Written Answers of 20 February 1995

TRANSPORT

  Fort William Sleeper
  Mr. Clappison
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what is the estimated subsidy per passenger of providing the Fort William sleeper service.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The cost net of revenue per passenger of the Fort William sleeper, excluding infrastructure charges, is £180. The figure is £540 if infrastructure costs are allocated pro rata to non-infrastructure costs. Using infrastructure charges specific to the Fort William service the figure becomes £453. The figures are based on British Rail's best estimates, using 1993–94 demand levels and the 1994–95 price base.

  Runway Capacity, South-East
  Mr. Renton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what are the distinctions drawn by his Department between(a) a second runway at Gatwick and (b) a close parallel runway at Gatwick; and what factors cause (a) to be ruled out and (b) not be ruled out by the existing legal agreement between the British Airports Authority and West Sussex county council.

  Mr. Norris
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State's answer of 2 February,Official Report, column 861–62, to the hon. Member for Uxbridge (Mr. Shersby) said that the options studied by RUCATSE for a second runway at Gatwick should not be considered further. These options were for full runways, located well away from the existing runway. A close parallel runway would deliver a smaller gain in runway capacity, but would also have less widespread environmental impacts. I understand that the existing legal agreement between BAA and West Sussex county council applies to any additional runway at Gatwick.

  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make publicly available the results of public consultation referred to in his answer to the hon. Member for Uxbridge (Mr. Shersby) on 2 February,Official Report, column 861–62 concerning runway capacity in the South-East.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  My Department has recorded some 350 responses from organisations and some 4,100 letters from members of the public. A number of petitions were also received.

  A1
  Mr. William O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the estimated cost of the A1 road development from Darrington to Hook Moor in West and North Yorkshire.
  2
  Mr. Watts
  A total of £110 million.

  Mr. O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proposals he has to introduce the design, build, finance and operate concessions in respect of the proposed A1 new road developments; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Watts
  There are no proposals at present to introduce design, build, finance and operate projects in respect of proposed A1 new road developments, beyond the short length of A1 between Hook Moor and Bramham included as part of the M1-A1 link road design, build, finance and operate project and the A1 widening project between Alconbury and Peterborough in Cambridgeshire. Tenders for both were invited on 9 January.

  Area Flying Restrictions
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what reasons underlie the policy of not publishing individual area flying restrictions.

  Mr. Norris
  Temporary restriction of flying regulations are classified as local statutory instruments. By virtue of regulation 5 of the Statutory Instruments Regulations 1947, local instruments are exempt from the requirement to be printed. We believe this is due to the limited number of persons affected by such statutory instruments and the disproportionate costs that would he incurred in publication.

  Full details of these statutory instruments are promulgated to the aeronautical industry by aeronautical information circulars or, in cases of urgency, by notices to airmen.

  Search and Rescue
  Mr. Ainger
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what review is being undertaken of search and rescue helicopter provision along the channel coast.

  Mr. Norris
  [holding answer 17 February 1995]: None.

  School Buses
  Mr. Kilfoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what types of seat belts and fittings his Department recommends for fitting into minibuses used for the transportation of children;

  (2) what types of seat belts and fittings are recommended for school minibuses.

  Mr. Norris
  Regulations 46 and 47 of the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986 (as amended) specify, for all vehicles, the minimum standards for both seat belts and anchorages. In the case of minibuses, most seats may be fitted with either lap or three-point belts suitable for use by adults or children.

  Vehicle Tax
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the effects on employment in the regional vehicle registration offices of proposals to privatise the means of preventing vehicle tax evasion.
  3
  Mr. Norris
  No decisions on the future vehicle excise duty enforcement regime will be made until after the consultation period has ended later this year.

  Driving Tests
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to introduce a requirement to retake the driving test for all drivers whose driving licences have been suspended(a) for drink driving, (b) for refusing breath tests or (c) for any other reason, for six months or more.

  Mr. Norris
  None, but the courts have discretionary powers to require any such drivers, or other drivers convicted of endorsable offences, to retake the driving test.

  Bray's Detective Agency
  Mr. Denham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what contract Bray's detective agency has with his Department; and what was the purpose of the attendance of an employee of the agency at Winchester county court on 30 January.

  Mr. Watts
  Bray's detective agency has no contract with the Department of Transport and did not attend Winchester county court on the Department's behalf on 30 January.

  QE2 (Safety)
  Mr. Denham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will make a statement on the reasons the QE2 was found unsafe by United States officials during the vessel's visit to the United States of America in December 1994;

  (2) what were the responsibilities regarding safety of the Marine Safety Agency surveyor who sailed with the QE2 from Southampton in December 1994;

  (3) what were the precise differences between United Kingdom and United States regulations which allowed British authorities to allow the QE2 to sail from Southampton in December 1994, but which led the United States authorities to require further work to be undertaken.

  Mr. Norris
  The United Kingdom and the United States of America apply the same international standards relating to passenger ships—the safety of life at sea convention. In accordance with those standards, a limited passenger certificate was issued authorising the QE2 to sail from Southampton to New York with a reduced number of passengers. Heavy weather prevented completion of work during the voyage, and it became clear that further work would be required by the Marine Safety Agency before the ship could leave New York with her full complement of passengers.

  The MSA principal surveyor who had been involved from the conceptual designs through to the refit sailed with the ship to see the completion of outstanding survey items and witness appropriate tests. He had no wider responsibility for the safety of the ship during the voyage. The surveyor remained on board in New York until satisfied that all necessary safety work was being undertaken and would be completed before departure.
  4

  Ministerial Visits Overseas
  Mr. Byers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what overseas visits he or his Ministers have made since 1 July 1994; and what was the duration and cost of the visits and the organisations and groups that he met during the course of such visits.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Details of the overseas visits made by Transport Ministers since 1 July 1994 are as follows:

  Country visited

  Duration

  Cost £

  Organisations/Groups met

  THE RT HON DR BRIAN MAWMNNEY, SECRETARY OF STATE FOR TRANSPORT

  USA

  1 day

  2,863.20

  HM Ambassador, Washington*

  France

  1 day

  115.08

  EPS Eurostar

  USA

  5 days

  11,764.20

  Texas Instruments

  Texas Turnpike Authority

  American Airlines

  United Airlines

  Illinois Dept of Transport

  Winconsin Central

  GT Capital Railcar

  Thrall Car Manuf.

  Co. Wabash National Corp.

  Union Tank Car Co.

  Chicago Aviation Commissioner

  Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority

  Massachusetts Institute of Technology

  Boston Central Artery/Tunnel Project

  France

  1 day

  579.99

  Telematics Conference

  Holland

  2.5 days

  624.64

  Dutch Transport Ministry; Town of Houten; Schiphol Airport

  France

  1 day

  663.20

  French Transport Minister

  Belgium

  2 days

  1,040.58

  Transport Council

  Belgium

  1 day

  722.38

  Transport Council

  JOHN WATTS, MINISTER FOR RAILWAY'S AND ROADS

  Germany

  3.5 days

  3,419.96

  German State Secretary and President of Deutsche Bahn

  France

  1 day

  470.85

  Chambers of Commerce and Bridge Designers

  France

  1 day

  318.00

  Prometheus Ministers' Day

  Germany

  2 days

  603.40

  German State Secretary and Rhineland TüV

  France

  2 days

  689.64

  Informal Transport Council

  LORD GOSCHEN, MINISTER FOR AVIATION AND SHIPPING

  Denmark

  1 day

  704.00

  Danish Shipping Minister

  Japan

  3 days

  10,967.22

  Kansai Airport Management; Transport, Trade and Industry Ministers; Defence Agency; Shipowners, Shipping and Marine Associations; Kawasaki Heavy Industry; Wakagyama Marine City; Virtuality Group; Airline, Railway, Shipping, Heavy Industry and Travel Companies; Media Representatives

  Denmark

  1 day

  1,125.08

  Ministers of Paris Memorandum of Understanding Group

  France

  1 day

  No costs

  P&O Ferries and Calais Chamber of Commerce

  Belgium

  1 day

  649.4

  Transport Council

  STEVEN NORRIS, MINISTER FOR LOCAL TRANSPORT AND ROAD SAFETY

  Portugal

  2 days

  1,248.80

  Road Haulage Assn Conference

  France

  1 day

  514.20

  Paris; Ministry of Interior; The Paris Region Transport Administration

  The figures include the cost of officials accompanying Ministers, with the exception of. *.
  5

EMPLOYMENT

  Earnings
  Mr. Spring
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the real increase in take-home pay for a married couple with two children at the bottom 25 per cent. of the earnings distribution between(a) 1973–74 and 1978–79 and (b) 1978–79 and 1993–94.

  Mr. Oppenhiem
  Real take-home pay for married couple with two children at the bottom 25 per cent. of the earnings distribution increased in real terms by 1 per cent. between 1973–74 and 1978–79 and by 24 per cent. between 1978–79 and 1993–94.

  Workshops
  Mr. Thurnham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the average cost per person

  1989–90 £

  1990–91 £

  1991–92 £

  1992–93 £

  1993–94 £

  Remploy

  7,229

  8,325

  8,864

  9,472

  9,727

  Local Authority Workshops

  7,292

  8,262

  8,907

  9,547

  9,729

  Voluntary Body Workshops

  5,776

  7,022

  7,733

  8,488

  9,200

  Local Authority Placements

  3,683

  4,064

  4,337

  4,530

  4,600

  Voluntary Body Placements

  3,456

  3,748

  3,907

  4,138

  4,223

  I hope this is helpful.

  Remploy
  Ms Hodge
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is his Department's view on the decision of Remploy in Barking to increase the number of able-bodied employees and of the effect of this policy on employment opportunities for disabled people.

  Miss Widdecombe
  Remploy's Barking factory is a twin site, with both bookbinding and packaging units. There are 146 severely disabled employees with 15 non-disabled employees in clerical, technical, supervisory and managerial roles. Remploy has not increased, and does not intend to increase, the number of non-disabled employees in either unit.

  Ms Hodge
  To ask the Secretary of Stale for Employment what consideration his Department has given to the knock-on effects of the interwork scheme on the skills base of Remploy; and if he will make a statement.

  Miss Widdecombe
  Remploy has around 8,900 severely disabled employees of whom about 1,450 are employed under interwork. The interwork scheme enables Remploy's disabled workers to be supported in jobs in a variety of host firms outside Remploy. The interwork scheme has had no knock-on effect on the skills base in Remploy factories; the company is in fact taking steps to increase the skills of its employees.

  Remploy has introduced a special programme called Choices designed to give new recruits to Remploy, as well as the company's existing employees, the opportunity, guidance and training to plan a career best suited to their individual needs. Remploy has introduced individual training plans aimed at improving skills. Company training programmes encourage development of basic core skills, such as numeracy and literacy, while aiming to help people gain a national vocational qualification or
  6
  employed by (a) Remploy, (b) local authority workshops, (c) voluntary run workshops, (d) local authority sponsored sheltered placements and (e) voluntary organisation sheltered placements on each of the last five years.

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

  Letter from M. E. G. Fogden to Mr. Peter Thurnham, dated 20 February 1995:
  The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question about the average cost per person on the Supported (formerly Sheltered) Employment scheme.
  The information you requested is shown in the following table. This shows the full cost to the contractor, per person, per year, towards which the Employment Service (ES) makes a contribution. In 1993/94 the ES contribution was £3,480 per worker to local authorities and £4,310 per worker to voluntary bodies. In the same year, the subvention for Remploy was £89.2 million.

  credits towards one. Remploy groups are working towards investors in people status and some factories have already achieved this.

  Petroleum
  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what assessment he had made of(a) current progress towards the revision of the Petroleum Consolidation Act 1928 by the Health and Safety Executive and (b) the interim measures that have been agreed under the deregulation process.

  Mr. Oppenheim
  The Health and Safety Commission is seeking to make early progress with the review of the Petroleum (Consolidation) Act 1928 and other petroleum legislation but the timetable for completion is currently under review. HSC's review of the guidance on petrol filling stations and other sites where petroleum is dispensed is already well advanced and the first part will be available in the summer.

  Mercury
  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what steps the Health and Safety Executive is required to take when notification of the arrival of a consignment of waste mercury has been received.

  Mr. Oppenheim
  There is no legal requirement for notification to the Health and Safety Executive of the arrival, transportation, treatment and disposal of a consignment of waste mercury at premises for which it has enforcement responsibility.

  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what notice is required by the Health and Safety Executive of the arrival, transportation, treatment
  7
  and disposal of a consignment of waste mercury; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Oppenheim
  There is no legal requirement for notification to the Health and Safety Executive of the arrival, transportation, treatment and disposal of a consignment of waste mercury at premises for which it has enforcement responsibility.

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. Fraser
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment of those unemployed in the London borough of Lambeth how many have been unemployed for more than(a) two years, (b) one year and (c) six months.

  Mr. Oppenheim
  The information requested is given in the following table:

  Unemployed claimants in Lambeth (January 1995, not seasonally adjusted)

  Total

  Claimants unemployed for over 2 years

  6,228

  Claimants unemployed for over 1 year

  10,940

  Claimants unemployed for over 6 months

  15,485

  Information on ILO unemployment in Lambeth is not available by duration.

PRIME MINISTER

  Gulf War Syndrome
  Mr. Tom Clarke
  To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his reply to the question from the hon. Member for Monklands, West on 31 January,Official Report, column 849, if he will publish the statement of the Medical Research Council on alleged Gulf war syndrome; and if he will make a statement.

  The Prime Minister
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend, the Minister of State for the Armed Forces, on 8 February,Official Report, column 331.

  Ian Greer
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Prime Minister whether all departmental ministers in answering questions on items received from Ian Greer in the last month included all packages and all correspondence from Messrs Ian Greer Associates.

  The Prime Minister
  It is for individual Ministers to answer questions as they consider appropriate.

  European Single Act
  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will publish in the Official Report the text of the letters received by the then Prime Minister from Heads of Government of member states of the European Community concerning the interpretations of those points of the draft European Single Act treaty concerning controls to be exercised by the United Kingdom at the frontiers between it and other member states of European Community.

  The Prime Minister
  The acceptance by Heads of Government of the right of member states to take measures necessary for the purpose of controlling 8
  immigration from third countries and to combat terrorism and other serious crime was signified by their agreement to the general declaration on articles 13 to 19 of the Single European Act, a copy of which is available in the Library of the House.

  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Prime Minister what representations he has received from the hon. Member for Bexhill and Battle (Mr. Wardle) in the last 15 months, over the opt-out negotiated to the Single European Act over frontiers in 1985; and if he will make a statement.

  The Prime Minister
  [holding answer 16 February 1995]: Meetings and correspondence between myself and my Ministers are confidential.

  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer of 14 February Official Report, column 793, by what article of which Community treaty he expects to maintain a degree of frontier control and inspection in respect of persons and goods arriving from other member states of the European Union similar to that practised in 1992.

  The Prime Minister
  [holding answer 17 February 1995]: The Government take the view that there is nothing in the treaty to prevent the continuation of its practices in relation to persons and goods at frontiers. They base this view on their interpretation of article 7A, read in conjunction with the general declaration on articles 13 to 19 of the Single European Act.

  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will arrange for a copy of legal opinion obtained by the Government in 1991 concerning the legality of the opt-out from the Single European Act negotiated in 1985 permitting the United Kingdom to maintain frontier controls to he placed in the Library.

  The Prime Minister
  [holding answer 17 February 1995]: The advice of the Law Officers is not normally disclosed.

  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Prime Minister what specimen treaty, providing measures to exclude certain categories of people from entering the European Union, has been approved in principle on behalf of Her Majesty's Government; and if he will make a statement.

  The Prime Minister
  [holding answer 17 February 1995]: At its meetings on 30 November and 1 December, the Justice and Home Affairs Council adopted a standard format for the conclusion of bilateral readmission agreements between member states and third countries. The documents are available in the Library of the House.

TREASURY

  Income
  Mr. MacShane
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the division in percentage terms between(a) all forms of earned income including PAYE and self-employed persons and (b) all forms of unearned income including rents, investment income, pensions, and transfers from the state in the form of benefits.

  Sir George Young
  Information on personal sector income is published in table 4.1 of "1994 UK National Accounts Blue Book". A more detailed breakdown based on the 1992–93 survey of personal incomes is published in table 3.4 of "Inland Revenue Statistics 1994", copies of which are in the Library.
  9

  National Lottery
  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of the Secretary of State for National Heritage of 7 February 1995,Official Report, column 160, what will be the income to the Exchequer, during the course of a full year, from (a) the investment of £65 million of lottery proceeds in Treasury bills and (b) of £22 million in gilts.

  Sir George Young
  None. Income from Treasury bills and gilts goes to the beneficial owner, which is in this case would be the national lottery distribution fund, and not to the Exchequer.

  Private Finance Initiative
  Mr. Spellar
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many projects are being considered for the private finance initiative; how many have been agreed; arid what is the estimated value of the contracts involved.

  Sir George Young
  Since the autumn statement of November 1992, notices for 29 projects of a value of greater than £5 million have been issued in the Official Journal of the European Communities. The estimated value of the capital investment under these contracts is £5 billion. Records are not held centrally for projects which are under consideration but are not yet in procurement or which are less than £5 million in value.

  Crime Prevention
  Mr. William O'Brien
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will disregard the increase in the rateable value of crime prevention measures where these have been provided at the cost of a tenant when assessing new rateable values for tenanted properties; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Nelson
  Regulations due to come into effect on 1 April 1995 will require valuation officers to reflect the value of plant and machinery provided for protection of properties from a range of hazards. This will include plant and machinery that is used to protect the property from trespass of criminal damage. It is likely that the impact of these measures will be material where security is an important feature of the property concerned, for example, bullion stores, and likely to be less significant in relation to small businesses.

  Carbon Dioxide Emissions
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has for taxing carbon dioxide emissions; and what discussions he has had with his

  Year

  PAYE amount in £ thousands

  As a percentage of total PAYE collected

  Amount expressed in 1993 prices

  Classes 1 and 1A NIC amount in £ thousands

  As a percentage of total NIC classes 1 and 1A collected

  Amount expressed in 1993 prices

  1979

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  1980

  9,914

  0.05

  26,975

  1,056

  0.01

  2,873

  1981

  11,432

  0.08

  28,345

  1,158

  0.01

  2,871

  1982

  15,281

  0.06

  34,603

  1,261

  0.01

  2,855

  1983

  22,622

  0.08

  47,227

  1,555

  0.01

  3,246

  1984

  33,312

  0.11

  64,863

  1,971

  0.01

  3,838

  1985

  46,695

  0.14

  82,879

  2,213

  0.01

  3,928

  10
  colleagues in relation to improvements to the environment.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  I have no plans to tax carbon dioxide emissions as such. However, the commitment to increase road fuel duties by on average at least 5 per cent. a year in real terms, and the introduction of VAT on domestic fuel and power, now held to 8 per cent., both play an important part in achieving the United Kingdom's commitment to return CO2, emissions to 1990 levels in the year 2000.

  I have regular discussions with my colleagues about improvements to the environment.

  Tax Self-assessment
  Mr. Byers
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the estimated cost of developing the computer facilities necessary to support the introduction of tax self-assessment; and what plans he has to involve the private sector and from what date.

  Sir George Young
  About £200 million. The Inland Revenue's information technology partner, Electronic Data Services, is due to take formal responsibility for this work from January 1996, but EDS is already involved in the programme and has expressed its full commitment to it.

  Doctors
  Mrs. Beckett
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the Treasury will publish its general schedule for 1994–95 for doctors undertaking part-time work for central Government Departments and other agencies.

  Mr. Aitken
  The Treasury will not be publishing revisions to the schedule which was effective from April 1993. It is not mandatory on Departments and agencies. Subject to any statutory Treasury involvement in specific cases, they can decide whether to vary the schedule's provisions in the light of their own judgments on best value for money and affordability within cash constraints.

  PAYE and National Insurance
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the latest estimated level of uncollected PAYE and national insurance contributions deducted but not paid over to the Revenue, in figures and as a percentage of the total amounts, for each year since 1979 expressed in 1994 prices.

  Sir George Young
  [holding answer 6 February 1995]: The amounts of PAYE and national insurance contributions uncollected and consequently remitted or written off as uncollected are as follows:
  11

  Year

  PAYE amount in £ thousands

  As a percentage of total PAYE collected

  Amount expressed in 1993 prices

  Classes 1 and 1A NIC amount in £ thousands

  As a percentage of total NIC classes 1 and 1A collected

  Amount expressed in 1993 prices

  1986

  60,915

  0.17

  100,334

  4,377

  0.02

  7,209

  1987

  92,560

  0.25

  137,559

  8,514

  0.03

  12,653

  1988

  130,724

  0.33

  174,624

  15,894

  0.06

  21,231

  1989

  122,890

  0.28

  151,176

  15,127

  0.05

  18,609

  1990

  107,091

  0.22

  122,314

  17,239

  0.05

  19,689

  1991

  135,285

  0.26

  148,307

  21,644

  0.06

  23,732

  1992

  381,172

  0.71

  401,898

  32,570

  0.09

  34,341

  1993

  388,190

  0.72

  388,190

  41,257

  0.11

  41,257

  1994

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  The figures for 1994 are not sufficiently complete to allow the necessary comparison to be made and consequently the information is not available in the form requested. Therefore, the figures are expressed in accordance with 1993 prices.

  Insolvencies, where the Inland Revenue has very little control over the amount recoverable, account for the vast majority of remissions of tax.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Colombia
  Mr. Dowd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Colombian Government over the human rights situation in Colombia.

  Mr. David Davis
  We maintain a regular dialogue on human rights with the Colombian Government. We welcome recent measures taken to address problems they acknowledge exist. My current visit to Colombia will provide a further opportunity to discuss this issue.

  Mr. Dowd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what efforts he has made to persuade the United Nations Commission on Human Rights to appoint a special rapporteur on Colombia.

  Mr. Goodlad
  None. I refer the hon. Member to the reply that my hon. Friend the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs gave to the hon. Member for Neath (Mr. Hain) on 14 February,Official Report, column 580. We do not believe that the appointment of a special rapporteur is needed.

  Chechnya
  Mr. Elletson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last discussed the crisis in Chechnya with the German Foreign Minister; and what assessment he has made of whether a common European response to it exists.

  Mr. Goodlad
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs last discussed the crisis in Chechnya with the German Foreign Minister, Herr Kinkel, on 1 February.

  A common European response has been agreed within the framework of the common foreign and security policy. All EU members share the view that the fighting in Chechnya needs to be brought to an end, and negotiations on a political settlement started. The EU has given its full support to the OSCE's efforts to help find a lasting
  12
  solution. Its position has been made clear in statements issued by the Foreign Affairs Council on 23 January and 6 February.

  Mr. Elletson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his Department's latest estimate of(a) Russian military casualties (b) civilian casualties in Chechnya.

  Mr. Goodlad
  There are no independently verifiable figures available for the casualty figures in Chechnya. However, on 11 February, General Kolesnikov was quoted as saying 1,020 Russian soldiers had been killed. On 9 February, the Russian Interfax agency claimed that 3,400 Russian soldiers had been wounded.

  The Russian human rights ombudsman, Sergei Kovalev, has estimated 25,000 civilians have been killed or wounded. He arrived at this figure after questioning refugees about their personal experiences and extrapolating an overall figure from these eye witness accounts.

  Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proposals he has for replacing the nuclear non-proliferation treaty with a nuclear weapons convention using the chemical weapons convention as a basis.

  Mr. David Davis
  There are no such plans. We believe the nuclear non-proliferation treaty has worked well to contain the spread of nuclear weapons.

  Nuclear Weapons
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether Her Majesty's Government will now be making a new submission to the International Court of Justice on the legality of the use and threat of nuclear weapons in any circumstances following the United Nations Assembly decision on 15 December to refer the issue to the court; and if he will publish the submissions already made.

  Mr. David Davis
  We intend to make a further submission in the light of the resolution adopted by the 1994 United Nations General Assembly, seeking an advisory opinions the legality of the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons. The International Court of Justice requires that submissions are kept confidential until the case is heard.
  13

  Embassies
  Mr. Elletson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when his Department plans to open embassies in(a) Armenia and (b) Georgia.

  Mr. Goodlad
  On 15 February 1995, my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister announced that we would be opening embassies in Armenia, Georgia and Turkmenistan this year.

  Social Summit
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many countries and how many heads of state have accepted invitations to the United Nations social summit in Copenhagen in March.

  Mr. Goodlad
  Over 90 heads of state or Government have confirmed their attendance at the summit. A number of other countries will also be represented.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which Department is responsible for co-ordinating the Government's input to the United Nations social summit in Copenhagen.

  Mr. Goodlad
  The Foreign Office is co-ordinating preparations for the United Kingdom's participation in the summit.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether there will be a United Kingdom policy statement to the United Nations social summit in Copenhagen in March; and whether it will be publicly available.

  Mr. Goodlad
  The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has prepared a background brief on the world summit for social development. This is available from the FCO's information department. Copies have also been placed in the Library of the House.

  European Single Act Treaty
  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will take measures to ensure the publication in the United Kingdom treaty series of the current contents of the treaty of Rome, the European Single Act treaty and treaty of the Union and in a single command publication of A4 size; and for what reasons this has not already been done.

  Mr. David Davis
  In line with normal practice, the treaty on European Union was published as Command Paper No. 1934 in May 1992, following its signature by the United Kingdom, as Command Paper No. 2485, in March 1994, following its entry into force. A consolidated text is published by the office for official publications of the European Communities, and is available from Her Majesty's Stationery Office.

  Pirate Attacks
  Mr. Dowd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many attacks by pirates on British shipping off the coast of Brazil have been recorded since 1987.

  Mr. Goodlad
  [pursuant to his reply 1 February 1995, column 701]: My Department has now been provided with new information. This shows that eight attacks off Brazil have been recorded; five on British flagged vessels, one on a Hong Kong flagged, British-managed ship, and
  14
  two attacks on ships with a British interest, but flagged in other countries.

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

  Languages (Judges)
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what is the latest number of judges serving in England and Wales; how many of these are fluent in(a) Urdu, (b) Punjabi and (c) Welsh; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The table lists the number of judges in each of the offices shown in England and Wales as at 13 February 1995. Our records regarding judges' knowledge of languages are not comprehensive but show that 19 judges speak Welsh. None are recorded as speaking an Indian or Pakistani language but it is believed that a few do. Of those serving in a part-time capacity or in a full-time capacity not listed on the table, according to the limited information available, 55 speak Welsh and 16 speak an Indian or Pakistani language. Urdu and Punjabi are not separately identified in the records and the records do not indicate the degree of fluency.

  Total number

  Lord Chancellor

  1

  Lords of Appeal in Ordinary

  11

  Heads of Division

  4

  Lords Justices of Appeal

  30

  High Court Judges

  93

  Circuit Judges

  511

  District Judges1

  321

  Stipendiary Magistrates

  88

  Masters2

  29

  1 Including District Judges of the Principal Registry of the Family Division.

  2 Including Bankruptcy Registrars.

  Residency Orders
  Mrs. Golding
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many shared residency orders have been granted by the courts for the last year for which figures are available.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The information requested is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Boundary Disputes
  Mr. Booth
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what has been the total cost of legal aid given for boundary disputes in each of the last three years.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  It is not possible to identify separately the cost of boundary disputes from other proceedings relating to land. It is only possible, therefore, to provide information on the cost of all "land" related matters. The total net cost to the legal aid fund of all "land" matters—excluding landlord and tenant
  15
  proceedings—where proceedings were concluded, in each of the last three years, was as follows:

  1991–92: £5.2 million

  1992–93: £7.7 million

  1993–94: £10.9 million

  Medical Negligence
  Mr. Booth
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what was the cost of legal aid given for disputes involving medical negligence in each of the last three years.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The net cost to legal aid of cases involving medical negligence, excluding multi-party actions, where proceedings were concluded, in each of the last three years was as follows:

  1991–92: £5.9 million

  1992–93: £10.8 million

  1993–94; £21.9 million

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Secure Training Centres
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to respond to the report of the United Nations Committee on Implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child regarding his policy on secure training centres; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maclean
  The proceedings of the committee ended with its concluding observations. But I take this opportunity to record that we reject the committee's observations about secure training orders. Its observations contain serious misunderstandings, despite the extensive written material provided to the committee before its oral hearings, and despite the specific information given by United Kingdom representatives at the end of nine hours of hearings during the brief opportunity to respond to the committee's oral questions on this matter.

  The committee appears to believe that the existence of the secure training centres could he inconsistent with the provisions of the convention requiring that detention or imprisonment of a child shall be used as a measure of last resort. As was explained to the committee, that is not so. By section 1 of the Criminal Justice Act 1991, custodial sentences, whether for adults or children, are available to the courts only in limited circumstances and in effect as a last resort. Secure training orders, when brought into force, will be subject to that provision. Such orders will be available only for persistent offenders, and will be served in purpose-built establishments providing a high standard of training and care reflecting the needs of the young offender concerned, and the need to minimise the risk of further offending.

  Football Pools
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he intends to take to enable football pools companies to pay small winnings in retail outlets, to operate on an equal footing with the national lottery through the subsidy of prize money and to remove 16
  restrictions on the type of events on which pools may be based.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  My hon. Friend announced during the course of the debate on the motion on the Adjournment on 10 February,Official Report, column 642, that licensed betting offices should be permitted to pay pools winnings. I intend to bring forward an order under section 1 of the Deregulation and Contracting Out Act 1994 later this year, following consultation.

  I am currently reviewing the scope for further deregulation and have asked officials to discuss a range of issues with the Pool Promoters Association.

  Immigration
  Mr. Robathan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of those passengers on the Leisure International Airways flight from Kingston, Jamaica in December 1993, who were granted temporary admission to the United Kingdom, have(a) returned to their country of origin, (b) been granted further leave to remain in the United Kingdom and (c) are of unknown location.

  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  The information requested is not available. Comprehensive statistics are not kept of departures from the United Kingdom or of applications for leave to remain by reference to the flight of arrival.

  Mr. Mills
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to ensure that the United Kingdom immigration rules are not breached by immigrants entering the United Kingdom from other European Union countries.

  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  The United Kingdom operates a full immigration control on all non-European economic area nationals arriving here, regardless of the country from which they have travelled, and we shall continue to do so.

  Roy Higginson
  Mr. Miller
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will make a statement on the conduct of each authority under his jurisdiction in the case of the remand, conviction and subsequent escape of prisoner Roy Higginson;

  (2) what inquiries he has instigated in respect of prisoner Roy Higginson since 15 January; and if he will make a statement.

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

  Letter from Derek Lewis to Mr. Andrew Miller, dated 20 February 1995:
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Questions about Roy Higginson.
  Mr. Higginson appeared at Liverpool Crown Court on 8 May 1992, having been previously granted bail, and was sentenced to four years imprisonment. He was held in closed prisons for the first sixteen months of his sentence during which time he successfully completed a period of home leave. After careful assessment he was

  17
  judged to be suitable to work outside the prison. He was transferred to Kirkham open prison.
  Two further home leaves were successfully completed before Mr. Higginson absconded on 30 December 1993. This was reported to Lancashire police immediately.
  The responsibility for apprehending absconders is an operational matter for chief officers of police. The Cheshire Constabulary followed their normal procedures and made enquiries in the Ellesmere Port area and visited Mr. Higginson's house in an attempt to apprehend him. They will be looking at their procedures to see what they can learn from this incident.
  He remained unlawfully at large until he surrendered to custody at Lancaster prison on 14 January 1995. He was charged under prison rules with absconding. A full inquiry was held by the governor at Mr. Higginson's adjudication on 16 January; he was found guilty and twenty eight days were added to his sentence.
  It will also be necessary for Mr. Higginson to serve that part of his sentence for which he was unlawfully at large. His security category was upgraded and he is now held in secure conditions at Wymott prison.

  North-east Constabularies
  Mr. Devlin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how may police officers are currently serving in the north-east constabularies; and how many were serving in 1978.

  Mr. Maclean
  The information is set out in the table:

  North-east Police Forces—Strength (as at 31 December)

  Force

  1978

  1994

  Cleveland

  1,311

  1,435

  Durham

  1,289

  1,356

  Humberside

  1,797

  2,042

  Northumbria

  3,208

  3,595

  North Yorkshire

  1,303

  1,313

  South Yorkshire

  2,472

  3,026

  West Yorkshire

  4,621

  5,037

  Mr. Devlin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many civilians are currently serving in the north-east constabularies; and how many were serving in 1978.

  Mr. Maclean
  The information is set out in the table:

  North-east Police Forces—Civilian strength (as at 31 December)

  Force

  1978

  1994

  Cleveland

  300

  522

  Durham

  510

  485

  Humberside

  503

  651

  Northumbria

  777

  1,285

  North Yorkshire

  341

  507

  South Yorkshire

  583

  1,157

  West Yorkshire

  1,170

  1,945

  Miscarriages of Justice
  Ms Corston
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the average time taken to investigate an alleged miscarriage of justice by his Department during 1994 or for the latest year available; and how many cases which are currently being examined by C3 division of his Department, at the latest date available, have been outstanding for more than 12 months.

  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  Excluding cases over 12 months old, the average time taken in 1994 to complete 18
  consideration of an allegation of wrongful conviction was 36 working days. On 1 January 1995, there were 38 cases which had been under consideration for more than 12 months.

  Forensic Science Laboratory
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals he has to modify the structure, management and functions of the Metropolitan police force forensic science laboratory; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maclean
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to a question from the hon. Member for Worcester (Mr. Luff) on 10 February,Official Report, columns 426–27.

  Live Animal Exports
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the measures(a) available and (b) used to protect the lawful export trade in live sheep; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maclean
  The Government keep the public order legislation under review to ensure that the right balance of measure is available to the police and prosecuting authorities. I am satisfied that no additional powers are needed at this time.

  The policing of demonstrations, including those against live animal exports, are operational matters for the chief officers of police concerned. They are not matters in which Government Ministers can intervene. I am satisfied that chief officers are taking all reasonable steps to ensure that those concerned with the carrying of live sheep and other animals to their point of departure can go about their lawful activities without obstruction.

  Offences against Children
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what assessment he has made of the introduction of laws in Australia, France, the United States of America, Germany, Sweden and Norway to prosecute nationals who have committed sexual offences against children extra-territorially, where that offence is also a crime under the other country's law;

  (2) what plans he has to introduce extra-territorial jurisdiction over nationals who have allegedly committed offences against children, where that offence is also a crime under the other country's law.

  Mr. Maclean
  We continue to monitor the position in those countries known to have adopted extra-territorial jurisdiction over sexual offences against children. The most recent information available indicates that prosecutions have been brought in Germany, Norway and Sweden against citizens of those countries. In only one case—in Norway—is a prosecution known to have been successful. However, the evidential requirements of United Kingdom courts are such that similar prosecutions would probably not be successful here; our courts rely largely on oral testimony, and would require the attendance of witnesses from the countries where the alleged offences had been committed.

  We have no present plans to introduce extra-territorial jurisdiction over our nationals who have allegedly

  19
  committed offences abroad against children, although we remain ready to assist the judicial authorities in other countries to enforce their laws in this area.

  Wolds Prison
  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what criteria underlay the awarding of the contract for the Wolds prison to a firm which did not submit the lowest bid.

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

  Letter from A. J. Butler to Mrs. Barbara Roche, dated 20 February 1995:
  The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question about the awarding of the contract for Wolds prison.
  Of the bids submitted to the Prison Service, two were lower than Group 4's bid. Although all three bids were considered to be acceptable, the key factors were the assessment of the bidder's ability to deliver the service that was proposed at the price that was being offered. There was concern about the lean staffing levels in the lowest bid and that they would not be sufficient to deal with any incidents that might arise. The lowest bidder also lacked the United Kingdom experience of Group 4, which included the operation of the Harmondsworth Immigration Detention Centre. These risks were considered to outweigh the higher price bid by Group 4. The overall conclusion was that Group 4's bid offered the best value for money, together with an assurance of quality.

  Metropolitan Police Committee
  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the criteria used by his Department in the short-listing of individuals seeking to serve on the Metropolitan police committee.

  Mr. Maclean
  I considered all applications to serve on this advisory committee personally, in consultation with Sir John Quinton. We had regard to the individual merits of each candidate and took into account the need to balance skills and experience in the light of the needs of the committee as a whole. I short-listed 20 candidates from the original field of over 100, and the successful candidates were seen by Sir John Quinton prior to their appointment.

  Probation Service, South Yorkshire
  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what will be the impact of the November 1994 budget statement on the South Yorkshire probation service.

  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  The 1994 Budget statement resulted in a specific grant cash limit for 1995–96 for the South Yorkshire probation service of £9.4 million, plus a further £0.6 million to support probation service partnerships with the independent sector previously funded separately by the Home Office. It is for the South Yorkshire probation service to decide how these resources are best used and to determine what specific changes within the service should be undertaken on the basis of the total expenditure limit implied by this level of grant support.

  Tote Board Chairman
  Mr. Beith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to advertise for applications for the post of chairman of the Tote Board.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  None.

  Court of Appeal
  Ms Corston
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases were referred to the Court of Appeal following investigation by his Department in each of the last five years.

  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  The information requested is provided in the following table:

  Cases referred under section 17(1) (a) of the Criminal Appeal Act 1968

  Number of cases

  Number of defendants

  (a) in respect of conviction

  1990

  7

  20

  1991

  10

  12

  1992

  8

  11

  1993

  8

  9

  1994

  9

  12

  (b) in respect of sentence only

  1990

  3

  3

  1991

  4

  8

  1992

  1

  1

  1993

  Nil

  Nil

  1994

  2

  3

  Ms Corston
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases he referred to the Court of Appeal following an investigation by C3 division at his Department in each of the last 12 months.

  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  The information requested is given in the following table:

  Number of cases referred under section 17(1)(a) of the Criminal Appeal Act 1968

  Month

  Conviction

  Sentence

  1994

  February

  Nil

  Nil

  March

  1

  Nil

  April

  1

  1

  May

  Nil

  Nil

  June

  Nil

  Nil

  July

  2

  Nil

  August

  Nil

  Nil

  September

  Nil

  Nil

  October

  2

  1

  November

  Nil

  Nil

  December

  3

  Nil

  1995

  January

  1

  1

  Pornography
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what training currently exists for British police to monitor and take action on pornography or other illegal entries on the Internet.

  Mr. Maclean
  The way in which officers are trained in relation to the detection of computer pornography is for
  21
  chief officers to determine in the light of their operational requirements.

  Prison Escapes
  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 2 January,Official Report, column 810, how many of the escapes from prisons in (a) 1979, (b) 1984–85 and (c) 1985–86 were non-key performance indicator escapes.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  [holding answer 13 February 1995]: Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter from Derek Lewis to Mrs. Barbara Roche, dated 20 February 1995:
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question, pursuant to his Answer of 2 February, Official Report, Column 810, asking how many of the escapes from prisons in (a) 1979, (b) 1984/85 and (c) 1985–86 were non-Key Performance Indicator escapes.
  I greatly regret that the information I gave in response to your original Question was incorrect, as the figures for 1979, 1984/85 and 1985/86 did not include all escapes. The 1993/94 figures were correct. The correct information is shown in the table below:

  Year

  Escapes from prison

  Escapes from Greater London prisons

  1979

  232

  2n/a

  1984/85

  211

  2n/a

  1985/86

  202

  2n/a

  1993/94

  1171

  11

  1Excludes non-Key Performance Indicator escapes (ie those recaptured within 15 minutes).

  2Full Information not available

  Key Performance Indicators were not introduced until the Prison Service became an Agency on 1 April 1993. Non-Key Performance Indicator escapes were, therefore, not recorded in 1979, 1984–85 or 1985–86.

  EU Treaty
  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will confirm or modify the ministerial description of the operation of articles 1000 and 7A of the current main treaty of the European Community and Union given orally by the right hon. and learned Member for Rushcliffe (Mr. Clarke) on 27 January 1993,Official Report, column 122.

  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  [holding answer 17 February 1995]: The position on both articles 1000 and 7A of the EC treaty remains as set out by my right hon. and learned Friend. The draft external frontiers convention, if implemented, would provide for the mutual recognition of visas in certain circumstances but this convention has not yet been signed.

  EU Frontiers
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what representations he has received from the hon. Member for Bexhill and Battle (Mr. Wardle) in the last 15 months, over the opt-out negotiated to the Single European Act over frontiers in 1985; and if he will make a statement;
  22
  (2) what communications he has had with the Prime Minister over the last 15 months, concerning the legality of the opt-out negotiated by Her Majesty's Government to the Single European Act in 1985 relating to internal frontiers; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Howard
  [holding answer 16 February 1995]: Meetings and correspondence between Ministers are confidential.

LORD PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL

  Written Questions
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Lord President of the Council what plans he has to make proposals to put upper and lower limits on the number of written questions an hon. Member may ask in any single parliamentary Session; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Newton
  I have no such plans.

  Masons
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Lord President of the Council if he will make proposals to require hon. Members to declare if they are members of a masonic lodge.

  Mr. Newton
  I have no plans to do so.

  Colonies
  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Lord President of the Council what plans he has for greater scrutiny by Parliament of the administration and governance of the colonies in respect of those responsibilities within the jurisdiction of the governor and Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

  Mr. Newton
  I have no plans to change the existing arrangements.

  Sittings of the House
  Ms Lynne
  To ask the Lord President of the Council what assessment he has made of the making of the new timetable for the sittings of the House; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Newton
  On the basis of less than six week's experience of the experimental changes agreed by the House in December, my initial assessment is that they are working well.

  Question Time
  Mr. MacShane
  To ask the Lord President of the Council if he will consider moving certain Question Time sessions to the morning.

  Mr. Newton
  I have no plans to do so.

  Transferred Questions
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Lord President of the Council if he will bring forward proposals for Government Departments to consult with hon. Members before transferring their oral questions to other Departments.

  Mr. Newton
  I have no plans to do so.
  23

HOUSE OF COMMONS

  Child Care Facilities
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the right hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed, representing the House of Commons Commission, when the Commission expects child care facilities to be made available in the building.

  Mr. Beith
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Derbyshire, North-East (Mr. Barnes).

  Stationery
  Mr. Hawkins
  To ask the Chairman of the Administration Committee if he will investigate the propriety of arrangements in operation for overprinting between certain printers and the suppliers of House stationery; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Micheal J. Martin
  Arrangements for overprinting of House of Commons stationery provided from the Serjeant at Arms' stores is the responsibility of individual Members.

  Internet
  Mr. David Shaw
  To ask the Chairman of the Information Committee if he will make a statement on progress towards making the Official Report available to the public via the Internet and how this could be done; and what assessment he has made of whether the current production systems for the Official Report are capable of being connected to the Internet.

  Mr. Gary Waller
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him on 14 February 1995 at column 573. The Information Committee has not yet considered the possibility of distributing the Official Report via the Internet.

HEALTH

  Jarman Indices
  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reason the Jarman indices relating to deprivation has not been updated on the basis of the 1991 census; and if she will now take steps to do so.

  Mr. Malone
  In its recently published report for 1995–96, the Doctors' and Dentists' Review Body recommended that future deprivation payments should be based on 1991 census data. The Government have accepted its recommendation.

  Mental Illness
  Mrs. Golding
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many young people under the age of 14 years have been admitted to psychiatric hospitals in each of the last 10 years.

  Mr. Bowis
  Information on admissions to national health service hospitals for the under 14 years age group for mental illness is given in table 5.24 of the annual 24
  publication "Health and Personal Social Services Statistics for England" copies of which are available in the Library.

  NHS Staff Cars
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make it her policy that the range of cars provided to staff of health authorities and NHS trusts shall be limited to those costing no more than those provided for Government Ministers.

  Mr. Malone
  Staff employed on national terms and conditions may be eligible for a lease car under the terms of section 24 of the "General Whitley Council Handbook", copies of which are available in the Library. Employees who choose to have a car which is larger or more expensive than that due to them under the terms of the agreement must pay the excess costs involved.

  National health service trusts have the freedom to make their own staff transport arrangements.

  Personal Assistance for The Disabled
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if she will bring forward proposals to assist those local authorities which are unable to provide payments schemes for the disabled;

  (2) what assessment she has made of the expense caused to the disabled by legal barriers in direct payments to disabled people for personal assistance; and if she will review this policy.

  Mr. Bowis
  There is, as yet, no such scheme. I refer the hon. Member to the reply my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State gave my hon. Friend the Member for Stratford-on-Avon (Mr. Howarth) on 24 November 1994 at columns 332–33.

  Malaria Chemoprophylaxis
  Mr. Nicholas Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made as to the cost-effectiveness of the charging for the provision of malaria chemoprophylaxis.

  Mr. Malone
  The cost of malaria prophylaxis represents a small part of the overall costs of travelling to malarious areas and some anti-malaria drugs can be bought over the counter cheaper than the cost of a national health service prescription. The Government are not changing their recommendations that all travellers to malarious areas take appropriate measures to prevent malaria but do believe that, in this case, the individual traveller should meet the cost of protecting their own health. The cost-effectiveness of permitting general practitioners to charge for prescribing anti-malarial drugs has been considered as one factor in reaching this decision.

  Dental Services
  Mrs. Maddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many dentists have taken on new national health service patients in(a) Christchurch borough, (b) East Dorset district, (c) Dorset and (d) Great Britain in each year since 1979.
  25
  Mr. Malone
  The available information is shown in the table.

  Number of dentists who had additions to their register by year

  1991

  1992

  1993

  1994

  Dorset

  244

  244

  242

  240

  England

  15,126

  15,295

  15,268

  15,217

  1. Additions to the register include instances of patients reregistering with a dentist after a break in attendance and instances of reinstatement of registrations that have been cancelled in error.

  2. Some dentists have contracts with more than one family health services authority. The figure for Dorset includes all dentists in contract with Dorset FHSA meeting the criterion. The England figure represents the total number of dentists in contracts in England meeting the criterion.

  Capital Projects
  Mr. Devlin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list all major capital projects carried out at hospitals in the northern region since 1979 with their cost at 1995 prices.

  Mr. Sackville
  Information will be placed in the Library which lists all major capital projects with a works cost of over £1 million.

  Cochlear Implants
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health at which locations in England and Wales cochlear implant operations are carried out for adults and children.

  Mr. Sackville
  Cochlear implant operations are carried out at the following locations:

  Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham;

  The Royal Infirmary, Manchester;

  North Riding Infirmary, Middlesbrough;

  General Hospital and Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham;

  Bradford Hospitals Trust;

  Royal Southants Hospital, Southampton;

  Addenbrookes Hospital, Cambridge;

  Central Sheffield University Hospitals Trust;

  In London: University College and Middlesex Hospitals;

  St. Mary's Hospital, Paddington;

  Hospitals for Sick Children, Great Ormond Street.

  The provision of this service in Wales is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the expenditure on cochlear implant operations in England and Wales since the start of this operation; and how many operations have been carried out in each year on(a) adults and (b) children.
  26
  Mr. Sackville
  This information is not available centrally. Information for Wales is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.

  Female Circumcision
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the number of cases that have involved female circumcision and have required treatment at NHS hospitals covering the Greater London area.

  Mr. Sackville
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Newcastle under Lyme (Mrs. Golding) on 17 February at column 836.

  Misconduct
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to introduce fines for misconduct for all holders of public office.

  Mr. Sackville
  None.

  Breast Cancer
  Mrs. Golding
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the mortality rate from breast cancer in(a) England and (b) other OECD countries for which figures are available.

  Mr. Sackville
  In 1993 the provisional mortality rate for malignant neoplasm of the female breast—ICD1 184—in England was 49.3 per 100,000 women.

  The latest available data for other Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development countries can be found in the "United Nations Demographic Yearbook", copies of which are available in the Library.
  1International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision.

  Medium Secure Psychiatric Units
  Ms Jowell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many mentally ill people are awaiting placement in medium secure psychiatric units, by region.

  Mr. Bowis
  This information is not available centrally.

  Takare plc Nursing Homes
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer of 14 February,Official Report, column 649, on how many occasions registration requirements for a Takare establishment have been relaxed as a result of representations received from Takare plc by the chairpersons of individual health authorities responsible for such legislation under the Registered Homes Act 1984.

  Mr. Bowis
  None to my knowledge. The hon. Member should let me have evidence of any such allegations.

HEALTH

  Local Pay Guidance
  Mr. Burden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what guidance she has issued to health service units seeking trust status regarding the development of post Whitley Council arrangements for the determination to pay and conditions for employees.

  Mr. Malone
  In 1994, the national health service executive launched a further comprehensive programme for national health service trusts in support of the pay and personnel freedoms introduced in the National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990. The programme embraces advice and guidance on the key issues involved in the development of locally determined pay and conditions.

  NHS Staff
  Mr. Burden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what are the implications for a health service unit's progress to trust status of plans to retain nationally negotiated agreements for the pay and conditions of its employees.

  Mr. Malone
  The National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990 enables NHS trusts to employ staff on such terms as the trust sees fit and a health service unit's plans for pay and conditions do not have a bearing on application for trust status.

  Office of Population Censuses and Surveys
  Mr. Betts
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what consultation the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys has had and will have with regard to the proposed 1991 area classification based on the census; and if the results of the classification will be produced at constituency level.

  Mr. Sackville
  The Office of Population Censuses and Surveys (OPCS) consulted census advisory groups representing Government Departments, local authorities, health authorities, the academic community and the market research industry about proposals for an area classification. A classification has now been prepared following the lines of classifications produced and published after the 1971 and 1981 censuses: details will appear in the next issue of "Population Trends", copies of which will be placed in the Library. OPCS has no plans to produce a classification of parliamentary constituencies.

  Exploitation of Children
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures her Department undertakes to combat the commercial exploitation of children.

  Mr. Bowis
  A comprehensive framework of protection for children below minimum school-leaving age undertaking part-time work has existed for many years. Detailed controls are contained in local authority byelaws, and local authorities are responsible for enforcing these.

  Allergy Services
  Mr. Sutcliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many allergy physicians there are working within the Bradford health authority;
  28
  (2) what provision there is for allergy services within the Bradford health authority.

  Mr. Sackville
  This information is not available centrally. The hon. Member may wish to contact Mrs. Zahida Manzoor, chairman of Bradford health authority, for details.

  Mr. Sutcliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the uniformity of(a) provision and (b) availability of allergy services in the United Kingdom within the national health service.

  Mr. Sackville
  None. This is for providers to agree with their purchasers.

  Ambulance Services
  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whom she has commissioned to conduct an independent study into priority despatch systems in ambulance services; what are the terms of reference; what are the qualifications and experience of those concerned; what is the cost; and when she expects the study to be completed.

  Mr. Sackville
  I have commissioned the medical care research unit at the university of Sheffield to conduct this study, whose primary focus is to assess the reliability and safety of prioritised despatch systems. The research team, headed by a professor of statistics, is well qualified and has considerable experience in this field. The cost is £60,000. I expect to receive the final report of the study by the end of 1995.

  NHS Trust Chairmen and Chief Executives
  Mrs. Beckett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what were the NHS earnings of each trust(a) chairman and (b) chief executive in each year since 1991–92; and what are the expected earnings in 1994–95 and 1995–96.

  Mr. Malone
  [holding answer 13 January 1995]: For 1991–92 to 1993–94, this information was published in the annual accounts of each trust, but for 1991–92 and 1992–93, this information was not collected centrally. For 1993–94, I refer the right hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Don Valley (Mr. Redmond) on 16 February at column 808. Forecast information for 1994–95 and 1995–96 is not available.

  Health Spending
  Mrs. Beckett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what was(a) total NHS expenditure, (b) current expenditure on the hospital and community health services, (c) capital expenditure on the hospital and community health services, (d) expenditure on the family practitioner services, (e) expenditure on centrally funded NHS services and (f) expenditure on personal social services in England in each year since 1974–75 giving each in (i) cash terms, (ii) adjusted using the relevant pay and prices index and (iii) adjusted using the GDP deflator;

  (2) if she will give for each year since 1974–75 total capital spending on hospital and community health services and spending in net terms after deducting proceeds from land and property sales (a) in cash terms, (b) adjusted using the GDP deflator and (c) adjusted using the relevant index of NHS prices.

  Mr. Sackville
  [pursuant to his reply, 23 January 1995, column 14]: I regret that there was an error in one of the

  29
  tables provided. A corrected version will now be placed in the Library.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Information Society Meeting
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) what are Her Majesty's Government's key priorities for the British Government at the forthcoming G7 meeting on the information society;

  (2) if he will list those individuals from Her Majesty's Government who will attend the G7 information society meeting recording their post and department in each case;

  (3) if he will list the ministerial representatives from G7 countries attending the meeting on the information society.

  Mr. Ian Taylor
  As the Minister responsible for co-ordinating policy on the information society, I shall be representing the Government at the G7 ministerial conference on the information society in Brussels on 24 to 26 February. I understand that the following Ministers from other G7 countries currently intend to participate:

  Country

  Post

  Canada

  Mr. Manley

  Minister of Industry

  Mr. Dupuy

  Minister of Canadian Heritage

  France

  Mr. Rossi

  Minister of Industry, Posts, Telecommunications and External Trade

  Germany

  Mr. Rexrodt

  Federal Economics Minister

  Mr. Boetsch

  Federal Minister for Posts and Telecommunications

  Italy

  Mr. Clo

  Minister for Industry

  Mr. Gambino

  Minister for Posts and Telecommunications

  Japan

  Mr. Hashimoto

  Minister for International Trade and Industry

  Mr. Oide

  Minister for Posts and Telecommunications

  United States

  Mr. Gore

  Vice President

  Mr. Brown

  Secretary of Commerce

  As indicated in my reply today to my hon. Friend the Member for Gravesham, (Mr. Arnold) the conference will provide a timely opportunity for Ministers responsible for the information society to exchange views on latest developments in the sector. I shall be emphasising that Governments must do everything possible to remove obstacles to the creation of the information society, in particular by liberalising telecommunications infrastructure to bring prices down to a level which will make the development of a wide range of innovative services commercially attractive. I shall also urge United Kingdom industry to demonstrate how its multi-media
  30
  equipment and products can contribute to educational and community services.

  I shall arrange for relevant papers from the conference to be placed in the Library of the House.

  Mr. Jacques Arnold
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what issues will be discussed at the G7 conference on information society in Brussels to he held on 24 to 26 February; what are the United Kingdom Government's objectives in attending the conference; who will be representing the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Ian Taylor
  The Naples G7 Summit in July 1994 invited the European Commission to host a G7 ministerial conference on the information society. This will take place in Brussels on 24 to 26 February, and I shall he representing the Government. The conference will begin with a round table of 45 business leaders from the G7 countries. The UK participants in the round table will be Sir lain Valiance of BT, Peter Bonfield of ICL, Lord Blakenham of Pearson, and Bob Phillis of the BBC. Ministers will then hold discussions on three broad themes: the regulatory framework and competition policy, development of information infrastructure; and social, society and cultural aspects of the information society. I shall be a lead speaker on the first of these subjects. The conference will also launch a number of pilot projects to demonstrate the scope for international collaboration in different areas of the information society.

  The conference will provide a timely opportunity for Ministers responsible for the information society to exchange views on latest developments in the sector. I shall be emphasising that Governments must do everything possible to remove obstacles to the creation of the information society, in particular by liberalising telecommunications infrastructure to bring prices down to a level which will make the development of a wide range of innovative services commercially attractive. I shall also urge UK industry to demonstrate how its multimedia equipment and products can realistically contribute to educational and community services.

  I shall arrange for relevant papers from the G7 conference to be placed in the Library of the House and on the Internet.

  European Funding
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what steps he is taking to allow the private sector to match funding for European regional development funding and European social funding.

  Mr. Eggar
  My right hon. Friends and I have agreed with the European Commission target figures for private sector contributions to the regional single programmes co-financed by the ERDF and ESF. The Merseyside programme, for example, envisages private contributions totalling 368 mecu alongside ERDF and ESF grant of 813 mecu: 816 mecu domestic public finance is also required for this programme.

  Mr. Alton
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what models the Government have developed of how the private sector should he encouraged to access the European regional development fund; what models have been submitted to the EC; what discussions have taken place or are planned on this issue between Her Majesty's Government and the Commission; and what plans Her
  31
  Majesty's Government have to introduce agreed changes in time for approval of 1995 submissions.

  Mr. Eggar
  The Government wish to maximise the private sector contribution to projects to which the ERDF makes grants and has put to the Commission proposals for facilitating this while ensuring that projects are of general economic benefit to the areas concerned and that ERDF grants do not lead to excessive profit. The Commission's comments are awaited. Any changes to current practice will be introduced as soon as they are agreed. The timetables for considering applications vary from region to region.

  Mrs. Jane Kennedy
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) what consultations he has had or intends to have with the European Commission concerning procedures through which the private sector could access the European regional development fund;

  (2) if he will allow private sector companies to match finance for projects obtained from the European regional development fund and the European social fund.

  Mr. Eggar
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Liverpool, Mossley Hill (Mr. Alton) today.

  Mrs. Jane Kennedy
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what assessment he has made of the application of European Commission rules concerning the private sector's ability to wholly match finance projects eligible for European regional development fund support in objective 1 regions of other European Union member states.

  Mr. Eggar
  Some individual projects, in other member states as in Merseyside, may be financed exclusively by the private sector and the ERDF. However, the European Commission has in each case agreed with the Governments concerned that the aggregate of projects will be co-financed by specified amounts of national, including regional and local, as applicable in each case, public sector money, and as any private sector finance.

  Following are the aggregate figures in mecu for those single programming documents which show ERDF projects separately from those co-financed by other European structural funds:

  ERDF

  Private

  National public

  Flevoland (Netherlands)

  80

  181

  423

  French Guiana

  92

  0

  78

  Guadeloupe (France)

  160

  37

  223

  Hainaut (France)

  307

  210

  374

  Martinique (France)

  166

  43

  123

  Réunion (France)

  320

  118

  229

  Merseyside

  475

  289

  480

  Northern Electric
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he sought from Trafalgar House assurances as to the continued employment of sufficient staff at Northern Electric.

  Mr. Jonathan Evans
  No such assurance has been sought from Trafalgar House.

  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he received the advice of the Director General 32
  of Fair Trading on the possible reference of the Trafalgar House bid for Northern Electric.

  Mr. Jonathan Evans
  The advice was received on 2 February 1995.

  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade on what date he or his representatives met Trafalgar House plc to discuss assurances in their bid for Northern Electric; whether representatives of the Director General of Electricity Supply were present; and whether Northern Electric, the takeover panel and the Office of Fair Trading were informed of this meeting.

  Mr. Jonathan Evans
  Officials from my Department and representatives of the Director General of Electricity Supply met representatives of Trafalgar House on the afternoon of 13 February to discuss such assurances. The Office of Fair Trading was aware of the discussions. Neither the takeover panel nor Northern Electric was informed by my Department about the meeting.

  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is his statutory authority(a) for asking Trafalgar House to ensure that sufficient financial and management resources and other facilities were available to carry out the obligations of Northern Electric and (b) to secure compliance with such an assurance.

  Mr. Jonathan Evans
  The assurances obtained from Trafalgar House are not based in statute. If Trafalgar's bid for Northern Electric succeeds, the Director General of Electricity Supply—DGES—will monitor Northern Electric's behaviour, under Trafalgar's ownership, in the course of his normal regulatory duties. In doing so, the DGES will have available his usual regulatory powers, including the power to make an MMC reference under the Electricity Act 1989 and the monopoly provisions of the Fair Trading Act 1973, if appropriate.

  Nuclear Electric
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what financial guarantee the Government have provided and what costs have been underwritten in relation to Nuclear Electric's bid to gain a contract for reactor construction in Taiwan.

  Mr. Eggar
  The Government, in their role as shareholder, have required Nuclear Electric to absorb any working capital or other financial requirements arising as a result of the bid within the company's existing external financing limit.

  Trade Delegation, Malta
  Mr. Barnes
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the members of the delegation led by the Minister for Trade to Malta in January; who the delegation met with; and what were the results.

  Mr. Needham
  I was accompanied to Malta by a strong business delegation representing a broad spectrum of British industry and services, details of which are given. The visit was a success. We met four Ministers and held a seminar at the chamber of commerce. Many new business contracts were established and we have set up a United Kingdom/Malta roundtable to provide a forum for regular discussion.

  The Maltese Minister of Finance, whom I met in Malta, will meet my right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer in London this week.
  33

  Mr. S. Naill Armstrong

  Director

  Andrews Holdings Ltd

  Mr. Alex Josephides

  Business Director

  Avro International Aerospace

  Mr. Keith Davis

  Executive

  Bovis International Ltd

  Mr. Nick Cooke

  Head of Corporate Affairs

  Forte PLC

  Mr. Geoff Ball

  Sales Director

  GEC Alsthom

  Mr. Jeremy Hand

  Assistant Director

  Hambro European Venture Ltd

  Mr. W. B. A. Tanner

  Chairman

  Motherwell Bridge Projects Ltd

  Mr. Douglas J. Ridley, Managing Director and Mr. Chris Evans, Director Responsible for Malta

  Mowlem International Construction

  Mr. Maurice A. Hutson

  Executive Chairman

  Parker Plant Ltd

  Mr. Ian Butler

  Export Director

  Stanton PLC

  Mr. M. Walker

  Director, Africa Department

  Taylor Woodrow International Ltd

  Mr. Geoff Hollyhead

  Chairman

  Trinity Holdings PLC

  Mr. R. G. Hepburn

  Sales and Marketing Director

  John Brown Engineering Ltd

  Mr. Walter Herd

  International Sales Manager

  Leyland Trucks Ltd

  Mr. Roy Lester

  International Sales Director

  Marconi Instruments Ltd

  Mr. John Hill

  Vice Chairman

  UBAF Bank Ltd

  Sir Anthony Kershaw, Chairman and Mr. John R. Richardson, MD

  Tilhurst Limited

  34

  Mr. Alistair Flemming

  Director

  Weir Group

  Mr. Buhagiar

  Local Agent

  Rank Xerox

  Graham Atkinson

  PEP, DTI

  Keith Gullick

  XAAA1c, DTI

  John Fordyce

  Export Promoter, for Malta

  Nuclear Incidents
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what are the conditions under which the nuclear industry must report accidents and incidents on its sites in local newsletters and to ministers.

  Mr. Page
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer by my right hon. Friend the Member for Eddisbury (Mr. Goodlad), the then Under-Secretary of State for Energy, to a question from the then hon. Member for Sherwood on 30 April 1987,Official Report, columns 203–4.

  Nuclear Waste
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade which customer countries have expressed an interest in the BNFL proposal to substitute high-level waste for intermediate and low-level waste.

  Mr. Page
  BNFL has signed reprocessing contracts which contain return-of-waste options with organisations in Japan, Germany, Switzerland, Italy and Holland. All have indicated that they would be prepared to consider substitution, if BNFL were to offer it.

  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he intends to return to high-level wastes resulting from reprocessing at THORP to their customer countries, including wastes arising from spent fuel used at Japanese magnox plants.

  Mr. Page
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend the then Under-Secretary of State for Industry and Energy to the hon. Member for Stoke-on-Trent, North (Ms Walley) on 1 February 1995,Official Report, column 696.

  Anti-personnel Mines
  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what considerations he has given to enacting an export moratorium on the component parts of anti-personnel mines; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Ian Taylor
  [holding answer 14 February 1995]: I am not aware of any case having arisen. Any application

  35
  for an export licence for specially designed components for land mines would be subject to export controls, and would be considered on a case-by-case basis in the light of the indefinite moratorium which the United Kingdom has declared on the export from the UK of anti-personnel land mines which do not have self-destruct or self-neutralising mechanisms, and other established criteria.

  Voluntary Works Councils
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what study his Department has made of the work of the voluntary works councils in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Oppenheim
  I have been asked to reply.

  The Government encourage voluntary employee involvement and monitors significant developments in

  Requests from Housing Executive

  Requests from other sources

  Quarter ending

  Number of requests received

  Number of assessments carried out

  Number waiting at end of Quarter

  Number waiting at end of Quarter

  March 1994

  156

  126

  167

  297

  June 1994

  177

  94

  218

  313

  September 1994

  142

  166

  237

  400

  December 1994

  177

  145

  216

  364

  Total 1994

  652

  531

  —

  —

  Mr. Mallon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps he proposes to take to reduce the length of time taken to process occupational therapy reports in connection with Northern Ireland Housing Executive grant applications.

  Mr. Moss
  The health and social services boards have developed close working links with the Northern Ireland Housing Executive and are exploring how the time taken to produce occupational therapy reports can be reduced. As a result, it has recently been agreed that some public sector minor adaptations can be processed directly by the Housing Executive freeing up time for occupational therapists to process other cases more speedily.

  The Department of Health and Social Services will publish a charter for community services next month. The charter will set standards for getting occupational therapy assessments for housing adaptations under way and for completion within agreed time scales. Each board will be asked to produce an action plan to achieve the targets.

  Mr. Mallon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many(a) full-time and (b) part-time occupational therapists are employed in the Newry and Mourne unit of management; and how many are currently not at work due to (i) sickness or (ii) other leave.

  Mr. Moss
  There are 16 full-time and no part-time occupational therapists employed by Newry and Mourne health and social services trust. One member of staff is currently not at work for a reason other than sickness.

  Mr. Mallon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps he proposes to take to increase the number of occupational therapists stationed in the Southern health board area.

  Mr. Moss
  It is the responsibility of individual provider units and trusts to decide, in the light of available resources, on the number of occupational therapists 36
  this field but have not made any specific study of voluntary works councils in the United Kingdom.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Occupational Therapy
  Mr. Mallon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many occupational therapy referrals were received in the Newry and Mourne unit of management in which a case report has not yet been issued in each month since January 1994.

  Mr. Moss
  The information is not available in the form requested.

  Quarterly data on assessment by occupational therapists for aids and adaptations to the homes of people with a disability in the Newry and Mourne HSS trust are shown below.

  required to provide the level of services which health and social services boards have agreed to purchase for their resident population.

  Housing Executive
  Mr. Mallon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will list the outstanding Housing Executive grant applications in Newry district 1 and Newry district 2 that were received in each month since March 1993 for(a) renovations, (b) improvements, (c) disabled facilities and (d) replacements.

  Mr. Moss
  This is an operational matter for the Northern Ireland Housing Executive and I have been advised by its chief executive that the information requested is not immediately available.

  I have arranged for the chief executive to write to the hon. Gentleman once the information is available.

  Arthur Andersen
  Mr. Nicholas Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what(a) was and (b) is his policy in respect of giving additional work to Arthur Andersen following the collapse of the Delorean Motor Car Co. and what is the current annual total of fees paid to the consultancy arm of Arthur Andersen for work commissioned by his Department.

  Sir John Wheeler
  [holding answer 15 February 1995]: I regret that I am unable to answer my hon. Friend's question other than by saying that the details of the arrangements made between Government and Arthur Andersen are not available on grounds of commercial confidentiality.

NATIONAL HERITAGE

  National Lottery
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what is his estimate of the amount of cash earned weekly by Camelot from its work in the national lottery; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what requirement he will place on Camelot to declare its profitability, inclusive of charges for supplies and services, achieved through the operation of the national lottery.

  Mr. Dorrell
  There are matters for the Director-General of the National Lottery. I have therefore asked him to write to the hon. Members, placing copies of his letters in the Library of the House.

  Mrs. Anne Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage, pursuant to his answer of 1st February,Official Report, columns 674–75, if his estimate of the operating profit of the National Lottery in its first weeks of operation included services provided to the national lottery by investors in Camelot and charged for at a profit; what statutory provisions govern the disclosure of such services; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Dorrell
  [holding answer 15 February 1995]: This is a matter for the Director-General of the National Lottery. I have therefore asked him to write to the hon. Member, placing copies of his letter in the Library of the House.

EDUCATION

  Pupil Numbers
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if she will list, for each local education authority, the predicted change in pupil numbers for 1995–96.

  Mr. Forth
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave to the hon. Member for Wallsend (Mr. Byers) on 10 February 1995,Official Report, column 438.

  Class Sizes
  Ms Estelle Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to her answer of 14 February, what assessment she has made of external research into the effect of class sizes on(a) pupil progress and (b) attainment levels; and if she will list the main research documents her Department has evaluated in this respect.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  The Department has taken account of relevant research including that summarised in Professor Mortimore's recent paper. There is no evidence from the accumulated research that marginal reductions in class size result in changes in pupils' performance.

  Educational Standards
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment she has made in respect of the merits of(a) standard assessment tasks and (b) league tables in respect of raising educational standards.

  Mr. Forth
  The Office for Standards in Education continues to confirm that national curriculum assessment 38
  is helping to raise standards. Performance tables provide parents and others with comparative data about the achievements of institutions, and encourage individual schools and colleges to consider how standards might be improved in the future.

  Sixth Forms
  Ms Estelle Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many sixth forms there were in the(a) maintained sector and (b) grant-maintained sector in each of the last five years.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  The table gives the number of sixth forms catering for the 16 to 18 age group in each of the last five years in(a) local education authority maintained and (b) grant-maintained schools.

  Year

  LEA maintained

  Grant-maintained

  1989

  1989

  0

  1990

  1926

  14

  1991

  1830

  41

  1992

  1733

  98

  1993

  1587

  188

  1994

  1377

  371

  Surplus Places
  Mr. Kilfoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what are the current number and percentages of surplus places in each local education authority; and if she will list those local authorities, in rank order according to the proportion of surplus places in(a) secondary schools (b) primary schools (c) special schools and (d) grant-maintained schools.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  The information is given in the tables. Data on special schools and on surplus places in the 286 grant-maintained schools in stage 1 authorities are not available.

  The figures give the position in January 1994. In most cases, surpluses will have fallen from these levels as a result of pupil population growth. In addition, a number of authorities have implemented rationalisation proposals and further reduced their surplus capacity.

  Table 1: Surplus places by local authority area in rank order (excluding GM schools in stage 1 authorities) January 1994

  PRIMARY

  (see note 1)

  Actual surplus

  LEA

  Number

  Percentage

  Wandsworth

  6,111

  30

  Isles of Scilly

  67

  27

  Gateshead

  4,887

  23

  Northumberland

  4,960

  21

  Liverpool

  11,436

  21

  Doncaster

  6,632

  20

  Staffordshire

  21,456

  20

  Lambeth

  4,060

  20

  Sunderland

  6,104

  18

  Southwark

  3,980

  18

  North Tyneside

  3,020

  18

  Wigan

  5,734

  17

  Knowsley

  3,277

  17

  Ealing

  4,358

  17

  Buckinghamshire

  11,457

  17

  Wolverhampton

  4,412

  17

  Oxfordshire

  8,237

  17

  39

  PRIMARY

  (see note 1)

  Actual surplus

  LEA

  Number

  Percentage

  Hammersmith

  1,591

  16

  Newscastle upon Tyne

  3,704

  16

  Coventry

  5,133

  16

  Hertfordshire

  14,517

  16

  Bedfordshire

  7,272

  15

  Warwickshire

  7,966

  15

  Salford

  3,681

  15

  Cheshire

  14,860

  15

  Leeds

  10,425

  15

  Wiltshire

  7,604

  14

  Sheffield

  6,696

  14

  North Yorkshire

  9,048

  14

  Nottinghamshire

  13,457

  14

  Cumbria

  6,104

  14

  Durham

  8,368

  14

  Newham

  3,631

  14

  Calderdale

  2,722

  13

  Gloucestershire

  6,234

  13

  Lincolnshire

  7,434

  113

  Wirral

  4,398

  13

  Rotherham

  3,423

  13

  Humberside

  11,612

  13

  Walsall

  3,556

  13

  Wakefield

  3,924

  13

  Cambridgeshire

  7,978

  13

  Derbyshire

  10,637

  13

  Hampshire

  18,287

  13

  Essex

  17,814

  112

  Shropshire

  4,902

  12

  Solihull

  2,443

  12

  Manchester

  5,657

  12

  Hillingdon

  2,464

  112

  Kensington

  722

  12

  East Sussex

  6,671

  12

  Hackney

  2,046

  12

  Cleveland

  7,426

  12

  St. Helens

  1,985

  12

  West Sussex

  6,951

  12

  Hereford and Worcester

  6,505

  11

  Dudley

  3,352

  11

  Norfolk

  7,383

  11

  South Tyneside

  1,710

  11

  Surrey

  8,483

  11

  Brent

  2,291

  11

  Kent

  14,638

  11

  Sefton

  2,884

  11

  Bradford

  4,099

  11

  Greenwich

  2,220

  11

  Islington

  1.630

  10

  Corporation of London

  22

  10

  Devon

  9,032

  10

  Leicestershire

  8,082

  10

  Suffolk

  4,559

  10

  Lancashire

  12,398

  9

  Berkshire

  5,946

  9

  Stockport

  2,448

  9

  Croydon

  2,442

  9

  Oldham

  2,152

  9

  Avon

  7,342

  9

  Bexley

  1,799

  9

  Northamptonshire

  4,410

  9

  Hounslow

  1,656

  9

  Sutton

  1,110

  9

  Havering

  1,817

  9

  Birmingham

  8,983

  9

  Bolton

  2,187

  9

  Rochdale

  1,709

  8

  Trafford

  1,562

  8

  Merton

  1,100

  8

  Kirklees

  2,714

  8

  Cornwall

  3,005

  8

  Dorset

  3,242

  7

  40

  PRIMARY

  (see note 1)

  Actual surplus

  LEA

  Number

  Percentage

  Tower Hamlets

  1,522

  7

  Waltham Forest

  1,422

  7

  Barnsley

  1,496

  7

  Barnet

  1,598

  7

  Tameside

  1,464

  7

  Haringey

  1,240

  7

  Westminster

  621

  7

  Bromley

  1,442

  7

  Somerset

  2,487

  7

  Sandwell

  1,857

  7

  Barking

  975

  7

  Richmond upon Thames

  686

  6

  Bury

  848

  6

  Harrow

  998

  5

  Lewisham

  999

  5

  Kingston upon Thames

  503

  5

  Isle of Wight

  384

  5

  Enfield

  1,013

  5

  Camden

  325

  3

  Redbridge

  406

  2

  Total

  540,729

  12

  1 Stage two for planning purposes.

  1. Primary figures show surplus after taking account of any summer entry.

  2. Stage 1 = less than 10 per cent. of pupils in the GM sector.

  Stage 2 = between 10 per cent. and 75 per cent. of pupils in the GM sector.

  Stage 3 = 75 per cent. or more pupils in the GM sector.

  SECONDARY

  Actual Surplus

  LEA

  Number

  Percentage

  Isles of Scilly

  223

  65

  Manchester

  12,294

  36

  Lambeth

  3,142

  133

  Hammersmith

  2,606

  131

  Nottinghamshire

  20,327

  25

  Salford

  3,375

  23

  Doncaster

  6,439

  23

  Hackney

  2,132

  23

  Liverpool

  7,687

  22

  Warwickshire

  6,607

  121

  Newcastle upon Tyne

  4,421

  21

  Wandsworth

  2,308

  121

  Southwark

  2,296

  120

  Wakefield

  4,728

  19

  Gateshead

  2,695

  19

  Wolverhampton

  3,638

  119

  Islington

  1,656

  19

  Cleveland

  8,276

  19

  Sheffield

  5,612

  18

  Kensington

  712

  118

  Avon

  11,596

  18

  Coventry

  4,236

  18

  Greenwich

  3,038

  18

  South Tyneside

  2,076

  18

  North Tyneside

  3,101

  18

  Durham

  8,144

  18

  Wirral

  4,064

  18

  Sefton

  3,956

  18

  Newham

  2,794

  17

  Rochdale

  2,436

  17

  Merton

  1,488

  17

  Tower Hamlets

  2,239

  17

  Barnsley

  2,611

  17

  Bedfordshire

  9,021

  117

  Hertfordshire

  13,552

  117

  Cumbria

  6,169

  117

  41

  SECONDARY

  Actual Surplus

  LEA

  Number

  Percentage

  Shropshire

  4,947

  117

  Sandwell

  3,445

  16

  Oxfordshire

  6,858

  16

  Humberside

  10,912

  16

  Knowsley

  1,635

  16

  St. Helens

  2,245

  16

  Derbyshire

  10,782

  116

  Essex

  18,008

  116

  Brent

  2,383

  216

  Walsall

  3,565

  116

  Hereford and Worcester

  7,851

  15

  Leicestershire

  10,076

  15

  Kent

  18,000

  115

  Birmingham

  11,330

  115

  Trafford

  2,067

  115

  Wiltshire

  5,812

  114

  Berkshire

  7,754

  114

  Calderdale

  2,221

  114

  Haringey

  1,515

  14

  Rotherham

  2,875

  14

  Wigan

  2,969

  14

  Havering

  2,284

  113

  Bradford

  6,914

  113

  Lancashire

  11,754

  13

  Lewisham

  1,587

  13

  West Sussex

  6,051

  13

  Leeds

  6,358

  13

  Waltham Forest

  1,737

  113

  North Yorkshire

  6,304

  13

  Stockport

  2,209

  12

  Bexley

  2,005

  112

  Tameside

  1,737

  112

  Kirklees

  3,160

  12

  Westminster

  938

  12

  Cheshire

  7,983

  12

  Lincolnshire

  4,864

  112

  Hampshire

  10,114

  112

  Surrey

  5,407

  111

  Somerset

  3,486

  11

  Suffolk

  6,000

  11

  Bolton

  2,000

  111

  Northamptonshire

  5,423

  111

  Sunderland

  2,408

  11

  Dudley

  2,218

  111

  Croydon

  1,716

  111

  Northumberland

  3,333

  11

  East Sussex

  3,783

  10

  Kingston upon Thames

  843

  110

  Isle of Wight

  1,093

  10

  Barnet

  1,947

  110

  Gloucestershire

  3,417

  110

  Camden

  1,047

  19

  Enfield

  1,781

  19

  Norfolk

  4,041

  19

  Dorset

  3,964

  19

  Hillingdon

  1,336

  29

  Bury

  947

  9

  Cornwall

  2,601

  8

  Buckinghamshire

  3,231

  18

  Solihull

  1,144

  8

  Ealing

  1,056

  17

  Staffordshire

  4,919

  7

  Devon

  4,160

  7

  Oldham

  1,145

  7

  Cambridgeshire

  2,837

  17

  Redbridge

  835

  6

  Bromley

  891

  15

  Richmond upon Thames

  288

  4

  Harrow

  278

  4

  42

  SECONDARY

  Actual Surplus

  LEA

  Number

  Percentage

  Sutton

  367

  13

  Barking

  307

  3

  Hounslow

  435

  13

  Corporation of London

  —

  —

  Total

  475,628

  14

  1 Stage two for planning purposes.

  2 Stage three for planning purposes.:

  1. Primary figures show surplus after taking account of any summer entry.

  2. Stage 1 = less than 10 per cent. of pupils in the GM sector.

  Stage 2 = between 10 per cent. and 75 per cent. of pupils in the GM sector.

  Stage 3 = 75 per cent. or more pupils in the GM sector.

  Table 2: Surplus places in GM schools, by LEA area and in rank order, in stage 2 and 3 authorities

  PRIMARY

  LEA

  Surplus

  Percentage

  Lincolnshire

  673

  10

  Essex

  2,060

  9

  Hillingdon

  124

  4

  1. Includes schools which became grant-maintained on or before 1 April 1994 2. The percentage column shows the actual number of surplus places as a proportion of total capacity within the GM sector.

  SECONDARY

  LEA

  Surplus

  Percentage

  Warwickshire

  1,239

  21

  Cumbria

  2,288

  18

  Brent

  1,988

  17

  Lambeth

  676

  17

  Wandsworth

  1,179

  15

  Berkshire

  1,277

  15

  Essex

  11,090

  14

  Kingston upon Thames

  440

  14

  Walsall

  892

  14

  Bolton

  401

  13

  Wolverhampton

  360

  13

  Hertfordshire

  3,067

  13

  Kent

  7,303

  13

  Southwark

  389

  12

  Croydon

  725

  11

  Wiltshire

  1,653

  11

  Derbyshire

  1,711

  10

  Trafford

  356

  10

  Surrey

  1,285

  10

  Lincolnshire

  1,733

  10

  Northamptonshire

  961

  9

  Bedfordshire

  895

  9

  Birmingham

  1,534

  9

  Calderdale

  615

  9

  Gloucestershire

  1,906

  8

  Dorset

  810

  8

  Hampshire

  1,280

  8

  Barnet

  745

  7

  Dudley

  327

  7

  Enfield

  378

  6

  Hillingdon

  776

  6

  Cambridgeshire

  997

  6

  Bromley

  684

  6

  Norfolk

  512

  6

  Buckinghamshire

  487

  5

  Bradford

  231

  5

  Ealing

  272

  4

  Bexley

  134

  4

  Shropshire

  127

  3

  43

  SECONDARY

  LEA

  Surplus

  Percentage

  Hounslow

  63

  3

  Sutton

  192

  3

  Waltham Forest

  40

  2

  Tameside

  28

  1

  Havering

  18

  0

  Camden

  6

  0

  Hammersmith

  0

  0

  Kensington

  0

  0

  1. Includes schools which became grant-maintained on or before 1 April 1994 2. The percentage column shows the actual number of surplus places as a proportion of total capacity within the GM sector.

  Mr. Kilfoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State how many orders have been issued in the last 12 months to(a) local education authorities and (b) the Funding Agency for Schools requiring the elimination of surplus places in (i) secondary schools and (ii) primary schools; and to whom those orders were issued.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  No orders have yet been made under section 232 of the Education Act 1993. My officials are consulting a number of local education authorities and, where those LEAs share responsibility for the supply of places, the Funding Agency for Schools, about the extent to which surplus within the LEA area might be removed. In the light of the outcome of these consultations, my right hon. Friend will consider whether in any case an order would be appropriate.

  Private Education
  Ms Hodge
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what is her Department's latest estimate of the number of children under the age of five years who are educated privately in the United Kingdom, and what information she has on the current average cost of such education for a half-day session.

  Mr. Forth
  In 1992–93, there were over 50,000 pupils aged under five in independent schools in the United Kingdom.

  Percentage of children under five in maintained nursery schools and primary schools in each LEA in England1 January 1994

  Nursery schools

  Primary schools

  Nursery classes

  Infant classes

  Full-time

  Part-time

  Full-time

  Part-time

  Full-time

  Part-time

  Camden

  1.0

  0.8

  11.4

  12.2

  23.6

  0.0

  Greenwich

  4.8

  5.0

  4.1

  33.4

  14.7

  0.1

  Hackney

  1.0

  1.7

  12.4

  22.7

  13.7

  0.0

  Hammersmith and Fulham

  7.3

  8.1

  12.6

  15.7

  14.2

  0.3

  Islington

  3.2

  3.7

  20.3

  11.9

  29.2

  0.3

  Kensington and Chelsea

  5.0

  2.5

  11.9

  6.3

  11.3

  0.3

  Lambeth

  2.7

  3.7

  7.9

  19.7

  14.2

  0.6

  Lewisham

  1.4

  1.9

  5.2

  28.5

  14.4

  1.1

  Southwark

  2.8

  4.9

  8.8

  26.6

  29.5

  0.0

  Tower Hamlets

  7.4

  4.8

  22.8

  18.0

  30.7

  0.0

  Wandsworth

  1.7

  1.6

  12.6

  20.2

  26.4

  —4

  Westminster

  1.4

  3.6

  10.9

  14.9

  12.7

  0.3

  Barking and Dagenham

  0.0

  0.0

  0.4

  40.1

  33.3

  0.0

  Barnet

  0.2

  6.4

  0.1

  24.6

  25.2

  1.0

  Bexley

  0.0

  0.0

  0.0

  22.5

  17.3

  0.2

  Brent

  2.6

  0.6

  9.8

  25.1

  30.1

  0.0

  Bromley

  0.0

  0.0

  0.0

  2.2

  31.0

  —

  Croydon

  0.0

  4.9

  —4

  11.5

  30.1

  0.1

  Ealing

  0.2

  5.2

  0.1

  39.2

  28.5

  0.1

  Enfield

  0.0

  0.0

  0.0

  22.7

  30.7

  0.3

  Haringey

  2.9

  1.2

  7.8

  34.3

  29.6

  0.0

  Harrow

  0.0

  0.0

  0.0

  19.2

  30.6

  —4

  44
  Information on the average cost per session of such education is not available. Figures published by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys in "Day care services for Children", copies of which are in the Library, indicate that in 1990 the average termly cost to parents in England of sending a child aged under five to independent infant or primary school full-time was £650.

  Ms Hodge
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what is her estimate of the total level of expenditure on private education for children under the age of five years in the United Kingdom, and what this amount is per head of children under the age of five years who are privately educated.

  Mr. Forth
  An estimate is not available. Information on expenditure on private education is not collected.

  Nursery Education
  Mr. Kilfoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many three and four-year-old children currently attend(a) maintained nursery schools and (b) nursery classes in maintained primary schools.

  Mr. Forth
  In England in January 1994, there were 52,262 pupils under five years of age in maintained nursery schools and 294,331 pupils in nursery classes in maintained primary schools.

  Ms Hodge
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what is the current ratio of staff to children in state nursery schools.

  Mr. Forth
  In January 1994, the pupil—staff ratio in maintained nursery schools in England was 8.9:1.

  Ms Hodge
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what percentage of children under the age of five years has(a) a full-time and (b) part-time place in (i) reception classes in schools, (ii) nursery classes in schools and (iii) nursery schools by local education authority area.

  Mr. Forth
  Information on pupils aged under five being taught in maintained nursery and primary schools in each local education authority area in England in January 1994 is shown in the table.
  45

  Percentage of children under five in maintained nursery schools and primary schools in each LEA in England1January 1994

  Nursery schools

  Primary schools

  Nursery classes

  Infant classes

  Full-time

  Part-time

  Full-time

  Part-time

  Full-time

  Part-time

  Havering

  0.0

  0.0

  0.2

  8.3

  16.8

  17.7

  Hillingdon

  0.0

  1.8

  0.0

  44.7

  0.7

  0.9

  Hounslow

  0.0

  0.0

  2.1

  41.0

  28.6

  0.0

  Kingston upon Thames

  1.7

  4.4

  0.3

  26.7

  13.4

  14.4

  Merton

  0.0

  0.0

  0.0

  54.5

  16.7

  3.9

  Newham

  1.1

  10.8

  1.2

  44.7

  0.1

  0.0

  Redbridge

  0.0

  0.0

  0.7

  18.8

  18.5

  1.7

  Richmond upon Thames

  0.2

  1.4

  0.0

  18.3

  0.8

  23.3

  Sutton

  0.0

  5.2

  0.0

  34.6

  0.8

  0.0

  Waltham Forest

  0.6

  4.2

  1.6

  32.8

  14.7

  0.2

  Birmingham

  2.8

  4.8

  6.4

  20.6

  31.7

  —4

  Coventry

  0.3

  2.0

  0.8

  22.1

  32.8

  —4

  Dudley

  0.1

  0.7

  1.2

  34.0

  33.3

  0.0

  Sandwell

  1.3

  1.3

  1.7

  51.6

  34.1

  0.1

  Solihull

  0.0

  0.0

  0.0

  34.9

  35.6

  0.0

  Walsall

  1.2

  9.8

  0.6

  47.7

  33.1

  —4

  Wolverhampton

  0.0

  11.6

  —4

  42.0

  31.1

  0.0

  Knowsley

  0.0

  0.0

  0.0

  55.4

  32.8

  0.2

  Liverpool

  1.7

  2.9

  3.8

  43.3

  35.7

  0.0

  St. Helens

  0.1

  1.5

  —4

  33.8

  32.5

  0.0

  Sefton

  —4

  4.0

  —4

  27.9

  31.5

  0.1

  Wirral

  0.1

  3.4

  —4

  21.4

  31.6

  0.0

  Bolton

  0.3

  6.4

  4.6

  29.1

  31.6

  0.0

  Bury

  1.1

  2.0

  3.3

  23.7

  31.1

  0

  Manchester

  3.0

  1.2

  30.5

  20.9

  17.4

  0.1

  Oldham

  0.0

  0.0

  13.7

  22.9

  33.5

  0.0

  Rochdale

  0.8

  13.4

  1.6

  17.2

  31.2

  —4

  Salford

  7.2

  8.2

  26.8

  13.5

  31.9

  0.0

  Stockport

  1.1

  11.1

  0.0

  13.8

  31.4

  —4

  Tameside

  0.0

  5.3

  0.1

  33.9

  33.6

  0.0

  Trafford

  0.0

  0.0

  —4

  38.1

  30.5

  —4

  Wigan

  —4

  2.2

  0.0

  22.8

  31.8

  0.3

  Barnsley

  0.0

  3.0

  0.0

  46.5

  16.6

  0.2

  Doncaster

  0.0

  0.0

  0.8

  41.3

  32.3

  —4

  Rotherham

  0.0

  5.5

  1.7

  37.5

  14.9

  0.0

  Sheffield

  1.0

  5.5

  1.8

  35.6

  15.9

  2.9

  Bradford

  1.3

  2.2

  1.2

  38.3

  25.6

  1.6

  Calderdale

  0.0

  0.0

  5.0

  29.1

  33.4

  0.0

  Kirklees

  0.0

  5.3

  0.0

  36.0

  31.1

  —4

  Leeds

  0.0

  0.5

  0.6

  43.7

  29.9

  0.2

  Wakefield

  0.0

  5.4

  0.5

  47.8

  17.5

  1.2

  Gateshead

  0.1

  1.1

  0.1

  34.7

  31.8

  —4

  Newcastle upon Tyne

  8.5

  0.4

  11.2

  22.2

  29.9

  0.0

  North Tyneside

  0.8

  3.9

  1.3

  48.0

  33.0

  0.0

  South Tyneside

  0.4

  9.8

  0.4

  43.2

  31.8

  0.0

  Sunderland

  0.5

  12.2

  —4

  28.5

  32.8

  0.1

  Avon

  2.8

  4.4

  1.0

  13.0

  31.3

  —4

  Bedfordshire

  2.1

  7.1

  3.1

  21.5

  11.1

  4.6

  Berkshire

  0.6

  9.4

  0.5

  19.2

  2.7

  0.3

  Buckinghamshire

  0.0

  3.1

  0.0

  11.9

  5.5

  11.5

  Cambridgeshire

  0.1

  3.8

  —4

  7.9

  30.6

  0.4

  Cheshire

  0.1

  3.1

  0.1

  17.7

  31.9

  —4

  Cleveland

  0.0

  0.8

  —4

  56.5

  32.4

  —4

  Cornwall2

  0.2

  0.8

  —4

  13.1

  15.8

  14.6

  Cumbria

  0.0

  6.5

  0.0

  18.2

  31.6

  0.1

  Derbyshire

  0.6

  5.6

  1.4

  30.9

  16.2

  5.7

  Devon

  0.2

  1.0

  0.6

  9.2

  15.9

  0.4

  Dorset

  0.0

  0.0

  0.0

  5.5

  7.1

  24.3

  Durham

  0.3

  16.1

  0.1

  29.2

  31.1

  —4

  East Sussex

  0.0

  1.7

  0.0

  7.5

  14.6

  15.3

  Essex

  0.0

  0.7

  0.2

  5.3

  15.7

  0.4

  Gloucestershire

  0.0

  0.0

  0.0

  0.0

  31.9

  0.1

  Hampshire

  —4

  0.7

  0.1

  3.9

  22.1

  8.9

  Hereford and Worcester

  0.0

  0.0

  0.7

  6.4

  15.1

  0.1

  Hertfordshire

  0.2

  6.2

  0.1

  26.0

  16.0

  2.0

  Humberside

  0 8

  4.1

  2.9

  31.0

  22.9

  0.1

  Isle of Wight

  0 0

  0.0

  0.1

  6.3

  32.8

  0.0

  Kent

  0 0

  0.2

  0.0

  4.7

  23.4

  7.9

  Lancashire

  0 2

  9.1

  —4

  11.3

  32.6

  —4

  Leicestershire

  0.0

  0.2

  6.5

  14.1

  15.2

  2.3

  46 47

  Percentage of children under five in maintained nursery schools and primary schools in each LEA in England1 January 1994

  Nursery schools

  Primary schools

  Nursery classes

  Infant classes

  Full-time

  Part-time

  Full-time

  Part-time

  Full-time

  Part-time

  Lincolnshire

  0.4

  1.3

  0.3

  7.9

  32.8

  —4

  Norfolk

  —4

  2.1

  0.0

  2.6

  19.9

  9.7

  North Yorkshire

  —4

  2.2

  0.7

  18.5

  25.9

  1.5

  Northampton

  0.0

  3.6

  0.2

  13.6

  32.6

  —4

  Northumberland

  0.5

  1.2

  0.3

  37.7

  30.8

  0.2

  Nottinghamshire

  —4

  2.2

  0.8

  45.7

  7.2

  0.7

  Oxfordshire

  0.3

  7.2

  0.4

  10.9

  4.6

  2.2

  Shropshire

  0.0

  1.6

  0.0

  16.3

  16.1

  2.2

  Somerset

  0.0

  0.0

  0.3

  3.7

  31.9

  0.8

  Staffordshire

  2.6

  4.9

  5.2

  11.5

  31.4

  0.2

  Suffolk

  0.0

  0.5

  —4

  16.4

  14.3

  0.2

  Surrey

  0.3

  1.3

  —4

  9.4

  16.5

  1.8

  Warwickshire

  0.0

  5.9

  0.7

  10.3

  32.2

  —4

  West Sussex

  0.1

  2.6

  0.0

  3.4

  15.8

  0.3

  Wiltshire

  0.0

  0.0

  —4

  3.5

  19.2

  0.8

  England2 3

  0.7

  3.3

  2.1

  20.4

  22.9

  2.2

  1 Excludes pupils who became five years of age by 1 January 1994.

  2 Includes Isles of Scilly.

  3 Includes Corporation of London

  4 Less than 0.05.

  Teacher Qualifications
  Ms Hodge
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what information is held by her Department on(a) the total number of staff and (b) the proportion of staff working in state nursery schools who hold each relevant qualification.

  Mr. Forth
  In January 1994, there were some 3,600 full-time equivalent staff working in maintained nursery schools. Of these, 1,575 were qualified teachers.

  Examination Results
  Mr. Devlin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if she will list all local education authorities in England in rank order showing the proportion of school leavers with five or more GCSE results at grade A to C.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  Information on school leavers is no longer collected by the Department. The table lists the percentage of 15-year-old pupils achieving five or more GCSE Grades A to C in each local education authority in England in rank order for 1994.

  Percentage of 15 year old pupils achieving 5 or more CCSE grades A to C in England, 1994 School performance tables 1994

  Percentage

  Rank

  Isles of Scilly

  68.0

  1

  Sutton

  52.9

  1

  Kingston upon Thames

  51.6

  3

  Barnet

  51.1

  4

  West Sussex

  50.4

  5

  Richmond upon Thames

  50.0

  6

  Buckinghamshire

  49.4

  7

  Dorset

  49.3

  8

  Bromley

  49.2

  9

  North Yorkshire

  49.0

  10

  Stockport

  48.6

  11

  Harrow

  48.4

  12

  Berkshire

  48.2

  13

  Solihull

  48.0

  14

  Surrey

  47.8

  15

  48

  Percentage of 15 year old pupils achieving 5 or more GCSE grades A to C in England, 1994 School performance tables 1994

  Percentage

  Rank

  Hertfordshire

  47.6

  16

  Somerset

  47.4

  17

  Shropshire

  47.3

  18

  Cheshire

  47.0

  19

  Redbridge

  46.5

  20

  Gloucestershire

  46.3

  21

  Oxfordshire

  46.3

  21

  Cornwall

  46.0

  23

  Bury

  45.6

  24

  Wiltshire

  45.5

  25

  Sefton

  45.1

  26

  Hampshire

  44.3

  27

  Trafford

  44.1

  28

  Suffolk

  44.1

  28

  Hereford and Worcester

  43.8

  30

  Cumbria

  43.4

  31

  East Sussex

  43.3

  32

  Cambridgeshire

  43.3

  32

  England Average

  43.3

  32

  Devon

  42.9

  35

  Lincolnshire

  42.6

  36

  Warwickshire

  42.6

  36

  Havering

  42.5

  38

  Bolton

  41.9

  39

  Wigan

  41.7

  40

  Dudley

  41.4

  40

  Essex

  41.4

  40

  Northumberland

  41.3

  43

  North Tyneside

  41.2

  44

  Lancashire

  41.1

  45

  Derbyshire

  40.9

  46

  Camden

  40.6

  47

  Isle of Wight

  40.5

  48

  Enfield

  40.4

  49

  Kent

  40.4

  49

  Bexley

  40.3

  51

  Hounslow

  40.3

  51

  Bedfordshire

  40.3

  51

  Avon

  40.1

  54

  Norfolk

  40.1

  54

  49

  Percentage of 15 year old pupils achieving 5 or more GCSE grades A to C in England, 1994 School performance tables 1994

  Percentage

  Rank

  Wirral

  39.7

  56

  Leicestershire

  39.3

  57

  Northamptonshire

  38.9

  58

  Staffordshire

  38.1

  59

  Hillingdon

  37.7

  60

  Kirklees

  37.3

  61

  Croydon

  37.2

  62

  Calderdale

  36.8

  63

  Leeds

  36.2

  64

  Sheffield

  35.6

  65

  Wakefield

  35.6

  65

  St. Helens

  35.5

  67

  South Tyneside

  35.5

  67

  Brent

  34.9

  69

  Rotherham

  34.8

  70

  Cleveland

  34.8

  70

  Nottinghamshire

  34.6

  72

  Durham

  34.6

  72

  Kensington and Chelsea

  34.5

  74

  Coventry

  34.3

  75

  Tameside

  34.2

  76

  Humberside

  33.8

  77

  Doncaster

  33.7

  78

  Gateshead

  33.6

  79

  Merton

  33.4

  80

  Walsall

  32.3

  81

  Rochdale

  32.3

  81

  Ealing

  32.2

  83

  Oldham

  32.1

  84

  Hammersmith and Fulham

  31.9

  85

  Birmingham

  30.4

  86

  Newcastle upon Tyne

  30.3

  87

  Waltham Forest

  30.1

  88

  Sunderland

  30.0

  89

  Barnsley

  29.8

  90

  Wolverhampton

  29.6

  91

  Wandsworth

  29.1

  92

  Salford

  29.1

  92

  Haringey

  28.4

  94

  Barking and Dagenham

  27.6

  95

  Sandwell

  27.3

  96

  Lewisham

  21.1

  97

  Greenwich

  27.0

  98

  Bradford

  26.7

  99

  Westminster

  25.1

  100

  Liverpool

  25

  101

  Manchester

  23.2

  102

  Newham

  23.0

  103

  Hackney

  22.7

  104

  Lambeth

  22.0

  105

  Islington

  21.9

  106

  Knowsley

  21.3

  107

  Tower Hamlets

  18.7

  108

  Southwark

  18.3

  109

  Underspending
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the numbers of primary and secondary schools and the amount involved where underspending of the budget has occurred in 1994: and if she will make a statement on the level of teaching staff in those schools.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  Information on the cumulative net balances recorded in local education authorities' local management of schools outturn statements for 1993–94 is contained in the answers which I gave my hon. Friend the 50
  Member for Rugby and Kenilworth (Mr. Pawsey) on 19 and 27 January, Official Report, column 641–43 and column 410–11 respectively. The Department has made no estimate of the number of schools whose expenditure in that year fell short of their budget shares for the year. Where schools have delegated budgets, it is for their governing bodies to consider what level of staffing is appropriate and affordable.

  Local Education Authorities
  Mr. Tipping
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if she will list the capital allocation as a percentage of the bid for each local education authority for 1995–96.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  The information requested is given in the table, covering schools annual capital guidelines for English LEAs in 1995–96.

  LEA

  Total ACG for 1995–96

  ACG as percentage of bid

  Barking

  1,899

  26

  Barnet

  1,408

  16

  Bexley

  1,420

  31

  Brent

  179

  4

  Bromley

  1,335

  17

  Croydon

  1,860

  17

  Ealing

  891

  2

  Enfield

  3,234

  20

  Haringey

  2,713

  18

  Harrow

  1,644

  13

  Havering

  199

  2

  Hillingdon

  475

  5

  Hounslow

  2,035

  14

  Kingston

  487

  8

  Merton

  681

  7

  Newham

  829

  5

  Redbridge

  5,132

  86

  Richmond

  121

  2

  Sutton

  1,660

  27

  Waltham

  2,028

  16

  City

  0

  0

  Camden

  570

  10

  Westminster

  40

  5

  Greenwich

  487

  4

  Hackney

  241

  3

  Hammersmith

  91

  3

  Islington

  207

  2

  Kensington

  67

  2

  Lambeth

  389

  3

  Lewisham

  1,540

  7

  Southwark

  740

  12

  Wandsworth

  2,994

  29

  Tower Hamlets

  12,131

  55

  Birmingham

  9,210

  23

  Coventry

  3,587

  63

  Dudley

  499

  8

  Sandwell

  275

  3

  Solihull

  1,805

  35

  Walsall

  430

  6

  Wolverham

  1,087

  9

  Knowsley

  935

  6

  Liverpool

  4,576

  25

  St. Helens

  1,236

  20

  Sefton

  1,698

  38

  Wirral

  1,912

  26

  Bolton

  884

  15

  Bury

  557

  18

  Manchester

  17,190

  30

  Oldham

  1,660

  18

  Rochdale

  301

  3

  Salford

  5,625

  26

  51

  LEA

  Total ACG for 1995–96

  ACG as percentage of bid

  Stockport

  736

  20

  Tameside

  2,403

  53

  Trafford

  575

  8

  Wigan

  2,066

  23

  Barnsley

  3,314

  62

  Doncaster

  536

  6

  Rotherham

  267

  6

  Sheffield

  4,177

  10

  Bradford

  5,076

  12

  Calderdale

  2,193

  37

  Kirklees

  1,455

  15

  Leeds

  2,081

  7

  Wakefield

  8,704

  31

  Gateshead

  1,306

  21

  Newcastle

  3,093

  12

  North Tyneside

  1,520

  19

  South Tyneside

  827

  14

  Sunderland

  4,159

  41

  Isle of Scilly

  37

  100

  Avon

  9,318

  37

  Bedfordshire

  1,455

  13

  Berkshire

  1,961

  13

  Bucks

  9,245

  36

  Cambridge

  6,669

  25

  Cheshire

  6,657

  21

  Cleveland

  6,051

  57

  Cornwall

  3,719

  23

  Cumbria

  4,105

  16

  Derbyshire

  4,031

  11

  Devon

  11,627

  34

  Dorset

  3,340

  14

  Durham

  3,545

  7

  East Sussex

  15,026

  43

  Essex

  9,668

  13

  Gloucester

  10,611

  23

  Hampshire

  14,762

  44

  Hereford and Worcester

  6,865

  44

  Hertford

  1,109

  7

  Humberside

  4,994

  25

  Isle of Wight

  4,693

  46

  Kent

  21,248

  31

  Lancashire

  8,105

  20

  Leicester

  3,845

  40

  Lincoln

  9,867

  61

  Norfolk

  3,122

  18

  North Yorkshire

  3,647

  11

  Northampton

  3,454

  20

  Northumber

  1,499

  29

  Notts

  1,677

  9

  Oxfordshire

  6,767

  22

  Shropshire

  7,423

  75

  Somerset

  2,608

  22

  Staffs

  1,291

  5

  Suffolk

  7,676

  38

  Surrey

  5,545

  24

  Warwick

  1,074

  6

  West Sussex

  2,400

  13

  Wiltshire

  2,786

  36

  Students
  Mr. Pickthall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the correlation between student drop-out rates in higher education and student poverty.

  Mr. Boswell
  Information about the reasons for student drop-out is not collected centrally. Since 1990, total support available to students has increased in real terms. The Government have also provided access funds to help 52
  students in particular need. There is no evidence of widespread student poverty.

  Mr. Pickthall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if she will list for each local education authority(a) the total number of discretionary awards, schedules 1 and 2, (b) the total value of those awards and (c) the average value of each award, for (i) 1992–93 and (ii) 1993–94.

  Mr. Boswell
  The information requested for 1992–93 is published in tables 7 to 12 of "Statistics of Education, Student Support Volume 1992–93" copies of which are in the Library. Tables 7 to 9 show data for section 1(6) awards and section 2 awards in higher education; tables 10 to 12 show data for section 2 awards in further education.

  Returns made to the Department by local education authorities about discretionary awards for the academic year 1993–94 are being received now. Information at LEA level will not be available for publication until this summer.

  Schools, Suffolk
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much money is held in reserve by schools in Suffolk.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  At the end of the financial year 1993–94, £13.5 million net.

  Grant-maintained Schools
  Mr. Andrew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) what are the total balances currently held by grant-maintained schools;

  (2) what procedure is involved in authorising overspending in respect of grant-maintained schools which have incurred a deficit;

  (3) if she will list the grant-maintained schools which have currently accumulated deficits, giving in each case the size of the deficit.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  Information on, and policy relating to, balances and deficits of grant-maintained schools are a matter for the Funding Agency for Schools. I have asked its chairman to write to the hon. Member.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

  "Realising our Potential Awards"
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will place in the Library a full itemised list of all 239 "Realising our Potential Awards" funded projects, together with the amount of Government financial support.

  Mr. Robert G. Hughes
  A full itemised list of all ROPA projects awarded to date and the associated amount of Government financial support has been placed in the Library.

  Government Consultation Documents
  Mr. Soley
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, how many HMSO Government consultation
  53
  documents have had to be reprinted because demand outstripped supply.

  Mr. Robert G. Hughes
  Since 1 January 1994, HMSO has published 41 consultative documents. At no time were stocks exhausted, but two publications were reprinted in anticipation of continuing public demand.

  Information Super-highway
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what use the Government are making of the information super-highway; and how it can be used to make citizens charter data more readily available.

  Mr. Robert G. Hughes
  The CCTA Government information service enables Government Departments and agencies to make information freely and widely available over the Internet. Eighteen Departments have information available already, and most others have plans to use the service. There have been more than half a million requests for information over a four-month period. We also use the Internet to broaden the scope of consultation through consultative open groups.

  The CCTA Government information service already includes a web page for the citizens charter unit, and the full text of 16 charters. The remaining charters will be made available shortly.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Milk
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what action he is taking to stop farmers dumping milk on the land on economic grounds.

  Mr. Jack
  We have seen reports that some farmers who anticipate having to pay super levy are disposing of their surplus milk by dumping it on their land. However, the arrangements which the Government have provided for milk producers to buy, sell or lease milk quota to meet their individual business needs are an alternative way for farmers to avoid the payment of super levy.

  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will take steps to ensue that dairy farmers are assisted by the efficient completion of is annual activities by the intervention board; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Jack
  The intervention board is responsible under the common agriculture policy arrangements for supporting and managing a range of measures in the dairy sector including the operation of the milk quotas register. I am confident that it is able to discharge these responsibilities in and efficient and timely manner.

  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what measures are taken by his Department in cases where this is evidence of the illegal movement of milk.

  Mr. Jack
  The intervention board is currently investigating information it has received concerning irregularities in connection with the trade in milk. If there is evidence of such irregularities, those involved would run the risk of heavy fines, payment or super levy on undeclared sales of milk and, possibly imprisonment.

  Hunting
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will place in the Library current copies of the permission to hunt in respect of those hunts licensed to hunt the New forest, together with details of any special considerations imposed.

  Mr. Jack
  Copies of the current permits have been placed in the Library of the House. The permits include details of the conditions imposed.

  Arctic Fox Farms
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many Arctic fox fur farms there have been, by region, in each of the last five years in England and Wales.

  Mrs. Browning
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him by my predecessor the hon. Member for Crawley (Mr. Soames) on 20 July 1994,Official Report, column 346.

  Deer
  Mr. Denham
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture Fisheries and Food what role is played by Forestry Commission employees in identifying the whereabouts of deer or any other activities in support of deer hunting in the New forest.

  Mr. Jack
  The Forestry Commission keeper selects the animal to be hunted on each occasion. The animals selected are those which would have been culled by the Commission during its normal management operations.

  Mr. Denham
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if he will place in the Library a copy of the report of the Forestry Commission's keeper in the killing of a deer by the New forest buckhounds on 13 January;

  (2) if he will place in the Library a copy of the report of the inspection of the carcase of the deer killed in Dames Slough enclosure in the New forest on 13 January.

  Mr. Jack
  A copy of the duty keeper's report on the hunt by the New forest buckhounds on 13 January has been placed in the Library of the House. The duty keeper does not prepare a separate report of his inspection of the carcase. He would have recorded the details in his report if he had found that the animal had sustained injuries which indicated that the hunt had not been conducted in accordance with the conditions set out in the licence.

  Hill Livestock Compensatory Allowance
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what account of the cost of fencing hill land is made in assessing the level of the hill livestock compensatory allowance each year; what formula is used in this assessment; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Jack
  Decisions on the rates of hill livestock compensatory allowances are taken in the light of the autumn review of economic conditions in the hills and uplands. The source of the economic data used in the review is the farm business survey in which costs of fencing are taken into account in calculating the various measures of income.

  Animal Welfare
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what evidence he has of infringements of directive 74/577 in other European Community states; and if he will list the countries involved since 1990;

  (2) what instructions he has given to his veterinary department for checking that (a) journey times for farm animals to be exported from the United Kingdom are properly completed, (b) that such animals are fit to travel and (c) animals being exported to Greece are being sent to abattoirs which comply with the European Community directive protecting the animal's welfare at slaughter; how many times since January 1993 his veterinary department has failed to follow these instructions; what steps he has taken to ensure in that future failures will be avoided; and if he will make a statement;

  (3) what measures he is taking to ensure that British animals being exported for slaughter to Greece are killed in accordance with legislation designated to ensure humane slaughter;

  (4) what representations he has made to the Greek Agriculture Minister regarding the slaughter of British sheep in Greek abattoirs; what was the outcome; and if he will make a statement;

  (5) if he will list the abattoirs in Greece used to kill British sheep over the last three years;

  (6) what discussions he has had with the RSPCA over the export of British sheep and pigs to Greece for slaughter, and if he will make a statement;

  (7) when he expects to receive a reply to his letter to Mr. Franz Fischler on the subject of Greek slaughter practices; and if he will place a copy of the reply in the Library;

  (8) what information he has on the compliance with the EC welfare at slaughter standards of the Tripolis abattoir in Greece in respect of British sheep sent there in July and August 1994; if their hauliers conformed to all welfare during transport regulations; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Browning
  [holding answer 17 February 1995]: The Welfare of Animals during Transport Order 1994, as amended, requires journey plans to be completed for farm animals being consigned from the United Kingdom to another member state, and to be signed and returned to the relevant divisional veterinary officer when the journey has been completed. All such animals also require a health certificate, completed by a local veterinary inspector stating that the animals are fit to travel; officials are fully instructed in the application of the rules,

  From contacts with the RSPCA, it has emerged that there is no evidence that sheep or pigs originating in the United Kingdom travelled to the slaughterhouses which featured in the society's recent report and video, I have written to both the EC Agriculture Commissioner and the Greek Minister urging them to take action on the quite appalling scenes of cruelty depicted in the RSPCA video.

  Enforcement of the EC legislation both on the welfare of animals during transport and at slaughter is the responsibility of the competent authorities in the member states. The European Commission is responsible for overseeing the application of EC miles across the European Union. It is MAFF Minister's practice to bring any apparent infringements of directive 74/577 to the
  56
  attention of the Commission and of the authorities in the member states concerned. Since 1990, allegations of infringements of directive 74/577 have been made in relation to slaughterhouses in several member states. Those which appeared to be supported by reasonable evidence were reported to the appropriate authorities and to the Commission.

  The Greek authorities have undertaken to investigate the recent RSPCA report and video on Greek slaughterhouse practices and Commissioner Fischler is considering sending Commission personnel to Greece to investigate the implementation of welfare at slaughter legislation there. Copies of the Commissioner's press statement leave been placed in the Library.

SCOTLAND

  Nurses' Pay
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will fully fund in Scotland the recommendations of the pay review body for nurses and midwives.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Individual increases arising from the recommendations of the pay review body are a matter for individual employing bodies. All Scottish NHS employers are expected to make efficiency savings in 1995–96. In addition, the NHS in Scotland will receive a cash terms increase of £143.2 million in 1995–96; an increase of 3.6 per cent.

  Common Services Agency
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the cost of the feasibility study commissioned from KPMG Peat Marwick into the assessment system for earnings of the NHS supplies division of the Common Services Agency, and the ability of management to handle the system; and if he will place a copy of that report in the Library.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Following a competitive tendering exercise, the study was carried out at a cost of £12,500. The report to the CSA board was made on a commercial in confidence basis and will not be published.

  Marriages
  Mr. Robert Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the refusal of the Registrar General to grant temporary written authorisation to the Humanist Society in Scotland to solemnise a marriage under section 12 of the Marriage (Scotland) Act 1977.

  Mr. Lang
  Sections 9 to 16 of the Marriage (Scotland) Act 1977 deal with religious marriages solemnised by approved celebrants, defined in section 8. Section 12 gives the Registrar General power to grant a temporary written authorisation to a person over the age of 21 to solemnise a specified marriage or marriages. The Humanist Society of Scotland wrote to the Registrar General in November 1994 seeking an authorisation under section 12 for a person to solemnise a particular marriage, but it made it clear in its application that this would not
  57
  be a religious marriage. The Registrar General, having obtained legal advice, replied to the effect that, as the proposed marriage ceremony was not intended to be the religious solemnisation of a marriage, he had no power to grant authorisation. The Secretary of State has no function in granting such authorisations and it would therefore be inappropriate for him to comment upon the matter.

  Cochlear Implants
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what is the average cost of the cochlear implant operations carried out for children at Crosshouse hospital in the current year; and what will be the marginal cost of further operations in the current year;

  (2) how many profoundly deaf children there are in Scotland in each age group; and what percentage of them is assessed as likely to benefit from cochlear implants;

  (3) pursuant to his answer of 10 February, concerning cochlear implants, Official Report, columns 449–50, what he has to add to his answer in relation to the case of Gillian Graham;

  (4) what steps he has taken to inform all doctors and health centres in Scotland about the availability of cochlear implant operations at Crosshouse hospital, Kilmarnock.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The average cost of a paediatric cochlear implant operation is £28,725 in 1994–95. The cost of the additional operation purchased in the current financial year was £17,960.

  Information is not yet available on the numbers of profoundly deaf children in Scotland and those who might benefit from cochlear implants but this is being collected as part of the on-going needs assessment. Information on the range of all national services, including cochlear implantation, is issued by the national services division of the Common Services Agency.

  As my noble and learned Friend the Minister of State explained in his letter to the hon. Member for Clydebank and Milngavie of 26 January, Crosshouse hospital hopes to provide Gillian Graham's operation in the spring.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) how many children in Scotland are in the process of being assessed for cochlear implants;

  (2) how many adults in Scotland are in the process of being assessed for cochlear implants;

  (3) what plans he has to fund cochlear implants in Scotland on the same basis of contractual referral as in England and Wales;

  (4) if financial restraints have prevented any child in Scotland from receiving a cochlear implant at an age that the surgeon would consider optimal;

  (5) what medical advice he has received in respect of the relationship between the age of the child and the benefit from cochlear implants for children between the ages of four and seven years;

  (6) what assessment he has made of the importance of time as a factor affecting the efficacy of cochlear implants for adults; and what account he takes of this in allocating resources.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  There are currently nine paediatric patients and 14 adult patients undergoing assessment at Crosshouse hospital, Kilmarnock and five adult patients undergoing assessment at the Royal 58
  infirmary of Edinburgh. Assessment of individual patients is a matter for clinical judgment.

  Cochlear implantation is a national specialist service in Scotland and the allocation of resources is determined through negotiations between the purchaser—national services division of the Common Services Agency—and the provider units. Activity levels for paediatric cochlear implantation in 1994–95 were agreed with North Ayrshire and Arran NHS trust at the beginning of the financial year and funding was made available to the trust in accordance with this. Future funding arrangements for cochlear implantation will be reviewed in the light of a forthcoming national needs assessment.

  The initial findings of the Medical Research Council's evaluation of the national cochlear implant programme suggest that implantation by about the age of seven has produced positive initial outcomes.

  Police Laboratories
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proposals he has to modify the structure, management and functions of the Tayside police force laboratory and the Strathclyde police force laboratory; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The Government have no plans to modify the structure or functions of these laboratories.

  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many persons are employed in(a) the Tayside police force laboratory and (b) the Strathclyde police force laboratory; and what are their functional responsibilities in each.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  There are 22 staff currently employed in the police forensic science laboratory, Dundee. This laboratory serves, and is jointly funded by, the police authorities for Tayside, for Fife and for Central Scotland police forces. The Strathclyde police laboratory currently employs 47 staff.

  Each laboratory employs a range of scientists for a variety of functions. These functions are mainly in the areas of forensic chemistry, forensic biology and physical examinations, but the laboratories also undertake document examinations, ballistic and fire investigations, and blood alcohol analyses.

  Secure Accommodation
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many requests for secure accommodation for young children have been made in each of the past four years.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Information on the number of requests for secure accommodation for young children made in each of the past four years is not available centrally. However, the numbers of actual admissions of children into secure accommodation in the past four financial years are given below:

  Year

  Number

  1990–91

  250

  1991–92

  243

  1992–93

  197

  1993–94

  1291

  1Provisional.

  Hospital Social Workers
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland in what circumstances hospital social workers may be expected to perform the role of key worker for an individual.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Decisions about who should be an individual's key worker should be made after consultation between professionals who are aware of the individual's needs. For hospital patients and people recently discharged from hospital who need social care, it will often be appropriate for hospital social workers to perform the role of key worker.

  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proposals he has to monitor and record the level of referrals to hospital social workers.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Local authorities have varying practices for the deployment of social workers responsible for hospital patients and people recently discharged from hospital. Statistics on these would be of limited value at national level and there are currently no plans to collect them.

  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many social workers were based in hospitals in(a) Renfrewshire, (b) Strathclyde and (c) Scotland as a whole in each of the past five years.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The table below shows the whole-time equivalent number of local authority social workers based in hospitals for the most recent five years for which information is available centrally.

  1989

  1990

  1991

  1992

  1993

  Strathclyde

  211

  215

  238

  216

  250

  Scotland

  478

  496

  500

  486

  511

  Information at district level is not available centrally.

  Secure Facilities
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the secure facilities currently available for young people which are provided by(a) regional and island authorities, (b) the voluntary sector and (c) the private sector.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The secure facilities currently available for young people in Scotland are given below:

  Secure Facility

  Status

  Rossie School, Montrose

  Voluntary

  St. Mary's Kenmure, Bishopbriggs

  Voluntary

  Rimbleton House Young Persons Centre, Glenrothes

  Fife Region

  Kerelaw School, Stevenston

  Strathclyde Region

  St. Katherine's Centre (Guthrie Unit), Howdenhall, Edinburgh

  Lothian Region

  Howdenhall Children's Unit (Braid), Edinburgh

  Lothian Region

  Hightrees Assessment Centre, Closeburn

  Dumfries and Galloway Region

  Private Children's Homes
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many private children's homes were listed in each local authority for each of the last five years.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The definition of a private children's home is a home administered by a private commercial establishment. Numbers of such homes for each local authority for each of the last five years are given below:

  Year

  Region

  1990

  1991

  1992

  1993

  1994

  Borders

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Central

  1

  1

  1

  1

  1

  Dumfries and Galloway

  1

  1

  1

  1

  1

  Fife

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Grampian

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Highland

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Lothian

  0

  1

  1

  1

  1

  Strathclyde

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Tayside

  4

  3

  3

  3

  3

  Total

  6

  6

  6

  6

  6

  Community Care
  Mr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what statistics are obtained from local authorities on their use of independent sector residential accommodation and day and domiciliary services.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Statistics on independent sector residential accommodation and day centres are provided in the "Community Care Bulletin 1992", available in the Library of the House.

  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many social day care places were available for(a) the elderly, (b) those with learning disabilities, (c) those with physical disabilities and (d) mentally ill people in (i) local authorities, (ii) the voluntary sector and (iii) the private sector in each year since 1979.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Information from 1980 to 1992 is available in the "Community Care Bulletin 1992", available in the library of the House. Figures for 1993 are shown in the table. Figures for private and voluntary centres are not routinely separated.

  Number of places at 31 March 1993

  Day centres for:

  Local authority

  Voluntary and private

  Total

  Older people

  4,392

  3,888

  8,280

  People with learning disabilities

  7,756

  775

  8,531

  Physically disabled people

  1,103

  577

  1,680

  People with mental health problems

  75

  225

  300

  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many supported hostel places were available for people with mental health problems in(a) Inverclyde, (b) Strathclyde and (c) Scotland as a whole in each of the past five years.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The only available information is contained in the "Community Care Bulletin 1992", available in the Library of the House.
  61
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his Department's definition of(a) community care and (b) care provided under the care in the community provisions, and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Community care, as used in the National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990, refers to the provision of services and support which people who are affected by problems of aging, illness or disability need to be able to live as independently as possible in their own homes, or in residential care. Care in the community is a term used specifically to refer to policies for mentally ill people and people with learning disabilities which enable them to live as full, independent and normal lives in or as near to the community as possible.

  Social Work Contracts
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many contracts have been awarded by(a) health authorities and (b) local authority social work departments to the private sector in each of the past 10 years.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The information requested in(a) is not centrally available and in relation to (b) the information requested can he provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Ambulance Response Times
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the average time taken for the ambulance service to respond to an emergency 999 call in(a) Inverclyde, (b) Strathclye and (c) elsewhere in Scotland; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The average response times for the period April to December 1994—the latest information available—were(a) eight minutes, (b) eight minutes, 12 seconds and (c) seven minutes, 15 seconds respectively.

  These average response times are within the national targets of 95 per cent. of calls responded to within 14 minutes. These have been achieved against a 4 per cent. increase in the number of emergency calls last year.

  Prison Service
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what plans he has to convert Cornton Vale woman's prison into a mixed, local prison; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) what plans he has to establish female prisoner units into prisons throughout Scotland; and if he will make a statement;

  (3) what plans he has to incarcerate young male offenders in Cornton Vale prison; and if he will make a statement.

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

  Letter from E.W. Frizzell to Dr. Norman A. Godman, dated 20 February 1995:
  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton has asked me to reply to your questions about whether there are plans to convert Cornton Vale
  62
  women's prison into a mixed local prison, to establish female units in prisons throughout Scotland and to incarcerate young male offenders in Cornton Vale Prison.
  The Scottish Prison Service is presently considering the best use of its estate against the background of overcrowding in some prisons and under-utilisation in others. We are studying also the location of convicted women prisoners, their opportunities for progression and the possibilities of open prison conditions comparable to that available to male prisoners. There are already small remand wings for women in Aberdeen, Dumfries and Inverness Prisons but all convicted women prisoners have to go at present to Cornton Vale. We are conscious of the disparity between male and female prisoners where convicted males can serve short sentences in prisons close to their home area.
  Feasibility studies of all the various options are not yet complete and no decisions have been made.

  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of Scotland what has been the cost to public funds of managing the Prison Service in each year since 1979.

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

  Letter from E. W. Frizzell to Dr. Norman A. Godman, dated 20 February 1995:
  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton has asked me to reply to your Question about the cost to public funds of managing the Prison Service in each year since 1979.
  The attached Annex sets out yearly expenditure from financial year 1979/80 onwards.

  Annex: Scottish Prison Service Expenditure

  £000

  SPS annual report

  Total net expenditure

  1979–80

  33,319

  1980–81

  44,037

  1981–82

  51,030

  1982–83

  56,615

  1983–84

  62,837

  1984–85

  72,443

  1985–86

  80,649

  1986–87

  85,112

  SPS annual report

  Total net expenditure

  1987–88

  96,304

  1988–89

  111,073

  1989–90

  121,499

  1990–91

  125,908

  1991–92

  136,763

  1992–93

  152,214

  1993–94

  154,343

  Note:

  The figures in this Annex include the cost of Central Administration and expenditure met from the votes of other Departments on behalf of the Scottish Prison Service.

  Surgical Beds
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will provide the figures of(a) the number of surgical beds, (b) the number of intensive care beds and (c) the number and location of surgical beds without common-site access to an intensive care unit for (i) Renfrewshire and (ii) Strathclyde as a whole.
  63
  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The information requested is shown in the tables below.

  National Health Service hospitals in Scotland Table 1: Average available staffed surgical and intensive care beds. Renfrewshire and Strathclyde; year ending 30 September 1994

  Surgical3

  4Intensive

  Renfrewshire1

  233

  22

  Strathclyde2

  3,856

  337

  1Comprises Royal Alexandra hospital, the only hospital in Renfrewshire with surgical beds, also has an intensive care unit.

  2 Comprises Argyll and Clyde, Ayrshire and Arran, Lanarkshire and Greater Glasgow health board areas.

  3Comprises general surgery, orthopaedics, ENT, ophthalmology, urology, orthodontics and paediatric dentistry, oral surgery and oral medicine, restorative dentistry, surgical paediatrics, gynaecology, neurosurgery, cardiothoracic surgery, plastic surgery and spinal paralysis specialties.

  4Comprises special care baby unit and intensive therapy unit specialties.

  Table 2: Hospitals in Strathclyde with surgical beds and no intensive care beds; year ending 30 September 1994

  Number of surgical beds

  All hospitals

  330

  Rothesay Victoria hospital

  8

  Dunnon and District General hospital

  9

  West Highland hospital, Oban

  33

  Canniesburn hospital, Glasgow

  68

  Stonehouse hospital, East Kilbride

  87

  Ballochmyle Hospital, Mauchline

  125

  Rights of the Child
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proposals he has in respect of his obligations under Article 44 of the United Nations convention following the Committee's report on the Rights of the Child in the United Kingdom; if these proposals will he embodied in the Children (Scotland) Bill; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The Government fulfilled their obligations under article 44 of the UN convention on the rights of the child by publishing the UK national report in February 1994.

  The general principles of the convention have been taken into account in drafting the provisions contained within the Children (Scotland) Bill.

  University Hospital
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what information he had concerning the 1985 out-of-court settlement by W. S. Atkins and Partners to the Welsh Office with respect to design faults at the University hospital of Wales, Cardiff, prior to his decision to sell the Common Services Agency of the Scottish National Health Service to W. S. Atkins and Partners.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  None

  M77
  Mr. Dunnachie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if an environmental impact assessment which conforms to European Union standards was carried out 64
  before he authorised work to begin on constructing the M77 in Glasgow; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The statutory procedures for the Ayr road route were initiated prior to the implementation date of European Community directive number 85/337. Consequently, there was no requirement to carry out an environmental assessment for this scheme. Notwithstanding this, an environmental impact assessment was undertaken for this scheme and details were presented at a pubic local inquiry prior to the Secretary of State approving the works. The Government believe that this assessment would have satisfied the directive.

  Mr. Dunnachie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the absence of security personnel and construction workers on 15 February.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  I assume that the hon. Member is referring to work on the M77. The responsibility for organising the resources necessary to discharge the contract lies with the contractor.

  Public Appointments
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer of 17 January,Official Report, column 465, how many appointments to public positions have been made by his Department in the last year.

  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 15 February 1995]: The Cabinet Office publication "Public Bodies 1994" shows 3,971 appointments in Scotland held at 1 September 1994. Of these, 3,656 are the responsibility of my Department. This figure reflects the total appointments held, including new appointments and re-appointments made in the year ended 31 August 1994. The information held centrally in my Department does not show the number of appointments made in any given year.

  Generic Prescribing
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer of 7 February,Official Report, columns 229–30, if he will list the aggregate figures for brand name and generic prescribing costs for each health board area, classified by total GP fundholders and total non-fundholders.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 16 February 1995]: The table gives the gross ingredient cost of prescribing of generic and brand name items by fundholding and non-fundholding general practitioners for each health board area for financial years 1992–93 and 1993–94.
  65

  Health board

  1992–93 fundholdersPrescribed generically

  1992–93 costs Prescribed by brand name

  1992–93 Non-fundholders Prescribed generically

  1992–93 costs Prescribed by-brand name

  1993–94 fundholders Prescribed generically

  1993–94 costs Prescribed by-brand name

  1993–94 Non-fundholders Prescribed generically

  1993–94 costs Prescribed by brand name

  Argyll and Clyde

  0.271

  1.168

  4.880

  25.603

  0.508

  1.864

  5.916

  26.606

  Ayrshire and Arran

  0.039

  0.218

  3.456

  24.786

  0.311

  1.448

  4.199

  24.916

  Borders

  —

  —

  1.536

  5.404

  0.143

  0.329

  1.831

  5.166

  Dumfries and Galloway

  —

  —

  1.475

  9.077

  —

  —

  1.910

  9.775

  Fife

  0.064

  0.249

  3.824

  17.747

  0.212

  0.751

  4.441

  18.857

  Forth Valley

  0.102

  0.530

  3.559

  15.330

  0.186

  0.846

  4.302

  16.063

  Grampian

  0.619

  2.678

  4.607

  21.207

  3.045

  10.625

  3.880

  14.438

  Greater Glasgow

  0.214

  0.858

  10.862

  51.933

  0.434

  1.524

  12.949

  54.422

  Highland

  0.035

  0.168

  1.975

  9.861

  0.163

  0.697

  2.316

  10.385

  Lanarkshire

  0.152

  0.768

  5.043

  36.430

  1.386

  5.046

  6.184

  32.726

  Lothian

  0.152

  0.546

  9.632

  34.963

  0.998

  3.093

  10.935

  34.376

  Orkney

  —

  —

  0.217

  0.853

  —

  —

  0.251

  0.900

  Shetland

  —

  —

  0.139

  0.944

  —

  —

  0.166

  1.080

  Tayside

  0.465

  1.235

  6.057

  21.081

  1.59

  3.500

  6.819

  19.940

  Western Isles

  —

  —

  0.328

  1.287

  —

  —

  0.400

  1.476

  Total

  2.113

  8.418

  57.590

  276.506

  8.976

  29.723

  66.499

  271.126

  General Practitioners
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer of 7 February,Official Report, column 229–30, if he will give the aggregate numbers of general practices in the fundholding and non-fundholding categories and the total number of

  Practices

  GPs (whole-time equivalent)

  Patients

  Column 1 Non-fundholders

  Column 2 fundholders

  Column 3 Non-fundholders

  Column 4 Fundholders

  Column 5 Non-fundholders

  Column 6 Fundholders

  1992–93

  Argyll and Clyde

  100

  5

  275.8

  26.5

  409,874

  36,944

  Ayrshire and Arran

  60

  4

  232.8

  14.8

  365,971

  25,475

  Borders

  22

  1

  70.3

  4.8

  100,153

  7,064

  Dumfries and Galloway

  36

  —

  111.8

  —

  153,280

  —

  Fife

  59

  2

  196.3

  11.8

  328,138

  23,177

  Forth Valley

  53

  2

  179.8

  7

  277,793

  12,369

  Grampian

  65

  25

  177.9

  146.8

  281,721

  251,365

  Greater Glasgow

  219

  4

  588.6

  22

  970,192

  39,328

  Highland

  74

  1

  166

  8

  200,111

  12,311

  Lanarkshire

  83

  9

  271.3

  48.3

  489,873

  93,750

  Lothian

  124

  12

  444.8

  48

  724,778

  78,247

  Orkney

  15

  —

  24.0

  —

  20,047

  —

  Shetland

  11

  —

  19.0

  —

  22,770

  —

  Tayside

  67

  10

  207.3

  43.3

  337,168

  73,125

  Western Isles

  15

  —

  30.0

  —

  29,977

  —

  Scotland

  1,003

  75

  2,995.7

  381.3

  4,711,846

  653,155

  1993–94

  Argyll and Clyde

  100

  5

  273.0

  26.5

  406,156

  36,476

  Ayrshire and Arran

  58

  5

  230

  21.0

  357,126

  34,588

  Borders

  20

  3

  63.8

  10.8

  91,605

  16,028

  Dumfries and Galloway

  35

  1

  107.8

  4.5

  145,942

  7,097

  Fife

  59

  4

  191.0

  21.5

  312,824

  39,813

  Forth Valley

  51

  4

  171.5

  18.0

  259,114

  31,421

  Grampian

  50

  39

  133.0

  197.3

  205,865

  331,612

  Greater Glasgow

  212

  11

  554.6

  55.3

  910,275

  90,409

  Highland

  68

  7

  154.5

  21.0

  184,026

  29,225

  Lanarkshire

  79

  14

  228.0

  92.0

  409,664

  174,173

  Lothian

  118

  18

  402.5

  98.5

  645,354

  159,376

  Orkney

  15

  —

  24.0

  —

  20,079

  —

  Shetland

  11

  —

  19.0

  —

  22,944

  —

  Tayside

  68

  11

  201.8

  50.8

  326,492

  83,849

  Western Isles

  15

  —

  31.0

  —

  29,828

  —

  Scotland

  959

  122

  2,785.3

  617.2

  4,327,296

  1,034,067

  As requested in column 2 for each year the figures represent the number of individual general practices involved in Fundholding rather than the number of Fundholders since more than one practice may group together to manage a single fund.
  66
  general practitioners in each category on a full-time equivalent basis and the number of list patients covered at each of the dates specified.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 17 February 1995]: The information requested is set out in the table.
  67

  Dental Services
  Mr. Donohoe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much was collected within each health board area in patient charges by dentists in each financial year since 1989–90; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 16 February 1995]: The information requested is shown in the table. The figures have been taken from the annual accounts of the 15 Scottish health boards. No information can be provided for 1989–90 as, prior to 1990–91, expenditure figures were collected on a net basis only—that is, total expenditure less patient charges collected by dentists.

  General dental services patients charges

  £000

  Health board

  1990–91

  1991–92

  1992–93

  1993–94

  Argyll and Clyde

  2,995

  3,476

  3,135

  3,000

  Ayr and Arran

  2,632

  3,051

  2,596

  2,480

  Borders

  778

  948

  962

  971

  Dumfries and Galloway

  1,051

  1,229

  1,101

  1,014

  Fife

  2,361

  3,582

  2,620

  2,710

  Forth Valley

  1,939

  2,255

  2,246

  2,285

  Grampian

  3,372

  3,928

  4,633

  4,634

  Greater Glasgow

  6,316

  7,181

  6,691

  6,698

  Highland

  1,431

  2,366

  1,750

  1,589

  Lanarkshire

  3,320

  3,817

  3,493

  3,551

  Lothian

  6,269

  7,180

  6,654

  7,201

  Orkney

  81

  101

  112

  115

  Average waiting periods in weeks

  Court

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  1989

  1990

  1991

  1992

  1993

  1994

  Aberdeen

  11

  9

  14

  17

  19

  16

  13

  12

  14

  14

  Airdrie

  23

  20

  16

  14

  12

  15

  12

  15

  15

  15

  Alloa

  17

  16

  20

  12

  13

  10

  11

  8

  10

  9

  Arbroath

  11

  17

  14

  14

  11

  13

  12

  12

  12

  12

  Ayr

  14

  16

  16

  18

  15

  12

  12

  14

  12

  11

  Banff

  12

  11

  10

  10

  9

  10

  11

  13

  13

  8

  Campbeltown

  8

  11

  12

  12

  13

  9

  6

  8

  8

  10

  Cupar

  14

  12

  12

  14

  11

  9

  12

  11

  12

  12

  Dingwall

  10

  11

  9

  9

  12

  11

  12

  12

  13

  10

  Dornoch

  7

  9

  9

  10

  11

  12

  10

  9

  10

  10

  Dumbarton

  17

  18

  23

  27

  19

  19

  16

  11

  10

  11

  Dumfries

  20

  24

  21

  18

  13

  9

  13

  11

  12

  12

  Dundee

  4

  5

  7

  8

  7

  5

  7

  9

  14

  17

  Dumfermline

  15

  14

  16

  12

  8

  10

  9

  7

  14

  12

  Dunoon

  22

  19

  12

  12

  12

  14

  12

  13

  10

  12

  Duns

  6

  5

  6

  5

  7

  9

  9

  9

  10

  10

  Edinburgh

  8

  10

  16

  18

  20

  19

  17

  12

  10

  11

  Elgin

  13

  13

  9

  8

  9

  8

  8

  10

  8

  9

  Falkirk

  22

  16

  13

  9

  11

  12

  8

  15

  17

  12

  Forfar

  14

  16

  13

  9

  10

  8

  8

  7

  9

  10

  Fort William

  9

  10

  11

  16

  11

  10

  10

  12

  15

  12

  Glasgow

  15

  12

  14

  16

  12

  13

  13

  17

  22

  26

  Greenock

  26

  19

  13

  16

  17

  13

  13

  10

  10

  13

  Haddington

  18

  13

  10

  35

  8

  11

  12

  16

  15

  13

  Hamilton

  24

  26

  26

  16

  14

  22

  23

  17

  15

  15

  Inverness

  12

  12

  13

  9

  13

  11

  10

  12

  11

  12

  Jedburgh

  8

  4

  9

  6

  8

  10

  10

  9

  11

  11

  Kilmarnock

  12

  15

  17

  18

  14

  13

  13

  12

  10

  12

  Kirkcaldy

  10

  13

  10

  9

  12

  12

  9

  12

  12

  12

  Kirkcudbright

  13

  14

  12

  14

  10

  11

  11

  12

  11

  10

  Kirkwall

  8

  7

  8

  9

  8

  9

  10

  9

  8

  8

  Lanark

  17

  16

  10

  8

  10

  10

  11

  12

  12

  11

  Lerwick

  7

  10

  5

  9

  13

  11

  12

  8

  7

  8

  Linlithgow

  9

  12

  11

  11

  9

  15

  18

  16

  16

  21

  Lochmaddy

  10

  15

  10

  10

  9

  10

  9

  12

  13

  8

  Oban

  9

  9

  11

  10

  13

  13

  10

  12

  11

  12

  Paisley

  22

  29

  26

  21

  19

  15

  12

  13

  14

  16

  Peebles

  9

  9

  8

  10

  9

  10

  8

  12

  11

  11

  Perth

  14

  12

  13

  11

  7

  8

  11

  13

  10

  11

  68

  General dental services patients charges

  £000

  Health board

  1990–91

  1991–92

  1992–93

  1993–94

  Shetland

  61

  102

  153

  177

  Tayside

  3,314

  3,718

  3,637

  3,905

  Western Isles

  94

  140

  134

  118

  Total

  36,014

  43,074

  39,917

  40,448

  Mr. Donohoe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the gross expenditure on general dental services in each health board area in Scotland in the financial year 1989–90; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 16 February 1995]: Gross expenditure figures for the year 1989–90 are not held centrally. However, net expenditure figures are available. These were provided to the hon. Member in my answer to him of 26 January 1995, Official Report, column 347–48.

  Sheriff Courts
  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what were the reported average waiting periods between pleading and trial dates for each sheriff court in Scotland for each of the past 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 16 February 1995]: The information requested is as shown in the following table:
  69

  Average waiting periods in weeks

  Court

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  1989

  1990

  1991

  1992

  1993

  1994

  Peterhead

  12

  11

  10

  13

  15

  11

  13

  12

  17

  14

  Portree

  12

  15

  12

  10

  11

  5

  9

  9

  9

  8

  Rothesay

  10

  9

  8

  7

  10

  13

  11

  11

  9

  10

  Selkirk

  7

  6

  7

  10

  7

  8

  10

  10

  9

  11

  Stirling

  19

  19

  12

  12

  13

  9

  12

  12

  12

  12

  Stonehaven

  12

  11

  9

  10

  11

  11

  8

  12

  12

  11

  Stornoway

  9

  10

  11

  14

  12

  11

  13

  14

  13

  11

  Stranraer

  17

  19

  15

  10

  13

  10

  10

  11

  10

  11

  Tain

  10

  12

  9

  7

  7

  8

  7

  13

  11

  10

  Wick

  8

  12

  10

  8

  8

  8

  11

  12

  11

  12

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Benefits
  Mr. Hayes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what are his objectives for the delivery of social security benefits.

  Mr. Lilley
  My principal objectives are:

  to focus benefits on the most needy

  to improve incentives to work and to save

  to encourage personal responsibility

  to bear down on fraud and abuse

  and to ensure that the system does not outstrip the nation's ability to pay.

  Habitual Residence Test
  Ms Glenda Jackson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many British citizens are awaiting the outcome of their appeals against the habitual residence rule.

  Mr. Roger Evans
  This information is not collected centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Post Office (Automation)
  Mr. Nicholls
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to encourage the private sector to invest in Post Office automation in relation to the work of his Department.

  Number of unemployed claimants by benefit entitlement

  Total

  UB only, or contribution-based JSA only

  UB and IS, or JSA based both on contributions and on income

  IS only, or income-based JSA only

  No benefit (NI credits only)

  381

  132

  1,763

  266

  Latest actual estimates August 1994

  2,542

  15 per cent.

  5 per cent.

  69 per cent.

  10 per cent.

  Estimates for 1996–97 assuming JSA

  350

  100

  1,660

  300

  system

  2,410

  15 per cent.

  4 per cent.

  69 per cent.

  12 per cent.

  Estimates for 1997–98 assuming JSA

  240

  100

  1,730

  340

  system

  2,410

  10 per cent.

  4 per cent.

  72 per cent.

  14 per cent.

  Notes:

  1. UB = Unemployment Benefit. IS = Income Support. JSA = Jobseeker's Allowance. NI = National Insurance.

  2. Assumes that in 1996–97 and 1997–98 the personal rate of Unemployment Benefit is higher than the personal allowance of Income Support for people aged 25 or over.

  3. Assumes in 1996–97 and 1997–98 claimant unemployment of 2.4 million and an Unemployment Benefit caseload of 500,000.

  4. Estimates for 1996–97 and 1997–98 rounded to the nearest 10,000. Current figures rounded to the nearest 1,000. Percentages rounded to the nearest percentage point. Individual figures may not sum due to rounding.

  5. Assumes that claimants who lose entitlement to Jobseeker's Allowance continue to sign for credits. If they do not, then the claimant total falls.
  70
  Mr. Lilley
  I am very keen to see the involvement of the private sector in the project to introduce an automated system for paying benefit at post offices. We are therefore looking to the private sector to design, build, finance and operate systems for automation of post offices, and the introduction of benefit payment cards, under the terms of the private finance initiative.

  Some 90 companies responded to a notice published in the Official Journal of the European Communities in August last year. On 9 December, Official Report, column 385, my hon. Friend was able to announce the names of five companies, some of which lead consortia, which have been invited to develop proposals.

  Jobseeker's Allowance
  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the numbers and the percentages of unemployed who will gain the new jobseeker's allowance during its first year of operation; and how these figures differ from current claims for unemployment benefit.

  Mr. Roger Evans
  On current assumptions, 2,110,000 people would be receiving jobseeker's allowance at any one time in its first year of operation. Once transitional protection has ended, it is estimated that 90 per cent. of unemployed claimants will be receiving JSA. This compares with 20 per cent. who currently receive unemployment benefit.

  The figures are in the table. The figures for 1996–97 reflect the transitional protection which will apply to unemployment benefit claimants in the first year of jobseeker's allowance.
  71
  Mr. Janner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what assessment he has made of the effect of the jobseeker's allowance; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Roger Evans
  The jobseeker's allowance is designed to help get people back to work, to secure better value for money for the taxpayer, and to improve the service to unemployed people themselves. Its financial effects are summarised in the explanatory and financial memorandum to the Jobseekers Bill.

  Benefit Payment Card
  Mr. Mark Robinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to introduce a benefit payment card.

  Mr. Lilley
  On 11 May 1994, I announced plans to automate the payment of benefits at post offices. Order books and girocheques will eventually be replaced by a benefit payment card which will allow access to payment information held electronically. This will reduce cost for taxpayers, be more secure for customers and guarantee the future of post offices. People wishing to be paid by automated credit transfer will continue to be paid in this way and will not hold a benefit payment card.

  Child Support Agency
  Mr. Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what representations he has received in the last month concerning the operations of the Child Support Agency; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Burt
  Approximately 500 letters, covering a range of views about both child support policy and operations, were received at DSS headquarters during January 1995.

  Benefit Arrangements (Europe)
  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish details of the social security arrangements in other European countries which limit the payment of income-related benefits to persons who are not habitually resident in a country in which they claim benefit.

  Mr. Roger Evans
  Details of the social security arrangements, including payment of income-related benefits, in other European countries are in the following publications, copies of which can be found in the Library:Social Protection in the Member States of the Community—"MISSOC"—tables, published by the European Commission.
  Comparative tables of social security schemes in Council of Europe member states, published by the Council of Europe.

  Disabled People
  Mr. Jacques Arnold
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what representations he has received on the action the Government are taking to tackle discrimination against disabled people.

  Mr. Gallie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what steps he is taking to reduce discrimination against disabled people.

  Mr. Hague
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave earlier today to my hon. Friends the Members for Bury St. Edmunds (Mr. Spring) and for Croydon, North-East (Mr. Congdon).
  72

  Benefits
  Mr. Dunn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether pensioners will be able to choose to have their benefits paid through the Post Office.

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  We are committed to giving pensioners the choice of payment directly into their bank or building society by automated credit transfer or at a post office. If they choose to continue to receive their pensions at a post office, they can still be paid by ACT into a Girobank or National Savings account. For pensioners and others who do not want to be paid in this way, we are planning significant improvements in the delivery of benefits at post offices. The post office network will be automated, and orderbooks and girocheques replaced with a benefit payment card.

  Social Security Reforms
  Mr. Legg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what savings he estimates will result from the social security reforms announced since 1 January 1993.

  Mr. Hague
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Secretary of State to the hon. Member for Sutton and Cheam (Lady Olga Maitland) earlier today.

  Housing Benefit
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what steps his Department takes to ensure that payments of housing benefit to local authorities should at all times be in time to avoid any arrears arising on tenants' rent accounts due to late housing benefit payments.

  Mr. Roger Evans
  Housing benefit is paid by local authorities. Regulations require local authorities to make payments of housing benefit within 14 days of receipt of the claim or as soon as practicable thereafter. Local authorities are also required to make payments on account if it is impracticable to determine a rent allowance within 14 days of the claim being made provided that the delay is not due to the failure of the claimant to provide information in support of that claim.

  Mrs. Maddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what has been the additional cost to the housing benefit budget of people moved out of care institutions under the care in the community programme to date.

  Mr. Roger Evans
  No information is collected about the number of people re-entering the community under the care in the community programme, or about their housing arrangements. Consequently, it is not possible to estimate the additional expenditure in housing benefit.

  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what sum was paid in housing benefit in each of the past five years; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Roger Evans
  I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Manchester, Withington (Mr. Bradley) on 10 January,Official Report, column 55. I have nothing to add to the statement which my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State made on 30 November, Official Report, column 1205, concerning the measures we propose to introduce to tackle the rapid growth in housing benefit expenditure.
  73

  National Insurance Benefits
  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many self-employed people failed to qualify for sickness benefit due to inadequate contributions for each of the last 30 years;

  (2) how many self-employed have failed to draw national insurance benefits in each of the last 30 years because of an inadequate contributions record; and if he will present these data according to each of the major national insurance benefits.

  Mr. Hague
  The available information for sickness benefit is in the table. Earlier figures can be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Figures are not available for the other national insurance benefits.

  Period

  Number of sickness benefit spells commencing in the period, where the claimant declared themselves self-employed, and did not satisfy the contribution conditions for the payment of the benefit.

  4 April 1988 to 1 April 1989

  24,000

  3 April 1989 to 31 March 1990

  32,000

  2 April 1990 to 30 March 1991

  38,000

  Year

  Number of cases with mortgage interest included in the assessment

  Average weekly amount of mortgage interest included in the assessment (£s)

  Estimated annual expenditure on mortgage interest (£m)

  1979

  98,000

  5.96

  31

  1980

  134,000

  10.18

  71

  1981

  196,000

  12.18

  124

  1982

  235,000

  13.87

  170

  1983

  242,000

  11.94

  150

  1984

  277,000

  15.18

  219

  1985

  —

  —

  —

  1986

  356,000

  18.96

  351

  1987

  334,000

  19.31

  335

  1988

  300,000

  18.33

  286

  1989

  281,000

  24.18

  353

  1990

  310,000

  34.33

  553

  1991

  411,000

  44.41

  949

  1992

  499,000

  44.03

  1,143

  1993

  555,000

  42.17

  1,217

  1994

  548,000

  37.98

  1,082

  Notes:

  1. Income Support replaced Supplementary Benefit in 1988.

  2. All figures have been rounded to the nearest thousand.

  3. Figures are not available for 1985.

  4. Mortgage interest has only been collected as a separate item since 1983. Previous estimates were based on owner-occupiers' residual housing costs and included an element for ground rent.

  5. Estimated annual expenditure on mortgage interest is calculated as total numbers multiplied by average weekly amount multiplied by 52.

  Source:

  Supplementary Benefit/Income Support Annual Statistical Enquiries 1979–1993 for number of cases and 1983–1993 for expenditure. Income Support Quarterly Statistical Enquiry February 1994.

  National Insurance Contributions
  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many workers failed to pay full national insurance contributions in the last year for which figures are available; and if he will give the distribution and the spread and the number of weeks of contributions not covered by the weighted number of workers.

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  The administration of national insurance is the responsibility of Mr. George Bertram, the acting chief executive of the Contributions Agency. He will write to the hon. Member.
  74

  Period

  Number of sickness benefit spells commencing in the period, where the claimant declared themselves self-employed, and did not satisfy the contribution conditions for the payment of the benefit.

  1 April 1991 to 4 April 1992

  35,000

  6 April 1992 to 3 April 1993

  35,000

  Notes:

  1. The employment status is that declared by the claimant at the start of their spell of incapacity, and is not verified by the Department. There are a number of spells where the employment status is not known or "other".

  2. The information is based on a 1 per cent. sample of claimants to benefit in Great Britain, and is rounded to the nearest thousand.

  Mortgage Interest
  Mrs. Maddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many households have received income support for mortgage interest; and what was the average amount of benefit received in each year since 1979.

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

  Letter from George Bertram to Mr. Frank Field, dated 17 February 1995:
  As Acting Chief Executive of the Contributions Agency, I have responsibility for all operational aspects of the National Insurance scheme. I have been asked to reply to your question to the Secretary of State for Social Security regarding the number of workers who have failed to pay full National Insurance contributions (NICs).
  I am afraid that our management information systems do not provide the information you have asked for in your question.
  I can however tell you that contributors who have not paid (or been credited with) sufficient contributions to provide a qualifying year for benefit purposes are notified through the issue of a

  75
  deficiency notice about 18 months after the end of the tax year. About 3.5 million deficiency notices are issued annually.
  Deficiency notices provide contributors with the opportunity to confirm that the correct amount of contributions have been recorded on their NI accounts and, where appropriate provide for queries to be made or make up contributions paid. There are various reasons for deficient records, the most common being where earnings are below the appropriate threshold, persons may be employed for only part of the year or contributors may have spent time outside the UK. The 3.5 million do not include those married women who elected to pay reduced rate contributions. Because they have made such an election they are not entitled to pay make up contributions which make the deficient year count.
  Separate arrangements exist whereby self-employed contributors are advised of liability for unpaid weeks through the Quarterly Billing payment system.
  I regret that I am unable to give you the precise information that you requested but I hope that this reply will prove helpful.

  Disability Living Allowance
  Ms Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, how many applications for disability living allowance have been lodged for each month since June 1994 for babies at the local district office for the parliamentary constituency of Lewisham, Deptford; how many were lodged nationally; of these, how many were refused; what were the grounds for refusal; how many lodged appeals and how many appeals were successful; and what is the average time taken to process appeals.

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

  Letter from Michael Bichard to Ms Joan Ruddock, dated 17 February 1995:
  The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about claims for Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for babies.
  Information is not available in the exact format requested. The vast majority of claims to DLA are forwarded by the applicant direct to one of eleven regional Disability Benefit Centres at which all claims to DLA are processed. Thereafter any action required is undertaken, in the main, by the Disability Benefit Unit at Blackpool. It is not possible to establish the number of claims, awards refused and appeals made within any particular Benefits Agency District area without incurring disproportionate cost.
  However, I am able to provide you with the national figures as requested. As at 30 November 1994, 1,600 awards for DLA were estimated to be in payment for children aged under one. At the same date, 5,400 awards were estimated to be in payment for children aged between one and two. This information is an extrapolation of a 5‥ sample of the DLA liveload at the given date.
  The average time taken to process all DLA appeals to the point at which the case is submitted to the Independent Tribunal Service (ITS) is 35 days. That average has been calculated for the period 1 April 1994 to 31 January 1995. The ITS is an independent body and the listing of hearing dates cannot be influenced by the Benefits Agency. When a Tribunal's decision is notified to the Benefits Agency by ITS the aim is to implement the decision within 10 days.
  I hope you find this reply helpful.

  Family Credit
  Ms Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many applications for family credit were lodged in November 1994, December 1994 and January 1995 in the local district office for the parliamentary constituency of Lewisham, Deptford; of these, how many applications for family credit are still waiting to be processed; what is the average time taken to process 76
  applications for family credit; and what help is available to applicants who are experiencing unusually long delays in processing their applications.

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

  Letter from Michael Bichard to Ms Joan Ruddock, dated 17 February 1995
  The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about Family Credit (FC) claims made from the Lewisham area; also about the time taken to process a FC claim and the help that is available to applicants who experience unusually long delays in processing their applications.
  The vast majority of claims to FC are forwarded by the applicant direct to the FC Unit in Blackpool. Information is not available in respect of the number of applications lodged from any particular Benefits Agency District area.
  The average time taken to process applications to FC for the months of November 1994, December 1994 and January 1995 are 13.19, 14.93 and 15.21 days respectively. The increase in the average clearance time over this period is due firstly to the loss of productivity over the Christmas period; secondly due to the FC Unit concentrating its resources on clearing cases where there has been a long delay. These cases have arisen due to an increase in workload experienced during October and November.
  Help is available to those who are experiencing delays in processing their applications. Customers can contact the Family Credit Helpline Service on 01253 500050 where full explanations of any delay can be made and outstanding matters resolved if at all possible. Alternatively, customers can contact the Customer Services section in their local Benefits Agency office, or the Client Advisor in their local Employment Service office, who will attempt to expedite any outstanding claim.
  If a customer is in financial difficulty as a result of an outstanding FC claim which cannot be resolved, a claim can be made to the Social Fund (SF) section at their local Benefits Agency office. Crisis Loans are available to anyone who needs financial help to meet expenses in an emergency or a disaster, who is facing serious risk or serious damage to their health or safety. The applicant does not have to be in receipt of any benefit, but any income or capital which he has will be taken into account by the SF officer.
  I hope you find this reply helpful.

  Information Technology
  Mr. Byers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many members of the Information Technology Services Agency have left in the last five years to take up employment with companies concerned with information technology or consultants; and if he will give the companies concerned.

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  The Information Technology Services Agency has records of seven staff who were given permission in the last five years to take up outside business appointments with companies concerned with information technology or consultants in accordance with civil service rules. The companies concerned were Siemens Nixdorf, Price Waterhouse, Andersen Consulting, ICL, BT Telecommunications, Syntegra and Fairhaven Computer Services.

  Income Support
  Mr. Colin Pickthall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, what plans he has to help students whose
  77
  levels of student maintenance are lower than the minimum income support threshold.

  Mr. Roger Evans
  In general, it is the education maintenance system, not social security benefits, which is designed to provide for full-time students and we have no plans to change this.

  Correspondence
  Ms Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he will reply to the letters dated 29 November 1994 and 5 January 1995 from the hon. Member for Lewisham, Deptford concerning her constituent, R. Wilson.

  Mr. Roger Evans
  I sent a reply to the hon. Member on Thursday 16 February.

  Social Fund
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what account he has taken of the actual costs incurred in arranging a funeral when setting a new ceiling on social fund payments to those with insufficient funds to pay for a relative's funeral.

  Mr. Roger Evans
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Pendle (Mr. Prentice) on Thursday 16 February,Official Report, column 735.

WALES

  Welsh Manufacturing Output
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will express total Welsh manufacturing output for(a) 1994 and (b) 1993 as an index with total Welsh manufacturing output for 1979 equal to 100; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Richards
  Data for 1994 are not yet available. The total output of production industries in Wales in 1993, indexed with 1979=100, is estimated to he 102.8. Information for manufacturing only, for 1993 and 1979, on a consistent basis, is not available.

  Completed Consultant Episodes
  Mr. Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish a table showing for each year since 1990(a) the number of finished consultant episodes completed and (b) the number of individual patients seen by doctors in hospitals.

  Mr. Richards
  Information on the number of completed consultant episodes is available only from 1991–92 onwards. The latest estimates of the number of completed consultant episodes and discharges and deaths each year are given in the following table. Information on the numbers of individual patients seen by doctors in hospitals is not available.

  Completed consultant episodes1

  Discharges and deaths

  1990–91

  n/a

  577,488

  1991–92

  619,600

  627,700

  78

  Completed consultant episodes1

  Discharges and deaths

  1992–93

  660,900

  662,700

  1993–94

  709,400

  712,500

  Source:

  Patient episode database for Wales, Form QS1.

  Note:

  1Not all hospitals return complete information to the patient episode database for Wales. The figures on completed consultant episodes will therefore slightly underestimate activity.

  Manufacturing Output
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will express the total manufacturing output in Wales at factor cost and constant 1994 prices for(a) 1994, (b) 1993 and (c) 1987; and if he make a statement.

  Mr. Richards
  Total manufacturing output at factor cost and current prices in Wales was estimated at £6,081 million in 1993 and £4,485 million in 1987. No official Welsh deflators are available to convert the figures to constant prices. Information for 1994 is not yet available.

  York Road CP School
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) if he will visit York Road county primary school, Connah's quay;

  (2) if he will visit York Road CP school, Connah's quay to discuss staffing with the governors and parents.

  Mr. Richards
  Neither my right hon. Friend nor I have any plans at present to do so.

  Custom House School
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what consultations he has had with the Education Assets Board concerning Custom House county primary school, and if he will make a statement;

  (2) when he expects to resolve the problems concerning a building on the site of Custom House CP school Connah's quay, and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Richards
  I have had no consultations with the Education Assets Board concerning the annexe to the Custom House Lane county primary school at Connah's quay, nor would it be proper for me to do so in view of the appeal I have received from Clwyd county council. This case is under active consideration and I shall reach a decision regarding the appeal in due course.

  Osteoporosis
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what specific objectives he has set for his health strategy in Wales for osteoporosis diagnosis and treatment; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Richards
  Objectives for people in Wales with osteoporosis are included in the Welsh health planning forum guidance on physical disability and discomfort and on injuries, and in the forum advice on health and social care for older people.

  Dental Services
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list those family health service authority sub-areas
  79
  in Wales where there are no longer any dentists taking on new NHS patients.

  Mr. Richards
  The information is not held centrally. General dental practitioners are independent contractors who are free to choose who they will accept on to their NHS dental lists. Most dentists have NHS patients on their lists but may open and close those lists to new patients as they see fit. The situation may vary from week to week.

  If any person has difficulty in obtaining treatment from a general dental practitioner, they should contact their local family health services authority which is best placed to advise on local availability of NHS dental services, including emergency dental clinics and the community dental service.

  Crystal Chandeliers
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many NHS trusts installed crystal chandeliers in boardrooms in each of the last three years.

  Mr. Richards
  This information is not held centrally.

  Habitats Directive
  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what are the specific differences pertaining for Wales and not England that have led to his Department being in the consultation process for the implementation of the EU habitats directive at present when in England policy planning guidance was issued in October 1994;

  (2) what is the compliance date that his Department has to observe in respect of the EU habitats directive; and when he expects to issue a policy planning guidance paper to enable the directive to be complied with in Wales.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The Conservation (Natural Habitats, etc.) Regulations 1994 make provision for the purpose of implementing, for England, Scotland and Wales, the habitats directive on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora, and came into force on 30 October 1994. The directive requires member states to submit a list of proposed special areas of conservation to the Commission by June 1995. The Commission has to establish a list of sites of community importance by June 1998 and the member states then have a further six years in which to designate the sites as special areas of conservation. Draft planning guidance is being prepared and my right hon. Friend intends to go out to consultation with Welsh interests before the summer.

  1991–92

  1992–93

  1993–94

  1994–951

  School

  Revenue

  Capital

  Revenue

  Capital

  Revenue

  Capital

  Revenue

  Capital

  Bryn Elian

  —

  —

  —

  —

  485,753

  6,285

  1,728,982

  160,000

  Derwen

  —

  —

  —

  —

  187,104

  8,447

  266,160

  97,632

  Eirias

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1,437,715

  18,655

  2,377,713

  280,000

  Emrys ap Iwan

  —

  —

  675,534

  7,695

  2,572,873

  1,502,114

  2,600,799

  315,726

  Maelor

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1,299,960

  776,172

  1,256,667

  460,241

  Pen-y-Bryn

  —

  —

  —

  —

  262,174

  9,228

  404,731

  45,096

  Brynmawr

  —

  —

  786,883

  156,068

  1,357,858

  1,440,649

  1,391,797

  680,042

  Cwmcarn

  517,899

  —

  857,744

  60,944

  911,486

  405,620

  954,412

  265,853

  Our Lady and St. Michaels

  —

  —

  —

  —

  128,140

  3,850

  369,555

  190,000

  St. Albans

  —

  —

  —

  —

  411,915

  5,610

  1,435,871

  598,846

  Caergeiliog

  —

  —

  —

  —

  435,543

  15,360

  409,665

  337,230

  80

  Sixth Form Colleges
  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, if he will list the sixth form colleges in Wales by local education authority giving the numbers of teachers employed and students attending in each case.

  Mr. Richards
  There is one such college in Wales—St David's Roman Catholic sixth form college in south Glamorgan. The college employs 57 full and part-time lecturers and at November 1994 there were 787 students attending.

  Still-Born Babies
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what proposals he has to establish statutory guidelines with respect to transportation of still-born babies and foetuses between hospitals for pathological examinations and for the establishment of minimum standards on use of specialised containers, dedicated vehicles and drivers and other matters.

  Mr. Redwood
  I am at present considering the matter.

  School Class Sizes
  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how many children in Wales are currently in classes of more than 30 children; and if he will give the numbers for each local education authority.

  Mr. Richards
  Information on primary school pupil numbers is not held centrally in the form requested. Some information on the size of registered classes in primary schools in each local education authority area is shown in table 3.04 of "Statistics of Education in Wales: Schools No 2, 1994", a copy of which is in the Library of the House. Tables 4.15, 4.16 and 4.17 of the same publication show details of pupil numbers by size of class in secondary schools.

  Grant-Maintained Schools
  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the grant-maintained schools in Wales giving their total budgets together with the capital and revenue allocations made by him in each year since becoming grant maintained.

  Mr. Richards
  The main recurrent grant for GM schools is annual maintenance grants. In addition to this, GM schools also receive transitional grants to help meet the transitional costs of school's newly approved for GM status, special purpose grants to help with a variety of activities, and capital grants. Details of the budgets allocated to GM schools, broken down between revenue and capital, are as follows:
  81

  1991–92

  1992–93

  1993–94

  1994–951

  School

  Revenue

  Capital

  Revenue

  Capital

  Revenue

  Capital

  Revenue

  Capital

  Llanerfyl

  —

  —

  —

  —

  66,572

  6,837

  77,233

  85,831

  Mary Immaculate

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1,543,300

  —

  St. Cyres

  —

  —

  —

  —

  808,996

  9,610

  3,192,764

  432,000

  Stanwell

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2,222,422

  1,159,664

  2,431,228

  1,934.065

  Bishop Vaughan

  583,235

  —

  2,220,813

  292,260

  2,523,603

  827,650

  2,416,363

  510,171

  1 1994–95 figures are provisional.

  Revenue figures include annual maintenance grant, transitional, and special purpose grants.

  Private Sector Institutions
  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the legal status of(a)grant-maintained schools and (b) universities and colleges as private sector institutions.

  Mr. Richards
  Grant-maintained schools are classified as private sector institutions by the Central Statistical Office according to its criteria for the purpose of national income accounts. Universities and colleges which receive funding from the higher and further education funding councils for Wales are independent autonomous bodies in the private sector. These are publicly funded institutions and are subject to public law—that is, their decisions are subject to review by the courts.

  Welsh Health Common Services Authority
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will place a copy in the Library of the Touche Ross feasibility study on the sale of the Estatecare division of the Welsh Health Common Services Authority; what is the deadline for the preparation of documents and decisions on the sale procedure; and if the sale will be advertised(a) throughout the European Community and (b) will be in accordance with the Public Services Contracts Regulations 1993 and the EC supply and services directive.

  Mr. Redwood
  The report has been commissioned by the authority for its own use. The exercise is expected to be completed during the next financial year in accordance with all relevant statutory requirements.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what provision he had made for the market-testing of(a) the work carried out by the whole of the Estatecare group of the Welsh Health Common Services Authority and (b) its constituent parts; what procedures he has put in place for ensuring the equal comparison between public sector and private sector bids for the work; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Redwood
  This is currently being considered by the authority which expects to report to me in April.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what consultation he has had with the health trusts and authorities in Wales with respect to the pros and cons of(a) market-testing and (b) outright sale of the Estatecare branch of the Welsh Health Common Services Authority; if he will make arrangements for publication of the views of those consulted on the modus operandi for preparation for sale; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Redwood
  None. The authority is considering options in discussion with the relevant NHS bodies.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the names of those on the project board charged with following the instructions in relation to the 82
  preparation for sale of the Estatecare group of the Welsh Health Common Services Authority.

  Mr. Redwood
  The project board set up to advise WHCSA on the feasibility of privatising the Estatecare group includes:

  Mr. K. C. White, non-executive member, WHCSA (chairman)

  Mr. Colin Hughes Davies, chairman, Glan Hafren NHS trust

  Mr. E. F. Lloyd Fitzhugh, chairman, Gofal Cymuned Clwydian Community Care NHS trust

  Mr. A. Beddow, chief executive, West Glamorgan health authority

  Mr. N. Kirk, chief executive, WHCSA

  Mr. J. I. Cook, managing director Estatecare Group

  Mr. L. V. Wood, chief executive, Gofal Cymuned Clwydian community care NHS trust

  Mr. E. Kinsella, chief executive, Wrexham Maelor Hospital NHS trust

  Mr. R. Wheeldon, director of facilities, Swansea NHS trust

  Mr. R. Badman, director of development and facilities, University Hospital of Wales and Cardiff Royal Group

  Mr. S. Fletcher, chief executive, Pembrokeshire NHS trust

  Mr. R. C. Williams, Welsh Office (observer)

  Mr. D. Simpson, project manager, WHCSA

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what provision he has made for the employees of the Estatecare group of the Welsh Health Common Services Authority to be allowed financial, accountancy and legal assistance for a management led employee buyout.

  Mr. Redwood
  This is a matter for the authority.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what provision he will make to ensure a continuation of the independent steriliser testing services of the Welsh Health Common Services Authority in the event of a successful sale of the Estatecare division of Welsh Health Common Services Authority.

  Mr. Redwood
  This will be taken into account at the appropriate time.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many inquiries there have been to date with a view to possible purchase of the Estatecare division of Welsh Health Common Services Authority.

  Mr. Redwood
  Eight.

  Water Charges
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) when he expects to reply to the letter dated 4 November 1994 entitled "Charges for household water customers in Wales" from the managing director of Welsh Water plc;

  (2) what consultations he has had with the Director General of Water Services concerning the contents of the letter from the managing director of Welsh Water dated 4 November 1994 and entitled "Charges for household

  83
  water customers in Wales"; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Redwood
  I have not consulted the director general on the issues raised by Dwr Cymru. The company's views have however been taken into account by the Government during their considerations, the outcome of which will be announced in due course. At that time, Dwr Cymru will be advised of the Government's conclusions.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what consultations he has had with water consumers, consumer organisations and the Welsh Consumer Council concerning the order of preferences of(a) council tax bands, (b) standard annual licence and (c) universal compulsory metering as the main basis for charging for domestic water and sewerage services after 2000; if he will issue the details of a formal programme of consultation on this issue; and what representations he has had in relation to the use of compulsory water metering in (i) new properties and (ii) old properties with renewed water mains.

  Mr. Redwood
  I have not undertaken any such formal consultations. However, I have from time to time received representations on water charges and the use of compulsory metering from various organisations and individuals.

  W. S. Atkins and Partners
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his answer of 15 February,Official Report, column 707, if the decision not to allow health authorities in Wales to appoint W. S. Atkins and Partners to major new commissions without prior reference to the Department related exclusively to the out-of-court settlement in cognisance of design faults at Ysbyty Gwynedd, Bangor or was additional to the out-of-court settlement in relation to faults in the design of the University hospital in Wales, Cardiff.

  Mr. Redwood
  The decision not to allow W. S. Atkins and Partners to be appointed to major new contracts without prior agreement was made in the light of the out-of-court settlement involving design faults at Ysbyty Gwynedd.

  Pupil Teacher Ratios
  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement explaining the calculations made to assess pupil-teacher ratios in(a) primary and (b) secondary schools, with particular reference to the method used for evaluating part-time pupils and part-time teachers.

  Mr. Richards
  The same method of calculation applies to both primary and secondary maintained schools. Pupil-teacher ratios within schools are calculated by dividing the number of full-time equivalent pupils by the number of full-time equivalent qualified teachers.

  The number of full-time pupils is calculated by adding half of the number of part-time pupils to the number of full-time pupils.

  The number of full-time qualified teachers is calculated by dividing the total hours worked per week by part-time teachers by 32.5—the assumed number of hours in a full
  84
  week in maintained schools—and adding the number of full-time teachers.

  The schools census held in January each year is the source of all information used in the calculations for PTRs within schools.

  In the calculation of PTRs, teachers temporarily absent on census day are included; relief teachers taking their place are excluded. Teachers absent for long periods or seconded for other duties are excluded but their replacements are included. Peripatetic teachers are excluded.

  Local Government Reform
  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what will happen to local education authority schools when the county councils disappear in 1996.

  Mr. Richards
  Responsibility for their maintenance will pass from county councils to unitary authorities.

  WDA
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his answer of 19 December,Official Report, column 903, if he will give details of the further legal and administrative consideration given to the issue of the propriety of participation of the Welsh Development Agency in the underwriting and sub-underwriting of share issues.

  Mr. Redwood
  I have nothing to add to the reply I gave the hon. Member on 19 December,Official Report, column 903. I have already said that my Department's legal advisers are considering the issue.

  Intensive Care Beds
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his answer of 15 February,Official Report, column 708, what representations he has had from the chairman of the South Glamorgan health authority concerning the staffing requirement of incremental intensive care unit beds at the University hospital of Wales, Cardiff.

  Mr. Redwood
  None, although the South Glamorgan health authority is currently looking into this issue.

  Public Bodies
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many of the non-departmental public bodies he sponsors have introduce new logos and corporate identities in the last three years; and what consultations he has had with non-departmental public bodies about any future proposals to introduce new corporate identities.

  Mr. Redwood
  Three non-departmental public bodies have introduced new logos in the last three years—the Cardiff Bay development corporation, the Land Authority for Wales and the Sports Council for Wales. I have had no discussions with NDPBs about proposals for new corporate identities, but I do not favour spending much money on this type of activity. I have asked the WDA to do less corporate advertising and more marketing of Wales as a good investment location.
  85

DEFENCE

  Nuclear Weapons Testing
  Mr. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many computer modelled tests have been carried out under the Anglo-American mutual defence agreement, to nuclear weapons or major parts of such weapons by the United States of America for the United Kingdom and vice versa.

  Mr. Freeman
  Computer modelling is a tool used extensively as part of the design, development and qualification of United Kingdom nuclear weapons. Under the auspices of the US-UK 1958 mutual defence agreement, there is an on-going exchange on techniques and data associated with computer modelling. The Ministry of Defence does not hold a database of every individual computer simulation which has been conducted or discussed with the United States and such information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Anglo-French Aero-engine Agreement
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for City of Chester of 19 December 1994,Official Report, column 869, if the cost-sharing arrangements are based on juste retour principles; what is expected to be the expenditure under the memorandum in the next financial year; and if the memorandum excludes missile or missile engine development.

  Mr. Freeman
  The memorandum of understanding contains a commitment to equitable share of costs and work between the two nations. It is not MOD policy to release financial information which is commercial by sensitive. The arrangement does not apply to any missile engine development.

  IMS Export Finance House
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if the IMS export finance house was a profitable commercial operation; which enterprise or agency acted as its auditors; and if the National Audit Office had full powers to investigate the operations of IMS export finance house;

  (2) what access IMS export finance had to the full rate export finance scheme; and if the terms offered were limited to the terms of the OECD interest rate consensus.

  Mr. Freeman
  The export finance house set up by International Military Services Ltd. in 1985 proved unable to secure finance house business and was wound up the following year. Consequently, no audit requirement arose.

  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how the existence and financial performance, of IMS export finance house was reported to Parliament.

  Mr. Freeman
  There was no requirement to report this commercial initiative to Parliament.

  Mr. Roy Ricks
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what employment, duties or services were carried Out for,86
  or on behalf of, his Department or its agencies by Mr. Roy Ricks and over which periods of time.

  Mr. Freeman
  So far as can be ascertained, none.

  Official Residences
  Mr. Byers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what were(a) the amounts spent on domestic and household staff costs, (b) the number of domestic and household staff and the nature of their duties and (c) the cost of food and drink provided at each residence in each of the last five years in the official service residences in Gibraltar and the United States of America.

  Mr. Soames
  There is currently one official service residence in Gibraltar and one in the United States of America.

  Twelve staff are currently employed in the Gibraltar residence, and four in the residence in Norfolk, Virginia. The duties of these staff include valeting, cleaning, cooking, waiting at table and gardening. Gardening at the Norfolk residence is carried out under contract. Staffing levels have been the same for the last five years. Based on annual capitation rates, the annual staff costs are £175,000 for the Gibraltar residence and £95,000 for United States residence, plus a £5,000 annual gardening contract. Although there have been other OSRs in Gibraltar in the past five years, information on these is not readily available.

  Occupants of OSRs pay for food and drink for themselves and their families, and are provided with an entertainment allowance to fund official entertaining. The current annual rates of entertainment allowance for the two posts are £4,870 for the Gibraltar post and £7,470 for the Norfolk, Virginia post.

  Mr. Byers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the estimated final cost of the independent investigation into expenditure at Haymes Garth; and what is the estimated cost of the internal audit of expenditure on official service residences generally.

  Mr. Soames
  The estimated staff cost of the internal audit of expenditure on official service residences is £62,000. The cost of the report by Ms Sheila Masters was some £100,000.

  Defence Export Services Organisation
  Mr. Byers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what was the value of contracts entered into with the assistance of the Defence Export Services Organisation in each year since 1989; and for each year to date giving the three companies entering into contracts with the highest total value.

  Mr. Freeman
  The Defence Export Services Organisation has played an important part in increasing defence export orders over the period. British defence equipment manufacturers won export orders worth £3.9 billion in 1989, £4.8 billion in 1990, £3.5 billion in 1991, £5.3 billion in 1992 and £7 billion in 1993. Figures for 1994 are not yet available. It is for individual companies to give details of the value of their contracts.

  Military Attaches
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list(a) all the overseas posts for military attaches, (b) the total cost of maintaining the

  87
  posts and (c) the date of the most recent review of the value of military attachès.

  Mr. Soames
  The United Kingdom currently has 126 attaches in 70 countries. A further 65 countries are covered by non-residential accreditations. The countries in which the UK has attaches are as follows:

  Capital

  Country

  Abu Dhabi

  UAE

  Accra

  Ghana

  Algiers (currently based Tunis)

  Algeria

  Amman

  Jordan

  Ankara

  Turkey

  Athens

  Greece

  Bangkok

  Thailand

  Beirut

  Lebanon

  Belgrade

  Yugoslavia

  Berne

  Switzerland

  Bogota

  Colombia

  Bonn

  Germany

  Brasilia

  Brazil

  Bratislava

  Slovakia

  Bridgetown

  Barbados

  Brussels

  Belgium

  Bucharest

  Romania

  Budapest

  Hungary

  Buenos Aires

  Argentina

  Cairo

  Egypt

  Canberra

  Australia

  Caracas

  Venezuela

  Colombo (post closes in July 1995)

  Sri Lanka

  Copenhagen

  Denmark

  Damascus

  Syria

  Dhaka

  Bangladesh

  Dublin

  Irish Republic

  Guatemala City

  Guatemala

  The Hague

  Netherlands

  Harare

  Zimbabwe

  Helsinki

  Finland

  Islamabad

  Pakistan

  Jakarta

  Indonesia

  Kampala

  Uganda

  Kathmandu

  Nepal

  Kiev

  Ukraine

  Kingston

  Jamaica

  Kuala Lumpur

  Malaysia

  Kuwait City

  Kuwait

  Lagos

  Nigeria

  Lisbon

  Portugal

  Madrid

  Spain

  Mexico City

  Mexico

  Moscow

  Russia

  Muscat

  Oman

  Nairobi

  Kenya

  New Delhi

  India

  Nicosia

  Cyprus

  Oslo

  Norway

  Ottawa

  Canada

  Paris

  France

  Peking

  China

  Prague

  Czechoslovakia

  Pretoria

  South Africa

  Rabat

  Morocco

  Riga

  Latvia

  Riyadh

  Saudi Arabia

  Rome

  Italy

  Santiago

  Chile

  Seoul

  South Korea

  Singapore

  Singapore

  Sofia

  Bulgaria

  Stockholm

  Sweden

  Tel Aviv

  Israel

  Tokyo

  Japan

  88

  Capital

  Country

  Vienna

  Austria

  Warsaw

  Poland

  Washington

  USA

  Wellington

  New Zealand

  Zagreb

  Croatia

  The cost this financial year of pay, allowances and related equipment and support costs for the accredited attachès and their dedicated support staff both overseas and in the UK is £25.7 million. Attaché costs are reviewed annually. The most recent independent review of attaches was the Goddard study, which reported in July 1993.

  RAF Finningley
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 1 February 1995,Official Report, column 743, if he will set out Hodge and Company's full trading name and address.

  Mr. Soames
  The information will be provided on completion of the sale.

ENVIRONMENT

  Water Charges
  Mrs. Helen Jackson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the statutory barriers against water companies using council tax band information for the purposes of developing a charging system.

  Mr. Atkins
  Local authorities do not have the power to supply information to anyone, other than for council tax purposes. Furthermore, access to the contents of valuation lists may be given only within the terms of section 28 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, that is, to enable a person to establish what is, or has been, the state of a list. Release of such information for any other purpose may be construed as unlawful.

  Drigg
  Mr. Robert Ainsworth
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the dates of each seizure and checking of waste consignments to Drigg made by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution since 1990; which of these consignments breached the Drigg authorisation; and if he will give the nature of the breach.

  Mr. Atkins
  Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution has seized waste consigned to Drigg on the following occasions: 1991 March, 1992 two in January and one in October; 1993 October; 1994 one in May and one in December.

  All the consignments seized, for which full results are available, conform to the conditions specified in the consignor's and the Drigg site's authorisation with the following exception. In several instances, the presence of trivial quantities of free liquids were detected in the form of paint cans, pressurised aerosols and similar residues in containers. I can confirm, however, that none of the consignments seized has breached the consignment limits in the Drigg site authorisation.

  Mr. Robert Ainsworth
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment where the large sliding door, referred
  89
  to in HMIP's response to Greenpeace's complaint regarding a perceived breach of paragraph 4 of the Drigg authorisation, had been stored between its delivery to Drigg and the Greenpeace entry in July 1994.

  Mr. Atkins
  The large sliding door in question was delivered directly to trench 7 at Drigg, where it remains today. The item was disposed of as low-level radioactive waste under the provisions of the Drigg site authorisation.

  Endangered Birds and Animals
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) how many birds were listed as(a) threatened and (b) subject to limited trade imported into the United Kingdom from (i) Spain, (ii) other EC member states and (iii) non-EC member states in each year since 1987;

  (2) how many (a) Hyacinth macaw, (b) Blue-crowned pigeon, (c) Palawan peacock-pheasant and (d) African grey parrots were imported into the United Kingdom from (i) Spain, (ii) other EC member states and (iii) non-EC member states in each year since 1990;

  (3) what assessment he has made of Spanish legislation and its enforcement to stop the import of endangered birds and animals into the EC and if he will make a statement.

  Sir Paul Beresford
  The import of endangered species to Spain should be controlled by EC regulations 3626/82 and 3418/83 which have direct force in all EC member states. Enforcement of these regulations in Spain is the responsibility of the Spanish authorities. The regulation requires all member states to notify the Commission of the implementation measures they have adopted within their area of jurisdiction.

  The regulations do not require records of intra-community movements to be kept. Information on imports to the UK from non-EC countries is as follows:

  1990

  1991

  1992

  1993

  1994

  Hyacinth macaw

  1

  5

  21

  1

  2

  Blue-crowned pigeon

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Palawan

  peacock-pheasant

  2

  9

  8

  4

  2

  African grey parrot

  7,170

  5,643

  2,638

  2,829

  1,391

  Imports of birds of all species listed as threatened—that is, listed in appendix 1 of CITES—or subject to limited trade—that is, listed in appendices II or III of CITES—were:

  Appendix I

  Appendix II/III

  1987

  79

  39,672

  1988

  79

  108,817

  1989

  105

  90,666

  1990

  231

  96,236

  1991

  192

  79,094

  1992

  148

  49,384

  1993

  105

  24,804

  1994

  60

  21,606

  Freedom of the Cities Initiative
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what research his Department has undertaken into, and what assessment has been made of,90
  the freedom of the cities initiative; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir Paul Beresford
  We have no plans for a freedom of the cities initiative.

  Local Government Reorganisation
  Mr. Rowe
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what statutory impediment there is to designating a new unitary authority as a county council where it is conterminous with a county area, in terms of the allocation of district functions to that authority.

  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  Under section 14(5)(a) of the Local Government Act 1992, I may abolish a local authority whose functions would all vest in another as a result of any structural change or whose area would be abolished or otherwise substantially affected by any recommended boundary change. It follows that where there is an existing district council for an area whose boundaries are not recommended to be changed, and it is proposed to establish unitary local government in that area, I cannot abolish the district council and accordingly I cannot establish a unitary county council for the area.

  Local Government Finance
  Mr. Devlin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the latest figures for the levels of(a) uncollected rents, (b) uncollected community charge and (c) uncollected council tax for each local authority in England.

  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  A table showing information on uncollected rents as at 31 March 1994 was published by the Department on 14 November 1994; a copy of the table is available in the Library of the House.

  Information on uncollected community charge and council tax for each local authority is not available centrally. However, the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy regularly publishes estimates for individual authorities: figures for 31 March 1994 are available in its revenue collection statistics 1993–94 publication, a copy of which is in the Library of the House.

  Mr. Rendel
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much community charge remains uncollected by each local authority.

  Mr. Curry
  Information on uncollected community charge for each local authority is not available centrally. However, the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy regularly publishes estimates for individual authorities: figures for 31 March 1994 are available in its revenue collection statistics 1993–94 publication, a copy of which is in the Library of the House.

  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received about the effect on the north-west regional economy of the revaluation of rateable values on the uniform business rate; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  I have received a number of representations from the north-west about the 1995 revaluation of non-domestic property and its effect on businesses. The Government have introduced transitional arrangements to phase in the impact of the revaluation on rate bills; over 180,000 ratepayers in the north-west will benefit from these arrangements.
  91

  Urban Programme Funding
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the criteria for deciding which bodies qualify for urban programme funding; if he will place these criteria in the Library; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir Paul Beresford
  Since 1 April 1993, urban programme funding has been restricted to meeting commitments on projects approved in 1992–93 and earlier years. The urban programme is one of the 20 programmes which now comprise the single regeneration budget. "A guide to funding under the Single Regeneration Budget", the "Bidding Guidance", was published on 14 April 1994 and copies were placed in the Library.

  Dioxin Emissions
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proposals he has to reduce greatly dioxin emissions in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Atkins
  The Government have already taken action in several areas to reduce dioxin emissions. These include banning stubble burning; encouraging the uptake of unleaded petrol; setting maximum levels of dioxin in pentachlorophenol and limiting its use as a wood preservative; and implementing integrated pollution control and local authority air pollution control for incineration processes. Waste incineration has been a major contributor of dioxins to the environment. Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution, however, has set a limit for the emission of dioxins from incinerators of 1 nanogramme per cubic metre, to be achieved by 1 December 1996. This target will reduce releases of dioxins from the incineration plant they control by over 90 per cent.

  Mr. Denham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to complete his assessment of the draft report of the United States Environmental Protection Agency on dioxin pollution; and when he expects to publish his assessment.

  Mr. Atkins
  An initial study has already been made of the EPA's draft report on dioxins. A copy of the comments sent to the EPA has been placed in the Library of the House. The Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment is carrying out an expert review of the health effects of dioxins, including the work referred to in the EPA draft report. This should be completed during the summer and should be published shortly thereafter.

  Planning
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will issue further guidance on expenditure acceptable under section 106 of the Planning Land Compensation Act 1991 and his circular 16/91 on planning gain funds; at what distance from a development a project can be considered to relate to it; and what types of project qualify.

  Sir Paul Beresford
  I shall write to the hon. Member.

  Waste Incineration
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment his Department has made 92
  of the environmental impact of incinerating (a) household and (b) industrial waste.

  Mr. Atkins
  My Department published a report in November 1993 of a study on the environmental externalities from landfill and incineration. The study considers the environmental impacts of the two methods of waste disposal, and discusses the extent to which these impacts are controlled through the regulatory arrangements and reflected in waste disposal prices. Findings from the study suggest that incineration with energy recovery may offer real environmental benefits.

  A consultation draft of a waste strategy for England and Wales was published by the Department in January 1995. In discussing the advantages and disadvantages of the various options for waste disposal, it expresses the view that the recovery of energy from waste through incineration offers a number of important environmental advantages. I am arranging for a copy of the draft strategy to be sent to the hon. Member.

  Index of Local Conditions
  Mr. Bells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment if he will publish the index of local conditions on a constituency basis using additional indicators which have been used at local authority level.

  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  The Department published the index of local conditions in May 1994 setting out information drawn mainly from the 1991 census at three levels—local authority district, ward and census enumeration district. The index includes a range of indicators at the different levels reflecting the availability and robustness of data at the smaller scales. It is not technically possible to calculate the index of local conditions at parliamentary constituency basis using additional indicators which have been used at local authority level.

  Mr. Betts
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish the index of local conditions on a constituency basis using the seven indicators currently used at ward level.

  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  I refer the hon. Member to my separate answer today. The fuller analysis requested could be done by the Department only at disproportionate cost. However, the Department has an agreement with the London Research Centre to make available the data from the index of local conditions at a charge to cover the costs of any analysis requested. It is open to anyone to approach the London Research Centre to request extra analysis of the data.

  European Regional Development Fund
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to respond to the representations made to him by the Merseyside European liaison unit about(a) the additionality requirements for 1995 objective 1 funding, (b) its submission concerning the strategic role of local authorities in determining priorities and (c) the enhancement of private sector participation in the objective I programme; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Curry
  My hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State replied to the representations from the Merseyside co-ordinating committee—to which the Merseyside European liaison unit reports—on 6 February.
  93
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of the extent to which small and medium—sized enterprises are obtaining a proper and adequate response through the objective 1 mechanisms.

  Mr. Curry
  A major part of the objective 1 programme in Merseyside is focused on the needs of small and medium-sized enterprises. For business advice and support alone, projects approved in principle in the 1994 bidding round will finance a package of assistance worth some £50 million.

  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what evidence he has that competition rules will be breached if EC funds are matched to private sector funds in an objective 1 area; and what discussions he has had with the EC about this.

  Mr. Curry
  Private sector funds are being matched in objective 1 areas without breaching competition rules. Issues such as the need for state aid clearance are considered and resolved in advance of aid being granted.

  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he is taking to allow the private sector to apply direct for objective 1 funding for large infrastructure and productive investments.

  Mr. Curry
  The structural funds are used to support projects which provide economic benefits to the area concerned. This will not generally involve direct support for productive investment. Such support is made available through intermediary bodies. Proposals for facilitating the private sector contribution to infrastructure projects part funded by the structural funds have been put to the Commission and their comments are awaited.

  Mrs. Jane Kennedy
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he is taking to permit private sector companies to apply direct for objective 1 European regional development fund support for large infrastructure projects.

  Mr. Curry
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I have given to the hon. Member for Liverpool, Mossley Hill, (Mr. Alton).

  Waste Mercury
  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the land fill sites where waste mercury has been disposed of in each of the last five years.

  Mr. Atkins
  This information is not held centrally. Each waste regulation authority maintains a register which contains information about all landfill sites licenced by that authority under part II of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the current licensing requirements for the treatment and disposal of waste mercury.

  Mr. Atkins
  The treatment and disposal of controlled waste is subject to the licensing requirements of part II of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and the Waste Management Licensing Regulations 1994—S.I. 1994 1056. Controlled waste which is "special waste" is also subject to the requirements of the Control of Pollution (Special Waste) Regulations 1980—S.I. 1980 No. 1709. Mercury is one of the substances listed in part I of schedule I to the 1980 regulations and guidance on the circumstances in which it may meet the criteria for 94
  definition as special waste is provided in waste management paper No.23.

  Suffolk County Council
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of the proportion of staff employed by Suffolk county council which are employed to fulfil statutory functions of the authority.

  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  The information necessary to make this assessment is not available.

  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many staff per 1,000 head of population are employed by Suffolk county council; what the figures were three year ago; and what comparisons he has made with other similar authorities.

  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  Suffolk county council employed 35.4 staff per thousand head of population in general services in June 1994. The comparable figure for June 1991 was 35.6. Comparable data for all authorities were deposited in the Library following my answer of 14 February 1995 to my hon. Friend the Member for Dover (Mr. Shaw),Official Report, column 549.

  Lancashire and Gloucestershire County Councils
  Dame Elaine Kellett-Bowman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many staff are employed by(a) Lancashire and (b) Gloucestershire county councils; what these figures are as a proportion of the population of the county councils.

  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  Lancashire county council employed 47,162 full-time and part-time staff in general services in June 1993—the latest available data for Lancashire; this represents 33.2 staff per thousand head of population. The comparable figures for Gloucestershire for June 1993 were 12,560 staff and 23.1 staff per thousand head of population; for June 1994 they were 11,417 staff and 21.0 staff per thousand head of population.

  Pollution, Docklands
  Ms Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment his Department has made of the pollutant effects of emissions from the newspaper print works in docklands on the local environment; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Atkins
  [holding answer 13 February 1995]: The Department, in co-operation with local authorities, monitors nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide and black smoke in the Greenwich, Stepney and Woolwich areas. The South East Institute of Public Health and the London borough of Tower Hamlets have just provided the Department with a copy of their report of a survey of volatile organic compounds in the Wapping area.

  Regulations were made in May 1994 which clarified the inclusion of larger cold set web offset and sheet feed offset litho printing processes within the local authority air pollution control system established under the Environmental Protection Act 1990. We issued guidance on standards for these printing processes in November last year.

  The UK has signed and ratified the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe protocol which

  95
  requires a reduction of 30 per cent. in national emissions of VOCs comparing 1988 with 1999. We published a strategy for achieving this reduction in October 1993, which forecasts 49 per cent. reduction in VOCs from all printing processes.

  Carbon Emissions
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what the policy of Her Majesty's Government at the meeting of the conference of the parties of the climate change convention in respect of targets for reductions of carbon emissions beyond the year 2000 will be.

  Mr. Atkins
  [holding answer 16 February 1995]: The Government will support the position of the European Union, agreed at the meeting of the Environment Council in December.
  96
  The conclusions of that Council call, inter alia, for the current commitments in the climate change convention to be strengthened and extended, and for the negotiation of a comprehensive protocol on greenhouse gases to be set in hand at the First Conference of Parties.

  Sustainable Development
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the relationship between social equity and sustainable development.

  Mr. Atkins
  [holding answer 16 February 1995]: The Government set out their understanding of sustainable development in the UK's strategy of 25 January 1994—Cm 2426. This emphasised two themes: the need for economic development to secure rising living standards for the whole of society, and the importance of protection and enhancement of the environment for the benefit of this and successive generations.

  Pedestrians' Charter
  Pedestrians' Charter
  Defence Equipment Procurement: Belorussian Bids
  Defence Equipment Procurement: Belorussian Bids
  Burma: Attacks on the Karen People
  Burma: Attacks on the Karen People
  Hospitals for Mentally Handicapped: Opposition to Closure
  Hospitals for Mentally Handicapped: Opposition to Closure
  Multi-focus Hearing Aids
  Multi-focus Hearing Aids
  NHS Hearing Aids
  NHS Hearing Aids
  NHS Trusts: Staff
  NHS Trusts: Staff
  NHS Trusts and Regional Health Authorities
  NHS Trusts and Regional Health Authorities
  Live Animal Transport Welfare
  Live Animal Transport Welfare
  Revenue Support Grant
  Revenue Support Grant
  Fly-Tipping
  Fly-Tipping