Written Answers of 24 November 1994

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

  Next Steps Agencies
  Mr. Kaufman
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list the salary and other emoluments of the civil servant who did the work of, or work comparable to that of, the chief executive of each next steps agency established by his Department before the agency was established.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The information requested for Lord Chancellor's Department existing next steps agencies is given in the table.

  Agency

  Remuneration of postholder prior to chief executive £

  End date of previous postholder's tenure

  HM Land Registry

  53,420

  31 December 1990

  Public Record Office

  49,300 plus 2,000 Inner London Weighting

  31 March 1992

  Public Trust Office

  50,525 plus 1,776 Inner London Weighting

  8 June 1994

  Court Accommodation
  Mr. Rooker
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will bring forward proposals to meet the problems of witnesses fearing intimidation in the waiting areas of court houses.

  Mr. John. M Taylor
  This Department recognises the concern witnesses may have about the fear of intimidation and has taken steps to minimise the risk. The court standards and design guide makes provision for one courtroom witness suite per Crown court centre, and similar arrangements are made for new magistrates courts, with the provision of multi-purpose suites. Approximately 40 per cent. of existing Crown court centres already provide separate and exclusive witness waiting areas. Where these are not available, special arrangements can be made to ensure that, as far as possible, intimidation does not occur.

ENVIRONMENT

  Council Tax
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the average council tax in England and Wales for each of the property bandings.
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  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  The average council tax in 1994–95, before transitional relief and council tax benefit, for a property containing two adults, is as follows:

  Band

  England £

  Wales £

  A

  387

  234

  B

  451

  272

  C

  516

  311

  D

  580

  350

  E

  709

  428

  F

  838

  506

  G

  967

  584

  H

  1,160

  701

  Averages cannot be calculated for England and Wales combined because a different banding structure operates in each country.

  Mr. Gerrard
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many appeals against council tax valuation banding have been received; and what percentage of these appeals have been (i) resolved, (ii) withdrawn or (iii) are still outstanding(a) nationally and (b) by valuation office.

  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  As at the end of October the Valuation Office had received 946,149 council tax banding appeals in respect of dwellings in England. Of these (i) 63.9 per cent. had been resolved, (ii) 20.7 per cent. had been withdrawn before a tribunal hearing, and (iii) 36.1 per cent. were outstanding.

  The numbers of appeals received as at 31 October and the percentage for (i), (ii) and (iii) by VOA office are as follows:

  Region: East Anglia Office

  Received

  (i)

  (ii)

  (iii)

  Bedford

  9,829

  62.3

  18.9

  37.7

  Cambridge

  10,108

  59.7

  25.0

  40.3

  Chelmsford

  15,805

  70.9

  13.8

  29.1

  Colchester

  17,253

  61.1

  11.9

  38.9

  Ipswich

  11,416

  55.3

  9.5

  44.7

  Norwich

  14,421

  54.8

  9.5

  45.2

  Peterborough

  11,327

  58.3

  8.0

  41.7

  St Albans

  9,480

  61.0

  20.7

  39.0

  Stevenage

  8,291

  54.4

  13.3

  45.6

  Region: East Midland Office

  Received

  (i)

  (ii)

  (iii)

  Derby

  12,654

  65.6

  12.8

  34.4

  Doncaster

  6,410

  71.1

  9.3

  28.9

  Grimsby

  7,295

  63.7

  10.2

  36.3

  Hull

  9,459

  66.4

  18.5

  33.6

  Leicester

  6,858

  66.2

  22.0

  33.8

  Lincoln

  10,327

  68.5

  11.6

  31.5

  Loughborough

  8,090

  66.0

  15.3

  34.0

  Mansfield

  7,470

  70.5

  10.6

  29.5

  Northampton

  7,811

  70–5

  18–6

  29.5

  Nottingham

  8,375

  72.7

  11.1

  27.3

  Sheffield

  7,942

  63.6

  15.9

  36.4

  Region: London Office

  Received

  (i)

  (ii)

  (iii)

  Barking

  4,175

  58.1

  21.1

  41.9

  Bromley

  18,112

  60.1

  12.3

  39.9

  Camden

  7,983

  59.9

  14.8

  40.1

  237

  Region: London Office

  Received

  (i)

  (ii)

  (iii)

  City

  224

  86.2

  37.9

  13.8

  Ealing

  9,877

  65.1

  14.4

  34.9

  Enfield

  20,442

  58.6

  21.2

  41.4

  Greenwich

  11,788

  55.1

  13.2

  44.9

  Harrow

  10,167

  59.7

  12.8

  40.3

  Islington

  8,873

  59.1

  12.3

  40.9

  Kensington

  16,561

  60.3

  13.2

  39.7

  Lambeth

  13,354

  65.0

  14.8

  35.0

  Redbridge

  6,564

  61.7

  23.6

  38.3

  Tower Hamlets

  3,867

  60.7

  14.9

  39.3

  Westminster 1

  3,096

  61.2

  13.3

  38.8

  Westminster 2

  5,921

  78.7

  15.1

  21.3

  Wimbledon

  12,850

  59.3

  14.2

  40.7

  Region: North Western Office

  Received

  (i)

  (ii)

  (iii)

  Bolton

  6,450

  65.9

  6.8

  34.1

  Burnley

  8,515

  63.0

  8.1

  37.0

  Chester

  7,846

  61.9

  8.9

  38.1

  Crewe

  10,286

  60.1

  14.5

  39.9

  Lancaster

  9,557

  69.0

  8.3

  31.0

  Liverpool

  8,797

  62.4

  6.1

  37.6

  Manchester

  2,509

  61.4

  9.6

  38.6

  Preston

  7,629

  62.1

  6.5

  37.9

  Rochdale

  3,539

  76.0

  13.2

  24.0

  Salford

  6,496

  73.8

  6.5

  26.2

  Stockport

  7,197

  60.7

  9.6

  39.3

  Warrington

  10,042

  65.0

  11.3

  35.0

  Region: Northern Office

  Received

  (i)

  (ii)

  (iii)

  Alnwick

  7,146

  68.6

  11.7

  31.4

  Bradford

  6,250

  63.1

  13.6

  36.9

  Carlisle

  6,978

  65.0

  11.1

  35.0

  Durham

  8,280

  71.3

  21.1

  28.7

  Halifax

  11,706

  72.7

  9.8

  27.3

  Harrogate

  12,538

  69.3

  11.0

  30.7

  Leeds

  8,654

  67.6

  13.7

  32.4

  Middlesborough

  4,935

  77.8

  12.0

  22.2

  Newcastle

  4,607

  75.7

  21.1

  24.3

  Sunderland

  4,971

  77.5

  14.3

  22.5

  Ulverston

  6,658

  60.8

  16.0

  39.2

  York

  10,688

  65.7

  11.1

  34.3

  Region: South Eastern Office

  Received

  (i)

  (ii)

  (iii)

  Brighton

  11,533

  71.8

  13.9

  28.2

  Chatham

  7,610

  65.2

  20.2

  34.8

  Eastbourne

  11,184

  58.4

  9.3

  41.6

  Folkestone

  9,464

  67.1

  14.8

  32.9

  Guildford

  12,273

  59.1

  9.9

  40.9

  Reigate

  18,047

  54.8

  19.3

  45.2

  Tunbridge Wells

  16,189

  61.0

  7.2

  39.0

  Worthing

  15,495

  60.9

  12.6

  39.1

  Region: Southern Office

  Received

  (i)

  (ii)

  (iii)

  Aylesbury

  15,662

  64.9

  11.3

  35.1

  Basingstoke

  12,280

  59.5

  11.6

  40.5

  Bournemouth

  12,697

  63.0

  14.1

  37.0

  Dorchester

  7,377

  59.8

  15.6

  40.2

  238

  Region: Southern Office

  Received

  (i)

  (ii)

  (iii)

  Oxford

  14,830

  72.7

  14.3

  27.3

  Portsmouth

  7,173

  63.0

  13.8

  37.0

  Portsmouth (IOW)

  4,259

  60.0

  13.5

  40.0

  Reading

  17,720

  60.8

  15.0

  39.2

  Southampton

  16,324

  64.5

  8.5

  35.5

  Swindon

  12,854

  66.4

  9.5

  33.6

  Region: West Midland Office

  Received

  (i)

  (ii)

  (iii)

  Birmingham

  8,958

  69.3

  17.0

  30.7

  Coventry

  7,241

  63.1

  15.8

  36.9

  Kidderminster

  7,150

  62.1

  13.0

  37.9

  Lichfield

  6,082

  61.4

  12.6

  38.6

  Sandwell

  1,814

  75.6

  22.0

  24.4

  Shrewsbury

  11,821

  63.5

  11.7

  36.5

  Stoke

  7,796

  65.2

  8.4

  34.8

  Warwick

  10,319

  62.5

  8.7

  37.5

  Wolverhampton

  5,870

  75.8

  25.3

  24.2

  Worcester

  15,135

  62.5

  15.9

  37.5

  Region: Western Office

  Received

  (i)

  (ii)

  (iii)

  Barnstaple

  8,704

  65.7

  11.7

  34.3

  Bath

  8,889

  69.8

  11.3

  30.2

  Bristol

  11,779

  64.8

  14.8

  35.2

  Exeter

  14,742

  63.4

  16.3

  36.6

  Gloucester

  18,140

  67.7

  11.2

  32.3

  Plymouth

  13,942

  64.1

  10.9

  35.9

  St Austell

  13,235

  63.6

  13.1

  36.4

  Taunton

  13,902

  53.2

  13.1

  36.8

  Home Improvement Grants
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has about delays being experienced by applicants for mandatory housing improvement grants; and what provision in the relevant regulations would prevent claims for consequential loss by households whose property suffered marked deterioration in condition between the date of initial inquiry and final grant approval which has necessitated extra works and additional expenditure.

  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  We are aware that some applicants for house renovation grants have experienced delays in the processing of their applications by local authorities.

  The grant legislation in part VIII of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 does not provide for additional claims from householders. However, authorities must ensure that a property is fit for human habitation on completion of grant-aided works. The amount of grant may also be re-determined where unforseen works arise.

  Quangos
  Mr. Sykes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment which quangos his Department has abolished since 1979.

  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  Tables A and B list bodies which existed in 1979, were classified as
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  non-departmental pubic bodies, and have been wound-up as such bodies by the Department of the Environment since 1979. Table C lists non-departmental public bodies which have been both created and wound-up by the Department of the Environment in the period since 1979.

  Table A

  Executive Non-Departmental Public Bodies

  Advisory Panel on Institutional Finance in New Towns

  Centre for Environmental Studies

  Location of Offices Bureaux

  London Housing Staff Advisory Committee

  National Building Agency

  English Water Authorities (9)

  National Water Council

  New town Development Corporations

  Aycliffe

  Basildon

  Bracknell

  Central Lancashire

  Corby

  Harlow

  Milton Keynes

  Northampton

  Peterborough

  Peterlee

  Redditch

  Runcorn

  Skelmersdale

  Stevenage

  Telford

  Warrington

  New Towns Staff Commission

  Water Space Amenity Commission

  The above Table includes organisations, some, or all, of whose functions have been transferred to bodies other than Non-Departmental Public Bodies. It excludes organisations whose functions have largely been transferred to, or merged with, other Non-Departmental Public Bodies.

  Table B

  Advisory Non-Departmental Public Bodies

  Advisory Committee on Bird Sanctuaries in Royal Parks

  Advisory Committee on Housing Cooperatives

  Advisory Committee on Local Government Audit

  Advisory Committee on Protection of Birds England and Wales

  Advisory Committee on Rent Rebates and Rent Allowances

  Advisory Committee on Sculptures in Royal Parks

  Advisory Committee on Trees in Royal Parks

  Ancient Monuments Board Committee for Rescue Archaeology

  Area Archaeological Advisory Committees (13)

  Building Research Establishment Advisory Committee

  Clean Air Council

  Committee to Examine Standards of Lawn Tennis in Great Britain

  Commission on Energy and the Environment

  Construction and Housing Research Advisory Council

  Construction Industry Manpower Board

  Detergents and Allied Products - Voluntary Notifications

  Scheme Scrutiny Group

  Economic Planning Councils (8)

  Environmental Board

  Hadrian's Wall Advisory Committee

  Historic Buildings Council for England

  Housing Association Registration Advisory Council

  Housing Services Advisory Group

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  Hydraulics Research Station Advisory Committee

  Local Government Commission for England

  National Consultative Council for the Building and Civil Engineering Industries

  Noise Advisory Council

  Planning and Transportation Research Advisory Council

  Recreation Management Training Committee

  Scientific Authority for Animals

  Standing Technical Committee on Synthetic Detergents

  Table C

  Executive

  Greater Manchester Residuary Body

  Merseyside Residuary Body

  South Yorkshire Residuary Body

  Tyne and Wear Residuary Body

  West Midlands Residuary Body

  West Yorkshire Residuary Body

  Advisory

  Committee on the Management of Privately-Owned Blocks of Flats

  London and Metropolitan Government Staff Commission

  Review of Rating of Plant and Machinery

  Mr. Sykes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many quangos his Department was responsible for(a) in 1979 and (b) in the latest year for which a number is available.

  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  In 1979 the Department of the Environment was responsible for a total of 114 non-departmental public bodies—45 executives, 66 advisory and three tribunals. In 1993, the Department was responsible for a total of 41 non-departmental public bodies—28 executive, 10 advisory and three tribunals.

  Ethnic Minorities (Education)
  Mr. Robert Ainsworth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment what amount of money was distributed to local education authorities through the standard spending assessment formula to meet the additional educational needs of those from non-English speaking backgrounds in each of the last five years.

  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  In each of the last five years the additional education needs index has contributed the following amounts to authorities standard spending assessment:

  Total England contributed on the Additional Educational Needs index

  (£ million)

  1994–95

  3,241

  1993–94

  3,749

  1992–93

  3,986

  1991–92

  3,696

  1990–91

  3,458

  The additional educational needs index is composed of indicators which measure lone-parent families, children of income support claimants and ethnic background.

  Registration of Architects
  Mr. Fisher
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to introduce legislation or produce the draft of a Bill for introduction by a private Member covering the registration of architects.
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  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  I hope that appropriate legislation can be introduced at an early opportunity. My noble Friend, the Minister for Construction and Planning, wrote to the chairman of the Architects Registration Council of the United Kingdom on 21 November setting out our proposals for reform of the Architects Registration Acts. A copy of his letter has been placed in the library.

  Construction Industry
  Mr. Fisher
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he will respond to the Latham report on the future of the construction industry.

  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  In common with the whole of the construction industry, the Government gave a warm welcome in the speech of my noble Friend the Minister for Construction and Planning on 25 July to the thrust of Sir Michael Latham's report. We are now supporting the review implementation forum's work. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has approved an interdepartmental scrutiny of Government's procurement of construction which will respond to Sir Michael's recommendation that Government should commit itself to being a best practice client.

  Mr. Spellar
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to receive the next report from Sir Michael Latham; when he expects to be able to announce his response; what provision is being made for the working parties on the Latham report while he is considering his response; and when he expects to announce whether the Government will introduce legislation to implement the Latham report.

  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  The review implementation forum, chaired by Sir Michael Latham, is due to report on the limited range of issues within its remit to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State by the end of December. My right hon. Friend will consider the report at a meeting with industry organisations currently fixed for 2 February. Meanwhile, the secretariat of the forum and the working parties will remain in place. We have made it clear that we are prepared in principle to legislate on Sir Michael Latham's proposals subject to agreement on the need for, and form of, such legislation.

  CITES
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the environment if he will make a statement to the House on the outcome of the Conference on International Trade in Endangered Species meeting in Florida.

  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement about the recent CITES meeting in Fort Lauderdale.

  Mr. Atkins
  The CITES conference on the parties agreed new measures to strengthen the operation and effectiveness of the convention. Twenty-seven species presently included on appendix II will be uplisted to appendix I, and 25 species presently on appendix I or II will be downlisted, including seven which will be deleted from the appendices altogether. The current listing of a further eight species will be unchanged but attached conditions will be relaxed. Thirty-seven species will be added to the convention for the first time.

  The United Kingdom was instrumental in securing progress on several important issues. A new enforcement resolution identifies priorities for funding including the
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  secondment of law enforcement officers to the CITES secretariat; the development and implementation of regional law enforcement agreements; additional training and technical assistance; and closer international liaison between CITES, national enforcement agencies and existing international bodies, particularly the World Customs Organisation and Interpol.

  There was overwhelming support for a United Kingdom proposal that a group be established to find solutions to technical problems associated with the listing of timber species on CITES, and to address other related matters. The group will bring producing and importing countries together to discuss issues of timber in trade in preparation for the next CITES conference in 1997.

  Through our scientific authorities, the Joint Nature Conservation Committee and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, the United Kingdom played a prominent role in drawing up new criteria to guide CITES parties in deciding what level of control to apply to species in the future. No parties voted against the new criteria which will introduce more objectivity while allowing flexibility in some cases.

  There was a constructive debate on South Africa's proposal to downlist its elephant populations to allow trade in hides and meat only. The debate produced a strong commitment to continuing the dialogue among African range states begun at the recent meeting in Botswana organised by the United Kingdom on behalf of the European Union. In the absence of support from other African range states, South Africa withdrew its proposal.

  Germany withdrew its proposals to include a number of African and one Asian timber species on appendix II, but there was a full and considered discussion of the Netherlands proposals to list American mahogany—Swietenia macrophylla. The United Kingdom voted in support but the proposal failed by a small margin to secure the necessary two thirds majority. However, a number of producer countries announced their intention to list the species on appendix III.

  The conference agreed a proposal to allow trade in live white rhinos from South Africa for conservation purposes only. In addition, a resolution on rhino conservation in Asia and Africa was adopted to strengthen law enforcement co-operation and to encourage the development of recovery plans for endangered populations.

  Tiger range states collaborated with countries where trade in tiger parts persists to produce a resolution call for greater co-operation and stronger legislation to combat illegal trade. On behalf of my right hon. Friend, the United Kingdom announced £50,000 to assist in the work of the recently formed global tiger forum. This is additional to the £97,500 previously announced by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs for a study into the Asian medicine trade to find ways of eliminating illegal trade and reducing demand for medicinal products derived from endangered species such as rhinos, tigers and bears.

  The conference agreed to expand membership of the convention's standing committee to make it more representative of the 126 parties. The United Kingdom and the Russian Federation were chosen as the European representatives on the committee which is chaired by Japan. The United Kingdom and Trinidad and Tobago are vice-chairmen. The committee can expect a heavy work

  243
  load and we will play an active part in progressing key issues between now and the next conference which is to be hosted by Zimbabwe.

  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what information he has on those countries currently overdue in their payments to the CITES secretariat;

  (2) if he will list those countries currently in arrears with their payments to the CITES secretariat.

  Mr. Atkins
  At the recent CITES meeting in the USA it was reported that for the four years 1990–93, 53 parties owed a total of 530,000 Swiss francs in outstanding contributions to the trust fund. For the current year, 1994, only 34 per cent. of contributions due had been received. Details of individual parties in arrears or with contributions overdue were not made available to the meeting but only to the budget committee chaired by the United Kingdom. It would not therefore be appropriate to publish this information. The United Kingdom is not among those countries which are in arrears or whose contribution is overdue.

  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it his policy to send Ministers to future meetings of CITES.

  Mr. Atkins
  My right hon. Friend decides before each conference whether the United kingdom delegation should be led by a Minister. Ministerial representation at CITES conferences is rare among delegations from most of the parties.

  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what support is offered by his Department to non-governmental organisations to assist in their work relating to CITES.

  Mr. Atkins
  We are presently supporting three major projects at a total cost of £215,000. These are:'Support for the implementation of CITES in the Uinted Kindom' carried out by TRAFFIC International 'and jointly funded with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF);
  The appointment of a scientific co-ordinator for the African Rhino Specialist Group of the World Conservation Union (IUCN); and
  Assistance to the IUCN's African Elephant Specialist Group for a scientific/programme officer.

  In addition, we provide strategic funding to Wildlife and Countryside Link, which fields a CITES liaison group, at a cost this year of £17,450.

  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proposals he has to promote within the European Union a funding and enforcement implementation programme for CITES.

  Mr Atkins
  We are keen to see enforcement and implementation issues properly addressed in the new draft regulation on wildlife trade and continue to encourage progress in the negotiating process. The European Commission helped to provide funding for the recent meeting in Botswana on the African elephant and, resources permitting, we will encourage it to consider further financial support for CITES issues, for example in assisting further dialogue on elephant issues among the range states.

  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it his policy to convene a donor range state liaison forum to develop mechanisms within CITES for the disposal of the elephant products currently stockpiled in African countries.
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  Mr. Atkins
  At the recent CITES meeting in the USA there was general agreement that African elephant range states should continue their recently renewed dialogue on elephant issues within CITES and this process was set in hand by meetings of the African regional group. In addition, the CITES standing committee, of which the United Kingdom is vice-chairman, was asked to consider the issue of stockpiles in liaison with the African range states and to report to the next conference on the parties. The United Kingdom does not therefore need to take a specific initiative but expects to be involved in the relevant discussions via the standing committee.

  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will place in the Library copies of the infractions report from CITES.

  Mr. Atkins
  Copies of the report are today being placed in both Libraries.

  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the current level of financial support provided to CITES by Her Majesty's Government.

  Mr. Atkins
  Our annual subscription to CITES is currently £130,000. In addition, we provide a contribution of £10,000 per annum to support the attendance at CITES meetings of delegates from developing countries.

  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of the effect on stockpiles of vicuna products resulting from the downlisting of vicuna from Al to A2 of CITES; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Atkins
  The downlisting will not take effect until 90 days after the conference of the parties. We shall be discussing with other European Union member states how the Community should implement the downlisting in so far as current stockpiles are concerned.

  Recycled Waste
  Mr. Dowd
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what proportion of recycled demolition waste is included within the concrete structures of the new Department of the Environment headquarters building in Bressenden place, London SW1.

  (2) what steps his Department has taken to ensure recycled demolition waste is used in the main structure of its new headquarters building in Bressenden place, London SW1.

  (3) what proportion of the concrete arising from the demolition of the building on the site of the Department of the Environment's new headquarters in Bressenden place, London SW1 has been re-used for aggregate purposes.

  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  The redevelopment of Eland house is being undertaken by Land Securities plc. The Department has signed an agreement to take a 25-year lease with a 15-year break provision against an agreed performance specification.

  The recycling of demolition waste in the construction of a building is one of the criteria of the building research establishment environmental assessment method. The developers of the new headquarters building are under contractual obligation to use reasonable endeavours to maximise its rating under BREEAM.

  Uncontaminated demolition materials were specified by the developers for fill and hardcore and, where possible, used. The proportion of reuse is likely to be less than 50 per cent. by volume because concrete made from such

  245
  materials has an inappropriate strength-weight ratio in the context of this building's design.

  The demolition of the building previously on the site of the new headquarters building was a matter for the developers. Figures relating to the proportion of concrete taken off site for crushing and re-use are not available but I understand from the developers that approximately 18,000 tonnes were dealt with in this manner.

  National Parks
  Mr. Waller
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he intends to bring forward legislation relating to the national parks.

  Mr. Atkins
  The Environment Bill, announced in the Queen's Speech last week, will contain a number of environmental measures including provisions to meet our commitments to the future care and protection of the national parks.

  Dumplington Shopping Centre
  Mr. Lewis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what costs have so far been incurred by his Department in respect of the Dumplington shopping centre legal proceedings.

  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  The Secretary of State's current liability for legal costs arising on this case is provisionally estimated to be in the order of £150,000. This is contingent upon the outcome of his appeal to the House of Lords.

  "Paying for our Past"
  Sir Donald Thompson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what conclusion the Government have reached in the light of responses to their consultation paper "Paying for our Past".

  Mr. Gummer
  The Department of the Environment and the Welsh Office have today published a paper, "Framework for Contaminated Land", which sets out the Government's proposals for the machinery for dealing with contaminated land and of liabilities and concludes the review into these subjects set up last year by my right hon. Friends and then Secretaries of State for the Environment and for Wales—Official Report; 24 March 1993, columns 633–34.

  The Government remain committed to the "suitable for use" approach to the control and treatment of existing contamination relating to any requirement for remedial work to the presence of any unacceptable risks to health or the environment and to the actual or intended use of the site. This was widely supported in the consultation responses. It provides the basis for tackling real hazards where they exist in an orderly and controlled fashion. By not imposing unnecessary financial and regulatory burdens, we will not discourage enterprise, which is itself a major contributor to the reinstatement of contaminated land.

  We have already issued guidance about the treatment of contaminated land in the planning process, and shall continue to publish a series of research reports and guidance notes designed to help businesses and regulators determine when remediation is required and to what level, striking an appropriate balance between the costs and the environmental benefits of any action.
  246
  Subject to parliamentary approval, we propose that the Environment Agency should take over this programme of research and guidance, providing a nationally coherent framework for remedial action. It will also be asked to oversee progress.

  We shall at the same time propose legislative amendments to the provisions whereby regulators—the Environment Agency and the borough and district councils, or unitary authorities—can require the prevention or abatement of contamination. We do not believe that there is a need for radical change to the effect of these provisions nor to the underlying incidence of financial liability. There is, however, a need for greater clarity and certainty, based on the principle that costs should as far as possible follow responsibility.

  The overall aim will be for the regulatory authorities to work with private and public sector organisations to promote the treatment of contaminated land and, where possible, the productive re-use of such sites. English Partnerships and the Welsh Development Agency will continue to have important roles in tackling dereliction and the treatment of contaminated sites.

  Home owners and small firms may face particular difficulties both in assessing their potential liabilities for contamination and in meeting any liabilities which they might have acquired unwittingly. We are keen, therefore to see improvements in the effectiveness of the conveyancing process. Guidance published by the Department of the Environment and the proposed agency should also make it easier for people to both predict and address their problems. Regulatory authorities will also be required to consider questions of hardship resulting from their enforcement of environmental obligations.

  Financial institutions expressed concerns during our review that they might be held responsible for the actions of their clients or the companies for which they act. We have no intention of pursuing a "deep pockets" approach to liability. Whilst financial institutions should not be shielded from normal commercial risks, they should not be subject to potentially open-ended liabilities resulting from damage for which they were not responsible. To the extent that there are any uncertainties in the existing statutory provisions, we shall clarify them.

  In "Paying for our Past" we said that, in the light of the emerging conclusions of the review, we would re-assess the justification for the present unique statutory exemptions in respect of water escaping from abandoned mines which pollutes controlled waters. In view of the concerns that have been expressed about water pollution from abandoned mines, we shall propose legislative amendments to remove the existing statutory defence and exemptions for mines abandoned after the end of 1999 so that the agency will have the same powers for those mines as for other discharges.

  We shall also propose a duty on mine operators to give the agency six months' notice of any proposed abandonment. This will provide an additional safeguard to ensure that when mines are abandoned this is done in a responsible manner with full regard to the effects on the water environment.

  These provisions on abandoned mines will end a long-standing anomaly and enhance the agency's ability to tackle and prevent pollution.

  The regulatory authorities will have the task of identifying problems caused by contamination and

  247
  establishing priorities for dealing with them. In the light of this, we do not consider that a general register of land subject to potentially contaminative uses is warranted, and we propose to repeal section 143 of the Environment Protection Act 1990.

  At the time that the review was announced, there were also concerns about the application of the common law to civil liabilities for contamination. Following the House of Lords judgment in the case of Cambridge Water Company v. Eastern Counties Leather plc we believe that the law in this area is now better understood and provides a sensible balance between the interest of all potential parties. Accordingly, we do not propose legislative amendments to the common law.

  We are very grateful to the 349 individuals and organisations who responded to our consultation paper, "Paying for our Past". A summary of the responses and a list of those who agreed for their responses to be made public has been placed in the Library of the House, and reference copies of their responses have been placed in the DOE library. Responses relating specifically to Wales have been placed in the Welsh Office library.

  The Government's proposals are set out in detail in the paper, "Framework for Contaminated Land", which I have placed in the Library of the House and the Vote Office. They should lead to greater certainty and confidence in the market, helping ensure that contaminated land is brought back into productive use and that environmental hazards are removed.

  The necessary legislative provisions will be published shortly in the Environment Agencies Bill.

  Lobbying Companies
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the guidelines issued by his Department to regulate relationships with lobbying companies.

  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  "Questions of Procedure for Ministers" states the general principles of conduct applying to Ministers.

  Conditions of service for the staff of my Department incorporate the general principles of conduct that require civil servants not to misuse information which they acquire in the course of their official duties; to be impartial in carrying out their official duties; not to make use of their official position to further their private interests or those of others, and not to accept favours or benefits of any kind from a third party which might be seen to compromise their personal judgment or integrity. These principles and guidance are set out in the Department's "Staff Handbook" and are in accord with the requirements of the civil service management code.

  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list and date those occasions over the last two years when Ministers or officials in his Department have met lobbying companies prior to a decision being made on the subject of the meeting with the lobbying company.

  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  This information is not held centrally in my Department and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Next Steps Agencies
  Mr. Kaufman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the salary and other emoluments of the civil servant who did the work of, or work comparable to that of, the chief executive of each next steps agency established by his Department before the agency was established.

  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  This Department has five next steps agencies—the Building Research Establishment, the Planning Inspectorate, the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre, the Security Facilities Executive and the Buying Agency. The salary of the official in the post equivalent to that of chief executive in the month before the creation of each agency was as follows:

  BRE (March 1990) £39,300 (+£2,000 London Allowance)

  PINS (March 1992 £48,000

  QEII CC (June 1989) £32,826 (+£1,750 London Weighting)

  SAFE (September 1993) £45,959 (+£1,776 London Weighting)

  TBA (October 1991 £39,402

  All these officials were paid under the normal arrangements for their respective civil service grade, and were not in receipt of any other emoluments.

  Police Budget, Merseyside
  Mr. Parry
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what effect the cutting in the police budget will have on Merseyside council tax payers over the next five financial years.

  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  The level of the police budget on Merseyside, and its effect on council tax payers, is a matter for the Merseyside police authority.

  Town Twinning
  Mr. Radice
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many cities and towns in England are twinned with German cities and towns.

  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  My Department does not collect this information.

  Property Valuations
  Mrs. Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to introduce measures to appoint the Scottish rating assessors for the purposes of valuation of properties for rating purposes in England and Wales.

  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  My right hon. Friend has no plans to do so.

  Scottish Assessors Association
  Mrs. Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has met or intends to meet representatives of the Scottish Assessors Association; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  My right hon. Friend has not met representatives of the association, nor does he have plans to do so.

  National Environmental Code of Practice
  Mr. Welsh
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of the economic impact of the national voluntary environmental code of practice on businesses; if he will list the
  249
  businesses which have agreed to follow the national environmental code of practice; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Atkins
  The are a number of voluntary codes—promoted by, for example, individual industries, the International Chamber of Commerce, and the CBI—through which a commitment to environmental management may be demonstrated.

  The Government welcome such voluntary initiatives: the more industry chooses to operate in a sustainable manner, the less need there will be for Government to regulate.

  New Century House
  Mr. Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when New Century house on Westminster Bridge road was vacated; what has been the cost of maintenance since then; and what plans his Department has for the building.

  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  Century house, Westminster Bridge road was vacated on 1 August 1994. Maintenance payments since that date total £47,657.38.

  Negotiations with the landlord and the planning authority are in hand to enable the building to be used as an emergency shelter by the Construction Industry Relief and Assistance for the Single Homeless—CRASH—during the winter of 1994–95.

  A Government Department has expressed some interest in using the building after then and refurbishment. Value for money studies are currently being undertaken. It is being offered to other Departments and will be placed on the open market if no long-term user can be found within Government.

  Houses (Heating)
  Mrs. Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will estimate the percentage of extra fuel which is required to heat identical houses in(a) Edinburgh, (b) Glasgow, (c) Aberdeen, (d) Dundee, (e) Lerwick and (f) Braemar, taking Bristol as the base; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  The percentage of extra fuel required to heat a typical semi-detached house with gas central heating is as follows for each of the specified locations:(a) Edinburgh +28 per cent., (b) Glasgow +23 per cent,. (c) Aberdeen +41 per cent., (d) Dundee +32 per cent., (e) Lerwick +53 per cent. and (f) Braemer +66 per cent.

  These figures have been calculated using the Building Research Establishment domestic model, BREDEM.

  English Partnerships
  Mr. Day
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on English Partnerships' role and progress.

  Mr. William Powell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the role and progress of English Partnerships.

  Mr. Curry
  English Partnerships is making excellent progress, demonstrated by the launch today of its "Investment Guide", explaining how developers, and others in the public, private and voluntary sectors can 250
  access its advice and resources to deliver effective and lasting regeneration.

  English Partnerships was set up under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993. Its remit, informed by the Secretary of State's guidance issued in April 1994, is to promote the regeneration of areas of need, across England, through the reclamation and development of derelict or vacant land and buildings.

  English Partnerships was formed on 10 November 1993 and immediately assumed responsibility for administering the city grant programme; but only came into full operation on 1 April 1994, when it took over, in addition, the management of derelict land grant and the English Estates development programme, previously overseen by the Department of Trade and Industry.

  In that short time English Partnerships, under Lord Walker's chairmanship, has made very substantial progress. It has announced a £122 million land reclamation programme; and has already approved 285 separate regeneration projects with a total English Partnerships investment of £200 million. This includes English Partnerships' key role in facilitating Samsung's £600 million inward investment at Cleveland, which will generate 3,000 jobs.

  English Partnerships has now appointed six regional directors to a network of offices covering the whole of England. They will plan and deliver support for regeneration, working closely with the private sector, local authorities and communities; and liaising with the Government offices for the regions on projects within the single regeneration budget, main programmes relevant to regeneration and opportunities for European funding.

  English Partnerships' "Investment Guide", a copy of which I am depositing in the Library, builds on that foundation. The guide explains the integrated approach which English Partnerships will follow and, in particular, its new unified regime for supporting regeneration strategies and projects, which will supersede the programmes it inherited. Building on the freedoms provided by the Government's private finance initiative, the new regime ensures that English Partnerships can operate as a strategic partner and investor in regeneration through a flexible mix of instruments—including grants, loans, guarantees and joint ventures—tailored to the particular needs and opportunities each project presents. Existing city grant, derelict land grant and English Estates commitments will be met.

  The guide marks an important milestone. English Partnerships will now be building on its success, working with private, public and voluntary sector partners to deliver the employment and environmental benefits flowing from successful regeneration.

  Housing Revenue Account
  Mr. Walter Sweeney
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he proposes to issue the draft housing revenue account subsidy determinations for 1995–96.

  Mr. Curry
  The draft housing revenue account subsidy determinations for 1995–96 have been issued today and local authorities have been invited to let my Department have their views by 15 December 1994.

  The proposed average guideline rent for 1995–96 is £33.82 a week nationally; an average increase of £2.28 a week on this year, 1994–95. Increase range between £1.82

  251
  a week in authorities with relatively low value housing and £2.82 in authorities with high value stock.

  The average management and maintenance allowance per dwelling would increase by 3.75 per cent.—an extra £125 million nationally—which would take total M and M provision to £3,445 million. These extra resources would benefit 216 authorities, whose present M and M allowance is below the Government's assessment of their relative need to spend. As a result, each authority's allowance would be a minimum of 97 per cent. of their target.

  These proposals strike a reasonable balance between the need to contain public expenditure and the need to ensure council tenants receive decent services at acceptable cost. The percentage increase in guideline rents is lower than in 1994–95, while the extra provision for management and maintenance expenditure means that it should be possible to improve services in many areas. Nearly 80 per cent. of tenants stand to gain from the higher management and maintenance allowances.

  Local authorities determine their own expenditure and set their own rents. But I hope that they will follow the Government's lead in adopting a balanced approach, and will respond positively to our proposals.

  Ministerial Travel
  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment during how many of the overseas visits made by Ministers in his Department between 1 January and 30 June 1994 those Ministers participated in fund-raising activities for the Conservative party; and if he will list the Ministers and the countries in which those activities took place.

  Mr. Gummer
  [holding answer 21 November 1994]: Between 1 January and 30 June 1994, Ministers in my Department made 21 overseas visits in their official capacity. Fund-raising activities for the Conservative party are not part of our official duties.

  Disabled People
  Mr. Pickthall
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what account he is taking of the needs of deaf people for assistance to live in the community in his consideration of legislation to assist people with disabilities.

  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  [holding answer 23 November 1994]: Part M of the building regulations, which contains requirements relating to access facilities for disabled people in non-domestic buildings, was revised in 1992 and extended to cover provisions to assist people with impaired hearing. The regulations at present apply to new buildings and most extensions. The building regulations advisory committee is considering whether these provisions should be extended to include where alteration work is proposed to existing buildings.

  Non-domestic Council Tax
  Mr. Pickthall
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to relieve owners of unlet shops from non-domestic council tax to bring them in line with owners of warehouses and industrial units.

  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  [holding answer 23 November 1994]: I have no such plans.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Education
  Mr. Beggs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish details of the annual costs to(a) the Department of Education and (b) education and library boards in Northern Ireland related to the transfer procedure in each of the last three years for which records are available.

  Mr. Ancram
  The information is as follows:

  £000

  1991–92

  1992–93

  1993–94

  Department of Education1

  143

  156

  246

  Education and Library Boards

  454

  485

  508

  1 Excludes teacher substitution for the completion of Transfer Report forms, which cannot be identified separately but includes the cost of appeals regarding placements in grammar and non-grammar secondary schools.

  Legal Students (Exam Results)
  Mr. Beggs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many students in Northern Ireland were dissatisfied with the advanced level grades allocated to them and asked for their papers to be re-marked in each of the last three years; and in how many cases original marks were(a) upgraded, (b) downgraded and (c) unchanged.

  Mr. Ancram
  The information is as follows:

  Requests for re-mark of Northern Ireland GCE A Level papers

  1992

  1993

  1994

  Total Requests

  1,401

  1,333

  1,148

  Results Upgraded

  122

  98

  82

  Results Unchanged

  1,279

  1,235

  1,066

  Note:

  It is not the council's policy to reduce the grade originally awarded to an examination candidate. The information relates to examinations conducted by the Northern Ireland Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (formerly the Northern Ireland Schools Examinations and Assessment Council.

  Prison Privatisation
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish the present list of Her Majesty's prisons in Northern Ireland which are now under consideration for privatisation.

  Sir John Wheeler
  The Northern Ireland Office has responsibility for four prisons and a young offenders centre, none of which are under consideration for privatisation.

  Pupil-Teacher Ratios
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what were the pupil-teacher ratios for(a) 1992–93 and (b) 1993–94 for public sector (i) nursery schools, (ii) primary schools, (iii) secondary schools, (iv) non-maintained schools, (v) special schools and (vi) all schools; and whether these figures include unqualified teachers.
  253
  Mr. Ancram
  The information requested is as follows:

  1992–93

  1993–94

  (i) Nursery

  24:4

  24:7

  (ii) Primary

  22:2

  21:6

  (iii) Secondary

  15:3

  15:2

  (iv) Non-maintained1

  —

  —

  (v) Special

  6:9

  6:8

  (vi) All schools

  18:2

  17:9

  Note:

  1 Northern Ireland does not have any schools in this category. The figures do not include unqualified teachers.

  Livestock
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many of the personnel licensed to export livestock from Aldergrove have previous convictions for offences relating to the welfare of livestock.

  Mr. Ancram
  There is no requirement for such personnel to be licensed. I am satisfied that the principals involved in the recent export of animals from Aldergrove have no past convictions for welfare offences.

  Before any consignment leaves Northern Ireland the Department carries out checks to determine that the facilities for the export of the livestock are sufficient to ensure that the welfare of the animals can be properly safeguarded throughout the journey.

  Next Steps Agencies
  Mr. Kaufman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the salary and other emoluments of the civil servant who did the work of, or work comparable to that of, the chief executive of each next steps agency established by his Department before the agency was established.

  Sir John Wheeler
  In some cases, the work currently carried out by the chief executive was not carried out by a single individual before the establishment of the agency and in these cases salaries have been estimated.

  Agency

  Salary £

  Emoluments

  Training and Employment Agency

  43,100

  NIL

  Rate Collection Agency

  28,619

  NIL

  Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland

  46,122

  NIL

  Driver and Vehicle Testing Agency

  22,761

  NIL

  Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency

  34,898

  NIL

  Child Support Agency

  1—

  —

  Social Security Agency

  45,690

  NIL

  Valuation and Lands Agency

  54,000

  NIL

  Compensation Agency

  42,724

  NIL

  Note:

  1 No comparable post in DHSS (Northern Ireland)

  Residential Care Homes
  Mr. Mallon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to introduce a grading system to establish the quality of facilities and services in private nursing homes.

  Mr. Moss
  None. I am satisfied with the present arrangements under which the registration and inspection units of the four health and social services boards are 254
  responsible for setting and inspecting the standards of facilities and services provided in all residential care and nursing homes.

  Electricity Interconnector
  Mr. Mallon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans exist for the reinstatement of the cross-border electricity interconnector.

  Mr. Ancram
  The reinstatement of the cross-border electricity interconnector is a matter for Northern Ireland Electricity and the Electricity Supply Board in the Republic of Ireland. I understand, however, that an announcement on the future of the interconnector is imminent.

  Hospital Waiting Lists
  Mr. Mallon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the average waiting period for patients needing hip replacement treatment, at each hospital where this operation is provided; and what steps are being taken to reduce the waiting period.

  Mr. Moss
  It is not possible to provide an average waiting period for patients still waiting for treatment. It is usual instead to refer to median waiting times, which indicate the length of time the middle person on the list has been waiting. This information is not available for the specific procedure of hip replacement but it is available for the speciality of trauma and orthopaedics and is as follows:

  Hospital

  Median Waiting Time. Months

  Altnagelvin

  3–5

  Belfast City

  6–8

  Musgrave Park

  3–5

  Ulster

  0–2

  A total of £10 million was made available last year spread over three years to reduce waiting lists in all specialities. As a result, the number waiting more than 18 months in the trauma and orthopaedics speciality has reduced from 367 in September 1993 to 84 in September 1994, and we expect no patient to have to wait more than 18 months by 1 April 1995.

  Lobbying Companies
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the guidelines issued by his Department to regulate relationships with lobbying companies.

  Sir John Wheeler
  While no specific guidelines have been issued, the conditions of service for the staff of the Northern Ireland Office and Northern Ireland Departments incorporate the general principles of conduct that require civil servants not to misuse information which they acquire in the course of their duties; not to make use of their official position to further their private interests or those of others; and not to receive gifts, hospitality or benefits of any kind from a third party, which might be seen to compromise their personal judgment or integrity.

  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list and date those occasions in the last two years when Ministers or officials in his Department have met lobbying companies, prior to a
  255
  decision being made on the subject of the meeting with the lobbying company.

  Sir John Wheeler
  None.

  International Fund for Ireland
  Mr. Nicholas Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland during what period Mr. John McGuckian was chairman of the International Fund for Ireland; by whom he was appointed to that position; and what were his given reasons for resigning.

  Sir John Wheeler
  Mr. McGuckian served as chairman of the International Fund for Ireland from 1 October 1989 to 31 December 1992. The board of the fund, including the chairman, is appointed jointly by the British and Irish Governments and normally serves a three-year term. On this occasion the term of appointment for Mr. McGuckian and the other board members was extended by three months for operational reasons. A new chairman and board were appointed on 1 January 1993.

  Mr. Nicholas Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) if he will list the occasions when grant from the International Fund for Ireland was paid to a business in which(a) one of the fund's board members or (b) the spouse, sibling or son or daughter of one of the fund's board members was a shareholder or director;

  (2) if he will list all grants of over £10,000 made by the International Fund for Ireland since it was established; how precisely each grant furthers the aims of promoting reconciliation between Roman Catholics and Protestants; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir John Wheeler
  The International Fund for Ireland is an international organisation established by the British and Irish Governments and administered by an independent board appointed jointly by the two Governments. All decisions on disbursements by the fund are a matter for that board and questions regarding disbursements should be directed to the fund's chairman, Mr. William T. McCarter, PO Box 2000, Belfast, BT4 3SA. I understand, however, that the fund provides full details of all offers of assistance in its annual reports, copies of which are available in the Library.

  Mr. Nicholas Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the purpose of the International Fund for Ireland; how much money it has received from(a) the British Government, (b) the Irish Government and (c) other public sector sources in each year since it was established; and for what those funds were used.

  Sir John Wheeler
  The International Fund for Ireland was established in 1986 by the British and Irish Governments with the twin objectives of promoting economic and social advance and to encourage contact, dialogue and reconciliation between Nationalists and Unionists throughout Ireland. The fund is resourced by contributions from the United States of America, the European Union, Canada, New Zealand and more recently Australia has also agreed to contribute to the fund. The British and Irish Governments do not contribute to the fund's resources nor is any funded provided from other public sector sources. Under the terms of the agreement establishing the fund, the two Governments provide the accommodation and secretarial services necessary for the proper functioning of the fund, together with its general administrative and organisational expenses.

  DeLorean Motor Car Company
  Mr. Nicholas Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what sums were paid and when by(a) the Northern Ireland industrial development board, (b) the International Fund for Ireland or (c) other public sector bodies to the DeLorean Motor Car Company.

  Mr. Ancram
  DeLorean Motor Cars Ltd.—DMCL— received a total of £77.3 million from the industrial development board's predecessors, the Department of Commerce and the Northern Ireland development agency, on various dates between August 1978 and April 1982. Information on training grants paid to DMCL is not readily available but my noble Friend will write to the hon. Gentleman in due course with the details.

  The International Fund for Ireland was not in existence during the lifetime of DMCL.

  Forensic Science Laboratory
  Sir Michael Grylls
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when the prior options study of the Northern Ireland forensic science laboratory was completed; and what was the outcome of the study.

  Sir Patrick Mayhew
  On 18 January 1994, my right hon. Friend the Member for Westminster, North (Sir J. Wheeler) announced that the prior options study of the Northern Ireland forensic service laboratory—NIFSL— was coming close to completion, and that if agency status were agreed for the service, a further announcement would be made,Official Report, columns 521–22. The prior options study has been completed and I have decided that NIFSL should become an executive agency by 1 September 1995.

  Royal Ulster Constabulary
  Sir Michael Grylls
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he expects to publish the 1994 report on the Royal Ulster Constabulary by Her Majesty's inspector of constabulary.

  Sir Patrick Mayhew
  Copies of the 1994 inspection report, which is the second RUC inspection report to be published, have today been placed in the Library.

  I am grateful to Her Majesty's inspector for the report and am pleased to note that overall he regards the force as efficient. I welcome the findings and will be considering the report's recommendations carefully.

  HMIC inspections offer the opportunity of professional examination of policing policies and priorities. This inspection form part of an on-going programme intended to examine over succeeding years various aspects of police management. It is the second in the series and has concentrated on a limited number of areas selected because of their contribution to the effectiveness arid efficiency of operational policing.

  Rail Services
  Sir Michael Grylls
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what progress has been made towards implementation of the recommendations contained in the Monopolies and Mergers Commission's report of December 1990 on rail services in Northern Ireland provided by Northern Ireland Railways Company Ltd. and if he will make a statement.
  257
  Mr. Moss
  I have today placed in the Library of the House the third and final response to the report which has been prepared by the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland in consultation with Northern Ireland Railways and the Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company. I am pleased to confirm that good progress has been made on the implementation of the Monopoly and Mergers Commission's recommendations since this matter was last reported to the House in January 1993. The response now indicates that 31 of the 34 recommendations made by the MMC have been fully implemented and that the remaining three recommendations have been accepted and their implementation is ongoing.

  The rail passenger's charter, first published in November 1992, reaffirms NIR's commitment to providing a quality rail service which is safe, efficient, and competitive in satisfying the needs of customers. Monitoring of the charter standards has enabled marketing efforts to be focused on those areas which can be improved as well as those which are considered most important by customers such as reliability, punctuality and cleanliness.

  Considerable effort has gone into improving communications within the company and new negotiating and consultative procedures are now in operation. I am confident that the company is dedicated to achieving further improvements in standards, better value for money and the provision of a more attractive service to customers.

CHURCH COMMISSIONERS

  Clerical Resignations
  Mr. Byers
  To ask the right hon. Member for Selby, as representing the Church Commissioners how many clerics have resigned and are claiming severance pay as a consequence of the ordination of women priests; how many resignations there have been in each diocese; and what is the cost in severance pay so far awarded and projected costs in 1995 and 1996.

  Mr. Alison
  As at 31 October 1994, 215 men eligible for financial provision had resigned; they have so far received a total of £1.9 million from re-settlement grants and continuing periodic payments. The following schedule gives a breakdown of numbers by diocese.

  On current projections we expect the cost to be £2.3 million in 1994, about £3.5 million in 1995 and about £3.0 million in 1996.

  Ordination of Women Measure

  Resigners at 31 October 1994

  Bath and Wells

  8

  Birmingham

  3

  Blackburn

  2

  Bradford

  —

  Bristol

  —

  Canterbury

  3

  Carlisle

  2

  Chelmsford

  12

  Chester

  2

  Chichester

  9

  Coventry

  1

  Derby

  4

  Durham

  10

  258

  Ordination of Women Measure

  Resigners at 31 October 1994

  Ely

  2

  Exeter

  6

  Gloucester

  3

  Guildford

  1

  Hereford

  1

  Leicester

  6

  Lichfield

  13

  Lincoln

  6

  Liverpool

  1

  London

  14

  Manchester

  10

  Newcastle

  2

  Norwich

  4

  Oxford

  8

  Peterborough

  7

  Portsmouth

  1

  Ripon

  4

  Rochester

  6

  St Albans

  2

  St Eds & Ips

  4

  Salisbury

  4

  Sheffield

  8

  Sodor amp; Man

  1

  Southwark

  6

  Southwell

  4

  Truro

  13

  Wakefield

  9

  Winchester

  3

  Worcester

  1

  York

  3

  Other

  6

TRANSPORT

  Quangos
  Mr. Sykes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which quangos his Department has abolished since 1979.

  Mr. Norris
  The non-departmental public bodies that my Department has abolished or declassified since 1979 are as follows:

  Advanced Ground Transport Working Group

  Advisory Committee on Motor Cycle Rider Training

  Air Travel Reserve Fund Agency

  Commissioners of Irish Lights

  Disciplinary Inquiry under s471 of the Merchant Shipping Act 1894

  Freight Integration Council

  Honorary Medical Advisory Panel for Driving and Disorders of the Nervous System

  Inquiry on Lorries, People and the Environment

  Landscape Advisory Committee

  London Rail Advisory Committee

  Motor Rallies Advisory Committee

  National Ports Council

  Pilotage Commission

  Railways and Coastal Shipping Committee

  Red Sea Lights Company Limited

  Road Safety Education Development Unit

  Standing Advisory Committee on the Carriage of Dangerous Goods in Ships

  Transport and Road Research Laboratory Advisory Committee Working Party on Medical Standards for HGV and PSV Drivers

  Mr. Sykes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many quangos his Department was responsible for(a) in 1979 and (b) in the latest year for which a number is available.
  259
  Mr. Norris
  (a) Some 15 non-departmental public bodies in 1979, as listed in "Report on Non-Departmental Public Bodies", Cm 7797, January 1980; and (b) eight non-departmental public bodies at 1 April 1993, as shown in "Public Bodies 1993".

  Roads
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make it his policy to subject all road construction proposals to environmental assessment.

  Mr. Watts
  Environmental assessment is already required by law for all proposals for the construction of motorways and for all other road construction proposals which are likely to have significant effects on the environment.

  Sustainable Transport
  Dr. Twinn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport to what extent the evaluation and assessment of highway and traffic management schemes need to be changed to meet his objectives of sustainable transport.

  Mr. Watts
  Existing procedures for the evaluation and assessment of highway and traffic management schemes provide for this evaluation of economic, safety and environmental factors and for an appropriate balance to be struck. These procedures are kept under review and updated as necessary.

  Bypasses
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make it his policy to undertake comparative studies of representative towns and villages before and after the completion of bypasses, in order to improve understanding of their environmental and other effects.

  Mr. Watts
  For all its road improvements, including bypasses, the Department of Transport compares forecast traffic with the actual traffic after opening.

  Highways Agency
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what level of funding has been set aside to fund(a) the cost to redundancies and (b) the restructuring of the Highways Agency.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Funding for the Highways Agency's redundancy and restructuring costs will form part of its running costs and administrative capital expenditure for 1995–96 and subsequent years, subject to 80 per cent. of the cost of redundancies being met from the central civil

  Numbers of licensed cars and lorries by type of fuel used

  cars1

  millions lorries2

  petrol

  diesel

  petrol

  diesel

  year3

  unleaded

  leaded

  1989

  5.85

  12.89

  0.51

  4—

  0.43

  1990

  7.83

  11.28

  0.62

  4—

  0.45

  1992

  9.96

  9.24

  0.91

  4—

  0.39

  1993

  10.70

  8.22

  1.19

  4—

  0.38

  1 Cars within the private and light goods tax class.

  2 General goods vehicles with gross weights more than 3.5 tonnes.

  3 Figures relate to the 31 December of each year.

  4 Negligible, less than 5,000.

  A few vehicles are not powered by petrol or diesel (ie powered by electricity, steam, gas etc) and these are excluded from the table.
  260
  superannuation vote as announced in paragraph 3.36 of "The Civil Service: Continuity and Change" (Cm 2627).

  Part-worn Tyres
  Mr Lewis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to regulate the trade in part-worn tyres for motor vehicles.

  Mr. Norris
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. member for Wolverhampton, North-East (Mr. Purchase) at column 119.

  Special Advisers
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement concerning the cost to public funds of employing ministerial special advisers in his Department.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  My Department employs one special adviser.

  Salaries for special advisers are negotiated individually in relation to their previous earnings, and are confidential. They are however, normally paid on a special advisers' salary spine of 34 points, ranging from £19,503 to £67,609. Appointments are non-pensionable and the salary spine reflects this.

  Smart Cards
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the items of data stored on the experimental payment smart card which was used by London Transport buses in Harrow; and if holders of smart cards were informed of all these items of data and of all the purposes for which the data were to be used.

  Mr. Norris
  The smart cards in use on London Transport's trial in Harrow store the serial number of the card, the name of the cardholder, the validity of the card—for example travelcard for use in zones 2–5—and the date when its validity expires. LT has registered the trial in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1984.

  Petrol
  Ms Coffey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the numbers of(a) cars and (b) lorries using (i) leaded petrol, (ii) unleaded petrol and (iii) diesel in (1) 1989–90, (2) 1990–91, (3) 1992–93 and (4) for the latest date information is available.

  Mr. Norris
  No estimates of the number of lorries using unleaded and leaded petrol are available. The number of petrol-fuelled lorries is very small—presently about 3,000 vehicles. They are usually small and account for less than 1 per cent. of petrol used.

  The other data requested are in the table:

  Lobbying Companies
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list and date those occasions over the last two years when Ministers or officials in his Department have met lobbying companies, prior to a decision being made on the subject of the meeting with the lobbying company.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  This information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the guidelines issued by his Department to regulate relationships with lobbying companies.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The Department maintains strict rules on conduct and propriety which cover all external organisations. They are set out in a number of documents, notably the "Staff Handbook", "Government Accounting" and in local instructions.

  Next Steps Agencies
  Mr. Kaufman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the salary and other emoluments of the civil servant who did the work of, or work comparable to that of, the chief executive of each next steps agency established by his Department before the agency was established.

  Mr. Norris
  The following is the information:

  Agency

  Salary1£

  The Coastguard Agency

  2—

  Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (1990)

  40,900

  Driving Standards Agency (1990)

  37,186

  Highways Agency

  2—

  Marine Safety Agency (1992)

  48,856

  Transport Research Laboratory (1991)

  48,415

  Vehicle Certification Agency (1990)

  33,991

  Vehicle Inspectorate (1988)

  30,644

  1 No emoluments were paid.

  2 There is no direct comparison between the Current Chief Executives of the Coastguard and Highways Agencies and those civicl servants who carried out the work previously as the work and responsibilities were significantly reorganised within the Department.

  Vehicles
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will take steps to amend the road vehicle construction and use regulations or the road vehicle registration and licensing regulations in order to ensure that any vehicle which has been seriously damaged in an accident will require notification to be given the DVLA concerning its drivability, and for the road licence for such a vehicle to be withdrawn pending either its certified scrapping by an authorised dealer or its certification of road worthiness by an appropriate authority; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) if he will make it a criminal offence for any vehicle to be rebuilt, and to be put back on the roads without
  262
  being first approved by an authorised inspector's agency following a road accident.

  Mr. Norris
  No. I am not aware of any evidence that rebuilt vehicles represent a particular threat to road safety.

  Service Stations
  Sir David Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is his Department's standard for the desirable distance between service stations on M roads and other major routes.

  Mr. Watts
  This is an operational matter for the Highways Agency. I have asked the chief executive to write to my hon. Friend.

  Letter from Lawrie Haynes to Sir David Mitchell, dated 24 November 1994:
  Your Parliamentary Question about the spacing of services on motorways and other major routes is a matter for the Highways Agency. It has therefore been passed to me for reply.
  Until 1992 the Department of Transport was itself responsible for promoting new MSAs, and its policy was to provide them at intervals of around thirty miles, or half an hour's driving time, throughout the motorway network. Following criticism that this policy was not delivering MSAs quickly enough, particularly on the more recently completed motorways such as the M25 and M40, Ministers announced a new policy in August 1992. Under these arrangements it is now for the private sector to bring forward proposals for new MSAs. At the same time the minimum spacing has been reduced from about thirty miles to around fifteen.
  The fifteen mile minimum is, however, neither a target nor an absolute limit. On the one hand we recognise that there are stretches of motorway where either demand is unlikely ever to support MSAs every fifteen miles, or where planning constraints will dictate a lesser frequency. On the other hand, we are prepared to be flexible in applying the fifteen mile minimum, for example where existing MSAs are a little less than thirty miles apart and a new one is proposed roughly half way between them.
  Services on other trunk roads, for which the Secretary of State for Transport is the highway authority, have always been a commercial matter for the private sector who are encouraged to provide comprehensive facilities. Local authorities are encouraged to work with the private sector in identifying suitable locations.
  There are no standard rules about spacing, though guidance has been issued to local planning authorities in Circular Roads 4/88 "The Control of Development on Trunk Roads". This is widely available to developers, a copy is also in the Library.
  The Circular advises that half an hour's driving time, or 25 miles, should be regarded as the maximum which any driver should have to travel without the availability of fuel, refreshment, toilet and parking facilities. However, on trunk roads where high average speeds normally obtain, it will not in general be unreasonable to expect a driver to travel at least 12 miles before reaching petrol filling and related facilities. Shorter intervals may be warranted in other circumstances. This is also covered in the Circular.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

  Next Steps Agencies
  Mr. Kaufman
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list the salary and other emoluments of the civil servant who did the work of, or work comparable to that of, the chief executive of each next steps agency established by his Department before the agency was established.
  263
  Mr. Robert G. Jones
  The information is as follows:

  Agency

  Salary and emoluments of civil servant immediately prior to creation of agency £

  Date agency created

  Chessington Computer Centre

  48,646

  1 April 1993

  Civil Service College

  42,900

  6 June 1989

  Occupational Health Service

  50,900

  2 April 1990

  Recruitment and Assessment Services

  53,659

  2 April 1991

  Central Office of Information

  41,496

  5 April 1990

  Her Majesty's Stationery Office

  48,000

  14 December 1988

NATIONAL HERITAGE

  Information Service
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what is the cost of the pilot information service the Government are currently developing; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Robert G. Hughes
  I have been asked to reply.

  CCTA's pilot government information service makes available a range of information about public services through the global Internet. The total cost in terms of computer hardware, software and communications infrastructure amounts to under £50,000.

  Information Super-highway
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if his Department will formally respond to the European Commission's proposals for a European information super-highway.

  Mr. Dorrell
  Government policy in relation to the European Commission's proposals for development of the information society is being co-ordinated by the Department of Trade and Industry. My Department will, of course, continue to consider the implications of technological innovation when formulating the policies for which it is responsible.

  Special Advisers
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will make a statement concerning the cost to public funds of employing ministerial special advisers in his Department.

  Mr. Dorrell
  My Department does not employ any special advisers.

  BBC
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of state for National Heritage if his Department will consider the status of independent producers within the BBC's programme commissioning procedure in the forthcoming legislation on the future of the BBC.
  264
  Mr. Dorrell
  Under the terms of the Broadcasting Act 1990, the BBC is required to commission 25 per cent. of its qualifying television output from independent production companies. There are at present no plans to change this requirement. The BBC's commissioning procedure is a matter for the BBC.

  Freedom of Information
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if his Department will review the need for a freedom of information Act when it decides to legislate to protect privacy.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The Government's proposals on access to information held by public authorities were set out in the White Paper "Open Government" (Cm 2290), published in July 1993. I understand that my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster has no present plans to review the need for a freedom of information Act. The Government's conclusions on protection of privacy will be set out in their response the National Heritage Committee's report on privacy and media intrusion.

  Independent Television News
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what plans he has to examine the procedure by which the Independent Television Commission came to its decision last week on the ownership of ITN.

  Mr. Dorrell
  None. The procedure by which the Independent Television Commission comes to decisions is entirely a matter for the Independent Television Commission.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  Next Steps Agencies
  Mr. Kaufman
  To ask the Attorney-General if he will list the salary and other emoluments of the civil servant who did the work of, or work comparable to that of, the chief executive of each next steps agency established by his Department before the agency was established.

  The Attorney-General
  The present chief executive of the Government Property Lawyers agency, Mr. Tony Osborne, is the relevant civil servant and he was paid at the rate of £56,410 per annum immediately before the agency was established on 1 April 1993.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION

  Pergau Dam
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what legal advice he was given before making the decision to approve the expenditure from the aid budget and the budget for the Pergau dam project.

  Mr. Baldry
  [holding answer 23 November 1994]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer my hon. Friend the Member for Morecambe and Lunesdale (Sir M. Lennox-Boyd) gave on 22 April, Official Report, column 699 to the Member for Clydebank and Milngavie (Mr. Worthington). No legal advice was given before my right

  265
  hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary took the decision to support the Pergau dam project.

EMPLOYMENT

  Unemployed People (Qualifications)
  Mr. Barron
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the percentage of those unemployed for(a) more than one year and (b) more than two years who have no academic or vocational qualifications; and what was the percentage in each of the last 10 years.

  Mr. Oppenheim
  The information is available from the labour force survey and is given in the following table:

  Percentage of those of working age who have been ILO unemployed for more than one and two years who have no academic or vocational qualifications

  Not seasonally adjusted-Great Britain (per cent.)

  Quarter

  Unemployed for over 1 year

  Unemployed for over 2 years

  Spring 1984

  58.4

  62.6

  Spring 1985

  56.4

  59.8

  Spring 1986

  55.8

  60.6

  Spring 1987

  55.9

  60.6

  Spring 1988

  58.0

  62.8

  Spring 1989

  55.4

  59.1

  Spring 1990

  56.2

  60.3

  Spring 1991

  53.6

  60.2

  Spring 1992

  45.7

  54.3

  Spring 1993

  41.9

  48.2

  Spring 1994

  37.7

  41.8

  Source:

  Labour Force Survey.

  Mr. Barron
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the percentage of those with no academic or vocational qualifications who have been unemployed for more than one year; and what was the percentage in each of the last 10 years.

  Mr. Oppenheim
  The information is available from the labour force survey and is given in the following table:

  Not seasonally adjusted—Great Britain all people of working age

  Quarter

  Proportion of those with no qualifications ILO unemployed for over one year Per cent.

  Spring 1984

  6.3

  Spring 1985

  6.1

  Spring 1986

  5.9

  Spring 1987

  5.8

  Spring 1988

  4.8

  Spring 1989

  3.6

  Spring 1990

  3.2

  Spring 1991

  3.1

  Spring 1992

  4.4

  Spring 1993

  5.4

  Spring 1994

  5.7

  Source:

  Labour Force Survey.

  Mr. Barron
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the rate of unemployment among those with no academic or vocational qualification for(a) males and (b) females; and what was the rate in each of the last 10 years.
  266
  Mr. Oppenheim
  The information is available from the labour force survey and is given in the following table:

  ILO Unemployment rates amongst those of working age with no academic or vocational qualifications

  Not seasonally adjusted-Great Britain (Per Cent.)

  Quarter

  Males

  Females

  Spring 1984

  18.2

  13.4

  Spring 1985

  17.8

  12.7

  Spring 1986

  17.8

  12.5

  Spring 1987

  18.2

  12.8

  Spring 1988

  15.5

  11.0

  Spring 1989

  13.3

  9.0

  Spring 1990

  12.8

  8.7

  Spring 1991

  15.3

  9.3

  Spring 1992

  18.8

  9.5

  Spring 1993

  20.3

  10.0

  Spring 1994

  21.0

  9.8

  Source:

  Labour Force Survey.

  Mr. Barron
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the percentage of those with no academic or vocational qualifications who have been unemployed for more than two years; and what was the percentage in each of the last 10 years.

  Mr. Oppenheim
  The information is available from the labour force survey and is given in the following table:

  Not seasonally adjusted-Great Britain all people of working age

  Quarter

  Proportion of those with no qualifications ILO unemployed for over two years (Per Cent.)

  Spring 1984

  4.5

  Spring 1985

  4.3

  Spring 1986

  4.4

  Spring 1987

  4.4

  Spring 1988

  3.5

  Spring 1989

  2.6

  Spring 1990

  2.3

  Spring 1991

  2.0

  Spring 1992

  2.3

  Spring 1993

  3.2

  Spring 1994

  3.7

  Source:

  Labour Force Survey.

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. McCartney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is his latest estimate of(a) the number of people in part-time jobs because they cannot find full-time work and (b) the number of people in temporary jobs because they cannot find permanent employment.

  Mr. Oppenheim
  Estimates form the spring 1994 labour force survey show that in Great Britain, 797,000 employees and self-employed people were in part-time jobs because they could not find full-time work; this was just 13 per cent. of all part-time employees and self-employed people.

  In the same quarter, 587,000 employees were in temporary jobs because they could not find permanent employment; this represented 43 per cent. of all employees in temporary jobs.

  Mr. Gunnell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what proportion of women with(a) working

  267
  partners and (b) unemployed partners are in work; and what were the equivalent figures in 1979.

  Mr. Oppenheim
  Estimates from the spring 1994 labour force survey for Great Britain show that 73 per cent. of women with partners in employment, and 33 per cent. of women with ILO unemployed partners, were in employment. Equivalent figures for spring 1984, the earliest available, were 59 and 25 per cent. respectively.

  Benefits
  Mr. Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many decisions on claims in 1993–94 for unemployment benefit where payment was suspended pending investigation of whether the claimant had left a job voluntarily without just cause were delayed due to the failure of former employers to respond to request for evidence within the periods specified by Employment Service guidelines.

  Miss Widdecombe
  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. Harry Barnes, dated 24 November 1994:
  The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question about the number of claims for unemployment benefit where payment was suspended pending a decision on whether a claimant had left employment voluntarily without just cause and where the decision was delayed due to failure of an employer to respond to a request for information within the period specified by the Employment Service.
  Unfortunately we do not collect the information you have requested. We record the number of adjudication decisions not suspensions. In addition there is no time limit for employers to respond to enquiries from adjudication officers. In general adjudication officers allow employers three weeks in which to reply to requests for information. However, this will vary depending on local circumstances.

  Mr. Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether the Employment Service has undertaken research into periods of disqualification from unemployment benefit following a finding of voluntary unemployment.

  Miss Widdecombe
  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. Harry Barnes, dated 24 November 1994:
  The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question about whether the Employment Service (ES) has undertaken research into periods of disqualification from unemployment benefit following a finding of voluntary unemployment.
  Collection of this information would involve a special exercise which ES has historically not undertaken. However, because of the interest shown by Members and others in the length of disqualification periods, it has been decided that a limited amount of data on this issue should be collected as part of a larger project, which is currently under way. This will provide a snapshot picture of average periods of disqualification imposed during October. The results should be available by the end of 1994 and I will forward them to you.
  I hope this is helpful.

  Mr. Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment in respect of claims for unemployment benefit, where payment was suspended pending investigation of whether the claimant had left a job 268
  voluntarily without just cause, what was the average length of time in 1993–94 and in each of the five preceding years (a) between the logging of the claim with the Employment Service and its referral to an adjudicator, (b) between the logging of the claim with the Employment Service and receiving a response from the former employer, (c) between the referral of the claim from the Employment Service to an adjudicator and the adjudicator's decision and (d) between the lodging of an appeal and the appeal hearing.

  Miss Widdecombe
  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. Harry Barnes, dated 24 November 1994:
  The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question about the number of claims where payment was suspended pending a decision on whether a claimant had left employment voluntarilly without just cause and the times taken to refer the question to an adjudication officer, for employers to reply to enquiries, for the adjudication officer to decide the question and for an appeal hearing to take place once an appeal has been lodged.
  Unfortunately we do not have all of the information you have requested. We record the number of adjudication decisions not suspensions or referrals to adjudication. We do not keep information on the time taken by employers to reply to requests for information as it has no operational value.
  Because of the independence of the adjudicating authorities, and the limited use we could make of the information, we do not collect statistics on the time taken to make decisions. However, due to the interest shown in this data by various people we have recently conducted an exercise during the quarter ending 30 September to measure the time from when a referral is received by the adjudication officer to when a decision is made. The exercise monitored several different types of decisions. Of the sample of disqualifications examined, which included leaving voluntarily cases, 28 per cent. were decided within 14 days, 54 per cent. within 28 days and 88 per cent. within 56 days.
  The administration of Social Security Appeal Tribunals (SSATs) is the responsibility of the Independent Tribunal Service. I am therefore unable to respond to your question about the time taken by them to list appeals for hearing. We do collect information on the time taken by adjudication officers to clear appeals. However, this information is not available specifically for leaving voluntarily questions. During the quarter ending 30 September 76 per cent. of appeals were cleared within 28 days and 93 per cent. within 56 days. This data includes appeals that were withdrawn by the claimant, reviewed and allowed by the adjudication officer and those submitted to the SSAT.

  Mr. Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment in how many of the total number of unemployment benefit claims in 1993–94 and in each of the five preceding years benefit was(a) suspended, (b) suspended but subsequently reinstated by the adjudication officer and (c) suspended but reinstated on appeal.

  Miss Widdecombe
  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.
  269
  Letter from M.E.G. Fogden to Mr. Harry Barnes, dated 24 November 1994:
  The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question about the number of claims suspended, suspended and reinstated by an adjudication officer and suspended and reinstated on appeal.
  Unfortunately information is not available in the form you have requested. We record the number of adjudication decisions and opinions not suspensions. It may be helpful if I explain that a benefit suspension is not imposed in all cases referred to adjudication for a

  1988

  1989

  1990

  Quarter ending 31 March 1991

  1991–92

  1992–93

  1993–94

  Total Decisions/Opinions

  1,642,021

  1,284,482

  1,326,016

  40,203

  1,930,676

  2,203,816

  2,138,936

  Appeals Received

  30,339

  24,152

  19,493

  5,860

  27,942

  23,601

  20,311

  Appeals Reviewed and Revised

  8,066

  5,157

  3,792

  1,188

  6,440

  5,336

  4,456

  Appeals Submitted to Tribunal

  20,375

  17,554

  14,506

  3,703

  17,953

  16,539

  13,978

  For 1988, 1989 and 1990 the statistical year ended on 31 December.

  From 1 April 1991 the statistical year was amended to coincide with the operational year end of 31 March.

  Ms Lynne
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many unemployed people were refused benefits, and for what reasons, in each of the last five years.

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

  Letter from M.E.G. Fogden to Ms Liz Lynne, dated 24 November 1994:
  The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question about the number of claimants refused benefits and the reasons for these refusals.
  It may be helpful if I explain that decisions on entitlement to benefit are made by independent adjudication officers. Employment Service (ES) adjudication officers only determine claims for unemployment benefit. Decisions on other benefits are the responsibility of my colleagues in Benefits Agency.

  The statistics your asked for on ES adjudication officers' decisions for each region and for Great Britain as a whole are contained in the quarterly summary entitled "Analysis of Adjudication Officers' Decisions". Copies are held in the Library of the House. The latest available information relates to the quarter ending June.
  I hope this is helpful.

  Next Steps Agencies
  Mr. Kaufman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the salary and other emoluments of the civil servant who did the work of, or work comparable to that of, the chief executive of each next steps agency established by his Department before the agency was established.

  Miss Widdecombe
  The work broadly comparable to that of the chief executive of the Employment Service was undertaken by a civil servant who received a salary of £49,600—including the grade 3 London allowance of £2,000—in the year to March 1990. The Employment Service was established as an executive agency in April 1990.

  Lobbying Companies
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the guidelines issued by his Department to regulate relationships with lobbying companies.
  270
  decision. In addition not all adverse decisions and opinions result in a loss of benefit.
  The only data held on appeals is: the number received, the number reviewed and revised by an adjudication officer and the number submitted for determination by a Social Security Appeal Tribunal.
  The attached table gives details of the number of decisions made in the year ending 30 March 1994, the five preceding years and appeals data for the same period.
  I hope this is helpful.

  Miss Widdecombe
  Conditions of service for the staff of the Department incorporate the general principles of conduct that require civil servants not to misuse information which they acquire in the course of their duties; not to make use of their official position to further their private interests or those of others; and not to receive gifts, hospitality or benefits of any kind from a third party, which might be seen to compromise their personal judgment or integrity.

  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list and date those occasions over the last two years when Ministers or officials in his Department have met lobbying companies, prior to a decision being made on the subject of the meeting with the lobbying company.

  Miss Widdecombe
  This information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Workplace Incidents
  Mr. Rooker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many employees were(a) killed or (b) injured at work in the latest year for which figures are available.

  Mr. Oppenheim
  Provisional figures for the year commencing 1 April 1993, published today in the Health and Safety Commission's annual report, show a total of 235 fatal injuries, 16,326 major injuries and 132,343 other injuries to employees causing incapacity for normal work for more than three days reported to enforcing authorities across Great Britain.

  Training
  Ms Lynne
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how much money he plans to spend on training for unemployed people in the next financial year; and what has been the spending on training for the unemployed in each of the last five years.

  Mr. Paice
  An announcement about the resources the Department plans to devote in the next financial year to training unemployed people will be made after my right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer's Budget announcement.

  The following table provides details of how much the Department has spent on training through employment

  271
  training, training for work and learning for work in each of the last five years.

  Year

  Expenditure (£ million)

  1989–90

  1,097

  1990–91

  1,072

  1991–92

  737

  1992–93

  630

  1993–94

  782

  Note: Expenditure up to and including 1990–91 is for Great Britain. Expenditure in 1991–92 is England and Wales. Expenditure from 1992–93 is for England only.

  Employment Service Regulation
  Mr. Ainger
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what plans he has to amend the current regulations that prevent the Employment Service from assisting the unemployed unless they have been registered as unemployed for at least 26 weeks.

  Miss Widdecombe
  [holding answer 23 November 1994]: The Employment Service assists a large number of jobseekers who have been unemployed for less than six months; between April and September this year it placed 700,000 such people into jobs. As well as vacancy displays, the ES's advisory interview service, and at 13 weeks, job search seminar and job review workshop programmes are available. Some programmes have an eligibility requirement of 26 weeks unemployment in order to focus resources on helping long-term unemployed people, who are at a greater disadvantage in the labour market. There are currently no plans to change the eligibility rules for Employment Department programmes.

  Travel to Interview Scheme
  Mr. Ainger
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what plans he has to amend the travel to interview scheme so that the unemployed can be assisted when the prospective employment will initially not last 12 months.

  Miss Widdecombe
  [holding answer 23 November 1994]: A revision of the rule is being tested in the Employment Service's north-west region as part of a package of changes to improve the working of the scheme as a whole. The tested revision includes people in scope who may be appointed at first for a trial period with the prospect of an extension beyond if all goes well. The pilot began in October and will run until the end of March next year, after which the changes will be evaluated.

EDUCATION

  Quangos
  Mr. Sykes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many quangos her Department was responsible for(a) in 1979 and (b) in the latest year for which a number is available.

  Mr. Boswell
  The number of bodies sponsored by the Department in 1979 was 30, as shown in the "Report on Non-Departmental Public Bodies"—Pliatzky Report, Cm 7797, January 1980. In 1993 the figure was 14, as shown 272
  in "Public Bodies 1993". Copies of these publications are available in the Libraries of both Houses.

  Mr. Sykes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education which quangos her Department has abolished since 1979.

  Mr. Boswell
  Since 1979 the following bodies were dissolved while under the sponsorship of the Department:Centre for Information and Advice on Educational Disadvantage

  Youth Service Forum

  Kennedy Memorial Trust

  Advisory Committee on Business Sponsorship of the Arts

  The Cockroft Committee of Enquiry into the Teaching of Mathematics in Schools

  Youth Service Review Group

  Science Museum Advisory Council

  Advisory Council for Adult and Continuing Education

  Educational Counselling and Credit Transfer Information

  Service Steering Committee

  Genetic Manipulation Advisory Group

  Schools Council

  Advisory Committee on the Supply and Education of Teachers Committee of Enquiry into the Education of Children from Ethnic Minority Groups

  Industrial Scholarships Trust

  Advisory Committee for the Microelectronics Educational Programme

  Assessment of Performance Unit

  Burnham Further Education Committee

  Burnham Primary and Secondary Committee

  Council for the Accreditation of Correspondence Colleges

  Council for Education Technology for the United Kingdom

  Micro-electronics Education Support Unit

  National Advisory Body for Public Sector Higher Education

  National Advisory Council for the Youth Service

  University Grants Committee

  Voluntary Sector Consultative Council

  School Curriculum Development Committee

  Secondary Examinations Council

  Computer Board for Universities and Research Councils

  Co-ordinating Committee on Marine Science and Technology

  National Youth Bureau

  Open University Visiting Committee

  Polytechnics and Colleges Funding Council

  Universities Funding Council

  Visiting Committee for Cranfield Institute of Technology

  Visiting Committee for the Royal College of Art

  National Curriculum Council

  School Examinations and Assessment Council

  Teaching as a Career Unit

  Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education

  Council for National Academic Awards

  SuperJANET
  Mr. Bryan Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many institutions and research centres are currently connected to the SuperJANET broadband fibre optic network.

  Mr. Boswell
  Sixty-eight higher education institutions and research centres are currently connected to the national broadband optical fibre network known as Super JANET. It is intended that all higher education institutions will be connected to the network over the next three years.

  Special Advisers
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if she will make a statement concerning the cost to public
  273
  funds of employing ministerial special advisers in her Department.

  Mr. Forth
  The Department employs one special adviser.

  Salaries for special advisers are negotiated individually in relation to their previous earnings, and are confidential. They are, however, normally paid on the special advisers' salary spine of 34 points, ranging from £19,503 to £67,609. Appointments are non-pensionable, and the salary spine reflects this.

  Full-time non-clinical academic wholly university funded staff in former UFC-funded English universities, 1992–93

  Cost centre

  Age Under 25

  25–29

  30–34

  35–39

  40–44

  45–49

  50–54

  55–59

  60 and over

  Total

  Education

  2

  19

  55

  163

  295

  359

  301

  190

  85

  1,469

  Medicine, dentistry and health

  14

  104

  247

  354

  393

  422

  299

  166

  106

  2,105

  Engineering and technology

  23

  156

  382

  425

  488

  544

  526

  419

  237

  3,200

  Agriculture, forestry and veterinary science

  5

  39

  44

  67

  71

  92

  55

  38

  30

  441

  Biological, mathematical and physical sciences

  29

  314

  649

  764

  765

  1,010

  1,127

  811

  384

  5,853

  Administrative, business and social studies

  47

  359

  607

  676

  956

  1,186

  710

  403

  177

  5,121

  Architecture and planning

  —

  13

  26

  39

  46

  54

  61

  27

  21

  287

  Language, literature and area studies

  46

  170

  259

  280

  392

  563

  497

  274

  141

  2,622

  Other arts

  4

  67

  183

  226

  311

  445

  365

  212

  139

  1,952

  Libraries, museums, etc (research only)

  —

  3

  —

  1

  —

  1

  5

  1

  1

  12

  Total

  170

  1,244

  2,452

  2,995

  3,717

  4,676

  3,946

  2,541

  1,321

  23,062

  Source:

  Universities' Statistical Record.

  Full-time non-clinical academic wholly institutionally funded staff in former polytechnics in England,1992–93

  Cost centre

  Age Under 25

  25–29

  30–34

  35–39

  40–44

  45–49

  50–54

  55–59

  60 and over

  Total

  Education

  4

  19

  52

  137

  250

  356

  242

  137

  42

  1,239

  Medicine, dentistry and health

  10

  38

  86

  129

  160

  169

  96

  49

  12

  749

  Engineering and technology

  41

  157

  277

  367

  441

  557

  524

  375

  150

  2,889

  Agriculture, forestry and veterinary science

  —

  2

  3

  10

  4

  10

  4

  3

  2

  38

  Biological, mathematical and physical sciences

  32

  252

  363

  500

  585

  776

  510

  308

  97

  3,423

  Administrative, business and social studies

  70

  301

  555

  778

  1,299

  1,276

  684

  383

  165

  5,551

  Architecture and planning

  4

  15

  40

  63

  102

  148

  95

  51

  23

  541

  Language, literature and area studies

  17

  58

  65

  84

  139

  158

  102

  56

  17

  696

  Other arts

  10

  112

  199

  262

  361

  532

  329

  151

  54

  2,010

  Libraries, museums, etc (research only)

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Total

  188

  954

  1,640

  2,330

  3,341

  3,982

  2,586

  1,513

  562

  17,096

  Source:

  The Academic Staff of Polytechnics and Colleges: PCFC/HEFCE Return.

  College Fees
  Mr. Bryan Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) what is the amount by which the recurrent grant to each university with recognised collegiate status has been reduced in recognition of college fees payment in the current academic year;

  (2) what is the current level of college fees reimbursed through a student's mandatory award in each of the colleges or universities which have recognised collegiate structures.

  Mr. Boswell
  Reductions to universities' recurrent grant in recognition of college fee payment are

  Universities (Academic Staff)
  Mr. Bryan Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if she will publish a profile of academic staff at English universities in terms of age and department similar to that provided by the Secretary of State for Scotland in his answer of 3 February 1994,Official Report, column 920.

  Mr. Boswell
  The information requested is shown in the table.

  determined by the Higher Education Funding Council for England—HEFCE. However, I understand that the following adjustments to recurrent grant have been made in the current academic year:

  £

  Cambridge

  -10,737,660

  Durham

  -169,351

  Kent

  -105,735

  Lancaster

  -120,578

  Oxford

  -14,239,512

  York

  -90,244

  275
  The current maximum levels of college fees reimbursed through a student's mandatory award in 1994–95 are shown in the table:

  Fee £

  Cambridge Colleges

  Christ's

  2,577

  Churchill

  2,589

  Clare

  2,595

  Clare Hall

  2,502

  Corpus Christi

  2,664

  Darwin

  2,619

  Downing

  2,730

  Emmanuel

  2,607

  Fitzwilliam

  2,745

  Girton

  2,646

  Gonville and Caius

  2,601

  Hughes Hall

  2,562

  Jesus

  2,628

  King's

  2,568

  Lucy Cavendish

  2,673

  Magdelene

  2,730

  New Hall

  2,724

  Newnham

  2,718

  Pembroke

  2,721

  Peterhouse

  2,562

  Queens'

  2,685

  Robinson

  2,700

  St. Catharine's

  2,646

  St. Edmund's

  2,523

  St. John's

  2,526

  Selwyn

  2,718

  Sidney Sussex

  2,718

  Trinity

  2,502

  Trinity Hall

  2,664

  Wesley

  2,661

  Wolfson

  2,601

  Durham Colleges

  University

  189

  Hatfield

  189

  Grey

  189

  Van Mildert

  189

  Collingwood

  189

  St. Hild & St. Bede

  189

  St. Cuthbert's

  189

  St. Mary's

  189

  St. Aidan's

  189

  Trevelyan

  189

  St. Chad's

  960

  St. John's

  960

  Ushaw

  960

  Kent Colleges

  Darwin

  165

  Eliot

  165

  Rutherford

  165

  Keynes

  165

  Lancaster Colleges

  Bowland

  175

  Cartmel

  175

  Charlotte Mason

  175

  The County

  175

  Furness

  175

  Fylde

  175

  Grizedale

  175

  Lonsdale

  175

  Pendle

  175

  Oxford Colleges

  Balliol

  2,986

  Blackfriars

  2,867

  276

  Fee £

  Brasenose

  3,005

  Campion Hall

  3,183

  Christ Church

  3,003

  Corpus Christi

  2,996

  Exeter

  3,037

  Greyfriars

  3,060

  Hertford

  3,168

  Jesus

  3,009

  Keble

  3,237

  Lady Margaret Hall

  3,161

  Lincoln

  2,952

  Magdalen

  3,036

  Manchester

  3,064

  Mansfield

  3,354

  Merton

  2,919

  New College

  3,027

  Oriel

  3,161

  Pembroke

  3,012

  Queen's

  2,970

  Regent's Park

  3,170

  Ripon (Cuddesdon)

  2,823

  St. Anne's

  3,146

  St. Benet's Hall

  3,129

  St. Catherine's

  3,061

  St. Edmund Hall

  3,121

  St. Hilda's

  3,114

  St. Hugh's

  3,149

  St. John's

  2,967

  St. Peter's

  3,216

  St. Stephen's House

  3,063

  Somerville

  3,119

  Trinity

  2,989

  University

  3,022

  Wadham

  3,081

  Worcester

  3,072

  Wycliffe Hall

  3,063

  York Colleges

  Alcuin

  160

  Derwent

  160

  Goodricke

  160

  Langwith

  160

  Vanburgh

  160

  Wentworth

  160

  Next Steps Agencies
  Mr. Kaufman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if she will list the salary and other emoluments of the civil servant who did the work of, or work comparable to that of, the chief executive of each next steps agency established by her Department before the agency was established.

  Mr. Forth
  The Department has established one next steps agency, the Teachers' Pensions Agency. The civil servant carrying out the duties now held by the chief executive was a grade 5 and was paid a salary within the relevant range for the grade, which is currently £36,739 to £54,815 nationally. No other payments or emoluments were made.

  Further Education Funding Council
  Mr. Hall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if she will list the current members of the Further Education Funding Council and the remuneration they receive.
  277
  Mr. Boswell
  The information is listed in the table. Except for the chief executive, all members and the chairman are part-time.

  Name of member

  Annual remuneration £

  Chairman:

  Mr. Robert Gunn

  34,975

  Chief Executive:

  Sir William Stubbs

  91,107

  Other members:

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett

  4,000

  Mr. Anthony Cann

  4,000

  Dr. John Capey

  4,000

  Mr. Anthony Close

  4,000

  Mrs. Margaret Davey

  4,000

  Mrs. Patricia Haikin

  4,000

  Mrs. Margaret Hobrough

  4,000

  Mr. Christopher Jonas

  4,000

  Cllr. Les Lawrence

  4,000

  Sir Michael Lickiss

  4,000

  Mr. Michael Rowarth

  4,000

  Dr. Anne Wright

  4,000

  Funding Agency for Schools
  Mr. Hall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if she will list the current members of the Funding Agency for Schools and the remuneration they receive.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  The current membership of the Funding Agency for Schools is:

  Name

  Sir Christopher Benson

  Chairman of the Sun Alliance Group plc (Chairman) and Costain Group plc.

  Mr. Shailendra Adwalpalkar

  Finance Director, Gillette International, AMEE Group

  Sir Robert Balchin

  Chairman, Grant-maintained Schools Foundation

  Canon Gerald Greenwood

  Director of Education, Southwark Diocesan Board of Education

  Dr. Arthur Hearnden OBE

  General Secretary, Independent Schools Joint Council

  Mr. Stanley Kalms

  Chairman of the Dixons Group

  Mr. Lee Karu

  Barrister

  Mrs. Jacqueline E. Kearns MA

  Headteacher, Homewood GM

  FRSA

  School, Tenterden, Kent

  Mrs. Lesley King

  Headteacher, St Joseph's RC GM Primary School, Aldershot

  Mrs Pauline Latham

  Chairman of Governors, Ecclesbourne GM School, Derbyshire

  Cllr. Edward Lister

  Leader of Wandsworth Council

  Dr. Francis Patterson OBE

  Headteacher, St. Francis Xavier's College, GM School, Liverpool

  Mr. Peter Turner OBE

  Recently retired Head, Whitefield Schools and Centre, Waltham Forest

  The chairman receives an annual fee of £34,350 for an equivalent of two days per week. Other members of the agency are entitled to claim a fee of £155 for days on which they are transacting agency business. Members
  278
  may also claim travel and subsistence expenses incurred on those days.

  Higher Education Funding Council
  Mr. Hall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will list the current members of the Higher Education Funding Council and the remuneration they receive.

  Mr. Boswell
  The information requested is listed in the table. Except for the chief executive, all members and the chairman are part-time.

  Name of member

  Annual remuneration £

  Chairman: Mr Brandon Glough

  34,974

  Chief Executive:Prof. Graeme Davies

  87,435

  Other members

  Mrs. Joan Bingley

  4,000

  Sir John Cadogan

  —

  Prof. Colin Campbell

  4,000

  Mr. Michael Fallon

  4,000

  Prof. Brian Follett

  4,000

  Prof Kay-Tee Khaw

  4,000

  Sir Idris Pearce

  4,000

  Sir Robert Scholey

  4,000

  Dr. John Strickson

  4,000

  Dr. Robert Telfer

  4,000

  Miss Janet Trotter

  4,000

  Prof. David Watson

  4,000

  Lobbying Companies
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if she will list and date those occasions over the last two years when Ministers or officials in her Department have met lobbying companies, prior to a decision being made on the subject of the meeting with the lobbying company.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  This information is not held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if she will list the guidelines issued by her Department to regulate relationships with lobbying companies.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  The conduct of officials of the Department is regulated by a terms and conditions of service handbook. This incorporates the general principles of conduct that require civil servants not to misuse information which they acquire in the course of their duties; not to make use of their official position to further their private interests or those of others; and not to receive gifts, hospitality or benefits of any kind from a third party, which might be seen to compromise their personal judgment or integrity.

  Educational Exchanges
  Mr. Radice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if she will make a statement about educational and youth exchange with the Federal Republic of Germany.

  Mr. Boswell
  Germany is the most popular destination for young people taking part in United Kingdom youth
  279
  exchange programmes. In 1993–94, over 5,000 young people took part in over 300 United Kingdom German exchanges. The German educational exchange programme is the United Kingdom's second largest. In 1993–94, the Central Bureau for Educational Visits and Exchanges invested some £1.15 million—13.5 per cent. of gross expenditure—in educational activities with Germany.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Quangos
  Mr. Sykes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security which quangos his Department has abolished since 1979.

  Mr. Hague
  The information requested is as follows. For the period 1979 to 1988 the information relates to those social security public bodies for which the then Department of Health and Social Security was responsible.

  Advisory Steering Group on Resettlement

  Family Fund

  Invalid Three-Wheeler and Wheelchair Repair Maintenance Liaison Group

  Review of Artificial Limb and Appliance Centres

  Supplementary Benefit Appeal Tribunal Advisory Group

  Medical Boarding Centres, including Pneumoconiosis Medical Panels

  In addition, the attendance allowance board has been replaced by the disability living allowance advisory board; the national insurance advisory committee and the Supplementary Benefits Commission have been replaced by the social security advisory committee; and the national insurance local tribunals and the supplementary benefit appeal tribunals have been replaced by the Social Security Appeal Tribunals.

  Mr. Sykes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many quangos his Department was responsible for(a) in 1979 and (b) in the latest year for which a number is available.

  Mr. Hague
  In 1979, the then Department of Health and Social Security was responsible for 97 non-departmental public bodies, as listed in the "Report on Non-Departmental Public Bodies"—Pliatzky Report Cmnd. 7797, January 1980–15 of which were concerned with social security matters. At 1 April 1993, the latest year for which data is available, the Department of Social Security was responsible for 12 non-departmental public bodies, as listed in "Public Bodies 1993".

  Benefits Agency
  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what action is being taken to ensure that Benefits Agency offices meet their charter targets;

  (2) if he will list those Benefits Agency offices that have not achieved their charter targets for (a) income support, (b) retirement pensions, (c) sickness and invalidity benefit and (d) social fund crisis loan claims.

  Mr. Roger Evans
  This is a matter for Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member.
  280
  Letter from Michael Bichard to Dr. Lynne Jones, dated 23 November 1994:
  The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about Charter targets.
  I should first of all clarify that the information I have provided for Income Support, Sickness and Invalidity Benefit and Crisis Loans is in respect of the Secretary of State's primary targets as set out in the Benefits Agency's (BA) Business Plan. For Retirement Pension I have provided information relating to the Management target for clearance of claims in District offices. It is these targets that underpin the Charter Standards for the benefits set out in the Agency's Customer Charter.
  I have enclosed the information you requested about the Benefits Agency offices that have not achieved these targets at year end 1993–94 and a copy has been placed in the Library.
  Since its inception, the Agency has engineered a significant overall improvement in service delivery from 159 District offices. Charter Standards for claims clearance represent only one part of the overall performance of the BA and have to be considered together with other wider aspects of delivering a quality service.
  Where there are problems in a particular area, every effort is made to provide support from the BA's Central Services. For example the complementing system, which allocates resources to business units within the Agency, takes account of external factors affecting a District's performance; and a recent initiative has seen an Area Directorate, with low performance, given extra money in the short term under a "contract" for specific improvements in performance in return.
  We carefully monitor the range of performance behind the national figures. The importance of steady improvement to attain convergence of performance geographically is one of the key messages in my Strategic Steer to staff this year. I am confident that we have effective monitoring procedures in this area. BA Districts provide reports of their performance on a monthly basis to Area Directors and to Central Services. Central Services provide a monitoring report to the BA Management which highlights any areas of concern and the action being taken to resolve them.
  Managers are required to account for the shortfall when targets have not been met and to provide details of action proposed to meet the targets in future.
  I hope you find this reply helpful.

  Child Support Agency
  Mr. Mills
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will change the Child Support Agency form so as to show the detailed breakdown of all relevant finances and arrangements of those assessed.

  Mr. Burt
  The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for Miss Ann Chant, the chief executive. She will write to my hon. Friend.

  Letter from Miss Ann Chant to Mr. Iain Mills, dated 24 November 1994:
  I am replying to your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about changes to the Child Support Agency form so as to show the detailed breakdown of all relevant financial information.
  The information which the Child Support Officer must provide to the parties to a maintenance assessment is specified under Child Support legislation. The Agency must provide sufficient information to allow clients to decide whether the assessment formula has been applied correctly, whilst respecting the confidential nature of the information which has been supplied by those clients, and ensuring compliance with the Data Protection Act. The Agency has no current plans to increase the amount of detailed information provided in the assessment notification.
  I hope that this reply is helpful.

  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what benefits of either a financial or emotional nature he believes accrue to children who have been the subject of a CSA assessment.
  281
  Mr. Burt
  Payment of child maintenance is of direct financial benefit to many parents with care and their children; those who are not in receipt of income support will see an immediate rise in their income as a result of regular maintenance. Even when income support is in payment, the knowledge that maintenance is a portable income is a positive incentive and help for parents with care to seek employment, thereby improving the children's standard of living. In addition, the establishment of regular maintenance helps to reinforce the responsibilities which parents have for their children, even where they live apart.

  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what consideration he has given to the findings of research carried out by Barnardos's, the Children's Society, NCH Action for Children, the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children and Save the Children on the impact of the Child Support Agency's activities on children; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Burt
  We have carefully noted the content of the recent report from these five charities and will take it into account, along with reports from other organisations, in formulating our proposals for changes to the child support arrangements.

  Unemployment Benefit
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how much will be saved in the social security budget by cutting the entitlement to unemployment benefit from 12 to six months in each financial year from 1 April 1996.

  Mr. Roger Evans
  Using the most recently published unemployment benefit figures it is estimated that cutting the entitlement to unemployment benefit from 12 to six months will save £70 million in 1996–97 and £220 million in 1997–98.

  Notes:

  1. Estimates assume 2.55 million unemployed claimants (GB) and 600 thousand Unemployment Benefit claimants.

  2. Savings are estimated using 1990–91–92 FES data and 1994 Unemployment Benefit Statistics.

  3. Savings are rounded to the nearest £10 million.

  4.1996–97 savings are in 1996–97 prices. 1997–98 savings are in 1997–98 prices.

  5. Figures assume transitional protection in 1996–97.

  6. Estimates for years beyond 1997–98 are not available.

  Statutory Sick Pay
  Mr. Dewar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish figures showing, for the most recent available date, the number of people in receipt of(a) the higher rate and (b) the lower rate of statutory sick pay.

  Mr. Hague
  During 1992–93, the latest year for which information is available, an estimated 330,000 people received statutory sick pay at any one time. One third—around 110,000—of these cases were estimated to be in receipt of the lower rate, and two thirds—around 220,000—were estimated to be in receipt of the higher rate.

  Notes:

  1. Data from the April 1993 New Earnings Survey (GB) suggests that two thirds of people eligible for Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) would have received the higher rate if they had fallen ill; the remaining one third would have received the lower rate. Applying this breakdown to actual
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  SSP recipients assumes a constant distribution of sickness across earnings bands.

  2. Most SSP recipients receive occupational sick pay in addition to SSP when they are sick. In many cases, this brings the total payment received up to full pay.

  Mr. Dewar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what would be the current higher rate of statutory sick pay if it had been uprated annually in line with the retail price index since April 1990.

  Mr. Hague
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Newport West (Mr. Flynn) on 27 October,Official Report, column 794.

  Mr. Dewar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what has been the effect on revenues, expressed in today's prices, of the freeze in the higher rate of statutory sick pay since April 1990 giving figures for(a) each year and (b) total savings to date.

  Mr. Hague
  The estimated savings arising from freezing the higher rate of statutory sick pay in each year from April 1991, and the cumulative savings up to April 1994, are set out in the table.

  Estimated savings generated from freezing higher rate SSP

  Year

  Estimated savings £ million

  1991–92

  60

  1992–93

  80

  1993–94

  95

  Cumulative total

  235

  Estimates are given at constant 1994–95 prices. Figures are rounded to the nearest £5 million but are not accurate to that degree.

  Sickness Benefit
  Mr. Dewar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many claimants of non-contributory sickness benefit are people with industrial injuries.

  Mr. Hague
  The number of sickness benefit claimants whose incapacity is the result of an industrial injury or a prescribed industrial disease who did not satisfy the contribution conditions and are in receipt of benefit is 1,000.

  Source:

  One per cent. sample of claimants in Great Britain at 3 April 1993 rounded to the nearest thousand.

  Incapacity Benefit
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how the Benefits Agency proposes to publicise the new incapacity benefit being introduced in April 1995 to Britain's ethnic minority communities, with particular reference to(a) the new medical test for those sick more than six months and (b) those severe medical conditions that will exempt people from the new medical test.

  Mr. Hague
  In February 1995, a leaflet outlining the new benefit, the medical test and the groups affected will be available from BA offices and via a freephone response line. It will be translated into Punjabi, Urdu and Bengali and produced on audio tape as well as being produced in print in English and Welsh and in braille and on tape.
  283
  An advertising campaign aimed at advisers will also draw attention to the leaflet.

  A second leaflet will be produced in June in the same formats and languages providing information about job-hunting and in-work benefits. This leaflet will be included with the letter sent to people who have been assessed as capable for work.

  Local information initiatives will be undertaken in the run up to the introduction of incapacity benefit to ensure existing claimants are aware of how the changes will affect them.

  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what facilities will be available under the new incapacity benefit procedures for those referred for medical examination by a Benefits Agency doctor, for those who require an interpreter.

  Mr. Hague
  All customers who require an assessment by Benefits Agency medical services—BAMS—will be sent an information pack with their appointment. This information pack will include an invitation to the customer to inform BAMS of any special requirements they may have, including the need for specific language skills. BAMS will then arrange for the customer to be seen at a time when someone is available to act as interpreter. In many instances, this will be a member of staff with the appropriate language skills, usually either the examining doctor or the medical examination assistant. However, if no member of staff has the appropriate language skills an interpreter will be provided.

  Benefits Ready-reckoners
  Mr. Dewar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish a ready-reckoner, on the same basis as the tax revenue ready-reckoner published by the Treasury, showing the value of benefits in April 1995 assuming normal indexation using the retail price index or Rossi index as appropriate.

  Mr. Hague
  We have no plans to do so.

  Adult Dependency Increase
  Mr. Dewar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many claimants of(a) sickness benefit and (b) invalidity benefit received an adult dependency increase on behalf of an adult dependant who is not caring for dependent children.

  Mr. Hague
  The information is in the table.

  Benefit

  Number of beneficiaries receiving an increase for an adult but not for a child

  Sickness Benefit

  24,000

  Invalidity Benefit

  378,000

  Note:

  Estimates of total number of recipients of adult dependency increases are based on a one per cent. sample of claimants in Great Britain at 3 April 1993, the latest date for which figures are available, rounded to the nearest thousand.

  Public Opinion Surveys
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will place in the Library copies of each survey listed in his answer of 25 October,Official Report, column 562–63.
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  Mr. Hague
  Those surveys referred to in the reply given on the 25 October at columns 562–63, which are already published, have been placed in the Library. Copies of other surveys will be placed there after publication.

  Invalidity Benefit
  Dr. Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) if he will give the number of current invalidity benefit claimants in Mid Glamorgan at(a) Porth, (b) Tonypandy, (c) Pontypridd and (d) Aberdare;

  (2) how many income support claimants are currently receiving disability premium, with a breakdown of their means of qualification, at Porth, Tonypandy, Aberdare and Pontypridd in Mid Glamorgan in respect of (a) receipt of invalidity benefit or (b) submission of medical certificates only or (c) receipt of severe disablement allowance or (d) receipt of disability living allowance;

  (3) if he will give the number of invalidity benefit/disability premium claimants found fit for all work and fit for light work in the last 12 months in the Porth, Tonypandy, Aberdare and Pontypridd areas.

  Mr. Hague
  The administration of the Benefits Agency is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive. He will write to the hon. Member with such information as is available.

  Letter from Michael Bichard to Dr. Kim Howells, dated 23 November 1994:
  The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked Michael Bichard to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about Invalidity Benefit (IVB) and Income Support (IS) customers in Mid Glamorgan. This was in respect of the total number of IVB customers and also regarding the number of IVB and Disability Premium customers found fit for work and the qualifying reason for IS customers being in receipt of a Disability Premium. Mr Bichard is on annual leave and I have, therefore, been asked to reply on his behalf.
  I have provided details at Appendix A of the number of IVB customers in the areas you requested.
  Information is not readily available regarding Disability Premiums being withdrawn following a reference to the Benefits Agency Medical Services (BAMS); to obtain this information would be at disproportionate cost. This is because the Disability Premium is a component of IS payable to customers in prescribed circumstances, including when they have entitlement to IVB. Loss of entitlement to the Disability Premium does not always result in loss of entitlement to IS. No statistics are maintained to record changes in components of IS entitlement.
  However, that information that is available relating to disallowed IVB claims following reference to the BAMS has been provided at Appendix B. Information is not readily available in the exact format requested because to obtain details of those found capable of suitable alternative work as opposed to capable of work would be at a disproportionate cost.
  The figure for Aberdare Benefit office in Appendix B relates entirely to that office, whereas that relating to Pontypridd is for the whole Taff Rhonda District comprising of Pontypridd, Porth and Tonypandy. To separate the figure given for Pontypridd into the three offices within the District could only be done at a disproportionate cost.
  As you requested, I have attached at Appendix C a table giving at 30 August 1994, the date of the last count, the number of IS customers at the offices named who were receiving the Disability Premium.
  However, with regard to your request for details of a breakdown of customers means of qualification for a Disability Premium, I should explain that the full range of information requested is not routinely collected in the format requested and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. This is because statistics are not maintained about the qualifying condition which was satisfied and

  285
  led to the award of a premium. To identify in each case the precise criteria that was satisfied would be at disproportionate cost.
  However, I have placed at Appendix D information which has been obtained from the Quarterly Statistical Enquiry which was based on a five per cent. sample of IS customers at November 1993. The information is for the Wales administrative region but cannot be broken down to a local level. All figures have been rounded to the nearest 1000.
  I hope you find this reply helpful.

  Number of IVB claimants at 31 October 1994

  Porth

  6,317

  Tonypandy

  7,017

  Pontypridd

  6,265

  Aberdare

  6,189

  Number of IVB awards disallowed following reference to the Benefits Agency Medical Service

  Aberdare BO

  391

  Pontypridd BO

  733

  Appendix C

  Number

  Porth

  1,108

  Pontypridd

  1,184

  Tonypandy

  1,141

  Aberdare

  1,257

  Total

  4,690

  Source:

  Management Information Statistics—August 1994.

  Appendix D

  Number

  In receipt of Invalidity Benefit

  5,000

  In receipt of Severe Disablement Benefit

  4,000

  In receipt of Disability Living Allowance Other

  25,000

  All cases

  44,000

  Source:

  Quarterly Statistical Enquiry—November 1993.

  Housing Benefit
  Ms Jowell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what representations he has had from building societies and banks about the effect that reducing the eligibility to housing benefit will have on their ability to lend to housing associations.

  Mr. Roger Evans
  None.

  Compensation Recovery Unit
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether he is prepared to review the work of the compensation recovery unit to take more note of the future medical, social and financial needs of sick and injured people.

  Mr. Roger Evans
  Compensation is subject to recoupment only up to the date of award or settlement.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the projected income of the compensation recovery unit for this financial year.
  286
  Mr. Roger Evans
  On current trends, it is estimated that the compensation recovery unit will recoup approximately £100 million in 1994–95.

  Mr. Hutton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to extend the market testing initiative to the compensation recovery unit; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Roger Evans
  The work of the compensation recovery unit is currently the subject of a feasibility study to determine whether all or part of the work should be subject to a market test. Some initial research has been done which merits further careful consideration before any firm decisions are made.

  Lobbying Companies
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list and date those occasions over the last two years when Ministers or officials in his Department have met lobbying companies, prior to a decision being made on the subject of the meeting with the lobbying company.

  Mr. Hague
  The information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the guidelines issued by his Department to regulate relationships with lobbying companies.

  Mr. Hague
  The Department follows the guidelines in "Questions of Procedure for Ministers". The conditions of service for the staff of this Department incorporate the general principles of conduct that require civil servants not to misuse information which they acquire in the course of their duties; not to make use of their official position to further their private interests or those of others; and not to receive gifts, hospitality or benefits of any kind from a third party, which might be seen to compromise their personal judgment or integrity.

  Next Steps Agencies
  Mr. Kaufman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the salary and other emoluments of the civil servant who did the work of, or work comparable to that of, the chief executive of each next steps agency established by his Department before the agency was established.

  Mr. Hague
  No one civil servant had the same or similar responsibilities as any of the agency chief executives before the decision was taken to establish the agencies.

  Attendance and Disability Living Allowances
  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many claims were submitted for attendance allowance in each year since 1990 for(a) Scotland and (b) the United Kingdom; how many went to appeal; and what percentage were accepted upon appeal;

  (2) how many claims were submitted for disability living allowance in each year since 1990 for (a) Scotland and (b) the United Kingdom; how many went to appeal; and what percentage were accepted upon appeal.

  Mr. Hague
  The information is not available in the form requested. The available information is in the tables.
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  Attendance Allowance

  Great Britain

  Scotland

  All Claims Received

  Appeals Registered

  All Claims received

  1990–91

  429,295

  n/a

  n/a

  1991–92

  594,497

  n/a

  n/a

  1992–93

  500,388

  2,130

  51,260

  Disability Living Allowance

  New claims received

  Appeals registered

  Successful appeals

  Year

  Great Britain

  Scotland

  Great Britain

  Scotland

  Great Britain

  Scotland

  1992–93

  523,695

  63,631

  6,918

  n/a

  33 per cent.

  n/a

  1993–94

  428,927

  53,716

  29,617

  2,141

  50 per cent.

  43 per cent.

  Source: Analytical Services Division DSS.

  1. Prior to 1992 there was no right of appeal for Attendance Allowance claimants.

  2. DLA appeal figures for 1992–93 may include a small number of Mobility Allowance cases.

  3. Appeals registered in the period shown may not relate to claims made during the same period.

  4. Successful appeals are those where the rate of award has been increased, figures include cases where the disabled person's condition has deteriorated since the initial decision was made.

  This Department is responsible for social security only in Great Britain. For information relating to Northern Ireland I refer the hon. Member to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.

  Jobseeker's Allowance
  Ms Lynne
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is estimated to be the saving of public money resulting from the introduction of the proposed jobseeker's allowance with reference to existing expenditure on the unemployed.

  Mr. Roger Evans
  Using the most recently published unemployment benefit figures it is estimated that the introduction of the jobseeker's allowance would reduce expenditure on benefits by about £150 million in 1996–7 and £300 million in 1997–8.

  Notes:

  1. Assumes transitional protection in 1996–7.

  2. Estimates assume 2.55 million unemployed claimants (GB) and 600 thousand Unemployment Benefit claimants.

  3. Savings estimated using 1990–91–92 FES data and 1994 Unemployment Benefit statistics.

  4. 1996–7 figures are in 1996–7 prices. 1997–8 figures are in 1997–8 prices.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Police
  Mr. Gunnell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what arrangements he is making for the remuneration of those members of police authorities appointed by himself.

  Mr. Maclean
  The Home Secretary does not appoint any members of police authorities. Councillor and independent members of new police authorities will be able to claim £15 per hour for time spent on police authority business, up to a limit of £120 per day and £3,000 per year—£6,000 per year if they are the chairman of the authority.

  Magistrate members of new police authorities will, as at present, be able to claim financial loss allowance at the rates payable to them as magistrates.
  288

  Attendance Allowance

  Great Britain

  Scotland

  All Claims Received

  Appeals Registered

  All Claims received

  1993–94

  439,020

  5,025

  46,636

  1994–95

  285,676

  n/a

  31,059

  Mr. Hoon
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department by how many the number of police officers has increased since 1992.

  Mr. Maclean
  Between August 1992 and August 1994, the latest date for which figures are available, the number of police constables increased by 750. Over the same period, the total numbers of officers fell by 603, reflecting the thinning out of unneeded supervisory ranks.

  Special Constables
  Sir Roger Moate
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are his proposals for increasing the number of special constables.

  Mr. Howard
  I am firmly committed to encouraging the recruitment of special constables and have set a target of 30,000 by the end of 1996. A national advertising campaign to encourage applications was launched at the end of October. As part of the partnership against crime campaign, police forces will be offering applicants the chance to join the specials as a neighbourhood constable, a special who works only in one particular area. I hope that this will broaden the appeal of the specials to a wider range of volunteers.

  Crime
  Mr. Amess
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on current trends in the figures for recorded crime.

  Mr. Maclean
  For the 12 months to June 1994, the number of crimes recorded by the police in England and Wales decreased by 5.5 per cent. compared to the previous 12 months.

  This is the largest fall over 12 months for 40 years. This will, I hope, reassure the public that recent rises in recorded crime can not only be slowed but actually reversed.

  Mr. Chapman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment his Department has made of the trends in violent crime.

  Mr. Maclean
  Between 1981 and 1993, violent crime recorded by the police increased at a rate of 6 per cent. per year, compared with an increase in all recorded crime of 5 per cent. per year. In the 12 months to June 1994,
  289
  violent crime accounted for 6 per cent. of all crimes recorded by the police.

  The British crime survey provides an insight into people's experience of crime, whether or not it was reported to the police. The survey suggests that for those offences that can be compared with the police figures, violent crime increased at a rate of less than 3 per cent. per year between 1981 and 1993.

  Sir Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement explaining the reasons for the reduction in recorded crime.

  Mr. Maclean
  We need to be cautious: recorded crime can be affected by a number of factors. But we are most encouraged by the recent falls in recorded crime.

  Police, Wales
  Mr. Roy Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will announce a decision about the future organisation of the police service in Wales.

  Mr. Maclean
  My right hon. and learned Friend is currently seeking views from all the interested parties. He will reach a decision in the light of those views, and in the light of an assessment of the professional policing issues involved from Her Majesty's inspectorate of constabulary.

  Prison Officers
  Mr. Welsh
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent representations he has received on the pay and conditions of prison officers; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  I received two letters in October form the Prison Officers' Association, which raised matters concerning the pay and conditions of prison officers in England and Wales. Responsibility for this year's pay negotiations and for related conditions of service lies with the Prison Service.

  Fire Services
  Mr. Barron
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received regarding the effects of the standard spending assessment on fire services in South Yorkshire fire authority.

  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  My right hon. and learned Friend met a delegation from South Yorkshire fire and civil defence authority on 24 August when concern was expressed about the authority's financial position. In September, two members wrote on the authority's behalf about the calculation of the fire standard spending assessment.

  Mr. Rowe
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what arrangements are planned to provide adequate transitional funding in preparation for the establishment of any new combined fire authorities established as a result of the review of local government.

  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  In England it is proposed that the new combined fire authorities should operate within the same, or as nearly as possible the same, boundaries as existing fire authorities. It is therefore the Government's expectation that the transition to the new arrangements can be made without the need for any of the authorities involved to incur significant additional costs.

  Racially Motivated Attacks
  Mr. Deva
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what view he has formed of the effectiveness of current laws to deal with racially motivated attacks; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  All violent attacks are already criminal offences. Racially motivated attacks are particularly abhorrent and that is why the courts can and do take racial motivation into account as an aggravating factor when passing sentence.

  We strengthened the process to deal with racially motivated attacks in the Criminal Justice Act 1994 and believe that our laws are now adequate. We must now concentrate on making sure that they are used consistently and effectively across the country to deal with these odious crimes.

  Prison Discipline
  Mr. Whittingdale
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how he intends to improve the disciplinary regime in prisons; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The prison disciplinary system, incentives and privileges are all matters which I am currently considering and expect to reach conclusions shortly.

  Political Parties
  Mr. Rooker
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce proposals for the registration of political parties.

  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  We have no plans to do so.

  Drugs
  Mr. Hain
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will be monitoring current levels of funding for the West Glamorgan drugs initiative in 1995–96.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The three-year period of funding for the drugs prevention team in West Glamorgan will be completed in March 1995.

  Quangos
  Mr. Sykes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which quangos his Department has abolished since 1979.

  Mr. Howard
  The information to 1 April 1993 is as follows:

  Advisory Committee on Suspension and Revocation of Authorities for Wireless Personnel

  Advisory Committee on Radio Interference

  Advisory Council on the Penal System

  Central Committee on Common Police Services

  Chief Constables Committees for District Police Training Centres

  Committee on Training for Justices' Clerks' Assistants

  Committee on Obscenity and Film Censorship

  Conference on Local Government Electoral Law

  Criminal Law Revision Committee

  Electoral Advisory Conference

  Fire Service College Board

  Frequency Advisory Committee

  Joint Committee for Refugees for Vietnam

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  Licensing Planning Committees

  Local Authority Committee for District Police Training Centres

  London Building Acts Tribunal of Appeal

  Mobile Radio Committee

  New Town Licences Premises Committees

  Police Disciplinary (Senior Officers) Tribunal

  Police National Computer Policy Committee

  Police Advisory Committee on Sexual Offences

  Queen's Police Gold Medal Essay Competition Committee

  Race Relations Research Advisory Committee

  Regional Probation Staff Development Consultative Committee

  Standing Advisory Committee on Cinematograph (Safety)

  Regulations

  Standing Conference on Crime Prevention

  Standing Committee on Probation Manpower Needs

  Television Advisory Committee

  Wireless Telegraph Appeals Tribunal

  Working Party on Magistrates Courts

  Mr. Sykes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many quangos his Department was responsible for(a) in 1979 (b) in the latest year for which a number is available.

  Mr. Howard
  The Home Office was responsible for 282 non-departmental public bodies in 1979, and for 280 on 1 April 1993, the latest year for which a published figure is available.

  Local Government Finance
  Mr. Robert Ainsworth
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how much money is planned to be distributed to local authorities through section 11 funding in 1995–96; how much of this is estimated will be available for new bids; and how much is committed to on-going projects.

  (2) what is the overall level of section 11 funding for each of the last five years; and how much of the section 11 budget has been transferred to the single regeneration budget.

  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  Expenditure under section 11 in each of the past five financial years was as follows:

  Year

  £

  1989–90

  114.8

  1990–91

  135.5

  1991–92

  113

  1992–93

  129.7

  1993–94

  131.2

  The single regeneration budget came into operation on 1 April 1994. The following sums were transferred from section 11.

  Year

  £

  1994–95

  60.5

  1995–96

  53

  1996–97

  53

  My right hon. and learned Friend the Home Secretary announced on 22 November, Official Report, column 64 that the Government are making available an additional sum of £15 million in each of the next two financial years for new section 11 projects starting in 1995–96. This has doubled the amount which was earlier expected to be available for new projects, and is additional to previous
  292
  Home Office provision under section 11 of £43.8 million for 1995–96. Precise figures for new funding, and the division of funding between local authorities and other eligible recipients such as further education colleges and grant maintained schools, will depend upon actual expenditure in the current financial year and the outcome of the current applications round for which the closing date has been extended to 30 December.

  Miscarriages of Justice
  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the responses he received to his consultation on the proposed review body to deal with alleged miscarriages of justice and indicate which of them favoured leaving investigations entirely in the hands of the police.

  Mr. Maclean
  Fifty individuals and organisations responded to the Government's discussion paper "Criminal Appeals and the Establishment of a Criminal Cases Review Authority". Of the 23 responses which considered the alternative approaches to investigation canvassed in paragraphs 54 to 64 of the paper, 10 favoured inquiries by police forces overseen by the review body; four favoured the secondment of police officers and other investigators to the review body; seven favoured a mixture of these two approaches; and two proposed the exclusion of police officers from any investigation by the review body. Neither the discussion paper nor any respondent to it suggested that investigations should be left entirely in the hands of police forces. The Government have concluded that the review body in investigating cases put to it should have power to commission inquiries by police officers, where appropriate from an outside force, who would work in accordance with the review body's specific requirements and would report to it.

  Cults
  Mr. Jon Owen Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what measures are taken to monitor the activities of cults in the United Kingdom;

  (2) if his Department has considered agreeing a code of conduct with religious groups, cults and so on with the aim of mitigating their worst excesses.

  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  The Government do not monitor the activities of new religious movements. It is for the police to investigate any allegations of illegal activities on the part of such organisations.

  The Government believe that it would not be feasible to agree and enforce a code of conduct for religious movements.

  Christmas Expenditure
  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Lord President of the Council how many official Christmas cards he and his Ministers intend to send in 1994; how much these cards will cost(a) to buy, (b) to post and (c) in staff time to sign, address and place in envelopes; and if he will place in the Library a sample copy of the official Christmas card he intends to send this year.

  Mr. Howard
  This year Home Office Ministers intend to send 440 Christmas cards. The cost of purchasing and posting these cards will be £217.14, inclusive of VAT, and £79.20 respectively. It is not possible to estimate accurately the cost in staff time of sending out these
  293
  Christmas cards; but it would be minimal. I have today placed examples of the Home Office Christmas cards in the Library.

  Lockerbie
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the responsibilities of his Department in relation to the investigation into the Pan Am 103 crash over Lockerbie.

  Mr. Howard
  My Department has an interest in any general issues arising from the Lockerbie bombing in view of my overall responsibility for counter-terrorist policy in Great Britain. The Metropolitan police, the forensic explosives laboratory of the Defence Research Agency and many other police forces and agencies have provided assistance to the Dumfries and Galloway constabulary during the course of the investigation.

  Computer Pornography
  Rev. Martin Smyth
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement about how the outcome of the review of the future of the obscene publications branch will affect investigations into computer pornography.

  Mr. Maclean
  The Commissioner's management restructuring exercise has been looking at the whole of the Metropolitan police, including headquarters functions and specialist units, such as the obscene publications branch. Its aim is to make the best possible use of resources. Action against pornography remains a high priority. There will be no change in the responsibilities of the obscene publications branch for the investigation of computer pornography.

  Firearms Certificates
  Mr. Page
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he intends to introduce the five-year shotgun and firearms certificate.

  Mr. Maclean
  An order was laid before the House on 13 October to extend the life of firearm and shot gun certificates from three to five years. We intend that all certificates granted from 1 January 1995 will be valid for five years.

  Rape
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the lowest age of a defendant who has been charged with rape; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maclean
  Statistics on the age of defendants when they are charged by the police are not recorded centrally. Up to the end of 1993, the latest year for which figures are available, the lowest age of a person prosecuted and proceeded against for rape was 13.

  Road Traffic Accidents
  Mr. Key
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance he gives to coroners on the collection and recording of evidence in fatal road traffic accidents.

  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  Coroners are independent judicial officers who carry out their inquiries in 294
  accordance with procedures laid down in the coroners rules 1984. These include provisions relating to the treatment of witnesses, exhibits and documentary evidence. The collection of evidence for the purpose of an inquest following a fatal road traffic accident is a matter for the individual judgment of the coroner according to the particular circumstances of each case. My right hon. and learned Friend has issued no specific guidance on the matter.

  Anthony O'Kere
  Mr. Parry
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the current case of Anthony O'Kere; and when a final decision may be reached.

  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  A decision will be made shortly and I will write to the hon. Member.

  Political Refugees
  Mr. Parry
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many political refugees from China are now settled in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  The available information is that, in the period 1 January 1979 to 31 October 1994, around 160 Chinese nationals, including associated dependants, were recognised as refugees and granted asylum in the United Kingdom. Chinese nationals granted asylum may apply for settlement after four years. Information on the number of Chinese nationals granted asylum and who were accepted for settlement in 1992 and 1993 is published in table 6.1 of the Command Papers "Control of Immigration: Statistics United Kingdom 1992" CM2368 and "Control of Immigration: Statistics United Kingdom 1993" CM2637. Copies of both these publications are available in the Library. Information prior to 1992 is not readily available.

  Mr. Parry
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list in the Official Report the numbers of political refugees settled in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  The available information on those given leave to remain in the United Kingdom as a recognised refugee is that in the period 1979 to end-June 1994 around 44,000 persons, including associated dependants, were given such leave. These comprise some 20,400 asylum applicants who were recognised as refugees and granted asylum in the United Kingdom, and 23,600 south-east Asian refugees accepted for settlement, mainly on arrival.

  Persons granted asylum here may apply for permanent settlement after four years. Information on the number of persons granted asylum and who were accepted for settlement in the years 1979–1993, along with south-east Asian refugees, is published in table 8 of the Home Office statistical bulletin issue 22/90 "Refugee Statistics United Kingdom 1989" and Table 10.1 of Home Office statistical bulletin Issue 17/94 "Asylum Statistics United Kingdom 1993". Copies of both these publications are available in the Library.

  International Drug Trafficking
  Mr. Simon Coombs
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress he has made in tackling international drug trafficking.

  Mr. Maclean
  The Government remain fully committed to the international fight against illicit drug trafficking, as part of their comprehensive anti-drugs strategy, comprising action on supply and demand reduction. Action is being taken forward vigorously by the Government on a number of fronts, aimed at improving the effectiveness of international co-operation against the drug traffickers:United Kingdom enforcement agencies maintain extensive operational links with overseas counterparts, reinforced by 37 drug liaison officers in 22 countries, who work closely with local law enforcement agencies.
  The United Kingdom is playing a prominent part in the development of the European Police Office, Europol, based on a United Kingdom initiative to establish a European drugs intelligence unit. The first stage of Europol, the European drugs unit, formally opened in February 1994. It exchanges and analyses criminal intelligence on drug trafficking and associated money laundering activities affecting European Union member states.
  The United Kingdom staff at the Europol drugs unit report to the National Criminal Intelligence Service—NCIS—which provides an intelligence co-ordinating role for police and Customs in this country and a national focal point for exchange of information and intelligence about serious crime, including drug trafficking, and major criminals of international interest.
  We actively support the leadership role of the United Nations international drug control programme—UNDPC—supporting a range of multilateral anti-drugs projects worldwide. We also give support bilaterally, through for example the provision of training and equipment to improve the effectiveness of law enforcement agencies in appropriate countries. In the last three years, the United Kingdom has provided over £29 million in drug-related assistance overseas.
  The United Kingdom has continued to encourage countries that have not done so to ratify the 1988 United Nations convention against illicit traffic in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances and to implement its provisions fully in domestic legislation. The 1988 convention established a solid basis for international co-operation in a number of important areas, such as seizure and confiscation of drug traffickers' assets, mutual legal assistance, extradition, controlled deliveries, precursor control and maritime intervention. Provisions enabling the United Kingdom to ratify the 1988 convention, in June 1991, were included in the Criminal Justice (International Co-operation) Act 1990.
  The United Kingdom fully implemented, last year, European Community legislation controlling trade in the precursor and essential chemicals required to manufacture illicit drugs, based on the recommendations of the chemical action task force.
  We have continued to work within the European Union, the Council of Europe and the United Nations and with other major donors to promote good practice and to ensure more effective action against drugs, particularly in relation to countries of central and eastern Europe.
  The United Kingdom recognises the important role of the International Criminal Police Organisation—Interpol—and the World Customs Organisation—WCO, formerly the Customs Co-operation Council—and supports its activities in a practical way, providing expert practitioners from HM Customs and police to participate in its initiatives. The United Kingdom has been particularly instrumental in the promotion of the WCO's
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  initiative on customs/business co-operation against drugs trafficking and has implemented its own national programme of memoranda of understanding with trade associations and members.

  Lobbying Companies
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the guidelines issued by his Department to regulate relationships with lobbying companies.

  Mr. Howard
  There is no specific guidance to staff on relationships with lobbying companies. Staff are, however, bound by the general principles governing the conduct of Crown servants, which require them not to misuse information which they acquire in the course of their duties; not to make use of their official position to further their private interests or those of others; and not to receive gifts, hospitality or benefits of any kind from a third party, which might be seen to compromise their personal judgement or integrity.

  "Questions of Procedure for Ministers" provides general guidance for Ministers.

  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list and date those occasions over the last two years, when Ministers or officials in his Department have met lobbying companies, prior to a decision being made on the subject of the meeting with the lobbying company.

  Mr. Howard
  This information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Next Steps Agencies
  Mr. Kaufman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the salary and other emoluments of the civil servant who did the work of, or work comparable to that of, the chief executive of each next steps agency established by his Department before the agency was established.

  Mr. Howard
  It is not the general practice of the Department to publish the salaries of individual civil servants. The salaries of the civil servants running the organisations in the Home Office which subsequently became executive agencies fell within the following ranges:

  United Kingdom Passport Agency: £33,970 – £44,996

  Prison Service: £62,504 – £73,216

  Forensic Science Service: £45,000 – £52,100

  Fire Service College: £36,178 – £47,921

  There were no emoluments additional to the salary.

  Merseyside Police Budget
  Mr. Parry
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish the list of Members who have made representations concerning reductions in the Merseyside police budget; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maclean
  The budget for the Merseyside police is a matter for the Merseyside police authority.
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  Correspondence on the issue of central Government support for the Merseyside police has been received from the hon. Members for:

  Bootle (Mr. Benton)

  Walton (Mr. Kilfoyle)

  Riverside (Mr. Parry)

  Mossley Hill (Mr. Alton)

  Garston (Mr. Loyden)

  Wirral, West (Mr. Hunt ME)

  Wirral, South (Mr. Porter)

  Crosby (Mr. Thornton)

  Knowsley, North (Mr. Howarth)

  St Helens, North (Mr. Evans)

  St Helens, South (Mr. Bermingham)

  Southport (Mr. Banks)

  Knowsley, South (Mr. O'Hara)

  Funding levels for police forces in 1995–96 will be issued shortly after the Budget statement.

  Mr. Parry
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received concerning reductions in the budget for the Merseyside police.

  Mr. Maclean
  [holding answer 23 November 1994]: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to his question on 26 October at column 642.

  Hunting
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police were deployed to protect the Essex Foxhounds at Good Easter on 19 November; and what was the estimated cost.

  Mr. Maclean
  The policing of hunts is a matter for the chief officer. I understand that police officers were not deployed to protect the hunt but that 125 uniformed officers were deployed to keep the peace. The costs involved are not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Mobile Telephones
  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures are planned to combat the theft of mobile telephones and facilitate the detection of those knowingly selling stolen telephone equipment.

  Mr. Maclean
  [holding answer 23 November 1994]: The Department of Trade and Industry, with the support of the Home Office, has been discussing with representatives of the telecommunications industry how the industry itself can make mobile phones less attractive to thieves. Measures currently under consideration include tighter controls on the issue and use of electronic serial numbers and the introduction of property marking and registration schemes.

  The detection of those selling stolen goods is an operational policing matter. A number of forces have established specialist squads to tackle the problem of mobile phone theft.

  Crime Victims
  Ms Coffey
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to inform the victims of violent crime who were previously informed of the temporary release of their attackers of their permanent release.
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  Mr. Maclean
  [holding answer 22 November 1994]: We have published for consultation draft revised national standards for the supervision of offenders in the community. The draft revised standard for the supervision of prisoners before and after release from custody states that in cases involving serious sexual or violent offences the relevant probation service should arrange for the victim to be contacted within two months of sentence and offered the opportunity of being kept informed of sentence developments. Where this opportunity is taken up, the draft revised standard envisages that the service will contact the victim when permanent release is imminent. We shall consider comments on the draft , standards before finalising them.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Quangos
  Mr. Sykes
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade which quangos his Department has abolished since 1979.

  Mr. Heseltine
  Since 1979, the following executive non-departmental public bodies have been abolished within the field of the President of the Board of Trade's current responsibilities:

  Furniture Development Council

  Metrication Board

  Price Commission

  National Metrological Co-ordinating Unit

  Regional Gas Consumers' Councils

  Mr. Sykes
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many quangos his Department was responsible for(a) in 1979 and (b) in the latest year for which a number is available.

  Mr. Heseltine
  The number of executive non-departmental public bodies within my departments current responsibilities were:

  (a) 35 in 1979

  (b) 23 in 1994

  Insider Dealing
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what weaknesses he has identified in the operation of the law on insider dealing; and what further legislation he considers necessary.

  Mr. Nelson
  I have been asked to reply.

  New legislation on insider dealing came into force on 1 March 1994. The Government will keep its effectiveness under review but have no plans to propose any changes.

  Regional Office, Plymouth
  Mr. Jamieson
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he expects the regional office of his Department in Plymouth to commence operating; and if a suitable site has been found for the development of the office.

  Mr. Eggar
  The options for siting the new office are being considered. Meanwhile, 30 staff, including the newly appointed director, are already providing a service to Devon and Cornwall from temporary offices in Phoenix house, Notte street in the centre of Plymouth.

  Trade Figures
  Ms Quin
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will supply figures for trade between the United Kingdom and Moldova for each year since 1989.

  Mr. Ian Taylor
  Information on United Kingdom trade with Moldova since January 1993 is published in "Business Monitor MM20, Overseas Trade Statistics of the United Kingdom", which is available in the Library of the House. Information is not available for earlier periods because Moldova was not separately identified from the rest of the former Soviet Union.

  Mr. Parry
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on United Kingdom-Libyan trade during the past five years.

  Mr. Needham
  The British Government neither promote nor discourage trade with Libya. Figures for United Kingdom trade with Libya over the past five years are given in the table below.

  UK trade with Libya—1989–1993

  £ thousand

  1989

  1990

  1991

  1992

  1993

  Imports

  104,545

  151,605

  121,219

  162,899

  156,542

  Exports

  239,191

  244,849

  255,718

  228,273

  274,051

  Source:

  United Kingdom Overseas Trade (Business Monitor MA20).

  EC Industry Council
  Ms Quin
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the outcome of the EC Industry Council held on 8 November.

  Mr. Eggar
  I attended the Industry Council on 8 November.

  The most important issue before the Council was steel. Commissioner Bangemann reported that minimum capacity cuts of 19 million tonnes identified in the Braun plan had not been achieved and that most of the measures introduced to support the restructuring process would therefore come to an end. I stressed Her Majesty's Government's view that further restructuring depends critically on stricter control of state aids.

  The Council debated a Commission report on monitoring of the conditions attaching to the aids which were agreed for Spanish, Italian, Portuguese and German companies last December under article 95 of the European Coal and Steel Community treaty. The Council supported me in asking the Commission to monitor the situation even more closely.

  The Council was asked to agree a revised package of support for the former East German steel company EkoStahl, which was now being sold by the German privatisation agency to the Belgian company, Cockerill Sambre, following the collapse of the deal with the original purchaser, Riva. I argued that although I would honour the agreement made by the council last December, the revised proposal appeared to be more generous in several respects. I said that I could not support the revised proposal unless I could be convinced of its equivalence to the December 1993 agreement. Discussions are continuing.

  Other issues on the agenda were industrial competitiveness, where the Council agreed a resolution in response to the Commission's recent communication on
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  the subject; the Commission's annual report on competition policy; and the Commission briefly presented two communications on the pharmaceutical and mechanical engineering industries respectively.

  No votes were taken at the Council.

  Export Licences
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the number of occasions over the last five years that his Department has refused an export licence for military and defence orders.

  Mr. Ian Taylor
  This question could be answered only at disproportionate cost. There will, however, be some details of licences issued and refused in the annual report of the export control organisation to be published shortly. A copy of that report will be placed in the Library of the House and I will arrange for the hon. Member to receive a personal copy.

  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the proportion of the United Kingdom total exports to Indonesia made up of defence-related products and services, on the latest available figures.

  Mr. Needham
  For reasons of commercial confidentiality, it has been the consistent policy of successive United Kingdom Governments not to disclose details of defence trade with individual countries.

  Manufactured Goods
  Mr. Rooker
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what action his Department is taking to reduce the obstacles in the European single market in respect of manufactured goods.

  Mr. Needham
  The United Kingdom continues to take a leading role in the internal market council, both with new measures to address barriers and practical efforts to ensure the smooth and effective functioning of the single market. We are assisting the Commission in its efforts to improve its complaints procedures and are encouraging practical means of achieving closer co-operation between national enforcement officials in the Community. My Department has established a single market compliance unit, which helps companies to tackle individual single market problems. We have also initiated studies focusing on specific single market issues of concern to United Kingdom businesses.

  Overseas Trade
  Mr. Radice
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade which country is the United Kingdom's main trading partner; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Needham
  In 1993, the United Kingdom's main trading partner was Germany, with visible imports and exports together worth £36 billion, accounting for 14 per cent. of total United Kingdom trade. The next largest partner was the USA, with United Kingdom trade worth £32 billion.

  West London Enterprise Agency
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans he has to increase grants from public funds to the West London enterprise agency; and if he will make a statement.
  301
  Mr. Eggar
  [holding answer 23 November 1994]: The Department of Trade and Industry does not provide grants from public funds to local enterprise agencies. I have therefore no plans to increase grants from public funds to the West London enterprise agency, or to any other local enterprise agency.

  The Department of Trade and Industry provides funding to training and enterprise councils for support services for small and medium-sized businesses. From 1996, these services will normally be delivered through business links.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Gibraltar
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the budget from his Department to Gibraltar for the year 1994; and if he will give a breakdown of these financial expenses.

  Mr. Baldry
  Total operating costs and capital expenditure of our post in Gibraltar for the financial year 1993–94 were £674,969. In addition, we provided the Government of Gibraltar with project-related assistance of £512,258.

  Embassy Expenditure
  Mrs. Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list(a) the total expenditure on embassy budgets and (b) the levels of embassy staff for the years 1992–93 and 1993–94; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Goodlad
  The cost of running diplomatic missions overseas, including notional rents for owned properties, was:

  1992–93

  £365 million

  1993–94

  £398 million

  Total United Kingdom-based staff employed in diplomatic missions overseas and paid for by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office were:

  1992–93

  2,600

  1993–94

  2,500

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  Total locally engaged staff employed in diplomatic missions overseas were:

  1992–93

  7,000

  1993–94

  7,100

  Indonesia
  Mr. Gapes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations have been made to the Government of Indonesia about human rights abuse.

  Mr. Goodlad
  We raise human rights issues as part of our regular dialogue with the Indonesians, and did so most recently on 17 November.

  Mr. Gapes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations have been received in the last year from human rights organisations or individuals concerning the situation in Indonesia and East Timor.

  Mr. Goodlad
  We receive many representations from non-governmental organisations and individual correspondents. Details could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  European Parliament
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the definition of official business used for the daily travel allowance for Members of the European Parliament referred in his answer to the hon. Member for Hendon, South (Mr. Marshall) 19 October,Official Report, column 237.

  Mr. Baldry
  To qualify for the daily travel allowance a Member of the European Parliament should be attending a meeting of Parliament or its organs—plenaries, committees, and delegations. The Member signs a list at the start of each meeting to record his or her attendance.

  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the highest and lowest claims for travel allowances from United Kingdom Members of the European Parliament.

  Mr. Baldry
  This information is not available to us. Members of the European Parliament claim their own allowances from the European Parliament's own administration.

  Malta
  Mr. Spellar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations his Department has made to the Government of Malta with regard to the case of Mr. and Mrs. Sample and her son James Portelli.

  Mr. Baldry
  Our High Commission sought a welfare report from, and brought a court order to, the attention of the Maltese authorities in 1991, attended court hearings in 1992, and on several occasions urged Malta to sign one of the child abduction conventions.

  Christmas Expenditure
  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much public money will be spent on entertaining, Christmas decorations and other festive activities this Christmas season by his Department and Government agencies answerable to his Department; and of this sum how much will be spent in(a) Ministers' private offices and official residences including No. 1 Carlton gardens and Chevening and (b) United Kingdom embassies and official residences abroad.

  Mr. Goodlad
  Disaggregated information of this nature is not available. The costs are covered by the entertainment expenditure of the FCO, including its post abroad, and the ODA, and their agencies. For the financial year ended April 1994, this was £7,493,073.

  Rwanda and Burundi
  Mrs. Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans the Government have to propose methods by which the United Nations ability for preventative action can be strengthened in(a) Rwanda and (b) Burundi; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  In Rwanda, the United Kingdom contributed to the restoration of stability by deploying a logistical battalion with UNAMIR. The Security Council is now considering a number of options for improving security conditions in the refugee camps and creating a secure environment within Rwanda, to encourage refugees to return home.

  Within the region, the United Kingdom supports the proposal by the Organisation of African Unity and UNHCR for a conference to address refugee issues, including those in Burundi.

  More generally, the United Kingdom fully supports enhancing the preventive diplomacy capability of the UN, and of regional organisations. Our African peacekeeping initiative aims to achieve better co-ordination between the UN and the OAU to provide early warning of conflicts. Where preventive efforts break down, our initiative sets out practical steps for the more rapid and effective deployment of peacekeeping forces.

  Sadiq Al Mandi
  Sir David Steel
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to make representations to the Sudanese authorities to ensure fair and just treatment for Sadiq Al Mandi.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  HM embassy in Khartoum made representations to the Sudanese authorities during Sadiq Al Mandi's detention for three weeks earlier this year. Sadiq Al Mandi was released on 3 July.

  Diplomatic Service
  Mrs. Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the total expenditure on the diplomatic service for the years 1992–93 and 1993–94; if he will express this as a percentage of total spending on defence, diplomacy and aid; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Goodlad
  Total expenditure on the diplomatic service in 1992–93 was £714.6 million or 3 per cent. of total spending on defence, diplomacy and aid. In 1993–94, it was £774.5 million or 3 per cent. of total spending on defence, diplomacy and aid.

  East Timor
  Mr. Gapes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when British Ministers or officials last visited East Timor.

  Mr. Goodlad
  September 1994.

  European Union
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will arrange for publication in the Official Report of a copy of the letter on the European Union, sent to the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent, to which he refers in his answer of 3 November 1994 Official Report, column 1385.

  Mr. Baldry
  Yes, the text of the letter was as follows:

  You asked:
  "What arrangements exists to fill the positions of Fisheries Commissioner and Interior Judicial Affairs Commissioner in the event that the Norwegian and Swedish electorates reject joining the European Union?"
  We expect that the Commission President would reallocate responsibility for these issues among the remaining Commissioners. It is his prerogative to do so.

  Rwanda
  Mrs. Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will support the establishment of an international judicial process to prosecute individuals suspected of genocide and other crimes against humanity in Rwanda.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Security Council resolution 955 of 8 November 1994 established an international criminal tribunal for Rwanda. We co-sponsored this resolution.

  Africa
  Mr. MacShane
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which countries in Africa have been the subject of arms export licence refusals on the ground of internal oppression or regional insecurity.

  Mr. Baldry
  The latest period for which figures have been compiled is the calendar year 1993.

  No applications for export licences were refused to countries in Africa on the grounds of internal oppression or regional insecurity in that period.

  UN Rapid Deployment Force
  Mrs. Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will support the creation and maintenance of a United Nations rapid deployment
  305
  force to be used in preventive and peacekeeping missions; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Some UN member states have proposed the creation of a rapid deployment force dedicated to UN peacekeeping. Given the costs of maintaining, training and equipping such a force, and the difficulty of matching its capabilities to the widely varying requirements of different missions, those ideas have not found widespread support. The UN Secretary-General has, however, established a UN standby force planning team tasked with creating a database of the resources which member states can make available to the United Nations at short notice. The Secretary-General's objective in launching this initiative is to enhance the capability of the United Nations to launch peacekeeping operations and deploy forces rapidly. Many member states, including the United Kingdom, have already supplied the necessary information to the UN Secretary-General and we and the French Government are actively encouraging other states to support this UN initiative.

  EU Council
  Ms Quin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) how many times votes in the EU Council have been published under the provisions of article 7(5) of Council decision 93/662/EC on allowing greater publicity for Council meetings;

  (2) how many times explanations of votes in EU Council meetings have been published in accordance with article 5 of Council decision 93/662/EC on allowing greater publicity for Council meetings.

  Mr. Baldry
  The press releases which are issued after each Council meeting are placed in the Library. Since the publication of the Council decision referred to by the hon. Member, these have normally contained details of votes and explanations of votes.

  Armenia
  Ms Quin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to open an embassy in Armenia.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  There are at present no plans to open an embassy in Armenia. The pattern of overseas representation is kept under review. HM ambassador in Moscow is accredited to Armenia and his staff make regular visits there.

  Moldova
  Ms Quin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to open an embassy in Moldova or change the current method of United Kingdom representation in that country.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The British ambassador to Moscow is also accredited to Moldova. We have no plans at present to change this arrangement nor to open an embassy in Moldova.

  Libya
  Mr. Parry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on United Kingdom-Libyan relations at the latest date.
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  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  There are still issues of major concern which prevent an improvement in bilateral relations.

  Mr. Parry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many United Kingdom citizens are employed in Libya according to latest statistics; and what was the figures five years ago.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  There are no figures available of British nationals employed in Libya. However, between 1990 and 1992, we estimate that there were 5,000 United Kingdom citizens in Libya.

  Next Step Agencies
  Mr. Kaufman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the salary and other emoluments of the civil servant who did the work of, or work comparable to that of, the chief executive of each next step agency established by his Department before the agency was established.

  Mr. Goodlad
  The civil servant who did the work comparable to that of the director of the Natural Resources Institute before it was established as an agency was a home civil servant grade 4. The present national salary scale for that grade is £45,278 to £54,815. The civil servant who did the work of the director of Wilton Park before it was established as an agency was a diplomatic service grade 4—equivalent to home civil servant grade 5. The present national salary scale for that grade is £36,739 to £54,815. Neither officer was entitled to London weighting.

  Lobbying Companies
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the guidelines issued by his Department to regulate relationships with lobbying companies.

  Mr. Goodlad
  The conduct of Ministers in my Department is governed by "Questions of Procedure for Ministers", the guidance for all Departments promulgated by the Cabinet Office. Conditions of service for the staff of my Department incorporate the general principles of conduct that require civil servants not to misuse the information which they acquire in the course of their duties; not to make use of their official position to further their private interests or those of others; and not to receive gifts, hospitality or benefits of any kind from a third party, which might be seen to compromise their personal judgment or integrity.

  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list and date those occasions over the last two years when Ministers or officials in his Department have met lobbying companies, prior to a decision being made on the subject of the meeting with the lobbying company.

  Mr. Goodlad
  No central record is kept of such contacts. This information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Lockerbie
  Mr. Parry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans Her Majesty's Government have to hold a public inquiry into the
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  Lockerbie bombing incident; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  We have no such plans.

  Levels of Service
  Mrs. Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how he will ensure that the services of(a) the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, (b) the Overseas Development Administration, (c) the BBC World Service and (d) the British Council remain at appropriate levels; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Goodlad
  Expenditure plans for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Diplomatic Wing, and the Overseas Development Administration are reviewed annually as part of the public expenditure survey. The outcome is announced in the Financial Statement and Budget Report and in more detail in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's departmental report. Planned grants in aid to the BBC World Service, which is funded on a triennial basis, and the British Council are reviewed at the same time.

  Germany
  Mr. Radice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the present state of Anglo-German relations; and what steps he is taking to improve them.

  Mr. Baldry
  Our last summit meeting in April showed that British/German relations are very good. It underlined the close co-operation and contacts between our two Governments across the board and our common approach to many important issues affecting Europe and the rest of the world.

  During the German presidency of the European Union, we have continued to work closely on a wide range of subjects, including growth and employment in the Union, the extension of security and prosperity to the east, and efforts to combat organised crime.

  Now that Chancellor Kohl's new Government are in place, we look forward to working with them bilaterally and in the European Union to ensure a good outcome to the Essen European Council and beyond.

PRIME MINISTER

  Ministers' Conduct
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Prime Minister what is the position of Her Majesty's Government on inviting senior civil servants, such as the Cabinet Secretary, to sit with the Patronage Secretary to examine Ministers about their conduct.

  The Prime Minister
  From time to time, my right hon. Friend the Chief Whip and the Cabinet Secretary are asked to advise me on matters relating to the registration of Members' interests and "Questions of Procedure for Ministers". This may necessitate establishing the facts with the Ministers concerned.

  Lockerbie
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Prime Minister how many Government Departments are involved following up the 308
  Pan Am 103 crash over Lockerbie; and if he will identify their respective responsibilities.

  The Prime Minister
  The Crown Office is the lead department on matters relating to the prosecution of those suspected of the Lockerbie bombing. The Foreign and Commonwealth office is the lead Department for international aspects. These Departments consult others on issues for which they are responsible, as they arise.

  Engagements
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 24 November.

  Sir Peter Tapsell
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 24 November.

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

  Halsbury Statutes
  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will make it his policy to review the Halsbury statutes of 1717 with a view to their repeal; and if he will make a statement.

  The Prime Minister
  I am not aware of any statutes passed in 1717 which are both still in force and in need of repeal.

  Ministers' Pensions
  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Prime Minister which Ministers in Her Majesty's Government between 1986 and 1994 have had pension contributions paid by outside interests while they held ministerial office.

  The Prime Minister
  Pension arrangements are a personal matter for individual Ministers. However, they are expected to follow the guidance in paragraphs 128–134 of "Questions of Procedure for Ministers".

  Salary Increases
  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Prime Minister if the Government will ask the Confederation of British Industry to request that salary increases for chief executives and chairmen of companies should not exceed the rate of inflation; and if he will make a statement.

  The Prime Minister
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the right hon. Member for Sedgefield (Mr. Blair) on 22 November,Official Report, column 465.

LORD PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL

  Members' Salaries
  Mr. Duncan
  To ask the Lord President of the Council what will be the differential between the salaries of Cabinet Ministers and Members of Parliament in 1995; and what it was in 1965.

  Mr. Newton
  In 1965 the salary of a Cabinet Minister was £8,500, and that of a Member of Parliament £3,250, a ratio of 2.6:1; from January 1995 the comparable
  309
  figureprovided for by the draft Ministerial Salaries Order 1994 would be £42,834 for a Cabinet Minister against a Member's salary of £33,189 under the resolution of 3 November 1993, giving a ratio of 1.3:1.

  Ministerial and Other Salaries Order
  Mr. Duncan
  To ask the Lord President of the Council if he will make a statement about the salaries covered by the Ministerial and Other Salaries Order.

  Mr. Newton
  The salaries of Ministers and other paid office holders were last increased from 1 January 1994 under the terms of the Ministerial and Other Salaries Order 1993. At that time it was decided that henceforth the level of ministerial salaries should normally be increased by the same proportion as those of hon. Members, and that

  Ministers salaries

  Current salary

  2nd stage of 1994 settlement wef 1 January 1995

  Total inc. 2 per cent. 1995 settlement wef 1 January 1995

  Commons Ministers etc.

  Prime Minister

  54,438

  55,900

  57,018

  Cabinet Minister

  40,895

  41,994

  42,834

  Minister of State

  28,936

  29,713

  30,307

  Parliamentary Under Secretary

  21,961

  22,551

  23,002

  Attorney General

  43,456

  44,624

  45,516

  Solicitor General

  35,632

  36,589

  37,321

  Government Chief Whip

  34,037

  34,951

  35,650

  Government Deputy Chief Whip

  28,936

  29,713

  30,307

  Government Whips

  18,620

  19,120

  19,502

  Assistant Government Whips

  18,620

  19,120

  19,502

  Leader of the Opposition

  37,495

  38,502

  39,272

  Opposition Chief Whip

  28,936

  29,713

  30,307

  Assistant Opposition Whip

  18,620

  19,120

  19,502

  Speaker

  42,909

  44,062

  44,943

  Chairman of Ways and Means

  28,936

  29,713

  30,307

  First Deputy Chairman of Ways and Means

  25,431

  26,114

  26,636

  Second Deputy Chairman Ways and Means

  25,431

  26,114

  26,636

  Lords Ministers etc.

  Cabinet Minister

  52,260

  53,999

  55,329

  Minister of State

  46,333

  47,751

  48,835

  Parliamentary Under Secretary

  38,894

  40,124

  41,065

  Lord Advocate

  52,340

  54,079

  55,409

  Government Chief Whip

  46,333

  47,751

  48,835

  Government Deputy Chief Whip

  38,894

  40,124

  41,065

  Government Whips

  35,099

  36,239

  37,111

  Leader of the Opposition

  38,894

  40,124

  41,065

  Opposition Chief Whip

  35,099

  36,239

  37,111

  Chairman of Committees

  46,333

  47,751

  48,835

  Principal Deputy Chairman of Committees

  42,354

  43,772

  44,856

  Minister in neither house

  Solicitor General (Scotland)

  45,539

  46,762

  47,697

  Parliamentary salaries

  Member of Parliament

  31,687

  32,538

  33,189

  Reduced parliamentary salary

  23,854

  24,495

  24,985

  The Speaker is entitled to draw the salary shown in this table, under the Ministerial and Other Salaries Order, but has opted to take a lower salary equal to that of a Cabinet Minister in the House of Commons.

  The Lord Chancellor's salary is set separately by Section 3 of the Ministerial and Other Pensions and Salaries Act 1991.
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  Ministers in the other place would receive the same increases, in cash terms, as their counterparts in this House.

  I announced this arrangement to the House during the debate on Members' salaries in November 1993, Official Report, 3 November 1993, column 457. Ministers in this House will receive the 2.7 per cent. staged payment from last year's award, plus a 2 per cent. increase due in respect of the 1995 settlement. Ministers in the other place will receive the corresponding cash increases.

  The draft Ministerial and Other Salaries Order to implement these changes from 1 January 1995 was laid in the House on Monday 21 November. The details are set out in the tables.

  In accordance with the resolution of 3 November 1993, the same increases will be applied to the reduced parliamentary salary paid to Commons Ministers and paid office holders, which will increase from the current rate of £23,854 to £24,985 on 1 January 1995.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Quangos
  Mr. Sykes
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many quangos his Department was responsible for(a) in 1979 and (b) in the latest year for which a number is available.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  In 1979 there were 118 such bodies; in 1993, the latest year for which there are published figures, there were 85.

  Mr. Sykes
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food which quangos his Department has abolished since 1979.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  The following list shows which quangos have been abolished from 1979 to 1993, the latest year for which there are final figures:

  1979

  1. Advisory Council for Agriculture and Horticulture in England and Wales

  2. Farm Settlements Advisory Committee for Selection of Tenants

  3. Plant Variety Rights Advisory Panels (12)

  4. Poultry Diseases Panel

  5. Torry Research Station Advisory Committee

  1980

  1. Advisory Committee on the Banana Trade

  2. Experimental Centres Advisory Committees in England and Wales (reduced from 22 to 21)

  3. Regional Panels (reduced from 7 to 5)

  4. Tate & Lyle Customer Safeguards Committee

  1981

  1. Agricultural Wages Committees (reduced from 25 to 24)

  2. White Fish Authority (abolished October 1981 and replaced by SFIA)

  3. Agricultural Construction Industry Liaison Group

  4. Milk and Dairies Tribunal (reduced from 7 to 5)

  1982

  1. Thames Barrier Advisory Team

  2. Flood Protection Research Committee

  3. Central Council for Agricultural and Horticultural Co-operation (replaced by Food From Britain March 1983)

  4. Experimental Centres Advisory Committees England and Wales (reduced from 21 to 20)

  1983

  1. Committee on Artificial Insemination of Cattle

  2. Land Settlement Association Ltd

  3. 'Food- Additives and Contaminants Committee' and 'Food Standards Committee' amalgamated to form 'Food Advisory Committee'

  4. Fisheries R & D Board

  5. Kew Scientific Advisory Panel

  6. Scientific Panel for Fertilisers and Feeding Stuffs

  7. Wakehurst Place Consultative Panel

  1984

  1. Joint Consultative Organisation for R & D in Agriculture and Food (abolished May 1984 replaced by Priorities Board for R & D in Agriculture and Food)

  1985

  None

  1986

  1. Eggs Authority (31.12.86.)

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  1987

  1. Agricultural Chemicals Approval Scheme, Scientific Advisory Committee

  1988

  1. National Seeds Development Organisation Ltd (privatised)

  2. Agriculture Economics Technical Committee

  3. Committee of Investigation for England and Wales under the Agricultural Marketing Act 1958

  4. Committee of Investigation for Great Britain under the Agricultural Marketing Act 1958

  1989

  1. Experimental Centres Advisory Committees in England and Wales (reduced from 20 to 18)

  2. Advisory Committee on Pesticides (reduced from 6 to 1)

  1990

  1. Experimental Centre Advisory Committees in England and Wales (reduced from 18 to 14)

  2. Reading Cattle Breeding Centre Advisory Committee

  3. Apple and Pear Development Council

  1991

  1. Agricultural Wages Committees (reduced from 24 to 23)

  2. Experimental 'Husbandry Farms' Advisory Committees in England and Wales (reduced from 11 to 10)

  3. Regional Flood Defence Committees (reduced from 10 to 9)

  1992

  1. Agricultural Statistics Consultative Committee

  2. Experimental 'Husbandry Farms' Advisory Committees in England and Wales

  3. Experimental 'Horticultural Stations' Advisory Committees in England and Wales

  1993

  1. Agricultural Dwelling House Advisory Committees (reduced from 24 to 17)

  2. Agricultural Wages Committees (reduced from 23 to 17)

  3. Area VII White Fish Industry Advisory Committee

  4. Steering Group on Chemical Aspects of Food Surveillance

  Animal Transportation
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many of the personnel licensed to export livestock from(a) Sheerness and (b) Grimsby have previous convictions for offences relating to the welfare of livestock.

  Mrs. Browning
  There is no requirement for such personnel to be licensed. We are aware that some involved recently in the export of animals may have past convictions for welfare offences, but prohibition from engaging in the trade is not a penalty provided for by statute.

  Before any consignment leaves Great Britain, the Ministry carries out checks to determine that the facilities for the export of the livestock are sufficient to ensure that the welfare of the animals can be properly safeguarded throughout the journey.

  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many times the certification procedures relating to(a) the live export and (b) the live transport of livestock have been breached in the last year.

  Mrs. Browning
  The detection of breaches, and the initiation of prosecution action where appropriate, is the responsibility of local authorities. No central figures are kept on the number of breaches.

  Milk Quotas
  Mr. Michael Spicer
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement about his plans for the development of B quotas for milk.

  Mr. Jack
  There is no proposal from the Commission for a two-tier quota system for milk. Denmark has been promoting the idea, but it has found little support from other member states. The Government's view is that the costs of administering and controlling such a system would be very high and that unsubsidised exports of dairy products made from B quota milk would displace existing subsidised exports, thus exacerbating the Community's dairy surplus. Moreover, the creation of a B quota would, under the system envisaged by the Danes, require a 4 per cent. cut in current milk quotas. Since the United Kingdom does not have enough quota as it is, any reduction in current quota levels would be unacceptable.

  Food Labelling
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what consideration he has given to the proposals by the Local Authorities Co-ordinating Body on Trading Standards on considering tightening up controls on the labelling of food.

  Mrs. Browning
  The Local Authority Co-ordinating Body on Trading Standards has provided comments in response to our recent consultative proposals for consolidating the Food Labelling Regulations 1984 and its amendment. These will be taken into account in the revised proposals which will be circulated for further comment in the new year.

  Dry Stone Walls
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what grants are available to hill farmers in England to maintain dry stone walls; and what were the total amounts paid for each year since 1984.

  Mr. Jack
  Capital grants are available under the farm and conservation grant scheme to all eligible farm businesses for the provision, replacement and improvement of traditional wall and banks. The table below shows the grant paid on these items predominantly for dry stone walling, under the F and CGS and its predecessor the agriculture improvement scheme since 1986 in both less favoured areas and lowland areas—non-LFAs. Information prior to the financial year 1986–87 is not readily available.

  Grant paid on traditional walls under AIS and F and CGS

  Year

  Grant paid in LFAs £000s

  Grant paid in Non-LFAs £000s

  Total grant paid £000s

  1986–87

  307

  25

  332

  1987–88

  928

  48

  976

  1988–89

  1,075

  60

  1,135

  1989–90

  1,119

  103

  1,222

  1990–91

  1,092

  170

  1,262

  1991–92

  1,183

  321

  1,504

  1992–93

  1,417

  431

  1,848

  1993–94

  1,474

  530

  2,004

  Total

  8,595

  1,688

  10,283

  Hill Farmers
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what estimate he has made of the number of hill farmers in north-east Lancashire whose incomes are less than £10,000 per annum.

  Mr. Jack
  Information on farm incomes is collected by the farm business survey, the results of which are published annually in "Farm Incomes in the United Kingdom".

  The latest complete results are for 1992–93 and these indicate that about 47 per cent. of "full-time" cattle and sheep farms in England which are wholly or mainly in the less-favoured areas had a net farm income of less than £10,000. The survey covers some 2,300 farms in England and is designed to provide estimates of farm income for each of the main farm types in England as a whole. The sample is not intended to provide estimates for individual counties and therefore information for farms in north-east Lancashire is not available.

  Slaughterhouses
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what grants he is making available for the upgrading of slaughterhouses to standards required by the EC.

  Mrs. Browning
  We are not making any grants available for this purpose.

  Lobbying Companies
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list and date those occasions over the last two years when Ministers or officials in his Department have met lobbying companies, prior to a decision being made on the subject of the meeting with the lobbying company.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  This information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Next Steps Agencies
  Mr. Kaufman
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the salary and other emoluments of the civil servant who did the work of, or work comparable to that of, the chief executive of each next steps agency established by his Department before the agency was established.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  The next steps agencies established by my Department were headed by the following grades of civil servant before they attained agency status:

  ADAS (agency in 1992)

  Grade 2

  Central Science Laboratory (agency in 1992)

  Grade 3

  Central Veterinary Laboratory (agency in 1990)

  Grade 3

  Pesticides Safety Directorate (agency in 1993)

  Grade 4

  Veterinary Medicines Directorate (agency in 1990)

  Grade 4

  Salary ranges for civil servants of grades 2, 3 and 4 are tabled annually in the Civil Service Year Book, copies of which are routinely placed in the Library of the House.

  Rabies
  Mr. Gale
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many cases of human rabies have been identified as the result of animal attacks in(a) France, (b) Germany and (c) Benelux during each of the last five years for which records are available.

  Mrs. Browning
  Two cases were reported in France, one in 1991 and the other in 1992. Both were acquired outside France. The only other case in the last five years was in eastern Germany in 1990. We do not know the details of this case.

  Mr. Gale
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many cases of rabies in foxes have been reported in Belgium in 1994 to date; and what was the total for 1993.

  Mrs. Browning
  Up to 30 June 1994, 10 cases of rabies have been reported in foxes in Belgium. There were no cases reported in 1993.

  Mr. Gale
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what information he has sought regarding the number of cases of rabies identified in the past 10 years in(a) Austria, (b) the Czech Republic, (c) Slovakia, (d) Hungary, (e) Poland, (f) Germany and (g) France.

  Mrs. Browning
  Detailed information about the number of rabies cases occurring in Europe, including Austria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Poland, Germany and France, is available quarterly from the WHO collaborating centre for rabies surveillance and research from its headquarters in the Federal Republic of Germany. I have not sought any additional information.

  Mr. Gale
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what proportion of the fox population of Belgium was vaccinated against rabies in the years 1992–93; and what proportion has been vaccinated to date in 1994.

  Mrs. Browning
  Since 1992 vaccinated baits have been spread in Belgium at the following rates:

  Spring 1992: 9,000 sq. km

  Autumn 1992: 8,453 sq. km.

  Spring 1993: 8,610 sq. km.

  Autumn 1993: 5,510 sq. km.

  Spring 1994: 2,553 sq. km.

  It is not possible to say how many of these baits were picked up by foxes

  Mr. Gale
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the latest information for the number of cases of rabies identified in foxes in northern France(a) in 1994 to date, (b) in 1993 and (c) in 1992.

  Mrs. Browning
  Fox rabies was reported in northern France as follows:

  1992: 1,000 cases

  1993: 198 cases

  1994 to date 55 cases

  Meat Hygiene Service
  Mr. Tyler
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the estimated cost, in its first year, of the meat hygiene service; what proportion of that figure will be extracted from the meat industry; and what will be the budgetary treatment of any surplus or deficit in its trading account.

  Mrs. Browning
  The running costs of the meat hygiene service in 1995–96 are currently estimated at approximately £46 million, excluding certain one-off 316
  items relating to the establishment of the agency and to the transfer of staff from local authorities.

  Invitations to tender have been issued to potential contract staff and suppliers. The terms and conditions of employees transferring to the agency are currently being confirmed with local authorities. These exercises will produce more detailed costings, which will be made available both to the industry as part of the on-going process of consultation and to other interested parties.

  It is anticipated that the agency will set charges to recover the majority of normal running costs from the fresh meat industry within the provisions of the relevant charging legislation. Set-up costs will, however, be funded by MAFF.

  Legislation does not allow charges above the real cost. It is not currently anticipated that a substantial deficit will arise on the provision of services by the agency.

  Badgers
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the outcome of the 460 tests for M. bovis on badgers killed in her Department's removal operations referred to in his answer of 20 October,Official Report, column 335.

  Mrs. Browning
  So far the outcome of the 460 results which were pending in October is that 207 badgers were negative and 68 were positive for M. bovis; 185 results are still pending.

  Sheep Annual Premiums
  Mr. Welsh
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when sheep annual premiums were finalised; on what date payments were authorised to be made; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Jack
  Commission regulations 1640/94 of 6 July 1994 and 1765/94 of 18 July 1994 authorised member states to make first and second advance payments under the 1994 sheep annual premium scheme based on an estimated amount of premium. The rates to apply in the United Kingdom were announced by the Ministry on 29 July 1994 and payments of both advances together began in England in the week beginning 19 September 1994. Final payments under the 1994 scheme will not be made until next spring after the final rate is announced by the Commission.

  Farm Incomes
  Mr. Welsh
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what percentage of total farm incomes is represented by(a) hill livestock compensatory allowance payments and (b) sheep annual premiums; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Jack
  The total value of receipts of hill livestock compensatory allowances, sheep annual premium and farm incomes in the United Kingdom are available in tables 6.7 and 6.1 of "Agriculture in the United Kingdom, 1993", copies of which are in the Library of the House.

  Fisheries Council
  Mr. Garnier
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the outcome of the Fisheries Council held in Brussels on 23 November; and if he will make a statement.
  317
  Mr. Jack
  I attended a meeting of the Council of Fisheries Ministers on 23 November, with my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State, Scottish Office.

  The Council discussed the arrangements to apply when Spain and Portugal are integrated into the common fisheries policy on 1 January 1996. I reiterated my determination to resist any proposals which would impose new bureaucratic restrictions on British fishermen and to protect the Irish box. A wide range of views was expressed. The Presidency decided that it was not possible to reach a decision at this meeting of the Council and is reflecting on how to take matters forward but with the firm intention of reaching a decision at the December Council meeting.

  The Council approved a number of measures concerning the organisation of the fisheries market, guide prices and tariff quotas. These items will be adopted formally in due course.

  A proposal establishing rules for monitoring trade in certain Norwegian fishery products was adopted.

  The Council considered the recent decision of the North West Atlantic Fisheries Organisation on the Greenland halibut TAC. This resulted in no new proposal.

  The Council noted the Commission's report on the state of its negotiations with Russia for the purchase of 8,000 tonnes of cod, action which was agreed as part of the enlargement negotiations earlier this year.

  The Council remitted for further work a Commission proposal on permits for EU vessels fishing in third country waters.

  No votes were taken at this Council.

  Rodents
  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what action he intends to take over the increase in mice and rats in domestic properties; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Browning
  [holding answer 21 November 1994]: The draft report of the national rodent survey, which will give an indication of the current levels of mice and rat infestation, is being finalised by MAFF, the Department of the Environment, the Department of Health and the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health, together with its commercial co-sponsors. It is hoped to publish the full report in the new year and an announcement will be made then.

HEALTH

  Senile Dementia and Alzheimer's
  Mr. Hanson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many people over 60 years were recorded in the United Kingdom for each of the last 10 years as having Alzheimer's disease;

  (2) how many people over 60 years in the United Kingdom were recorded for each of the last 10 years as suffering from senile dementia.

  Mr. Bowis
  It is estimated that some 5 per cent. of the population aged 65 and over suffer from dementia. Of these it is estimated that over half suffer from Alzheimer's disease. There is no evidence to suggest that the incidence 318
  of Alzheimer's disease has changed significantly over the last 10 years.

  Obstetric Cholestasis
  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what is the exact source of the information given in her answer of 8 July 1994,Official Report, column 366, that (a) obstetric cholestasis affects one in 1,000 pregnancies and (b) in her letter of 23 August 1994 to the right hon. Member for Sutton Coldfield (Sir N. Fowler) that parental mortality in mothers affected by obstetric cholestasis is five times higher than normal;

  (2) if she will make it her policy to encourage epidemiological studies to ascertain the incidence of stillbirth due to obstetric cholestasis;

  (3) what information she has on the cause of the stillbirths referred to in her answer of 22 June 1994, Official Report, column 198; and what action she is taking to improve that information.

  Mr. Sackville
  Information is available in the following articles;Reyes H. the Spectrum of Liver and Gastrointestinal Disease seen in Cholestatis of Pregnancy Gastroenterol Clin North Am 1992 21 905–11, Schorr-Lesnick B. et al Liver Diseases Unique to Pregnancy Am Journal Gastroenterol 1991; 86: 659–62 and de Swiet M. ed Medical Disorders in Obstetric Practice Oxford: Blackwell Scientific 1984.

  Copies of the articles will be placed in the Library. The figure of one in 1,000 pregnancies is an estimate based on the published sources above and was intended to indicate the order of magnitude of the condition.

  Health authorities already participate in epidemiological surveys to establish the causes of stillbirths and infant deaths and in the "Confidential Enquiry into Stillbirths and Deaths in Infancy"— CESDI—which was established in 1992. This is the mechanism that is in place for identifying avoidable factors that give rise to stillbirths and deaths in infancy. CESDI's second annual report for 1993, which is due to be published shortly, includes examination of the small proportion of stillbirths which are associated with delivery. Its future work programme is being widened to include other stillbirths.

  Although the cause of most stillbirths are unknown, a large proportion are due to fetal conditions such as asphyxia at birth, congenital anomalies and prematurity, while others are the result of maternal conditions such as hypertension and haemorrhage.

  NHS Trusts
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many(a) general and (b) senior managers were employed by NHS trusts in each year since 1991–92, by region.

  Mr. Malone
  The information available for September 1993 is shown in the table.

  General and Senior Managers in NHS Trusts by Region—30 September 1993. Whole-time equivalents

  Northern

  300

  Yorkshire

  1,190

  Trent

  610

  East Anglian

  510

  North West Thames

  620

  319

  General and Senior Managers in NHS Trusts by Region—30 September 1993. Whole-time equivalents

  North East Thames

  1,090

  South East Thames

  800

  South West Thames

  410

  Wessex

  610

  Oxford

  390

  South Western

  860

  West Midlands

  650

  Mersey

  770

  North Western

  400

  England Total

  9,210

  Source:

  Department of Health Non-Medical Workforce Census

  Notes:

  (1) Figures are rounded to the nearest ten.

  (2) Total may not equal sum of components due to rounding.

  (3) It is not possible to identify general managers and senior managers separately.

  (4) The England total given for managers differs from that published in October in table E of the Statistical Bulletin, which incorrectly included some 280 staff from trusts in Wales.

  (5) The England total in September 1993 is not directly comparable with numbers published for 1991 and 1992. A change in data collection procedures in September 1993 resulted in the recategorisation of many staff who would have been coded as `others' in the 1991 and 1992 censuses.

  Mr. Nicholas Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what advice is given to hospital trusts—by her Department—when advertising for non-executive trust board members; and what requirement there is to state any political affiliation when applying for board membership.

  Mr. Malone
  None. Information about the political affiliation of candidates plays no part in the appointments process.

  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will take steps to ban gagging clauses in settlements reached between NHS trusts and their employees following the termination of employment.

  Mr. Malone
  The national health service executive issued guidance on termination settlements to chief executives of NHS trusts—TEL 94–3—on 16 May 1994 which made it plain that any confidentiality clause in an employment contract should not be framed in such a way to suggest that a termination would escape proper public scrutiny. Copies of the guidance are available in the Library.

  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the total expenditure on consultancies by each trust hospital in the last five years.

  Mr. Sackville
  Expenditure by national health service trusts solely on consultancy services is not available centrally. Information is collected on"external contract staffing and consultancy services".

  This expenditure relates to services purchased from other trusts, health authorities and the private sector and includes, for example, linen supplies, transport and computing services as well as consultancy services.

  The expenditure on external contract staffing and consultancy services by NHS trusts in England for the financial years 1991–92 and 1992–93 will be placed in
  320
  the Library. Figures for 1993–94 will be available in December. There were no trusts prior to 1991–92.

  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list those chief executives of NHS trusts who have resigned or have been dismissed; and what were the reasons for resignation or dismissal.

  Mr. Malone
  The information is not available centrally.

  Community Care, Kent
  Mr. David Shaw
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement regarding the amount of money made available for community care in Kent prior to, and since, the recent changes; and what is her estimate of the availability of resources for the care of the elderly in Kent for 1995–96 and the three preceding years.

  Mr. Bowis
  Kent personal social services standard spending assessments, which include resources for community care, plus the special transitional grant for community care introduced in 1993–94 are shown in the table for each of the last five years:

  £million

  1990–91

  1991–92

  1992–93

  1993–94

  1994–95

  95.154

  117.790

  126.655

  156.772

  177.834

  It is for local authorities to decide how to allocate their resources in the light of local priorities, with the exception of the special transitional grant, which must be spent on community care services.

  Funding for 1995–96 will be announced shortly.

  NHS Private Facilities
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for health how many patients have been treated in NHS hospitals, private facilities in each of the last five years, by region.

  Mr. Sackville
  The numbers of finished consultant episodes and out-patient attendances for private patients in national health service hospitals in England by region are shown in the tables.

  Finished Consultant Episodes, Ordinary Admissions and Day Cases

  1988–89

  1989–90

  1990–91

  1991–92

  England

  79,243

  83,478

  81,366

  87,906

  Northern

  3,034

  3,998

  3,349

  3,0.56

  Yorkshire

  4,542

  4,321

  4,842

  5,174

  Trent

  5,182

  4,116

  2,797

  2,961

  E Anglia

  4,997

  5,563

  4,504

  4,284

  NW Thames

  7,357

  8,952

  10,345

  8,891

  NE Thames

  8,113

  7,918

  7,402

  9,715

  SE Thames

  6,597

  7,055

  6,648

  8,220

  SW Thames

  4,468

  4,937

  5,081

  5,832

  Wessex

  2,135

  2,215

  2,643

  2,602

  Oxford

  6,466

  7,505

  6,928

  6,916

  S Western

  3,380

  4,864

  5,044

  5,644

  W Midlands

  6,269

  6,141

  6,081

  6,524

  Mersey

  3,975

  2,594

  2,370

  2,245

  N Western

  6,123

  6,401

  6,445

  7,256

  SHAs

  6,605

  6,898

  6,887

  8,536

  1992–93 figures are not yet available.

  Source:

  SD2A, Hospital Episode Statistics.
  321

  Outpatient Total Attendances

  1988–89

  1989–90

  1990–91

  1991–92

  1992–93

  England

  156,574

  154,327

  147,869

  145,366

  139,560

  Northern

  6,493

  6,058

  5,451

  4,911

  5,028

  Yorkshire

  4,117

  3,808

  3,785

  1,874

  2,151

  Trent

  4,803

  4,989

  3,856

  6,369

  12,810

  E Anglia

  4,730

  6,736

  3,556

  6,010

  2,789

  NW Thames

  30,248

  29,904

  30,936

  23,159

  21,857

  NE Thames

  36,993

  38,047

  30,381

  30,449

  25,793

  SE Thames

  9,348

  9,379

  9,045

  7,084

  5,870

  SW Thames

  4,092

  4,227

  3,598

  2,814

  2,767

  Wessex

  7,248

  5,331

  4,971

  6,723

  5,673

  Oxford

  8,123

  8,217

  6,773

  8,864

  9,245

  S Western

  3,204

  2,668

  3,625

  3,712

  3,365

  W Midlands

  6,835

  7,215

  8,174

  11,213

  10,522

  Mersey

  8,128

  4,438

  5,174

  4,248

  3,180

  N Western

  7,474

  8,259

  12,580

  10,671

  6,023

  SHAs

  14,738

  15,051

  15,964

  17,265

  22,487

  Source:

  KHO9 returns

  Wheelchairs
  Mr. Berry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health under what legislation wheelchairs are provided to disabled people.

  Mr. Bowis
  The national health service provides wheelchairs in exercise of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State's powers under section 5(2)(a) of, and schedule 2 to the National Health Service Act 1977.

  Mixed Sex Wards
  Mr. Nicholas Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidelines are issued by her Department concerning mixed sex hospital wards; and what representations she has received.

  Mr. Sackville
  None, but the patient's charter expects patients to be treated with dignity and respect for their cultural and religious beliefs. There will also be a new national standard addressing mixed sex wards in the revised and expanded patient's charter to be published in the new year. The Department has received several

  1991–92

  1992–93

  Regional Health Authority

  Retained savings £million

  Percent of budgets set percent

  Retained savings £million

  Percent of budgets set percent.

  Northern

  0.7

  1.6

  2.3

  3.6

  Yorkshire

  1.1

  2.1

  3.3

  3.2

  Trent

  1.5

  4.0

  1.9

  2.3

  East Anglian

  0.6

  4.5

  0.6

  2.5

  N W Thames

  0.7

  2.6

  2.0

  3.3

  N E Thames

  1.0

  6.1

  1.6

  5.8

  S E Thames

  0.7

  3.6

  1.2

  2.9

  S W Thames

  1.6

  6.1

  1.1

  2.1

  Wessex

  0.7

  3.1

  1.8

  3.4

  Oxford

  1.1

  3.6

  3.2

  4.8

  S Western

  0.6

  2.4

  1.5

  2.8

  W Midlands

  2.6

  7.3

  4.9

  5.9

  Mersey

  1.1

  4.2

  2.8

  4.7

  N Western

  0.7

  3.0

  0.4

  0.9

  England

  14.5

  3.7

  28.3

  3.5

  Note:

  Retained savings may not sum to England totals due to rounding.
  322
  representations about mixed sex wards both from hon. Members and from members of the public.

  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make it her policy to discourage mixed sex wards in acute patient care.

  Mr. Sackville
  It is for individual hospitals to decide in the light of local conditions whether, and if so in what circumstances, mixed sex wards should be used. The revised and expanded patient's charter to be published in the new year will include a new national standard on mixed sex wards.

  GP Fundholders
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will provide an estimate for the value of fundholding allocations retained by general practitioner fundholders at the year end in each of the last four years, by region.

  Mr. Malone
  The available data for the first two years of fundholding are shown in the table. Final audited accounts for 1993–94 are not yet available. Savings may be retained for up to four years for use for the benefit of patients of the practice.

  Patient Complaints
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patient complaints have been received in each of the last five years by region.

  Hospital Complaints

  1988–89

  1989–90

  1990–91

  1991–92

  1992–93

  Northern

  1,546

  1,750

  2,083

  2,627

  2,758

  Yorkshire

  2,015

  2,233

  2,384

  2,779

  3,939

  Trent

  2,398

  2,970

  2,772

  3,772

  4,303

  East Anglian

  1,105

  1,207

  1,504

  1,877

  2,536

  North West Thames

  2,626

  3,348

  3,534

  4,505

  4,694

  North East Thames

  4,121

  4,351

  4,207

  6,055

  8,505

  South East Thames

  3,076

  2,257

  2,515

  5,472

  5,243

  South West Thames

  2,953

  3,213

  2,849

  4,065

  4,726

  Wessex

  1,846

  2,109

  2,063

  3,026

  3,276

  Oxford

  1,371

  1,477

  1,822

  1,728

  3,182

  South Western

  1,617

  2,064

  2,248

  2,532

  4,877

  West Midlands

  3,241

  3,894

  3,859

  5,105

  'N/A

  Mersey

  1,803

  1,654

  1,507

  2,307

  3,661

  North Western

  3,032

  3,054

  3,234

  4,475

  5,381

  Special Health Authorities

  546

  600

  769

  805

  7'73

  Source:

  K040 returns.

  1 No return was submitted.

  The increase in complaints recorded can be attributed to the increase in patient awareness and confidence due to the patients charter.

  Ambulance Response Times
  Mr. Chidgey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the average response time for emergency ambulance calls in London in the year 1 April 1993 to 31 March 1994.

  Mr. Sackville
  According to figures provided by the London ambulance service, the average response time in 1993–94 was between 14 and 15 minutes.

  Breast Cancer
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received as to the effectiveness of the cell analysis test for breast cancer devised by Dr. Ian Ellis of Nottingham city hospital.

  Mr. Sackville
  We are aware of the promising research work being undertaken by Dr. Ellis of Nottingham city hospital to determine effective strategies for the treatment of breast cancer based on cytology.

  Minutes

  Calls

  Percentage of Total

  Cumulative Total

  Cumulative Percentage

  Response Times 1993–94

  14

  40,877

  8.3

  307,940

  62

  15

  31,154

  6.3

  339,094

  69

  16

  26,810

  5.4

  365,904

  74

  324
  Mr. Malone
  The latest information available about numbers of hospital patient complaints by region is shown in the table. Information about complaints against family health service practitioners is not available centrally in the form requested.

  London Ambulance Service
  Mr. Chidgey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the absenteeism rate for employees of the London ambulance service in 1991, 1992 and 1993.

  Mr. Sackville
  According to figures supplied by the London ambulance service, absenteeism rates for all staff in the years requested were:

  1991: 9.2 per cent.

  1992: 10.1 per cent.

  1993: 9.4 per cent

  Mr. Chidgey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the total number of ambulances arriving after 14 minutes from being called in the London area, in the year from 1 April 1993.

  Mr. Sackville
  According to figures supplied by the London ambulance service, of a total 494,900 calls in 1993–94, 186,960 ambulances arrived after 14 minutes. Of those, 112,065 arrived between 14 and 19 minutes.

  Mr. Chidgey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what were the number and percentage of emergency ambulance calls in the London area that took(a) 14 minutes, (b) 15 minutes, (c) 16 minutes, (d) 17 minutes, (e) 18 minutes, (f) 19 minutes, (g) 20 minutes, (h) 21 minutes, (i) 22 minutes,(j) 23 minutes,(k) 24 minutes,(l) 25 minutes, (m) 26 minutes, (n) 27 minutes, (o) 28 minutes, (p) 29 minutes and (q) 30 minutes, in the year 1 April 1993 to 31 March 1994 and in the current year.

  Mr. Sackville
  According to figures supplied by the London ambulance service, the information is as shown in the tables.
  325

  Minutes

  Calls

  Percentage of Total

  Cumulative Total

  Cumulative Percentage

  Response Times 1993–94 cont.

  17

  21,769

  4.4

  387,673

  78

  18

  17,934

  3.6

  405,607

  82

  19

  14,398

  2.9

  420,005

  85

  20

  12,139

  2.5

  432,144

  87

  21

  9,740

  2.0

  441,884

  89

  22

  7,771

  1.6

  449,655

  91

  23

  6,410

  1.3

  456,065

  92

  24

  5,654

  1.1

  461,719

  93

  25

  4,614

  0.9

  466,333

  94

  26+

  28,567

  5.8

  494,900

  100

  Response times 1 April 1994–31 October 1994

  14

  27,655

  8.9

  203,594

  65

  15

  18,521

  5.9

  222,115

  71

  16

  15,753

  5.0

  237,868

  76

  17

  12,818

  4.1

  250,686

  80

  18

  10,523

  3.4

  261,209

  84

  19

  8,526

  2.7

  269,735

  86

  20

  7,102

  2.3

  276,837

  89

  21

  5,497

  1.8

  282,334

  90

  22

  4,476

  1.4

  286,810

  92

  23

  3,633

  1.2

  290,443

  93

  24

  3,064

  1.0

  293,507

  94

  25

  2,544

  0.8

  296,051

  95

  26

  1,725

  0.6

  297,776

  95

  27

  1,656

  0.5

  299,432

  96

  28

  1,355

  0.4

  300,787

  96

  29

  1,185

  0.4

  301,972

  97

  30

  1,078

  0.3

  303,050

  97

  31+

  9,172

  2.9

  312,222

  100

  Calls responded to within 14 minutes have increased by 13 per cent. per month this year compared with last year.

  City Hospital, Birmingham
  Mr. Spellar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether her Department is monitoring the changed arrangement for out-of-hours cover in oral surgery at the City hospital, Birmingham; and whether she has been informed by the trust as to the reasons that out-of-hours cover was withdrawn by South Birmingham acute unit.

  Mr. Sackville
  This is a matter for local management. The hon. Member may wish to contact Dr. M. D. Skillicorn, chairman of North Birmingham health authority, for details.

  Lung Diseases
  Mr. Chidgey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of the Government's total spending on medical research is directed at research into diseases of the lung.

  Mr. Sackville
  The main agency through the Government support biomedical and clinical research is the Medical Research Council–MRC–which receives its grant in aid from the office of my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. In 1993–94, the latest year for which figures are available, MRC expenditure on research wholly or partly related to respiratory diseases was £11.2 million, 4.53 per cent. of total expenditure of £247 million. In addition, the Department itself funds a range of research projects of relevance to respiratory diseases. A proportion of Government spending also goes on research into cancer of the lung.

  AIDS
  Mr. Merchant
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many district health authorities have filed reports under the AIDS (Control) Act 1987 for the last financial year; and whether and where these reports are available for public examination.

  Mr. Sackville
  The AIDS (Control) Act 1987 requires reports to be made to each regional health authority by the district health authority for each district in the region and to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State by the regional health authority. The Act also requires reports to be published by the authority by which they are made.

  Information on the numbers of DHAs which have submitted their reports is not therefore available centrally.

  Mr. Merchant
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether she will issue guidance to health and local authorities on prompt payment for the provision of HIV/AIDS related services to voluntary sector organisations with which they have contracted.

  Mr. Sackville
  The national health service executive issued a requirement to health authorities on 28 October 1994 to comply with the Confederation of British Industry prompt payment code. Additionally, health authorities were required to set out their payment policies and publish details of their payment performance in their annual reports and publicise their arrangements for handling complaints about failure to pay on time. A copy of FDL(94)67 is available in the Library.

  Issuing guidance to local authorities on prompt payment is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment.
  327
  We have no plans to issue guidance specifically about payment for HIV/AIDS-related services.

  GP Fundholders
  Ms Jowell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the range within which earnings of(a) general practitioner fundholders and (b) non-fundholding general practitioners fall, by region together with the numbers of general practitioners at each point.

  Mr. Malone
  Information about the geographical distribution of general practitioners' earnings or the earnings of GP fundholders compared with non-fundholders is not available.

  Paracetamol
  Mr. Jamieson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people were treated in hospitals for overdoses of paracetamol in each year since 1990.

  Mr. Bowis
  Information is not available in the form requested. The "Hospital Episode Statistics" include paracetamol poisonings as part of the classification "Aromatic Analgesics not elsewhere classified (diagnostic code International Classification of Diseases 965.4)". The number of finished consultant episodes in this category for the years since 1990 are shown in the table.

  Finished Consultant Episodes, Diagnostic Code ICD 965.4

  Year

  Number of Episodes(Thousands)

  1989–90

  28.0

  1990–91

  30.3

  1991–92

  28.4

  Statistics for 1992–93 and 1993–94 are not yet available.

  Mental Health
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list for each year since 1979 the resources that accrued from each individual mental handicap and mental illness hospital; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Bowis
  Information is not available centrally on income generated by individual hospitals within or outside the national health service.

  Mr. Jamieson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to restrict the number of paracetamol tablets sold to the general public; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Sackville
  There are already controls over the number of paracetamol tablets which may be sold outside a registered pharmacy. Packs containing more than 30 effervescent tablets, more than 25 tablets that are not effervescent and more than 10 sachets of powder of granules may be sold only from registered pharmacies. The Medicines Control Agency is keeping under review the need for any further restriction of the availability of paracetamol to the general public.

  Mr. Jamieson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people died as a direct result of paracetamol overdoses in the last year.

  Mr. Sackville
  Data for 1993 and 1994 are not yet available.
  328
  In England and Wales in 1992, the number of cases of poisoning by aromatic analgesics not elsewhere classified (ICD1965.4) was 220.

  Note:
  In England and Wales most cases coded to ICD 965.4 are due to paracetamol overdose. Exact figures for paracetamol deaths are not readily available.
  1 International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision.

  Cold-related Illnesses
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many death certificates in 1993 had(a) hypothermia, (b) pneumonia, (c) other cold-related illnesses as one of the contributory causes of death; and what were the figures for each of the four previous years in each case.

  Mr. Sackville
  The available information is shown in the table.

  Deaths in England and Wales where hypothermia 1(ICD 991.6) was mentioned as a contributory cause, 1989–1993

  Number

  1989

  372

  1990

  368

  1991

  534

  1992

  362

  1993

  472

  1 International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision.

  Mrs. Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for health how many deaths were recorded for(a) hypothermia and (b) cold-related illness for the years 1987 to 1993 for (i) the United Kingdom, (ii) Scotland, (iii) England, (iv) Wales and (v) Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Sackville
  The available information is shown in the table.

  Number of deaths from hypothermia in England. Wales, Northern Ireland (ICD 991.6)1 and Scotland (ICDs E901.0, E901.8, E901.9 and secondary codes 788.3, 780.0, 780.8, 780.9)1 1987–1992

  1987

  1988

  1989

  1990

  1991

  1992

  England

  249

  181

  156

  143

  236

  142

  Scotland

  34

  39

  39

  45

  25

  29

  Northern Ireland

  7

  8

  6

  9

  11

  8

  Wales

  19

  12

  10

  8

  13

  7

  United Kingdom

  309

  240

  210

  205

  285

  186

  1 International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision.

  Mrs. Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many deaths were recorded for(a) hypothermia and (b) cold-related illness for each month of 1992, 1993 and 1994 for (i) the United Kingdom, (ii) Scotland, (iii) England, (iv) Wales and (v) Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Sackville
  The available information is shown in the table.
  329

  Number of deaths from hypothermia by month in England, Wales, Northern Ireland (ICD 991.6)1 and Scotland (ICDs E910.0, E910.8,E910.9 and secondary cause codes 778.3, 780.0, 780.8 and 780.9)1 in 1992.

  England

  Scotland

  Wales

  Northern Ireland

  United Kingdom

  January

  28

  3

  —

  —

  31

  February

  27

  10

  3

  1

  41

  March

  9

  3

  —

  —

  12

  April

  12

  4

  1

  1

  18

  May

  3

  1

  —

  4

  8

  June

  —

  —

  —

  1

  1

  July

  —

  1

  —

  —

  1

  August

  2

  —

  —

  —

  2

  September

  4

  —

  —

  1

  5

  October

  12

  2

  2

  —

  16

  November

  15

  2

  —

  —

  17

  December

  30

  3

  1

  —

  34

  1 International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision.

  Next Steps Agencies
  Mr. Kaufman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the salary and other emoluments of the civil servant who did the work of, or work comparable to that of, the chief executive of each next steps agency established by her Department before the agency was established.

  Mr. Sackville
  The Medicines Control Agency and NHS Estates directorate were led by grade 3 civil servants, the Medical Devices Directorate by a grade 4, and the NHS superannuation branch by a grade 6. None of these civil servants received any emolument other than those payable under standard civil service terms and conditions.

  Chief executives of next steps agencies are directly accountable to Ministers. Their posts carry different responsibilities from those of their civil service predecessors and cannot be regarded as directly comparable.

  GPs' and Dentists' Lists
  Ms Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients have been struck off(a) GPs' lists and (b) dentists' lists in the parliamentary constituency of Lewisham, Deptford in each of the last 12 months.

  Mr. Malone
  Information is not available in the form requested.

  Lobbying Companies
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list and date those occasions in the past two years when Ministers or officials in her Department have met lobbying companies, prior to a decision being made on the subject of the meeting with the lobbying company.

  Mr. Sackville
  This information is not available centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the guidelines issued by her Department to regulate relationships with lobbying companies.

  Mr. Sackville
  There are no guidelines which refer to lobbying companies.

  Guidance to Ministers on the conduct of their affairs is contained in "Questions of Procedure for Ministers", issued by the Cabinet Office.

  Staff rules incorporate general principles of conduct that require civil servants not to misuse information which
  330
  they acquire in the course of their duties; not to make use of their official position to further their private interests or those of others; and not to receive gifts, hospitality or benefits of any kind from a third party, which might be seen to compromise their personal judgment or integrity.

  Drug Prescriptions
  Mr. Pickthall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what complaints she has received from patients prescribed cheaper drugs by their general practitioners, following her Department's guidelines.

  Mr. Malone
  No such guidelines have been issued.

  Dental Fillings
  Mr. Tredinnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if she will make a statement on the comparative costs of restoring teeth with(a) amalgam and (b) white fillings;

  (2) what percentage of dentists in the national health service have the necessary skills to restore teeth with fillings other than amalgam;

  (3) what percentage of dentists in the nation health service restore teeth with fillings other than amalgam.

  Mr. Malone
  Skills taught during training of dentists include the selection of appropriate materials for fillings. In 1993–94 there were 10,691,884 courses of treatment where dental amalgam was used as the filling material and 6,028,756 courses involving glass ionomer-composite. This excludes courses of treatment where it is not possible to distinguish the type of material used. No data are available centrally on the number of dentists who use only fillings other than amalgam. The range of fees for dentists for fillings using dental amalgam starts at £5.30. The range of fees for a tooth coloured restoration starts at £9.95.

  Transportation of Bodies
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proposals she has to strengthen the guidelines covering the transportation of(a) corpses, (b) other parts of the body and (c) specimens between hospitals, pathology laboratories and mortuaries with respect to (i) strength of container, (ii) types of vehicle, (iii) strapping or fixing of container, (iv) instructions to driver, (v) type of company or public corporation owning vehicle, (vi) use of preservative fluid and (vii) other considerations; and if she will make a statement.
  331
  Mr. Sackville
  In arranging for the transportation of bodies and pathological specimens between facilities, health service personnel need to be conscious of the sensitivities involved. They will also need to take account of the nature and degree of any infection risk, and the requirements which will consequently apply.

  In 1991 the Health and Safety Executive's health services advisory committee issued updated guidance, commended to the health service by the national health service executive, on
  "Safe Working and the Prevention of Infection in Clinical Laboratories"
  and
  "Safe Working and the Prevention of Infection in the Mortuary and Post Mortem Room".

  The guidance includes references to the transportation of specimens, including large specimens such as limbs. I have no plans to further strengthen the guidelines at present. Copies of the guidance are available in the Library.

  Further national and international guidelines relate to the transport of goods which are classified as dangerous, including pathology specimens which may pose a risk of infection.

  Private Beds
  Mr. Byers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what amount of income the national health service received from private pay beds for each financial year since 1979 and for the latest year for which information is available; and how much each national health service trust has received since its establishment by way of income from private pay beds.

  Mr. Sackville
  Information on overall private patient income for the national health service in England is given in the table. I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Bristol, South (Ms Primarolo) on 7 February at column 43 for information on private patient income for individual NHS trusts. The figures for 1992–93 are confirmed.

  NHS (England) private patient income

  Year

  £000

  1978–79

  30,830

  1979–80

  36,127

  1980–81

  46,642

  1981–82

  54,404

  1982–83

  51,850

  1983–84

  55,844

  1984–85

  55,953

  1985–86

  61,325

  1986–87

  59,437

  1987–88

  67,514

  1988–89

  77,659

  1989–90

  92,590

  1990–91

  108,732

  1991–92

  140,834

  1992–93

  157,314

  Source:

  NHS Summarised Accounts of Health Authorities and NHS Trusts (England).

  Note:

  The figures in the table include money received from NHS patients for accommodation in single rooms and small wards (section 63 NHS Act 1977), private in-patients (Section 65)and private out-patients (section 66).

  Information for 1993–94 will not be available until December 1994.

  Septrin
  Mr. Hutton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what estimate she has made about the possible side effects attributable to the use of septrin;

  (2) what plans she has to prohibit the use of septrin.

  Mr. Sackville
  Septrin—co-trimoxazole—is an effective medicine for the treatment of severe bacterial infections. Since its introduction, the side-effects associated with its use have been closely monitored by the Committee on Safety of Medicines and the Medicines Control Agency. The side effects are well documented and are included in the product data sheet which is produced by the manufacturer and authorised by the licensing authority, and the "British National Formulary", which the Department of Health sends free of charge to doctors, copies of which are available in the Library.

  The Department has no plans to prohibit the use of septrin. It is our view that this drug has a place in medical practice when prescribed with appropriate care, and it is for doctors to use their training, knowledge and experience to weigh carefully the likely benefits of a drug against the anticipated risks. As for all medicines, its safety will be kept under review.

  Nurses' Pay
  Mrs. Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much is earned by(a) staff nurses and (b) ward sisters (i) exclusive of and (ii) inclusive of allowances; and if she will provide a breakdown by nursing grade.

  Mr. Malone
  The information is shown in the table.

  Pay of nursing staff in the pay scale grades D to G at the maximum of the scale as of 1 April 1994

  Grade

  Basic £

  Estimated average earning £

  Clinical grade D (basic staff nurse)

  12,950

  15,240

  Clinical grade E (staff nurse advanced skills)

  15,000

  17,700

  Clinical grade F (basic ward sister)

  17,600

  20,230

  Clinical grade G (sister with continuing responsibility for a ward)

  19,600

  21,380

  (1) The estimated average earnings takes account of all allowances, including additional payments for unsocial hours and overtime. London payments are not included.

  (2) Nursing staff working in inner London earn up to an additional £2,605 per year.

  Disability Payments
  Mr. Alan Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she has further considered the possibility of local authorities being permitted to make direct payments to disabled people in lieu of care services; and if she will make a statement.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  I intend to take, in conjunction with my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Scotland and for Wales, a new power to enable social services authorities and social work departments to make direct cash payments to disabled people in lieu of community care services. Direct payments are a logical extension of the citizen's charter. They will give disabled
  333
  people greater independence and choice and involve them and their carers more fully in their own care.

  This development will give disabled people greater independence and control over their lives. It fully complements the other important measures which my hon. Friend the Minister for Social Security and Disabled People is announcing. But, as a new departure, direct payments carry some risks. So in the short term we intend to limit those able to receive such payments to a relatively small number group, probably those disabled people who are able and willing to manage their care. The intended power will also be permissive - authorities themselves will need to decide whether to take advantage of it, based on their judgment of whether it will help them make better use of their resources. Direct payments will be an alternative to community care services, where authorities assess a need for them. There will be no overlap with social security benefits.

  There are many complex issues to be resolved. We will be working with the key interests to make sure that the details are right. It would be unwise to introduce legislation before we are satisfied that we have done so. We hope to move to a Bill as soon as practicable.

SCOTLAND

  Beef Exports
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list, by region, the revenue generated by on-the-bone beef exports.

  Mr. Hector Monro
  This information is not held centrally.

  Scottish Enterprise
  Mr. David Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much money Scottish Enterprise spent on replacing its computer and related equipment this year; how much money was raised by the disposal of the previous equipment; when it was purchased; and what it cost.

  Mr. Stewart
  The acquisition and disposal of computer and related equipment by Scottish Enterprise is an operational matter for that body. I have asked the chairman of Scottish Enterprise to write to the hon. Member.

  Health board

  1989–90£000s

  1990–91£000s

  1991–92£000s

  1992–93£000s

  1993–94£000s

  Argyll and Clyde

  69

  57

  49

  43

  36

  Ayr and Arran

  144

  174

  234

  142

  115

  Borders

  22

  32

  42

  52

  32

  Dumfries and Galloway

  3

  5

  6

  6

  8

  Fife

  1

  1

  4

  —

  1

  Forth Valley

  82

  22

  37

  33

  55

  Grampian

  304

  328

  473

  563

  567

  Greater Glasgow

  34

  43

  12

  19

  485

  Highland

  28

  37

  54

  60

  117

  Lanarkshire

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  Lothian

  212

  255

  548

  608

  802

  Orkney

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Diet
  Sir Nicholas Fairbairn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the estimated cost of the proposed conference at Kirkliston on the Scottish diet.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  This conference, at Ingliston on 7 November, was organised by the Rowett Research Institute and the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland. I understand that the net cost was some £19,300.

  NHS Private Patient Facilities
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many patients have been treated in NHS hospitals' private facilities in each of the last five years, by region.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The information requested is shown in the table.

  Health Board of treatment

  1989

  1990

  1991

  1992

  1993

  Argyll and Clyde

  104

  99

  128

  87

  86

  Ayrshire and Arran

  253

  336

  440

  187

  74

  Borders

  31

  28

  28

  49

  32

  Dumfries and Galloway

  1

  —

  —

  1

  —

  Fife

  1

  6

  7

  3

  5

  Forth Valley

  142

  82

  34

  36

  37

  Grampian

  261

  462

  485

  421

  362

  Greater Glasgow

  39

  28

  12

  43

  22

  Highland

  88

  83

  105

  120

  91

  Lanarkshire

  —

  7

  —

  1

  1

  Lothian

  115

  148

  172

  141

  145

  Orkney

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Shetland

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Tayside

  150

  172

  155

  199

  128

  Western Isles

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Scotland

  1,185

  1,451

  1,566

  1,288

  983

  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much income has been generated by NHS hospitals' private patient facilities in each of the last five years, by region.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The information by health board area is set out in the table. The figures have been taken from health board annual accounts and, from 1992–93, a combination of health board and NHS trust annual accounts. The figures for 1993–94 are provisional. The figure for Greater Glasgow in that year includes overseas patients, and can therefore not be compared directly with those for earlier years.
  335

  Health board

  1989–90 £000s

  1990–91 £000s

  1991–92 £000s

  1992–93 £000s

  1993–94 £000s

  Shetland

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Tayside

  130

  162

  184

  193

  244

  Western Isles

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Total

  1,029

  1,116

  1,643

  1,719

  2,463

  NHS Trusts
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what were the surcharges or deficits recorded by each individual NHS trust in each year since their inception.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  None.

  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what has been the turnover of each NHS trust in each year since its inception.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The information requested is provided in the table.

  Wave

  NHS trust

  Turnover 1992–93 £000

  Turnover 1993–94 £000

  First

  Aberdeen Royal Hospitals

  113,056

  114,811

  South Ayrshire Hospitals

  43,958

  45,309

  Second

  Ayrshire and Arran

  Community Healthcare

  55,158

  Caithness and Sutherland

  14,072

  Dundee Teaching Hospitals

  108,288

  Grampian Healthcare

  131,912

  Monklands and Bellshill Hospitals

  50,408

  Moray Health Services

  22,720

  North Ayrshire and Arran

  69,719

  Raigmore Hospital

  46,756

  Royal Alexandra Hospital

  44,363

  Royal Scottish National Hospital and Community

  20,352

  Southern General Hospital

  78,335

  Stirling Royal Infirmary

  38,646

  Victoria Infirmary

  55,620

  West Lothian

  63,419

  Yorkhill

  52,725

  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland which NHS trusts failed to(a) break even, (b) keep within the external financing limit and (c) record a 6 per cent. return on capital; and by what percentage and sum in each year since their inception.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The information is as follows:

  (a) None

  (b) Victoria Infirmary NHS trust overran the external financing limit by 1–4 per cent.—£21,000—in 1993–94.

  (c) As detailed in table.

  NHS trust

  1993–94 Percentage

  1993–94 Sum

  Aberdeen Royal Hospitals

  0.4 per cent. below

  -£483,000

  Victoria Infirmary

  0.1 per cent. below

  -£461,000

  336

  NHS trust

  1993–94 Percentage

  1993–94 Sum

  Yorkhill

  0.3 per cent. below

  -£123,000

  Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many representations he has received from farmers who have bought holdings unaware that the previous holding owner's herd was considered BSE-infected.

  Sir Hector Monro
  One farmer has made representations to my Department about the BSE status of a holding which he had purchased.

  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many people have contacted the BSE hotline since it began.

  Sir Hector Monro
  During the period between 1 August and 12 November this year, 16,769 requests for information have been dealt with by the national BSE hotline.

  In dealing with the inquiries, 276,342 herd numbers have been checked.

  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many representations he has received regarding decision 94/474.

  Sir Hector Monro
  Forty-seven representations have been received by my Department regarding EC decision 94/474 concerning protection measures relating to BSE.

  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the total number of marts operating in Scotland and the number of marts that provide systems whereby information on whether an animal comes from a BSE infected holding is available.

  Sir Hector Monro
  There are currently 33 auction markets in Scotland. The Department has no information about which of these markets provide information to purchases about the health status of an animal's farm of origin.

  Emergency Hospital Admissions
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the number of emergency hospital admissions by region for each of the last five years.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The information requested is shown in the table.

  Health board of treatment

  1989

  1990

  1991

  1992

  1993

  Argyll and Clyde

  28,987

  29,572

  30,899

  32,122

  33,560

  Ayrshire and Arran

  21,708

  22,211

  23,825

  25,908

  28,529

  337

  Health Board of treatment

  1989

  1990

  1991

  1992

  1993

  Borders

  7,024

  7,532

  7,763

  8,121

  8,570

  Dumfries and Galloway

  9,289

  10,187

  10,762

  10,722

  11,386

  Fife

  17,782

  18,011

  18,887

  19,454

  19,666

  Forth Valley

  15,675

  17,714

  18,016

  18,917

  20,039

  Grampian

  35,439

  38,252

  39,072

  39,005

  40,109

  Greater Glasgow

  74,045

  77,510

  78,659

  82,473

  95,254

  Highland

  14,734

  14,705

  15,676

  16,826

  17,178

  Lanarkshire

  35,763

  36,547

  38,270

  39,001

  40,924

  Lothian

  56,781

  57,966

  59,868

  62,262

  63,637

  Orkney

  976

  1,088

  1,151

  1,144

  1,208

  Shetland

  1,290

  1,333

  1,216

  1,230

  1,377

  Tayside

  33,587

  34,339

  35,061

  35,146

  36,896

  Western Isles

  1,956

  1,923

  2,038

  2,124

  2,407

  Scotland

  355,036

  368,890

  381,163

  394,455

  420,740

  Forestry
  Mrs. Bridget Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how the Forestry Commission identifies the exact boundaries of the tracts of land it disposes of each year.

  Sir Hector Monro
  When the Forestry Commission sells an area of land it checks the boundaries on the ground against the original title deed map and a master map of its land holdings. The exact boundaries of the land are then plotted on the current Ordnance Survey map which becomes the title deed map for the sale.

  Mallaig Harbour
  Sir Russell Johnston
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects to make an announcement about the Mallaig harbour development.

  Sir Hector Monro
  I hope to be in a position to make an announcement within the next few weeks on Mallaig harbour authority's application for grant assistance under the Fisheries Act 1955 towards the cost of the proposed development at the harbour.

  Dental Services
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how he monitors whether dentists providing NHS services are progressively moving into private practice; and what evidence he has on this matter.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  General dental practitioners are independent contractors who are free to decide whether to offer NHS treatment to each individual patient. No information is available on dentists' private practices. The Government monitor information provided regularly by all health boards on the availability of NHS dental services. No health board has reported that it has been unable to arrange access to NHS dental services for people who wish to use them in its area.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what effect he expects sessional pay to have on dental waiting lists.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Sessional remuneration for general dental practitioners was one of the options for change outlined in the Government's consultation paper "Improving NHS Dentistry". Ministers are now considering all the responses received before 338
  deciding the way forward. No decisions have have yet been taken.

  Quangos
  Mr. Sykes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland which quangos his Department has abolished since 1979.

  Mr. Lang
  A list of bodies which have been abolished since 1979 is not held centrally by my Department and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. However, there is a list of bodies which, between 1 April 1985 and 1 April 1993, have been abolished, amalgamated with other bodies, are no longer sponsored by my Department or have ceased to be non-departmental public bodies for other reasons—for example, cessation of Government funding. This is as follows:

  Advisory Committee on Statistical Information

  Appeal Panel for Entry to Pharmaceutical Lists in Scotland

  Colleges of Education—Governing bodies (5)

  Committee of Investigation for Scotland

  Consultative Committee on the Curriculum

  Countryside Commission for Scotland

  Dumping at Sea Representation Panel

  Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art—Board of Governors

  Dundee Institute of Technology—Board of Governors

  East of Scotland College of Agriculture—Board of Governors Edinburgh College of Art—Board of Governors

  Electricity Consultative Councils (2)

  Fire Service Examinations Board (Scotland)

  Glasgow College of Technology—Board of Governors

  Glasgow School of Art—Board of Governors

  Highlands and Islands Development Board

  Highlands and Islands Development Consultative Council

  Hill Farming Research Organisation

  Lay Observer for Scotland

  Leith Nautical College

  Napier Polytechnic of Edinburgh—Board of Governors

  National Committee for the In-Service Training of Teachers

  National Health Service Tribunal for Scotland

  National Panel of Specialists

  Nature Conservancy Council for Scotland

  Newbattle Abbey College—Board of Governors

  North of Scotland College of Agriculture—Board of Governors

  Orkney Islands Shipping Company Ltd

  Paisley College of Technology—Board of Governors

  Queen's College—Board of Governors

  Queen Margaret College—Board of Governors

  Robert Gordon's Institute of Technology—Board of Governors

  Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama— Board of Governors

  Scottish Advisory Committee on Top Grade Scientific Posts

  Scottish Agricultural Development Panel

  Scottish Agricultural Statistics Consultative Committee

  Scottish Agricultural Research and Development Advisory Council

  Scottish College of Textiles—Board of Governors

  Scottish Committee for Staff Development in Education

  Scottish Council for Post Graduate Medical Education

  Scottish Council for Postgraduate Medical and Dental Education

  Scottish Council for Research in Education

  Scottish Development Agency

  Scottish Health Eduction Co-ordinating Committee

  Scottish Institute of Agricultural Engineering

  Scottish Legal Services Ombudsman

  Scottish National Camps Association Ltd—Council of Management

  Scottish National War Memorial—Board of Trustees

  Scottish Special Housing Association—Council of Management

  339

  Scottish Tertiary Education Advisory Council

  The Scottish Agricultural College

  Visiting Committees to Detention Centres and Young Offenders Institutions (Scotland) (5)

  West of Scotland Agricultural College—Board of Governors

  Working Party on Management Training for Leisure and Recreation

  Mr. Sykes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many quangos his Department was responsible for(a) in 1979 and (b) in the latest year for which a number is available.

  Mr. Lang
  In 1979 my Department sponsored 244 non-departmental public bodies. In 1993 there were 160.

  Prison Privatisation
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish the present list of Her Majesty's prisons in Scotland which are now under consideration for privatisation.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  There are no Scottish prisons currently under consideration for privatisation.

  Patient Complaints
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish a table detailing the number of patient complaints in each of the last five years, by region.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  This information is not available for the full period requested. Information about complaints since January 1993 is now published in a series of quarterly NHS complaints bulletins, copies of which are held in the Library of the House.

  Cattle
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many farmers(a) in total and (b) in each region have entered the voluntary passport system for cattle.

  Sir Hector Monro
  The use of animal passports is entirely voluntary and the Department has no information on the number of farmers who have decided to use them.

  Valuation and Rating Act
  Mrs. Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what use he has made of powers under section 6 (8B) of the Valuation and Rating (Scotland) Act 1956; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Stewart
  None.

  Mrs. Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what use has been made of his powers under section 6 (8A) of the Valuation and Rating (Scotland) Act 1956; and if he will make a statement

  Mr. Stewart
  Section 6(8A) of the Valuation and Rating (Scotland) Act 1956 was inserted by the Local Government Finance Act 1988, schedule 12, paragraph 4. The powers have been exercised only once, in the making of the Valuation for Rating (Decapitalisation Rate) (Scotland) Regulations 1990, SI 1990 No. 505.

  Finance Statistics
  Mrs. Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the rate of(a) gross domestic product per capita,
  340
  (b) disposable income per capita and (c) average earnings in Scotland in each year since 1974.

  Mr. Stewart
  The information is given in the table.

  Gross domestic product per head (£)

  Personal disposal income(1) per head (£)

  Average gross weekly earnings of full-time head employees(2)(3)(£)

  1974

  1,267

  1,017

  39.5

  1975

  1,628

  1,278

  52.6

  1976

  1,927

  1,499

  62.7

  1977

  2,190

  1,673

  68.6

  1978

  2,452

  1,896

  77.0

  1979

  2,802

  2,252

  87.5

  1980

  3,212

  2,650

  107.4

  1981

  3,542

  3,004

  122.0

  1982

  3,894

  3,252

  133.5

  1983

  4,266

  3,519

  145.2

  1983

  —

  —

  144.3

  1984

  4,455

  3,845

  155.7

  1985

  4,920

  4,086

  165.8

  1986

  5,331

  4,463

  176.6

  1987

  5,813

  4,823

  187.9

  1988

  6,419

  5,187

  204.5

  1989

  7,054

  5,659

  221.4

  1990

  7,752

  6,351

  244.0

  1991

  8,123

  6,904

  265.3

  1992

  (P)8,616

  (P)7,617

  286.7

  1993

  —

  —

  296.8

  1994

  —

  —

  300.8

  (P) Provisional.

  Source:

  Central Statistical Office Employment Department.

  Notes:

  1 Personal disposable income is defined as the income of the personal sector (households, individuals living in hostels and other institutions, unincorporated businesses such as farms, the funds of pension and life assurance schemes, private trusts and all non-profit making bodies such as universities and charities) less taxes on income, social security contributions, community charge and current transfers from personal income. It is not a measure of the spending power of households.

  2 At April each year. Average gross weekly earnings of full-time employees whose pay was not affected by absence.

  3 1974 to first row for 1983 compiled on basis of men aged 21 and over and women aged 18 and over. Second row for 1983 onwards compiled on basis of employees on adult rates.

  Exporters
  Mrs. Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his estimate of the number of Scottish-based active exporters; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Stewart
  This answer necessarily has to be best estimate, as it cannot be definitive. The Scottish Council (Development and Industry) has around 1,800 manufacturing companies on its database, about 1,000 of which could be termed active and significant exporters. There are no data available in relation to active service sector exporters.

  Exports pertaining to small and medium sized companies had shown an 18 per cent. increase in 1993 and are now worth over £1.4 billion. Some 110,000 jobs are thought to be dependent on exporting and the SCDI's latest estimates point towards Scotland's spectacular 1993 performance being sustained.

  Farm Incomes
  Mr. Welsh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what percentage of total farm incomes is represented by(a) hill livestock compensatory allowance payments and (b) sheep annual premiums; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir Hector Monro
  In 1993 the percentages of total income from farming represented by hill livestock compensatory allowances and sheep annual premium were 17 per cent. and 33 per cent. respectively.

  For 1992–93 the equivalent percentages for livestock farms in the less-favoured area are set out in the table:

  Percentage of net farm income represented by:

  Hill livestock compensatory allowances Per cent.

  Sheep annual premium Per cent.

  LFA Specialist sheep

  48

  150

  LFA Specialist beef

  50

  29

  LFA Mixed cattle and sheep

  55

  97

  Source:

  Scottish farm accounts scheme.

  Mr. Welsh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what acreage has been put into regeneration of the natural habitat in hill farming; and if he will evaluate the effect this will have on hill farm incomes.

  Sir Hector Monro
  The area of hill farming land which farmers may have put into regeneration is not known to my Department, nor is any effect that this might have on their incomes.

  Thousands

  Employees in employment

  June

  Total1

  Full-time

  Part-time

  Self-employed

  Unemployed2

  1979

  2,102

  —

  —

  146

  138

  1980

  2,082

  —

  —

  141

  166

  1981

  2,002

  —

  —

  136

  244

  1982

  1,950

  —

  —

  150

  274

  1983

  1,899

  —

  —

  164

  300

  1984

  1,901

  —

  —

  168

  308

  1985

  1,900

  —

  —

  174

  322

  1986

  1,879

  —

  —

  176

  332

  1987

  1,879

  —

  —

  182

  326

  1988

  1,921

  —

  —

  198

  278

  1989

  1,957

  —

  —

  221

  233

  1990

  1,986

  —

  —

  208

  200

  1991

  1,997

  1,490

  507

  223

  222

  1992

  2,008

  1,488

  521

  215

  237

  1993

  1,984

  1,448

  536

  216

  245

  1994

  1,962

  1,416

  546

  222

  —

  Source:

  Employment Department.

  Notes:

  1 Part-time/full-time data for all employees are not available prior to June 1991.

  2 The unemployed figures given are seasonally adjusted.

  Non-domestic Rates
  Mrs. Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list each individual corporation, company, group, organisation and other entity he has consulted for the purposes of determining evidence for the purposes of

  Unified Business Rate
  Mrs. Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland on what date Her Majesty's Government first decided that there should be a Scottish unified business rate; and to whom this policy was first announced.

  Mr. Stewart
  The Government's unified business rates policy was first announced by my right hon. and learned Friend, the Member for Edinburgh, Pentlands (Mr. Rifkind) in a speech to the Scottish Young Business Group in Glasgow on 8 May 1989. Powers were subsequently taken in the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 to enable my right hon. Friend to prescribe non-domestic rate poundages for each Scottish local authority from 1990–91 onwards with the intention of reducing poundages progressively to the level of the national non-domestic rate in England.

  Labour Statistics
  Mrs. Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many adults were in(a) full-time employment, (b) part-time employment, (c) self-employment and (d) unemployment in each year since 1979; and if he will provide a breakdown by parliamentary constituency.

  Mr. Allan Stewart
  Information for Scotland is given in the table.

  At parliamentary constituency level, self-employed estimates are not available. The numbers unemployed are available but not in a form which will allow comparison over time on a consistent basis. Employees in employment estimates, split into full-time and part-time, are available from the censuses of employment carried out in 1981, 1984, 1987, 1989 and 1991. This information, along with the unemployment information, is on the NOMIS database in the House of Commons Library. Library staff are ready to assist in accessing the information.

  re-valuation of non-domestic rates to be effective from 1 April 1995.

  Mr. Stewart
  The valuation for rating of individual subjects is the responsibility of the assessor for each valuation area. It is therefore assessors, not the Secretary
  343
  of State, who gather evidence for the purposes of revaluation.

  Our consultations with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities and relevant ratepayer companies in relation to the formula valuation of certain lands and heritages under section 6 of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1975 have been informed by evidence on movement in values generally provided by assessors.

  Sheep Annual Premium
  Mr. Welsh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what are the reasons for the delay in the payment of sheep annual premiums to farmers; and if he will consider paying compensation in cases where there has been unnecessary delay and inconvenience;

  (2) what recent representations he has received on the delay in making sheep annual premiums to farmers; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir Hector Monro
  The Scottish Office Agriculture and Fisheries Department is in the process of changing over to a new computer system designed to cope with the increased complexity of the agricultural subsidy schemes following reform of the common agricultural policy. The changeover has not gone as smoothly as I would have wished, causing delays in the issue of payments under the 1994 sheep annual premium scheme. The Department is doing its utmost to overcome the problems and get the payments out as soon as possible. Next year, the processing of SAP claims should be quicker.

  I fully recognise the importance of these advance SAP payments to producers and very much regret the delay. However, there is no obligation under the EC regulations governing the scheme to make advance payments of premium so the question of compensation does not arise.

  I have received representations about the delay in making payments from the hon. Members for Falkirk, West (Mr. Canavan) and for Gordon (Mr. Bruce) and from the National Farmers Union of Scotland. In addition, officials of the Scottish Office Agriculture and Fisheries Department have received representations from some SAP claimants.

  Mr. Welsh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) how many sheep annual premiums have been made to date; and what is the total value of such payments;

  (2) when he expects the sheep annual premium for this year to be (a) finalised and (b) made to farmers; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir Hector Monro
  By 18 November, my Department had issued advance payments on 9,335 claims, totalling over £25 million under the 1994 scheme.

  Commission regulations 1640/94 and 1765/94 authorised member states to make first and second advance payments under the 1994 scheme based on an estimated amount of premium. Payments of both advances together began in Scotland in the week beginning 24 October 1994. Final payments under the 1994 scheme will not be made until next spring after the final rate is announced by the Commission.

  Environmental Code of Practice
  Mr. Welsh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the economic impact of the national voluntary environmental code of practice on businesses; if he will list the businesses which have 344
  agreed to follow the national environmental code of practice; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Stewart
  There are various voluntary codes—promoted by, for example, individual industries, the international chambers of commerce, and the Confederation of British Industry—through which a commitment to environmental management may be demonstrated.

  The Government welcome such voluntary initiatives but do not keep centralised information on them.

  Inward Investment
  Mrs. Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list for each inward invested project attracted to Scotland since 1990 how much the planned investment was worth and the number of jobs guaranteed.

  Mr. Stewart
  Many inward investors do not publicly announce details of their investment projects and releasing details of these projects would constitute a breach of confidence. The following table, however, gives details of the total number of inward investment and the total number of planned jobs recorded by Locate in Scotland in recent years:

  Year

  Number of projects

  Planned investment (£ million)

  Planned jobs (new and safeguarded)

  1990–91

  63

  394.1

  10,244

  1991–92

  59

  380.9

  6,002

  1992–93

  65

  352.0

  8,059

  1993–94

  95

  587.6

  11,072

  Total

  282

  1,714.6

  35,377

  The figures for planned investment and planned jobs are those provided by the companies concerned at the time of the investment decision and take no account of subsequent developments. Company plans are of course subject to change and some projects may fail to meet job forecasts, while others may exceed them. Evidence over a period of years suggests that, on average, around two-thirds of planned direct jobs are achieved. Many additional jobs are of course also created indirectly in supplier companies.

  Productivity
  Mrs. Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his latest estimate of productivity within the Scottish economy using value added per employee; and if he will analyse the figures by industry.

  Mr. Stewart
  The information is available only for the manufacturing sector and is set out in the table. Figures are provided for 1991, which is the latest year for which information is available.

  SIC 1980 Class

  Industry group

  Gross value added per employee (£)

  2–4

  Manufacturing industries

  23,947

  21

  Extraction and preparation of metalliferous ores

  —

  22

  Metal manufacturing

  15,915

  23

  Extraction of minerals nes

  43,514

  345

  SIC 1980 Class

  Industry group

  Gross value added per employee (£)

  24

  Manufacture of non-metallic mineral products

  27,508

  25/26

  Chemical and man-made fibre industries

  40,785

  31

  Manufacture of metal goods nes

  18,776

  32

  Mechanical engineering

  24,760

  33

  Manufacture of office machinery and data processing equipment

  42,128

  34

  Electrical and electronic engineering

  22,216

  35

  Manufacture of motor vehicles and parts

  22,573

  36

  Manufacture of other transport equipment

  24,517

  37

  Instrument engineering

  24,981

  41/42

  Food, drink and tobacco manufacturing industries

  25,332

  43

  Textile industry

  13,980

  44

  Manufacture of leather and leather goods

  23,146

  45

  Footwear and clothing industries

  13,499

  46

  Timber and wooden furniture industries

  16,705

  47

  Manufacture of paper and paper products; printing and publishing

  26,433

  48

  Processing of rubber and plastics

  22,940

  49

  Other manufacturing industries

  16,374

  Source:

  Annual Census of Production.

  Temporary Sheriffs
  Mr. Raymond S. Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the contribution temporary sheriffs make to the administration of justice in Scotland; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lang
  The use of temporary sheriffs when permanent sheriffs are unavailable for court work serves to avoid increases in court waiting periods and inconvenience to court users which would result from cancelled sittings. Their use also makes an important contribution to dealing efficiently with temporary increases in court business. A balance must however be maintained between the respective contributions of permanent and temporary sheriffs and I have accordingly decided, following consultation with the sheriffs principal, to increase by three the number of permanent appointments. Applications for these posts will be invited shortly. The successful candidates will be appointed as floating sheriffs to serve in a number of courts.

  Woodlands
  Mr. Raymond S. Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proposals he has for introducing 346
  a tendering system and locational supplements as parts of the woodlands grant scheme.

  Sir Hector Monro
  We will introduce a pilot system for inviting people to tender for the establishment of woodlands in the national forest. We will also introduce 40,785 a flat-rate locational supplement of £600 per hectare for appropriate woodland establishment schemes in priority areas within the central Scotland woodlands area, community forest areas in England which have had their business plans approved, Sherwood and Aman Gwendraeth in South Wales. These schemes will run for a pilot period of three years, starting with 1995–96. Full details will be announced in time for planting to take place in 1995–96.

  Mr. Tipping
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the Government's policy on the disposal of Forestry Commission woodlands, its target for the area of woodlands to be sold and its target for the amount of woodland sold for which public access should be protected by way of access agreements.

  Sir Hector Monro
  [holding answer 23 November 1994]: The Government's policy on the disposal of Forestry Commission woodlands is set out at appendix VI of the commission's annual report for the year ended March 1990, a copy of which is held in the Library of the House. When we announced this policy in 1989, we asked the Commission to dispose of 100,000 hectares of forestry land and properties in the period up to the end of the century. As noted in our public expenditure plans, the Commission intends to sell 15,000 hectares in each of the next three years. Every effort will be made to secure an access agreement for all woodlands which are sold.

  Mr. Tipping
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list by county all Forestry Commission woodlands sold since 1 January 1993, indicating those for which an access agreement was in place.

  Sir Hector Monro
  [holding answer 23 November 1994]: A list, by county, of the Forestry Commission woodlands sold in 1993 is held in the Library of the House. A list of those woodlands sold in 1994 will be placed in the Library early next year. Of the woodlands sold by 30 September 1994, those listed below were subject to access agreements.

  County

  Name of property

  Derbyshire

  Birch Wood

  Britton Wood

  Kings Lot and Longway Bank

  North Yorkshire

  Gateforth East

  Moreby Wood

  Sutton Wood

  Clwyd

  Nant y Ffridd (part)

  Nant y Ffridd (part)

  Dyfed

  Allt y Gwydre

  Court Wood

  Factory Wood

  Taldrum Wood

  Tan y Lan

  Ty'r Dopa

  Gwent

  Graig Syddi

  Powys

  Castlering

  Granner Wood

  Hilltop

  GP Fundholders
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will provide an estimate for the value of fundholding allocations retained by general practitioner fundholders at the year end in each of the last four years by region.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The information requested relates to GP fundholder savings which are retained not by the fundholder at year end but by the health board on the fundholder's behalf to be used for the benefit of patients. These figures are available only for those years for which audited health board accounts have been completed. The audited accounts for 1993–94 have not yet been finalised but it is estimated that savings will be about 4 per cent.

  Health board

  1991–92 £000

  1992–93 £000

  Argyll and Clyde

  56

  Nil

  Ayrshire and Arran

  —

  —

  Borders

  —

  —

  Dumfries and Galloway

  —

  —

  Fife

  —

  —

  Forth Valley

  —

  —

  Grampian

  103

  95

  Greater Glasgow

  —

  13

  Highland

  —

  —

  Lanarksire

  —

  —

  Lothian

  29

  39

  Orkney

  —

  —

  Shetland and

  —

  —

  Tayside

  Nil

  12

  Western Isles

  —

  —

  Scotland

  188

  159

  1 Figures represent gross amounts in all cases.

  Contaminated Land
  Mr. Kynoch
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what conclusions the Government have reached in the light of the responses to their consultation paper, "Contaminated Land Clean-up and Control", which was announced on 11 March 1994, and the recent consultation exercise on the revision of Scotland's nuisance legislation; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lang
  [pursuant to his reply 23 November 1994 c. 196–97.]: I have today published a paper which sets out my proposals for dealing with contaminated land and liabilities and concludes the review which I announced on 24 March last year. I will arrange for copies to be deposited in the Libraries of the House. I am grateful to the 91 individuals in the organisations who submitted their views in response to the consultation document.

  The Government remain committed to the "suitable for use" approach to the control of existing contamination, relating any need for remedial work to the presence of any unacceptable risks to health or the environment and to the actual or intended use of the site. This approach gained wide support from our respondents. It provides a platform for tackling real hazards where they exist in an orderly and controlled manner, without imposing unnecessary financial and regulatory burdens and without discouraging enterprise.

  Subject to parliamentary approval, I intend to use the creation of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency,
  348
  working in conjunction with the enterprise bodies, to develop guidance on remediation. I will expect the agency to take an overall monitoring and reporting role in respect of Scottish land contamination. Our "Development of Contaminated Land", is now set in the context provided by the United Kingdom sustainable development strategy, allowing us to establish a balance between green-field and brown-field development.

  My proposals are intended both to provide an appropriate and sensible approach to tackling the legacy of past contamination which will not jeopardise public health or the environment, and to take advantage of the opportunity that remediation work offers for regeneration.

  Our consultation paper also said that, in the light of the emerging conclusions of the review, the Government would re-assess the justification for the present unique statutory exemptions for abandoned mines. In view of the concerns that have been expressed about water pollution from abandoned mines, the Government will now propose legislative amendments to remove the existing statutory defence and exemptions for mines abandoned after the end of 1999 so that SEPA, as successor to the RPAs, will have the same powers, in respect of those mines, as for other discharges.

  The Government will also propose a duty of mine operators to give SEPA six months' notice of any proposed abandonment. This will provide an additional safeguard to ensure that when mines are abandoned this is done in a responsible manner with full regard to the effects on the water environment.

TREASURY

  National Audit Office
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the proportion of total public expenditure which came under the remit of the National Audit Office for each year since 1979.

  Sir George Young
  Public expenditure is usually measured in terms of general Government expenditure, comprising both central and local governemnt. The remit of the National Audit Office—in Northern Ireland, the Northern Ireland Audit Office—includes all central Government expenditure including grants to local authorities but excluding notional items such as capital consumption. The figures for these items in each year since 1979 are as follows—the percentage of public expenditure within NAO's remit represents the total of central Government expenditure as a proportion of general Government expenditure:

  Year

  GGE £ millions

  Central Government Expenditure(excluding notionals) £ millions

  NAO remit (per cent. of GGE)

  1978–79

  72,431

  62,688

  86.55

  1979–80

  89,992

  77,361

  85.96

  1980–81

  108,637

  94,666

  87.14

  1981–82

  120,516

  104,033

  86.32

  1982–83

  132,672

  118,004

  88.94

  1983–84

  140,436

  126,393

  90.00

  1984–85

  150,789

  135,069

  89.57

  349

  Year

  GGE £ millions

  Central Government Expenditure(excluding notionals) £ millions

  NAO remit (per cent. of GGE)

  1985–86

  158,474

  144,672

  91.29

  1986–87

  164,848

  150,464

  91.27

  1987–88

  173,233

  155,366

  89.69

  1988–89

  179,798

  161,208

  89.66

  1989–90

  200,832

  175,127

  87.20

  1990–91

  218,139

  202,592

  92.87

  1991–92

  236,268

  223,949

  94.79

  1992–93

  260,237

  245,635

  94.39

  1993–94

  277,550

  264,365

  95.25

  Central Government Accounts
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the total value of the central Government accounts, covering public spending and receipts, audited by the Comptroller and Auditor General for each year since 1979.

  Sir George Young
  The Comptroller and Auditor General is the auditor of all central Government accounts. The value of central Government receipts and payments for each year since 1978–79 covered by NAO's audits is as follows:

  Year

  Receipts(£ million)

  Payments(£ million)

  Total(£ million)

  1978–79

  56,841

  64,797

  121,638

  1979–80

  70,498

  77,361

  147,859

  1980–81

  82,583

  94,666

  177,249

  1981–82

  97,522

  104,033

  201,555

  1982–83

  104,913

  118,004

  222,917

  1983–84

  113,019

  126,393

  239,412

  1984–85

  123,266

  135,069

  258,335

  1985–86

  134,003

  144,672

  278,675

  1986–87

  139,980

  150,464

  290,444

  1987–88

  154,910

  155,366

  310,276

  1988–89

  168,386

  161,208

  329,594

  1989–90

  180,620

  175,127

  355,747

  1990–91

  204,188

  202,592

  406,780

  1991–92

  214,208

  223,949

  438,157

  1992–93

  210,343

  245,635

  455,978

  1993–94

  217,029

  264,365

  481,394

  Customs and Excise Staff
  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what plans he has to increase the number of Customs and Excise staff based at Tilbury;

  (2) what plans he has to cut the number of Customs and Excise staff employed at Tilbury.

  Ms Mowlam
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what plans he has to cut the number of Customs and Excise staff employed at Teesside port;

  (2) what plans he has to increase the number of Customs and Excise staff based on Teesside.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  Decisions on the deployment of Customs' staff at particular places are essentially a matter for Customs and Excise based on operation requirements. It would be wrong to give details of Customs' cover for obvious security reasons.

  Taxation, Scotland
  Dr. Howells
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the total raised in Scotland from forms of taxation, other than income tax and VAT,(a) in 1990, (b) in 1991, (c) in 1992, (d) in 1993 and (e) in the first six months of 1994.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  The total raised from VAT in Scotland was as follows:

  Year

  Amount (£ million)

  1990–91

  2,520

  1991–92

  2,850

  1992–93

  3,110

  1993–94

  3,250

  Taxation, Wales
  Dr. Howells
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the total raised in Wales from forms of taxation, other than income tax and VAT,(a) in 1990, (b) in 1991, (c) in 1992, (d) in 1993 and (e) in the first six months of 1994.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  The total raised from VAT in Wales is estimated as follows:

  Year

  Amount (£ million)

  1990–91

  1,380

  1991–92

  1,630

  1992–93

  1,740

  1993–94

  1,820

  Cigarettes and Alcohol
  Mr. Henderson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many prosecutions, in each region of the United Kingdom since 1 January 1993, have been made by HM Custom and Excise for re-selling cigarettes and alcohol, which were purchased for self-consumption and had been bought, duty-paid, in other parts of the European Union.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  To 31 October 1994 Customs and Excise prosecuted 307 individuals for the importation and illegal resale of alcohol and tobacco from other EU countries—178 in London and the south-east, 46 in the south and the south-west, 35 in the midlands and 48 in the north.

  Christmas Expenditure
  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many official Christmas cards he and his Ministers intend to send in 1994; how much these cards will cost(a) to buy, (b) to post and (c) in staff time to sign, address and place in envelopes; and if he will place in the Members' Library a sample copy of the official Christmas card he intends to send this year.

  Mr. Nelson
  Treasury Ministers expect to send around 1,000 official Christmas cards this year at a purchase price of approximately £300. Postage costs cannot be estimated at this stage, and information relating to staff costs is not
  351
  available. A sample copy of the Treasury Christmas card is being placed in the Members' Library.

  EC Budget Council
  Ms Quin
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the outcome of the EC Budget Council held on 16 November.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  I represented the United Kingdom at the Budget Council on 16 November. The Council considered the European Parliament's proposed changes to the draft budget which the Council established in July,Official Report, 17 October 1994, columns 1–4; and established a second reading draft budget for 1995.

  Financial perspective expenditure ceilings

  Preliminary draft budget2

  Parliament draft budget

  Council second reading draft budget

  Commitment appropriations

  mecu

  £ million1

  mecu

  £ million

  mecu

  £ million

  mecu

  £ million

  1. Common Agricultural Policy

  36,994

  29,219

  36,994

  29,219

  36,449

  28,487

  36,994

  28,913

  2. Structural operations

  25,264

  19,745

  25,264

  19,745

  25,264

  19,745

  25,264

  19,745

  3. Internal policies

  4,652

  3,636

  4,610

  3,603

  4,523

  3,544

  4,321

  3,535

  4. External action

  4,605

  3,599

  4,555

  3,560

  4,572

  3,573

  4,393

  3,433

  5. Administration expenditure

  3,852

  3,011

  3,827

  2,991

  3,823

  2,988

  3,811

  2,979

  6. Reserves

  1,146

  896

  1,146

  896

  1,146

  896

  1,146

  896

  Total commitments

  76,513

  59,799

  76,396

  59,708

  75,775

  59,222

  75,930

  59,343

  Total payment appropriations

  72,924

  56,994

  72,417

  56,597

  71,318

  55,739

  72,000

  56,272

  1 Throughout this reply the rate of £1=1.2795 ecu has been used (the rate notified in the Official Journal as prevailing on the last working day of last month (31 October).

  2 Including letter of amendment No. 1 to the PDB for 1995.

  The European Parliament will consider the draft budget for 1994 at its plenary session in December. The 1995 Community Budget is expected to be adopted by the Parliament on 15 December, to take effect from 1 January.

  The Council took no formal votes, the presidency concluding that there was the necessary majority to establish the second reading draft budget for 1995.

  The Budget Council also discussed the revision of the financial perspective to take account of enlargement.

  Ecofin
  Ms Quin
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the outcome of the Ecofin meeting on 7 November.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  I refer to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Southport (Mr. Banks) on 17 November,Official Report, column 2.

  Next Steps Agencies
  Mr. Kaufman
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the salary and other emoluments of the civil servant who did the work of, or work comparable to that of, the chief executive of each next steps agency established by his Departments before the agency was established.

  Mr. Nelson
  The salaries of the officials concerned were as follows:

  £

  Central Statistical Office:

  76,060

  (for 1990–91)

  Paymaster General's Office:

  41,831

  (for 1993–94)

  352
  The Council's second reading draft budget totals 75,930 million ecu—£59,343 million—in commitment appropriations and 72,000 million ecu—£56,272 million—in payment appropriations. The second reading draft budget is 583 million ecu—£456 million—in commitments and 924 million ecu—£722 million—in payments below the financial perspective ceilings and is within the existing own resources ceiling of 1.20 per cent. The following table compares the outcome of the Budget Council with the proposals in the Commission's preliminary draft budget and with the proposals in the European Parliament's draft budget, with reference to the financial perspective ceilings:

  £

  Royal Mint:

  45,350

  (for 1989–90)

  Valuation Office:

  55,290

  (in 1991)

  EC Expenditure
  Sir Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 21 November,Official Report, column 15, what account he took of the additional resources coming from new EC members.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  The figures for the effect of the Edinburgh financing settlement on the United Kingdom net contribution—£75 million in 1995–96, rising to £250 million in the 1999—are based on a Community of Twelve.

  The financial consequences of enlargement are a separate matter. It will not be possible to determine them finally until all the prospective member states have completed their referendums and parliamentary processes, and we know exactly which ones will be joining, and until the consequential revision of the financial perspective is agreed.

  However, on the assumption that all four prospective new members join the Community, we expect that enlargement will result in a small reduction in the United Kingdom's net contribution compared with what it would otherwise have been in the absence of enlargement.

  The own resources ceiling after enlargement will remain at the levels now proposed: that is, 1.21 per cent. of Community GNP in 1995, 1.22 per cent. in 1996, 1.24 per cent. in 1997, 1.26 per cent. in 1998 and 1.27 per cent. in 1999.
  353
  Mrs. Ewing
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the net cost to each member state of the European Union of the increase in the size of the Community budget for each of the years 1995–96 to 1999–2000.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  I regret that the information is not available in the detail requested. The following analysis gives some broad indications of likely developments.

  Revenue

  All member states will contribute more to the higher budget. The extra contributions will be broadly in line with their relative GNP, apart from the effect of the United Kingdom abatement. Thus Germany will contribute about 30 per cent. of the extra cost, France over 20 per cent., and Italy between 15 and 20 per cent. The United Kingdom will contribute about 16 per cent. before abatement. Other, smaller member states will pay a smaller share.

  As now, the United Kingdom abatement will reduce our net contribution by 66 per cent. of the difference between our contribution to, and receipts from, the allocated budget—that is, excluding external expenditure, on which we get no rebate.

  Change in the own resources structure

  By 1999, member states' gross contributions to the Community will more closely reflect their actual GNP shares rather than their shares of a notional harmonised VAT base. GNP is widely acknowledged to be a fairer measure of a member state's ability to contribute than VAT.

  The impact of this change in the structure of the revenue side of the budget, taken in isolation, is expected to benefit mainly Spain, Germany and France, with Portugal, Greece, Ireland and Luxembourg being small gainers. Italy will pay heavily—reflecting the benefit it has received in the past from having a VAT base which is a smaller proportion of its GNP base than any other member state; Denmark, Belgium and the Netherlands will also pay more. There will be no change in the United Kingdom's net contribution, taking one year with another, because any changes to our gross contributions which arise will be wholly offset by the abatement in the following year.

  Expenditure

  It is not possible to estimate with any certainty how each member state would benefit from the additional resources available. The following gives some pointers:

  (a) Agriculture. The Edinburgh European Council decisions make no difference to the distribution of CAP receipts between member states, although the recent reform of the CAP will change the balance to some extent; and the Community now has a new GATT commitment to reduce the value of export subsidies and the volume of subsidised exports.

  (b) Cohesion Fund. The Cohesion Fund (worth 2.6 billion ecu in 1999–1992 prices) will benefit Spain, Greece, Portugal and the Irish Republic. The allocations decided by the European Council are: Spain 52–58 per cent., Greece 16–20 per cent., Portugal 16–20 per cent., Ireland 7–10 per cent. This is likely to lead to receipts of about 1.4 billion ecu for Spain, 0.5 billion ecu for Portugal, 0.5 billion ecu for Greece and 0.2 billion ecu for Ireland.

  (c) Structural Funds. The largest relative beneficiaries will be those member states composed entirely or mainly of "Objective 1" regions (regions where development is lagging behind): Spain, Greece, Portugal and the Irish Republic. Increased grants are also available to the United Kingdom: Northern Ireland has long been, and Merseyside and the Highlands and Islands have
  354
  now become objective 1 regions, though all were, strictly speaking, too rich in terms of per capita GNP to qualify.

  (d) Other internal policies. These include research and development, trans-European networks and a range of other policies. Member states' receipts will depend upon specific decisions taken in specialist Councils and in the annual Budget Councils.

  (e) External actions. These will, by definition, not result in receipts for member states, though much of the business which results from this expenditure will benefit firms in the Community, including those from the United Kingdom.

  (f) Administration. The principal beneficiaries are likely to be Belgium and Luxembourg where most of the Community's administrative activities are concentrated. France will also benefit from the decision that the European Parliament should remain in Strasbourg. (The United Kingdom acts as host to the JET research programme at Culham in Oxfordshire and has been chosen to provide the site (Canary Wharf, London) of the new Medicines Evaluation Agency.)

  Overall assessment

  In recent years, the United Kingdom has usually been the second largest net contributor to the EC Budget, both in total per capita, after Germany.

  By 1999, we expect that France will have passed us on both counts. The Netherlands is also expected to be a larger per capita net contributor. Italy's net contributions to the Community will increase significantly, though she will still pay less than us. Germany will remain by far the largest net contributor, and will pay much more than us towards the Edinburgh deal.

  Of the new member states, Austria and Sweden are expected to be larger net contributors than us per head of population, as is Norway, if it joins. Finland will be broadly in budgetary balance.

  Mrs. Ewing
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the net cost incurred by each of the EC member states as a result of the 1988 financing review in each of the subsequent financial years.

  Mr. Heatcoat-Amory
  This information is not readily available and estimates could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Rates Revaluation
  Mrs. Ewing
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on how many occasions the Scottish Assessors Association or its representatives has met its counterparts in the Inland Revenue with respect to the impending rates revaluation; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Nelson
  In dealing with the impending rates revaluation, both the Valuation Office agency and the Scottish Assessors Association have followed long-standing practice on harmonisation.

  Since the last revaluation in 1990 there have been 13 meetings of the Steering Committee on Harmonisation (Practice and Procedure) England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, the last seven of which have concentrated on the impending revaluation. The most recent was held on 27 October 1994.

  In addition, there has been on-going contract at working level covering particular classes of property and harmonisation issues, precise details of which are not readily available.

  "A Tax on Disability"
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what study his Department has made of "A
  355
  Tax on Disability" published by the Disablement Income Group, a copy of which has been sent to him; what action he is taking; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Heatcoat-Amory
  [holding answer 22 November 1994]: The report has been read by Treasury Ministers and officials and its recommendations have been noted. The Government have put in place a substantial package of assistance to help meet the cost of VAT on fuel and power. It will help over 15 million people including the overwhelming majority of disabled people. The value of the package builds to £.1.3 billion a year.

  Charging Policies
  Mr. Rooker
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the charging policy of his Department and the agencies for which he is responsible in respect of inquiries under the code of practice on access to government.

  Mr. Nelson
  [holding answer 22 November 1994]: The Office of Public Service and Sciences has produced guidance on charging which recognises the diversity of costs and operational structure across the range of bodies implementing the code. In line with this guidance, the Departments and agencies for which the Chancellor of the Exchequer is responsible have developed schemes of charges for information under the code of practice on access to Government information.

  The Treasury
  For simple requests the first hour's work is free. Requests taking between one and three hours to prepare are charged at £15 per hour or part of an hour. For complex requests taking more than three hours, the charge is based on the actual cost of the extra work.

  HM Customs and Excise
  The Department has adopted the same arrangements as the Treasury.

  Inland Revenue
  A charge of £15 is made for handling requests except where the cost of staff time and other direct costs of meeting the request are estimated at £50 or more. In those cases, the charge is equal to the estimated cost.

  Valuation Office
  The office has the same arrangements as the Inland Revenue.

  Central Statistical Office
  Answering requests for statistics and analysis is the CSO's raison d'etre and charges for meeting these requests are made in line with the charging guidelines published in the CSO's agency framework documents. The CSO's policy is not to charge for meeting requests for some other information, for example, on the CSO's policies and activities.

  Registry of Friendly Societies
  The Department carries out a public record function relating to the registration of mutual societies. A standard fee is charged for the inspection on any particular day of documents relating to a single society or branch and copies can be supplied at £1.50 for up to five pages. No charge is made for general information about performance of the Department but if requests are made which result in additional work, a similar level of charge is payable as for the inspection of documents. More complex requests are costed individually.

  Royal Mint
  The agency's policy is to treat each application on its merits. Account is taken of the complexity of the request in deciding whether it would be appropriate to levy a charge which would be based on the Office of Public Service and Science guidelines.

  Department for National Savings
  The Department's current policy is to provide information free of charge but its policy is being reviewed in the light of experience of the past eight months of the code's operation.

  National Investment and Loans Office
  It is the policy of the office to follow the guidelines on charging set out by the Office of Public Service and Sciences.

DEFENCE

  Borletti
  Ms Janet Anderson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when his Department was aware of the limited performance of the Borletti L85 fuse, the MOD contract for which was placed with Borletti on 20 March 1991.

  Mr. Freeman
  The limits on use of the L85 fuse have been known since its introduction into services in 1980.

  Ms Janet Anderson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what reason was given by his Department for the placing of a £2,088,000 order for L85 fuses with Borletti on 20 March 1991.

  Mr. Freeman
  The order for artillery shell fuses was placed after a competition between Borletti, which offered the L85 fuse, and Royal Ordnance plc, which offered the L106 fuse. Orders were placed for both fuses, with the mix between them being determined by factors such as the operational conditions under which the fuse was to be used and priced.

  RNAD Coulport
  Mr. McFall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what restrictions are imposed on the operation of radar and radio equipment by vessels on Loch Long in the vicinity of RNAD Coulport.

  Mr. Soames
  The area in Loch Long around RNAD Coulport contains a protected area and a restricted area. Non-military vessels are only permitted to enter the restricted area. No mandatory restrictions are applied to non-military vessels, but it has been the practice to ask vessels proceeding up or down Loch Long to cease operating radar equipment while within the restricted area. We are unaware of any instance where masters have been reluctant to comply.

  Contaminated Military Sites
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the paper presented by John Stuart, head of his Department's environment unit, to a defence industry conference in Munich at the end of October, on contaminated military sites.

  Mr. Soames
  The 1994 environmental restoration opportunities conference was held in Munich in October in conjunction with a meeting of the NATO committee responsible for a pilot study on the environmental aspects of reusing former military lands. The conference enabled representatives of Government and industry from many NATO and other central and eastern European countries to exchange information and views on the challenges facing them in dealing with contaminated land, and Mr. Stuart was one of many speakers. As we have previously made clear, we are reviewing our procedures for dealing with land contamination on the defence estate, and this process is helped by sharing experience with other countries.

  Mortar Fuses
  Ms Janet Anderson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether Junghans is being considered as a supplier for a mortar fuse order.
  357
  Mr. Freeman
  My Department has no plans for a direct purchase of mortar bomb fuses from Junghans. Different options for the fuse of the high explosive element of the 51 mm mortar bomb order, placed with Royal Ordnance plc in July, are being considered. Under the terms of the contract, whichever fuse is chosen is a matter for the company's technical commercial judgment.

  Loch Long
  Mr. McFall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many non-military vessels, and of what nationalities, have been boarded by United Kingdom military personnel in Loch Long in each year since 1990.

  Mr. Soames
  Boardings of non-military vessels in Loch Long are conducted not by military personnel but by the Clyde marine unit of the Ministry of Defence Police. Records of the nationality of vessels boarded are not kept. The number of boardings in each year since 1990 is:

  1990: 6

  1991: 4

  1992: 2

  1993: 2

  1994: 6

  Borletti, Junghans and Raupass
  Ms Janet Anderson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps his Department is taking to reclaim moneys from the companies Borletti, Junghans and Raupass.

  Mr. Freeman
  Civil proceedings have commenced against Gordon Foxley, certain members of his family circle and the companies involved in the payment of secret commissions.

  Light Armour Weapons
  Ms Janet Anderson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the orders, and their value, which have been placed by his Department for light armour weapons since 1985.

  Mr. Freeman
  Since 1985, my Department has placed two orders for weapons used against light armoured vehicles, one with Hunting Engineering Ltd. in 1986 for the light anti-armour weapon for the 1980s and one with Raufoss in 1987 for the M72 light anti-armour weapon. The values of these orders were £237 million and £2.4 million respectively. In addition, two orders have more recently been placed for rifle-launched grenades that have an armour piercing capability. The value of these orders, placed with Luchaire, is commercially confidential.

  Sea Harriers
  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he ordered an attrition batch of Sea Harriers; with what inertial navigation system they will be fitted on delivery to the Royal Navy; if he will list Sea Harrier losses over the past five years, showing for each how far electronic and electrical systems and sub-systems were recoverable for reuse; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Freeman
  An initial batch of 10 new aircraft was ordered in March 1990. A further order, bringing the total to 18, was placed in January 1994. An additional five conversions were ordered separately in July 1994 to 358
  complete the attrition reserve. On delivery, some aircraft will be fitted initially with the current standard inertial navigation equipment known as NAVHARS—navigation, heading and attitude system—taken from Navy spares stocks. The possibility of fitting later deliveries with a replacement navigation system incorporating more modern technology, including a global positioning system, is currently being examined.

  The Sea Harrier losses over the past five years are as follows:

  Sea Harrier FRS Mk1

  4 October 1989 (HMS ARK ROYAL)

  1 December 1989 (HMS INVINCIBLE)

  8 May 1990 (HMS INVICNIBLE)

  10 May 1991 (Wales)

  28 May 1992 (HMS INVINCIBLE)

  16 April 1994 (Bosnia-Herzegovina)

  Sea Harrier F/A2

  5 January 1994 (Chivenor)

  Electronic and electrical systems and sub-systems are not re-used after the inevitable impact damage which occurs when an aircraft is lost.

  Next Steps Agencies
  Mr. Kaufman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the salary and other emoluments of the civil servant who did the work of, or work comparable to that of, the chief executive of each next steps agency established by his Department before the agency was established.

  Mr. Freeman
  The salary of the civil servants whose duties most closely compare with those of the present chief executives of my Department's agencies are as follows:

  Agency

  Year

  Remuneration £

  Army Base Repair Organisation

  1992–93

  53,000

  Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment

  1990–91

  48,600

  Defence Accounts Agency

  1990–91

  46,946

  Defence Analytical Services Agency

  1992–93

  53,481

  Defence Animal Centre

  1993–94

  46,059

  Defence Clothing and Textiles Agency

  1994–95

  55,958

  Defence Operational Analysis Centre

  1992–93

  46,122

  Defence Postal and Courier Service

  1992–93

  62,090

  Defence Research Agency

  1990–91

  59,020

  359

  Agency

  Year

  Remuneration £

  Disposal Sales Agency

  1994–5

  42,930

  Duke of Yorks Royal Military School

  1991–92

  43,000

  Hydrograph'ic Office

  1989–90

  43,851

  Logistic Information System Agency

  1994–95

  55,958

  Meteorological Office

  1989–90

  53,100

  Military Survey

  1990–91

  46,084

  Naval Aircraft Repair Organisation

  1991–92

  47,578

  Queen Victoria School

  1991–92

  33,578

  RAF Maintenance Group

  1990–91

  51,957

  RAF Signals Engineering Establishment

  1994–95

  55,045

  RAF Training Group

  1993–94

  56,710

  Service Children School (North–West Europe)

  1990–91

  37,900

  Lobbying Companies
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the date those occasions over the last two years when Ministers or officials in his Department have met lobbying companies, prior to a decision being made on the subject of the meeting with the lobbying company.

  Royal Naval Services

  Army

  Royal Air Force

  1 April

  Officers

  Other Ranks

  Officers

  Other Ranks

  Officers

  Other Ranks

  1979

  10,029

  62,471

  17,153

  139,028

  14,580

  71,730

  1984

  9,831

  61,450

  17,220

  144,319

  15,139

  77,950

  1989

  10,156

  54,483

  17,310

  138,257

  15,374

  76,069

  1990

  10,162

  53,052

  17,433

  135,379

  15,274

  74,411

  1991

  10,126

  51,929

  17,509

  130,130

  15,215

  73,156

  1992

  10,097

  52,022

  17,240

  128,123

  15,058

  70,904

  1993

  9,802

  49,555

  16,129

  118,454

  14,472

  66,437

  1994

  9,182

  46,597

  14,840

  108,188

  13,465

  62,216

  The figures include trained personnel and those undergoing training and personnel in the nursing services. They have been extracted from "Tri-Service Personnel Statistics 1—Strengths, Intake and Outflow of United Kingdom Regular Forces", copies of which are placed in the Library of the House.

  Lockheed C130J
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the dates of the meetings between officials in his Department and Market Access International to discuss the Lockheed C 130J.

  Mr. Freeman
  A representative from Market Access International was present at, but did not play an active part in, a presentation given by Lockheed last October which was attended by officials from my Department. Otherwise, there have, to the best of my knowledge, been no meetings between MOD officials and Market Access International personnel to discuss the Hercules rolling replacement programme.

  Defence Export Services Organisation
  Mr. Rooker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what specialist advice on international finance, export credits and business development is available to his Department's Defence Export Services Organisation.

  Mr. Freeman
  The Defence Export Services Organisation receives advice on international finance and export credits from its international finance adviser, who
  360
  Mr. Soames
  This information is not held centrally arid could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the guidelines issued by his Department to regulate relationships with lobbying companies.

  Mr. Soames
  My Department is well aware of the need to take into account the full range of appropriate considerations, including regularity and propriety, when taking decisions and when dealing with external contractors or lobbyists.

  Conditions of service for the staff of my Department incorporate the general principles of conduct that require civil servants not to misuse information which they acquire in the course of their duties, not to make use of their official position to further their private interests or those of others and not to receive gifts, hospitality or benefits of any kind from a third party, which might be seen to compromise their personal judgment or integrity.

  Staffing
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the total number of officers and ranks in the(a) Army, (b) Royal Air Force and (c) Royal Navy for 1979, 1984 and each year since 1989.

  Mr. Soames
  The information requested is provided in the table below:

  maintains close links with the Export Credits Guarantee Department. DESO's business development branch is the initial point of contact and advice for small and medium– sized companies new to the defence export field.

  Defence Contractors
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many defence contractors are on the list of contractors requiring special attention; and how many of such contractors were(a) newly placed on the list and (b) left the list in each year since 1989.

  Mr. Freeman
  There are currently 10 contractors on the list of contractors requiring special attention. The additional information required could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Anglo-German Co-operation
  Mr. Radice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on Anglo-German defence co-operation.
  361
  Mr. Soames
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave the hon. Member for Linlithgow (Mr. Dalyell) on 22 November 1994,Official Report, column 134.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

  New Palace Yard
  Mr. Nicholas Winterton
  To ask the Chairman of the Accommodation and Works Committee what consultation he undertook with right hon. and hon. Members prior to the purchase of the new parking and traffic management signs in New Palace Yard which replaced the previous plastic cones; and what was the cost of this project.

  Mr. Ray Powell
  The proposal by the Parliamentary Works Directorate to improve the signs in New Palace Yard was endorsed by the Committee on 18 May 1994. The cost of the signs was £8,090 including VAT.

  Norman Shaw North
  Mr. Nicholas Winterton
  To ask the Chairman of the Accommodation and Works Committee what representations he has received from hon. Members with offices in the Norman Shaw building or their staff(a) in respect of recent works in the Norman Shaw building to (i) the main lifts, (ii) the rear lift. (iii) the card-controlled rear access door, (iv) the card-controlled gate access from the Embankment, (v) the refurbishment of the car park and (vi) the allocation of parking spaces to non-essential personnel with residences within the Palace and (b) in respect of the numbers and qualifications of security personnel.

  Mr. Ray Powell
  Two hon. Members have made representations concerning matters referred to in(a). No other representations have been received.

  Parliamentary Offices
  Mr. Spellar
  To ask the Chairman of the Accommodation and Works Committee what will be the effect of the problems associated with construction at Westminster station on the timetable for the construction of new parliamentary offices.

  Mr. Ray Powell
  The Accommodation and Works Committee has established close links with the senior management of London Underground. It receives monthly reports from a joint steering group set up to oversee the interface between the new station and parliamentary building projects, and will be meeting the chief executive shortly to review progress.

  The most recent report from the steering group shows that London Underground has agreed a revised programme with its contractor to achieve the February 1997 date when the site is to be ready for construction to start on the parliamentary project.

  State Opening
  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Chairman of the Accommodation and Works Committee what was the total cost to Parliament of the State Opening of Parliament on 16 November.

  Mr. Ray Powell
  The total cost of the State Opening of Parliament on 16 November has not yet been finalised 362
  but some £40,000 has been set aside by the two Houses for this purpose.

  Upper Waiting Hall Exhibitions
  Mr. Ray Powell
  To ask the Chairman of the Administration Committee if he has considered an application for an exhibition relating to the new parliamentary building to be displayed in the Upper Waiting Hall.

  Mr. Michael J. Martin
  I understand that, under procedures agreed by the Administration Committee, arrangements have been made for the exhibition to be held in the Upper Waiting Hall from Monday 12 December to Friday 16 December.

WALES

  Drugs
  Mr. Hain
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what will be the level of funding for drugs initiatives in West Glamorgan in 1995–96 provided by(a) the Welsh Office and (b) the Home Office.

  Mr. Richards
  The funding of local initiatives to combat drug misuse in Wales are the responsibilities of the local agencies involved. Following the recommendations of the efficiency scrutiny of health promotion in Wales, central Welsh Office resources of some £2.3 million were added to the allocations of Welsh district health authorities from 1 April 1994.

  Home Office funding is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary.

  Mr. Hain
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) how many people are employed in his drugs and alcohol unit;

  (2) what is the budget for this drugs and alcohol unit for 1994–95 and 1995–96.

  Mr. Richards
  My right hon. Friend announced on the 19 October that he was setting up a drugs and alcohol unit. Action is in hand to identify and recruit staff to it. The unit will have access to a budget of £333,000 in 1994–95. Provision for 1995–96 has not yet been finalised.

  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what initiatives are being pursued to educate young people about the effects of substance abuse and drug taking; what is the current budget; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Richards
  I refer the hon. Member to the replies that I gave him on 26 October 1994,Official Report, columns 658–60.

  Mr. Hanson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what sums of money divested from the Welsh Office budget in the current year down to the local health authorities aimed specifically at the prevention of drug abuse.

  Mr. Richards
  The Welsh Office has provided local health authorities with a total of more than £2,300,000 aimed at combating drug misuse.

  Farmers Unions (Meetings)
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many consultative meetings were arranged during the
  363
  last 12 months with the National Farmers Union; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  We consult regularly with the National Farmers Union on issues that arise from time to time.

  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many consultative meetings were arranged during the last 12 months with the Farmers Union of Wales; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  We consult regularly with the Farmers Union of Wales over issues that arise from time to time.

  NHS Trusts
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales which NHS trusts failed to(a) break even, (b) keep within the external financing limit and (c) record a 6 per cent. return on capital; and by what percentage and sum in each year since their inception.

  Mr. Richards
  The information requested is as follows:

  (a) Break even

  In 1993–94 Clwydian NHS trust made a revenue deficit of £84,000.

  (b) Keep within external financing limit

  In 1993–94 Swansea NHS trust and Powys NHS trust exceeded their external financing limit by £10,000 and £252,000 respectively.

  (c) Rate of Return

  Pembrokeshire NHS Trust achieved a 4.7 per cent. rate of return in 1992–93 and a 6.9 per cent. rate of return in 1993–94. Clwydian NHS trust achieved a 5.6 per cent. rate of return in 1993–94.

  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what were the surpluses or deficits recorded by each individual NHS trust in each year since their inception.

  Mr. Richards
  The information requested is contained in the following table:

  NHS Trust

  (£000) Surplus

  (£000) Deficit

  1992–93

  Pembrokeshire

  116

  —

  1993–94

  Bridgend and District

  100

  —

  Carmarthen and District

  342

  —

  Ceredigion and Mid Wales

  160

  —

  Clwydian Community Care

  —

  84

  Glan Clwyd

  288

  —

  Glan Hafren

  560

  —

  Gwent Community Health

  393

  —

  Llandough

  335

  —

  Llanelli/Dinefwr

  316

  —

  Pembrokeshire

  Broke even

  —

  Powys Health Care

  476

  —

  South East Wales Ambulance

  48

  —

  Swansea

  146

  —

  Wrexham Maelor

  588

  —

  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many general and senior managers were employed by NHS trusts in each year since 1991–92 by region.

  Mr. Richards
  The whole-time equivalent number of general and senior managers in post in NHS trusts at 30 September was as follows. In the table, trusts are 364
  shown against the district health authority area in which they are situated. The first trust in Wales was established on 1 April 1992. From April 1993 there were 14 trusts and from April 1994, 24 trusts. The aggregate figures given are not, therefore, comparable over time as different numbers of trusts may be included within each area for different years.

  1992

  1993

  1994

  Clwyd1

  —

  107

  119

  East Dyfed

  —

  54

  80

  Gwent

  —

  89

  129

  Gwynedd

  —

  —

  37

  Mid Glamorgan

  —

  29

  107

  Pembrokeshire

  21

  21

  17

  Powys

  —

  37

  37

  South Glamorgan2

  —

  99

  108

  West Glamorgan

  —

  15

  39

  Wales

  21

  451

  673

  1 Includes figures for North Wales Ambulance Trust, established 1 April 1994, which covers both Clwyd and Gwynedd areas.

  2 Includes figures for South and East Wales Ambulance Trust, established I April 1993, which covers South Glamorgan, Gwent and Powys.

  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what has been the turnover of each NHS trust in each year since its inception.

  Mr. Richards
  The information requested is contained in the following table:

  NHS trust

  £ million

  1992–93

  Pembrokeshire

  40.1

  1993–94

  Bridgend and District

  60.8

  Carmarthen and District

  37.0

  Ceredigion and Mid Wales

  22.7

  Clwydian Community Care

  60.1

  Glan Clwyd

  55.4

  Glan Hafren

  91.1

  Gwent Community Health

  56.2

  Llandough

  45.8

  Llanelli/Dinefwr

  27.3

  Pembrokeshire

  41.5

  Powys Health Care

  41.8

  South East Wales Ambulance

  16.1

  Swansea

  52.3

  Wrexham Maelor

  49.1

  Schools (Teachers)
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what were the pupil-teacher ratios for(a) 1992–93 and (b) 1993–94 for public sector (i) nursery schools, (ii) primary schools, (iii) secondary schools, (iv) non-maintained schools, (v) special schools and (vi) all schools; and whether these figures include unqualified teachers.
  365
  Mr. Richards
  The following table gives figures for LEA-maintained schools:

  1992–93

  11993–94

  Nursery

  20.3

  20.6

  Primary

  22.1

  22.3

  Secondary

  15.7

  15.9

  Special

  6.2

  6.4

  1 Provisional

  Source:

  Schools Census data.

  There are no public sector non-maintained schools. The ratios for grant-maintained schools are 1992–93: 15.2; 1993–94: 16.8. The corresponding figures for all maintained schools are 18.6 and 18.8. Independent schools are not included in these figures.

  Pupil-teacher ratios are calculated using full-time equivalent qualified teachers only.

  Hospitals (Private Patients)
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much income has been generated by NHS hospitals' private patient facilities in each of the last five years, by region.

  Mr Richards
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him on 10 February 1994,Official Report, column 433. Final figures for 1993–94 are not available.

  Welsh Language
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what steps are being taken to increase the number of

  1Nursing and Midwifery Staff in post at 30 September (whole-time equivalent).

  Clwyd

  East Dyfed

  Gwent

  Gwynedd

  Mid Glamorgan

  Pembrokeshire

  Powys

  South Glamorgan

  West Glamorgan

  2WHCSA

  Wales

  1990

  Qualified nurses3

  2,359

  1,433

  2,782

  1,389

  3,382

  525

  660

  3,010

  2,437

  10

  17,987

  Unqualified nurses4

  815

  610

  1,232

  523

  1,395

  152

  399

  1,299

  606

  —

  7,031

  Nurses on local pay scales5

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1991

  Qualified nurses3

  2,427

  1,425

  2,734

  1,365

  3,396

  532

  685

  2,965

  2,464

  16

  18,009

  Unqualified nurses4

  843

  593

  1,190

  555

  1,381

  154

  400

  1,232

  616

  56

  7,020

  Nurses on local pay scales5

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  22

  —

  —

  —

  —

  22

  1992

  Qualified nurses3

  2,470

  1,446

  2,682

  1,391

  3,407

  495

  656

  3,079

  2,452

  17

  18,095

  Unqualified nurses4

  878

  606

  1,182

  577

  1,494

  148

  388

  1,299

  729

  56

  7,357

  Nurses on local pay scales5

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  104

  —

  —

  —

  —

  104

  1993

  Qualified nurses3

  2,413

  1,444

  2,624

  1,445

  3,337

  408

  618

  3,105

  2,496

  19

  17,909

  Unqualified nurses4

  866

  617

  1,122

  581

  1,471

  136

  392

  1,253

  726

  58

  7,222

  Nurses on local pay scales5

  48

  —

  —

  23

  —

  216

  —

  1

  —

  —

  288

  366
  teachers qualified to teach through the medium of the Welsh language; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Richards
  We have put in place an incentive supplement scheme to increase the supply of secondary teachers trained to teach through the medium of Welsh; 121 students have been recruited to secondary Welsh medium initial teacher training courses this year—an increase of 17 per cent. over the equivalent figure for 1993—and overall recruitment to Welsh medium courses has increased by 8 per cent.

  Funding is also available to local education authorities in Wales, though the grants for education support and training programme, to increase the number of teachers able to teach other subjects through the medium of Welsh. This funding provides courses to enable teachers to transfer from English medium to Welsh medium teaching.

  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many representations have been received over the last 12 months on the funding of the teaching of Welsh; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Richards
  A number of representations have been made to the Welsh Office over the last 12 months. The Department is making available grant aid of over L6 million for Welsh in this financial year.

  Nurses
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many qualified nursing staff there were by speciality for each region in each of the last five years.

  Mr. Richards
  Information on the number of all nursing and midwifery staff employed directly by the national health service in Wales is given in the following table. Reliable figures by specialty are not available centrally. It is not possible to provide separate information on qualified nurses for those on local pay scales.
  367

  1Nursing and Midwifery Staff in post at 30 September (whole-time equivalent).

  Clwyd

  East Dyfed

  Gwent

  Gwynedd

  Mid Glamorgan

  Pembroke shire

  Powys

  South Glamorgan

  West Glamorgan

  2WHCSA

  Wales

  1994

  Qualified nurses3

  2,432

  1,424

  2,483

  1,401

  3,297

  2

  —

  3,175

  2,572

  20

  16,805

  Unqualified nurses4

  871

  599

  1,025

  571

  1,493

  —

  2

  1,237

  762

  53

  6,613

  Nurses on local pay scales5

  47

  —

  —

  32

  —

  723

  994

  6

  —

  —

  1,801

  Notes:

  1 Staff employed by NHS trusts are shown against the health authority area in which they are situated.

  2 Welsh Health Common Services Authority.

  3 Grade C and above.

  4 Excludes pre-registration learners.

  5 Qualified and unqualified.

  Source:

  NHS payroll system and associated information systems.

  Police
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations his Department has made to the Home Office on the subject of police force manning levels in 1993–94; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  These are matters for my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary.

  GP Fundholders
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will provide an estimate for the value of fundholding allocations retained by general practitioner fundholders at the year end in each of the last four years, by region.

  Mr. Richards
  The information, for the last three years for which final accounts are available, is as follows:

  1990–91

  1991–92

  (£000) 1992–93

  Nil

  40

  465

  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the management allowances payments made to general paractitioner fundholding practices and practices preparing to be fundholders(a) by wave and (b) in total for each (i) family health service authority and (ii) region in the last year for which figures are available.

  1989–90

  1990–91

  1991–92

  1992–93

  11993–94

  In-patient cases:

  Clwyd

  388

  419

  394

  365

  370

  East Dyfed

  637

  348

  195

  154

  106

  Gwent

  48

  106

  109

  99

  140

  Gwynedd

  229

  244

  272

  171

  110

  Mid Glamorgan

  297

  173

  230

  146

  144

  Pembrokeshire

  135

  159

  79

  44

  64

  Powys

  South Glamorgan

  111

  118

  118

  119

  97

  West Glamorgan

  149

  193

  161

  159

  173

  Wales

  1,994

  1,760

  1,558

  1,257

  1,204

  Out-patient attendances:

  Clwyd

  2,267

  3,167

  2,511

  2,343

  2,187

  East Dyfed

  2,441

  1,839

  1,779

  1,809

  1.254

  Gwent

  70

  78

  65

  90

  130

  Gwynedd

  290

  367

  235

  289

  266

  Mid Glamorgan

  672

  692

  881

  491

  239

  Pembrokeshire

  1,534

  1,489

  1,673

  1,225

  1,259

  Powys

  —

  —

  —

  5

  —

  368
  Mr. Richards: Practice fund management allowance payments are not recorded by wave.

  The following payments were made in 1992–93, die latest year for which details are available:

  FHSA

  £000

  Clwyd

  439

  Dyfed

  150

  Gwynedd

  17

  Mid Glam

  181

  Powys

  103

  South Glam

  86

  West Glam

  370

  Wales

  1,632

  Source:

  FHSA annual acccounts 1992–93.

  Hospitals (Private Patients)
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many patients have been treated in NHS hospitals' private facilities in each of the last five years, by region.

  Mr. Richards
  The information available, which relates to private patient attendances at NHS hospitals, is given in the following table. The number of cases or attendances does not relate to the number of people who have received treatment as individuals may be treated more than once a year.
  369

  1989–90

  1990–91

  1991–92

  1992–93

  11993–94

  South Glamorgan

  1,058

  1,163

  1,008

  733

  752

  West Glamorgan

  624

  917

  863

  963

  1,029

  Wales

  8,956

  9,712

  9,015

  7,948

  7,116

  Day cases attendances:

  Clwyd

  513

  129

  103

  103

  145

  East Dyfcd

  452

  151

  92

  114

  135

  Owent

  47

  105

  116

  126

  106

  Gwynedd

  182

  117

  258

  126

  132

  Mid Glamorgan

  139

  126

  168

  151

  174

  Pembrokeshire

  149

  85

  60

  46

  81

  Powys

  South Glamorgan

  5

  8

  4

  1

  2

  West Glamorgan

  364

  504

  346

  357

  251

  Wales

  1,851

  1,225

  1,147

  1,024

  1,026

  Regular day patient-attendances:

  Clwyd

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  East Dyfed

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Gwent

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Gwynedd

  —

  —

  5

  —

  —

  Mid Glamorgan

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Pembrokeshire

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Powys

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  South Glamorgan

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  West Glamorgan

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Wales

  —

  —

  5

  —

  —

  1 Provisional

  Training
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many training weeks(a) were promised and (b) were undertaken for (i) employment training, (ii) youth training and (iii) other programmes for each TEC in Wales, for each year since their inception.

  Mr. Redwood
  The information requested is not readily available. I will write to the hon. Member as soon as possible and place a copy of my reply m the Library of the House.

  PE Teachers
  Mr. Hain
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the average annual cost of employing a physical education teacher.

  Mr. Richards
  This information is not held centrally.

  Measles Immunisation
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what consultations he has had with chairmen of the(a) Welsh health authorities and (b) family health service authorities with respect to the reimbursement of the cost of the measles immunisation campaign.

  Mr. Redwood
  I have seen no reason to consult chairmen of Welsh health authorities on this issue. I have already provided an extra £713,000 towards the cost of mis campaign, and authorities have been requested to provide my Department, by 20 December, with details of any additional costs involved. I shall then consider whether to make further money available.

  Integrated Transport
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will consider pilot schemes to establish the 370
  feasibility of integrated transport programmes for north-east Wales; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  This is primarily a matter for Clwyd county council.

  River Dee Crossing
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his estimate of the amount of transport supplementary grant he will pay to Clwyd county council for the construction of the new River Dee crossing; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  Clwyd county council estimates that the scheme will cost £61 million. Transport grant is being provided to meet 50 per cent. of eligible expenditure, with the balance made available to Clwyd county council in the form of supplementary credit approvals.

  Crewe-Holyhead Line
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what consultations he had with British Rail on the proposed upgrading of the Crewe to Holyhead railway line; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  I met Mr. Robert Horton, chairman of Railtrack, recently and we discussed the plans to upgrade the line as far as Bangor over the next two years to allow 90 mph running.

  Buses, Clwyd
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what consultations he has with the traffic commissioners to ensure that bus companies in Clwyd that operate services in and around King Edward street, Shotton, Deeside are aware of the requirements of road safety, the need for small buses in narrow streets and for
  371
  consultations between the public and those who provide bus services; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  Traffic commissioners have a statutory responsibility for ensuring the safe and reliable operation of local bus services. Responsibility for deciding when local services need to be restricted in terms of vehicle size or their routes lies initially with the local highway authority which may, in the interests of road safety or to relieve severe traffic congestion, ask the traffic commissioner to determine a traffic regulation condition.

  1Number of immediate admissions Thousands

  Area of treatment

  1988–89

  1989–90

  1990–91

  1991–92

  Thousands 1992–93

  Clywd

  29.2

  30.2

  39.3

  37.2

  36.7

  East Dyfed

  15.8

  16.3

  18.1

  21 .8

  25.2

  Gwent

  33.4

  34.9

  36.2

  38.4

  39.1

  Gwynedd

  22.7

  18.9

  18.7

  21.4

  16.7

  Mid Glamorgan

  41.0

  43.8

  45.2

  50.4

  52.3

  Powys

  3.3

  3.9

  3.8

  4.4

  4.6

  South Glamorgan

  35.9

  40.4

  44.1

  48.4

  47.9

  West Glamorgan

  29.5

  32.5

  26.1

  35.5

  32.4

  Pembrokeshire

  10.1

  11.0

  10.2

  9.7

  10.2

  Wales2

  221.0

  231.2

  241.6

  265.2

  270.1

  1 Including accident and emergency.

  2 Since 1991–92, includes admissions for which the area of treatment is not known.

  Next Steps Agencies
  Mr. Kaufman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the salary and other emoluments of the civil servant who did the work of, or work comparable to that of, the chief executive of each next steps agency established by his Department before the agency was established.

  Mr. Redwood
  The head of Cadw, before it became an agency in 1990, was paid £42,181. There were no additional emoluments.

  Lobbying Companies
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list and date those occasions over the last two years when Ministers or officials in his Department have met lobbying companies, prior to a decision being made on the subject of the meeting with the lobbying company.

  Mr. Redwood
  This information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the guidelines issued by his Department to regulate relationships with lobbying companies.

  Mr. Redwood
  Conditions of service for the staff of my Department incorporate the general principles of conduct that require civil servants not to misuse information which they acquire in the course of their duties; not to make use of their official position to further their private interests or those of others; and not to receive gifts, hospitality or benefits of any kind from a third party, which might be seen to compromise their personal judgement or integrity.

  Transportation of Bodies
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what consultations he has had with the chairman of South
  372
  I understand that the traffic commissioner for the north-western traffic area has not received any request for the determination of a traffic regulation condition in or around King Edward street in Shotton. I therefore see no need to consult him about these issues.

  Emergency Hospital Admissions
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many emergency hospital admissions there were by region in each of the last five years.

  Mr. Richards
  Latest estimates by district health authority area, are given in the following table:

  Glamorgan health authority and the chairman of the Wrexham Maelor hospital trust with respect to the defective packaging and containment of the body transported to the University hospital of Wales from Wrexham; if he will set up an inquiry; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Redwood
  This is currently a matter for the Wrexham Maelor NHS trust. The trust has already announced that a formal inquiry into the circumstances of this case has begun. Representatives of South Glamorgan health authority and the University hospital of Wales will be invited to participate. The trust has apologised to the family and made it clear that it will conduct the inquiry and handle its conclusions with the family's welfare uppermost in its mind. I am asking to see the report of the inquiry to consider whether there are any policy implications.

  Sheep Annual Premium
  Mr. Welsh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when sheep annual premiums were finalised; on what date payments were authorised to be made; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The rate of premium for both the first and second advance of payment for 1994 was published in the Official Journal of the European Communities, No. L172 on 7 July 1994 as Commission Regulation (EC) No. 1640/94. Payments are authorised on an individual basis as and when they are processed.

  Farmers in Wales received their advance payments much earlier this year and the great majority of claims were paid by the end of September.

  Mr. Welsh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many sheep annual premiums have been made to date; and what is the total value of such payments.
  373
  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  As at 18 November, 15,283 claimants in Wales have been paid a total of £73.704,491 as advance premium under the 1994 scheme.

  Hill Farming
  Mr. Welsh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what acreage has been put into regeneration of the natural habitat in hill farming; and if he will evaluate the affect this will have on hill farm incomes.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The environmentally sensitive areas scheme includes provisions for annual payments to farmers for the regeneration of heather moorland and other upland habitats. Some 22,000 acres of land are being managed under those tiers of the scheme in Wales. Other schemes also provide assistance to hill farmers for habitat enhancement but it is not possible to quantify the area of land benefiting from those schemes. It is not possible to isolate the effect which any of these measures will have on hill farm incomes.

  Farm Incomes
  Mr. Welsh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what percentage of total farm incomes is represented by(a) hill livestock compensatory allowance payments and
  374
  (b) sheep annual premiums; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The information for 1992–93 is as follows:

  Type of subsidy

  Percentage of net farm income Hill and upland (LFA) livestock farms

  Hill livestock compensatory allowances

  35.8

  Sheep annual premium

  89.7

  Estimates of farm incomes for 1993–94 and forecasts for 1994–95, together with details of subsidies, are due to be published as part of the autumn hill review on 29 November.

  Cadw
  Mr. Sweeney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he intends to publish the Cadw: Welsh Historic Monuments agency annual report for 1993–94.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The report which was laid in draft before the House on 1 November has been published today.

  DISCRIMINATION CONVENTION
  DISCRIMINATION CONVENTION
  GUY'S AND ST. THOMAS' HOSPITAL RATIONALISATION OF SERVICES
  GUY'S AND ST. THOMAS' HOSPITAL RATIONALISATION OF SERVICES
  VAUXHALL CROSS
  VAUXHALL CROSS
  CONTAMINATED LAND
  CONTAMINATED LAND
  HOUSING REVENUE ACCOUNT: DRAFT SUBSIDY DETERMINATIONS
  HOUSING REVENUE ACCOUNT: DRAFT SUBSIDY DETERMINATIONS