Written Answers of 20 October 1994

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Companies' Annual Returns
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will place a copy in the Library of the list of sensitive companies maintained by the Registrar of Companies with respect to which Companies house undertakes special measures to ensure the filing of annual returns.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  There is no such list, and there are no such measures. Companies house operates procedures which are intended to give all companies every opportunity to comply with Companies Act filing requirements before enforcement action is undertaken.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what representations he has received in relation to the late filing of the annual returns by the Association of Conservative Clubs Ltd; what consultations he has had with the Registrar of Companies with respect to the default procedure; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  I am not aware of any representations received from members of the public in relation to the overdue annual return. My office has been informed by a member of the registrar's staff that the usual pursuit action is under way in respect of the Association of Conservative Clubs Ltd. There is a long-standing practice whereby my office is informed whenever, in the judgment of the registrar, pursuit action may result in publicity in a particular case.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what representations he has had from the Registrar of Companies in relation to the default procedure and reminder letters to the Association of Conservative Clubs Ltd.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  None. A member of the Registrar of Companies' staff has informed my office that the usual default procedures are under way in respect of an overdue annual return by the Association of Conservative Clubs Ltd.

  Post Office
  Mr. Hain
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) what has been the cost of establishing, advertising and operating the address The Post Office, Freepost Freedom, London EC1B 1GP for those wishing to write supporting the Post Office case for change and commercial freedom;

  (2) how many letters have been received at the address The Post Office, Freepost Freedom, London EC1B 1GP by those supporting the Post Office case for change and commercial freedom;

  (3) what authorisation his Department gave to the Post Office to establish and advertise the address Freepost Freedom, London EC 1GP for those wishing to write
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  supporting the Post Office case for change and commercial freedom.

  Mr. Wardle
  These are all operational matters for the Post Office.

  Nuclear Review
  Mr. Tipping
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list those individuals, organisations and companies who have made a submission to the nuclear review; and if he will place copies of these submissions in the Library.

  Mr. Eggar
  [holding answer 19 October 1994]: In accordance with the terms of reference for the review, this information and copies of all substantive submissions are available in the Library of the House.

TREASURY

  Third World Debt
  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will provide figures on the total debt relief resulting from the implementation of the Trinidad terms; which countries have benefited; which countries are eligible; and which of these have outstanding debts.

  Mr. Nelson
  To date over $7¼ billion of debt has been restructured by the Paris Club under the Trinidad terms which has resulted in debt or debt service reduction equivalent to over $2¾ billion.

  To date, 22 countries have benefited from a reduction in the burden of their official bilateral debt under Trinidad terms. These are Benin, Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Cote D'Ivoire, Ethiopia, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea Republic, Guyana, Honduras, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Niger, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Vietnam and Zambia.

  Trinidad terms are available to the world's poorest and most severely indebted countries which are following International Monetary Fund programmes of economic reform. It is not possible to say which countries might obtain debt relief under Trinidad terms in the future because the merits of all requests for debt rescheduling are considered by the Paris Club creditors on a case-by-case basis.

  Dividend Taxation
  Mr. Andrew Smith
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the progress of the review of dividend taxation and related issues, initiated by the Financial Secretary; and when he expects to publish its findings.

  Sir George Young
  A programme of discussions on the industrial finance initiative with business people and financial institutions has been completed. The initiative is continuing by analysing the ideas collected during the work to date and by examining the scope for new approaches to finance industry. There will be no single report on the initiative, but announcements on individual issues will be made in due course.

  Doctor Dispensing
  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions have taken place between HM customs and representatives of the British Medical Association on the VAT liability of dispensing by doctors; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  Officials of Customs and Excise met representatives of the British Medical Association on 3 May 1994 to discuss the VAT liability of dispensing by doctors who are authorised or required to provide NHS pharmacy services. Provisional arrangements whereby doctors can continue to treat this dispensing as a non-business NHS activity have been agreed, pending the outcome of customs' further consultations with the BMA and others.

  Gaming Machines
  Mr. Hinchcliffe
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many ordinary gaming machine licences are currently due to applicants who have paid appropriate levels of duty; and over what period of time it has not been possible to issue licences.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  In the period from the beginning of April 1994 to 14 October there were 59,126 applications to the licensing centre. From these there are currently 16,606 licences which have not been despatched. It has been possible to issue licences throughout this period.

  Civil Servants
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many civil servants including those in next steps agencies earn more than the current basic salary of hon. Members.

  Mr. Nelson
  At 1 July 1994 about 15,000 civil servants.

LORD PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL

  Parliamentary Questions
  Mr. Harry Barnes
  To ask the Lord President of the Council, pursuant to his reply to the honourable Member for Newham, North-West (Mr. Banks),Official Report, 19 July, column 91, if he will estimate the printing and publishing costs of written and oral questions and the costs of the relevant work of the Table Office.

  Mr. Tony Newton
  This information is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION

  Safe Water
  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proportion of the United Kingdom's bilateral aid programmes is spent on the provision of safe water.

  Mr. Baldry
  In 1993–94 around 4 per cent.—just over £30 million out of £795 million—of United Kingdom bilateral aid which was allocable by sector was spent on 288
  the water and sanitation sector. This figure, which is at present still provisional, excludes that part of emergency aid which is spent on the provision of water and sanitation during times of crisis.

  Aid Programme
  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what plans Her Majesty's Government have to reach the target for bilateral aid for basic needs recommended by the United Nations development programme;

  (2) if Her Majesty's Government will allocate a greater proportion of its bilateral aid to target the basic needs of poor people in developing countries.

  Mr. Baldry
  In allocating our bilateral aid, we recognise the importance of addressing basic human needs, but do not consider it appropriate to prescribe proportional targets for expenditure on a global basis. We estimate that in 1992–93 around 10 per cent. of United Kingdom bilateral aid expenditure, excluding emergency aid, was on basic human needs, above the average for all donors. In addition we provide around £150 million of emergency aid, most of which goes to meet basic needs in times of crisis.

  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to improve the focus of the European Union's aid programmes towards meeting the basic needs of people living in absolute poverty in developing countries.

  Mr. Baldry
  Article 130u of the treaty on European Union identifies the campaign against poverty in developing countries as one of the central objectives of Community aid programmes. The Development Council in December 1993 adopted guidelines to improve the poverty focus of Community and member state programmes and projects. Seven countries—Ethiopia, Mozambique, Bangladesh, Peru, Ghana, Mali and Nicaragua—have been identified for a pilot exercise in enhanced co-ordination between Community and member state efforts to combat poverty. A social development adviser from ODA is seconded to the Commission and is closely involved in this exercise.

  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proportion of his Department's total aid budget is expected to be allocated through the European Union and through multilateral channels by 1996–97.

  Mr. Baldry
  As indicated in the memorandum submitted by the ODA to the Foreign Affairs Committee on 27 April 1994, by 1996–97 we expect, on current plans, that 34 per cent. of the aid budget will be allocated through the European Union and 18 per cent. through other multilateral channels.

  The figures for European Union expenditure are, however, constantly under review.

  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to ensure that all Overseas Development Administration funded aid projects are subject to assessment for their impact on different income groups or beneficiaries.

  Mr. Baldry
  ODA's procedures for the design and appraisal of projects require assessment of projects' impact on potential beneficiaries, with particular attention to the needs of disadvantaged groups.

ENVIRONMENT

  Housing Improvement Grants
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many local authorities have made representations to him about difficulties in meeting their obligations under the existing housing improvement grants policy; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  Since April 1994 my Department has received separate written representations from 53 local authorities.

  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when the review of the improvement grant system will be completed; when proposals will be announced; and when guidelines will be issued.

  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him by my right hon. Friend the Member for Ealing, Acton (Sir G. Young) the then Minister for Housing, Inner Cities and Construction on 27 April 1994,Official Report, column, 205.

  Wildlife Trade
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what formal projects for monitoring all pet trade-related take of wildlife imported into the United Kingdom currently exists; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) what scientific evaluations of natural populations of wildlife imported into the United Kingdom for pet trade purposes are made under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir Paul Beresford
  Under CITES, scientific evaluations of natural populations are primarily the responsibility of those countries in which specimens are taken from the wild. Under a process promoted by the United Kingdom, a committee of the convention monitors the means by which these countries ensure that the number of animals taken from the wild for export do not threaten the survival of the species. Remedial action may be recommended and assistance may be offered in some cases. If recommendations are not implemented satisfactorily, trade may be suspended. The European Council regulation on CITES applies stricter tests to the import of certain species and trade in these may be suspended where there is insufficient evidence that the level of exports of animals taken from the wild is sustainable.

  Some of the animals included in these processes will form part of the pet trade.

  Individual import applications under CITES, including those relating to the pet trade, are also referred to the Joint Nature Conservation Committee which advises us on any conservation implications.

  Community Charge
  Mr. Tipping
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what were the outstanding arrears of community charge in total and by each local authority on 31 March.

  Mr. Curry
  I estimate that the level of community charge arrears for local authorities in England at 31 March 1994 was between £1·5 and £1·6 billion. Authorities have,290
  however, made provision for non-collection of £1·4 billion.

  There is insufficient information available centrally to make a reliable estimate for each local authority. However, the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy regularly publishes estimates for individual authorities: figures for 31 March 1993 are available in the Library of the House.

  Business Regulations
  Mr. Sykes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish details of the annual on-going compliance costs for new regulations affecting business for which his Department has completed compliance cost assessments.

  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Hertsmere (Mr. Clappison) on Wednesday 19 October 1994,Official Report, columns 266-67.

  Leeds Development Corporation
  Dr. Hampson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when Leeds development corporation will be wound up and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Curry
  Statutory orders will be laid before Parliament early next year to effect the wind-up and dissolution of Leeds development corporation. Subject to parliamentary approval, the corporation will cease to act from 1 April 1995, except for the purpose of preparing its final accounts and report and winding up its affairs. The corporation will be dissolved on 1 July 1995.

  Urban development corporations were set up, with finite lifetimes, to regenerate their designated areas. Since designation on 30 June 1988, Leeds development corporation, in partnership with other agencies, has made a considerable and lasting contribution to the well-being of Leeds.

  By the end of its lifetime, Leeds development corporation expects to have reclaimed 68 hectares of land, built 11·4 km of roads and footpaths and created 366,000 sq m. of non-housing floorspace and 561 housing units. This has led to some 8,000 jobs in new developments and levered in £317 million in private sector investment.

  Docklands Light Railway
  Mr. Raynsford
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what representations he has received about the proposed deletion of the Cutty Sark station for the docklands light railway extension plans;
  (2) if the provision of a station at Cutty Sark will be included as an option when the docklands light railway extension proposals are put out to tender.

  Sir Paul Beresford
  [holding answers 19 October 1994]: We have received representations from a range of national and local organisations and from Members of both Houses in support of a station at Cutty Sark. We will shortly make an announcement on the next steps for the project and on the option for a Cutty Sark station.

  Zoos
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many exemptions have been granted
  291
  in each county to establishments keeping animals from provisions of the Zoo Licensing Act 1981 in each year since 1982; and if he will state the reasons for these exemptions in respect of the last year for which figures are available.

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  1989

  1990

  1991

  Avon

  —

  —

  1

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Cambridgeshire

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  Cheshire

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Cornwall

  5

  5

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Derbyshire

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  1

  —

  Devon

  —

  3

  3

  —

  1

  1

  —

  1

  Dorset

  —

  —

  1

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Essex

  —

  3

  2

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Gloucestershire

  —

  1

  1

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Hampshire

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Herefordshire

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Humberside

  —

  —

  6

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Isle of Wight

  —

  3

  3

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Kent

  —

  3

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Lancashire

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Lincolnshire

  —

  2

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  London

  5

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Greater Manchester

  —

  —

  —

  4

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Merseyside

  —

  2

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Middlesex

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Norfolk

  —

  1

  —

  1

  —

  1

  —

  —

  Northamptonshire

  —

  2

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Nottinghamshire

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Northumberland

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Oxfordshire

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  Somerset

  —

  2

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Staffordshire

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Suffolk

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  Sussex

  —

  1

  —

  2

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Tyne and Wear

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  Warwickshire

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  West Midlands

  —

  2

  1

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  Worcestershire

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  Yorkshire

  —

  3

  1

  3

  1

  1

  —

  —

  No exemptions have been granted in 1992–1994. Exemptions from the Act are granted to collections which consist entirely of animals which are normally domesticated in Great Britain.

  Establishments which have been granted exemptions are not considered to meet the definition of zoo within the meaning of the Act by virtue of the fact that wild animals are not being exhibited to the public.

  Environmental Planning
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he will take to ensure that environmental planning decisions are taken in full appreciation of their impact on human health and that adequate public health advice is provided by the national health service to joint regional offices of the Departments of Health, Employment, Transport and Trade and Industry.

  Mr. Sackville
  I have been asked to reply.

  My Department does not have joint regional offices with other Departments.
  292
  Sir Paul Beresford
  [holding answer 19 October 1994]: Between 1984 and 1991 the following exemptions from the provisions of the Zoo Licensing Act 1981 have been granted:

  It is a responsibility of regional and district directors of public health to have regard to and, when appropriate, provide advice on, all factors which may have significant impact upon the public health in their area—including those which may be associated with the consequences of planning decisions. Advice may also be obtained from the nation health service executive.

  Responsibility for planning matters rests with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment. We understand that guidance to planning authorities, and to applicants for consent to major projects, requires that impact upon human beings should be taken into account in assessing the environmental impact of development plans and projects.

EDUCATION

  Nurse Training
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if she will list the higher education institutions
  293
  that operate the USS superannuation pension scheme which are not able to offer nurse training facilities as a result of changes to pension arrangements for nurse training staff.

  Mr. Boswell
  Decision on whether to offer nurse training are for individual institutions. I understand that discussions about the pensions arrangements for staff transferring from the national health service to higher education institutions are taking place between the Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals and the relevant pensions authorities.

  Public Bodies
  Mr. Raynsford
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if she will list the non-departmental public bodies to which her Department makes appointments in the Greater London area, together with the total annual budget for each body and the number of appointments made or renewed for each body in each of the last five years.

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

  Centre for Information on Language Teaching and Research (CILT)

  Year

  Annual DFE Grant Aid

  Appointments and Re-appointment by the Secretary of State

  1990–91

  £535,000

  4

  1991–92

  £652,000

  3

  1992–93

  £949,000

  2

  1993–94

  £857,000

  4

  1994–95

  £832,000

  1

  Includes one appointment made by the Secretary of State for Scotland.

  Further Education Unit (FEU)

  Year

  Annual DFE Grant Aid

  Appointments and Re appointment by the Secretary of State

  1990–91

  £2,840,000

  3

  1991–92

  £3,030,000

  8

  1992–93

  £3,620,000

  3

  1993–94

  £3,550,000

  12

  1994–95

  £3,550,000

  13

  Further Education Funding Council (FEFC), Greater London Regional Committee Established in 1993

  Year

  Appointments and Re appointments by the Secretary of State

  1993–94

  10

  1994–95

  1

  The FEFC Regional Committees do not have separate budgets. Their budgets are contained within the FEFC budget.
  294

  School curriculum and assessment authority (SCAA) Established on 1 October 1993

  Year

  Annual DFE Grant Aid

  Appointments and Re-appointments by the Secretary of State

  1993–94

  1£18,400,000

  15

  1994–95

  2£29,600,000

  15

  1 Part-Year.

  2 Estimated.

  Special Education Needs (SEN) Tribunal Established on 1 September 1994

  Year

  Annual DFE Grant Aid

  Appointments and Re-appointments by the Secretary of State

  1994–95

  1£775,204

  79

  1 Part-year.

  Appointments were made to the SEN tribunal to sit on hearings throughout England, effective from the Tribunal's creation. Whilst the Tribunal's HQ is in London, the hearings will take place across the country, as and when needed, and members will be paid on a per diem basis. Of the 79 members, 18 live in the Greater London area. These 18 members will not necessarily be assigned to hearings in the Greater London area.

  Teacher Training Agency (TTA) Established on 21 September 1994

  Year

  Annual DFE Grant Aid

  Appointments and Re appointments by the Secretary of State

  1994–95

  1£2,000,000

  211

  1Budget includes the costs of establishing the Agency part year.

  2To date.

  University Commissioners

  Year

  Annual DFE Grant Aid

  Appointments and Re-appointments by the Secretary of State

  1991–91

  £185,529

  5

  1991–92

  £201,851

  5

  1992–93

  £243,823

  5

  1993–94

  £255,124

  5

  Costs for 1994–95 arising from residual work are being met on a contingency basis.

  Students
  Ms Estelle Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many full-time students were registered in colleges of further education for each of the last five years, on a regional basis.

  Mr. Boswell
  The number of full-time students by region enrolled on courses in colleges of further education, for each of the last five academic years for which date are available, were as shown in the table.
  295

  Number of Full-Time Students in Colleges of Further Education England 1988–89–1992–93

  Students on FE and HE Courses

  thousands

  Academic Year

  Region

  88–89

  89–90

  90–91

  91–92

  92–93

  North

  20

  22

  22

  27

  30

  Yorkshire/Humberside

  37

  39

  43

  48

  52

  North West

  56

  59

  64

  70

  75

  East Midlands

  27

  29

  32

  37

  41

  West Midlands

  41

  42

  46

  55

  61

  East Anglia

  13

  13

  15

  18

  20

  Greater London

  51

  52

  55

  64

  69

  South East

  72

  77

  83

  99

  108

  South West

  36

  39

  40

  49

  54

  Total (England)

  352

  371

  400

  469

  510

  Ms Estelle Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many full-time students failed to complete courses in each of the last five years, on a regional basis.

  Mr. Boswell
  The number of further education students who do not complete their courses are not centrally recorded.

  The wastage rates of full-time and sandwich students from first degree courses in former Universities Funding Council-funded United Kingdom universities and former English and Wales polytechnics are shown as follows:

  Academic Year

  1987–88

  1988–89

  1989–90

  1990–91

  1991–92

  Percentages

  17

  14

  16

  15

  17

  Source:

  Table 14 (page 43) DFE Department Report (Cm 2510) published March 1994.

  The proportions of students who left each of the former UFC-funded universities on successful completion of their full-time and sandwich first degree courses are published by the universities statistical record in "University Management Statistics and Performance Indicators". A copy of the 1993 edition is in the House Library.

  Departmental Staff
  Mr. Grocott
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many staff are employed by her Department; and what proportion of them are employed in each of the standard regions.

  Mr. Boswell
  The Department currently employs 2,152 civil servants, of whom 368 are in the Teacher Pensions Agency; 41·8 per cent. of the Department's staff are based in Darlington and the remainder in London.

  Official Hospitality
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what has been the total amount spent on 296
  official hospitality by (a) her Department and (b) her agencies for each year since 1990.

  Mr. Forth
  The information is as follows:

  DES/DFE £'000s

  Teachers' pensions agency £'000s

  Total £'000s

  1990–91

  57

  —

  57

  1991–92

  86

  —

  86

  1992–93

  95

  1

  96

  1993–94

  87

  1

  88

  The cost of official hospitality in each of these years is included in the running cost expenditure for the Department which is published every year in the departmental report. Official hospitality includes the costs of teas and coffees, buffet lunches and dinners.

  University-Validated Courses
  Mr. Pickthall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many students are enrolled on university-validated diploma and first-degree courses and are studying in non-higher education institutions.

  Mr. Boswell
  In academic year 1992–93, there were 91,000 home domiciled students in English FE colleges registered on degree courses and on other institutional validated certificates and diplomas.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Consulate Staff, Kiev
  Mr. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many embassy and consulate staff in Kiev speak(a) English as a first language and also Russian, (b) English as a first language and also Ukrainian, (c) English as a first language and also Russian and Ukrainian, (d) Russian as a first language and (e) Ukrainian as a first language; and what percentage speak Ukrainian.

  Mr. Goolad
  There are 17 United Kingdom-based officers at the British embassy in Kiev; there is no separate consulate. Of these(a) two have a knowledge of English as a first language and Russian; (b) one has a knowledge of English as a first language and Ukrainian; and (c) six have a knowledge of English as a first language and both Russian and Ukrainian.

  The remaining eight United Kingdom-based staff are in the support grades and are not given formal language training before they arrive at post.

  There are 11 Ukrainian locally engaged staff, all of whom speak English, Russian and Ukrainian. Of the nine United Kingdom-based staff in speaker slots, 77 per cent. have a knowledge of Ukrainian.

  World Summit for Children
  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps Her Majesty's Government are taking to ensure that the targets agreed by the 1990 world summit for children will be met by 2000.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The United Kingdom published in July 1992 Command Paper No. 1984 entitled "Report on
  297
  the United Kingdom Implementation of the Goals agreed by the World Summit for Children". A copy was placed in the Library of the House.

  The report on the implementation of the world summit's goals noted a parallel initiative in the UN convention on the rights of the child, to which the United Kingdom Government have agreed to be bound. A report on the application of the convention to the United Kingdom was published in February 1994. A copy was placed in the Library of the House.

  Entry Visas
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when a decision is to be taken by the United Kingdom post in Islamabad on the application by Tariq Mahmood, Ref: IMM/B72,99, to enter the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Baldry
  I have asked the entry clearance officer in Islamabad to let me have a report on the application from Mr. Tariq Mahmood. I shall arrange for the hon. Member to receive a substantive reply from the migration and visa correspondence unit of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office as soon as possible.

  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when a decision is to be taken by the United Kingdom post in Islamabad on the application by Mrs. Najon Ul Noreen, Ref: IMM/C1222, to enter the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Baldry
  I have asked the entry clearance officer in Islamabad to let me have a report on the application from Mrs. Najon U1 Noreen. I shall arrange for the hon. Member to receive a substantive reply from the migration and visa correspondence unit of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office as soon as possible.

  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when a decision is to be taken by the United Kingdom post in Islamabad on the application by Mr. Iftikar Hussain, Ref: B 1475, to enter the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Baldry
  I have asked the entry clearance officer in Islamabad to let me have a report on the application from Mr. Iftikar Hussain. I shall arrange for the hon. Member to receive a substantive reply from the migration and visa correspondence unit of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office as soon as possible.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Asylum
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many people made applications for asylum to his Department in the last half of 1993 and the first half of 1994; and of these how many waited(a) less than three months, (b) between three and six months, (c) between six months and a year and (d) over a year for a decision;

  (2) how many people who made applications for asylum to the Home Office in the last half of 1993 and the first half of 1994 waited for a decision (a) for less than three months, (b) between three and six months, (c) between six months and a year and (d) for over a year.
  298
  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  In the period 1 July 1993 to 30 June 1994, 25,660 applications for asylum, excluding dependants, were lodged in the United Kingdom.

  As at 30 September 1994, an estimated 11,100 decisions had been taken on the 25,660 applications for asylum lodged between 1 July 1993 and 30 June 1994; of these decisions an estimated 3,600 waited less than three months for an initial decision on their asylum application; 3,000 waited between three and six months; 4,100 waited between six and 12 months; and 500 waited longer than 12 months, while an estimated 14,600 applications were outstanding.

  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many asylum seekers have been waiting for a decision on their claim for asylum for(a) over one year, (b) over two years and (c) over six years;

  (2) who is the longest-delayed applicant for asylum; and how long has the applicant waited for a decision on his case.

  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  Information on the length of time applicants have been waiting for an initial decision on their asylum application or the longest outstanding case is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of asylum seekers detained are those who are yet to have their application refused or granted or are contesting refusal of their application (i) in 1991, (ii) in 1992, (iii) in 1993 and (iv) in 1994.

  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  The information is not available in the form requested. However, on 14 October 1994, 658 people detained under immigration powers had sought asylum at some stage. Of these, 177 had applications still under consideration and the remainder had had their applications refused. Of these, 386 had an appeal pending.

  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of asylum seekers were initially detained(a) in 1991, (b) in 1992, (c) in 1993 and (d) in 1994.

  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  The available information suggests that less than 1·5 per cent. of people who have sought asylum are detained. Information on the percentage of asylum seekers detained in a given year can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many nationals of the former Yugoslavia formerly resident in the area of Kosovo and of Albanian ethnic origin who had applied for political asylum in the United Kingdom and whose political asylum applications have been refused have been returned to any part of the current Federal Republic of Yugoslavia over the past 12 months.

  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  During the period 1 October 1993 to 30 September 1994, no nationals of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Serbia/Montenegro, have been returned to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Serbia/Montenegro. Information on the original residence or ethnic origin of asylum seekers is not separately identifiable in the statistics.

  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether all the provisions of the resolution on manifestly unfounded applications for asylum, agreed by the European Ministers meeting on 30 November 1992
  299
  and to be implemented by 1 January 1995, have now been incorporated into national law.

  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  The procedures contained in the Asylum and Immigration Appeals Act 1993 and the immigration rules relating to applications for asylum that are judged to be without foundation are fully consistent with the principles contained in the resolution.

  Homicides
  Ms Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of(a) male victims of homicide and (b) female victims of homicide in 1993 were killed by their current or former spouses, cohabitees or lovers.

  Mr. Maclean
  Provisional figures for 1993 show that 6 per cent. of male victims and 40 per cent. of female victims of homicide in England and Wales were killed by their current or former spouses, cohabitants or lovers.

  Ms Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many homicides were recorded in England and Wales in 1993; and in how many cases were the victims(a) male and (b) female.

  Mr. Maclean
  Provisional figures for 1993 show that at 5 August 1994, 606 offences were currently recorded as homicide in England and Wales, involving 375 male and 231 female victims.

  Deportation
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many immigrants were recommended for deportation in 1993 and how many were deported; how many appeals against deportation are currently pending; and how many such appeals were determined in 1993.

  Mr. Nicholas Barker
  A total of 310 court recommendations of deportation were made, and 410 persons were removed under deportation powers following such a recommendation, in 1993. These figures exclude persons issued with a notice of intention to deport because of a breach of conditions of leave to enter or remain, or because their deportation was deemed to be conducive to the public good. Data on appeals against such court recommendations are not separately available.

  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will place in the Library a copy of(a) the questionnaire which has been distributed to the member states in the context of title VI of the European Union treaty on the conditions under which EU member states refrain from deporting aliens and what rights they enjoy and (b) the United Kingdom Government's responses.

  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  No. These are working documents, which do not fall within the criteria for deposit in accordance with the Government's scrutiny arrangements for title VI matters.

  Dogs
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 26 May,Official Report, column 280, if he will list the different forms of identification for dogs considered by the Government before the introduction of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991.
  300
  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  The methods of identification considered were tattooing, ear tagging, ear studs, collar tagging and microchips.

  Immigration
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many reports have been made by marriage registrars, and from which registration areas, to the Registrar-General, that marriages are suspected to be solely for immigration purposes, in each year since 1992, to the latest convenient date; and in how many of these instances information has been passed on to his Department.

  Mr. Sackville
  I have been asked to reply.

  The information will be placed in the Library. During 1993 superintendent registrars reported 361 cases to the Registrar General where they suspected that a proposed marriage had been arranged for the sole purpose of evading statutory immigration controls. Of this number, information in respect of 304 was passed to the Home Office.

  So far this year, to 14 July 1994, 270 reports have been received from superintendent registrars, of which 194 have been referred to the Home Office.

  Refugees
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for refugee status are outstanding; how many individuals are covered by these applications; and what is the average length of time taken to determine an application.

  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  At 30 September 1994—the latest date for which the information is available—the estimated number of asylum applications outstanding is 52,760 which comprises an estimated 69,500 principal applicants and their dependants.

  The estimated average length of time between the receipt of an asylum application and the decision, for cases decided on applications for asylum received since the introduction of the Asylum and Immigration Appeal Act 1993, from 26 July 1993 to 30 September 1994, was 4·7 months.

  European Union (Visas)
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what is the policy of Her Majesty's Government in respect of the proposal of the German presidency of the European Union that visa requirements be waived for third-country nationals resident in European Union states, where such persons are seeking to travel in transit or for short stays, as soon as possible and before the entry into force of the draft convention on the crossing of external borders of the European Union;

  (2) if he will now place in the Library copies of the (a) draft resolution on admissions of self-employed persons from third countries, (b) draft resolution on admission of students and (c) draft resolutions of the principles for distributing refugees among the member states of the European Union which has been submitted for consultation, which, according to the German presidency of the European Union, have been submitted in accordance with the provisions of title VI, "Co-operation in the Fields of Justice and Home Affairs".
  301
  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  These documents are being made available to Parliament in accordance with the arrangements for keeping it informed of work being carried out under title VI of the treaty on European Union, together with explanatory notes setting out the Government's views on each of them.

  Family Reunification
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether all the provisions of the resolution of harmonisation of national policies on family reunification, adopted at the European Ministers meeting of 1 June 1993 and to be implemented by 1 January 1995, have now been implemented.

  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  The immigration rules which came into effect on 1 October are fully consistent with the principles contained in this resolution.

  Police Compensation Claims
  Mr. Tipping
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many claims have been made for compensation for wrongful arrest, malicious prosecution and false imprisonment for each year for the past five years for which figures are available, by police authority; how many of these claims have been settled each year, by police authority; how much compensation has been paid, by police authority, each year; how many individuals are involved; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maclean
  This information is not collected centrally.

  Wheel clamping
  Mr. Tipping
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he now has to bring forward measures following the publication of the consultative paper, "Wheel clamping on Private Land."

  Mr. Maclean
  The Government are considering what action it would be appropriate to take in respect of wheel clamping on private land. The consultative paper referred to produced much useful information from interested parties. It did not, however, produce any consensus on how to ensure that any measure introduced to prevent or deter irresponsible and heavy-handed wheel clamping on private land does not prevent sensible measures from being taken to control genuine parking problems. We will make our conclusions known as soon as possible.

  Party Conference Costs
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what were the policing costs associated with the annual conferences of(a) the Liberal Democrats, (b) the Labour party and (c) the Conservative party; and who meets the costs.

  Mr. Maclean
  I understand from the forces concerned that the latest estimated costs of policing the 1994 party conferences are:-

  £

  (a) Liberal Democrats

  (Sussex)

  3,500

  (b) Labour Party

  (Lancashire)

  90,000

  (c) Conservative Party

  (Dorset)

  2,600,000

  302
  The normal police funding arrangements apply with expenditure attracting 51 per cent. Home Office police grant.

  Entry Visas
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department following the request made by the United Kingdom post in Islamabad, when Mr. Gul Nawaz, resident in the United Kingdom, is going to be interviewed in connection with inquiries being made into the application by Nasreen Akhtar, Ref: GU100/18990, to enter the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  The Immigration Service at Leeds Bradford airport will shortly contact Mr. Hafiz Gul Nawaz to offer him an appointment for an interview within two months.

  Mr. & Mrs. Kwabena Aidoobofour
  Ms Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the honourable Member for Deptford will receive a reply to her letters of 3 February, 12 April and 31 May concerning Mr. and Mrs. Kwabena Aidoobofour.

  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  [holding answer 7 July 1994]: My hon. Friend the Minister of State wrote on 8 August.

  United Nations (Civil and Political Rights)
  Mr. Mates
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Government submitted to the United Nations their latest periodic report under the international covenant on civil and political rights.

  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  The United Kingdom's fourth periodic report under the international covenant on civil and political rights was submitted to the United Nations on 7 October 1994. On the same day copies of the report were placed in the Library.

  European Union (Readmission)
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with which third states his Department is negotiating readmission agreements regarding the return of their nationals from the United Kingdom on(a) the basis of the principles for the conclusion of such agreements which were drawn up during the Belgian presidency of the European Union and are referred to in the agenda of the German presidency and (b) any other basis.

  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  None.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Students
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if Northern Ireland students are free to accept offers of places for courses in universities in Great Britain if similar courses are available in universities in(a) Northern Ireland or (b) the Republic of Ireland; and if grants are available to Northern Ireland students enrolled in university courses in Great Britain if similar courses are available in (a) Northern Ireland or (b) the Republic of Ireland.
  303
  Mr. Ancram
  Yes. Students from Northern Ireland are free to attend courses at universities in Great Britain and are eligible for awards whether or not similar courses are available in Northern Ireland or the Republic of Ireland.

  Arts Council
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many persons were employed by the Northern Ireland Arts Council in each of the past three years; and how many were(a) Roman Catholic and (b) Protestant in each of these three years.

  Mr Ancram
  The information requested is as follows:

  January 1991

  January 1992

  January 1993

  Number employed

  105

  108

  102

  Community Background:

  (a) Roman Catholic

  38

  41

  41

  (b) Protestant

  51

  51

  47

  (c) Non-determined

  16

  16

  14

  Health Care
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list those areas which have developed joint commissioning operations for the planning and purchasing of primary and secondary health care in their area; and what are the principal organisational models used.

  Mr. Ancram
  The planning, management and delivery of health and personal social services in Northern Ireland have been integrated since 1973. There are four health and social services boards and they, together with GP fundholders, are responsible for the commissioning of primary and secondary care.

PRIME MINISTER

  Official Hospitality
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Prime Minister what has been the total amount spent on official hospitality by(a) his Department and (b) his agencies for each year since 1990.

  The Prime Minister
  Expenditure on official entertaining by my office for each year since 1990 was as follows:

  Year

  £

  1990–91

  23,830

  1991–92

  40,976

  1992–93

  30,023

  1993–94

  21,793

  I have asked my right honourable Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster to provide information about expenditure on official entertaining by the Cabinet Office and agencies.

  Macclesfield
  Mr. Nicholas Winterton
  To ask the Prime Minister whether he has any plans to pay an official visit to Macclesfield.
  304
  The Prime Minister
  As I have said before to my hon. Friend, I very much hope to be able to come to his constituency when my diary permits.

  Ministerial Responsibilities
  Dr. Marek
  To ask the Prime Minister when the list of ministerial responsibilities after last summer's changes was delivered to the Vote Office.

  The Prime Minister
  The first batch of copies of the September 1994 edition of the "List of Ministerial Responsibilities" was delivered to the Vote Office on 4 October.

  Engagements
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 20 October.

  Sir Peter Tapsell
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 20 October.

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

  Intelligence Unit
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Prime Minister how many persons are attached to the intelligence unit in the Chief Whip's offices at 12 Downing street and in the House of Commons; what is the purpose of the unit; and to whom it is accountable.

  The Prime Minister
  There is no such unit.

HEALTH

  Women's Aid Federations
  Ms Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how much funding has been provided by her Department to(a) the Women's Aid Federation England and (b) the Welsh Women's Aid Federation in each of the past 10 years;

  (2) how much funding has been provided from central Government to Women's Aid in each of the last 10 years, listing the amount provided by each Department.

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

  Table 1

  Year

  DH Funding to Women's Aid Federation (England)£

  Welsh Office Funding to Welsh Women's Aid £

  1985–86

  Nil

  *

  1986–87

  29,590

  *

  1987–88

  98,000

  *

  1988–89

  121,961

  108,526

  1989–90

  110,000

  129,693

  1990–91

  130,000

  169,658

  1991–92

  144,650

  212,901

  1992–93

  199,200

  226,742

  1993–94

  201,020

  238,687

  1994–95

  199,200

  248,752

  Figures are rounded to the nearest £.

  *Figures not readily available.

  305

  Funding for Women's Aid - From all Government Departments Table 2

  Year

  1Dept of Health £

  2Scottish Office £

  Welsh Office £

  Northern Ireland 2Office £

  Home Office £

  Department of the 3Environment £

  1985–86

  34,422

  308,017

  *

  32,049

  —

  —

  1986–87

  66,011

  424,503

  *

  33,350

  —

  —

  1987–88

  98,000

  591,622

  *

  60,633

  —

  —

  1988–89

  196,961

  627,517

  108,526

  45,669

  —

  6,439,000

  1989–90

  110,000

  894,348

  129,693

  127,617

  6,200

  2,124,000

  1990–91

  150,000

  1,228,781

  169,658

  155,031

  5,380

  1,737,000

  1991–92

  144,650

  1,318,242

  212,901

  197,009

  8,075

  5,183,000

  1992–93

  199,200

  1,220,371

  664,7422

  128,631

  10,273

  5,370,000

  1993–94

  201,020

  1,800,349

  742,3332

  215,191

  30,650

  5,809,000

  1994–95

  199,200

  1,738,111

  704,5972

  132,299

  17,000

  3,175,720

  All figures are rounded to the nearest £.

  Information for earlier years not available.

  " Includes funding for a national housing coordinator for Women's Aid Federation (England) Ltd: £17,887.

  Notes:

  1 Funding for Women's Aid Federation (England) and local child care projects. It excludes some central funding for child care projects allocated through voluntary organisations.

  2 Includes funding for national organisation and local projects.

  3 Funding for women's aid projects allocated by the Housing Corporation.

  London Ambulance Service
  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will instruct the South Thames regional health authority to publish weekly the number of occasions for the preceding week when response times of emergency ambulances of the London ambulance service exceeded 34 and 45 minutes respectively,

  Number of calls responded to within 10 minutes

  Number of calls responded to within 11-20 minutes.

  Number of calls responded to within 21-30 minutes

  April 1994

  11,822

  29 per cent.

  24,811

  60 per cent.

  3,557

  9 per cent.

  May 1994

  12,917

  29 per cent.

  26,806

  60 per cent.

  3,611

  8 per cent.

  June 1994

  11,837

  26 per cent.

  26,807

  60 per cent.

  4,523

  10 per cent.

  July 1994

  12,468

  27 per cent.

  28,024

  60 per cent.

  4,843

  10 per cent.

  August 1994

  12,883

  29 per cent.

  26,588

  60 per cent.

  3,503

  8 per cent.

  September 1994

  12,850

  30 per cent.

  26,297

  60 per cent.

  3,300

  8 per cent.

  Source:

  London Ambulance Service internal statistics

  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the size of the population covered by(a) the London ambulance service and (b) each of the ambulance services covering larger populations.

  Mr. Sackville
  The estimated size of populations served by the London ambulance service and larger urban and rural services is shown in the table:

  Service

  Population

  London Ambulance Service

  6,936,400

  Urban

  Manchester

  2,601,116

  Mersey

  2,408,900

  Surrey

  1,179,400

  South Yorkshire

  1,297,884

  West Midlands

  2,619,231

  West Yorkshire

  2,128,421

  Rural

  Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire

  1,515,001

  Essex

  1,472,397

  306
  together with a numerical summary of the category of relevant causes.

  Mr. Sackville
  No.

  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of calls to the London ambulance service are answered within(a) 10 minutes, (b) between 10 and 20 minutes and (c) 20 to 30 minutes.

  Mr. Sackville
  The London ambulance service has supplied the information in the table.

  Service

  Population

  Hampshire

  1,409,803

  Kent

  1,532,457

  Lancashire

  1,398,909

  Northumbria

  1,432,931

  Nottinghamshire

  1,017,267

  Staffordshire

  1,046,853

  Two Shires

  1,187,906

  West Country

  1,921,567

  Notes:

  1. Population summaries are mid-1992 as used for 1993–94 summary KA34 information.

  2. "Larger ambulance services" taken as those serving populations of more than one million.

  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many maintenance depots the London ambulance service operates.

  Mr. Sackville
  Seventeen.

  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many ambulance men and women work for
  307
  the London ambulance service; and what is the average rate of absenteeism.

  Mr. Sackville
  The latest centrally held information is that at 30 September 1992 there were 2,010—to the nearest 10 whole-time equivalents—ambulance men and women in the London ambulance service.

  According to figures supplied by the London ambulance service in August 1994, absenteeism in accident and emergency services was 8 per cent. and in patient transport 8.5 per cent.

  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many paramedics are employed by the London ambulance service; and what was the comparable figure five years ago.

  Mr. Sackville
  According to information supplied by the London ambulance service, there are 455 paramedics in the service now, compared with only seven in 1989.

  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many ambulances are operated by the London ambulance service; what is their average age; and how many days the ambulances spend on average out of service.

  Mr. Sackville
  According to figures supplied by the London ambulance service there are: 306 accident and emergency ambulances, average age of six years; and 376 patient transport service vehicles, with an average age of six years. In the current year 180 new vehicles will be delivered and put into service.

  Information on average time out of service is not currently available.

  Breathing Difficulties
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people received hospital treatment for acute breathing difficulties during(a) March, (b) April, (c)May, (d) June, (e) July and (f) August.

  Mr. Sackville
  Acute breathing difficulties occur as a symptom of a wide range of medical conditions. Central returns do not include numbers of hospital admissions classified by symptom. The number of hospital admissions for asthma recorded for the months requested in 1991, the latest figures available, is shown in the table.

  Finished consultant episodes, ordinary admissions and day cases, England:

  March

  April

  May

  June

  July

  August

  6,086

  6,346

  6,791

  6,695

  6,782

  6,197

  Source

  Hospital Episode Statistics (estimated from 25 per cent. sample). The figures do not include numbers of attendances at out-patient or accident and emergency facilities.

  Disabled People
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will give a breakdown of the 6·5 million disabled people between those(a) who suffer from impaired hearing, (b) who have defective sight, (c) who suffer from immobility and (d)those with other difficulties.

  Mr. Bowis
  The four Office of Population Censuses and Surveys surveys of disability in Great Britain, which were carried out between 1985 and 1988, found that over 308
  6·2 million adults and 360,000 children under 16 had at least one disability. Full details are contained in report 1: "The Prevalence of Disability among Adults", and report 3: "The Prevalence of Disability among Children", copies of which are available in the Library.

  Health Care
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list those areas which have developed joint commissioning operations for the planning and purchasing of primary and secondary health care in their area; and what are the principal organisational models used.

  Mr. Malone
  Every district health authority and family health services authority is required to develop effective joint working arrangements for the management of the health care services within their area. It is for the statutory authorities concerned to determine the exact management arrangements to promote joint working, within the current legislation governing the composition and functions of those authorities, and guidance issued by the Department.

  Blood Supply
  Mr. Wareing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations she has received concerning the proposals of the National Blood Authority which include the closure of Liverpool's blood transfusion unit; what her response has been; if she will as a matter of urgency study the proposals; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Sackville
  We have received representations from Members of both Houses, and from other interested parties. The National Blood Authority is undertaking a detailed consultation about its proposals. The results of the consultation will be carefully considered before decisions are made.

  Community Health Services
  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what(a) communications and (b) recommendations she has received from the North Thames regional health authority concerning the future structure and organisation of community health services in the City and east London; and on what basis and on what occasions any such conclusions were reached.

  Mr. Malone
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has received no such communication or recommendation. Prior to 1 April 1994, representations were received from North East Thames regional health authority expressing support for a combined community and primary care trust. We have yet to reach a decision.

  Mr. Tom Pindar
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions she or her Department has had with Mr. Tom Pindar, chairman of the Scarborough and North East Yorkshire Health Care NHS Trust, following his remarks in the course of a mental health review meeting in January; and what plans she has to seek his resignation.

  Mr. Sackville
  Discussions have taken place between Mr. Pindar and the chairman of Northern and Yorkshire regional health authority. I understand that Mr Pindar has apologised unreservedly for his remarks and this has been accepted by all parties. I am satisfied that he should
  309
  continue as chairman of the Scarborough and East Yorkshire Health Care National Health Service Trust.

  Prescriptions
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list those regions, areas and general practitioner practices which are participating in an incentive prescribing scheme; when the schemes started; for how long they are intended to run; and what arrangements she is making to set up an independent review of the results.

  Mr. Malone
  Prescribing incentive schemes were introduced on a pilot basis for non-fundholding general

  List of FHSAs Participating in the 1993–94 Nationally Approved Practice based Prescribing Incentive Scheme

  Northern

  Yorkshire

  Trent

  East Anglia

  North East Thames

  South East Thames

  Cleveland

  Humberside

  Lincolnshire

  Cambridgeshire

  Essex

  East Sussex

  Cumbria

  North Yorkshire

  Doncaster

  Norfolk

  Camden and Islington

  Bromley

  Durham

  Bradford

  Sheffield

  Suffolk

  Enfield and Haringey

  Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham

  Gateshead

  Calderdale

  Barking and Havering

  Greenwich and Bexley

  South Tyneside

  Kirklees

  City and East London

  Kent

  Sunderland

  Leeds

  Redbridge and Waltham Forest

  Newcastle

  Wakefield

  North Tyneside

  Northumberland

  List of FHSAs participating in the 1993–94 nationally approved practice based prescribing incentive scheme

  Oxford

  South Western

  West Midlands

  Mersey

  North Western

  Berkshire

  Avon

  Coventry

  Cheshire

  Lancashire

  Buckinghamshire

  Cornwall

  Solihull

  Liverpool

  Bolton

  Northamptonshire

  Devon

  Staffordshire

  Sefton

  Bury

  Oxfordshire

  Gloucestershire

  Walsall

  St. Helens

  Manchester

  Somerset

  Wirral

  Oldham

  Rochdale

  Salford

  Stockport

  Tameside

  Trafford

  Wigan

WALES

  Parliamentary Questions
  Mr. Hanson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many times during the 1993–94 session information requested in parliamentary questions has been refused on the grounds of commercial confidentiality.

  Mr. Redwood
  Information requested has been refused 11 times on the grounds of commercial confidentiality during the 1993–94 Session.

  Morriston Open Heart Surgery Unit
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what arrangements he has made for the management and ownership of the Morriston open heart surgery unit at the completion of the first five-year period, in the event of contractors being appointed for the second five year 310
  practitioner practices in 11 of the former 14 regions during 1993–94. Around 2,000 practices participated in nationally approved schemes. The regions and family health services authorities which participated in these schemes are shown in the table. There were also a number of locally approved schemes about which information is not available centrally.

  The schemes are subject to annual review. Those for 1993–94 were effective in encouraging cost-effective prescribing and further nationally approved schemes are running this year in all new regions. Figures are not yet available centrally on the numbers of practices participating in this year's schemes.

  contract different from the owners of the facility for the duration of the first five years.

  Mr. Redwood
  Arrangements for the operation of the new unit following the first five years will be a matter for the Morriston Hospital NHS Trust and the commissioners of the service in negotiation with the successful contractor, whether public or private. The services provided by the unit will be free at the point of delivery to NHS patients as it will remain an NHS-controlled facility meeting NHS needs whoever is the manager.

  Medical Genetic Services
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what consultations he has had with purchasing health authorities in Wales with respect to the funding of a consortium to purchase medical genetic services.

  Mr. Redwood
  None. Advice on contracting mechanisms, including consortium purchasing, for specialised services was set out in Welsh Office circular
  311
  DGM(94)65. These are matters for health authorities and providers to decide.

  Hospital Services
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list those hospital services classified as regional services which he proposes to de-designate from 1 April 1995; what representations he has had from the chairmen of Welsh health authorities concerning the de-designation of these services; and if he will publish his assessment of the effect of de-designation subregionally; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Redwood
  The following protected former regional services are to be de-designated from 1 April 1995:

  Bone Marrow Transplantation Service

  Medical Genetics Service

  Pharmaceutical Service:

  Drugs Information Service

  Pharmaceutical Quality Assurance Service

  Surgical Dressings Quality Control Service

  Poisons Information Service

  Renal Transplantation Service

  Spinal Injuries Rehabilitation Service

  Transplant Tissue Typing Service

  Welsh Hearing Institute

  It is open to any service provider or commissioner to argue against de-designation until April 1996. No such representations have been received to date from health authorities in Wales.

  Health Authorities and Trusts
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what consultations he has had with the chairmen of the Welsh health authorities and trusts in relation to expenditure by trusts and units within the national health service in Wales on public relations consultants; under which powers such expenditure is approved by his Department; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Redwood
  None. Health authorities and trusts have discretion to make their own judgments within delegated powers. I do not myself favour expenditure on such consultancy.

  Abattoirs
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the prevalence and use of mobile abattoirs.

  Mr. Redwood
  At present there are no mobile abattoirs in use in Wales. All abattoirs, including mobile abattoirs, need to meet the structural and hygiene standards set out in regulations and require licensing by the appropriate Agriculture Department.

  General Practitioners Training
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has received concerning the funding of flexible training for qualification as general practitioners; how many places are currently funded by the grants from his Department; how many people are on the waiting list who have already completed their pre-registration year; how many women returners have entered their names on to the waiting list; what proposals 312
  he has to increase funding for the training; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Redwood
  The Welsh Office has received one representation. The only scheme for training in general practice is the vocational training scheme, within which there is scope for trainees to work part-time. No figures are held centrally on the numbers undertaking vocational training for general practice whether on a full or part-time basis. There is no central waiting list. The general practice component of the vocational training scheme for full-time and part-time trainees is funded from the non cash-limited general medical services budget and paid by the family health services authority. Expenditure on trainee practitioner salaries in 1993–94 was in the order of £3.4 million.

  Part-time hospital training posts are funded from the postgraduate dean's flexible training scheme budget, which funds all part-time junior grade hospital doctors' posts. The current annual budget is £235,000 which supports 14 posts.

  At present there are no vocational training scheme trainees undertaking part-time hospital training. There are 13 women doctors waiting for placements under the flexible training scheme, three of whom are GP vocational trainees.

  I will be considering the extension of this scheme in the context of this year's public expenditure review.

  Neighbourhood Hospital
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what consultations he has had with the chairman of the South Glamorgan health authority in relation to the planning and consultation exercise for a neighbourhood hospital on the site of St. David's hospital, Cowbridge Road, East Cardiff; on what date the approval in principle letter was sent to the health authority; on what date the detailed application has been requested from the authority; and on what date he expects the start of construction.

  Mr. Redwood
  These are matters for the South Glamorgan health authority. My Department advised the authority on a draft proposal for a local hospital on the site on 14 February 1994. No formal application has been submitted.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what consultations he has had with the west Wales cardiac care purchasing consortium in relation to the tendering procedure for the open heart surgery unit to be opened at Morriston hospital; what arrangements he has made for the treatment of non-standard open heart surgery cases; what departmental representation there is on the purchasing consortium; and what guarantees have been given regarding the overall activity at the centre in the initial two years.

  Mr. Redwood
  The South Wales Consortium is represented on the project board managing the competitive tendering process. The board's report and recommendations will be submitted shortly. The purchasing consortium has been operating successfully since 1993 and will work with the Morriston unit to determine overall activity. The unit will treat emergency and elective cases in line with the service specification.

  Cardiff East Sewage Works
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales on what date he received the application for a derogation from the 2000 deadline under the European municipal waste water treatment directive for the completion of the Cardiff East sewage treatment works; what consultations he had with the chairman of the Wales area of the National Rivers Authority about it; and on what date he approved the derogation order.

  Mr. Redwood
  The Government made clear in "Paying For Quality" that they intended to take advantage of opportunities for derogations which EC directives accord to member states. Dwr Cymru Cyf has been in discussion with my officials about the possibility of a derogation under article 8·1 of the urban waste water treatment directive to extend the period during which the Cardiff East scheme is to be completed, but no application has as yet been made to the Commission.

  Consultants (Merit Awards)
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the numbers of consultants with merit awards for each of the three categories of award, employed by each Welsh health authority or trust at the latest conveniently available date.

  Mr. Redwood
  The numbers of consultants with merit awards for each Welsh health authority are as follows:

  Category of award

  Health authority

  A+

  A

  B

  C

  Clwyd

  2

  10

  20

  East Dyfed

  4

  10

  Gwent

  1

  3

  5

  24

  Gwynedd

  1

  4

  17

  Mid Glamorgan

  1

  7

  23

  Pembrokeshire

  4

  Powys

  1

  1

  6

  South Glamorgan

  11

  24

  47

  57

  West Glamorgan

  1

  13

  29

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what are the names of the members of the Merit Awards Assessment Committee for Wales; on what date they each commenced their period of service on the committee; and for how long a period.

  Mr. Redwood
  The membership of both the C awards committee and the higher awards committee together with their term of appointment are as follows:

  'C' Regional Awards Committee

  Term of Appointment

  Name

  From

  To

  Mr. P. R. Gregory

  Dr. Patricia Steane FRCA

  1992

  1994

  D. Harding Jones Esq. FRCS

  1992

  1994

  R. T. Maxwell Esq. FRCP

  1992

  1994

  Dr. Molly Hall FRCP

  1992

  1994

  Professor W. I. Fraser FRCPsych DPM

  1992

  1994

  C. W. Rouse Esq. FDSRCS

  1992

  1994

  Dr. G. J. Arthurs FRCA

  1993

  1995

  Dr. J. N. Horton FRCA

  1993

  1995

  Mr. W. I. Jones FRCS

  1993

  1995

  Mr. J. P. Williams FRCOG

  1993

  1995

  Dr. M. Adams FRCOG FRCR

  1993

  1995

  314

  'C' Regional Awards Committee

  Term of Appointment

  Name

  From

  To

  Dr. C. P. Williams MRCPath

  1993

  1995

  Dr. D. J. C. Davies FFCM

  1993

  1995

  Dr. G. Hughes FRCP

  1993

  1995

  Mr. R. F. Rintoul FRCS

  1993

  1995

  Dr. J. E. Cawdery FRCP

  1994

  1997

  Dr. J. Gough FRCPath

  1994

  1997

  Dr. Gareth H. Jones FRCPsych

  1994

  1997

  Dr. M. S. T. Ruttley FRCR

  1994

  1997

  Mr. J. W. R. Hombal FRCS

  1994

  1997

  Dr. G. Melville Jones FRCPath

  1994

  1997

  Dr. John H. Williams FRCR

  1994

  1997

  Dr. B. LI. Griffiths FRCP

  1994

  1997

  Dr. Neil S. Davies FRCPsych

  1994

  1997

  Mr. C. J. Davies

  1994

  1997

  Dr. Deidre Hine FFCM DPH

  Mr. K. Thomson

  1994

  1997

  Mr. A. J. Beddow

  1993

  1994

  Mr. R. Hudson

  1993

  1995

  Mr. E. M. W. Griffith CBE

  1993

  1996

  Higher Awards Committee

  Name

  Term of Appointment From

  To

  Professor G. M. Roberts FRCR DMRD

  1992

  1994

  H. Bevan-Jones Esq FRCPsych DPM

  1991

  1993

  D. D. R. Williams Esq MD MRCPsych DPM

  1991

  1993

  D. Seel Esq FDSRCS D'ORTH

  1991

  1993

  J. F. Pearson Esq FRCOG

  1991

  1993

  Professor G. H. Elder FRCPath

  1992

  1994

  Professor G. Crompton

  1992

  1994

  Professor J. Rhodes FRCP

  1992

  1994

  Dr. A. E. Edwards FRCA

  1993

  1995

  Mr. K. H. Cromplin FRCS

  1993

  1995

  Dr. D. M. Wayte FRCPath

  1993

  1995

  Mr. M. H. Wheeler FRCS

  1993

  1995

  Dr. R. S. Vaughan FRCA

  1993

  1995

  Dr. Patricia Steane

  1993

  1995

  Health Care
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list those areas of Wales which have developed joint commissioning operations for the planning and purchasing of primary and secondary health care in their area; and if he will list the principal organisational models used.

  Mr. Redwood
  Every health authority and family health services authority is required to develop effective joint working arrangements for the management of the health care services within their area. It is for the statutory authorities concerned to determine the exact management arrangements to promote joint working, within the current legislation governing the composition and functions of those authorities, and guidance issued centrally.

  At present all authorities in Wales apart from Clwyd and Powys have formal joint commissioning arrangements. Details of the arrangements in each area are available from the authorities concerned.

  National Health Service Trusts
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the total cost of preparing each NHS trust's application in each of the financial years since the passing of the National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990.

  Mr. Redwood
  This information is not held centrally.

  Welsh Development Agency
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what are the terms of reference and reporting chain of command of(a) the Welsh Office departmental member seconded to the Grant Thornton inquiry team set up pursuant to his statement to the House of 7 July, Official Report, columns 463-67, and (b) the Grant Thornton members of that team; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Redwood
  The Welsh Office secondee works direct to Mr. Geraint Davies, partner at Grant Thornton, and has no terms of reference and no remit distinct from those of the inquiry in which she is assisting. The arrangements for the inquiry are a matter for the agency.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what requests his legal department has received from the Grant Thornton inquiry team set up, pursuant to his statement to the House of 7 July, in relation to the status and structure of the Welsh Development Agency's joint ventures in urban regeneration with local authorities as(a) boards with executive powers and (b) consultative forums.

  Mr. Redwood
  None.

  Prescribing
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list those family health services authorities where computerised recording of average proportions of generic and non-generic prescribing for each practice is carried out.

  Mr. Redwood
  Levels of generic prescribing are recorded for each practice by the prescription pricing services division of the Welsh Health Common Services Authority. This information is made available to every family health services authority in Wales.

  Wales Energy Project
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what consultations he has had with the chairman of the Welsh Development Agency in relation to the follow-up action appropriate for the Wales Energy Project completed in March 1993.

  Mr. Redwood
  None.

  Child Care
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what funding has been allocated to each training and enterprise council in Wales from the out-of-school child care network; how much has been committed already; and if he will list the projects to which funds have already been committed.

  Mr. Redwood
  The budget for 1994–95 for the out-of-school child care grant initiative in Wales has been allocated to training and enterprise councils as follows:316

  Gwent

  £135,054

  Mid Glamorgan

  £135,054

  South Glamorgan

  £135,054

  West Wales

  £133,395

  Powys

  £ 93,350

  North West Wales

  £ 84,150

  North East Wales

  £ 84,150

  TECs have committed funding to the following projects beginning in 1994£95:

  Gwent

  Magor and Undy After School Club

  Monmouth Holiday Club

  Northern Telecom Holiday Club

  Mid Glamorgan

  Hendredenny After School Club

  Creigau After School Club

  Bridgend College

  Menter Taf Elai (Rhydyfelin)

  Menter Taf Elai (Llanhari)

  Bridgend & District NHS Trust

  Ogmore Valley Childcare Club

  South Glamorgan

  Allensbank Primary School

  South Glamorgan Community Education Services

  Penarth Community Education Service (Before-school)

  Penarth Community Education Service (After-school)

  Barry Holiday Playcare Scheme

  Llanrumney East End Kids Club

  Whitchurch "Out of School" Association

  West Wales

  The Kid Care Club

  Llangumor School

  St. Pauls

  Melthrinfa Mair - Aberystwyth

  Powys

  School's Out - Talgarth

  Maldwyn Nursery and Family Centre - Newtown

  Kool for Kids - Llanidloes

  N W Wales

  Beach Play Club - Barmouth

  Kidz Klub - Colwyn Bay

  Bangor University Students Union

  N E Wales

  Hawarden Infants

  Clych Meithrin

  Lilliput Denbigh

  Clwyd County Council

  The total committed to these projects and other supporting development work as at 18 October 1994 is £592,490. The balance provides cover for other projects which will begin during the remainder of the financial year.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

  Freedom Food
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Chairman of the Catering Committee if the Catering Committee will require the Refreshment Department to ensure that as far as possible
  317
  all meat and egg products served in the canteens and restaurant of the House have the RSPCA Freedom Food mark.

  Mr. Shepherd
  This is a matter for the director of catering services. I shall ask her to write to the hon. Member.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Child Support Agency
  Mr. Betts
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what is the value of the maintenance payments which have been received and held by the Child Support Agency; and for how many days on average such payments have been held;

  (2) what plans he has to improve the performance of the Child Support Agency in passing on maintenance payments it receives to parents with care;

  (3) what is the target time by which the Child Support Agency is expected to pass on maintenance payments received from parents without care responsibility to those with care;

  (4) in how many cases maintenance payments received by the Child Support Agency have not been passed on to the parent with care after seven days; and what percentage of cases this represents.

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

  Letter from Miss Ann Chart to Mr. Clive Betts, dated 19 October 1994:
  I am replying to your recent Parliamentary Questions to the Secretary of State for Social Security about the length of time taken to pass maintenance payments received by the Child Support Agency to parents with care.
  To the end of July 1994, the Agency had collected about £30 million in maintenance payments arising from Child Support Agency assessments.
  Straightforward cases that generally do not involve benefit payments are likely to be processed in a matter of days. However, in cases where income support is involved benefit details have to be checked with the benefits Agency and it has taken, on average, around ten weeks to process these payments. We recognise that this is unacceptable and have already introduced improved procedures to speed up the process.
  At the end of August 1994, we estimate that there were some 9,000 cases where child maintenance had been paid to the Agency, but some or all of the maintenance had not been forwarded to either the parent with care, or the Secretary of State. To breakdown that figure to show the number over seven days old and the number involving parents with care only, would incur disproportionate cost. This total figure represented less than 4 per cent. of the total number of live cases.

  Mr. Betts
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social

  Year

  1987

  1988

  1989

  1990

  1991

  1992

  1993

  21994

  No.

  7

  3

  4

  —

  1

  —

  —

  2

  (b) to (d) The information is in the table.

  1987

  1988

  1989

  1990

  1991

  1992

  1993

  21994

  (b)

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  (c)1

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  1

  (d)1

  32

  10

  20

  23

  21

  17

  31

  21

  318
  Security (1) how many parents with care have waited (a) one month, (b) two months, (c) three months, (d) six months and (e) one year since the Child Support Act 1991 came into force to receive their first maintenance payment through the Child Support Agency from the date of first application; and what percentage of applications each group represents;

  (2) how many parents with care have currently been waiting (a) one month, (b) two months, (c) three months, (d) six months and (e) one year to receive the first maintenance payment through the Child Support Agency from the date of first application; and what percentage of applications each group represents.

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

  Letter from Miss Ann Chant to Mr. Clive Betts, dated 19 October 1994:
  I am replying to your recent Parliamentary Questions to the Secretary of State for Social Security on outstanding claims for child maintenance.
  Information in the format you have requested is not available. However information is available as follows:

  Age of Cases Outstanding as at 31 August 1994

  Per cent.

  Over 13 weeks old

  403,187

  79 per cent.

  Over 26 weeks old

  346,135

  68 per cent.

  Over 52 weeks old

  Figures

  Figures

  not yet available

  not yet available

  Time taken to clear cases between 1 April and 31 August 1994

  per cent.

  40 days or less

  37

  More than 40 days and up to 100 days

  15

  More than 100 days

  48

  Vaccine Damage
  Mr. McCartney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security in respect of payments under the vaccine damage payment scheme, in each year since 1987(a) how many claims were withdrawn, (b) how many claimants were under two years of age, (c) how many claimants were disabled to less than 80 per cent. due to vaccination, (d) in how many cases claimants' disablement was not due to vaccination and (e) in how many other cases section 2 conditions were not fulfilled; and what were the reasons why claims were withdrawn.

  Mr. Hague
  (a) None prior to the vaccine damage tribunal stage. Claims withdrawn at the tribunal stage are in the table.
  319
  (e) The information is in the table.

  Disallowances under Section 2(1), VDP Act 1979

  1987

  1988

  1989

  1990

  1991

  1992

  1993

  21994

  S.2(1)(a)(i)

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  S.2(1)(a)(ii)

  —

  1

  —

  —

  2

  —

  —

  —

  S.2(1)(a)(iii)

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  S.2(1)(b)

  4

  2

  4

  2

  —

  —

  5

  —

  S.2(1)(c)

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  With reference to claims withdrawn, I would refer the honourable Member to my answer at (a).

  1The figures exclude those where causation has not been fully investigated owing to the claimant's disability falling substantially short of 80 per cent.

  2Correct at 13 October 1994.

  Housing Benefit
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many recipients there were of rent allowance housing benefit in(a) housing association properties and (b) other private rented properties at 31

  Recipients (thousands)

  Average weekly eligible rent

  Average weekly rent allowance

  Housing associations tenants

  Other private tenants

  Housing associations

  Other private tenants

  Housing associations tenants

  Other private tenants

  May 1992

  340

  952

  £35·54

  £43·91

  £32·24

  £40·68

  May 1993

  412

  1,068

  £39·88

  £49·86

  £35·75

  £46·80

  May 1994

  508

  1,126

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  Figures are for 31 May as no counts are taken on 31 March.

  Information relates to eligible rent for Housing Benefit as actual rents paid are not available.

  Average eligible rents and average rent allowances figures apply to end of May 1992 and 1993.

  May 1994 figures are not yet available.

  Source:

  Housing Benefit Management Information System.

  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the total housing benefit paid in respect of(a) housing association properties and (b) other private rented properties in the financial years 1992–93 and 1993–94; and what are the predicted figures for each of these for 1994–95.

  Mr. Roger Evans
  The available information is:

  Rent Allowance Expenditure in Great Britain

  £million

  1992–93

  3,257

  1993–94 estimated out-turn

  3,817

  1994–95 plans

  4,320

  Source:

  DSS Department Report 1994.tnh2 Seperate information on the amount of Housing Benefit paid to housing association tenants is not available.

  War Pensions
  Mr. Austin-Walker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the cost to(a) all English local authorities and (b) London boroughs of disregarding war widows and war disablement pensions for the purpose of housing benefit and community charge or council tax benefit in each year since 1988.

  Mr. Roger Evans
  The available information relating to the cost to local authorities of their own disregard scheme, compiled from information provided by local 320
  March 1992, 31 March 1993 and 31 March 1994; what was the average rent of each of these Properties; and what was the average rent allowance being paid for each of these.

  Mr. Roger Evans
  The available information is set out in the table:

  authorities for the financial years from 1998–89 to 1992–93, has been placed in the Library.

  Council Tax
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many households receive council tax rebates in each region of Scotland.

  Mr. Roger Evans
  The available information is set out in the table:

  Scottish Region and Islands

  Council Tax Benefit caseloads May 1994

  Borders

  8,800

  Central

  35,800

  Dumfries and Galloway

  13,600

  Fife

  45,100

  Grampian

  33,900

  Highland1

  17,700

  Lothian

  60,800

  Strathclyde2

  322,200

  Tayside

  40,400

  Regions Total

  578,300

  Islands Councils

  5,900

  Scotland Total

  584,200

  1estimated

  2provisional (October 1994 figure)

  The information relates to bnenefit units rather than households, a benefit unit may be a couple or a single person.

  Source:

  Council Tax benefit Management Information System

  Strathclyde—provided direct by region.

  Bronchitis and Emphysema
  Mr. Clapham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the number of applicants awarded benefit for PD D12 chronic bronchitis and emphysema in each 10 per cent. band between 14 per cent. and 100 per cent. for the period 13 September 1993 to 13 September 1994.

  Mr. Hague
  The full information requested is not available. The available information is in the table.

  Chronic bronchitis and/or emphysema as at 11 September 1994. Awards of Benefit for PD D12.

  14–24 per cent.

  442

  25–34 per cent.

  634

  35 per cent. and over

  3,393

  NB

  A number of applications received up to 11 September 1994 are still being processed.

  Based on 100 per cent. count but subject to amendment.

  Mr. Clapham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the total number of applications for benefit for PD D12 chronic bronchitis and emphysema broken down by region between 13 September 1993 and 13 September 1994.

  Mr. Hague
  Information is not available by region. The available information is shown in the table and relates to applications received by 11 September 1994.

  Applications for benefit in respect of chronic bronchitis and emphysema (PD D12) by area directorate

  Area

  Claims

  South

  Anglia

  25

  Chilterns

  22

  South East

  470

  West Country

  144

  Wales and Central England

  East Midlands

  5,663

  Greater Manchester

  326

  Lancashire and Cumbria

  2,252

  Merseyside

  495

  Midlands South West

  648

  Wales

  9,339

  West Mercia

  3,658

  Scotland and North

  East Scotland

  2,391

  Glasgow

  240

  North and West Yorkshire

  2,651

  North, Central and West Scotland

  1,893

  South Yorkshire and Humberside

  6,491

  Tyne Tees

  7,119

  Total

  43,827

  Based on 100 per cent. count but subject to amendment.

  Prisoners (Housing Benefit)
  Mr. Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many prisoners are currently in receipt of housing benefit; and what is the cost of this as a proportion of(a) the overall housing benefit budget and (b) the overall social security budget;
  322
  (2) if he will give figures, in real cash terms, of the predicted savings his Department will make as a result of reducing prisoners' entitlement to housing benefit from 52 weeks to 13 weeks;

  (3) how many prisoners over the last five-year period for which figures are available have had their entitlement to housing benefit renewed for a further 52 weeks following a home visit.

  Mr. Roger Evans
  No information is collected on the amount of housing benefit paid to prisoners, the number of prisoners in receipt of housing benefit, or the impact of home visits on prisoners' benefit. However, we estimate that there could be up to 10,000 single prisoners in receipt of housing benefit in any one year at a cost of up to £10 million.

  This represents up to 0·1 per cent. of the housing benefit budget, and up to 0·01 per cent. of the total social security budget. The majority of this cost is expected to be recouped through reducing prisoners' benefit entitlement to 13 weeks.

  Source: Prison Statistics England and Wales 1991 CM. 2157

  Chief Adjudication Officer
  Mr. Peter Ainsworth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he will publish the 10th annual report of the Chief Adjudication Officer; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Roger Evans
  The report is being published today. The report's findings point to improvements in the quality of adjudication in the Benefits Agency, notably in the income support area. Standards within the Employment Service also showed some improvement.

  The Benefits Agency and Employment Service are committed to better standards of adjudication as illustrated by the increased emphasis on quality in agency business plans for 1994–95. Both the CAO and I look forward to progress in coming years.

  The report contains six recommendations to build on the progress which the agencies have made in improving adjudication standards.

  These recommendations are being considered and there will be a formal response in due course.

TRANSPORT

  Shipping
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many ships in 1993 flying foreign flags(a) visited United Kingdom ports, (b) were inspected and (c)were detained.

  Mr. Norris
  In 1993, 6,540 individual ships flying foreign flags visited United Kingdom ports; 2,271 were inspected and 174 were detained.

  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what surveys of garbage reception facilities for ships using United Kingdom ports his Department is currently funding.

  Mr. Norris
  A comprehensive survey of reception facilities at United Kingdom ports has been carried out by the Marine Safety Agency. The data from that survey are being analysed. In addition an independent research
  323
  project has been commissioned to assess the adequacy of these facilities.

  Private Hire Vehicles
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he proposes to publish his proposals arising from his Department's review of taxis and private hire vehicle services; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Norris
  The hon. Member will be aware that in April the Transport Select Committee published volume I of its report on taxis and private hire vehicles—House of Commons Paper 239-I. We shall be replying to the Committee shortly.

  Coaches
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent representations he has received regarding the use of the outside lane of motorways by coaches; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Norris
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Gower (Mr. Wardell), on 17 October,Official Report, column 103.

  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what evidence he has as to the accident record involving coaches travelling in the outside lane of motorways; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Norris
  In 1993 coaches were involved in 87 accidents on motorways resulting in 326 casualties. The lane occupied at the time is not known.

  Plutonium Nitrate
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information he has received from the Atomic Energy Authority on the outcome of its review of the authority's 1984 report on the radiological consequences of the release into the sea of the contents of a plutonium nitrate package.

  Mr. Norris
  The Department has received an executive summary of the review which confirms the findings of the 1984 report.

  Pelican Crossings
  Mr. Tipping
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to review departmental advice note TA 52/87, "Design Considerations for Pelican and Zebra Crossings" to relax the minimum PV2 value necessary for the installation of a pelican crossing.

  Mr. Norris
  The numerical PV-squared criterion is purely advisory and highway authorities are free to decide whether to install pedestrian crossings on the roads for which they are responsible. The advice note emphasises the importance of taking local features into account in reaching a decision. The note is under review and we expect to replace it shortly with advice based on an examination of local factors and not relying on the numerical criterion.

  British Rail Rule Book
  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what consultations he has had with the chief inspecting officer of railways concerning the introduction of multiple separate publications to replace the single 324
  volume British Rail rule book; and if he will make a statement concerning changes in the distribution of the new publications compared to that for the single volume.

  Mr. Watts
  There have been no such consultations. However, the chief inspecting officer of railways is aware that Railtrack intends to re-publish the former British Rail rule book in a new format, divided into a number of separate publications. He has no objection to this proposal and shares Railtrack's opinion that it is potentially beneficial to safety.

  Maritime False Alarms
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many false alarms have been registered in the past 12 months on the global maritime distress and safety systems; and what was the estimated cost of the false alarms.

  Mr. Norris
  During the year 1 October 1993 to 30 September 1994 HM Coastguard recorded a total of 956 false alerts within the global maritime distress and safety systems attributed to:International Maritime Satellite (INMARSAT)
  343
  Satellite Aided Position Indicating Systems (COSPAS/SARSAT)
  511
  Medium Frequency Radio Digital Selective Calling (MFDSC)
  102

  The estimated cost to the Coastguard Agency based on an average of two man hours to deal with each false alert is £17,016 for the year 1 October 1993, to 30 September 1993.

  Dumping at Sea
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many successful prosecutions have been mounted arising from the dumping of rubbish at sea in each of the last three years; and how many incidents were recorded in the same period.

  Mr. Norris
  In the past three years, there have been seven incidents of garbage dumping at sea reported to my Department's Marine Pollution Control Unit. Of these, two were referred for prosecution action. One case was found not guilty and the other is on-going. Further cases may have been brought by other authorities but records are not held centrally.

  Airports
  Mr. Peter Ainsworth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how the development of Redhill aerodrome fits into the long-term development of airports in the south-east in the context of the RUCATSE—runway capacity in the south-east group—report.

  Mr. Norris
  [holding answer 21 July 1994]: RUCATSE did not consider development of Redhill aerodrome as one of its options. The RUCATSE report noted that constraints could be imposed on Redhill, were a second runway to be developed at Gatwick.

EMPLOYMENT

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what has been the change in the numbers unemployed since 1990; and to which of the factors and reforms listed in section 5.1 and annex 2, "Employment: The Challenge for the Nation", Cmnd. 9474, he ascribes the change.

  Mr. Oppenheim
  There are two main measures of employment used in Great Britain: the "Workforce in Employment" which is based on a survey of employers, and the labour force survey, which is a survey of households. The "Workforce in Employment" estimates of the changes in full-time employment in Great Britain since 1984 are shown in the table:

  Males

  Females

  June 1984 to June 1990

  +500,000

  +834,000

  June 1990 to June 1994

  -1,683,000

  -423,000

  June 1984 to June 1994

  -1,182,000

  +412,000

  The corresponding estimates based on the LFS are:

  Spring 1984 to Spring 1990

  +811,000

  +1,019,00

  Spring 1990 to Summer 1994

  -1,253,000

  -359,000

  Spring 1984 to Summer 1994

  -442,000

  +660,000

  Note:

  seasonally adjusted figures

  There is currently some discrepancy between the two measures, and work is being done to ascertain the reasons for the differences.

  The figures show how full-time employment moved during different stages in the economic cycle. However, a comparison of total employment at similar stages in the economic cycle is a broader indicator of Britain's recent employment record. The "Work force in employment" grew by around 1.5 million between peaks in the last cycle–1979 and 1990. This is the fastest rate of growth at least since the 1960s. The growth in the "Work force in employment" between the troughs in the last cycle–1983 to 1993—was of a similar order of magnitude. It is likely that the Government's policies, such as those in the White Paper cited above, contributed to this performance.

  Mr. Parry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the current level of unemployment in(a) the Liverpool, Riverside constituency and (b) Merseyside at the latest available date; and if he will make a statement on what measures are being taken to reduce these figures.

  Mr. Oppenheim
  The table gives the unadjusted claimant unemployed in the Liverpool, Riverside constituency and the county of Merseyside for September 1986, 1993 and 1994.

  Month

  Year

  Total

  Merseyside

  September

  1986

  140,472

  September

  1993

  96,516

  September

  1994

  87,814

  Liverpool, Riverside

  September

  1986

  11,652

  September

  1993

  7,458

  September

  1994

  6,973

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  The Government are committed to reducing unemployment by supporting the development of a more productive and competitive economy which will create better-paid and more secure jobs in the labour market.

  Unemployed People
  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the implications of the delay in negotiations with the European Union on existing training and support available to unemployed people.

  Miss Widdecombe
  I regret that the Commission's failure to begin negotiations on the United Kingdom's objective 3 plan until the end of April led to serious problems for some training providers. I am pleased to say that thereafter negotiations on the United Kingdom's single programming document for objective 3, which accounts for most of the support for training unemployed people available from the Community, were undertaken intensively, and the document was formally agreed by the Commission at the beginning of August. Since then, the Department has been able to move quickly. Applications for European social fund grant in 1994 have now for the most part been approved, and the advances so far claimed have been paid. First priority in this process has been given to dealing with vulnerable projects from the voluntary sector.

  Industrial Tribunals
  Mr. Raynsford
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment in how many cases at industrial tribunals each Government Department has been represented in each of the past five years.

  Mr. Oppenheim
  I regret that the information requested is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Public Bodies
  Mr. Raynsford
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the non-departmental public bodies to which his Department makes appointments in the Greater London area, together with the total annual budget for each body and the number of appointments made or renewed in each of the last five years.

  Miss Widdecombe
  In the Greater London area, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Employment is responsible for the appointment of lay members to the London (north) regional office of industrial tribunals and the London (south) regional office of industrial tribunals; and of chairmen and members to the London north and London south committees for the employment of people with disabilities.

  It is not possible to breakdown the budget for these non-departmental public bodies. National figures for the industrial tribunals and CEPDs are available for the 1992–93 financial year in "Public Bodies 1993", a copy of which is available in the Library.

  Appointments and re-appointments to the industrial tribunals are made every three years, the last two such exercises having been carried out in 1989 and 1992. In 1989, a total of 46 new appointments and 277 re-appointments were made to industrial tribunals within the jurisdiction of the London (north) and London (south)

  327
  regional offices. In 1992, there were 109 new appointments and 219 re-appointments.

  The two London CEPDs each have an independent chairman and 13 members. The committees are reconstituted every three years when all appointments are considered afresh. The last reconstitution exercise was completed in March 1994. Running records of appointments including replacement members are not kept centrally and regional records do not go back as far as five years.

  Soccer Players
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many work permit applications for professional soccer players have been made in each of the last 10 years; and how many granted in each year, specifying the nationality of the applicant in each case.

  Mr. Oppenheim
  The number of work permit applications, including those for extensions to existing permits, received by the Department for professional soccer players in each of the years for which this information is available is set out in the table. Information about the number of permits granted to professional soccer players and their nationality is not available.

  Year

  Number Of Applications

  1989

  9

  1990

  23

  1991

  32

  1992

  30

  1993

  35

  1994

  122

  1To date.

  National Insurance Credits
  Mr. Lewis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the total number of persons who are currently in receipt of class 1 national insurance credits only, during unemployment, in each unemployment benefit office in Greater Manchester.

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

  Letter from M.E.G. Fogden to Mr. Terry Lewis, dated 20 October 1994:
  The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question about the total number of persons, who are currently in receipt of Class 1 National Insurance credits only, during unemployment, in each unemployment benefit office in Greater Manchester.
  The information you have requested is not fully available. However the attached table gives the number of persons within each office in Greater Manchester, who were registered as unemployed and receiving neither unemployment benefit nor Income Support on 12 May. The vast majority, but not all, of these persons will have been receiving Class 1 National Insurance credits only. More recent data can only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
  328

  Table to show the number of persons not in receipt of unemployment benefit nor income support, during unemployment, in each benefit office in Greater Manchester on Thursday 12 May 1994

  Office

  Number (See note below)

  Altrincham

  509

  Hyde

  325

  Marple

  142

  Stockport A

  330

  Wythenshawe

  299

  Stockport B

  332

  Stockport C

  309

  Rusholme

  190

  Rochdale

  490

  Ashton-in-Makerfield

  157

  Ashton-under-Lyne

  261

  Atherton & Tyldesley

  160

  Bolton A

  200

  Bury A

  422

  Bolton B

  284

  Bolton C

  268

  Denton

  187

  Eccles

  187

  Failsworth

  256

  Didsbury

  365

  Stretford B

  527

  Farnworth

  127

  Heywood

  211

  Horwich

  123

  Irlam

  71

  Leigh

  318

  Levenshulme

  239

  Little Borough

  102

  Middleton

  155

  Newton Heath

  304

  Oldham B

  700

  Swinton

  172

  Prestwich

  335

  Radcliffe

  115

  Manchester C

  179

  Salford A

  347

  Hindley

  109

  Worsley

  198

  West Houghton

  90

  Wigan A

  585

  Wigan B

  257

  Note:

  The vast majority of these persons will have been in receipt of a Class 1 National Insurance credit at the time.

  National Insurance
  Mr. Lewis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the total number of persons nationally who are currently in receipt of class 1 national insurance credits only, during unemployment.

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

  Letter from M. E. G. Fogden to Mr. Terry Lewis, dated 20 October 1994:
  The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question about the total number of persons, nationally, who are currently in receipt of Class 1 National Insurance credits only, during unemployment.
  The information you have requested is not fully available. However, the number of persons nationally, who were registered as unemployed and receiving neither unemployment benefit nor

  329
  Income Support on 12 May was 281,318. The vast majority, but not all, of these persons, would have been receiving Class 1 National Insurance credits only. More recent data can only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
  It must be noted that of these persons, 47,598 were yet to have their unemployment benefit entitlement established.
  I hope this is helpful.

  Training Projects
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the European Community objective 3 training allocations and amounts of assistance to be given to projects in(a) Inverclyde, (b) Strathclyde and (c) Scotland as a whole.

  Miss Widdecombe
  [holding answer 18 October 1994]: European social fund grants for objective 3 are allocated to projects through sector managers, operating at. Great Britain level, though in some sectors separate allocations for Scotland have been made at the outset.

  Since the process of considering and approving applications for 1994 is still going on it is impossible as yet to give figures for the overall levels of assistance under objective 3 which will go to projects in Scotland as a whole or to projects in Strathclyde or Inverclyde.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Food Safety
  Mr. Simon Coombs
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what evaluation he has made of the potential for deregulation in food safety.

  Mrs. Browning
  Our food law deregulation plan involves taking a critical look at all existing regulations. We have already said that this will not undermine proper requirements for food safety and consumer protection but there will undoubtedly be opportunities for updating or simplification.

  Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many species are infected by bovine spongiform encephalopathy.

  Mrs. Browning
  BSE is, by definition, a disease of cattle. Spongiform encephalopathies have also been diagnosed in other animal species in Great Britain and elsewhere and in three of them—cats, nyala and greater kudo—strain typing has indicated a possible common origin with BSE.

  Bovine Immune Deficiency Virus
  Mr. Clapham
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has had recently on bovine immune deficiency virus.

  Mr. Jon Owen Jones
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what research his Department is undertaking into the bovine immune deficiency virus.

  Mrs. Browning
  Representations have been received from Members of this House and a farmer in Cheshire whose herd is being investigated. Studies have been commissioned at the Central Veterinary Laboratory on the 330
  inactivation of BIV in milk by pasteurisation, and further research is under way at the Institute of Animal Health.

  Beef
  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the export of beef to other members of the European Union.

  Mr. Waldgrave
  The Government have worked hard to enable our beef exports to continue since the new European Union trade rules on BSE were introduced in July.

  Bovine Welfare
  Mr. McAvoy
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the welfare of bovines.

  Mrs. Browning
  The welfare of bovines is protected on the farm by regulations and codes of recommendation made under the Agriculture (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1968 and in transit by the Welfare of Animals during Transport Order 1992.

  The Farm Animal Welfare Council, which advises Ministers on the welfare of all farm animals, is studying the on-farm welfare of dairy cows, and will report in due course.

  Set-aside Land
  Mr. John Greenway
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what further plans he has to improve the use of set-aside land.

  Mr. Jack
  As I said in my reply to the hon. Member for Newport, West (Mr. Flynn) earlier, we want to improve environmental benefits from set-aside, and to develop alternative non-food crops which can be grown on set-aside land.

  Animal Transportation
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what agreement has been reached with other European Union countries about the transportation of live animals.

  Mrs. Browning
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply my right hon. Friend gave earlier to my hon. Friend the Member for Worcester (Mr. Luff).

  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what progress he is making in promoting the consumption of speciality foods.

  Mrs. Browning
  We fully support speciality food and drink producers in their efforts to sell more of their products at home and abroad. The Department provides help through Food From Britain for groups of these producers aimed at improving their marketing. I intend myself to take every opportunity of demonstrating my close interest in the success of this dynamic sector of the food industry whose products are of such high quality, and I shall be visiting one of the regional groups next month.

  Fur Farms
  Mr. Illsley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on fur farming.

  Mrs. Browning
  Welfare conditions on fur farms are monitored regularly by the State Veterinary Service and we are seeking European Community legislation to set standards for all fur farms. Security standards for mink farms are set by the Mink Keeping Order 1992.

  Oilseed Rape
  Mr. Denham
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the use of set-aside land for the growing of oilseed rape, with a view to its conversion into bio-diesel fuel.

  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the use of land set aside for the growing of oilseed rape with a view to its conversion into bio-diesel fuel.

  Mr. Jack
  Oilseed rape can be grown on land set aside under the arable area payments scheme, provided that it is processed into an approved non-food product. The approved non-food uses include the conversion of rapeseed oil into bio-diesel fuel.

  Dioxin Contamination
  Mr. Skinner
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he has taken to satisfy himself that the farms in Bolsover, north Derbyshire, are now free from dioxin contamination.

  Mrs. Browning
  When the problem of dioxin contamination was first discovered, the Ministry undertook that it would monitor dioxins in the milk from farms in the Bolsover area for as long as was necessary. Further samples of cows' milk taken this July from these farms were found to contain dioxins at levels similar to those in samples taken last year. These results indicate that the Bolsover area remains largely free from unacceptable levels of dioxins, other than from the farm previously found to be the most heavily contaminated. This finding is not unexpected as dioxins are known to be very long lived. I have placed the full details of these latest findings in the Library.

  Food Marketing
  Mr. Clappison
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps are being taken to improve the marketing of agricultural produce domestically and abroad.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  The new marketing development scheme, launched on 15 June, provides £10 million-worth of assistance over the next three years to help develop new marketing ideas. Abroad, assistance to United Kingdom exporters is given by Food From Britain. Our export promotion division also helps the industry to identify new overseas markets.

  Chemical Pollution
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he is taking to reduce chemical pollution arising from farmlands.
  332
  Mr. Jack
  The Government operate an extensive programme of measures to control chemical pollution from farmland. Recent measures include the extension of the nitrate sensitive area scheme to protect a further 28 water sources; the proposed designation of 72 nitrate vulnerable zones in England and Wales where agricultural activities will be controlled; the issue and promotion of codes of good agricultural practice for the protection of air, soil and water from agricultural activities; a code of practice for the safe use of pesticides on farms and holdings; and a £10 million research and development programme. In addition we recently announced that in seven river catchments including Slapton Ley we will be carrying out an extensive promotion campaign to provide farm waste management plans aimed at avoiding water pollution.

  British Food
  Mrs. Angela Knight
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what proposals he has further to promote British food.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  Food From Britain, which is partly funded by my Department, has a substantial programme of action in support of British food exporters which includes organising a strong British presence at overseas food trade fairs. My hon. Friend will be visiting the SIAL exhibition in Paris next week to demonstrate our continuing support for this export activity.

  Sugar
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he last met other members of the EC Council of Agriculture Ministers to discuss the future of the sugar regime.

  Mr. Jack
  The future of the sugar regime was last discussed at the December 1993 Agriculture Council. At that meeting, it was agreed that the existing regime would be reviewed before 1 July 1995. Proposals from the Commission are expected shortly.

  Badgers
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture Fisheries and Food how many badgers were culled at the Highgrove estate, Tetbury, in each month since November 1993; and how many of those badgers culled were infected with tuberculosis.

  Mrs. Browning
  A total of 15 badgers were culled on the Highgrove estate in a badger removal operation which started on 5 April and finished on 26 July this year. Of these, three were taken in April and 12 were taken in July. All were negative for M. bovis.

  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on what grounds licences to kill badgers on the Highgrove estate were issued in mid-August 1994; how many badgers were killed; and how many were found to have bovine tuberculosis.

  Mrs. Browning
  A detailed epidemiological investigation by Ministry veterinary staff attributed the confirmed cattle TB herd breakdown which occurred on the Highgrove estate in November 1993, to infection by badgers. The results of the badger removal operation that followed were given in my answer to the hon. Member for Glanford and Scunthorpe (Mr. Morley) on 20 October 1994,Official Report, column 334.
  333
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many badgers were killed under licence in 1993 and 1994 to date; and how many were found to have bovine tuberculosis.

  Mrs. Browning
  A total of 1,094 badgers were trapped and killed in Ministry badger removal operations in 1993. Of these, 302 were positive for M. bovis. So far in 1994, a total of 1,448 badgers have been trapped and killed in Ministry badger removal operations. Of these, 257 were positive for M. bovis; 460 results are pending.

  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture Fisheries and Food what is the cumulative total of badgers killed arising from efforts to eradicate bovine tuberculosis in British cattle since 1964.

  Mrs. Browning
  The cumulative total of badgers killed in Ministry badger removal operations since 1974, when controls began, is 15,443. It is not known how many badgers died underground when gassing was used by the Ministry as a means of badger control between 1975 and 1982.

  Rabbits
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make it his policy that viral haemorrhagic disease will not be released into the countryside as a wild rabbit control method.

  Mrs. Browning
  The deliberate introduction and spread of the virus causing viral haemorrhagic disease in rabbits is prohibited by the Specified Animal Pathogens Order 1993. The Ministry has no plans to amend this legislation.

  Abattoirs
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the prevalence and use of mobile abattoirs.

  Mrs. Browning
  At present there are no mobile abattoirs in use in England. All slaughterhouses, including mobile abattoirs, must meet the structural and hygiene standards set out in the Fresh Meat (Hygiene and Inspection) Regulations 1992 and have to be licensed by the appropriate Agriculture Department.

  Livestock Transport
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many farm animals were identified as being unfit to travel in 1993.

  Mrs. Browning
  Figures for 1993 are not available. In Great Britain between March and August 1994, the number of farm animals for export rejected by veterinary inspectors as unfit to travel was 10,867.

  Birds (Illegal Import)
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the illegal import of birds from non-EU countries into the United Kingdom through other EU countries.

  Mrs. Browning
  In the absence of harmonised detailed animal health rules for the quarantine of captive birds imported into the Community from third countries, and in the light of a number of other factors including the presence of Newcastle disease in several member states, the Government decided in December 1993 to maintain,334
  temporarily, the requirement that all captive birds imported in the United Kingdom, whether directly from a third country, or from or through another member state, undergo a period of at least 35 days quarantine in approved quarantine premises. The only exception to this requirement are those birds imported from other member states which are accompanied by official veterinary certification confirming, among other things, that the birds in question have been resident in a member state for a period of least 35 days or, if imported into the Community from a third country, have undergone an equivalent period of quarantine before import into the United Kingdom.

  The Ministry is concerned about reports of illegal imports of birds from third countries into the United Kingdom via other member states which are intended to evade quarantine. Such imports pose a serious disease risk to the UK poultry industry and to the domestic captive bird population. Where information about illegal importations is sufficiently precise the Ministry's investigation branch undertakes formal investigations, in liaison with local authorities, who are responsible for the enforcement of the relevant import legislation. A number of investigations are currently under way.

  Meat and Livestock Commission Levy
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what changes he proposes to the way in which Meat and Livestock Commission levy is collected.

  Mr. Jack
  A review of the MLC was published on 1 March and included a recommendation that the levy should be collected at slaughter only. Comments on the review have now been received from the industry and my right hon. Friend hopes to make an announcement shortly.

  Milk
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what estimate has been made of the impact of Milk Marque's proposals upon(a) employment in the milk processing industry, (b) the level of imports of dairy products and (c) the level of investment by dairy companies.

  Mr. Jack
  My Department has not made any such estimates.

  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what estimate has been made of the impact of Milk Marque's pricing regime upon(a) the price of liquid milk, (b) the price of dairy products, (c) the level of employment in the milk processing industry, (d) the level of investment in the dairy industry and (e) the output of butter and cheese.

  Mr. Jack
  It is estimated that the effect of Milk Marque's pricing regime might be to add up to ½p per pint to the price of milk sold for liquid consumption. This estimate takes no account of the beneficial effort of abolishing the present milk marketing board levy of over l½ p per pint on direct sales by producer/retailers. No estimates have been prepared by my Department in respect of the other matters mentioned.

  Animal Welfare
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what his Department's
  335
  priorities are concerning the promotion of animal welfare; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Browning
  The Department has the stated aim of protecting farm animals by encouraging high welfare standards. Every opportunity is taken to further this aim.

  Learning Resources
  Mr. McCartney
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many learning resource packs of the "Food—A Fact of Life" programme have been sold since the launch of the initiative in June 1991.

  Mrs. Browning
  Sales to date of complete packs of "Food—A Fact of Life" total 3,174. This figure includes a small number of complimentary packs presented to schools and advisers who participated in the various development trials.

  Mr. McCartney
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many learning resource packs of the "Food—A Fact of Life" programme have been sold to schools for(a) stage 1 and (b) stage 2.

  Mrs. Browning
  Sales to date of complete packs of "Food—A Fact of Life" total(a) 2,247 for stage 1 and (b) 927 for stage 2. These figures include a small number of complimentary packs presented to schools and advisers who participated in the various development trials.

  Mr. McCartney
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much income has been generated from the sales of learning resource packs of the "Food—A Fact of Life" programme; and how the income from these sales is to be spent.

  Mrs. Browning
  The gross receipts received from sales of packs of "Food—A Fact of Life" up to 1 October 1994 total £115,846. All this money has been reinvested in the programme.

SCOTLAND

  Nursing and Midwifery
  Sir David Steel
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received opposing his plans for the provision of nursing and midwifery education in Scotland; if he will make it his policy that nursing training in the borders will not be centralised to the Lothian region; and what savings are expected to be made from the proposed arrangements.

  Average gross weekly earnings (£)1 April 1993

  All full-time employees

  Male full-time employees All

  Female full-time employees Manual

  Non-Manual

  All

  Manual

  Non-Manual

  272·1

  304·2

  245·8

  373·5

  217·5

  162·0

  23·66

  1For full-time employees on adult rates, whose pay was unaffected by absence.

  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list, for the combined regions and islands areas of(a) Highland, (b)Borders, (c) Dumfries and Galloway, (d) Orkney, (e) Shetland and (f) Western Isles, the distribution of earnings for those earning under
  336
  Mr. Lang
  My announcement on 16 May 1994 that the management executive of the NHS in Scotland would be tendering with tertiary education for the provision of pre-registration nursing and midwifery education and training has been generally welcomed. Representations received have related to concerns about the future locality of this training and the implications for staff in the existing colleges of nursing and midwifery. The future locality of the training currently delivered at the Scottish Borders college of nursing and midwifery and, indeed, the numbers of its staff to transfer to the education sector, cannot be predicted since this must await the outcome of the tendering process which is now due to be completed in July 1995. Even where future training is to be delivered in centres different from the current provision, the management executive will ensure that a good geographical spread of clinical placements—that is the practical element of the courses—still exists for each branch of training of nursing. Since the contracts will not be awarded solely on cost grounds, the contracting process is unlikely to result in substantial savings, but I believe that costs can be contained within the existing provision.

  Dementia
  Ms Rachel Squire
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what measures he plans to take to improve arrangements for consultation between health boards and local authorities for future provision of long-stay care for people with dementia.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The Secretary of State has no immediate plans to adjust the firmly established procedures that currently exist between health boards and local authorities for co-operation in the planning and delivery of services for all vulnerable client groups.

  Earnings
  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list, for the combined regions and islands areas of(a) Highland, (b) Borders, (c) Dumfries and Galloway, (d) Orkney, (e) Shetland and (f) Western Isles, the earnings of full-time workers on adult rates of pay broken down by (i) male manual, (ii) male non-manual, (iii) all males, (iv) female manual, (v) female non-manual, (vi) all females and (vii) all workers.

  Mr Stewart
  The information requested, taken from the 1993 "New Earnings Survey", is given in the table:

  £120, (ii) £150 and (iii) £160; what is (x) the point below which 10 per cent. of earners fall and (y) the point which 10 per cent. of earners exceed, broken down by (i) male manual, (ii) male non-manual, (iii) all males, (iv) female manual, (v) female non-manual, (vi) all females

  337
  and (vii) all workers in total and by the standard industrial classifications.

  Mr. Stewart
  The information requested, taken from the 1993 "New Earnings Survey", is given in the table.

  All employees1 April 1993

  Percentage of employees with average gross weekly earnings

  Lowest decile

  Highest decile

  <£120

  <£150

  <£160

  £

  £

  Divisions 0-9 (all employees)

  male

  manual

  4·0

  10·1

  15·

  149·8

  349·5

  non-manual

  6·5

  10·9

  13·7

  147·3

  553·5

  all

  5·2

  10·5

  14·5

  148·8

  488·0

  female

  manual

  64·3

  77·9

  81·4

  —

  203·3

  non-manual

  25·9

  39·1

  42·9

  62·0

  371·0

  all

  39·3

  52·6

  56·3

  48·3

  320·4

  all employees

  21·5

  30·7

  34·5

  67·2

  432·4

  Division 4 (Other manufacturing industries)

  male

  manual

  —

  8·9

  12·5

  151·8

  230·0

  Division 5 (Construction)

  male

  manual

  —

  —

  13·0

  156·9

  365·0

  all

  —

  —

  10·6

  158·2

  402·2

  all employees

  4·2

  8·5

  15·5

  151·7

  383·2

  Division 6 (Distribution, hotels and catering; repairs)

  male

  all

  6·1

  19·4

  25·5

  130·8

  367·0

  all employees

  37·4

  54·6

  58·8

  55·5

  284·2

  Division 7 (Transport and Communication)

  male

  manual

  5·8

  11·5

  13·5

  137·7

  316·7

  Division 9 (Other Services)

  female

  non-manual

  14·7

  19·0

  23·4

  86·9

  404·2

  all

  35·7

  40·4

  44·1

  —

  389·6

  all employees

  28·7

  33·1

  36·2

  48·1

  439·1

  1All employees on adult rates, whose pay was unaffected by absence.

  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list, for the combined regions and islands areas of(a) Highland, (b) Borders, (c) Dumfries and Galloway, (d) Orkney, (e) Shetland and (f) Western Isles, the distribution of gross hourly earnings for female part-time workers, giving the percentage of female part-time workers with hourly earnings less than (i) £3, (ii) £3.20, (iii) £3.60, (iv) £4, (v) £4.20, (x) in total and (y) broken down by the standard industrial classifications.

  Mr. Stewart
  The information requested is not available. No category met the reliability criteria of the "New Earnings Survey"—sample of at least 50 and a standard error no higher than 5 per cent.

  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list, for the combined regions and islands areas of(a) Highland, (b) Borders, (c) Dumfries and Galloway, (d) Orkney, (e) Shetland and (f) Western Isles, the figures for female part-time workers (i) average gross weekly earnings, (ii) average weekly hours, (iii) average gross hourly earnings, (iv) median gross hourly earnings (v) lowest decile of gross hourly earnings and (vi) the highest decile of gross hourly earnings (x) in total
  338
  Categories requested that are not present have not met the reliability criteria—sample of at least 50 and a standard error no higher than 5 per cent.

  and (y) broken down by the standard industrial classifications.

  Mr. Stewart
  The average gross weekly earnings of female part-time employees on adult rates, whose pay was unaffected by absence, at April 1993 was £85·70. The remaining categories did not meet the reliability criteria of the "New Earnings Survey"—sample of at least 50 and a standard error no higher than 5 per cent.

  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will list, for the combined regions and islands areas of(a) Highland, (b) Borders, (c) Dumfries and Galloway, (d) Orkney, (e) Shetland and (f) Western Isles (i) average earnings, (ii) median earnings, (iii) average hours including overtime and (iv) overtime hours, broken down by the standard industrial classifications into (x) males, (y) females and (z) all workers;

  (2) if he will list, for the combined regions and islands areas of (a) Highland, (b) Borders, (c) Dumfries and Galloway, (d) Orkney, (e) Shetland and (f) Western Isles (i) average earnings, (ii) median earnings, (iii) average hours including overtime and (iv) overtime hours.
  339
  Mr. Stewart
  The information requested, taken from the 1993 "New Earnings Survey", is given in the table. Categories requested that are not present have not met the

  All employees1 April 1993

  Average earnings(£)

  Median earnings(£)

  Ave hours per week including overtime

  Ave hours overtime per week

  Divisions 0-9 (all employees)

  male

  296·2

  265·5

  41·3

  3·5

  female

  165·9

  142·6

  30·9

  0·8

  all

  233·8

  203·6

  36·5

  2·2

  Division 5 (Construction)

  male

  255·8

  236·9

  45·6

  6·9

  all

  245·6

  233·7

  44·4

  6·5

  Division 6 (Distribution, hotels and catering; repairs)

  male

  228·1

  207·4

  41·3

  2·2

  all

  161·9

  138·7

  34·5

  1·3

  Division 9 (Other services)

  female

  189·5

  181·9

  29·3

  0·6

  all

  225·5

  199·1

  21·2

  1·0

  1All employees on adult rates, whose pay was unaffected by absence.

  Barlinnie Special Unit
  Sir Nicholas Fairbairn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when the special unit at Barlinnie was set up; what is its cost to date; and how many convicts have been referred to date.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The subject of the question relates to matters undertaken by the Scottish Prison Service. I have asked its chief executive, Mr. E.W. Frizzell, to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter from E.W. Frizzell to Sir Nicholas Fairbairn, dated 20 October 1994:
  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton has asked me to reply to your Question about the Barlinnie Special Unit. You asked when the Unit was set up; what is its cost to date; and how many convicts have been referred to date.
  The Barlinnie Special Unit was opened on 5 February 1973 and, to date, 36 prisoners have been located there.
  Until recently all the Unit's costs were incorporated with those of Barlinnie Prison and cannot be identified separately, and even now, some cost, for example on repairs, food and medical services, are not differentiated from the main prison. However,you may be interested to know that the Unit's staffing costs, which represent the largest part of the costs of any penal establishment in the last 3 years were £303,000 in 1991–92, £331,000 in 1992–93 and £383,000 in 1993–94.

  Public Information
  Mrs. Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much has been spent by his Department in each of the last three years to(a) produce public information in alternative formats for visually impaired people and (b) publicise the availability of accessible information amongst visually impaired people.

  Mr. Lang
  My Department has spent a total of £26,000 in the last three years in the production of public information material in Braille and on audio tape. Details of the availability of this material are publicised through the Scottish Braille Press at no cost to my Department.

  Mrs. Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will indicate which departmental publications are 340
  reliability criteria—sample of at least 50 and a standard error no higher than 5 per cent.

  currently available (a) in Braille, (b) in large print and (c) on tape; and if he will indicate what efforts have been made by his Department to inform visually impaired people about the availability of publications in alternative formats to normal print.

  Mr. Lang
  The following Scottish Office publications are currently available both in Braille and tape:

  The Patient's Charter in Scotland

  The Parent's Charter in Scotland

  The Justice Charter for Scotland

  The Tenant's Charter in Scotland

  Council Tax — A Guide to the New Tax for Local Government in Scotland

  "A Parents' Guide to Special Educational Needs" is also available in Braille.

  Details of this material are publicised by the Scottish Braille Press, in liaison with the Scottish Office, through information releases to individual users and related organisations.

  Sheep
  Mrs. Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will set out the numbers and causes of death of sheep in Scotland(a) at the latest available date, (b) 10 years ago and (c) 20 years ago; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir Hector Monro
  Information in the form requested is not held centrally.

  Waste Management
  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received on the appropriateness of the Waste Management Licensing (Fees and Charges) Regulations in respect of small local disposal regimes in remoter rural areas; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir Hector Monro
  Since the consultation paper on fees and charges for waste management licensing was published in August 1992 representations have been received from 11 individuals and organisations about fees
  341
  and charges for small rural landfill sites. I also met the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire (Mr. Kirkwood) in July last year in connection with such sites in Berwickshire.

  In setting fees and charges for licences the Government fixed a concessionary subsistence charge level of £650 per annum for the smallest sites which take inert waste.

  Mountain Rescue
  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if his Department has received a report from the Mountain Rescue Committee of Scotland in respect of the project funded by his Department earlier this year; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hector Monro
  Yes. The report was released on 6 May at the mountain safety seminar in Dunblane, which I addressed. Its findings are being studied carefully by all parties involved with mountain safety, including the Scottish Mountain Safety Group. The proceedings of the Dunblane seminar will be published within the next month or so.

  In light of the issues raised in the report and discussed at the seminar, a number of initiatives have been undertaken, including the installation of information and warning signs at the start of routes and the development of a new training course on navigational skills. Consideration is also being given to the introduction of warning posts at particularly dangerous areas on certain routes, to the potential benefits of electronic aids and to possible areas for further research.

  Health Care
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list those areas which have developed joint commissioning operations for the planning and purchasing of primary and secondary health care in their area; and what are the principal organisational models used.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  In Scotland, health boards are, and always have been, responsible for both primary — family health services —and secondary —hospital and community health services. In their new, enhanced role as purchasers of health services they have retained responsibility for commissioning both types of service. There has therefore been no need to develop joint commissioning operations as in England.

  Gourock Ropeworks
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he had held with Historic Scotland and the Renfrewshire Enterprise Company concerning the Gourock ropeworks of Port Glasgow; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir Hector Monro
  [holding answer 18 October 1994]: Historic Scotland is an executive agency with the Scottish Office and reports to my right hon. Friend on built heritage matters. Historic Scotland has remained in close touch with Inverclyde district council, the relevant planning authority, since the company which owned the Gourock ropeworks building went into receivership earlier this year. Historic Scotland has therefore been aware of the interest by a housing company in converting the listed building to residential use.
  342
  Mr right hon. Friend has not had any recent discussions with Renfrewshire Enterprise on the future of the ropeworks building. However, Renfrewshire Enterprise has an interest in the future of the building because of its prominent location within the enterprise zone. Renfrewshire Enterprise is providing funds to the housing company for a feasibility study.

  I understand that the study has been completed and the conclusions are that, while the building is suited for conversion and redevelopment for residential accommodation, and such a scheme would be practical and a worthwhile re-use of this important category. A listed building, a substantial funding gap remains. It will be for each of the agencies involved to consider whether it would be appropriate for them to make a contribution.

  I understand that Inverclyde district council officials are to arrange a meeting of all concerned.

  Historic Buildings
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) how many buildings listed as of historical importance were cleared of such listing and demolished in each of the past 10 years in(a) Inverclyde, (b) Strathclyde and (c) Scotland as a whole; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) how many buildings of historical importance were renovated and at what cost in each of the past five years in (a) Inverclyde, (b) Strathclyde and (c) Scotland as a whole; how many of these were industrial buildings; and if he will make a statement;

  (3) how many buildings listed as being of special architectural or historical importance are located in (a) Inverclyde, (b) Strathclyde and (c) Scotland as a whole; how many of these have been or are the subject of grant aid from Historic Scotland; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir Hector Monro
  [holding answer 18 October 1994]: The subjects of the questions relate to matters undertaken by Historic Scotland. I have asked its director and chief executive, Mr Graeme Munro, to write to the hon. Member.

  The reply will appear in the Official Report and a copy will be deposited in the Library of the House.

  Letter from Graeme N. Munro to Dr. Norman Godman, dated 20 October 1994
  You have tabled four Parliamentary Questions to the Secretary of State for Scotland for written answer on 18 October. Three of your Questions relate to operational matters undertaken by Historic Scotland and I have been asked to provide the information you are seeking. The terms of this letter will be reproduced in the Official Report and a copy of it will also be deposited in the Library of the House.
  I shall answer each Question in the order in which it appears on the Order paper.
  Question: How many buildings listed as of historical importance were cleared of such listing and demolished in each of the past 10 years in (a) Inverclyde, (b)Strathclyde and (c) Scotland as a whole?
  The decision by the Secretary of State to list a building is a
  recognition by him that the building satisfies the criteria for listing as being of special architectural or historic interest. A building does not lose the architectural or historic qualities which justified listing in the first place because someone wishes to alter or demolish it. Once a building is listed, formal consideration of works affecting its character, including demolition, is subject to listed building control

  343
  requirements established by the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1972. Government policy on the demolition of listed buildings makes plain the practical considerations involved for a planning authority (and the Secretary of State) in assessing the case made by an applicant for the demolition of a listed building.
  Planning authorities are required to notify to Historic Scotland, prior to the issue of consent, all non-delegated listed building and conservation area consent applications which they have resolved to approve, including all demolitions of listed buildings and of unlisted buildings within conservation areas. However, information is not readily available in the form in which you have requested it. Annex

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  1989

  1990

  1991

  1992

  1993

  3

  3

  5

  1

  4

  10

  6

  8

  8

  5

  of which the number of demolition applications granted consent were:

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  1989

  1990

  1991

  1992

  1993

  2

  —

  —

  —

  —

  3

  1

  1

  1

  1

  In that period no demolition applications in Inverclyde District were called in for the Secretary of State's decision. However, it is more than likely that of the 140 notified cases in Inverclyde some were for demolition.
  Deletions from statutory lists do occur as part of the maintenance of the lists. Deletions are required for a number of reasons, for example, fire, loss of original character for whatever reason, and demolition for public safety reasons.
  Over the last 5 years, 3 deletions were required from the Inverclyde District list, 53 from the Strathclyde lists and 172 across Scotland.
  Question: How many buildings of historical importance were renovated and at what cost in each of the past five years in (a) Inverclyde, (b) Strathclyde and (c) Scotland as a whole; how many of these were industrial buildings?
  Question: How many buildings listed as being of special architectural or historical importance are located in (a) Inverclyde,

  Listed Building Consent Statistics 1984–1993—annex A

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  1989

  1990

  1991

  1992

  1993

  Total

  Inverclyde

  10

  12

  20

  15

  21

  11

  17

  11

  8

  15

  140

  Strathclyde

  560

  621

  433

  456

  494

  586

  636

  627

  640

  572

  5,625

  Scotland

  1,724

  1,925

  1,800

  2,022

  1,782

  1,943

  1,989

  1,995

  2,092

  2,189

  19,461

  Annex B

  Inverclyde

  Strathclyde

  Scotland

  1989–90

  Number of buildings which have been the subject of grant

  2

  37

  165

  Value of grants awarded

  £10,000

  £2,719,550

  £8,800,482

  Number of the buildings that were industrial buildings

  NIL

  1

  2

  1990–91

  Number of buildings which have been the subject of grant

  NIL

  55

  165

  Value of grants awarded

  NIL

  £4,451,900

  £11,349,704

  Number of the buildings that were industrial buildings

  NIL

  1

  4

  1991–92

  Number of buildings which have been the subject of grant

  NIL

  38

  149

  Value of grants awarded

  NIL

  £4,440,734

  £12,308,216

  Number of the buildings that were industrial buildings

  NIL

  NIL

  6

  1992–93

  Number of buildings which have been the subject of grant

  1

  46

  158

  Value of grants awarded

  £39,100

  £3,142,127

  £9,825,848

  Number of the buildings that were industrial buildings

  NIL

  NIL

  2

  344
  A shows—for Scotland, for Strathclyde and for Inverclyde—the annual totals of all categories of notified applications.
  What the annual figures do not reveal is what happened to the notified applications. Historic Scotland aims to clear 95 per cent. of all notified applications within the statutory initial 28 day period for consideration. Of the remaining 5 per cent. extended for further consideration, most are cleared through negotiation and agreement. Only a small number of cases each year are called in for the Secretary of State's own decision, and of these a number over the 10 year period have been in respect of demolition. The number of cases called in for decision over the period was:
  (b) Strathclyde and (c) as a whole; how many of these have been or are the subject of grant aid from Historic Scotland?
  Again, we cannot answer these Questions precisely as asked but there are currently a total of 236 buildings in Inverclyde listed as being of special architectural or historic interest, 7,610 in Strathclyde and 40,654 in Scotland as a whole. We do not record particular types of listed buildings.
  Annex B shows for each of the last five financial years the number of buildings of outstanding architectural or historic interest (or buildings in outstanding conservation areas) which have received grant for repairs under the historic buildings repair grant scheme administered by Historic Scotland. The Annex provides this information for Inverclyde, Strathclyde and Scotland; it shows the value of the grants awarded and the number of buildings which can be categorised as industrial.
  I hope this information is helpful.
  345

  Annex B

  Inverclyde

  Strathclyde

  Scotland

  1993–94

  Number of buildings which have been the subject of grant

  4

  61

  202

  Value of grants awarded

  £399,100

  £6,587,564

  £14,613,653

  Number of the buildings that were industrial buildings

  NIL

  2

  5

DEFENCE

  Equal Treatment Directive
  Mr. Martlew
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps(a) he has taken and (b) he intends to take to ensure that the armed forces comply with the equal treatment directive; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Soames
  The armed forces are aware of the provisions of the equal treatment directive and are continuing to develop policies accordingly. It is the Government's intention to amend the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 in relation to its application to the armed forces as soon as a legislative opportunity arises.

  Public Information
  Mrs. Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how much has been spent by his Department in each of the last three years to(a) produce public information in alternative formats for visually impaired people and (b) publicise the availability of accessible information among visually impaired people;

  (2) if he will indicate which departmental publications are currently available (a) in Braille, (b) in large print and (c) on tape; and if he will indicate what efforts have been made by his department to inform visually impaired people about the availability of publications in alternative formats to normal print.

  Mr. Soames
  While my Department's publications are not normally provided in alternative formats for visually impaired people, we would be happy to arrange for this on individual request. The overall cost to my Department is therefore low and could not be identified separately.

  Queen Victoria School
  Dr. Marek
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many pupils attended the Queen Victoria school, Dunblane, in the summer term; and if he will give details of the ranks held by the parents serving in HM forces.

  Mr. Soames
  These matters are for the Queen Victoria school under its framework document. I have asked the chief executive to write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from Brian Raine to Dr John Marek, dated 20 October 1994:
  I have been asked to reply to your Question about the number of pupils attending Queen Victoria School in the Summer Term 1994 and Ranks held by parents serving in HM Forces.
  346
  The number of pupils who attended Queen Victoria School in the Summer Term 1994 was 250.
  The parents of pupils are drawn from all three Services and the ranks held by them range from Private soldier to Major (or other Service equivalents). The majority of parents who are still serving, fall in the rank of Sergeant to Warrant Officer which are the ranks that regular servicemen or women would expect to achieve with children of an age eligible to attend the School. Children of Officers have only this year become eligible to attend the School in line with the practice at the Duke of York's Royal Military School, Dover.
  I hope this answers your question satisfactorily but if there is anything on which you wish me to elaborate please do not hesitate to contact me.

  Party Conferences
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what were the costs to his Department arising from the annual conference of(a) the Liberal Democrats, (b) the Labour party and (c) the Conservative party.

  Mr. Soames
  In response to requests from the respective regional police authorities for each conference a small number of specialist military personnel were deployed to assist the police in searching the conference areas for explosive devices and on standby for potential bomb disposal tasks. No readily identifiable additional costs to the defence budget arose from these operations.

  In addition, staff from private offices visited Bournemouth in order to deal with departmental work. Travel, subsistence and communication costs were incurred on defence votes.

  Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Woolwich
  Mr. Austin-Walker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) whether the Queen Elizabeth military hospital, Woolwich will be transferred or sold to Greenwich Healthcare Trust for national health service use;

  (2) what offers he has received for the purchase of the Queen Elizabeth military hospital, Woolwich.

  Mr. Soames
  To date, my Department has received one offer for the purchase of Queen Elizabeth military hospital, from the Greenwich Healthcare Trust. As I said in my answer to the hon. Member for Greenwich (Mr. Raynsford) on 19 October,Official Report, column 252, negotiations with the Greenwich Healthcare trust have been progressing well although a number of stages remain to be completed before any contract could be signed. In the meantime, however, we have received an expression of interest from a private consortium. Should this result in a formal offer, we would consider it.

  BLOOD DONATION: AGE LIMIT
  BLOOD DONATION: AGE LIMIT
  MR. ERNEST SAUNDERS: LITIGATION
  MR. ERNEST SAUNDERS: LITIGATION
  HEROIN AND COCAINE SEIZURES: STATISTICS
  HEROIN AND COCAINE SEIZURES: STATISTICS
  DEFENCE DIVERSIFICATION: FINANCE
  DEFENCE DIVERSIFICATION: FINANCE
  ENVIRONMENT COUNCIL AND MEETING 4th-5th OCTOBER
  ENVIRONMENT COUNCIL AND MEETING 4th-5th OCTOBER
  HAMPSHIRE COUNTRY LANES: RIGHTS OF WAY
  HAMPSHIRE COUNTRY LANES: RIGHTS OF WAY
  ENVIRONMENT AGENCIES: DRAFT LEGISLATION
  ENVIRONMENT AGENCIES: DRAFT LEGISLATION
  PUBLIC LIBRARIES: REPORT
  PUBLIC LIBRARIES: REPORT
  N.I. HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES: INSPECTIONS
  N.I. HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES: INSPECTIONS
  N.I. SOCIAL SECURITY AGENCY: REVIEW
  N.I. SOCIAL SECURITY AGENCY: REVIEW