Written Answers of 11 May 1994

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

  Internet
  Mr. David Shaw
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what plans his Department has(a) to utilise the Internet, (b) to make available on the Internet press releases and other departmental information which the public may wish to have access to and (c) to use the Internet as a means of increasing the openness of his Department.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The Lord Chancellor's Department has no plans directly to utilise the Internet. Press releases issued by my Department through the Central Office of Information are accessible through the Internet via Data-Star Dialog (Europe) and Mead/Lexis/Nexis. They are also available to subscribers to FT Profile, Reuters Textline and to Polis.

  My Department's press releases are also made available through the COI's fax retrieval service.

  Mobile Telephones and Pagers
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many(a) portable telephones, (b) pagers and electronic bleepers and (c) car telephones are currently used by his Department; what are the annual costs of operating this equipment; and to which personnel it is made available.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The numbers of portable telephone, pagers and electronic bleepers, and car telephones currently used by my Department are respectively 322, 128 and 17. The annual costs of operating this equipment are £190,000. The equipment is used by staff who are required to work away from their office on a regular basis.

  Child Witnesses
  Mr. Brandreth
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, which Crown court centres in England and Wales have live television link and video playback equipment for use in the presentation of evidence by child witnesses.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The following Crown court centres are fitted with live television link equipment and video playback equipment for use in the presentation of evidence by child witnesses:

  Birmingham (three sets)

  Hull

  Derby

  Leeds

  Grimsby

  Newcastle

  Leicester

  Sheffield

  Lincoln

  Teeside

  Northampton

  York

  Nottingham

  Carlisle

  Peterborough

  Liverpool (two sets)

  Stafford

  Manchester (two sets)

  Wolverhampton (two sets)

  Preston

  Bradford

  Central Criminal Court

  140

  Chelmsford

  Caernarfon

  Croydon (two sets)

  Cardiff (two sets)

  Guildford

  Chester

  Harrow

  Mold

  Ipswich

  Newport

  Kingston-upon-Thames

  Swansea

  Lewes

  Bristol (two sets)

  Luton

  Exeter

  Maidstone (two sets)

  Gloucester

  Norwich

  Plymouth

  Reading

  Portsmouth

  St. Albans

  Southampton

  Southwork

  Truro

  Wood Green

  Winchester (two sets)

  Woolwich

  Mr. Brandreth
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department which courts in England and Wales have child liaison officers.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  Child liaison officers are in place in all Crown court centres in England and Wales.

  Magistrates (Political Balance)
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what is the political balance of magistrates in(a) Huntingdon, (b) Norfolk and (c) Hereford, (d) Enfield, (e) Folkestone and (f) Doncaster.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The political balance of magistrates in Huntingdon, Norfolk, Hereford, Enfield, Folkestone and Doncaster on 21 February was as follows:

  Conservative

  Labour

  Liberal Democrats

  Independent/not known

  Huntingdon

  23

  9

  11

  12

  Norfolk

  258

  88

  84

  49

  Hereford City

  35

  19

  20

  14

  Enfield

  54

  15

  13

  15

  Folkestone

  28

  4

  7

  4

  Doncaster

  101

  62

  23

  6

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Immigration (Exceptional Leave to Remain)
  Mr. Gerrard
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many adjudicator's recommendations at immigration appeals have not been accepted by his Department for each year since 1988, including the current year to date; and how many of these cases concerned a recommendation of exceptional leave to remain in the United Kingdom.

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

  Prisoners
  Mr. Nicholls
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent representations he has received that those convicted of murder of prison officers and police officers should never be released from custody.

  Mr. Maclean
  I have received a number of representations to this effect. Under the present arrangements, those convicted of such murders will normally serve a minimum of 20 years in prison. Some will serve longer and some may never be released.

  AIDS (Prisons)
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases of AIDS have been reported in United Kingdom prisons in each of the past eight years; and if he will make a statement.

  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. Alex Carlile dated 11 May 1994:
  The Home Secretary has asked me to respond to your recent Question about the number of cases of AIDS that have been reported in the last eight years in prisons within the United Kingdom.
  The available information, which covers prisons in England and Wales, is as follows:

  AIDS

  HIV (including AIDS)

  1986

  1

  48

  1987

  3

  75

  1988

  3

  61

  1989

  5

  54

  1990

  7

  59

  1991

  1

  26

  1992

  5

  28

  1993

  4

  33

  TOTALS

  29

  384

  The above figures represent only those prisoners confirmed to be HIV positive or as having AIDS. There is no routine testing of prisoners within prison. Prisoners may however request a confidential HIV test for which they will receive pre and post test counselling.
  Responsibility for prisons in the rest of the United Kingdom lies with the Secretaries of State for Scotland and Northern Ireland.

  Reactivated Firearms
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information he has about shootings involving reactivated firearms.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  We are aware of 14 incidents since the beginning of 1993 involving firearms which have been identified as being previously deactivated and then reactivated to working condition. The standards to which guns are deactivated are currently under review.

  Ticket Touts
  Mr. Kilfoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has had about the need to protect legitimate traders from the activities of ticket touts.

  Mr. Maclean
  We have received a number of representations from hon. Members and others on the subject of ticket touting, including some from those involved in the organisation and promotion of theatrical, sporting, and other entertainment events.

  The Criminal Justice and Public Order Bill currently before Parliament will make the unauthorised touting of
  142
  tickets for football matches an offence because of the serious consequences such touting may have for the preservation of public order. Similar problems have not occurred at other sporting events or entertainments and the Government have no plans to make touting in general a criminal offence. However, my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade is considering making regulations under the Consumer Protection Act 1987 to ensure that those who deceive customers as to the value or type of the tickets they sell can be punished appropriately.

  Immigration Detainees
  Mr. Andrew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what grounds immigration detainees are moved from one detention centre to another or to a prison; on whose authority this is done; and what steps the Home Office takes when detainees are moved to ensure that solicitors of detainees are immediately told of their whereabouts.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  Transfers are made for a variety of reasons, including the best use of the available accommodation, proximity to ports of departure where removal has been arranged and the behaviour and any medical requirements of individual detainees.

  Detainees are transferred on the authority of an officer of at least chief immigration officer grade. The port or office responsible for the initial decision to detain informs legal representatives of any transfer as soon as practically possible.

  Prison Service
  Mr. Patrick Thompson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish the Prison Service's key targets for 1994–95.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The Prison Service's key targets for the current financial year are set out in its business plan for 1994–95, which is being published today. A copy has been placed in the Library. My right hon. and learned Friend has set the following key targets for 1994–95:

  1. To ensure that the number of escapes from prison establishments and from escorts, expressed as a percentage of the average prison population, is fewer than in 1993–94.

  2. To reverse, over the period 1993–96, the rising trend of assaults on staff, prisoners and others, expressed as a percentage of the average prison population.

  3. To ensure that in 1994–95 the average number of prisoners held three to a cell in accommodation which is intended for one prisoner is fewer than in 1993–94, subject to ensuring that no prisoners are held in police cells unless this is absolutely unavoidable.

  4. To provide 24 hour access to sanitation in at least 3,500 more cells, including new and renovated accommodation, thus ensuring that at least 95 per cent. of prisoners have access to sanitation at all times.

  5. To ensure that prisoners spend, on average, at least 25.5 per hours per week in purposeful activity.

  6. To ensure that by 31 March 1995 at least 36 per cent. of prisoners are held in establishments where prisoners are unlocked on weekdays for at least 12 hours.

  7. To ensure that all prisoners have the opportunity to exceed the minimum visiting entitlement throughout 1994–95.

  8. To ensure that the average cost per prisoner place (including places temporarily out of use) does not exceed £24,500.

  Police Negotiating Board
  Mr. Hawkins
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what decisions the Government have reached on the recommendations made by the Police Negotiating Board for changes to pay structures, pay levels, overtime and allowances for the police service.

  Mr. Michael Howard
  I received the Police Negotiating Board's recommendations at the beginning of April and the Secretaries of State for the Home Departments have considered them carefully. The recommendations included proposals for constables and sergeants, inspectors, superintendents and chief officer ranks. We accept the board's recommendations for constables and sergeants: these will be implemented with effect from 1 September.

  The board has now put forward further proposals which take account of the decision which I announced on 26 April that the rank of chief inspector should be retained. We are now studying these proposals and looking again at those for the more senior ranks in the light of them. I hope to announce shortly decisions in relation to the ranks of inspector and above.

TREASURY

  Ships (Capital Allowances)
  Mr. Harris
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Dover (Mr. Shaw) of 21 April,Official Report, column 597, if the roll-over of capital allowance balancing charges for merchant ships will apply to fishing vessels.

  Mr. Dorrell
  This point will be considered in drawing up the draft legislation for this measure.

  Inflation
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the average rate of inflation between February 1974 and May 1979 and over the past five years; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Nelson
  Between February 1974 and May 1979 the average rate of inflation, as measured by the retail prices index, was 15.4 per cent. per annum. This compares with 4.5 per cent. for the last five years to March 1994, the latest month for which information is available.

EDUCATION

  Pupil Capacity
  Mr. Tipping
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what is the pupil capacity of(a) the Greenwood Dale grant-maintained secondary school, (b) the George Spencer school and (c) the Ravensdale school in Nottinghamshire.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  The information held by the Department showing the pupil capacity is set out below.

  Number

  (a) Greenwood Dale Grant Maintained School

  722

  (b) The George Spencer Grant Maintained School

  980

  (c) Ravensdale Grant Maintained Middle School

  560

  144
  Note: These figures for capacity of schools are derived from the application for GM status.

  Voluntary Schools
  Mr. Andrew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will list those voluntary schools which have become grant-maintained, indicating which ones were previously aided or controlled and the denomination or religion involved in each case.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  The information requested has been placed in the Library.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Water Pollution (Worcester)
  Mr. Luff
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what advice was given to farmers in the Worcester area following the water pollution incident of 15 April; how such advice was publicised or drawn to the attention of farmers; and at what times such advice was offered.

  Mr. Jack
  The Department was alerted to the incident by the local office of the National Rivers Authority during the morning of 15 April. In the course of the day, Severn Trent water authority issued advice to all residents in the Worcester area not to drink, or use for washing, or wash in, tap water.

  The MAFF regional office immediately established close contact with the Severn Trent water authority, the National Rivers Authority and Worcester environmental health department. The normal telephone inquiry service for farmers was operating at the MAFF regional office and was available throughout the weekend. As a precaution, following consultation with the Severn Trent water authority and the National Rivers Authority, farmer inquirers were advised to provide an alternative water supply for animals. The advisory warning was lifted on 16 April.

  In consultation with MAFF, the Milk Marketing Board arranged that, pending a food safety risk assessment, milk collected from the affected area on 15 and 16 April should be diverted to processing rather than go for early liquid consumption. On 16 April, Ministry scientists confirmed that the incident did not pose any risk to food safety.

  Flood and Coastal Defence
  Mr. Clifton-Brown
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will make a statement on the Government's flood and coastal defence strategy.

  Mr. Jack
  After extensive consultations with a wide range of organisations, my right hon. Friend the Minister published the strategy for flood and coastal defence in England and Wales in October 1993. Copies were placed in the Library of the House.

  The strategy reaffirms the Government's commitment to reducing the risks to people and to the developed and natural environment from flooding and coastal erosion, by encouraging the provision of technically, environmentally and economically sound and sustainable defence measures. In particular, it emphasises that the safeguarding of lives

  145
  must be the highest priority; that a strategic approach should be adopted, taking account of the potential impact of defences on natural river and coastal processes; and that environmental considerations should be integral to flood and coastal defence policy.

  Mr. Clifton-Brown
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will make a statement on the place of arterial drainage infrastructure and sea defence works in British agriculture.

  Mr. Jack
  The Government's flood and coastal defence strategy for England and Wales recognises that over 50 per cent. of grade 1 agricultural land is situated in areas which depend on flood defence or arterial drainage works to maintain their productive capacity. The maintenance of this infrastructure is supported through central Government's financial support for local authorities.

  As far as capital works are concerned, the Ministry no longer provides financial support for new rural arterial

  Imports of sheep from Spain and Poland since 1 January 1994

  (1)

  (2)

  (3)

  (4)

  (5)

  Date of arrival at slaughterhouse

  Date of importation

  Number of animals recorded on the health certificate

  Number of animals inspected on arrival at slaughterhouse

  Number of animals recorded at lairages in Great Britain

  17 February 1994

  16 February 1994

  300

  289

  Not recorded

  8 March 1994

  3 March 1994

  300

  291

  297 animals recorded at lairage at Dover (including 2 dead on arrival and 4 unfit for further transit

  9 March 1994

  8 March 1994

  334

  328

  Not recorded

  17 March 1994

  17 March 1994

  351

  350

  No Great Britain lairage used

  28 January 1994

  27 January 1994

  300

  243

  Not recorded

  15 February 1994

  14 February 1994

  250

  188

  No Great Britain lairage used

  8 March 1994

  7 March 1994

  300

  290

  Not recorded

  23 March 1994

  22 March 1994

  300

  268

  300 animals recorded at lairage at Southampton (including 4 dead on arrival and 28 unfit for further transit)

  Fisheries
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what reasons underlay the decision to grant full Spanish accession to the common fisheries policy as part of the Norwegian accession negotiations; whether this was at the insistence of(a) Spain or (b) Norway; and if she will make a statement on reasons for the United Kingdom position on the issue.

  Mr. Jack
  The accession treaty of Spain and Portugal provides for certain of its fisheries provisions to be amended. The Commission proposed the integration of Spanish and Portuguese fishing arrangements into the CFP in October 1993. The subsequent negotiation on the principles to guide the Commission in drafting detailed rules for the waters and resources concerned was concluded at the Fisheries Council on 12 April. As provided for in the accession treaty, it was decided by qualified majority vote—not as the result of the insistence of a single country. In my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Hertsmere (Mr. Clappison),Official Report, columns 183–84, I explained why the outcome was satisfactory.
  146
  drainage schemes which are intended primarily to increase agricultural production but assistance may be available for works intended to alleviate flooding or coastal erosion in rural areas provided these meet the Ministry's technical, economic and environmental criteria.

  Ewes
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to her answer to the hon. Member for Dulwich (Ms Jowell) of 13 April,Official Report, column 180, if she will list for each consignment of culled milking ewes (a) the date of importation, (b) the number of animals recorded on the animal health certificate, (c) the number of animals inspected on arrival in Birmingham and (d) the numbers of animals recorded at any intermediate stage in each journey.

  Mr. Soames
  The information requested is in the table.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether Spain and Portugal will be fully integrated into the common fisheries policy as from 1 January 1996 and have access to all waters on a non-discriminatory basis.

  Mr. Jack
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 5 May to my hon. Friend the Member for Ludlow (Mr. Gill),Official Report, column 641.

  BSE
  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what are the methods of calculation of the compensation paid to farmers for slaughtered confirmed cases of BSE; and what changes were made in this calculation between January 1990 and January 1994.

  Mr. Soames
  From 8 August 1988 up to 14 February 1990, compensation paid to farmers for a confirmed case of BSE was an amount equal to 50 per cent. of either the actual market value of the animal or of 125 per cent. of the average market price—AMP—for commercial grade Friesian dairy cows and heifers in milk and in calf,
  147
  whichever was the lower figure. Details can be found in the Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy Order 1988, S.I. 1988 No. 1346.

  This was changed from 14 February 1990 up until 1 April 1994, when compensation paid was an amount equal to 100 per cent. of either the actual market value of the animal or the AMP, whichever was the lower figure—BSE Compensation Order 1990, S.I. 1990 No. 222.

  From 1 April 1994, the method of determining the ceiling for compensation was modified to reflect the increasing proportion of older cattle being slaughtered as BSE suspects. The monthly AMP was replaced by the indicative market price—IMP—which is a weighted average of prices of Friesian and Holstein cows, heifers in milk and in calf, and barren dairy cattle taking into account the age distribution of cattle slaughtered as BSE suspects in the month. The compensation paid out is an amount equal to 100 per cent. of either the market value of the animal or the IMP, whichever is the lower figure—BSE Compensation Order 1994, S.I. 1994 No. 673.

  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the average compensation paid out per confirmed case of BSE between January 1990 and January 1994.

  Mr. Soames
  BSE compensation is paid on all cattle slaughtered whilst BSE suspects. Additional payments may be made in cases where BSE is not confirmed following laboratory examination. Between 1 January 1990 and 31 December 1993, 129,700 cattle were slaughtered as BSE suspects of which 110,101 were subsequently confirmed as having BSE. The total compensation paid out during that period was £92,709,724. The average compensation for all cattle slaughtered while BSE suspects was therefore £715 per animal. It is not possible without disproportionate cost to separate compensation into that paid for confirmed and unconfirmed cases of BSE.

  Beef
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much European Union beef has been exported to developing countries in each of the past five years; to which countries; in what quantities; and what is the value of the European Union subsidy per ton of beef.

  Mr. Jack
  In the 1992 calendar year, European Community exports of beef to developing countries, as defined by "Eurostat", were as follows in tonnes carcase weight equivalent:

  Country

  tonnes

  Canary Islands

  26,491

  Ceuta and Melilla

  2,563

  Morocco

  9,099

  Algeria

  27,763

  Tunisia

  14,050

  Libya

  21,569

  Egypt

  147,591

  Sudan

  100

  Mauritania

  143

  Mali

  18

  Burkina Faso

  1

  Niger

  131

  Chad

  49

  148

  Country

  tonnes

  Cape Verde

  307

  Senegal

  1,377

  Gambia

  421

  Guinea Bissau

  190

  Guinea

  2,380

  Sierra Leone

  452

  Liberia

  3,332

  Ivory Coast

  23,986

  Ghana

  28,529

  Tonga

  791

  Benin

  7,760

  Nigeria

  38

  Cameroon

  598

  Central African Republic

  156

  Equatorial Guinea

  702

  Sao Tome and Principe

  7

  Gabon

  16,666

  Congo

  23,449

  Zaire

  22,053

  Vanuatu

  1

  French Polynesia

  4,104

  Polar Regions

  13

  Iraq

  3,709

  Iran

  53,776

  Israel

  2,946

  Jordan

  31,387

  Saudi Arabia

  67,499

  Kuwait

  5,669

  Bahrain

  1,980

  Qatar

  1,267

  United Arab Emirates

  6,976

  Oman

  144

  Yemen

  3,883

  Afghanistan

  23

  Grenada

  52

  Aruba

  23

  Netherland Antilles

  86

  Colombia

  26

  Venezuela

  917

  Guyana

  5

  Surinam

  22

  French Guiana

  1,653

  Ecuador

  69

  Peru

  238

  Brazil

  231

  Chile

  3

  Paraguay

  1

  Argentina

  31

  Falkland Islands

  6

  Burundi

  207

  St. Helena

  9

  Angola

  12,815

  Ethiopia

  5

  Dijbouti

  191

  Somalia

  14

  Uganda

  18

  Tanzania

  26

  Seychelles

  107

  British Indian Ocean Territories

  1

  Mozambique

  534

  Madagascar

  5

  Reunion

  1,233

  Mauritius

  4,479

  Comoros

  2,926

  Mayotte

  1,102

  Zambia

  346

  149

  Country

  tonnes

  Namibia

  31

  Greenland

  411

  St. Pierre and Miquelon

  3

  Mexico

  19,322

  Bermuda

  185

  Guatemala

  140

  Belize

  116

  Honduras

  24

  El Salvador

  23

  Nicaragua

  115

  Panama

  153

  St. Christopher and Nevis

  98

  Bahamas

  780

  Dominican Republic

  117

  Virgin Islands

  26

  Guadeloupe

  3,904

  Antigua and Barbuda

  105

  Dominica

  73

  Martinique

  4,293

  St. Lucia

  699

  St. Vincent

  79

  Barbados

  703

  Trinidad and Tobago

  1,723

  Cyprus

  5,010

  Lebanon

  26,030

  Syria

  3,034

  Pakistan

  39

  India

  7

  Sri Lanka

  12

  Thailand

  65

  Laos

  59

  Indonesia

  1,006

  Malaysia

  77

  Brunei

  47

  Singapore

  448

  Philippines

  18,343

  South Korea

  122

  Taiwan

  25

  Hong-Kong

  1,265

  Macao

  22

  Papua New Guinea

  20

  Nauru

  19

  New Caledonia

  246

  Wallis and Futuna Islands

  1

  New Zealand Oceania

  16

  Equivalent information is not yet available for 1993 and, for earlier years, can be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, total beef exports from the European Community to all third countries, including developing countries, in the period 1988–1992 were:

  Number

  1988

  785,445

  1989

  1,024,987

  1990

  816,019

  1991

  1,324,866

  1992

  1,323,389

  Source: "Eurostat".

  Rates of export refund vary depending upon the type of beef being exported and the export destination. The average export refund for fresh, chilled and frozen beef in 1992 was £1,026 per tonne.

  Horses
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will resist(a) proposed restrictions on the purchase of a variety of veterinary medicines for treating horses and (b) proposed new tests on such medicines, provided they satisfy existing United Kingdom standards; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Soames
  I am not aware of any proposals for restrictions on the purchase of veterinary medicines for use in treating horses, nor for any proposed new tests on such medicines. The hon. Member may have in mind recent reports about the possible effects the establishment of maximum residue limits—MRLs—might have on the availability of equine medines. If so, the position remains as I set out in my reply to the hon. Member for Thanet, North (Mr. Gale),Official Report, column 491. Maximum residue limits must be established by 1996 for active ingredients in veterinary medicines used in food producing species. No MRLs are necessary, however, for medicines to be used in horses, irrespective of their value, which are not intended for human consumption.

  Fishing Industry
  Dr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if the recent award to the Southern Irish fishing industry to compensate for bad weather conditions is consistent with the commons fisheries policy; if she will consider proposing similar assistance for the United Kingdom fishing industry; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Jack
  The European Commission has a duty to examine all aids introduced by member states. It will consider whether the national aid package for the Irish fishing industry announced by the Irish Government on 18 April to alleviate hardship caused by the recent bad weather is in accordance with the provisions of the treaty of Rome and the guidelines on state aids in the fisheries sector.

  I have no plans to introduce such aid in the United Kingdom. However, United Kingdom share fishermen who satisfy the conditions of the national insurance rules that apply to them they are eligible to claim unemployment benefit for days they did not fish due to bad weather.

  Detective Agencies
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much her Department has spent on contracts with private detective agencies since 1991; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Jack
  No use is made of private detective agencies by this Department.

  Whaling
  Mr. McGrady
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment she has made of the current moratorium on commercial whaling; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Jack
  The Government's position on the current International Whaling Commission moratorium on
  151
  commercial whaling is clear and unambiguous. We strongly support its retention and will not even contemplate its lifting unless stocks are shown to be at healthy levels, methods used to kill whales are humane and fully effective procedures for managing whale stocks are in place which include ways of ensuring that the rules are observed and enforced.

  More details of our policy on whaling were contained in the letter I sent to hon. Members on 27 April 1994.

  Foodstuffs (Prices)
  Dr. Howells
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if she will commission a report on the price of foodstuffs in the United Kingdom and in the USA.

  Mr. Redmond
  (2) To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will commission a report on the price of foodstuffs in the United Kingdom and in the USA.

  Mr. Jack
  I see no present need for such an exercise.

  Fisheries (Conservation)
  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what expenditure has been incurred by her 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. Jack
  [holding answer 4 May 1994]: Most of the expenditure was on staff salaries for officials dealing with claims from fishermen for additional days at sea and for the secretariat of the Sea Fish Licence Tribunal. This expenditure amounted to £318,000 up to 31 December 1993 but it includes the salaries of staff who were also working on other tasks such as the 1993 decommissioning scheme. Those officials engaged solely on the implementation of the Sea Fish (Conservation) Act have gradually been redeployed over the first quarter of this year and expenditure has been reduced accordingly.

  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many officials of her Department were engaged in work related to the implementation of the Sea Fisheries (Conservation) Act 1992 in December 1993; and how many officials continue to be engaged in work related to the implementation of this Act.

  Mr. Jack
  [holding answer 4 May 1994]: At the beginning of December 1993 10 officials were responsible for assessing fishermen's representations against their provisional days at sea allocations; they have all been redeployed. The Sea Fish Licence Tribunal secretariat with six staff has also been disbanded.

  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what amount of computer hardware and

  £ million

  Total gross expenditure

  Total gross voted expenditure

  1990–91

  1991–92

  1990–91

  1991–92

  Sea Fisheries Industry Authority

  8·675

  9·208

  8·463

  4·098

  152
  software has been purchased by her Department for the purposes of implementing the provisions of the Sea Fisheries (Conservation) Act 1992.

  Mr. Jack
  [holding answer 4 May 1994]: Computer hardware and software was purchased mainly for the operation of the Sea Fish Licence Tribunal. The hardware has now all been put to good use elsewhere in the Department and future expenditure will be correspondingly reduced.

  Privatisation (Consultants)
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will estimate the cost of employing consultants in connection with privatisation programmes in which her Department has been engaged since 1980.

  Mr. Jack
  [holding answer 4 May 1994]: Since 1980 my core Department has made no expenditure on consultants in connection with privatisation programmes. However, studies into the privatisation of the Covent Garden Market Authority were undertaken by consultants at a total cost of approximately £41,000.

  Ploughing
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many arable acres are estimated to be ploughed(a) by machine and (b) by horse-drawn appliance; at what estimated cost per acre in each case; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Jack
  [holding answer 5 May 1994]: Estimates of the area ploughed are not available. The cost of ploughing will depend on many factors. Typical contractors charges and farmers costs for ploughing are contained in "Farm Management Pocketbook" published by Wye college, no official estimates are available for the costs of horse-drawn ploughing.

  Public Bodies
  Dr. Wright
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will publish a table showing, in 1992–93 prices, the gross public spending for each year since 1990–91 and the projected expenditure for each year to 1995–96 for each executive non-departmental public body sponsored by her Department, as listed in "Public Bodies 1993".

  Mr. Jack
  [pursuant to his reply, 1 March 1994, c. 646–47]: I would now like to submit a revised figure in the case of the Sea Fisheries Industry Authority.

  This figure relates to columns showing the "Total Gross Voted Expenditure" for 1990–91 and 1991–92. The line should read:

HEALTH

  Managers, West Midlands
  Mr. Spellar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many general and senior managers have been employed in the health service in the west midlands in each year since 1986.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The information requested is shown in the table. These figures should be treated with caution. The general and senior manager class was introduced into the health service in phases from 1986. Most of the apparent growth reflects the reclassification of staff from professional and administrative groups, including many senior nurses, as managers. The pattern of phased introduction in the west midlands corresponded with the national pattern. General and senior managers account for only 2 per cent. of the total NHS work force in the west midlands.

  General and Senior Managers in the Regional, District, and Family Health Services Authorities in West Midlands (in whole time equivalents) at 30 September.

  Number

  1986

  60

  1987

  90

  1988

  150

  1989

  530

  1990

  1,150

  1991

  1,540

  1992

  1,830

  Source: Non-Medical Workforce Censuses (1986–90) and aggregate returns KM49 (1991–92).

  Note: All figures have been rounded to the nearest 10.

  Internet
  Mr. David Shaw
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what consideration is being given to possible use of the Internet or other E-mail system in order further to improve care in the community for the elderly, the disabled and other housebound people; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Bowis
  The provision of community care services is a matter for local health and social services authorities. Where they are exploring the use of information technology we would encourage them to share their experience widely with other authorities.

  The Department is currently putting in place a national health service-wide networking infrastructure to support all electronic communications, including E-mail, throughout the NHS in England. The extent to which electronic communications are used should be decided in the light of whether it is a cost effective way of improving patient care. All connections to NHS-wide networking factilities, either directly or through other networks such as the Internet and those run by social services, will have to meet national technical, security and confidentiality standards.

  Infant Mortality, London
  Mrs. Bridget Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the level of infant mortality in each of the past 10 years in each district health authority in London.

  Mr. Sackville
  The information will be placed in the Library.

  Gipsy Caravan Sites (Children)
  Ms Corston
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if social service departments have been requested to make estimates of the number of children likely to be received into care following the repeal of local authorities' duty to provide gipsy caravan sites under the Caravan Sites Act 1968, as provided for by the Criminal Justice and Public Order Bill.

  Mr. Bowis
  No.

  Junior Doctors
  Mrs. Bridget Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the total number of junior doctors in each regional health authority in London; what is the number in each hospital; and what is the total number of hours covered by junior doctors in each regional health authority in London.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  In September 1992, the number of whole-time equivalent junior doctors in the Thames regions was:

  Number

  North West Thames

  1,840

  North East Thames

  2,270

  South East Thames

  1,840

  South West Thames

  1,320

  Information on the number in each hospital and complete information on the total number of contracted hours of junior doctors is not available.

  Mrs. Bridget Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many junior doctors are contracted for more than 72 hours per week in each hospital in each regional health authority in London; and how many have regularly worked more than 72 hours per week since 1 January 1993.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  At 31 March 1994, the number of junior doctors and dentists in London regional health authorities contracted to work on average for more than 72 hours a week was reported to be:

  Number

  North East Thames

  965

  North West Thames

  693

  South East Thames

  604

  South West Thames

  695

  Total

  2,957

  Information on individual hospitals and on hours of work is not available centrally.

  Thyroid Function Tests
  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will set up an inquiry into procedures used at the north Staffordshire pathology laboratory for the processing of thyroid function tests; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Sackville
  The tests are carried out by trained and qualified medical physicists. The isotope department of the North Staffordshire national health service trust has been doing this work for at least 20 years and there is no sign that it fails to meet required quality standards.

  Local Authority Charges
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what statutory provision is made for individuals to appeal against a local authority decision to charge for services; what provision is made for local authorities to publicise the right to an appeal; what consultation local authorities have to carry out before introducing charges; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Bowis
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 31 March,Official Report, 1040–41.

  Children in Care
  Ms Corston
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the average annual cost of keeping a child in local authority care, at 1993 prices, for each of the last 10 years for which information is available.

  Mr. Bowis
  Information is available centrally on a consistent basis for the years 1983–84 to 1991–92 and is shown in the table. These figures exclude cases where care is provided at little or no cost to local authorities—for example, placed with parents—or where local authority costs did not relate solely to children in care.

  Average annual net cost of keeping a child in care/looked after, at 1993 prices1

  Year

  Cost (£)

  1983–84

  9,520

  1984–85

  9,636

  1985–86

  9,726

  1986–87

  10,233

  1987–88

  10,645

  1988–89

  11,182

  1989–90

  11,475

  1990–91

  12,044

  1991–92

  12,889

  1 Using the Gross Domestic Product deflator.

  Homelessness
  Ms Corston
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer of 30 March,Official Report, column 889, how many of those children received into care because of homelessness remained in care for more than one year; and how many of those children were not subsequently reunited with their parents.

  Mr. Bowis
  Information available centrally relates to the duration of the most recent care episode and this was first computed for the year ending 31 March 1977. Figures are available on children whose episode of care ceased because they were self-supporting/under parental care, but these do not separately identify children whose entry to care because of homelessness was in previous years. Figures for 1977 are shown in the table.
  156

  Children who entered care because family was homeless (most recent care episode): numbers in care, 1977

  Care status at beginning and end of year

  All children

  Children whose most recent care episode lasted one year or more

  1. Children in care at 31 March 1977

  1,829

  1,346

  2. Children who ceased to be in care in the year ending 31 March 1977

  1,069

  315

  3. Children who came into care during the year ending 31 March 1977 but were not in care at that date

  604

  n/a

  4. Children in line (3) whose last care episode ceased because they were self supporting/under parental care

  596

  n/a

  n/a=Not applicable.

  Source: Department of Health and Social Security. Personal Social Services Local Authority Statistics, Children in Care of Local Authorities, year ending 31 March 1977. (A/F 77/12).

  Ms Corston
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children were received into care in England because of homelessness in each of the years following the implementation of the Housing (Homeless Persons) Act 1977; and how many of these were gipsy or traveller children.

  Mr. Bowis
  The information available centrally relates to the number of children in England taken into care on a voluntary basis because their families were made homeless. Figures for the years 1977–78 to 1990–91 are shown in the table. The information available for 1991–92 is an estimate of 110 for the period 14 October 1991 to 31 March 1992. Gipsies and travellers are not separately identified in these figures.

  Children admitted to care due to homelessness England, 1978–1991 England

  Year ending 31 March

  Number of children

  1978

  559

  1979

  421

  1980

  529

  1981

  471

  1982

  378

  1983

  317

  1984

  244

  1985

  215

  1986

  207

  1987

  209

  1988

  179

  1989

  223

  1990

  225

  1991

  138

  Westcliffe and Starfield Hospital
  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will review the proposals to close continuing care beds at Westcliffe and Starfield hospital.

  Mr. Bowis
  North Staffordshire health authority is currently reviewing local provision of continuing care beds for the elderly and will conduct a formal public consultation exercise when these plans are sufficiently developed.

  Dementia Sufferers
  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will reinstate the NHS continuing care beds for people with dementia in the north Staffordshire area.

  Mr. Bowis
  Provision of health care for people with dementia in north Staffordshire is a matter for North Staffordshire health authority. I understand that the health authority states that there has been no recent change in the level of continuing care purchased for the residents of north Staffordshire.

  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will discuss with the Alzheimer's Disease Society the conclusions of its survey of continuing care provision for people with dementia in the west midlands.

  Mr. Bowis
  The Department is in contact with the Alzheimer's Disease Society about a range of matters including its survey into continuing care provision for people with dementia in the west midlands.

  Hospitals, London
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the paediatric hospitals in London; and how many beds there are at each of these hospitals.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The term paediatric hospital is not used in central returns. Information on children's beds is contained in the publication "Bed Availability for England — Financial Year 1992–93", copies of which are available in the Library.

  Treatment Costs
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the average cost of treating a patient on the waiting list.

  Mr. Sackville
  Provisional figures show that in 1992–93, for cases involving the use of a bed, the average cost of treatment per patient was £1,241.69. This average applies to all admissions, including those from the waiting list.

  GPs (Deprivation Payments)
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the average deprivation payment to general practitioners in(a) inner London and (b) the 10 biggest cities outside London, at the latest available date.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The average deprivation payments to general practitioners in 1992–93, the last year for which figures are available, were:

  £

  Inner London

  6,265

  Birmingham

  5,223

  Leeds

  3,282

  Sheffield

  1,332

  Bradford

  4,719

  Liverpool

  2,922

  Manchester

  4,413

  Avon1

  1,144

  Wakefield

  59

  Coventry

  3,164

  Sunderland

  1,690

  1 Including Bristol.

  Food Poisoning
  Mr. Clifton-Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in the United Kingdom died from all forms of food poisoning in the last five years for which figures are available.

  Mr. Sackville
  Figures for England and Wales are shown in the table.

  Deaths from food poisoning: England and Wales 1988–92

  Year

  Number of Deaths

  1988

  63

  1989

  67

  1990

  71

  1991

  64

  1992

  64

  Source: Office of Population Censuses and Surveys.

  Information relating to Scotland and Northern Ireland are matters for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland and my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.

  Heart Surgery (Waiting Lists)
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what figures she has on the number of patients dying on waiting lists for cardiac or heart bypass surgery.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary gave her on 14 April 1993,Official Report, column 608.

  Perinatal Mortality Rate
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the perinatal mortality rate for all areas covered by the London implementation group, and the national average, at the latest available date.

  Mr. Sackville
  Perinatal mortality rates for health authorities in Greater London are shown in the table.

  Perinatal mortality rate 1992 District health authorities in the Greater London area (DHAs as at 1 April 1992)

  District health authority

  1Rate

  Barnet

  6·0

  Barking, Havering and Brentwood

  9·1

  Bexley

  6·3

  Bloomsbury and Islington

  8·0

  Bromley

  6·4

  Camberwell

  10·3

  City and Hackney

  7·1

  Croydon

  7·2

  Ealing

  10·7

  Enfield

  7·2

  Greenwich

  10·8

  Hampstead

  7·4

  Haringey

  9·6

  Harrow

  7·8

  Hillingdon

  7·6

  Hounslow and Spelthorne

  4·5

  Kingston and Esher

  4·2

  Lewisham and North Southwark

  10·0

  Merton and Sutton

  6·6

  Newham

  10·5

  Parkside

  8·1

  Redbridge

  8·0

  159

  District health authority

  1Rate

  Richmond, Twickenham and Roehampton

  8·5

  Riverside

  7·9

  Tower Hamlets

  9·4

  Waltham Forest

  11·9

  Wandsworth

  7·6

  West Lambeth

  9·6

  All Greater London DHAs

  8·5

  England

  7·9

  1 Stillbirths and deaths under one week combined per 1,000 total live plus still births.

  Source: Office of Population Censuses and Surveys.

  Children (Employment)
  Mr. Raynsford
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will bring the Employment of Children Act 1973 into force; and what plans she has to introduce other legislation which would afford equal or greater protection to children at work.

  Mr. Bowis
  No. We are satisfied that the current safeguards which exist in legislation and byelaws to protect children who work are adequate.

  Press Office
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will set out the total budget for her Department's press office in each year from 1990–91 to 1994–95; how many press officers work at her Department; and how many press releases have been sent out in the name of each Minister in the last six months.

  Mr. Sackville
  The budget for the press office is not available in the form requested. The number of staff employed in the press office is 14. The number of press releases sent out in the name of each Minister can be identified separately before 1 January 1994 only at disproportionate cost. The number of press releases issued in the name of each Minister since 1 January 1994 are:

  Number

  Secretary of State

  45

  Minister of Health

  45

  Parliamentary Secretary (Health)

  24

  Parliamentary Secretary (Community Care)

  41

  Parliamentary Secretary (Lords)

  24

  Consultant Episodes
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many finished consultant episodes were purchased from non-NHS providers in 1992–93 by NHS trusts, regional health authorities, district health authorities and family health service authorities.

  Mr. Sackville
  This information is not available centrally for 1992–93 and is available only on an individual basis from those purchasers—district health authorities and general practitoner fundholders—who contract with non-NHS providers—hospital and community units.

  Mental Health
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to institute a review of the therapeutic suitability of mental health units within district general hospitals.

  Mr. Bowis
  A review of the therapeutic suitability of mental health units within district general hospitals was one of the recommendations in the recent report of the mental health nursing review team. This report is still being disseminated throughout the national health service and three regional conferences will consider how the recommendations may be taken forward.

  Children's Hospital Services
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer of 21 April,Official Report, column 669–70, when the survey results will be made available.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  When validation, aggregation and analysis is complete.

  NHS Trusts
  Mr. Tipping
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the name, occupation and age of each non-executive director of NHS trusts operating in Nottinghamshire.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Darlington (Mr. Milburn) on 17 January,Official Report, column 385. The amendments listed below apply. We are not prepared to disclose the ages of these individuals without their permission.

  Central Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust
  Non-executive directors
  Mr. M. Everitt, an engineer, has replaced Mr. A. Slade.

  Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham University Hospital NHS Trust
  Non-executive directors
  Mr. L. Coppel, an accountant, in addition to those listed.

  Nottingham Community Health NHS Trust
  Non-executive directors
  Mr. V. Oliver, a computer/training consultant, has replaced Mr. M. Rudge.

  Pocket Guide to Sex
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer of 12 April,Official Report, column 82, if the cost given for withdrawing the Health Education Authority's pocket guide to sex included the cost of (a) commissioning, (b) printing, (c) distributing and (d) promoting the guide; and if she will break down the figure into its components.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The estimated costs of withdrawing the guide totalled almost £17,000. This figure represents:

  £

  Commissioning

  4,500

  Printing

  9,000

  Distributing

  1,200

  Recalling

  2,000

  There were no promotion costs as space reserved for advertising was used for other existing Health Education Authority material.
  161
  These costs will stand to be offset, at least in part, by financial compensation accruing to the HEA from the reversion of publishing rights to the author under a confidential agreement.

  AIDS (Prisons)
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will seek a report into the extent of the connection between the refusal of the prison medical service to treat drug-addicted prisoners with methadone treatment and the spread of the AIDS virus in prisons through the sharing of heroin needles; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  I have been asked to reply.

  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. Alex Carlile, dated 11 May 1994:
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about methadone treatment in the Prison Service.
  Current guidance on the use of methadone in the Prison Service is set out in "Caring for Drug Users: A Multi-disciplinary Resource for People Working with Prisoners" and Circular Instruction 12/1991. Copies of these are available in the Library of the House. The guidance recommends the use of a methadone detoxification programme for prisoners addicted to opiates although individual decisions on the use of methadone are a matter for the clinical judgement of the doctor concerned.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Brcko
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action he and the United Nations are taking to ensure the safety of Brcko.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The Security Council agreed a presidential statement on 4 May calling on all parties to agree to a resumption of negotiations and demanding that they refrain from any offensive military action, or any action likely to lead to renewed fighting. The statement noted with concern indications of increased tension in the Posavina corridor area where Brcko is situated, welcomed the steps taken by UNPROFOR to deploy military observers there and warned the parties of the serious consequences of any offensive military action in the area. The Security Council is keeping the situation under review.

  Rwanda
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the United Nations' calculation about the number of troops that would be necessary to make an effective peacekeeping intervention in Rwanda.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The United Nations Security Council has judged that conditions in Rwanda would not allow any force to fulfil an effective peacekeeping role.

  The United Nations Secretary-General is still pursuing diplomatic efforts aimed at securing a ceasefire and a return to the peace process. These conditions must be fulfilled if any United Nations force is to help keep the peace.
  162
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has financially to support an Organisation of African Unity peacekeeping force in Rwanda; and what obstacles exist to doing this.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The OAU Secretary-General has made known his view that the OAU is not best placed to launch a peacekeeping force in Rwanda. Accordingly, we have made no plans to offer financial support.

  Aqaba
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his policy on the lifting of the marine blockade of Aqaba; and if he will make a statement on proposals for its replacement with a land-based system.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer that my hon. Friend the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs gave him on 5 May,Official Report, column 677.

  Nuclear Weapons
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his policy on allowing no arms sales to countries unless there is a verifiable cap on their nuclear weapon programme; and to what countries Britain has sold arms which have not had such a verifiable cap in the past 10 years.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The United States and Russia are the only nuclear weapon states which have accepted a verifiable ceiling on their nuclear warhead numbers under the START treaties. We do not have a policy of refusing arms sales to countries which have not accepted similar restraints.

  BBC World Service
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commownealth Affairs what is the size of his Department's grant to the BBC World Service expressed over the next three years in both cash and constant price terms.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  Total grants-in-aid to the World Service in the 1994–95 to 1996–97 funding triennium, including the contribution from the MOD to monitoring, are as follows, in £ million:

  1994–95

  1995–96

  1996–97

  FCO grants-in-aid

  171·5

  175·0

  175·0

  MOD contribution

  3·6

  3·7

  3·7

  Total

  175·2

  178·8

  178·8

  at constant prices (using official GDP deflators)

  175·2

  172·3

  168·1

  (Figures rounded to the nearest 100K)

  United Nations Preventive Diplomacy
  Mr. Matthew Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what has been done to follow up the Franco-British initiative to assist the United Nations in its preventive diplomacy launched by him in his address to the General Assembly on 28 September 1993.
  163
  Mr. Hurd
  Since the French Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Alain Juppé, and I launched our joint initiative, our officials have been working with the United Nations to see how best we can help the organisation. Following those discussions, our two permanent representatives to the United Nations handed over to the Secretary-General on 29 April detailed information on the support we can provide, including, for our part, mobile communications equipment and illustrative lists of personnel who might be made available for preventive diplomacy missions.

SCOTLAND

  Nursery Education
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will encourage local authorities to seek tenders for the provision of nursery education.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  It is for education authorities to decide on the arrangements they make for the provision of nursery education in their area. I believe that co-operation between private and public sector as part of those arrangements can offer real opportunities and I am happy to commend such developments.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what he regards as a satisfactory pupil-teacher ratio in nursery schools; and what proposals he has to introduce national standards.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The adequacy of teaching staffing employed in nursery schools depends crucially on the number and expertise of other staff working alongside them. It follows that the appropriate level of teaching staff in nursery classes is best decided by education authorities in the light of their own policies and the particular needs of children.

  Section 23(3) of the Schools (Scotland) Code states that the education authority shall employ nursery nurses or helpers in the proportion of not less than one such person for 20 pupils.

  Primary Schools
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many primary schools there are; and how many have fewer than 35 pupils.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  In September 1993 there were 2,341 education authority primary schools and departments in Scotland, of which 338 had fewer than 35 pupils on their register.

  United States Attorney-General (Meeting)
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland for what purpose he authorised Chief Constable George Essen to make an official visit to the United States Attorney-General Janet Reno.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Ms Janet Reno, the Attorney-General of the United States, invited Mr. George Esson, who was about to retire and has now retired from the police service, to call on her in order to thank him for the important part which he had played in the Lockerbie investigation, which was conducted jointly between Dumfries and Galloway constabulary and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

  Glenfeshie Estate
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on his discussions with interested parties about the future of the Glenfeshie estate.

  Sir Hector Monro
  The future of the Glenfeshie estate is a matter for the current owner and any prospective purchaser. My right hon. Friend has no plans to meet interested parties to discuss its future. However, the matter was discussed during a recent meeting I held with representatives of the voluntary environmental sector, including representatives from Scottish Wildlife and Countryside Link, the Scottish Wildlife Trust, the World Wide Fund for Nature and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. Irrespective of ownership, the Government will look to Scottish Natural Heritage to continue to protect the natural heritage value of the estate through the range of powers at its disposal.

  Sheriffs' Courts
  Mr. Gallie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proposals he has to improve the programming of business in the sheriffs' courts.

  Mr. Lang
  Consultations with interested parties indicated general support for the recommendations in the first report on court programming prepared by groups under the chairmanship of Sheriff Principal Gordon Nicholson QC and Sheriff Principal, then Sheriff, Graham Cox, QC. Following consultation with the sheriffs principal, I have decided to set up a group under the chairmanship of Sheriff Principal Gordon Nicholson, QC to facilitate the implementation of the recommendations in the first report and to bring under review other aspects of court programming. The membership of the group will be as follows:

  Sheriff Principal Gordon Nicholson, QC (Chairman), Lothian and Borders

  Mr. Roy Cameron, QPM, Chief Constable, Dumfries and Galloway

  Sheriff Robert Dickson, Airdrie

  Mr. James Friel, Regional Procurator Fiscal, North Strathclyde

  Mr. Andrew Gallen, Solicitor, Glasgow

  Mr. Duncan Lowe, Crown Agent

  Mr. Gordon Murray, CB, Director, Scottish Courts Administration

  Ms Alison Paterson, Director, Victim Support

  Ms Marilyn Riddell, (Secretary), Edinburgh Sheriff Court

  Mr. John Robertson, Regional Sheriff Clerk, Grampian, Highland and Islands

  Mental Health, Glasgow
  Mr. Gallie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what progress is being made by Greater Glasgow health board in developing a mental health services strategy for its area.

  Mr. Stewart
  My noble and learned Friend the Minister of State has today endorsed Greater Glasgow health board's mental health strategy 1993–2000, and given his approval to the planned closure of Gartloch hospital by 1995 as part of the specific proposals to put the strategy into effect.

  The strategy, which has been subject to full public consultation, proposes a new model of care based on a fundamental shift away from large institutions towards care provided in local community settings. Two key

  165
  elements of the strategy are that the alternative community-based care services must be in place before patients begin to transfer in substantial numbers and hospitals finally close and the development of locality-based resource centres. The strategy plans to establish up to 25 such centres. Each will house multi-disciplinary teams consisting of psychiatrists, psychologists, nurses, occupational therapists and social work staff providing care, treatment, supervision and counselling. The teams will be involved in the entire range of care, from hospital settings to domiciliary care, and available 12 hours a day, seven days a week with crisis team cover outside these times.

  The board plans to implement the strategy in three phases. Phase 1 will focus on the north and east of Glasgow and involve the establishment of 10 resource centres and the creation of an additional 90 day hospital places. As a first step towards implementing the strategy, the board has submitted a bridging finance application to the management executive for funds covering the period to March 1997. While certain details of the application remain to be agreed, the Minister of State has today approved an initial allocation of bridging finance of £6 million for 1994–95. This will go towards the initial start-up and double running costs that will be incurred as the alternative community based services are put into place.

  The bridging finance application was co-signed and submitted by the health board, Strathclyde regional council social work department, and Glasgow district council. The application contains a far-reaching set of proposals and some considerable commitments by the individual agencies involved. This, in my view, is an excellent example of joint working and co-operation and one that I would urge others to follow.

  Local Government Reform
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will visit meetings of Elderly Forums in the Glenburn, Foxbar, South End, West and Central, and Elderslie areas of Renfrew district to discuss local government reform, water and sewerage services, concessionary travel schemes, standing charges for utilities and other topics of interest; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 29 April 1994]: My right hon. Friend has no current plans to attend any such meetings.

EMPLOYMENT

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

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The Employment Department group regularly contracts with security companies to provide protection for a number of its headquarters premises and occasionally employs them to protect temporarily empty premises, patrol jobcentres and hold keys for emergency call-outs.

  The Employment Service has used private detective agencies, through retained solicitors, on two occasions—to
  166
  make financial inquiries when an individual was in default of rent payment commitments and when proceedings had to be served on an individual who was negligent in a land transaction.

  Internet
  Mr. David Shaw
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what plans his Department has(a) to utilise the Internet, (b) to make available on the Internet press releases and other departmental information which the public may wish to have access to and (c) to use the Internet as a means of increasing the openess of his Department.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  I have asked officials to look into this matter. I am grateful to my hon. Friend for drawing this to my attention.

  Health and Safety
  Mr. Barron
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment when he will publish the Health and Safety Commission report on the review of regulations covering health and safety.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The Health and Safety Commission submitted the final report on its review of health and safety regulation to me at the end of April. The Government are currently considering the report's findings and recommendations and plans to make a statement on them as soon as possible.

  European Committee of the Regions
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what plans he has for regular contact with the European Committee of the Regions.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The Department will be able to provide information for the United Kingdom members of the European Community's Committee of the Regions on proposals that come before the Committee for an opinion, where they relate to areas for which we have responsibility.

  Privatised Utilities
  Mr. Heppell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what measures have been taken to alleviate the problems of people made unemployed in the privatised gas, water and electricity industries.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  People who are unfortunate enough to lose their jobs from any sector can benefit from the Department's extensive range of measures designed to help them find new jobs, re-train or set up in business. This year, the Employment Service and training and enterprise councils will provide around 1.5 million opportunities to help unemployed people find the best route back to employment.

  Civil Servants (Business Appointments)
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment 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.
  167
  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  [holding answer 3 May 1994]: Two applications were referred to the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments. Both were granted. The remaining information has not been recorded centrally, so it is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. It will be recorded centrally in future.

  Working Hours
  Ms Quin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment, pursuant to his answer of 20 April,Official Report, column 554, if he will place in the Library a copy of the results of the study commissioned by his Department from Professor Harrington of Birmingham university on hours of work and employees' health.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  [holding answer 4 May 1994]: The study forms part of the Government's legal challenge to the working time directive—93/104/EC. I have been advised that, in accordance with established practice, it should not be published now; I expect to be able to do so after the case has been concluded.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

  Parliamentary Questions
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many parliamentary questions, in the period November 1992 to March 1993 were answered with the response that the information requested is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost; how many were referred on to an agency chief executive; and, in each case, what percentage of the total number of questions asked this constituted.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  In the period 1 November 1992 to 31 March 1993 there were six questions where the answer given included a reference to all or part of the information being available only at disproportionate cost or because the information requested was not held centrally. During the same period, one question was passed to the chief executive of recruitment and assessment services. These figures constitute 1.95 per cent and 0.32 per cent respectively of the total questions asked to my Department.

ENVIRONMENT

  Energy Conservation Bill
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the total cost to public funds of work carried out by officials from his Department on the preparation of proposed amendments and new clauses to the Energy Conservation Bill prior to the completion of Committee stage on 4 February and from that date until Report stage on 22 April.

  Mr. Atkins
  This information is not available. Officials from my Department carried out work on the Bill in the course of their normal business and no records are kept of the time spent on individual tasks.

  Birds of Prey
  Dame Peggy Fenner
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proposals he has to remove the kestrel, buzzard and sparrowhawk from schedule 4 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981; and if he will include these species on schedule 3.

  Mr. Atkins
  I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Newham, North-West (Mr. Banks) on 25 April,Official Report, column 40. The Government have no plans to add the kestrel, common buzzard and sparrowhawk to schedule 3.

  Southampton City Council
  Mr. James Hill
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has yet considered the response by Southampton city council to the notice served on the authority on 24 January under section 13 of the Local Government Act 1988; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Baldry
  My right hon. Friend has carefully considered the response of Southampton city council to the notice served on the authority on 24 January in respect of the award of an arboricultural contract to its own direct labour organisation. He accepts that the council may not have intended to act anti-competitively, but takes the view that the council's actions were likely to have the effect of restricting or distorting competition and in the event did have that effect. Consequently, he has today given the authority a direction under section 14 of the Local Government Act 1988.

  The direction requires the council to re-tender the relevant contract so that new arrangements are in place by 1 October 1995, and to seek my right hon. Friend's consent should it wish to reassign the work to the in-house team.

  The authority restricted competition in that it refused to provide sufficiently detailed work force information to enable tenderers to prepare a bid under the provisions of the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations. They also failed to allow those tenderers who had not included TUPE provisions in their original bid, to revise their bids in the light of the authority's assessment of whether TUPE applied.

  The Government will continue to act against councils behaving anti-competitively. We are determined to ensure that obstacles which stand in the way of full and fair competition are removed, so that taxpayers continue to get value for money for quality services.

  Office for the South-west
  Mrs. Browning
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what decisions have been taken about strengthening the presence of the Government office for the south-west in Devon and Cornwall.

  Mr. Gummer
  My right hon. Friends the President of the Board of Trade, the Secretaries of State for Employment and for Transport and I have been listening carefully to the many representations that we have received over recent months about Government office resources in Devon and Cornwall. We are persuaded that there should be a new office in Devon and Cornwall.

  We have decided to set up a new office in Plymouth which, together with the existing office in Bristol will operate as a single office on two sites for the south-west

  169
  region. Local authorities, businesses and the many other organisations in Devon and Cornwall which need to deal with the Government office and who are served and represented by it, will be able to deal with and through the new Plymouth office. It will establish close links with local organisations, especially in relation to the promotion of economic development. The offices in Plymouth and Bristol will work together in a mutually supportive way to advance the interests of the whole South West Region. They will be linked closely by sophisticated electronics called Office 2000. These will provide strengthened links with Whitehall and other outside interests.

  The new office will be led by a new director for Devon and Cornwall and the regional director for the whole south-west region will also be based partly in Plymouth.

  The arrangements for setting up the new office will start immediately and the new director of the Devon and Cornwall office will be appointed very soon. Full details will be settled taking account of local views.

  This measure will make a major contribution to the range of initiatives being taken within the new integrated Government office for the south-west so as better to serve the needs of the whole region.

  Unitary Authorities, Cleveland
  Mr. Bates
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has reached a decision on the timing of elections to the proposed unitary authorities in Cleveland; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Curry
  Subject to the outcome of the Cleveland county council's judicial review case, the Cleveland implementation order will provide for the transfer of county functions to the districts on 1 April 1995 and for elections to be held in May 1995. Our decision reflects the particular circumstances in Cleveland and is not a precedent for any future cases where an existing council is to continue as a unitary authority. We propose as a general rule to consult the authorities concerned and elections will usually be held at the start of the shadow period leading up to reorganisation.

  Local Government Reorganisation
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to announce his proposals for paying for local government reorganisation; what plans he has for a charge on the areas involved; and when his proposals for transit and management, redundancy, transfer of undertakings and re-allocation of responsibilities will be ready for announcement.

  Mr. Curry
  Under the arrangements that have been announced, local authorities may finance the initial costs of reorganisation by borrowing. In most cases the savings and receipts that arise from reorganisation should be sufficient to pay back the borrowings and interest: there need be no burden on the council taxpayer. We are currently considering advice from the Staff Commission on redundancy and transfer arrangements and will make an announcement as soon as we have reached a conclusion.

  Capital Receipts
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the results of the capital receipts holiday which ended on 31 December 1993 for each local authority, with the amounts raised.
  170
  Mr. Curry
  I have arranged for the available information to be placed in the Library of the House.

  Committee of the Regions
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what provisions are being made for English representation on the Committee of the Regions after the reorganisation of local government in non-metropolitan areas.

  Mr. Curry
  No special provisions are required. All members and alternate members of the Committee of the Regions are, when appointed, elected members of local authorities. The present members hold office until 1988 and any further appointments before then, due to the death or resignation of current members, will be made from members of local authorities existing at the time of appointment.

  Greater Manchester
  Mr. Thurnham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the 10 Greater Manchester district councils in order of their full-time equivalent number of employees per thousand of population.

  Mr. Baldry
  The available information is given in the table.

  Number of employees per thousand of population in Greater Manchester at December 1993

  Authority

  Total staff(FT + PT)

  Total staff per thousand of population

  Manchester

  27,780

  63·9

  Salford

  11,529

  50·1

  Bolton

  12,570

  47·6

  Oldham

  10,464

  47·5

  Tameside

  9,313

  42·1

  Bury

  6,900

  38·2

  Stockport

  10,889

  37·7

  Trafford

  7,338

  34·0

  Wigan

  10,028

  32·1

  Rochdale

  n/a

  n/a

  Notes:

  1. Full-time equivalent information at individual authority level is not held centrally.

  2. Excludes law and order services.

  Sources: Joint Staffing Watch for England: December 1993 survey.

  OPCS mid-year population estimates for 1992.

  Detective Agencies
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much his Department has spent on contracts with private detective agencies since 1991; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Baldry
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment gave to the hon. Member for Cunninghame, South (Mr. Donohoe) on 9 May 1994,Official Report, column 65.

NATIONAL HERITAGE

  Tourist Boards
  Mr. Pendry
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what changes he plans to the structure of the statutory tourist boards within the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Sproat
  I am currently considering whether to widen representation on the British Tourist Authority and English tourist board. Questions about plans to change the structure of the other statutory tourist boards should be addressed to the Secretaries of State for Wales, for Scotland and for Northern Ireland.

  Museums and Galleries Policy
  Mr. Wolfson
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will make a statement on policy towards museums and galleries.

  Mr. Brooke
  I am about to undertake a review of my Department's policy towards museums and galleries. I am therefore today writing to a wide range of interested organisations seeking their views on the key components of policy in this area and posing some questions, listed here, for consideration. The questions are not intended to be an exhaustive list of topics for comment.

  My review will complement that at present being carried out by the Museums and Galleries Commission. It will not cover policies directed specifically towards museums and galleries in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, although I shall of course consult my right hon. Friends about any developments that might affect their interests.

  I am asking the organisations to which I am writing to send their comments to my Department by Friday 29 July. I should also welcome comments from anyone else who wishes to offer them. I have it in mind to indicate later in the year any emerging conclusions, once I have considered the responses. However, I shall want to consult further with interested parties on those issues which I decide should be taken forward.

  Policy on Museums

  SOME QUESTIONS FOR CONSIDERATION

  Policy aims
  What should be the aims of DNH's policy towards museums?

  In particular:
  Should policy be directed towards expansion of the sector or should the focus be on improving quality?
  How should some of the apparent tensions and contradictions characteristic of museums best be addressed (eg. tradition/ innovation; conservation/access)?
  How can access to museum collections and services be optimised?
  How can appropriate care of collections best be assured?

  Framework
  Are the responsibilities of the various bodies relating to museums, eg. Government, the Museums and Galleries Commission, Area Museums Councils, local authorities, the right ones?
  Are the present arrangements for funding museums the most appropriate ones?
  Do present arrangements—such as the Private Finance Initiative which is intended to enable Government Departments, or Non Departmental Public Bodies, and the private sector to work more closely together, to meet needs which have traditionally been met only by the public sector—offer sufficient means of attracting private sector finance and facilitating the introduction of private sector expertise? If not, what else might be done?
  What will be the implications of the National Lottery?
  172
  Which Government policies not specifically targeted at museums impinge most on them?
  What scope is there for improving links with other sectors, including sectors not covered by DNH?

  Other questions
  What are likely to be the key developments in museums in the next 25 years (curatorial, social, technological, managerial, financial)?
  What are the criteria for success in the museums sector? How can performance against these criteria most effectively be assessed?
  What role should museums play in education?
  In what ways would museums and galleries benefit from improved international links?

  St. Ethelburga's Church
  Mr. Lidington
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what assessment he has made of the exercise by English Heritage of its responsibility to supervise the clearing of rubble from St. Ethelburga's church, Bishopsgate; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Brooke
  [holding answer 10 May 1994]: I am satisfied that the clearance of rubble from the church has been carried out under effective supervision. The Museum of London archaeological service was appointed by English Heritage and the Diocese of London to carry out the work to English Heritage's specification. The work has been regularly monitored on site by officers of English Heritage. The use of a mechanical digger over the May bank holiday weekend to remove 200 tonnes of compacted rubble was outside the original specification but was considered the safe and practical option. It was approved by English Heritage and the Diocese and was supervised throughout by officers of the Museum of London archaeological service. As many finds as possible had been removed by hand earlier and stacked in the vestry and garden.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Child Support Act
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) if he will estimate the number of(a) fathers with care and (b) mothers with care who have come off income support and who are now dependent on maintenance payments under the Child Support Act 1991; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) if he will estimate the number of (a) fathers with care and (b) mothers with care who have come off income support and moved on to family credit and maintenance payments under the Child Support Act 1991; and if he will make a statement.

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

  Incapacity Benefit
  Mr. Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) if he will list the organisations responding to the consultation document on the medical test for incapacity benefit;

  (2) how many of the responses to the consultation document on the medical test for incapacity benefit

  173
  (a) were in favour of the approach outlined in that document and (b) expressed criticisms; and when he will publish the responses.

  Mr. Scott
  [pursuant to his reply, 6 May 1994, columns 690–93]: The following organisations also responded to the consultation document:

  Action for ME

  Enfield Area ME Self Help Group

  Myalgic Encephalomyelitis Association

  Stockport ME Group

  Westcare

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  Mobile Telephones and Pagers
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Attorney-General how many(a) portable telephones, (b) pagers and electronic bleepers and (c) car telephones are currently used by his Department; what are the annual costs of operating this equipment; and to which personnel it is made available.

  The Attorney-General
  The departments for which I am responsible—the Treasury Solicitor's Department, the Crown Prosecution Service, the Serious Fraud Office and the Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers—currently have in use 111 portable telephones, 105 pagers and electronic bleepers and six car telephones. The aggregate annual operating costs of this equipment including the cost of telephone calls are £78,900. Equipment is issued to Ministers and key personnel who may need to be contacted urgently.

  Internet
  Mr. David Shaw
  To ask the Attorney-General what plans his Department has(a) to utilise the Internet, (b) to make available on the Internet press releases and other departmental information which the public may wish to have access to and (c) to use the Internet as a means of increasing the openness of his Department.

  The Attorney-General
  The departments for which I am responsible have no current plans to use Internet. Crown Prosecution Service press releases which are issued electronically through the Central Office of Information are accessible to users of the Internet via Data-Star Dialog (Europe) or Mead/Lexis/Nexis. They are also available to subscribers to FT Profile, Reuters Textline and to POLIS.

  Upper Limb Disorders
  Dr. Marek
  To ask the Attorney-General what assistance his Departments have given to other Government Departments in the last convenient period for which information is available concerning cases brought by civil servants against their employer as a result of work-related upper limb disorders.

  The Attorney-General
  The Treasury Solicitor's Department conducts personal injury litigation for a number of Government Departments. Such litigation includes claims by civil servants against their employer in respect of work-related upper limb disorders.

  Serious Fraud Office
  Dr. Spink
  To ask the Attorney-General when he expects to lay before Parliament and publish the annual report of the Serious Fraud Office for the year 1993–94.
  174
  The Attorney-General
  I expect to lay the report before Parliament shortly.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Anglo-Irish Secretariat
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many(a) civil servants and (b) other staff of each grade are working for or, as members of, the Anglo-Irish Secretariat in each location at which such work is carried out; how many of the staff at each grade are from (i) the United Kingdom civil service, (ii) the Northern Ireland civil service and (iii) elsewhere; and, of the Northern Ireland civil service staff, how many in total and of each grade have been categorised under fair employment legislation as (1) Protestant, (2) Roman Catholic and (3) other.

  Sir John Wheeler
  The Anglo-Irish Secretariat functions from one location and the British side of the secretariat employs 12 civil servants, two of whom are from the Northern Ireland civil service. For reasons of personal security it would not be appropriate to list the posts by grade.

  The use of community backing monitoring information in the Northern Ireland Office is governed by a code of practice, under which the information can be used only for the purposes of monitoring the effectiveness of the Department's policy on equality of opportunity and to meet statutory requirements under fair employment legislation. The detail sought would be contrary to the code of practice, and could contravene the confidentiality requirements contained in regulations under the Fair Employment (Northern Ireland) Act 1989.

  Killinchy
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many acres of land at Whiterock, Killinchy have outline planning permission for residential development; and what proposals there are to improve the roadway from Whiterock to Killinchy village.

  Mr. Tim Smith
  No land at Whiterock, Killinchy has outline permission for residential development and there are no plans to improve the roadway from Whiterock to Killinchy village.

  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how the rates demand for Killinchy primary school is calculated; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Tim Smith
  Responsibility for the subject in question has been delegated to the Rate Collection Agency under its chief executive, Mr. D. W. Gallagher. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter from D. W. Gallagher to Mr. John D. Taylor, dated 10 May 1994:
  You asked the Secretary of State how the rates demand for Killinchy Primary School is calculated. As I am responsible for the Rate Collection Agency (RCA), the body to which rates are paid, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has asked me to reply.
  The Valuation and Lands Agency (VLA) is responsible for determining the Net Annual Value of all property in Northern

  175
  Ireland and the RCA for collecting rates based on the valuation. Below is a table showing how the rate demand for Killinchy Primary School has been calculated.

  1. NAV of Killinchy Primary School £6,200

  2. Ards District Council Rate Poundage 84.09p

  3. Regional Rate Poundage 148.68p

  4. Non-domestic Rate Poundage 232.77p (ie. District Council and Regional Rate Poundage)

  5. Rates assessed for the 1994–95 rating year £14,431.74 (ie. NAV (£6,200) x Non-domestic Rate Poundage
  (232.77p)

  If I can be of any further assistance please do not hesitate to contact me.

  Heavy Vehicles
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the implications for the road system of Northern Ireland of the European Council draft directive, Com (93) 679, in respect of 44–tonne articulated vehicles; what is the estimated cost of bridge-strengthening schemes to facilitate this proposal; what impact it would have on the sea ferry services from Northern Ireland; what consultations he has had with the Republic of Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Tim Smith
  The draft directive will have little impact on the road system in Northern Ireland as the vehicles equipped to carry 44 tonnes have extra axles and are generally no more severe on roads and bridges than existing rigid-ailed vehicles. The cost of bridge-strengthening schemes to facilitate this proposal will therefore be minimal. Some port operators have made representations about the potential impact on ferry services and these are being considered at present. Informal consultations have been carried out with the Republic of Ireland at official level.

  Primary Schools
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many(a) integrated, (6) maintained and (c) controlled primary schools there are; and how many in each of these categories have fewer than 35 pupils.

  Mr. Ancram
  The information for 1993–94 is as follows:

  Number of primary schools

  Number of primary schools with less than 35 pupils

  Integrated

  17

  2

  Maintained

  456

  21

  Controlled

  478

  32

  Total

  951

  55

  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what percentage of primary schools pay rates.

  Sir John Wheeler
  The total number of primary schools and preparatory departments in Northern Ireland is 977. Of this total, 16 are exempt from the payment of rates. The percentage of primary schools paying rates is therefore 98 per cent.

  Cross-border Groups
  Mr. Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list all official bodies, or private bodies with official representation or funding, which supervise or advise on activities on both sides of the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland giving in each case the date of the group's formation, details of representation from both sides of the border and levels of funding where appropriate.

  Sir John Wheeler
  Information on those official bodies established to address cross-border issues is given below. In addition, officials from both sides of the border meet regularly on matters of mutual interest.

  Joint steering group—Shannon-erne waterway

  A joint steering group with representation from officials from Government Departments in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland was set up in November 1990 to oversee the restoration of the Shannon-Erne waterway. In Northern Ireland official representation is drawn from the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Economic Development, the Department of Finance and the Personnel and Central Secretariat. In the Republic of Ireland, the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Department of Finance, the Department of the Taioseach, the Department of Tourism and Trade, the Office of Public Works and the Electricity Supply Board are represented. The work of the Joint Steering Group is financed entirely from within the constituent departments.

  Foyle Fisheries Commission

  The Foyle Fisheries Commission was formed on 25 March 1952. Two members are appointed by the Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland—DANI —and two by the Minister for the Marine in the Republic of Ireland.

  The Foyle Fisheries Commission's annual financial deficit is funded equally by DANI and by the Department of the Marine. The DANI contribution in the year ended 31 March 1994 was £131,000.

  European Studies Project Steering Committee

  The European Studies Project Steering Committee was established in 1985 jointly by the three Departments of Education in England, in Northern Ireland and in the Republic of Ireland. Membership of the steering committee is drawn from the Departments of Education in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland and from the five education and library boards in Northern Ireland, with observers from HMI in England and Scotland. The steering committee has no financial resources. Support for its multi-national inter-schools' activities is provided by the relevant Departments of Education.

  Advisory Committee International Fund for Ireland and Joint Secretariat

  In accordance with article 10 of the agreement between the Government of the United Kingdom and the Government of the Republic of Ireland concerning the International Fund for Ireland—Cmn. 266, dated 18 September 1986—an advisory committee has been established composed of representative officials of the two Governments. The committee advises the Board of the Fund on applications for assistance. In addition to the advisory committee, a joint secretariat, composed of

  177
  officials from both Governments, exists to provide the necessary administrative support to the Board of the Fund. No Government funding is involved with either body.

  Road Maintenance
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish a table showing, for each of the last three years, the current year and the projection for next year the expenditure on road maintenance in each council area in Northern Ireland and also indicate the sums expended in each of the last four winters on gritting in each council area and in total for such periods or if more convenient financial years.

  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much has been spent on road maintenance in each council area(a) in each of the last three years and (b) the current year; what is the projected expenditure for next year on road maintenance; and how much has been spent in each current area in each of the last four winters on gritting.

  Mr. Tim Smith
  The information is not available in the form requested. Expenditure on road maintenance in the last three years is as follows:

  £000"s

  Council

  1991–92

  1992–93

  11993–94

  Antrim

  1,726

  2,354

  2,048

  Ards

  1,823

  1,622

  1,718

  Armagh

  3,068

  3,253

  3,066

  Ballymena

  1,843

  2,068

  1,798

  Ballymoney

  1,120

  1,171

  1,058

  Banbridge

  1,614

  1,763

  1,661

  Belfast

  7,212

  7,052

  6,786

  Carrickfergus

  582

  770

  670

  Castlereagh

  1,691

  1,719

  1,657

  Coleraine

  2,181

  2,171

  1,959

  Cookstown

  1,342

  1,920

  2,111

  Craigavon

  2,355

  2,578

  2,430

  Derry

  2,458

  2,786

  2,506

  Down

  2,820

  2,528

  2,676

  Dungannon

  2,302

  2,541

  2,784

  Fermanagh

  3,008

  2,793

  3,061

  Larne

  1,196

  1,530

  1,326

  Limavady

  1,313

  1,389

  1,253

  Lisburn

  4,059

  4,396

  4,653

  Magherafelt

  1,526

  1,755

  1,526

  Moyle

  1,074

  1,179

  1,058

  Newry and Mourne

  3,078

  3,290

  3,098

  Newtownabbey

  2,548

  2,875

  2,755

  North Down

  1,348

  1,296

  1,364

  Omagh

  2,712

  2,749

  3,035

  Strabane

  2,027

  2,012

  2,203

  Total

  58,026

  61,560

  60,260

  1 Provisional figures.

  The total expenditure for road maintenance in the current financial year is estimated at £61.4 million and, at present, it is expected that expenditure in the 1995–96 financial year will be on a broadly similar level.

  In the past four financial years expenditure on winter gritting is as follows:

  £000's

  Division

  1990–91

  1991–92

  1992–93

  11993–94

  Ballymena

  517

  427

  472

  579

  Belfast

  526

  284

  294

  254

  Coleraine

  729

  502

  685

  822

  Craigavon

  735

  520

  709

  789

  178

  Division

  1990–91

  1991–92

  1992–93

  11993–94

  Downpatrick

  763

  614

  532

  740

  Omagh

  878

  473

  699

  644

  Total

  4,148

  2,820

  3,391

  3,828

  1 Provisional figures.

  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many potholes by grade or priority for repair there were in each council area in Northern Ireland in each of the last three years and the current year to date; if he will further break the figures down by(a) road classification and (b) mile or kilometre of each such road type.

  Mr. Tim Smith
  The information requested is not available in the form requested and could be supplied only at disproportionate cost.

  Parliamentary Questions
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many parliamentary questions, in the period November 1992 to March 1993, were answered with the response that the information requested is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost; how many were referred on to an agency chief executive; and, in each case, what percentage of the total number of questions asked this constituted.

  Sir John Wheeler
  Some 708 questions were asked in the period specified of which 20, 3 per cent, were answered with disproportionate cost and 35, 5 per cent. were answered by an agency chief executive.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Non-wage Employment Costs
  Mr. Paice
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what are the average non-wage employment costs for manufacturers in Britain, France and Germany.

  Mr. Heseltine
  In 1992 non-wage costs as proportion of total labour costs were 29 per cent. in France, 23 per cent. in Germany and 17 per cent. in the United Kingdom.

  Electricity Prices
  Mr. Faulds
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he will next meet the Director General of Electricity Supply to discuss electricity prices.

  Mr. Eggar
  I meet the Director General of Electricity Supply regularly.

  Manufacturing Industry
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what response he proposes to make to the analysis of Britain's competitive position in manufacturing industry contained in the report of the Trade and Industry Select Committee.

  Mr. Heseltine
  The Government will be responding to the Trade and Industry Committee in due course. The report offers a valuable contribution to the debate on how we can improve our relative economic performance.

  CFCs
  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade whether commitments made to restrict the trade in CFCs under the Montreal protocol will be allowable under the Uruguay round world trade accords.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  Yes. The Government have always considered that the trade measures in the Montreal protocol on substances that deplete the ozone layer were GATT-consistent. That will remain the case under the Uruguay round.

  Gas Production
  Mr. Welsh
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans he has to expand gas production from the central and northern North sea.

  Mr. Eggar
  I announced proposals for new rounds of offshore oil and gas licensing on 25 April. Full details are contained in the formal announcements, copies of which are available in the Libraries of both Houses.

  Consumer Rights Legislation
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans he has to legislate on consumer rights in the near future.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  During 1994, regulations will be made to implement the EC directive on unfair turns in consumer contracts and the EC general product safety directive. The Sale and Supply of Goods Bill and the Sale of Goods (Amendment) Bill, both currently before the House, have Government support.

  Mine Water (Control)
  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he will make an announcement about the future arrangements for the control of mine water; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Eggar
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to the statement made by my noble Friend the Minister of State during the Committee stage of the Coal Industry Bill on 26 April,Official Report, House of Lords, columns 539–42.

  Yorkshire Rider Bus Company
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he intends to refer the takeover of the Yorkshire Rider bus company by Badgerline to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  The Director General of Fair Trading's view, on the information he has received, is that the proposed acquisition by Badgerline of Yorkshire Rider does not qualify for investigation by the Monopolies and Mergers Commission under the mergers provisions of the Fair Trading Act 1973. I will not therefore be making a reference to the MMC.

  Political Donations
  Ms Rachel Squire
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will review the Companies Act 1985 to ensure that the public has more information on political donations made by companies.
  180
  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  No. The present law is sufficient. The Companies Act 1985 requires companies to disclose, in the directors' report, political donations exceeding £200.

  Cheltenham and Gloucester Building Society
  Mr. Alan W. Williams
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what representations he has received about the proposed takeover by Lloyd's bank of the Cheltenham and Gloucester building society.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  It is for the Director General of Fair Trading to consider this proposed merger and to advise my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade, under the Fair Trading Act 1973, whether the merger should be referred to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission. Any representations received by the DTI are being forwarded to the Office of Fair Trading.

  Mineworkers (Redundancy)
  Mr. Tipping
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade with what interested parties he has had recent discussions about introducing a further redundancy scheme for mineworkers to replace the scheme that expires on 30 April.

  Mr. Eggar
  The operation of British Coal's redundancy arrangements is a matter for the corporation. I understand it is currently discussing with the unions the redundancy arrangements for industrial employees to apply after 30 April.

  Small Businesses
  Mr. Bellingham
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he next expects to meet representatives of small businesses in East Anglia to discuss help for innovation.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  Ministers visit East Anglia as often as diaries permit. My noble Friend the Minister for Consumer Affairs and Small Firms visited King's Lynn earlier this month.

  World Trade
  Mr. Thurnham
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is his latest estimate of the United Kingdom share of world trade.

  Mr. Needham
  The United Kingdom's share of world visible exports was 5.2 per cent. in 1992, the latest year for which data are available, making the United Kingdom the world's fifth largest exporter.

  Mr. Amess
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the implications of the GATT agreement signed at Marrakesh for British companies.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  British companies will benefit from higher world growth, the opening up of overseas markets, improved trade rules and a more stable international trading environment.

  AEA Technology
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many and which of the present staff and functions of AEA Technology, separately identifying the
  181
  National Environmental Technology Centre, will be transferred to the commercial division preparatory to sale or privatisation.

  Mr. Heseltine
  I announced to the House on 17 February,Official Report, columns 922–24 the Government's intention to privatise the Atomic Energy Authority's commercial activities. With effect from 1 April, all these activities, including the National Environmental Technology Centre, were brought together within AEA Technology.

  As at 1 April 1994 staff numbers for AEA Technology were some 4,300 of which some 450 work in areas covered by the National Environmental Technology Centre.

  Insolvency Service
  Mr. Fraser
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the recruitment of permanent staff for the Insolvency Service and on the steps his Department is now taking to fill vacancies as they arise.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  A budget for the Insolvency Service has been agreed for 1994–95 which provides for 1,652 established posts together with financial provision for a further 235 staff on non-established terms. I have asked the service to come forward with proposals for additional, non-permanent resources to be deployed in 1994–95 in order to reduce the backlog of case administration and to increase its investigative effort. In advance of agreeing its final budget for 1994–95 the service is not filling any permanent administration grade vacancies that arise.

  Wave Power
  Mr. Spellar
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on his Department's policy on funding of wave power technology.

  Mr. Eggar
  On 31 March,Official Report, column 1009–10, I announced the Government's future strategy for new and renewable energy in the United Kingdom, Energy Paper 62, copies of which are in the Libraries of both Houses.

  Coal Industry
  Mr. Tipping
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how much financial support has been received from the European Community to help fund redundancy payments to mineworkers for each of the last five years.

  Mr. Eggar
  The European Coal and Steel Community provided non-repayable aid under article 56 of the ECSC treaty as follows:

  £ million

  1993–94

  8·0

  1992–93

  32·2

  1991–92

  36·2

  1990–91

  17·9

  1989–90

  22·3

  This aid has been provided in respect of a number of areas of restructuring costs including redundancy payments and retraining. Separate figures for assistance with redundancy payments are not readily available.
  182
  Mr. Tipping
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many applications he has received for the subsidy outlined in the "The Prospects for Coal" for additional sales of deep-mined coal to the generators; how many of these have been successful; how many tonnes of coal each involves; and what is the total amount of subsidy that has now been paid.

  Mr. Eggar
  Since the coal subsidy scheme was announced in March 1993, my Department has received five applications. Four offers have been made so far, two to British Coal and two to the private sector. These cover the delivery of almost 2 million tonnes of coal over the period 1 April 1993 to 31 March 1995. One application is currently under consideration.

  To date, the European Commission has approved payment only in respect of production in 1993 and a cumulative total of £1,054,815 has been paid. Authorisation is awaited from the Commission in respect of production from 1 January 1994.

  Mr. Tipping
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how much financial assistance he has made available to British Coal to fund redundancy payments to mineworkers for each of the past five years.

  Mr. Eggar
  Under section 3 of the Coal Industry Act 1987 the Government have provided grant aid to British Coal in respect of work force reductions and redeployment over the last five financial years as follows:

  £ million

  1993–94

  574·4

  1992–93

  467·3

  1991–92

  310·3

  1990–91

  199·4

  1989–90

  354·0

  Separate figures for grant aid for redundancy payments specifically for mineworkers are not readily available.

  Industry Grants, Greater Manchester
  Mr. Bennett
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what representations he has received about grants to industry in Greater Manchester.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  My Department has received a number of written representations about specific grant applications and about various domestic and European programmes.

  Water Filters and Pumps (Exports)
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what help his Department provides exporters of water pumps and water filters to the Arab world; and what requests he has had from Iraq to enable Iraq to obtain water filtering and water pump equipment.

  Mr. Needham
  The Government's normal range of assistance and services are available to such exporters. The export of all goods to Iraq is prohibited, but there is an exemption for the export of humanitarian goods. Any such exports from the United Kingdom would require a United Kingdom export licence and authorisation from the United Nations Sanctions Committee. Details of applications received for licences to supply humanitarian goods are not disclosed on grounds of commercial confidentiality.

  Inward Investment
  Mr. Evennett
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many jobs have been created or sustained in British industry as a consequence of inward investment since 1979.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  According to figures notified to my Department's Invest in Britain Bureau for the financial years 1979 to 1993 there have been some 291,377 new jobs created and some 234,771 jobs safeguarded as a result of inward investment.

  Ministerial Visits
  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many small firms merit award for research and technology—SMART—award winners on the Isle of Wight have received ministerial visits.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  I am not aware that any winners of the small firms merit award for research and technology, SMART, in the Isle of Wight have received ministerial visits.

  Post Office
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the current operations and standards of the Post Office.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  In accordance with the longstanding policy of successive Governments since 1969, postal operations are the responsibility of the Post Office Board. During 1993–94, the overall standards of service provided by the Post Office remained impressively high: preliminary figures for 1993–94 show that overall performance nationally for first class letter delivery by the next working day was over 90 per cent., for second class letters over 98 per cent. were delivered within three working days and in Crown post offices, 96 per cent. of customers were served within five minutes.

  Petrol
  Mr. Haselhurst
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the current price of a gallon of four-star petrol; and what was the equivalent price, in real terms, in(a) 1964, (b) 1974 and (c)

  Mr. Eggar
  The average price of four-star petrol in March 1994 was 253p per gallon. The equivalent prices, adjusted to 1992 price levels using the GDP deflator at market prices, are:

  Pence per gallon

  1994-March

  239

  1984

  284

  1974

  280

  1964

  246

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION

  Rwanda
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many international aid workers remain in Rwanda; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  We understand from the United Nations that there are currently 14 personnel from the International Committee of the Red Cross in Kigali, plus two from Medecins Sans Frontieres. There are 15 ICRC personnel in other areas of Rwanda, plus a further 10 working in border regions.

  Kenya
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the British aid projects that his Department has approved for Kenya and the amount of funding granted for each project for the financial year 1994–95.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  No new projects have been signed so far in 1994–95, but we expect to sign agreements shortly with the Government of Kenya for £10.6 million for the national agricultural research programme and £2.3 million for the Kenya trypanosomiasis research programme. In addition, we expect to sign an agreement this month to provide £5 million of programme aid in support of Kenya's economic reform programme.

PRIME MINISTER

  Iraq
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Prime Minister what response Her Majesty's Government are making to the report by Willem C. Smit and Dr. Jean Pierre Revel for the regional office in Amman of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, a copy of which has been sent to him, on their assessment mission to Iraq from 11 January to 11 February covering the health and nutritional status of the Iraqi people, the extent of the increase in the cost of a food basket between 1990 and 1993 and the extent of marasmus, kwashiorkor and other water-borne diseases.

  The Prime Minister
  [holding answer 10 May 1994]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, on 25 April, Official Report, column 31. The appeal by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies was to a large extent based on the Smit/Revel report. The British Red Cross is clarifying one or two issues, following which a final decision on a possible contribution from the Government will be taken.

WALES

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what percentage of the work force in local authority areas in Gwynedd is in part-time employment; and if he will make a statement.
  185
  Mr. Redwood
  The latest source of the information requested is the 1991 census of population. The following table shows the number of part-time employees in local authority areas in Gwynedd and expresses these as a percentage of the total number of employed and self-employed persons in each area.

  Part-time employees1 in Gwynedd: April 1991

  District

  Number of part-time employees

  Percentage of all employed and self-employed persons

  Aberconwy

  4,194

  19·9

  Arfon

  3,718

  18·4

  Dwyfor

  1,737

  16·9

  Meirionnydd

  2,330

  17·9

  Ynys Mon

  4,402

  17·2

  1 Persons usually working no more than 30 hours a week.

  Source: 1991 Census Report for Gwynedd—OPCS.

  Economy, Gwynedd
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessments he has made of the proportion of Gwynedd economy which is dependent on(A) tourism, (b) slate quarrying, (c) farming and fishing and (d) the power industry.

  Mr. Redwood
  The latest available employment data at the detailed industrial breakdown required are from the 1991 census of employment, which covers employees only. The following table shows the number of employees in each category expressed as a percentage of all employees in Gwynedd. In addition, the 1991 census of population indicates that 6.0 per cent. of all employed and self-employed persons in Gwynedd were engaged in agriculture, forestry and fishing.

  Percentage of total employees in employment in Gwynedd: September 1991

  Per cent.

  Tourism related industries2

  13·9

  Slate quarrying

  1—

  Farming and fishing3

  3·4

  Power industries4

  2·6

  1 Figure cannot be released for reasons of commercial confidentiality.

  2 Standard Industrial Classification (Revised 1980) groups 661, 662, 663, 665, 667, 977, 979.

  3 Standard Industrial Classification (Revised 1980) division 0

  4 Standard Industrial Classification (Revised 1980) groups 111, 130, 152, 161, 162, 163.

  Source: NOMIS

  Land Authority for Wales
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what checks there are on the Land Authority for Wales's compulsory purchase powers; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Redwood
  The Land Authority's power to acquire land compulsorily is contained in section 104 of the Local Government, Planning and Land Act 1980 and each Order requires my confirmation before it can take effect.

  A public inquiry is always held if a statutory objector objects to the proposal.

  Economic Inactivity, Wales
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give the latest figures for economic inactivity in Wales for(a) men between 16 and 64 years and (b) women between 16 and 59 years of age.

  Mr. Redwood
  According to the autumn 1993 labour force survey there were 177,000 males in Wales aged 16 to 64 who were economically inactive, representing 19–7 per cent. of all males aged 16 to 64. The corresponding figures for females aged 16 to 59 were 265,000 and 32.4 per cent. respectively. Many of these people are fully engaged in looking after homes or children.

  Upper Limb Disorders
  Dr. Marek
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the present number of civil servants taking legal action against the Department as a result of work-related upper limb disorders.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The present number of civil servants taking legal action against the Department and notified to legal group is two.

TRANSPORT

  Freightliner
  Mr. Dunn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress is being made with the proposed privatisation of Freightliner.

  Mr. Macgregor
  I have today announced that the railways board will shortly be advertising the availability of a memorandum describing the business, with a view to soliciting formal expressions of interest and commencing discussion with short-listed bidders. Our objective is to transfer Freightliner to the private sector as a going concern. We encourage bidders to come forward with proposals to develop the rail intermodal freight network. Purchasers will wish to develop plans to reduce costs and improve efficiency, to manage the transition to the private sector. The Government have also introduced specific measures of support, including the new rail freight facilities and track access grants and the 44–tonne lorry weight concession for intermodal transport.

DEFENCE

  Cadet Corps, Easington
  Mr. Cummings
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement concerning the future funding of the Army Cadet Corps, Naval Cadet Corps and RAF Cadet Corps in the Easington constituency; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hanley
  The arrangements for providing support for the cadet forces do not distinguish between units on the basis of parliamentary constituency. The cadet forces, like all other support functions of the Ministry of Defence, have been reviewed as part of the defence costs study. Proposals are currently being considered and we hope to make announcements before the summer recess.

  Arms Sales
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the countries to which the United Kingdom is at the present time selling arms or arms-related equipment.

  Mr. Aitken
  It has been the policy of successive Governments not to reveal details of arms sales to individual countries. However, "Defence Statistics 1993", a copy of which is held in the Library of the House, gives information on the value of sales by region in table 1.11.

  Capital Projects (Expenditure)
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 25 April,Official Report, column 86, if he will give details of all design developments of the capital projects for (a) Minley/ Chatham barracks, (b) Dishforth and (c) Tidworth; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hanley
  Once a project specification has been agreed, responsibility for minor design changes which do not alter the basic specification of the project in question are delegated to the project manager and project sponsor. Comprehensive records of such changes are not held centrally.

  Royal Naval Supply Depot Copenacre
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the total amount of costs involved in the partial closure of RNSD Copenacre in each of the next three financial years; what consideration he gave to the total closure of RNSD Copenacre; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hanley
  Both the total closure and partial closure options for RNSD Copenacre were given full consideration prior to our announcing proposals for partial closure. Continued refinement of plans during the consultation period confirmed that partial closure only would avoid expensive reprovising of facilities elsewhere and would achieve considerable running cost savings. The overall costs for the next two financial years of implementing the partial closure of RNSD Copenacre are estimated to be some £2 million and £1,900,000 respectively. It is estimated that overall savings of some £2,800,000 will be achieved in the third year.

  MV Polar Circle
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 22 March,Official Report, column 174, what factors contributed to his
  188
  decision to acquire MV Polar Circle as the replacement ice patrol ship; and what effect his decision had on the operational capabilities of British armed forces.

  Mr. Hanley
  At the time of the purchase of Polar Circle, the Government made clear their commitment to retain the ice patrol task previously discharged by HMS Endurance, whose structural condition made it no longer safe for her to operate in ice. Polar Circle, now re-named HMS Endurance, had been chartered by the Government in October 1991, and the charter contract gave the Government the option before 24 January 1992 to buy the ship or to extend her charter. An investment appraisal was undertaken of the options available for retaining the use of the ship for the longer term, and this concluded that outright purchase of the vessel would be better value for money than either long-term charter or lease. The Government were also satisfied, after an extensive assessment of her operational performance in the Antarctic, that Polar Circle was fully capable of performing the tasks demanded of her. Although a further survey of the merchant shipping market would normally have been conducted before the decision to exercise the purchase option was taken, the limited time available before the simultaneous expiry of the charter and the option to purchase was judged to preclude such an exercise. This decision had no impact on the operational capabilities of the British armed forces.

  Tank Replacements
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 22 March,Official Report, column 174, what factors contributed to his decision to place an order for Challenger 2 as the replacement for the remaining two regiments of Chieftain tanks; and what effect his decision had on the operational capabilities of British armed forces.

  Mr. Aitken
  As the then Minister of State for Defence Procurement made clear in announcing the decision on 21 June 1991, a large number of factors were taken into account in deciding to procure Challenger 2 as Chieftain replacement. These included technical merit, risk, contract conditions, time scale, cost, the balance of interoperability considerations, stretch potential, logistical implications, employment and overseas sales. The advantage of maintaining a single ammunition type across the smaller post-"Options" tank fleet was an important consideration.

  As was also made clear, following the introduction into service of Challenger 2, the Army's tank fleet will be well placed to meet its commitments.

  POLICE PAY
  POLICE PAY
  PRISON SERVICE: KEY TARGETS
  PRISON SERVICE: KEY TARGETS
  MURDER: LIFE SENTENCE RELEASE RE-OFFENDERS
  MURDER: LIFE SENTENCE RELEASE RE-OFFENDERS
  ORGANOPHOSPHATES: EXPOSURE TESTS
  ORGANOPHOSPHATES: EXPOSURE TESTS
  PREVENTIVE DIPLOMACY INITIATIVE
  PREVENTIVE DIPLOMACY INITIATIVE
  ARBITRATION FOR MEDICAL NEGLIGENCE IN THE NHS: DISCUSSION PAPER
  ARBITRATION FOR MEDICAL NEGLIGENCE IN THE NHS: DISCUSSION PAPER
  CROWN COURTS: TV/VIDEO SET
  CROWN COURTS: TV/VIDEO SET
  CROWN COURTS: CHILD LIAISON OFFICERS
  CROWN COURTS: CHILD LIAISON OFFICERS