservation) Act 1992 pending a decision of the European Court of Justice he or other Ministers have met representatives of the Northern Ireland fishing industry to discuss alternative conservation strategies; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Ancram
  My noble Friend has met representatives of the Northern Ireland Fishing Industry on two occasions since 14 December 1993. The National Federation of Fishermen's Organisation's technical conservation proposals included input from the Northern Ireland fishing industry. Officials from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland met the NFFO and representatives of the Northern Ireland industry on 8 March to examine their proposals in detail.

  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what expenditure has been incurred by his Department(a) up to 31 December 1993 and (b) since 1 January 1994 in making preparations, including the purchase of equipment, for the implementation of the Sea Fisheries (Conservation) Act 1992.

  Mr. Ancram
  The estimated cost for Northern Ireland of preparing for the introduction of fisherman's days at sea restrictions is £76,500 up to 31 December 1993. No equipment was purchased. No costs have been incurred since 1 January 1994 on such preparations.

  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what amount of computer hardware and software has been purchased by his Department for the purposes or implementing the provisions of the Sea Fisheries (Conservation) Act 1992.

  Mr. Ancram
  None.

  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many officials of his Department
  575
  were engaged in work related to the implementation of the Sea Fisheries (Conservation) Act 1992 on 31 December 1993; and how many officials continue to be engaged in work related to the implementation of this Act.

  Mr. Ancram
  At the beginning of December 1993 four officials were responsible for assessing fishermen's representations against their provisional days at sea allocations; they have all been redeployed.

  Privatisation (Consultants)
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will estimate the cost of employing consultants in connection with privatisation programmes in which his Department has been engaged since 1980.

  Sir John Wheeler
  The information requested is not available in the Northern Ireland Office nor in all of the Northern Ireland Departments prior to 1989. However, from April 1989 to March 1994 the cost of employing consultants in connection with privatisation programmes in the Northern Ireland Office and Northern Ireland Departments was £13·4 million.

  Military Complaints
  Mr. Maginnis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he intends to lay before Parliament Mr. David Hewitt's annual report as independent assessor of military complaints procedures.

  Sir Patrick Mayhew
  I have today arranged for David Hewitt's first annual report as independent assessor of military complaints procedures to be laid before each House of Parliament. I welcome this thorough report, which represents a comprehensive examination of the complaints procedures which the Army now have in place in Northern Ireland.

  I particularly welcome Mr. Hewitt's comment that
  "I would be fairly certain that no other armed force in the world has quite as detailed complaints procedures as those devised for military personnel in Northern Ireland".

  This illustrates the importance which the Army attaches to its relations with the community in Northern Ireland.

  There may, of course, be scope for yet further improvement to the procedures and I look forward to hearing the views of the General Officer Commanding Northern Ireland on Mr. Hewitt's comments, questions and recommendations.

  The Government fully recognise that the emergency legislation provides the armed forces with additional powers, vital in countering the terrorist campaign, although it gives them no privileges. These powers must be exercised with sensitivity and due regard to the rights of individuals, as the Army's authorities have satisfied Mr. Hewitt that they themselves recognise. The independent assessor provides valuable assistance in ensuring that, where the highest standards are not met, appropriate and effective procedures are in place to enable and help the individual in seeking redress.

  I am most grateful to Mr. Hewitt for his work throughout the past year. His report will receive careful and detailed consideration.

  Social Security Agency
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what performance targets have been set for the Social Security Agency for the current financial year.

  Mr. Ancram
  The targets are included in the agency's 1994–95 business plan, which was published today. A copy of the plan will be placed in the Library. The targets are in line with the Government's policy of improving the service provided to customers and fully support the standards established in the Northern Ireland citizens charter. I am satisfied that the targets present a demanding challenge for the agency. They are as follows:

  Benefit Clearance Times1

  Social Fund Crisis Loans
  on the day need arises2

  Social Fund Community Grants

  65 per cent. in 7 days

  95 per cent. in 20 days

  Income Support

  71 per cent. in 5 days

  90 per cent. in 13 days

  Sickness/Invalidity Benefit

  65 per cent. in 10 days

  95 per cent. in 30 days

  Child Benefit

  73 per cent. in 10 days

  95 per cent. in 30 days

  Family Credit

  60 per cent. in 13 days

  95 per cent. in 42 days

  Disability Living Allowance

  68 per cent. in 30 days

  85 per cent. in 53 days

  Retirement Pension

  65 per cent. in 20 days

  95 per cent. in 60 days

  Unemployment Benefit
  6·5 days

  Benefit Accuracy Income Support
  to pay the correct amount in at least 92 per cent. of cases

  Sickness/Invalidity Benefit
  to pay the correct amount in at least 97 per cent. of cases

  Child Benefit
  to pay the correct amount in at least 98 per cent. of cases

  Family Credit
  to pay the correct amount in at least 93 per cent. of cases

  Disability Living allowance
  to pay the correct amount in at least 98 per cent. of cases

  Retirement Pension
  to pay the correct amount in at least 99 per cent. of cases

  Unemployment Benefit
  to pay the correct amount in at least 96·5 per cent. of cases

  Customer Satisfaction
  90 per cent. of customers to regard the Agency' service as satisfactory or better

  Financial Recovery

  recovery of Social Fund loans—£17·24 million

  recovery of Income Support overpayments—£1·40 million

  recovery of centralised benefits overpayments—£0·40 million

  benefit savings from detection and prevention of fraud£11·50·million

  to carry out 5,100 National Insurance contributions surveys (including 1,020 employer educational visits)

  identify £1·10 million Class 1 arrears as a result of compliance work

  Resource Management

  to live within a gross allocation of £29·80 million for Social Fund loans and community care grants

  to live within the Agency's gross administration budget of £130·0 million, of which £126·5 million relates to running costs

  to achieve cash efficiency savings of the order of £3·0 million

  577
  Notes:

  1. In all cases, clearance time is measured from the date of receipt of a claim or application in the office to the date on which the claim or application is decided. The measure, therefore, excludes the time taken to issue notification of the decision and any payment.

  2. Monitored against '95 per cent. in 1 day'.

  Security Firms
  Mr. George
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many private security firms have been employed by his Department for each of the last 10 years; what has been the annual value of the contracts; and if he will estimate how many guards have been employed for each of those years.

  Sir John Wheeler
  Details of private security firms employed by the Northern Ireland Office and Northern Ireland Departments over the period 1991–92 to 1993–94 are as follows:

  Number of firms

  Annual value £000s

  Number of guards

  1991–92

  15

  1,796·7

  183

  1992–93

  18

  2,050·6

  163

  1993–94

  18

  1,946·8

  173

  For the details of all contracts for each financial year from 1984–85 to 1990–91, I refer the hon. Member to the reply he was given on 22 October 1991, Official Report, column 552.

EDUCATION

  Grant-maintained Schools
  Mrs. Ann Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what was the total number of(a) parents eligible to vote, (b) parents who have voted in favour of seeking grant-maintained status and (c) parents who have voted against seeking grant-maintained status in all the ballots so far held on grant-maintained status.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  In ballots on grant-maintained status held so far, 1,324,995 parents were eligible to vote: 544,170 parents voted in favour, and 306,296 parents voted against.

  Mrs. Ann Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what percentage of(a) primary and (b) secondary pupils within each local education authority area are being educated in grant-maintained schools.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  The following table shows the estimated percentages of pupils at maintained primary and secondary schools who are currently being educated in grant-maintained schools within each local education authority area in England.

  Estimated percentages of pupils educated in grant-maintained
  schools in each LEA area

  LEA

  Primary Per cent.

  Secondary Per cent.

  Avon

  0·0

  2·9

  Barking

  0·0

  0·0

  Barnet

  3·3

  53·4

  Barnsley

  0·0

  0·0

  Bedfordshire

  1·5

  19·6

  578

  LEA

  Primary Per cent

  Secondary Per cent.

  Berkshire

  3·7

  16·0

  Bexley

  3·5

  24·9

  Birmingham

  1·6

  23·0

  Bolton

  1·3

  16·6

  Bradford

  1·3

  11·1

  Brent

  4·5

  75·7

  Bromley

  5·6

  68·0

  Buckinghamshire

  3·5

  27·3

  Bury

  1·3

  0·0

  Calderdale

  3·3

  48·3

  Cambridgeshire

  3·3

  37·5

  Camden

  0·0

  22·3

  Cheshire

  0·5

  3·8

  Cleveland

  0·0

  0·0

  Cornwall

  0·0

  0·0

  Corporation of London

  0·0

  0·0

  Coventry

  0·0

  0·0

  Croydon

  3·2

  40·5

  Cumbria

  5·5

  34·6

  Derbyshire

  2·0

  26·8

  Devon

  0·4

  8·0

  Doncaster

  0·0

  0·0

  Dorset

  0·9

  23·6

  Dudley

  1·4

  25·4

  Durham

  0·0

  0·0

  Ealing

  4·4

  44·6

  East Sussex

  0·0

  0·0

  Enfield

  0·6

  32·1

  Essex

  15·4

  69·7

  Gateshead

  0·0

  0·0

  Gloucestershire

  6·6

  66·2

  Greenwich

  1·1

  0·0

  Hackney

  0·5

  0·0

  Hammersmith

  0·0

  20·6

  Hampshire

  3·0

  20·7

  Haringey

  0·0

  0·0

  Harrow

  0·0

  6·1

  Havering

  0·0

  25·7

  Hereford and Worcester

  0·0

  7·6

  Hertfordshire

  1·9

  30·7

  Hillingdon

  13·3

  83·6

  Hounslow

  0·0

  15·0

  Humberside

  0·3

  0·0

  Isle of Wight

  0·0

  0·0

  Isles of Scilly

  0·0

  0·0

  Islington

  0·0

  0·0

  Kensington and Chelsea

  8·4

  19·6

  Kent

  3·9

  50·8

  Kingston upon Thames

  1·8

  37·6

  Kirklees

  0·0

  5·1

  Knowsley

  0·0

  8·0

  Lambeth

  6·6

  53·0

  Lancashire

  0·4

  8·0

  Leeds

  0·1

  2·6

  Leicestershire

  0·0

  5·5

  Lewisham

  1·8

  0·0

  Lincolnshire

  12·7

  44·2

  Liverpool

  0·0

  7·6

  Manchester

  0·0

  0·0

  Merton

  0·0

  0·0

  Newcastle upon Tyne

  0·0

  0·0

  Newham

  0·0

  4·1

  Norfolk

  4·2

  21·4

  North Tyneside

  0·0

  1·5

  North Yorkshire

  0·0

  0·0

  Northamptonshire

  6·1

  20·7

  Northumberland

  0·0

  2·2

  Nottinghamshire

  0·0

  2·9

  Oldham

  0·0

  0·0

  Oxfordshire

  0·2

  0·0

  Redbridge

  0·0

  7·4

  Richmond upon Thames

  0·0

  0·0

  Rochdale

  5·2

  8·3

  Rotherham

  0·0

  0·0

  Salford

  0·0

  3·6

  Sandwell

  0·0

  3·7

  Sefton

  0·0

  0·0

  579

  LEA

  Primary Per cent.

  Secondary Per cent.

  Sheffield

  2·2

  7·1

  Shropshire

  0·9

  14·3

  Solihull

  2·3

  0·0

  Somerset

  1·1

  1·4

  South Tyneside

  0·0

  0·0

  Southwark

  6·0

  30·3

  St· Helens

  0·0

  0·0

  Staffordshire

  0·1

  6·3

  Stockport

  0·0

  0·0

  Suffolk

  0·0

  0·0

  Sunderland

  0·0

  0·0

  Surrey

  4·2

  25·5

  Sutton

  6·2

  59·6

  Tameside

  0·0

  18·1

  Tower Hamlets

  0·0

  7·8

  Trafford

  0·0

  25·4

  Wakefield

  0·0

  0·0

  Walsall

  2·0

  29·0

  Waltham Forest

  0·0

  17·3

  Wandsworth

  3·0

  72·8

  Warwickshire

  0·0

  18·9

  West Sussex

  0·0

  0·0

  Schools incorporated as grant-maintained on 1 April
  1994

  School

  Ballot closed

  Proposals published

  1Approval

  All Saints' CE Primary School

  28 June 1993

  30 August 1993

  11 January 1994

  Askam Primary School

  14 May 1993

  18 June 1993

  7 December 1993

  Bishop Wordsworth's Grammar School

  21 September 1993

  21 October 1993

  2 March 1994

  Brighouse High School

  20 December 1993

  30 December 1993

  25 March 1994

  Burstow Primary School (GM)

  14 July 1993

  14 September 1993

  20 December 1993

  Caldew School

  24 December 1993

  30 December 1993

  30 March 1994

  Charlton Kings GM Infants' School

  12 July 1993

  6 October 1993

  17 January 1994

  Charlton Kings Grant-Maintained Junior School

  17 May 1993

  22 June 1993

  10 November 1993

  Chase Lane Primary Grant-Maintained School

  30 June 1993

  23 July 1993

  14 January 1994

  Collingwood Primary School

  19 July 1993

  1 October 1993

  31 January 1994

  Colmers Farm Grant-Maintained School

  14 July 1993

  18 November 1993

  1 March 1994

  Coloma Convent Girls' School

  14 May 1993

  23 June 1993

  10 December 1993

  Coulsdon High School (formerly Taunton Manor)

  10 June 1993

  30 July 1993

  10 November 1993

  Cuffley Primary School

  7 July 1993

  6 August 1993

  10 December 1993

  Dane Court Grammar School

  8 November 1993

  26 November 1993

  18 March 1994

  Dearham Grant-Maintained Primary School

  26 May 1993

  22 September 1993

  14 December 1993

  Dover Grammar School for Boys

  23 June 1993

  8 November 1993

  9 March 1994

  Flookburgh (CE GM) Primary School

  9 June 1993

  30 June 1993

  27 September 1993

  Foxhill First School

  18 August 1993

  11 October 1993

  25 January 1994

  Frogwell Primary School (GM)

  9 June 1993

  16 September 1993

  15 December 1993

  Gilsland CE Primary School (GM)

  5 July 1993

  15 December 1993

  30 March 1994

  Great Marlow School (GM)

  7 June 1993

  1 November 1993

  1 February 1994

  Grimoldby Grant-Maintained Primary School

  9 June 1993

  21 July 1993

  29 November 1993

  Hallbankgate (Grant-Maintained Primary School)

  24 November 1993

  30 November 1993

  30 March 1994

  Hardenhuish School

  25 June 1993

  1 December 1993

  17 March 1994

  Hartsholme Primary Grant-Maintained School

  20 March 1993

  1 July 1993

  26 November 1993

  Hasmonean High School

  7 July 1993

  31 August 1993

  22 March 1994

  Hawksmoor Primary School

  18 March 1993

  4 May 1993

  28 March 1994

  Heversham CE Primary School

  28 June 1993

  22 October 1993

  23 February 1994

  Heybridge Primary School (GM)

  25 June 1993

  1 October 1993

  14 December 1993

  Heywood School (GM)

  1 December 1993

  2 December 1993

  3 March 1994

  Hipperholme and Lightcliffe High School

  14 June 1993

  16 August 1993

  15 December 1993

  Hockley Primary School (GM)

  4 June 1993

  15 July 1993

  23 December 1993

  Holy Rood Junior School

  17 December 1993

  21 December 1993

  17 March 1993

  Horton Kirby CE Primary School

  30 June 1993

  13 September 1993

  23 December 1993

  Hurstmere School

  8 December 1993

  14 December 1993

  21 March 1994

  Ireleth St· Peter's CE GM Primary School

  28 June 1993

  27 September 1993

  31 January 1994

  John Kelly Boys' Community School (GM)

  12 November 1993

  17 December 1993

  17 March 1994

  John Kelly Girls' School

  12 November 1993

  13 December 1993

  17 March 1994

  Kemnal Technology College

  27 October 1993

  1 November 1993

  17 February 1994

  Kenningtons Grant-Maintained Primary School

  25 February 1993

  23 July 1993

  9 February 1994

  Lawford CE Primary School (GM)

  14 June 1993

  31 July 1993

  20 December 1993

  Little Heath Primary School

  21 October 1993

  19 November 1993

  7 March 1994

  Maidenhill School

  10 May 1993

  5 November 193

  23 February 1994

  Malorees Junior School

  3 December 1993

  23 December 1993

  30 March 1994

  Manor Park (Grant-Maintained) Primary School

  28 October 1993

  18 November 1993

  15 February 1994

  Matravers School (GM)

  28 June 1993

  20 September 1993

  28 March 1994

  Mersea Island School

  3 December 1993

  17 December 1993

  29 March 1994

  Nettleham Infants Grant-Maintained School

  29 November 1993

  15 December 1993

  24 March 1994

  Norbury Manor High School for Girls

  15 December 1993

  20 December 1993

  14 March 1994

  North West London Jewish Day School

  22 November 1993

  24 November 1993

  23 March 1994

  580

  LEA

  Primary Per cent.

  Secondary Per cent.

  Westminster

  0·0

  0·0

  Wigan

  0·0

  0·0

  Wiltshire

  6·2

  39·2

  Wirral

  0·0

  9·8

  Wolverhampton

  0·0

  14·9

  Note

  Percentages based on DFE January 1993 Schools Census, including all pupils in maintained primary and secondary schools, except part-time pupils in grant-maintained schools.

  Mrs. Ann Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what was the closing date of the ballot for each of the schools which became grant-maintained on 1 April; on what date the proposals were published; and on what date his approval was notified to(a) the school and (b) the local education authority.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  The information requested is set out in the table:
  581

  School

  Ballot closed

  Proposals published

  1Approval

  Northaw CE Primary School

  19 July 1993

  18 October 1993

  17 March 1994

  Northmead School, Guildford (GM Junior)

  25 June 1993

  8 October 1993

  18 March 1994

  Our Lady of Hartley RC Primary School

  25 October 1993

  16 November 1993

  22 March 1994

  Our Lady of Victories Grant-Maintained School

  7 July 1993

  4 October 1993

  3 February 1994

  Park Mead Grant Maintained Junior School

  22 November 1993

  24 November 1993

  8 March 1994

  Paxcroft Primary School

  11 June 1993

  14 September 1993

  14 March 1994

  Pent Valley School

  26 March 1993

  28 September 1993

  1 March 1994

  Poole Grammar School

  22 October 1993

  26 October 1993

  1 March 1994

  Primrose Hill CE GM Primary School

  22 December 1993

  23 December 1993

  17 March 1994

  Prince Avenue Primary School (GM)

  25 October 1993

  17 November 1993

  14 February 1994

  Queen Elizabeth School

  31 May 1993

  13 October 1993

  10 February 1994

  R. A. Butler Infant School (Grant-Maintained)

  18 October 1993

  12 November 1993

  27 January 1994

  R. A. Butler Junior School (Grant-Maintained)

  18 October 1993

  12 November 1993

  27 January 1994

  Rollesby First School (Grant-Maintained)

  28 May 1993

  25 June 1993

  9 December 1993

  Russell Hall First School

  21 July 1993

  1 October 1993

  25 January 1994

  Shenfield High School

  1 November 1993

  22 November 1993

  18 February 1994

  St. Anne's Convent School

  20 December 1993

  22 December 1993

  25 March 1994

  St. Benedict's College

  9 July 1993

  4 November 1993

  10 February 1994

  St. Bernard's High School

  29 March 1993

  23 July 1993

  25 January 1994

  St. Clement Danes Grant-Maintained School

  7 June 1993

  1 September 1993

  24 March 1994

  St. Francis CE Junior and Infant School

  17 May 1993

  16 November 1993

  18 February 1994

  St. George's RC GM Primary School

  28 June 1993

  6 October 1993

  2 February 1994

  St. Helen's RC Infant School (Grant-Maintained)

  25 May 1993

  19 July 1993

  11 February 1994

  St. Helen's RC Junior School (Grant-Maintained)

  26 May 1993

  19 July 1993

  6 December 1993

  St. John Fisher RC GM Primary School

  28 June 1993

  30 September 1993

  22 March 1994

  St. John's CE Primary School, Clifton (GM)

  15 November 1993

  10 December 1993

  18 March 1994

  St. John's RC GM Comprehensive School

  25 October 1993

  6 December 1993

  18 March 1994

  St. John's CE Primary School

  21 April 1993

  30 June 1993

  21 October 1993

  St. Mary's Catholic Grant-Maintained School

  29 November 1993

  11 January 1994

  22 March 1994

  St. Mary's RC Primary School

  7 June 1993

  4 October 1993

  24 January 1994

  St. Mary's RC Primary School (Grant-Maintained)

  23 June 1993

  1 December 1993

  23 March 1994

  St. Michael and All Angels CE GM Primary School

  5 April 1993

  30 September 1993

  29 March 1994

  St. Michael's CE Primary School

  22 September 1993

  30 November 1993

  18 March 1994

  St. Mildred's GM CE Primary School, Whiston

  25 September 1992

  24 February 1993

  11 January 1994

  St. Patrick's RC Primary School

  30 June 1993

  27 September 1993

  28 March 1994

  St. Peter's CE Grant Maintained School

  28 May 1993

  22 July 1993

  8 March 1994

  St. Theresa's RC Primary School

  25 May 1993

  27 October 1993

  28 March 1994

  St. Thomas's of Canterbury RC Primary School

  10 March 1993

  6 August 1993

  10 December 1993

  St. Thomas's CE Primary School

  27 October 1992

  8 October 1993

  24 March 1994

  Stella Maris RC Primary School

  22 June 1993

  5 October 1993

  20 January 1994

  The Alderman Blaxill School

  29 January 1993

  23 July 1993

  18 January 1994

  The Billericay School

  8 November 1993

  25 November 1993

  7 March 1994

  The British Grant-Maintained Primary School

  28 June 1993

  22 November 1993

  2 March 1994

  The Hertfordshire and Essex High School

  21 September 1993

  4 October 1993

  21 March 1994

  The Howard School (Grant-Maintained)

  9 April 1993

  8 October 1993

  18 February 1994

  The Sandon School

  16 June 1993

  26 August 1993

  10 January 1994

  The Thomas Willingale Grant-Maintained School

  12 July 1993

  21 October 1993

  14 February 1994

  The Walmley Grant Maintained Junior School

  10 May 1993

  18 June 1993

  6 September 1993

  The Wroxham School (G.M.)

  2 July 1993

  9 September 1993

  9 February 1994

  Thorpedene Grant-Maintained Junior School

  12 April 1993

  17 June 1993

  13 September 1993

  Tirlebrook Primary School

  7 July 1993

  27 September 1993

  26 January 1994

  Upshire Grant-Maintained Primary School

  13 October 1993

  10 December 1993

  18 March 1994

  Walmley Infant Grant-Maintained School

  10 May 1993

  18 June 1993

  6 September 1993

  Walton Grant-Maintained Primary School

  11 June 1993

  1 October 1993

  11 January 1994

  Warden Hill Grant-Maintained Primary School

  23 November 1993

  1 December 1993

  22 March 1994

  Wellfield Middle School (Grant-Maintained)

  19 March 1993

  30 June 1993

  31 March 1994

  Whitecross School (Grant-Maintained)

  29 November 1993

  17 December 1993

  25 March 1994

  William Howard School

  24 November 1993

  3 December 1993

  22 March 1994

  Wingfield CE Primary School

  21 July 1993

  19 November 1993

  15 March 1994

  Winterton First School (Grant-Maintained)

  11 June 1993

  25 June 1993

  18 November 1993

  Wyburns Primary School (Grant-Maintained)

  2 July 1993

  18 October 1993

  26 January 1994

  1 The approval date shown is the date at which the school was notified. In most cases the local education authority would have been informed on the same day. In some cases schools were given earlier notification that the Secretary of State was minded to approve the proposals subject to certain modifications.

  Mr. Jamieson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will list the grant-maintained schools that have a policy of admitting the children of their teachers irrespective of those children meeting the other admission criteria.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  This information is not collected centrally. Circular 6/93—"Admissions to Maintained Schools"—notes that the admission arrangements of a582
  school may provide that, if it is over-subscribed, priority will be given to children whose parents work at the school. This applies to schools maintained by LEAs, including voluntary aided schools, as well as to grant-maintained schools.

  Mrs. Ann Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) which grant-maintained schools received details of their final annual maintenance grants for 1994–95
  583
  and on what date; and, for each, what is the level of (a) direct AMG, (b) central AMG and (c) the value of (b) as a percentage of (a);

  (2) which grant-maintained schools have not received notification of their final annual maintenance grants.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  The calculation and notification of annual maintenance grant to grant-maintained schools are now the responsibility of the Funding Agency for Schools. I have asked the chairman of the Funding Agency to reply to the hon. Member.

  Technology Colleges
  Mrs. Ann Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what bids were submitted for initial capital grant for each of the 13 schools listed in his announcement of 26 April; what allocations have been made; and what level and nature of additional annual funding has been agreed.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  The schools listed in the announcement have been invited to submit a bid for a capital project which involves a capital grant of up to £100,000. Accordingly, no allocations have yet been made. Additional annual funding for each of the schools in financial year 1994–95 will be at the rate of £60 per pupil, for the purposes of support, equipment and training for the teaching of technology, science and mathematics.

  Mrs. Ann Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much of each sponsor's contribution for each of the 13 schools listed in his announcement of 26 April, is in the form of(a) cash, (b) goods and (c) services; and whether the value of each of (b) and (c) is based on the retail or normal commercial value or the cost to the sponsor.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  The value and nature of sponsorship pledged by the main sponsors for each of the 13 technology colleges is listed in the table. Information on the retail or normal commercial value of goods and services and the cost to the sponsor is commercially confidential.

  School/sponsor

  Value £000s

  Nature of sponsorship

  Applemore Technology School

  The Garfield Weston Foundation

  50

  cash

  2GL

  10

  goods

  Clifton Red Consultants

  20

  goods

  International Speciality Chemicals

  10

  cash

  Vosper Thornycroft (UK)

  10

  cash

  Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School

  The Stanley Kalms Foundation

  50

  cash

  Systems Integrated Research

  15

  cash and goods

  Testornetric

  10

  goods

  Greenwood Coope Ltd

  10

  cash

  Unilab

  5

  cash

  Denefield School

  DHL Worldwide Express

  65

  cash and goods

  Database and Apricot Computers

  20

  cash and goods

  Thames Water PLC

  13

  cash and goods

  John Kelly Boys Community School

  The Bestway Group

  60

  cash

  Unisys

  40

  goods and services

  John Kelly Girls Community School

  The Bestway Group

  60

  cash

  Unisys

  40

  goods and services

  584

  School/sponsor

  Value £000s

  Nature of sponsorship

  Lancaster Royal Grammar School

  Fairfield Catering Company Ltd

  15

  cash

  Clifton Reed Consultants

  5

  cash

  LRGS Endowment Trustees

  100

  cash

  Mill Hill County High School

  The Garfield Weston Foundation

  50

  cash

  Database and Apricot Computers

  20

  cash and goods

  Chartwells

  25

  cash

  Thorpe Furniture

  5

  cash

  The Philip Morant School

  The Garfield Weston Foundation

  50

  cash

  Research Machines

  24

  cash and goods

  Architects Joint Partnership

  5

  cash

  Woods of Colchester

  1.5

  cash

  Midland Bank

  1.5

  cash

  Rastrick High School

  The Stanley Kalms Foundation

  50

  cash

  Denford Machine Tools

  40

  goods

  Clifton Reed Consultants

  5

  cash

  Fine Arts Productions

  2.5

  cash

  Concept Merchandising

  1

  cash

  Ravens Wood School for Boys

  ICL

  33

  cash and goods

  NYNEX Cablecomms

  2.5

  cash

  SIR (software)

  6.5

  goods

  Diamik

  6.5

  goods

  The Wellcome Foundation Ltd

  2.5

  cash

  Parent/Teacher Association

  24

  cash

  Sale Moor School

  The Alliance Family Foundation

  100

  cash

  Senacre Technology School

  Research Machines

  26.5

  goods

  Mikrodaisy International

  13

  goods

  Active Images

  20

  goods

  RICOH

  12

  goods

  Russell and Brand

  4

  cash

  Charles Walter Ltd

  6.5

  cash

  Architects Joint Partnership

  6.5

  cash

  Small Heath School

  Garfield Weston Foundation

  50

  cash

  W. Canning Charitable Trust

  6

  cash

  GTI Educational Systems

  16.5

  cash

  Rialtech Ltd

  12.5

  cash

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

  Mr. Robin Squire
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave to the hon. Member on 14 March 1994,Official Report, column 530. Recruitment at age 11 is over-subscribed for all city technology colleges, and we expect them all to be full to capacity once the build-up phase is complete. It makes no sense to describe the position therefore as involving surplus places.

  Nursery Education
  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to his written answer of 18 April,Official Report, column 379, concerning the number of children attending pre-school activities, if he will (a) estimate the numbers attending more than one category of

  585
  provision and (b) those attending pre-school playgroups with members of the Pre-school Playgroups Association, in (i) 1993 and (ii) 1994.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  The Department does not collect information on how many children attend more than one form of pre-school provision in the course of a year, but the proportion is thought to be relatively small. I am informed by the Pre-School Playgroups Association that as at Janaury 1993 there were 771,397 children attending playgroups in membership of the Association. Data are not yet available for 1994, but the Association estimates that the total number of children attending member playgroups will be very close to the 1993 total.

  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he has taken to establish, or estimate, the level of parental demand for nursery education in all or part of(a) England and (b) Wales.
  586
  Mr. Robin Squire
  Evidence from a variety of sources suggests that most parents want some form of provision before age five, and that many wish to have a choice of provision besides state nursery education. Nursery education in Wales is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.

  Privatisation (Consultants)
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will estimate the cost of employing consultants in connection with privatisation programmes in which his Department has been engaged since 1980.

  Mr. Boswell
  The value of consultancy contracts awarded by the Department in relation to privatisation programmes since 1980 is £627,000.

  CHANNEL TUNNEL RAIL LINK, ASHFORD
  CHANNEL TUNNEL RAIL LINK, ASHFORD
  WHEELCLAMPING ON PRIVATE LAND
  WHEELCLAMPING ON PRIVATE LAND
  BRITISH COAL: LAND OWNERSHIP
  BRITISH COAL: LAND OWNERSHIP
  MEDICAL ETHICS: SELECT COMMITTEE REPORT
  MEDICAL ETHICS: SELECT COMMITTEE REPORT
  ALCOHOL UNITS
  ALCOHOL UNITS