Written Answers of 13 December 1995

TREASURY

  National Security
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what occasions certificates under section 27 of the Data Protection Act 1984 were signed by members of his Department; for how long each certificate was valid; and in what circumstances taxation records may be used for the purpose of safeguarding national security. [5342]

  Mr. Jack
  No such certificates have been issued.

  No circumstances have so far been identified in which taxation records may be used for the purpose of safeguarding national security.

  Inland Revenue Personnel
  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many civil service personnel in the Inland Revenue department are located in(a) England, (b) Wales, (c) Scotland and (d) Northern Ireland. [5104]

  Mr. Jack
  (a) 50,510, (b) 4,391, (c) 6,253 and (d) 1,179 respectively on 1 November 1995, the most recent date for which figures are available.

  Treasury Personnel
  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many Treasury personnel are located in(a) England, (b) Wales, (c) Scotland, (d) Northern Ireland. [5109]

  Mrs. Angela Knight
  All 1,049 Treasury staff, as at 1 November, excluding those on loan or secondment to other Government Departments or the private sector, are located in England.

  Diesel Duty (Buses)
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what evaluation he has made of the likely impact of the increase of duty on diesel fuel in his Budget statement on(a) the prices of bus transport to consumers and (b) the frequency of local bus services. [5305]

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  Bus operators are able to claim a rebate on the majority of their diesel duty payments. Depending on the price paid for diesel the actual duty element is likely to represent less than 20 per cent. of the total VAT-exclusive price. Prior to the Budget net duty payments represented around 3 per cent. of total costs for bus operators: this will rise to around 3.5 to 4 per cent. post-Budget. The effect of these cost increases on fares and frequency of bus services will depend on the decisions of individual operators.

  Unemployment
  Mr. Sykes
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people were registered unemployed in the month of August in (1) Scarborough and Whitby, (2) Torquay, (3) Weston-super-Mare, (4) Bournemouth, (5) Brighton, (6) Eastbourne, (7) Newquay, (8) Ramsgate, (9) Margate, (10) Southend-on-Sea, (11) Clacton, (12) Great Yarmouth, (13) Barmouth, (14) Pwlleheli, (15) Llandudno, (16) Rhyl, (17) Prestatyn, (18) Southport, (19) Lytham St. Annes, (20) Fleetwood, (21) Morecambe, (22) Skegness, (23) Cleethorpes, (24) Minehead, (25) Worthing, (26) Bridlington, (27) Bognor Regis, (28) Torbay, (29) Polperro, (30) Brixham, (31) Falmouth, (32) St. Ives, (33 Ilfracombe, (34) Burnham-on-Sea, (35) Weymouth and (36) Herne bay in the years 1987 to 1995 inclusive. [5193]

  Mrs. Angela Knight
  Information on the numbers of people claimant unemployed in local area can be obtained from the Nomis database accessed by the House of Commons Library.

  Motability (VAT)
  Mr. Simpson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what VAT regulations apply to the Motability scheme; and to what extent these differ from the regulations applying to the commercial sector(a) before and (b) after August. [5094]

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  The VAT Act 1994, schedule 8 group 12, items 14 and 15, allows zero-rating for the leasing of unused motor vehicles for a period of not less than three years to disabled people who are in receipt of the mobility component of the disability living allowance, and for the first sale of those vehicles after the end of the leasing period. Neither of these zero rates are restricted to supplies by Motability. Any car-leasing business whose sales consist predominantly of the provision of vehicles in these circumstances may take advantage of these zero rates, although to date only Motability has done so.

  Motor dealers have always been able to buy back ex-lease cars from Motability free of VAT. In August, however, the VAT regulations governing the sale of second-hand motor vehicles changed. This has potential repercussions both for Motability and for the second-hand car market generally and so Customs and Excise will shortly be entering into discussions with all the interested parties.

  Official Hospitality
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much his Department spent on official hospitality in 1994–95 and the financial year to date; and what is the 1995–96 projected budget for official hospitality. [5582]

  Mrs. Angela Knight
  Expenditure by Her Majesty's Treasury on official hospitality in 1994–95 was £84,249 and in year 1995–96 to 30 November, £53,665. The projected budget for 1995–96 is £92,000.

  Taxpayer Statistics
  Mr. Rowlands
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his latest estimate of the number and percentage of taxpayers in(a) the United Kingdom, (b) Wales and (c) Mid-Glamorgan who pay at (i) 25 per cent. rate and (ii) 40 per cent. rates of tax; and what will be the change on the numbers paying at these rates following the Budget. [5427]

  Mr. Jack
  It is not possible to provide a reliable breakdown below United Kingdom level for 1996–97, either before or after the Budget. The latest available information covers 1993–94 and is given in the table.

  Top rate of tax of 25 per cent

  Top rate of tax of 40 per cent

  Thousands

  Percentage1

  Thousands

  Percentage1

  United Kingdom2

  18,090

  72.3

  1,740

  7.0

  Wales

  799

  71.8

  48

  4.4

  Mid Glamorgan

  140

  71.5

  7

  3.7

  1 of total number of taxpayers including those liable to only the lower rate of tax.

  2 includes members of HM Forces, the Merchant Navy, civil servants serving overseas and non-residents liable to UK tax who cannot be allocated to regions.

  EU Rebate
  Mr. Fabricant
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the value of the rebate from the European Union for each of the years since it was negotiated. [5499]

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  The value of the United Kingdom's abatement for the financial years 1985–86 to 1994–95, along with the Government's latest estimate for the year 1995–96, is set out in the table.

  UK abatement

  Year

  £million

  1985–86

  823

  1986–87

  1,343

  1987–88

  1,137

  1988–89

  1,600

  1989–90

  1,317

  1990–91

  1,838

  1991–92

  2,428

  1992–93

  1,993

  1993–94

  2,350

  1994–95

  1,648

  1995–96

  1,564

  Occupational Pensions
  Mr. Denham
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if tax exemption of compensation for those who were wrongly advised to(a) opt out, (b) transfer from and (c) not join an occupational pension scheme extends to those who were similarly advised in respect of SERPS; and if he will make a statement. [5441]

  Mr. Jack
  The Securities and Investments Board is currently carrying out research into past sales of personal pensions for contracting out of SERPS. SIB is due to publish the results of this research early next year and it would not be appropriate to anticipate SIB' s recommendations.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Electricity
  Mr. Jacques Arnold
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans he has to revise the electricity licence exemptions regime, in the light of the planned liberalisation of the electricity supply market in 1998. [6301]

  Mr. Eggar
  The electricity industry and the Director General of the Electricity Supply are working towards full supply competition on 1 April 1998, bringing choice of supplier for all customers. As part of that process, we need to review the exemptions to the electricity licence regime.

  I want to examine the scope for promoting competition in electricity generation and supply by reducing the regulatory burden placed on small generators, own generators, and small suppliers, while taking account of the interests of customers.

  We have today issued a consultation paper which seeks the views of all interested parties by 22 January 1996. I propose to announce my preliminary conclusions in February 1996. Copies of the consultation paper have been placed in the Library of the House.

  Burma
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what account his Department takes of human rights of abuses, with special reference to the Karen people, in the provision of assistance to British investors in Burma. [5119]

  Mr. Nelson
  My Department's efforts have focused primarily on making United Kingdom companies aware of trade opportunities that exist in Burma, rather than investment. We continue to adopt a cautious approach with regard to investment in Burma.

  We remain acutely concerned about the continued abuse of human rights in Burma, including against the Karen and other ethnic groups. We and other EU partners have made it clear to the ruling military regime that normalisation of our relations depends on progress in key areas, including human rights.

  Mr. Alton
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what activities his Department has(a) undertaken and (b) will be undertaking to assist British investment in Burma from November 1995 to February 1996. [5118]

  Mr. Nelson
  During the period November 1995–February 1996, my Department will continue to provide information relating to investment issues in Burma and the associated risks. We held a trade awareness seminar, "An Introduction to Burma," at the London chamber of commerce on 5 December 1995. This will be followed by a trade mission to Burma from 26 February to 1 March 1996. However, both events are focused primarily on the trade opportunities that may exist for British companies, rather than investment where we continue to take a cautious line.

  Official Hospitality
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how much his Department spent on official hospitality in 1994–95 and the financial year to date; and
  637
  what is the 1995–96 projected budget for official hospitality. [5578]

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The cost of hospitality for my Department, including agencies, was £712,309 in 1994–95. Figures for this financial year up to 30 November are £411,047.

  The projected budget for 1995–96 is £734,657.

  Data Protection
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade on what occasions certificates under section 27 of the Data Protection Act 1984 were signed by a member of his Department; for how long each certificate was valid; and in what circumstances personal details held by his Department can be used for the purpose of safeguarding national security. [5336]

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  Inquiries completed in the time available indicate that no exemptions under section 27 of the Data Protection Act 1984 have been signed by my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade in the period since the reply by my right hon. Friend the Minister for Industry and Energy, 15 April 1993,Official Report, column 707. If my further inquiries reveal that exemptions have been authorised during that period I will respond further to the hon. Member. In accordance with section 27 of the Act, a certificate may be signed by the President if an exemption is required for the purpose of safeguarding national security. Such a certificate is conclusive evidence of the fact that exemption is, or at any time was, required.

  Departmental Staff
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many staff in his Department worked in other Departments before June 1995; and if he will list the departments. [4818]

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  A total of 1,735 members of my staff worked in other Departments before June 1995. The cost of listing the individual Departments in which these staff worked could be provided only at disproportionate expense.

  Internet
  Mr. French
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what discussions he has had with his international counterparts about the possibility of joint action being taken to regulate the content of material disseminated via the Internet. [5474]

  Mr. Ian Taylor
  The nature of the Internet means that measures to control the content of disseminated material are difficult to devise, although normal national laws apply just as much to the Internet as to other media. Before any action to regulate the Internet specifically could be contemplated, either national or international, it would be vital to have a clear view of precisely what measures would be effective. My Department, the Home Office and others are monitoring the development of the Internet, and assessing the feasibility of various measures, including self-regulation. We also compare notes with other Governments as appropriate.

  Mobile Telephones
  Mr. French
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) what estimate he has made of the cost to the industry of the practice of the cloning of mobile telephones; [5473]

  (2) what measures his Department is taking to combat the cloning of mobile telephones; [5524]

  (3) what plans he has to amend the Telecomunications Act 1984 in order to outlaw the cloning of mobile telephones. [5471]

  Mr. Ian Taylor
  On 24 October,Official Report, column 549, I announced the recommendations of the industry and Government study group on mobile telephone fraud. One of the main recommendations was that the Government should consider extending the range of offences under section 42 of the Telecommunications Act 1984 so that it would cover the possession or supply of equipment capable of use in the course of or in connection with the current section 42 offence of dishonestly obtaining telecommunication services with intent to avoid payment. I am considering this recommendation carefully.

  Figures regarding the cost to the industry of the practice of cloning mobile telephones are not held by my Department. The mobile telecommunications industry did provide some estimates for the overall scale of mobile telephone phone fraud as part of its contribution to the work of the industry and Government study group mobile telephone fraud. These have been reproduced in the briefing paper, which has been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

  Electronic Mail
  Dr. Goodson-Wickes
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what steps are being taken to regulate the electronic mail services to protect(a) British commercial interests and (b) the consumer. [5459]

  Mr. Ian Taylor
  Electronic mail is an important example of the new services which are increasingly available as the information society develops. The effective exploitation of these services and opportunities is important for the competitiveness of British business. My Department monitors developments in this area to assess whether there is any need for action to protect consumers or the interests of companies.

  There are several groups helping to develop electronic mail services with which the Department is in contact.

  Timeshare Directive
  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what steps he has taken to implement the 1994 timeshare directive. [4845]

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  I plan to initiate a consultation exercise on the implementation of the timeshare directive in the near future.

  Foam-filled Furniture
  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) what steps he is taking to prevent foam-filled furniture which does not comply with the
  639
  1988 regulations being imported into the United Kingdom; [4844]

  (2) if he will launch an advertising campaign to publicise the exemption from the provisions of the Furniture and furnishings Fire Safety Regulations of upholstered furniture manufactured before 1990; [4842]

  (3) what measures his Department will take to deter second-hand furniture dealers from illegally selling foam-filled furniture. [4843]

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  Day-to-day responsibility for enforcing a wide range of consumer safety legislation, including the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988, as amended, rests with local authority trading standard departments under a statutory duty set out under the Consumer Protection Act 1987. Trading standards departments have all the necessary powers to act against importers and second-hand traders who supply furniture that does not comply with the regulations. Since 1990 these departments have initiated 274 cases against suppliers of illegal furniture and have been involved in nearly 1,500 enforcement actions. There continues to be a high level of enforcement activity which my Department fully supports. The penalties for non-compliance with the furniture regulations are a £5,000 fine, a maximum of six months in prison or both, for each offence.

  Following the making of this legislation my Department publicised detailed guidance for all suppliers of domestic upholstered furniture, setting out the requirements of the regulations in simple terms and explaining the penalties for failure to comply. The Department also published a guidance booklet for consumers explaining the new requirements and emphasising the precautions that should continue to be taken to reduce household furniture fires. Typically, more than 1,500 copies of this guide are circulated throughout the country each month by the Department and local authority trading standards departments. I believe these measures are sufficient to acquaint consumers with the requirements of the regulations and the dangers of unsafe furniture.

  In the year the furniture regulations were made nearly 5,000 fires involving furniture killed 247 people. Since 1988 these numbers have fallen dramatically, with 146 people killed in 3,746 fires in 1993. My Department believes that the regulations will continue to play a major part in helping to further reduce these numbers.

  Minimum Wage
  Mr. MacShane
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade which countries outside the European Union have minimum wage legislation. [3894]

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  This information can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Metrication
  Mr. Marlow
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many shops sell goods by weight(a) in metric units only and (b) in metric and other units; and what proportion this represents of (i) all shops and (ii) all goods sold. [4820]
  640
  Mr. John M. Taylor
  Approximately 62,000 shops sell by weight. The Department has no information on the proportion of shops selling in metric units compared with the proportion selling in metric and other units.

  Gas and Electricity Regulation
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what discussions he has had with the regulators of the gas and electricity industries over changes to the regulatory regime to take account of recent profit and dividend announcements; and if he will make a statement. [5678]

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  No such discussions have taken place. We believe the regulatory regime is working well.

  Energy Division Personnel
  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what representations he has received concerning the transfer of(a) personnel and (b) responsibilities from his Department's energy division to Scotland; and what plans he has to make such a transfer. [5112]

  Mr. Eggar
  In addition to those representations made by the hon. Member for Banff and Buchan, I have received representations from Grampian regional council and the city of Aberdeen district council about the scope for transferring additional jobs and responsibilities to the Department of Trade and Industry's oil and gas office in Aberdeen. A review of the current staffing position is taking place and, once this is complete, I will meet with representatives of the councils.

  Estimated Funding
  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list immediately the figures that determined the estimated funding of the(a) National Association of Citizens' Advice Bureaux, (b) National Consumer Council, (c) Gas Consumer Council, (d) Post Office Users National Council, (e) POAC, (f) Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, (g) DTI's consumer safety programme and (h) Central Rail Users Consultative Committee for each year from 1993–94 at 1995 prices, together with the percentage change (i) per annum and (ii) since 1993–94, including the 1996–97 figure following the November Budget statement. [5283]

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  [holding answer 12 December 1995]: The information in respect of the earlier years was provided in the reply which I gave to the hon. Member on 6 December 1995, Official Report, columns 290–91. I shall provide the figures for the 1996–97 allocations when they have been determined.

  Share Ownership
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his answer to the right hon. Member for Derby, South, (Mrs. Beckett)Official Report, 5 December 1995, columns 154–56, what percentage of total shares and individually owned shares were represented by personal equity plans for the years referred to. [5636]

  Mrs. Angela Knight
  I have been asked to reply.
  641
  Table A shows the available information on the percentage of total shares held in personal equity plans.

  Table A: Personal equity plans1 as a percentage of total shares in issue2

  Percentage of Total Shares

  December 1987

  0.1

  December 1988

  0.2

  April 1990

  0.5

  April 1991

  0.8

  April 1992

  1.2

  April 1993

  1.8

  April 1994

  2.6

  1 Personal equity plans were introduced on 1 January.

  2 Fully listed UK companies on the London stock exchange. The available data for PEPs includes investments in other companies as well as those listed on the London stock exchange. These other investments are thought to be very small by comparison and are unlikely to have a significant affect on the figures given in the table.

  Estimates of the proportion of shares held by individuals in PEPs are not available because of timing differences in when data are collected. Table B shows the available information.

  Table B

  Shares held directly by individuals

  £ million

  Shares held directly by individuals in PEPs

  £ million

  December 1989

  104,300

  December 1987

  300

  December 1990

  90,500

  December 1988

  490

  December 1991

  105,300

  April 1990

  1,380

  December 1992

  125,400

  April 1991

  2,440

  December 1993

  141,100

  April 1992

  3,550

  December 1994

  154,600

  April 1993

  5,710

  April 1994

  6,870

  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to the answer to the right hon. Member for Derby, South of 5 December,Official Report, columns 154–56, if he will state all holdings of personal equity plans with special reference to such holdings in the form of bonds, collective investments such as unit trusts or collective funds or directly held shares treated as individually owned shares. [5635]

  Mrs. Angela Knight
  I have been asked to reply.

  I refer the hon. Member to figure 4 of the publication "Share Ownership, A report on the Ownership of Shares at 31 December 1994", which is available in the House of Commons Library.

ENVIRONMENT

  Rating Appeals
  Mr. Duncan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Enviornment how many rating appeals in England and Wales have been outstanding for more than one year; and what percentage they represent of the total number of rating proposals(a) submitted and still outstanding and (b) submitted in total. [4789]

  Sir Paul Beresford
  A total of 35,877 appeals against the 1973, the 1990 and the 1995 rating lists have now been outstanding in England and Wales for more than one 642
  year. This represents 8.3 per cent, of all rating proposals still outstanding, and 0.6 per cent. of the total number of proposals received.

  Valuation Tribunals
  Mr. Duncan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the average length of time taken from the acknowledgement of a proposal to a valuation tribunal hearing date. [4790]

  Sir Paul Beresford
  This information is not collected.

  Mr. Duncan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Enviornment what is the average cost of a valuation tribunal hearing per case in England and Wales. [4792]

  Sir Paul Beresford
  Details of the costs of individual tribunal hearings are not held centrally. In 1994–95, expenditure on the tribunal service in England and Wales amounted to £11.6 million, and 807,500 appeals transmitted to valuation tribunals were cleared.

  Mr. Duncan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what percentage of valuation tribunal members are aged over 70 years. [4794]

  Sir Paul Beresford
  This information is not held by my Department. However, no one who has attained the age of 72 years may be a member of a valuation tribunal.

  Mr. Duncan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to ensure that each case heard before valuation tribunals is presided over by a single paid chartered surveyor or lawyer who is an expert in property rating. [4788]

  Sir Paul Beresford
  None.

  Mr. Duncan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to introduce a statutory time limit for the listing of a valuation tribunal hearing in respect of rating appeals. [4791]

  Sir Paul Beresford
  None. Valuation tribunals are independent judicial bodies.

  Mr. Duncan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many hours training per annum valuation tribunal members receive and what is the average cost of training per tribunal member in England and Wales. [4793]

  Sir Paul Beresford
  Around £100,000 is provided annually from my Department's votes for training by the National Committee of Valuation Tribunals for the 2,500 members in England, and £12,000 by the Welsh Office for the 285 members in Wales. Other training is also arried out by the individual tribunals themselves. No information is collected on the number of hours training provided.

  Tyne and Wear Development Corporation
  Mr. Etherington
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what discussion his Department has held with(a) the Tyne and Wear development corporation and (b) the city of Sunderland regarding the transfer and hand over of Tyne and Wear development corporation functions in preparation for 1997. [5121]
  643
  Sir Paul Beresford
  I discussed issues relating to the wind-up of the Tyne and Wear development corporation at the corporation's corporate plan meeting earlier this year.

  The Department has not held formal discussions with the city of Sunderland about the wind up of the urban development corporation in 1998.

  Battersea Power Station
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he last received a report on the condition of Battersea power station; what assessment his Department has made of the current state of the building's fabric; and what applications have been received for demolition. [5313]

  Sir Paul Beresford
  The Secretary of State for the Environment has received no reports on the condition of the building. The building is regularly inspected by English Heritage and was last inspected on 9 November 1995. I understand that the next visit is scheduled for 5 January next year. We have received no applications for demolition.

  Brent Irish Centre
  Ms Armstrong
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will place in the Library a copy of the district audit public interest report on the Brent Irish centre; and if he will issue guidance to the council on the status of this report. [5595]

  Sir Paul Beresford
  This is not a matter for Government, but for the London borough of Brent and its appointed auditor. It is the council's responsibility to make copies of the report available, under section 18A of the Local Government Finance Act 1991. Sections 5 and 6 of the Local Government Act 1992 specify the follow-up action that Brent council must take.

  Home Owners
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his estimate of the number of home owners who can expect to(a) be in negative equity and (b) to lose their homes through repossession in 1996; and if he will make a statement. [4862]

  Mr. Clappison
  The Government do not make such forecasts. Homeowners will continue to benefit from the range of Government policies which have brought about sustainable falls in interest rates and have made home ownership more affordable than for many years.

  Dioxins
  Ms Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action(a) has been taken and (b) is proposed by (i) Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution, (ii) the National Rivers Authority and (iii) the local waste regulation authority in respect of each dioxin hot spot. [5462]

  Mr. Clappison
  Where dioxins are released all the agencies work together within the proper legal framework to protect the environment.

PRIME MINISTER

  Data Protection
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the compliance of the Security Service, GCHQ and the Intelligence Service with their obligations in respect of registration under the Data Protection Act 1984; if all personal data held by them are processed for the purpose of safeguarding national security; what external legal advice he has taken on whether registration of personal data is necessary; and if he will make a statement. [5314]

  The Prime Minister
  Under section 27 of the Data Protection Act 1984, personal data are exempt from the provisions of part II and sections 21 to 24 of the Act if the exemption is required for the purpose of safeguarding national security. Personal data are held and processed by the Security Service, GCHQ and the secret intelligence service in accordance with their respective functions set out in the Security Services Act 1989 and the Intelligence Services Act 1994. Such data are exempt from the relevant provisions of the Data Protection Act in order to safeguard national security.

  Official Hospitality
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Prime Minister how much his Department spent on official hospitality in 1994–95 and the financial year to date; and what is the 1995–96 projected budget for official hospitality. [5575]

  The Prime Minister
  The figure is £36,000 in 1994–95. No projection has yet been made of the outturn for 1995–96.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Ministerial Offices
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much has been spent on furnishing and decorating ministerial offices in his Department in each of the last three years. [5574]

  Mr. Hanley
  Expenditure on furnishing and decorating ministerial offices in each of the last three years is included in the running cost expenditure of my Department, which is published in the annual report.

  Official Hospitality
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much his Department spent on official hospitality in 1994–95 and the financial year to date; and what is the 1995–96 projected budget for official hospitality. [5588]

  Mr. Hanley
  In 1994–95 the cost of hospitality, which is included in the running cost budget for this Department—Diplomatic Wing and ODA—was £7,680,934. The Natural Resources Institute, an agency of the ODA, spent £3,386; and Wilton Park, an agency of the diplomatic wing, spent £455.
  645
  Figures for the financial year to date—1 April to 31 October—are £4,759,666 for this Department; £2,770 for the Natural Resources Institute; and £562 for Wilton Park.

  The projected budget for this Department for 1995–96 is around £8.2 million; for the Natural Resources Institute, £5,000; and for Wilton Park, £1,000.

  European Convention on Human Rights
  Mr. Pickles
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what decisions the Government have taken about the United Kingdom's adherence to the European convention on human rights. [6004]

  Sir Nicholas Bonsor
  We have decided to renew for five years our acceptance of the two optional articles of the European convention on human rights which expires for the United Kingdom on 13 January 1996. Individuals will therefore continue to be able to bring cases under article 25—the right of individual petition—and the Government will continue to accept the jurisdiction of the European Court of Human Rights under Article 46. The United Kingdom first accepted these articles in 1966. They have both been renewed for consecutive periods of five years for the last 20 years.

  As my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister informed the House on 7 December, Official Report, column 488, the Government were not satisfied with some of the rulings made under the convention by the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. We will initiate discussions with other members of the Council of Europe, and representatives of its institutions, to change and improve the way in which the convention system works. We are developing specific proposals to achieve this, which we believe will be widely welcomed.

  Entry Clearance (Right of Appeal)
  Mr. Gamier
  To ask the Secretary of Sate for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he intends to lay before the House the 1994 report by the independent monitor of refusal of entry clearance where there is no right of appeal. [6249]

  Mr. Hanley
  Copies of Dame Elizabeth's 1994 report have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses. I welcome the report, which confirms Dame Elizabeth's satisfaction with the decisions taken by the entry clearance officers in the overwhelming majority of the cases she monitored. We will consider carefully Dame Elizabeth's recommendations, some of which are already being implemented.

SCOTLAND

  Relocation, Stirling
  Mrs. Adams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many(a) agencies and (b)non-departmental public bodies have been located in Stirling in the last two years; on what dates decisions were taken to set up those bodies in these locations; and if he will list those agencies and non-departmental public bodies which will locate in Stirling in the next 12 months. [2801]
  646
  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  None of the agencies for which my right hon. Friend is responsible have located in Stirling in the last two years and there are no plans for any to do so in the next 12 months.

  Of his non-departmental public bodies—NDPBs—the Red Deer Commission, which has its headquarters in Inverness, set up a small sub-office in Stirling in April 1995. The decision to do this was taken in the autumn of last year.

  Over the next 12 months the Scottish further education unit will move to Stirling and the headquarters of the new Scottish Environment Protection Agency will be located there. These decisions were made following a thorough assessment of a range of options, and taking account of the policy in "Scotland in the Union" (Cm 2225) to seek opportunities for dispersal of NDPBs from Edinburgh and Glasgow where it is operationally acceptable and financially attractive to do so. They were recommended to Ministers by the bodies concerned and were approved in June and October 1995 respectively. Plans to locate the Scottish children's reporter administration in Stirling are currently under consideration.

  Assisted Places Scheme
  Mrs. Liddell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many assisted places are available for pupils in Scottish schools in the current session; and what is the average level of assistance. [3921]

  Mr. Raymond S. Robertson
  Independent schools participating in the assisted places scheme in Scotland are each allocated an amount of fee remission grant for each school session, within which they may provide assistance to individual pupils, in accordance with the rules of the scheme. Some schools have yet to submit grant claims for the 1995–96 school session, so the information requested is not yet available. However, provisional figures indicate that just over 3,000 pupils are currently receiving assistance, at an estimated average cost of around £3,550 per pupil.

  I shall write to the hon. Member when the information she has requested is available.

  Exports
  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received regarding the diversification of Scottish export markets; and if he will make a statement. [5113]

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  I am delighted that the most recent figures show that Scotland's manufactured exports have grown in the last year by 23.6 per cent. to reach an all-time record of £14.3 billion, which is more than £40,000 per manufacturing employee. That is more than the United Kingdom as a whole and more than Japan.

  I am aware, however, that we could do even better. Scottish Trade International, the export arm of my Department recently took the lead in the production of an export development strategy for Scotland. This strategy, "The International Challenge" launched in September, sets out the steps that need to be taken to strengthen export support arrangements throughout Scotland. A key part of that strategy is a commitment to achieving greater diversification of Scotland's exporting industries. Special

  647
  programmes will be devised to maximise exports from eight priority manufacturing and service sectors. The strategy also sets out priority markets where there are particular opportunities for Scottish companies.

  I have arranged for a copy of "the International Challenge" to be sent to the hon. Member.

  Scottish Homes, Inverclyde
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will allow the Inverclyde district council to take over the ownership and management of those houses in the Inverclyde district which, at the moment, are owned by Scottish Homes if the tenants indicate, by way of an independently controlled ballot, that it is their wish to become tenants of the council; and if he will make a statement. [4830]

  Mr. Raymond S. Robertson
  Existing arrangements do not preclude local authorities from bidding for Scottish Homes stock. However, this would be allowed only in exceptional circumstances which do not compromise the objective of promoting diversity of choice in rented housing stock.

  My right hon. Friend announced on 30 November that he will consider this policy further in response to representations from the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities. His decision will be announced in due course.

  Students (Allowances)
  Mr. Gallie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what changes are planned in the student support and tuition fee arrangements for Scottish domiciled students in session 1996–97. [6378]

  Mr. Raymond S. Robertson
  I am publishing today the main rates of maintenance allowances payable under the students' allowances scheme and the postgraduate students' allowances scheme, including rates for those courses which do not attract student loans, together with the rates for the various supplementary allowances payable to both undergraduate and vocational postgraduate award holders.

  The support available to undergraduate students in 1996–97 through the main rates of maintenance grant and loan, taken together, will be 2.6 per cent. higher than in 1995–96, thus maintaining its value in real terms. Postgraduate maintenance grants and supplementary allowances will be increased by a similar amount.

  Tuition fees will continue to be reimbursed to institutions through the student support system on behalf of eligible students. The undergraduate rates will be the same as in 1995–96.

  Year

  Number of offers accepted

  Of which overseas owned firms

  Value of offers accepted (£ million)

  Of which overseas owned firms

  Percentage of offers to overseas owned firms by value

  1979–80

  186

  25

  32.2

  14.9

  46

  1980–81

  165

  38

  31.0

  18.9

  61

  1981–82

  118

  30

  29.9

  21.4

  72

  1982–83

  220

  37

  50.4

  27.2

  54

  1983–84

  159

  39

  38.3

  18.6

  48

  1984–85

  216

  46

  70.7

  40.9

  58

  1985–86

  134

  34

  58.6

  37.3

  64

  1986–87

  138

  20

  34.6

  16.6

  48

  648
  These changes are consistent with those for England and Wales announced by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Employment. Details have been placed in the Library.

  "The Way Ahead"
  Mr. Gallie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the study of Scottish Natural Heritage which was announced in May. [6421]

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Ministers received the report of the study group in October and I will make arrangements for copies to be placed in the Library of the House.

  The Government have noted that since Scottish Natural Heritage was established in 1992 it has been asked to undertake a range of new initiatives. Amongst these have been implementation of the EC Habitats Directive, initiatives on biodiversity arising out of agreements reached at Rio and programmes commissioned by the Secretary of State for Scotland on the Cairngorms, Loch Lomond and environmental education. Taken together, this new work means that the balance of SNH's work has moved, from that envisaged by the Government when they published their plans for SNH in "The Way Ahead" in 1990. I have accepted the main proposal of the report of the study group that a new "The Way Ahead" should be prepared, taking account of changes in natural heritage priorities and levels of Government grant-in-aid likely to be available. I have asked Scottish Office and SNH officials to draft a new version of "The Way Ahead" to take us to the millennium. This will be published in the first half of next year. At that time we shall also announce our full response to the report.

  Overseas Companies
  Mr. Donohoe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the sums his Department has paid out for each financial year since 1979–80 to companies establishing in Scotland; if he will indicate the number and names of companies involved; and what proportion this represented of the total awards made under regional selective assistance. [1716]

  Mr. Kynoch
  [holding answer 23 November 1995]: Data are not collected in precisely this form. Data are, however, collected on regional selective assistance offered to overseas-owned firms—this will include some overseas-owned firms reinvesting in their existing operations in Scotland and will not include firms owned elsewhere in the United Kingdom which are starting or reinvesting operations in Scotland. Details on individual firms are affected by commercial confidentiality but the other data which the hon. Member seeks are given, for overseas-owned firms, in the table:
  649

  Year

  Number of offers accepted

  Of which overseas owned firms

  Value of offers accepted (£ million)

  Of which overseas owned firms

  Percentage of offers to overseas owned firms by value

  1987–88

  192

  24

  56.2

  30.5

  54

  1988–89

  195

  25

  49.8

  14.5

  29

  1989–90

  234

  36

  76.3

  32.2

  42

  1990–91

  195

  36

  173.5

  119.9

  69

  1991–92

  160

  27

  52.3

  13.8

  26

  1992–93

  198

  41

  72.3

  36.2

  50

  1993–94

  238

  56

  126.8

  68.1

  54

  1994–95

  246

  58

  113.0

  73.8

  65

  This table refers to the year in which an offer was originally accepted.

  Year of initial offer

  Number of offers

  Of which number accepted

  1979–80

  199

  191

  1980–81

  177

  164

  1981–82

  134

  127

  1982–83

  243

  221

  1983–84

  167

  158

  1984–85

  242

  230

  1985–86

  119

  113

  1986–87

  156

  148

  1987–88

  200

  186

  1988–89

  221

  207

  1989–90

  243

  228

  1990–91

  214

  202

  1991–92

  170

  157

  1992–93

  214

  199

  1993–94

  259

  243

  1994–95

  246

  238

  Notes:

  1. This table refers to the year in which an initial offer was made. Its subsequent acceptance may have taken place in a subsequent year.

  2. In the most recent years, some offers are still outstanding and have not yet been accepted or declined by the company.

  Regional Selective Assistance
  Mr. Donohoe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) how many applications for regional selective assistance have been(a) rejected by his Department and (b) accepted for each financial year since 1979–80; and what proportion those rejected represent of the total number of applications received; [1718]

  (2) how many offers of regional selective assistance were made to companies by his Department in each financial year since 1979–80; and how many of these were fully accepted by the companies involved. [1733]

  Mr. Kynoch
  [holding answer 23 November 1995]: The data which the hon. Member seeks are set out in the tables.

  Year of application

  Number of applications received

  Number subsequently rejected

  Percentage of applications rejected

  Number of applications progressing to acceptance

  1979–80

  300

  9

  3.0

  241

  1980–81

  97

  2

  2.1

  74

  1981–82

  189

  9

  4.8

  145

  1982–83

  257

  15

  5.8

  200

  1983–84

  262

  12

  4.6

  197

  1984–85

  259

  21

  8.1

  185

  1985–86

  154

  15

  9.7

  113

  1986–87

  179

  10

  5.6

  149

  1987–88

  234

  10

  4.3

  198

  1988–89

  255

  15

  5.9

  202

  650

  Year of application

  Number of applications received

  Number subsequently rejected

  Percentage of applications rejected

  Number of applications progressing to acceptance

  1989–90

  314

  28

  8.9

  235

  1990–91

  239

  16

  6.7

  189

  1991–92

  203

  12

  5.9

  162

  1992–93

  246

  10

  4.1

  198

  1993–94

  307

  21

  6.8

  248

  1994–95

  307

  25

  8.1

  247

  Notes:

  1. This table refers to the year in which the application was received. Its acceptance or rejection may have taken place in a subsequent year.

  2. As well as being accepted or rejected, applications may be withdrawn by the company before an offer is made, or, if an offer is made, it may be declined by the company.

  3. In the most recent years, some offers are still outstanding and have not yet been accepted or declined by the company.

  4. Application forms are normally only made available when prior discussion with the company concerned has indicated a reasonable possibility that an application will be successful.

  Mr. Donohoe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) how many jobs his Department estimates have been(a) safeguarded and (b) created in Scotland in each financial year since 1979–80 by payments made under regional selective assistance; [1725]

  (2) how much money was paid to companies operating within each new town in Scotland in regional selective assistance for each year since 1979–80; and how many companies were in receipt of this assistance; [1732]

  (3) if he will list (a) the amounts spent on regional selective assistance by his Department, (b) the number of projects covered by his expenditure, (c) the average amount awarded for each application for regional selective assistance, (d) the amounts of money recouped by the Scottish Office in regional selective assistance, (e) the number of companies from which money was recouped and (f) the names of the companies from which the Scottish Office recouped this money for each financial ear since 1979–80. [1735]

  Mr. Kynoch
  [holding answer 23 November 1995]: As regards money recouped from companies which had been in receipt of regional selective assistance, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 2 May 1995, Official Report, column 580.

  Statistics on regional selective assistance are not collected by reference to new town boundaries.

  The other information which the hon. Member seeks is set out in the table.
  651

  Year

  Number of offers accepted

  Value of offers accepted (£ million)

  Forecast jobs created

  Forecast jobs safeguarded

  Average value of offer (£ million)

  Total expenditure (£million)

  1979–80

  186

  32.2

  11,133

  8,699

  0.173

  17.4

  1980–81

  165

  31.0

  11,551

  4,717

  0.188

  21.4

  1981–82

  118

  29.9

  8,224

  3,799

  0.254

  17.7

  1982–83

  220

  50.4

  9,795

  7,560

  0.229

  19.1

  1983–84

  159

  38.3

  8,770

  7,057

  0.241

  22.7

  1984–85

  216

  70.7

  10,978

  6,682

  0.327

  30.5

  1985–86

  134

  58.6

  8,169

  6,458

  0.437

  35.3

  1986–87

  138

  34.6

  4,515

  3,470

  0.251

  34.8

  1987–88

  192

  56.2

  8,200

  6,574

  0.292

  37.6

  1988–89

  195

  49.8

  8,158

  3,654

  0.255

  37.0

  1989–90

  234

  76.3

  10,003

  3,862

  0.326

  40.7

  1990–91

  195

  173.5

  16,603

  4,621

  0.890

  68.1

  1991–92

  160

  52.3

  6,453

  2,005

  0.327

  64.4

  1992–93

  198

  72.3

  8,287

  2,792

  0.365

  59.2

  1993–94

  238

  126.8

  11,046

  6,235

  0.533

  69.8

  1994–95

  246

  113.0

  12,319

  3,965

  0.459

  77.1

  Notes:

  1. This table refers to the year in which an offer was initially accepted. The final column relates to total expenditure in the year in question, some of which will arise from offers accepted in earlier years.

  2. Where jobs are forecast to be created or safeguarded, that will be over the lifetime of the project, typically 3 to 5 years. Experience indicates that fewer jobs are actually created or safeguarded than originally forecast: around two-thirds. Actual grant payments are set in line with the actual number of jobs created or safeguarded and the level of investment actually undertaken.

  Red Deer
  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many estates have killed(a) fewer than five, (b) six to 10, (c) 11 to 50, (d) 51 to 100, (e) 101 to 250, (f) 251 to 500 and (g) more than 500 red deer in each year from 1990 to 1995. [2077]

  Mr. Raymond S. Robertson
  [holding answer 30 November 1995]: The information is set out in the table and has been supplied by the Red Deer Commission from its records.

  Number of estates

  Number of red deer killed

  1990–91

  1991–92

  1992–93

  1993–94

  1994–95

  0–5

  59

  63

  50

  48

  47

  6–10

  45

  58

  31

  42

  42

  11–50

  200

  190

  177

  217

  238

  51–100

  124

  130

  137

  130

  123

  101–250

  97

  89

  117

  102

  97

  251–500

  26

  27

  34

  19

  23

  500–

  8

  9

  13

  11

  9

  (a)(i) Secondary schools by size

  Number of Pupils

  Area board management type

  Up to 25

  26–50

  51–100

  101–200

  201–300

  301–400

  401–600

  601–800

  801–1000

  1001–1500

  1500 and over

  Total

  Belfast

  Controlled

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2

  1

  3

  1

  1

  3

  —

  11

  Maintained

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2

  —

  3

  4

  2

  1

  1

  13

  Voluntary

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  3

  4

  5

  1

  14

  Western

  Controlled

  —

  —

  1

  —

  2

  3

  6

  2

  1

  —

  —

  15

  Maintained

  —

  —

  1

  —

  5

  5

  9

  —

  6

  —

  —

  26

  Voluntary

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2

  1

  4

  1

  1

  9

  North-Eastern

  Controlled

  —

  —

  —

  2

  2

  2

  8

  10

  2

  2

  —

  28

  Maintained

  —

  —

  —

  1

  2

  2

  6

  1

  1

  1

  —

  14

  Voluntary

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2

  3

  4

  2

  —

  11

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Traffic Schemes
  Mr. Robert McCartney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if his Department followed the 1986 SACTRA recommendation in respect of the breaking down of large traffic schemes at the Balmoral Avenue junction. [2512]

  Mr. Moss
  In view of the scale and nature of the scheme proposed at the Balmoral Avenue junction, the SACTRA report is not considered to be relevant.

  Schools Statistics
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the number of(a) secondary and (b) primary schools broken down by (i) size and (ii) sex and indicating if they are controlled, maintained or voluntary school status in each of the education and library board areas in Northern Ireland. [4510]

  Mr. Ancram
  The information is as follows:
  653

  (a)(i) Secondary schools by size

  Number of Pupils

  Area board management type

  Up to 25

  26–50

  51–100

  101–200

  201–300

  301–400

  401–600

  601–800

  801–1000

  1001–1500

  1500 and over

  Total

  South-Eastern

  Controlled

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2

  6

  4

  6

  2

  2

  —

  22

  Maintained

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  1

  7

  —

  2

  —

  —

  11

  Voluntary

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  3

  3

  —

  7

  Southern

  Controlled

  —

  —

  —

  2

  3

  1

  6

  5

  2

  1

  —

  20

  Maintained

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  2

  5

  4

  5

  2

  —

  19

  Voluntary

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  3

  3

  6

  —

  —

  12

  Total

  Controlled

  —

  —

  1

  4

  11

  13

  27

  24

  8

  8

  —

  96

  Maintained

  —

  —

  2

  2

  9

  10

  30

  9

  16

  4

  1

  83

  Voluntary

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  7

  11

  21

  11

  2

  53

  Total

  —

  —

  3

  6

  21

  23

  64

  44

  45

  23

  3

  232

  (a) (ii) Secondary schools by sex

  Area board management type

  All boys

  All girls

  Co-educational

  Total

  Belfast

  Controlled

  2

  1

  8

  11

  Maintained

  4

  6

  3

  13

  Voluntary

  4

  6

  4

  14

  Western

  Controlled

  —

  1

  14

  15

  Maintained

  4

  5

  17

  26

  Voluntary

  4

  4

  1

  9

  North-eastern

  Controlled

  2

  3

  23

  28

  Maintained

  1

  —

  13

  14

  Voluntary

  1

  —

  10

  11

  (b)(i) Primary schools by size

  Number of Pupils

  Area board management type

  Up to 25

  26–50

  51–100

  101–200

  201–300

  301–400

  401–600

  601–800

  801–1000

  1001–1500

  1500 and over

  Total

  Belfast

  Controlled

  —

  —

  1

  11

  13

  11

  9

  —

  1

  —

  —

  46

  Maintained

  —

  —

  2

  6

  7

  12

  13

  6

  —

  1

  —

  47

  Voluntary

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Western

  Controlled

  2

  18

  25

  9

  7

  5

  6

  —

  —

  —

  —

  72

  Maintained

  2

  18

  29

  41

  8

  12

  11

  4

  1

  1

  —

  127

  Voluntary

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  North-Eastern

  Controlled

  2

  20

  39

  30

  16

  21

  15

  —

  —

  —

  —

  143

  Maintained

  2

  10

  18

  26

  15

  5

  4

  1

  —

  —

  —

  81

  Voluntary

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  South-Eastern

  Controlled

  2

  8

  21

  29

  15

  12

  16

  2

  1

  —

  —

  106

  Maintained

  —

  4

  19

  10

  9

  8

  5

  1

  1

  —

  —

  57

  Voluntary

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Southern

  Controlled

  2

  23

  39

  18

  11

  7

  6

  2

  —

  —

  —

  108

  654

  (a)(ii) Secondary schools by sex

  Area board management type

  All boys

  All girls

  Co-educational

  Total

  South-eastern

  Controlled

  2

  2

  18

  22

  Maintained

  1

  1

  9

  11

  Voluntary

  1

  1

  5

  7

  Southern

  Controlled

  —

  —

  20

  20

  Maintained

  4

  4

  11

  19

  Voluntary

  4

  4

  4

  12

  Total

  Controlled

  6

  7

  83

  96

  Maintained

  14

  16

  53

  83

  Voluntary

  14

  15

  24

  53

  Total

  34

  38

  160

  232

  655

  (b)(i) Primary schools by size

  Number of Pupils

  Area board management type

  Up to 25

  26–50

  51–100

  101–200

  201–300

  301–400

  401–600

  601–800

  801–1000

  1001–1500

  1500 and over

  Total

  Maintained

  1

  19

  40

  49

  19

  7

  12

  4

  —

  —

  —

  151

  Voluntary

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Total

  Controlled

  8

  69

  125

  97

  62

  56

  52

  4

  2

  —

  —

  475

  Maintained

  5

  51

  108

  132

  58

  44

  45

  16

  2

  2

  —

  463

  Voluntary

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Total

  13

  120

  233

  229

  120

  100

  97

  20

  4

  2

  —

  938

  (b)(ii) Primary Schools by Sex

  Area board management type

  All boys

  All girls

  Co-educational

  Total

  Belfast

  Controlled

  —

  —

  46

  46

  Maintained

  9

  12

  26

  47

  Voluntary

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Western

  Controlled

  —

  —

  72

  72

  Maintained

  4

  4

  119

  127

  Voluntary

  —

  —

  —

  —

  North-Eastern

  Controlled

  —

  —

  143

  143

  Maintained

  1

  —

  80

  81

  Voluntary

  —

  —

  —

  —

  South-Eastern

  Controlled

  —

  —

  106

  106

  Maintained

  2

  2

  53

  57

  Voluntary

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Southern

  Controlled

  —

  —

  108

  108

  Maintained

  8

  8

  135

  151

  Voluntary

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Total

  Controlled

  —

  —

  475

  475

  Maintained

  24

  26

  413

  463

  Voluntary

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Total

  24

  26

  888

  938

  Unemployment
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what proposals he has to change the 21-hour rule in Northern Ireland; and what impact they will have on the freedom to study. [4511]

  Mr. Moss
  Currently, certain unemployed people, broadly those who have been unemployed for three months or more in the last six and who are undertaking part-time study of not more than 21 hours a week, are treated as available for work provided that they are prepared to give their course up if a job becomes available. This is in addition to the provisions that allow claimants to study part-time provided they remain available for and are actively seeking employment.

  Under the jobseeker's allowance in Northern Ireland, there will be similar rules designed to allow the same number of unemployed people to study part-time while claiming benefits as do so now.

  Stormont
  Mr. Peter Robinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what work has been carried out to restore the parliamentary debating chamber at Stormont since the fire. [5681]

  Mr. Moss
  The complete restoration of the chamber forms part of the major refurbishment of Parliament buildings which began on 1 November, but work to the chamber itself has not yet started. Archive material from the time of the construction of the building has been assembled and wood for the re-panelling of the walls has been purchased. Work is scheduled for completion in January 1997.

  Mr. Gerard Burns
  Sir Irvine Patnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what arrangements have been made to appoint a successor to Mrs. McIvor in the offices of the Northern Ireland Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration and Northern Ireland Commissioner for Complaints. [6302]

  Sir Patrick Mayhew
  Her Majesty the Queen has approved the appointment of Mr. Gerard Burns to succeed Mrs. McIvor in both posts, with effect from 1 February 1996.

  Crown Solicitor's Office
  Sir Irvine Patnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to carry out a prior options study of the functions of the Crown Solicitor's office and when he expects to have a report of the study. [6303]

  Sir Patrick Mayhew
  I have arranged for a prior option study of the functions of the Crown Solicitor's office to be carried out and for the findings of the study to be reported not later than 28 February 1996.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

  Photocopiers
  Mr. Barnes
  To ask the Chairman of the Administrative Committee when the new contract for paper for photocopiers in the Palace of Westminster was agreed; how many faults have been reported since then; how many were reported in the equivalent period under the old contract; and if he will make a statement. [4118]
  657
  Mr. Michael J. Martin
  The introduction of recycled copier paper was agreed as part of an overall review of stationery carried out by the Administration Committee in November 1994. It as introduced in all areas by May 1995 when stocks of existing paper had been used up.

  It is not possible to isolate faults specifically due to paper handling. However, the number of faults reported up to May 1995 averaged 41 per month and from May to July averaged 38 per month.

  Members' Handbook
  Mr. Bennett
  To ask the Chairman of the Administration Committee when the next edition of the Members' handbook will be published; and if it will be available(a) in disk form and (b) on the PDVN. [5891]

  Mr. Michael J. Martin
  The "Members' Handbook", which was first issued in February 1992, is being revised and the new edition should be available to Members immediately after the Christmas Adjournment. The text will be available also on the PDVN by way of the parliamentary electronic document distribution service—PEDDS—and, on request, on disk in WordPerfect 6.1.

  State Opening (Photographer)
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chairman of the Administration Committee on what basis a photographer was present in the Gallery during the State Opening of Parliament. [4964]

  Mr. Michael J. Martin
  [holding answer 8 December 1995]: The Central Office of Information contract photographer was present in the Gallery to enable photographs of the State Opening used in official and educational publications to be brought up to date.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Khat
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consideration he has given to making khat a controlled substance. [5550]

  Mr. Sackville
  The khat plant is not subject to control under the United Nations drug conventions. In 1988, the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs advised that there was no evidence of a social problem arising from its misuse such as to justify bringing the plant under the controls of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. We have no current plan to bring khat under legislative controls, but will continue to monitor the position.

  Identity Cards
  Mr. Bernie Grant
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many submissions he has received in respect of the introduction of identity cards which expressed specific concerns as to the impact such cards would have on the black and ethnic minority communities; [5385]

  (2) when he expects his Department to provide a full report on the public consultation on the subject of identity cards; and how his Department now intends to proceed on this issue. [5386]
  658
  Mr. Sackville
  We received some 3,000 replies to the Green Paper on identity cards and I intend to make available shortly a summary of the responses. The Government have yet to decide whether an identity card should be introduced and, if so, what type of identity card scheme to propose.

  Entertainment Licences
  Mrs. Lait
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what legislation applies in respect of places of entertainment which wish to remain open over midnight on Sunday 24 December and Sunday 31 December 1995; and in what circumstances such venues may remain open. [5353]

  Mr. Kirkhope
  The following legislation applies every day of the year: The Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982 and the London Government Act 1963 require places providing music and dancing to be subject to licences which may stipulate the times, including beyond midnight, during which music and dancing may take place. The Licensing Act 1964 provides for the holders of such licences to the granted special hours certificates, or special orders of exemption, both of which may permit the sale of alcohol beyond midnight. In addition, the Sunday Observance Act 1780 prohibits charging for admission to a public dance held on a Sunday.

  Data Protection
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what occasions certificates under section 27 of the Data Protection Act 1984 were signed by his Department; for how long each certificate was valid; what procedures apply when such certificates are signed; by what methods he is notified whenever a Cabinet Minister signs a certificate; and if he will make a statement. [5348]

  Mr. Sackville
  I am aware of none as far as the Home Office is concerned. Disclosing details of such certificates would itself not be in the interest of national security.

  National Security
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the procedures for liaison with other Government departments in respect of access to personal details held by them in cases involving the signing of warrants or certificates for the purpose of safeguarding national security. [5349]

  Mr. Howard
  No.

  Volunteers (Screening)
  Mr. Thurnham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps his Department is taking to help voluntary groups check the suitability of volunteers working with children. [5134]

  Mr. Sackville
  In 1993, the Home Office, in consultation with the Department of Health, the Department of Education and Employment and the Welsh Office, published a code of practice entitled "Safe from Harm". This offers voluntary organisations with responsibility for the care and welfare of children a guide to good policy and practice in areas such as the recruitment, supervision and management of staff and
  659
  volunteers. Voluntary organisations can also check directly with the Department of Health's consultancy service whether the names of any of their staff or volunteers appear on lists held by the service of people who have ceased to be employed in circumstances which show that they would be unsuitable to work with children in the future. The consultancy service will also carry out a check against "List 99" which is a list compiled by the Department of Education and Employment of people who, because of previous misconduct, are barred from employment in any school or further educational establishment if their job would involve them in regular contact with children. Further safeguards will be proposed in our forthcoming White Paper on access to criminal records for employment vetting purposes.

  Second Passport Holders
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information he has on the number of British nationals in possession of a second, foreign passport. [5447]

  Mr. Kirkhope
  United Kingdom passports are issued to British citizens, including those who have been naturalised, British dependent territories citizens, British nationals (overseas), British overseas citizens, British subjects and British protected persons. In some cases, passports may be issued to persons who also hold the nationality of another country but information about dual nationality and second passports is not collected.

  Private Security Firms
  Ms Janet Anderson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give details of the European regulations which preclude the Home Department excluding from Home Office contracts private security firms which are not members of self-regulatory bodies. [138]

  Mr. Howard
  The European Community procurement directives lay down criteria to be followed in the award of Government contracts. All three directives for works, for supplies and for services contain provisions to ensure fair treatment and to prevent discrimination in the selection of Government contractors.

  In the case of private security service contracts, article 3(2) of the European Community services directives, 92/50/EEC applies. This states that
  "Contracting authorities shall ensure that there is no discrimination between different service providers".

  The exclusion of a tenderer who was not a member of a voluntary self-regulatory body would discriminate against those who, for whatever reason, were unable, or unwilling to join such a body. Membership of such a body would not, in itself, indicate the ability of the tenderer satisfactorily to perform the service and there are other non-discriminatory means of ensuring that they can do so, for example by requiring them to demonstrate in their tender the necessary experience or technical ability to perform the contract.

  Illegal Entrants (Employment)
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many employers were convicted 660
  of employing an illegal entrant to the United Kingdom in each of the last five years; what was the average fine imposed on such employers; how many employers were found not guilty; and how such illegal employment was detected. [2760]

  Mr. Kirkhope
  [holding answer 28 November 1995]: It is not an offence under current legislation for an employer to employ an illegal entrant.

  Deregulation
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the statement of the Secretary of State for Environment of 21 November,Official Report, column 454, if he will make it his policy to review past legislation in respect of additional burdens imposed by regulations implèmenting European directives. [5067]

  Mr. Howard
  [holding answer 11 December 1995]: It is my Department's policy not to make regulations implementing European directives which add to the burdens imposed by such directives. We keep existing legislation under review in the light of this policy.

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

  Mr. MacLaughlan (War Pension)
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how long Mr. MacLaughlan of Newcastle has waited for a war pension appeal hearing, appeal ref. 94/3544/A; why his appeal hearings for October and December 1995 were cancelled; what factors have led to the delay in holding a further hearing; and when he can expect his appeal to be heard. [5490]

  Mr. Jonathan Evans
  Mr. MacLaughlan appealed against his interim assessment to the War Pensions Agency on 2 June 1992. The appeal papers were received by the pensions appeal tribunals on 8 November 1994. Due to an unexpected and unprecedented growth in appeals, waiting times have lengthened and although measures have been put in hand to accommodate the sustained increase, it is unlikely that Mr. MacLaughlan's appeal will be heard until February or March 1996. No record can be found of an earlier date having been allocated and cancelled.

  Court Service Accountability
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what steps he is taking to ensure that companies successful in bidding for contracts for support work in the Court Service will maintain the ccountability of the present system. [4718]

  Mr. Jonathan Evans
  The question concerns a specific operational matter on which the chief executive of the Court Service is best placed to provide an answer and I have accordingly asked the chief executive to reply direct.

  Letter from Michael Huebner to Mr. Barry Sheerman, dated 13 December 1995:
  The Parliamentary Secretary of the Lord Chancellor's Department has asked me to reply to your Question about how private companies bidding to carry out support work for the Court Service will maintain the accountability of the present system.
  661
  Any contractor to the Court Service will be required to deliver services to the specified standard. The Court Service will retain full control of its polices and strategies.

  Probate Offices
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what assessment his Department has made of the impact on the public of the closure of probate offices in respect of access to the facilities offered by these officers. [4733]

  Mr. Jonathan Evans
  The question concerns a specific operational matter on which the chief executive of the Court Service is best placed to provide an answer and I have accordingly asked the chief executive to reply direct.

  Letter from Michael Huebner to Mr. Barry Sheerman, dated 13 December 1995:
  The Parliamentary Secretary of the Lord Chancellor's Department has asked me to reply to your Question about the impact of the proposed closure of probate officers.
  The recommendation that a number of Probate Sub-Registries and Probate Offices should close follows a review of the locations in England and Wales where a probate service is offered to personal applicants. This review considered, amongst other things, the effect of closure on travelling distances and the cost for individuals applying for probate.
  Both local and national consultation on the proposals is currently taking place and consideration will be given to the comments received before I send a recommendation to the Parliamentary Secretary and Lord Chancellor.

  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what savings he estimates will accure from the closure of probate offices. [4721]

  Mr. Evans
  The question concerns a specific operational matter on which the chief executive of the Court Service is best placed to provide an answer and I have accordingly asked the chief executive to reply direct.

  Letter from Michael Huebner to Mr. Barry Sheerman dated 13 December 1995:
  The Parliamentary Secretary of the Lord Chancellor's Department has asked me to reply to your Question about the savings that will accrue from the proposed closure of probate offices.
  Closure of the Probate Sub-Registries would result in savings of accommodation staff and other associated running costs.
  Similarly, closure of Probate Offices (caller offices used for the purpose of interviewing personal applicants only) would result in savings of ad hoc accommodation costs and reduce the amount of court staff time spent travelling to Probate Offices.
  Overall savings would be approximately £400,000 per annum.

  Magistrates Bench (Doncaster)
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what action he plans to take in respect of the political imbalance of the Doncaster bench. [4485]

  Mr. Jonathan Evans
  The Lord Chancellor, through his advisory committee for Doncaster, will continue to encourage applications from suitable people who would improve the political balance on the bench. The advisory committee has undertaken a number of initiatives,662
  including press advertising, in the recruitment round which has just been completed and will be asked to repeat these initiatives. The Lord Chancellor would be grateful for any encouragement that the hon. Member can give to applicants locally.

  Private Finance Initiative
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what assessment his Department has made of the effect on confidentiality of the private finance initiative for the Court Service. [4720]

  Mr. Jonathan Evans
  Any contractor will have to satisfy the Lord Chancellor's Department that confidentiality will be protected.

  Court Service (Computer Systems)
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what professional advice his Department has sought regarding the computer systems of the Court Service. [4718]

  Mr. Jonathan Evans
  The question concerns a specific operational matter on which the chief executive of the Court Service is best placed to provide an answer and I have accordingly asked the chief executive to reply direct.

  Letter from Michael Huebner to Mr. Barry Sheerman, dated 13 December 1995:
  The Parliamentary Secretary of the Lord Chancellor's Department has asked me to reply to your Question about the professional computer advice sought by the Court Service.
  The Court Service has obtained professional advice from a wide range of consultants and expert I.T. contractors, as appropriate, in the development of all its computer systems.

  Child Support Commissioners (Appeals)
  Ms Lynne
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many appeals to a child support commissioner have been(a) lodged and (b) determined. [4681]

  Mr. Jonathan Evans
  Between April 1993, when the Child Support Act 1991 came into force and 6 December 1995, 50 appeals had been lodged with the child support commissioners and 18 determined.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION

  Family Planning
  Mr. Clifton-Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many and which non-governmental organisations are being funded by the seedcorn fund for family planning and reproductive health projects; in which countries they are based; what are these projects; what is the amount of funding granted; and for what length of time. [4840]
  663
  Mr. Hanley
  ODA's seedcorn fund for reproductive health presently supports 13 projects. Further details are given in the table.

  Organisation

  Title

  Country

  Budget £000s

  Time in years

  Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine

  Voucher system to improve health services and control sexually transmitted diseases

  Nicaragua

  227

  3

  University of Cambridge

  Action-orientated initiative relating to female genital mutilation and fistulae

  Ethiopia

  17

  1

  Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine

  Subsidising adolescent sexually transmitted disease services through a private laboratory

  Nigeria

  91

  2

  Population Services International

  Social marketing of female condoms

  Bolivia, Guinea, Haiti, South Africa and Zambia

  99

  1

  AVSC International

  Factors affecting the safe provision of IUDs: A service delivery perspective

  Russia

  122

  2

  Family Care International

  Safe motherhood health posts—A community outreach strategy to maternal mortality and morbidity

  Mexico

  80

  2

  Marie Stopes International

  Research to develop blueprints for family planning and reproductive health products and services

  Non-country specific

  26

  1

  Population Services International

  Social marketing for reproductive health

  Russia

  127

  2

  International Planned Parenthood Federation

  Contraceptive social marketing

  Latvia

  218

  2

  Population Services International

  Improving health care in Zambia through the franchising of private sector clinics

  Zambia

  52

  1

  Population Concern

  Community-based reproductive health services for young people

  South Africa

  280

  2

  London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

  Expanding choice for women: initiating and evaluating a new emergency contraceptive service in Fortaleza

  Brazil

  172

  2

  664

  Organisation

  Title

  Country

  Budget £000s

  Time in years

  Marie Stopes Consultancy

  To ascertain the practicalities and economics of initiating a social publishing programme in Almaty

  Kazakhstan

  6

  1

  Mr. Clifton-Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the total budget of the seedcorn funding for family planning and reproductive health projects for each of the years 1994 and 1995. [4839]

  Mr. Hanley
  ODA's seedcorn fund for reproductive health was established in 1995 to support small-scale, innovative projects to improve reproductive health in developing countries and countries with economies in transition. Expenditure in the 1994–95 financial year was £69,000. The budget for the 1995–96 financial year is £472,000.

  Consultative Group to Assist the Poorest
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to consult non-governmental organisations on the Government's involvement in the consultative group to assist the poorest. [5192]

  Mr. Hanley
  ODA advisers have taken part in setting up an informal network of British NGOs and other organisations interested in micro-finance. In September, they briefed a meeting of relevant NGOs, hosted by Action Aid, on the formation and operation of the consultative group to assist the poorest. The network will be meeting again in February 1996, and ODA advisers will use the opportunity to consult with NGOs on the current progress at the consultative group.

  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to ensure that credit from the consultive group to assist the poorest initiative will be directed at the very poorest. [5191]

  Mr. Hanley
  The consultative group to assist the poorest is a forum where donors supporting the provision if micro-financial services exchange experiences, and review options for extending and improving the impact of their programmes. The difficulties of providing appropriate financial services, both credit and savings facilities, to the very poorest is a central issue for all donors. ODA is actively feeding the lessons from its programmes in countries such as Bangladesh and Kenya into the CGAP process, and likewise learning from the experiences of other donors' programmes.

  Micro-enterprise Development
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to develop micro-enterprises in bilateral United Kingdom aid programmes. [5190]

  Mr. Hanley
  There are a growing number of micro-enterprise development activities within the current UK bilateral aid programme. These are principally in
  665
  Bangladesh, India, Kenya, South Africa and also in Poland and Russia. There are also some in other Asian and African countries. We are now supporting well over 100 projects, with a total value of nearly £100 million in the small enterprise sector. We are looking, within available resources, to further develop the small and micro-enterprise component of our bilateral aid.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  High Court Cases
  Ms Harman
  To ask the Attorney-General on how many occasions for each year since 1960 High Court judges have referred details of a case to the Director of Public Prosecutions. [5548]

  The Attorney-General
  The Crown Prosecution Service does not maintain such records.

WALES

  "General Household Survey"
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to ensure the statistics collected in Wales as part of the United Kingdom's annual "General Household Survey" permit a reliable disaggregated report on the state of wealth and poverty in Wales to be isolated from the aggregated United Kingdom database. [5023]

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  I understand from the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys, which conducts the "General Household Survey" on a Great Britain basis, that there are no plans at present to increase the coverage in Wales. Further information relating to Wales is available from a range of other sources including the "Family Expenditure Survey" and the "Family Resources Survey".

  Accidents in Schools
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many fatal and major accidents occurred in the schools of Wales, by local education authority area in(a) 1990–91, (b) 1991–92, (c) 1992–93, (d) 1993–94; and if he will make a statement. [4801]

  Mr. Richards
  I refer the hon. Member to the information I provided on 30 November, a copy of which I have placed in the Library of the House.

  Access to Work Scheme
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what evaluation the Welsh Office had undertaken into the working of the access to work scheme; and if he will make a statement. [5244]

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  None. The access to work programme for disabled people was introduced from 6 June 1994 to extend and simplify the existing special schemes provided by the Employment Service. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Employment announced a review of the scheme in July.
  666
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many representations his Department has received on the working of the present access to work scheme; and if he will make a statement. [5245]

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  None. The access to work programme is the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Employment.

  School Expenditure
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much has been spent per head per pupil in(a) primary and (b) secondary schools in (i) 1993–94 and (ii) 1994–95; what is the figure for the 1996–97 year; and what account has been taken in that figure of the increase in the school population. [5247]

  Mr. Richards
  Figures for 1993–94 are currently being calculated. As soon as they become available they will be incorporated in a new issue of the Welsh Office's "Education Finance Bulletin", a copy of which will be placed in the Library of the House. Local government expenditure outturn figures for 1994–95 will not be available before spring 1996; spending per head figures will be calculated as soon as possible after that and incorporated in the "Education Finance Bulletin". Figures for 1996–97 will not be available until 1998. Changes in school population influence the calculation of standard spending assessments for local authorities but actual expenditure on education is determined by the local authorities themselves.

  Free School Meals
  Mr. John Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what estimate he has made of the number of children having free school meals in(a) Wales, (b) West Glamorgan, (c) Mid Glamorgan, (d) South Glamorgan and (e) Dyfed. [5545]

  Mr. Richards
  On the schools census day of 17 January 1995, the following numbers of children took free midday meals in maintained schools in:

  Number

  Wales

  90,408

  West Glamorgan

  12,052

  Mid Glamorgan

  21,926

  South Glamorgan

  14,155

  Dyfed

  9,429

  Local Government (Compensation Costs)
  . Mr. Sweeney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what supplementary credit approvals he proposes to issue to local authorities for compensation costs which they incur in 1995–96 in connection with local government reorganisation. [6379]

  Mr. Hague
  I propose to issue supplementary credit approvals totalling £3,570,025 to 32 councils which are abolished by the Local Government (Wales) Act 1994 and which submitted bids to me. The approvals will be for the financial year 1995–96 and will be limited to expenditure on mandatory compensation costs incurred as a result of the reorganisation.
  667
  The allocations will be as follows:

  £

  Delyn Borough Council

  76,377

  Clwyd County Council

  67,392

  Colwyn Borough Council

  56,160

  Wrexham Maelor Borough Council

  40,884

  Dyfed County Council

  125,798

  Cyngor Dosbarth Ceredigion

  93,225

  Preseli Pembrokeshire District Council

  72,902

  Llanelli Borough Council

  53,050

  Carmarthen District Council

  34,819

  Gwent County Council

  471,737

  Islwyn Borough Council

  69,798

  Newport Borough Council

  53,913

  Monmouth Borough Council

  39,312

  Torfaen Borough Council

  38,189

  Gwynedd County Council

  146,015

  Ynys Mon-Isle of Anglesey Borough Council

  140,848

  Meirionnydd District Council

  77,500

  Cyngor Dosbarth Dwyfor

  62,605

  Arfon Borough Council

  60,877

  Aberconwy Borough Council

  29,652

  Mid Glamorgan County Council

  336,958

  Rhondda Borough Council

  162,414

  Merthyr Tydfil Borough Council

  73,008

  Rhymney Valley District Council

  70,986

  Taff Ely Borough Council

  69,189

  Cynon Valley Borough Council

  61,977

  Cardiff City Council

  226,436

  South Glamorgan County Council

  202,175

  Vale of Glamorgan Borough Council

  97,718

  West Glamorgan County Council

  258,334

  Swansea City Council

  125,798

  Lliw Valley Borough Council

  73,979

  Welsh Water
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what steps he took immediately(a) before and (b) after 31 December 1994 to ensure appropriate publicity in financial markets in relation to the redemption of his golden share in Welsh water; [4120]

  (2) what assessment he has made of the impact on market integrity of the publicity in December 1994 and January 1995 regarding the golden share in Welsh Water and the absence of any corrective publicity; [4176]

  (3) what steps he took to correct the publicity in financial markets in December 1994 and January 1995 concerning the continued existence of his Welsh Water golden share; [4177]

  Mr. Hague
  [holding answer 5 December 1995]: The arrangements for the redemption of the special shares held by the Secretaries of State in water holding companies were set out in section 1, chapter IV, of the prospectus for sale, copies of which are available in the Library of the House. The special share held in Welsh Water plc was redeemed on 31 December 1994 in accordance with these arrangements. No further publicity was considered necessary.

  The prospectus for sale—section 9, chapter V—also gave details of special provisions in the articles of association of Welsh Water plc which prevent any person from owning or controlling more than 15 per cent. of the company's voting share capital, subject to certain limited exceptions. This remains in effect other than by a special
  668
  resolution of 75 per cent. of the company's shareholders to change its articles of association. It was agreed to incorporate this provision in the company's articles of association following concerns about the retention of Welsh interests in the water resources of Wales.

  Anti-smoking Campaign
  Mr. Ainger
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the 1995 campaigns of the Health Promotion Authority for Wales to encourage people to stop smoking, indicating the cost of each campaign in the relevant financial year. [4861]

  Mr. Richards
  [holding answer 11 December 1995]: Health Promotion Wales's programmes are recorded on a financial year basis. For 1994–95, the latest year for which figures are available, the information is as follows:

  1994–95

  Thousand

  No Smoking Day 1995 and pilot project with pharmacists for Non Smoking Day

  37.2

  Evaluation of Quit and Win

  0.2

  Pilot project on prevention of smoking during pregnancy

  3.1

  Pilot project on prevention of smoking by teenage girls

  12.0

  Pilot project on Quit and Win Challenge for 15–19 year olds

  15.8

  Pilot project on smoking policies in public places

  32.8

  Issue of set of educational posters of schools on benefits of not smoking

  41.6

  Smokebusters Cymru

  67.0

  Seminar to raise awareness of smoking and pregnancy booklet

  0.7

  Presentation to 9th World Conference on Tobacco and Health in Paris

  1.0

  Advice and information service

  11.8

  1994–95 total expenditure on smoking related projects

  223.2

  1 Includes operational and manpower costs.

  Mr. Ainger
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what television advertising campaigns at what cost have been funded in full or part by the Health Promotion Authority for Wales designed to encourage people to stop smoking. [4933]

  Mr. Richards
  [holding answer 11 December 1995]: The Health Promotion Authority for Wales has funded no television advertising campaign for smoking cessation, either in full or in part.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Incapacity Benefit
  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what are the latest estimates of the proportion of(a) incapacity benefit claimants receiving all work test questionnaires who fail to return them, (b) those returning questionnaires who fail to attend for medical examination, (c) medical examinations for the purpose of the all work test which result in the claimant being found capable of work, (d) those failing the all work test who appeal and (e) such appeals which

  669
  succeed or are superseded by a decision in favour of the appellant. [3462]

  Mr. Burt
  The information available is in the table.

  13 April to 31 October

  Disallowed for failure to return questionnaire (IB50)without good cause

  3,268

  Disallowed for failure to attend medical examination without good cause

  613

  Found capable of work following all work test

  28,597

  Appeals lodged with ITS

  8,882

  Successful appeals at hearing

  146

  Superseded by adjudication officer

  335

  The data reflects activity during a time when the take-on of cases has been carefully controlled to match capacity as experience of the new procedures grows. It is not representative and it is too early to draw firm conclusions about the effectiveness of the new procedures.

  Notes:

  1. Figures include only Incapacity Benefit claimants and are subject to change.

  Capital Limits (Benefits)
  Mr. Denham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what estimate he has made of the number of people in residential care who will be eligible(a) for increased benefits as a result of raising the lower capital threshold as proposed in the Budget and (b) for benefits as a result of raising the upper capital allowance as proposed in the Budget; [3995]

  (2) what estimate he has made of the annual increase in benefit expenditure as a result of (a) raising the lower capital threshold as proposed in the Budget and (b) raising the upper capital allowance as proposed in the Budget. [3994]

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

  Approximate numbers affected

  Approximate net cost (£ million)

  Lower Capital Limit

  40,000

  20

  Upper Capital Limit

  10,000

  5

  Total

  50,000

  25

  These estimates do not include the cost to local authorities of applying the new limits when assessing residents' ability to contribute to the cost of their care.

  National Disability Council
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) when the membership of the National Disability Council will be announced; what consultations he is undertaking with which organisations in Wales; and if he will make a statement; [3855]

  (2) how many people from Wales will be members of the new National Disability Council; and what will be the full complement of the Council. [3854]

  Mr. Burt
  We expect to announce membership of the National Disability Council in January 1996 and will be seeking to appoint between 10 and 20 members drawn 670
  from throughout Great Britain, including Wales. A number of organisations in Wales were invited to put forward nominations for membership.

  Invalidity Benefit
  Mr. Rowlands
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many of those in receipt of invalidity benefit on grounds of mental health problems have been subjected to review under the new incapacity benefit test within the Merthyr benefit area. [4116]

  Mr. Burt
  Information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Age Addition
  Ms Lynne
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when the additional age allowance for pensioners over 80 years of age was first introduced; when it was last increased; what would the value of the additional age allowance now be if it had been uprated by inflation in each year since its last increase; and if he will make a statement on the purpose of the age allowance. [4682]

  Mr. Roger Evans
  The age addition of 25p per week for pensioners over 80 was introduced in 1971 and has remained at that level since. If it had been increased in line with inflation it would now be worth £1.60 a week from April 1995.

  We have no plans to uprate it. Our policy is to focus help on the most needy. We have allocated substantial additional resources to increasing the premiums for pensioners on income support and other income-related benefits—an extra £1.2 billion, over and above inflation, since 1988.

  National Insurance
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) if it is his intention to proceed with the one-year holiday from national insurance contributions for employers who take additional workers from among those unemployed for more than two years, as announced in his November 1994 Budget; and what is the start date for the holiday; [5406]

  (2) if he will estimate the effect in terms of reducing the claimant count of unemployed people of a one-year holiday from national insurance contributions for employers who take additional workers from among those unemployed for more than two years; [5407]

  (3) if he will estimate the cost to the Exchequer of a one year holiday from national insurance contributions for employers who take additional workers from among those unemployed for more than two years. [5408]

  Mr. Heald
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Ribble Valley (Mr. Evans) on 28 November,Official Report, columns 643–45. This measure will cover lone parents, carers and certain trainees as well as the long-term unemployed. Based on the working assumption that employers of around 130,000 new employees will benefit from reduced national insurance payments, it is expected to cost around £50 million in a full year. This does not include the impact on

  671
  the level of unemployment as we cannot estimate with certainty the response of employers and the size of any displacement effect.

  Prince's Trust
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on the contacts his Department has with the Prince's Trust in respect of problems for young people with particular reference to homelessness; and if he will make a statement. [5686]

  Mr. Burt
  The disability unit in this Department is in regular contact with the Prince of Wales's advisory group on disability about the transition from school to further education, training or employment of young people with disabilities. Also, some Benefits Agency offices liaise with the trust in their areas. The Department of the Environment is the lead Department on homelessness issues.

  Benefits Agency Medical Services
  Mr. Brazier
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what his proposals are for the introduction of the private sector into Benefits Agency medical services under the competing for quality agenda. [6251]

  Mr. Burt
  We propose that the work of Benefits Agency medical services, with the exception of policy and adjudication functions is contracted out to the private sector. A competitive tendering process is to he undertaken which will lead to the award of a contract, or contracts, at the earliest opportunity and no later than April 1997.

  Details of the successful bidders will be placed in the Library.

  Income Support
  Mr. Duncan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what progress the Benefits Agency has made in checking live claims to income support where potential entitlement to the severe disability premium has not been considered; and what further action is being taken on those claims where income support is no longer in payment. [6300]

  Mr. Roger Evans
  The exercise carried out by the Benefits Agency to examine claims from customers currently in receipt of income support who may be entitled to the server disability premium is nearing completion. These investigations have resulted in approximately 24,000 customers receiving payment of arrears of benefit. Of these, around 18,000 have continuing awards of the premium.

  I have also instructed the Benefits Agency to take all reasonable steps to identify and where possible, contact customers no longer in receipt of income support who during the period of their claim to income support, may have been entitled to the SDP. I have not however asked them to take any specific steps in respect of customers now deceased.

  Benefit Expenditure
  Mr. Marlow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the average daily cost per person in work in terms of hours worked of(a) social security payments
  672
  for recipients below pension age, (b) all social security payments, (c) contributory health services and (d) contributions to education services. [4594]

  Mr. Burt
  [holding answer 7 December 1995]: The information is not available in the format requested.

  However, the estimated equivalent cost per working person per working day for 1995–96 is as follows:

  Cost £

  Social security payments for recipients below pension age

  9

  All social security payments

  15

  National health service

  6

  Education services

  5

  The figures are rounded to the nearest £1.

TRANSPORT

  Crossrail
  Mr. Khabra
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects the construction of the Crossrail link through London to begin. [3866]

  Mr. Norris
  This will depend on the view the Government take on the project following their consideration of the latest crossrail study, on appropriate powers being obtained through the Transport and Works Act procedures, and on the necessary private sector financial contribution being secured.

  Public Service Vehicles (Accessibility)
  Mr. Burden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what is his timetable in respect of making regulation under section 40 of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995; and what criterion he will use to determine whether such regulations will be necessary; [5493]

  (2) what public service vehicle accessibility regulations he has made under section 40 of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995; [5492]

  (3) what assessment he has made of the extent to which he will need to make PSV accessibility regulations under section 40 of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. [5491]

  Mr. Norris
  No PSV accessibility regulations have yet been made.

  Discussions between officials and representatives of the bus and coach industry on the detail and shape of regulations have begun. The timescale for introduction will be confirmed in the light of those discussions and when viable technical solutions to achieving accessibility are identified. We expect that it will be necessary to introduce separate regulations for the various technical types over different timescales.

  Road Safety
  Mr. Miller
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will ensure that transport policies and programme bids are considered with due regard to improved safety for pedestrians and road users. [5443]
  673
  Mr. Norris
  Safety for all road users is a primary concern in our assessment of TPP bids.

  Mr. Miller
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will review his Department's restrictions governing funding for local safety schemes. [5442]

  Mr. Norris
  I am not clear what restrictions the hon. Member is referring to. However, all aspects of my Department's system of funding local transport infrastructure are reviewed as a matter of course, in consultation with the local authority associations, before publication in spring of the annual circular setting out requirements for transport policies and programme submissions.

  A540
  Mr. Miller
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will ensure that Cheshire county council's case for borrowing approval in respect of the A540/Raby Road junction is examined immediately. [5444]

  Mr. Norris
  It is for Cheshire county council to decide the priority it attaches to minor improvement schemes on its roads. Each local highway authority gets on annual capital allocation of resources for such schemes. They have wide discretion on the use of these allocations.

  A1
  Mr. William O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what was the original estimated cost of the east of Knottingley Al to Hook Moor highway development; what is now the estimate; and if he will make a statement. [5293]

  Mr. Watts
  The estimated cost of the east of Knottingley objector's alternative route is £176.6 million. The estimate was prepared immediately prior to the public inquiry following agreement by the promoter of the east of Knottingley route to the detailed plans.

  Mr. O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Normanton of 30 November 1995,Official Report, column 351, what transcript system was used by the inspector doing the public inquiry into the Al Ferrybridge to Hook Moor motorway proposals. [5289]

  Mr. Watts
  The conduct of inquiries concerned with Highways Act Orders is governed by the Highways (Inquiries Procedure) Rules 1994, SI 3263, which came into force on 10 January 1995. It is for the inspector to decide whether there should be any recording of statements. A transcript service is normally provided by the Department of Transport for trunk road inquiries which are expected to last more than 16 sitting days.

  Motorways (Public Inquiries)
  Mr. William O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the types of transcript services used in recording the proceedings at public inquiries into motorway developments. [5300]

  Mr. Watts
  I have asked the chief executive of the Highways Agency to write to the hon. Member.
  674
  Letter from Lawrie Haynes to Mr. William O'Brien, dated 13 December 1995:
  As you know, the Minister for Railways and Roads, Mr. John Watts, has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will list the types of transcript services used in recording the proceedings at public inquiries into motorway developments.
  The "Notes for Guidance of Independent Inspectors holding inquiries into orders and special road schemes made under the Highways Act 1980" revised June 1995 state that "a transcript service will normally be provided by the Department of Transport for trunk road inquiries which are expected to last for more than sixteen sitting days". The type of transcript service is agreed with the Inspector at each inquiry; since June 1995 verbatim, unchecked records and live note system with checked records, have been used on inquiries into motorway developments lasting more than sixteen sitting days.

  Mr. O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what changes have taken place since 1976 to the rules concerning motorway public inquiries. [5295]

  Mr. Watts
  The Highways (Inquiries Procedure) Rules 1994, SI 1994 No. 3263, came into force on 10 January 1995 replacing the 1976 rules. I am writing to the hon. Member explaining the changes brought about by the new rules.

  A63
  Mr. Cran
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects the construction of the A63 Melton grade separated junction to begin. [5133]

  Mr. Watts
  The A63 Melton grade separated junction scheme remains in the main programme. Further development work will be taken forward when resources become available.

  Departmental Cars
  Mr. Macshane
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the cost of chauffeur-driven cars used by his Department in each of the past five years. [5849]

  Mr. Norris
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to him on 28 November 1995 Official Report, column 549.

  ScotRail
  Mr. George Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many staff have left ScotRail since January 1993 under redundancy or early retirement arrangements; and what has been the total cost of payments made to those staff. [5513]

  Mr. Watts
  [holding answer 12 December 1995]: The total number of staff to leave the ScotRail Train Operating Company since 1 April 1994 equates to 218 staff at a cost of £3,475,500. ScotRail became a separately identified organisation within British Rail on 1 April 1994. Figures for the period prior to that date are available only at a disproportionate cost.

  Speed Limits (Paddington—Plymouth Line)
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 21 November,Official Report, column 54–5, what is the estimated cost of obtaining the details in respect of the 16 speed restrictions in place between Paddington and Plymouth. [5030]
  675
  Mr. Watts
  [holding answer 11 December 1995]: I refer the hon. member to my reply of 21 November, Official Report columns 54–55.

  Newbury Bypass
  Mr. Byers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on what date the decision was taken to give the go-ahead to a bypass at Newbury; who took the decision; what is the estimated cost of the scheme; and what is the estimate of the total amount for the acquisition of land for the scheme. [5326]

  Mr. Watts
  [holding answer 12 December 1995]: The decision to go ahead with the Newbury bypass was taken by the then Secretary of State, my right hon. Friend the Member for Peterborough (Dr. Mawhinney), and announced on 5 July.

  The estimated cost of the scheme is £101 million, excluding VAT.

  The estimated cost of land acquisition is £82.5 million.

HEALTH

  In-patient Episodes
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his latest estimate of the average cost per in-patient episode. [4494]

  Mr. Horam
  The information is shown in the table. Figures relate to the net expenditure incurred on hospital specialities and include overhead costs. The figures are based on patients using a bed, including day cases, and relate to finished consultant episodes.

  Average cost per patient episode in England

  Average cost per episode£

  1992–93

  1,240

  1993–94

  1,163

  1994–95

  1,092

  Figures for 1994–95 are provisional.Source:Annual financial returns of regions, districts and special health authorities for the London postgraduate hospitals and NHS trusts.

  Rubella Notifications
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 8 November 1995,Official Report, column 978, what are the reasons for the differences in rubella notifications between 1992 and 1993. [5043]

  Mr. Horam
  The number of rubella cases for 1992 was 201.

  There was a large increase in rubella notifications, and laboratory confirmed infections, in 1993. The majority of cases were in young men, who form a pool of susceptibles to the disease.

  Vaccination
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 8 November,Official
  676
  Report, column 976, on the report of the Public Health Laboratory Service on advance techniques for the surveillance of adverse reactions to measles, mumps and rubella immunisations; and if he will (a) put a copy of the report in the Library and (b) initiate a study to evaluate the adequacy of the present arrangements to monitor adverse reactions to the MR campaign. [5045]

  Mr. Horam
  A copy of the paper by Farrington P Et al in The Lancet entitled, "A new method for active surveillance for diphtheria/tetanus/pertussis and measles/mumps/rubella vaccines" is available in the Library.

  Monitoring of adverse reactions during the 1994 measles/rubella immunisation campaign was based on the yellow card scheme for reporting of suspected adverse reactions to all medicines by doctors, dentists and coroners. This scheme has been in operation since 1964 and its effectiveness in identifying possible safety hazards is well recognised. All reactions reported as suspected to be due to MR vaccine were handled as high priority. These monitoring arrangements proved more than adequate and there is no need for the suggested study. A report on adverse reactions reported to MR vaccine has been published in "Current Problems in Pharmacovigilance", which was distributed to all doctors in November 1995, copies of this publication are available in the Library.

  Mr. Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health further to his departmental report, "Measles Rubella Immunisation Campaign in England—One Year On", published in November, page 1, what is the basis for his statement in respect of the recovery of the children who suffered immediate serious adverse reactions. [5050]

  Mr. Horam
  Information about recovery from immediate serious adverse reactions following immunisation with measles/rubella vaccine was obtained as part of detailed follow-up from doctors who reported these reactions on yellow cards. All children with immediate serious reactions recovered regardless of whether or not the reaction was likely to have been caused by the vaccine.

  Mr. Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 8 November,Official Report, column 976, on the effects of the notification of the natural immunological response by vaccines in relation to the increase in auto-immune diseases, if he will publish in the Official Report the letter of reply sent to the hon. Member. [5024]

  Mr. Horam
  The letter my hon. Friend the then Under-Secretary of State gave the hon. Gentleman on 8 November is as follows.

  I look forward to receiving the further clarification requested from the hon. Member and I will then publish a final reply in the Official Report.

  Letter from Tom Sackville to Mr. Llew Smith, dated 8 November 1995:
  You have tabled the above parliamentary question. I am afraid it is not possible to give an appropriate reply without further information on which increases, in which autoimmune diseases you are interested in. One of my officials has sought your clarification of the question but has not received a response. Could you please clarify the specific diseases to which your question refers and I shall do my best to provide you with a prompt reply.
  677
  Mr. Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 8 November,Official Report, column 975, on the disposal of surplus measles vaccines, what was the value of the reimbursement credit for the vaccines returned to the manufacturers; and what arrangements have been made to activate the credit in future. [5022]

  Mr. Horam
  For reasons of commercial confidentiality, it is not the practice for the Department of Health to disclose such information. All of the sum reimbursed has been used against other subsequent vaccine purchases.

  Mr. Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 8 November 1995,Official Report, column 977, if he will list the documents which were sent to doctors and other health professionals on adverse reactions to the MMR vaccinations; and for what reasons each respective document was chosen as suitable to pass on to the health professionals involved in administering the campaign. [5042]

  Mr. Horam
  Information concerning possible adverse reactions to measles/rubella vaccine and guidance on the reporting of such reactions was contained in many of the letters and circulars issued to doctors during the planning and implementation of the measles/rubella immunisation campaign. The documents were prepared specifically for the campaign and contained information about the adverse reactions which health professionals might most commonly see during the course of the campaign. Information addressing the more specific concerns which it was thought might arise was also provided. In addition, the Department's memorandum "Immunisation Against Infectious Disease", which is issued to all doctors, and the British National Formulary contain information about possible adverse reactions to vaccines. The principal documents issued for the campaign, copies of which are in the Library, were:PL CMO(94) 10/PL CNO(94)13: National measles and rubella immunisation campaign, issued 27 July 1994;
  EL(94)60: Measles/rubella schools immunisation campaign, issued 27 July 1994.
  Measles Fact Sheet (Health Education Authority) issued 1 September 1994;
  PL CMO(94)12/PL CNO(94)15: Measles and rubella immunisation campaign, issued 27 September 1994;
  Measles/rubella: Information for health professionals (issued under cover of above);
  EL(94)73: school-based measles/rubella immunisation
  campaign, issued 27 September 1994;
  PHLS Factsheet on measles for parents and children, issued October 1994;
  The measles/rubella immunisation: your questions answered (Health Education Authority) issued in October 1994.

  NHS Pensions
  Mr. William O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he has discussed with the chief executive of the NHS pension scheme the position of NHS employees applying for sickness retirement pension on the grounds of myalgic encephalomyelitis; and if he will make a statement; [5297]

  (2) how many employees in the NHS have applied for ill-health retirement because of myalgic encephalomyelitis; [5299]
  678
  (3) how many employees in the NHS have been awarded ill-health retirement pensions because they suffer from myalgic encephalomyelitis; and if he will make a statement; [5298]

  (4) if he will set up an independent inquiry into the work of the NHS Pensions Agency with particular reference to their refusal to acknowledge myalgic encephalomyelitis as a medical condition in respect of ceasing work; and if he will make a statement. [5296]

  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will make a statement on the availability of NHS pensions to persons who leave the NHS as a result of myalgic encephalomyelitis; [5006]

  (2) if he will introduce an appeal structure for persons who are refused an NHS pension [5007]

  Mr. Malone
  Under the national health service pension scheme regulations, an employee must be accepted as permanently incapable of efficiently discharging his or her duties before an ill-health retirement pension can be awarded. The scheme's medical advisers examine each application on the evidence available and with full regard to prevailing professional opinion. Applications in respect of myalgic encephalomyelitis are treated no differently to other conditions. In all cases, the scheme's medical advisers must be satisfied about the permanent nature of the condition.

  ME is recognised as a potentially debilitating and distressing condition which affects thousands of people. However, it presents particular difficulties because of its nature and because opinions vary about it in the medical profession. The medical consensus suggests that in the majority of cases the effects should not be permanent.

  Since 15 August 1994, when separate records were first kept, there have been 200 applications for ill-health retirement from ME sufferers. In 19 cases, pensions have been awarded.

  Scheme members are currently able to challenge decisions about entitlement through the NHS Pensions Agency's comprehensive internal review procedures. If scheme members are dissatisfied with the outcome, they may ask my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State to determine their case. The pensions ombudsman also has powers to investigate individual complaints.

  I am satisfied that the chief executive and his staff are administering the scheme in accordance with the scheme's regulations in all of these cases.

  Data Protection
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what occasions certificates under section 27 of the Data Protection Act 1984 were signed by a member of his Department; how long each certificate was valid; and in what circumstances medical records can be used for the purpose of safeguarding national security. [5338]

  Mr. Horam
  No such certificates have been signed in the Department of Health. I cannot deal in advance with the circumstances that might apply if an application for a section 27 certificate were to be made.

  Occupational Health Staff
  Mr. Sims
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many medical and nursing staff worked in occupational health within the NHS in England and Wales for the last three years for which figures are available; and what were the grades of these employees. [5388]

  Mr. Malone
  The information available for England is shown in the attached tables. Information relating to Wales is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.

  NHS Hospital and Community Health Services Occupational Health nursing staff (excluding agency staff) by grade in England
  at 30 September 1992, 1993 and 1994

  Whole-time equivalents

  1992

  1993

  1994

  England total

  600

  580

  600

  Unqualified

  Grade A

  1—

  1—

  1—

  Grade B

  1—

  1—

  1—

  Others

  —

  1—

  1—

  Qualified

  Grade C

  10

  10

  1—

  Grade D

  30

  30

  20

  Grade E

  50

  50

  60

  Grade F

  80

  90

  90

  Grade G

  230

  220

  240

  Grade H

  100

  90

  100

  Grade I

  100

  80

  70

  Senior Grade 6

  —

  —

  —

  Others

  10

  10

  10

  Notes:

  1. Learners (nurses on traditional nurse training courses), Project 2000 Students, Agency Nursing staff and GMS staff are not included.

  2. Senior Nurse Managers and Seniors grades 1–5 are excluded. All data are rounded to the nearest ten whole-time equivalents.

  1Five or less.

  Source:

  Department of Health Non-Medical Workforce Census.

  Hospital and community health service, family health service and gross domestic product deflator indices 1989–90 to 1993–94

  Percentage

  Change on previous year

  1989–90

  1990–91

  1991–92

  1992–93

  1993–94

  HCHS pay and prices index

  6.3

  8.7

  10.1

  6.9

  3.4

  FHS index

  6.1

  9.9

  10.6

  4.7

  0.8

  GDP deflator

  7.0

  8.0

  6.2

  4.1

  2.9

  Doncaster Healthcare Trust
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of Doncaster Healthcare trust's compliance with EU procurement regulations. [5504]

  Mr. Horam
  I am satisfied on the evidence available that the trust has acted in full compliance with the
  680

  NHS hospital and community health services occupational health
  medical staff by grade, England at 30 September 1992, 1993 and 1994

  Whole-time equivalents

  1992

  1993

  1994

  Consultant

  32

  34

  44

  Staff grade

  3

  3

  3

  Associate specialist

  —

  —

  —

  Senior registrar

  8

  9

  8

  Registrar

  5

  3

  4

  Senior house officer

  —

  —

  —

  House officer

  —

  —

  —

  Other1

  25

  26

  28

  Total

  74

  75

  87

  Note:

  1Includes hospital practitioners, clinical assistants and other grades.

  All data are rounded to the nearest whole-time equivalent.

  Source:

  Department of Health Medical Workforce census.

  NHS Capital Charges
  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health over what period the weighted average of the gross domestic product deflator and the indexation applied to NHS capital charges forecast is to rise 2.73 per cent, as stated in paragraph 15 of the NHS finance director's letter, FDL (95) 59; by how many percentage points his Department's index of hospital and community health service pay and prices forecast is to rise over the same period; and by how many percentage points the national health service pay and price index has exceeded the gross domestic product deflator in each of the last five years. [5292]

  Mr. Horam
  The forecast weighted average of the gross domestic product deflator and the indexation applied to national health service capital charges quoted in FDL(95)59 applies to the period 1 April 1996 to 31 March 1997.

  The Department does not forecast hospital and community health services pay and price inflation.

  Estimates of hospital and community health service inflation, family health service inflation and general inflation as measured by the gross domestic product deflator are shown for the five latest available years in the table.

  requirements of the Public supply, Works and services contracts regulations.

  Beds
  Mr. Etherington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the total number of(a) day care beds, (b) pay beds for day care in each national health service hospital in the Sunderland district health authority area in each year since 1989. [5469]
  681
  Mr. Horam
  Information on numbers of pay beds is not available centrally. The available information is shown in the table.

  Average of daily number of available beds—wards open day only—Sunderland area

  Number

  1989–901

  14

  1990–911

  17

  1991–921

  17

  1992–931

  21

  1993–942

  30

  1994–953

  31

  1Sunderland District Health Authority.

  2City Hospitals (Sunderland) and Priority Health Care Wearside Directly Managed Units.

  3City Hospitals Sunderland NHS Trust and Priority Healthcare Wearside NHS Trust.

  Health Authority Appointments
  Mr. Fabricant
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) when he expects to receive recommendations from the NHS executive, west midlands region, for the appointment of a chairman of the new South Staffordshire health authority; [5502]

  (2) if he will examine the consultation procedures and periods adopted by the NHS executive, west midlands region, leading to their recommendation for a chairman for the new South Staffordshire health authority; [5503]

  (3) what guidance is issued regarding the consultation period and names to be considered for appointment of chairmen to the new health authorities. [5501]

  Mr. Malone
  Ministers are now considering regional chairmen's recommendations on the appointment of chairmen to the new health authorities.

  The regional chairmen followed the guidance on appointments procedures published by my Department in February this year, together with supplementary guidance prepared in response to the Nolan committee's recommendations. Copies of the guidance are available in the Library.

  Local Members of Parliament were consulted on all candidates recommended to Ministers.

  Redundancy and Retirement
  Mr. Spellar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 5 December,Official Report, column 190, relating to redundancy and retirement payments what guidelines his Department has issued to trusts regarding redundancy payments and retirement packages; and what monitoring his Department undertakes of such arrangements. [5440]

  Mr. Malone
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 5 December, column 190 relating to guidance issued. My Department does not monitor national health service trusts' redundancy and retirement arrangements.

  Medium Secure Units
  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what account is taken of the costs of care in medium secure units for patients discharged from special 682
  hospitals in the distribution of funding to health authorities. [5478]

  Mr. Bowis
  The formula for determining health authorities' share of overall resources takes account of the age and needs of their resident populations and the relative cost of providing services. No particular adjustments are made in respect of individual patients who are transferred from the special hospitals to medium secure units or any other national health service service.

  NHS Transport
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his estimate of annual NHS transport hire expenditure devoted to staff taxis and private hire. [5003]

  Mr. Malone
  The information is not available centrally.

  Unregistrable Children's Homes
  Ms Coffey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what written guidance he has issued to directors of social services in respect of how placing authorities should communicate concern about poor practice in unregistrable children's homes to area authorities; and if he will make a statement. [5466]

  Mr. Bowis
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave her on 6 December 1995,Official Report, column 228.

  Each local authority which places a child carries full responsibility to satisfy itself that the proposed placement is likely to promote and safeguard that child's welfare.

  Meningitis
  Mr. Marlow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of meningitis have occurred in each of the last 48 months; and what has been(a) the number and (b) percentage of fatalities. [4804]

  Mr. Horam
  [holding answer 8 December 1995]: The information is shown in the tables.

  Meningitis notifications and deaths, by month, England and Wales

  Notifications

  Deaths

  Percentage fatalities

  1991

  January

  308

  37

  12.0

  February

  215

  25

  11.6

  March

  294

  32

  10.9

  April

  226

  25

  11.1

  May

  260

  28

  10.8

  June

  199

  16

  8.0

  July

  206

  24

  11.7

  August

  247

  14

  5.7

  September

  173

  12

  6.9

  October

  184

  23

  12.5

  November

  277

  13

  4.7

  December

  171

  40

  23.4

  1992

  January

  364

  39

  10.7

  February

  240

  22

  9.2

  March

  214

  25

  11.7

  April

  197

  23

  11.7

  May

  218

  23

  10.6

  June

  168

  16

  9.5

  July

  228

  26

  11.4

  683

  Meningitis notifications and deaths, by month, England and Wales

  Notifications

  Deaths

  Percentage fatalities

  August

  169

  21

  12.4

  September

  126

  12

  9.5

  October

  222

  15

  6.8

  November

  213

  15

  7.0

  December

  212

  28

  13.2

  19931

  January

  274

  37

  13.5

  February

  203

  24

  11.8

  March

  195

  23

  11.8

  April

  211

  28

  13.3

  May

  149

  22

  14.8

  June

  168

  16

  9.5

  July

  173

  18

  10.4

  August

  105

  15

  14.3

  September

  79

  8

  10.1

  October

  146

  16

  11.0

  November

  180

  30

  16.7

  December

  199

  35

  17.6

  19941

  January

  201

  24

  11.9

  February

  218

  18

  8.3

  March

  160

  26

  16.3

  April

  142

  16

  11.3

  May

  115

  13

  11.3

  June

  140

  24

  17.1

  July

  141

  16

  11.3

  August

  115

  12

  10.4

  September

  112

  8

  7.1

  October

  138

  18

  13.0

  November

  145

  16

  11.0

  December

  173

  17

  9.8

  19952

  January

  267

  25

  9.4

  February

  206

  23

  11.2

  March

  169

  24

  14.2

  April

  167

  22

  13.2

  May

  165

  14

  8.5

  June

  147

  19

  12.9

  July

  182

  11

  6.0

  August

  159

  13

  8.2

  September

  128

  15

  11.7

  October

  173

  17

  9.8

  November

  214

  19

  8.9

  Notes:

  1Denotes provisional data regarding deaths.

  2Denotes Provisional data regarding notifications.

  1. 1995 data for deaths up to and including November are provisional occurrences relating to the most recently available registrations.

  2. 1995 data for notifications are provisional notifications and do not contain the corrected notifications which can be received up to 3 months after original notification.

  3. New procedures for coding cause of death from 1993, and the absence of medical enquiries, mean that figures for 1993 onwards may not be exactly comparable with earlier years. For most conditions however, including meningitis, these effects are small. More details may be found in OPCS Series DH2 for 1993, which was published in October 1995. Copies are available in the Library.

  4. Notifications are assigned to month by date of end of week of notification.

  5. Deaths are assigned to month by date of occurrence.

  6. International Classification of Disease codes used for deaths are 013.0, 036.0, 047.0, 047.1, 047.8, 047.9, 049.0, 049.1, 053.0, 072.1, 091.8, 094.2, 320.0 and 322.0.

  7. Percentage fatalities is the deaths as a percentage of notifications.

  8. The notifications including meningococcal, pneumococcal and HIb meningitis.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Consultants
  Mr. Fisher
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list those(a) consultants, (b) outside organisations and (c) individuals employed in his Department in each year since 1990, indicating the purposes of their employment and the total payments made to them. [3957]

  Mr. Boswell
  Consultants employed in the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in each financial year from 1990–91 to 1994–95, and the subjects with which they were concerned, are indicated in the attached lists. Central records are not yet available in a form which directly relates the two lists, and such correlation could only be achieved at disproportionat cost. Total expenditure in each of the years concerned was:

  1990–91: £4,495,793

  1991–92: £5,374,284

  1992–93: £7,010,814

  1993–94: £12,169,785

  1994–95: £11,551,382

  CONSULTANTS

  1990–91

  Coopers and Lybrand Deloitte

  KPMG Peat Marwick Mclintock

  National Remote Sensing Centre

  PA Consultants

  Price Waterhouse

  Touche Ross

  Worthy Associates

  Wye College

  1991–92

  Building Energy Solutions

  Cambridge Environmental Research Consultants

  Clark Whitehill

  Coopers and Lybrand

  David Thompson

  DEGW

  Duhig Berry Ltd.

  DWJ

  Ernst and Young

  Institute for Terrestrial Ecology

  KPMG

  Mouncey and Partners

  P. A. Christensen

  Price Waterhouse

  PSA

  Purcon

  Quentin Bell

  Robertson Gould

  Sir Ronald Macintosh

  TM Energy Consultants

  Touche Ross

  Vauntberry PLC

  Worthy Associates

  Worthy Management Consultants

  Wye College

  1992–93

  Asbourne BioSciences

  BNSS

  Brandt Computers

  Building Energy Solutions

  CCTA

  Coopers and Lybrand

  DIS Industrial Consultants

  Disability Matters Ltd.

  E. M. Consultants

  685

  Ernst and Young

  Ferriby Marine

  Fletcher King

  Forward

  Hoskyns

  Johnstone and Wright Consultants

  Mouncey and Partners

  Mr. Peter Goodall

  NIFES Consulting Group

  Price Waterhouse

  PSA

  Sequent Computer Systems

  Shreeveport Management Consultancy

  Sir Ronald Macintosh

  SRU

  Theodore Goddard

  Touche Ross

  Triad

  University of Hull

  1993–94

  ARC International PLC

  Ashbourne BioSciences

  BMT Reliability Consultants Ltd.

  BNSS

  Building Energy Solutions

  Cambridge Environmental Research Consultants

  Cambridge Ergonomics Ltd.

  Civil Service College

  Coopers and Lybrand

  Currie and Brown

  Dr. R. A. Hoodless

  E. G. Burnett Aberdeen

  Energy Auditing Agency Ltd.

  Ernst and Young

  Ferriby Marine

  Forward Catering Consultancy Service

  Halcrow and Partners

  Hoskyns Group PLC

  Insight

  Korda and Co Ltd.

  KPMG Peat Marwick

  L. G. Mouchel and Partners

  Lawrence Hewitt Partnership

  McNeil Robertson

  Miro Communications Ltd.

  MJN Facilities Management

  Mott Macdonald

  Mouncey and Partners

  P. E. International plc

  PA Consulting Group

  Pentana Ltd.

  Personnel Health and Safety Consultants Ltd.

  Posford Duvivier

  PSA

  Quanta Learning Systems

  Risk and Policy Analysts

  RNIB

  SEMA Group

  Sequent Computer Systems

  Shreeveport Management Consultancy

  Siemens Nixdorf

  Stoy Hayeard

  Teodore Goddard

  Touche Ross

  Triad Special Systems Ltd

  8 Universities and Agricultural Colleges

  A.D.C.

  CEAS (Consultants) Ltd.

  Centre for Agricultural Strategy

  Christopher Absolon

  Coopers and Lybrand

  Ernst and Young

  Euro P. A. Associates

  G. Lewis

  George Trew Dunn Partnership

  686

  Institute for Employment Research

  Institute of Educational Technology, 0

  J. M. Consulting Ltd.

  K.P.M.G.

  Laurence Gould Partnership

  Lawrence Hewitt Partnership

  M. Fussey

  National Remote Sensing Centre

  Persona

  Professor Bruce Traill

  Project Management Services

  Prospect Management Services

  R.A.S.

  Safety First

  SEMA

  Split Image

  Stoy Hayward

  Thorburn Colqhoun Ltd.

  University of Reading

  W. S. Atkins

  WEFA Ltd.

  PROJECT

  1990–91

  Assistance with Efficiency Scrutiny on staff attitudes

  Dairy Crest Foods

  Helping with the CVL transition to Agency status

  Human Resource development project

  Performance measurement of the efficiency of licensing measures

  Pilot Beef and Sheep Extensification schemes

  Regional Structure Review—administration of grants and subsidies

  Remote sensing of land affected by set-aside and oilseeds schemes

  Training Needs Analysis

  Training Review

  1991–92

  Advice on development of ADAS marketing plan, restructuring and corporate image

  Advice on Omicron Invoicing System

  Advice on work recording system

  Aid for Soviet Union

  Dairy Crest Foods

  Efficiency Scrutiny—reorganizing of Purchasing and Supply

  Helping with CVL transition to Agency status

  Helping with CSL transition to Agency status

  Monitoring and Targeting Service

  Monitoring of the Meadowland option of the countryside premium scheme

  Performance measurement of the efficiency of licensing measures

  Placement of Contracts and central call-off agreements

  PM's help to Soviet Union

  Potential uses of set-aside land to benefit wildlife

  Processing controls for PES data within FP Division

  Project management system development

  Review of Meat Hygiene (Enforcement and Inspection Charges)

  Review of Ministry's Regional Organization

  Socio-economic evaluation of the 1-year setaside scheme in England

  St. Petersburg "Model Farm" Study

  Survey of office chairs

  Survey of Whitehall complex

  Visits of various RSCs

  1992–93

  ADAS Technical

  Advice on work recording system

  CSL QA

  CSL Technical

  Development of payment record system

  DFR Systems conversion

  Energy Efficiency Audit

  European Network

  HECTOR (Personnel)

  Legal Advice

  687

  Market Test—Cleaners

  Monitoring and targeting service

  PM's help to Soviet Union

  Preparation of guidance manuals

  Relocation Review

  Review of Agency internal audit

  Review of Food From Britain

  Review of internal audit practices and procedures

  Surveys of Nobel. Ergon and Eastbury Houses

  Trader Information System

  Valuation of Market

  Visits, commenting on strategy, and speaking at seminar

  1993–94

  Advice on part-time working

  Coastal Protection Survey

  Consultancy service for attendance at a meeting with Mr. Griffiths in August

  Core-MAFF Installation project management

  Core-MAFF technical requirement

  DCM

  Development of new reporting database

  Development of PC version of food model

  Development of project management software

  Development of project reporting system

  DSE Workstation Assessment

  Efficiency Review—cleaning services at Carlisle RSC

  EO Policy

  Ergonomic appraisal of furniture

  Evaluation of CVL

  Evaluation of VMD

  Examination of food

  Feasibility study on the market testing of pesticide residue analysis

  Furniture assessment for screen equipment users

  Grade 7 development

  Health and Safety Assessment

  HEO development

  In-house training for ITD staff involved in Customer Service

  Support market test

  Introduction to EC

  Introduction to EC Juniors

  Market Testing Training

  Market Testing Training and Briefing

  Market testing training for the in-house team at DFR

  Monitoring and Targeting

  MRP

  PFM

  Preparation of draft contract/SLA documentation in the free pollution advice to farmers market test

  Principles and Practices of Market Testing

  Production of Instructions

  Project Management Building Works

  Relocation Consultancy Review

  Review of audit risk index

  Review of specification for audit planning control system

  Risks assessment of workstations to comply with H and S Regs, 1992

  SMDP Workshop

  Support to project sponsor

  Survey of Guildford site

  Team software

  Update of HGCI forms

  Valuation consultancy

  Badgers
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many badgers have been(a) captured and (b) destroyed in each of the last three years following (i) direct action by his Department and (ii) the issuing of licences to third parties. [5309]
  688
  Mrs. Browning
  The total number of badgers captured and destroyed in removal operations carried out by the Department following tuberculosis breakdowns in cattle in each of the last three years was as follows:

  Year

  1993

  1994

  19951

  Total captured

  1,246

  1,864

  1,926

  Total destroyed

  1,094

  1,682

  1,448

  1To date.

  In the three years from 1993 to date, 10 badgers have been captured and one badger destroyed under licences issued to third parties by this Ministry.

  Imported Fish
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what action he is taking to ensure that fish imported for angling do not spread disease to native fish species. [5551]

  Mr. Baldry
  All imports of live fish into this country have to meet strict rules intended to prevent the spread of disease. All fish from elsewhere in the European Union that are susceptible to the diseases infectious haematopoietic necrosis and viral haemorrhagic septicaemia have to come from zones approved by the Commission as free of these diseases, and all other fish must either come from such zones or from enclosed waters isolated from natural watercourses; all coarse fish susceptible to the disease spring viraemia of carp have to be certified by the member state of origin as coming from a site that has been tested and found free of SVC. Similar rules apply to fish from third countries, with the exception of tropical fish that cannot survive in the natural environment in this country and goldfish and koi from countries outside the geographical range of SVC.

  Over the past year, we have stepped up our efforts to ensure that these rules are observed. We have increased the number of spot checks on imported consignments of coarse fish, and have recruited an additional fish health inspector with an investigative background to concentrate full time on monitoring fish imports. As recommended by the Agriculture Select Committee's recent fifth report, a leaflet and publicity campaign "Don't Import Disease" was launched by my right hon. Friend the Minister on 12 July. This reminded all concerned of the need to follow the rules on imports; of the risks they run if they buy fish of dubious origin; of additional precautions they can take to avoid disease; and of the efforts, including prosecution, we are making to stop illegal imports.

  Dioxin Hot Spots
  Ms Ruddock
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list all the dioxin hot spots identified by his Department; and what action has been taken in respect of each site. [5463]

  Mrs. Browning
  Surveillance conducted by the Ministry since 1990 has found unacceptable concentrations of dioxins only in cows' milk from three farms in the Bolsover district of Derbyshire. Milk from these farms was prevented from entering the human food supply. Regular monitoring of cows' milk from this area
  689
  continues. No other areas have been identified where concentrations of dioxins in cows' milk are above the normal background range.

  Ms Ruddock
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to monitor wind-blown deposition of dioxin-contaminated particles arising from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food identified dioxin hot spots in the United Kingdom. [5682]

  Mrs. Browning
  The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food will continue its programme of monitoring the dioxins content of cows' milk produced in the vicinity of selected industrial sites which are representative of processes that may release dioxins. This programme assures the safety of the food supply and assesses environmental contamination.

  Pesticides
  Mr. Mans
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what changes he plans to make to the system of approving pesticides. [6520]

  Mr. Boswell
  Ministers make decisions on the approval of pesticides on the basis of recommendations from the independent expert Advisory Committee on Pesticides. I have agreed with my colleagues in the other regulatory Departments that its present sub-committee on pesticides 690
  will be replaced by a smaller, more flexible, inter-departmental secretariat to ensure that the UK can make a timely and effective input into the European regulatory system for plant protection products. The new body begins work immediately on the European front and will take over the processing of applications under the UK system during the course of next year.

  Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
  Mrs. Peacock
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement about bovine spongiform encephalopathy. [6521]

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  A further report on BSE in Great Britain will be available tomorrow. I have arranged for copies to be placed in the Library of the House at 11.00 a.m.

  The report provides detailed statistics on the progress of the BSE epidemic, updated to the end of October 1995 and information about the latest EC measures for the export of beef to other member states, the new legislative controls to reinforce the measures already in place for the disposal of specified bovine offal and the announcement I made on 28 November, Official Report, columns 530–31, in which I indicated my intention to legislate to prevent the use of bovine vertebral column in the production of mechanically recovered meat. We shall shortly be making an order to effect this change, to come into force on 15 December.

EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT

  Graduation Rate
  Mr. Wolfson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what is the current graduation rate in(a) the United Kingdom and (b) the other European Union. [3882]

  Mr. Forth
  In 1992, the United Kingdom rate was over 20 per cent.—virtually double the European Union average for Bachelor's degrees of about 10 per cent. and second only to Denmark's rate of some 22 per cent. Since 1992, our graduation rate has risen further as a result of recent increases in participation.

  Grant-maintained Status
  Mr. Jacques Arnold
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will make a progress report on the transition to grant-maintained status by state schools.[3883]

  Mrs. Gillan
  There are now 1,085 grant-maintained schools and 62 more schools have embarked on the GM process.

  Mr. Hall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will make a statement on the number of schools balloting on grant-maintained status. [3891]

  Mrs. Gillan
  Parents are voting now, or will be voting, in about 19 schools' ballots, and have voted in 27 more ballots since the start of the autumn term.

  Schools (Standards)
  Mrs. Lait
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what measures she is taking to boost overall standards in schools. [3884]

  Mr. Robin Squire
  All our education reforms, from the national curriculum to local management of schools, act to raise standards. Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools has confirmed that standards are, indeed, rising.

  Lady Olga Maitland
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what action she is taking to improve standards of reading. [3886]

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  We are taking action across the board from nursery education to training and education for adults.

  Higher Education (Access)
  Dr. Wright
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what is her policy in respect of access to higher education levels determined by A-level grades. [3887]

  Mr. Forth
  It is for higher education institutions to determine their admissions policies and to decide on individual applications. In doing so, they rightly take into account a wide range of qualifications for entry, including GCE A-levels.

  Education Spending (Cheshire)
  Mrs. Ann Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will make a statement on education spending in Cheshire. [3889]
  692
  Mr. Robin Squire
  Education spending in Cheshire is a matter for Cheshire local education authority. Cheshire's provisional education SSA for 1996–97 is £349.051 million—an increase of £17.024 million or 5.1 per cent., which is above the national average.

  Arabic Teaching
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will make it her policy that the teaching of Arabic in schools where appropriate and practicable shall be made available to school children at the time when their imitative linguistic ability is at its zenith. [3892]

  Mr. Paice
  All secondary school pupils must study a modern foreign language as part of the national curriculum. Primary schools are free to teach languages but are not required to do so. Arabic is one of 19 languages which schools may teach as a national curriculum subject. It is for schools to decide whether to teach Arabic, according to their resources and parental demand.

  GCSE Results (English and Mathematics)
  Mr. Jamieson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what steps she has taken to address the decline in GCSE results in English and mathematics in the current year. [3893]

  Mr. Paice
  The numbers achieving higher grade GCSEs in mathematics and English actually increased in 1995, consolidating the significant improvements in performance in recent years. But we cannot be complacent and there is still room for further improvement if we are to meet the demanding national targets. The new national curriculum at key stage 4 will be introduced from September 1996 and places greater emphasis on English and maths. That will help schools to help pupils achieve even better results in those core subjects.

  Teachers (Information Technology Expertise)
  Mrs. Anne Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans she has to increase the level of expertise in information technology amongst teachers. [3895]

  Mr. Robin Squire
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave her on 21 November,Official Report, column 99.

  Student Loans
  Mr. Pope
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what organisations or interested parties have expressed support for her proposed reforms of the provision of student loans. [3896]

  Mr. Forth
  My officials have had a number of positive discussions with banks and building societies. But these have been on a commercial-in-confidence basis and must remain so for the present.

  My officials have also invited representatives of the Committee of Vice Chancellors and Principals and the National Union of Students to discuss our proposals. The meeting with the CVCP was constructive. The NUS has not yet replied.

  Secondary Schools (Expenditure)
  Mr Nicholas Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what is the current annual total average expenditure per pupil in secondary schools; and what the equivalent figure was in 1979. [3897]

  Mr. Robin Squire
  Net institutional expenditure per pupil in LEA-maintained secondary schools was £607 in cash 1979–80 and £2,245 in 1993–94, the latest year for which figures are available. In real terms that is a 50 per cent. increase.

  Assisted Places Scheme
  Mr. Charles Wardle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what recent representations she has received about the assisted places scheme. [3898]

  Mrs. Gillan
  I refer my hon. Friend to the oral answer that I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Cirencester and Tewkesbury (Mr. Clifton-Brown) earlier today.

  Special Needs Education
  Mr. Miller
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans she has to increase provision for special needs education. [3899]

  Mrs. Gillan
  It is for local education authorities to allocate funds to the schools they maintain, including funds for special educational needs. The recent local government finance settlement took account of the need to spend across all educational services, including special educational needs.

  Training and Enterprise Councils
  Mr. Denham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what assessment he has made of the impact of the Budget on TECs. [3900]

  Mr. Paice
  We plan that programmes delivered by TECs in 1996–97 to be £1,437 million, a rise of 5 per cent. over anticipated expenditure this year.

  Primary Schools (Reading Ability)
  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what action she intends to take to improve children's reading ability in primary schools. [3901]

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  I have recently announced proposals to establish a network of literacy centres which will work with groups of local primary schools to improve teaching and learning. This will complement action already taken, including the revised national curriculum, regular statutory test and assessment, publication of the results, regular inspection, measures to deal with failing schools, and improvements in teacher training.

  Parental Choice
  Mr. Bill Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what representations she has received on parental choice and catchment areas in the past year. [3902]
  694
  Mrs. Gillan
  The Department receives a great many inquiries from parents, both in writing and by telephone, about parental choice in relation to school admissions. No central register of such inquiries is kept.

  Student Loan Scheme
  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will list(a) those banks which have communicated their willingness to take part in a private sector student loans scheme and (b) those which have communicated their unwillingness to do so. [3903]

  Mr. Forth
  My officials are continuing discussions with a number of banks and building societies. These have been on a commercial-in-confidence basis. That must remain the position for the time being.

  Social Chapter
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment when she last met other EU employment ministers to discuss the social chapter. [3904]

  Mr. Forth
  The Government have consistently said that it will not accept the draft social chapter, which my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister refused to agree at Maastricht. That remains our position, and we make it clear to other member states when the issue arises.

  School Budgets, Nottinghamshire
  Mr. Simpson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many schools in Nottinghamshire will not face budget reductions in 1996. [3905]

  Mrs. Gillan
  The budgets of Nottinghamshire schools are set by the county council. The Government have made an extra £18 million available to the authority through the education standard spending assessment. It is up to the authority to make effective use of this additional resource.

  Education Resources (Lancashire)
  Mr. Atkins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what representations she has received from Lancashire county council about education resources. [3906]

  Mrs. Gillan
  An all-party delegation visited me on 16 November, and we had a most helpful discussion about capital resources for schools.

  Consultants
  Mr. Fisher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will list those(a) consultants, (b) outside organisations and (c) individuals employed by her Department in each year since 1990, indicating the purposes of their employment and the total payments made to them. [3961]

  Mr. Robin Squire
  The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Remploy
  Mr. Thurnham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will publish the
  695
  detailed calculations of flow-back benefits to the Treasury of Remploy's employees. [5081]

  Mr. Paice
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave him on 24 November,Official Report, column 408.

  Workstart
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) what estimate she has made of the redundancy, deadweight and substitution effects of the pilot workstart schemes; and what estimate she has made of the proportion of Workstart beneficiaries who remain in paid employment with the same employer(a) six months and (b) one year after the end of the wage subsidy; [5383]

  (2) what research has been undertaken by or on behalf of the Government into the cost effectiveness of the workstart scheme in creating jobs for the long-term unemployed; and if she will summarise the results of that research. [5384]

  Mr. Forth
  Responsibility for the subject of the questions 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. Michael Meacher, dated 13 December 1995:
  The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your questions about research issues surrounding the Workstart pilots.
  Evaluation was carried out in 1994 and the report was lodged in the House of Commons Library at the end of last year. The survey covered a wide range of issues including characteristics of participating firms, attitudes towards the scheme, and estimates of deadweight and substitution. The programme has been set up to preclude vacancies which come about through the redundancy or dismissal of an existing employee.
  Employers were asked about the extent to which Workstart created new vacancies. For the sample as a whole, 17% of all jobs registered under Workstart were generated as a direct result of the subsidy.
  Information on the proportion of beneficiaries remaining in employment is being collected three months after leaving or completing Workstart. Results from this follow up study will be available in late 1996.
  I hope this is helpful.

  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) how many pilot schemes were run under the workstart scheme following the announcement by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in November 1994; how many new job opportunities she estimates were created by these pilots; and what was their total cost; [5405]

  (2) how many people were placed under the workstart scheme at the start of each month since its inception. [5409]

  Mr. Forth
  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. Michael Meacher, dated 13 December 1995:
  The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your questions about operational aspects of the Workstart pilots.
  696
  Workstart was piloted in four areas between June 1993 and December 1994. The aim of the pilots was to test the effectiveness of encouraging employers to recruit people unemployed for two years or more by paying a subsidy for one year. Under these pilots, employers were paid £60.00 for the first six months, and £30.00 for the remainder of the year.
  In his November 1994 Budget, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced two further pilots designed to test the impact of varying the amount and duration of the subsidy. The pilots started in April 1995 and will finish in March 1996.
  These figures requested are in the attached table (Annex A).
  The number of new job opportunities created, and their cost, under the Workstart pilots will not be available until an evaluation of the more recent pilots is completed in November 1996.
  I hope this is helpful.

  Workstart scheme starts: July 1993 to November 1994

  Annex A

  Number of starts

  Month1

  In-month

  Cumulative

  December 1993

  36

  158

  January

  66

  224

  February

  89

  313

  March

  132

  445

  April

  92

  537

  May

  110

  647

  June

  142

  789

  July

  174

  963

  August

  132

  1,095

  September

  230

  1,325

  October

  96

  1,421

  November

  75

  1,496

  December 1994

  832

  1,57922

  1A breakdown is not available for the months of July 1993 to November 1993; there were a total of 122 starts in this period.

  2Includes 30 starts from previous periods, which Tyneside TEC had overlooked when providing earlier information each month.

  Workstart scheme starts: April 1995 to October 1995

  Number of starts

  Month

  In-month

  Cumulative

  April

  3

  3

  May

  47

  50

  June

  49

  99

  July

  72

  171

  August

  103

  274

  September

  102

  376

  October

  94

  470

  Shire Counties' Education Expenditure
  Mr. Jopling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will list the percentage of shire counties' education budget which is spent on(a) schools and (b) for non-school expenditure, together with the amount of money this represents per school pupil in each case. [5308]

  Mr. Robin Squire
  The following table shows for each shire county the percentage of net recurrent expenditure spent in 1993–94, the latest year for which figures are available, on:(a) pre-primary, primary, secondary and special schools; and (b)other education services, including education other than at school, adult education,

  697
  continuing education, discretionary awards, youth and other community services, service strategy and regulation and education support services. The table also shows the

  Shire counties—Expenditure on education and its cost per pupil pre-primary/primary, secondary and special

  Net recurrent expenditure 1993–94

  LEA

  Percentage of expenditure (a)

  Cost per pupil

  Percentage of expenditure (b)

  Cost per pupil

  Avon

  94

  2,226

  6

  148

  Berkshire

  93

  2,126

  7

  159

  Buckinghamshire

  93

  2,246

  7

  159

  Cambridgeshire

  93

  2,109

  7

  154

  Cheshire

  90

  2,007

  10

  221

  Cleveland

  96

  2,076

  4

  97

  Cornwall

  92

  2,095

  8

  192

  Cumbria

  89

  2,081

  11

  250

  Derbyshire

  92

  2,240

  8

  182

  Devon

  95

  2,103

  5

  117

  Dorset

  91

  2,039

  9

  212

  Durham

  95

  2,219

  5

  126

  East Sussex

  95

  2,289

  5

  132

  Essex

  90

  2,259

  10

  241

  Gloucestershire

  91

  2,096

  9

  198

  Hampshire

  93

  2,173

  7

  156

  Hereford and Worcester

  95

  2,110

  5

  105

  Hertfordshire

  92

  2,114

  8

  184

  Humberside

  93

  2,206

  7

  170

  Isle of Wight

  92

  2,228

  8

  188

  Kent

  88

  2,025

  12

  268

  Lancashire

  93

  2,275

  7

  160

  Leicestershire

  90

  2,120

  10

  235

  Lincolnshire

  88

  2,148

  12

  289

  Norfolk

  94

  2,233

  6

  155

  North Yorkshire

  94

  2,127

  6

  142

  Northamptonshire

  90

  1,983

  10

  231

  Northumberland

  92

  2,080

  8

  177

  Nottinghamshire

  95

  2,338

  5

  121

  Oxfordshire

  95

  2,259

  5

  125

  Shropshire

  93

  2,219

  7

  171

  Somerset

  89

  2,103

  11

  273

  Staffordshire

  94

  1,938

  6

  119

  Suffolk

  93

  2,166

  7

  157

  Warwickshire

  95

  2,171

  5

  109

  West Sussex

  93

  2,132

  7

  149

  Wiltshire

  89

  2,167

  11

  262

  Total

  92

  2,153

  8

  177

  Teachers' Pension Fund
  Mr. Heppell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment which organisations she consulted when making her decision to privatise the teachers' pension fund. [5287]

  Mr. Robin Squire
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has made no such decision. There is no question of privatising the teachers' superannuation scheme, which does not have a real pension fund. Any contract would be solely for the administration of the scheme. We shall let such a contract only if it would deliver better value for money than keeping the administration of the scheme in the public sector.

  Pupil Statistics
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many children were being educated(a) in schools under local education authority control, (b) in grant-maintained schools and (c) privately at the most recent available date. [5497]

  698
  amount of money per pupil Which this expenditure represents, though in this case of non-schools expenditure school pupils are not the principal clients.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  The information requested is shown in the table:

  Numbers of pupils1 in schools in England January 1995(provisional)

  Number

  LEA maintained schools2

  6,787,443

  Grant-maintained schools3

  663,110

  Independent schools4

  543,433

  1Head count of pupils of all ages.

  2Includes nursery, primary, secondary and special schools.

  3Includes primary, secondary and special schools.

  4Includes fee-paying schools. Excludes City Technology Colleges.

  Nursery Provision
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will make a statement on progress on provision of nursery education for all four year olds. [4126]
  699
  Mr. Robin Squire
  Good progress has been made towards the implementation of our proposals to expand pre-school provision for four-year olds.

  We have appointed a private contractor— Capita Managed Services Ltd—to administer phase 1 of the nursery education voucher scheme, which will take place in Kensington and Chelsea, Norfolk, Wandsworth and Westminster. The Department, the voucher contractor and the volunteer LEAs are working closely together to finalise details for phase 1.

  We have consulted on a number of issues related to the operation of the scheme. We are currently considering the responses and will publish our conclusions early in the new year.

  Discretionary Awards
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what was the total expenditure on discretionary awards provided by each local education authority in the last year for which figures are available. [5004]

  Mr. Forth
  The information requested for the academic year 1993–94, the latest for which data are available, is shown in the following table:

  Expenditure by local education authorities on discretionary awards1: England and Wales

  Academic Year 1993–94

  Total HE and FE expenditure2 £000s

  Corporation of London

  24

  Camden3

  n/a

  Greenwich

  349

  Hackney

  991

  Hammersmith and Fulham

  178

  Islington

  184

  Kensington and Chelsea

  637

  Lambeth

  127

  Lewisham

  1,073

  Southwark

  273

  Tower Hamlets

  467

  Wands worth

  1,162

  Westminster3

  n/a

  London Residuary Body

  76

  Barking and Dagenham

  299

  Barnet

  127

  Bexley

  409

  Brent

  497

  Bromley

  714

  Croydon

  609

  Ealing

  204

  Enfield

  357

  Haringey

  16

  Harrow

  103

  Havering

  654

  Hillingdon

  193

  Hounslow

  386

  Kingston upon Thames

  982

  Merton

  397

  Newham

  473

  Redbridge

  455

  Richmond upon Thames

  461

  Sutton

  157

  Waltham Forest

  246

  Birmingham

  1,725

  Coventry

  438

  Dudley

  175

  Sandwell

  198

  700

  Expenditure by local education authorities on discretionary awards1: England and Wales

  Academic Year 1993–94

  Total HE and FE expenditure2£000s

  Solihull

  343

  Walsall

  537

  Wolverhampton

  67

  Knowsley

  816

  Liverpool

  2,200

  St. Helens

  507

  Sefton

  958

  Wirral

  2,066

  Bolton

  985

  Bury

  364

  Manchester

  2,363

  Oldham

  823

  Rochdale

  819

  Salford

  143

  Stockport

  1,071

  Tameside

  452

  Trafford

  411

  Wigan

  524

  Barnsley

  412

  Doncaster

  754

  Rotherham

  1,002

  Sheffield

  692

  Bradford

  2,181

  Calderdale

  399

  Kirklees

  2,300

  Leeds

  3,231

  Wakefield

  504

  Gateshead

  762

  Newcastle upon Tyne

  890

  North Tyneside

  1,031

  South Tyneside

  647

  Sunderland

  1,296

  Isles of Scilly

  16

  Avon

  2,738

  Bedfordshire

  2,073

  Berkshire

  1,825

  Buckinghamshire

  924

  Cambridgeshire

  920

  Cheshire

  5,363

  Cleveland

  2,027

  Cornwall

  2,574

  Cumbria

  9,523

  Derbyshire

  3,491

  Devon

  4,726

  Dorset

  6,429

  Durham

  2,381

  East Sussex

  2,11

  Essex

  4,830

  Glucostershire

  2,467

  Hampshire

  8,219

  Hereford and Worcester

  2,036

  Hertfordshire

  2,549

  Humberside

  3,462

  Isle of Wight

  459

  Kent

  8,728

  Lancashire

  7,301

  Leicestershire

  6,265

  Lincolnshire

  1,739

  Norfolk

  3,024

  North Yorkshire

  4,419

  Northamptonshire

  1,826

  Northumberland

  1,409

  Nottinghamshire

  2,896

  Oxfordshire

  1,285

  Shropshire

  1,702

  Somerset

  1,912

  Staffordshire

  1,114

  Suffolk

  2,535

  Surrey

  3,575

  701

  Expenditure by local education authorities on discretionary awards:1 England and Wales

  Academic Year 1993–94

  Total HE and FE expenditure2£000s

  Warwickshire

  12

  West Sussex

  1,856

  Wiltshire

  1,820

  Clwyd

  1,018

  Dyfed

  817

  Gwent

  3,393

  Gwynedd

  1,189

  Mid Glamorgan

  1,584

  Powys

  647

  South Glamorgan

  1,236

  West Glamorgan

  965

  England and Wales4

  184,132

  1Including major discretionary awards (paid at at least 50 per cent. of the mandatory rate) and minor awards (paid at less than 50 per cent. of the mandatory rate).

  2Including expenditure on fees for discretionary award placement year sandwich students.

  3Camden and Westminster were unable to provide all of the information required on discretionary awards expenditure.

  4England and Wales total is grossed to compensate for incomplete returns.

  Source:

  F503G

  Access Courses
  Mr. Gunnell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will make it her policy that older students on access courses will remain entitled to older students allowance if their performance gives them access to the subsequent course they were preparing for. [5652]

  Mr. Forth
  Students who were enrolled on full-time access courses prior to 1 September 1995 and who transfer immediately to a course designated for mandatory awards purposes, disregarding any intervening vacation, will be eligible for the older student's allowance.

  Student Allowances
  Mr. Gunnell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what discretion a student's local authority has in paying an older student's allowance when the Secretary of State has agreed that the student is entitled to such an allowance. [5653]

  Mr. Forth
  Where a student meets the conditions set out in the Education (Mandatory Awards) Regulations, he is eligible for the older student's allowance. The provision of these regulations are statutory; therefore local education authorities have no discretion.

  Mr. Gunnell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) how many students were entitled to receive the older students allowance in 1993–94 and 1994–95; and how many are currently receiving them; [5505]

  (2) how many of the students currently in receipt of the older students allowance are on courses expected to conclude (a) at the end of the present academic year or earlier and (b) at a date later than September 1996. [5506]
  702
  Mr. Forth
  The number of students eligible to receive the older students allowance—OSA—in the academic year 1993–94 was 41,000. Information for later years is not yet available. Information on students currently in receipt of the OSA who are on courses expected to conclude at the end of a particular academic year is not collected centrally.

  Prince's Trust
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will make a statement on the contacts her Department has with the Prince's trust in respect of training for young people seeking employment; and if she will make a statement. [5685]

  Mr. Paice
  The Department strongly supports the aims of the Prince's trust and has frequent contact at ministerial and official level. My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State met the chairman of the Prince's trust volunteers, for example, as recently as 15 November. The Department also provides active support for the training of young people through the secondment of officials and client referrals from the Employment Service.

  School Attendance
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what steps she is taking to reduce the numbers of children who are taken out of school for long periods by their parents. [3888]

  Mr. Robin Squire
  Parents must act responsibly. The Department has just published a leaflet to help schools and LEAs remind parents of the importance of regular school attendance.

  Grant-maintained Schools
  Mr. Dunn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many children are currently being educated in grant-maintained schools. [3885]

  Mrs. Gillan
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State, gave today to my hon. Friend the Member for Milton Keynes, South-West (Mr. Legg).

  EU Employees
  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many employees of(a) the European Commission and (b) other European Union bodies there are in (i) Greater London and (ii) other areas of the United Kingdom. [5634]

  Mr. David Davis
  I have been asked to reply.

  This information is available from the Commission Office at:
  No. 8 Storey's Gate
  London SW1P 3AT

  and the European Parliament Office at:
  2 Queen Anne's Gate
  London SW 1H 9AA

DEFENCE

  Executive Agencies
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many(a) serving officers and (b) retired officers are employed in each of his Department's executive agencies. [5518]

  Mr. Soames
  This is a matter for the chief executives of the agencies concerned. I have asked the chief executives to write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from Rear Admiral N. R. Esssenhigh to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 13 December 1995:
  I am replying, as Chief Executive of the Hydrographic Office, to your question to the Secretary of State for Defence about the number of serving officers and retired officers employed in the Hydrographic Office. As at 1 December this year, some 7 serving RN officers were employed at the Hydrographic Office together with 1 Petty Officer. In terms of retired officers the total, at the same date was 12.
  I hope this has been of assistance.

  Letter from Air Vice-Marshall R. H. Kyle to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 13 December 1995:
  I am replying to your Question to the Secretary of State for Defence about the number of serving officers and Retired Officers employed in the RAF Maintenance Group Defence Agency.
  There are 323 serving officers and 12 Retired Officers serving in the Agency at present.
  I hope the information meets your requirements.

  Letter from Air Commodore A. A. Nicholson to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 13 December 1995
  I am replying to your Question to the Secretary of State for Defence about the numbers of serving and retiring officers employed in Defence Agencies. The figures for the Royal Air Force Training Group Defence Agency are:
  Serving Officers: 1169
  Retired Officers: 22
  Notes as at 31 March 1995.
  The figures for serving officers do not include trainees.
  I am sending a copy of this letter to the Agency's owner, the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Personnel & Training Command.

  Letter. from John Chisholm to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 13 December 1995:
  You asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many serving officers and how many retired officers are employed in each of his Department's agencies. I am answering on behalf of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA).
  DERA currently employs 472 serving personnel, this number includes all ranks, not just commissioned officers. The Agency also employs 10 members of staff in Retired Officer grades.
  I hope this information is helpful to you.

  Letter from Keith Ellender to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 13 December 1995:
  I am replying to your Question to the Secretary of State for Defence about the number of serving officers and retired officers employed in the Disposal Sales Agency, as this matter falls within my area of responsibility.
  There is one serving officer and one retired officer employed in my Agency. I also employ one officer retired from the Royal Navy as a specialist consultant.

  Letter front Brigadier J. R. Drew to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 13 December 1995:
  704
  I am replying to your question to the Secretary of State about the number of serving officers and Retired Officers employed in each of the MOD's agencies.
  The Army Base Repair Organisation currently employs 6 serving officers and 2 personnel in Retired Officer appointments.

  Letter from John R. Prince to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 13 December 1995:
  1. I am replying to your question to the Secretary of State for Defence about serving and retired officers employed in Defence agencies as this matter falls in my area of responsibility.
  2. The situation is:

  (a) Serving officers in ATSA: 53

  (b) Retired officers in ATSA: 3

  Letter from Brigadier M. G. R. Hodson to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 13 December 1995:
  1. I am replying to your Questions (PQ9619 and 9620) to the Secretary of State for Defence, about the numbers of military and civilian staff, as this matter falls within my area of responsibility as Chief Executive of the Defence Transport and Movements Executive Agency (DTMX).
  2. DTMX formed in April this year; the numbers and costs of civilian staff pre-Agency relate, therefore, to the last financial year. This year's numbers and costs are at this stage, only an estimate. The costs for 1994/95 have been uprated to 1995/96 levels, so that both sets of figures are at the same cost base.
  3. Details are:

  1994/95: 141.5 civilian staff, at a cost of £2,408,721

  1995/96: 151.5 civilian staff, at a cost of £2,602,310

  4. The number of military and ex-military officers currently employed within my Agency are:

  18 (commissioned) serving officers

  5 retired officers

  Letter from Commodore A. D. Ferguson to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 13 December 1995:
  I am replying to your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Defence about the number of serving officers and retired officers employed in the Naval Recruiting and Training Agency (NRTA) as this matter falls within my area of responsibility.
  The current totals of serving and retired officers are:

  Serving Officers: 761

  Retired Officers: 38

  Letter from Air Vice-Marshal R. H. Kyle to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 13 December 1995:
  I am replying to your Question to the Secretary of State for Defence about the number of serving officers and Retired Officers employed in the RAF Maintenance Group Defence Agency.
  There are 323 serving officers and 12 Retired Officers serving in the Agency at present.
  I hope the information meets with your requirements.
  705
  Letter from Brigadier T. McG Brown to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 13 December 1995:
  I am replying to your question to the Secretary of State for Defence about the number of serving and retired officers employed by the Defence Postal and Courier Services Agency, as this matter falls within my area of responsibility.
  As at October 1995 this Agency employed 21 serving officers and 1 retired officer, engaged as a R02.
  I hope this is helpful.

  Letter from J. C. R. Hunt to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 13 December 1995:
  I am replying to your Question to the Secretary of State for Defence about serving officers and retired officers as this matter falls within my area of responsibility.
  There are no serving officers or staff in the retired officers grades working in the Meterological Office.

  Letter from Captain W. S. Graham to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 13 December 1995:
  1. 1 am replying to your Question to the Secretary of State for Defence, about the number of serving and retired officers in the Naval Aircraft Repair Organisation (NARO) as this falls within my area of responsibility:

  Figure 1–Staff numbers and associated costs for DASA

  Staff Numbers:

  1 April 1991

  1 April 1992

  1 April 1993

  1 April 1994

  1 April 1995

  Full time equivalents

  144.5

  140.0

  130.5

  117.0

  110.5

  Students on placement

  16.0

  4.0

  9.0

  9.0

  10.0

  Total

  160.5

  144.0

  139.5

  126.0

  120.5

  £ million

  Year

  Staff Costs

  1991–921

  3.50

  1992–93

  3.24

  1993–94

  2.97

  1994–95

  2.75

  1995–962

  2.69

  1Responsibility for staff costs did not transfer to DASA until 1992–93. Costs shown for 1991–92 are estimates based upon 1992–93 pay rates.

  2Costs shown for the current year, 1995–96, are latest estimates.

  Letter from 1. S. Mitchelson to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 13 December 1995:
  I am replying to your question to the Secretary of State for Defence about the number of serving and retired officers employed by this Agency as this matter falls within my area of responsibility.
  There are no serving or retired officers in the employment of Service Children's Schools (North West Europe).

  Letter from Air Vice Marshal John May to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 13 December 1995:
  I am replying to your Question to the Secretary of State for Defence about the numbers of serving and retired officers employed in Defence Agencies. The figures for the Royal Air Force Training Group Defence Agency are:
  Figures Serving Officers: 1,169)
  Retired Officers: 22

  Notes:

  As at 31 March 1995 figures do not include trainees.

  I am sending a copy of this letter to the Agency's owner, the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Personnel & Training Command.
  706

  (a) Number of Serving Officers: 11

  (b) Number of Retired Officers: Nil

  Letter from Brigadier A. J. Hoon to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 13 December 1995:
  I am replying to your question to the Secretary of State for Defence about the number of serving and retired officers employed in Defence agencies, as this matter falls within my area of responsibility.
  In respect of the Military Survey Defence Agency, 56 serving officers and 7 retired officers are currently employed.

  Letter from Paul Altobell to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 13 December 1995:
  I am replying to your Questions to the Secretary of State for Defence about the number of service and civilian staff employed within the Defence Analytical Services Agency as this matter falls within my area of responsibility.
  In reply to your Question number 9619, I can advise that DASA has no serving or retired officers.
  With regard to your Question number 9620 Figure 1 below details the numbers of civilian staff, with associated costs, employed within DASA for the period of the year prior to becoming an Agency to this current year.

  Letter from Colonel A. H. Roache to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 13 December 1995:
  I am replying to your question to the Secretary of State for Defence about serving and retired officers employed in Defence Agencies. This falls within my area of responsibility.
  The number of officers currently employed at the Defence Animal Centre is:

  (a) Serving Officers: 12—of which 2 are not on the Agency payroll.

  (b) Retired Officers: one

  Letter from Brigadier M. J. Roycroft to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 13 December 1995:
  I am replying to your questions to the Secretary of State for Defence about staff numbers and costs within this Executive Agency.
  The answer to your first question concerning serving and retired officers is that there are currently 19 Military Officers and 8 Civil Servants in the retired Officer Class working in this Agency.
  You also asked for details on civilian staff:

  (a) At year end prior to Agency establishment we had 502 staff at a total cost of £7.886M.

  (b) At year end post Agency establishment we had 502 staff at a total cost of £8.373M.

  In addition to the small rise in cost due to pay awards, the apparent additional cost is due to the absorption throughout the period leading up to the formation of the Agency of personnel from other areas.
  707
  Letter from Air Commodore P. C. Ayee to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 13 December 1995:
  I am replying to your question to the Secretary of State for Defence about the number of serving and retired officers who are employed in executive agencies since, as the Chief Executive of the Royal Air Force Signals Engineering Establishment, this matter falls within my area of responsibility.
  Fifty four serving RAF officers and 2 retired officers are established within this agency.

  Letter from Brigadier A. W. Pollard to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 13 December 1995
  I am replying to your Question to the Secretary of State for Defence about how many (a) serving officers and (b) retired officers are employed in each of his Department's executive agencies as this matter falls within my area of responsibility. As at today I employ thirty commissioned serving military officers and one Retired Officer Grade 2.
  If you have any further questions please do not hesitate to contact me.

  Letter from P. J. Trevelyan to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 13 December 1995:
  I am replying to your Question to the Secretary of State for Defence about the number of serving officers and retired officers employed in the Defence Accounts Agency as this matter falls within my area of responsibility.
  The answer to both parts of your Question is NIL.

  Letter from Colonel G. H. Wilson to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 13 December 1995:
  I am replying to your question to the Secretary of State for Defence concerning the number of retired and serving officers in this Agency.
  The details you requested are:-

  (a) One

  (b) None

  Letter from Brian Rain to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 8 December 1995:
  I am replying to your Question to the Secretary of State for Defence about the numbers of serving officers and retired officers employed in this Agency as this matter falls within my area of responsibility.
  The information you seek is as follows

  Serving Officers—NIL

  Retired Officers—1

  If you have any questions about this please do not hesitate to call me.

  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the number of civilian staff in his Department in the year before the establishment of the first executive agency and for each year since the number(a) in his Department and (b) in each agency, together with the staff costs in each case. [5522]

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  The first executive agencies were set up in this Department in April 1990. The information required for 1989–90 onwards, for the Department as a whole, is contained in tables 4 and 5 of the 1995 MOD departmental report, a copy of which is in the Library of the House. The chief executives of each agency will be replying separately, giving details of their individual agencies.
  708
  Letter from Brigadier J. R. Drew to Mr. Martin Redmond dated 13 December 1995:
  I am replying to your question to the Secretary of State about the number of civilian staff in each agency, together with staff costs, in the year before establishment and in each year since.
  The information for the Army Base Repair Organisation, which was launched on 1 April 1993, is as follows:

  (a) Civilian staff numbers

  1 April 1993: 3,605

  1 April 1994: 3,510

  1 April 1995: 3,326

  1 November 1995: 3,263

  (b) Civilian staff costs

  1992–93: £58.27 M1

  1993–94: £56.74M1

  1994–95: £55.55M1

  1 Costs reflect expenditure actually incurred and have not been adjusted for inflation.

  Letter from Brigadier K. J. W. Goad to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 13 December, 1995:
  I am replying to your Questions to the Secretary of State for Defence about the staffing levels within Defence Agencies. This matter falls within my area of responsibility as the Chief Executive of the Army Base Storage and Distribution Agency (ABSDA).
  ABSDA was formed on the 4th April 1995 and the current staffing details are as follows:
  Number of Serving Military Officers = 82 as at Dec 95
  Number of Retired Officers = 18 as at Dec 95
  Number of Civilian Staff (Ind & Non Ind) = 5163 as at Dec 95.
  The forecast civilian staff costs for the current financial year are £83.4M.
  I believe that the other parts of your question are to be answered by other authorities. I hope that the figures I have supplied fully satisfy your requirement. If you have any queries or require clarification please do not hesitate to contact me.

  Letter from P. J. Trevelyan to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 13 December 1995:
  I am replying to your Question to the Secretary of State for Defence about the number and cost of civilian staff employed in my Agency in the years since my Agency was launched.
  You will appreciate the numbers employed fluctuate throughout the year. For ease of comparison I have listed the numbers employed on 1 April each year, starting with 1 April 91 when the Defence Accounts Agency was launched.

  1 April 1991: 2,184

  1 April 1992: 2,139

  1 April 1993: 2,016

  1 April 1994: 1,983

  1 April 1995: 1,791

  1 December 1995: 1,523

  Financial year

  £ million

  1991–92

  31.46

  1992–93

  32.38

  1993–94

  31.61

  1994–95

  31.92

  I hope this information is helpful.
  709
  Letter from Colonel A. H. Roache to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 13 December 1995:
  I am replying to your question to the Secretary of State for Defence about civilian staff numbers and costs in Defence Agencies.
  This falls within my area of responsibility.
  The number of civilian staff employed at the Defence Animal Centre is:

  Year

  Number

  Cost £000s

  1991–92

  40

  426

  1992–93

  40

  461

  1993–94

  40

  507

  1994–95

  41

  510

  1995–96

  49

  592

  Letter from Brigadier M. J. Roycroft to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 13 December 1995:
  I am replying your questions to the Secretary of State for Defence about staff numbers and costs within this Executive Agency.
  The answer to your first question concerning serving and retired officers is that there are currently 19 Military Officers and 8 Civil Servants in the retired Officer Class working in this Agency.
  You also asked for details on civilian staff:

  (a) At year end prior to Agency establishment we had 502 staff at a total cost of £7.886M.

  (b) At year end post Agency establishment we had 502 staff at a total cost of £8.373M.

  In addition to the small rise in cost due to pay awards, the apparent additional cost is due to the absorption throughout the period leading up to the formation of the Agency of personnel from other areas.

  Letter from John Chisholm to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 13 December 1995:
  You asked the Secretary of State for Defence about staff costs and numbers in his Department and in each of his agencies since their establishment. I am replying on behalf of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA).
  The Defence Research Agency (DRA) was established in 1991 and was incorporated into the larger Defence Evaluation and Research Agency in April of this year. DRA has published its Annual Report and Accounts, including details of staff costs, with social security and pension costs where appropriate, and average numbers, each year since 1991. Copies of the Reports have been placed in the library of the House. For ease of reference I have listed below the information you require.

  Average staff numbers

  Staff costs£ million

  1991–92

  11,832

  252.5

  1992–93

  11,094

  238.1

  1993–94

  10,121

  231.9

  1994–95

  8,601

  222.7

  There are as yet no figures for DERA, these will be published in the first Annual Report and Accounts for the enlarged Agency, covering the 1995/95 Financial Year, and will appear in the summer of 1996. A copy of this document will be placed in the library of the House.
  I hope this information is helpful to you
  710
  Letter from Mr. T. McG. Brown to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 13 December 1995:
  I am replying to your question to the Secretary of State for Defence about the number and costs of civilian staff employed in the Defence Postal and Courier Services Agency in the year before the establishment of the Agency and in each subsequent year.
  This Agency was established in July 1992 and for the year ending 31 March 1992 the number of civilians employed were 256 at an annual cost of £3.334m. For each of the subsequent years the average number of civilian employees and associated costs were:

  1992–93: 247, £3.907

  1993–94: 316, £4,801

  1994–95: 293, £4,721

  I hope this is helpful.

  Letter from Brigadier M. G. R. Hodson to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated.13 December 1995:
  1. I am replying to your Question (PQ9619 and 9620) to the Secretary of State for Defence, about the numbers of military civilian staff, as this matter falls within my area of responsibility as Chief Executive of the Defence Transport and Movements Executive Agency (DTMX).
  2. DTMX formed in April this year; the numbers and costs of civilian staff pre-Agency relate, therefore, to the last financial year. This year's numbers and costs are at this stage, only an estimate. The costs for 1994/95 have been uprated to 1995/96 levels, so that both sets of figures are at the same cost base.
  3. Details are:
  1994/95: 141.5 civilian staff, at a cost of £2,408,721
  1995/96: 151.5 civilian staff, at a cost of £2,602,310
  4. The number of military and ex-military officers currently employed within my Agency are:
  18 (commissioned) serving officers
  5 retired officers

  Letter from Keith Elleder to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 13 December 1995:
  I am replying to your Question to the Secretary of State for Defence about the number of civilian staff employed in the Disposal Sales Agency, and their associated costs, as this matter falls within my area of responsibility.
  The information you require is as follows:

  Staff numbers

  Staff costs at 1995–96 prices £ thousand

  Pre-agency status (1993–94)

  98

  2,215

  Post-agency status (1994–96)

  91

  2,187

  Forecast (1995–96)

  75

  2,017

  Letter from G.H Wilson to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 13 December 1995:
  I am replying to your question to the Secretary of State for Defence concerning the number of civilian staff in this Agency and the staff costs.
  The details you requested are:-

  Year

  Civilian staff

  Staff costs £ million

  1991–92

  97.5

  1,968

  1992–93

  97.5

  2.078

  1993–94

  97

  2,235

  1994–95

  94.5

  2.287

  711
  Letter from Rear Admiral N. R. Essenhigh to Mr. Martin Redmond dated 13 December 1995:
  1. I am replying, as Chief Executive of the Hydrographic Office, to your question to the Secretary of State for Defence about the number of civilian staff and their associated staff costs employed within the Hydrographic Office since it was first established as a Defence Agency in April 1990.
  2. As regards the number of civilian staff in post at 1st April each year, the following is the information you require:

  1 April 1990: 885

  1 April 1991: 867

  1 April 1992: 861

  1 April 1993: 821

  1 April 1994: 820

  1 April 1995: 791

  3. In terms of staff costs the following information is provided:

  Financial year

  Staff cost £

  1990–91

  14,492,652

  1991–92

  15,395,149

  1992–93

  16,047,932

  1993–94

  16,060,256

  1994–95

  16,493,049

  4. I trust the above information has been of assistance. If you require any further amplification or classification please do not hesitate to get in touch with me or my staff.

  Letter from Brigadier A. W. Pollard to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 13 December 1995:
  I am replying to your Question to the Secretary of State for Defence about the number of civilian staff in his Department in the year before the establishment of the first executive agency and for each year since the number (a) in his Department and (b) in each agency, together with the staff costs in each case as this matter falls within my area of responsibility. The number of Civil Servants on LISA's strength on the date of its information, 21 Nov 94, was 327 which included 10 casuals. On 21 Nov 95 the number of Civil Servants was 334 of which 27 were casuals. This number would have reduced had two other units not merged with LISA during the year. The pay bill for Civil Service staff in LISA's first year was £6.86 million; this figure includes £200k for casuals and £275k overtime.
  If you have any further questions please do not hesitate to contact me.

  Letter from J. C. R. Hunt to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 13 December 1995:
  I am replying to your Question to the Secretary of State for Defence about staff and pay in MOD agencies as this matter falls within my area of responsibility.
  The figures for the Meteorological Office are:

  Average strength

  Pay£ million

  1989–90

  2,447

  48.8

  1990–91

  2,465

  55.1

  1991–92

  2,499

  59.9

  1992–93

  2,508

  63.5

  1993–94

  2,502

  64.3

  1994–95

  2,398

  65.3

  The value of pay includes the cost of National Insurance and pension provision. About 10% of the pay total represents allowances received by staff for shiftworking.
  712
  Letter from Brigadier A. J. Hoon to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 13 December 1995:
  I am replying to your Question to the Secretary of State for Defence about civilian staff numbers and costs, as this matter falls within my area of responsibility in respect of the Military Survey Defence Agency.
  The information you require is shown on the attached table, and covers the four full Financial Years since the agency was formed in April 1991.

  Military survey defence agency civilian staff numbers and costs

  Serial

  Financial year

  Staff numbers1

  Staff costs2

  1

  1991–92

  906

  £14.05m

  2

  1992–93

  886

  £14.70m

  3

  1993–94

  865

  £17.70m

  4

  1994–95

  850

  £18.23m

  1Average number of civilian staff employed during the Financial Year.

  2 Unadjusted cash costs of Pay and ERNIC in all years. The agency did not assume responsibility for Accruing Superannuation Liability Contributions until FY 93/94. Earlier years therefore exclude this element.

  Letter from Captain W. S. Graham to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 13 December 1995:
  1. I am replying to your Question to the Secretary of State for Defence, about the number of Civilian staff together with costs in the Naval Aircraft Repair Organisation (NARO) in the year before the establishment of the Agency and for each year since, as this falls within my area of responsibility:(a) Civilian Numbers and Cost pre Agency Status. No figures are currently available as the organisation pre Agency comprised of 3 separate establishments (excluding DGST (N) personnel), whereas NARO now encompasses only 2 establishments and includes DGNBS (was DGST(N) personnel).(b) Civilian Numbers and Costs Post Agency.

  Year

  Number

  £ million

  1992–93

  1,520

  26.710

  1993–94

  1,564

  26.321

  1994–95

  1,557

  27.124

  Letter from Commodore A. D. Ferguson to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 13 December 1995:
  I am replying to your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Defence about the number of civilian staff and staff costs for the Naval Recruiting and Training Agency (NRTA) as this matter falls within my area of responsibility.
  The figures quoted below for FY 1994/95 reflect those for the Flag Officer Recruiting and Training Tasking Area which became the NRTA on 1 April 1995.

  1994–95 (actual)

  1995–96 (forecast)

  Civilian staff numbers

  1,481

  1,537

  Civilian staff costs

  £23.9 million

  £24.8 million

  The figures include both non industrial and industrial staff.

  Letter from Brian Raine to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 8 December 1995:
  I am replying to your Question to the Secretary of State for Defence about the number of civilian staff and their costs for this Agency as this matter falls within my area of responsibility.
  The information you seek is as follows:
  713

  Civilian staff

  Costs £

  1992–93

  69

  1,359,958

  1993–94

  75

  1,467,000

  1994–95

  76

  1,513,000

  Staff costs include salaries, wages, allowances, social security and pension costs.
  If you have any questions about this please do not hesitate to call us.

  Letter from Vice-Marshal R. H. Kyle to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 13 December 1995:
  I am replying to your Question to the Secretary of State for Defence about the number of civilian staff in the Maintenance Group Defence Agency for each year since its formation, together with the associated staff costs.
  The RAF Maintenance Group Defence Agency was formed on 1 April 1991. The civilian staff numbers and costs are shown on the attached list.
  I hope that this information meets your requirements.

  >List of the RAF maintenance group defence agency civilian staff numbers and costs since inception

  Year

  Average civilian staff numbers

  Staff costs for year£

  1991–92

  6,100

  79,894,000

  1992–93

  6,000

  83,420,000

  1993–94

  5,679

  83,906,000

  1994–95

  4,666

  68,281,000

  1995–96

  4,428

  170,000.00

  1Estimated.

  Letter from Air Commodore P. C. Ayee to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 13 December 1995:
  I am replying to your question to the Secretary of State for Defence about the number of civilian staff who are employed in executive agencies, and their associated costs, since, as the Chief Executive of the Royal Air Force Signals Engineering Establishment, this matter falls within my area of responsibility. The numbers are as follows:

  Number

  Civilian staff numbers

  1 April 1994

  —

  746

  22 November 1994

  (Agency launch date)

  752

  1 April 1995

  —

  761

  1 December 1995

  —

  741

  Civilian staff costs

  Financial year 1993–94

  —

  £13.86

  Financial year 1994–95

  (Until launch)

  £8.16

  Financial year 1994–95

  (From launch to end financial year)

  £6.02

  Financial year 1995–96

  (Forecast spend)

  £13.98

  Letter from Air Commodore A. A. Nicholson to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 13 December 1995:
  I am replying to your Question to the Secretary of State for Defence about the numbers of civilian staff employed in Defence Agencies and their associated costs. The figures for the Royal Air Force Training Group Defence Agency are:
  714

  Financial year

  Staff costs£

  Established posts (average per Financial year)

  Before launch of agency

  1993–94

  37,020,873

  2,437

  After launch of agency

  1994–95

  36,087,209

  2,358

  1995–96

  30,907,849

  1,960

  Notes:

  Figures are at 1995–96 prices and do not include trainees.

  I am sending a copy of this letter to the Agency's owner, the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Personnel and Training Command.

  Letter from 1. S. Mitchelson to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 13 December 1995:
  I am replying to your question to the Secretary of State for Defence about the number and cost of civilian staff employed by this Agency in the year before it was established and for each year since as this matter falls within my area of responsibility. As a matter of interest the Service Children's Schools Agency was launched on 1 April 1991.
  Each year since then I have published an Annual Report and Accounts which is laid before Parliament and held in the Parliamentary Library. This document contains a detailed analysis of staff numbers and costs which should be adequate to answer your question. For the year prior to the formation of this Agency, a total of 2,285 staff were employed at a cost of £37M.

  Letter from John R. Prince to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 13 December 1995:
  1. I am replying to your question to the Secretary of State for Defence about the number and cost of civilian staff employed in the Army Technical Support Agency as this matter falls in my area of responsibility.
  2. The Army Technical Support Agency formed in October 1995 and hence I offer figures only for the current year. ATSA employs 817.5 civilian staff (as at October 1995 - which is the latest date for which I have accurate figures). The staff costs (which include all elements of pay) are anticipated to be £18.584M for the year April 1995 to March 1996 although this period includes the period before the agency was launched.

  WE177 Free-fall Bomb
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consideration led to the decision to withdraw the WE.177 in 1998; what was the original date for withdrawal; and on what date that decision was taken. [5165]

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  The decision to withdraw WE177 from service by the end of 1998, announced on 4 April 1995,Official Report, column 1097, was reached in the light of the good progress being made in providing Trident with a sub-strategic capability. This capability will be fully robust when Vigilant enters service in 1998 and there is no requirement for us to maintain two systems in the sub-strategic role after that point. We had previously assessed that WE177 had the potential to remain in service until the early years of the next century.

  Mr. Gordon Foxley
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement to the House when his Department has finished its investigations into the extent of the Gordon Foxley fraud case. [5654]
  715
  Mr. Arbuthnot
  I refer the hon. Member to my predecessor's reply to the hon. Member for Rossendale and Darwen (Ms Anderson) of 23 November 1994,Official Report, columns 146–47.

  Dr. Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the companies involved with the Gordon Foxley fraud case. [5655]

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  I refer the hon. Member to the evidence provided by my Department to the Committee of Public Accounts and reproduced at appendix 1 to the Committee's 46th report, which was published on 7 December 1995.

  Drug Testing
  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence in which Army regiments whose personnel have been tested for drug use there have been no failures. [3803]

  Mr. Soames
  The units with negative results from the drug testing programme are as follows:

  Ministry of Defence, (Executive Committee of the Army Board)

  Headquarters Scotland

  Headquarters Northern Ireland

  Headquarters 1st (UK) Armoured Division

  Headquarters 52nd Brigade

  Headquarters 42nd (Northern Western) Brigade

  Headquarters Herford Garrison

  Headquarters Episkopi Garrison

  Headquarters Lisburn Station

  Headquarters Kineton Station

  Headquarters Joint Support Group Northern Ireland

  5th Regiment Royal Artillery

  16th Air Defence Regiment Royal Artillery

  47th Field Regiment Royal Artillery

  Royal Artillery Ranges Hebrides

  33 Engineer Regiment Royal Engineers

  9th Signal Regiment

  15th Signal Regiment

  16th Signal Regiment

  241 Signal Squadron

  253 Signal Squadron

  Joint Communications Unit (Northern Ireland)

  1st Battalion The Kings Own Scottish Borderers

  1st Battalion The Highlanders

  2nd Battalion The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment

  1st Battalion The Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment

  1st Battalion The Royal Green Jackets

  5th Regiment Army Air Corps

  9th Regiment Army Air Corps

  7 Transport Regiment The Royal Logistic Corps

  11th Explosives Ordnance Disposal Regiment Royal Logistic Regiment

  12 Supply Regiment Royal Logistic Corps

  21 Logistic Support Regiment Royal Logistic Corps

  24 Transport Regiment The Royal Logistic Corps

  321 Explosives Ordnance Disposal Squadron Royal Logistic Corps

  Cyprus Logistic Unit

  716

  23 Parachute Field Ambulance Royal Army Medical Corps

  Army Pay and Documents Office (Northern Ireland)

  Royal Military Police Training Centre Chichester

  2nd Regiment Royal Military Police

  174 Provost Company Royal Military Police

  115 Provost Company Royal Military Police

  36 Detachment Special Investigation Branch Royal Military

  Police

  32 Army Education Centre

  45 Army Education Centre

  Education Services

  7 Dental Group

  9 Dental Group

  Defence Animal Support Unit

  Rhine Area Support Unit

  Garrison Labour Support Unit Herford

  Army Families and Welfare Services Herford

  Army Careers and Information Office Herford

  Station Staff Office Herford

  Anti-tank Mines
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Carshalton of 29 November,Official Report, column 768, if the scatterable anti-tank mines will contain mechanisms that will cause (a) their location to be identified by the launching forces and (b) to cause them to self destruct when their battlefield use is over. [5526]

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  The vehicle launched scatterable anti-tank mine system will be able to record the location of minefields it lays, and the number of mines placed into those minefields. The mines will have a short timed life which will be programmed at launch and at the end of which they will self destruct.

  Illegal Nuclear Material
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what communications he has had with his South African counterpart concerning the allegations made in the recent book, details of which have been sent to him, in respect of the illegal acquisition of weapons useable nuclear materials. [5650]

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  None. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence has received no information on this matter from the hon. Member.

  Low Flying
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many low-flying sorties were booked in the United Kingdom low flying system in 1994 by non-United Kingdom based aircraft from each foreign air force. [5182]

  Mr. Soames
  The numbers of sorties booked in the United Kingdom low flying system in 1994 by non United Kingdom-based foreign aircraft were as follows:

  Number

  Australia

  2

  Belgium

  31

  Canada

  126

  Denmark

  172

  717

  Number

  France

  192

  Germany

  125

  Greece

  14

  Holland

  279

  Italy

  292

  New Zealand

  1

  Norway

  10

  Portugal

  8

  Spain

  68

  USA

  96

  Total

  1,416

  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many sorties in the United Kingdom low flying system by(a) Hercules aircraft and (b) helicopters were authorised in 1994; and how many of the Hercules sorties were flown by foreign air forces. [5180]

  Mr. Soames
  A total of 2,240 sorties by Hercules aircraft and 44,989 sorties by helicopters were authorised in the United Kingdom low flying system during 1994. 10 of the Hercules sorties were flown by non-United Kingdom-based foreign aircraft.

  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many low-flying sorties were booked in the United Kingdom low flying system by United Kingdom-based US Air Force aircraft during 1994. [5181]

  Mr. Soames
  United Kingdom-based US Air Force aircraft were booked to fly 3,684 sorties in the United Kingdom low flying system during 1994.

  Apache Helicopters
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the requirement for air weapons ranges as a result of the purchase of Apache helicopters for the Army. [5237]

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  The qualification of the weapons for Apache will be the responsibility of the prime contractor and the necessary trials will be carried out on US ranges. The need for the use of ranges for training purposes is still being addressed. At this time, it is likely that such range training will be mainly for the cannon and the CRV7 rocket system with much of the training for the main anti-armour weapon, the Hellfire missile, being done through simulation. The policy for proof testing of weapon stocks is currently being addressed with other Apache users to minimise the need for live missile firings.

  Redundancies
  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many serving men and women in each of the armed forces have volunteered for redundancy during 1995; and what proportion of the total strength of each of the armed forces each of these numbers represents. [5038]

  Mr. Soames
  Applicants from Royal Navy and Royal Marines personnel have totalled some 3,800 and from RAF personnel some 11,540 during 1995, representing respectively 7.7 per cent. and 16.7 per cent. of total strength at 1 October 1995. The number of applicants has exceeded the requirement by about 1,400 and 2,940 respectively.
  718
  Information on the total number of Army applicants is not available. Of the total applicants, the number selected is 234, which is 0.2 per cent. of the Army's strength at 1 October 1995. The Army does not now envisage making more than about 280 redundancies, compared with the 500 previously announced.

  In each service some selection of non-applicants has been or will be necessary in order to preserve balance within particular ranks and specialisations.

  Army Workshops
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the future of the Army workshops. [5547]

  Mr. Soames
  The Army base repair organisation—ABRO—currently operates nine workshops. Two of these, at Old Dalby, Leicestershire and Ashford, Kent, are to close in 1996 in order to match capacity to lower levels of demand following the "Options for Change" review. The major workshop facility at Bovington, Dorset, operates under the terms of a five year service level agreement, following a successful in-house bid in the pilot ABRO market test. The future of the five workshops in the ABRO land command support group depends upon the outcome of the current market test of the service that the group delivers to Army land command throughout the United Kingdom except Northern Ireland.

  The facility at Donnington, Shropshire, will be subject to scrutiny during 1996–97 to determine the most appropriate strategy to deliver the "Competing for Quality" objectives.

  Burundi and Rwanda
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what recent consideration he has given to using British military aircraft to provide support for UN operations in(a) Rwanda and (b) Burundi; [5687]

  (2) what recent consideration he has given to providing further British military equipment for UN operations in Rwanda; [5688]

  (3) what recent consideration he has given to providing British logistical support for UN operations in (a) Rwanda and (b) Burundi; [5689]

  (4) what recent consideration he has given to providing British military assistance to the OAU military observer mission in Burundi. [5690]

  Mr. Soames
  In 1994, the United Kingdom deployed a contingent of some 600 specialist troops to support the United Nations assistance mission for Rwanda—UNAMIR—for three months until United Nations logistics contractors were installed. Seven staff officers were also provided for UNAMIR headquarters. A request from the United Nations centre for human rights for advice to Rwanda in the field of military law, discipline and human rights is under consideration. No other requests for military equipment, support or assistance in Rwanda or Burundi have been received from the United Nations or the Organisation for African Unity.

  Properties, Yeovil
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 30 November,Official Report, column 809, if the construction of properties in Yeovil by his Department involve the private finance initiative. [5691]

  Mr. Soames
  External consultants were employed to examine the interest in a private finance initiative approach for the construction of new family quarters at RNAS Yeovilton. Their opinion was that there was little or no commercial interest in a PFI approach.

  However, separately, the MOD private finance unit has approached a number of banks, investment houses, property companies and housing partnerships. Their responses are awaited.

  Mobile Telephones
  Mr. Donohoe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many mobile telephones used by Ministers in his Department have been cloned during(a) the last six months, (b) the last 12 months and (c) the last 18 months; and if he will indicate which Ministers within his Department have had their mobile telephones cloned. [4275]

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  [holding answer 7 December 1995]: Between November 1994 and March 1995 the mobile telephones installed in the MOD official cars used by Ministers were cloned. Two hand-held mobile telephones, used by the personal staff of Minister (AF) and Minister (DP) were also cloned in this period. These mobile telephones were immediately changed to digital GSM models and no further incident of cloning has occurred.

  Weapons Transfers: OSCE Control Mechanisms
  Weapons Transfers: OSCE Control Mechanisms
  Treaties: "Ponsonby Rule"
  Treaties: "Ponsonby Rule"
  Anglo-American Mutual Defence Assistance Agreements
  Anglo-American Mutual Defence Assistance Agreements
  Peacekeeping Operations: Payments to UK
  Peacekeeping Operations: Payments to UK
  Haiti: US Participation in UN Mission
  Haiti: US Participation in UN Mission
  Tour Operators' Margin Scheme
  Tour Operators' Margin Scheme
  Children Dependent on Income Support
  Children Dependent on Income Support
  Child Benefit Payments to Divorced Parents
  Child Benefit Payments to Divorced Parents
  Sporting Clubs: VAT Refunds
  Sporting Clubs: VAT Refunds
  Tax Allowances
  Tax Allowances
  Gas Acts
  Gas Acts
  Scottish Natural Heritage
  Scottish Natural Heritage