Written Answers of 28 November 1994

TREASURY

  Overseas Debt
  Miss Lestor
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much debt owed to Britain by severely indebted low-income countries has been cancelled since the introduction of the Trinidad terms in 1990.

  Mr. Nelson
  The amount of official bilateral debt owed to Britain by severely indebted low-income countries which has been cancelled since 1990 is £610 million.

  Miss Lestor
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much debt owed to Britain by severely indebted low-income countries since 1990 has been rescheduled.

  Mr. Nelson
  The amount of official bilateral debt owed to Britain by severely indebted low-income countries which has been rescheduled since 1990 is £1.7 billion.

  Miss Lestor
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much debt owed to Britain by developing countries has been rescheduled since 1990.

  Mr. Nelson
  The amount of official bilateral debt owed to Britain by developing countries which has been rescheduled since 1990 is £3.4 billion.

  Miss Lestor
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much debt owed to Britain by developing countries has been cancelled since the introduction of the Trinidad terms in 1990.

  Mr. Nelson
  The amount of official bilateral debt owed to Britain by developing countries which has been cancelled since 1990 is £712 million.

  Sub-Saharan Africa
  Miss Lestor
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the countries of sub-Saharan Africa most in debt to the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Nelson
  The United Kingdom's biggest sub-Saharan debtors are Nigeria, Zambia, Sudan, Tanzania, Gabon and Congo.

  Miss Lestor
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much of the debt owed to Britain by the severely indebted low-income countries of sub-Saharan Africa has been cancelled since 1990.

  Mr. Nelson
  The amount of official bilateral debt owed to Britain by severely indebted low-income countries of sub-Saharan Africa which has been cancelled since 1990 is £214 million.

  Miss Lestor
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much of the debt owed to Britain by the severely indebted low-income countries of sub-Saharan Africa has been rescheduled since 1990.

  Mr. Nelson
  The amount of official bilateral debt owed to Britain by severely indebted low-income countries of sub-Sarahan Africa which has been rescheduled since 1990 is £1.11 billion.

  Share Settlements Systems
  Mr. Cousin
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to introduce legislation to control share settlements systems, with particular reference to control of the exposure of holdings by market makers.

  Mr. Nelson
  Securities settlements systems are already governed by legislation, notably the Financial Services Act 1986 and the Companies Acts. New, computerised securities settlements systems such as CREST will require changes to the existing law. The Treasury is preparing regulations under section 207 of the Companies Act 1989 to allow such systems to operate. These regulations will not affect existing arrangements regarding control of the exposure of holdings by market makers.

  Agencies
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list those agencies expected to take full pay delegation by 1 April 1995; and if he will identify separately all those agencies that already have delegated responsibility for pay.

  Sir George Young
  The following civil service organisations are already negotiating the pay and conditions of their own staff:

  Agricultural Development and Advisory Service

  HM Customs and Excise

  Defence Research Agency

  Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency

  Driving Standards Agency Employment Service

  Fire Service College

  Forensic Science Service

  Health and Safety Executive

  HM Prison Service

  Her Majesty's Stationery Office

  Inland Revenue

  HM Land Registry

  Meteorological Office

  Ordnance Survey

  Queen Elizabeth H Conference Centre

  Royal Mint

  Scottish Prison Service

  Social Security Benefits Agency

  Social Security Contributions Agency

  Social Security Information Technology Services Agency

  Valuation Office Agency

  Vehicle Inspectorate

  The following are expected to do so from April 1995:

  Child Support Agency

  Highways Agency

  Historic Scotland

  Intervention Board for Agricultural Produce

  Meat Hygiene Service

  Paymaster

  Service Children's Schools (North West Europe)

  War Pensions Agency

  Inland Revenue, Cumbernauld
  Mr. Norman Hogg
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many full-time and part-time staff are currently employed at the Inland Revenue office in Cumbernauld.
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  Sir George Young
  The Inland Revenue employs 814 full-time and 260 part-time staff at the accounts office in Cumbernauld.

  Imports
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will now bring up to date the import-home demand ratio as set out in ratio I in table 15.10 of the "Monthly Digest of Statistics" as published in 1987.

  Mr. Nelson
  It is the policy of the Central Statistical Office to publish and make available as much as possible of the data that it collects. Provisional data on import penetration will be included in the CSO's "Monthly Digest of Statistics" early in 1995.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when and in what form the summaries of the import penetration figures on an industry basis from the CSO-Taylor Neilson A6 new business series will be made available to hon. Members.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  Copies of "UK Markets" produced by CSO and Taylor Nelson AGB will become available during December and will be placed in the House of Commons Library.

  Lobbying Companies
  Mr. Fatchett
  : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the guidelines issued by his Department to regulate relationships with lobbying companies.

  Mr. Nelson
  [holding answer 14 November 1994]: 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.

  Member States' Net Balances 1993 Community Budget

  Contributions Receipts

  (billion ecu)

  Net

  Net balance per capita (ecu)

  Belgium

  2.4

  2.5

  -0.1

  -10

  Denmark

  1.2

  1.6

  -0.4

  -70

  Germany

  19.1

  7.2

  +11.8

  +150

  Greece

  1.0

  5.1

  -4.1

  -410

  Spain

  5.2

  8.3

  -3.1

  -80

  France

  11.5

  10.5

  +1.0

  +20

  Ireland

  0.6

  2.9

  -2.3

  -700

  Italy

  10.3

  8.7

  +1.5

  +30

  Luxembourg

  0.2

  0.4

  -0.2

  -600

  Netherlands

  4.0

  2.7

  +1.3

  +90

  Portugal

  0.9

  3.4

  -2.5

  -240

  United Kingdom

  7.6

  4.5

  +3.1

  +50

  Allocation not applicable or available

  —

  6.3

  Total

  64.0

  64.2

  Source:

  European Court of Auditors' Report for 1993.)

  Notes:

  += net contributor

  -= net recipient

  "Allocation not applicable or available" refers mainly to development aid and administrative expenditure for the other institutions.

  Future estimates would depend on what specific assumptions are made about the pattern of the European
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  Guidance for Ministers is set out in "Questions of Procedure for Ministers".

  VAT (Fuel)
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the increase in VAT on fuel from April 1995 on the inflation rate.

  Mr. Nelson
  [holding answer 24 November 1994]: An increase of 2.9 per cent. in the retail prices index component index for gas would have the effect of adding around 0.05 percentage points to the percentage change over 12 months in the all items retail prices index.

  EU Budget
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what were the gross domestic product growth assumptions of each EU country on which his estimate of budget contributions was based.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  [holding answer 25 November 1994]: The growth assumptions are for the Community as a whole and are based on real growth of 2.5 per cent. per annum and inflation of 2.5 per cent. per annum over the period 1995 to 1999.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what EC membership his calculation of budget contributions were based.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  [holding answer 25 November 1994]: Twelve.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the(a) net contributions per capital and (b) the gross contributions per capita in each EU country after the raising of the VAT ceiling is in force.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  [holding answer 25 November 1994]: I presume that the hon. Gentleman is referring to the proposed increase in the own resources ceiling.

  The table shows each member state's net balance per capita to the 1993 Community budget.

  Community spending. I gave a broad assessment of likely developments in reply to the hon. Member for Moray

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  (Mrs. Ewing) on 24 November, Official Report, columns 353–54.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what assumptions about the sums agreed for the EU budget for each of the next five years, his assessment of the British net contribution in his letter to hon. Members was based.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  [holding answer 25 November 1994]: I presume that the hon. Member's intention was to ask on what assumptions my right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer's assessment was based.

  My right hon. and learned Friend's assessment was based on the assumption that the European Community budget will fully utilise the own resources ceilings in each of the years 1995 to 1999. Assuming 2.5 per cent. annual inflation in the Community, 2.5 per cent. annual growth in real Community GNP, and an exchange rate of £1=1.30 ecu, the figures are as follows:

  Own resources ceiling (ECl2, assuming increases agreed at Edinburgh)

  £ billion

  1995

  1996

  1997

  1998

  1999

  55.5

  59.1

  63.1

  67.4

  71.4

  The own resources ceiling is a limit on the revenue the Community can call up from the member states, not an entitlement to spend or a target for spending. The Community budget is negotiated annually within the framework of the financial perspective. It is therefore more than possible that in practice annual budgets will be smaller than assumed for the purposes of this assessment.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what assumptions of the allocations to Britain from the structural funds on which his estimate of the net United Kingdom contributions to the EC budget were based.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  [holding answer 25 November 1994]: The assumption underlying the latest forecast of the United Kingdom net contributions is that our receipts from the structural funds will average around 8.6 per cent. per year. The United Kingdom's allocation is expected to decline slowly over the period of the forecast reflecting the changes in the allocation of the structural funds agreed at Edinburgh.

TRANSPORT

  Christmas Expenditure
  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 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 Ministers' private offices and official residences.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Disaggregated information of this nature is not available. Such costs are covered by the entertainment expenditure for this Department, which is published in the annual report, copies of which are available in the Library of the House.
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  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 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.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  This Department's Ministers intend to send 700 official Christmas cards at an anticipated cost of £668 to buy. Postage will cost approximately £175.00. The information regarding the cost in staff time to sign, address and place the cards in envelopes is not available.

  I do not plan to place a sample copy of my official Christmas card in the Members' Library.

  Driving Licences
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1)which European countries currently do not have a system of photographs on driving licences;

  (2)if he will list those European countries that currently have a system of photographs on driving licences, and indicate which of those countries have a written constitution.

  Mr. Norris
  All other member states of the European Union have driving licences with photographs. Most member states have some form of written instructions or legislation which could be regarded as a constitution.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the deadline for submissions on the consultation document "Photographs on Driving Licences"; and when the decision was taken to include photographs on driving licences.

  Mr. Norris
  The closing date for receiving comments as part of the consultation exercise is 30 November. We issued a press notice on 4 November 1991 announcing that photographs would be included on the British driving licence.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will place in the Library the study into the main legal, privacy and administrative issues, referred to on page 1 of his Department's consultation document "Photographs on Driving Licences".

  Mr. Norris
  The study report is commercial in confidence. But I have arranged for a copy of the management summary to be placed in the Library.

  A27
  Mr. Wicks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what are the figures available in respect of the origins and destinations and types of vehicles using the existing A27 from Polegate to Lewes on dates subsequent to 1 January 1990; what are the figures available in respect of projections made for the years 2000, 2005 and 2010 in respect of the origins, destinations and types of vehicles using (i) the existing A27 and (ii) the proposed improved A27; what feasibility studies are being made in the use of tunnelling in connection with the proposed new A27; and when these are due to be published.

  Mr. Watts
  This is an operational matter for the Highways Agency. I have asked the chief executive to write to the hon. Member.
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  Letter from Lawrie Haynes to Mr. Malcolm Wicks, dated 28 November 1994:
  The Minister for Railways and Roads, Mr. Watts, has asked me to write to you in reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the proposed improvement of the A27 between Lewes and Polegate in East Sussex as the information requested relates to operational matters of the Highways Agency.
  East Sussex County Council carried out traffic counts on the A27 and the surrounding road network during 1993 to enable us to compile information on the origins and destinations of vehicles using the A27 in the area. The raw data has been submitted to the Agency but it has not yet been analysed. A considerable amount of work will need to be done to translate the figures into 'readable' facts. I am therefore unable to supply you with the information you requested at this stage. I will arrange for it to be sent to you as soon as possible, but this is unlikely to be before the middle of next

  24 Hour AADT Forecast Flows

  1990

  2000

  2005

  2010

  LG

  HG

  LG

  HG

  LG

  HG

  A27 Preferred Route

  * Southerham-Beddingham

  —

  32,100

  36,000

  34,900

  40,600

  37,600

  45,200

  * Beddingham-Polegate Bypass

  —

  22,000

  24,700

  23,900

  27,800

  25,800

  31,000

  * Existing A27 near Selmeston

  —

  4,500

  5,000

  4,900

  5,700

  5,200

  6,300

  * Existing A27 near Wilmington

  —

  4,100

  4,600

  4,400

  5,200

  4,800

  5,800

  Do Minimum

  * Existing A27 Ranscombe Hill

  21,250

  31,600

  35,300

  34,300

  39,900

  37,000

  44,500

  * Existing A27 near Selmeston

  15,100

  22,450

  25,100

  24,400

  28,350

  26,250

  31,600

  * Existing A27 near Wilmington

  15,100

  22,450

  25,100

  24,400

  28,350

  26,250

  31,600

  A40
  Mr. Nigel Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he will announce the detrunking of the A40 through Cheltenham.

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

  Letter from Lawrie Haynes to Mr. Nigel Jones, dated 28 November 1994:
  The Minister for Roads and Railways, Mr. Watts, has asked me to reply to your Parliamentary Question about the timing of an announcement regarding the detrunking of the A40 through Cheltenham.
  As you know it is intended to detrunk the A40 through Cheltenham, and trunk the A436 from Shipton Solers to Air Balloon following the completion of the A417 Brockworth bypass which includes a new junction with the M5.
  Earlier this year consultants reported on the improvements needed to enable the A436 to cater for the expected increase in traffic in the longer term. They also identified cost effective minor measures which can be implemented quickly. Discussions are now being held with Gloucestershire County Council on the procedures and agreements required to take forward the statutory trunking and detrunking orders, but I am not yet in a position to be able to say when these orders will be published.

  Air Traffic Control
  Mr. Robert Ainsworth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the hon. Member for Coventry, North-East will receive the letter on air traffic control training in Kent, referred to in his answer of 31 October,Official Report, column 962.

  Mr. Norris
  I have written to the hon. Member today and have placed a copy of my letter in the Library.
  476
  year. The data from this survey will be used to inform the detailed design stage.
  Similarly, there are no future year projects available in the form requested. However, Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT) flows have been predicted using 1990 traffic survey data. The attached table sets out the low growth (LG) and high growth (HG) figures for the A27 with and without the proposed improvement for the years you requested.
  A proposal for a tunnel south of Mount Caburn was rejected as uneconomic and not without environmental problems in the preferred route statement issued in July 1993.
  We have however, undertaken to look at measures to reduce the impact of the preferred route on the surrounding area during the detailed design stage. This will include considering alternative means of crossing the Glynde Reach at a lower level than the bridge included in the preferred route proposals. I am afraid it is too early to say when this work will be completed.

  Payment of Bills
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the average and the median time his Department has taken to pay suppliers in each of the last 12 months; and what proportion of bills it took more than six weeks to pay.

  Mr. Norris
  The average time taken to dispatch a payment document was 18 days, the median being 20 days. A total of 4.8 per cent. took more than six weeks to pay.

  Rail Electrification
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects final agreement between all interested parties involved with the west Yorkshire electrification scheme; what is the latest estimated total cost of the scheme; what were the previous estimated total costs; by whom rolling stock is to be supplied and at what cost; when the scheme is expected to be fully operational; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Watts
  These are matters for the West Yorkshire passenger transport executive, Railtrack and the train operating unit. However, I understand that discussions are in progress to determine the final scheme cost; that progressive completion and introduction of electric services are planned from spring 1995 onwards and that the PTE is exploring options with the rolling stock companies and other parties for the replacement of the class 308s which will operate the electric local services initially.

NATIONAL HERITAGE

  Christmas Expenditure
  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage 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 Ministers' private offices and official residences.

  Mr. Dorrell
  Disaggregated information of this nature is not available. Such costs are covered by my Department's entertainment expenditure, which is contained within the running costs expenditure published in its annual report.

  The Department of National Heritage and its agencies have spent the following sums on official hospitality in the two years since the Department was set up:

  Department of National Heritage £

  Historic Royal Palaces Agency £

  Royal Parks Agency £

  1992–93

  22,037

  17,690

  1,032

  1993–94

  18,278

  16,374

  8,541

  Sports Council
  Mr. Pendry
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he intends to appoint management consultants on the restructuring of the Sports Council, on the terms he envisaged in his statement of 8 July,Official Report, columns 584–86.

  Mr. Sproat
  I am currently considering responses to the consultation on the Government's proposals set out in our 8 July statement. To assist me in this, I have asked the GB Sports Council to provide me with its own view of how its current functions and staffing might be realigned to take account of those proposals. In the light of my analysis, and this further work, I shall be taking final policy decisions and deciding on how these should be implemented.

  Radio Authority
  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage how many FM radio frequencies have been issued by the Radio Authority in the Greater London area; and what is the maximum number which may be issued.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The authority has awarded licences for 11 radio services to use FM frequencies in the Greater London area. The maximum number depends on frequency availability and on the operational characteristics and locations of the transmitters.

  The Radio Authority has said that it does not envisage advertising any further London-wide licences in the foreseeable future, but intends to advertise more small-scale services for parts of the Greater London area over the next couple of years.

  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what proposals he has for ensuring that minutes of meetings of the Radio Authority are published.
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  Mr. Dorrell
  None. Under the Broadcasting Act 1990, it is for the Radio Authority to determine its own procedures.

  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what plans he has to ensure that a new radio frequency or frequencies can be allocated to a station or stations playing mainly young rock music.

  Mr. Dorrell
  None. The Government assign frequencies to the Radio Authority. Decisions on licences are a matter for the Radio Authority. Section 85 of the Broadcasting Act 1990, which describes the licensing functions of the Radio Authority, makes it clear that the authority must do all it can to secure a diversity of independent radio stations. Licence applicants are free to offer a young rock music format.

  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what report he has received from the Radio Authority as to its reasons for selecting Crystal and Virgin as the allocated stations for FM licences announced in March.

  Mr. Dorrell
  No report has been received. Licensing decisions are entirely matters for the Radio Authority.

  Disabled Access
  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what discussions he has had with film exhibitors and cinemas proprietors about the provision of access for people with disabilities to cinemas in Britain.

  Mr. Dorrell
  My Department has had informal discussions with the Cinema Exhibitors Association, which represents 95 per cent. of exhibitors on issues relating to access to cinemas for people with disabilities. The association responded to the consultation document on measures to tackle discrimination against disabled people published by the Government earlier this year.

  Lobbying Companies
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage 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 decision being made on the subject of the meeting with the lobbying company.

  Mr. Dorrell
  [holding answer 24 November 1994]: This information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

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

  Mr. Dorrell
  [holding answer 24 November 1994]: Conditions of service for the staff of my Department and its agencies 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 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.

ENVIRONMENT

  Council Housing (Maintenance Funding)
  Mrs. Bridget Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what estimate he has made as to the knock-on effects of his Department's proposals to introduce a new system for calculating the management and maintenance allowances for local authority housing upon the social security budget.

  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  We are consulting local authorities on the housing revenue account subsidy determinations for 1995–96 and our proposals do not include changing the method of calculating the management and maintenance allowances.

  Surveys
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will place in the Library copies of the surveys of "Public Attitudes to the Environment" and "Public Attitudes to Planning (and Development)", the rent-to-mortgage leaflet follow-up, the Home Improvement Agency client survey and "Wasting Energy Costs the Earth".

  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  A copy of the survey of public attitudes to the environment has been placed in the Library of the House. A copy of the rent-to-mortgage leaflet follow-up survey report and a full report of the Home Improvement Agency client satisfaction survey will be placed in the Library shortly. A summary of the latter survey's findings is included in the publication "Review of the Home Improvement Agency Grant Programme", a copy of which has been placed in the Library. Research for the report on public attitudes to planning and on the Wasting Energy Costs the Earth campaign has yet to be completed.

  Homelessness Legislation
  Mr. Timms
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to reform the homelessness legislation in England and Wales.

  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  As my right hon. Friend the then Minister for Housing, Inner Cities and Construction told the House on 18 July,Official Report, columns 21–23, we intend to introduce legislation when parliamentary time permits.

  Single Regeneration Budget, Wirral
  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what formal or informal conversations, or written correspondence, he or any of his staff have had with any of the Wirral's elected officers or officials on how the single regeneration budget might be spent in the Wirral.

  Mr. Curry
  Officials in the Government office for Merseyside held six meetings with officers of Wirral metropolitan borough council to discuss potential SRB bids, and wrote to the authority's chief executive in July with preliminary comments on the outline bids under consideration at the time.

  Since the final bids were submitted in early September, no meetings or discussions have taken place and no indication has been given of the likely success or otherwise of individual bids.
  480
  One letter was sent to Wirral metropolitan borough council about the relationship between SRB bids and the European Union's urban initiative; and one of the bids has been referred to, but not discussed, in meetings and correspondence about the future of the Cammell Laird shipyard site.

  Local Government Reorganisation
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the cost to public funds of the Local Government commission review into local government reorganisation to date; and if he will make a statement regarding its progress.

  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  The Local Government Commission for England incurred expenditure of £2.056 million in 1992–93 and £5146 in 1993–94. We are making available grant in aid of some £8.300 million to the commission for 1994–95.

  The commission has published final recommendations for 19 shire counties, of which three have been referred back to the commission for further review. Final reports on the remaining counties, including the three second reviews, are due to be submitted to the Secretary of State by the end of the year.

  Ofwat
  Mr. Nigel Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what redress is available to a member of the public who is dissatisfied with an investigation carried out by Ofwat;

  (2) what powers he has to review investigations carried out by Ofwat.

  Mr. Atkins
  The Director General of Water Services has a duty to consider any complaint made by a customer or potential customer which is referred to him by a customer service committee because it remains unresolved; he also has a duty to consider complaints from customers that a CSC has failed to perform any of its duties. The Secretary of State does not have powers to review investigations carried out by Ofwat, but the parliamentary ombudsman can investigate complaints of personal injustice resulting from Ofwat's administrative actions.

  Canvey Island
  Dr. Spink
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress he has made with respect to the section 106 agreement with Aldersgate, in respect of land on Canvey Island; and when he will commence the promised public consultation prior to agreement being finalised.

  Sir Paul Beresford
  We will be writing to Aldersgate Developments and other interested parties shortly about the company's draft section 106 documents and the issues which they raise.

  Overcrowding
  Mr. Roy Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many tenants are currently estimated to be living in overcrowded accommodation.

  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  The latest estimate for England is that about 310,000 tenants had fewer bedrooms than the bedroom standard in 1993–94. This figure is from the
  481
  1993–94 survey of English housing and is subject to sampling error.

  Estate Action
  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action he will take to maintain estate action funding should the funds available for these projects from the single regeneration budget be reduced.

  Mr. Curry
  All commitments under the estate action programme which has been subsumed within the single regeneration budget will continue to be honoured.

  Flue Gas Desulphurisation
  Ms Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps the Government will be taking to ensure the completion of the flue gas desulphurisation fitting programmes(a) at Drax power station and (b) at Radcliffe power station, and the use of FGD at these power stations.

  Mr. Atkins
  Under part I of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, a condition may be included in the authorisation for a power station, to require its operator to install FGD and to run it whenever that power station is operated, provided that to do so would not be excessively costly and that there is no other preferable technique of preventing or, failing that, minimising and rendering harmless releases of sulphur dioxide, having regard to costs and efficacy.

  As I indicated in answer to the hon. Member on 22 November, Official Report, columns 66–67, Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution is currently in discussion with the generators about their generating operations and improvement programmes for each station.

  Housing
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many forms have to be completed by local housing associations applying for grants from the Housing Corporation to build affordable housing to meet local needs; and how many questions are on each form.

  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  Four forms have to be completed by housing associations applying for project approval and grants from the Housing Corporation. A form is completed for each of the following: initial calculation to establish the grant rate for the scheme, application for project approval and grant, application for payment of grant, and the final grant claim. Each form is designed so that check marks can be placed in prepared boxes to ease completion. The first form comprises 14 questions, the second form 16, the third form four, and the fourth form has two questions relating to each house or flat in the scheme.

  Electricity
  Ms Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what part the Government expects Drax power station and Radcliffe power station to play in the market for providing clean electricity; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Atkins
  Under the United Kingdom's national plan implementing the EC large combustion plants directive, each of the two generators in England and Wales is 482
  allocated an annual quota of maximum emissions of sulphur dioxides and oxides of nitrogen for the company's generating operations as a whole. Each company has the freedom to decide the distribution of its quotas between its individual power stations, taking account inter alia of market conditions, subject to meeting the conditions in individual site authorisations issued by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution under the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

  As I indicated in answer to the hon. Member on 22 November, Official Report, columns 66–67, HMIP is currently in discussion with the generators about its generating operations and improvement programmes for each station.

  Water Metering
  Ms Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many disconnections there have been in the London borough of Lewisham in the past 12 months; how many of these disconnections are attributable to water metering; and what is Thames Water Utilities' programme for water metering in Lewisham.

  Mr. Atkins
  Data on disconnections by local authority district and by charging method are not available centrally. The Director General of Water Services publishes data on disconnections twice a year, by water company area and by domestic and non-domestic customer. Data on disconnections in the six months to 30 September 1994 were published in an Ofwat news release on 15 November, a copy of which is in the Library. I understand that Thames Water Utilities has yet to decide on its preferred future method of charging domestic customers for water and sewerage services but has a policy of metering all commercial customers. Most water companies meter all new and substantially altered domestic properties.

PRIME MINISTER

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

  The Prime Minister
  There are five special advisers in No. 10 Downing street.

  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 or, in some cases, at a rate appropriate to a relevant civil service grade. Appointments are non-pensionable, and the salary spine reflects this.

  Christmas Expenditure
  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Prime Minister how many official Christmas cards he intends to send out in 1994; and how much these will cost.

  The Prime Minister
  I have nothing further to add to the reply I gave to the hon. Member on 22 November 1994,Official Report, column 89.

  Internet
  Mrs. Anne Campbell
  To ask the Prime Minister what plans he has to provide information via the Internet; and if he will make a statement.

  The Prime Minister
  My office is currently studying options to provide information via the Internet.

  Mohamed Al-Fayed
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will set out the considerations which led the Cabinet Secretary not to interview Mohamed Al-Fayed in his investigations into allegations of improper behaviour by Government Ministers.

  The Prime Minister
  The Cabinet Secretary indicated his reasons in his report, which I published on 25 October 1994,Official Report, columns 521–22, and I have nothing further to add.

  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Prime Minister if the Nolan committee will be interviewing Mohamed Al-Fayed in its examination of standards in public life; and if he will make a statement.

  The Prime Minister
  It is for the Committee on Standards in Public Life to decide whom it wishes to invite to give oral evidence.

  Crown Appointments Commission
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Prime Minister who are the current members of the Crown Appointments Commission.

  The Prime Minister
  The Crown Appointments Commission is a standing commission of the General Synod of the Church of England. Its membership is set out on page 38 of the current edition of the "Church of England Year Book", a copy of which is available in the Library of the House.

  Utility Regulators
  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will review the powers of the(a) gas and (b) other utility regulators over boardroom salaries, shareholdings and perks.

  The Prime Minister
  [holding answer 25 November 1994]: The utility regulators' role is to promote competition and operate price caps in areas of monopoly. Within this framework it is for each company and its shareholders to exercise control of board membership, pay and conditions.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

  Citizens Charter (Mr. Purnell)
  Mr. Austin-Walker
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1) what representations he has received from Mr. David Hernandez Purnell; and what was his response;

  (2) if he will make a statement regarding the letter of 13 November to the Treasury Solicitor from a constituent of the hon. Member for Woolwich, a copy of which was forwarded to the citizens charter unit; and what assessment he has made of the conformity of Her
  484
  Majesty's Government's action in this case with the spirit of the citizens charter.

  Mr. Robert G. Hughes
  Mr. Hernandez Purnell has been a frequent correspondent with Government Departments about the purchase of both his and his son's property by the Department of Transport. He has written over 400 letters to the Department of Transport alone. Further correspondence in which Mr. Hernandez Purnell himself has inquired about the role of the citizens charter in his complaint has been answered by officials from the citizens charter unit, and letters from the hon. Member of 3 and 22 September 1993 concerning Mr. Hernandez Purnell were replied to on 30 September 1993 by the then Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.

  The citizens charter and the citizens charter unit have only an indirect role in Mr. Hernandez Purnell's dispute with the Department of Transport. The role of the citizens charter unit is to work with Departments in developing their services in line with the principles of the citizens charter, and to encourage good practice in doing this. When members of the public write to the citizens charter unit, the unit tries to ensure that a prompt, full and clear reply is sent. Ultimately, however, it is the responsibility of individual public sector organisations, including Government Departments, to ensure that their services are delivered to charter standards. Where—as in Mr. Hernandez Purnell's case—correspondence from a member of the public concerns a dispute about departmental policy which is also the subject of legal proceedings, it is not the role of the citizens charter unit to act as an intermediary.

EDUCATION

  College Lecturers
  Mr. Bryan Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many(a) further education and (b) higher education lecturers retired early on the grounds of ill-health in the last 10 financial years.

  Mr. Boswell
  The available data do not enable distinction between further or higher education lecturers and other teachers who retire on health grounds within the teachers' superannuation scheme.

  Mr. Bryan Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many(a) part-time and (b) full-time lecturers in colleges of further education there were in each salary grade in each local education authority or otherwise appropriate areas in the last five years for which figures are available.

  Mr. Boswell
  I will write to the hon. Member as soon as possible.

  Further Education Colleges
  Mr. Bryan Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what is her Department's estimate of the total funds necessary to undertake essential health and safety repair work at colleges of further education.

  Mr. Boswell
  A professional survey of college buildings when they left local authority control in 1993 estimated the cost of essential health and safety repair work at £136 million.

  Nursery Education
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education how she plans to finance the expansion of nursery education, targeted through standard spending assessment or specific grant for(a) buildings and (b) revenue funding; and is she will make a statement.

  Mr. Forth
  My right hon. Friend is now consulting widely a range of interests in pre-school education with a view to drawing up detailed proposals on how to achieve thelarget for expansion of pre-school provision set by the Prime Minister. The need for additional funding will be .determined as part of the development of these proposals.

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

  Legal Aid
  Mr. Heppell
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what legal aid will be available for employees wishing to sue their employers if industrial injuries legislation is changed.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  Legal aid is available to employees who qualify for help with their legal costs in pursuing a claim for damages against an employer through the courts. I cannot anticipate the outcome of any future legislative changes.

  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will consider making legal aid available to allow victims of crime or their families to seek appropriate professional advice.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  Advice and assistance is already available to those financially eligible under the legal aid green form scheme.

  Sir Keith Speed
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what is the latest annual figure paid for legal aid for non-United Kingdom citizens.

  Amount (Estimate)

  Purchase Price (Estimate)

  Postage Cost (Estimate)

  Cost in Staff Time

  UK

  Overseas

  Lord Chancellor

  250

  Own Purchase

  £38

  £33

  Not available

  Parliamentary Secretary

  £12

  £6

  Not applicable

  Not available

  50

  £15 with VAT

  I will be placing a sample copy of the Christmas card the Lord Chancellor intends to send—when available—in the Member's Library.

  Defamation
  Mr. Couchman
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what plans Her Majesty's Government have to reduce the cost and complexity of defamation proceedings.

  Mr. Waller
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when he intends to bring forward legislation relating to the law of defamation.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  In December 1992, the Lord Chancellor announced his intention to introduce a number of reforms which we believe will be of great assistance to parties seeking speedy and economic disposals of defamation claims, and the reforms which could be
  486
  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The information sought is not collected.

  Magistrates (Poppies)
  Mr. David Evans
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what advice his Department gives magistrates about wearing British Legion poppies in court.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  None. For myself I have always accepted the British Legion's suggestion that we should wear our poppies with pride and with humble appreciation, too, of those who made great sacrifices for our freedom.

  Christmas Expenditure
  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how much public money will be spent on entertaining, Christmas decorations and other festive activities this Christmas season by the Lord Chancellor's Department and Government agencies answerable to this Department; and of this sum how much will be spent in Ministers' private offices and official residences.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  Disaggregated information of this nature is not available. Such costs are covered by the entertainment expenditure for the Lord Chancellor's Department, which is contained in the running costs expenditure published in the annual report, copies of which are in the Library of the House.

  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many official Christmas cards the Lord Chancellor and his Ministers intend to send in 1994; how much of 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 the Lord Chancellor intends to send this year.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The information requested is as follows:

  achieved by amending rules of court have already been implemented. Also, we have made considerable progress in developing a precise framework for the further reforms foreshadowed in that statement and on which the Lord Chancellor intends to introduce legislation as soon as he has a suitable opportunity. These reforms include a new defence, recommended by a working group under the chairmanship of Lord Justice Neill, which will avoid the need for a trial if the defendant is prepared to offer amends and pay damages assessed by a judge.

  In addition, there will be a new summary procedure, under which every defamation claim will come before the judge at an early stage. He will assess whether the claim is suitable for summary disposal, or whether it should go for trial, with or without a jury. He will have power on summary disposal to award damages up to a fixed ceiling. We believe that the procedure will help the parties to

  487
  clarify the real issues much earlier, and encourage sensible settlements, as well as providing a fast track for the disposal of straightforward claims.

  Court Proceedings
  Mr. Stephen
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department whether he will make available to the public, on request, cassette copies, at cost, of the whole or part of all tape recordings of court proceedings heard in public.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  A member of the public who is not a party to an action may only have a transcript of recordings of court proceedings with the prior leave of a district judge in civil cases, and of a chief clerk in criminal cases. There are no plans to change these arrangements.

  Lockerbie
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what are his responsibilities in relation to following up the crash of Pan Am 103 at Lockerbie.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  None.

  Barristers and Solicitors
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what plans he has to encourage the closer working together of barristers and solicitors; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  Banisters and solicitors are members of the legal profession, which is independent of Government. It would, therefore, not be appropriate for either the Lord Chancellor or me to determine the closeness of their working arrangements. However, we would both wish to support any initiatives on the part of the legal profession which accord with the principles of the Courts and Legal Services Act 1990, by making provision for new or better ways of providing legal services while maintaining the proper and efficient administration of justice.

  Lawyers (Complaints)
  Sir Keith Speed
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what assessment he has made of the time taken to answer complaints about lawyers by the appropriate legal bodies.

  Mr. John. M. Taylor
  The legal professions function independently of Government. I have no responsibility for monitoring the time taken to answer complaints made to bodies within the professions.

  The Lord Chancellor is responsible for the appointment and monitoring of the legal services ombudsman, who investigates complaints about the manner in which complaints about lawyers made to the appropriate legal bodies have been, or are being, dealt with. This will include any complaints relating to time taken in investigation.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

  Norman Shaw North
  Mr. Nicholas Winterton
  To ask the Chairman of the Accommodation and Works Committee (1) what has been 488
  the cost of work on the three main lifts in the Norman Shaw north building over the last 12 months; who authorised that work; and on how many working days one or more of those lifts have been out of operation during the last year;

  (2) what has been the cost of renovating the rear lift in the Norman Shaw north building; who authorised that work; and whether the lift has been working satisfactorily since the work was completed.

  Mr. Ray Powell
  All three lifts in Norman Shaw north were badly affected by a burst pipe which occurred on 10 October. Two electric motors had to be taken away for rewinding and there was a spate of other minor problems resulting from the flood damage, which altogether cost some £14,000 to repair. The annual maintenance cost for each lift is estimated to be £1,500. The information requested on the number of working days when the lifts did not operate could be compiled only at a disproportionate cost.

  The cost of the work to replace the rear lift was £73,000. The work was approved by the Accommodation and Works Committee as part of the rolling programme of lift replacement and refurbishment. The contractor has had to correct several teething problems since the lift was installed, but I believe that these have been overcome and that normal service should now continue. The Director of Parliamentary Works is monitoring the situation carefully.

  The combination of the planned lift replacement work on the rear and the unforeseen damage to the three main lifts has resulted in a poor lift service to users of the building over the past few months. Every effort is being made to ensure that a reliable service is provided in the future.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Christmas Expenditure
  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade 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 Ministers' private offices, and official residences.

  Mr. Heseltine
  Disaggregated information of this nature is not available. The DTI's expenditure on official hospitality since 1990 was published in the answer to the hon. Member for Truro (Mr. Taylor) on 26 October, column 654.

  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade 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. Heseltine
  My Department does not commission its own departmental Christmas card. Individual Ministers may choose to send cards. While specific lists of addressees have yet to be drawn up, it is expected that Ministers will send in the region of 500 cards at an expected average cost of 75p each. Cards for recipients within the United Kingdom will be sent second class. It
  489
  is not possible to predict accurately the amount of staff time that will be required to process the cards.

  Special Advisers
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement concerning the cost to public funds of employing ministerial special advisers in his Department.

  Mr. Heseltine
  My Department employs three special advisers.

  Salaries for special advisers are negotiated individually, 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.

  Insolvency Service
  Ms Mowlam
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) what external legal advice he has received on the impact of privatisation of the Insolvency Service on the future disqualification and prosecution of bankrupts;

  (2) what advice he has received in respect of the application of the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 1981 in the event of the privatisation of the Insolvency Service;

  (3) if he will publish in full the report of the consultants Stoy Hayward into privatisation of the Insolvency Service.

  Mr. Jonathan Evans
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Stockton, South (Mr. Devlin) on 3 November 1994,Official Report, columns 1251–52.

  Ms Mowlam
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what assessment he has made of the efficacy of investigations begun by the Insolvency Service but completed in the private sector, in the event of privatisation of the service.

  Mr. Jonathan Evans
  Stoy Hayward Consulting reported that the contracting out of official receivers administrative functions would enable official receivers to concentrate more on their investigatory role. Under such arrangements investigations begun by contractors would be completed by official receivers.

  Post Office
  Mr. Cohen
  : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what has been the total cost, including the cost of using consultants, of the review of possible privatisation in respect of the Post Office; and how much has been paid to each consultant.

  Mr. Eggar
  The Government announced their intention to privatise Parcelforce on 15 July 1992,Official Report, column 1137, and announced the review of the structure and organisation of the Post Office on 29 July 1992. From those dates to the date of the Government's decision that they would not, for the present, be proceeding with legislation on the Post Office, a total of £1,613,002.28 was spent on consultancy advice. The cost of work undertaken by individual contractors is commercially confidential.

  Machine Tool Industry
  Mr. William O' Brien
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he last discussed the prospects of continuing investment in the machine tool industry with the leaders of that industry; and what concerns the leaders in that industry expressed about ensuring their competitiveness in the world markets.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  Ministers and officials in the DTI have had close and continuing contact with the machine tool industry in recent years. The most important influence on investment is a stable economic climate based on low inflation. Inflation is now at its lowest level for 27 years and the output of the United Kingdom machine tool industry is about 15 per cent. higher than a year ago.

  We have also discussed with the industry's trade association, the Machine Tool Technologies Association—MTTA—ways to improve the overall competitiveness of the industry. We are presently working with the MTTA and other associations to produce guidance for small manufacturing firms which will enable them to improve the overall quality of investment. This was an initiative referred to in the White Paper "Competitiveness: Helping Business to Win", Cm 2563.

  Manufacturing
  Mr. Sainsbury
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what estimate he has made of the effect on manufacturing employment of manufacturing businesses contracting out to other firms, classified as service businesses, activities such as transport, catering and cleaning.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  The Central Statistical Office has estimated that manufacturing employment might have been up to three quarters of a million higher than recorded in 1989 had manufacturers' purchases of non-industrial services as a proportion of total sales remained at 1973 levels—"Changes in the structure of manufacturing industry 1973–1989 as measured by the annual Census of Production",Economic Trends, No. 462 April 1992.

  Steel
  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade which EC member states increased steel production between 1988 and 1992; and by how much production and employment fell in the United Kingdom steel industry during this period.

  Mr. Eggar
  Crude steel production in Italy and Spain increased by 4.5 per cent. and 3 per cent. respectively between 1988 and 1992. In the United Kingdom steel industry production fell by 14.5 per cent. and employment fell by 26 per cent. over the same period.

  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the numbers employed in the steel industries of EC member states in 1975, 1981, 1987 and 1993 with the percentage change in the numbers employed since 1975.

  Mr. Eggar
  The information requested is in the table.
  491

  Employment in the steel industry of EC member states

  percentage change

  1975

  1981

  1987

  1993

  1975–1993

  Country

  thousands

  Germany

  222.0

  187.0

  133.3

  110.3

  -;50.3

  Italy

  96.0

  96.0

  60.7

  49.3

  -48.6

  France

  156.0

  97.0

  57.6

  40.5

  -74.0

  United Kingdom

  185.3

  88.0

  54.9

  39.2

  -78.8

  Spain

  b

  b

  44.8

  27.3

  b

  Belgium

  59.0

  45.0

  28.6

  24.0

  -59.3

  Netherlands

  25.0

  21.0

  18.5

  13.5

  -46.0

  Luxembourg

  21.0

  14.0

  11.4

  7.1

  -66.2

  Portugal

  b

  b

  5.7

  3.1

  b

  Greece

  a

  a

  4.0

  2.9

  a

  Denmark

  3.0

  2.0

  1.5

  1.1

  -63.3

  Ireland

  1.0

  1.0

  0.6

  0.6

  -40.0

  Source:

  Eurostat.

  Notes:

  a) EC member from 1/1/82.

  b) EC member from 1/1/87.

  Employment figures are as at end of year.

  Steel industry as defined under treaty of Paris, 1951.

  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what action he proposes to take to assist the British steel industry in view of the nature of the support by other member states and of their industries; and if he will make a statement on the enforcement of articles 4 and 95 of the treaty.

  Mr. Eggar
  The best way in which the Government can assist the industry is to work for an international market in which the highly efficient United Kingdom steel industry can trade freely and without unfair competition. The Government will continue to press the Commission to enforce the state aid rules rigorously and to take action against any breaches.

  Foreign Investment in Europe
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the British share of(a) American investment in Europe in each year since 1964 and (b) all non-European investment in Europe over the same time period.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  Table 1 sets out the United Kingdom's share of American investment in Europe since 1964. The remaining information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost. This is because data are not available on a consistent basis for the entire period requested.

  From sources readily available within the Department it would require converting data from national currencies to a common currency for each year and obtaining data from "National Statistical Sources".

  Table 1. Annual capital flows for US direct investment abroad

  United Kingdom share per cent.

  United Kingdom

  Europe

  $ millions

  1964

  381

  1,796

  21.2

  1965

  559

  1,867

  29.9

  1966

  477

  2,249

  21.2

  1967

  519

  1,858

  27.9

  1968

  686

  1,601

  42.8

  1969

  535

  2,251

  23.8

  492

  Table 1. Annual capital flows for US direct investment abroad

  United Kingdom share per cent.

  United Kingdom

  Europe

  $ millions

  1970

  893

  3,030

  29.5

  1971

  1,113

  3,424

  32.5

  1972

  492

  3,030

  16.2

  1973

  1,409

  6,577

  21.4

  1974

  1,469

  6,432

  22.8

  1975

  1,420

  4,584

  31.0

  1976

  1,157

  5,492

  21.1

  1977

  1,831

  5,289

  34.6

  1978

  2,596

  7,820

  33.2

  1979

  4,073

  12,259

  33.2

  1980

  4,797

  13,011

  36.9

  1981

  1,989

  5,278

  37.7

  1982

  754

  3,470

  21.7

  1983

  1,385

  5,122

  27.0

  1984

  3,052

  5,578

  54.7

  1985

  3,147

  7,573

  41.6

  1986

  2,259

  7,292

  31.0

  1987

  2,559

  11,397

  22.5

  1988

  4,170

  7,854

  53.1

  1989

  11,825

  23,679

  49.9

  1990

  -202

  10,194

  *

  1991

  4,665

  19,583

  23.8

  1992

  6,068

  17,882

  33.9

  1993

  13,886

  30,023

  46.3

  Source:

  US Department of Commerce.

  Bureau of Economic Analysis.

  *Note:

  Direct investment capital flows measure the net funds flowing between US parent companies and their foreign affiliates in a given period; therefore they are negative when funds are flowing back to the United States, on net.

  Chemical Weapons Convention
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on his plans to introduce legislation to implement the chemical weapons convention.

  Mr. Heseltine
  The United kingdom remains committed to the chemical weapons convention and
  493
  legislation to facilitate its ratification will be introduced as soon as parliamentary time and other Government legislative priorities permit.

  Electricity
  Mr. David Howell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the varying pattern of domestic electricity prices throughout England and Wales; and if he will publish a table giving the information he has received from the electricity distribution companies, as to their plans for price reductions to domestic consumers during the coming year and the part played by additional funds paid in advance before the levying of VAT on electricity, as from April of this year, in enabling electricity authorities to reduce their prices.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  Domestic electricity prices are subject to certain price control formulae set by the Director General of Electricity Supply. The price controls are set on a comparable basis for each regional electricity company—REC—but take into account variations such as local conditions and the different customer bases in each region.

  The plans for future electricity tariffs are a commercial matter for the public electricity suppliers, although all such suppliers will need to take the price controls into account when setting their tariffs.

CHURCH COMMISSIONERS

  Pensions
  Mr. Jenkin
  To ask the right hon. Member for Selby, as representing the Church Commissioners what provision the Commissioners make for pensions for those in service of the Church of England.

  Mr. Alison
  The security of existing clergy pensions is not at issue, as the value of the Commissioners' assets comfortably exceeds the accrued pension liabilities for retired clergy and those currently in active service. Separate funding arrangements are in place to pay the pensions of lay employees of the Church of England.

  The Commissioners and the pensions board are discussing with dioceses proposals for funding pension liabilities arising from the future service of clergy on a more sustainable basis involving contributions. This will help secure the Commissioners' continuing ability to help the Church in other ways.

  Remunerated Clergy
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the right hon. Member for Selby, as representing the Church Commissioners what is the number of remunerated clergy who have(a) retired from, (b) resigned from and (c) joined the payroll of the Church of England in the last 12 months.

  Mr. Alison
  Since 1 January 1994, 364 stipendiary clergy have retired, 440 have resigned and 465 have joined the Commissioners' payroll.

  Lambeth Report
  Mr. Clifton-Brown
  To ask the right hon. Member for Selby, as representing the Church Commissioners if 494
  all the recommendations contained in the Lambeth report have now been implemented.

  Mr. Alison
  The implementation of the Lambeth report recommendations was overseen by a steering group of governors appointed by the board of the Commissioners. This will shortly report to the board that all the recommendations either have been implemented or, as in the case of arrangements for the future funding of clergy pensions, are being vigorously pursued.

  Assets
  Mr. Gapes
  To ask the right hon. Member for Selby, as representing the Church Commissioners what is the current value of the total assets of the Church Commissioners.

  Mr. Alison
  The Commissioners' assets are revalued once a year. As at 31 December 1993 the total net value of the assets was £2,420 million.

  Investments
  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the right hon. Member for Selby, as representing the Church Commissioners what percentage of investments are held in companies which are specifically recognised by investment trusts and others buying and selling stocks and shares as ethically and environmentally acceptable.

  Mr. Alison
  All our company holdings are subject to our ethical criteria, which are reviewed from time to time.

  Investments (Profit)
  Ms Abbott
  To ask the right hon. Member for Selby, as representing the Church Commissioners how much profit the Church Commissioners have made this year from investments.

  Mr. Alison
  Our estimated income for 1994 is £143 million. The assets are revalued at the end of each year, and therefore it is too early to say what changes in value may have occurred by then.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Christmas Expenditure
  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 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 Ministers' private offices and official residences.

  Sir John Wheeler
  Disaggregated information of this nature is not available but I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Truro (Mr. Taylor) on 25 October 1994, regarding spending on hospitality,Official Report, column 543.

  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 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.
  495
  Sir John Wheeler
  Ministers representing the Northern Ireland Office and Northern Ireland Departments estimate they will be sending 2,525 Christmas cards at a cost of £2,048 to buy and £498 to post.

  The cost in staff time to sign, address and envelope is not available.

  A sample copy of the Christmas cards will be placed in the Library when available.

  Irish Republic (President's Visit)
  Mr. Trimble
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) if public funds were involved in the most recent visit of the President of the Irish Republic to Northern Ireland; and which of the bodies inviting her are in receipt of public funds;

  (2) when Her Majesty's Government were first informed of the most recent visit of the President of the Irish Republic to Northern Ireland; and when her precise itinerary was disclosed;

  (3) if he will list the engagements of the President of the Irish Republic on the occasion of her most recent visit to Northern Ireland, indicating those engagements which were purely private and those which were of a public character;

  (4) what was the date of the most recent visit of the President of the Irish Republic to Northern Ireland; and whether it was a public visit or a private visit.

  Sir John Wheeler
  The President of the Republic of Ireland paid a private working visit to Northern Ireland on 15 and 16 November 1994 where she attended the 1550th anniversary service to mark the establishment of Christianity in Ireland at St. Patrick's Church of Ireland cathedral, Armagh; a conference of European student unions on equality of opportunity in higher education at the Wellington Park hotel, Belfast; visited Hazelwood college, Belfast and a resident at Bethany nursing home, Belfast. All of these visits were in response to private invitations; the church service was also a public act of worship.

  Apart from the usual security requirements no public funds were expended on the visit. Hazelwood college is funded by the Department of Education.

  Her Majesty's Government were first advised of President Robinson's visit on 25 May 1993 and the final itinerary confirmed on 7 November 1994.

  Newcastle Disease
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many cases of Newcastle disease were identified in each year since 1985.

  Mr. Ancram
  Newcastle disease occurred in Northern Ireland in 1991, when six cases were identified.

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

  Sir John Wheeler
  [holding answer 25 November 1994]: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to Dr. Tony Wright by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 1 February 1994, Official Report, column 611.
  496
  In addition to the information in the publications mentioned in that reply the following non-departmental public bodies have ceased to exist since 1986:

  1986

  Charities Advisory Committee

  1987

  Advisory Body on Community Work

  NI UNESCO Committee

  Land Law Working Group

  NI Health and Social Services Council

  1988

  Police Complaints Board—replaced by Independent Commission for Police Complaints for NI

  Advisory Committee on Teachers Education

  Therapeutic Paramedical Advisory Committee

  Medical Boards

  1989

  NI Council for Educational Research

  NI Business and Technical Education Council

  NI Council for Educational Development

  Teachers' Negotiating Machinery Committees—decreased from 4 to 3

  1990

  Further Education Appeals Board

  NI Schools Examination Council

  Centre for Learning Resources Management Committee

  Committee for Nature Conservation*

  Ulster Countryside Commission*

  —* combined to become Council for Nature Conservation and the Countryside

  1991

  Advisory Board for Postgraduate Awards

  Committee for Centre for Education Management

  Council for Continuing Education

  5 Industrial Training Boards

  Manpower Council

  NI Training Authority—functions were taken over by the Training and Employment Agency

  Youth Committee for NI—became the Youth Council for NI

  1992

  Road Transport Industry Training Board

  Textiles Industry Training Board

  Ulster Savings Committee

  Accommodation Grants Advisory Committee

  1993

  NI Electricity Board then NI Electricity Plc—now privatised

  Attendance Allowance Board—replaced by Disability Living

  Allowance Advisory Board

  1994

  9 Wage Councils

  NI Schools Examinations and Assessment Council*

  NI Curriculum Council1

  —1 combined to become NI Council for the Curriculum, Examination and Assessment.

  Summary data for the years 1979 to 1985 are not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
  497
  Mr. Sykes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many quangos his Department was responsible for(a) in 1979 and (b) in the latest year for which a number is available.

  Sir John Wheeler
  [holding answer 25 November 1994]: (a) My right hon. and learned Friend was responsible for a total of 132 non-departmental bodies in 1979 as listed in the "Report on Non-Departmental Public Bodies"—Pliatzky Report Cm 7797, January 1980; and

  (b) in 1993 he was responsible for 108 non-departmental public bodies as listed in "Public Bodies 1993".

  Education Costs
  Mr. Beggs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish details of the annual costs to(a)
  498
  the Department for 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 Education

  143

  156

  246

  Education and Library Boards1

  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.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Hong Kong
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations have been received alleging the failure of the Hong Kong administration effectively to enforce national wildlife laws and implement the convention on international trade in endangered species, and what has been the response.

  Mr. Goodlad
  In the past year we have received representations from members of the public responding to non-governmental organisations letter campaigns, and representations from the following NGOs:

  Naturewatch—Rhino horn and ivory sales

  World Wide Fund for Nature—Sale of rhino, tiger and bear parts

  Traffic international—Sale of rhino and tiger products

  Environmental Investigation Agency—Sale of bear products and rhino horn.

  The EIA met with the Governor of Hong Kong in London to ask for a dedicated wildlife enforcement unit to be created. It wrote to the Governor in October, again requesting the setting up of a specialised unit. We received a similar request in two early-day motions, 22 and 59.

  Hong Kong set up an endangered species protection liaison group in November 1993 to co-ordinate and implement actions in enforcing national wildlife laws and implementing CITES. The group has access to the resources and expertise of all enforcement and policy agencies, including under cover capability. Should circumstances change, or if any evidence of wholesale trafficking should come to light, Hong Kong will look again at the idea of whether a specialised unit should be set up, and whether it would do the job better.

  The Hong Kong Government are keen to work with NGOs, and is currently liaising with Traffic on a study into Hong Kong's position in the Asian medicine trade. The Hong Kong Government take seriously representations alleging CITES abuses, and follow up evidence that is supplied.

  Serbia (Sanctions)
  Sir Russell Johnston
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is Her Majesty's Government's policy regarding financial and practical assistance to Romania, Hungary and Bulgaria in consequence of sanctions against Serbia; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The effect of sanctions against former Yugoslavia on neighbouring states is difficult to quantify. Assistance is best directed at helping their economies adapt to their changed circumstances. In our view, the international financial institutions, especially the International Monetary Fund, are best placed to assess the damage caused by sanctions and take account of it in their programmes. Romania and Bulgaria have active programmes with the IMF. We also support other multilateral and bilateral efforts, including those of the United Kingdom's know-how fund, aimed at assisting the change to a market economy.

  Iraq (Sanctions)
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has 500
  about the impact upon the Kurdish areas of the current policy of sanctions upon Iraq.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  We recognise that United Nations sanctions have had a debilitating effect on Iraq. The situation is particularly severe in the Kurdish occupied areas in the north and the southern marshes where the Iraqi regime has also imposed internal economic embargoes. Nevertheless, the Kurdish leadership supports the need to maintain sanctions until Iraq is in compliance with all relevant resolutions. Given the internal embargo, the north is a particular focus for the international aid effort.

  Western European Union (Danube Mission)
  Sir Russell Johnston
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many personnel are assigned to the WEU mission on the Danube from each WEU member state, distinguishing between those at Mohacs, Calafat and Ruse.

  Mr. Goodlad
  The latest available statistics relate to the situation on 1 October. On this date, there were 34 German, seven Dutch, five Luxembourg, five Italian and two British officers in the Mohacs area; 74 Italian, six German, 20 French, 13 Dutch and three Spanish officers in Calafat; and 47 Spanish and 32 German officers in Ruse.

  Bulgaria
  Ms Quin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if it is the Government's policy to assist Bulgaria with measures to help ensure higher safety standards for Bulgarian nuclear energy installations; and what plans he has to provide Bulgaria with new forms of financial assistance to achieve this.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The Government support international efforts to improve nuclear safety in Bulgaria, through both the European Union and the nuclear safety account managed by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. Projects for Kozloduy nuclear power plant total some 30 mecu and 24 mecu respectively. The United Kingdom has also provided some bilateral assistance to Bulgaria in the form of emergency preparedness, studies and training. No new forms of financial assistance in this area are currently being considered.

  Entry Clearance Applications
  Mr. Nigel Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will ensure that copies of the list of posts designated to accept entry clearance applications are placed in the Libraries of the House each time the list is revised.

  Mr. Baldry
  Yes. Amended lists are presented to the Libraries of both Houses following each revision, which will normally be made twice yearly. I have arranged for the latest lists to be placed in the Libraries today. Members of the public may obtain copies from the migration and visa department of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

  Government Hospitality Fund
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 22
  501
  November, Official Report, column 109, if he will list the operational budget of the Government hospitality fund and staff levels for each of the last 10 years.

  Mr. Goodlad
  The operational budget of the Government hospitality fund and staff levels for each of the last 10 years are as follows:

  Year

  Budget

  Staff levels

  1984–85

  730,000

  26

  1985–86

  844,000

  26

  1986–87

  945,000

  26

  1987–88

  808,000

  26

  1988–89

  908,000

  26

  1989–90

  1,217,000

  26

  1990–91

  1,099,000

  26

  1991–92

  1,117.000

  26

  1992–93

  1,152,000

  26

  1993–94

  1,337,000

  26

  The cost of visits in 1993–94 rose as a consequence of visits made by Ministers from the new nations emerging in the former Soviet Union.

  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 22 November,Official Report, column 110, if he will provide a departmental breakdown of (a) hospitality and (b) visits costs in each of the last five years.

  Mr. Goodlad
  The Government hospitality fund provides official hospitality on behalf of Her Majesty's Government, not on behalf of Departments. All invitations for hospitality and visits are issued in the name of Her Majesty's Government.

  Arms Sales, Indonesia
  Mr. Gapes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the total value of arms sales to Indonesia since 1979 and the amount for each individual year.

  Mr. Freeman
  I have been asked to reply.

  It is not Government policy to reveal details of the value of arms exports to individual countries. Details of the value of exports by geographic region are contained in table 1.11 of United Kingdom defence statistics. A copy of the 1994 edition has been placed in the House Library. In addition, the United Kingdom's annual return to the UN arms register provides information on transfers of equipment within certain broad categories.

  Death Penalty
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which countries of the British Commonwealth still retain the death penalty; and what was the number of people in each country under sentence of death on 16 November.

  Mr. Baldry
  The information is as follows:

  Commonwealth Country

  Numbers

  Comments

  Antigua

  1

  The Bahamas

  32

  No executions since 1984

  Bangladesh

  Unavailable

  Barbados

  17

  Belize

  8

  502

  Commonwealth Country

  Numbers

  Comments

  Botswana

  7

  No executions since 1987

  Britain

  —

  Applies only to treason and piracy with violation

  Brunei

  5

  Dominica

  4

  Ghana

  Unavailable

  Grenada

  —

  Guyana

  18

  India

  86

  Jamaica

  128

  No executions since 1988

  Kenya

  568

  No executions since 1984

  Lesotho

  2

  Malawi

  —

  Malaysia

  Unavailable

  Maldives

  Unavailable

  Malta

  —

  Applies only to high treason by members of armed forces

  Mauritius

  5

  Nigeria

  50

  Pakistan

  Unavailable

  Papua New Guinea

  —

  St. Christopher and

  2

  Nevis

  St. Lucia

  8

  St. Vincent

  7

  Sierra Leone

  73

  Singapore

  60+

  South Africa

  335

  Moratorim in effect since 1989

  Sri Lanaka

  —

  Swaziland

  5

  No executions since 1982

  Tanzania

  Unavailable

  Tonga

  —

  No executions since 1932

  Trinidad and Tobago

  50

  Uganda

  193

  Western Samoa

  3

  Zambia

  101

  Zimbabwe

  100

  No executions since 1988

  Commonwealth Institute
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the formal relationship between the Commonwealth Institute and the Commonwealth Institute in Scotland.

  Mr. Baldry
  The Imperial Institute Act 1925 and the Commonwealth Institute Act 1958, as amended, established and deal with one statutory organisation, the Commonwealth Institute. The Commonwealth Institute, Scotland was constituted by the board of governors of the Commonwealth Institute. It has no separate legal status or personality. The chairman of the Commonwealth Institute, Scotland is a member of the board of governors of the Commonwealth Institute.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what are the proposals that have been made to him by the Commonwealth Institute for the continuation of the Commonwealth Institute in Scotland.
  503
  Mr. Baldry
  The chairman of the institute, Scotland is in close contact with the board of governors of the Commonwealth Institute on which assessors, appointed by my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary, represent Government Departments, and is pursuing solutions for the future. He is also exploring the possibilities of maintaining the Scottish Institute's programmes in collaboration with other organisations in Scotland.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about the continued funding of the Commonwealth Institute by his Department and the conditions for that funding.

  Mr. Baldry
  My noble Friend the Baroness Chalker of Wallasey informed the then acting chairman of the Commonwealth Institute on 12 July 1994 that the Government are prepared to make available £1 million for the financial year 1996–97, £800,000 for 1997–98 and £600,000 for 1998–99. The offer is conditional upon the institute submitting by 16 July 1995 a business plan and a building plan for assessment by independent consultants, and for approval by Foreign and Commonwealth Office Ministers.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs who owns the premises used by the Commonwealth Institute in Scotland; and what contribution is made by public funds to the building and the provision of services by the Commonwealth Institute in Scotland.

  Mr. Baldry
  The trustees of the Commonwealth Institute are empowered to hold the assets of the institute. The Commonwealth Institute, Scotland receives a grant in aid of £215,000 per annum.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received about the continued operation of the work of the Commonwealth Institute in Scotland.

  Mr. Baldry
  On 28 April 1994, the chairman of the Commonwealth Institute, Scotland requested that the Government provide an annual core grant of £116,000 after March 1996. The chairman has submitted a plan to the board of governors of the institute for keeping the body in being after 1996.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions or contacts have taken place between his Department and the Commonwealth Institute in Scotland about its continued existence and funding by his Department.

  Mr. Baldry
  My noble Friend the Baroness Chalker of Wallasey informed the chairman of the Commonwealth Institute, Scotland on 12 July 1994 that the Government could not meet his request for an annual grant after 1996. However, a grant of £24 million would be made available to the parent body in London for the period 1996 to 1999 to assist the relaunch plan. There would be no objection from Government to the Commonwealth Institute, Scotland requesting the board of the institute in London to make available post-1996 a proportion of its funding.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what policy options he is currently considering about the future of the Commonwealth Institute in Scotland.

  Mr. Baldry
  None. The chairman of the Commonwealth Institute, Scotland is currently exploring the possibilities of maintaining the Scottish Institute's504
  programmes in collaboration with other organisations in Scotland.

  Somalia
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the United Nations Security Council delegation that went to Somalia visited Somaliland; what was the outcome of the visit; what is the current UN attitude to the support of peace development efforts in Somaliland; and what it has done practically to support such efforts.

  Mr. Baldry
  [holding answer 25 November 1994]: The United Nations mission confined its visit to Mogadishu. It concluded that the lack of progress on political reconciliation and the security environment meant that the UN could no longer achieve its objectives and that the UN force should be withdrawn. This view was endorsed by the Security Council in its resolution No. 954. This also makes it clear that the UN is ready to play a role in reconciliation efforts in Somalia after UNOSOM's withdrawal, if the Somalis wish.

  Turkey
  Mr. Austin-Walker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he has taken to satisfy himself that arms supplied to Turkey by the United Kingdom and other NATO states are not being used for the violation or suppression of human rights and fundamental freedoms; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Goodlad
  Proposed United Kingdom arms sales to Turkey, as to other countries, are considered on a case-by-case basis and are subject to stringent licensing procedures. Before a licence is granted, a wide range of factors are taken into account—including an assessment of the recipient country's human rights record and of the use to which the equipment will be put. We do not grant licences for the sale of equipment which we believe is likely to be used for internal repression.

  Mr. Austin-Walker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Government of Turkey regarding bans on British parliamentarians visiting or travelling through that country.

  Mr. Goodlad
  Turkey has imposed no general ban on British parliamentarians visiting or travelling through that country. We have expressed our concern to the Turkish Government at the ban imposed recently on the noble Lord, the Lord Avebury.

  Mr. Austin-Walker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he made to the Turkish Government regarding abuse of human rights, destruction of villages and forced displacement of people from south-eastern Turkey during his visit to Istanbul on 14 October.

  Mr. Goodlad
  During my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary's visit to Istanbul on 14 October he raised human rights issues with the Turkish Prime Minister. He also discussed the situation in the south-east of Turkey with the Turkish Foreign Minister. The Turkish Government are well aware of the importance we attach to their improving their human rights record.

  Mr. Austin-Walker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will urge Dr. Francis Deng, the United Nations rapporteur on internally
  505
  displaced persons, to conduct a survey of the position in south-east Turkey; and what assessment he has made of the adequacy of resources for the task.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  UN human rights investigators draw up their own programmes of visits in the light of their mandates and priorities. It would be inappropriate for any country to attempt to influence the work of such investigators, including Mr. Deng. We are not aware of any immediate plans by Mr. Deng for a visit to Turkey.

  Mr. Austin-Walker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if arms being supplied Turkey by the United Kingdom and other NATO member states are of a nature which could be used against Greece.

  Mr. Goodlad
  Yes, the same would be true of weapons sold to any other NATO member state.

  Mr. Austin-Walker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the conformity of arms sales to Turkey by the United Kingdom and other Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe states with the CSCE principles governing conventional arms transfers of November 1993; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Goodlad
  Our policy on arms sales to Turkey, as to other countries, is in accordance with the CSCE principles governing conventional arms transfer of November 1993; with the guidelines on conventional arms transfer agreed by the five permanent members of the UN Security Council; and with the European Union common criteria for arms exports.

  Sudan
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the extent of the European arms embargo against Sudan; what assessment he has made of compliance with them; and what measures are being taken to bring(a) South Africa and (b) other countries into the embargo.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The European Union arms embargo agreed on 8 March this year covers arms, munitions and military equipment. As far as we know, it is being fully complied with. The arms embargo covers only European Union member states.

  Al Yamamah Contract
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has received from Sir Colin Southgate, chairman of Thorn/EMI, on commissions paid on the Al Yamamah arms contract with Saudi Arabia, and which other companies he is aware of where commissions were paid in regard to this and other contracts; and to whom.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  I have received no such information.

  Human Dimension Review
  Mr. Austin-Walker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will publish details of any proposals put by Her Majesty's Government to the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe's human dimension review meeting in Budapest.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The proposals tabled at the CSCE review conference have not been published because 506
  negotiations on them will not be completed before the summit. Some delegations and non-governmental organisations have, however, made available texts of their interventions during the conference. The conclusions of the four working groups, which cover all aspects of the CSCE's work, including the human dimension, will be incorporated into the final document to be approved by Heads of State and Government on 5 and 6 December.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Haverigg Prison
  Dr. John Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) on what grounds catering problems at Haverigg were explained in a "Prison Service News" release as a legacy of its origin as an RAF camp;

  (2) what steps have been taken to improve the standard of food and hygiene in Haverigg prison following Judge Tumim's inspection report on 13 July;

  (3) what steps he has taken to reduce the level of drug trafficking to Haverigg prison, as reported in Judge Tumim's report on 13 July;

  (4) what further drugs offences have occurred at Haverigg prison since July; and what further precautions will be taken to address this problem.

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

  Letter from Derek Lewis to Dr. John Cunningham, dated 28 November 1994:
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Questions about Haverigg prison.
  Haverigg occupies a former Royal Air Force site. The dining rooms criticised in HM Chief Inspector of Prisons report were built by the Royal Air Force approximately 54 years ago. They are particularly difficult to clean, and new cleaning schedules for the kitchen and dining rooms have been drawn up and implemented.
  The kitchen is being fully refurbished. A complete refit was begun this summer and is to be completed next month. This has required the provision of a temporary mobile kitchen for food preparation. A new catering manager and catering staff have resulted in higher standards.
  Since July there have been 38 adjudications on prisoners charged with unauthorised possession of controlled drugs or articles containing traces of such drugs. Two visitors were arrested for the possession of such drugs. One was cautioned by the police and the other convicted by magistrates.
  Drug trafficking is being tackled by increasing searching of visitors, use of security information and searching of the prisoner population, grounds and buildings. Closed circuit television will be introduced in the visits room to deter trafficking there.
  We also have a programme of drug education and training for prisoners on reception, which emphasises the dangers of drug abuse and is followed by counselling, group work and introduction to a drug rehabilitation course. This is being developed using psychology staff and local volunteer groups.

  Probation Officers
  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to have reached a conclusion on the report on the examination of the recruitment and qualifying training of probation officers and the number of sponsored places for such training in 1995; and when he will publish the report.
  507
  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  The report is under active consideration and a statement will be made shortly.

  Anabolic Steroids
  Mr. Pendry
  : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will include the group of substances known as anabolic agents with particular reference to beta-2-agonists, salbutoamol, clenbuterol, salmeterol and terbutaline, in his proposals to combat the abuse of anabolic steroids;

  (2) if he plans to extend his recent proposals to combat the misuse of anabolic steroids to cover growth hormone, human chorionic gonadotrophin, corticotrophin and erythropoeitin.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Following the announcement on 2 November by my right hon. and learned Friend the Home Secretary's decision to impose further controls on anabolic steroids and other similar drugs, he has asked the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs to consider and advise on exactly which substances should be brought within the controls of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. I understand that growth hormones and beta-2-agonists will be among the substances considered by the advisory council.

  Women Prisoners
  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many women either had children when they were sentenced to prison or have given birth in prison in the past three years; and if he will list the crimes for which they were sentenced.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter from Derek Lewis to Ms Lynne Jones, dated 28 November 1994:
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the number of women who either have children when they are sentenced to prison or who have given birth in prison in the past three years and the crimes for which they were sentenced.
  Information on the numbers of mothers in custody is not routinely collected by the Prison Service. Instead such information has been collected by conducting surveys of female prisoners, concentrating in particular on those who are mothers. Such censuses were carried out in 1982, 1986 and 1989. I enclose the results of the 1989 census, a copy of which has been placed in the Library of the House.
  The Home Office Research and Planning Unit has recently commissioned a census of mothers in prison. This was launched earlier this month, following a successful pilot study, and will cover all women in prison, including those on remand. The results are expected in the New Year.
  Our records show the number of women temporarily removed to outside hospital for delivery and returning to establishments afterwards. The figures for the past three years are:

  1990–91 65

  1991–92 56

  1992–93 29

  There is no record of births having taken place in establishments in recent years.
  I regret that the information on the crimes for which the mothers were sentenced is not available.

  Data Protection
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement concerning 508
  progress towards agreement on the European Union's data protection directive; which are the areas where the United Kingdom Government still have major concerns; and which parts of the directive he expects to vote against at the meeting of the Council of Ministers in December.

  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  The United Kingdom has made clear that it disagrees both with the principle of a directive on data protection, and with the specific proposals put forward by the Commission—which are in many respects over–prescriptive, unnecessarily burdensome and very costly, especially in relation to manually held data. The Government will decide, in the light of all the relevant considerations, what stance to adopt when the directive comes up for discussion in the Council of Ministers.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what plans he has to reverse the United Kingdom's policy towards the derogations entered against the first sentence of paragraph 2.4, the second sentence of paragraph 3.1 and from paragraph 3.3 of Council of Europe recommendation R(85)20; and what assessment he has made of the implications of the(a) European Union's proposals for a data protection directive and (b) decisions of the data protection tribunal for these derogations;

  (2) what plans he has to reverse the United Kingdom's policy towards the derogations entered against principles 6.2 and 6.3 and paragraph 2 of Council of Europe recommendation R(91)10; and what assessment he has made of the implications of the (a) European Union's proposals for a data protection directive and (b) decisions of the data protection tribunal for these derogations;

  (3) what plans he has to reverse the United Kingdom's policy towards the derogations entered against principals 2.2 and 2.4 of Council of Europe recommendation R(87)15; and what assessment he has made of the implications of the (a) European Union's proposals for a data protection directive and (b) decisions of the data protection tribunal for these derogations;

  (4) what plans he has to reverse the United Kingdom's policy towards the derogations entered against the second sub-paragraph of paragraph 1.2, the second sentence of paragraph 3.3 and from paragraph 5 of Council of Europe recommendation R(86)1; and what assessment he has made of the implications of the (a) European Union's proposals for a data protection directive and (b) decisions of the data protection tribunal for these derogations;

  (5) what plans he has to reverse the United Kingdom's policy towards the derogation entered against Council of Europe recommendation R(83)10; and what assessment he has made of the implications of the (a) European Union's proposals for a data protection directive and (b) decisions of the data protection tribunal for this derogation;

  (6) what plans he has to reverse the United Kingdom's policy towards the derogations entered against paragraphs 3.3, 3.4, 5.16 and 7.1 of Council of Europe recommendation R(90)19; and what assessment he has made of the implications of the (a) European Union's proposals for a data protection directive and (b) decisions of the data protection tribunal for these derogations.
  509
  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  There are no current plans to amend any of the United Kingdom's derogations in regard to the Council of Europe recommendations mentioned.

  It would be premature to consider the implications of the proposed data protection directive for these derogations, until the directive has been adopted. The implications—if any—of the jurisprudence of the data protection tribunal for the derogations remain under consideration.

  Terrorists
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many(a) men and (b) women convicted of terrorist offences within the United Kingdom are at present serving a prison sentence in England and Wales.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter from Derek Lewis to Mr. Tom Cox, dated 28 November 1994:
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the number of men and women at present serving sentences in England and Wales for terrorist offences.
  Readily available information on the number of prisoners serving sentences in England and Wales whose offences were related to terrorism is limited to those classified as category A.
  On 24 November 1994 there were 45 men and no women.

  Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will review the system of payments available via the criminal injuries compensation scheme to make better provisions for victims of crime and their families.

  Mr. Maclean
  The Government reviewed the scheme prior to the introduction earlier this year of the new tariff scheme. The tariff scheme is simpler for claimants to understand, easier to administer and victims will get their money more quickly. It will also enable us to predict and control costs more readily, while at the same time continuing to provide one of the most generous compensation schemes anywhere. The workings of the tariff scheme will be closely monitored and we will make any refinements that prove necessary in the light of experience.

  Crime Victims (Court Cases)
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will seek to amend the law to impose a duty on the prosecuting authorities to advise victims of crime and their families about the progress of criminal proceedings in which they were involved including advanced notification of hearing dates, adjournments and grants of bail to the defendant.

  Mr. Maclean
  The prosecuting authorities are well aware of the importance of keeping victims advised of case progress, and every effort is being made to ensure 510
  that this should be done to the fullest extent practicable. I am not persuaded that legislation is required to achieve this.

  Special Constables
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in what circumstances special constables or their dependants are eligible to make claims for criminal injuries compensation if a special constable is killed or injured on duty; how many such compensation claims have been submitted in each of the last three years, to date; how many were(a) accepted and (b) rejected; and what was the amount of compensation paid in each case.

  Mr. Maclean
  Special constables are eligible to apply for compensation under the criminal injuries compensation scheme in the same way as any other blameless victim of a crime of violence in Great Britain. In cases of death their dependants are similarly eligible to apply. All applications are considered under the same rules.

  The Criminal Injuries Compensation Board does not collate centrally information about claims made by special constables, or other occupational groups.

  Common Visa List
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which countries are proposed by the European Commission for inclusion on the common visa list.

  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  The following:

  Country

  Country

  Afghanistan

  Morocco

  Albania

  Marshall Islands

  Algeria

  Mauritius

  Angola

  Mauritania

  Antigua and Barbuda

  Micronesia

  Armenia

  Moldavia

  Azerbaidjan

  Mongolia

  Bahamas

  Mozambique

  Bahrain

  Myanmar

  Bangladesh

  Namibia

  Barbados

  Nauru

  Belarus

  Nepal

  Belize

  Niger

  Benin

  Nigeria

  Bhutan

  Northern Mariana Islands

  Botswana

  Oman

  Bulgaria

  Pakistan

  Burkina Faso

  Papua New Guinea

  Burundi

  Philippines

  Cambodia

  Qatar

  Cameroon

  Romania

  Cape Verde

  Russia

  Central African Republic

  Rwanda

  Chad

  Saint Christopher and Nevis

  China

  Saint Vincent and Grenadines

  Comores

  Santa Lucia

  Congo

  Samoa (Western)

  Cuba

  Sao Tomé and Principe

  Djibouti

  Saudi Arabia

  Dominica

  Senegal

  Dominican Republic

  Seychelles

  Egypt

  Sierra Leone

  Eritrea

  Solomon Islands

  Ethiopia

  Somalia

  Fiji

  South Africa

  Gabon

  Sudan

  511

  Country

  Country

  Gambia

  Sri Lanka

  Georgia

  Surinam

  Ghana

  Swaziland

  Grenada

  Syria

  Guinea

  Taiwan

  Guinea Bissau

  Tadjikistan

  Guinea (Equitorial)

  Tanzania

  Guyana

  Thailand

  Haiti

  Togo

  India

  Tonga

  Indonesia

  Trinidad and Tobago

  Iran

  Trust Territory of the Pacific

  Iraq

  Islands (Palau)

  Ivory Coast

  Tunisia

  Jordan

  Turkmenistan

  Kazakhstan

  Turkey

  Kirghizstan

  Tuvalu

  Kiribati

  Uganda

  Korea (North)

  Ukraine

  Kuwait

  United Arab Emirates

  Laos

  Uzbekistan

  Lesotho

  Vanuatu

  Lebanon

  Vietnam

  Liberia

  Yemen

  Libya

  Zaire

  Madagascar

  Zambia

  Maldives

  Zimbabwe

  Mali

  Talacre Beach, Clwyd
  Mr. Hanson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will now agree the draft byelaw proposed for Talacre beach, Clwyd by Delyn borough council.

  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  Home Office officials wrote to the council on 25 November giving provisional approval to the byelaws.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  Politically Sensitive Implications
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Attorney-General (1) from what sources cases with politically sensitive implications are referred to him;

  (2) what procedure he adopts when dealing with cases with politically sensitive implications;

  (3) what have been the sources encouraging him to take action against (a) anti-road protesters, (b) arms to Iraq cases and (c) whistleblowers against Government activity; and how he has analysed these requests before making his decision.

  The Attorney-General
  Cases may be drawn to my attention by a variety of sources but cases of the type described by the hon. Member would most probably be referred to me by a prosecuting authority.

  Criminal proceedings in all cases including those described by the hon. Member would be initiated by the relevant prosecuting authority and not by me.

  The proper approach to any such case was described to the House on 28 January 1951, Official Report, column 683 by the then Attorney-General, who set out the principles which have been consistently followed by
  512
  successive Attorneys-General of either party. I have supplied a copy of the relevant text to the hon. Member.

  Extradition
  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Attorney-General if it is the practice of his Department to indicate to the Irish Attorney-General if extradition requests are urgent or important or both.

  The Attorney-General
  If there are specific time constraints, for example if the person whose return is sought is liable to be released from custody in the Republic of Ireland, it is the practice to draw attention to them.

  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Attorney-General on what date officials in his Department advised the Irish Attorney-General that it was expected that there would be a voluntary return to Northern Ireland by Brendan Smyth and that as a consequence it was not therefore necessary to proceed with the extradition request.

  The Attorney-General
  Officials of my Department informed the Irish Attorney-General's office on 6 December 1993 that there was a prospect of Brendan Smyth returning voluntarily to Northern Ireland.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Fishing
  Mr. Gill
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if Department of Trade and Industry surveys on British-registered fishing vessels have been carried out in Spanish ports.

  Mr. Norris
  I have been asked to reply.

  Yes. The majority of surveys under the Fishing Vessels (Safety Provisions) Rules 1975 are undertaken in United Kingdom ports but some are carried out elsewhere, including Spain.

  Christmas Expenditure
  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food 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 Ministers' private offices and official residences.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  Disaggregated information of this nature is not available. Such costs are included in the Ministry's expenditure on official hospitality, figures for which were given on 25 October,Official Report, column 548.

  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food 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. Waldegrave
  Approximately 550 official Christmas cards will be sent by MAFF Ministers in 1994. Three designs have been chosen from the Charity
  513
  Christmas Card Council catalogue, at a cost of £252. No estimate is available of the staff and postage costs involved. Samples of the cards have been placed in the Library.

  Bovine Immunodeficiency Virus
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether all blood samples from the herd of Linda and Tim Blything of Cheshire were tested for BIV at the Animal Health Institute; and to what extent tests for BIV on the herd were regarded as abnormal.

  Mrs. Browning
  We do not divulge information on specific cases on the grounds of confidentiality unless the information has already been put into the public domain by the parties concerned. In this instance, we can confirm that blood samples from the herd of Mr. and Mrs. Blything have been examined at the Institute of Animal Health and the results of the serological examinations would suggest that infection by bovine immunodeficiency-like virus—BIV—is widespread in the herd.

  Special Advisers
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement concerning the cost to public funds of employing ministerial special advisers in his Department.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  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.

  Industry
  Mr. Hicks
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what discussions he has had with European Commission about alleged illegal national financial support to the pig industry; if EC funding is available to national Governments for schemes to help their pig industry; and what action he proposes taking to assist United Kingdom pig producers.

  Mr. Jack
  We follow up all evidence of illegal state aids in other member states with the European Commission. Only in the case of France have we established the existence of illegal aid in the pigmeat sector. After a great deal of pressure from us the Commission announced on 27 July that parts of a package of French state aids for pig farmers were illegal. Further proceedings have now begun against French Government guarantees for loans through the Stabiporc scheme. The Commission has sought comments from member states and other interested parties; we will be submitting a robust response and will keep up the pressure on the Commission to ensure that action is taken.

  The Government are committed to a successful pig industry and have provided support by releasing feed wheat from intervention stocks, funding research and
  514
  development in the pig sector, giving financial assistance to collaborative marketing projects and promoting improvements in key production areas through the publication of booklets, ADAS workshops and promotions in the trade press.

  Forestry
  Mr. Tipping
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many and which local authorities have responded to the consultation paper "Out Forests, the Way Ahead"; and how many and which local authorities have expressed reservations about the proposal to continue with the disposal of woodland and the loss of public access in these woodlands.

  Mr. Jack
  Thirteen local authorities in England have responded; nine have expressed reservations about the proposals securing public access to woodlands sold by the Forestry Commission as follows:

  Cheshire County Council

  East Hampshire District Council

  Exeter City Council1

  Forest of Dean District Council1

  Hampshire County Council

  Herefordshire and Worcestershire County Council1

  Leicestershire County Council1

  New Forest District Council1

  Northamptonshire County Council1

  Shropshire County Council1

  Staffordshire County Council1

  Test Valley Borough Council

  Winchester City Council1

  1Councils which have expressed reservations

  Sheep Annual Premiums
  Mr. Welsh
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many sheep annual premiums have been made to date; and what is the total value of such payments.

  Mr. Jack
  [holding answer 24 November 1994]: By 18 November, first and second advance payments had been made on a total of £38,385 claims in England, representing a value of £101,920,444.

  Lobbying Companies
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the guidelines issued by his Department to regulate relationships with lobbying companies.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  [holding answer 24 November 1994]: No guidelines are issued specifically about relations with lobbying companies. The conduct of Ministers in this respect is governed by the guidance in "Questions of Procedure for Ministers". The departmental staff manual 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.

EMPLOYMENT

  Christmas Expenditure
  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment 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 Ministers' private offices and official residences.

  Miss Widdecombe
  Disaggregated information of this nature is not available. Such costs are covered by the entertainment expenditure for this Department which is published in the annual report, a copy of which is available in the Library.

  Training
  Mr. McCartney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people completed their training under (1) the training for work scheme and (2) youth training broken down by gender both regionally and nationally; how many successfully found employment on(a) immediate completion of their training, (b) up to three months after completion of training and (c) up to six months after completion of training; and how many were without work one year after completion, for each year since inception of both schemes.

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

  Vacancies
  Mr. McCartney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what are the current numbers and categories of employment vacancies.

  Mr. Oppenheim
  In October 1994 there were 194,981 unfilled vacancies at jobcentres, the highest number since June 1990. Further details of these vacancies, including occupational classification, is available from the NOMIS database in the Library.

  Youth Training
  Mr. McCartney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the numbers of young people who were registered for youth training, broken down both regionally and nationally and by gender, who are(a) currently without offer of a place, (b) ineligible for income support or (c) receiving special hardship allowance in each year since 1979.

  Mr. Paice
  The information requested is not available. However, the number of young people covered by the youth training guarantee who have been registered with careers services in England for eight or more weeks is provided in the following table:

  Region1

  October 19932

  October 19943

  South East

  670

  48

  London

  491

  171

  Eastern

  538

  113

  South West

  208

  130

  West Midlands

  183

  65

  East Midlands

  290

  56

  516

  Region1

  October 19932

  October 19943

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  146

  174

  Merseyside

  271

  27

  North West

  337

  114

  North East

  198

  162

  England

  3,332

  1,060

  Notes:

  1 Employment Department training, enterprise and education directorate regions.

  2 14 October 1993.

  3 31 October 1994.

  All claims for income support from 16 and 17-year-olds are automatically considered under the severe hardship provision unless entitlement under the normal provisions already exist. So far this year, around 86 per cent. of claims under severe hardship have been successful.

  Departmental Staff
  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the minimum salary for a 16-year-old employed by his Department in London; and how many are so employed.

  Miss Widdecombe
  The minimum salary for a 16-year-old employed by the Employment Department group in London is £4,995 for non-industrial staff. There is currently one 16-year-old employed by the ED group in London.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION

  Cairo Waste Water Project
  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was entailed in(a) the contract 18: Cairo waste water project awarded to Biwater International and (b) the supervision of contract 18: Cairo waste water project awarded to Taylor Binnie and Partners.

  Mr. Baldry
  Contract 18 provides the Egyptian General Organisation for Sanitary Drainage with services for:preparation of the systems and procedures needed to run the new East Bank pumping stations, including the provision of information to management;
  operating and maintaining the stations in accordance with these systems and procedures;
  training GOSD personnel, who will take over from the contractor and run the stations subsequently; and
  technical support following handover to GOSD.

  Taylor Binnie is providing detailed technical supervision and administration. Its supervisory role includes ensuring that the systems and procedures to be developed are compatible with GOSD's wider long-term institutional needs.

  Overseas Projects
  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what total number of man days were expended in the financial year 1993–94 on projects for(a) curriculum reform in-service training by the British Council and CPL, (b) Uganda Revenue

  517
  Authority: capacity building by Coopers and Lybrand, (c) Bangladesh Power Development Board action plan for performance improvement by Coopers and Lybrand Deloitte, (d) Qa Disi basin water study by Haiste International Ltd., (e) agricultural support services project by Hunting Technical Services and (f) mass privatisation adviser by Warburg and Co. Ltd.

  Mr. Baldry
  Financing arrangements with contractors vary from project to project and it is not always possible to be precise about the number of man days expended under each contract.

  (a) Approximately 540 man days.

  (b) Four staff were employed full time throughout 1993–94 and they were joined by two others who worked from May 1993 to the end of the financial year.

  (c) Approximately 45 man days.

  (d) 1,546 man days.

  (e) Approximately 1,949 man days.

  (f) This is a fixed fee contract against which there are no pre-set manpower inputs.

  Privatisation Advisers
  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs for what countries Schroders and Warburg and Co. Ltd. was employed as mass privatisation advisers(a) in the financial year 1992–93 and (b) since.

  Mr. Baldry
  J. Henry Schroder Wagg and Co. Ltd.—Schroders—was employed to give advice to the Government of Hungary on mass privatisation from February until April 1992. As a member of a consortium led by Ernst and Young Management Consultants, it gave advice on various aspects of mass privatisation to the Czech and Slovak Republics between September 1992 and September 1993.

  S. G. Warburg and Co. Ltd. is contracted to give advice to Poland on mass privatisation from 1 November 1992 until 31 December 1994.

  Crown Agents
  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs to which country the Crown Agents provided technical co-operation support for an International Bank for Reconstruction and Development rehabilitation loan in the financial year 1992–93.

  Mr. Baldry
  In 1992–93, the Crown Agents provided technical co-operation and training support to Government procurement agents within the Russian Federation to assist them in the implementation of a World bank rehabilitation loan.

  Overseas Travel
  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the total bill for Overseas Development Administration staff travel in the financial year 1993–94.

  Mr. Baldry
  The cost of official travel on administering the aid programme by staff of the Overseas Development Administration was £1.4 million in 1993–94. That includes travel by spouses and children of staff serving in overseas locations.

  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proportion of Overseas Development Administration spending on scheduled 518
  airline flights during the financial year 1993–94 consisted of (a) economy class, (b) business-club class and (c) first-class travel.

  Mr. Baldry
  The proportions are approximately(a) 23 per cent. economy class, (b) 76 per cent. business-club class and (c) 1 per cent. first class.

  Energy Efficiency
  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what were the project specifications for(a) the energy efficiency in buildings project awarded to the Building Research Establishment, (b) the energy efficiency training project awarded to March Consultancy and (c) the short-term energy requirement study awarded to Lord Marshall of Goring for the financial year 1992–93.

  Mr. Baldry
  Copies of the terms of reference/scope of work for the three contracts referred to have been placed in the Library of the House.

  Multilateral Development Banks
  Mr. Denham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to join and support the task force on the multilateral development banks, instigated in May to review the activities of the World bank and the regional development banks; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Baldry
  A senior ODA official will be a member of the task force, which is scheduled to start work in December.

  World Bank
  Mr. Denham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to insist that the World bank cancels debts incurred by the Governments of poor countries on loans granted in contravention of the bank's own guidelines.

  Mr. Baldry
  We will continue to work with other shareholders to ensure that the bank has appropriate systems and procedures in place and abides by its operational guidelines.

  Mr. Denham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to ensure that the World bank adopts policies compatible with the recommendations of the all-party parliamentary group on overseas development on sub-Saharan multilateral debt; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Baldry
  The recommendations in the all-party parliamentary group's report on Africa's multilateral debt are being given careful consideration.

  Mr. Denham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) if he will encourage Governments borrowing from the World bank and the International Monetary Fund to release loan documents at the end of each cycle of 18 months to two years;

  (2) if he will encourage countries borrowing from the International Monetary Fund and the World bank to release policy framework papers setting out macro-economic and structural policy measures and social and environmental information.

  Mr. Baldry
  The bank and the fund encourage borrowers to make as much information as possible available locally about development priorities and
  519
  programmes, including policy framework papers and project-related documentation.

  Mr. Denham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the impact of recent moves to increase transparency and accountability in the operations of the World bank; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Baldry
  We welcomed the presumption in favour of disclosure, on which the bank's board of directors decided in August 1993, and the resulting significant expansion in the range of information about the bank's policies and operations which is now publicly available. The revised disclosure of information policy is scheduled for review after one year of implementation; and we shall consider carefully with other shareholders whether improvements are needed.

  Mr. Denham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement outlining the Government's response to the German proposals to increase accountability of the World bank.

  Mr. Baldry
  We have not been informed of any German initiative in this area.

  Cameroon
  Mr. Denham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the World bank's review of the Douala infrastructure project in Cameroon.

  Mr. Baldry
  Bank staff have informed us that, following a recent review by the Government of Cameroon and the bank of the second urban project, approved in 1988, it has been decided to close the loan and cancel the balance of the Douala infrastructure component, implementation of which had been disrupted following civil unrest in 1991. A new project, which will include follow-on work on Douala infrastructure, is under preparation. This will be on concessional IDA terms, whereas the 1988 loan was on International Bank for Reconstruction and Development terms.

  Africa
  Mr. Denham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to implement the recommendations of the all-party group on overseas development in its recent report on Africa's multilateral debt on the introduction of an official channel of communication between the international financial institutions and Parliament.

  Mr. Baldry
  International financial institutions are intergovernmental bodies owned by their member Governments. Appropriate channels of communication are already in place between the institutions and HMG, who are accountable to Parliament.

  Yemen
  Mr. Hicks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to restore overseas aid to the Republic of Yemen, with particular reference to the project to support Sana'a university establishing a postgraduate course in English language studies; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Baldry
  [holding answer 24 November 1994]: The case for restoring aid to the republic of Yemen, including
  520
  the project to support the Sana'a university English language programme, is currently under review.

  Climate Change (Africa)
  Mrs. Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what plans he has to continue funding for the Overseas Development Administration studies regarding the impact of limiting carbon dioxide emissions in Zimbabwe; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) what plans he has to continue funding of the Overseas Development Administration studies of the impact of climatic change in Ghana and Kenya; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Baldry
  [holding answer 24 November 1994]: The ODA financed studies werc completed in 1992. We have no plans to pursue the issue bilaterally, but the replenished and restructured global environment facility, to which the United Kingdom has committed £89.5 million, is available to assist developing country parties to the climate change convention with their national strategies, plans and programmes.

  Uganda
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress is being made at the World bank and IMF in reducing Uganda's debt to these bodies; and what is Uganda's current level of debt to those bodies.

  Mr. Baldry
  [holding answer 25 November 1994]: Uganda has outstanding debts of about $391 million to the IMF and $1.25 billion to the World bank. Work is under way in both institutions in response to the proposals on multilateral debt outlined by my right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer in his answer on 19 October to the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent (Mr. Smith), Official Report, columns 272–74.

  Ukraine
  Ms Quin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last discussed the question of balance of payments support for the Ukraine with his EU counterparts; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Baldry
  [holding answer 25 November 1994]: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary last discussed the issue of balance of payments support for Ukraine with his EU counterparts on 4 October. My right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer discussed Ukraine with his EU colleagues on 7 November. The subject is also expected to be discussed at meetings of EU Foreign and Finance Ministers in the next two weeks.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Invalidity Benefit
  Mr. Dewar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the number of claimants of invalidity benefit who are(a) terminally ill or (b) in receipt of the highest rate care component of disability living allowance.
  521
  Mr. Hague
  Information in the form requested is not available. We estimate that around 25,000 people of working age become terminally ill each year although not all will qualify for incapacity benefits, some will be in receipt of statutory sick pay and others will not satisfy the contribution conditions. We estimate that up to 10,000 people who are receiving the higher rate care component of disability living allowance may claim incapacity benefits each year.

  Company Pension Schemes
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what representations he has received in the last 12 months regarding additional voluntary contributions in relation to company pension schemes; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) what action he proposes to take to change the protection to pensions secured by; additional voluntary contributions and if he will make a statement;

  (3) what reports or representations he has received regarding the failure of the Bellings and Co. Ltd. retirement benefit plan; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  The proposed changes to the legislation will increase protection for all members of occupational pension schemes by introducing safeguards, including the proposed minimum solvency requirement which should ensure that the value of all accrued rights is protected in the event of a scheme winding up, including the value of additional voluntary contributions. This Department has received a small number of letters about AVCs in the last year and a small number of representations about the Belling pension scheme.

  Data Cross-matching
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will place in the Library a copy of his advice, which related to the need for London boroughs to protect claimants from false accusations based on inaccurate data, resulting from his intentions to cross-match council tax and housing benefits personal data with personal data held by his Department.

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  No written advice has been issued but the Department has held a number of meetings with representatives from the participating London boroughs to discuss the pilot. The cross-matching of data will identify inconsistencies which warrant further consideration. The data sources will be thoroughly checked to confirm any discrepancy prior to any investigation taking place.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he wrote to local authority associations concerning his intentions to cross-match council tax and housing benefits personal data with personal data held by his Department; when copies of this correspondence were sent to the Data Protection Registrar; when he alerted the registrar to the intended data matching exercise in London; and if he will outline the steps which have been taken to improve communications with the registrar's office.

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  Formal consultations with the local authority associations began on 14 June 1994. Copies of the correspondence were not sent to the data protection registrar. The registrar was informed of the Department's proposals for the pilot exercise at a meeting early in June 522
  1994. We contact the registrar's office whenever necessary.

  Benefits
  Mr. McCartney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the total cost of administering benefits to the unemployed in cash terms and expressed as a percentage of benefit expenditure in each year since 1979.

  Mr. Roger Evans
  The available information is set out in the table. The proportion of the administrative cost of income support, housing benefit, council tax benefit, social fund loans, and other benefits attributable to the unemployed is not available.

  Administrative cost of unemployment benefit

  £ million

  As a percentage of unemployment benefit expenditure

  1979–80

  74

  11.3

  1980–81

  120

  9.4

  1981–82

  142

  8.3

  1982–83

  132

  8.8

  1983–84

  132

  8.8

  1984–85

  133

  8.4

  1985–86

  160

  10.1

  1986–87

  179

  10.3

  1987–88

  166

  11.3

  1988–89

  172

  15.5

  1989–90

  176

  24.0

  1990–91

  182

  20.9

  1991–92

  322

  20.1

  1992–93

  269

  15.3

  1993–941

  —

  —

  1 Figures for 1993–94 are not yet available.

  Information Technology
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the total cost of information technology, computing systems and equipment in his Departments and its agencies in each of the last three years, distinguishing between(a) capital and equipment, (b) in-house provision services and (c) contracted services and consultancy.

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  The information is in the table. The figures are on a commercial—accruals—basis.

  1993–94 £

  1992–93 £

  1991–92 £

  Cost of Capital and equipment (depreciation)

  64,640

  58,525

  58,237

  In-house provision1

  290,330

  276,109

  267,021

  Consultants/Contractors2

  95,352

  110,533

  97,158

  Total Costs

  450,322

  445,167

  422,416

  1 The 'In-house provision' figure is the balance of Information Technology Services Agency costs once depreciation and consultant/contractor costs are removed.1

  2 "Contracted services and consultancy" have been taken to mean consultants/contractors.

  Source:

  The ITSA Annual Report and Accounts. ITSA, an executive agency of the Department of Social Security, supplies IT services to the DSS and its agencies and to other Government Departments and agencies including the Employment Service, the Northern Ireland Social Security Agency, the National Health Service Pensions Agency and the Department of Health. These costs are included in the above figures.

  Family Credit
  Mr. Booth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what recent modifications he has made to family credit.

  Mr. Roger Evans
  In October 1994, we introduced new help with child care charges in family credit and in disability working allowance, housing benefit and council tax benefit. We estimate that, in the long term, around 150,000 families will benefit from this change, including 50,000 parents taking up work. This new help will provide a further incentive for people to take up and remain in employment.

  In April 1994, the special fast-track family credit service was extended to those newly entering self-employment. Most of their claims are now being cleared within five working days. Improvements in the claiming process for all self-employed people have meant a four-day reduction in the average time taken to deal with their claims.

  Income Support
  Ms Jowell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimate he has made of the numbers of owner-occupiers receiving help with mortgage interest payments through income support in 1994–95.

  Mr. Roger Evans
  The latest available information is that 548,000 income support claimants are receiving help with their mortgage interest payments.

  Source: Income support statistics quarterly inquiry February 1994.

  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what proposals he has to transfer to local authorities responsibility for the funding of income support claimants in care or nursing homes who have preserved entitlements to benefits.

  Mr. Roger Evans
  We have no plans to do so.

  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has for alterations in industrial injury schemes which will affect the interests of actual or potential sufferers from asbestosis.

  Mr. Hague
  None, but under the long-term review of social security expenditure each part of the social security programme is being examined to ensure that the objectives are right for the 1990s and beyond.

  Child Support
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many absent parents have withdrawn from employment after receiving Child Support Agency assessments since the Child Support Agency began operations.

  Mr. Burt
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Selly Oak (Dr. Jones), on 12 July 1994,Official Report, column 569.

  Mr. Canavan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to amend the legislation or regulations applying to the Child Support Agency; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Burt
  The Government have been keeping the operation of the Child Support Act under close review for some time. We are now considering carefully the recent report of the Social Security Select Committee and will respond with proposals for change in due course.
  524
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on the fifth report of the Social Security Select Committee of Session 1993–94 entitled "The Operation of the Child Support Act-Proposals for Change."

  Mr. Burt
  We are still evaluating the contents of the Select Committee's report, which was published on 26 October and we will respond in due course with proposals for change. No final decisions have yet been taken.

  Mr. Clappison
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he intends to publish the accounts of the Child Support Agency.

  Mr. Burt
  The Child Support Agency has today published its accounts for 1993–94 and a copy has been placed in the Library.

  Disability Working Allowance
  Mr. McCartney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people have claimed disability working allowance since its inception; and if he will break down the figures by age and gender.

  Mr. Hague
  By 31 October 1994, 51,005 people had claimed disability working allowance. Information on age and gender is not available in the form requested. The breakdown of the number of awards from November 1992 to April 1994, the latest period for which figures are available, is in the table.

  Awards of disability working allowance November 1992–April 1994

  Age of recipients

  Male

  Female

  All

  Under 20

  133

  91

  224

  20 to 29

  1,121

  955

  2,076

  30 to 39

  1,197

  768

  1,965

  40 to 49

  1,095

  759

  1,854

  50 to 59

  606

  351

  957

  60 plus

  139

  32

  171

  All ages

  4,291

  2,956

  7,247

SCOTLAND

  Transplants
  Mr. Galbraith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give for(a) 1992, (b) 1993, and (c) the first 10 months of 1994, the number of (i) liver transplants, (ii) heart transplants, (iii) heart and lung transplants and (iv) lung transplants, both single and double, carried out in Scotland.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The information is set out in the table. Lung, and heart and lung transplants are not provided in Scotland.

  Numbers of Heart and Liver Transplant Operations Performed in Scottish NHS Hospitals 1992–93 and January to October 1994

  1992

  1993

  January to October 19941

  Liver Transplant

  6

  30

  22

  Heart Transplant

  21

  22

  13

  1 Data for 1994 provisional.

  Christmas Expenditure
  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland 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. Lang
  I cannot give the number of official Christmas cards I and my colleagues will send but I will write to the hon. Member when the information is available.

  The costs will cost 15p each—excluding VAT—and will be issued by standard second class post. It is not possible to identify the staff time devoted to the dispatch of the cards.

  A sample of the card, which depicts the Queen's view in Perthshire, has been placed in the Library.

  Greater Glasgow Health Board
  Mr. Galbraith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects the Scottish health service management executive to approve Greater Glasgow health board's acute strategy review; and when it will be published.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Greater Glasgow health board expects to conclude its review of acute and maternity services in December this year. Public consultation will follow.

  Performance-related Pay
  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland which Scottish Office Department and which Scottish local enterprise companies operate on performance-related pay; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lang
  In line with other Government Departments all Scottish Office non-industrial staff, excluding prison officers whose scheme comes into operation on 1 April 1995, are now covered by performance-related pay schemes.

  Pay in the local enterprise companies is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise. I have asked the chairmen of the enterprise bodies to write to the hon. Member.

  Local Government Reorganisation
  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he is taking to ensure that the grants from revenue currently available to community and voluntary groups in Strathclyde region will continue to be available after reorganisation of local government.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The Government value highly the work of voluntary organisations in their local communities and wish to ensure a smooth hand-over from the existing to the new authorities. For this reason, the Scottish Office will make a direction under clause 55 of the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994 requiring each existing authority to inform shadow authorities of all funding which is given to voluntary organisations by means of a grant, service agreement or contract. This direction is designed to ensure that the new authorities are aware of the full extent and purpose of the existing authorities' funding of the voluntary sector, and 526
  in particular, of the full range of annual discretionary grants. This information will then inform their decision on assistance to community and voluntary bodies.

  This direction complements the general provision in the Act for all existing liabilities, obligations and contracts entered into by existing authorities to be transferred to the new councils. This provision will safeguard contracts with voluntary bodies.

  The Scottish Office will also issue guidance to the new authorities on the key role of voluntary organisations and the importance of avoiding disruption and delay in grant decision making.

  New Town Development Corporations
  Mr. Norman Hogg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many houses for rent are currently held by each new town development corporation; and what percentage this represents of the total number of houses constructed by each development corporation since vesting day.

  Mr. Stewart
  The last published data are at 31 March 1994 and are set out in the table.

  New Town

  Houses for rent as at 31 March 1994

  Percentage of total stock since vesting

  East Kilbride

  9,271

  39.5

  Glenrothes

  5,151

  40.9

  Cumbernauld

  4,686

  32

  Livingston

  6,800

  55.4

  Irvine

  3,609

  62.3

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

  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 24 November 1994]: My Department has no separate guidelines to regulate relationships with lobbying companies. 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.

  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland 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. Lang
  [holding answer 24 November 1994]: This information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

WALES

  Companies House
  Mr. Jon Owen Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with the President of the Board of Trade over the future of Companies House.

  Mr. Redwood
  My right hon. Friend has kept me fully informed of his review of Companies House.

  Mid Glamorgan Health Authority
  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he last met the chairperson of the Mid Glamorgan health authority to discuss the future of the health service.

  Mr. Richards
  My right hon. Friend met the then chairman of the Mid Glamorgan health authority on 22 March 1994 to discuss proposals for the future of health services in the Merthyr and Cynon valleys.

  Unemployment
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what has been the change in the number of unemployed since December 1992.

  Mr. Redwood
  Seasonally adjusted unemployment in Wales has now fallen by 19,000–14 per cent.—since December 1992. October's fall in the seasonally adjusted rate in Wales was the greatest in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Roy Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the level of male unemployment in Newport and Gwent at the latest available date.

  Mr. Redwood
  In October 1994, the number of unemployed males in the borough of Newport and Gwent were 5,154 and 13,741 respectively.

  Local Authorities (Conduct)
  Mr. David Shaw
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what steps he is taking to improve standards of conduct in local authorities in Wales.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  Such standards of conduct are primarily a matter for local authorities themselves and their auditors, taking account in particular of the national code of local government conduct, Welsh Office circular 23/90, and pecuniary interests of members of local authorities, Welsh Office circular 16/92. Where appropriate the Welsh Office reminds local authorities of their statutory responsibilities.

  Manufacturing Industry
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement concerning the prospects for manufacturing industry in Wales.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  Prospects for manufacturing industry in Wales are excellent. The latest CBI Wales survey shows that confidence in the Welsh business community is nearly double the United Kingdom average. New orders have increased at their fastest rate since 1988 and at twice the United Kingdom rate. The number of both export and domestic order books above normal levels is the highest since 1988, and the investment intentions of Welsh manufacturers are at their highest level since the survey began.

  Health Service Funding
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on health service funding in Wales during the current financial year.

  Mr. Richards
  The initial NHS budget for the current year was £2,076 million. This was £100 million more than last year—an increase of over 5 per cent. A further £8 million has been made available during the year.

  Local Government Finance
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what additional resources are to be made available to local authorities in Wales to undertake responsibilities which have been passed over to them from the Welsh Development Agency.

  Mr. Redwood
  I have issued £650,000 of additional credit approvals in 1994–95 and I will be providing £1.4 million in 1995–96.

  Language Courses
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will explain the difference in weighting attaching to courses for the teaching of the Welsh language to adults and the weighting as applied to the teaching of English; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Richards
  I understand that the Further Education Funding Council for Wales weights the funding per student of different courses according to the relative costs of provision. Since English as a second language is normally taught in small classes to students from a wide variety of linguistic and cultural backgrounds the costs per student are higher than those for second language Welsh courses. I also understand, however, that the funding council has decided to increase the weighting for Welsh second language courses next year.

  Milk Marketing Scheme
  Mr. Alan W. Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on changes in the milk marketing scheme introduced on 1 November.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The essential features of the new arrangements were set out in the answer by my right hon. Friend the then Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on 16 June,Official Report, columns 644–46. The necessary regulations were duly made and the new marketing arrangements came into effect on 1 November. Dairy Crest has not yet been floated on the stock market and remains in the ownership of the residual Milk Marketing Board.

  Severn Bridge
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his assessment of the effect on business and the environment of the Severn bridge tolls.

  Mr. Redwood
  A report by Pieda plc was published in 1992 by the Department of Employment. It concluded, on the basis of a survey of businesses in south Wales and Avon, that the second Severn crossing scheme allowing for the new tolls, would have a positive effect on local trading and commercial activity, and stimulate investment opportunities in south Wales. Copies of the executive summary of the report, entitled "The Economic Impact of
  529
  the Second Severn Crossing", are in the Library of the House. No assessment has been made of the effect of the tolls on the environment.

  Opt-out Schools
  Mr. Murphy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he last met leaders of county councils to discuss optout schools.

  Mr. Richards
  No such meetings have taken place.

  Health Authorities
  Mr. Ainger
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has received on his proposals to create five new health authorities in Wales.

  Mr. Redwood
  Since my announcement, there have been five representations, two of which were in support of my decision.

  Gross Domestic Product
  Mr. Rowlands
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his estimate of gross domestic product per capita in Mid Glamorgan as a percentage of the figure for(a) Wales and (b) south-east England.

  Mr. Redwood
  The latest available county data are for 1991, when GDP per head in Mid Glamorgan was estimated at £5,883. This represented 81.5 per cent. of the Welsh average and 59.1 per cent. of that for the south-east of England.

  Milk
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many representations he has received on the effect of the change in price of milk since the inception of Milk Marque; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  Four.

  Christmas Expenditure
  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales 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

  Cattle Slaughtered

  County

  May

  June

  July

  August

  September

  October

  Clwyd

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  Gwynedd

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Powys

  —

  —

  2

  4

  —

  —

  Dyfed

  29

  25

  54

  7

  12

  253

  South Glamorgan

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  West Glamorgan

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Mid Glamorgan

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Gwent

  17

  7

  7

  5

  9

  4

  Badgers
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many badgers were culled as a result of bovine tuberculosis in each region in each month since May 1994; and how many of these were shown to be suffering from TB.
  530
  how much will be spent in Minister's private offices, his flat in Cardiff and other official residences.

  Mr. Redwood
  This information is not held centrally. I do not have a personal flat in Cardiff. A small area of Cardiff headquarters office is available for Ministers and officials to stay the night, as well as being used for day-time meetings. Nothing will be spent on Christmas in this facility, and there are no official residences elsewhere.

  Training and Enterprise Councils
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to undertake and publish a training enterprise council employer survey and when.

  Mr. Redwood
  The fieldwork for a 1994 survey of employers has been completed on behalf of the seven Welsh training and enterprise councils, the Welsh Development Agency, the Development Board for Rural Wales, the Employment Service and the Welsh Office and a summary of preliminary findings issued in a Welsh Office statistical release on 31 August 1994, a copy of which is available in the Library of the House.

  It is planned to produce a Welsh Office statistical publication summarising the findings of the survey by March 1995.

  Gateway to Wales Hotel
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will sanction and fund the erection of reliable and substantial safety barriers between the carriageway and housing estates between the River Dee bridge and the Gateway to Wales hotel; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The existing safety barriers on the A494-A550 trunk road at this location are of the type used nationally in similar circumstances and there are no proposals to alter or extend the existing fencing.

  Bovine Tuberculosis
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many cattle were slaughtered as a result of bovine TB in each region in each month since May 1994.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The number of cattle slaughtered as a result of bovine TB in each month in each county in Wales since May 1994 is as follows:

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  Eight badgers have been culled in Wales as a result of bovine TB since May 1994. All of these were in Dyfed, four in September and four in October. Three of the eight badgers showed lesions at post mortem consistent with being affected with bovine TB, although laboratory results in all eight badgers are still outstanding.

  Job-related Training
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what percentage of the population is receiving job-related training; and how the figure relates to the standard Great Britain regions and the Great Britain average.

  Mr. Redwood
  Estimates are given in the following table:

  Percentage of the resident population of working age1 participating in job-related training2 in the last 4 weeks3

  Region

  Percentage

  Wales

  12.6

  Northern

  12.8

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  13.8

  East Midlands

  12.2

  East Anglia

  12.3

  London

  14.1

  Rest of South East

  14.1

  South West

  13.3

  West Midlands

  12.3

  North West

  13.0

  Scotland

  12.5

  Great Britain

  13.2

  1 Working age is defined as men aged 16—64 and women aged 16—59.

  2 Education or training connected with the respondent's job, or a job they might be able to do in the future.

  3 Respondents are asked about job-related education and training activity in the four weeks prior to the survey.

  Source:

  Labour force survey, spring 1994.

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

  Mr. Redwood
  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.

  Young People
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will estimate the number and percentage of 16 to 18-year-olds in Wales who are neither at school, employed or on youth training schemes.

  Mr. Redwood
  Estimates are given in the following table:

  Number

  Percentage of 1618 Population

  16—18 year olds not at school, in employment or on YT schemes

  29,000

  29

  Of whom:

  At college

  18,000

  18

  Other

  11,000

  11

  Source:

  Labour force survey, spring 1994.

  Homelessness
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the number of registered homeless persons in the Ynys Mon borough council district on 1 September; and what was the equivalent figure for 1 September 1990 and 1 September 1987.

  Mr. Richards
  Numbers are available for persons and cases accepted as homeless in the Ynys Mon borough council district for the quarter ending 30 September each year and are shown as follows:

  Number of cases accepted as homeless

  Number of persons in households accepted as homeless

  1994

  16

  25

  1990

  14

  35

  1987

  1

  4

  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State of Wales what is the number of claimants currently accommodated in temporary bed-and-breakfast accommodation and receiving housing benefit in Ynys Mon; and what was the equivalent figure for 1 September 1990 and 1 September 1987.

  Mr. Richards
  Numbers are available for households in temporary bed-and-breakfast accommodation in the Ynys Mon borough council district on 30 September each year and are shown as follows:

  Resident in bed and breakfast accommodation

  1994

  1

  1990

  2

  1987

  —

  No information is available as to whether individuals are claiming housing benefit or not.

  EC Committee of the Regions
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he has yet received, from those who have convened the first meeting of the Reporting Back Forum for Wales representatives on the European Committee of the Regions, scheduled to take place of Thursday 24 November, an invitation to be a member or to attend this or subsequent forum meetings; what response he will give; and if he will make a statement on his policy towards the forum.

  Mr. Redwood
  I did not receive an invitation to the forum meeting convened on 24 November. The forum has been established by the two local authority associations. I have suggested that the associations should consider inviting MEPs and a selection of Welsh MPs from all four parties to join these discussions. I or one of my ministerial colleagues in the Welsh Office would be happy to attend a subsequent meeting.

  Newcastle Disease
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many cases of Newcastle disease were identified in each year since 1985.
  533
  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  There have been no cases of Newcastle disease in Wales since 1985.

  Mary Immaculate High School
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give a date for the repayment to the education committee of South Glamorgan county council the £70,000 run-off debt left by Mary Immaculate high school when it transferred to grant-maintained status on 31 March.

  Mr. Redwood
  It has been agreed with South Glamorgan county council that repayment of the budget deficit incurred by Mary Immaculate RC high school while under that local authority is to be effected by adjustments to the authority's revenue support grant over the remainder of the current financial year. The delay in putting this arrangement in place was due to South Glamorgan county council not notifying my Department of the actual size of the deficit until October.

  Cardiff Bay Opera House
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what consultations he has had with the chairmen of the Cardiff Bay development corporation and the Millennium Fund Commission in relation to the choice of designing architect for the proposed Cardiff Bay opera house.

  Mr. Redwood
  The choice of architect is not a matter for me but I have spoken to the chairman of the Cardiff Bay development corporation. I urged him to allow the public to have a full opportunity to see the different designs and give their views, and for these to be taken in account by the trustees in coming to their decision on which design to build.

  Forests
  Mr. Tipping
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many and which local authorities have responded to the consultation paper "Our Forests, the Way Ahead"; and how many and which local authorities have expressed reservations about the proposal to continue with the disposal of woodland and the loss of public access in these woodlands.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  Four local authorities in Wales have responded: Dyfed county council, Rhymney Valley district council, South Glamorgan county council and Vale of Glamorgan borough council. Each of these local authorities has expressed reservations about the proposals for securing public access to woodlands sold by the Forestry Commission.

  Water and Sewerage Charges
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has received from Welsh Water/Dwr Cymru cyf with respect to water and sewerage company access to the records of council tax band allocations for the purpose of graduated charging for water and sewerage.

  Mr. Redwood
  I have recently received correspondence from Dwr Cymru about a number of issues relating to its future charging structure.

  Bathing Beaches
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what consultations he has had with the chairman of the National Rivers Authority Wales region concerning the European and United Kingdom statutory regulations for beach cleanliness and bathing water standards in relation to Jackson's bay and Whitmore bay, Barry, Glamorgan.

  Mr. Redwood
  My officials are in regular contact with the National Rivers Authority, Welsh region, about the EC identified bathing waters on the Welsh coastline, including those at Barry.

  Official Cars
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what consultations he has had with the chairman of the Cardiff Bay development corporation concerning the capital cost and running cost of the chairman's and the chief executive's cars; what marque are these cards; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Redwood
  [holding answer 25 November 1994]: None. The chairman of Cardiff Bay development corporation uses a Jaguar pool car supplied jointly be the corporation and the Land Authority for Wales. The chief executive uses a leased Jaguar car to which he makes a substantial personal contribution in accordance with the scheme approved by my Department.

HEALTH

  Community Care
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what was the total funding of care in the community in 199394; and what the projected amount will be for the next five years;

  (2) if she will make a statement on the present funding for care in the community.

  Mr. Bowis
  The information requested is not available in the precise form requested. Total health and personal social services expenditure on services for mentally ill people for 199293 was £2.5 billion. These figures only include spending by the voluntary and private sector where purchased by health and social services.

  Advertising
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will publish the final cost of each advertising campaign for 199394 referred to in her answer to the hon. Member for Truro (Mr. Taylor) of 14 February,Official Report, column 623.

  Mr. Sackville
  For those 1993–94 campaigns, which included advertising, listed in the earlier reply to the hon. Member for Truro (Mr. Taylor), the advertising costs were:

  Campaign

  £000

  AIDS Travelsafe

  282

  Blood Donor Recruitment

  953

  Community Care

  339

  Drug and Solvent Misuse

  2,813

  Health Service Professions Recruitment

  125

  Organ Donation

  786

  TV Fillers

  50

  Homelessness
  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many permanent housing units for mentally ill homeless people have been provided under the Government initiative to supply homes for those needing a higher level of support launched in July 1990.

  Mr. Bowis
  As part of the Government's homeless mentally ill initiative, the Housing Corporation has approved proposals for 122 bed spaces to provide supported accommodation for mentally ill people. Proposals in respect of a further 40 are being considered. The level of support provided will vary depending on individual clients' needs.

  In addition, 330 clients have already been found permanent places in existing accommodation. Many others have been placed in supported residential care for rehabilitation which it is hoped will eventually lead to permanent resettlement at a later date.

  Northern Regional Health Authority
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if the agreement between Fletcher Joseph Partnership and the Northern regional health authority is still in force; whether such agreements are currently under review by her Department or by other agencies; whether such agreements are deemed ultra vires; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Sackville
  The district auditor has made a confidential report to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State under section 20(3) of the National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990 concerning the transfer of the former Northern regional health authority's architects department to the Fletcher Joseph Partnership in 1990. After considering fresh legal advice obtained by the RHA, we have accepted the auditor's view that the agreement was ultra vires the authority on one narrow ground. We therefore regard the agreement as being no longer in force.

  As a general principle, health authorities have the legal powers to make agreements with external contractors to transfer non-core health authority functions, such as architects services. In drawing up such agreements, health authorities need to take legal advice to ensure they are acting within their powers. The NHS executive has carried out a review of non-core NHS trading agencies and will be producing general guidance for authorities shortly.

  Psychiatric Beds
  Ms Jowell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many additional psychiatric beds would be needed in inner London to bring the average rate of bed occupancy to 85 per cent.

  Mr. Bowis
  The number of psychiatric beds is not the only factor influencing bed occupancy rates. The mental health task force's report on services for severely mentally ill people in London, "Priorities for Action", copies of which are available in the Library, found that increased availability of community services and good bed management strategies could reduce the pressure on acute beds. All inner London health authorities have agreed action plans to review their provision of acute psychiatric beds or alternative community-based accommodation and commission any necessary additional provision for 1995–96.

  Pharmacists
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the expenditure on safes and secure cupboards and containers supplied to pharmacists for NHS use in each of the last three years.

  Mr. Malone
  Expenditure on these items is a matter for pharmacists and information is not available centrally.

  Breast Cancer
  Dr. Spink
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of studies on the incidence of breast cancer in women who have had an abortion; if she will be promoting any research into this correlation; and what advice on this subject she will be issuing to doctors and women.

  Mr. Sackville
  We have no information on the risks of developing breast cancer in women who have had an abortion. The report of recent Canadian research on this subject will be studied carefully by the Department.

  Steroid Users
  Mr. Tom Pendry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance she will now give to needle exchange schemes and drug user clinics about the advice they give steroid users.

  Mr. Bowis
  We issued general guidance to health authorities in spring 1994 about the need to promote the health of drug misusers, including non-opiate drug misuse such as steroids. The guidance includes encouraging into treatment and care those not in touch with services and reducing health risks such as the spread of HIV. Copies of the guidance are available in the Library.

  Homoeopathy
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will ensure that national health service purchasing authorities and general practitioner fundholders will use the powers granted to them under the national health service reforms to facilitate homoeopathy where it is considered to be clinically appropriate; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Malone
  Both district health authorities and general practitioner fundholders purchase services to meet the health care needs of the patients and local populations for whom they are responsible, according to local circumstances and priorities. This includes the purchase of homeopathic services where this is appropriate.

  Wheelchair Access
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what advice she gives to health authorities and NHS trusts on street level access to NHS public buildings for disabled people and wheelchair users; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Sackville
  The Department issued advice to the national health service in 1989 under the title "Health Building Note 40, Common Activity Spaces, Volume 4, Designing for Disabled People". The scope of this guidance includes the design of ramps and stairways from street level into NHS buildings. Copies of the advice are available in the Library.

  General Practitioner Lists
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer of 22 November,Official Report, column 68, when she expects to be able to publish the data for 199394 on general practitioner lists.

  Mr. Malone
  Early next year.

  Mental Health Beds
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to increase the number of mental health beds in those areas where there is most need(a) during the current financial and (b) the next financial year; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Bowis
  It is for health authorities to determine the range and type of mental health services they purchase based on their assessment of the needs of their population.

  Tobacco Advertising
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on her policy on the advertising of tobacco.

  Mr. Malone
  The Government are committed to ensuring that there are strong and effective controls on the advertising and promotion of tobacco products. We believe that voluntary agreements with the industry provide the best way of controlling tobacco advertising. In May 1994 we announced the main points of a revised voluntary agreement, which will significantly reduce levels of outdoor advertising and enhance the size and impact of health warnings on press and poster advertising. The new agreement will be published shortly.

  Total NHS spending on durgs £ million (rounded)

  Year

  FHS Drugs

  Percentage Increase

  HCHS Drugs

  Percentage Increase

  1979–80

  633

  —

  156

  —

  1980–81

  766

  21.1

  185

  19.0

  1981–82

  786

  14.4

  214

  15.5

  1982–83

  1,009

  15.1

  245

  14.4

  1983–84

  1,130

  12.0

  267

  8.9

  1984–85

  1,192

  5.4

  279

  4.6

  1985–86

  1,275

  7.0

  297

  6.4

  1986–87

  1,378

  8.1

  318

  7.3

  1987–88

  1,536

  11.5

  352

  10.6

  1988–89

  1,744

  13.5

  380

  8.1

  1989–90

  1,942

  11.4

  414

  8.8

  1990–91

  2,080

  7.1

  460

  11.3

  1991–92

  2,317

  11.4

  591

  28.4

  1992–93

  2,641

  14.0

  634

  7.2

  1993–94

  2,951

  11.7

  1696

  9.9

  Note:

  1Provisional.

  Pharmacists
  Mrs. Peacock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what monitoring her Department undertakes to ensure that national health service prescriptions are properly dispensed by pharmacists.

  Mr. Malone
  None. Monitoring of the dispensing of national health service prescriptions by pharmacists is undertaken by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society through its professional regulatory machinery.

  Herbalists
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to allow the rights granted to herbalists in the Medicines Act 1968; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Sackville
  The rights granted to herbalists under the Medicines Act 1968 will continue.

  Chiropractors
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to make treatment by qualified chiropractors available to patients on the national health service; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Sackville
  We believe that the professional recognition and regulation of the profession will encourage those purchasers who want to refer their patients for chiropractic treatment to do so. Provision within the national health service is a matter for local decision in the light of priorities and available resources.

  Drugs Budget
  Mrs. Peacock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the current level of the drugs budget in the national health service, both for hospitals and for general practitioners; what the cost was in 1979; and what has been the change in each year since then.

  Mr. Malone
  The latest provision for the cost of drugs in the family health services in 1994–95 is £3,217 million, The cost of drugs in the hospital and community health services is met from the total HCHS cash—limited allocation and a separate estimate for 1994–95 is not available. Information relating to earlier years is shown in the table.

  Herbal Remedies
  Mrs. Ann Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she has taken to satisfy herself that herbal products which do not require any licence under the terms of the Medicines Act 1968, rather than simply being exempt by sections 12 and 56 of that Act, will remain available under the provisions of the proposed new Medicines for Human Use (Marketing Authorisations, Pharmacovigilance and Related Matters) Regulations; and if she will make a statement.
  539
  Mr. Sackville
  We have looked carefully at all the circumstances in which herbal products are sold and supplied. Those herbal products which require no licence under the Medicines Act will remain available under the new regulations.

  Mrs. Ann Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether her recent announcement that herbal remedies currently exempt from licensing restrictions on their preparation under section 12 of the Medicines Act 1968 will remain exempt under the proposed new Medicines for Human Use (Marketing Authorisations, Pharmacovigilance and Related Matters) Regulations also applies to their exemption under section 56 of that Act from restrictions on the supply of such herbal remedies; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Sackville
  The exemptions and public health safeguards for herbal medicines under section 56 of the Medicines Act 1968 will continue to apply under the new regulations.

  Mrs. Ann Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what protection will be afforded by the proposed new Medicines for Human Use (Marketing Authorisations, Pharmacovigilance and Related Matters) Regulations for those products which are sold only to herbalists and other practitioners for use in their preparations but not directly to the public; and if she will make a statement.

  (2) what assumptions her Department has made of whether products sold directly to herbalists and other practitioners are considered to be placed on the market in the context of European directives; whether or not they therefore fall within the licensing requirements of relevant European directives; what steps she is seeking to guarantee their continued availability; how their continued availability will be protected by the proposed new Medicines for Human Use (Marketing Authorisations, Pharmacovigilance and Related Matters) Regulations; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Sackville
  Herbal products supplied to herbalists and other practitioners for use in their preparations but not directly to the public, which are currently exempt from product licensing requirements under the Medicines Act 1968, will retain their exemption under the proposed new regulations. This will be the case whether or not these products can be regarded as placed on the market.

  Mrs. Ann Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what consideration she has given to the proposals of the Natural Medicines Society for a simplified registration system for its preparations which would require the demonstration of safety and purity but not necessarily of efficacy; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Sackville
  Herbal medicines covered by exemptions from product licensing requirements under section 12 of the Medicines Act 1968 will remain exempt. The need for a simplified registration scheme for such products does not therefore arise.

  Mrs. Ann Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many representations her Department has received in total from individuals and from right hon. and hon. Members registering concern about the proposed new Medicines for Human Use (Marketing Authorisations, Pharmacovigilance and Related Matters) Regulations; and how many of these representations welcomed the regulations in question.
  540
  Mr. Sackville
  The Department has received about 3,500 letters from individuals and over 1,000 letters from right hon. and hon. Members who were concerned about the possible effect of the proposed new regulations on herbal medicines. Our confirmation that herbal medicines currently exempt from product licensing requirements will continue to enjoy this exemption when the new regulations come into force has been generally welcomed.

  Mrs. Anne Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether preparation of herbal products in the form of tinctures, extracts, powders and tablets falls outside the definition of industrial processes set by the European directive to be implemented through the proposed new Medicines for Human Use (Marketing Authorisations, Pharmacovigilance and Related Matters) Regulations; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Sackville
  We are satisfied that herbal preparations in the forms described, which are prepared by traditional processes, are not "industrially produced" when supplied in accordance with section 12 of the Medicines Act. They will therefore continue to be exempt from product licensing requirements.

  Mrs. Ann Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make available in the Library copies of all correspondence which she, her officials, and officials of the Medicines Control Agency have had with the European Commission in connection with the proposed new Medicines for Human Use (Marketing Authorisations, Pharmacovigilance and Related Matters) Regulations and in connection with relevant European directives.

  Mr. Sackville
  Such correspondence is regarded as confidential by the parties concerned. In my announcement of 11 November, I made clear our view in the position of herbal medicines under the relevant EC directive and the considerations that gave rise to that view.

  Aromatherapy
  Mrs. Ann Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what basis she has formed the policy that products used in aromatherapy do not fall within the definition of medicines as established by relevant European directives; what provisions of the proposed new Medicines for Human Use (Marketing Authorisations, Pharmacovigilance and Related Matters) Regulations will ensure their continued availability; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Sackville
  Products used in aromatherapy are medicinal products if used, sold or supplied for a medicinal purpose. The position of aromatherapy products currently exempt from product licensing requirements is unaffected by the proposed new regulations.

  Casualty Services
  Mr. Jamieson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the decision by Cornwall and Isles of Scilly district family health services authority on the future of a casualty service for Falmouth and Penryn.

  Mr. Sackville
  This is under discussion locally and the hon. Member may wish to contact Dr. Stan Dennison, the chairman of Cornwall and Isles of Scilly health authority, for details.

  Visiting Costs Scheme
  Mr. Tipping
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to introduce a visiting costs scheme to help enable parents to visit their children in hospital.

  Mr. Sackville
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Members for Ellesmere Port and Neston (Mr. Miller), for Pembroke (Mr. Ainger) and for Crewe and Nantwich (Mrs. Dunwoody) on 1 November at columns 1081–82.

DEFENCE

  Yugoslavia
  Mr. Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement concerning the situation in the former Yugoslavia.

  Mr. Soames
  The former Yugoslavia featured prominently in the debate in the House on 17 November,Official Report, columns 133–228, and my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Defence made a further statement to the House on 21 November, Official Report, columns 341–48. We remain very concerned about the upsurge in fighting and are monitoring the situation closely.

  Christmas Expenditure
  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 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 Ministers' private offices, his London flat in London and official residences.

  Mr. Soames
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Truro (Mr. Taylor) on 26 October,Official Report, column 706, concerning entertainment expenditure by my Department and its agencies.

  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 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. Freeman
  There are no plans for Ministers in this Department to send official Christmas cards this year.

  Overseas Service Men (Training)
  Lady Olga Maitland
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans there are to encourage countries overseas to send service men for training in the United Kingdom; how much Her Majesty's Government charge for military training; how many personnel were sent to the United Kingdom in the last year; and what is the overall sum earned by the Ministry of Defence in providing such training.

  Mr. Soames
  My Department continues to encourage training in the United Kingdom by foreign and Commonwealth students as an important element of developing and strengthening relationships and ties with 542
  friendly nations. During the last financial year, 4,566 students from 98 different countries took part in training in the United Kingdom. The charges for training will depend on the length of the course, its syllabus and the number taking part; although central records are not maintained of the receipts from this activity, they are estimated to be around £39,500,000.

  RAF Leeming
  Mr. Leigh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the cost of works at RAF Leeming in order to accommodate the proposed move there of 100 Squadron from RAF Finningley; and if he will itemise that expenditure.

  Mr. Soames
  The cost of works is estimated to be £10,000. This is for minor refurbishment of existing accommodation at RAF Leeming.

  RAF Bases
  Mr. Leigh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which RAF bases in the United Kingdom have runways of 9,000 ft or over; and what proportion that is of all the RAF bases in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Soames
  Of the 72 RAF stations in the United Kingdom, excluding USAF bases, the following 11 have runways of 9,000 ft or over:

  RAF Brize Norton

  RAF Coningsby

  RAF Cottesmore

  RAF Finningley

  RAF Lossiemouth

  RAF Machrihansish

  RAF Manston

  RAF Marham

  RAF St. Mawgan

  RAF Waddington

  RAF Wittering

  RAF Scampton
  Mr. Leigh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what will be the cost of disabling the fibre optic communications system at RAF Scampton and of providing a new junction point elsewhere.

  Mr. Soames
  The cost of disabling the fibre optic communications system is not expected to exceed £50,000. The equipment at RAF Scampton is not a junction point and will not therefore need to be relocated.

  Mr. Leigh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what will be the cost of providing safe access from the married quarters at RAF Scampton on to the A15.

  Mr. Soames
  If it is decided to close RAF Scampton, the existing married quarters will be used to meet the shortfall at RAF Waddington. An estimate of the cost of providing safe access from the married quarters on to the A15 will not be available until more detailed work is carried out on this related, but separate, project.

  Mr. Leigh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the cost of the renovation of the small arms range at RAF Scampton; and what will be the cost of its decommissioning.

  Mr. Soames
  Approximately £3,000 was recently spent on minor refurbishment of the small arms range. The decommissioning of the range will consist of the
  543
  de-leading and removal of sand which is carried out as a routine maintenance task every 18 months at a cost of £3,500.

  Mr. Leigh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what sums were spent at RAF Scampton in order to accommodate the Red Arrows in 1984; and under what heading that expenditure was made.

  Mr. Soames
  Details of this expenditure are no longer available.

  Mr. Leigh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what will be the cost of relocating the Central Flying School from RAF Scampton to other bases.

  Mr. Soames
  The total estimated cost is £3,000,000.

  Mr. Leigh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what will be the cost of keeping the married quarters open at RAF Scampton, but segregated from the main technical site; and under what headings this expenditure will be itemised.

  Mr. Soames
  If it is decided to close RAF Scampton, the existing married quarters will be used to meet the shortfall at RAF Waddington. It will not be possible to provide an estimate of the costs requested until more detailed work is carried out on this related, but separate, project. The main cost headings are likely to be access, internal roads, perimeter fencing and provision of facilities.

  Mr. Leigh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what will be the cost of recommissioning RAF Church Fenton and other associated works to prepare for the possible move there from RAF Scampton of the Short Brothers units; and if he will itemise that expenditure.

  Mr. Soames
  Only minor works services would be required at RAF Church Fenton at an estimated cost of £20,000.

  Mr. Leigh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what will be the cost of providing replacement receipt and dispatch facilities for the operation of the priority flight delivery service at another RAF base if the facilities at RAF Scampton are closed.

  Mr. Soames
  It is anticipated that the priority freight delivery service task would be subsumed within the existing infrastructure of other RAF bases. Relocation costs have been identified and should not exceed £10,000.

  Air Misses
  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of the joint air miss working group report on the air miss between an RAF Bulldog and a US Air Force F11 over East Lothian on 26 June 1991.

  Mr. Soames
  A copy of this report is available in the Library of the House.

  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of the joint air miss working group report on the air miss between an RAF Bulldog and an RAF Tornado near Tranent on 11 May 1992.

  Mr. Soames
  A copy of this report is available in the Library of the House.

  Low Flying
  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State of Defence if he will list the dates, locations, and nature of 544
  the activity notified, for all instances in which helicopter operators have been informed of particularly intense military lowflying activities in accordance with paragraph 2.4 of aeronautical information circular 156/1993, dated 21 October 1993.

  Mr. Soames
  The aeronautical information circular, AIC, 156/1993 was replaced by AIC 73/1994 dated 30 June following a working group review of the pipeline inspection notification system—PINS.

  The requirement of paragraph 2.4 of AIC 156/1993 does not feature in the new AIC since the working group was satisfied that, in practice, all intense military low-flying activity was already notified to helicopter operators under the existing notice to airmen, NOTAM, system and there was no requirement for additional arrangements.

  Since 21 October 1993, almost 6,000 NOTAMs have been issued, covering various types of air activity. To identify those which warned specifically of intense military low-flying activity would incur disproportionate cost.

  Air Safety
  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the actions taken by his Department in response to each of the recommendations of the Air Accidents Investigation Branch's reports on the military-civil collisions on 29 August 1991 and 23 June 1993.

  Mr. Soames
  As a result of the accident on 29 August 1991, my Department in conjunction with other authorities has implemented the recommendations made by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch, as follows:

  (i) Greater publicity of the civil aircraft notification procedure—CANP—and its benefits has been achieved through articles in general aviation safety leaflets and briefings to civil pilots at a number of open evenings.

  (ii) Extension of the CNAP system to encompass civil aerial work carried out below 1,000 ft was introduced in August 1993.

  (iii) Information has been published showing the directional flow of aircraft in the few areas of high-intensity low-flying operations and RAF stations operating fast jets have been identified.

  As far as the accident on 23 June 1993 is concerned, I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Orkney and Shetland (Mr. Wallace) on 7 July, Official Report, column 264. My Department continues to work with the appropriate authorities and organisations in order to maximise flight safety in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many notifications have been made under(a) the civil aircraft notification procedure and (b) the pipeline inspection notification system in each month from October 1993 onwards; and how many reports have been received in each month of (a) breaches of notified areas by military aircraft and (b) non-compliance with notifications by civil aircraft.

  Mr. Soames
  Under the civil aircraft notification procedure only commercial activity attracts temporary avoidance status; details of recreational and other aerial activity are passed as warnings to military aircrew who will take account of them in planning their sorties. The
  545
  numbers of notifications, broken down by type of activity, received in each month since October 1993 are as follows:

  Commercial activity

  Recreational and other aerial activity

  1993

  October

  50

  79

  November

  10

  52

  December

  5

  13

  1994

  January

  15

  31

  February

  26

  63

  March

  22

  40

  April

  40

  65

  May

  59

  117

  June

  58

  106

  July

  57

  134

  August

  62

  90

  September

  34

  81

  October

  35

  95

  Since October 1993, there have been six reported breaches of avoidances accorded to commercial activity; three in June 1994, one in September 1994 and two in October 1994.

  Under the pipeline inspection notification system a summary of all relevant activity is issued daily from Monday to Friday. Each summary comprises several individual notifications; it would incur disproportionate cost to identify the total number of notifications made.

  Notification under PINS attract the same status as recreational and other aerial activity notified under CANP. They constitute a warning of activity, but do not attract avoidance status; they cannot, therefore, be breached.

  Participation in CANP or PINS by civil pilots is on a voluntary basis, the question of non-compliance does not therefore arise, nor is there any mechanism for identifying civil activity which could have been but was not notified.

  Pipeline Inspection Notification System
  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the outcome of the review of the first six months of operation of the pipeline inspection notification system; and if he will place a copy of the report in the Library.

  Mr. Soames
  The review of the pipeline inspection notification system was carried out by a working group chaired by the National Air Traffic Service on which my Department, the Civil Aviation Authority, the British Helicopter Advisory Board, helicopter operators and companies making use of pipeline inspection services were all represented.

  The group's main recommendations were that the system be made more flexible to allow more precise notifications of pipeline inspection activity, and that details of the areas in which military fast jets are permitted to fly below 250 ft be incorporated in the revised AIC.

  No formal report was produced. The group's recommendations were, however, incorporated into the revised system which was notified to air users in the aeronautical information circular 73/1994 issued by the Civil Aviation Authority on 30 June 1994.

  Red Arrows
  Mr. Leigh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when it is proposed to relocate the Red Arrows; and what is the planned expenditure at that base to accommodate them.

  Mr. Soames
  It is proposed to relocate the Red Arrows to RAF Marham in October 1995 at a total estimated cost of £3 million.

  RAF Bases
  Mr. Leigh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which RAF bases are supplied by underground fuel pipelines; and what proportion this is of all RAF bases in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Soames
  Of 35 RAF flying stations in the United Kingdom, including three USAF bases, 18 are connected to the military pipeline system which provides aviation fuel. The remainder are supplied by road.

  Nuclear Weapons Store
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if details of the nuclear weapons store at USAF Lakenheath are supplied to Her Majesty's Government; and what provision is made for the store to be subject to the consent of Her Majesty's Government.

  Mr. Soames
  Inspection and formal approval by the relevant United Kingdom authorities is required before any facility may be used for the storage of nuclear weapons in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what responsibility he has for organising emergency plans involving all the local emergency services in relation to the nuclear weapons store at USAF Lakenheath; and how frequently the emergency plan is tested.

  Mr. Soames
  The Ministry of Defence is the lead Department for the response to any accident involving a nuclear weapon in the United Kingdom. Generic contingency plans exist which take account of the responsibilities of the civil emergency services. Response arrangements, including joint United Kingdom—United States arrangements, are regularly tested; the most recent major exercise took place in April and included full participation by the local authorities and civil emergency services in Suffolk.

  RAF Lakenheath
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people have been(a) arrested, (b) charged, (c) convicted and (d) acquitted over matters relating to byelaws at RAF Lakenheath in each of the last three years.

  Mr. Soames
  The figures are as follows:

  1992

  1993

  1994

  (a) Arrested

  —

  3

  —

  (b) Charged

  —

  3

  —

  (c) Convicted

  —

  —

  —

  (d) Acquitted

  —

  —

  —

  Nurse Elaine Dugard
  Mr. Jamieson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) when it was first known that Elaine Dugard, a petty officer registered nurse, had contracted the HIV virus;

  (2) between which dates Elaine Dugard worked as a nurse at the royal naval hospital in Plymouth;

  (3) between which dates Elaine Dugard worked in the casualty unit at the royal naval hospital in Plymouth.

  Mr. Soames
  While I can confirm that nurse Dugard worked a the royal naval hospital Plymouth, it is not my Department's practice to give details of an individual's service employment or medical records.

  Haymes Garth
  Mr. Byers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when his Department received the report from KPMG Peat Marwick into spending at Haymes Garth; if he will allow officers named in the report the opportunity to comment on it before its publication; when he expects to publish the report; and what is the estimated cost of conducting the inquiry.

  Mr. Soames
  KPMG Peat Marwick has not yet submitted its final report on Haymes Garth. Draft extracts have been shown to the individuals who were interviewed in the course of the investigation, and the report is now being finalised in the light of their comments. Once the report has been received we shall want to give its findings careful consideration. The latest estimate of the cost of employing KPMG Peat Marwick to undertake this work is around £100,000.

  Mr. Byers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the latest estimate of the amount that will have been spent for the recent refurbishment and redecoration of official service residence Haymes Garth in Gloucestershire; who was the officer responsible for overseeing this budget; what is the present valuation of Haymes Garth; and on how many occasions those responsible for the refurbishment and redecoration travelled overseas to discuss details of the changes proposed.

  Mr. Soames
  Final reconciliation of the full costs of refurbishment and redecoration of Haymes Garth is in hand. Current indicators are that the total will be slightly lower than the figure given in my predecessor's statement on 4 July,Official Report, column 85, but I shall report the final figure to the House as part of the further statement I have promised. In the light of the ongoing study into this particular case it would be inappropriate at this stage to name any individual.

  Although informal assessments of the value of Haymes Garth have been made to assist the investigations, there has been no recent full commercial valuation.

  The cost of refurbishment and redecoration includes two brief liaison visits to Germany by a contractor.

  Accountancy System
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the value of the contract awarded to SEMA to install and run a commercially based accountancy system.

  Mr. Freeman
  This is a matter for the Defence Research Agency and I have asked the chief executive, Mr. Chisholm, to answer direct.
  548
  Letter from John Chisholm to Mr. Tam Dalyell, dated 28 November 1994:
  In today's written answer the Minister of State for Defence Procurement informed you that I would be replying to your question concerning the value of the contract awarded to SEMA to install and run a commercially based accountancy system.
  DRA's Commercial Accounting System (CAS) was developed to facilitate the creation of the Trading Fund in April 1993. The System is one of the largest integrated accounting systems operating in the United Kingdom. Five software companies received orders of £0.5 million or more. SEMA was one of those companies and its contribution was worth £1.2 million.
  The running of the CAS is undertaken in-house by DRA's Financial Accounting Department. It places a number of support contracts for various services. SEMA has a contract to supply a Financial Systems Management service. This was awarded in August 1993 and the payments to December 1994 are expected to be £0.7 million

  Research Agency
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will state the background and qualifications of the new chief executive of the Defence Research Agency.

  Mr. Freeman
  We have no plans to replace the current chief executive of the DRA, John Chisholm. Mr. Chisholm graduated from Cambridge university with a BA in mechanical sciences and is a member of the Institute of Electrical Engineers. He has extensive experience in the service industries, having held senior positions in CAP Scientific and the SEMA group. He has been chief executive of the DRA since July 1991.

  Military Equipment
  Sir Cranley Onslow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what items of military equipment of British manufacture are being evaluated by the United States Government under the provisions of the foreign competitive testing programme for 1995; and what items of British manufacture have been bought by the United States Government since that programme was first set up in 1990.

  Mr. Freeman
  The United States Government have recently announced that six items of military equipment of British manufacture have been authorised for evaluation under the provisions of the United States foreign comparative testing programme for 1995. These are: automatic chemical agent alarm; small projected line charge; acoustic cladding underwater repair system; advanced short range air-to-air missile; mini strike initiator; and minimum operating strip lighting kit. Since 1990, the United States Government have announced the purchase of six items of British manufacture as a result of successful FCT evaluations. These are: chemical agent monitor; improved chemical agent monitor; impressed current cathodic protection; aerial target vector scoring system; versatile exercise mine system; and enhanced electronic warfare scenario generator.

  Operational Requirements
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if Mr. Mike Wood, currently the United Kingdom marketing executive for Lockheed, and his deputy, Mr. Richard Lumb, were, when employed by his Department, privy to confidential information on the
  549
  RAF's future operational requirements including its plans to refurbish or replace the Herclus C-130K aircraft.

  Mr. Freeman
  All Crown servants, including officers in Her Majesty's armed forces, are bound by regulations governing the acceptance of outside appointments. The rules ensure that when a Crown servant accepts outside employment no cause for suspicion of impropriety exists. I am satisfied that both Mr. Wood and Mr. Lumb abided by these rules.

  Hercules Fleet
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the target availability of the Hercules fleet required to enable it to meet its budgeted flying hours requirement.

  Mr. Freeman
  Aircraft availability dictates the number of aircraft that are available for tasking to meet commitments on any particular day. This is not linked directly to the budgeted annual flying hours requirement as each aircraft does not necessarily fly the same number of hours.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the impact on budgeted flying hours if his Department proceeds with its plan to offer up for sale up to 10 of the older aircraft.

  Mr. Freeman
  There is no plan to offer for sale any of the Hercules fleet. An advertisement was placed by my Department in September to assess the potential market for RAF Hercules should they become available for sale.

  Mr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what have been the budgeted flying hours for Hercules C130 fleet in each of the last three years.

  Mr. Freeman
  Budgeted flying hours are as follows:

  1992–93

  1993–94

  1994–95

  Hercules air transport aircraft

  33,990

  33,990

  34,058

  Hercules tanker aircraft

  2,901

  2,901

  2,901

  There has been an increase in the number of budgeted flying hours for Hercules air transport aircraft this year to accommodate reservist aircrew flying trials.

  Biological Weapons (Russia)
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with his Russian counterpart concerning the termination of Russian production facilities for biological weapons.

  Mr. Soames
  Following a joint statement signed in September 1992 the Governments of Russia, United Kingdom and United States are conducting discussions with the intention of establishing confidence in Russian compliance with the biological and toxic weapons convention.

  Royal Dockyards
  Mr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the total cost to his Department in developing the privatisation plans for the royal dockyards.

  Mr. Freeman
  During the period between 18 October 1993, when my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Defence announced our policy towards the future management of the dockyards,Official Report, 18 October 1993, columns 39–41, and 31 October 1994, total identifiable expenditure for work associated with developing and implementing plans for the proposed privatisation of the royal dockyards amounts to some £7.2 million. Given that the current dockyard management contracts are due to expire no later than April 1996, my Department would expect to have incurred in any case costs for work related to any future management arrangements for the royal dockyards.

  Land Mines
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with his(a) United States, (b) Russian and (c) Italian counterparts concerning the banning of the export and import of anti-personnel land mines.

  Mr. Freeman
  The United kingdom is in the forefront of international efforts to establish rules for the responsible use and transfer of antipersonnel land mines. Discussions have been held with a number of states, including the United States, Russia and Italy, in the context of the UN weaponry convention review conference and in respect of other initiatives. Our aim is to establish international arrangements which will command widespread respect and adherence.

  LAW OF THE SEA CONVENTION
  LAW OF THE SEA CONVENTION
  HIV/AIDS PREVENTION AND CARE: FUNDING
  HIV/AIDS PREVENTION AND CARE: FUNDING
  CSCE REVIEW MEETING: HUMAN DIMENSION WORKING GROUP
  CSCE REVIEW MEETING: HUMAN DIMENSION WORKING GROUP
  MR. KALPA RANJAN CHAKMA
  MR. KALPA RANJAN CHAKMA
  IRAQ: HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES
  IRAQ: HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES
  PERGAU DAM JUDGMENT
  PERGAU DAM JUDGMENT
  COUNTER-PROLIFERATION: FOREIGN POLICY IMPLICATIONS
  COUNTER-PROLIFERATION: FOREIGN POLICY IMPLICATIONS
  US/RUSSIAN BILATERAL DEFENCE EXERCISE
  US/RUSSIAN BILATERAL DEFENCE EXERCISE
  DEFAMATION PROCEEDINGS
  DEFAMATION PROCEEDINGS
  INCAPACITY BENEFIT: MEDICAL TEST
  INCAPACITY BENEFIT: MEDICAL TEST
  CHILDREN AND VIOLENCE: DEPARTMENTAL RESPONSIBILITIES
  CHILDREN AND VIOLENCE: DEPARTMENTAL RESPONSIBILITIES
  BNFL DECOMMISSIONING COSTS: APPORTIONMENT
  BNFL DECOMMISSIONING COSTS: APPORTIONMENT
  POST OFFICE: FUTURE
  POST OFFICE: FUTURE
  PIT BULL TERRIERS
  PIT BULL TERRIERS
  UNEMPLOYMENT MEASUREMENT
  UNEMPLOYMENT MEASUREMENT
  A.27 POLEGATE-LEWES IMPROVEMENT
  A.27 POLEGATE-LEWES IMPROVEMENT