Written Answers of 17 May 1994

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Deportees
  Ms Gordon
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will describe the head restraint used on deportees; and if he will make a statement as to the use of this type of restraint.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  The use of mouth restraints was suspended in August 1993. Following a joint review of removal procedures by the Home Office and the police; it was decided in January this year that their use should not be resumed.

  Temazepam
  Mr. Waterson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his answers of 1 December 1993,Official Report, column 625, 17 February 1994, Official Report, column 903, and 20 April 1994, Official Report, column 512, what conclusions his Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs reached regarding the misuse of Temazepam; what aspects of those conclusions have caused the delay in his reaching a decision; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maclean
  The recommendations of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs in relation to Temazepam have implications for a number of Government Departments.

  I am considering the council's recommendations in consultation with ministerial colleagues. I am afraid that this has taken longer than I would have wished. I hope to be able to announce a decision before too long.

  Exhaust Fumes
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many(a)roadside checks of vehicles in respect of motor vehicle exhaust fumes and (b) prosecutions following such checks took place in 1993; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maclean
  Figures obtained from the vehicle inspectorate—an executive agency of the Department of Transport—show that 48,857 roadside exhaust smoke/ emission checks were carried out in Great Britain in the period 1 April 1993 to 31 March 1994. A total of 587 prohibitions were issued as a result of these checks.

  Information on prosecutions following such tests is not available centrally.

  Trans-sexuals
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals he has to amend British marriage law to recognise trans-sexuals in their reassigned roles; and if he will make a statement.
  380
  Mr.Charles Wardle
  None.

  Probation Hostels
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what grant was made in respect of probation hostels in the west midlands in 1993–94; what grant is being made in 1994–95; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maclean
  Total revenue grant for west midlands' approved hostels for 1993–94 was £1,908,804; for 1994–95 the preliminary figure is £1,513,000. I cannot add anything further as this matter is currently sub judice.

  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consideration he has given to the part played by probation hostels in contributing to community safety and tackling the attitudes of criminals and underlying causes of criminal behaviour.

  Mr. Maclean
  Chapter 7 of "National Standards for the Supervision of Offenders in the Community" deals with the purpose and role of approved hostels. A copy of "National Standards" has been placed in the Library of the House.

  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received from judges and magistrates in the west midlands about the funding of probation hostels in the west midlands.

  Mr. Maclean
  A number of representations have been received from judges and magistrates in the west midlands arguing for the retention of all the approved hostels now in use there.

  Prison Cells
  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners were placed in cells built for fewer prisoners than were being housed there in the last year for which figures are available.

  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 Mrs. Barbara Roche, dated 17th May 1994.
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about cell sharing.
  The following table shows the numbers of prisoners who shared cells certified as normal accommodation for one person for the period April 1993 to March 1994.

  Date

  Two to a cell

  Three to a cell

  30 April 1993

  7,236

  114

  28 May 1993

  7,412

  126

  25 June 1993

  7,490

  132

  30 July 1993

  7,520

  123

  27 August 1993

  7,484

  114

  24 September 1993

  7,964

  93

  29 October 1993

  7,950

  42

  26 November 1993

  7,972

  84

  31 December 1993

  7,262

  57

  381

  Date

  Two to a cell

  Three to a cell

  28 January 1994

  8,256

  39

  25 February 1994

  8,212

  54

  31 March 1994

  18,488

  —

  1 Figure as at 25 March 1994.

  Prisoners
  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the average distance from home a prisoner was placed in the last year for which figures are available; what was the average in 1985; and what was the average in 1979.

  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 Mrs. Barbara Roche, dated 17 May 1994:
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the average distance from home a prisoner was placed in the last year for which figures are available.
  No information is held centrally on the distance prisoners are placed from home. However, the National Prison Survey, conducted in January and February 1991, asked prisoners who had received a visit in the three months prior to interview how far their most important visitor had to travel to visit them. The average distance, for all most important visitors, was 62 miles. No information is available for the years 1985 or 1979.
  The National Prison Survey had a total sample of almost 4,000 offenders. The findings of the survey, including the information given above, have been published as "The National Prison Survey 1991: main findings", Home Office Research Study No. 128.

  Private Security Firms
  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Department, pursuant to his answer of 10 May,Official Report, column 71, what plans he has to ensure that a record is kept of the private security firms employed by his Department.

  Mr. Howard
  I am arranging for information to be collated on the extent of the use of private security firms employed by my Department.

  Prison Ombudsman
  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 10 May,Official Report, column 72, what Coopers and Lybrand was asked to do during the recruitment of the prison ombudsman.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Coopers and Lybrand Executive Resourcing was asked to undertake a search to identify candidates in addition to those identified through advertisement, to attend sifts, interview search candidates and provide reports on all short-listed candidates.

  Car Thefts
  Mr. David Young
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cars have been stolen in each region in England since the passage of the Aggravated Vehicle Taking Act 1992; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maclean
  The information available relates to theft of all motor vehicles and is contained in the following table.

  Offences of theft of motor vehicles, April 1992 to December 1993, by region

  Region

  1Number of thefts of vehicles

  North West

  170,425

  North East

  217,875

  Midlands

  112,905

  Eastern

  107,749

  South East

  294,835

  South West

  78,677

  1 Offences of aggravated vehicle taking and theft of a vehicle recorded by the police.

  Mr. David Young
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions have been made under the charge of aggravated vehicle taking in each region of England; how many have been successful; what has been the average sentence in successful prosecutions in each region; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maclean
  Information for 1992 is given in the tables. 1993 data will not be available until the autumn. We are monitoring carefully both prosecutions and penalties under this new provision. It is still too early to draw many conclusions but early indications are that this measure is providing a useful weapon in our armoury against car crime.

  Table A
  Number of defendants prosecuted, convicted and average custodial sentence length given at magistrates' courts for aggravated vehicle taking offences by region 1992 England

  Offence/region

  Prosecutions

  Convictions

  Average custodial sentence length (months)

  Indictable (triable either way)

  Causing death by aggravated vehicle taking

  North West

  8

  5

  —

  North East

  1

  1

  —

  Midlands

  1

  —

  —

  Eastern

  6

  1

  —

  South East

  11

  4

  6

  South West

  —

  —

  —

  ENGLAND

  27

  11

  6

  Aggravated vehicle taking—

  injury to person, damage to property or car

  North West

  232

  123

  4

  North East

  448

  259

  4

  Midlands

  145

  57

  4

  Eastern

  251

  131

  4

  South East

  323

  149

  4

  South West

  56

  24

  4

  ENGLAND

  1,455

  743

  4

  383

  Offence/region

  Prosecutions

  Convictions

  Average custodial sentence length (months)

  Summary

  Aggravated vehicle taking—

  criminal damage of £2,000 or under

  North West

  2

  2

  —

  North East

  7

  4

  —

  Midlands

  48

  32

  3

  Eastern

  67

  42

  5

  South East

  15

  8

  —

  South West

  49

  33

  5

  ENGLAND

  188

  121

  4

  Table B Number of offenders convicted and average custodial sentence length given at the Crown Court for aggravated vehicle taking offences by region 1992 England

  Offence/Region

  Convictions

  Average custodial sentence length (months)

  Indictable (triable either way)

  Causing death by aggravated vehicle taking

  North West

  2

  17

  North East

  5

  18

  Midlands

  —

  —

  Eastern

  1

  5

  South East

  —

  —

  South West

  —

  —

  ENGLAND

  8

  15

  Aggravated vehicle taking—

  injury to person, damage to property or car

  North West

  57

  11

  North East

  93

  11

  Midlands

  37

  12

  Eastern

  55

  10

  South East

  52

  10

  South West

  30

  10

  ENGLAND

  324

  11

  SUMMARY

  Aggravated vehicle taking—

  criminal damage of £2,000 or under

  North West

  —

  16

  North East

  —

  —

  Midlands

  —

  —

  Eastern

  1

  —

  South East

  1

  —

  South West

  —

  —

  ENGLAND

  2

  6

  1 Relates to one offender who was convicted at the magistrates' court but committed for sentence to the Crown Court.

DEFENCE

  Oxford Research Group Seminar
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence who represented his Department at the seminar on "Britain and the Non-Proliferation Regime: 1995 and Beyond", held in Oxford on 19 April, organised by the Oxford research group; and what benefits accrued to his Department from its representation.
  384
  Mr. Hanley
  My Department was represented by the Director of Defence Policy. I understand that the seminar provided a useful forum for discussion on the approach to the 1995 conference of the parties to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.

  Low Flying
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Carmarthen (Mr. Williams) of 21 April 1994,Official Report, column 623, the reason the information requested regarding low-flying sorties is not available.

  Mr. Hanley
  The mean height and velocity of aircraft during low-flying sorties are not recorded.

  Army Welfare Services
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the current and future resources for Army welfare services and dedicated social services support for Army and ex-Army personnel.

  Mr. Hanley
  My Department continues to provide the appropriate level of welfare support which takes into account the needs of service personnel and their families. It does this through the unit command structure, and through MOD-funded organisations such as the Soldiers' Sailors' Airmen's Families Association—SSAFA.

  In the United Kingdom, social services for service personnel, their dependants and all former service personnel are primarily a matter for local authorities. Overseas, these services are replicated by my Department and are available to all service personnel, Ministry of Defence UK-based civilian staff and dependants.

  Courts Martial
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many courts martial have been undertaken, annually, in each of the services, in the last five years in which figures are available.

  Mr. Hanley
  The following table shows the annual number of courts martial undertaken by each of the three services in the last five years:

  1989

  1990

  1991

  1992

  1993

  Royal Navy

  57

  32

  42

  61

  92

  Army

  676

  837

  703

  706

  636

  Royal Air Force

  157

  148

  147

  138

  133

  Total

  890

  1,017

  892

  905

  861

  DDT
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what studies he has commissioned to assess health conditions resulting from the use of DDT in the armed forces.

  Mr. Hanley
  As there is no authoritative scientific evidence of any harmful effect of DDT on humans, there has been no reason for my Department to commission any such studies.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  New Businesses, North Yorkshire
  Mr. Robert Banks
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many new businesses have started in north Yorkshire in each year since 1978.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The numbers asked for are not available. The best guide to trends in the number of business starts at county level come from VAT data. Figures are available for the years 1980 to 1992 and are published in "VAT Registrations and Deregistrations, County and District Analysis", 1980 to 1991, and 1992 editions. Both these documents are available in the Library of the House or on-line via NOMIS. For further information, contact the NOMIS team at NOMIS, Unit 3P, Mountjoy research centre, University of Durham DH1 3SW.

  Small Businesses
  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what assessment he has made of the impact on small businesses of the EC Commission proposal Com (94) 5813 to amend directive 77/388/EEC.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  All EC proposals for measures that are likely to impose a burden on United Kingdom business are subject to a compliance cost assessment including a small business litmus test. In light of the concerns recently expressed by United Kingdom business, in particular small business, a compliance cost assessment will be undertaken in consultation with those likely to be affected by the provisions in the proposal relating to the exemption of retail export goods. The line that the United Kingdom is taking in Brussels already takes account of the concerns expressed by United Kingdom small businesses. The assessments of the burdens that the proposal would impose should provide hard evidence in support of our negotiating line.

  Gas Prices
  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make it his policy that no changes in gas pricing will be allowed which provide for significant variations between regions.

  Mr. Eggar
  The plans for a new pricing structure for gas transportation, in the light of the Monopolies and Mergers Commission's findings, were set out in a consultation document published by the Office of Gas Supply in December 1993. The matter is further considered in the joint consultative document, "Competition and Choice in the Gas Market", issued on 9 May 1994 by myself and the Director General of Gas Supply, copies of which have been placed in the Library of the House, and I look forward to receiving the comments of all interested parties.

  The Office of Gas Supply expects that the most likely outcome of charging realistic long distance pipeline costs will be for overall prices to move by plus or minus about 2.5 per cent.

  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what representations he has had on regionalised gas pricing for domestic consumers.
  386
  Mr. Eggar
  [holding answer 9 May 1994]: I have received a number of representations.

  The plans for a new pricing structure for gas transportation, in the light of the Monopolies and Mergers Commission's findings, were set out in a consultation document published by Ofgas in December 1993. The matter is further considered in the joint consultative document "Competition and Choice in the Gas Market" issued on 9 May 1994 by myself and the Director General of Gas Supply, copies of which have been placed in the Library of the House. I look forward to receiving the comments of all interested parties.

  The Office of Gas Supply expects that the most likely outcome of charging realistic long distance pipeline costs will be for overall prices to move by plus or minus about 2.5 per cent.

  Water and Sewerage Industry
  Mrs. Helen Jackson
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what representations he has had about the appointment and dismissals undertaken by the Director General of Ofwat.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  Under Section 28 of the Water Industry Act 1991, the Director General of Water Services is required to consult the Secretary of State about the appointment of chairmen of the customer service committees. In this connection, my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade, has received a number of representations concerning the expiry of the appointment of the chairman of the Yorkshire committee in February 1994.

  Post Offices, South Yorkshire
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many post offices and sub-post offices there currently are in south Yorkshire; and what were the figures for(a) 10 years and (b) 20 years ago.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  I understand from the Post Office that currently there are four crown post offices and 387 sub-post offices, including franchise and agency offices, in south Yorkshire. Corresponding figures for 10 years and 20 years ago are not available because of changes in Post Office Counters Ltd's regional organisation and in the local government structure in south Yorkshire since 1974.

  Nuclear Export Policy
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what decisions taken at the recent nuclear suppliers group meeting in Madrid will affect United Kingdom nuclear export policy.

  Mr. Needham
  The group adopted changes to the "Guidelines for Nuclear Transfers"—DOC INFCIRC 254 Part 1 Rev. 1 Mod 1—at the Madrid meeting. The effect of these changes is to strengthen the retransfer provisions in the guidelines and incorporate a new provision in the guidelines underlying the importance of members satisfying themselves that their exports would not contribute to the proliferation of nuclear weapons. Both changes are consistent with existing British policy.

  Iraq
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Newport, West (Mr. Flynn) of 18 April,Official Report, column 357, if he will make it his policy to compile records of exports of biological agents in future.

  Mr. Needham
  Exports to certain destinations of biological agents specified in export control legislation, and for which an export licence has been granted, are now recorded.

  Compliance Costs
  Dr. Twinn
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will publish details of the annual on-going compliance costs for new regulations affecting business for which his Department has completed compliance cost assessments.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  The Department of Trade and Industry completed 13 compliance cost assessments last year on draft legislation brought before Parliament. 'These were routinely published and copies are available in the Library of the House.

  Post Office
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he is likely to complete his review of the Post Office.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  My right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade will announce the outcome to the review when decisions have been taken. We will not set an artificial date.

  Sellafield
  Mr. Simpson
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade for how many more years the B205 plant at Sellafield is expected to reprocess spent fuel from magnox reactors.

  Mr. Eggar
  This is a commercial matter for British Nuclear Fuels plc as operators of the plant.

  Kuwait
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how much business was attained by British firms in the clean-up of Kuwait after the Gulf war.

  Mr. Needham
  In the first 12 months of Al Awda—the Return—reconstruction phase, the United Kingdom won contracts and orders worth more than £500 million. The official United Kingdom exports to Kuwait for 1991, 1992 and 1993 were £178 million, £262 million and £312 million respectively. This does not accurately reflect the true level of exports to the market as many of the orders placed during reconstruction were routed through Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.

  Fire Safety Report
  Mr. Geoffrey Robinson
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade on what date the interdepartmental lire safety scrutiny is expected to report its findings to Ministers; and on what date that report will be(a) made available to the House and to the public and (b) published.
  388
  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  The report of the interdepartmental fire safety scrutiny is due to be completed on 25 May and will then be submitted by the scrutiny team to my right hon. Friends the President of the Board of Trade, the Home Secretary and the Secretaries of State for Employment and for the Environment.

  No decisions will be taken about publication until ministerial colleagues have had an opportunity to consider the report.

  Offshore Oil and Gas Industry
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what percentage of workers in the offshore oil and gas industry are not British.

  Mr. Eggar
  The percentage of workers in the offshore oil and gas industry in 1993 who are not British is estimated to be some 8 per cent. Details are published by my Department in the "Energy Report" volume 2, a copy of which is available in the Library of the House.

  Mr. Ainger
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make it his policy to withdraw from the 16th licensing round any blocks recommended for withdrawal by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee.

  Mr. Eggar
  I will consult the Joint Nature Conservation Committee both before and after nominations are received for the 16th round and will take into account its comments when deciding on the blocks to be offered in the round.

  Mr. Ainger
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade which specific conditions attached to licenses for offshore oil exploration may be made available to the public under the Environmental Information Regulations 1992 in line with paragraph 6 of the Edinburgh Gazette announcement of 26 April.

  Mr. Eggar
  As was the case in the 14th round, I shall judge each application for such information on its merits having due regard to the provisions of the environmental information regulations. It is my intention to make available those conditions attached to licences for the purposes of protecting the environment.

  Mr. Ainger
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) which non-governmental organisations he intends to consult prior to deciding which blocks to license in the 15th and 16th offshore licensing round;

  (2) what specific plans he has to consult nongovernmental organisations before deciding which blocks to license in the 15th and 16th rounds of offshore licensing.

  Mr. Eggar
  My officials consulted the Joint Nature Conservation Committee and a number of fishing organisations prior to deciding which blocks to offer in the 15th round.

  We have already informed over 100 organisations, including the Joint Nature Conservation Committee, environmental groups, relevant local authorities and various fishing organisations, of our plans for the 16th round. Once the nominations for the 16th round are received at the end of July, these bodies will be offered the opportunity to comment on which blocks can be offered for licence.

  Construction Task Force
  Mr. Byers
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade when the construction task force was established; when it is expected to report; what are its terms of reference; what areas it is investigating; what is its membership; who employs each member; and in what capacity.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Warley, West (Mr. Spellar) on 30 March 1994,Official Report, column 766.

  London First Centre
  Mr. Congdon
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what assistance is to be given to the new London First centre for its overseas inward investment activities.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  I am pleased to announce that in addition to the grants for the six regional development organisations announced on 17 March, I have today offered £500,000 of grant-in-aid to the new London First centre for its overseas inward investment activities, covering the whole of London. The grant-in-aid is linked to the performance of specific inward investment promotion activities on behalf of the Invest in Britain Bureau.

  The London First centre is an initiative by London First to establish for the first time an inward investment agency for London. The centre is being set up initially with support from local authorities, the private sector and my Department. Its aims are to promote London as a location for national and international business and industrial activity, for wealth and job creation in London.

  Scott Inquiry
  Mr. Byers
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many employees have worked on a full or part-time basis with the Scott inquiry liaison unit set up within his Department; when the unit was established; and when its work will be completed.

  Mr. Needham
  [holding answer 13 May 1994]: The Scott inquiry liaison unit was set up on 23 November 1992. Seven people have worked in the unit on a full-time basis, though not all at the same time. Manning has usually been kept to four people, though currently it stands at three. The attendant registry has employed six people, two on a part-time basis. After the initial demands of setting up the registry, manning has generally stood at three people. The timing for the completion of the work of the unit and the registry depends upon the length of the inquiry.

  Atlantic Computers Ltd.
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if his inspectors have completed their inquiry into Atlantic Computers Ltd.; and when he expects to publish their report.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  [holding answer 16 May 1994]: The inspectors completed their report on 22 April. My right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade is considering whether the report should be published in line with usual practice. However the report is unlikely to be published in the immediate future in view of possible prejudice to current criminal proceedings.

  Chemical Imports
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what proposals he has to prohibit the importation, for recycling, of certain chemicals from other EC countries; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Atkins
  I have been asked to reply.

  The new control regime under the EC Waste Shipments Regulation and the United Kingdom's associated Transfrontier Shipment Of Waste Regulations 1994 came into force on 6 May. This legislation enables the United Kingdom to fulfil its obligations under the Basel convention, to which the United Kingdom became a party on 8 May. The Government are considering the use of their powers under the new legislation and will announce its proposals in due course.

  As regards exports of waste for recovery, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State reported on the decision taken at the second conference of the parties to the Basel convention in his answer to the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent (Mr. Smith) on 30 March 1994 Official Report, columns 866–67. Article 16(3)(b) of the Waste Shipments Regulation prohibits exports of waste for recovery where the competent authority of dispatch has reason to believe that the waste will not be managed in accordance with environmentally sound methods in the country of destination.

  The decision recognized that transboundary movements of hazardous wastes from OECD to non-OECD states have a high risk of not constituting an environmentally sound management of hazardous wastes. It is the Government's understanding, therefore, that, save in exeptional circumstances, exports of hazardous wastes for recovery from the United Kingdom to non-OECD countries are prohibited by virtue of article 16(3)(b)—
  (a) unless and until those countries wishing to receive such wastes satisfy the requirements set out in paragraph 3 of the decision, regarding notification to the Basel secretariat about the categories, quantities and management of acceptable waste imports; and
  (b) the competent authority of dispatch is satisfied in any particular case that the wastes will be managed in an environmentally sound manner in the country of destination.

ENVIRONMENT

  Toxic Waste
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) how he is planning to implement the policy for industrialised countries to be self sufficient in waste by restricting or banning the importation of toxic waste into the United Kingdom when the Transfrontier Shipment of Waste Regulations 1994 come into force on 6 May;

  (2) when he plans to publish the waste management plan referred to in the Transfrontier Shipment of Waste Regulations 1994 which will contain the Government's policies in relation to the import and export of waste for recovery or disposal into and out of the United Kingdom, in accordance with EC directive 75/442/EEC(a).

  Mr. Atkins
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer which I have given today to a question by my hon. Friend the Member for Taunton (Mr. Nicholson) to the President of the Board of Trade.

  Assembly of European Regions
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has received from the Assembly of European Regions meeting in Shrewsbury on 14 April on the role of regional participation in environmental policy.

  Mr. Atkins
  None.

  Climate Change Programme
  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the
  Environment what is his assessment of the current relative radiative forcing effects of carbon dioxide, methane, ozone, nitrous oxide, halocarbons and water vapour with respect to pre-industrial levels; how he expects this to change in the future; and what implications this has for the United Kingdom climate change programme.

  Mr. Atkins
  The intergovernmental panel on climate change published estimates of current forcings, and possible future forcings under a range of scenarios, in its 1992 report, a copy of which is available in the Library of the House. The panel will publish a new report on the radiative forcing of climate, containing revised estimates, later this year.

  The United Kingdom's climate change programme, published earlier this year, contains a package of measures aimed at meeting our commitments under the United Nations framework convention on climate change. The programme makes clear that the United Kingdom will work within forthcoming reviews of the convention, which will take account of the latest scientific evidence from the IPCC, towards ensuring that the ultimate objective of the convention is met. The United Kingdom's national programme will be reviewed and developed in the context of that process.

  Europe's Environmental Challenge
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what request for assistance his Department received from The Economist intelligence unit in assistance in the preparation of its report on management of Europe's environmental challenge.

  Mr. Atkins
  I am not aware of any request.

  Water and Sewerage
  Mrs. Helen Jackson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment which standards authorities are recognised for certifying product specification in the water and sewerage industry.

  Mr. Atkins
  Water companies are private sector entities and may use certifying bodies of their choosing.

  Mrs. Helen Jackson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what arrangements are made to consult public or environmental health organisations on new product specifications used in the water and sewerage industry.

  Mr. Atkins
  Subject to the requirements of the Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 1989, water companies are free to use new product specifications without further consultation.
  392
  Mrs. Helen Jackson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment to what recognised standards of thickness, strength, life expectancy and composition, pipework used to carry sewage is expected to conform.

  Mr. Atkins
  It is for the water companies to determine the factors affecting the performance of products which they use. They have the benefit of British standards where they exist and must ensure that they meet statutory and common law obligations relating to pollution.

  Mrs. Helen Jackson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when Marley Quantum plastic pipework was approved for use as sewer pipework to a European standard.

  Mr. Atkins
  I understand there is no European standard applicable to this type of pipework system.

  Water Industry Certification Scheme
  Mrs. Helen Jackson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment which products have been approved since privatisation by the Water Industry Certification Scheme.

  Mr. Atkins
  The Water Industry Certification Scheme is a private company. I understand that it publishes details of its product approvals.

  Mrs. Helen Jackson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment to what extent the Water Industry Certification Scheme is financially independent from the privatised water companies.

  Mr. Atkins
  The Water Industry Certification Scheme is financed by the water companies, the Confederation of Scottish Local Authorities, the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland and the charges which it levies for its services.

  Carbon Dioxide Emissions
  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his latest assessment of the contribution to the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development target of reduced carbon dioxide emissions from road transport; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Atkins
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer which I gave to her on 25 April 1994,Official Report, column 36.

  Electricity Generation
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much(a) carbon dioxide, (b) sulphur dioxide, (c) nitrogen oxides and (d) ash is emitted into the environment each year as a consequence of the generation of electricity; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Atkins
  In 1992, 51 million tonnes of carbon dioxide, 2.4 million tonnes of sulphur dioxide, 0.69 million tonnes of nitrogen oxides were emitted into the environment as a consequence of electricity generation. The trend in emissions for all these pollutants from this source is downwards. The figure for total particulate matter as authorised by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution was 16,390 tonnes.

  "Index of Local Conditions"
  Mr. Congdon
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he plans to publish the "Index of Local Conditions."

  Sir George Young
  The "Index of Local Conditions", giving information based upon data from the 1991 census and other data, is being published today. Copies have been placed in the Library of the House and sent to local authority associations and key voluntary organisations.

  Disabled People (Access)
  Mr. Brazier
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he proposes to consult on amending the building regulations to make provision for access by disabled people to dwellings.

  Mr. Gummer
  At my request, the Building Regulations Advisory Committee has been examining the desirability and practicability of extending access provisions for disabled people to dwellings in England and Wales. The present provisions for disabled people in the building regulations apply only to non-domestic buildings.

  I have now received advice from the committee. As announced by my right hon. Friend the Minister for Social Security and Disabled People on 6 May, we aim to consult on detailed proposals to apply to new dwellings. When issued for consultation, the proposals will be accompanied by a compliance cost assessment.

  The committee is also examining whether the existing provisions for disabled people applying to non-domestic buildings should be improved. Any proposals here will also be subject to consultation in the normal way.

  Director General of Water Services
  Mr. Brazier
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment who will succeed Mr. Byatt as Director General of Water Services when his appointment ends on 31 July.

  Mr. Gummer
  The Secretary of State for Wales and I have decided to reappoint Mr. Byatt until 30 June 1996, to enable him to complete the implementation of the outcome of his periodic review of water charge limits to apply from 1 April 1995.

  Water Boreholes
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proposals he has to make water utilities liable for damage caused to property as a result of the sinking of water boreholes; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Atkins
  [holding answer 12 May 1994]: Water utilities already have the same liabilities as any other owner or occupier of land for any damage caused by them to neighbours in sinking boreholes on their land or on land to which the owner or occupiers allow them access. In addition, where they sink boreholes under powers conferred under the Water Industry Act 1991, they are liable to pay compensation for damage under schedule 11 —compulsory works powers—or schedule 6—powers to search for water--of that Act.

  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of the methods 394
  whereby assessment is made of the risk of damage to local property resulting from the sinking of new water boreholes; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Atkins
  [holding answer 12 May 1994]: The National Rivers Authority must consider the implications of any new borehole which needs its licence or consent, or which is notified to it, in respect of water resources, the aquatic environment and other protected rights to water. Where planning permission is needed, the local planning authority will have to consider all material factors. Other aspects must be assessed by the person proposing to make the borehole, particularly in respect of his potential liabilities to compensate others for any damage that may be done.

  Enterprise Zone, Tyneside
  Mr. Byers
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, when he expects to announce the siting of the new enterprise zone on Tyneside as a result of substantial job losses at Swan Hunter; and if European Commission agreement for such an enterprise zone has been sought.

  Mr. Baldry
  [holding answer 12 May 1994]: No acceptable proposals for the siting of the proposed Tyneside enterprise zone have yet been made. The approval of the European Commission has not been sought.

  EC Habitats Directive
  Mr. Simpson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received regarding the impact of the special protection areas for wildlife contained in the draft regulations implementing the EC habitats directive.

  Mr. Atkins
  In October 1993 this Department issued a public consultation paper on proposals to implement the EC habitats directive. Over 140 responses were received and copies have been placed in the House Libraries. The responses have been taken into account in drafting implementation regulations which will be laid before the House shortly. The Government have not yet published their proposals for special areas of conservation to be designated under the terms of the directive.

TREASURY

  Corporation Tax
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the latest estimated level of uncollected corporation tax, in figures and as a percentage, for each year since 1979, including 1993.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The amounts of corporation tax uncollected and consequently remitted or written off as irrecoverable since 1979 are as follows:

  Year

  Amount £thousands

  As a percentage of total corporation tax collected

  1979

  15,182

  0.50

  1980

  16,214

  0.49

  1981

  20,688

  0.70

  395

  Year

  Amount £thousands

  As a percentage of total corporation tax collected

  1982

  34,396

  0.89

  1983

  40,912

  0.11

  1984

  58,051

  1.23

  1985

  75,342

  1.27

  1986

  91,365

  1.11

  1987

  92,830

  0.93

  1988

  225,597

  1.92

  1989

  151,368

  1.05

  1990

  184,725

  1.17

  1991

  320,929

  2.09

  1992

  1about 440,000

  3.77

  1993

  n/a

  n/a

  1 From 1992 there has been a once and for all change in Revenue accounting practice. Under the new system the figures are

  PAYE

  National insurance contributions

  Year

  Amount in £thousands

  As a percentage of total collected

  Classes 1 and 1A - amount in £thousands

  As a percentage of total classes 1 and 1A collected

  1979

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  1980

  9,914

  0.05

  1,056

  0.01

  1981

  11,432

  0.08

  1,158

  0.01

  1982

  15,281

  0.06

  1,261

  0.01

  1983

  22,622

  0.08

  1,555

  0.01

  1984

  33,312

  0.11

  1,971

  0.01

  1985

  46,695

  0.14

  2,213

  0.01

  1986

  60,915

  0.17

  4,377

  0.02

  1987

  92,560

  0.25

  8,514

  0.03

  1988

  130,724

  0.33

  15,894

  0.06

  1989

  122,890

  0.28

  15,127

  0.05

  1990

  107,091

  0.22

  17,239

  0.05

  1991

  135,258

  0.26

  21,644

  0.06

  11992

  2130,000

  0.24

  32,570

  0.09

  31993

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  1 From 1992 there has been a once and for all change in Revenue accounting practice. Under the new system the figures are £381,172,000 and 0.71 per cent.

  2Approximate.

  3The figures for 1993 are not sufficiently complete to allow the necessary comparison to be made and consequently the information is not available in the form requested.

  Schedule D
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the latest estimated level of uncollected schedule D tax, in figures and as a percentage, for each year since 1979, including 1993.

  Mr.Dorrell
  The amounts of schedule D tax uncollected and consequently remitted or written off as irrecoverable since 1979 are as follows:

  Year

  Amount in £thousands

  As a percentage of total Schedule D collected

  1979

  n.a.

  n.a.

  1980

  33,081

  0.79

  1981

  41,552

  0.75

  1982

  52,763

  0.84

  1983

  68,536

  1.04

  1984

  91,229

  1.32

  1985

  90,196

  1.18

  1986

  124,297

  1.29

  1987

  133,878

  1.88

  1988

  252,424

  3.06

  1989

  242,024

  2.53

  1990

  254,989

  2.35

  1991

  383,566

  3.17

  396
  £542,233,000 and 4.64 cent.

  Note: The figures for 1993 are not sufficiently complete to allow the necessary comparison to be made and consequently the information is not available in the form requested.

  PAYE and National Insurance
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what is the latest estimated level of uncollected PAYE and national insurance contributions deducted but not paid over to the Revenue, in figures and as a percentage, for each year since 1979, including 1993;

  (2) if he will list the amounts of PAYE and national insurance written off, in figures and as a percentage, for each year since 1979, including 1993.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The amounts of PAYE and national insurance contributions uncollected and consequently remitted or written off as uncollected are as follows:

  Year

  Amount in £thousands

  As a percentage of total Schedule D collected

  1992

  703,422

  5.16

  1993

  n.a.

  n.a.

  Notes:

  1. The figures for 1993 are not sufficiently complete to allow the necessary comparison to be made and consequently the information is not available in the form requested.

  2. Separate figures for Schedule D are not available for 1979.

  Capital Gains Tax
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the latest estimated level of uncollected capital gains tax, in figures and as a percentage, for each year since 1979, including 1993.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The amounts of capital gains tax uncollected and consequently remitted or written off as irrecoverable since 1979 are as follows:
  397

  Year

  Amount in £thousands

  As a percentage of total capital gains tax collected

  1979

  15,182

  0.51

  1980

  3,591

  0.71

  1981

  2,734

  0.61

  1982

  4,868

  0.78

  1983

  6,496

  1.01

  1984

  5,998

  0.84

  1985

  7,562

  0.93

  1986

  10,064

  0.99

  1987

  8,822

  0.79

  1988

  12,680

  0.80

  1989

  10,864

  0.47

  1990

  12,002

  0.64

  1991

  29,721

  1.58

  1992

  57,836

  4.69

  1993

  n.a.

  n.a.

  Note:

  The figures for 1993 are not sufficiently complete to allow the necessary comparison to be made and consequently the information is not available in the form requested.

  PAYE Write-offs
  Mr. Mandelson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer in how many cases PAYE was written off in each year since 1980.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The number of cases where PAYE was written off in each year since 1980 is as follows:

  Year

  Number of cases written off

  1980

  44,464

  1981

  7,019

  1982

  74,077

  1983

  36,871

  1984

  45,958

  1985

  48,361

  1986

  58,782

  1987

  69,079

  1988

  76,348

  1989

  76,853

  1990

  68,456

  1991

  93,341

  1992

  104,522

  Figures for 1993 are not sufficiently complete to allow the necessary comparison to be made and consequently the information is not available in the form requested.

  Identity Cards
  Mr. Spellar
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what studies his Departmnent has undertaken to ascertain the practicality of replacing self-employment certificates with national identity cards.

  Mr. Dorrell
  No studies have been undertaken by the Inland Revenue for this purpose.

  Late Payment
  Mr. Spellar
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects to announce the result of his consultation on the problems of late payment.

  Mr. Portillo
  The Government expect to announce their proposals shortly.

  Building Industry (Fraud)
  Mr. Spellar
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his Department's estimate of the loss to the Exchequer from fraud in the building industry.

  Mr. Dorrell
  No reliable estimate can be made. But the construction industry deduction scheme provides a significant deterrent in controlling the extent of fraud in the building industry.

  Local Government
  Mr. Deva
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the total contribution from the Exchequer towards the cost of local government services; and how much of that amount goes to(a) London boroughs, (b) other English local authorities and (c) Welsh local authorities.

  Mr. Portillo
  Exchequer contributions towards the cost of local government services take three forms: grants—including redistributed non—domestic rates—within aggregate external finance—AEF—which go to support services wholly or mainly financed out of local authorities' general resources—including the council tax; current grants outside AEF, which generally relate to services wholly or mainly financed by such grants; and capital grants.

  It is estimated that some 16.7 per cent. of grants within AEF to English local authorities are paid to London boroughs. Current grants outside AEF and capital grants are distributed by a number of different Government Departments. Information on the division of these grants between London boroughs and other English local authorities is not available centrally—the total England figures are therefore given.

  The figures are as follows:

  (£ million,1993–94)

  Grants within AEF

  Other current grants

  Capital grants

  Total England

  33,231

  11,468

  1,401

  Welsh local authorities

  2,339

  572

  224

  TOTAL1

  40,776

  13,007

  1,793

  Notes:

  1 Includes authorities in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

  Tax (Local Authorities)
  Mr. Deva
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the proportional cost to the Exchequer of collecting that proportion of the tax take which is then given towards local authorities.

  Mr. Portillo
  Exchequer grants to local authorities are derived from general Government funds. They are not hypothecated from particular taxes. It is therefore not possible to hypothecate to them the costs of tax collection.

  Non-domestic rates are collected by local authorities and redistributed to them through a central Exchequer pool. Authorities can offset amounts for the cost of collection against their contribution to the pool. For 1994–95, the allowance is £69.5 million—less than 0.7 per cent. of the expected rates yield for the year.

  Inland Revenue
  Mr. Gunnell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what basis he excludes the files of individual tax-payers from his market testing of the Inland Revenue.

  Mr. Dorrell
  There is no basis for excluding the files of individual taxpayers. If activities involving the processing, handling or holding of tax information were to be transferred to a private sector organisation, the Inland Revenue would remain responsible for continuing to ensure proper standards of privacy and confidentiality for all citizens. In addition to contractual safeguards, the contracting organisation and its employees would be subject, in the same way as Inland Revenue employees, to the criminal sanctions—a fine or imprisonment or both —provided by section 182 of the Finance Act 1989 for unauthorised disclosure of taxpayer personal information.

  Confidentiality is not a bar to market testing; a lot of highly sensitive Government work is done by the private sector. But the Inland Revenue would need to be sure that an outside contractor could replicate existing security procedures and conditions.

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

  Mr. Dorrell
  [holding answer 4 May 1994]: The Treasury is the only one of the Chancellor's Departments to incur cost in employing consultants in connection with privatisation programmes since 1980.

  With regard to the Treasury, I regret that information going back beyond 1991 can be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The estimated cost of employing consultants in connection with privatisation programmes since 1991 is as follows:

  £

  1991–92

  8,890,632

  1992–93

  1,428,793

  1993–94

  5,019,584

  All the figures are exclusive of VAT.

PRIME MINISTER

  E-mail
  Mr. David Shaw
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will make arrangements for each Government Department and ministerial office to receive mail from hon. Members taking up matters on behalf of their constituents through E-mail.

  The Prime Minister
  I have no present plans to do so, but the Government are keeping the matter under review.

  Public Relations and Advertising
  Sir Ralph Howell
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will give details of the current level of Government expenditure, and for each of the previous five years, on public relations and advertising, covering all Departments of state; and if he will also show the sums spent through external agencies, both in public relations and advertising.

  The Prime Minister
  The information requested is not held centrally for all Government Departments.

  Cyprus
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Prime Minister when he last met the President of Cyprus; and what issues were discussed.

  The Prime Minister
  I last met President Clerides during the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Cyprus in October 1993. We discussed United Nations efforts to resolve the Cyprus problem.

  Lockerbie
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Prime Minister what discussions he has had with other members of the United Nations Security Council about the statement by Edwin Bollier and Ulrich Lumpert, Swiss manufacturers of timing devices, about the circumstances of the Pan Am 103 disaster over Lockerbie and the policy of sanctions against Libya.

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

  We have regular discussions with the other members of the Security Council about Libya. They are clearly of the view that Libya has not complied with Security Council resolutions 731, 748 and 883.

  Engagements
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 17 May.

  Sir Peter Tapsell
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 17 May.

  The Prime Minister
  This morning I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in the House I shall be having further meetings later today.

  Malaysia
  Mr. Byers
  To ask the Prime Minister for how long his predecessor visited Malaysia on 6 August 1988; who she met during her visit and by whom she was accompanied 402
  during her meetings; what subjects were discussed during the meetings; and on what date it was decided that she should visit Malaysia on 6 August 1988.

  The Prime Minister
  My predecessor decided in June 1988 to visit Malaysia in August on her return from Australia. During a two hour stop-over in Kuala Lumpur on 6 August, she met the Malaysian Prime Minister, who was accompanied by his Foreign Minister, the Secretary-General of the Foreign Ministry and two other officials. The British high commissioner and the Prime Minister's foreign affairs private secretary were also present. A wide range of subjects was discussed, including aid, air services, Cambodia, defence sales, and arrangements for the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Malaysia in 1989.

SCOTLAND

  Prisoners
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland 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 months and (b) 24 months ago.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Responsibility for the subject of the question has been delegated to the Scottish Prison Service under its chief executive, Mr. E. W. Frizzell. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter from E. W. Frizzell to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 17 May 1994:
  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton has asked me to reply to your Question about the number of inmates in Scottish penal establishments whose place of residence is South Yorkshire for the latest date available and the figures for 12 months and 24 months ago.
  I regret that the information requested is not held centrally.

  Hospital Contracts
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) for which hospital contracts in Scotland Scottish Office advice has been given that they lie outside the scope of the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations; and for which contracts advice has been given that they fall within the scope of TUPE;

  (2) what advice was given by the national health service management executive about the applicability of the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 1981 to contracts for domestic and portering services at Glasgow Royal infirmary, the Royal maternity hospital and Yorkhill hospital.

  Mr. Stewart
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 16 May,Official Report, column 365.

  Parliamentary Questions
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland 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
  403
  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. Lang
  The information requested is as follows:

  Number

  Percentage

  Total number of Parliamentary Questions answered in the period November 1992 to March 1993.

  11,321

  —

  Number (and percentage of Parliamentary Questions which received responses that information requested is not held centrally and/or could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  143

  3.26

  Number (and percentage of Parliamentary Questions referred to Agency Chief Executives for reply.

  10

  0.76

  1 Source Polis

  Average number of days lost per officer for reasons of sickness

  Figures for Male/Female not available before 1991

  1993

  1992

  1991

  1990

  1989

  1988

  1987

  1986

  1985

  1984

  Central

  Male

  9

  9

  12

  11

  11

  7

  10

  13

  11

  10

  Female

  13

  12

  18

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Dumfries and Galloway

  Male

  10

  10

  13

  11

  11

  11

  11

  9

  9

  9

  Female

  11

  5

  7

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Fife

  Male

  8

  9

  11

  11

  12

  8

  11

  10

  12

  11

  Female

  12

  11

  12

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Grampian

  Male

  5

  6

  112

  10

  9

  7

  8

  8

  10

  8

  Female

  9

  11

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Lothian and Borders

  Male

  10

  11

  18

  12

  13

  10

  11

  9

  13

  10

  Female

  13

  16

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Northern

  Male

  9

  9

  14

  12

  10

  11

  8

  8

  11

  11

  Female

  8

  12

  12

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Strathclyde

  Male

  15

  15

  116

  19

  14

  11

  14

  15

  14

  15

  Female

  17

  20

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Tayside

  Male

  12

  10

  4

  8

  8

  7

  9

  11

  9

  10

  Female

  11

  10

  7

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1Figures for Male/Female not available

  College Boards
  Mr. McFall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the members of all further education college boards in Scotland and their relevant qualifications for this position.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  I have placed in the Library of the House the information held by my Department on the membership of boards of management of further education colleges in Scotland. Members of the boards of incorporated colleges are appointed in accordance with criteria set out in schedule 2 of the Further and Higher Education (Scotland) Act 1992. Schedule 6 of the Act provided that, with the exception of the staff and student representatives, the initial appointments o the boards were made by the Secretary of State. Subsequent appointments are for the boards themselves.

  Police Sick Leave
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland 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.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The information is set out in the table.

  Hospital Trusts
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what guidelines the Government give to hospital trusts about openness and accountability.

  Mr. Stewart
  My noble and learned friend the Minister of State last month issued codes of conduct and accountability covering issues such as openness and accountability to all members of health boards and NHS trusts. Each board has been asked to adopt these codes at its next formal meeting. For new members, acceptance of the codes will be a condition of appointment. Arrangements have been made for copies of the codes to be available in the Library of the House.

  Ambulance Service
  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the advantages for the Scottish ambulance service of becoming a trust and the disadvantages of remaining as it is at present.
  405
  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 13 May 1994]: In signifying an interest in trust status the Scottish ambulance service has indicated that this will allow it to make much faster progress towards the achievement of its four main objectives which are:

  (a) improving the quality of service to its patients;

  (b) improving relationships with health boards and NHS trusts as purchasers of ambulance services;

  (c) improving the motivation and ability of its staff to deliver better services;

  (d) achieving better value for money.

  These advantages will be explained in more detail in the Scottish ambulance service trust application which is to be issued for public consultation on 18 May and a copy will be sent to the hon. Member.

  Prison Visiting Committees
  Sir David Steel
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what changes are proposed to the composition of prison visiting committees; which individuals and organisations were consulted before such changes were proposed; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 16 May 1994]: Under The Prison (Scotland) Rules 1952, as amended, appointments to prison visiting committees are made by every local authority in whose area prisoners might have their homes. As a result some committees are extremely large—the Barlinnie visiting committee for example has 35 members —and members have to travel long distances. As currently drafted, under the new Prisons and Young Offenders Institutions (Scotland) Rules only those local authorities within which the prisons lie would appoint members to visiting committees. The position would then be as set out in table 1.

  In the new draft rules it is also proposed that half the membership of visiting committees should come from outwith the elected membership of the appointing authorities. It would therefore be open to the latter to appoint whoever they considered appropriate. These proposals were the subject of consultation last September, when views were sought from the organisations and individuals listed in table 2.

  No firm view has yet been taken on the final shape of the new rules. We are considering carefully the representations made during the formal consultation process. Thereafter the new rules will be laid before this House.

  Name of prison and Names of appointing authorities

  Numbers of members to be appointed

  Aberdeen

  Grampian Regional Council

  3

  City of Aberdeen District Council

  5

  8

  Barlinnie, Glasgow

  Strathclyde Regional Council

  10

  City of Glasgow District Council

  15

  25

  Cornton Vale, Stirling

  Central Regional Council

  4

  Stirling District Council

  5

  9

  406

  Name of prison and Names of appointing authorities

  Numbers of members to be appointed

  Dumfries

  Dumfries and Galloway Regional Council

  3

  Nithsdale District Council

  5

  8

  Dungavel

  Strathclyde Regional Council

  3

  East Kilbride District Council

  5

  8

  Edinburgh

  Lothian Regional Council

  5

  City of Edinburgh District Council

  12

  17

  Friarton

  Tayside Regional Council

  3

  Perth and Kinross District Council

  5

  8

  Glenochil

  Central Regional Council

  4

  Clackmannan District Council

  10

  14

  Greenock

  Strathclyde Regional Council

  3

  Inverclyde District Council

  5

  8

  Inverness

  Highland Regional Council

  3

  Inverness District Council

  5

  8

  Longriggend

  Strathclyde Regional Council

  5

  Monklands District Council

  3

  8

  Low Moss

  Strathclyde Regional Council

  4

  Strathkelvin District Council

  6

  10

  Noranside

  Tayside Regional Council

  3

  Angus District Council

  5

  8

  Penninghame

  Dumfries and Galloway Regional Council

  3

  Wigtown District Council

  5

  8

  Perth

  Tayside Regional Council

  3

  Perth and Kinross District Council

  5

  8

  Peterhead

  Grampian Regional Council

  3

  Banff and Buchan District Council

  5

  8

  407

  Name of prison and Names of appointing authorities

  Numbers of members to be appointed

  Shotts

  Strathclyde Regional Council

  5

  Motherwell District Council

  12

  17

  List of Consultees

  Advisory Committee on Prisoners' Management

  Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland

  Association of Directors of Social Work

  The Association of Visiting Committees for Scottish Penal Establishments

  Church and Nation Committee, Church of Scotland

  Citizens Advice, Scotland

  Consultative Committee on Clinical Psychology in Penal Establishments in Scotland

  Convention of Scottish Local Authorities

  Crown Agents

  Faculty of Advocates

  The Gateway Exchange

  The Institute of Professionals, Manager and Specialists

  HM Chief Inspector of Prisons

  Home Office

  The Howard League for Penal Reform

  The Howard League (Scotland)

  The Joint Prison Chaplaincies Board

  The Law Society for Scotland

  Local Review Committees

  National Union of Civil and Public Servants: Governors' Committee Northern Ireland Office

  Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration

  Parole Board for Scotland

  The Principal Clerk of Sessions and Justiciary

  Prison Reform Trust

  Scottish Association for the Care and Resettlement of Offenders

  Scottish Association for the Study of Delinquency

  Scottish Committee of the Council on Tribunals

  Scottish Council for Civil Liberties

  Scottish Legal Action Group

  Scottish Parliamentary All Party Penal Affairs Group

  Scottish Prison Officers' Association

  Scottish Prison Service Trade Union Side

  The Scottish Prison Social Workers

  Sheriffs Association

  Sheriffs Principal

  University of Dundee Department of Law

  University of Edinburgh Department of Criminology

  University of Edinburgh Department of Social Policy

  Visiting Committee Chairmen

  Women's National Commission

  Manpower Services Commission
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps his Department has taken to constitute a voluntary early retirement scheme applicable to former Manpower Services Commission staff seconded to the local enterprise companies or previously seconded; and what undertakings have been sought in relation to applicants from among such secondees that they were taking early retirement.

  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 13 May 1994]: On the establishment of Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise former Department of Employment staff in Scotland were seconded to those bodies—rather than to the local enterprise companies—and were entitled to
  408
  exercise a right to take up an offer of employment from the body in question until the termination of their secondment on 31 March 1994.

  Former Department of Employment staff who accepted an offer of employment from Scottish Enterprise or Highlands and Islands Enterprise became subject to the terms and conditions of service of these bodies, which are subject to approval by my right hon. Friend. A number of former Department of Employment secondees subse-quently accepted voluntary severance or early retirement under those terms and conditions as part of a general programme of staff reduction within Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise. Detailed arrange-ments relating to voluntary severance and early retirement are an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise but the terms of these arrangements did not include any conditions applicable solely to former Department of Employment secondees.

  Department of Employment secondees remained eligible, until they took up an offer of employment, for any applicable early retirement schemes offered by that Department; the detailed arrangements are a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Employment.

  Fishing
  Mr. Beith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether it is the practice of his officials to prohibit the use of nets between 70 and 90mm in the United Kingdom nephrops fishery where the square mesh panel is fitted forward of any flapper as an alternative to placing it three flapper lengths to the rear of the flapper.

  Sir Hector Monro
  [holding answer 12 May 1994]: Article 4(1) and (2) of the Sea Fish (Specified Sea Areas) (Regulation of Nets and Other Fishing Gear)(Variation) Order 1991, as amended, sets out the requirements for the use of square mesh panels in nets of between 70–90mm mesh size used for nephrops fishing in ICES area IV (north Sea).

  Guidance to Fishery Officers was issued in December 1993 to confirm that square mesh panels should be sited either in the cod-end or in any extension piece, or immediately in front of any cod-end or any extension piece, as required by article 4(1)(c). Article 4(1)(f) sets out additional requirements in relation to any flappers that may be used, and allows the panel to be placed forward of any flapper.

  Office Space, Edinburgh
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made as to the availability of quality, modern, open-plan office space in the Edinburgh area; 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. Data may be available, of course, from private sector interests and publications and other sources. Local enterprise companies generally have a responsibility to work with the market to ensure that business development is not constrained by a lack of suitable accommodation. I understand that Lothian and Edinburgh Enterprise Limited conducted a major audit of the Lothian property market last winter.
  409
  The hon. Member may therefore wish to approach the chairman of Lothian and Edinburgh Enterprise Limited to seek further information about the audit and about its present activities in this area.

  Strathclyde Regional Council
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his estimate of the value of central(a) administrative, (b) financial, (c) legal, (d) personnel and (e) information technology services provided to each of the (i) police, (ii) fire, (iii) water and (iv) sewerage departments by Strathclyde regional council in the latest available financial year.

  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 13 May 1994]: The information requested is not held centrally.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT

  Development Assistance
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the unweighted average of official development assistance of(a) EC countries and (b) Development Assistance Committee countries, as a proportion of gross national product in (i) 1992 and (ii) 1993; how much the United Kingdom spent by the same measure; and by how much the United Kingdom would have needed to increase its assistance in cash terms in those years to have reached (1) EC and (2) DAC average expenditure.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  Figures for official development assistance are not yet available for 1993. In 1992, the unweighted average official development assistance as a proportion of gross national product for EC countries and DAC countries was 0.45 per cent. and 0.48 per cent. respectively—the weighted averages are 0.44 per cent. and 0.33 per cent. respectively.

  The United Kingdom official development assistance as a proportion of gross national product in 1992 was 0.31 per cent. In cash terms, the United Kingdom would have needed to increase its assistance by £844 million and £1,012 million to have reached the unweighted average expenditure levels for EC countries and DAC countries respectively.

  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proportion of British aid was spent on(a) primary health care, (b) nutrition, (c) basic education, (d) family planning and (e) safe water and sanitation in (i) 1992 and (ii) 1993; and how much in cash terms would need to have been spent in each year in order to increase the amount spent on those basic needs to 20 per cent. of official development assistance.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  Figures for official development assistance are not yet available for 1993. In 1992, the specified sectors as a proportion of the United Kingdom's bilateral official development assistance that can be allocated to a sector was:

  Per cent.

  Primary health care

  4.7

  Nutrition

  0.06

  Education

  20.4

  Family planning

  0.4

  410

  Per cent.

  Safe water/sanitation

  2.9

  Total

  28.0

  Our bilateral aid programme also includes a large amount of assistance which cannot be allocated by sector, such as debt relief, economic reform programmes and humanitarian assistance, but which also helps the poorest.

  Least Developed Countries (Aid)
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much British aid was spent in the least developed countries in(a) 1992 and (b) 1993; how much this was as a proportion of gross national product; and by how much British official development assistance to the least developed countries would have needed to increase in cash terms in those years in order to meet the level recommended by the 1990 United Nations programme of action for the least developed countries.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  Figures for official development assistance for 1993 are not yet available. In 1992, the United Kingdom gave £610.7 million to the least developed countries. This amounted to 0.10 per cent. of gross national product. To meet the 1990 United Nations programme of action for the least developed countries target, an increase of £278 million would have been needed. It should be noted however that the United Nations' category of least developed countries excludes states such as India and Pakistan, which are as poor as many least developed countries and are major recipients of United Kingdom aid.

  Sub-Saharan Africa
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proportion of its official development assistance the United Kingdom spent in sub-Saharan Africa in 1992 and 1993; and what was the change in percentage terms between those years, giving the figures for(a) bilateral aid, (b) multilateral aid and (c) in total.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  Figures for official development assistance are not yet available for 1993. In 1992, the United Kingdom gave 55.5 per cent. of its total official development assistance to sub-Saharan Africa. This represented a 4.8 per cent. increase over the 1991 figure, with bilateral assistance decreasing by 6 per cent. and multilateral assistance increasing by 13 per cent.

  Human Needs
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is Her Majesty's Government's policy towards the recommendations of the United Nations Development Programme on the proportion of developing countries' budgets which should be devoted directly to meeting the priority human needs of their people and the proportion of which international aid for development should directly support those needs.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  We recognise the importance of addressing priority human needs, but do not consider it
  411
  appropriate to prescribe proportional targets for expenditure on a global basis. The imposition of such targets on to the budgets of developing countries can restrict their capacity to prioritise expenditure to cope with their particular circumstances.

  The proportion of the British aid budget allocable by sector to priority human needs is already significant. In the financial year 1992–93, about 31 per cent.—£180 million —of allocable bilateral aid went to the health, education, and water sectors.

  Grameen Bank, Bangladesh
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) if he will encourage third-world Governments and institutions in the establishment of banks similar to the Grameen bank in Bangladesh;

  (2) if he will consider giving financial assistance to the Grameen bank in Bangladesh; and what assessment he has made of the work of the Grameen bank.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  The Overseas Development Administration endorses the objectives of the Grameen bank in its work with the poor in Bangladesh. We have not been asked for financial support. If requested, help to establish similar credit institutions in other countries would be candidates for consideration from our bilateral aid programme on a case-by-case basis.

  Overseas Aid
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made for the proportion of overseas aid which actually goes to the poor of the countries that it is intended to help.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  In 1992–93, 80 per cent. of the British bilateral aid allocatable by income group went to the poorest countries in the world. All of our aid effort is intended, either directly or indirectly, to help poor people in the recipient countries.

  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representa-tions he has received on the extent to which aid is spent by Governments on projects and bureaucracy rather than on people in need.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  The overall purpose of the aid programme is to promote sustainable economic and social development in other countries and the welfare of their people. The Government finance a range of projects and programmes in support of this. Some are carried out through non-governmental organisations and the private sector. Many are carried out through Governments. In all cases, we assess the likely effectiveness of the institutions concerned in advance of the project and monitor this during the project's execution.

EDUCATION

  School Tests
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will make a statement on the respective duties and responsibilities of(a) teachers, (b) heads,
  412
  (c) governors and (d) local education authorities to ensure testing of the national curriculum at key stage 3 in the current year; and what are the penalties in each case for failure to comply.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  It is the duty of local education authorities and governing bodies to exercise their functions with a view to securing, and the duty of the head teacher to secure, the implementation of all aspects of the national curriculum including the key stage 3 tests. Under their contracts of employment, classroom teachers are required to carry out duties under the direction of the head teacher. Head teachers are also under a contractual duty to carry out their statutory obligations.

  If a teacher or head teacher is in breach of contract of employment it falls to his or her employer to consider what action to take. The employer would decide what, if any, disciplinary action is called for, except in an LEA-maintained school with a delegated budget, where it would be the responsibility of the governing body. If an LEA or governing body acts unreasonably or fails to carry out one of its duties then the Secretary of State has the power to issue a direction to that governing body or LEA.

  Teacher Training Agency
  Mr. Ian Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what arrangements he has made for setting up the new teacher training agency.

  Mr. Patten
  The Government intend, subject to the passage of the Education Bill currently before Parliament, to establish a new funding agency in England to administer all central funds for initial teacher training. Parliamentary approval for expenditure associated with this new service in 1994–95 will be sought in a revised estimate for the higher and further education vote (class X, vote 2). Pending that approval, urgent and essential preparatory expenditure estimated at £74,000 will be met by a repayable advance from the Contingencies Fund.

  Student Grants
  Mr. Jenkin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will announce the post graduate bursary and studentship rates payable by his Department for the academic year 1994–95.

  Mr. Boswell
  The main maintenance rates under the Department's own postgraduate awards scheme for certain professional and vocational courses in the academic year 1994–95 will be as follows, with 1993–94 rates shown in brackets:

  1994–95 £

  1993–94 £

  Bursaries

  London

  3,295

  (3,170)

  Elsewhere

  2,600

  (2,500)

  Parental home

  1,965

  (1,890)

  Studentships

  London

  5,555

  (5,340)

  Elsewhere

  4,415

  (4,245)

  Parental home

  3,255

  (3,130)

  These represent increases of 4 per cent. on the current year's rates. The relevant supplementary allowances will be increased broadly in line.

NATIONAL HERITAGE

  English Heritage
  Ms Mowlam
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what representations have been received from the London boroughs by(a) English Heritage and (b) his Department in respect of English Heritage's proposal to transfer responsibility for negotiation with owners and developers of listed buildings to them.

  Mr. Brooke
  My Department has no record of direct representations on this issue since I agreed last year to English Heritage's negotiating directly with individual boroughs, with a view to devolving to them the responsibility for determining applications for listed building consent for minor alterations and extensions to grade II listed buildings under "flexible authorisation". I refer to the answer given to my right hon. Friend the Member for Westminster, North (Sir John Wheeler) on 23 April 1993 at columns 228–29.

  Since then, English Heritage has signed agreements with three of the boroughs where such applications are most frequent—Bexley, Kensington and Chelsea, and Wandsworth. Agreements with the City of London, the City of Westminster and Kingston-upon-Thames are imminent. Discussions are in progress with a number of other boroughs and it is expected that further agreements will be signed over the next year. In addition to devolution of this casework the agreements provide, where appropriate, a measure of financial support for conserva tion staff posts and training. All the remaining boroughs have indicated a willingness to discuss with English Heritage the handling of conservation work and the support that English Heritage could give them.

  Ms Mowlam
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what was the ratio of professional and technical staff to managers and administrators at English Heritage in(a) 1983, (b) 1990 and (c) the latest available date.

  Mr. Brooke
  English Heritage was established in 1984. The ratios of professional and technical staff to managers and administrators are as follows:

  Professional/Technical

  Managers/Administration

  1984

  45

  55

  1990

  48

  52

  1994

  47

  53

  These ratios exclude custodial and industrial staff.

  Millennium Commission
  Ms Mowlam
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage, pursuant to his answer of 5 May,Official Report, column 608, if he will give a breakdown of the estimated £670,000 administration costs of the Millennium Commission which remains after subtracting the elements for salary and staff costs, and for publicity.

  Mr. Brooke
  The estimated £670,000 administration costs of the Millennium Commission which is expected to remain after subtracting the elements for salary and staff costs and for publicity, is expected to break down as follows:414

  £

  Contracted-out services

  159,000

  Consultants, including project appraisal

  240,000

  Accommodation and fitting out costs

  244,000

  Utilities

  14,000

  Office services

  13,000

  Radio Reception, Llanbrynmair
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will make it his policy to improve FM radio reception in Llanbrynmair; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Brooke
  It is for the broadcasters to determine the engineering priorities aimed at extending or improving reception of programmes to specific areas.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

  Child Care
  Mr. Mudie
  To ask the Chairman of the Administration Committee if the results of the survey on child care in the Parliamentary Estate will be made public.

  Mr. Michael J. Martin
  The Committee has now reported its conclusions in respect of the provision of child care to the House of Commons Commission. That part of the Committee's proceedings which contain the principal deliberations on this issue have now been published in HC 374–i to ix. The Committee has decided not to publish the results of the survey.

HEALTH

  Children (Accidents and Deaths)
  Mrs. Golding
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many notifications of(a) child deaths and (b) incidents of serious harm to children have been received by the Department of Health under the terms of part 8 of "Working Together" each year since the implementation of the Children Act 1989.

  Mr. Bowis
  The Department does not hold central information in the form requested. The table shows the number of child deaths reported to the Department since 1 April 1991.

  Year ending 31 March

  1Number reported

  1992

  2115

  1993

  116

  1994

  112

  1 Not all deaths are due to abuse and subject to Review under part 8 of Working Together. Figures cover all deaths of children looked after by a local authority or accommodated at a childrens home (eg: this would include children whose deaths were due to natural causes).

  2 Figure includes 58 deaths recorded in the period up to 13 October 1991 prior to the implementation of the Children Act 1989.

  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 fail to meet their capital return

  415
  targets, what action her Department has at its disposal when trusts so fail; and how often action has been taken to date.

  Mr. Sackville
  The regional offices of the national health service executive monitor the financial performance of trusts on behalf of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State. Where a trust fails to meet one or more of its financial duties by a material amount it will be required to produce a recovery plan which will then be monitored closely by the regional office. Any trust which exceeds its authorised external financing limit has its limit for the following year reduced by the amount of the excess.

  In some circumstances failure to meet financial duties on a recurrent basis may indicate a trust is no longer financially viable. In those circumstances the NHS executive will investigate whether the trust should be merged with another, or exceptionally dissolved, if there is no longer any demand for its services.

  Appropriate action as above has been taken in each case of material failure to meet a financial duty.

  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer of 20 April,Official Report, column 541, how many trusts that (a) failed to meet and (b) succeeded in meeting their financial targets (i) borrowed finance and (ii) had loans guaranteed by her Department; and what sums of money were involved.

  Mr. Sackville
  All the borrowing detailed as follows was within agreed limits whether or not the trust met its financial duties. Trusts negotiate overdraft facilities with their bankers and the Department issues guarantees in support of these arrangements. Information is not available centrally about the extent to which these facilities were taken up during the year. Information for 1993–94 will not be available until the annual accounts of trusts are audited.

  1991–92 (57 trusts established)
  Six of the trusts which failed to achieve one or more of their financial targets in 1991–92 received loans from the Department. The amount involved was £17,336,000 of which £3,100,000 was short-term borrowing repaid in year.
  Thirteen of the trusts meeting their financial targets in 1991–92 received loans from the Department. The amount involved was £80,567,000 of which £30,150,000 was short-term borrowing repaid in year.
  Seven of the trusts which failed to meet one or more of their financial targets in 1991–92 were issued with overdraft guarantees by the Department. The amount involved was £3,125,000.
  Seven of the trusts meeting their financial duties in 1991–92 were issued with overdraft guarantees by the Department. The amount involved was £2,550,000.

  1992–93 (156 trusts established)
  Thirty-eight trusts which failed to meet one or more of their financial targets in 1992–93 received loans from the Department. The amount involved was £257,875,972 of which £66,663,731 was short-term borrowing repaid in year.
  Thirty-three trusts which met their financial targets in 1992–93 took loans from the Department. The amount involved was £186,310,425 of which £64,751,000 was short-term borrowing repaid in year.
  Twenty-one trusts which failed to meet one or more of their financial targets in 1992–93 were issued with overdraft guarantees by the Department. The amount involved was £7,135,000.
  Twenty-four trusts which met their financial targets in 1992–93 were issued with overdraft guarantees by the Department. The amount involved was £11,425,000.

  Mr. Ainger
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list those English NHS trusts which in 1992–93 failed to achieve a 6 per cent. return on capital in(a) percentage terms and (b) cash terms.
  416
  Mr. Sackville
  [pursuant to his reply 15 March 1994 columns 560–61]: I regret that there were errors in my previous reply.

  The amounts of return on capital employed for Broadgreen hospital and St. Helen's and Knowsley national health service trusts should read—£2,145,000 and £4,268,000 respectively. The percentages were however correct.

  Staff Contracts
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is now the number of personnel working within the national health service who are(a) on short-term contracts and (b) on temporary contracts; and if she will make a statement.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The information is not available centrally.

  Child Abuse
  Mrs. Golding
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if her Department has, or intends to develop, a preventive strategy which concentrates on eliminating the range of factors and circumstances which can give rise to abuse or neglect of children; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Bowis
  The Government attach a high priority to this problem and seeks to tackle it through guidance, measures designed to promote training in this field and through the Children Act 1989.

  In October 1991, to coincide with the implementation of the Children Act, the Home Department, the Department of Health, the Department for Education and the Welsh Office published a revised edition of "Working Together under the Children Act 1989—a guide to arrangements for inter-agency co-operation for the protection of children from abuse". The guide incorporates lessons learned in individual cases which have caused public and professional concern in recent years. Copies of the guide are available in the Library.

  Local authorities have a duty to provide services to prevent children in their area suffering ill treatment or neglect, which forms part of a general duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children in need.

  Cosmetic Surgery
  Mr. French
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to regulate private cosmetic surgery clinics.

  Mr. Sackville
  Private cosmetic surgery clinics are covered by the Registered Homes Act 1984. There are no plans to extend regulation.

  Mr. French
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what training is required by those who wish to practise as cosmetic surgeons.

  Mr. Sackville
  There is no separate speciality of comsetic surgery. Surgeons in plastic surgery in the national health service are required to undergo basic and higher specialist training in posts, and to standards, approved by the Joint Committee on Higher Surgical Training of the Royal Colleges of Surgeons. The required training for those who wish to practise plastic surgery in the independent sector is a matter for the employer and the health insurers.

  Christopher Clunis
  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how the performance management system for the mental health services works; and to what extent the deficiencies in the care and treatment of Christopher Clunis, described in the Ritchie report, have been remedied.

  Mr. Bowis
  The ten-point plan, which my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced last August, outlined a programme of work to improve the care of mentally ill people in the community. The plan includes the introduction of supervision registers, the issuing of new guidance on discharge and new legislation to introduce a supervised discharge for a small number of patients.

  The National Health Service Executive is taking action to strengthen its monitoring of community care for severely mentally ill people in line with one of the key recommendations of the Ritchie report. The aim is to ensure that health authorities systematically deliver the care programme approach and other policy commitments in their contracts with service providers and that they work effectively with local authorities and other agencies. A local audit tool for the care programme approach is being produced to provide a clear basis against which health authorities can review local arrangements with their providers and other agencies involved and identify areas for improvement. The NHS executive will follow this up with a national sample audit to ensure that the arrangements are working satisfactorily.

  The mental health task force is working with health authorities and other agencies in London to review the arrangements for the management of severely mentally ill people in the community and is helping authorities to develop action plans to address problems which are identified.

  Dental Services and Sight Tests (NHS Staff)
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if she will publish a list of those regional health authorities, district health authorities, family health services authorities, or other NHS bodies, which operate schemes for reimbursing charges incurred by their employees for NHS dental examinations or sight tests;

  (2) what guidance has been issued by her Department or the NHS executive to NHS authorities regarding the operation of schemes for reimbursing charges incurred by their employees for NHS dental examinations or sight tests; and if she will make a statement.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Information on national health service bodies who offer such reimbursement schemes is not available centrally. No guidance has been issued to national health service employers about these schemes.

  The decision on whether to introduce a scheme is a matter for each national health service employer.

  Counselling
  Mr. Spellar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer of 10 May,Official Report, column 84, what studies she has instituted to ascertain the cost and benefits to the NHS of introducing payments for counselling.
  418
  Mr. Bowis
  Research evidence on the cost effectiveness of counselling and psychotherapy services is being examined as part of a current departmental review of strategic policy on psychotherapy services.

  Mental Health
  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health in what way the National Health Service Executive takes account of the views of the carers of those for whom mental health services are provided.

  Mr. Bowis
  The National Health Service Executive is committed to involving both users and carers. It is involved in the NHS executive's mental health task force London project. The mental health task force has also commissioned the National Schizophrenia Fellowship to undertake a survey on the experiences and needs of people caring for someone with mental illness.

  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will provide further information about the tool kit of measures relating to performance management of mental health services reported in evidence to the House of Commons Health Committee in December 1993, by the director of the mental health task force.

  Mr. Bowis
  The mental health task force has initiated an annual survey, now in its second year, of progress on reprovision of old-style long-stay services. This information is now being combined with other information on the full range of mental health services provided by health and social services to enable comparisons to be made at health authority level across England. This analysis will be available to support performance management in the national health service executive regional offices and in purchasing authorities.

  Guidance to purchasers on specifying a service for severely mentally ill people is also in preparation. A range of other materials highlighting best practice have been or are about to be published, including a series of videos on innovative service provision and publications on releasing fixed costs and on approaches to reproviding services across three regions.

  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will now establish a permanent inter departmental advisory group on mental health; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Bowis
  We are considering the Health Select Committee's recommendation on this and will respond to the Committee shortly.

  Health Services, Sunderland
  Mr. Etherington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what percentage of patients out of the total annual patient population were discharged from each of the Sunderland hospitals in each year since 1990 to(a) residential homes and (b) residential nursing homes.

  Mr. Bowis
  This is a matter for the Sunderland district health authority, to whom I refer the hon. Member.

  NHS Estate
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health for each year since 1987, how much the NHS has paid to district valuation officers for valuation work on NHS land and property assets which are earmarked for disposal.

  Mr. Sackville
  Health authorities contract individually with the district valuation office for required services. The total of amounts paid are not available centrally.

  The valuation office has recently centralised its own records enabling it to set out the total paid by the national health service for services—in England—and has provided the following figures. They include for all services, not just for work in respect of disposals. Information for prior years could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  £

  1991–92

  1,131,432

  1992–93

  831,625

  1993–94

  1,696,692

  Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS hospitals or community health centres have established units for the treatment of obsessive compulsive disorder.

  Mr. Bowis
  Treatment of those suffering from obsessive compulsive disorder is provided within general mental health services which are available in every district.

  Hearing Apparatus (Charges)
  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to introduce charges for people with hearing difficulties in respect of hearing apparatus, aids, repairs and batteries; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Bowis
  None.

  Diethylstilbestrol
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the firms which are or have been involved in the manufacture of diethylstilbestrol for distribution in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Sackville
  Firms that currently hold marketing authorisations for the drug diethylstilbestrol are Approved Prescription Services, A. Nelson and Co. Ltd. and Norgine Ltd.

  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what is the percentage uptake of regular diethylstilbestrol examinations by those women whose mothers received it during pregnancy in each local health authority in England and Wales;

  (2) what guidelines her Department has issued regarding the frequency of diethylstilbestrol examinations for women whose mothers were prescribed it during pregnancy.

  Mr. Sackville
  The Department has issued no guidelines on regular diothylstilbestrol examinations for women whose mothers were prescribed it during pregnancy.
  420
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health under which names diethylstilbestrol is or has been marketed in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Sackville
  Diethylstilbestrol has been marketed under the following brand names: Stilboestrol, Stilboestrol BP, Tampovagan Stilboestrol and Lactic Acid Pessary, Menopax, Sedestran, Merven and Pabestrol.

  Hormonal Transplacental Carcinogenesis
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research her Department has undertaken or commissioned on hormonal transplacental carcinogenesis in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Sackville
  None.

  Nutritional Therapy
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many representations she has received concerning the inclusion of nutritional therapy in the national health service; what was the nature of these representations; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Sackville
  Representations have been received from an organisation called the Society for the Promotion of Nutritional Therapy.

  The availability of nutritional therapy within the national health service will depend—as with orthodox medicine—on the clinical judgment of the responsible clinician in respect of individual patients and on decisions taken locally by district health authorities, general practitioner fundholders and family health services authorities on how they should best use their funds to meet the health needs of the local population.

  Transgenic Pigs
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on her Department's position on the use of transgenic pigs for human transplant operations.

  Mr. Sackville
  The modification of animal organs for transplantation into human beings has not yet been developed. Procedures of this kind would not be practised in the United Kingdom without the approval of the medical profession and with consideration of the ethical issues involved. Any clinical or medical research involving national health service patients would have to be referred to the appropriate local research ethics committee.

  Disablement Grants
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what assessment she has made of the operation of the provisions of the Children Act 1989 limiting disablement facilities grants to people aged 18 years or over; what is the reason for these provisions; and what representations she has received for(a) Coventry and (b) elsewhere on the subject;

  (2) what assessment she has made of trends in the number of people in Coventry who are eligible to receive disablement grants; and how many people in Coventry are excluded for eligibility for the grant by the changes made in the Children Act 1989.
  421
  Mr. Sackville
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 16 May at columns 323–24. The number of people in Coventry eligible for disablement facilities grants is not available centrally.

  Tobacco-related Deaths
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is her estimate of the total number of tobacco-related deaths in each year since 1983–84.

  Mr. Sackville
  The only statistics available are for 1988, published in the Health Education Authority's report "The Smoking Epidemic", copies of which are available in the Library. It was then estimated that smoking-related diseases account for some 110,000 deaths a year in the United Kingdom.

  Sight Tests
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many national health service sight tests paid for by the family health service authorities took place in 1993–94 in each regional health authority.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The figures for 1993–94 are not yet available.

  GP Fundholders
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list, by region, the allocation for general practitioner fundholding for prescribing in(a) 1990–91, (b) 1991–92, (c) 1992–93 and (d) 1993–94.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  General practitioner fundholding commenced in April 1991; prescribing allocations for the years since then are shown in the table. Fundholding practices may vire between the prescribing elements of their budgets and those for staff costs and hospital and community health services.

  Fundholding prescribing allocations

  Cash

  Region

  1991–92

  1992–93

  1993–94

  Northern

  15,934,291

  26,141,569

  47,885,444

  Yorkshire

  20,493,035

  40,091,223

  72,853,258

  Trent

  14,728,729

  33,489,726

  84,915,707

  East Anglia

  5,378,891

  9,201,810

  31,167,885

  North West Thames

  9,791,918

  21,828,519

  47,730,650

  North East Thames

  5,449,000

  10,991,000

  24,835,826

  South East Thames

  7,353,300

  15,792,100

  47,178,307

  South West Thames

  8,764,415

  20,177,992

  38,200,663

  Wessex

  8,732,605

  21,727,541

  37,730,212

  Oxford

  13,020,177

  26,606,056

  43,867,848

  South western

  9,912,110

  22,241,703

  40,893,887

  West Midlands

  14,183,746

  34,587,254

  79,716,686

  Mersey

  11,626,278

  26,484,731

  53,510,834

  North western

  9,476,185

  19,293,355

  43,645,118

  TOTAL

  154,844,679

  328,654,579

  694,132,325

  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the number of general practitioner non-fundholding practices in each region; what percentage of regional total of general practitioner practices this represents; and what percentage of the regional population they serve.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The table gives the requested information as at 1 October 1993 when 75 per cent. of the 422
  population was served by non-fundholding general practitioners. On 1 April 1994 this was reduced to 65 per cent. as a further 805 practices joined the fundholding scheme.

  Region

  Number of non-fundholding practices1

  Percentage of all practices1

  Percentage of population served1

  Northern

  451

  86

  76

  Yorkshire

  553

  82

  67

  Trent

  693

  81

  69

  East Anglia

  248

  83

  75

  North West Thames

  723

  88

  73

  North East Thames

  853

  94

  86

  South East Thames

  688

  89

  79

  South West Thames

  449

  87

  76

  Wessex

  385

  87

  78

  Oxford

  306

  80

  66

  South Western

  496

  87

  80

  West Midlands

  925

  87

  74

  Mersey

  341

  77

  65

  North western

  796

  91

  83

  1 The figures are based on numbers of practices at 1 October 1993.

  Waiting List Initiative
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what monitoring she has undertaken regarding schemes financed by the additional funds for the waiting list initiative announced on 17 February; and if she will place the data obtained in the Library.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  [holding answer 19 April 1994]: When the additional funding was allocated regional health authorities were asked to record the resulting activity. Initial returns show that at least 38,000 patients have benefited from earlier treatment as a result of the Government's initiative.

  Health Visitors and Nurses
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many(a) health visitors, (b) district nurses, (c) community psychiatric nurses and (d) school nurses were employed in the NHS for each of the last five years, broken down by regional health authority and expressed as whole-time equivalents.

  Mr. Sackville
  [holding answer 13 May 1994]: The information available will be placed in the Library. The information shows an overall increase of 3.7 per cent. between 1988 to 1992. The number of practice nurses has increased by 162.1 per cent. from 3,480 in 1988 to 9,120 in 1992. This gives an overall increase of 22.7 per cent. for community nursing staff.

WALES Dyslexia

  Dyslexia
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what are his current policies to assist(a) adults and (b) children of school age who suffer dyslexia; and what new measures he plans.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  The Further Education Funding Council for Wales has responsibility for ensuring that adequate arrangements are in place to meet the needs of adult students with learning difficulties and/or disabilities.
  423
  Since 1 April 1993 the funding council may fund courses which teach independent living and communication skills to adults who have learning difficulties so as to prepare them for vocational or academic courses; courses which prepare them for entry to higher education courses; courses for basic literacy in English; or courses for proficiency or literacy in Welsh. The council supported over 2,100 students with learning difficulties and/or disabilities in 1993–94, including those with dyslexia.

  It is the responsibility of local education authonties and schools to make appropriate provision for children with special educational needs, including dyslexia. The code of practice on the identification and assessment of special educational needs, which has been approved by Parliament, and which comes into effect in September 1994, gives guidance to help LEAs and schools in those responsibilities. From that date also school governing bodies have the duty of preparing and publishing their policies for children with special educational needs, including those with dyslexia.

  Under the grants for education support and training programme for 1994–95, the Welsh Office has made grant available to LEAs specifically for training of teachers of children with dyslexia in addition to more general training in special educational needs. The 1995–96 programme is currently under consideration.

  Pollution Control
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many copies of the guide on the implementation of integrated pollution control, prepared

  In favour of including Llangollen in Wrexham

  Against

  No Clear indication of views

  Total

  Individuals (including MPs)

  11

  3

  —

  14

  Organisations

  3

  1

  1

  5

  14

  4

  1

  19

  The dates of those representations received in favour of the inclusion of Llangollen in the proposed Wrexham unitary authority are as follows:

  31 March 1993

  10 May 1993

  28 June 1993

  June 1993

  1 July 1993

  22 April 1994

  29 April 1994

  30 April 1994

  3 May 1994

  4 May 1994

  5 May 1994

  7 May 1994

  8 May 1994

  9 May 1994

  Buckley Link Road
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will grant extra funds to Clwyd county council to enable it to build the Buckley town link road.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  No. Under arrangements agreed with local authorities, road schemes costing less than £5 million are financed from unhypothecated resources.
  424
  with the Department of the Environment, have been distributed in Wales; to whom it has been made available; and at what cost.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The guide is a priced document at £5 a copy, available from Her Majesty's Stationery Office, its accredited agents and through certain booksellers. Around 2,700 copies have been sold to date, but no separate record exists as to the number of purchasers in Wales or their identity.

  Prescriptions
  Mr. Alan Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many prescriptions are dispensed in any one year in Wales; and what is the number receiving exemptions from charges.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Gower (Mr. Wardell) on 10 May, c.103.

  Llangollen
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many representations he has had from individuals and organisations relating to the inclusion of Llangollen in a new unitary authority of Wrexham; how many were in favour of this development; and what dates they were received in his office.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  My right hon. Friend and I have received 19 representations about the implications of local government reorganisation for the community of Llangollen. The details are as follows:

  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will ensure that the valuation of homes blighted by the proposed Buckley-Clwyd link road is satisfactory; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The scheme is the responsibility of Clwyd county council, which is obliged to pay the open market value of the homes required. Where the value is disputed home owners can refer the issue to the Lands Tribunal, an independent expert body appointed to deal with such disputes.

  Homes (Road Schemes)
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what guidelines are used by those who value homes due to be demolished or which are blighted as a consequence of road schemes; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The Welsh Office employs the district valuer to negotiate the appropriate level of compensation which includes the open market value of the property being acquired under blight or compulsory purchase. In establishing the market value the district

  Local authority dwelling stock1

  21988

  1989

  1990

  1991

  1992

  1993

  31994

  Percentage change 1988–89 to 1994–95

  Aberconwy

  2,936

  2,814

  2,577

  2,503

  2,461

  2,446

  2,414

  -17.8

  Alyn and Deeside

  5,317

  5,215

  4,981

  4,875

  4,861

  4,840

  4,797

  -9.8

  Arfon

  5,118

  5,033

  4,875

  4,820

  4,799

  4,764

  4,726

  -7.7

  Blaenau Gwent

  10,583

  10,425

  9,938

  9,757

  9,628

  9,536

  9,448

  -10.7

  Brecknock

  2,875

  2,791

  2,672

  2,609

  2,559

  2,532

  2,486

  -13.5

  Cardiff

  20,301

  19,773

  18,680

  18,345

  18,163

  18,013

  17,961

  -11.5

  Carmarthen

  3,600

  3,544

  3,441

  3,355

  3,274

  3,212

  3,133

  -13.0

  Ceredigion

  3,580

  3,521

  3,315

  3,207

  3,163

  3,075

  2,975

  -16.9

  Colwyn

  2,686

  2,623

  2,511

  2,459

  2,433

  2,401

  2,373

  -11.7

  Cynon Valley

  5,403

  5,355

  5,157

  4,916

  4,755

  4,697

  4,653

  -13.9

  Delyn

  4,807

  4,754

  4,603

  4,509

  4,454

  4,398

  —

  —

  Dinefwr

  2,654

  2,591

  2,481

  2,418

  2,383

  2,360

  2,350

  -11.5

  Dwyfor

  1,479

  1,469

  1,438

  1,402

  1,399

  1,389

  1,379

  -6.8

  Glyndwr

  3,057

  2,978

  2,793

  2,745

  2,726

  2,706

  2,682

  -12.3

  Islwyn

  6,296

  6,125

  5,879

  5,831

  5,732

  5,658

  5,548

  -11.9

  Llanelli

  7,107

  6,894

  6,677

  6,514

  6,490

  6,376

  6,286

  -11.6

  Lliw Valley

  5,268

  5,195

  4,948

  4,843

  4,764

  4,706

  4,647

  -11.8

  Meirionnyd

  2,091

  2,064

  1,967

  1,934

  1,900

  1,879

  1,849

  -11.6

  Merthyr Tydfil

  7,003

  6,860

  6,568

  6,446

  6,378

  6,312

  6,240

  -10.9

  Monmouth

  5,116

  4,996

  4,765

  4,730

  4,637

  4,569

  4,467

  -12.7

  Montgomeryshire

  3,072

  2,995

  2,884

  2,832

  2,614

  2,581

  —

  —

  Neath

  5,771

  5,618

  5,309

  5,270

  5,188

  5,126

  5,065

  -12.2

  Newport

  13,609

  13,449

  13,027

  12,889

  12,799

  12,720

  12,740

  -6.4

  Ogwr

  10,003

  9,744

  9,258

  9,041

  8,831

  8,736

  8,634

  -13.7

  Port Talbot

  6,318

  6,104

  5,649

  5,451

  5,285

  5,132

  5,033

  -20.3

  Preseli Pembrokeshire

  5,873

  5,726

  5,366

  5,231

  5,162

  5,060

  4,970

  -15.4

  Radnorshire

  1,184

  1,161

  1,116

  1,123

  1,106

  1,110

  1,100

  -7.1

  Rhondda

  4,889

  4,833

  4,706

  4,539

  4,505

  4,366

  4,302

  -12.0

  Rhuddlan

  2,779

  2,706

  2,650

  2,610

  2,604

  2,597

  2,579

  -7.2

  Rhymney Valley

  10,310

  10,132

  9,770

  9,503

  9,350

  9,210

  9,090

  -11.8

  South Pembrokeshire

  2,934

  2,878

  2,747

  2,677

  2,633

  2,608

  2,587

  -11.8

  Swansea

  17,711

  17,325

  16,493

  16,166

  15,697

  15,433

  15,121

  -14.6

  Taff Ely

  7,769

  7,513

  6,965

  6,726

  6,580

  6,465

  5,964

  -23.2

  Torfaen

  13,691

  13,502

  12,893

  12,604

  12,432

  12,229

  11,979

  -12.5

  Vale of Glamorgan

  6,423

  6,212

  5,866

  5,776

  5,702

  5,649

  5,560

  -13.4

  Wrexham Maelor

  16,290

  16,078

  15,152

  14,866

  14,717

  14,549

  14,373

  -11.8

  Ynys Mon

  5,842

  5,717

  5,395

  5,264

  5,206

  5,167

  5,125

  -12.3

  Wales

  241,745

  236,713

  225,512

  220,786

  217,370

  214,607

  —

  —

  Source: Housing Revenue Account Subsidy Claim Forms.

  1 At 1 April.

  2 Average number of dwellings 1988–89.

  3 First Advance Claim Forms for 1994–95 not received from Delyn or Montgomeryshire.

  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many homes were provided by housing associations(a) for rent, (b) for sale and (c) in total in each year since 1989–90 for (i) each district council and (ii) Wales.

  Provision of social housing by housing associations1

  1989–90

  1990–91

  1991–92

  1992–93

  Aberconwy

  71

  84

  84

  75

  Alyn and Deeside

  26

  8

  77

  136

  Arfon

  50

  145

  56

  89

  426
  valuer will take into account comparable transactions in the locality and disregard any depreciating effect of the road proposals.

  Housing
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many council houses there were in each district council area and in Wales as a whole in each year since 1988–89, indicating the percentage change in each case between 1988–89 and the latest available year.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The numbers of local authority dwellings in each district council area in each year since 1989–90 are given in the following table.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The following tables show the number of homes provided by housing associations and the number of these homes which were intended for rent and for sale in each year since 1989–90.
  427

  1989–90

  1990–91

  1991–92

  1992–93

  Blaenau Gwent

  47

  89

  236

  184

  Brecknock

  74

  52

  78

  51

  Cardiff

  172

  643

  360

  960

  Carmarthen

  73

  14

  68

  83

  Ceredigion

  10

  33

  105

  105

  Colwyn

  52

  44

  17

  107

  Cynon Valley

  95

  65

  52

  128

  Delyn

  17

  56

  101

  129

  Dinefwr

  23

  28

  14

  90

  Dwyfor

  4

  24

  37

  52

  Glyndwr

  26

  61

  63

  80

  Islwyn

  88

  49

  188

  37

  Llanelli

  44

  39

  33

  127

  Lliw Valley

  25

  66

  158

  85

  Meirionnydd

  10

  38

  36

  32

  Merthyr Tydfil

  59

  103

  116

  75

  Monmouth

  6

  68

  19

  226

  Montgomeryshire

  26

  25

  62

  138

  Neath

  52

  80

  88

  87

  Newport

  236

  93

  95

  277

  Ogwr

  121

  248

  86

  259

  Port Talbot (Afan)

  31

  73

  95

  55

  Preseli Pembrokeshire

  45

  18

  71

  117

  Radnorshire

  4

  4

  49

  62

  Rhondda

  168

  166

  144

  69

  Rhuddlan

  41

  37

  40

  104

  Rhymney Valley

  216

  54

  52

  186

  South Pembrokeshire

  11

  13

  15

  63

  Swansea

  267

  184

  292

  299

  Taff-Ely

  48

  105

  96

  168

  Torfaen

  67

  59

  146

  127

  Vale of Glamorgan

  76

  132

  49

  139

  Wrexham Maelor

  48

  39

  126

  234

  Ynys Mon

  13

  21

  144

  39

  WALES

  2,442

  3,060

  3,548

  5,274

  1 Includes newbuild, acquisitions and rehabilitation of self contained units and special needs and other shared housing bedspaces.

  Provision of social housing by housing association1

  1989–90

  1990–91

  1991–92

  1992–93

  For rent

  For sale

  For rent

  For sale

  For rent

  For sale

  For rent2

  For sale

  Aberconwy

  71

  0

  77

  7

  60

  24

  53

  22

  Alyn and Deeside

  26

  0

  8

  0

  77

  0

  126

  10

  Arfon

  50

  0

  145

  0

  56

  0

  82

  7

  Blaenau Gwent

  47

  0

  89

  0

  236

  0

  184

  0

  Brecknock

  74

  0

  52

  0

  43

  35

  51

  0

  Cardiff

  172

  0

  643

  0

  330

  30

  890

  70

  Carmarthen

  73

  0

  14

  0

  62

  6

  75

  8

  Ceredigion

  10

  0

  33

  0

  85

  20

  105

  0

  Colwyn

  52

  0

  42

  2

  15

  2

  96

  11

  Cynon Valley

  95

  0

  65

  0

  52

  0

  128

  0

  Delyn

  17

  0

  39

  17

  97

  4

  88

  41

  Dinefwr

  23

  0

  28

  0

  14

  0

  86

  4

  Dwyfor

  4

  0

  24

  0

  37

  0

  47

  5

  Glyndwr

  26

  0

  51

  10

  58

  5

  70

  10

  Islwyn

  88

  0

  49

  0

  188

  0

  37

  0

  Llanelli

  44

  0

  39

  0

  33

  0

  127

  0

  Lliw Valley

  25

  0

  66

  0

  158

  0

  85

  0

  Meirionnydd

  10

  0

  38

  0

  36

  0

  30

  2

  Merthyr Tydfil

  59

  0

  103

  0

  116

  0

  75

  0

  Monmouth

  6

  0

  49

  19

  19

  0

  209

  17

  Montgomery

  26

  0

  25

  0

  56

  6

  138

  0

  Neath

  52

  0

  80

  0

  88

  0

  53

  34

  Newport

  236

  0

  66

  27

  78

  17

  277

  0

  Ogwr

  121

  0

  217

  31

  76

  10

  250

  9

  Port Talbot

  31

  0

  73

  0

  81

  14

  54

  1

  Preseli

  45

  0

  18

  0

  64

  7

  109

  8

  Radnor

  4

  0

  4

  0

  49

  0

  62

  0

  Rhondda

  168

  0

  166

  0

  144

  0

  69

  0

  Rhuddlan

  41

  0

  37

  0

  40

  0

  80

  24

  Rhymney valley

  216

  0

  42

  12

  52

  0

  156

  30

  South Pembrokeshire

  11

  0

  13

  0

  15

  0

  63

  0

  Swansea

  267

  0

  177

  7

  285

  7

  290

  9

  Taff Ely

  48

  0

  105

  0

  95

  1

  168

  0

  Torfaen

  67

  0

  59

  0

  135

  11

  127

  0

  428 429

  1989–90

  1990–91

  1991–92

  1992–93

  For rent

  For sale

  For rent

  For sale

  For rent

  For sale

  For rent2

  For sale

  Vale of Glamorgan

  76

  0

  112

  20

  49

  0

  139

  0

  Wrexham Maelor

  48

  0

  39

  0

  118

  8

  232

  2

  Ynys Mon

  13

  0

  21

  0

  144

  0

  39

  0

  Wales

  2,442

  0

  2,908

  152

  3,341

  207

  4,950

  324

  1 Includes newbuild, acquisitions and rehabilitation of self contained units and special needs and other shared housing bedspaces.

  2 Includes 1,198 dwellings acquired through the Acquisition Initiative.

  Sheep Farming
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the French Government's authorisation of an aid package to French sheep farmers, with regard to this action's effect on sheep farmers in Wales.

  Mr. Redwood
  The announcement of the French support for its sheepmeat industry was made comparatively recently and we do not, therefore, have sufficient details to be able to assess its impact on Welsh sheep farmers. However, under articles 92 and 93 of the treaty of Rome, national aid schemes are strictly controlled in order to prevent unfair competition. Member states must obtain the prior approval of the Commission for any new state aids or modification to existing aids. The Commission has the authority to require the abolition or amendment of any scheme including the repayment of any aid paid illegally.

  We are making inquiries of the Commission to determine the status of this particular aid scheme.

  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions he has had with the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food about sheep scab; and what plans he has to make sheep scab a fully notifiable disease.

  Mr. Redwood
  Sheep scab is a disease which can be controlled readily by individual farmers, who are well aware of the preventive measures and procedures needed to deal with it. A recent official surveillance programme at markets and sales has indicated that the number of affected sheep has increased from the levels recorded before deregulation. Sheep scab can lead to serious welfare problems and has commercial implications for farmers and the leather industry. The Government therefore propose to carry out a publicity campaign to encourage farmers to treat their sheep. To ensure that farmers take their welfare responsibilities seriously, sheep suffering from scab will be required to be removed from markets for treatment and the vendor may be prosecuted.

  Local Government Reorganisation
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his answer of 13 April,Official Report, column 48, how many representations of the 13 he received in favour of the inclusion of Wick, St. Bride's Major and Ewenny in the proposed Vale of Glamorgan unitary authority were made by members of the public.

  Mr. Redwood
  Of the 13 representations I received since the publication of the White Paper in favour of the inclusion of Wick, St. Bride's Major and Ewenny in the proposed Vale of Glamorgan unitary authority, six were from members of the public.
  430
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) if he will list the representations he has received(a) in favour of and (b) in opposition to the inclusion of Llanelly in the proposed new unitary authority of Powys since publication of his White Paper, "Local Government in Wales: A Charter for the Future";

  (2) if he will list the representations he received prior to his White Paper, "Local Government in Wales: a Charter for the Future", and the dates he received them, which were opposed to the inclusion of Wick, St. Bride's Major and Ewenny in the proposed unitary authority of the Vale of Glamorgan.

  Mr. Redwood
  I will write to the hon. Gentleman and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Parliamentary Questions
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 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 to an agency chief executive; and, in each case, what percentage of the total number of questions asked this constituted.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  Seven parliamentary questions were answered during the period concerned using the answer in question. This represents 0.5 per cent. of the total questions answered. None was referred to an agency chief executive.

  Hong Kong
  Mr. Spellar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the current position on discussions regarding terms to be offered to expatriate civil servants currently based in Hong Kong.

  Mr. Goodlad
  We consulted the Association of Members of Her Majesty's Overseas Civil Service in Hong Kong in March on a proposed package of benefits. The association suggested a number of changes to the package. These suggestions will be carefully considered before the package is finalised.

  Iraq
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many Kuwaitis are being kept in Iraqi prisons as a consequence of the Gulf war; and what representations he, or international bodies, have been making about these prisoners.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The Kuwaiti Government estimate that 592 Kuwaitis are unaccounted for after the Gulf war.
  431
  We raise the plight of Kuwaiti and other detainees with the Iraqi Government at every suitable opportunity, for example at the next Security Council review of sanctions on 17 May. We also fully support the International Red Cross in its efforts to persuade Iraq to respond to requests for information about the detainees.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimates exist of the number of foreign nationals being kept in Iraqi prisons; how many of these are British; and what representations are being made about access to them and about their release.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  We have no record of any British citizens being held in Iraqi prisons at the moment. Records are not kept of detained foreign nationals.

  Bulgaria
  Sir Dudley Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the United Kingdom's current relations with Bulgaria; and when a senior Government Minister last visited that country.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  We enjoy friendly relations with Bulgaria and strongly support Bulgaria's political and economic reforms. President Zhelev called on the Prime Minister in March. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs visited Bulgaria in June last year. He and I look forward to receiving Foreign Minister Daskalov on 19 May.

  Human Rights
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if Her Majesty's Government are supporting the proposal of the Belgian Government that the European Union accede to the European convention on human rights as a collective entity.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  We see no need for the Community, as a collective entity, to accede to the convention when its principles are already applied and observed at all levels within the Community. All the member states are parties to the convention, and the European Court of Justice applies the principles and case law of the convention, as necessary, to cases before it. We do not see that accession by the Community would bring any extra benefit to the individual citizen, and are thus not in favour of a proposal which would have only symbolic value.

  European Union
  Mr. Marlow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will set out the commitments made by chancellor Kohl to the European Parliament at the time it was voting on enlargement; and in what way each of those commitments bind(a) the EU institution or (b) the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  Chancellor Kohl said that he would"endeavour to have a working group set up, composed of governments as well as European Members of Parliament, and which would work in association with the Commission."
  Chancellor Kohl's commitment is not binding, since the precise terms of reference for the working group will be decided by member states at the Corfu European Council.

  South Africa
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when trade sanctions against the Republic of South Africa will be lifted; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  The only sanctions remaining in force against South Africa are the UN arms embargo and related European Union and Commonwealth restrictions. The European Union has agreed that it will work for the earliest possible lifting of remaining UN sanctions and concurrently to withdraw related EU measures.

  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the embargo on the sale of arms to the Republic of South Africa will be lifted; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  It is for the United Nations Security Council to decide when to lift the arms embargo. The European Union has agreed that it will work for the earliest possible lifting of remaining UN sanctions and concurrently to withdraw related EU measures. The President of the Security Council has promised President Mandela that, on receipt of a request from the new South African Government, the Council will urgently debate lifting the arms embargo.

TRANSPORT

  Road Schemes
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received from local authorities with designated assisted area status which are trying to progress necessary infrastructure schemes on the effect of the removal of automatic supplementary credit approval for road schemes under the Industrial Development Act 1982; and what plans he has to review this policy.

  Mr. Key
  The Department has received representations from three local authorities and a local authority association about recently revised arrangements for grants under section 13 of the Industrial Development Act—IDA. Under the new arrangements grants are calculated on the total costs of schemes and deductions are no longer made for contributions from European regional development fund grants and from the private sector. The changes are intended to ensure that as many worthwhile schemes as possible can be supported and to provide incentives to maximise private sector involvement. Supplementary credit approvals—SCAs—have never been automatically available, but local authorities can continue to include bids for SCAs in their transport policies and programmes.

  Contracts
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the companies with which his Department has had contracts since 1 September 1990 which have resulted in either financial or administrative problems and have consequently been either renegotiated or terminated.

  Mr. Norris
  The firms which have been identified are shown in the table. It does not include companies whose
  433
  contracts have been subject to normal variations or those where novation is a purely technical matter resulting from a change of ownership and the contract is transferred to the new company.

  As a matter of policy the Department does not seek to renegotiate the terms of existing road scheme contracts in the event of a company getting into financial difficulties.

  Name of Company

  Description of problems encountered

  BCW Communications-1 Contract

  The company went into receivership.

  The contract was novated to another company.

  A. F. Budge (Contractors) Ltd—9 Contracts1

  The company went into receivership.

  The contract was novated to another company.

  Cooper MacDonald plc—3 Contracts1

  The company went into receivership.

  The contract was novated to another company.

  Eden Construction Ltd—2 Contracts1

  The company went into receivership.

  The contract was novated to another company.

  A. E. Farr Ltd—1 Contract1

  The company went into receivership.

  The contract was novated to another company.

  Lilley Construction Ltd—1 Contract1

  The company went into receivership.

  The contract was novated to another company.

  Colin Buchanan & Partners

  The quality of the company's work was not satisfactory.

  The contract was terminated.

  Peter Davidson Consultancy

  The company found it could not undertake the requirement as they had proposed in their tender.

  The contract was renegotiated.

  Ferranti International plc—3 Contracts

  Ferranti Road Traffic Systems Ltd were sold to Peek Traffic Ltd, necessitating novations of the contracts.

  G. & W. Energieanlagen

  The company had supplier and other problems.

  The contract was extended.

  Kingswinford Fuel Injection Services Ltd

  The company failed to meet the requirement.

  The contract was terminated.

  Precision Profiles

  The company failed to deliver on time.

  The contract was terminated.

  1Road schemes.

  Northern Relief Road, Birmingham
  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is his latest assesment of the implications of the proposed Birmingham northern relief road on(a) traffic forecasts, (b) carbon dioxide emissions and (c) asthma; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Robert Key
  The question relates to matters which are the responsibility of the Highways Agency; the chief executive will write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from Lawrie Haynes to Ms Joan Walley, dated 17 May 1994.
  You asked the Secretary of State for Transport what is his latest assessment of the implications of the proposed Birmingham Northern Relief Road on (a) traffic forecasts, (b) carbon dioxide emissions and (c) asthma.
  A Technical Update package was published by Midland Expressway Ltd., the Department's Concessionaire, and the Department at the beginning of February this year. This package includes an update of the traffic information as well as an update on air quality information. A set of the documents which comprise the package is being sent to the House of Commons Library so that you may study them if you wish. They are:
  434
  However, since September 1990 one consultant and four contractors have gone into receivership and their contracts have been novated to other firms. Some road construction contracts have also been terminated because of poor performance but information on these is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Birmingham Northern Relief Road

  Technical Update and Summary

  Noise Update Report

  Air Quality Updat

  Local Model Validation Report

  Model Development Forecasting Report

  I expect you know that a public inquiry into this scheme opens in Walsall on 21 June. Proofs of the detailed evidence to be presented to that inquiry on traffic and air quality are being made available in advance of the inquiry opening. These will add detail to the information in the February Update and explain fully how it has been arrived at. The air quality evidence is available now; the evidence on traffic is expected to be available at the end of this month. Copies of these two proofs can be sent to you if you require them.It is not possible to say what effect the Birmingham Northern Relief Road itself might have on asthma. The Highways Agency is aware that a large number of studies have been undertaken to investigate the medical effects of air pollution from many sources, including vehicle emissions. There is no evidence that vehicle emissions cause asthma but it is possible that existing asthmatics may have their symptons made worse.

  Rail Chiefs
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what are the current rates of pay to(a) the chairman of British Rail and (b) the chairman of Railtrack; and what are the figures as a percentage of the 1993–94 salary rate.
  435
  Mr. Freeman
  The current rates of pay, which are at 1993–94 salary rates, are £131,663 to the chairman of British Rail and £121,800 to the chairman of Railtrack.

  However, the chairman of the British Railways Board's salary as from 1 April 1994 is 60 per cent. of his previous salary, reflecting his move to a three-day week from his previous full-time appointment.

  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list details and costs of the services or benefits made available in addition to salary to(a) the chairman of British Rail, (b) the chairman of Railtrack, (c) the rail regulator and (d) the franchise director.

  Mr. Freeman
  Information in the case of the chairman of British Rail was given in note 5(c) to the "British Railways Board Annual Report and Accounts 1992–93". Disclosure will be made also in subsequent annual reports and accounts of the British Railways Board, and is to be expected for the chairman of Railtrack in the annual report and accounts of Railtrack plc.

  The rail regulator and the franchise director each have a pension arrangement broadly by analogy with the principal civil service pension scheme, with no special enhancements, on salary up to the level of the pension schemes earning cap—£76,800 from 6 April 1994, normally increased annually in line with retail prices.

  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the criteria, other than inflation, used to determine the percentage increase on 1993–94 salary rates for(a) the rail regulator and (b) the franchise director; and what were the percentage increases in each case.

  Mr. Freeman
  Increases in the remuneration of the rail regulator and the franchise director are determined by my right hon. Friend in the light of the Government's decision on recommendations made by the Senior Salaries Review Body and the subsequent Treasury guidance on the consequential arrangements for chairmen and members of non-commercial public boards and holders of broadly similar appointments. The decision on the body's 1994 report was announced by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 3 February 1994,Official Report, column 848–50. As regards the percentage increases awarded to the rail regulator and the franchise director from 1 April 1994, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to her on 9 May, Official Report, column 56.

  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the criteria, other than inflation, that he is using to determine the 1994–95 salary increases for(a) the chairman of British Rail and (b) the chairman of Railtrack.

  Mr. Freeman
  Salary increases will be determined in the light of the Government's policy to pay no more than is necessary to retain and motivate suitably qualified board members and will take account of any 1994–95 pay increases which may be agreed for the staff.

  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secrtary of State for Transport when the salaries for 1994–95 for(a) the chairman of British Rail and (b) the chairman of Railtrack will be detemined; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Freeman
  Salaries for 1994–95, which will require approval by Treasury, will be determined in due course.
  436
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the cost in each case of the company cars available to(a) the chairman of British Rail, (b) the chairman of Railtrack, (c) the rail regulator and (d) the franchise director.

  Mr. Freeman
  The provision of company cars and the consequent cost for the chairman of British Rail and the chairman of Railtrack is a matter between them and the industry concerned.

  The rail regulator and the franchise director head non-ministerial Government departments and are entitled, under their terms of appointment, to have the use of a car for official business, the costs of which are charged to their departments.

  Night Flying
  Sir Dudley Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list those airports in England and Wales at which flights are allowed after(a) 12.30 am and (b) 1 am on a consistent basis.

  Mr. Norris
  Of the 28 airports in England and Wales subject to economic regulation—that is, those with an annual turnover in excess of £1 million—night operations are not prohibited at the following, although various restrictions apply :

  Birmingham

  Blackpool

  Bournemouth

  Bristol (Lulsgate)

  Cambridge

  Cardiff

  Coventry

  East Midlands

  Exeter

  Gatwick

  Gloucestershire

  Heathrow

  Humberside

  Leeds-Bradford

  Liverpool

  Luton

  Manchester

  Newcastle

  Norwich

  Southampton

  Southend

  Stansted

  Teesside

  Sir Dudley Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many weekly take-offs and landings there were at airports in England and Wales between midnight and 5 am.

  Mr. Norris
  The precise information requested is not available, and an approximation could be derived only at disproportionate cost.

  Railtrack
  Mrs. Beckett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what has been the cost of setting up Railtrack Headquarters in London; and what arrangements have been made for the provision of information and answering of queries concerning services now that the changeover has been made.

  Mr. Freeman
  Staff costs, legal fees and accommodation costs including refurbishment of Railtrack headquarters amounted to some £7 million in 1993–94.
  437
  Information about train services is the responsibility of train operating companies. Railtrack is responsible for the production of a national train timetable and can provide information about that.

  School Transport
  Mr. Roger Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many schoolchildren have been(a) injured and (b) killed while travelling to school on a school coach or minibus in each of the last five years.

  Mr. Key
  It is not possible to identify school coaches or minibuses in the road injury accident data collection system. However, it is possible to identify school pupil casualties in coaches and minibuses during journeys to and from school. Estimates of the information requested are shown in the following table.

  School pupil1 casualties: killed or injured in a journey to or from school: Great Britain 1988–92

  Casualties

  Minibus/motor caravan

  Bus or coach

  1988

  Fatal

  3

  0

  Serious

  6

  23

  Slight

  92

  411

  Total

  101

  434

  1989

  Fatal

  0

  1

  Serious

  5

  46

  Slight

  74

  503

  Total

  79

  550

  1990

  Fatal

  0

  0

  Serious

  9

  37

  Slight

  85

  545

  Total

  94

  582

  1991

  Fatal

  1

  0

  Serious

  4

  26

  Slight

  95

  403

  Total

  100

  429

  1992

  Fatal

  0

  1

  Serious

  3

  23

  Slight

  105

  498

  Total

  108

  522

  Note: Children are aged as 0 to 15 years of age, and most school pupils within this category will be aged 4 to 15 years of age.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Child Support Agency
  Sir Dudley Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when the hon. Member for Warwick and Leamington can expect a response to his letter of complaint about the Child Support Agency's treatment of his constituent, Mr. N. A. Leach, of Leamington Spa, about which he wrote to the Under-Secretary of State on 23 February.
  438
  Mr. Burt
  I replied to the hon. Member today.

  Mr. Ingram
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many appeals have been made to child support appeal tribunals to-date; in how many of these cases the Child Support Agency has forwarded submissions and how many of these met the target of responding to the independent tribunal service within 18 days; how many of these appeals have been heard to date; and in how many of those the child support officer's decision has been overturned.

  Mr. Burt
  I am informed that the number of child support appeals received by the independent tribunal service to the end of April is 2,070. On these appeals, the Child Support Agency has forwarded a total of 521 submissions; 184 within the 18 day target. By 30 April, 250 appeals had been heard, of which 221 have been finally decided. In 91 of the decided cases the child support officer's decision was overturned.

  Mr. Terry Davis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the purpose of the Child Support Agency event at Abberley in Worcestershire from 9 May to 11 May; which hotel was used; how many people attended the event; what was the estimated cost; and from how many hotels quotations were sought.

  Mr. Burt
  The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for Ros Hepplewhite, the chief executive. She will write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from Ros Hepplewhite to Mr. Terry Davis, dated 16 May 1994.
  I am replying to your recent Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about the Child Support Agency's event at Abberley.
  The event in question was a management training course for staff at the Child Support Agency Centre in Dudley. It was held at the Elms Hotel, Abberley and was attended by nine members of the Agency's staff. The total cost incurred was £l,515,40. Quotations were sought from nine hotels before making the reservation.
  I hope this reply is helpful.

  Health Insurance
  Mr. Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many and what percentage of invalidity benefit recipients are in receipt of payments from permanent health insurance schemes; and what is the average amount paid per week.

  Mr. Scott
  This information is not available.

  Civil Rights (Disabled Persons) Bill
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the most recent date before 6 May on which he met the Minister of State for Disabled People to discuss the progress of the Civil Rights (Disabled Persons) Bill.

  Mr. Lilley
  I discussed a number of matters, including the Government's proposals on civil rights for disabled people, with my right hon. Friend, the Minister of State, on 4 May.

  Identity Cards
  Mr. Spellar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to introduce identity cards for pensioners and other claimants.

  Mr. Hague
  We are currently looking at improved ways of confirming the identity of the recipients of benefit payments cashed at post offices.

  Correspondence
  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when the hon. Member for Walsall, North will receive a reply to his letter of 17 March concerning a constituent ref. 6/3644/76.

  Mr. Burt
  I replied to the hon. Member today.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

  Alzheimer's Disease
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make a statement on his Departrnent's funding for research into Alzheimer's disease.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  The Medical Research Council, which receives its funding from the Office of Science and Technology, spent £1.5 million on research directly related to Alzheimer's disease in 1992–93, and a further £3.4 million on research of relevance to the condition.

  The MRC is always willing to consider soundly based scientific proposals in competition with other applications for research funding.

  Executive Search Agencies
  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, pursuant to his answer of 10 May,Official Report, column 134, what was the total cost of the use of executive search agencies in 1992–93.

  Mr. David Davis
  No figures are held centrally for the costs of using search consultants in 1992–93; these costs are paid direct by the departments and agencies which use them.

  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what guidance is given by his Department to Government Departments and agencies regarding the use of executive search agencies and particularly regarding their cost to public funds.

  Mr. David Davis
  Advice on the use of executive search consultants is given in the "Guide on Public Appointments Procedures", produced in September 1992, by the Public Appointments Unit, a copy of which is in the Library of the House.

  More detailed information about the executive search process and what it involves is given in "Executive Searchlight", of which the third edition was issued by the unit in February 1994. This includes guidance on how and when to use executive search, and the need to ensure that this form of recruitment meets the requirements of the Department and provides value for money. I am arranging for a copy of this publication to be placed in the Library of the House.
  440
  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, pursuant to his answer of 10 May,Official Report, column 134, if he will name the six executive search agencies referred to as being used by the Civil Service Commission.

  Mr. David Davis
  The six search consultants used by Departments for 11 appointments approved by the commissioners at grade 5 level and above in 1992–93 were:

  Kom Ferry International Ltd.

  NB Selection Ltd.

  Price Waterhouse Executive Selection

  Russell Reynolds Associates

  St. James's Management Recruitment

  Saxton Bampfylde International PLC

  Charterline
  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what was the total cost to public funds of the Charterline; and how many calls it received.

  Mr. David Davis
  Total costs, including set-up and operational costs to date were £2,463,190. The final figures will be published when final bills are received.

  Charterline received 5,882 calls between 19 May 1993 and 6 May 1994.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  Accountants
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Attorney-General whether he will provide a table showing the contracts currently being worked on for his Department by Coopers and Lybrand, Ernst and Young, Price Waterhouse, KPMG Peat Marwick, Grant Thornton, Robson Rhodes, Levy Gee, BDO Binder Hamlyn, Hacker Young, Pannell Kerr Forster and Stoy Hayward.

  The Attorney-General
  [pursuant to his reply 31 March 1994, Official Report, column 953–54]: In addition to the contracts listed in my earlier answer, Price Waterhouse was on 31 March 1994 working on a contract for the Serious Fraud Office in relation to the case of Arrows plc.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Fishery Protection
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will increase the level of surveillance by the Royal Navy to fishery protection duties in the English channel off the coast of Devon; and if she will make a statement as to the level of activity that the Royal Navy is currently providing in this area.

  Mr. Jack
  Deployment of the Royal Navy's fishery protection vessels within British fishery limits takes account of the nature and level of fishing activity, as well as sightings information provided by fisheries surveillance aircraft on contract to the Ministry and local intelligence collected by the sea fisheries inspectorate. Deployment is flexible and is adjusted as and when necessary to take account of changing circumstances and the needs in particular areas. In the first four months of 1994 vessels on task to MAFF were present in ICES area VIIe, which includes the waters off south Devon, for 129 patrol days.

  Animal Welfare
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will set out all(a) British and (b) EC legislation governing the welfare of animals during transit.

  Mr. Soames
  British legislation governing the welfare of animals during transport is as listed.

  Section 1(b) of the Protection of Animals Act 1911

  Section 1(b) of the Protection of Animals (Scotland) Act 1912

  Sections 40 to 42 and 44 to 47 of the Animals Health Act 1981

  The Transit of Animals Order of 1927, S.R.& O.1927/289

  The Animals (Sea Transport) Order of 1930, S.R.& O.1930/923

  The Horses (Sea Transport) Order 1952, S.I. 1952/1291

  The Export of Horses (Veterinary Examination) Order 1966, S.I. 1966/507

  The Export of Horses (Protection) Order 1969, S.I. 1969/1784

  The Transit of Animals (General) Order 1973, S.I. 1973/1377

  The Transit of Animals (Road and Rail) Order 1975, S.I. 1975/1024

  The Importation of Animals Order 1977, S.I. 1977/1175

  The Export of Animals (Protection) Order 1981, S.I. 1981/1051

  The Welfare of Poultry (Transport) Order 1988, S.I. 1988/851

  The Welfare of Animals during Transport Order 1992, S.I. 1992/3304

  At Community level the welfare of animals during transport is governed by Council directive 91/628/EEC (OJ No. L340, 11.12.91, p.17). This is implemented by the 1992 order as well as some of the earlier orders, as is set out in the explanatory note of the 1992 order. The directive permits certain national legislation to be retained pending the adoption of further detailed rules. The United Kingdom has taken advantage of this by maintaining certain national rules, in particular a maximum interval of 15 hours for feeding and watering animals in transport.

  Rabbits
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what enforcement action has been taken by her officials in accordance with their powers under the Pests Act 1954 to ensure that occupiers of land remove rabbits from it;

  (2) what action she is taking to meet the statutory obligations under the Pests Act 1954 to control the number of rabbits on land used for rail and road transport; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Soames
  Section 1 of the Pests Act 1954 places a continuing obligation on occupiers of land designated as rabbit clearance areas to control rabbits harboured on their land. The current Rabbit Clearance Order, issued in 1972, covers the whole of England and Wales excluding the City of London, the Isles of Scilly and Skokholm island. This obligation is irrespective of the use being made of the occupier's land.

  Where occupiers are failing to meet their obligations under the 1954 Act, the Agriculture Ministers have the power, under section 98 of the Agriculture Act 1947, to require action to be taken. These powers are discretionary and MAFF generally seeks to gain compliance with the legislation without resorting to the use of its legal powers. Nevertheless, these powers remain available and are invoked where necessary. MAFF is aware of the damage that rabbits can cause and keeps its policy on rabbit control under continual review.

  Meat Exports (Germany)
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what action she plans to take if Germany decides to impose a partial ban on the import of British beef and veal; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Soames
  We have made it very clear that we would not accept a unilateral trade restriction if this were to be imposed by the German Government. The European Commission has made it clear to the German authorities that it too sees no justification for such measures and that it would take appropriate action.

  A range of measures have already been introduced nationally and at Community level to protect consumers from any possible health hazard because of bovine spongiform encephalopathy. BSE has been discussed many times at expert and political level within the European Union and no less than three times in recent months at Council of Ministers level. The view of the Commission and all member states except Germany, is that there is no scientific justification for further measures.

  Fisheries
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many fishing vessels left the non-sector to join fish producer organisations between 1993 and 1994; how much cod quota in total and per boat average went with them; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Jack
  Between 1 January 1993 and 1 January 1994, 146 vessels moved from the non-sector to producer organisations. Information about the cod quota attributable to the vessels which left the non-sector is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries asnd Food if she will make it her policy to persuade the European Commission to abandon fishing discards before Norway joins the European Union.

  Mr. Jack
  Discards occur since different species and sizes of fish are caught together. If fishermen are to comply with the current common fisheries policy rules on quotas and minimum landing sizes they necessarily have to discard fish which cannot be legally landed. In Norwegian waters the mix of species and the legal requirements are different and a discard ban is in operation. Under its accession treaty, Norway has been authorised to maintain its discard ban for three years.

  The Government support the search for ways to reduce discards within the CFP. However, banning discards is not a practicable proposition, if the CFP is to operate effectively. The Council of Ministers has considered a Commission report on the discard problem and asked the Commission to bring forward proposals for action on a Community-wide basis. To this end, the Commission is funding a two-year project, which began in October 1993, to examine more selective fishing gears and the technical operational, economic and social pressures surrounding their adoption, taking account of regional variations. Recommendations are to be made as to how the Community might adapt its policies more effectively to promote selective fishing and reduce discards.

  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will make a statement on the
  443
  changes to the common fisheries policy British fishermen will need to adopt (a) in the preparation for Norway's entry into the European Union and (b) once Norway has joined.

  Mr. Jack
  In my reply of 19 April to the hon. Member for Great Grimsby (Mr. Mitchell),Official Report, columns 440–41, I set out the provisions on fisheries management in the treaty of accession.

  Few changes are made, by the accession treaty to the reciprocal rights of access for Norway and the EU to each others' waters and fisheries. The Commission has proposed a system of fishing permits to control the exploitation of Community resources when the CFP applies to an enlarged Community and the Council is likely to consider this at its June meeting. It is for the Commission to propose any further new or amending regulations which may be necessary.

  Scrapie
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many cases of sheep scrapie have been notified in Great Britain during each month since notification became a legal requirement.

  Mr. Soames
  Scrapie became notifiable on 1 January 1993.

  The table provides details of the number of cases of scrapie confirmed in sheep by laboratory investigations from 1 January 1993 to 30 April 1994.

  1993

  1994

  January

  22

  22

  February

  31

  14

  March

  54

  120

  April

  27

  117

  May

  22

  —

  June

  17

  —

  July

  30

  —

  August

  17

  —

  September

  14

  —

  October

  33

  —

  November

  17

  —

  December

  2

  —

  TOTALS

  286

  173

  1 These are provisional figures and may be subject to alteration.

  Note:

  Laboratory investigation of suspect cases of scrapie is not usually carried out for two years after the disease has been confirmed in a flock/herd.

  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what experiments have been performed in Great Britain over the last 10 years which involve the inoculation or feeding of cattle with infected material from sheep scrapie; and what were the results.

  Mr. Soames
  Since 1984 no experiments involving the inoculation or feeding of cattle with infective material from sheep with scrapie have been undertaken in Great Britain.

  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what research has been undertaken in Great Britain over the last 10 years into the possible relationship of scrapie in sheep and motor neurone disease in the human population.

  Mr. Soames
  Motor neurone disease of man and scrapie of sheep are quite separate and distinct diseases. The Ministry is not aware of any such research.
  444
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what information she has on differences in the properties of strains of scrapie from Suffolk sheep from the USA and the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Soames
  Scrapie isolates from sheep can be strain-typed by identifying their biological characteristics in mice. Strains which have been derived by selection in mice may not be the same as those existing in the sheep from which the material was originally obtained. This Ministry is not aware of any direct comparison of strains of scrapie derived from sheep in the USA and sheep in Great Britain, that have been undertaken using the same strains of mice in the same laboratory. However it is known that at least one strain of scrapie—as determined by mouse bioassay—is common to British and USA sheep.

  Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will list the names of consultancies held by members of the Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee during the last five years.

  Mr. Soames
  Members of the Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee are not asked to provide this information.

  Animal Health
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what specific measures she plans to take to ensure that Britain's animal health and veterinary standards are not jeopardised by moves to harmonise such standards throughout Europe; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Soames
  I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for North Cornwall (Mr. Tyler) on 27 April,Official Report, column 230.

  Sheep Exports
  Mr. Gale
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what action her Department has taken concerning reported deaths of sheep travelling between Portsmouth and France; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Soames
  It has been reported that 30 dead sheep were found after a vehicle was unloaded from a ferry sailing between Portsmouth and St. Malo on 19 April. It has also been reported that in a separate incident on 25 April 39 sheep were found to be dead in similar circumstances after crossing from Portsmouth to Le Havre. No carcases have been made available either to the British or French authorities to determine the cause of death. The Ministry has discussed the circumstances of both cases with the exporters, ferry companies and Hampshire county council, which is responsible for enforcing the legislation on the welfare of animals during transport. It has been concluded that there is insufficient evidence to prove beyond all reasonable doubt that any person carried out an action so as to cause the animals unnecessary suffering.

  The Ministry has issued comprehensive guidance for exporters and ferry operators about the standards to be observed when livestock is carried on roll on/roll off ferries. Steps have been taken to remind exporters about

  445
  the importance of following this guidance and the Ministry will be inviting ferry operators to participate in discussions about their procedures for ensuring that proper arrange-ments are made to safeguard the welfare of animals.

EMPLOYMENT

  Working Mothers
  Mr. Cann
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what percentage of lone mothers with dependent children were in work in 1979; and what percentage of lone mothers with dependent children are now in work.

  Mr. David Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what percentage of lone mothers with dependent children were in work in 1979; and what percentage of lone mothers with dependent children are now in work.

  Miss Widdecombe
  The latest estimates from the labour force survey for autumn 1993 show that 37 per cent. of lone mothers of working age with dependent children were in employment. The equivalent figure for spring 1981 —the earliest date available—is 45 per cent.

  Unemployment
  Mr. Thurnham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment by what percentage the unemployment rate changed during the period 1974 to 1979; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  During the period of the last Labour Government unemployment increased by 122 per cent.

  Social Chapter
  Mr. Riddick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what representations his Department has received from business men or business organisations urging the Government to adopt the social chapter.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The overwhelming majority of British business supports the Government's decision to reject the social chapter because of its adverse effects on jobs and prosperity.

  Sir Fergus Montgomery
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what representations he has received concerning the United Kingdom adopting the social chapter.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The Government's decision to reject the social chapter was supported by the great majority of employers' organisations because of the damage it would have done to the United Kingdom economy and jobs.

  Senior Managers
  Mr. Ottaway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what initiatives he has encouraged to improve opportunities for women to progress into senior management positions.

  Mr. David Hunt
  Our new joint initiative with the Equal Opportunities Commission Fair Play for Women,446
  will promote and expand the role of women at work, building on the success of our New Horizons campaign, our out-of-school childcare initiative and our support for the employer-led Opportunity 2000.

  Full Employment
  Mr. Soley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment when he expects to achieve full employment.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Employment cannot be created by Act of Parliament or by Government action alone. Government policy will be directed to bringing conditions favourable to the maintenance of a high level of employment.

  Part-time Employment
  Mr. Duncan Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what measures will be brought forward to continue to enhance growth in part-time employment in the United Kingdom.

  Miss Widdecombe
  We shall continue with policies designed to create a flexible and deregulated labour market.

  Works Councils
  Mr. Richards
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what plans he has to impose statutory trade union-dominated works councils on the businesses of the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  None.

  Economic Competitiveness
  Mr. Ian Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what measures his Department is taking to improve the competitiveness of the United Kingdom economy.

  Mr. David Hunt
  In the submission my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer and I made at the G7 jobs conference in Detroit, we said that we would improve competitiveness by:enhancing the working of the labour market; increasing the ability of unemployed people to get jobs and encouraging investment in skills.

  Unemployment, Dartford
  Mr. Dunn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many persons are unemployed in the Dartford travel-to-work area; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Dartford is covered by the London travel-to-work area, where unadjusted claimant unemployment in March 1994 stood at 414,551. This is 24,621 or 6 per cent. lower than in April 1993.

  Employment Appeal Tribunal
  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will review the working and running of the Employment Appeal Tribunal with a view to strengthening its independence from the Executive.

  Miss Widdecombe
  The Employment Appeal Tribunal is an entirely independent judical body.

  Labour Statistics
  Mrs. Peacock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how the total of civilian employment in Yorkshire and Humberside has changed in the last 10 years.

  Mr. David Hunt
  Between December 1983 and December 1993, the civilian workforce in employment in Yorkshire and Humberside rose by 96,000, or 5 per cent.

  Mr. Thomason
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what has been the change in the total of civilian employment in the west midlands in the last 10 years.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Between December 1983 and December 1993, the civilian workforce in employment in the west midlands rose by 73,000 or 3 per cent.

  Mr. Robert Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people in the Harrogate/ Knaresborough travel-to-work area have been placed in work by the Employment Service in the past 12 months.

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

  Letter from M. E. G. Fogden to Mr. Robert Banks, dated 17 May 1994.
  The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking how many people in the Harrogate travel to walk area have been placed in work by the Employment Service in the past twelve months.
  It may be helpful if I explain that Jobcentre boundaries do not match travel to work area boundaries. Harrogate travel to work area covers the towns of Harrogate and Knaresborough, and villages mainly to the north west of Harrogate. Harrogate is the only Jobcentre in the travel to work area. The Jobcentre boundary closely matches the travel to work area, but also includes Wetherby which falls into the neighbouring Leeds travel to work area.
  In the past twelve months, up to and including 8 April 1994, a total of 5,379 people have been placed in work by the Harrogate Employment Service Jobcentre.
  I hope this is helpful.

  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what has been the change in(a) absolute terms and (b) percentage terms in unemployment in the parliamentary constituencies of Bradford, West and Bradford, South over the period April 1992 to March 1994.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  In Bradford, West unadjusted claimant unemployment fell by 11, or 0.2 per cent., and in Bradford, South it rose by 13, or 0.3 per cent.

  Mr. Lidington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what steps his Department is taking to help unemployed people in Buckinghamshire find new jobs.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  In the year to March 1994, jobcentres in Buckinghamshire placed nearly 19,000 people into jobs—up 15 per cent. on the previous year.

  Training and Enterprise Councils
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on funding for training and enterprise councils.
  448
  Miss Widdecombe
  The Department negotiates funding locally with training and enterprise councils on an annual basis, in line with the contents of their agreed business plans.

  Strikes
  Mr. Merchant
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many days were lost through strikes in(a) the United Kingdom and (b) Germany in the latest year for which figures are available; and what the figures for the United Kingdom and West Germany were in 1979.

  Mr. David Hunt
  In 1992 the United Kingdom lost 0.5 million days to labour disputes, one third of the former west Germany total of 1.5 million. In 1979 the United Kingdom lost 29.5 million days, over 50 times the west Germany total of 0–5 million.

  Mr. Robert Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many working days were lost through strikes in Yorkshire in each year since 1978.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Data for Yorkshire and Humberside are given in the following table:

  Year

  Working days lost (thousands)

  1993

  23

  1992

  46

  1991

  55

  1990

  89

  1989

  325

  1988

  244

  1987

  339

  1986

  250

  1985

  2,076

  1984

  9,354

  1983

  415

  1982

  575

  1981

  449

  1980

  2,832

  1979

  3,115

  1978

  199

  Earnings
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what monitoring is done by his Department of the wage rates being paid in employment that was covered by wages councils; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The Department monitors the earnings of workers by industrial sector, including those sectors where there were wages councils, through the monthly average earnings indices and the annual new earnings survey.

  Part-time Workers
  Mr. Khabra
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if the Government intend to introduce legislation to protect part-time workers.

  Miss Widdecombe
  Only 3 per cent. of employees are disqualified from employment protection on the basis of hours alone. Part-timers benefit from the enhanced rights introduced by the Trade Union Reform and Employment Rights Act 1993.

  Hall's Electrical Contracting Company, Ossett
  Mr. William O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) if he will investigate the length of notice given to workers at the Hall's electrical contracting company in Ossett, West Yorkshire, when it was closed;

  (2) if he will investigate the extent of prior consultations with the workers at the Hall's electrical contracting works in Ossett, West Yorkshire, owned by East Midlands Electricity on the closure of the plant;

  (3) if he will set up an inquiry into the manner in which workers at the Ossett electrical contracting business
  450
  company in West Yorkshire owned by the East Midlands Electricity Board were given notice that the company would close.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  [holding answers 16 May 1994]: Any complaint that an employer has failed to consult representatives of recognised trade unions about proposed redundancy dismissals in accordance with the statutory requirements would be a matter for determination by an industrial tribunal. Rights to individual notice of termination are contractual matters, though statutory minimum periods are specified in section 49 of the Employment Protection (Consolidation) Act 1978. Questions concerning proper contractual notice, or pay in lieu of notice, are matters for the courts.

  EUROPEAN HUMAN RIGHTS CONVENTION, PROTOCOL No. 7
  EUROPEAN HUMAN RIGHTS CONVENTION, PROTOCOL No. 7
  UK/SOUTH KOREA FOREIGN MINISTERS' MEETING
  UK/SOUTH KOREA FOREIGN MINISTERS' MEETING
  URANIUM: US PURCHASES FROM RUSSIA
  URANIUM: US PURCHASES FROM RUSSIA
  ARMS TRADE CONTROL:UN ROLE
  ARMS TRADE CONTROL:UN ROLE
  LONDON HOSPITALS
  LONDON HOSPITALS
  SAND EELS: DANISH FISHERY
  SAND EELS: DANISH FISHERY
  LIVE ANIMAL EXPORTS
  LIVE ANIMAL EXPORTS
  CEMFUEL
  CEMFUEL
  THE BRITISH MEDIA: FOREIGN OWNERSHIP
  THE BRITISH MEDIA: FOREIGN OWNERSHIP
  BARROW-IN-FURNESS
  BARROW-IN-FURNESS
  BIRDS OF PREY AND RACING PIGEONS
  BIRDS OF PREY AND RACING PIGEONS
  TIMBER-FRAMED BUILDINGS
  TIMBER-FRAMED BUILDINGS
  DISABLED PEOPLE: ACCESS TO DWELLINGS
  DISABLED PEOPLE: ACCESS TO DWELLINGS
  DIRECTOR GENERAL OF WATER SERVICES
  DIRECTOR GENERAL OF WATER SERVICES