Written Answers of 16 May 1994

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

  Civil Servants (Business Appointments)
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many civil servants in his Department have applied through the business appointments system to take up an outside appointment(a) as an independent consultant, (b) in a firm of consultants and (c) in other employment; how many have been referred to the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments; and how many were granted.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 6 May 1994,Official Report, column 668.

TREASURY

  Beer Imports
  Mr. Couchman
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to prevent unaccompanied duty-paid imports of beer.

  Sir John Cope
  The European Commissioner responsible for taxation policy has confirmed the United Kingdom Government's view that United Kingdom excise duty and VAT must be paid on unaccompanied duty-paid imports of excise goods. Customs are performing checks using intelligence techniques to detect individuals attempting to avoid duty payment. In this way illegal unaccompanied imports may be detected in transit, at the recipient's premises, or subsequently.

  Mr. Couchman
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the regional distribution throughout the United Kingdom of the destination of duty-paid imports of beer.

  Sir John Cope
  Duty-paid beer in quantities below the indicative limits may be imported freely by private travellers for their own use. The distribution can be anywhere throughout the United Kingdom. Customs have no means of knowing the final destination of such travellers and have therefore made no estimate of their regional distribution.

  Mr. Couchman
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what evidence he has of the involvement of individuals with a criminal record, and of organised criminal groups, in the illegal importing and resale of duty-paid beer brought into the United Kingdom ostensibly for personal use.

  Sir John Cope
  Although there is evidence of petty criminals engaging in this illegal activity, there is no evidence of organised crime being involved.

  Open Government
  Mr. David Shaw
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on his Department's plans to create more openness in government by publishing Government press releases and other information on a free access electronic news or bulletin board system.

  Mr. Nelson
  I have no plans at present to provide a free access service.

  VAT
  Mr. McFall
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the Government will continue to support the present VAT zero rate floor limit for refunds of goods bought in the United Kingdom by tourists from outside the European Union.

  Sir John Cope
  The Government support the present arrangements and have registered their opposition to the European Commission proposal for a minimum threshold before non-EC visitors can claim a VAT refund.

  Trade Deficit
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the change in the visible trade deficit with non-European Union countries between February and March.

  Mr. Nelson
  [holding answer 12 May 1994]: Latest data show a visible trade deficit of £718 million in March, compared with £657 million in February.

  Alcohol (Duty)
  Mr. Andrew Smith
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what procedures are in place for assessing and collecting duty from cross-channel travellers who return with opportunity purchases of alcohol for sale through businesses; what advice is given to small businesses on the procedures; and what plans he has to introduce a duty collection facility at Dover.

  Sir John Cope
  [holding answer 13 May 1994]: The movement of commercial consignments of excise goods between member states is subject to procedures laid down in EC legislation, and these have been reproduced by Customs in notices which are freely available to the trade and public. Customs recognise the need to facilitate purchasers who have acquired excise goods outside of the established procedures. They are examining the existing arrangements to see if greater flexibility can be introduced. This includes the possibility of duty collection points at the ports.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Genetically Engineered Foods
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what specific proposals she has to ensure the labelling of all foods the production of which has involved genetic engineering; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Soames
  The Government have accepted the recommendations of the Food Advisory Committee on the
  295
  labelling of foods produced as a result of genetic modification. They are that mandatory labelling rules should apply in all cases where a foodstuff:

  (a) contains a copy gene originally derived from a human;

  (b) contains a copy gene originally derived from an animal which is the subject of religious dietary restrictions; or

  (c) is a plant or microbial material containing a copy gene originally derived from an animal.

  These rules would not apply if the inserted gene had been destroyed during processing and was not, therefore, present in the food.

  Labelling of such foods is being considered by the EC Council of Ministers as part of a proposal on novel foods.

  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will make it her policy to make mandatory the assessment procedures for the safety of genetically engineered foods in the United Kingdom; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Soames
  We are currently at an advanced stage in negotiating mandatory procedures to apply throughout the whole of the European Union.

  Parliamentary Questions
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food 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. Jack
  According to the POLIS database eight parliamentary questions answered by Ministers in this Department in the period 1 November 1992 and 31 March 1993 were given a response either that the information requested was not held centrally or that the information could be provided only at disproportionate cost and eight were referred to agency chief executives. Both those figures represent less than 1 per cent. of all written answers given in the same period.

  Milk Marketing
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will list the objections she has received in response to the second consultation document of reorganisation in the milk marketing scheme; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Jack
  I am placing in the Library of the House a copy of those formal responses to the consultation exercise which the Ministry has made publicly available.

  My right hon. Friends the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Secretary of State for Wales will consider the responses to the consultation exercise when deciding whether to approve the reorganisation scheme under the terms of the Agriculture Act 1993.

  Animal Welfare
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to her answer of 18 April,Official Report, column 412, if she will describe the procedures in place for prosecuting non-United Kingdom companies in breach of the Welfare of Animals During Transit Order 1992.
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  Mr. Soames
  Acting directly or from information received from an inspector of this Department or a local authority, the police have general powers of arrest and detention under section 25 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 in respect of non-United Kingdom nationals suspected of having committed an offence under the Welfare of Animals during Transport Order 1992. These powers have been exercised on a number of occasions and offenders successfully prosecuted.

  If a non-United Kingdom company has an agent in the United Kingdom authorised to accept service of a summons, it would, according to the circumstances of the case, be possible to bring a prosecution against such a company for offences against the order.

  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to her answer of 13 April,Official Report, column 180, to which local authorities statements have been given by her Department's staff with respect to possible prosecutions.

  Mr. Soames
  Such statements have been given to Hampshire county council.

  Pig Producers
  Mr. Hicks
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when she expects to receive from the EC its report into allegations of subsidising of pig producers and pigmeat processors by certain member states; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Jack
  [holding answer 9 May 1994]: As a direct result of United Kingdom pressure on the Commission to investigate aid to French pig producers, the Commission published in its Official Journal of 15 April its intention to open proceedings under article 93(2) of the treaty against two French aid schemes.

  We have sent in our comments to the Commission urging an immediate decision that the schemes be declared illegal and demanding the recovery of any aid paid. If the Commission cannot take an immediate decision, we have asked that interim measures be introduced prohibiting any further payment of aid pending a final decision.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Renewable Energy Advisory Committee
  Mr. Mudie
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the members and dates of membership of the Renewable Energy Advisory Committee and of each committee established by the Renewable Energy Advisory Committee on each major technology.

  Mr. Eggar
  The list of members and dates of membership of the Renewable Energy Advisory Committee is as follows:

  Renewable Energy Advisory Committee

  Member

  Oraganisation

  Joined committee

  Dr. C. Hicks (Chair)

  DTI

  March 1994

  Dr. A. Wheldon

  Reading University

  January 1992

  Mr. A. Tweedale

  Energy Supplies Ltd.

  January 1985

  Mr. G. Leach

  Independent consultant

  January 1985

  Mr. G. Walker

  EPSRC

  January 1985

  Mr. I. Mitchell

  Countryside Commission

  March 1994

  Mr. R. Morris

  Portlea Ltd.

  August 1989

  Mr. P. White

  NORWEB

  August 1989

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  Member

  Organisation

  Joined committee

  Mr. G. Bevan

  DTI

  December 1985

  Mr. J. Penman

  DoE

  June 1991

  Mr. R. Penn

  DTI

  October 1991

  Mr. R. Meir

  DTI

  November 1986

  Mr. A. Hyde

  DTI

  March 1994

  Dr. K. Brown

  ETSU

  April 1993

  Ms C. Gray (Observer)

  OST

  September 1993

  Mr. A. Brown (Observer)

  ETSU

  December 1993

  The REAC has not established any committees on major technologies. There are, however, currently three advisory committees which provide advice to the Energy Technology Support Unit on the development and formulation of the Government's wind energy, solar energy and biofuels programmes. Details of membership and dates of membership of these three committees are as follows:

  Wind Energy Advisory Committee

  Member

  Oraganisation

  Joined committee

  Dr. A. Brown (Chair)

  ETSU

  December 1993

  Dr. J. Halliday

  EPSRC

  December 1992

  Dr. A. Shuttleworth

  Scottish Power

  August 1993

  Mr. A. S. Kennedy

  North of Scotland Hydro-Electric

  January 1991

  Professor M. Lowson

  Bristol University

  1979

  Mr. D. Milborrow

  Independent consultant

  September 1984

  Professor Wootton

  City University

  October 1993

  Mr. M. Trinick

  Bond Pearce Solicitors

  October 1993

  Dr. R. R. Wilson

  James Howden and Co. Ltd.

  July 1983

  Mr. P. Simpson

  Wind Energy Group Ltd.

  December 1990

  Mr. G. Swarbrick

  South Western Electricity plc

  June 1991

  Dr. J. Halliday

  EPSRC

  December 1992

  Mr. R. Meir

  DTI

  1986

  Mr. D. I. Page

  ETSU

  1983

  Miss Y. Rizzi

  DoE

  February 1993

  Solar Energy Advisory Committee

  Member

  Oraganisation

  Joined committee

  Dr. K. Brown (Chair)

  ETSU

  May 1993

  Professor P. O'Sullivan

  Bartlett School of Architecture

  October 1983

  Dr. J. Wiltshire

  Newcastle University

  June 1984

  Mr. G. Oldham

  Independent consultant

  March 1991

  Mr. B. Heppel

  Independent consultant

  March 1989

  Professor R. Hill

  University of Northumbria

  November 1993

  Professor B. Brinkworth

  University of Wales

  November 1993

  Dr. V. Crisp

  BRE

  September 1991

  Mr. A. Field

  DoE

  November 1991

  Mr. R. Meir

  DTI

  December 1986

  Dr. A. J. Cole

  ETSU

  May 1991

  Mr. J. Newman

  DTI

  November 1991

  Dr. D. Vincent

  DoE

  January 1987

  Biofuels Advisory Committee

  Member

  Organisation

  Joined committee

  Dr. A. Brown (Chair)

  ETSU

  July 1986

  Dr. A. V. Bridgewater

  Aston University

  July 1986

  Mr. P. F. Hufton

  NEI International Combustion Ltd.

  December 1990

  Mr. Burdekin

  Forestry Commission

  March 1990

  Mr. M. Jones

  North London Wastes Authority

  November 1989

  Mr. H. D. T. Moss

  Shanks & McEwan

  March 1990

  Professor G. Noone

  Severn Trent Water

  December 1992

  Mr. D. Thirkell

  Independent

  July 1992

  Professor D. Hall

  University of London

  December 1993

  Mr. R. Boon

  Shell Petroleum

  December 1993

  Mr. K. Reilly

  Associated Energy projects plc

  July 1993

  Mr. L. Parry

  United Kingdom Waste Management

  July 1993

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  Member

  Oraganisation

  Joined committe

  Dr. K. Richards

  ETSU

  June 1993

  Dr. M. Dwyer

  MAFF

  July 1992

  Dr. P. Hinchcliff

  DoE

  May 1992

  Mr. R. Kettle

  DTI

  September 1991

  Mr. R. Meir

  DTI

  December 1986

  Mr. S. Norgrove

  DTI

  July 1992

  Mr. E. Winiarski

  EPSRC

  December 1992

  Key: DTI—Department of Trade and Industry.

  DoE—Department of the Environment.

  MAFF—Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.

  ETSU—Energy Technology Support Unit.

  EPSRC—Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council.

  BRE—Building Research Establishment.

  OST—Cabinet Office; Office of Science and Technology.

  Aircraft Projects
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is his policy concerning the future of large aircraft projects.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  DTI assists United Kingdom aerospace companies to participate in international collaborative projects wherever this is appropriate, and is in close contact with the United Kingdom industry on the proposed future large aircraft development.

  Electricity Industry
  Mr. William O'Brien
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will investigate the circumstances of the departure of the chairman of East Midlands Electricity, and the closure of the electrical contracting business.

  Mr. Eggar
  Both issues are commercial matters for East Midlands Electricity plc.

  Mr. William O'Brien
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will hold an inquiry in the joint venture of the East Midlands and the Yorkshire electricity boards on the retailing operations following the closure of the electrical contracting business operations in Ossett in West Yorkshire.

  Mr. Eggar
  These are commercial matters for the companies concerned.

  Mr. Burns
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement about the appointment of the Director General of Electricity Supply.

  Mr. Eggar
  I am pleased to announce the reappointment of Professor Stephen Littlechild as Director General of Electricity Supply for a second five-year term. The new term will commence on 1 September 1994. Since 1989 Professor Littlechild has played an important role in the creation of a competitive electricity market and I welcome his continuing involvement in the development of this sector of the economy.

  Coal Industry
  Mr. Clapham
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) what discussions he has had with British Coal about the proposal to contractualise the basic element of the current British Coal redundancy scheme;

  (2) what discussions he has had with British Coal about the proposed employment package which is currently being put to the mining unions.
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  Mr. Eggar
  Both my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade and I meet the chairman of British Coal as necessary to discuss a variety of coal industry matters.

  Mr. Clapham
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade who will guarantee the contractualised redundancy scheme in the event of a colliery business failure after privatisation of the coal industry.

  Mr. Eggar
  The Government, through the statutory redundancy payments scheme, ensure that all qualifying redundant employees receive a basic level of compensation. Where employers are unable to pay, for example in the case of receivership, this payment is met by the Department of Employment.

  Any redundancy arrangements after the privatisation of British Coal in excess of the statutory requirements will be a matter for private sector employers. Where employees are transferred to a new employer and the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 1981 apply, the new employer will take on contractual obligations which exist at the time of transfer.

  Trade Marks Bill
  Dame Peggy Fenner
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement about the consultation exercise his Department has been carrying out on the subject of lookalikes in the context of the Trade Marks Bill.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The consultation exercise was carried out via the Standing Advisory Committee on Industrial Property, because this afforded a readily available mechanism for seeking the views of those with experience in this field. The consultation was not, however, restricted to members of SACIP, and comments were received from others, including the British Producers and Brand Owners Group and individual companies.

  The overwhelming majority of the views received was against taking action in the Bill. Many made the point that this is not a trade marks issue, as the main characteristic of a lookalike product is that it does not copy a trade mark. This is also the Government's view.

  There was a widespread feeling among those who commented that—compared with other countries—there may be an issue of unfair competition to be addressed. The Government believe, however, that the Bill, which broadens the definition of what may be registered as a trade mark and also widens the rights conferred, will improve the position by allowing shapes and distinctive packaging to be registered, and should be given a chance to work. If, once the Bill has been in force for a reasonable period, brand owners can demonstrate that there continues to be a problem, the Government would be prepared to look again at the situation.

  Letter (Combat 18)
  Mr. Hain
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will consult the chairman of the Post Office about the circumstances in which the contents of a letter posted at Streatham High Road main post office on 29 April at 11.30 am became known to a member of Combat 18; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  This is an operational matter for the Post Office. It is, of course, a criminal offence under sections 56 and 58 of the Post Office Act 1953 to tamper with mail.

  Cable Companies
  Mr. David Howell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what procedures have been laid down to enable members of the public to raise complaints against the operation of cable companies installing their equipment on highways and also on private property; and whether he will make a statement.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  Cable television operators are granted powers under section 10 of the Telecommunications Act 1984 to install cable systems in the maintainable highway and, with appropriate consent, on private land. Their licences include conditions designed to ensure that they operate in a responsible manner and adhere to all relevant street works legislation. Street works in the maintainable highway are subject to the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991, and its associated regulations, which are enforced by local highway authorities. Where work is undertaken on private land, it should be with the consent of the landowner, and any complaint arising from that work is a matter for the landowner and the cable operator concerned. Many cable operators provide freephone numbers to deal with inquiries.

  Chernobyl
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement about the progress being made in discussions between the Ukrainian Government and representatives of the G7 to eliminate the danger of radiation threat from the Chernobyl nuclear power plant.

  Mr. Eggar
  A G7 mission met representatives of the Ukrainian Government on 2 to 4 May. These were exploratory talks designed to prepare the ground for consideration, at the forthcoming G7 economic summit, in the context of nuclear safety in eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, of how best we might work with Ukraine to secure the G7 objective of early closure of high-risk reactors such as Chernobyl.

  Consultants
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his answer of 24 March,Official Report, columns 428–29, how many consultancy contracts have been let by his Department's executive agencies in the last five years; and at what cost.

  Mr. Eggar
  [holding answer 29 April 1994]: I have asked the chief executives of the agencies to reply to this question, as it falls into the category of day-to-day operational matters.

  Letter from Mike Hoddinott to Mr. Alan Milburn, dated 16 May 1994:
  Your recent Parliamentary Question to the President of the Board of Trade asked how many consultancy contracts have been let by the Department's executive agencies in the last five years; and at what cost. Details in respect of Accounts Services Agency are as follows:

  Contracts

  Number

  Cost in £'000

  1989–90

  1

  21

  1990–91

  0

  0

  1991–92

  0

  0

  1992–93

  34

  248

  1993–94

  19

  164

  301
  The costs for each year include VAT although Account Services Agency had separate VAT registration for the years 1992–93 and 1993–94.

  Letter from David Durham to Mr. Alan Milburn, dated 16 May 1994:
  You tabled the following Parliamentary Question:
  "To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his Answer of 24th March, Official Report, columns 428–9, how many consultancy contracts have been let by his Department's executive agencies in the last five years; and at what cost."
  I have been asked to reply to this question, as Chief Executive of Companies House Executive Agency. The following information is, of course, only relevant to this Agency.
  The number of consultancy contracts let and the costs involved were as follows:

  Number

  Cost £

  1993–94

  20

  147,271

  1992–93

  23

  205,075

  1991–92

  17

  231,653

  The cost of consultancy in 1990–91 was £283,441. Because of changes to our financial systems in 1991, I regret that the precise numbers of contracts before 1991–92, or their cost before 1990–91, is not readily available.

  I hope this information is helpful.

  Letter from Peter Joyce to Mr. Alan Milburn, dated 16 May 1994:
  The President of the Board of Trade has asked me to reply to your Question about contracts let by The Insolvency Service. Since The Insolvency Service became an Executive Agency in March 1990, eight contracts have been awarded to management consultants at a total cost of £0.33 million.
  The Service also uses the private sector for advice on, development of and delivery in relation to specialist areas such as training, design and information technology systems.

  Letter from R. D. Worswick to Mr. Alan Milburn, dated 16 May 1994:
  I have been asked to answer with respect to the Laboratory of the Government Chemist your question to the President of the Board of Trade concerning the cost and number of consultancy contracts let by the Executive Agencies of the Department of Trade and Industry.
  Over the last five years (up to and including 1993–94) the Laboratory of the Government Chemist has let fourteen consultancy contracts at a total cost of £442,000.

  Letter from W. Edgar to Mr. Alan Milburn, dated 16 May 1994:

  PARLIAMENTARY QUESTION NO. 29
  "To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his answer of 24 March, Official Report, columns 428–9, how many consultancy contracts have been let by his Department's executive agencies in the last five years, and at what cost".
  Over the past five years NEL has let 22 consultancy contracts at a total cost of £360,447.
  You should note that the above consultancies were in respect of activities such as the development of commercial systems and investigation of new markets for NEL services.

  Letter from P. B. Clapham to Mr. Alan Milburn, dated 16 May 1994:
  I am writing in response to your question to the President of the Board of Trade about the number and cost of consultancy contracts which have been let by his Department's Executive Agencies during the last five years.
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  The total number of external consultancies let by the National Physical Laboratory during the period was 82. The total cost was £1,472,325 excluding VAT.
  I hope this provides the information need.

  Letter from Seton Bennett to Mr. Alan Milburn, dated 16 May 1994:
  Parliamentary question: Consultancy contracts
  I have been asked to reply, in respect of this Agency, to your recent question to the President of the Board of Trade concerning consultancy contracts let in the last five years.
  The Number of consultancy contracts let by the National Weights and Measures Laboratory between April 1989 and March 1994 was 8, at a cost of £42,376.

  Letter from P. R. S. Hartnack to Mr. Alan Milburn, dated 16 May 1994:
  I am replying in respect of the Patent Office to the question you tabled in Parliament on 29 April, regarding consultancy contracts let by DTI executive agencies over the last five years.
  The Patent Office has been empowered to let contracts since it became an agency in March 1990. Since then, we have let five "general" or "management" consultancy contracts, at a cost of £10,100. Three of these involved advice on recruitment advertising or the establishment of training projects. Over this period we have also placed ten contracts for advice on building works and other property services (at a cost of £53,600) in connection with the seven sites from which we operate; and three contracts (£34,800) for legal and information technology advice: the Patent Office is very dependent upon its IT systems in order to perform its statutory duties.
  I hope that this is helpful.

  Letter from Jim Norton to Mr. Alan Milburn, dated 16 May 1994:
  I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question to the President of the Board of Trade about the number of consultancy contracts let by this Agency in the last five years; and at what cost.
  The Radiocommunications Agency was created as an Executive Agency of the DTI in April 1990. Before that date all contracts were let through the DTI. The figures in the table below therefore relate only to the years from 1990–91. Details are given concerning all contracts let to external consultants. Some of these contracts span financial years with payments being made on a staged basis across the life of the contract.

  Financial year

  Number of contracts

  1Value £ thousands

  1990–91

  10

  471

  1991–92

  10

  746

  1992–93

  14

  1,058

  1993–94

  8

  768

  1 Including VAT.

  In addition, the Radiocommunications Agency funds academic institutions and other research bodies to carry out research into radio propagation as part of our research programme.

  I hope this information is useful.

  Letter from D. Cormack to Mr. Alan Milburn, dated 16 May 1994:

  PARLIAMENTARY QUESTION

  PQ from Mr. Alan Milburn (Darlington):

  To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his Answer of 24 March, Official Report, columns 428–9, how many consultancy contracts have been let by his Department's executive agencies in the last five years; and at what cost.

  Warren Spring Laboratory Executive Agency has let no consultancy contracts in the last five years.

  Market Overt
  Mr. Robert Banks
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the markets and locations coming within the ancient statute of market overt.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  [holding answer 13 May 1994]: By long-standing custom, every retail shop in the City of London is a market overt. Outside London, a market overt must be one established by charter or statute; the exact number is not known.

DEFENCE

  Thermal Oxide Reprocessing Plant
  Mr. Austin-Walker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if spent fuel from nuclear submarine reactors will be processed in THORP.

  Mr. Aitken
  My Department has no plans to process spent fuel from nuclear submarine reactors in THORP.

  HMS Valiant
  Mr. Terry Davis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much was spent on repairs to HMS Valiant during the last financial year; and what repairs to HMS Valiant will be undertaken following its arrival at Plymouth.

  Mr. Aitken
  Around £2.4 million was spent on repairs to HMS Valiant during the last financial year.

  It is not our practice to comment on the nature of defects in nuclear-powered submarines.

  Low Flying
  Dr. Marek
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of total low flying activity took place over Wales for the last six months of 1993.

  Mr. Hanley
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Meirionnydd Nant Conwy (Mr. Llwyd) on 16 February,Official Report, column 818.

PRIME MINISTER

  Sir Robin Butler
  Mr. Simpson
  To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Thurrock (Mr. Mackinlay) of 28 April,Official Report, columns 254–55, if he will set out the criteria to be adopted to judge the disproportionate time or effort in preparing information as stated at paragraph (c) of the Cabinet Secretary's note to which he refers.

  The Prime Minister
  The criteria are set out in the guidance on interpretation of the code of practice on access to Government information, which has been issued to all Departments and placed in the Library of the House. The guidance states that consideration should be given to the amount of information sought in an application and the difficulties in identifying, locating or collating the information requested. The guidance goes on to say:"In each case, the test is whether these factors would mean that meeting an access request would require an unreasonable
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  diversion of resources or otherwise undermine the work of the department (because files are kept out of circulation for extended periods, for example, or staff have to be diverted a considerable amount of time from other more urgent work)."

  Wrafton Laboratories, Devon
  Mr. John Evans
  To ask the Prime Minister on how many occasions he has visited the north Devon factory of Wrafton laboratories since January 1993; and what was the date and purpose of each visit.

  The Prime Minister
  I have made one visit, on Friday 5 February 1993, as part of a series of regional visits throughout the country.

  Consultants
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Prime Minister when he intends to publish the report of the Cabinet Office efficiency unit on the use of outside consultants to identify savings in the civil service.

  The Prime Minister
  The final report of the efficiency unit's scrutiny on the Government's use of external consultants will be completed shortly. It is the normal practice for the efficiency unit's reports to be published. A decision on publishing the report will be made when the final report has been received.

  Lockerbie
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Prime Minister what information has been made available to Her Majesty's Government as a result of the opening of Stasi files in East Germany about the acquisition of timing devices of the type manufactured by Edwin Bollier and Ulrick Lumpert, which featured in the destruction of Pan Am 103 over Lockerbie and of the approach to Bollier and Lumpert by United States authorities on 30 December 1988.

  The Prime Minister
  The exchange of information with the German authorities in the Lockerbie investigation is a matter for my right honourable and learned Friend the Lord Advocate. He has repeatedly made clear that he cannot comment on details of the available evidence while criminal proceedings are pending.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION

  World Bank Documents
  Mr. Denham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to make those World bank documents which are available to American non-governmental organisations available to hon. Members.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  Her Majesty's Government will continue to follow the procedure that has been agreed by all members of the World bank whereby documents are made available under the bank's policy on disclosure of information. A list of those documents is available to hon. Members in the House of Commons Library.

  Somalia
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has about the incidence of cholera in Somalia; and what has been the international community's response.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  As at 29 April, 12,444 cases, including 491 deaths, had been reported. The international community continues to respond within the framework set out in my answer of 27 April, columns 194–95.

  Family Planning
  Mr. Clifton-Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what contributions are being made to the International Planned Parenthood Federation, the United Nations population fund and the World Health Organsiation human reproduction programme in 1994.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  We have made the following contributions to the core costs of the International Planned Parenthood Federation, the United Nations population fund and the World Health Organisation's progamme of research and training in human reproduction in 1994:

  £ million

  IPPF

  7·5

  UNFPA

  7·0

  WHO/HRP

  2·5

  Additional contributions for specific programme activities may also be made during the year.

  Mr. Clifton-Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Blaby (Mr. Robathan) of 19 January,Official Report, column 590, regarding United Kingdom bilateral disbursements on population activities, if he can now given the total figures for 1993.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  Bilateral expenditure in 1993 on population activities, including HIV/AIDS and reproductive health and the joint funding scheme, has provisionally been estimated at £16.125 million. A final figure will be produced as soon as possible.

  Aid and Trade Provision
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what review he has conducted of the extent to which aid under the aid and trade provisions has been linked to arms sales and the implications of this for overseas aid policy.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  I know of no case in which a project funded under the aid and trade provision has been conditionally linked to the sale of arms. As a matter of policy, the British Government would not countenance any such link.

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

  Justice (Delays and Costs)
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will set up a review to look at the delays in the administration of justice and the cost of obtaining it.
  306
  Mr. John M. Taylor
  As well as continuing to evaluate and implement the outstanding recommendations of the civil justice review and the relevant recommendations of the Royal Commission on criminal justice, we have several other reviews in hand, including Lord Woolf's work on access to justice and the departmental fundamental review.

  Police and Magistrates Courts Bill
  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what representations he has received in the last month on the Police and Magistrates Courts Bill[Lords].

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  In the month since 17 April, the Lord Chancellor and I have received 45 representations from hon. Members and peers and 11 from magistrates and other members of the public.

  Judges
  Mr. Skinner
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what discussions he has had with other Law Officers with a view to election of judges.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  None.

  Justices' Clerks
  Mr. Boateng
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department by how many magistrates courts committees, and for how many petty sessions areas, justices' clerks have been put on(a) fixed-term contracts and (b) performance-related pay; and how many, and what proportion of, justices' clerks and petty sessions areas are currently affected by (a) or (b) or both.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The terms and conditions of individual members of staff are a matter for magistrates courts committees as employers. The Department has no record of the numbers of justices' clerks who are either on fixed-term contracts or receiving performance-related pay.

CHURCH COMMISSIONERS

  Investments
  Mr. Jenkin
  To ask the right hon. Member for Selby, representing the Church Commissioners, who is responsible for deciding the overall balance of the Church Commissioners' investments; and what policy is currently being pursued.

  Mr. Alison
  The commissioners' assets committee is responsible for deciding the balance of the investment portfolio with general rules made by the board of governors. The commissioners' long-term aim is to achieve a diversified portfolio which bears comparison with those held by other institutions with similar responsibilities. This will mean a reduction, over a period, in the commissioners' property holdings, although, of course, this can be achieved only as market conditions allow.

  Women Priests
  Mr. Fabricant
  To ask the right hon. Member for Selby, representing the Church Commissioners, what is the number of women currently ordained into the priesthood of the Church of England for those stipends for which the Church Commissioners are responsible.
  307
  Mr. Alison
  As at 8 May, there were 146 women priests receiving a stipend through the Church Commissioners' payroll.

  London Offices
  Mr. Lidington
  To ask the right hon. Member for Selby, representing the Church Commissioners, what is the annual cost to the commissioners of their office accommodation in London.

  Mr. Alison
  The commissioners own the freehold of No. 1 Millbank and the Church of England records centre at Galleywall road, Bermondsey. The cost of maintaining, heating and lighting the commissioners' office accommodation was £0.47 million in 1993.

  Lambeth Report
  Mr. Clifton-Brown
  To ask the right hon. Member for Selby, representing the Church Commissioners, if he will make a statement on the implementation of the recommendations contained in the Lambeth report.

  Mr. Alison
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Staffordshire, South (Mr. Cormack) on 25 April, column 13.

  Priests' Incomes
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the right hon. Member for Selby, representing the Church Commissioners, what are the average fees, stipends or salaries paid to ordained(a) women and (b) men; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Alison
  Clergy remuneration is linked to the category of post, with no differentiation on the ground of gender. In 1993 the average stipend for clergy of incumbent status was £12,830. The equivalent figure for assistant staff was £12,140. Both figures take account of fee income, which was on average about £750 per head. Accommodation, free of rent, is provided.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

  Parliamentary Statistics
  Sir Peter Emery
  To ask the Lord President of the Council if he will list for the first 100 sitting days of sessions (1) 1990–91, (2) 1992–93 and (3) 1993–94, (i) the average hour of rising of the House, (ii) the number of divisions, (iii) the number of Public Bills(a) passed and (b) reported from Standing Committee, (iv) the number of affirmative statutory instruments (a) debated in Standing Committee and (b) debated on the Floor of the House, (v) the number of prayers against statutory instruments (a) debated in Standing Committee and (b) debated on the Floor of the House, (vi) the number of Opposition days and (vii) the number of Bills guillotined.

  Mr. Newton
  The information sought is contained in the following table.

  1990–91

  1992–93

  1993–94

  Average hour or rising of the House

  11.58pm

  11.27pm

  11.43pm

  Number of divisions

  134

  118

  236

  Public Bills passed

  32

  23

  21

  308

  1990–91

  1992–93

  1993–94

  Bills reported from Standing Committee

  37

  11

  17

  Affirmative Statutory Instrument debated in Standing Committee

  58

  67

  14

  Prayers against Statutory Instruments debated in Standing Committee

  10

  6

  1

  Affirmative Statutory Instruments debated on floor of House

  38

  28

  66

  Prayers against Statutory Instruments debated on floor of House

  12

  0

  1

  Number of Opposition Days

  9½

  7½

  11

  Number of Bills guillotined

  1

  2

  4

  Private Members' Bills
  Mr. Alan Williams
  To ask the Lord President of the Council on how many and which occasions in the current Session Government Departments or Parliamentary counsel have drafted amendments for the use of Government Back Benchers in the Report stage of private Members' Bills.

  Mr. Newton
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Rochdale (Mrs. Maddock) on 13 May,Official Report, column 259.

  Photo-identity Passes
  Mr. Rooker
  To ask the Chairman of the Administration Committee how many right hon. and hon. Members have not obtained a photo-identity pass for the House of Commons.

  Mr. Michael J. Martin
  I shall write to my hon. Friend.

  ANZAC Memorial
  Mr. Cummings
  To ask the Chairman of the Accommodation and Works Committee if he will consider relocating the ANZAC memorial, at present situated in the passage between the florist and the Strangers' Bar, to a more fitting location.

  Mr. Ray Powell
  I have referred the hon. Member's suggestion to the Advisory Committee on Works of Art.

LORD PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL

  Mobile Telephones and Pagers
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Lord President of the Council 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. Tony Newton
  The answer to the first part of the hon. Member's question is five, none and two respectively. The operating cost of this equipment, which is used only by Ministers and their private secretaries, was £5,530 in 1993–94.

EDUCATION

  Grant-maintained Schools
  Mr. Jamieson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) whether the Funding Agency for Schools will continue to share responsibility with local education authorities in those areas where over 10 per cent. of schools have opted out but where local government reorganisation reduces the numbers of opted-out schools to below 10 per cent;

  (2) whether the Funding Agency for Schools will continue to have responsibility for the provision of school places in local authority areas where over 75 per cent. of schools have currently opted out but where local government reorganisation reduces the number of opted-out schools to below 75 per cent.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  My right hon. Friend would need to consider this matter in the light of the individual circumstances applying in any new LEA areas.

  Outdoor Activity Centres
  Mr. Jamieson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will make a statement about the contribution made by the Sports Council in drawing up the "Guidance for Safety in Outdoor Activity Centres".

  Mr. Forth
  The Sports Council was represented on the steering group which the Department established to help prepare guidance on safety in outdoor activity centres. The draft circular which the Department prepared in the light of the steering group's advice was issued on 13 May; a copy is in the Library.

  TASC Unit
  Mr. Enright
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what was the budget of the Teaching as a Career unit for each year of its existence in relation to its English functions.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  The Teaching as a Career unit was set up in 1987 to serve both England and Wales. The table shows the annual expenditure for running costs and publicity. The Welsh Office contributes one eighteenth of the running costs of the unit, but has a separate budget for Welsh-only advertising and publications.

  Annual expenditure of the Teaching as a Career Unit

  Year

  Running costs (England and Wales)

  Publicity

  1987–88

  345,611

  166,988

  1988–89

  375,000

  558,999

  1989–90

  400,000

  553,853

  1990–91

  698,928

  788,284

  1991–92

  954,139

  647,500

  1992–93

  818,000

  588,000

  1993–94

  751,500

  312,020

  1994–95 (planned)

  844,000

  350,000

  Teacher Training
  Mr. Enright
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what were the budgets subvented to the Higher Education Funding Council for England in respect of teacher training in England in each year of its existence.
  310
  Mr. Boswell
  The Department has not earmarked amounts for teacher training within the annual grants to the Higher Education Funding Council for England. We shall determine in due course the amount to be allocated to the Teacher Training Agency for the funding responsibilities which will be transferred to it in 1995–96, subject to the passage of the Education Bill.

  Mr. Enright
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what budget is proposed annually for the Teacher Training Agency in England; and what is its breakdown.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  We shall determine in due course the annual budget of the Teacher Training Agency, reflecting the funding and other responsibilities which will transfer to it in 1995–96, subject to the passage of the Education Bill.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Ministerial Visits
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when each of the present Ministers in the Northern Ireland Office was appointed; and on how many nights each month since their appointment they have remained overnight in Northern Ireland.

  Sir John Wheeler
  The information requested is provided in the table.

  Sir Patrick Mayhew MP—Date appointed: 12 April 1992 Number of Overnights Spent in Northern Ireland Since Appointment

  Number

  1992

  April

  9

  May

  14

  June

  8

  July

  10

  August

  7

  September

  15

  October

  19

  November

  16

  December

  13

  1993

  January

  11

  February

  8

  March

  9

  April

  9

  May

  8

  June

  13

  July

  8

  August

  8

  September

  13

  October

  11

  November

  10

  December

  12

  1994

  January

  13

  February

  13

  March

  4

  April

  6

  Michael Ancram MP—Date appointed: 27 May 1993 Number of Overnights Spent in Northern Ireland Since Appointment

  Number

  1993

  May

  —

  June

  1

  311

  Number

  July

  9

  August

  8

  September

  11

  October

  9

  November

  10

  December

  3

  1994

  January

  9

  February

  9

  March

  12

  April

  5

  Sir John Wheeler—Date appointed: 25 June 1993 Number of overnights spent in Northern Ireland since appointment

  1993

  Number

  June

  1

  July

  8

  August

  12

  September

  10

  October

  10

  November

  7

  December

  11

  1994

  January

  6

  February

  5

  March

  5

  April

  8

  Mr. Smith—Date appointed: 5 January 1994 Number of overnights spent in Northern Ireland since appointment

  1994

  Number

  January

  4

  February

  8

  March

  10

  April

  7

  Baroness Denton—Date appointed: 11 January 1994 Number of overnights spent in Northern Ireland since appointment

  1994

  Number

  January

  9

  February

  12

  March

  13

  April

  14

  The above information does not, however, accurately reflect the amount of time which Ministers devote to Northern Ireland. A more accurate reflection is shown by the number of days spent in Northern Ireland which is given in the table below.

  Total Number of days since appointment

  Number of days as percentage of total working days available1

  Secretary of State

  378

  75

  Sir John Wheeler

  126

  60

  Michael Ancram

  145

  63

  Baroness Denton

  51

  67

  Mr. Smith

  50

  63

  1 Number of days excluding public and bank holidays.

  Emergency Provisions Act
  Mr. Trimble
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he expects Mr. John Rowe's report on the operation in 1993 of the Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) Act 1991 to be available.

  Sir Patrick Mayhew
  I have today arranged for copies of Mr. John Rowe's report to be placed in the Library of the House. I welcome this independent report which will serve as a basis for Parliament to debate the annual renewal of the Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) Act 1991.

  I am most grateful to Mr. Rowe for his work in carrying out his review of the operation of the Act in 1993. His report will receive careful and detailed consideration.

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

  Sir John Wheeler
  The number of answers given to parliamentary questions from 1990 to April 1994 recorded in the POLIS database as including a reference to part or all of the information not being held centrally or being available only at disproportionate cost was 187. As a result of computerisation and/or more effective operational systems more detailed information is now available in respect of 19 questions which are listed. However, in some cases the full information would still not be available.

  Dr. Joe Hendron
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how the average waiting time for those people waiting for their first appointment with a cardiac surgeon has increased or decreased during the last 12 months.

  Mr. William O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the total expenditure, including legal costs and compensation payments, incurred by each health and social services board in defending religion and sex discrimination cases over the past three years to 30 April.

  Mr. Martin Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what were the number of patients waiting for out-patient treatment on 31 March for each individual health authority(a) in total and (b) by main speciality for periods (i) under 12 months; (ii) 12 to 24 months and (iii) over 24 months.

  Mr. Seamus Mallon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many deaf people in Northern Ireland, are in receipt of* Attendance Allowance in each age bracket (a) under 10 years, (b) 10 to 18 years, (c) 18 to 65 years and (d) over 65 years.

  (*The question would now refer to Disability Living Allowance and not Attendance Allowance as in the original question.)

  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish a table to show the current length of waiting lists at each acute hospital in Northern Ireland; and what are the comparable figures in each of the last 5 years.

  Mr. John Hume
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what information is available to indicate the number of hip replacement operations which were done privately in each of the last 3 years in National Health Service hospitals.

  Mr. Seamus Mallon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many individuals:(a) over 65 years, (b) physically disabled and (c) mentally disabled were receiving hospital, residential or nursing home care in each year since 1985 in each health board area in Northern Ireland.

  Rev. Martin Smyth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list, for each health and social
  313
  services board, the number of (a) administrative and clerical staff, by grade and (b) managerial staff by grade since 1989.

  Mr. John Hume
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what has been the total take-up of student loans to date in Northern Ireland by(a) institution and (b) area board expressed as a percentage of the estimated number of eligible students, and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list in official report those firms and employers which are registered with the Northern Ireland Fair Employment Commission for each District Council in the County of Tyrone: and if he will indicate for each such firm and employer the number of employees.

  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list in the official report those firms and employers which are registered with the Northern Ireland Fair Employment Commission for each District Council in the County of Fermanagh; and if he will indicate for each such firm and employer the number of employees.

  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list in the official report those firms and employers which are registered with the Northern Ireland Fair Employment Commission for each District Council in the County Londonderry; and if he will indicate for each such firm and employer the number of employees.

  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list in the official report those firms and employers which are registered with the Northern Ireland Fair Employment Commission for each District Council in the County Down; and if he will indicate for each such firm and employer the number of employees.

  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list in the official report those firms and employers which are registered with the Northern Ireland Fair Employment Commission for each District Council in the County Antrim; and if he will indicate for each such firm and employer the number of employees.

  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list in the official report those firms and employers which are registered with the Northern Ireland Fair Employment Commission for each District Council in the County Armagh; and if he will indicate for each such firm and employer the number of employees.

  Rev. Ian Paisley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how much money has been expended in the Ballymoney Borough Council area out of the various EEC funds.

  Rev. Ian Paisley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much money has been expended in the Moyle Council area out of the various EEC funds.

  Rev. Ian Paisley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much money has been expended in the Ballymena Borough Council area out of the various EEC funds.

  Dr. Marek
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what has been the total cost so far of the market-testing initiative in his Department since November 1991.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Chechen Republic
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what communications he has had from the Chechen Republic in Russia about the state of relationships with Britain, the reasons for changes and any consequent actions by the Chechen Republic.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  We have no direct relations with the Chechen Republic of the Russian Federation, nor have we received any communication from it recently. However, I understand that it issued a public statement on 5 May denying Chechen involvement in the murder of Karen Reed and suspending links with Britain.

  Kuwait
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the contemporary environmental conditions in Kuwait in the aftermath of the Gulf war; and what continuing involvement there is by British companies and agencies in the alleviation of those conditions.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The clean-up operations in Kuwait following the Gulf war are almost complete. There was a high degree of British participation in tackling the immediate environmental consequences, both bilaterally and through the United Nations Environmental Programme. By the end of 1991, all the oil fires were extinguished and no floating oil remained at sea.

  In 1992, the United States ship Mount Mitchell conducted a research cruise on the extent of contamination in the Persian gulf. Since then, we have made no recent assessment of the environmental conditions in Kuwait, although scientific research into the long-term effects of the oil fires continues. The Regional Organisation for the Protection of the Marine Environment makes regionally based assessments. Meanwhile, Royal Ordnance plc continues to conduct minefield clearance operations in Kuwait.

  Yemen
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of whether all British nationals who should have been evacuated from Yemen have now left the country safely.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  All British nationals who made it known to our embassy in Sana'a that they wished to leave the Yemen have been evacuated. Some have elected to remain.

  Iraq
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the outcome of the meeting in Riyadh between the Gulf Co-operation Council and the European Union concerning Iraq and Bosnia.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  We welcome the statement following the ministerial meeting between the EC and GCC Foreign Ministers in Riyadh on 8 May. Ministers condemned Iraq for its failure to implement Security Council resolutions in full and its policy of selectivity in implementing such resolutions. They also expressed their concern at the continued repression of the civilian population by the Iraqi regime.

  On Bosnia, both sides welcomed the Washington agreement on a Bosniac/Croat federation, and expressed full support for the efforts of the international community to reach a negotiated settlement in the basis of the EU action plan, and underlined the need for their countries to contribute to the political and economic reconstruction of the former Yugoslavia after a settlement. The GCC Ministers separately called for the lifting of the arms embargo for the Bosnian Government.

  East Timor
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what pressure he has put on the Indonesian Government to allow Amnesty International access to East Timor.

  Mr. Goodlad
  The Indonesian Foreign Minister confirmed to me when I was in Jakarta last month that he would consider inviting Amnesty International to visit Indonesia to discuss East Timor.

  Bosnia
  Mr. Wareing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made directly, or through NATO or the European Union, to the Bosnian Government concerning the shelling of Brcko and military activity around the town; what action he has proposed; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs sent messages to both President Izetbegovic and Dr. Karadzic en 27 April urging restraint, especially in the Brcko area. The Security Council on 4 May agreed a presidential statement to similar effect. We deplore the loss of innocent life whoever is responsible. The United Nations and NATO continue to monitor the situation closely.

HEALTH

  NHS Trusts
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer of 20 April,Official Report, column 541, regarding trusts which failed to meet the capital return targets, when the information for 1993–94 will be made available.

  Mr. Sackville
  This information will be available once accounts have been audited and submitted to the national health service executive in December 1994.

  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the size of surpluses generated by trusts in each year since 1990–91, by region.

  Mr. Sackville
  The information requested is shown in the table. There were no operational trusts in the 1990–91 financial year. Information for 1993–94 will be available in December 1994.

  Region

  Retained surplus/(deficit)

  1991–92 £000s

  1992–93 £000s

  Northern

  2,896

  5,427

  Yorkshire

  3,100

  2,991

  Trent

  153

  4,593

  East Anglian

  1,075

  533

  North West Thames

  6,145

  17,220

  North East Thames

  7,249

  13,165

  South East Thames

  1,082

  9,597

  South West Thames

  6,582

  4,116

  Wessex

  2,111

  4,105

  South Western

  12,483

  11,119

  Oxford

  104

  4,356

  West Midlands

  2,932

  4,177

  Mersey

  2,194

  (749)

  North Western

  50

  6,952

  316
  Notes:

  Source: Audited accounts of NHS Trusts 1991–92 and 1992–93.

  2. The figures for 1992–93 are provisional, being subject to National Audit Office review.

  3. Surplus/(Deficit) is after interest, dividend payable on Public Dividend Capital, extraordinary and exceptional items.

  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will itemise where trusts deposited their surpluses in each year since 1990–91.

  Mr. Sackville
  It is for trusts to make their own arrangements for depositing cash not required for immediate use, within the constraints placed on them by statute. Information on where individual trusts deposit their money is not available centrally, but such arrangements as they do make are subject to independent audit. Paragraph 7 of schedule 3 to the National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990 states that trusts can invest surplus cash in securities of the Government of the United Kingdom or in such other manner as the Secretary of State may, with the consent of the Treasury, approve. Approval has been given for investment in certain United Kingdom public sector institutions, banks which are authorised institutions under part I of the Banking Act 1987, and building societies authorised under the Building Societies Act 1986.

  Speech Therapy
  Mr. Dewar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many speech therapists expressed in whole-time equivalents are employed in Wandsworth district health authority; and what is the percentage in post against funded establishment.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Batley and Spen (Mrs. Peacock) on 14 January at columns 317–20.

  Cosmetic Surgery
  Mr. French
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what safeguards are in place to prevent the carrying out in the United Kingdom of liposuction operations by surgeons whose EC practice certificate has been withdrawn.

  Mr. Sackville
  Practitioners are required to register annually with the General Medical Council, which will also keep a record on a specialist list of any certificate issued in compliance with EC directive 94/16/EEC (Specialist Medical Training).

  As the United Kingdom competent authority for registration of medical practitioners, the General Medical Council is also responsible for the recording of details of specialist certification from members of the EC who enter this country to practise.

  The registration details of surgeons offering plastic surgery are available, to patients seeking liposuction treatment, through their general practitioner, who will have access to the latest details carried in the General Medical Council's registers.

  Audiology
  Ms Gordon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of how many of the London hospital audiology departments have a sufficient staff ratio
  317
  to meet the needs of the served population and of the adequacy of funding available to the London hospital audiology departments to meet the needs of the served population; how much it is costing London hospital audiology departments to use agency staff rather than permanent staff; and if she will make a statement.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave her on 15 February at column 666. Local health authorities are responsible for purchasing audiology services to meet the needs of their populations. The hon. Member may wish to write to the chairmen of the London health authorities for details on the level of service that they purchase and to the chairmen of trusts about the costs of agency staff.

  Paediatric Care, Hastings and Rye
  Mrs. Lait
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what arrangements will be available for comprehensive tertiary paediatric care for children from Hastings and Rye in the South Thames region.

  Mr. Sackville
  Children from Hastings and Rye are first referred to the Conquest hospital for immediate identification of the problem. East Sussex health authority purchases specialist tertiary care in one or two cases per year from Guy's and St. Thomas's national health service trust.

  DDT
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will undertake a survey of all former armed forces personnel in order to identify possible medical conditions arising from the use of DDT during service.

  Mr. Sackville
  No. Surveys of people allegedly affected by events during their employment would not normally be undertaken by the Department. We are not aware of any reports of medical conditions in former armed forces personnel arising from the use of DDT during service. On the known toxicity of the pesticide, none would be expected in normal use.

  General Practitioners and Pharmacies (Regulation)
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how she regulates the qualifications and service training of laboratory staff carrying out tests for cholesterol and glucose in general practitioners' surgeries and high-street pharmacies.

  Mr. Sackville
  There is no requirement for staff carrying out tests for cholesterol and glucose in general practitioner surgeries and pharmacies to be regulated. Self-testing diagnostics are available for both of these tests and quite often the same products are used in GP surgeries and pharmacies.

  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether GP fundholders and pharmacies carrying out personal scientific medical investigations are required to be licensed and participate in external anonymous quality control procedures; to what extent they are subject to inspection; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Sackville
  General practitioners and pharmacies are not required by law to be licensed, participate in 318
  external quality control procedures or be subject to inspection. Many GPs participate in voluntary professional schemes and pharmacies are subject to the terms of a professional code covering these issues.

  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures are available to deal with local pharmacies which provide prescription drugs to patients which are dispensed beyond their "use by" date; and what checks are made to ensure the quality of prescription materials.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain's inspectors include expiry date checking as part of their regular monitoring of professional activities in pharmacies. Any breach of the rules could result in prosecution under section 64 of the Medicines Act and/or reference to the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain's Statutory Committee. The drug testing scheme administered by family health services authorities provides an independent check on the quality of drugs and appliances dispensed.

  Child Care
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information she has available on the proportion of social services department budgets in each English local authority devoted to child care and associated services; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Bowis
  Information provided by local authorities for 1993–94 is shown in the table.

  Percentage of Social Services Budgets allocated to Children's services in 1993–94

  Children services (£000s)

  All services (£000s)

  Per cent.

  Avon

  29,658

  103,297

  28·7

  Bedfordshire

  16,094

  52,773

  30·5

  Berkshire

  27,063

  78,187

  34·6

  Buckinghamshire

  12,147

  59,092

  20·6

  Cambridgeshire

  16,147

  61,811

  26·1

  Cheshire

  28,071

  86,152

  32·6

  Cleveland

  19,853

  65,754

  30·2

  Cornwall

  7,818

  44,535

  17·6

  Cumbria

  11,077

  47,134

  23·5

  Derbyshire

  30,428

  101,876

  29·9

  Devon

  27,417

  101,634

  27·0

  Dorset

  7,550

  54,657

  13·8

  Durham

  9,506

  56,659

  16·8

  East Sussex

  21,487

  88,643

  24·2

  Essex

  24,844

  135,032

  18·4

  Gloucestershire

  12,013

  47,080

  25·5

  Hampshire

  32,895

  123,865

  26·6

  Hereford and Worcester

  18,982

  62,829

  30·2

  Hertfordshire

  24,601

  95,086

  25·9

  Humberside

  26,241

  98,180

  26·7

  Isle of Wight

  3,788

  13,390

  28·3

  Kent

  52,564

  158,253

  33·2

  Lancashire

  44,264

  159,021

  27·8

  Leicestershire

  26,727

  84,245

  31·7

  Lincolnshire

  13,148

  48,761

  27·0

  Norfolk

  9,129

  48,219

  18·9

  Northamptonshire

  20,533

  56,723

  36·2

  Northumberland

  10,980

  31,860

  34·5

  North Yorkshire

  13,483

  60,648

  22·2

  Nottinghamshire

  36,322

  118,701

  30·6

  Oxfordshire

  16,263

  55,688

  29·2

  Shropshire

  11,811

  38,168

  30·9

  Somerset

  11,088

  42,350

  26·2

  Staffordshire

  26,800

  92,254

  29·1

  Suffolk

  11,532

  57,687

  20·0

  319

  Children services (£000s)

  All services (£000s)

  Per cent.

  Surrey

  20,268

  87,676

  23·1

  Warwickshire

  11,631

  40,986

  28·4

  West Sussex

  15,253

  67,361

  22·6

  Wiltshire

  14,618

  49,870

  29·3

  Isles of Scilly

  3

  160

  1·9

  Bolton

  9,262

  32,450

  28·5

  Bury

  4,817

  18,598

  25·9

  Manchester

  26,939

  72,424

  37·2

  Oldham

  8,670

  26,796

  32·4

  Rochdale

  7,779

  26,952

  28·9

  Salford

  8,472

  34,618

  24·5

  Stockport

  5,858

  32,382

  18·1

  Tameside

  10,365

  27,112

  38·2

  Trafford

  6,418

  23,068

  27·8

  Wigan

  7,180

  27,594

  26·0

  Knowsley

  7,830

  19,532

  40·1

  Liverpool

  29,511

  88,343

  33·4

  St· Helens

  6,162

  19,784

  31·1

  Sefton

  9,092

  34,919

  26·0

  Wirral

  10,503

  42,571

  24·7

  Barnsley

  8,203

  22,982

  35·7

  Doncaster

  5,333

  29,196

  18·3

  Rotherham

  5,467

  29,907

  18·3

  Sheffield

  15,049

  69,179

  21·8

  Gateshead

  7,147

  26,430

  27·0

  Newcastle-upon-Tyne

  10,397

  42,485

  24·5

  North Tyneside

  8,457

  26,475

  31·9

  South Tyneside

  6,106

  19,056

  32·0

  Sunderland

  11,234

  34,334

  32·7

  Birmingham

  50,408

  159,420

  31·6

  Coventry

  11,640

  42,807

  27·2

  Dudley

  6,579

  26,998

  24·4

  Sandwell

  10,905

  40,664

  26·8

  Solihull

  7,094

  21,293

  33·3

  Walsall

  7,027

  25,916

  27·1

  Wolverhampton

  12,336

  36,963

  33·4

  Bradford

  20,538

  61,877

  33·2

  Calderdale

  6,120

  25,572

  23·9

  Kirklees

  12,010

  43,385

  27·7

  Leeds

  23,697

  91,986

  25·8

  Wakefield

  11,499

  34,059

  33·8

  City of London

  638

  3,399

  18·8

  Camden

  16,253

  48,770

  33·3

  Greenwich

  20,653

  43,852

  47·1

  Hackney

  26,271

  64,213

  40·9

  Hammersmith and Fulham

  17,014

  43,613

  39·0

  Islington

  14,012

  50,189

  27·9

  Kensington and Chelsea

  16,001

  37,089

  43·1

  Lambeth

  37,501

  86,431

  43·4

  Lewisham

  16,502

  51,256

  32·2

  Southwark

  26,499

  60,343

  43·9

  Tower Hamlets

  18,381

  51,193

  35·9

  Wandsworth

  26,780

  67,315

  39·8

  Westminster

  23,413

  57,081

  41·0

  Barking and Dagenham

  6,645

  21,852

  30·4

  Barnet

  9,820

  41,323

  23·8

  Bexley

  5,576

  20,473

  27·2

  Brent

  15,609

  41,528

  37·6

  Bromley

  9,583

  31,469

  30·5

  Croydon

  18,327

  47,523

  38·6

  Ealing

  13,410

  43,654

  30·7

  Enfield

  8,209

  34,877

  23·5

  Haringey

  19,208

  42,937

  44·7

  Harrow

  5,975

  23,473

  25·5

  Havering

  7,336

  26,588

  27·6

  Hillingdon

  7,317

  28,622

  25·6

  Hounslow

  13,344

  34,832

  38·3

  Kingston upon Thames

  6,068

  18,247

  33·3

  Merton

  7,496

  24,981

  30·0

  Newham

  19,573

  50,441

  38·8

  Redbridge

  8,210

  27,906

  29·4

  320

  Children services (£000s)

  All services (£000s)

  Per cent.

  Richmond upon Thames

  3,765

  19,117

  19·7

  Sutton

  6,611

  21,435

  30·8

  Waltham Forest

  13,038

  43,894

  29·7

  Note: Figures relate only to direct service provision. Planned expenditure on strategic matters and regulation is excluded.

  Source: Local Authority budget returns (form RA93/94).

  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she is taking to ensure that housing needs identified under the provisions of the Children Act 1989 are being met by local authorities; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Bowls
  Under the Children Act 1989, local authorities have a duty, in prescribed circumstances, to provide accommodation for children and young people.

  Statistics
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of(a) pregnancy, (b) NHS abortion, (c) venereal disease and (d) AIDS, were identified in persons aged (i) under 16 years, (ii) 16 to 18 years, (iii) 18 to 25 years and (iv) over 25 years, in the last five years for which figures are available.

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

  Child Fatalities
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proposals she has to introduce a system to identify death through neglect in child fatality cases.

  Mr. Bowis
  Information on cause of death is available from the existing system of death registration, using the international classification of diseases, which already identifies neglect under the following categories; criminal neglect, abandonment or neglect of helpless persons, lack of food or water, exposure and destitution.

  Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many persons diagnosed as suffering from Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease have previously been blood donors.

  Mr. Sackville
  Of 156 cases reported to the national Creutzfeldt Jakob disease surveillance centre unit since 1 May 1990, 22 are believed to have given blood at some stage in their lives. There is no epidemiological evidence of any risk of transmission of Creutzfeldt Jakob disease through blood or blood products. However, individuals with central nervous system diseases or risk factors for Creutzfeldt Jakob disease are now excluded from blood donation.

  Bed Shortages
  Mr. David Young
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health with whom the obligation of payment rests when a patient is discharged from hospital because of a lack of long-stay beds and is still in need of continuing care in a private nursing home.
  321
  Mr. Bowis
  Under the new community care arrangements health and local authorities have been required to agree their respective responsibilities for long-term care and procedures governing hospital discharge.

  Drug Abuse, Hampshire
  Mr. Denham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the expenditure by her Department in the last year for which figures are available for(a) drug rehabilitation and (b) health education in relation to drug abuse; and what proportion of that funding was spent in Hampshire.

  Mr. Sackville
  Health authorities were allocated £20.043 million in 1992–93—towards the costs of developing services for drug misusers. The Wessex regional health authority "AIDS (Control) Act" Report for that year shows expenditure of £1.437 million, of which £665,014 is recorded for Southampton, Portsmouth, Basingstoke and Winchester district health authorities. Copies of the "AIDS (Control) Act" report are available in the Library.

  The specific grant for alcohol and drug misuse services was £2.3 million in 1993–94, of which £42,841 was awarded to four schemes for drug misusers in Hampshire.

  Section 64 grants to support the work of the voluntary sector nationally in the drugs field in 1993–94 totalled £788,970. A further £92,803 was paid in 1993–94 to voluntary agencies and other organisations concerned with services for drug addicts.

  The Department spent £5.47 million in 1993–94 on national anti-drug and solvent misuse publicity campaigns.

  Mr. Denham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the number of deaths in Hampshire that were drug related for the last year for which figures are available.

  Mr. Bowis
  The number of deaths due to drug dependence and non-dependent abuse of drugs, excluding alcohol and tobacco, in Hampshire in 1992 was 10.

  In addition there were 56 deaths due to poisoning by drugs, medicaments and biological substances.

  Disabled People
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make it her policy that disabled facilities grants be made available in respect of disabled people under the age of 18 years.

  Mr. Sackville
  Disabled facilities grants are already available to disabled people under 18 years of age, under the Children Act 1989. These grants are one of a series of house renovation grants arising from the Local Government and Housing Act 1989, which was amended by the Children Act (Consequential Amendment of Enactments) Order 1991, so that children with disabilities are also eligible.

  Patient Numbering System
  Mr. Rooker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on progress in introducing the new patient numbering system for the national health service.
  322
  Mr. Sackville
  The national health service number replacement programme is currently on schedule to deliver a new national health service number to England and Wales in 1996.

  NHS Trusts, Sheffield
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list for each NHS trust within the Sheffield district health authority area, those chairmen and non-executive directors who live(a) within and (b) outside the Sheffield district health authority boundary.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  All chairman and non-executive directors appointed to national health service trusts within the area covered by Sheffield district health authority live within the authority's boundaries, with the following exceptions.

  Northern general hospital NHS trust

  Non-executive director

  Professor F. Sharp

  Central Sheffield University hospitals NHS trust

  Non-executive director

  Dr. I Rennie

  Sheffield children's hospital NHS trust

  Non-executive director

  Mr. R. Pickford

  Professor M. Tanner

  Community health Sheffield NHS trust

  Non-executive director

  Mrs. M. Dale

  Mrs. M. Perkins

TRANSPORT

  Maritime Safety
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to consult trade unions when seeking to move staff employed by the Marine Safety Agency-designate in Southampton to alternative posts elsewhere.

  Mr. Norris
  The Marine Safety Agency has no plans to move staff employed in Southampton to alternative posts elsewhere.

  Sir David Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects Lord Donaldson to publish his report on maritime safety.

  Mr. MacGregor
  We intend to publish his report tomorrow at 2.30 pm; copies will be placed in the Vote Office on publication.

  Mr. Gerrard
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many accidents involving(a) maritime transport sinking or (b) collisions have occurred in the Irish sea and the English channel during the last five years.

  Mr. Norris
  The figures given in the table relate to incidents involving one or more United Kingdom-registered merchant or fishing vessels where it has been established that the accident happened in either the Irish sea or the English channel.

  The figures only are given for the years shown as information relating to a particular sea area and type of accident can only readily be obtained from the Marine

  323
  Accident Investigation Branch computerised accident database. The database contains data from 1991 onwards only. To obtain the information requested for 1989 and 1990 would entail a great deal of research of the manual records for those years.

  Year

  Losses

  Collisions and Contacts

  Irish sea

  1991

  5

  5

  1992

  4

  3

  1993

  3

  6

  1994 to date

  —

  —

  English channel

  1991

  10

  10

  1992

  10

  9

  1993

  7

  9

  1994 to date

  1

  4

  Driving Licences
  Mr. Rooker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will bring forward proposals for driving licences to contain photographs and fingerprints.

  Mr. Key
  We will shortly start public consultation on our proposals to incorporate photographs on driving licences. We have no intention to include fingerprints.

  Crossrail
  Mr. Lidington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much public money has so far been spent on the Crossrail project.

  Mr. Norris
  I understand from London Underground Ltd. and British Rail that they have so far spent around £110 million on the Crossrail project.

  Air Traffic Control
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the number and percentage of occasions annually on which the final approach separations used when there is no additional wake vortex separation requirement for(a) Leeds-Bradford and (b) Humberside airports are less than the legal minima; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Norris
  I have not made an assessment. I understand that there are standard procedures for reduced separation in the vicinity of an aerodrome which permit the distance between aircraft following one another to be reduced below the minimum radar separation by instead using visual separation. Visual separation may be used when the air traffic controller can see both the leading and following aircraft; or when the pilot of the following aircraft can view the preceding aircraft and maintain a safe distance. Visual separations are used whenever weather conditions permit. Controllers constantly monitor separations and take immediate action if distances between aircraft are below safe limits.

  Market Testing
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what has been the cost of the work associated with the market testing of shipping and seamen, with particular reference to the cost of consultants engaged and the cost of preparing the in-house bid.

  Mr. Norris
  The market testing of the registry of shipping and seamen involved expenditure of £19,100, excluding VAT, on consultants to support the in-house bid team. Consultants were not used to support the client side. Other costs associated with the market test were absorbed within the normal running costs of the registry of shipping and seamen and are not readily available.

  Carlisle Airport
  Mr. Austin-Walker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the value of the contract between BNFL and Carlisle city council for the use of Carlisle airport.

  Mr. Norris
  This is a commercial matter between British Nuclear Fuels plc and Carlisle city council.

  Research
  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will set out for each year since 1979 the amount of money allocated for transport research by his Department to(a) the Transport Research Laboratory and (b) to outside consultants.

  Mr. Key
  The Department's research expenditure is reported in an annual publication by the Cabinet Office. Until this year, the"Annual Review of Government Funded R&D" included the Department's expenditure under a number of categories—intramural, to other Government Departments, private industry, etc. From this year the "Annual Review of Government Funded R&D" has been replaced by the "Forward Look". The "intramural" element shown in both publications very largely reflects the value of work carried out by the Transport Research Laboratory each year.

  With the introduction of full economic costing, research commissioned from the Transport Research Laboratory has been costed on a revised basis since 1992–93.

  The first Forward Look was published on 27 April and copies of this, and the previous publications, are available in the House of Commons Library.

  Traffic Area Offices
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what guidance is given to members of the public in the draft traffic area office codes of practice for complaining about(a) illegally parked vehicles and (b) unsuitable vehicle operating centres;

  (2) if he will list the advice given in the draft traffic area office codes of practice to members of the public on complaining about the operation of local bus services;

  (3) if he will list how many paragraphs of information in the draft codes of practice, issued by the traffic area offices, are applicable to members of the public who are not goods or public service vehicle operators who wish to complain about the holder of an operator's licence;

  (4) if he will list the advice given to members of the public about making complaints about unlicensed vehicle operators, in the draft traffic area office codes of practice.
  325
  Mr. Key
  The code of practice for the traffic area offices sets out the standards of service which TAOs aim to meet in administering the operator licensing local bus registration systems. It indicates where complaints can be made if these service standards are not met. The code is not concerned with the actions of operators. Complaints about the illegal operation of heavy goods vehicles or the unsuitability of HGV operating centres can be addressed to the local traffic commissioner.

  Complaints about local bus services should normally be made to the operator in the first instance. The Confederation of Passenger Transport United Kingdom, formerly the Bus and Coach Council, with our support, has issued a quality code for operators of local bus services, under which operators are encouraged to direct complaints to the relevant person, which would include, where appropriate, the traffic commissioner.

  Railtrack
  Mrs. Beckett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if Railtrack has received its safety validation.

  Mr. Freeman
  Yes.

  London Transport (Assaults)
  Ms Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 10 May, what was the ethnic origin of each of the employees of London Transport who experienced an assault while on duty(a) for London Buses and (b) for London Underground, in each of the past five years and in the current year to the latest available date.

  Mr. Norris
  [holding answer 13 May 1994]: I regret that the information requested can be supplied only at disproportionate cost.

  Vehicle Inspectorate
  Mr. Donohoe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will list the operational costs on a district basis of the Vehicle Inspectorate and the numbers of people employed within each district on(a) vehicle testing and (b) road transport enforcement, prior to the organisational changes within the Vehicle Inspectorate of 1 November 1993.

  Mr. Key
  I have asked the Vehicle Inspectorate chief executive to write to the hon. Member with this detailed information.

  Letter from Ron Oliver to Mr. Brian Donohoe, dated 23 February 1994:
  The Secretary of State for Transport has asked me to reply to your recent questions about the Vehicle Inspectorate. In all you asked five questions. One of these related to the future status of VI's testing stations and will be answered by Mr. Key.
  The information relating to the remaining four questions is attached as follows:
  Annex 1: VI testing stations by region following the Inspectorate's reorganisation on 1 November 1993. Annex 2: Staffing and costs by district prior to 1 November 1993 (staffing expressed in whole time equivalents).
  Annex 3: Current test fees.
  Annex 4: Staffing by Vehicle Testing (VT) and Road Traffic Enforcement (RTE) regions.
  326
  Region and Testing Stations

  West Scotland

  Bishopbriggs

  Lochgilphead

  Fort William

  Inverness

  Newton Stewart

  Kirkwall

  Lairg

  Lerwick

  Portree

  Stornoway

  Wick

  Kilmarnock

  Dumfries

  East Scotland

  Aberdeen

  Livingston

  Berwick-upon-Tweed

  East Fortune

  Charlesfield

  Keith

  Perth

  Kirkcaldy

  Montrose

  North West

  Carlisle

  Heywood

  Steeton

  Workington

  Kirkham

  Barrow

  Milnthorpe

  North East

  Darlington

  Newcastle

  Scarborough

  Leeds

  Walton

  Merseyside and North Wales

  Wrexham

  Caernarvon

  Bromborough

  Liverpool

  Bredbury

  North Midlands

  Sheffield

  Doncaster

  Derby

  Nottingham

  Beverley

  West Midlands

  Stoke

  Shrewsbury

  Wolverhampton

  Birmingham

  East Midlands

  Leicester

  Peterborough

  Grimsby

  Grantham

  Weedon

  East

  Chelmsford

  Ipswich

  Norwich

  Crimplesham

  Royston

  South Wales

  Kidderminster

  Ammanford

  Haverfordwest

  327

  Hereford

  Llantrisant

  Llanrystyd

  Llandrindod Wells

  Pontypool

  South West

  Bristol

  Calne

  Exeter

  Taunton

  South Molton

  Gloucester

  Plymouth

  St. Austell

  Redruth

  South Central

  Leighton Buzzard

  Poole

  Salisbury

  Bicester

  Newbury

  Southampton

  Cowes

  London

  Edmonton

  Purfleet

  Yeading

  Mitcham

  South East

  Canterbury

  Guildford

  Hastings

  Lancing

  Gillingham

  Analysis of staffing and operational costs pre-November 1993 Vehicle testing and enforcement

  Spend £

  Staffing

  Carlisle

  191,316

  16·15

  Bishopbriggs

  366,322

  31·52

  Livingston

  324,764

  26·53

  Inverness

  174,611

  11·21

  Kilmarnock

  156,263

  14·10

  Aberdeen

  143,794

  12·94

  Perth

  176,641

  15·59

  Scottish GMO

  51,860

  3·00

  Scottish total

  1,586,591

  131·04

  Derby

  183,936

  16·84

  Bredbury

  355,218

  34·06

  Heywood

  380,824

  34·67

  Kirkham

  351,395

  33·17

  Liverpool

  303,418

  32·79

  Wrexham

  348,493

  31·16

  North West GMO

  42,797

  3·00

  North West total

  1,966,081

  185·71

  Nottingham

  268,355

  23·09

  Beverley

  165,193

  14·19

  Walton

  236,361

  18·97

  Doncaster

  162,060

  12·52

  Grimsby

  133,695

  19·82

  Sheffield

  206,076

  14·42

  Leeds

  385,201

  34·22

  Darlington

  265,789

  23·32

  Newcastle

  253,708

  22·08

  North East GMO

  49,482

  2·75

  North East total

  2,127,940

  185·18

  Kidderminster

  253,372

  22·89

  Birmingham

  343,941

  31·06

  Wolverhampton

  301,692

  27·57

  328

  Spend £

  Staffing

  Stoke

  441,958

  37·29

  Llantrisant

  258,628

  21·48

  Pontypool

  143,024

  12·40

  Ammanford

  172,672

  15·04

  Wales Mid GMO

  47,602

  3·00

  Wales Mid and South West total

  1,962,889

  170·75

  Southampton

  256,210

  21·66

  Newbury

  152,105

  13·06

  Poole

  205,310

  17·62

  Bristol

  380,822

  34·72

  Exeter

  313,527

  26·06

  Plymouth

  207,013

  16·00

  Gloucester

  124,762

  12·87

  Bicester

  141,899

  13·18

  South West GMO

  45,296

  2·80

  South West total

  1,826,946

  158·01

  Purfleet

  359,021

  32·33

  Edmonton

  359,750

  29·49

  Leicester

  205,678

  19·35

  Weedon

  184,781

  18·81

  Grantham

  168,092

  15·93

  Chelmsford

  196,745

  18·62

  Royston

  193,161

  15·81

  Leighton Buzzard

  146,178

  15·60

  Norwich

  190,383

  17·62

  Peterborough

  277,252

  27·78

  Ipswich

  185,965

  17·82

  East GMO

  54,626

  2·00

  East total

  2,523,632

  231·16

  Yeading

  422,591

  33·00

  Mitcham

  314,421

  25·00

  Canterbury

  155,972

  13·54

  Gillingham

  185,931

  16·29

  Hastings

  111,341

  9·84

  Lancing

  160,131

  14·05

  Guildford

  188,422

  16·62

  South East GMO

  51,666

  2·00

  South East total

  1,590,495

  130·34

  Vehicle Testing and Enforcement total

  13,584,574

  1,192·19

  Traffic Enforcement

  Spend £

  Staffing

  Edinburgh

  117,173

  9·00

  Glasgow

  85,342

  6·00

  Perth

  61,868

  4·00

  Scottish EMO

  71,201

  6·00

  Scottish Total

  335,584

  27·00

  Manchester

  96,299

  8·00

  Preston

  96,837

  9·00

  Carlisle

  53,372

  4·00

  Warrington

  82,371

  7·00

  North West EMO

  131,645

  8·50

  North West Total

  480,524

  36·50

  Leeds

  81,820

  7·00

  Brigg

  95,583

  8·00

  Gateshead

  102,454

  8·00

  Sutton in Ashfield

  101,594

  7·00

  North East EMO

  119,104

  13·08

  North East Total

  500,535

  43·08

  329

  Spend £

  Staffing

  Cobridge

  70,595

  6·00

  Cardiff

  105,049

  9·00

  Worcester

  73,361

  6·00

  Birmingham

  112,253

  8·00

  West Midlands and South West EMO

  162,872

  13·08

  West Midlands and South West Total

  524,130

  42·08

  Bristol

  73,397

  6·00

  Poole

  100,439

  7·00

  Plymouth

  80,917

  6·00

  Reading

  76,559

  6·00

  Western EMO

  100,103

  10·00

  South West Total

  431,415

  35·00

  Grantham

  77,584

  5·00

  Weedon

  63,981

  5·00

  Aylesbury

  75,279

  6·00

  Norwich

  93,392

  7·00

  Harwich

  98,865

  8·16

  Eastern EMO

  120,749

  12·81

  East Total

  529,850

  43·97

  Uckfield

  73,170

  5·00

  Dover

  77,520

  5·00

  Maidstone

  85,421

  5·00

  Chessington

  135,461

  10·00

  Belvedere

  124,837

  9·00

  Stanmore

  12,413

  0·00

  South East and Metropolitan EMO

  133,521

  10·66

  South East Total

  622,343

  44·68

  Traffic Enforcement Total

  3,404,381

  272·31

  Total vehicle inspection and traffic enforcement

  Spend £

  Staffing

  308,489

  25·15

  453,664

  37·52

  386,632

  30·53

  174,611

  11·21

  155,283

  14·10

  143,794

  12·94

  176,641

  15·59

  123,081

  11·00

  1,922,175

  158·04

  280,235

  24·84

  452,055

  43·08

  434,196

  38·67

  433,766

  40·17

  303,418

  32·79

  348,493

  31·16

  174,442

  11·50

  2,426,605

  222·21

  350,175

  30·09

  260,756

  22·19

  338,835

  26·97

  263,654

  19·52

  133,695

  19·62

  208,076

  14·42

  385,201

  34·22

  265,789

  23·32

  253,708

  22·08

  168,586

  15·83

  2,628,475

  228·26

  330

  Spend £

  Staffing

  323,967

  28·89

  448,990

  40·08

  375,053

  33·57

  554,211

  45·29

  258,628

  21·48

  143,024

  12·40

  172,672

  15·04

  210,474

  16·08

  2,487,019

  212·83

  329,607

  27·66

  252,544

  20·08

  286,227

  23·62

  457,381

  40·72

  313,527

  26·08

  207,013

  16·00

  124,762

  12·87

  141,899

  13·18

  145,401

  12·80

  2,258,361

  193·01

  436,605

  37·33

  423,731

  34·49

  280,957

  25·35

  278,173

  25·81

  266,957

  24·09

  198,745

  18·62

  193,161

  15·81

  146,178

  15·60

  190,383

  17·62

  277,252

  27·78

  185,965

  17·82

  175,375

  14·81

  3,053,482

  275·13

  495,761

  36·00

  391,941

  30·00

  221,393

  18·54

  321,392

  26·29

  236,178

  18·84

  172,544

  14·05

  188,422

  16·62

  185,207

  12·66

  2,212,838

  175·02

  Total

  Total

  16,988,955

  1,464·50

  Notes:

  1. Allocations of VI staffing between testing and enforcement divisions can be carried out on the basis of the management accounts produced for same period ie Testing 55 per cent. and enforcement 45 per cent.

  2. Operational costs are those quoted on the October district/sector unit cost analysis.

  3. On 1 November 1993 VI split its operational work between two dimensions: Vehicle Testing (VT) and Road Transport Enforcement (RTE). VT created a new regional structure based on 14 Regions. RTE reorganised into 23 areas integrating traffic and roadworthiness enforcement work.

  4. GMO=Group Managers Office. EMO=Enforcement Managers Office.

  Curent Test Fees

  £

  vehical

  Cost

  Re-test Cost

  Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGV)

  Motor Vehicles 2 axle

  Test Fee1

  Re-test fee

  32·70

  16·60

  331

  Vehicle

  Cost

  Re-test Cost

  3 axle

  33·70

  16·60

  4 or more axles

  34·70

  16·60

  Trailers

  1 axle

  16·70

  8·30

  2 axle

  17·10

  8·30

  3 or more axles

  17·90

  8·30

  Clearance of Prohibition by partial inspection

  Motor Vehicle

  16·60

  —

  Trailers

  8·30

  —

  1Retest after failure (within 14 days of initial inspection)

  Public Service Vehicle

  Test Fee

  Retest fee

  9–12 passenger seats

  28·20

  14·10

  13+ passenger seats

  40·30

  19·80

  Clearance of Prohibition by partial inspection

  9–12 passenger seats

  14·10

  —

  13+ passenger seats

  19·80

  —

  C.O.I.F.

  Examination (inclusive of tilt test)

  129·00

  —

  Tilt retest

  129·00

  —

  Examination retest

  15·40

  —

  A.D.R.

  Motor Vehicle (excluding annual test fee)

  —

  98·80

  Trailer (excluding annual test fee)

  —

  98·80

  T.I.R.

  Initial inspection

  62·60

  —

  Re-inspection

  43·70

  —

  January 1994 staffing analysis VT division

  Region

  Staffing

  West Scotland

  39

  East Scotland

  40

  North East

  60

  North West

  53

  Merseyside and North Wales

  62

  North Midlands

  55

  South Wales

  47

  West Midlands

  60

  East Midlands

  53

  South West

  58

  South Central

  48

  London

  70

  1992–93

  1991–92

  1990–91

  1989–90

  All cases (including those of a non-sexual nature)

  7,211

  6,822

  5,571

  4,825

  All sexual assaults

  3,200

  2,881

  1,812

  1,318

  Sexual abuse within the family or by a relative

  1,700

  1,661

  1,011

  802

  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many awards of criminal injuries compensation were made in each year since 1979; and what was the value of payments in each year.

  Mr. Maclean
  The information is taken from the annual reports of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board, copies of which are held in the Library of the House. It is also summarised at annex A of the White Paper "Compensating victims of violent crime: Changes to the criminal injuries compensation scheme" (Cm 2434) published on 15 December 1993.
  332

  Region

  Staffing

  East

  54

  South East

  44

  VT Total

  743

  RTE division

  Group

  Staffing

  Scotland and North West

  170

  West Midlands and South Wales

  99

  South East and West

  187

  North East and East

  214

  RTE Total

  670

  VI summary

  Division

  Staffing

  VT

  743

  RTE

  670

  VI Total

  1,413

  Note: VI also employs 316 staff at its headquarters in Bristol and Swansea working in VT, RTE and central services.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Crimanal Injuries Compensation
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many awards of criminal injuries compensation were made, resulting from(a) physical abuse, (b) sexual abuse and (c) neglect cases involving children, in each of the last 10 years.

  Mr. Maclean
  The Criminal Injuries Compensation Board does not record centrally information about awards made in respect of abuse, neglect or other categories of injury.

  However, since 1989, it has recorded information about the number of applications received in respect of children—under the age of 18 at the date of the incident—who have suffered abuse. The information summarised below is taken from CICB's annual reports, copies of which are held in the Library.

  Financial year

  Number of awards

  Compensation paid (£m)

  1979–80

  17,460

  15·7

  1980–81

  20,784

  21·5

  1981–82

  17,350

  22·0

  1982–83

  19,733

  29·4

  1983–84

  21,133

  32·8

  1984–85

  19,771

  35·3

  1985–86

  22,534

  41·6

  1986–87

  21,925

  48·2

  1987–88

  20,991

  52·0

  1988–89

  27,752

  69·4

  1989–90

  27,926

  72·7

  1990–91

  35,190

  109·3

  333

  Financial year

  Number of awards

  Compensation paid (£m)

  1991–92

  39,249

  143·7

  1992–93

  36,638

  152·2

  Number of deaths from fires attended by local authority fire brigades in the specified locations in the United Kingdom, 1979–921

  Year

  Dwellings2

  Industrial premises

  Elderly persons' and children's homes3

  Offices4

  Recreational venues

  Public houses, clubs5

  1979

  865

  13

  7

  1

  1

  2

  1980

  822

  6

  6

  0

  0

  640

  1981

  780

  4

  6

  3

  0

  6

  1982

  728

  7

  8

  2

  7

  10

  1983

  710

  18

  4

  8

  2

  5

  1984

  692

  25

  7

  1

  6

  2

  1985

  700

  5

  6

  0

  758

  1

  1986

  753

  13

  7

  2

  2

  5

  1987

  710

  8

  7

  2

  0

  4

  1988

  732

  11

  15

  2

  0

  4

  1989

  642

  6

  4

  0

  2

  5

  1990

  627

  2

  5

  1

  0

  3

  1991

  608

  2

  7

  3

  0

  1

  1992

  594

  6

  13

  0

  1

  0

  1 Data for 1993 are not yet available.

  2 Includes deaths in high rise flats, separate data are not available.

  3 Includes homes for the disabled or handicapped.

  4 Includes all deaths from fires starting in rooms used as offices, including any in offices in dwellings.

  5 Includes wine bars, discotheques in clubs etc.

  6 Includes 37 deaths in unlicensed drinking clubs in Soho.

  7 Includes 56 deaths in Bradford City football ground.

  Source: Home Office Fire Statistics.

  Trespass
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce legislation to strengthen protection for private landowners against trespass by hunts and to provide remedies for trespass on public footpaths.

  Mr. Maclean
  The proposed new offence of aggravated trespass, contained in the Criminal Justice and Public Order Bill, will apply to all trespassers, including hunters, who wilfully disrupt, or seek to disrupt, a lawful activity on land. It will be possible to commit the new offence on footpaths and bridleways.

  Immigration
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department further to his oral statement of 4 May,Official Report, columns 823–26, which organisations and individuals have so far been consulted on possible changes to the immigration rules in 1994; and what form the consultation has taken.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  In July 1993, copies of a working draft of the revised immigration rules were sent to the following organisations:

  Bar Council

  Camden Law Centre

  Commission for Racial Equality

  Immigration Advisory Service

  Immigration Law Practitioners' Association (ILPA)

  Fire Deaths
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons died in fires in each year since 1979, where the fire was located in(a) domestic dwellings, (b) industrial installations, (c) private residential homes, (d) offices, (e) recreational venues, (f) high-rise flats and (g) public houses, clubs and discotheques.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  The available information is given in the table.

  Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants (JCWI)

  Law Centres Federation

  Law Society

  National Association of Citizens' Advice Bureaux

  Refugee Legal Centre

  Copies of the working draft were placed in the Vote Office and Library of the House. They were also made available, on request, to a number of legal practitioners and others. Officials held meetings in December with representatives of ILPA, JCWI and the Law Society to discuss their written responses to the working draft.

  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department further to his oral statement of 4 May,Official Report, columns 823–26, what are the compelling and compassionate circumstances in which it may allow an application from a homosexual non-United Kingdom citizen for leave to remain in the United Kingdom with a homosexual partner who is a United Kingdom citizen.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  Factors which may be taken into account in assessing whether compelling compassionate circumstances are present in such an application are the health of the settled partner and the length and stability of the relationship.

  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for leave to remain in the United Kingdom made by non-United Kingdom citizens on the basis of a same-sex relationship with a citizen of the United Kingdom have been(a) accepted and (b) rejected since 1990.
  335
  Mr. Charles Wardle
  The information requested is not separately identified in the statistics.

  Drug Abuse, Hampshire
  Mr. Denham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the estimate of the cost of drug-related crime in Hampshire for the last year for which figures are available.

  Mr. Maclean
  The involvement of drug misusers in criminal activity is difficult to quantify. It is not possible to estimate with any accuracy the amount of crime which is drug related.

  Refugees
  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is meant by exceptional leave to enter for persons applying for refugee status.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  A person who is not recognised as a refugee in the United Kingdom in accordance with the 1951 United Nations convention relating to the status of refugees may be granted exceptional leave to enter or remain if there are compelling humanitarian reasons for not returning him to his country of origin.

  Operation Elgar
  Ms Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many people were detained following operation Elgar; how many have subsequently been released; how many are still detained; and how many of those detained were employed by the London borough of Southwark;

  (2) if he will make a statement on operation Elgar which took place on 27 April;

  (3) how many people have been deported following operation Elgar.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  Operation Elgar was a joint operation by the Immigration Service and the Metropolitan police aimed at detecting offenders against the immigration laws.

  As a result of visits conducted on 27 April, 59 people were detained. Two more were detained following related visits on 28 April and 1 May. Of these 61, 11 have been removed from the United Kingdom as illegal entrants or under the deportation process, and two remain in detention with a view to removal. The remaining 48 were released and 22 of them are subject to reporting restrictions pending removal from the United Kingdom on further consideration of their cases. A total of 44 people were dealt with as offenders against the immigration laws.

  Twenty-four of the people detained and dealt with as immigration offenders were identified as being on the payroll of the London borough of Southwark. It is not known how many were employed by the borough at the time of the operation.

  The operation was carefully planned and the guidance in Home Office circular 131/1980 about the conduct of operations of this type was fully observed.

  Identity Cards
  Mr. Rooker
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the estimated cost of supplying every adult with an identity card.
  336
  Mr. Charles Wardle
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Warley, West (Mr. Spellar) on 7 December 1993, column 168.

  Mr. Rooker
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to make a study of the new identity card system to be introduced in the Netherlands in June.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  We have no plans for a specific study of the system in the Netherlands.

  Mr. Spellar
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions his Department has had with other member states of the European Union regarding mutual recognition of identity cards; and what discussions his Department has had regarding a common European-wide identity card.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  We have had no discussions with other European Union member states about identity cards. Community law already provides that nationals of any European Economic Area state may use a valid identity card issued by that state for travel throughout the European Economic Area. It is a matter for each member state to decide whether or not to issue identity cards.

  Life Sentence Prisoners
  Sir Ivan Lawrence
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what arrangements he proposes to introduce for interviewing life sentence prisoners for release on licence following the abolition of local review committees in September 1994.

  Mr. Howard
  I have asked the Parole Board to undertake the interviewing of life sentence prisoners currently performed by local review committees. This will include mandatory life sentence prisoners and discretionary life sentence prisoners whose tariffs have not yet expired. I am most grateful to the board for agreeing to take on this extra work.

  I would also like to express my sincere thanks to all present and former members of local review committees for their outstanding contribution to the parole scheme over the last 25 years. They have given most generously of their time and I am very grateful to them for their hard work, dedication and the great care they have taken over their recommendations in this very sensitive area.

  Public Alert System
  Mr. Bill Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Caithness and Sutherland (Mr. Maclennan) of 28 February,Official Report, column 586, on studies of possible enhancements to the national public alert system, if he will give (a) the terms of reference of the studies, (b) the personnel carrying out the studies, (c) the expected cost of the studies, (d) the date on which they commenced and (e) the date on which the studies are expected to be completed; and if he will publish the report of the studies.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The requirements of the study now being considered were:"To review current receipt and generation arrangements using only peacetime Broadcasting Systems for alerting/warning the public and to produce a proposal for a National Warning System using existing peacetime Broadcasting Networks as a primary system for warning the United Kingdom population of an air attack."
  337
  The study was carried out by the BBC at a cost of £4,200 and was presented in October last year. It is being examined by officials in the course of their normal duties. The study contains information confidential to the BBC's operations and it would not be appropriate for my Department to publish it. The need for and scope and timing of further studies have not yet been decided.

  Mr. Bill Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Caithness and Sutherland (Mr. Maclennan) of 28 February,Official Report, column 586, if he will place in the Library a copy of the representations by his officials to the Local Government Commission for England on the subject of emergency planning.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  A copy of the letter referred to in my reply to the hon. Member for Caithness and Sutherland (Mr. Maclennan), column 586, has been placed in the Library.

  European Union (Ministerial Meetings)
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the formal meetings at which representatives of the United Kingdom Government have attended in accordance with article K3 of the European Union treaty since the coming into force of that treaty

  Average number of days absence due to sickness1 Police forces in England and Wales2

  Forces

  1990

  1991

  1992

  1993

  Avon and Somerset

  10·1

  10·1

  8·7

  12·0

  Bedfordshire

  13·2

  12·4

  11·6

  11·7

  Cambridgeshire

  12·4

  10·8

  10·1

  11·3

  Cheshire

  10·8

  12·2

  14·5

  11·2

  City of London

  12·7

  11·0

  11·1

  11·4

  Cleveland

  19·6

  16·2

  14·0

  14·9

  Cumbria

  11·5

  10·6

  11·6

  10·4

  Derbyshire

  10·9

  14·2

  12·4

  12·8

  Devon and Cornwall

  9·5

  10·1

  9·9

  9·6

  Dorset

  7·6

  10·9

  9·6

  9·5

  Durham

  11·6

  12·4

  12·8

  15·3

  Dyfed-Powys

  11·0

  11·7

  10·9

  12·7

  Essex

  12·9

  11·4

  8·0

  8·4

  Gloucestershire

  10·1

  11·5

  12·2

  11·2

  Greater Manchester

  14·2

  13·0

  10·9

  11·6

  Gwent

  10·9

  13·8

  14·0

  11·2

  Hampshire

  10·5

  13·9

  11·7

  9·5

  Hertfordshire

  13·5

  14·0

  12·6

  11·3

  Humberside

  13·6

  10·4

  12·0

  15·5

  Kent

  9·8

  6·8

  10·6

  12·7

  Lancashire

  16·5

  15·6

  13·8

  13·0

  Leicestershire

  13·7

  13·9

  13·2

  15·8

  Lincolnshire

  13·7

  14·9

  11·5

  12·9

  Merseyside

  17·0

  19·6

  17·1

  17·1

  Norfolk

  12·9

  11·0

  10·1

  12·0

  North Wales

  13·7

  17·0

  16·9

  15·1

  North Yorkshire

  11·8

  14·0

  13·6

  12·7

  Northamptonshire

  12·7

  13·4

  9·7

  9·7

  Northumbria

  10·3

  9·8

  13·1

  13·3

  Nottinghamshire

  12·1

  12·0

  13·2

  13·4

  South Wales

  13·9

  15·8

  15·0

  11·7

  South Yorkshire

  12·3

  12·5

  12·5

  13·1

  Staffordshire

  15·0

  16·3

  15·6

  14·1

  Suffolk

  7·8

  7·4

  6·6

  9·0

  Surrey

  9·3

  11·6

  10·8

  13·8

  Sussex

  10·2

  13·7

  8·9

  11·3

  Thames Valley

  7·3

  9·8

  8·0

  9·8

  Warwickshire

  12·4

  14·0

  14·3

  15·3

  West Mercia

  12·4

  13·0

  12·3

  12·2

  West Midlands

  7·1

  9·6

  14·0

  6·2

  West Yorkshire

  10·9

  12·4

  12·4

  13·4

  338
  together with the subject matter under consideration at the meeting and the title UI of the official representing the United Kingdom Government.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  This information is not routinely collected centrally and could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.

  Police Complement
  Mr. Nigel Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many supernumerary officers there are in each police authority and how many of them are on royal protection duties.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  It is not our practice to publish details of police deployment to protection duties, for security reasons.

  Police Sick Leave
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list by sex, and by year for the last 10 years, the average number of police officer days lost for reasons of sickness in each police authority.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  The information is not available in the form which is requested. Information is available on the average number of days which were lost due to sickness for the years 1990 to 1993 and is shown in the table.
  339

  Forces

  1990

  1991

  1992

  1993

  Wiltshire

  9·1

  8·2

  7·4

  8·5

  Provincial Total

  11·8

  12·5

  12·0

  11·9

  Metropolitan Police

  12·7

  12·7

  12·9

  2

  England and Wales Total

  12·0

  12·5

  12·2

  9·32

  1Information is based on the average strength of each force throughout each year.

  2Figures for the Metropolitan Police are not yet available for 1993.

  Magistrates Courts
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total number of people remanded in custody by magistrates courts in(a) Doncaster, (b) Barnsley, (c) Rotherham and (d) Sheffield in each of the last five years.

  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.

  Receptions into a Prison Service establishment in England and Wales on Remand from a Magistrates' court in Doncaster, Barnsley, Rotherham or Sheffield, 1989–1993

  Year

  Magistrates' court

  1989

  1990

  1991

  1992

  1993

  Doncaster

  166

  167

  206

  260

  332

  Barnsley

  90

  105

  180

  198

  234

  Rotherham

  73

  95

  175

  181

  206

  Sheffield

  199

  165

  397

  524

  555

  Total

  528

  532

  958

  1,163

  1,327

  Obscene Publications Branch
  Mrs. Golding
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations have been made to him in relation to the future of the obscene publications branch at New Scotland Yard.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  We have received 26 letters and three questions, apart from this one, from hon. and right hon. Members about this matter, and one other letter from a voluntary organisation. The future of the obscene publications branch was also the subject of a recent early-day motion, No. 1057.

  Prisons (Drugs)
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions he has had with the Director General of the Prison Service as to the number of drug finds that have been made in prisons in England and Wales.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The number of drug finds is one aspect of the drugs problem in prisons, but it is not a reliable indicator of its scale. My right hon. and learned Friend has had frequent discussions about that problem with the Director General and others and the methods of dealing with it.

  Prison Population, South Yorkshire
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list by Her Majesty's prison and remand home/centre, for the latest date he has figures
  340
  Letter from Derek Lewis to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 16 May 1994:
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question asking what was the total number of people remanded in custody by magistrates' courts in (a) Doncaster, (b) Sheffield in each of the last five years.
  The information you have requested relating to the numbers received into a Prison Service establishment on remand from the Magistrates' courts requested is given in the attached table.

  available, the number of inmates whose place of residence is South Yorkshire; and what were the figures (a) 12 and (b) 24 months ago.

  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. Martin Redmond, dated 16 May 1994:
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question asking if he will list by Her Majesty's prison and remand home/centre for the latest date he has figures available, the number of inmates whose place of residence is South Yorkshire; and what were the figures (a) 12 and (b) 24 months ago.
  The information available on where prisoners originate from is for the county of the court first committing to custody. The latest available provisional statistics are for the population in Prison Service establishments on 31 December 1993, who were first committed to custody by a court from South Yorkshire, and is given in the attached table.
  I regret to inform you that the information on the population available before 1993 is unreliable because of the high proportion of sentenced cases with no court data recorded.

  Population in Prison Service establishments in England and Wales on 31 December 1993 who were first committed to custody by a court in South Yorkshire1

  Prison Service establishment

  Number of persons2

  Acklington

  14

  Ashwell

  3

  Askham Grange

  5

  Aylesbury

  2

  341

  Prison Service establishment

  Number of persons2

  Bedford

  2

  Birmingham

  1

  Castington

  7

  Chanings Wood

  1

  Cookham Wood

  1

  Deerbolt

  12

  Drake Hall

  1

  Durham

  1

  Elmley

  2

  Erlstoke

  1

  Everthorpe

  33

  Feltham

  1

  Featherstone

  2

  Frankland

  6

  Full Sutton

  16

  Garth

  7

  Gartree

  2

  Glen Parva

  3

  Grenden

  2

  Hatfield

  24

  High Point

  2

  Holme House

  5

  Hull

  75

  Huntercome

  1

  Kirklevington

  1

  Lancaster

  1

  Leeds

  15

  Lincoln

  16

  Lindholme

  104

  Littlehey

  1

  Long Lartin

  1

  Maidstone

  2

  Manchester

  1

  Moorland

  104

  Morton Hall

  26

  The Mount

  1

  New Hall

  13

  North Sea Camp

  2

  Nottingham

  5

  Onley

  2

  Portsmouth

  1

  Ranby

  44

  Risley

  4

  Rochester

  1

  Rudgate

  19

  Stafford

  2

  Stocken

  12

  Stoke Heath

  1

  Sudbury

  3

  Swaleside

  1

  Swifen Hall

  1

  Thorpe Arch

  7

  Thorne Cross

  1

  Usk

  2

  The Verne

  1

  Wakefield

  19

  Wandsworth

  1

  Wetherby

  10

  Whatton

  15

  Whitmoor

  1

  Wolds

  190

  Wormwood Scrubs

  1

  Wymott

  8

  Not Recorded

  14

  All Prisons

  886

  1 Provisional figures.

  2 Excludes those committed to custody for non-payment of a fine and non-criminal prisoners.

  National Lottery Charities Board
  Mr. Alan Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will name the members of the National Lottery Charities Board;

  (2) when the National Lottery Charities Board will be set up.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  My right hon. and learned Friend announced on 10 May that he was appointing as chairman of the National Lottery Charities Board the hon. David Sieff. Potential board members are currently under consideration, and he expects to make appointments within the next few weeks.

  Ethnic Minorities
  Mrs. Helen Jackson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give consideration to protecting educational and social welfare projects which have received section 11 grant since 1992 and which fall outside bidding guidance issued for the single regeneration budget.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  No guarantee can be given as regards the future of existing projects beyond existing commitments but the bidding guidance already covers activity of this sort. The specific aims of the budget include initiatives intended to"enhance the employment prospects, education and skills of local people, particularly the young and those at a disadvantage, and promote equality of opportunity"
  and to
  "promote initiatives of benefit to ethnic minorities".

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

  Mr. Howard
  [holding answer 4 May 1994]: The information is as follows:

  £

  Sale of NTL (October 1991)

  2,152,000

  Sale of DTELS (March 1994)1

  822,000

  1 These are costs so far calculated. The final account has yet to be settled.

  These figures exclude payments to the Government Actuary's Department.

NATIONAL HERITAGE

  Physical Education Teachers
  Mr. Pendry
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what guidance his Department has given the Sports Council on the development of pre-service and in-service training for physical education teachers.

  Mr. Sproat
  My Department is represented on the Sports Council's young people and sport advisory group which advises the Council, among other things, on its work with physical education teachers.

  Disabled People
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what new initiatives he is taking to involve disabled people and their organisations in relation to fuller access to the arts.

  Mr. Brooke
  My Department aims to make the cultural life of the nation more widely accessible to everyone, including disabled people. To that end, the Department is taking the lead in an access initiative, to explore with our sponsored bodies how best to deliver this aim within existing resources.

  In the specific field of the arts, the Department has demonstrated its commitment through its continuing support for ADAPT, established in partnership with the Carnegie (UK) Trust with the aim of adapting arts-related buildings to make them more accessible. For its part, the Arts Council for England has an established record in promoting the interests of disabled people, and is committed to maintaining its vigorous approach in these matters.

  Sport and Recreation Qualifications
  Mr. Pendry
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what guidance his Department has given the Sports Council with regard to the development of national vocational qualifications for sport and recreation.

  Mr. Sproat
  None. The Sports Council chairs the industry lead body for sport and recreation and receives guidance in relation to this role from the Employment Department and the National Council for Vocational Qualifications.

  English Heritage
  Ms Mowlam
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what benefits have accrued from English Heritage's transfer of management of a number of its properties to(a) English Heritage, (b) the new managers of the properties and (c) the Exchequer.

  Mr. Brooke
  In pursuance of the policies in its "Forward Strategy", English Heritage sought my agreement to the transfer of 22 sites to local management in March this year. Local management arrangements provide opportunities for improved cost-effectiveness and can bring benefits in terms of local enthusiasm for and commitment to the properties concerned, as well as additional resources for their preservation and presentation to the public. It is too early to quantify the extent of these benefits. However, I have agreed with English Heritage that it will keep the success of alternative management schemes under review and will formally evaluate the effectiveness of the policy in two years' time.

  Ms Mowlam
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what guidance he has given on the application of the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 1981 to the staff of English Heritage employed at properties whose management is to be transferred to other bodies such as the National Trust.

  Mr. Brooke
  The Department of National Heritage has issued advice to English Heritage on the application of the Transport of Undertakings (Protection of Employment)344
  Regulations 1981, in accordance with the guidance given by Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster on 11 March 1993, Official Report, columns 648–49. English Heritage follow this guidance in all relevant cases where the management of English Heritage properties is transferred to other bodies.

  Royal Palaces
  Ms Mowlam
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will list the state ceremonial occasions, and expenditure on them by his Department, referred to under the heading "Occupied Royal Palaces", in his Department's expenditure plans for 1994–95, Cm 2511.

  Mr. Sproat
  The state ceremonials for which the Department has responsibility the planned expenditure on these for 1994–95 is as follows:

  £

  Commonwealth Day Flag Flying

  14,000

  State visit President of Zimbabwe

  210,000

  Her Majesty The Queen's Birthday Parade

  44,000

  United Nations Day Flag Flying

  2,200

  Remembrance Sunday

  65,000

  Association of Jewish ex-servicemen and women (AJEX)

  1,000

  336,000

  Additional costs Fees/storage/repairs

  218,600

  Total

  554,800

  Ms Mowlam
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will give a breakdown of his Department's estimated £11 million expenditure for 1994–95 on the Historic Royal Palaces Agency.

  Mr. Sproat
  Of the £11 million public expenditure allocated to the Historic Royal Palaces Agency for 1994–95:£3 million has been transferred to the Royal Armouries in year towards the cost of the new museum in Leeds;
  £1.5 million will be spent on modernising fire detection and prevention systems in line with the recommendations of the Bailey Inquiry following the Windsor fire;
  and the remainder will go towards other capital conservation and improvement schemes, building maintenance and running costs.

  Three quarters of the agency's costs are met from commercial receipts.

  Ms Mowlam
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will give a breakdown for each royal palace of the £20.6 million due to be spent by his Department in 1994–95 on the occupied royal palaces.

  Mr. Sproat
  The amounts planned to be spent on each of the occupied royal palaces in 1994–95 are as follows:

  £ million

  Buckingham Palace

  4·043

  Windsor Castle

  5·910

  St James's Palace and Clarence House

  2·998

  Kensington Palace

  1·171

  Utilities/salaries and ancillary costs

  6·469

  Total

  20·591

  345
  Ms Mowlam
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what are the other historic buildings referred to in his Department's expenditure plans 1994–95, Cm 2511, under the heading "Occupied Royal Palaces"; and how much of the £26.4 million total for this period will be spent on them.

  Mr. Sproat
  The other historic buildings under this heading for which the Department has some responsibility are: Apsley house, the Royal Naval college at Greenwich, Osborne house and the Albert memorial. The Department also has responsibility for maintenance of Trafalgar square, and certain statues in London.

  Planned expenditure in 1994–95 on these buildings and structures is £3.1 million. Additionally up to £1 million is being made available by English Heritage towards the restoration of the Albert memorial.

  Cultural Services
  Ms Mowlam
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what assessment he has made of the likely impact on national museums and galleries in the United Kingdom of the EU sixth directive relating to the VAT treatment of cultural services.

  Mr. Sproat
  Discussions are continuing between my officials and those of Her Majesty's Customs and Excise about the implications and scope of such an exemption. The views that my Department has received from the national museums and galleries have been taken into account during these discussions, and those organisations will be consulted on further developments.

  Correspondence
  Mr. David Howell
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage when he will reply to the letter of the right hon. Member for Guildford of 23 March requesting urgent action on behalf of a constituent.

  Mr. Brooke
  My private office replied on 3 May, informing the right hon. Gentleman that the letter in question was properly a matter for the Department of Trade and Industry, which has undertaken to reply substantively.

  Outdoor Activity Centres
  Mr. Jamieson
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will make a statement about the contribution made by the Sports Council in drawing up the code of practice for outdoor adventure activity providers.

  Mr. Sproat
  The Sports Council is contributing its expertise to the development of a voluntary accreditation scheme for outdoor activity providers through its membership of the English tourist board's activity centre advisory committee. This Department has observer status on ACAC. The new code of practice, agreed at the committee's last meeting, will provide an important mechanism for ensuring that centres operate to nationally agreed safety standards. The committee has also agreed a programme of pilot inspections over the summer as part of the process of devising sports-specific guidelines and the Sports Council and the English tourist board will be helping to fund this work.

WALES

  Strategic Development Scheme
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much has been allocated under the strategic development scheme, and, prior to the introduction of the scheme, how much was spent through(a) the urban programme, (b) the rural initiative, (c) projects of regional and national importance and (d) special project schemes for each year since 1989–90 for (i) each district council and (ii) Wales.

  Mr. Redwood
  1994–95 strategic development scheme allocations to district councils in Wales, together with the all-Wales total, is provided in table 1. Details of expenditure between 1989–90 and 1993–94 through the urban programme, rural initiative, projects of regional and national importance and special projects schemes are in tables 2 to 5.

  Table 1

  Strategic Development Scheme Allocations—£'000

  11994–95

  Alyn and deeside DC

  1,337

  Colwyn BC

  1,447

  Delyn

  829

  Glyndwr DC

  187

  Rhuddlan BC

  821

  Wrexham Maelor BC

  1,487

  Carmarthen DC

  2184

  Ceredigion DC

  2975

  Dinefwr BC

  1,444

  Llanelli BC

  2,224

  Preseli Pembrokeshire DC

  927

  South Pembrokeshire DC

  2,481

  Blaenau Gwent BC

  1,753

  Islwyn BC

  31,267

  Monmouth DC

  58

  Newport BC

  1,153

  Torfaen BC

  640

  Aberconwy BC

  2,250

  Arfon BC

  1,126

  Dwyfor DC

  787

  Meirionnydd DC

  668

  Ynys Mon BC

  1,140

  Cynon Valley BC

  31,947

  Merthyr Tydfil BC

  3903

  Ogwr BC

  1,102

  Rhondda BC

  34,460

  Rhymney Valley DC

  300

  Taff-Ely BC

  3431

  Brecknock BC

  2,330

  Montgomeryshire DC

  126

  Radnor DC

  183

  Cardiff CC

  989

  Vale of Glamorgan BC

  1,190

  West Glamorgan CC

  2,281

  Port Talbot BC

  253

  Lliw Valley BC

  282

  Neath BC

  353

  Swansea CC

  2,625

  WALES TOTAL (including county councils)

  56,223

  Notes:

  1 Includes slippage on schemes carried forward from 1993–94.

  2 Excludes £1,9 million set aside for projects approved in principle for Carmarthen DC and Ceredigion DC.

  3 Includes £10,000 revenue allocation for each of the 5 successful Community Revival Strategies, but excludes the capital allocations which will not be confirmed until receipt of the Business Plans in June 1994.
  347

  Table 2

  Urban programme expenditure details

  £'000

  1989–901

  1990–91

  1991–92

  1992–93

  1993–942 forecast outturn

  Alyn and Deeside DC

  275

  223

  265

  100

  338

  Colwyn BC

  45

  275

  280

  108

  57

  Delyn

  622

  618

  235

  757

  338

  Glyndwr DC

  13

  8

  119

  133

  118

  Rhuddlan BC

  249

  601

  545

  992

  1,138

  Wrexham Maelor BC

  521

  776

  1,449

  525

  246

  Carmarthen DC

  —

  16

  136

  18

  18

  Ceredigion DC

  18

  14

  132

  101

  77

  Dinefwr BC

  378

  168

  687

  1,069

  428

  Llanelli BC

  433

  467

  442

  1,037

  764

  Preseli Pembrokeshire DC

  157

  157

  283

  95

  140

  South Pembrokeshire DC

  158

  139

  219

  172

  222

  Blaenau Gwent BC

  2,390

  2,744

  5,876

  1,534

  916

  Islwyn BC

  870

  944

  1,013

  709

  723

  Monmouth DC

  14

  41

  32

  30

  203

  Newport BC

  692

  623

  610

  690

  960

  Torfaen BC

  1,255

  927

  822

  464

  345

  Aberconwy BC

  169

  167

  261

  191

  170

  Arfon BC

  425

  309

  426

  616

  382

  Dwyfor DC

  100

  65

  —

  139

  121

  Meirionnydd DC

  112

  182

  402

  221

  158

  Ynys Mon BC

  213

  182

  184

  263

  127

  Cynon Valley BC

  1,073

  1,281

  1,727

  2,193

  1,776

  Merthyr Tydfil BC

  1,366

  1,081

  1,055

  1,477

  987

  Ogwr BC

  1,271

  1,230

  1,111

  1,333

  1,165

  Rhondda BC

  2,043

  2,268

  1,330

  1,885

  2,805

  Rhymney Valley DC

  1,082

  1,071

  362

  1,127

  744

  Taff-Ely BC

  429

  418

  320

  1,031

  533

  Brecknock BC

  102

  79

  25

  250

  —

  Montgomeryshire DC

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Radnor DC

  5

  14

  15

  16

  16

  Cardiff CC

  916

  964

  1,155

  1,046

  1,310

  Vale of Glamorgan BC

  282

  217

  294

  449

  761

  Port Talbot BC

  559

  696

  561

  149

  324

  Lliw Valley BC

  432

  19

  309

  424

  339

  Neath BC

  504

  438

  768

  675

  310

  Swansea CC

  535

  510

  572

  525

  965

  Wales Total (including county councils)

  27,732

  29,695

  36,584

  31,970

  29,347

  Notes:

  1 Allocation not expenditure data provided for 1989–90. Expenditure details are not available on a consistent basis with future years because of the introduction of local authority capital expenditure controls in 1990–91. From this date information collected relates solely to local authorities expenditure against money provided through the Urban Programme, excluding any local authority expenditure financed through loans. Before this date authorities funded some of the schemes approved under the Urban Programme by raising loans and therefore only included appropriate loan charge payments on the payment returns.

  2 Actual expenditure details not available until local authorities annual Audited claims are received at the end of the year.

  Table 3

  Rural initiative expenditure details since the programmes inception—£'000

  1991–92

  1992–93

  1993–94 forecast outturn

  Colwyn BC

  40

  —

  32

  Delyn

  32

  32

  —

  Glyndwr DC

  180

  270

  175

  Rhuddlan BC

  147

  —

  27

  Carmarthen DC

  558

  126

  120

  Ceredigion DC

  127

  240

  338

  Dinefwr BC

  78

  123

  236

  Preseli Pembs DC

  32

  339

  1,021

  South Pembs DC

  60

  146

  681

  Blaenau Gwent BC

  10

  —

  —

  Monmouth DC

  219

  156

  57

  348

  1991–92

  1992–93

  1993–94 forecast outturn

  Aberconwy BC

  —

  262

  793

  Arfon BC

  157

  152

  590

  Dwyfor DC

  250

  108

  549

  Meirionnydd DC

  —

  100

  526

  Ynys Mon BC

  50

  122

  405

  Brecknock BC

  360

  —

  110

  Montgomeryshire DC

  350

  256

  262

  Radnor DC

  464

  157

  —

  Lliw Valley BC

  —

  —

  8

  Wales total (including County Councils)

  4,315

  5,539

  8,439

  349

  Table 4

  Projects of Regional or National Importance Allocations—£'000

  1989–90

  1990–91

  1991–92

  1992–93

  1993–94

  Ceredigion DC

  —

  —

  —

  —

  500

  South Pembrokeshire DC

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1·000

  Blaenau Gwent BC

  1·700

  2·945

  1·055

  —

  —

  Aberconwy BC

  —

  —

  —

  2·000

  —

  Dwyfor DC

  —

  —

  1·400

  900

  —

  Swansea CC

  1·500

  1·250

  1·239

  —

  165

  TOTAL WALES (including County Councils)

  5·639

  10·523

  15·216

  9·611

  6·571

  Figures for PRNI/SP relate to capital allocations for 1989–90 and supplementary credit approvals from 1990–91 onwards. Figures are therefore not strictly comparable.

  Table 5

  Special projects allocations—£'000

  1989–90

  1990–91

  1991–92

  1992–93

  1993–94

  Colwyn BC

  —

  —

  —

  —

  580

  Delyn BC

  250

  200

  650

  2,000

  1,950

  Rhuddlan BC

  950

  540

  840

  825

  1,200

  Wrexham Maelor BC

  1,350

  1,350

  1,350

  200

  2,085

  Dinefwr BC

  —

  —

  900

  600

  —

  Llanelli BC

  1,000

  1,000

  1,000

  1,200

  1,500

  Preseli Pembs DC

  —

  650

  650

  700

  —

  Blaenau Gwent

  —

  —

  —

  700

  655

  Aberconwy BC

  1,400

  —

  759

  185

  —

  Dwyfor DC

  —

  —

  —

  1,000

  —

  Merthyr Tydfil BC

  400

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Rhondda BC

  —

  —

  900

  —

  —

  Taff Ely BC

  —

  —

  350

  —

  —

  Brecknock BC

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1,316

  Radnorshire DC

  —

  500

  850

  250

  —

  Total Wales (including County Councils)

  6,950

  4,240

  8,204

  7,660

  9,565

  Figures for PRNI/SP relate to capital allocation for 1989–90 and supplementary credit approvals from 1990–91 onwards. Figures are not therefore strictly comparable.

  Local Government Reorganisation
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales on what date the Government decided that the White Paper on local government in Wales should not contain proposals for unitary authorities for Meirionnydd and Montgomeryshire.

  Mr. Redwood
  It is not the practice to give details of internal discussions on policy matters.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Care Homes
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what steps he is taking to review the cases of residents of care or nursing homes in receipt of a preserved entitlement to income support.

  Mr. Scott
  Income support at the higher levels is paid to 284,000 people in residential care and nursing homes at a cost of £2.7 billion, compared with support for just 12,000 at a cost of £10 million in 1979.

  These limits are reviewed each year.

  Maxwell Pensions Unit
  Mr. Lidington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a further statement on the work of his Department's Maxwell Pensions Unit.
  350
  Mr. Hague
  The Maxwell Pensions Unit continues to work with all concerned to encourage the resolution of disputes as quickly as possible. The unit provides substantial administrative support to the Maxwell Pensioners Trust global settlement initiative, which aims to secure the pension rights of all Maxwell scheme members.

  Child Support Agency
  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what representations he has had in the last month on his policy on the Child Support Agency.

  Mr. Burt
  During April 1994 Ministers received representations from hon. Members, organisations and members of the public about various child support issues, some favourable, others not.

  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what he now estimates the Child Support Agency will collect in its first year of operation.

  Mr. Burt
  Provisional figures show that to the end of March the Agency had recorded £210 million as collected. This is not the total amount for the year, however. It does not include, for example, maintenance paid direct by absent parents to parents with care where benefit is not an issue. Nor does it include some other amounts collected which will be scored retrospectively.

  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to meet hon. Members to discuss the working of the Child Support Agency.
  351
  Mr. Lilley
  Ministers always give sympathetic consideration to requests from hon. Members to discuss particular issues.

  Mr. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what further changes he expects to introduce to the Child Support Agency.

  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what proposals he has to amend the Child Support Act 1991; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to review the working of the Child Support Agency; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Burt
  We have no immediate plans for change but are keeping the operation of the Child Support Agency under review.

  Mr. Hoon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people are now paying maintenance as a result of the Child Support Agency's activities who were not paying it previously.

  Mr. Burt
  As at 31 March, 205,540 maintenance assessments had been completed. It is estimated that almost 60 per cent. of cases taken on by the agency were not already receiving maintenance.

  Sir David Knox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many representations he has received concerning proposals for further changes in the child support regulations.

  Mr. Burt
  Between 5 April 1993 and 30 April 1994 Ministers received 13,081 letters about child support. The cost of establishing how many of these suggest changes to regulations would be disproportionately high.

  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what have been the changes in family credit payments during the period of the Child Support Agency.

  Mr. Burt
  The information provided in the table is for 31 March 1993, immediately prior to the introduction of the Child Support Agency, and 31 October 1993, the latest date for which information is available.

  March 19931

  October 19932

  Number of Family Credit recipients

  485,000

  520,000

  Number of recipients with maintenance

  66,000

  80,000

  Number of recipients without maintenance

  419,000

  440,000

  Average award of all Family Credit recipients

  £42.34

  £45.97

  Average award of recipients with maintenance

  £45.90

  £48.40

  Average award of recipients without maintenance

  £41.78

  £45.53

  1 Source: Five per cent. sample of Family Credit recipients at 31 March 1993.

  2 Source: Five per cent. sample of Family Credit recipients at 31 October 1993.

  Mr. Bill Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what representations he has received regarding publication of the Child Support Agency collection and enforcement manual.
  352
  Mr. Burt
  There have been a small number of representations regarding the publication of the Child Support Agency's collection and enforcement manual. However, there is good reason for the manual not to be available as it contains detailed guidance on the actions to be taken when enforcing, or deciding whether to enforce child maintenance and could allow a person liable to pay maintenance to delay or possibly avoid enforcement action being brought against him or her.

  Benefits Uprating
  Mr. Roger Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if it is Government policy regularly to uprate pensions and other benefits; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hague
  Yes. We have uprated retirement pension and most other benefits in line with prices or better each year since 1979. This April, the uprating of retirement pension—and most other benefits—included an additional element, above the increase in prices, for extra help with the cost of VAT on fuel.

  Pensions
  Mr. Mark Robinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how much total pension incomes have increased per annum between 1979 and the latest year for which figures are available; and what was the equivalent figure between 1974 and 1979.

  Mr. Hague
  Between 1979 and 1990–91, the latest year for which figures are available, pensioners' total income from state pension and occupational pension grew at an estimated average annual rate of 3.1 per cent. for all pensioners.

  The estimated average annual rate of growth between 1974 and 1979 was 0.4 per cent.

  Child Care Allowance
  Mr. Fabricant
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimate he currently makes of the number of families which will benefit from the introduction of the disregard for child care.

  Mr. Richards
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many families will benefit from the recent introduction of a child care allowance in family credit.

  Mr. Burt
  We expect that 150,000 families will benefit from the introduction of the child care disregard. This includes 50,000 expected to take up work as a direct result of the change.

  Management Consultants
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement about his Department's use of management consultants.

  Mr. Scott
  Management consultancy firms have mainly been used by the Department to assist with the development and maintenance of the major computer systems introduced to support the Department's business. These systems play a major part in enabling the Department and its agencies to deliver an efficient and professional service.
  353
  The introduction of these systems together with the use of consultants in other business areas has improved the quality of services provided throughout the Department.

  Social Security Expenditure
  Mrs. Angela Knight
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his latest estimate of spending on social security in the current year.

  Mr. Hague
  Currently the grand total of social security spending is expected to be £88.6 billion in 1994–95. This figure has been taken from the 1994 Social Security Department report.

  Mobile Telephones and Pagers
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security 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. Hague
  The information is not available in the form requested. The available information is in the table. The equipment is provided where a valid business case for its purchase and use is made by the individual/unit concerned.

  Mobile telephones (including car 'phones)

  Pagers

  Benefits Agency

  Number in use

  1—

  1—

  Combined annual cost

  2£625,738.94

  1—

  Contributions Agency

  Number in use

  1—

  1—

  Combined annual cost

  2£194,183.18

  1—

  Information Technology Services Agency

  Number in use

  539

  1,111

  Annual cost

  £210,681

  £244,503

  Number issued to specified BA and ES district offices for the use of computer support staff

  —

  998

  Annual cost

  —

  £108,562

  DSS HQ

  Number in use

  49

  72

  Annual cost

  £20,193

  £14,757

  Child Support Agency

  Number in use

  380

  185

  Annual cost

  1—

  1—

  Resettlement Agency

  Number in use

  7

  8

  Annual cost

  1—

  1—

  War Pensions Agency

  Number in use

  103

  5

  Annual cost

  £27,810

  £439

  Notes:

  1 Indicates that no central record is held by the Agency and the information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  2 Includes combined annual cost of mobile telephones and pagers.

  Figures quoted are as at the end of the 1993–94 financial year.

  Occupational Pensions
  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many pensioner tax units receive occupational pensions; if he will break this figure down 354
  into bands of occupational pension income of £1,000, up to a maximum of £20,000; and if he will give figures for the last five years.

  Mr. Hague
  Information for the years 1987 to 1990–91 —the latest available—is in the tables:

  Pension units in receipt of occupational pensions 1990–91 — total number of pensioner units 7.04 million

  Single pensioners with occupational pensions

  £ thousands

  Number (thousands)

  Up to 1

  1,047

  Up to 2

  596

  Up to 3

  230

  Up to 5

  251

  Up to 7*

  161

  Up to 20*

  167

  All

  2,455

  Pensioner couples with occupational pensions

  £ thousands

  Number (thousands)

  Up to 1

  479

  Up to 2

  397

  Up to 3

  *173

  Up to 4

  *154

  Up to 5

  *126

  Up to 7

  *148

  Up to 10

  *124

  Up to 20

  *120

  All

  1,832

  All pensioner units with occupational pensions

  £ thousands

  Number (thousands)

  Up to 1

  1,526

  Up to 2

  994

  Up to 3

  404

  Up to 4

  313

  Up to 5

  217

  Up to 6

  *157

  Up to 7

  *152

  Up to 8

  *119

  Up to 10

  *120

  Up to 13

  *91

  Up to 20

  *81

  All

  4,288

  1990 — total number of pensioner units 7.05 million

  Single pensioners with occupational pensions

  £ thousands

  Number (thousands)

  Up to 1

  1,042

  Up to 2

  543

  Up to 3

  234

  Up to 6

  *320

  Up to 20

  *232

  All

  2,374

  Pensioner couples with occupational pensions

  £ thousands

  Number (thousands)

  Up to 1

  506

  Up to 2

  395

  Up to 3

  332

  355

  £ thousands

  Number (thousands)

  Up to 6

  *238

  Up to 20

  *265

  All

  1,855

  All pensioner units with occupational pensions

  £ thousands

  Number (thousands)

  Up to 1

  1,548

  Up to 2

  938

  Up to 3

  398

  Up to 4

  *312

  Up to 5

  *221

  Up to 6

  *193

  Up to 8

  *274

  Up to 20

  *246

  All

  4,229

  1989 — total number of pensioner units 7.02 million

  Single pensioners with occupational pensions

  £ thousands

  Number (thousands)

  Up to 1

  1,033

  Up to 2

  *358

  Up to 3

  *253

  Up to 5

  *269

  Up to 20

  *243

  All

  2,159

  Pensioner couples with occupational pensions

  £ thousands

  Number (thousands)

  Up to 1

  584

  Up to 2

  371

  Up to 3

  *198

  Up to 5

  *236

  Up to 8

  *187

  Up to 20

  *140

  All

  1,858

  All pensioner units with occupational pensions

  £ thousands

  Number (thousands)

  Up to 1

  1,616

  Up to 2

  729

  Up to 3

  451

  Up to 4

  *288

  Up to 5

  *218

  Up to 6

  *180

  Up to 8

  *196

  Up to 20

  *194

  All

  4,017

  1988 — total number of pensioner units 6.99 million

  Single pensioners with occupational pensions

  £ thousands

  Number (thousands)

  Up to 1

  972

  Up to 2

  459

  Up to 3

  *208

  Up to 5

  *289

  Up to 20

  *222

  All

  2,154

  356

  Pensioner couples with occupational pensions

  £ thousands

  Number (thousands)

  Up to 1

  606

  Up to 2

  *272

  Up to 3

  *167

  Up to 6

  328

  Up to 20

  *206

  All

  1,715

  All pensioner units with occupational pensions

  £ thousands

  Number (thousands)

  Up to 1

  1,578

  Up to 2

  731

  Up to 3

  375

  Up to 4

  *334

  Up to 5

  *203

  Up to 7

  *263

  Up to 20

  *246

  All

  3,670

  1987 — total number of pensioner units 6.96 million

  Single pensioners with occupational pensions

  £ thousands

  Number (thousands)

  Up to 1

  1,033

  Up to 2

  441

  Up to 3

  *219

  Up to 5

  *196

  Up to 20

  *178

  All

  2,080

  Pensioner couples with occupational pensions

  £ thousands

  Number (thousands)

  Up to 1

  667

  Up to 2

  347

  Up to 3

  *179

  Up to 6

  *250

  Up to 20

  *203

  All

  1,732

  All pensioner units with occupational pensions

  £ thousands

  Number (thousands)

  Up to 1

  1,700

  Up to 2

  788

  Up to 3

  398

  Up to 4

  *231

  Up to 6

  *264

  Up to 8

  *184

  Up to 20

  *147

  All

  3,812

  Notes:

  1. All figures are estimates and should be treated as such.

  2. Estimates derive from the Family Expenditure Survey for the combined years 1990–91 and the Government Actuary's Department's Survey of Occupational Pension 1991.

  * denotes unreliably small sample size.

  4. Percentages may not sum due to rounding.

  Housing Benefit
  Mr. Robert Ainsworth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the annual cost of housing benefit being paid to(a) tenants of local authorities, (b) tenants of housing associations and (c) tenants of private landlords.

  Mr. Hague
  The available information is in the table.

  Housing Benefit Expenditure in Great Britain

  1992–93 £ million

  1993–94 £ million

  Local Authority Tenants

  4,347

  5,004

  Private Tenants1

  3,257

  3,817

  Data Source:

  Social Security Departmental Report 1994.

  Notes:

  1 Separate information on the amount of Housing Benefit paid to Housing Association tenants is not available and is included in the private tenants total.

  Incapacity Benefits
  Mr. Matthew Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he will introduce arrangements to allow people receiving benefits for incapacity to do voluntary work.

  Mr. Scott
  Regulations were laid before Parliament on 22 April 1994 and come into force today. These regulations will enable people to continue to be accepted as incapable of work for the purposes of sickness benefit, invalidity benefit and severe disablement allowance if they are doing voluntary work for up to 16 hours a week.

  Local Offices
  Mr. Skinner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will introduce legislation to elect directly boards of management to all social security offices.

  Mr. Scott
  No. It would serve no purpose other than to result in an increase in bureaucracy. Customers and their representatives are already consulted regularly so their views can inform future service planning.

  Centenarians
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many telegrams he sent to(a) male and (b) female centenarians in the past year and five, 10 and 16 years ago; what was the cost to public funds in each of those years at current prices; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hague
  The information requested is not available. Such information as is available is as follows:

  Number of telegrams sent to centenarians

  1988

  1993

  Male

  238

  311

  Female

  1,904

  2,589

  The approximate cost of each telegram, exclusive of staff time, is currently £2.65.

  Civil Rights (Disabled Persons) Bill
  Mr. Beith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many hours of civil servant time, and at what cost, was spent on drafting new clauses and amendments to the Civil Rights (Disabled Persons) Bill.

  Mr. Scott
  I refer the right hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Lord President of the Council on 12 May at column 213.

  Mr. Wareing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many representations he has received since Friday 6 May from disabled people's organisations and others regarding progress on the Civil Rights (Disabled Persons) Bill; what has been the nature of such representations; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Scott
  To date I have received eight letters and a small number of telephone calls relating to the future of the Bill which is scheduled to continue its Report stage on 20 May.

  I announced the Government's plans for combating discrimination against disabled people during the debate on Report of the Bill on 6 May at column 996 and gave further details in my answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Tiverton (Mrs. Browning) on 10 May at column 136.

  Mr. Thurnham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish the calculations underlying the cost compliance assessment in respect of the Civil Rights (Disabled Persons) Bill.

  Mr. Scott
  The basis for the calculations is contained within the compliance cost assessment, copies of which were placed in the Library on 5 May.

  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when was the last date before 6 May that he discussed the progress of the Civil Rights (Disabled Persons) Bill with the Prime Minister.

  Mr. Lilley
  There was a discussion at Cabinet on 5 May which focused on the Government's own proposals on civil rights for disabled people and the compliance cost assessment of the Civil Rights (Disabled Persons) Bill.

EMPLOYMENT

  Training and Enterprise Councils
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list for the Barnsley/Doncaster TEC(a) the names and addresses of the directors, (b) their current salary and (c) what relevant experience they had for their appointment.

  Miss Widdecombe
  (a) Barnsley and Doncaster training and enterprise council directors are:

  Mr. P. Wetzel

  Joint Chief Executive

  S. R. Gent Plc.

  Dodworth Road

  Barnsley

  Mr. A. Goulbourn

  Chief Executive

  Barnsley and Doncaster TEC

  The Conference Centre

  Eldon Street

  Barnsley

  359

  Mr. D. Anderson

  Managing Director

  PLM Redfearn Glass Ltd.

  Burton Road

  Monk Bretton

  Barnsley

  Mr. R. Davies

  Works Manager

  Dupon (U.K.) Ltd.

  Wheatley Hall Road

  Doncaster

  Mr. R. Akroyd

  General District Manager

  Barnsley Health Authority

  Hilder House

  49–51 Gawber Road

  Barnsley

  Mr. J. Wall

  Executive Vice President

  Koyo Bearings (Europe) Ltd.

  P.O. Box 101

  Elmhirst Lane

  Dodworth

  Barnsley

  Mr. R. Bailey

  Managing Director

  Ben Bailey Homes Ltd.

  Elizabeth House

  Cliff Street

  Mexborough

  Mr. R. Drohan

  Chief Executive

  ACE Conveyor Equipment Ltd.

  Plumtree Farm Industrial Estate

  Harworth

  Doncaster

  Mr. J. Edwards, OBE

  Chief Executive

  Barnsley MBC

  Town Hall

  Barnsley

  Mr. D. Hale

  Chief Executive

  Doncaster MBC

  2 Priory Place

  Doncaster

  Mr. R. Lasseter

  Managing Director

  Pegler Ltd.

  St. Catherine Avenue

  Doncaster

  Mr. H. Salt

  Leader

  Barnsley MBC

  Town Hall

  Barnsley

  Mr. I. Ferguson

  Managing Director

  Reed Northern Newspapers Ltd.

  Sunny Bar

  Doncaster

  Ms F. Howell

  General Plant Manager

  J. I. Case (Europe) Ltd.

  Wheatley Hall Road

  Doncaster

  360

  Mr. B. Marshall

  Regional Officer

  National Union of Teachers

  7–9 Chequer Road

  Doncaster

  Mr. R. Turner

  Managing Director

  Lyons Bakeries (U.K.) Ltd.

  Fishdam Lane

  Carlton

  Barnsley

  (b) TEC Directors are non executive and therefore do not draw salaries from the TEC, the exception being the Chief Executive who is, in the case of Barnsley and Doncaster TEC, an Executive Director. The company's annual statutory report and accounts for the year ended 1993 show Directors Remuneration of £45,000. (c) Details of TEC Director selection can be found in the TEC Operating Agreement (1994) paragraphs 12.3—12.3.6., which is held in the Library. The Barnsley and Doncaster TEC ensures that each Director receives relevant induction, training and development throughout their appointment with the TEC.

  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what has been(a) the total money spent, (b) the percentage of that money allocated according to decisions made by Ministers on competitive bids and (c) the percentage of that money allocated according to some statistical measure of need for the Barnsley/Doncaster TEC since its inception.

  Miss Widdecombe
  (a) Total funding from the Department to Barnsley and Doncaster training and enterprise council from its inception in January 1990 to the end of 1993–94 was £82,109 million.

  (b) Nil by Employment Department to the end of 1993–94.

  (c) All budgets take into account the needs of the client groups and local labour market factors. In particular, TECs receive sufficient funds to meet the youth training guarantee.

  Mr. Robert Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people received assistance from the North Yorkshire training and enterprise council in 1993–94.

  Miss Widdecombe
  For the year ended 31 March 1994 approximately 11,000 people received specific assistance from the North Yorkshire training and enterprise council. The North Yorkshire TEC offers a diverse range of products and services which consist of a range of vocational training programmes for both employed and unemployed people, courses aimed at people wishing to start their own business, courses aimed at existing businesses and provision of information to individuals and businesses.

  Mr. Robert Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many 16 to 19-year-olds were placed or assisted on training programmes by the North Yorkshire training and enterprise council in 1993–94.

  Miss Widdecombe
  During 1993–94, 2,184 young people aged 16 to 18 commenced on youth training in addition to the 2,700 who were already in training on 1 April 1993.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what steps he has taken to secure an
  361
  abatement in relation to those training and enterprise council secondees from his Department who have taken advantage of the voluntary early retirement scheme and who are still in full-time employment with those training and enterprise councils.

  Miss Widdecombe
  The abatement rules apply only to civil servants who left the service with an award of pension under the principal civil service pension scheme or the superannuation Acts and are re-employed in the civil service or in employment or offices to which the scheme applies. Training and enterprise councils are private companies to which the scheme does not apply.

  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list for each training and enterprise council in each of the last three years the endorsements for training purposes categorised A, B and C.

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

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many of his Department's staff who were seconded to the(a) North West Wales, (b) Gwent, (c) North East Wales and (d) West Wales training and enterprise councils have taken advantage of the voluntary early retirement scheme while remaining in employment with the TEC; and at what cost to the voluntary early retirement scheme.

  Miss Widdecombe
  [holding answer 13 May 1994]: I understand that some 27 departmental staff who were on secondment to training and enterprise councils took voluntary early retirement under the early retirement schemes which the Department ran in Wales and are now employed by TECs. I believe that three are with North West Wales TEC, six with Gwent TEC, six with North East Wales TEC and 11 with West Wales TEC. I also believe that one is employed with Mid Glamorgan TEC. The early retirement costs of these releases amounted to £650,326 for the 1993–94 financial year, with ongoing annual compensation payments totalling some £181,590 payable until recipients reach age 60. Had all 27 returned to the Department before being given early retirement, the costs incurred would, of course, have been the same, Had they remained, the Department would have been responsible for their salaries and pensions.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what estimate he has made of the cost to public funds of the application of voluntary early retirement schemes to secondees from his Department to training and enterprise councils in Wales, as described in the letter from the Under-Secretary of State for Employment to the hon. Member for Cardiff, West dated 20 April, combined with the absence of a clawback mechanism for the former civil servants benefiting from the early retirement scheme but continuing in full-time employment with those training and enterprise councils; and if he will make a statement.

  Miss Widdecombe
  [holding answer 12 May 1994]: The total cost to the Department in the 1993–94 financial year was £650,326 for the release of the 27 individuals concerned. Ongoing compensation payments totalling some £181,590 are also payable until the recipients reach
  362
  age 60. These 27 cases in Wales were out of a total of 1,915 early retirements from the Department in 1993–94. Had all 27 returned to the Department before being given early retirement the costs incurred would, of course, have been the same. Had they remained employed, the Department would have been responsible for their salaries and pensions.

  Employment Appeal Tribunal
  Mr. Hutton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement about the work of the Employment Appeal Tribunal.

  Miss Widdecombe
  The Employment Appeal Tribunal is an independent judicial body which hears appeals on points of law from decisions of the industrial tribunals. In the 1993–94 financial year 990 such appeals were disposed of.

  United Airlines
  Mr. Shersby
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment when he will reply to the representations he has received from the hon. Member for Uxbridge concerning proposals by the United States Association of Flight Attendants to close all facilities not based in the United States of America; what assessment he has made of the effect of such proposals on the employment by United Airlines of British nationals; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. David Hunt
  I have replied to my hon. Friend today. I am aware that the Association of Flight Attendants is seeking to persuade United Airlines to close its domicile in London which employs about 350 British citizens. I understand the concern felt by British employees of United Airlines about this matter. The establishment, by United Airlines, of London-based flight attendants has benefited both the airline and its employees. I hope that the present dispute will be concluded in a way which allows the benefits to the company to continue and employment opportunities at Heathrow to grow.

  Careers and Occupational Information Service
  Mr. Hutton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) what disciplinary action has been taken against officials in the careers and occupational information service as the result of the internal auditors' inquiry into contracts placed by COIC in 1993;

  (2) if he will make a statement about the results of the internal auditors' inquiry into contracts entered into by the careers and occupational information service in 1993.

  Miss Widdecombe
  I can confirm that an investigation into the award of contracts by officials in the careers and occupational information centre has been held. The outcome is being dealt with under the Department's disciplinary procedures. These procedures have not yet been concluded.

  Mr. Hutton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the total value of all contracts entered into by the careers and occupational information service in 1993.

  Miss Widdecombe
  The value of contracts and orders placed by the careers and occupational information service in 1993 was £2,221,259.

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will provide a seasonally adjusted breakdown of economic activity from spring 1979 to date, similar to table 7.1 in March 1994 Employment Gazette, by male and female, for each age group (a) 16 to 19 years, (b) 20 to 24 years, (c) 25 to 32 years, (d) 35 to 49 years, (e) 50 to 64 years male, (f) 50 to 59 years female, (g) 65 years and over male and (h) 60 years and over female, dividing the employee and self-employed categories into full time and part time.

  Miss Widdecombe
  Seasonally adjusted estimates are not available from the labour force survey for individual age groups. Unadjusted estimates from 1984 for the age groups specified in the question can be obtained from the Quantime LFS service available in the Library.

  Apprentice Scheme
  Mr. Robert Ainsworth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what Government funding is envisaged for his proposed modern apprentice scheme.

  Miss Widdecombe
  Some 1.25 billion will be made available for youth credits and modern apprenticeships over the next three years. Employers will also play their part by contributing to the initiative.

SCOTLAND

  Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what guidance he has given on the application of the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 1981 to cleaning contracts at Glasgow royal and Yorkhill hospitals.

  Mr. Stewart
  Comprehensive guidance on market testing in the NHS—formerly competitive tendering—was issued to all health boards and NHS trusts on 6 October 1993. This consolidated all earlier guidance which had been issued since 1987 when competitive tendering was introduced in the NHS in Scotland. The guidance addressed all aspects of market testing including a section on the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 1981. Copies of the guidance have been placed in the Library of the House.

  Strathclyde PTA
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will include the Dumbarton district council area within the new Strathclyde passenger transport authority:

  (2) if he will make it his policy that when the boundaries of the new Strathclyde passenger transport authority are set, that there are no new council areas that are partly inside and partly outside the boundaries of the passenger transport authority.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The future boundaries of the Strathclyde passenger transport area will be decided in due course after consultation with appropriate bodies. No decision will be taken on the extent of the boundaries until after consultations have taken place.

  Exceptionally Gifted Pupils
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proposals he has for national financial support for schools teaching the exceptionally gifted following local government reorganisation.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Following local government reorganisation, as at present, decisions on expenditure on school education, including the teaching of exceptionally gifted children will be primarily a matter for the education authorities.

  Community Care
  Ms Rachel Squire
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the basis for his conclusion in a draft Scottish Office circular that the private sector could provide a greater quantity and quality of service than that at present in the provision of community care.

  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer Friday 6 May 1994]: There is scope for the private sector to expand as overall provision of community care rises with increased investment of resources. By purchasing from a range of providers, local authorities will be able to offer a wide choice of services to their clients and maximise quality and value.

  Child Minders
  Mr. Chisholm
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what provisions govern child minders hitting children in their care; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 6 May 1994]: There are no specific provisions in legislation relating to the methods of control which may be used by child minders.

  The Scottish Childminding Association recommends that, as a matter of good practice, child minders should not use corporal punishment. Scottish Office guidance on the Children Act 1989 also advises that such sanctions as smacking, hitting or shaking should not be used.

  Ms Rachel Squire
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will outline his plans for making freely available to the public information, including inspectors reports, on the standard of care provided in private sector residential and nursing homes.

  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 6 May 1994]: In a consultation document issued last year, my right hon. Friend outlined his plans for taking forward a number of citizens charter principles in the inspection of social work services, including open reporting.

  The reports of the social work services inspectorate are already available to the public. Local authority inspection units are responsible for inspecting residential establishments in the private, voluntary and public sectors. Some local authorities already make their reports available to the public; others plan to do so later this year. A further circular on inspecting social work services will be issued later this year which will include a date by which all local reports should be made available to the public.

  Ms Rachel Squire
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he intends to introduce trust status for social work services currently provided by regional councils.

  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 6 May 1994]: There are no plans to introduce such an arrangement for social work services.

  Police Pay
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will issue a consultation document before he introduces performance-related pay for the police force.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 6 May 1994]: No. Agreements involving appraisal-related pay have been reached in the police negotiating board and submitted to my right hon. Friend. In addition, suitably representative working groups have been set up to advise on arrangements for performance appraisal in the police service.

  Local Government Reorganisation
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland in his calculations about the costs and savings of local government reorganisation, what figures he used for(a) cleansing services, (b) leisure and recreation services, (c) housing services, (d) planning services, (e) sewerage services, (f) water services, (g) transport services, (h) roads services, (i) fire services, (j) financial services, (k) economic development services, (l) architectural services, (m) social work services, (n) police services and (o) education services; and what percentage of the recurring revenue costs of each such service are attributable to labour costs.

  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 10 May 1994]: The Government's estimates of the costs and savings arising from the reorganisation of local government in Scotland were not calculated by reference to the service groupings requested and cannot therefore be broken down in this way.

  Employee costs1 as a percentage of local authority expenditure: 1991–92

  Regional services2

  District services2

  All authorities

  Employee costs as percentage of total gross revenue expenditure

  63·0

  29·6

  51·5

  Employee costs as a percentage of gross revenue expenditure excluding loan charges and capital expenditure funded from revenue

  71·5

  40·6

  62·1

  Notes:

  1 Employee costs includes the employee costs of support services and of direct service organisations and direct labour organisations.

  2 Includes general fund services, housing, water, sewerage and trading services. Expenditure by islands authorities by service has been included with the appropriate mainland authority type for that service.

  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what consideration he has given to changes in the dates for implementation of proposals in the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Bill depending on the progress of the Bill; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 13 May 1994]: The Government have no plans to alter the dates in the Bill. Unless the Bill was enacted after the end of November 1994, the period between enactment and the establishment of the new authorities would not be significantly shorter than the period between enactment of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 and the establishmkent of the present structure. We are confident that the proposed timetable is realistic and achievable, even if some authorities persist in their present policy of non-co-operation.
  366
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his policy on the rights of workers under the European acquired rights directive in the context of local government reorganisation in Scotland.

  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 10 May 1994]: The application to individual local authority employees affected by local government reorganisation of the acquired rights directive and the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 1981 falls to be determined as a matter of law, not of Government policy.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what estimate he has as to the number of local authority employees in Scotland who are likely to be made redundant,(a) at the point of local government reorganisation and (b) in the longer term.

  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 10 May 1994]: The Government's White Paper which was published last July estimated that local government reorganisation may result in a reduction in staffing levels of between 700 and 2,200. It is expected that much, if not all, of this will be met by early retirements and natural wastage.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what percentage of recurring revenue costs are attributable to labour costs for(a) regional services, (b) district services and (c) overall for local government in Scotland.

  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 10 May 1994]: The table shows the information requested for 1991–92, the latest period for which this is available. The notes to the table explain the basis of the figures.

  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what arrangements he proposes to make for emergency planning under the proposed new system of local government in Scotland.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 13 May 1994]: In accordance with the provisions of the Local Government etc (Scotland) Bill, the arrangements for emergency planning will be a matter for the new unitary authorities to determine. Scottish Office officials stand ready to discuss the issues involved with interested parties.

  Mr. Charles Kennedy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many representations he has received over his proposals for local government reform in the highlands, indicating how many have supported and how many have opposed the creation of a single highland council; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 12 May 1994]: Since publication in July 1993 of the White Paper "Shaping the

  367
  Future—The New Councils". 51 representations have been received in support of the creation of a single unitary authority for the Highlands. Some 240 representations have either opposed this or favoured an alternative proposal.

  NHS Trusts
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland which national health service trusts have sought approval for the purchase of motor vehicles for senior staff; what is the total value in each case; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 13 May 1994]: NHS trusts are not required to seek prior approval for the purchase of motor vehicles. Information on numbers and costs is not held centrally.

  Dr. Strang
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what guidance he has issued to health boards or hospital trusts on collective bargaining to take account of the new circumstances created by the existence of hospital trusts as employers.

  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 12 May 1994]: No specific guidance as such has been issued. In 1 April 1993 however a contract was let for the provision of a pay intelligence unit service to the NHS in Scotland. Part of this service covers advice and training to individual employers on local pay matters.

  Dr. Strang
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his policy on the co-ordination of wage and salary negotiations for trusts within(a) a health board area or (b) within Scotland; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 12 May 1994]: Existing NHS staff who transfer to the employment of NHS trusts are entitled to retain their national terms and conditions of employment—including pay. For these staff, pay negotiations are conducted on a United Kingdom-wide basis within the Whitley council and pay review body systems.

  NHS trusts are free to negotiate locally on the pay of staff on trust terms and conditions of service. These arrangements would apply to new staff and to staff who have elected to transfer to the trust's terms and conditions of service.

  Dr. Strang
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what instructions the management executive of the Scottish health service has given to trusts concerning competitive tendering for hotel services; and what provision has been made for financial penalties on trusts which do not go out to tender.

  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 5 May 1994]: Comprehensive guidance on market testing in the national health service—formerly competitive tendering—was issued to health boards and national health service trusts on 6 October 1993. This consolidated all earlier guidance which had been issued since 1987 when competitive tendering was introduced in the national health service in Scotland. The guidance addressed all aspects of market testing including hotel services.

  Although no financial penalties are imposed on national health service trusts which do not put services out to tender, in line with the Government's White Paper "Competing for Quality", CM 1730, they are required to
  368
  prove that they are achieving value for money. The terms of the White Paper and the guidance apply equally to health boards and national health service trusts, which should include in their annual reports an account of their market testing programmes.

  Private Education Costs
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the total contribution from public funds to private schools in Scotland by way of(a) the assisted places scheme, (b) payments for the children of Foreign Office and defence personnel and (c) any other sources in the latest available financial year.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 13 May 1994]: The information requested in respect of funding by central Government is set out below:

  Financial year 1993–94

  £

  (a) Assisted Places Scheme

  9,865,660

  (b) Foreign and Commonwealth Office

  265,409

  (c) Grant-Aided Schools

  2,586,906

  Grant-Aided Special Schools

  6,062,350

  St. Mary's Music School Aided Places Scheme

  634,512

  In addition, funding by the Ministry of Defence for the Queen Victoria school, Dunblane, which provides education primarily for the sons of Scottish soldiers, sailors and airmen, for the financial year 1993–94 was £2.96 million; and the total estimated boarding school allowance paid for children of defence personnel at boarding schools in Scotland in the most recent year for which information is available—1991–92—was around £3.30 million.

  Nursery Education
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assistance is given in the formula for aggregate external finance to the provision of nursery education.

  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 13 May 1994]: With the exception of the specific grants component, aggregate external finance itself is not hypothecated to particular local authority services. But AEF is distributed amongst authorities having regard to grant-aided expenditure assessments. The level of GAE for 1994–95 includes £21.104 million in respect of nursery teaching staff, and £742.939 million in respect of school non-teaching staff, property and so on. The latter assessment covers the full range of education authorities' services and the portion which relates to nursery education is not identifiable.

  Mobile Telephones and Pagers
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland 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. Lang
  [holding answer 11 May 1994]: At present there are 271 portable telephones in use with annual running costs amounting to £106,130; 292 pagers/ electronic bleepers costing £33,334 annually and 30 car

  369
  telephones with an annual cost of £21,280. Equipment is used by officers requiring mobile communication facilities with allocations decided by local line management.

  Local Enterprise Companies
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to make local enterprise companies follow the Government's guidelines on open government in respect of their training functions; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 12 May 1994]: My right hon. Friend has no such plans. The new code of practice on Government information which came into force on 4 April 1994, applies to central Government Departments, their agencies and a number of other public bodies. The local enterprise companies are limited companies and the code does not therefore apply to them or to their contractors.

  Industrial Development
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made as to the areas in which industrial development is inhibited by lack of land supply.

  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 12 May 1994]: The latest figures from the 1992 industrial sites register show that there is a versatile supply of sites for business and industry in Scotland. At present rates of uptake, and even after excluding land on large sites of over 50 hectares which are generally reserved long term for single users, there is still some 25 years supply at national level. Most sites are available for development within one year and have either the benefit of planning permission or allocation in a development plan.

  No planning authority has indicated through the data which the authorities provide for the ISR that industrial development is being inhibited by a lack of land supply. The table, compiled from the industrial sites register, indicates the pattern of supply for 1992.

  Supply of industrial sites and land by region, 1992

  Region

  Number of sites

  Area (hectares)

  Borders

  26

  58

  Central

  23

  399

  Dumfries and Galloway

  33

  148

  Fife

  65

  632

  Grampian

  114

  528

  Highland

  121

  2,042

  Lothian

  93

  811

  Strathclyde

  370

  1,949

  Tayside

  96

  308

  Orkney

  4

  7

  Western Isles

  2

  2

  Shetland

  17

  587

  Total

  964

  7,471

  The issue of supply at the local level was addressed in national planning policy guideline 2—land for business and industry, October 1993. It is stated that planning authorities should have regard to the objective of providing not only an adequate amount of marketable land for business and industry but an improved choice and range in terms of quality, size and location. It stated that local plans should update the supply by re-allocating sites which stand
  370
  little chance of development to suitable alternative uses, and find additional sites of high quality, especially for business class development.

  The enterprise bodies, of course, also have a remit to ensure that business establishment and growth is not constrained by a lack of suitable sites and to work with the private sector to redress failures in the industrial property market. We would therefore expect the local enterprise companies to work, with others, to tackle situations which arise where lack of suitable land was inhibiting development.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made as to the supply of industrial accommodation in the 10,000 sq ft and above range in the west of Scotland; and what plans he has to address any shortfall.

  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 12 May 1994]: My right hon. Friend has made no such assessment. Scottish Enterprise does, however, hold data on industrial property and, following consultation with the Locate in Scotland office, believes that there' is a reasonable supply of industrial units up to 15,000 sq ft in size. Scottish Enterprise is, consequently, seeking to secure the provision of larger industrial units where there are only limited numbers available.

  Motor Trade
  Mr. David Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his estimate of the number of jobs in Scotland in(a) the manufacture, (b) servicing of and (c) retailing of (1) motor vehicles, (2) goods vehicles and (3) buses and coaches; and what plans he has to increase these figures.

  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 12 May 1994]: Information derived from the Employment Department's September 1991 census of employment, in the most disaggregated form available, is shown in the table. Estimates of employees in employment in the manufacture or repair of goods vehicles, buses and coaches are not separately available.

  The Government's economic policies, by securing low inflation on a permanent basis and sound public finances over the medium term, are the best guarantee of increased jobs in these and other sectors of the Scottish economy.

  Employment in Scotland in selected industries

  Employees in employment September 1991

  Manufacturing

  Motor vehicles1 and their engines and motor vehicles bodies

  1,800

  Motor vehicle parts

  1,700

  Services

  Retail distribution of motor vehicles and parts

  17,300

  Repair and servicing of motor vehicles

  16,900

  1 Includes passenger cars and commercial vehicles.

  Locate in Scotland
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what reports he has received from Locate in Scotland as to areas in which it is inhibited from helping inward investors by lack of industrial serviced sites.
  371
  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 12 May 1994]: My right hon. Friend has received no such reports. Locate in Scotland has access to an adequate supply of industrial serviced sites and constantly reviews the situation in the light of demand.

ENVIRONMENT

  Westminster Council
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much money has been(a) allocated to and (b) spent by Westminster council for flood prevention work in each of the last 10 years.

  1982–83—1989–90

  (1) Central Government Grants to Westminster City Council

  (2) Expenditure funded by grants, rates and revenue balances

  (3) 1/2

  £'000

  £'000

  Percentage

  1982–83

  37,660

  57,382

  65·6

  1983–84

  16,028

  62,425

  25·7

  1984–85

  17,586

  61,231

  28·7

  1985–86

  19,458

  64,297

  30·3

  1986–87

  20,782

  105,715

  19·7

  1987–88

  21,619

  98,197

  22·0

  1988–89

  22,210

  96,811

  22·9

  1989–90

  22,013

  108,686

  20·3

  Notes:

  1. Grants comprise Rate Support Grant and relevant specific grants. Figures for 1989–90 are based on budget returns.

  2. The functions of Westminster City Council changed following the abolition of the Greater London Council on 1 April 1986, and figures for years before this date are not therefore comparable with later years. Similarly the Inner London Education Authority was abolished on 1 April 1990 and figures for Westminster before this date are not therefore comparable with the figures for 1993–94 and 1994–95 shown below.

  3. For the years before 1 April 1990 it is not possible to identify the amounts of domestic rates, as distinct from non-domestic rates, which were used to finance expenditure by Westminster City Council.

  4. Figures for earlier years are not available.

  1990–91—1992–93

  Under the community charge system, Revenue Support Grant, Non-Domestic Rate entitlement and community charges were paid into the Collection Fund for the area. Westminster City

  1993–94—1994–95

  (1) Central Government Grants and non-domestic rates entitlement

  (2) Revenue Expenditure

  (3) 1/2

  (4) Council tax requirement

  (5) 4/2

  £'000

  £'000

  Per cent.

  £'000

  Per cent.

  1993–94

  155,373

  234,389

  66·3

  13,977

  6·0

  1994–95

  160,722

  226,904

  70·8

  7,609

  3·4

  Notes:

  1. Grants comprise Revenue Support Grant, specific and special grants within Aggregate External Finance.

  2. Revenue expenditure is defined as expenditure met from revenue balances, specific and special grants within AEF, Revenue Support Grant, non-domestic rate entitlement, and the Council Tax requirement.

  3. The Council Tax requirement is the amount to be transferred from the Collection Fund to the billing authority's General Fund in respect of Council Taxes. It therefore includes amounts in respect of Council Tax benefit and Council Tax transitional relief.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much money Westminster council has received in tourism grants in each of the past 10 years.

  Mr. Curry
  The Government do not pay tourism grants to local authorities. However, allowances based on visitor numbers are made within the standard spending assessment system which has been used since 1990 to distribute revenue support grant to local authorities, and similar allowances were made in the grant-related expenditure assessment system which was used to
  372
  Mr. Curry
  I have arranged for this information to be placed in the Library of the House.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what percentage of the expenditure of Westminster council was provided(a) from central Government sources; and (b) by community charge or council tax subventions, in each of the last 20 years.

  Mr. Curry
  The available information is as follows:

  Council's expenditure was funded largely by a demand on the Collection Fund, but this demand did not differentiate among the sources of income to the fund, and it is not therefore possible to identify its components.

  distribute rate support grant up to that date. The allowances made for Westminster City Council over the last 10 years are shown in the table.

  Contribution within SSA/GRE based on visitor numbers

  Year

  £ million

  1994–95

  5·5

  1993–94

  3·8

  1992–93

  3·9

  1991–92

  1·7

  1990–91

  0·7

  1989–90

  0·7

  1988–89

  0·6

  373

  Year

  £ million

  1987–88

  0·4

  1986–87

  0·4

  1985–86

  0·4

  In 1994–95, the allowance was extended to include day as well as overnight visitors; data for this purpose had not previously been available. Other significant changes in the allowance similarly reflect changes in the methodology or the definitions used. Notably, in 1992–93, more recent information was used, allowing estimates of foreign visitor nights to be incorporated for the first time into the SSA formula; and in 1991–92 the weighting attributed to overnight visitors in the formula was increased, following representations from many resort authorities, from 25 per cent. to 50 per cent. of resident population.

  Conservation
  Mr. Nicholls
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) how many special protection area sites are currently designated in the United Kingdom;

  (2) how many Ramsar sites are currently proposed in the United Kingdom; and if he will place a map of these sites in the Library;

  (3) if he will place in the Library map refrences for the full geographical details of special protection area sites and Ramsar sites in the United Kingdom;

  (4) how many United Kingdom special protection area sites are in coastal locations;

  (5) how many Ramsar sites there are within two miles of a port boundary where the port is designated as a major port;

  (6) how many sites currently proposed for designation as United Kingdom special protection area sites are in coastal locations;

  (7) which Ramsar sites, or proposed Ramsar sites, would be eligible to be designated special protection area sites;

  (8) how many proposed Ramsar sites there are in England;

  (9) how many United Kingdom sites are currently proposed for designation as special protection areas;

  (10) how many Ramsar sites are currently designated in the United Kingdom; and if he will place a map of these sites in the Library;

  (11) if he will list the bodies in England, Wales and Scotland which are responsible for determining a proposed special protection area site;

  (12) if he will list the bodies in England, Wales and Scotland which are responsible for determining Ramsar sites.

  Mr. Atkins
  My right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for the Environment, for Wales and for Scotland are responsible for determining Ramsar sites and special protection areas in England, Wales and Scotland respectively. They are advised by the nature conservation councils for the three countries.

  Some 76 Ramsar sites have been designated in the United Kingdom. A map showing protected areas in the United Kingdom, including Ramsar sites and special protection areas is reproduced on page 84 of "Sustainable Development—The United Kingdom Strategy", Cm 2426, a copy of which is in the Library. Information on the number of Ramsar sites within two miles of a port
  374
  boundary, where the port is designated as a major port, is not available centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. There are a further 83 sites identified as being suitable for designation as Ramsar sites in the United Kingdom, of which 32 are in England. A list of Ramsar sites was published on 17 July 1991 Official Report, columns 201–6 and 217–22 and on 18 July 1991, Official Report, columns 254–55, which covered Great Britain sites only.

  Some 86 special protection areas have been designated in the United Kingdom, of which 54 are in coastal locations. Some 151 potential special protection areas, which were included in the lists published in July 1991, remain to be designated, of which 89 are in coastal locations. Some 49 designated Ramsar sites in the United Kingdom are wholly or partly also special protection areas. Some 72 identified Ramsar sites in the United Kingdom are also potential special protection areas. A list of map references for the full geographical details of designated special protection area sites and Ramsar sites in the United Kingdom will be placed in the Library shortly. The list of potential Ramsar sites and special protection areas is being reviewed in the light of the most recent scientific knowledge and information. When this work is completed, map references indicating the location of the sites will be placed in the Library.

  Environment Council
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer of 30 March,Official Report, columns 854–55, which of the member states of the Environment Council did not support the United Kingdom proposals on integrated pollution prevention and control.

  Mr. Atkins
  No member state expressed opposition to the development of legislation on integrated pollution prevention and control and Belgium, Denmark, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Spain expressed general support for the approach adopted. The environment working group were asked to take forward work on the details of the proposals as quickly as possible.

  Global Warming
  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his assessment of the net effects on global warming of anthropogenic aerosols and particulates; and what assessment he has made of the global warming effects of particulates from diesel vehicles and the net effect of emissions from diesel vehicles on greenhouse gas emissions.

  Mr. Atkins
  The impact of anthropogenic aerosol particles on the climate is highly uncertain. In its 1992 Report the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change concluded that the present-day effect of all particles was probably a net cooling, with the cooling effect of sulphate aerosol particles exceeding the warming effect of particles containing elemental carbon, of which one source is diesel engine exhaust. The panel is currently reviewing this subject, in preparation for a report on the radiative forcing of climate due to be published later this year.

  The main greenhouse gas emitted by diesel vehicles is carbon dioxide, and in 1992 these accounted for 6 per cent. of total United Kingdom CO2 emissions.

  Surface Water
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what decisions were taken at the European Commission meeting on 11 May regarding the adoption of a draft directive on the ecological quality of surface water.

  Mr. Atkins
  I understand that the European Commission has not announced any decision on this matter.

  Local Government Reforms
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received concerning the effect on the local government superannuation scheme of the impending local government reforms and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Curry
  Discussions have taken place with the local authority associations and other interested parties on superannuation issues. Our proposed amendments to the Local Government Superannuation Regulations 1986 will be issued for a period of statutory consultation shortly.

  European Environmental Agency
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to meet the newly appointed Director General of the European Environmental Agency, to discuss the role of the agency in developing a database of markets and resources for clean technology products.

  Mr. Atkins
  None. Officials of the Department are in regular contact with Mr. Beltran, the newly appointed Director General of the European Environment Agency, and the United Kingdom is represented on the agency's management board, which is developing its work programme for this and future years.

  Waste Management
  Sir Cranley Onslow
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he has taken to ensure that holders of waste disposal licences have been given adequate notice by local authorities of the timing and terms of the introduction of waste management licensing fees and charges under section 41 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

  Local authority

  Publicly owned (a)

  Privately owned (b)

  Reinstated (c)

  Repurchased (d)

  Kingston upon Hull

  880

  9

  —

  4

  Norwich

  469

  17

  —

  14

  Wakefield

  1,210

  75

  2

  51

  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what remedies are available for owner-occupiers who discover that their homes are of a Winget type and cannot be sold on the housing market.

  Sir George Young
  To be eligible for assistance under part XVI of the Housing Act 1985, owners of Winget houses must have purchased from the public sector before 26 April 1984, or within 12 months after this date if they
  376
  Mr. Atkins
  The charging scheme was the subject of consultation exercises in August and December 1992. The Department recommended in the December 1992 consultation paper that waste regulation authorities should inform all disposal licence holders of the proposed scheme and the manner in which charges would be set by reference to descriptions and amounts of waste. My hon. Friend announced on 29 November 1993,Official Report, column 380, our intention to implement on 1 May 1994, the waste management licensing provisions of part II of the 1990 Act. On 30 November 1993 the Department wrote to the local authority associations informing them of the basis on which the 1993–94 fees and charges in the December 1992 consultation paper would be uprated to 1994–95; levels; and providing an indication of the changes to the scheme being considered in the light of consultation.

  The scheme made under section 41 of the 1990 Act was laid before the House on 24 March, Official Report, column 395, and came into force on 1 May 1994. Paragraph 3(13) of the scheme requires waste regulation authorities to serve a written notice on licence holders stating the date on which the subsistence charge will be due; the amount of the charge; the descriptions of activities, waste and amounts of waste by reference to which the charge has been calculated; and the method of payment. Paragraph 3(14) requires the notice to be served by 31 May; and paragraph 3(12) provides that the 1994–95 charge becomes due on 30 June 1994.

  Winget Houses
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many Winget-type houses there are in each local authority possessing housing of this design; and of those how many are(a) rented in the public sector, (b) rented in the private sector, (c) owner-occupied, with method of repair undertaken and (d) private sector, without option for repair.

  Sir George Young
  The table shows the numbers of Winget houses reported by English local authorities at the outset of the housing defects scheme which were(a) in their ownership and (b) in private ownership and eligible under the scheme; and (c) reinstated or (d) repurchased under the scheme by 1 April 1993. Data are not collected centrally on Winget houses which are within the private rented sector or whose owners are ineligible for assistance under the scheme.

  bought in ignorance of the defect and at a price which did not take account of it. Provided that such owners apply to their local authority by 30 November 1994, they are entitled to have their homes reinstated to mortgageable standard, or repurchased at 95 per cent. defect-free value if the authority so determines.

  Hunting
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the powers of local authorities to control hunting activities on publicly owned land.

  Mr. Baldry
  The power of an authority to control hunting activities on its land depends both on the powers under which the land is held, and on any applicable local Acts, byelaws and covenants. The court has recently held that an authority, having acquired land under section 120 of the Local Government Act 1972 for the benefit, improvement or development of its area, cannot have regard to moral considerations when deciding to ban stag hunting on that land, but has to make an objective judgment about the proper management of the land.

  Environment Agency
  Sir Cranley Onslow
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he now intends to bring forward the Bill to pave the way for the establishment of an Environment Agency.

  Mr. Atkins
  The Queen's Speech announced that paving provisions for the Environment Agency would be introduced in this Session. We intend to introduce a Bill shortly.

  Habitats and Species Directive
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what consultations he has had with the Environment Commissioner of the European Union in relation to the obligations of the sea fisheries committees of England and Wales for enforcement duties under the habitats directive.

  Mr. Atkins
  [holding answer 12 May 1994]: None.

  Standard Spending Assessments
  Mr. Austin-Walker
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proportion of houses constructed in the last 10 years would qualify for a standard assessment procedure rating of(a) 55, (b) 60, (c) 65, (d) 70 and (e)

  Sir George Young
  [holding answer 13 May 1994]: To answer the question as posed would require exact data on the characteristics of all dwellings built in the period. This information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  However, the proposed revisions to the building regulations, in addition to leading to an improvement in energy efficiency of between 25 and 35 per cent. compared with the current standards, will also require all new dwellings and conversions to dwellings to obtain an SAP rating.

  GAS (EXEMPT SUPPLIES) ACT 1993: COMMENCEMENT
  GAS (EXEMPT SUPPLIES) ACT 1993: COMMENCEMENT
  ICI: EXPORT LICENCES
  ICI: EXPORT LICENCES
  MARITIME SAFETY: REPORT
  MARITIME SAFETY: REPORT
  LIFE SENTENCE PRISONERS: INTERVIEWING ARRANGEMENTS
  LIFE SENTENCE PRISONERS: INTERVIEWING ARRANGEMENTS