Written Answers of 22 February 1995

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

  Correspondence
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many letters were received in the Department from hon. Members last month.

  Mr. David Hunt
  A total of 67 letters were received in the Department from hon. Members last month.

  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many letters were sent to hon. Members last month by each Minister in the Department.

  Mr. David Hunt
  I sent a total of 89 letters to hon. Members last month while my colleague, the Parliamentary Secretary, sent a total of 40.

TRANSPORT

  Nuclear Material (Sea Transport)
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the International Maritime Organisation code of practice on the sea transport of nuclear material of November 1993 was incorporated into United Kingdom law.

  Mr. Norris
  The International Maritime Organisation's code for the safe carriage of irradiated nuclear fuel, plutonium and high level radioactive wastes in flasks on board ships, agreed in November 1993, has not been incorporated into United Kingdom law. The code is voluntary and few states have incorporated it into law. Ships carrying such cargoes to or from United Kingdom ports will be expected to comply with the code's requirement. In the case of United Kingdom-registered ships carrying such cargoes, letters of compliance with the code would be issued by the Marine Safety Agency if it was satisfied that the ships so complied. Foreign flagged ships are required to have letters of compliance issued by their marine administrations.

  MOT
  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what estimate he has made of the number of lives which have been saved by the MOT system during the last 30 years;

  (2) what estimate he has made of how much it has cost, and how much extra mileage has been travelled to carry out MOTs in the last 30 years;

  (3) how many people have been employed by the MOT system during the last 30 years.

  Mr. Norris
  The information requested can be provided, if available, only at disproportionate cost.

  Bus Operations, Greater Manchester
  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information he holds about the number of occasions on which bus operators in Greater Manchester have been(a) warned about safety defects on their buses and (b) ordered to cease operation of buses because of safety reasons for each year since 1990.

  Mr. Norris
  This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Non-departmental Public Bodies (Pay)
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the non-departmental public bodies sponsored by his Department which will(a) follow the pay arrangements of the sponsoring Department and (b) pursue an independent and separate route under the delegated pay option (i) from April 1995 and (ii) from April 1996.

  Mr. Norris
  Four NDPBs sponsored by my Department have paid staff. The pay arrangements for all of these will be unchanged in April 1995.

  For April 1996 the Trinity House Lighthouse Service, the Northern Lighthouse board and the London Regional passenger committee intend to follow the Department's central pay arrangements arrangements.

  West Coast Main Line
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport for what reasons the Minister of State cancelled his presentation to the west coast main line all-party committee; what is the current position regarding the west coast main line feasibility study; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Watts
  I am currently awaiting advice from Railtrack on the implementation strategy for the project. Once I have that advice, I will be in a better position to discuss the way forward with the committee.

  The planned meeting was cancelled after I had consulted with the joint chairmen of the committee. I have written to all members of the committee who attended the cancelled meeting.

  P-plate
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what consideration he has given to introducing a system by which newly qualified drivers are required by law to display a P-plate on their vehicle to identify to other drivers that they are still inexperienced; what representations he has received on this subject; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Norris
  The introduction of probationary plates—P-plates—was one of the options included for comment in the new driver safety consultation paper of August 1993. This option received a mixed response from consultees and it was decided to consider it further when the full results were available of a study into the of "Restricted" plates in Northern Ireland. This study has recently been completed; it concluded that "Restricted" plates did not have a discernible effect on accident reduction.

  Railways
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many miles of railway track are in areas of the country where train drivers are un to communicate with signal boxes by telephone.

  Mr. John Watts
  At present, no more than 500 miles of the rail network—representing approximately 5 per cent. of the route mileage—are in areas not covered by the national radio network which enables these communications to take place. Within the next 12 months, as a result of a substantial investment programme, this will be reduced to 200 miles—representing approximately 2 per cent. of the route mileage—excluding tunnels and cuttings. Complete coverage by the national radio network is not reasonably practicable.

  Taxis and Private Hire Vehicles
  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he will announce proposals for the future of the taxi and private hire vehicle trades.

  Mr. Norris
  The Government have today published their response to the Transport Select Committee's fourth report on taxi and private hire vehicles. The response, Command Paper 2715, forms the Government's official statement on the outcome of the taxi review.

  The most important features of the response are:
  Taxis will continue to have the exclusive right to ply for hire—that is, be hailed—in the street and at ranks. Private hire vehicles, including minicabs, will not be allowed to ply for hire in the street. They will have to be booked in advance as now.
  For reasons of public safety, particularly of vulnerable passengers, private hire vehicles, minicabs, in London will be subject to a form of control similar to that operating outside London. This will include criminal record checks for drivers, and may include a test to ensure they have an adequate knowledge of the roads in the area whey they are based.
  A requirement will be introduced that all taxis shall be accessible to people who are wheelchair users. However, this requirement will he phased in over a period of several years, to give taxi owners time to replace their vehicles. In those places where there are existing target dates for taxis to become wheelchair accessible, they will still be expected to meet them. This requirement will not mean that all taxis will have to be London "black cabs"; local authorities will be able to license any vehicle which is wheelchair accessible and which meets such additional requirements as are considered necessary to meet local conditions.
  The power of district councils to restrict taxi numbers will be phased out over a number of years to give some protection to those who have made considerable investment in taxi plates—licences. However, there will be no reduction in quality control. Licensing authorities will be able to apply for a derogation from abolition of number control from the Department of Transport in exceptional circumstances.

  The aim is to replace the existing legislation in due course.

  Copies of the response are available from the Vote Office.

  Aircraft Noise Levels
  Mr. Denham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the noise levels on take-off created by(a) the Ilyushin 76 and (b) the Antonov 12.

  Mr. Norris
  Noise certification data provided by the Russian Civil Aviation Authority show that at a190
  certificated take-off weight of 170 tonnes, the IL-76TD with D-30KP engines has a noise level of 102.7 EPNdB—sideline—and 103.1 EPNdB—flyover. Equivalent data do not exist for the AN-12 but its estimated performance is within the range 93 to 95.9 EPNdB at a take-off weight of 61 tonnes.

  Correspondence
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many letters were received in the Department from hon. Members last month.

  Mr. Norris
  In January this year, 1,290 letters were received in the Department of Transport from hon. Members.

  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many letters were sent to hon. Members last month by each Minister in the Department.

  Mr. Norris
  In January this year, 1,935 letters were sent to hon. Members by Ministers in the Department of Transport. This breaks down by Minister as follows:

  Ministers

  Number of letters sent to hon. Members in January

  Dr. Brian Mawhinney

  109

  John Watts

  1,045

  Steven Norris

  679

  Viscount Goschen

  102

  Total

  1,935

  Rail Projects
  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the details of the rail and light rail projects to be given capital financial assistance by his Department in 1995–96; and what proportion of total expenditure on such projects will he spent in Scotland.

  Mr. Watts
  Financial provision for the national railways in 1995–96 is expected to provide for some £1 billion of investment, of which about three quarters will be publicly funded. It is for the railway operators to allocate resources across the rail network in Great Britain.

  On light rail we will continue to fund the South Yorkshire supertram project, and we have set aside funding for two new schemes—Croydon Tramlink and Midland Metro line 1—subject to satisfactory financing arrangements being agreed. The Secretary of State for Transport is not responsible for light rail schemes in Scotland.

  Rail Privatisation (Fees)
  Ms Glenda Jackson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on what date, and for what reason, information concerning fees paid to companies and partnerships employed by his Department to provide advice or assistance with rail privatisation became commercially confidential.

  Mr. Watts
  Information about specific fees paid on individual commissions has always been commercially confidential.
  191
  Ms Glenda Jackson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations his Department has received from(a) consultants, (b) other outside organisations or (c) individuals concerning the publication of information detailing fees paid to companies and partnerships employed by his Department to provide advice or assistance with rail privatisation.

  Mr. Watts
  None.

  Driving Test
  Mr. Robert Ainsworth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he will be able to offer guidance on the nature and content of the theory test element of the new driving test.

  Mr. Norris
  Soon.

WALES

  Grant-Maintained Schools
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what accumulated balances are currently held by each of the grant-maintained schools in Wales.

  Mr. Redwood
  [pursuant to his reply, 14 February c.610]: Two of the schools listed should have shown deficits in the accumulated balances. The schools are as follow:

  Schools

  £

  Pen-Y-Bryn, Clwyd

  1,546

  Cwmcarn, Gwent

  18,510

  Council House Receipts
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will release the receipts from the sale of council housing on to Deeside to Alyn and Deeside district council to build homes for rent and repair council houses, and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  Councils in Wales can use some or all of their new right-to-buy receipts depending on their indebtedness. If they are still in debt, they have to use only 75 per cent. of right-to-buy receipts to reduce debt. The balance is available for new capital spending. When they are debt free, councils can use the full amount of new right-to-buy receipts for capital spending. There are no plans to change section 64 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 as it applies to the reserved part of capital receipts.

  At 31 March last year, Alyn and Deeside district council had usable capital receipts of £1,000,000 and council housing debt of £23,000,000. Welsh district councils had total council housing debt of £1,203,000,000.

  Correspondence
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many letters were received in the Department from hon. Members last month.
  192
  Mr. Redwood
  A total of 257.

  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many letters were sent to hon. Members last month by each Minister in the Department.

  Mr. Redwood
  During January 1995, I sent 102 letters to individual Members and one letter to Welsh Opposition leaders. My hon. Friend the Member for Cardiff, North (Mr. Jones) sent 190 letters to individual members and my hon. Friend the Member for Clwyd, North-West (Mr. Richards) sent 143 letters to individual members and two letters to all Welsh members.

  Community Health Councils
  Mr. Sweeny
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he will make an announcement about the reorganisation of community health councils in Wales.

  Mr. Redwood
  I am grateful to all those who responded to our consultation paper last year regarding the reorganisation of community health councils in Wales. Having considered all the responses, I am now able to announce revised proposals.

  CHCs have an important role in ensuring that the health service is responsive to patients' needs, and attentive to their complaints.

  I am no advocate of reorganisation for its own sake, but changes to health authority boundaries will make some adjustments necessary. Where CHC and local authorities boundaries can be matched up easily it is worthwhile to do this too, but where it would mean redrawing the map completely and disturbing arrangements that work well at present it is not.

  I have decided on boundary changes that will be useful but will not cause unnecessary upheaval. I want CHCs to be able to concentrate on their job in the months ahead, not worry about reorganising themselves.

  Subject to consideration of any further representations I may receive, I shall therefore propose regulations to bring about, by 1 April 1996, the boundary and name changes listed as follows, and neither to create any wholly new nor merge any existing CHCs.

  (a) Minor boundary changes between the following CHCs:

  South Clwyd and Montgomery CHCs;

  Vale of Glamorgan and Bridgend CHCs;

  Swansea-Lliw Valley and Neath-Port Talbot CHCs;

  Cardiff and East Glamorgan CHCs;

  Following the boundary changes, the CHCs will correspond with the new LA areas.

  (b) Transfer the responsibility for representing people in the present Borough of Islwyn from South Gwent CHC to Rhymney Valley CHC to create a new CHC covering all of the new Caerphilly LA area:

  (c) Transfer responsibility for most of the present Borough of Colwyn from North Clwyd CHC to Aberconwy CHC to create a new CHC covering all of the new Aberconwy and Colwyn LA area:

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION

  Kenya
  Mr. Hain
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) how much United Kingdom funding has been made available for the third
  193
  international airport at Eldoret, Kenya; and what is the total cost of the project;

  (2) what representations have been made by him to the Kenyan Government concerning a third international airport at Eldoret, Kenya;

  (3) if he will make it his policy to suspend British Government donor support to Kenya if the Kenyan Government proceed with the construction of a third international airport in Eldoret, Kenya.

  Mr. Baldry
  [holding answer 17 February 1995]: The total cost of the proposed Eldoret airport is believed to be $85 million. We have no firm information about the source of financing. We, and other donors, have raised with the Government of Kenya the priority of this project. No United Kingdom aid funds have been, or will be, made available.

  This project is likely to be one of a range of issues discussed during forthcoming missions of the IMF and World bank, the outcome of which will be an important factor in deciding future aid levels.

LORD PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL

  Correspondence
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Lord President of the Council (1) how many letters were received in the Department from hon. Members last month;

  (2) how many letters were sent to hon. Members last month by each Minister in the Department.

  Mr. Newton
  In the course of January, I received from hon. Members 12 letters, some of which were dealt with informally, and sent seven. I have today replied to the hon. Member's own letter of 20 January.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

  Waste Paper Recycling
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Chairman of the Administration Committee what is the policy of the House on the recycling of waste paper.

  Mr. Michael J. Martin
  Non-confidential waste paper from the House is sent for recycling under arrangements made by the Serjeant at Arms.

  Westminster Hall
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Chairman of the Administration Committee what plans he has to install a large television screen in Westminster Hall for any future debates on disablement for those disabled wishing to attend such a debate to follow the proceedings; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael J. Martin
  None. Although the Administration Committee is the appropriate body to initially consider a proposal of this kind, any extension of the arrangements whereby the use of Westminster Hall is permitted for lobbies of disabled people, and to provide access for those with disabilities attending mass lobbies, is ultimately a matter for the authorities which control the Hall.

  Minister Without Portfolio
  Sir Harold Walker
  To ask the Lord President of the Council if he will make provisions to enable the Minister Without Portfolio to answer oral questions about the matters for which he is responsible.

  Mr. Newton
  I have no plans to do so.

TREASURY

  Life Insurance (Tax)
  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what public explanation was given by Ministers at the time that savings through insurance companies accumulated after a 25 per cent. tax charge when PEPs and TESSAs accumulated without tax.

  Sir George Young
  The fundamentals of the current tax regime for life insurance predate PEPs and TESSAs by a long way. Life insurance companies are taxed year by year on the income and gains accruing for the benefit of their life insurance policyholders. The nominal tax rate is 25 per cent., the same as the basic rate. But a deduction is allowed for the expenses of managing the business, including the costs of commissions to intermediaries and other costs of acquiring business, so the true rate is somewhat less than 25 per cent. The aim is to tax saving through life insurance in the same way as other types of taxed savings.

  PEPs and TESSAs are much more recent innovations. Each was introduced to serve a particular need; PEPs to channel more investment into industry and TESSAs to encourage more people to take up the savings habit and to make the deposits of ordinary savers less liquid. A persuasive case has not been made out for altering the tax rules applying to save via life insurance following the introduction of PEPs and TESSAs.

  Correspondence
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many letters were received in the Department from hon. Members last month.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  A total of 1,523.

  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many letters were sent to the hon. Members last month by each Minister in the Department.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  The information requested for January 1995 is as follows:

  Minister

  Number

  Chancellor of the Exchequer

  116

  Chief Secretary

  48

  Financial Secretary

  286

  Paymaster General

  656

  Minister of State

  205

  Income Tax
  Sir Ralph Howell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish figures comparing the income tax threshold for a single-wage married couple with their weekly supplementary benefit/income support allowances at each benefit uprating date since 1979,
  195
  including April 1995 and also showing what the figures in April 1995 would be if the married couple's allowance has already been phased out.

  Sir George Young
  [holding answer 9 February 1994]: The table shows the annualised supplementary benefit/income support scale rates and the annual income tax thresholds, during the period concerned. There is no logical relationship between the two: the tax threshold reflects allowances which are a mechanism to distribute the tax burden, while supplementary benefit/income support is a payment designed to provide a basic level of subsistence.

  The married couple's allowance has not been phased out, so no alternative figure for April 1995 is shown.

  Married couple with one income1 and no children

  Uprating dates

  Supplementary Benefit/income Support annual rate £

  Income Tax Threshold £

  November 1979

  1,554.40

  1,815

  November 1980

  1,799.20

  2,145

  November 1981

  1,963.00

  2,145

  November 1982

  2,168.40

  2,445

  November 1983

  2,262.00

  2,795

  November 1984

  2,368.60

  3,155

  November 1985

  2,488.20

  3,455

  July 1986

  2,516.80

  3,655

  April 1987

  2,566.20

  3,795

  April 1988

  2,675.40

  4,095

  April 1989

  2,849.60

  4,375

  April 1990

  2,995.20

  4,725

  April 1991

  3,237.00

  5,015

  April 1992

  3,463.20

  5,165

  April 1993

  3,588.00

  5,165

  April 1994

  3,728.40

  5,165

  April 1995

  3,796.00

  4,815

  1 Up to 1990 the assumption is that only the husband has earnings.

  Income support replaced supplementary benefit in April 1988. The ordinary annual rate has been used for supplementary benefit and no premiums have been included under income support.

  Public Bodies
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what instructions he has issued to non-executive members of boards of non-departmental public bodies and to the chief accounting officers of those bodies as to whether payment to such board members should be normally classified as self-employment or employment for tax purposes; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir George Young
  [holding answer 21 February 1995]: No special instructions have been issued. In common with all individuals, the employment status for tax purposes of non-executive members of boards of non-departmental public bodies and chief accounting officers of those bodies depends on the facts of the case and is determined by applying general law to those facts. Such individuals would normally be regarded as office holders and chargeable to tax under schedule E on the emoluments of that office. Tax under PAYE should he deducted from such emoluments in the normal way.

  Mortgage Interest
  Mr. Raynsford
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 13 February,Official Report, columns 479–80, what advice he has received from the Council of Mortgage Lenders as to the likely effect of the proposed changes to income support towards mortgage repayments on the level of repossessions.

  Mr. Roger Evans
  I have been asked to reply.

  The Council of Mortgage Lenders has advised that it expects the number of repossessions to increase as a result of the proposed changes. We are listening carefully to its concerns but believe that these proposals will result in the development of comprehensive quality insurance and will provide better protection for all home owners, not just those who currently get help from income support mortgage interest.

ENVIRONMENT

  Opencast Coal Mining, Oxfordshire
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment which of the contractors wishing to development opencast coal mining in Oxfordshire had submitted planning applications up to 31 December 1994.

  Sir Paul Beresford
  This information is not held centrally.

  Single Regeneration Budget
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many bids under the single regeneration budget were received by his Department; and how much money is to be allocated.

  Mr. Curry
  Some 469 bids for support from the first bidding round of the single regeneration budget were received by my Department, of which 201 were successful. Those 201 bids are expected to receive, subject to satisfactory performance and the availability of resources, some £1.1 billion in SRB resources over their lifetime of up to seven years.

  Environmental Pollution
  Mr. William O' Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the recommendations contained in the report of the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution; and if he will list those recommendations he proposes to implement.

  Mr. Atkins
  My right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for the Environment, for Health and for Transport have welcomed the RCEP's report as a major contribution to our work in promoting sustainable development in the transport sector but have pointed out that we would need to look very carefully at the implications of its recommendations for individuals and the economy.

  We are currently considering the terms of the Government's response to the report and have sought a broad public debate on the issues raised. We shall consider all these points fully before making a response.

  Local Government Reorganisation
  Ms Corston
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether under article 21 of the draft Avon (Structural Change) Order the county council will require the agreement of all transferee authorities affected in order to continue with consultation on preparation of any plans effected after 8 May.

  Mr. Curry
  No. However the county council will need to bear in mind that the duty to consult on plans relating to the exercise of county level functions after the reorganisation date will rest with the successor authorities and that all authorities will have the duty to co-operate.

  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will issue a statement setting out his intentions for the future of local government structure in the Goole area and the specific powers under the Local Government Act 1992 under which he proposes to implement these.

  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  My right hon. Friend intends, under powers in section 131 of the Local Government Act 1992, to direct the Local Government Commission to undertake a review of the boundaries between Selby, Boothferry, Glanford and Doncaster districts with a view to considering a full range of options for the future of local government in Goole. Pending the results of that review the town of Goole, and rural Goole, will remain in that part of Boothferry district which will form part of the new East Riding unitary authority when that is established.

  Incineration Installations
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations his Department has received from local authorities for financial assistance to ensure that incineration installations are(a) safe and (b) comply with European Union regulations regarding emissions.

  Mr. Atkins
  I am not aware of any such representations having been received.

  Fast-stream Entry
  Mrs. Maddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proportion of those accepted for fast-stream entry for which his Department is responsible(a) in 1991, (b) 1992, (c) in 1993 and (d) in 1994 were women.

  Sir Paul Beresford
  The proportion of female fast-streamers accepted over the last four years for which my Department is responsible is as follows:

  1991: 5 out of 9 (56 per cent.)

  1992: 1 out of 8 (12.5 per cent.)

  1993: 4 out of 8 (50 per cent.)

  1994: 3 out of 7 (43 per cent.)

  Waste
  Mr. Bottomley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will estimate the volume and the proportion not recycled of(a) coal waste, (b) domestic waste and (c) nuclear waste.

  Mr. Atkins
  The latest figures we have for coal waste are from Arup's report in 1991, "Occurrence and 198
  Utilisation of Mineral and Construction Wastes" which gives a figure of 45 million tonnes of annual arisings of colliery spoil of which around 94 per cent.—42.2 million tonnes—is not recycled.

  The consultation paper "A Waste Strategy for England and Wales" published earlier this year, gives a figure of some 20 million tonnes of household waste being produced annually, of which 90 per cent. is landfilled, 5 per cent. is recycled and 5 per cent. is incinerated.

  Information on radioactive waste produced in the United Kingdom can be found in the "UK Radioactive Waste Inventory 1991" which is in the Library. There is no separate figure for the proportion or volume of radioactive waste which is not recycled.

  "Shopping Centres and their Future"
  Mr. Amess
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to publish the Government's response to the Environment Committee's report, "Shopping Centres and their Future".

  Mr. Gummer
  The Government's response is published today. Copies have been presented to the Chairman of the Environment Committee and placed in the Libraries of the House.

  Correspondence
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many letters were received in the Department from hon. Members last month.

  Sir Paul Beresford
  My Department's records show that 1,463 letters were received from hon. Members during the last month.

  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many letters were sent to hon. Members last month by Ministers in the Department.

  Sir Paul Beresford
  My Department's records show that the number of letters sent by each Minister in the Department to the hon. Members during the last month, is as follows:

  Minister

  Number

  Secretary of State

  161

  Lord Ullswater

  64

  Mr. Atkins

  215

  Mr. Curry

  734

  Sir P. Beresford

  346

  Mr. Jones

  405

  Bathing Water Directive
  Mr. Butterfill
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if the Department's study into the costs of implementing the European Commission's proposed revision of the bathing water directive has been completed; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Atkins
  The consultants' cost study commissioned by the Department has now been completed. It shows the estimated costs of meeting the standards in the
  199
  Commission's proposed revision of the bathing water directive and a number of other possible outcomes of the forthcoming negotiations. Any such expenditure would be in addition to the estimated costs of implementing the existing bathing water and the urban waste water treatment directives.

  Discussion of the Commission's proposal in the Community is still at the initial stages and the United Kingdom's cost study should help to inform future negotiations.

  Copies of the cost study will be placed in the House Libraries.

  Site Type

  Location

  Pollutant

  1992

  1993

  1994

  Automatic monitoring

  Bridge Place, Westminster

  ozone

  11 ppb

  11 ppb

  13 ppb

  nitrogen dioxide

  39 ppb

  34 ppb

  35 ppb

  carbon monoxide

  1.0 ppm

  0.9 ppm

  0.8 ppm

  sulphur dioxide

  9 ppb

  8 ppb

  6 ppb

  Non-automatic nitrogen dioxide diffusion tubes

  Intercontinental Hotel, Park Lane

  nitrogen dioxide

  —

  29 ppb

  —

  North Westminster Community School, North Wharf Road

  nitrogen dioxide

  —

  26 ppb

  26 ppb

  33 Belgrave Gardens

  nitrogen dioxide

  —

  17 ppb

  21 ppb

  Drury Lane

  nitrogen dioxide

  —

  —

  24 ppb

  Non-automatic smoke and sulphur dioxide monitoring*

  Public Mortuary, Horseferry Road

  sulphur dioxide

  17 ug/m3

  23 ug/m3

  —

  smoke

  13 ug/m3

  13 ug/m3

  —

  * Monitoring undertaken in co-operation with local authorities.

  Local Government Commission
  Mr. Tipping
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the level of financial support the Local Government Commission received in 1992–93, 1993–94 and 1994–95; and what is planned for 1995–96.

  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  The Local Government Commission incurred expenditure of £2.056 million in 1992–93 and £5.146 million in 1993–94. We are making £8.3 million available to the Commission in 1994–95 and intend to make available £2.508 million in 1995–96.

  Rural White Paper
  Dr. Strang
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the organisations that have(a) sent a submission and (b) indicated that they intend to send a submission for the rural White Paper; and if he will place copies of all such submissions in the Library.

  Mr. Atkins
  A list of organisations from which my Department or that of my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food had received written submissions by 20 February and which have not requested confidentiality has been placed in the House Library. A number of individuals have, in addition, submitted their views.

  Both Departments expect to receive a number of further submissions. The names of organisations making such submissions which do not request confidentiality will he made known after submissions have been received.

  Air Pollution Monitoring
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the nearest air pollution monitoring point to Parliament square; what was the level recorded at the latest date for which figures are available; what was the level one year previously; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Atkins
  [holding answer 21 February 1995]: Annual average concentrations of pollutants measured at monitoring sites in the vicinity of Parliament square are presented in the table.

  Copies of submissions which we have not been asked to keep confidential will be made available for inspection in the departmental library in due course. In line with normal departmental practice, a list of those who have up to that point made such submissions will be placed in the House Library.

  Sanitary Ware and Tiles
  Mr. Nicholas Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of the extent to which there is sufficient production capacity within(a) the United Kingdom and (b) the European Union to meet demands for the production of sanitary ware and tiles.

  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  Sanitary ware and tiles are items which are traded internationally. Decisions about production capacity and location are taken by industry on the basis of their own assessments of demand for their products.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Jordan Defence Package
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what assessment he has made of the compliance of the interest rate support offered by the Ministry of Defence since 1986–87 to the Jordan defence package
  201
  with the OECD consensus arrangements for export support.

  Mr. Ian Taylor
  None. The consensus guidelines for export credit support do not apply to contracts involving military equipment.

  Export Licences
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the countries for which export licences were granted in respect of heading PL 5001 of the 1989 and 1994 Export of Goods (Control) Orders and the number of licences issued for such countries.

  Mr. Ian Taylor
  The following licences were issued from 1 January 1989 to date:

  Country

  Number of licences

  Algeria

  1

  Argentina

  1

  Australia

  1

  Belgium

  2

  Bermuda

  3

  Brazil

  1

  Canada

  1

  Cyprus

  1

  Czech

  1

  Finland

  1

  France

  7

  Gambia

  1

  Ireland

  2

  Jamaica

  1

  Jordan

  3

  Macao

  2

  Malaysia

  3

  Malta

  1

  Mauritius

  2

  Mexico

  1

  Norway

  1

  Poland

  2

  Portugal

  1

  Saudi Arabia

  3

  Singapore

  1

  Solomon Islands

  2

  South Africa

  1

  Sri Lanka

  2

  Switzerland

  1

  USA

  1

  Zimbabwe

  1

  Cable Companies
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many cable companies currently provide free feeds to educational institutions.

  Mr. Ian Taylor
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 21 February,Official Report, column 108.

  Correspondence
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many letters were received in the Department from hon. Members last month.

  Mr. Heseltine
  Some 987 letters were received by Ministers in the Department from hon. Members last month, of which 126 were eventually transferred to other Departments. A further 98 letters were redirected from other Departments to Ministers at DTI. In addition, 12 202
  letters from hon. Members were received by chief executives of departmental agencies.

  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many letters were sent to hon. Members last month by each Minister in the Department.

  Mr. Heseltine
  In total, 711 letters were sent to hon. Members last month by Ministers in the Department, broken down as follows:

  Minister

  Number of letters sent to hon. Members

  President of the Board of Trade

  72

  Minister for Small Firms and Consumer Affairs

  84

  Minister for Trade

  40

  Minister for Industry and Energy

  73

  PUSS for Corporate Affairs

  132

  PUSS for Industry and Energy

  178

  PUSS for Trade and Technology

  132

  Insider Dealing
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his oral answer of 15 February,Official Report, column 1004, what is the current state of the review into insider dealing, and when he intends to report on his findings to Parliament.

  Mr. Heseltine
  [holding answer 21 February 1995]: The hon. Member may have misunderstood my hon. Friend's reply to which he refers. My Department is reviewing the law on disclosure of interests in shares as part of a wider review of company law. The law on insider dealing is the responsibility of my right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

  Trade Associations
  Mr. MacShane
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his oral answer of 8 February,Official Report, column 341, if he will list the lead employer, industry and trade association or organisations so far referred to him in respect of proposals for a single trade association.

  Mr. Heseltine
  I have made it very clear that I wish to encourage a process which leads to more powerful, better resourced and more effective trade associations. Many industrialists share this objective, and officials have been asked to consider with their industry and trade association contacts how best this can be achieved.

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

  Correspondence
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, how many letters were received in the Department from hon. Members last month.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  There are 364 letters from hon. Members recorded on my Department's parliamentary correspondence database as having been received in January 1995.

  Legal Aid
  Mr. Boateng
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, what was the total cost to the legal aid fund of serious cases for each of the last five years.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The information is not readily available. For criminal legal aid in the Crown court and above it is not possible to identify either the prosecution agency or "serious fraud'' offences from information held centrally. However, it is possible to identify payments made in respect of final bills for the most serious types of fraud offences, namely fraud and false accounting, involving more lengthy trials. Expenditure in the higher criminal courts in respect of those offences, involving trials of 10 days or more, in each of the last five years was as follows:

  Expenditure £ million

  As percentage of total criminal higher legal aid

  1989–90

  5.1

  3.8

  1990–91

  8.9

  5.7

  1991–92

  11.2

  6.0

  1992–93

  20.3

  9.2

  1993–94

  15.8

  6.7

  Mr. Boateng
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, what plans he has to make legal aid available, subject to eligibility restrictions, for defamation cases.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  None.

  Children and Families
  Mr. Boateng
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, what plans his Department has to publish family impact statements with all major policy announcements and new legislation to make clear their intended effect on the welfare of children and families.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  There are no such plans. The intended effect of policy and legislative proposals is made clear in Government publications relating to the family, in particular in consultation papers and reports.

  Mr. Boateng
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, what part his Department plays in the Government's efforts to co-ordinate policy on the law relating to children and the family across different Ministries.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The Lord Chancellor's Department chairs, and provides the secretariat for, an inter-departmental working party, the family law and administration working party, which oversees work directed at improving family law and administration. In addition, the Lord Chancellor's Department participates in frequent consultation with other Departments about issues which touch upon the family.

  Defamation Cases
  Mr. Boateng
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, what plans he has to make it 204
  the responsibility of the presiding judge, rather than the jury, to determine the level of damages for successful plaintiffs in defamation cases that go to trial.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  None. However, we shall be introducing a new summary procedure, so that the judge will have power to dispose of straightforward claims summarily, instead of sending them to trial.

  Mr. Boateng
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, what plans he has to impose a limit on the level of damages that can be awarded in defamation cases other than those which are dealt with summarily.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  None. However, since 1990, the Court of Appeal has had the power, when it finds that the amount of damages awarded by a jury was excessive, to substitute the amount which appears to the court to be proper.

  Complaints
  Mr. Boateng
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, how many complaints his Department has received from(a) members of the public, (b) members of the legal profession and (c) hon. Members about apparent conflicts of interest between the Lord Chancellor's three roles in each of the last five years.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  A search of my departmental records has revealed no evidence of complaints about apparent conflicts of interest between the Lord Chancellor's three roles.

  Mr. Boateng
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, how many complaints from(a) members of the public, (b) members of legal profession and (c) hon. Members his Department has received in each of the last 10 years with regard to the conduct of the judiciary in each different court level.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  It is not possible to provide the information requested except at disproportionate cost.

  Serious Fraud (Prosecutions)
  Mr. Boateng
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, what was the total cost to the court system, excluding legal aid costs but including judicial costs, of prosecution for serious fraud in the most recent year for which figures are available.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The Department does not keep figures on the prosecution of serious fraud cases. The figures can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Crossville Wales Ltd. v. Tracey
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, if he will make a statement on the timetable for hearing the case of Crossville Wales Ltd.v. Tracey in the Court of Appeal; if he will take steps to ensure that the case is heard without delay; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The appeal hearing is due to take place at the Court of Appeal on 28 and 29 June 1995. My position as a Minister precludes me from intervening in individual cases; however, it is open to the parties' legal advisers to apply to the court for an expedited hearing date.

EMPLOYMENT

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. Bell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many changes there have been to statistics calculating the numbers unemployed since 1988; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Oppenheim
  Like most developed countries the United Kingdom publishes both an administrative and a survey based measure of unemployment. In the United Kingdom the administrative source involves a count of people claiming unemployment-related benefits. The monthly claimant count is more frequent and more timely than the survey-based measure and also gives figures for very small areas. However, in common with other statistics based on administrative systems, the monthly claimant count has inevitably been subject to changes in coverage whenever there have been changes to the administrative procedures on which the statistics are based. These changes are taken into account in the consistent, seasonally adjusted series published by the Employment Department. The latter series allows consistent comparisons over time which are free from distortions and properly adjusted for seasonality.

  Since 1979 there have been nine changes to the coverage of the monthly unemployment count which have had a discernible effect on the figures, three of which have taken place since 1988.

  Details of these changes are given in an article in the December 1990 issue of Employment Gazette entitled "Monthly Unemployment Statistics: Maintaining a Consistent Series" and on page S16 of the April 1994 Employment Gazette; copies of both these documents are available in the Libarary.

  The survey measure of unemployment from the Labour Force Survey is based on ILO guidelines and is entirely independent of the benefit system. Data have been available consistently since spring 1984 on an annual basis and since spring 1992 on a quarterly basis. The LFS provides an internationally comparable measure of unemployment and also provides detailed information on the characteristics of the unemployed not available from the claimant count. In addition, the LFS provides an articulated source of information on employment, unemployment and economic activity.

  Further details of both official measures of unemployment can be obtained from the booklet "How Exactly is Unemployment Measured?", a copy of which is available in the Library.

  Training
  Mr. Devlin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many places are being provided on training schemes in the northern region in the current year by individual training and enterprise councils; and what was the overall number of Government-sponsored training places in 1978.

  Mr. Paice
  The following number of entrants into training are planned for 1994–95 in northern region:

  TEC

  Number

  Tyneside

  14,047

  County Durham

  9,073

  206

  TEC

  Number

  Sunderland City

  6,505

  Teeside

  10,148

  Northumberland

  4,631

  Total

  44,404

  Information which identifies the overall number of Government-sponsored training places in 1978 is not available at regional level.

  Delegated Pay
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the non-departmental public bodies sponsored by his Department which will(a) follow the pay arrangements of the sponsoring Department and (b) pursue an independent and separate route under the delegated pay option (i) from April 1995 and (ii) from April 1996.

  Miss Widdecombe
  The following decisions have been taken so far:

  a) NDPBs that intend to follow the pay arrangements of the Employment Department:

  —Equal Opportunities Commission;

  —Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service.

  b) NDPBs that are pursuing independent arrangements under the delegated pay option:

  —Health and Safety Executive (from April 1995).

  Employers' Liability
  Mr. Boateng
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) what recent representations he has received from the Health and Safety Commission and others concerning the Employers Liability (Compulsory Insurance) Act 1969;

  (2) what plans he has to establish a review of the Employers Liability (Compulsory Insurance) Act 1969; if the Trades Union Congress will be represented on the review committee; and if he will list the proposed membership of the committee;

  (3) if he will list the numbers and the names of those individuals and organisations who have made representations to him concerning the Employers Liability (Compulsory Insurance) Act 1969 who have (a) supported and (b) opposed (i) the suggestion that the £2 million minimum cover provided by the Act should be changed and (ii) the decision by the Association of British Insurers no longer to recommend providing unlimited cover to its members.

  Mr. Oppenheim
  Following the decision of the United Kingdom insurance industry to cease providing unlimited cover for employers' liability insurance, I received a number of representations that some large industrial and commercial concerns would be unable to comply with the law as it stood from the beginning of this year. After consulting the Health and Safety Commission, I laid before the House amending regulations to ensure that all employers could comply with the law from 1 January 1995. I also announced on 22 December 1994 my intention to carry out a review of the legislation.

  I propose to issue a consultative document shortly seeking views on possible changes to this legislation. It is

  207
  my intention to circulate this widely, so that all interested parties have the opportunity to put their views forward. The Trades Union Congress and HSC will be among those consulted. I will send a copy of the consultative document to the hon. Member.

  Correspondence
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) how many letters were received in the Department from hon. Members last month;

  (2) how many letters were sent to hon. Members last month by each Minister in the Department.

  Miss Widdecombe
  During January, the Department received 512 letters from hon. Members. In the same period, 448 ministerial replies were sent. Of these, 19 were answered by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State, 107 by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, the Member for Cambridgeshire, South East (Mr. Paice) and 152 by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, the Member for Amber Valley (Mr. Oppenheim). I have answered 170 letters.

  South London TEC
  Ms Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment when Solotec will agree new contracts with the former providers of training services to South Thames training and enterprise council.

  Mr. Paice
  Solotec is currently drawing up its proposals to undertake training and enterprise council responsibilities in the boroughs of Greenwich and Lewisham. It is for Solotec to determine with which providers it wishes to contract to provide services in the two boroughs. The timing for the agreement of new contracts will depend upon the progress of negotiations between the parties.

  Wakefield TEC
  Mr. Sykes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what progress Wakefield training and enterprise council is making in meeting the criteria for the award of a three-year licence.

  Mr. Paice
  I am pleased to announce that Wakefield training and enterprise council has now completed the process of meeting the rigorous standard we set for the award of the new three-year licences. Its licence will be effective from April 1995.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Western Sahara
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the statement made to the United States Congress House Appropriations Committee on 25 January by Frank Ruddy concerning the United Nations operation in Western Sahara; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  [pursuant to the reply 8 February, Official Report, column 281]: My Department has now seen a copy of the statement submitted by Mr. Frank Ruddy to the sub-committee of the Committee on Appropriations of the US House of Representatives. We
  208
  understand that the UN has now sent a team to the Western Sahara to investigate the allegations made by Mr. Ruddy.

  Western European Union
  Sir Dudley Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his policy towards the recommendation of the Assembly of Western European Union that the Council of the Western European Union should study the conditions in which the Council might meet as a European security and defence council, either as necessary or on the occasion of meetings of the European Council; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  This recommendation is under consideration by the Permanent Council of the Western European Union, which will evaluate the desirability of holding a WEU meeting at summit level.

  Sir Dudley Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action has been taken in response to recommendation 538 of the Assembly of Western European Union on security in the Mediterranean; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The WEU Council has set out its views on this issue in its response to recommendation 565 of the Assembly.

  The Council has also considered and endorsed relevant elements of work done in the CFSP framework on the implications for European security of the situation in neighbouring regions including the Mediterranean.

  Sir Dudley Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans there are for the participation of the Wastern European Union in missions of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Military units of WEU member states, acting under the authority of the WEU, can be employed for humanitarian and rescue tasks, as the WEU Council of Ministers decided in its Petersburg declaration of June 1992. The Council of Ministers also declared the WEU's willingness to consider any requests for assistance from the OSCE, then CSCE on a case-by-case basis. The OSCE has, as yet, made no formal requests.

  Sir Russell Johnston
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to support the establishment of a multinational European humanitarian intervention force under the auspices of the Western European Union; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  It is one of the roles of the WEU to provide for a European instrument of reaction in cases where, due to the dimension or urgency of a humanitarian crisis or the need for military protection, military rather than civilian means must be employed.

  United Kingdom forces would be provided on a case-by-case basis, rather than committing ourselves to a standing intervention force which might not be tailored to the requirements of a specific humanitarian crisis.

  Sir Russell Johnston
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made by the Permanent Council of the Western European Union in taking forward the commitment gradually to develop the Western European Union Institute for Security Studies into a European Security and Defence Academy; and if he will make a statement.
  209
  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  At its meeting on 11 November 1994 in Noordwijk the WEU Council of Ministers reiterated its commitment gradually to develop the Institute for Security Studies into a European Security and Defence Academy and requested the Permanent Council to take this matter forward as a priority.

  Details of the proposal were presented to the Permanent Council of the WEU by the director of the institute at its meetings of 24 January and 7 February 1995.

  Indonesia
  Mr. Bill Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will press the European Community to play a more positive role in pressing the Indonesian authorities to ensure human rights.

  Mr. Goodlad
  We are in regular contact with our European Union partners about the human rights situation in Indonesia and East Timor and, where appropriate, make known our concerns directly to the Indonesian Government and in such bodies as the UN Commission on Human Rights.

  Mr. Bill Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will urge President Suharto to repeal the anti-subversion law.

  Mr. Goodlad
  The repeal of the anti-subversion law is one of the recommendations of the UN special rapporteur on torture. The UN Commission on Human Rights, of which the United Kingdom is a member, has called repeatedly on the Indonesian Government to take the necessary steps to implement these recommendations.

  Morocco
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what position the United Kingdom Government are taking up over the proper extent of Moroccan territorial water to be included in the EU-Morocco fishing agreement; and if he will make it his policy that no disputed territorial waters will be so included.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  As with all EC fisheries agreements, the waters under the sovereignty or jurisdiction of Morocco will not be defined. The United Kingdom Government do not consider the renegotiation of the EC-Morocco fisheries agreement the appropriate place to address the issue of the sovereignty of the former Spanish Sahara.

  Nuclear Non-proliferation
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps Her Majesty's Government are taking to ensure a successful conclusion to the conference of state parties to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty opening in April; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Baldry
  Our aim at the nuclear non-proliferation treaty review and extension conference is to secure the treaty's indefinite and unconditional extension by a substantial majority. We are lobbying at ministerial and official levels, both bilaterally and as part of an EU joint action, to achieve this aim.

  Fast Stream Entry
  Mrs. Maddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proportion of those accepted for fast stream entry for which his Department is responsible(a) in 1991, (b) 1992, (c) in 1993 and (d) in 1994 were women.

  Mr. Goodlad
  The percentage of women accepted for fast stream entry to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Overseas Development Administration in each of the last four years was:

  1991: 29.2 per cent.

  1992: 26.1 per cent.

  1993: 19.2 per cent.

  1994: 30.8 per cent.

  Non-departmental Public Bodies (Pay)
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the non-departmental public bodies sponsored by his Department which will(a) follow the pay arrangements of the sponsoring Department and (b) pursue an independent and separate route under the delegated pay option (i) from April 1995 and (ii) from April 1996.

  Mr. Goodlad
  The British Council is developing proposals for separate pay arrangements from April 1996.

  We expect the following NDPBs to follow the FCO's pay arrangements in April 1996:

  The Britain-Russia Centre

  The Great Britain-China Centre

  The British Association for Central and Eastern Europe

  The Foreign Compensation Commission

  The Marshall Commission and the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission are supported by a secretariat provided by the Association of Commonwealth Universities to which the FCO pays a management fee. The staff of the Westminster Foundation for Democracy are retained on short-term contracts. We see no reason to change these arrangements.

  It would be premature to comment on pay arrangements for the Commonwealth Institute before its business plan is submitted in July 1995.

  Iraq
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what United Nations reports the Government have received about the supply of products to the Iraqi plant at Ad Dwar and Salman Pak by United Kingdom-based companies or their subsidiaries over the last five years; if he will name those companies and what they supplied; what prior knowledge or approval was given by Her Majesty's Government; and what measures he proposes to take in this matter.

  Mr. Baldry
  It is not our practice to comment in detail on information given to us by the UN Special Commission on companies which have traded with Iraq. Any information about potential offences will be investigated and, if substantiated, will be a matter for the courts.

  Correspondence
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many letters
  211
  were received in the Department from hon. Members last month.

  Mr. Baldry
  During January 1995 the Foreign and Commonwealth Office received 1,502 letters from hon. Members.

  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many letters were sent to hon. Members last month by each Minister in the Department.

  Mr. Baldry
  Ministers in the Department sent the following numbers of letters to hon. Members last month:

  Minister

  Number

  Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs

  65

  Minister of State for Overseas Development

  196

  Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Mr. Hogg)

  254

  Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Mr. Davis)

  93

  Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Mr. Goodlad)

  134

  Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Mr. Baldry)

  202

  The correspondence unit of the migration and visa department answered 503 letters from hon. Members. Forty-three letters from hon. Members were sent to other Government Ministers for reply, and 50 are still receiving attention.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  Correspondence
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Attorney-General (1) how many letters were received in the Department from hon. Members last month;

  (2) how many letters were sent to hon. Members last month by each Minister in the Department.

  The Attorney-General
  Sixty-one letters were received from and 50 letters were sent to hon. Members in January. Of the 50 letters sent to hon. Members 17 were written by the Attorney-General and one by the Solicitor-General. The remaining 32 letters were sent by the private office informing hon. Members that their letters were being transferred.

  Serious Fraud Office
  Mr. Boateng
  To ask the Attorney-General what has been the cost of running the Serious Fraud Office for each year since its establishment, and what is the projected cost for the next financial year.

  The Attorney-General
  The SFO became operational in April 1988. Running costs are most readily ascertainable by reference to financial years ending 31 March. The cost of running the Serious Fraud Office is given in the table. The provision for 1995–96 will be published in the departmental report for the Lord Chancellor's and Law Officers' Departments, which is expected to be presented to Parliament on or about 7 March 1995.
  212

  Serious Fraud Office

  Year

  Running Cost Expenditure (£000)

  1987–881

  509

  1988–89

  4,641

  1989–90

  5,687

  1990–91

  6,771

  1991–92

  8,931

  1992–93

  10,508

  1993–94

  10,548

  1994–952

  11,317

  1 This figure is for part year only; the SFO being established in June 1987.

  2 This figure is the 1994–95 running costs provision.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Housing Adaptations
  Mr. McGrady
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many applications for assessments by occupational therapists in respect of housing adaptations were made during the years from 1 April 1989 to 31 March 1994 in the Eastern and Southern health boards; of these how many were(a) processed (b) approved for adaptation and (c) rejected.

  Mr. Moss
  Information on the total number of applications for assessment by occupational therapists for housing adaptations is not collected centrally.

  Since 1 April 1993 information has been collected centrally only in respect of referrals to occupational therapists from the Northern Ireland Housing Executive. Some 2,263 such referrals were made to the Eastern and Southern health boards in the year ended 31 March 1994 and 1,512 assessments were completed.

  Information on the outcome of these assessments is not collected centrally.

  Zoos
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list those zoos which are owned by local authorities.

  Mr. Ancram
  There are five zoos in Northern Ireland which are owned by district councils. These are:-

  Belfast zoo—Belfast city council

  Ward park, Bangor—Bangor borough council

  Craigavon leisure centre—Craigavon borough council

  Exploris sealife centre, Portaferry—Newtownards borough council

  Pinebank community centre, Craigavon—Craigavon borough council

  Fast Stream Entry
  Mrs. Maddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what proportion of those accepted for fast-stream entry for which his Department is responsible(a) in 1991, (b) in 1992, (c) in 1993 and (d) in 1994 were women.

  Sir John Wheeler
  The proportion of fast stream entrants to the Northern Ireland Departments and the Northern Ireland Office who were women is as follows:

  1991: 33 per cent.

  1992: 20 per cent.

  213

  1993: 14 per cent.

  1994: 50 per cent.

  Residential and Nursing Homes
  Mr. Mallon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many clients have been admitted by each residential and nursing home in(a) the Armagh and Dungannon and (b) the Newry and Mourne units of management since 30 September 1993.

  Mr. Moss
  [holding answer 20 February 1995]: The information requested is set out in the following tables. The figures do not include those people who have made their own arrangements to enter homes and pay for their care or admissions by trusts/units of management in other board areas.

  Persons admitted to residential/nursing home care from 30 September 1993 to 17 February 1995

  Armagh and Dungannon Unit of Management

  Private nursing homes

  Number of admissions1

  Armagh PNH (Sandown)

  15

  Castledillon

  34

  Castlemanor

  5

  Chestnut Lodge

  15

  Collegelands

  6

  Copperfields

  7

  Corkhill Lodge

  13

  Dungannon PNH (Sandown)

  3

  Fairlawns

  29

  Glenview

  18

  Greenpark

  35

  The Haven

  6

  Hockley Lodge

  15

  Manor Court

  50

  Nightingale

  31

  Rathowen

  2

  The Retreat

  14

  Sanville

  4

  The Valley

  19

  Total

  321

  Residential Homes

  Benvinda

  1

  Glenview

  18

  Hebron House

  1

  Monique

  2

  Roughan House

  2

  Sunnymead

  7

  Total

  31

  Newry and Mourne HSS Trust

  Private Nursing Homes

  Number of Admissions1

  Ardmaine

  16

  Arnosvale

  12

  Avila

  12

  Cairnhill

  1

  Coolbawn

  16

  Glencarron

  11

  Kilbroney House

  19

  Lisnaaran

  32

  Our Mother of Mercy

  2

  Rathfriland Manor

  8

  214

  Newry and Mourne HSS Trust

  Private Nursing Homes

  Number of Admissions1

  Rockfield

  19

  St. John of God

  40

  St. Joseph's

  4

  Total

  192

  Residential Homes

  Glencarron

  1

  Kilbroney House

  3

  Moneydarragh Lodge

  3

  Mountain House

  1

  Our Mother of Mercy

  12

  Peacehaven

  3

  St. Joseph's

  16

  Sennen House

  5

  Total

  44

  1 Figures include both permanent and temporary admissions.

NATIONAL HERITAGE

  Second World War (Anniversary)
  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage, pursuant to his answer of 7 February,Official Report, column 161, what considerations underlay his Department's decision to disclose the fee paid to the firm Lowe Bell Communications in respect of its organisation of the programme of events to mark the 50th anniversary of D-Day in its release of 24 January 1994.

  Mr. Dorrell
  Messrs Lowe Bell Communications were appointed to advise the Government on the D-Day commemorative programme and to assist in the implementation of the programme. Messrs Lowe Bell agreed that publication of the fee paid to them would not raise issues of commercial confidentiality.

  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage, pursuant to his answer of 7 February,Official Report, column 161, what is the Department's total budget for the organisation of the programme of events to commemorate the end in Europe of the second world war.

  Mr. Dorrell
  A sum of £4.75 million has been voted in 1995–96 to this Department for work on organising commemorative events. In addition, funds will be required in the current financial year, and parliamentary approval is being sought for the necessary expenditure. The pattern of expenditure between this year and next year is not yet clear.

  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage, pursuant to his answer of 7 February,Official Report, column 161, how many other firms were involved in tendering for the contract to organise events to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the end in Europe of the second world war.

  Mr. Dorrell
  Fourteen firms in all were invited to submit outline proposals for the Hyde park contract and nine firms did so. Of these, five firms in addition to Messrs Unusual Industries tendered for the contract.

  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage, pursuant to his answer of 7 February,
  215
  Official Report, column 161, if the firm Unusual Industries submitted the lowest bid for the contract to organise a programme of events to commemorate the end in Europe of the second world war.

  Mr. Dorrell
  Yes.

  Delegated pay
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will list the non-departmental public bodies sponsored by his Department which will(a) follow the pay arrangements of the sponsoring Department and (b) pursue an independent and separate route under the delegated pay option (i) from April 1995 and (ii) from April 1996.

  Mr. Dorrell
  Many of the 35 executive NDPBs sponsored by my Department will be establishing separate pay arrangements and will do so from April 1996. English Heritage, the National Maritime Museum, the British Tourist Authority and the English tourist board aim to establish separate pay arrangements this year.

  Privacy
  Mr. Boateng
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what plans he has to publish his Department's White Paper on privacy law.

  Mr. Dorrell
  Responsibility for publication of the White Paper on privacy and media intrusion rests with me. I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Staffordshire, Moorlands (Sir D. Knox) on 30 January 1995,Official Report, column 667.

  Wreck Sites
  Sir Cranley Onslow
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what assessment of the value of the published and archived historical and archaeological information resulting from licensed work on protected wreck sites has been made by(a) his Department and (b) the archaeological diving unit at St. Andrews.

  Mr. Dorrell
  [holding answer 20 February 1995]: None. Bibliographical references to published work on protected sites are detailed in the ADU's "Guide to Historic Wreck Sites".

  Sir Cranley Onslow
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will now commission a review of the working of the Protection of Wrecks Act 1973.

  Mr. Dorrell
  [holding answer 20 February 1995]: The existing provisions of the 1973 Act have served well in the protection of our underwater heritage.

HEALTH

  Patients (Northern Region)
  Mr. Devlin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many(a) in-patients and (b) out-patients were treated in the northern region in each year since 1978.

  Mr. Sackville
  For in-patients, the number of finished consultant episodes for Northern regional health authority 216
  is published in "Ordinary and day case admissions for England" for each year from 1982 to 1993–94. Figures before 1986 refer to discharges and deaths. For 1978 to 1981, figures are published in SH3 national and regional summaries for the relevant year.

  For out-patients, numbers of attendances at clinics are published in "Outpatient and ward attenders for England" for each year from 1982 to 1993–94. Earlier figures are published in SH3 national and regional summaries for the relevant year.

  Copies of these publications are available in the Library.

  Communicable Diseases
  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what rights parents have to be informed that there have been cases of a known potentially fatal communicable disease in their child's school.

  Mr. Sackville
  Under the Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984 and the Public Health (Infectious Diseases) Regulations 1988, information obtained as a result of notification of disease can be divulged by the relevant health official if it is reasonably necessary for preventing the spread of the disease.

  NHS Patients (Charges)
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what charges NHS trusts can levy on(a) in-patients, (b) out-patients and (c) persons admitted following industrial accidents.

  Mr. Sackville
  National health service hospitals have no power to charge unless there is a specific statutory power to charge for a particular service or item of equipment.

  NHS Staff (Ethnic Minorities)
  Mr. Nicholas Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has for extending the arrangements set out in "Ethnic Minority Staff in the NHS: A Programme of Action" to primary health care staff employed by family health service authority and general practitioner practices.

  Mr. Malone
  None. "Ethnic Minority Staff in the NHS: A Programme of Action" applies to all staff employed by NHS authorities and trusts, including family health services authorities. It does not cover employees of general practitioners, who are autonomous employers.

  Mr. Nicholas Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the results of the ethnic monitoring of NHS staff, which took place in September 1993, will be published.

  Mr. Malone
  Ethnic monitoring data on the national health service work force in England collected in September 1993 was published in the "Department of Health Statistical Bulletins" 1994/10 of September 1994 and 1994/11 of October 1994, copies of which are available in the Library.

  Mental Illness Hospitals
  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if she will list those remaining large mental
  217
  hospitals, by region and district, which are still admitting (a) any in-patients and (b) any acute admissions;

  (2) if she will list in each remaining large mental hospitals, by district and region, in England, how many in-patients are long stay with over a year in hospital care and how many were admitted before 1971;

  (3) if she will list those large mental hospitals which have closed in England, by region and district, and the present use of their sites;

  (4) if she will list the remaining large mental hospitals still open, by region and health district in England, together with in each case the number of patients, their age, the number of available beds, and the estimated date of closure.

  Mr. Bowis
  Details on the remaining large mental illness hospitals, with over 100 beds, were published in the mental health task force report, "Survey of English Mental Illness Hospitals, March 1993", copies of which are available in the Library.

  Nursing Homes
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the size range recommended by her Department for nursing homes.

  Mr. Bowis
  We have not made any recommendations about the size of nursing homes.

  Emergency Treatment Charges
  Mr. Nicholas Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to end the right to health authorities, NHS trusts and general practitioners to collect charges for emergency treatment under the Road Traffic Act 1988.

  Mr. Sackville
  I have no plans to do so.

  Macmillan Breast Care Nurses
  Mrs. Golding
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many Macmillan breast care nurses are currently employed by the NHS.

  Mr. Sackville
  This information is not available centrally.

  Care For The Elderly
  Mr. Bill Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she is proposing to take to improve the availability of care for the elderly.

  Mr. Bowis
  Every citizen has the right to receive health care on the basis of clinical need. The "Priorities and Planning Guidance for the NHS: 1995–96" requires authorities to identify needs and put specific actions in hand to ensure further improvements in services for elderly people, and to secure care in the community, including continuing health care, in effective collaboration with local authorities and other agencies.

  Continuing Health Care
  Mr. Haselhurst
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether she will be issuing guidance clarifying 218
  NHS responsibilities for meeting needs for continuing health care; and whether she will make a statement.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  I shall issue tomorrow to health authorities, local authorities and other interested parties guidance on national health service responsibilities for meeting needs for continuing health care. This follows careful consideration of the responses we have received on the draft guidance on this subject which was issued for consultation last summer. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales will be issuing parallel guidance in Wales.

  The guidance will make clear that arranging and funding a full range of services to meet needs for continuing health care is a fundamental part of the responsibilities of the NHS. In discharging those responsibilities the NHS needs to work closely with its partners in local authorities, building on the improved collaboration which has resulted from the introduction of the community care reforms.

  The guidance will set out a national framework of conditions which must be addressed in the local policies and eligibility for continuing health care which all health authorities will be required to develop and publish. We will also make clear the action which health authorities, working with local authorities, general practitioners and others, must take to implement the guidance, including specific action to address where significant gaps in services are identified.

  I shall be placing copies of the guidance in the Library.

  Breast Cancer
  Mrs. Golding
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will establish targets to reduce mortality from breast cancer.

  Mr. Sackville
  In "The Health of the Nation—A Strategy for Health" the Government have set a target to reduce breast cancer mortality in women invited for breast screening by 25 per cent. by the year 2000.

  NHS Charges
  Mr. Congdon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to increase current NHS charges and the value of optical vouchers; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Malone
  I shall shortly lay regulations before the House to increase national health service charges in England and Wales from 1 April 1995. The prescription charge will increase by £0.50, from £4.75 to £5.25 for each quantity of a drug or appliance dispensed. The fees for prescription prepayment certificates will rise to £27.20 for a four-month certificate and £74.80 for an annual certificate. These represent considerable savings for those needing more than five items in four months or 14 items in a year.

  The new prescription charge is still significantly less than the average total cost of a single prescription item to the NHS. A charge is now paid only on around one item in five dispensed by community pharmacists and appliance contractors. When the Government took office, about two items in five attracted a charge. In 1993–94 the drugs bill for family health services was over £2.9 billion. The new charge will raise over £310 million for the NHS in 1995–96.
  219
  Charges for elastic stockings and tights, wigs and fabric supports supplied through the hospital service will he increased in line with the rise in the prescription charge.

  The maximum patient charge for a single course of dental treatment begun on or after 1 April 1995 will increase from £275 to £300. Fewer than three in every 1,000 courses of treatment will attract the new maximum charge.

  I am pleased to announce that as from 1 April 1995, the overall value of optical vouchers issued under the NHS optical voucher scheme will increase by an average of 3.25 per cent. Optical vouchers may be used as full or partial payment for spectacles or contact lenses. People entitled to the most commonly used vouchers—which constitute about 85 per cent. of all vouchers—will find the value of their vouchers increased by about 3.5 per cent.

  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland will lay regulations to increase charges and spectacle voucher values in Scotland by the same amounts. Similar arrangements will apply in Northern Ireland.

  Details of the revised charges and increased optical voucher values have been placed in the Library.

  VAMP Research Database
  Mr. Garnier
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans she has for the future of the VAMP research database.

  Mr. Sackville
  Since the Department of Health accepted the VAMP research database from Reuters plc on 8 September 1994, a number of significant developments have taken place:

  Professor David Lawson of Glasgow University has been appointed to lead an advisory group on the scientific and ethnical soundness of research projects;

  the Department has decided in principle to support research projects designed to improve its understanding of the capacity of the Database to aid policy making in epidemiological and other areas;

  two established researchers have sought and been granted licences to use the data for pharmaco-vigilance and other purposes; and

  existing research projects are being undertaken and new projects are being scrutinised by Professor Lawson, pending the formation of the full advisory ethics group.

  The Department of Health has also constituted an advisory management board to provide advice on strategic management of the research database. It comprises representatives of the doctors who contribute anonymised data, licensees, epidemiological researchers, the pharmaceutical industry and the scientific and ethical advisory group under Department of Health chairmanship. Taking account of the advisory management board's advice and the urgent nature of some enhancements of the system's hardware and software, it has been decided that the day-to-day management of the data collection, validation and support services will remain with the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys for the next two years under a service-level agreement with the Department of Health. It is expected that the database will be broadly self-financing as a result of licence and other fee income for the use of data in research projects.

  Mentally Ill People
  Ms Jowell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people were placed on supervision registers for 220
  the mentally ill between 1 October 1994 and 31 January 1995; and what is the total number now on these registers.

  Mr. Bowis
  Information on the numbers of mentally ill people placed on supervision registers is not available centrally.

  Correspondence
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many letters were received in the Department from hon. Members last month.

  Mr. Sackville
  There were 1,383 letters received from hon. Members during January.

  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many letters were sent to hon. Members last month by each Minister in the Department.

  Mr. Sackville
  The information is shown in the table.

  Minister

  Number of letters sent to hon. members

  Secretary of State

  186

  Mr. Malone

  251

  Mr. Sackville

  327

  Mr. Bowis

  315

  Baroness Cumberlege

  340

  Children and the Family
  Mr. Boateng
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will(a) ask or (b) require all Ministers to publish family impact statements with all major policy announcements and new legislation to make clear their intended effect on the law relating to, and the welfare of, children and the family.

  Mr. Bowis
  The Government make clear the intended effect of policy and legislative proposals in consultative papers and reports.

  Mr. Boateng
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list all the Cabinet committees, ministerial groups and interdepartmental committees of officials, together with respective members, which have responsibility for co-ordinating Government policy on the law relating to children and the family.

  Mr. Bowis
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister gave to my right hon. Friend the Member for Sutton Coldfield (Sir N. Fowler) on 22 November 1994 at columns 89–96, which gave details of Cabinet committees and their membership. The ministerial groups and interdepartmental committees of officials with a role in the co-ordination of Government policy on the law relating to children and the family are as shown:

  Family Law Administration Working Party;

  Inter-departmental Group on Child Abuse;

  Steering Groups on Child Evidence;

  Inter-departmental Consultative Group on Provision for Young Children;

  Ministerial Group on Domestic Violence;

  Official Group on Domestic Violence;

  Ministerial Group on Crime Prevention;

  Official Group on Crime Prevention;

  221

  Official Group on Reducing Criminality;

  Children Act Advisory Group.

  Public Appointments
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer of 17 January,Official Report,
  222
  column 440, how many appointments to public positions have been made by her Department in the last year.

  Mr. Sackville
  [holding answer 15 February 1995]: The latest information is that for 1994, when 1,531 people were appointed to posts in Department of Health public bodies.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Private Lee Clegg
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if his office gave the governor of Her Majesty's prison, Wakefield clearance for Private Lee Clegg to give media interviews; and if he will make a statement.

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

  Letter from Derek Lewis to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 22 February:
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question asking whether the Home Office gave the governor of Wakefield prison clearance for Private Lee Clegg to give media interviews.
  Under Standing Order 5A 37 governors are advised that members of the press should not normally be allowed to visit prisoners in a professional capacity. Permission has not been given for any member of the press to interview Mr. Clegg, either in person or by telephone, although the governor has received a number of requests. However, a journalist recently interviewed Private Clegg on a domestic visit without permission, having used an assumed name for the purpose of the visit.

  False Identities
  Mr. Churchill
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many individuals, in each of the past five years for which figures are available, have been caught acquiring or having acquired false identities for passport, DSS or other purposes by using official documentation obtained(a) by posing as a deceased person or (b) in any other way; how many false identities are known to have been acquired; and what was the maximum number known to have been acquired by any one individual in each of those years.

  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  The total number of fraudulent passport applications in each of the last five years was:

  Total number

  Number identified by United Kingdom Passport Agency before passport issued

  1990

  854

  671

  1991

  1,037

  569

  1992

  984

  764

  1993

  1,162

  845

  1994

  1,031

  846

  These figures represent less than 0.04 per cent passports issued annually.

  Separate figures are not available for the number of those applicants who used false identities either by posing as a deceased person or in another way.

  Figures for the Department of Social Security's Benefits Agency are available only for the last two financial years. They are:
  224

  Total false identities detected

  Largest number used by one person

  1992–93

  1,200

  not available

  1993–94

  2,117

  250

  The figures include multiple identity fraud detected by organised fraud teams. However the total value of multiple identity fraud was less than 1 per cent. of all detected fraud in each of the two years for which figures are available.

  Telephone Reference Service
  Mr. Bill Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give the terms of reference of the review of the Government telephone preference service; if he will list the persons carrying out the review; when the review is expected to be completed; if he proposes to publish details of the review and its recommendations; and if he will list those telecommunications services companies with which the Government have agreements regarding instituting telephone preference at a time of emergency.

  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  The terms of reference for the working party conducting this review require it to assess whether there is still a requirement for a scheme to provide assured access for essential users; and, if so, to identify options and associated costs; and to make recommendations to Ministers. It is chaired by a Home Office official and its membership includes representatives of the other Departments involved in emergency planning and of the major telecommunications service providers.

  The intention is that the working party should produce an interim report by the autumn of this year; the date for the completion of the review will depend upon reaction to the interim report. Because some of the details in the final report are likely to be commercially sensitive, it is not intended to publish it; but the outcome will be made known to the House in due course. It is not the practice to provide details of a direction to a company under the Telecommunications Act 1984 which may include a requirement to provide an assured service in a time of emergency.

  Betting Shops
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what guidelines are issued which betting shops are legally obliged to follow;

  (2) what plans he has to introduce legislation to form guidelines for betting shops in regard to legal proceedings.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The statutory controls relating to licensed betting offices are contained in sections 9 and 10 of the Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Act 1963, Schedule 4 to that Act, and the Licensed Betting Office Regulations 1986.

  We have no plans to introduce legislation or guidelines for licensed betting offices in regard to legal proceedings.

  Sentencing
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will require judges to discuss sentences with juries prior to passing sentence.

  Mr. Maclean
  No.

  Metropolitan Police
  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what were the sums assigned within the budget of the Metropolitan police for(a) additional costs of police officers attending magistrates-courts, if separately identified, (b) costs relating to the attendance of police as Crown prosecution witnesses; and if he will give the nature of reserves held to ensure that no case is abandoned or withdrawn due to financial constraints.

  Mr. Maclean
  I understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that funds to cover the additional costs of police officers attending magistrates courts during the course of their duty or as Crown prosecution witnesses are not identified separately within the force's budget. The actual costs of officers attending court as Crown prosecution witnesses are not collated. From April 1995, the Metropolitan police will have available a financial reserve and it would be possible to consider the use of funds from the reserve in cases where actual expenditure exceeds the sum allocated in the force's budget estimates.

  Immigration
  Mr. David Shaw
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list by European Union member state(a) the number of applications for citizenship of that member state which are currently being processed and (b) the number of applications for political asylum.

  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  The number of applications for British citizenship which were outstanding at the end of January 1995 in the United Kingdom was 42,327. Corresponding information on citizenship applications in other EU member states is not available. Information on persons who applied for asylum was given in a reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Davyhulme (Mr. Churchill), on 3 February 1995,Official Report, column 899.

  Mr. David Shaw
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the numbers of legal immigrants accepted by each European Union member state in each of the last three years.

  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  The information available relates to gross inward migration, including temporary migration, of non-EEA nationals into European Union countries in 1992, and is given in the table. Corresponding data for 1993–94 are not yet available.

  Country

  Gross inward migration of non-EEA nationals in 19921

  Belgium

  27,000

  Denmark

  15,000

  France

  85,800

  Germany

  1,080,000

  Greece

  10,400

  Ireland

  4,600

  Italy

  n/a

  226

  Country

  Gross inward migration of non-EEA nationals in 19921

  Luxembourg

  2,740

  Netherlands

  58,700

  Portugal

  12,100

  Spain

  18,500

  United Kingdom

  50.8002

  Austria3

  n/a

  Finland3

  9,240

  Sweden3

  31,000

  n/a Not available.

  1 Source: Burostat (except for the United Kingdom figure) based on annual returns from member countries. Definitions will vary between countries but are likely to include temporary migration, mainly for six months or longer.

  2 Figure relates to non-EEA nationals accepted for settlement, that is, allowed to stay indefinitely, in 1992. The corresponding figure for 1993 was 54,200.

  3 Joined the European Union on 1 January 1995.

  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what facilities are available for people with hearing impediments seeking entry into the United Kingdom, with special reference to those seeking political refugee status at ports of entry; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  There arc no special facilities at immigration controls at ports for interviewing people with hearing impediments. The interviewing officer is required to confirm and record in writing that an applicant for asylum understands what is being communicated and that he or she is understood. If necessary, information will be obtained in writing using translator assistance as necessary.

  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what legal objections have been reported to him advising that for the police to withdraw passports from known troublemakers wishing to travel overseas would be illegal; in what way the powers differ from the powers of Immigration Service officers to retain passports from people wishing to enter the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maclean
  The police have no power to remove a passport from someone unless passport facilities have been withdrawn from him by my right hon. and learned Friend under the royal prerogative or a court has required surrender of the passport. The Immigration Service has power to retain the passport of someone seeking entry until the person concerned is given leave to enter the United Kingdom or is about to depart or be removed following refusal of leave.

  India (Torture)
  Mr. Spellar
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions he has had with the Medical Foundation for the Care of Victims of Torture regarding evidence of torture in India to male Sikh asylum seekers.
  227
  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  There have been no recent discussions with the foundation on this subject.

  Police
  Mr. Devlin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list(a) the current number of police officers per 1,000 of the population and (b) the current amount spent per annum on the police per person, in rank order for each (i) police authority and (ii) county police authority in England including average figures.

  Mr. Maclean
  The latest available information for police to population ratios can be found in the appendix to the annual report of Her Majesty's chief inspector of constabulary for 1993. Details of police expenditure per head of population are set out in the table:

  Police expenditure per head of population

  Estimated expenditure 1994–95 £000

  Population 19931

  Average expenditure per head £000

  City of London

  56,186

  4,000

  14,047

  Metropolitan

  1,638,659

  7,420,000

  221

  Merseyside

  222,217

  1,441,000

  154

  Greater Manchester

  330,361

  2,579,000

  128

  Cleveland

  71,037

  559,000

  127

  West Midlands

  323,607

  2,634,000

  123

  Northumbria

  176,002

  1,445,000

  122

  West Yorkshire

  240,140

  2,102,000

  114

  Wiltshire

  66,362

  583,000

  114

  Cumbria

  55,697

  490,000

  114

  Surrey

  86,912

  770,000

  113

  South Yorkshire

  145,647

  1,306,000

  112

  Nottinghamshire

  112,458

  1,028,000

  109

  Humberside

  95,452

  884,000

  108

  Lancashire

  151,890

  1,421,000

  107

  Kent

  160,948

  1,540,000

  105

  Gloucestershire

  56,084

  544,000

  103

  Durham

  62,578

  608,000

  103

  Warwickshire

  50,510

  494,000

  102

  Avon and Somerset

  147,302

  1,447,000

  102

  Lincolnshire

  60,485

  601,000

  101

  Thames Valley

  198,813

  2,001,000

  99

  Essex

  147,572

  1,489,000

  99

  Northamptonshire

  58,624

  592,000

  99

  Dorset

  65,161

  667,000

  98

  Bedfordshire

  52,463

  539,000

  97

  Staffordshire

  101,365

  1,054,000

  96

  Devon and Cornwall

  143,917

  1,526,000

  94

  Hertfordshire

  79,097

  849,000

  93

  Derbyshire

  87,227

  951,000

  92

  North Yorkshire

  66,156

  722,000

  92

  Sussex

  130,749

  1,440,000

  91

  Hampshire

  155,219

  1,718,000

  90

  Cambridgeshire

  61,216

  683,000

  90

  Suffolk

  57,426

  646,000

  89

  West Mercia

  98,399

  1,109,000

  89

  Leicestershire

  80,672

  910,000

  89

  Cheshire

  85,533

  972,000

  88

  Norfolk

  66,561

  765,000

  87

  1 Population figures are provided by the OPCS. 1993 is the latest available estimate.

  Ethnic Minorities
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to announce his decision on section 11 funding bids for 1995–96; what the total funding bid was in each case; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  It remains our hope that it will be possible to announce the outcome of the bidding round by the end of February. The following table shows the amount of grant sought by each applicant in relation to the 1995–96 financial year.

  Amount of grant sought 1995–96

  Applicant

  Grant sought in 1995–96 (£)

  Local authorities etc

  Avon

  584,488

  Barking and Dagenham

  265,750

  Barnet

  221,000

  Bedfordshire

  93,200

  Berkshire

  19,500

  Bexley

  49,261

  Birmingham

  487,636

  Bolton

  217,411

  Bradford

  3,723,014

  Brent

  775,500

  Bromley

  37,800

  Buckinghamshire

  1,138,021

  Burnley

  50,603

  Bury

  35,940

  Calderdale

  74,250

  Cambridgeshire

  185,000

  Camden

  1,506,763

  Cardiff

  24,093

  Cleveland

  180,056

  Clwyd

  139,968

  Coventry

  165,355

  Crewe and Nantwich

  35,627

  Croydon

  427,174

  Derbyshire

  347,176

  Devon

  83,000

  Doncaster

  54,654

  Dorset

  45,700

  Dudley

  811,318

  Ealing

  1,242,773

  East Sussex

  88,480

  Enfield

  561,647

  Essex

  113,716

  Gateshead

  27,000

  Gloucester

  49,160

  Gloucestershire

  83,608

  Greenwich

  1,043,000

  Gwent

  184,000

  Hackney

  531,692

  Hammersmith and Fulham

  488,876

  Hampshire

  66,750

  Haringey

  357,258

  Harrow

  26,989

  Havering

  35,484

  Hereford and Worcester

  175,500

  Hertfordshire

  29,000

  Hillingdon

  205,650

  Hounslow

  653,700

  Humberside

  127,480

  Hyndburn

  30,500

  Islington

  1,590,701

  Kensington and Chelsea

  175,370

  Kent

  172,600

  Kingston

  53,604

  Kirklees

  2,207,312

  Lambeth

  1,649,969

  229

  Amount of grant sought 1995–96

  Applicant

  Grant sought in 1995–96 (£)

  Lancashire

  1,214,630

  Leeds

  880,686

  Leicester

  148,420

  Leicestershire

  234,083

  Lewisham

  1,527,759

  Lincolnshire

  18,437

  Liverpool

  163,855

  London Boroughs Grants Committee

  22,210

  Luton

  136,004

  Manchester

  240.970

  Merton

  147,570

  Middlesbrough

  74,829

  Milton Keynes

  52,725

  Newcastle

  19,670

  Newham

  624,605

  Norfolk

  217,051

  North Tyneside

  33,513

  Northamptonshire

  293,846

  Nottingham

  80,000

  Nottinghamshire

  729,500

  Oldham

  207,500

  Oxford

  14,856

  Oxfordshire

  174,000

  Peterborough

  18,488

  Portsmouth

  93,830

  Preston

  23,902

  Reading

  25,704

  Redbridge

  323,000

  Redditch

  13,536

  Richmond

  25,200

  Rochdale

  97,000

  Rotherham

  393,384

  Salford

  99,110

  Sandwell

  494,395

  Scunthorpe

  19,750

  Sefton

  24,165

  Sheffield

  763,500

  Shropshire

  124,884

  Somerset

  34,273

  South Glamorgan

  91,943

  South Tyneside

  168,000

  South Yorkshire FCDA

  12,194

  Southampton

  47,110

  Southwark

  939,453

  St. Albans

  27,770

  St. Helens

  20,064

  Staffordshire

  320,000

  Suffolk

  40,100

  Sunderland

  52,920

  Surrey

  47,985

  Sutton

  126,343

  Tameside

  160,481

  Tower Hamlets

  1,198,519

  Trafford

  61,959

  Wakefield

  265,000

  Walsall

  1,462,469

  Waltham Forest

  290,749

  Wandsworth

  220,536

  Warwickshire

  863,500

  West Glamorgan

  237,244

  West Midlands FCDA

  53,250

  West Sussex

  15,165

  West Yorkshire FCDA

  50,586

  Westminster

  270,821

  Wigan

  80,000

  Wiltshire

  67,600

  Wirral

  54,300

  Woking

  35,513

  Wolverhampton

  1,323,600

  230

  Amount of grant sought 1995–96

  Applicant

  Grant sought in 1995–96 (£)

  Grant-maintained schools and City Techonolgy Colleges

  Alperton Common School

  46,626

  Anglo European School

  10,877

  Ash Green GM School

  8,527

  Avon Valley School

  10,000

  Beechen Cliff GM School

  20,000

  Beechview Middle GM School

  13,675

  Billericay School

  7,000

  Bishop Challoner RC GM School

  5,240

  Blessed Edward Oldcorne RC GM School

  3,599

  Brentside High School

  33,000

  Broomhill Infant GM School

  4,000

  Brushwood Middle GM School

  4,625

  Castle Hall School

  8,280

  Castlefield GM School

  97,527

  Chadwell Heath GM School

  20,979

  Claremont School GM

  40,924

  Copland Community College

  15,000

  Deacon's School

  27,302

  Desborough School

  23,000

  Dixons City Technology College

  4,000

  Djanogly City Technology College

  26,535

  Dormers Wells Infants GM School

  70,807

  Dormers Wells Junior GM School

  29,423

  Drayton Manor School

  25,000

  Dunraven GMS

  37,600

  Durand Primary GM School

  45,504

  Francis Bacon School

  13,000

  Gordon's GM School

  1,710

  Graveney GM School

  49,489

  Greenford High GM School

  74,460

  Greenwood Dale School

  23,568

  Hall Green GM School

  11,322

  Hamilton Combined GM School

  42,469

  Hendon GM School

  43,758

  Hollingwood 1st School

  1,200

  Holly Hall GM School

  29,250

  Holy Cross Convent GM School

  9,250

  Holy Trinity School

  12,000

  Holywell School

  2,973

  Hopwood Hall College

  9,625

  John Kelly Girls's Technical College

  11,366

  Kelsey Park GM School

  82,754

  Kingsbury High School

  42,000

  London Oratory GM School

  35,930

  Merrill Community School

  39,922

  Montagu School

  7,950

  Myton GM School

  18,413

  Northampton Boys GM School

  12,637

  Northolt High School

  20,000

  Norte Dame GM School

  9,000

  Oldfield GM School

  4,785

  Prospect School

  13,300

  Queens Park GM School

  79,500

  Radcliffe School

  23,000

  Raines Foundation GM School

  32,660

  Reading Girls School

  14,750

  Reay Primary GM School

  24,166

  Richard Challoner GM School

  8,500

  Scared Heart RC School

  5,718

  Small Heath School

  63,000

  St. Andrews RC GM School

  26,367

  St. Bartholomew's School

  2,500

  St. Benedict's Catholic High School

  4,000

  St. Bernadette RC GM School

  11,000

  St. Marks West Essex GM School

  5,000

  St. Martin in Field GM School

  12,271

  St. Thomas the Apostle GM School

  5,707

  Stantonbury Campus

  12,048

  Stopsley High School

  5,000

  Stratford GM School

  34,426

  231

  Amount of grant sought 1995–96

  Applicant

  Grant sought in 1995–96 (£)

  Surrey Square GM School

  16,340

  The Gilberd School

  14,752

  Weavers GM School

  24,000

  Wood End Junior GM School

  7,336

  Woodnewton Junior School

  4,750

  Wrenn GM School

  32,900

  Colleges of Further Education

  Amersham and Wycombe College

  20,000

  Arnold and Carlton College

  22,600

  Barnet College

  19,942

  Bexley College

  9,675

  Bilborough College

  51,058

  Birmingham Fe Consortium

  1,733,926

  Bolton College

  72,700

  Calderdale College

  49,500

  Cambridge Regional College

  15,000

  Charles Keene College

  333,000

  City College Manchester

  40,189

  City of Westminster College

  72,000

  City and Islington College

  88,000

  Clarendon College

  90,712

  Coventry Technical College

  70,000

  Crawley College

  4,113

  Croydon College

  36,352

  Dewsbury College

  4,268

  Doncaster College

  13,611

  Dudley College of Technology

  138,000

  Ealing Tertiary College

  213,000

  East Berkshire College

  17,616

  Enfield Fe College

  45,515

  Gateshead College

  36,000

  Gateway 6th Form College

  38,250

  Gloscat

  30,451

  Greenhill College

  293,063

  Hackney Community College

  57,750

  Hendon College

  105,000

  Henley College

  34,400

  Huddersfield Technical College

  57,000

  Huntingdonshire Regional College

  21,000

  Joseph Chamberlain Coll

  48,000

  Keighley College

  16,894

  Kensington and Chelsea College

  56,835

  Kingsway College

  86,000

  Language and Literacy Unit Southwark

  119,535

  Leyton 6th Form College

  43,352

  Manchester College of Arts and Technology

  79,070

  North East London College

  185,310

  Newcastle College

  37,236

  Newham Fe College

  447,000

  Newham Sixth Form College

  101,790

  North Herts College

  67,650

  Northampton College

  17,336

  Oaklands College

  96,000

  Oldham College

  55,123

  Park Lane College

  68,198

  Peoples College of Tertiary Education

  12,016

  Rotherham College

  13,650

  Runshaw College

  13,440

  Sheffield College

  272,150

  South Nottingham College

  21,000

  Southgate College

  72,900

  Southwark College

  22,000

  St. Francis Xavier College

  24,955

  Stoke on Trent 6th Form College

  12,000

  Stourbridge College

  21,000

  Swindon College

  11,100

  Tameside College of Technology

  32,000

  Thomas Danby College

  113,500

  Tile Hill College

  47,500

  Tower Hamlets College

  181,000

  232

  Amount of grant sought 1995–96

  Applicant

  Grant sought in 1995–96 (£)

  Tresham Institute

  50,000

  Uxbridge College

  48,500

  Wakefield College

  111,255

  Walsall College of Arts and Technology

  67,000

  Wandsworth Adult College

  42,000

  West Hertsfordshire College

  75,184

  Woolwich College

  21,737

  Probation Service
  Ms Lynne
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what estimate he has made of the impact of the 1994 probation budget reductions on staffing levels with each grade of staff; and what assessment he has made of the likely redundancies within each grade of staff in the Greater Manchester probation service;

  (2) what assessment he has made of the impact of the 1994 probation budget reductions on (a) liaison with victim support, (b) work with victims, (c) staff terms and conditions of service, (d) the implementation of national standards for the supervision of offenders, (e) probation centre provision and (f) hostel provision in respect of the Greater Manchester Probation Service;

  (3) what was the effect of the November 1993 budget statement on the budget of the Greater Manchester probation service; and what assessment he has made of the impact of the November 1994 budget statement on the work of the Greater Manchester probation service.

  Mrs. Helen Jackson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the effect of the November 1993 budget statement on the budget of the South Yorkshire probation service; and what assessment he has made of the impact of the November 1994 budget statement on the work of the Greater Manchester probation service.

  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  I refer the hon. Members to the reply I gave yesterday to the right hon. Member for Manchester, Wythenshawe, (Mr. Morris),Official Report, column 156.

  Mr. Caborn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the impact of the November 1993 statement on the budget of the South Yorkshire probation service.

  Mr. Bill Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made as to the effect of the November 1993 statement on the budget of the South Yorkshire probation service.

  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  I refer the hon. Members to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Wentworth (Mr. Hardy) yesterday,Official Report, column 154.

  Mr. Caborn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff were employed and at what grade, by the South Yorkshire probation service on(a) 30 June 1992, (b) 30 June 1993 and (c) 30 June 1994.
  233
  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  Information is given in the table.

  Staff employed by the South Yorkshire probation service, in post at 30 June, whole-time equivalent1, by grade and type.

  Number of staff, whole time equivalent 30 June 1992

  30 June 1993

  30 June 1994

  Probation Officers

  Chief

  1

  1

  1

  Deputy Chief

  2

  2

  2

  Assistant Chief

  6

  7

  7

  Senior

  37

  40

  42

  Main grade

  176

  178

  180

  Total probation officers

  222

  228

  232

  Non-probation grade staff

  Probation Services' Officers2

  81

  78

  78

  Clerical/Secretarial

  109

  120

  114

  Administrative

  34

  37

  40

  Other non-probation grade staff, excluding hostel staff3

  42

  40

  31

  Hostel staff

  64

  62

  46

  Total non-probation grade staff

  330

  336

  308

  Total probation staff

  553

  565

  541

  1 Whole-time staff plus whole-time equivalent of part time staff. Figures rounded to the nearest whole number. Components and totals are rounded independently and so components may not add precisely to totals.

  2 Formerly ancillaries.

  3 Figures include sessional supervisors on community service schemes, staff employed in student training units and on miscellaneous functions.

  Mr. Caborn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many offenders were supervised by South Yorkshire probation service on 30 June 1994;

  (2) how many court reports were completed by South Yorkshire probation service during (a) 1992 and (b)

  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Wentworth (Mr. Hardy) and others yesterday,Official Report column 154.

  Mr. Caborn
  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. Bill Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the impact of the November 1994 Budget statement on the South Yorkshire probation service.

  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  I refer the hon. Members to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Wentworth (Mr. Hardy), 20 February,Official Report, column 19–20.

  Drug Prevention Initiative
  Mr. Denham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what criteria were used in determining successful bids from the south-east and 234
  south-west regions for projects under the drug prevention initiative;

  (2) which local authorities in the south-east and south-west regions made bids under the drug prevention initiative; what was the amount sought in each case; and which were the successful bids;

  (3) what assessment he made of the extent of the drugs problem in each of the local authorities in the south-east and south-west regions which sought to participate in the drug prevention initiative.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  From 1 April, there will be one Home Office drugs prevention team in the south-east region, covering the counties of East and West Sussex, and one team in the south-west region, covering the counties of Avon and Somerset. These areas represent extended coverage for the present teams in Brighton and Hove and Bristol. It was not possible to provide teams in additional areas in these regions, as was explained to Southampton city council when it inquired in December about inclusion in the drugs prevention initiative.

  England v. Ireland Football Match
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many people were issued with tickets for the England v. Ireland football match in Dublin by the England Travel Club; what was the total number of tickets issued to the Football Association; how many tickets were returned to the Football Association of Ireland; and what discussions took place between the Football Associations and the British and Irish police about the allocation of returned tickets;

  (2) what reports he has received about the transfer of police intelligence about known troublemakers travelling to Dublin for the England v. Ireland football match; to whom in Ireland such information was made available; on what dates information was issued; and what steps he has taken to ensure that there was full and proper assessment made of intelligence by responsible bodies in the United Kingdom;

  (3) if he will call for reports from the police on varying use of powers to stop people travelling to attend the England v. Ireland football match in Dublin (a) at Holyhead and (b) elsewhere;

  (4) how many British police travelled with persons travelling to Dublin (a) the day before and (b) on the day of the England v. Ireland football match in Dublin.

  (5) if the advice of the British police was sought by the FAI and or the Irish police over the kick-off time of the England v. Ireland football match in Dublin, the seating and segregation arrangements of English and Irish fans and the reallocation of tickets not taken up by the England Travel Club.

  Mr. Maclean
  I have asked for reports from the police on the assistance given to the Irish authorities and other action taken in relation to this match. As my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister told the House on 16 February,Official Report, column 1125, the Football Associations of England and Ireland are conducting a joint inquiry into the events in Dublin and this will also look into some of the matters which the hon. Member has raised. I do not think it would be helpful for me to comment in advance of the results of the joint inquiry.
  235
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what considerations underlay the decision of the police not to use, to stop known troublemakers travelling to attend the England v. Ireland football match in Dublin, the powers used during strikes to stop persons joining pickets; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maclean
  The police may limit numbers in any particular place in order to prevent breaches of the peace and it was under this common law power that the police stopped and turned back pickets during the miners' dispute. This power is not available to the police in situations where breach of the peace is likely to occur outside this jurisdiction nor have they any other such power to stop known troublemakers travelling abroad.

  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what policy initiatives he is taking as a result of public disorder at the England v. Ireland football match, involving British citizens before and after the match in Dublin and by persons wishing to travel to the match who were prevented from taking ferries to Ireland at Holyhead; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maclean
  Over the last few years, we have introduced a range of measures to counter the threat posed by football hooliganism both inside and outside the ground. I will consider—in consultation with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for National Heritage—what further measures may be necessary in the light of the events which took place in Dublin, of reports from the police and of the joint inquiry being undertaken by the Football Associations of England and of Ireland.

  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what policy action he is taking, jointly with ministerial colleagues from appropriate Departments, to address the threat posed to public order within the United Kingdom and overseas by fascist groups based in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Howard
  I ensure that the police have the resources and powers that they need effectively to discharge their responsibility to assess and counter threats to public order from any quarter. The police pass information about threats to public order overseas to their counterparts in the countries concerned.

  Facist and Paramilitary Groups
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what inquiries he is making, jointly with Ministers in the Northern Ireland Office, and the British and Irish police, to ascertain what links exist between Combat 18, the British National party, and other British-based fascist groups, and Unionist paramilitary groups including the UDA and the UFF.

  Mr. Howard
  Responsibility for gathering information about extremist organisations and their members, and for the investigation of specific criminal offences, rests with the police. They exchange relevant information with their counterparts in the Irish Republic as necessary.

  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will convene, jointly with Foreign Office Ministers, meetings with European Union ambassadors, and the American ambassador, to discuss the links between British-based fascist groups and fascist groups in Europe and America.

  Mr. Howard
  My ministerial colleagues, my officials and I have regular meetings with our counterparts from 236
  the other member states of the European Union on police co-operation matters, including illegal activity by extremist groups and possible international links between them. The Justice and Home Affairs Council on 30 November and 1 December 1994 approved a report on work within the third pillar to combat racism and xenophobia. The police exchange relevant operational information with their counterparts in other member states and in the United States of America and the security service has also confirmed publicly that it continues to monitor the possibility of contact between extreme right-wing nationalist and racist groups in this country and overseas.

  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will arrange to meet the American ambassador to discuss what action can he taken to close down post office box numbers, held by the Dixie Press in North Carolina, used by Combat 18 in the United Kingdom to disseminate information covertly to the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Howard
  Until the Metropolitan police have completed their investigation of the publication and distribution of written material by Combat 18, it would not be sensible to decide whether separate action or inquiries might he warranted.

  Passports
  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many passports have been reported(a) missing and (b) stolen in each year since 1979.

  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Rugby and Kenilworth (Mr. Pawsey) on 25 October 1994,Official Report, column 513.

  Victim Support
  Mr. Mans
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what funds his Departments has provided for Victim Support since such funding began: what other help is being provided for victims of crime; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Howard
  Home Office funding of Victim Support has grown at a rate unprecedented for a voluntary organisation. Grant in the coming financial year will amount to nearly £11 million, an increase at 8 per cent. over the current year's figure. The record of Home Office funding of Victim Support is as follows:

  Year

  Grant(£)

  Year on year increase

  Percentage increase

  1979–80

  5,000

  n/a

  n/a

  1980–81

  10,000

  5,000

  100

  1981–82

  18,000

  8,000

  80

  1982–83

  16,000

  -2,000

  -11

  1983–84

  38,000

  22,000

  138

  1984–85

  62,000

  24,000

  63

  1985–86

  126,000

  64,000

  103

  1986–87

  286,000

  160,000

  127

  1987–88

  1,763,000

  1,477,000

  516

  1988–89

  2,740,000

  977,000

  55

  1989–90

  3,910,000

  1,170,000

  43

  1990–91

  4,735,000

  825,000

  21

  1991–92

  5,670,000

  935,000

  20

  237

  Year

  Grant(£)

  Year on year increase

  Percentage increase

  1992–93

  7,260,000

  1,590,000

  28

  1993–94

  8,375,000

  1,115,000

  15

  1994–95

  10,016,000

  1,641,000

  20

  1995–96

  10,817,000

  801,000

  8

  The additional funding given in 1994–95 and 1995–96 will enable Victim Support to complete the programme of establishing witness support services in all 78 Crown court centres by the end of 1995, and to develop further the work of its 365 local schemes and branches which provide emotional support and practical help to over 1 million victims of crime a year throughout England and Wales.

  We published the victims charter five years ago today, the first charter to be published. Most of the 50 standards in the charter have been, or are well on the way to being met. This has done a great deal to improve the way victims are treated by the criminal justice system, and we will build on this by publishing later this year a statement of service standards for victims of crime. This will be a charter-style document telling victims more clearly what they can expect of the criminal justice system and what they can do if they do not get it.

  The Government have taken a range of other measures to help victims of crime. These include giving them better information about progress in their case, and ensuring that their views arc taken more into account at all stages of the criminal justice process. A good example of this was the establishment in December of a victims' helpline so that any victim concerned about an inmate's possible temporary release can tell the prison authorities. The Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 contained a number of measures designed to help victims and witnesses, including the abolition of committal proceedings and the creation of a new offence of witness intimidation. These, and many other measures, are firm evidence of the Government's concern for victims of crime and their continuing desire to improve services for them.

  Probation Officers
  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to improve the arrangements governing the recruitment and qualifying training of probation officers.

  Mr. Howard
  I am today publishing a consultation document setting out proposals for wide-ranging changes to the present arrangements. Copies of the document and of the report of the departmental scrutiny carried out last year of which my proposals take account are being sent to a wide range of interested bodies and are being placed in the Library.

  I propose to sweep away the barriers to the recruitment as probation officers of people who have relevant skills and experience to offer but who lack the social work diploma qualification which is at present required by law. Under the proposals set out in the consultation document, probation committees will be able to recruit from a much wider range of sources; and the initial training prospective probation officers undertake to equip them with competence to practise will be made more flexible to take account of mature candidates' previous work. On this
  238
  basis, I am proposing to terminate the present scheme under which the Home Office sponsors students on selected social work courses after students joining this autumn have qualified; and to fund area probation services on the basis that they will meet their own training requirements. This change will be arranged so that it is not to the detriment of those committed to existing courses.

  The scrutiny report highlights strengths as well as weaknesses in the present arrangements; and I am determined that standards of training and recruitment should not be compromised. On the contrary, I believe that there is scope for more rigorous assessment of individuals' training needs and competence to practise to be introduced. The social work dimension of probation officers' responsibilities will not be ignored in these arrangements and it is not my intention to discourage applications from suitable candidates with social work qualifications. But the work of probation officers and social workers is different, so there is no good reason for a common training qualification. Now that core competences for probation officers have been published, and are to be used as the basis for performance appraisal, training arrangements should be specifically geared towards those competences. My proposals envisage greater ownership of training and the maintenance of standards by the probation service itself. I shall over the next three months welcome comments on these proposals, which are intended to ensure that the probation service has a firm long-term foundation for the provision of high quality services to the courts and to the community.

  Special Advisers
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the severance payments made to special advisers in each of the last five years indicating(a) the amount and (b) the date.

  Mr. Howard
  [holding answer 1 February 1995]: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by the Minister of State for the Treasury on 6 February, Official Report, column 69.

SCOTLAND

  Community Hospital, Forfar
  Mr. Bill Walker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received about the new community hospital in Forfar; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  My noble and learned Friend the Minister of State has recently received correspondence about the proposed new community hospital in Forfar from the hon. Member for Tayside, North (Mr. Walker) and from GPs in Forfar and others.

  Community Care
  Mr. Tom Clarke
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he next expects to meet Greater Glasgow health board and Lanarkshire health board to discuss the effect of the Government's community care policies in their area.
  239
  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has no immediate plans to meet with either health board to discuss community care policies.

  The Greater Glasgow health board is consulting until 28 February on its joint community care plan. Lanarkshire health board is consulting until 24 March on the joint community care plan for its area.

  Job Losses
  Mr. Dunnachie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he will meet the Scottish Trades Union Congress to discuss the loss of highly skilled jobs in Scotland.

  Mr. Kynoch
  My right hon. Friend meets representatives of the Scottish Trades Union Congress from time to time to discuss a range of matters concerning the Scottish economy.

  Development Corporations
  Mr. Donohoe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he will next meet the development corporation chairmen to discuss wind-up.

  Mr. Kynoch
  I will meet the board of Glenrothes development corporation on 10 March, and expect to meet the boards of the four other corporations later.

  Maternity Hospital, Rutherglen
  Mr. McAvoy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his estimate of the cost of building a maternity hospital to deal with the births currently being dealt with at Rutherglen maternity hospital.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  It would he inappropriate to anticipate a possible outcome of the Greater Glasgow health board public consultation on maternity provision, the results of which will not be known until after 30 April. There are many aspects to be taken into account in any reprovision costings, including location, size and design considerations.

  Carstairs State Hospital
  Mr. Hood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has received a report from the Carstairs state hospital management committee into the recent breakdown in security at the hospital; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Yes. Consideration of the findings and recommendations are of course subject to the conclusion of the related police inquiry, which is continuing.

  Local Enterprise Companies
  Mr. Norman Hogg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he next expects to meet the chairman of Scottish Enterprise to discuss the future boundaries of local enterprise companies; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Kynoch
  My right hon. Friend meets the chairman of Scottish Enterprise regularly. He has asked Scottish Enterprise to consult interested parties about the possible implications of local government reorganisation for the 240
  boundaries of local enterprise companies, and will consider its findings before taking any decision.

  Water
  Mrs Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he next plans to meet the chairmen of new water authorities to discuss charges for consumers.

  Mr. Canavan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will arrange to meet the chairmen of the new water authorities to discuss the future of water supply in Scotland.

  Mr. Kynoch
  I refer the hon. Members to the answer my right hon. Friend gave today in an oral answer to the hon. Member for Angus, East (Mr. Welsh).

  National Health Service Trusts
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proposals he has to make national health service trusts more accountable to the communities they serve.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  NHS trusts are accountable, through the. NHS executive, to me and to Parliament. Their directors are required, as a condition of appointment, to subscribe to codes of conduct and accountability; and through the establishment of the Health Appointments Advisory Committee my right hon. Friend has made the process of appointment of non-executives more open. Trusts are required to publish an annual business plan, and an annual report and audited accounts which are presented to a public meeting. I will shortly be issuing a code of practice on openness, setting out the public's right to information, which has recently been the subject of wide consultation with interested parties.

  Gross Domestic Product
  Mr. Thurnham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proportion of United Kingdom gross domestic product is currently contributed by Scotland.

  Mr. Kynoch
  In 1993, the Scottish share of United Kingdom—less continental shelf—gross domestic product was 8.7 per cent.

  Economic Regeneration
  Mr. Wray
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has for regenerating the Scottish economy with particular reference to alleviating unemployment.

  Mr. Kynoch
  The Government's economic policies provide the right framework for the regeneration of the Scottish economy exemplified by a record level of manufacturing productivity, record levels of exports, record levels of inward investment, a larger number of employees in employment, increasing business confidence and a steadily reducing unemployment level.

  Farming
  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what measures he has taken to ensure that Scottish farming interests are taken into account when discussing the future of the common agricultural policy.
  241
  Sir Hector Monro
  Policy on the common agricultural policy is the collective responsibility of the United Kingdom Agriculture Ministers. My right hon. Friend and I have regular meetings with a wide variety of bodies to ensure that Scotland's interests are properly taken into account in formulating UK policy on the future of the CAP.

  Dental Services
  Mr. Galbraith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will meet chairmen of health boards to discuss the provision of national health service dental services.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  My noble and learned Friend the Minister of State regularly meets chairmen of health boards. The Government are currently considering responses to its consultation paper on the future of NHS dentistry, including those received from all 15 Scottish health boards, before deciding the way forward.

  Housing
  Mr. Watson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many local authority houses have been built in Scotland since 1979.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Local authorities built 31,757 houses in the period from July 1979 to September 1994.

  Public Expenditure
  Mr. Rowe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the latest estimate of public expenditure per head in Scotland; and what comparison he has drawn with other parts of the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Kynoch
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by my right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer to my hon. Friend the Member for Gosport (Mr. Viggers) on 2 February,Official Report, columns 1199–1200. In 1993–94 the identifiable general Government expenditure per head in Scotland was £4,185. This figure is 16.8 per cent. higher than the equivalent UK figure.

  Mr. David Shaw
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the uses to which public money is put in Scotland.

  Mr. Lang
  I refer my hon. Friend to the departmental report of the Scottish Office and associated Departments "Serving Scotland's Needs". This year's report will be published on 10 March.

  Manufacturing
  Mrs. Liddell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the decline in manufacturing industry in Scotland.

  Mr. Kynoch
  Manufacturing in Scotland is not in decline. Manufacturing output and exports are at record high levels. During the four quarters to quarter 3, 1994 manufacturing output rose by 5.3 per cent. Productivity in manufacturing rose by 5 per cent. in 1993 to a record level.

  Primary School Pupils
  Sir David Knox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much was spent per pupil in primary schools in Scotland in the most recent year for which figures are available; and what were the figures in 1978–79 at constant prices.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  I refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave him on 8 December 1994,Official Report, column 273.

  Zoos
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list those zoos which are owned by local authorities.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  According to our records the following zoos in Scotland, which are licensed under the Zoo Licensing Act 1981, are owned by local authorities:

  Calderglen country park children's zoo, East Kilbride;

  Camperdown wildlife centre, Dundee;

  Palacerigg country park, Cumbernauld;

  Pittencrieff park animal centre, Dunfermline;

  The Aviaries, Woodhead park, Kirkintilloch.

  Apprenticeship Scheme
  Mr. Connarty
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland which organisations will be eligible for financial support for capital equipment under the new apprenticeship scheme in Scotland.

  Mr. Kynoch
  My right hon. Friend has not yet complete his consideration of the comments made on the consultation paper "Training for the Future". However, he expects to do so shortly and will make an announcement at that time.

EDUCATION

  Qualified Indexed Securities
  Mr. Byers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education which higher education institutions have taken advantage of qualified indexed securities; what was the value of the capital project supported and the subject matter concerned; and what estimate has been made of the additional cost to each university of the qualified indexed securities package ceasing to be available.

  Mr. Boswell
  From the information currently available, the higher education institutions in England involved in qualifying index securities schemes are: London school of economics, Kings college London, University college London, University of Greenwich, University of Westminster, University of Bristol, University of Durham, University of Manchester, University of Portsmouth, University of Sheffield. Full details of all schemes are not necessarily kept centrally. The Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals has estimated that some £300 million has been raised by about a dozen UK universities through QISs, to finance general building development and student accommodation. Universities concerned have estimated that the savings to them of QISs, by comparison with other available forms of funding, are about 2 per cent. per annum of the value of
  243
  the loans. Assuming an average loan of £25 million, this represents £0.5 million per annum for each university.

  Non-admission Appeals
  Mr. Byers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many appeals were received in the academic year 1993–94 from parents against non-admission of their child to school; how many were withdrawn before the appeals committee stage; how many were settled to mutual satisfaction before the appeals committee stage; how many were decided in the parents favour by appeal committee; and how many were rejected(a) in each local education authority and (b) nationally.

  Mr. Forth
  Information for the academic year 1993–94 will be available this summer.

  Correspondence
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) how many letters were received in the Department from hon. Members last month;

  (2) how many letters were sent to hon. Members last month by each Minister in the Department.

  Mr. Boswell
  The Department does not collect individual statistics on the number of letters received from, or sent to, hon. Members. However, in January the Department received a total of 1,222 letters which were marked for ministerial reply, including all letters from hon. Members, and signed a total of 1,103. The number sent by each Minister is shown in the following table:

  Value of the standard maintenance grant and grant plus loan: England and Wales

  Academic year

  Standard maintenance grant £1

  Standard maintenance grant plus loan £2

  Standard maintenance grant as a percentage of average earnings3

  Standard maintenance grant plus loan as a percentage of average earnings3

  1990–91

  2,265

  2,685

  15

  18

  1991–92

  2,265

  2,845

  14

  18

  1992–93

  2,265

  2,980

  414

  418

  1993–94

  2,265

  3,065

  13

  18

  1994–95

  2,040

  3,190

  n/a

  n/a

  1 The standard maintenance grant rate is that applicable to students living away from home and studying outside London. In 1994–95 the corresponding London rate of grant is £2,560 and the parental home rate of grant is £1,615.

  2 Since 1990–91 student support has included grant and loan; the grant was frozen at the 1990–91 level (ie £2,265) until 1994–95 when it was reduced to £2,040. Figures include grant plus full year loan for students living away from home. The full year loan for students studying in London in 1994–95 is £1,375 and £915 for those living at their parents' home.

  3 Average annual earnings approximated from weekly earnings in April from the New Earnings Survey on full-time employees whose pay for the survey pay period was not affected by absence. The survey may not include bonuses paid at other weeks than the survey week and does not capture seasonal work. Earnings are compiled on the basis of employees on adult rates.

  4 These figures correct those given in reply to the hon. Member for Newport West (Mr. Flynn) on 25 October 1994, Official Report column 527.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Income and Wealth
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if Her Majesty's Government will undertake to(a) study and (b) report to the Joseph Rowntree Foundation inquiry into income and wealth; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Burt
  We are studying the report of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation's inquiry into income and wealth.
  244

  Number

  Secretary of State

  288

  Minister of State

  186

  Mr. Boswell

  268

  Mr. Robin Squire

  361

  Cash Limits on Votes
  Mr. Pickles
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proposals she has for the cash limits on votes within her responsibility for 1994–95.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  The cash limit for class X, vote 1, schools research and miscellaneous services will be reduced by £3.5 million from £787,796,000 to £784,296,000. The reduction will be used to offset an increase in the non-voted cash limit Department for Education/local authority capital—DFE/LACAP—for local authority capital for school building projects. The local authority capital cash limit DFE/LACAP will therefore be increased by £3.5 million from £42,898,000 to £46,398,000.

  University Student Grants and Loans
  Mr. Mans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what were the rates of university student grants and loans in each of the last five years; and what proportion of average earnings do they represent.

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

  My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State commented on the report during the debate on Tuesday 14 February, Official Report, columns 812.

  Fraud
  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) if he will detail for the latest available year the value of stolen order books;
  245
  (2) how many income support order books were reported stolen while in transit in the last year for which figures are available.

  (3) how many claimants reported the loss of income support order books in the last year for which figures are available.

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  The recording of instrument of payment losses is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from Michael Bichard to Mr. Frank Field, dated 21 February 1995:
  The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Questions about the value of all stolen order books, the number of Income Support (IS) order books stolen in transit and the number of IS order books reported lost by customers.
  In 1993/94, order books with a potential value of £26.6 million were reported stolen.
  In 1993/94, 29,817 IS order books were reported lost in transit. Losses in transit may occur between the issuing office and the post office, between the post office and the customer, or between the issuing office and the customer. This figure will include stolen books, though there is no separate record of thefts.
  In 1993/94, 52,931 IS order books were reported as lost or destroyed by customers while in their possession. There is no separate record of how many customers made these reports.
  I hope you find this reply helpful.

  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many officials of his Department in each of the last 30 years have been prosecuted for making fraudulent benefit claims.

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  The figures requested are not available for any of the past 30 years. However, the Benefits Agency recently conducted a special survey to ascertain how many staff were prosecuted for benefit fraud during 1994. There were 16 such prosecutions.

  National Insurance
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what study he has made of the role of targeting reductions in national insurance contributions to aid employment.

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Birkenhead (Mr. Field) on 16 February,Official Report, column 733–34.

  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what assessment he has made of whether the Netherlands system for national insurance contributions could be successfully employed in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  No formal assessment has been made of the Netherlands system for national insurance contributions by this Department. However, we do keep abreast of developments in social security systems which operate in many other countries.

  Social Fund
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what was the total expenditure on the discretionary social fund for(a) the district offices in Greenock and Port Glasgow, (b) the Lothian, Central district office and (c) Scotland for each year since 1988–89;
  246
  (2) what were the total returns in the budget for the social fund for (a) the district offices in Greenock and Port Glasgow and (b) the Lothian Central district office for each year since 1988–89.

  Mr. Roger Evans
  The administration of the social fund 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 Dr. Norman Godman, dated 21 February 1995 The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Questions asking for details of expenditure since 1988/89 on the Social Fund (SF) for the district offices in Greenock and Port Glasgow, the Lothian Central district office and for Scotland; also for information since 1988/89 on the total returns in the SF budget for those offices.
  With the advent of the Benefits Agency in April 1991, the former local offices of the Department were grouped into Districts. The Greenock and Port Glasgow offices formed Clye Coast & Cowal District, with the Edinburgh City and Edinburgh North offices forming Lothian Central District.
  The information requested is not available for the years 1988/89 and 1989/90. I have provided, at Annex A, SF expenditure for the year 1990/91 by local office; for the years 1991/1992 to 1993/94 information is provided at District level and for the whole of Scotland for the period 1990/91 to 1993/94.
  Expenditure on grants for Scotland for the year 1991/92 was less than that for the year 1990/91. This is because, in September 1990, offices received an in-year allocation of funds to help them meet costs resulting from a High Court judgement. Following amended legislation there was no reflection of the High Court judgement in the allocation for the 1991/92 financial year.
  I have provided at Annex B information in respect of loan recovery for the year 1990/91 at local office level and at District level for 1992/93 to 1993/94.
  I hope you find this reply helpful.

  Annex A: Expenditure for the year 1990–91 for Local Offices Edinburgh City, Edinburgh North, Greenock and Port Glasgow

  Year

  Local office

  Type

  Expenditure £

  1990–91

  Edinburgh City

  Grants

  337,824.00

  Loans

  578,464.82

  Edinburgh North

  Grants

  173,655.00

  Loans

  492.790.00

  Greenock

  Grants

  321,907.45

  Loans

  785,627.34

  Port Glasgow

  Grants

  174,583.99

  Loans

  415,487.98

  Expenditure for the years 1991–92 to 1993–94 for benefits agency districts of Clyde Coast and Cowal and Lothian Central

  Year

  District

  Type

  Expenditure £

  1991–92

  Clyde Coast and Cowal

  Grants

  493,975.05

  Loans

  1,228,805.08

  Lothian Central

  Grants

  456,009.00

  Loans

  1,092,362.99

  1992–93

  Clyde Coast and Cowal

  Grants

  518,682.69

  Loans

  1,337,320.81

  Lothian Central

  Grants

  486,047.00

  Loans

  1,201,102.00

  247

  Expenditure for the years 1991–92 to 1993–94 for benefits agency districts of Clyde Coast and Cowal and Lothian Central

  Year

  District

  Type

  Expenditure £

  1993–94

  Clyde Coast and Cowal

  Grants

  544,618.13

  Loans

  1,404,186.95

  Lothian Central

  Grants

  502,749.00

  Loans

  1,269,565.00

  Expenditure for the years 1990–91, 1991–92, 1992–93 and 1993–94 for the whole of Scotland

  Year

  Type

  Expenditure (£)

  1990–91

  Grants

  13,883,235.58

  Loans

  31,265,101.53

  1991–92

  Grants

  13,102,422.85

  Loans

  32,571,933.75

  1992–93

  Grants

  13,981,015.30

  Loans

  35,250,252.65

  1993–94

  Grants

  14,629,296.24

  Loans

  37,215,640.22

  Annex B: Loan recovery data by office 1990–91 and district 1991–92 to 1993–94

  Year

  District £

  Recovery £

  1990–91

  Edinburgh City

  392,637.19

  Edinburgh North

  403,199.63

  Greenock

  594,882.44

  Port Glasgow

  306,772.61

  1991–92

  Clyde Coast and Cowal

  1,037,612.72

  Lothian Central

  897,890.74

  1992–93

  Clyde Coast and Cowal

  1,086,162.59

  Lothian Central

  1,003,600.49

  1993–94

  Clyde Coast and Cowal

  1,247,536.72

  Lothian Central

  1,058,299.28

  Industrial Injuries Benefits
  Mr. Byers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many claimants were awarded(a) weekly industrial disablement benefit and (b) reduced earnings allowance in each of the last six years for which figures are available in the North Tyneside district.

  (2) how many claims for industrial disablement benefit and reduced earnings allowance were allowed in each of the last six years for which figures are available; and what were the total amounts of (a) lump sum back payments and (b) gratuities awarded in each year in the North Tyneside district.

  Mr. Hague
  The administration of industrial injuries benefit and reduced earnings 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.
  248
  Letter from Michael Bichard to Mr. Stephen Byers, dated 21 February 1995:
  The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me reply to your recent Parliamentary Questions about awards of Industrial Injury Disablement Benefit (IIDB) and Reduced Earnings Allowance (REA) in the North Tyneside District.
  Information about awards of IIDB and REA is not available for all of the past six years because collection of the data did not begin until October 1991; the information that is available has been provided at Annex A. The figures for 1991–92 cover a period of 5 months and the figures for 1994–95 cover a period of 10 months, that being the year to date.
  Information about lump sum back payments and gratuities is not readily available and could be obtained only at a disproportionate cost.
  I hope you find this reply helpful.

  Annex A: Industrial injury disablement benefit and reduced earnings allowance claims at the North Tyneside district

  Year

  IIDB

  REA

  1991–92

  159

  71

  1992–93

  219

  103

  1993–94

  139

  111

  1994–95

  166

  93

  Note:

  1. These figures are provisional and are subject to amendment.

  Correspondence
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many letters were received in the Department from hon. Members last month.

  Mr. Hague
  A total of 3,863 letters were received within DSS HQ and its agencies from hon. Members in January.

  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many letters were sent to hon. Members last month by each Minister in the Department.

  Mr. Hague
  The information is in the table.

  Number

  Secretary of State—Peter Lilley

  187

  Minister of State—William Hague

  276

  Minister of State (Lords)—Lord Mackay

  45

  Parliamentary Under Secretary—James Arbuthnot

  404

  Parliamentary Under Secretary—Alistair Burt

  319

  Parliamentary Under Secretary—Roger Evans

  388

  National Insurance Numbers
  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many national insurance numbers were in existence in 1965; how many have been issued since; how many in each category have been cancelled by the death of the owner or for other reasons; and what is the total number of people currently(a) eligible for and (b) holding a national insurance number.

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  There were approximately 28.5 million numbers in 1965. Up to 16 February 1995 a further 36.9 million have been issued.

  National insurance numbers are not cancelled following the death of the owner because the record continues to he needed for a variety of reasons, for example to support payment of a widow's pension. The record is noted with the date of death. We currently hold approximately 9 million such records.
  249
  Information is not held on the number of national insurance numbers cancelled for other reasons.

  Information on the total number of people eligible for a national insurance number is not maintained. However, figures supplied by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys advise that at mid 1992 the adult population of the United Kingdom was an estimated 46.6 million.

  There are approximately 56 million national insurance numbers in issue. This figure includes numbers issued to people:

  (a) who live abroad and are in receipt of retirement pension;

  (b) who live abroad and have not notified the Department: and

  (c) who may now be deceased but whose death has not been notified to the Department.

  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) if a national insurance number is cancelled once it is shown that the person to whom it has been issued is fictitious;

  (2) in what circumstances a national insurance number may be cancelled.

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  For security purposes, national insurance numbers are not cancelled when it is shown that the person to whom it has been issued is fictitious. This is to prevent applications for a national insurance number being made under the same fictitious identity details at a later date. All such records are collated and held centrally.

  National insurance numbers may be cancelled when:

  (a) a juvenile has died prior to age 16; or

  (b) a national insurance account has been set up erroneously.

  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the verification procedure for issuing national insurance numbers, detail the changes in verification since 1965 and the minimum level of proof which is required of identification before a number is issued.

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  The verification procedure for allocating national insurance numbers can be divided into two main elements, namely:Establishing a person's identity and
  establishing that the person does not already have a national insurance number.

  Everyone who applies for a national insurance number is interviewed by a DSS officer in order to establish their identity. At the interview the customer is asked to provide documentary evidence to support their application. The level and scope of the interview is determined by the amount and type of documentary evidence the customer provides.

  Whilst the acceptability of certain documents has altered since 1965 the basic procedure for establishing a person's identity has not.

  In September 1994 the Department introduced a new guide to establishing a customer's identity, a copy of which has been placed in the Library. The handbook, entitled "Evidence of Identity", introduces a change of emphasis. Whilst recognising the value of certain documents such as current valid passports, it encourages staff to adopt a broader view and suggests a method for building up a picture of the person and their circumstances rather than relying solely on documentary evidence. This was seen as essential as some customers legitimately have no documentation at all.

  Given that the Department's customers come from a wide variety of backgrounds it is not possible to prescribe a minimum level of proof in terms of the types of
  250
  documents that are acceptable. It is only possible to ask officers to make a judgment on each customer's circumstances.

  Having established a person's identity a variety of clerical and automatic checks are made to ensure that the person does not already have a national insurance number.

  Housing Benefit
  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security pursuant to his answer of 16 February,Official Report, column 739, how many people in work were claiming (a) housing benefit and (b) council tax rebate at the latest available date.

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

  In work recipients

  Total number of recipients

  Housing Benefit, without Income Support

  288,000

  1,676,000

  Council Tax Benefit without Income Support

  321,000

  2,233,000

  Source:

  Housing Benefit Management Information System, one per cent. sample, without Income Support, at the end of May 1993.

  Notes:

  1. The figures have been rounded to the nearest thousand.

  2. The figures are where either the claimant and/or partner has declared earnings, which may be part-time or full-time.

  3. The figures are for benefit units which may be a single person or couple.

  4. There will he an overlap in the figures, as many claimants receive both Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit.

DEFENCE

  Military Vehicles
  Sir Nicholas Bonsor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the(a) numbers, (b) types, (c) ages and (d) manufacturers of vehicles in the current inventory of his Department's fleet of B vehicles.

  Mr. Soames
  My Department has some 92,900 B vehicles divided into around 15 generic categories. Examples of these are: motor cycles, cars, minibuses, coaches, vans, truck utility light/medium, truck utility heavy, 4–8 tonne trucks, 10 tonne plus trucks, recovery vehicles, fuel tankers, tank transporters, trailers and miscellaneous vehicles.

  There are more than 150 manufacturers of B vehicles. Detailed information on the manufacturer and age is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Anti-missile Defence Programmes
  Mr. David Atkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what is his policy on the establishment by the Western European Union of a European space-based defence system; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) if he will make a statement about co-operation with(a) the United States Ballistic Missile Defence Organisation and (b) other member states of the Western

  251
  European Union on the development of European anti-missile defence programmes.

  Mr. Soames
  The United Kingdom continues to enjoy a close relationship with the US Ballistic Missile Defence Organisation and other United States authorities involved in ballistic missile defence issues. This relationship is founded on a 1985 US/UK memorandum of understanding. Additionally and more widely, ballistic missile defence issues are discussed with other allies in NATO forums and bilaterally. There are no plans for WEU to establish a European space-based defence system.

  The UK is currently engaged on a two-year national programme of pre-feasibility studies into ballistic missile defence options for the UK. Once this is completed, we hope to he in a position to make a definitive decision on whether we have a requirement for such a capability.

  European Armaments Policy
  Mr. David Atkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the work of the informal group of Government experts of member states of the Western European Union, the Western European armaments group and the European Union to study options for a European armaments policy.

  Mr. Freeman
  The informal group of Government experts was set up in October 1994 to undertake a fundamental review of European armaments policies, centring on an examination of the means of ensuring security of supply within Europe and within the framework of a competitive industry; harmonisation of defence export policies; and standardisation of equipment requirements and procurement practices. The group has held three meetings to date and is expected to complete its work later this year.

  Surplus Land
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the location of tracts of land owned by his Department which arc surplus to requirements, noting the acreage at each such location; and which of these locations contain land which cannot he offered hack into general civilian use because of unexploded munitions, radiation and chemical hazards.

  Mr. Soames
  Some 216 sites, totalling 11,779 acres, have been passed to the defence lands service for disposal. No sites have been identified on which the presence of unexploded munitions, radioactive material or chemical hazards would preclude their disposal. In accordance with current Government policy, the level of remediation required will depend on the proposed future use of the sites.

  Officer Entitlements
  Mr. Byers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many two-star officers and above are entitled to a dedicated staff car and driver; where the officers are based; what make of car is provided. and what is the total annual cost in salaries, maintenance and car replacement.

  Mr. Soames
  At two-star rank and above, there are 114 posts in the armed forces and my Department. including civilians, who are entitled to a dedicated staff car and driver. These are:252

  Staff car and driver

  Posts open to more than one service

  Offices

  5* Posts

  1 Chief of the Defence Staff

  London

  2 Chairman of the Military Committee

  Brussels

  4* Posts

  3 Vice Chief of Defence Staff

  London

  3* Posts

  4 United Kingdom Military Representative

  Brussels

  5 Deputy Chief of Defence Staff (Commitments)

  London

  6 Deputy Chief of Defence Staff (Personnel and Programmes)

  London

  7 Deputy Chief of Defence Staff (Systems)

  London

  8 Chief of Defence Intelligence

  London

  9 Surgeon General

  London

  10 Commandment Royal College of Defence Studies

  London

  2* Posts

  11 Commander British Forces Cyprus

  Episkopi

  12 Commander British Forces Falkland Islands

  P. Stanley

  13 Head of British Defence Liaison Staff

  Washington

  14 Commandant Joint Services Defence College

  Greenwich

  15 Commander Immediate Reaction Force (Land)

  Heidleberg

  16 Commander Multinational Division (Centre)

  Brussels

  17 Military Deputy/Head of Defence Export Services

  London

  Royal Navy

  4* Posts

  18 Chief of the Naval Staff

  London

  19 Chief of Naval Home Command/2nd Sea Lord

  Portsmouth

  20 Commander in Chief Fleet

  Northwood

  21 Controller of the Navy

  London

  3* Posts

  22 Chief of Fleet Support

  Bath

  23 Deputy Commander in Chief Fleet

  Northwood

  24 Flag Officer Plymouth

  Plymouth

  25 Flag Officer Scotland, Northern England and Northern Ireland

  Pitreavie

  26 Flag Officer Submarines

  Northwood

  2* Posts

  27 Director General Naval Personnel Strategy and Plans

  Portsmouth

  28 Flag Officer Portsmouth

  Portsmouth

  29 Flag Officer Training and Recruiting

  Portsmouth

  30 Flag Officer Surface Flotilla

  Portsmouth

  31 Commander British Forces

  Gibraltar

  32 Flag Officer Sea Training

  Portland

  33 Flag Officer Naval Aviation

  Yeovilton

  34 Naval Secretary

  Portsmouth

  35 Commander United Kingdom Task Group

  Portsmouth

  36 Commandant General Royal Marines

  Portsmouth

  37 Medical Director General (Naval)

  Gosport

  Army

  4* Posts

  38 Chief of General Staff

  London

  39 Adjutant General

  London

  40 Commander in Chief United Kingdom Land Forces

  Wilton

  41 Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe

  Mons

  253

  Staff car and driver

  Posts open to more than one service

  Offices

  42 Quartermaster General

  Andover

  3* Posts

  43 Master General of the Ordnance

  London

  44 Inspector General Doctrine and Training

  Upavon

  45 Commander United Kingdom Field Army

  Wilton

  46 General Officer Commanding Southern District

  Aldershot

  47 General Officer Commanding Northern Ireland

  Lisburn

  48 Commander ACE Rapid Reaction Corps

  Rhinedahlen

  2* Posts

  49 Director General Military Survey

  Feltham

  50 Engineer in Chief (Army)

  Minley

  51 Director General Land Warfare

  Upavon

  52 Director General Army Training

  Upavon

  53 Commandment Staff College

  Camberley

  54 Commandment Royal Military College of Science

  Shrivenham

  55 Commandment Royal Military Academy Sandhurst

  Camberley

  56 Director Royal Armoured Corps

  Bovington

  57 Director Royal Artillery

  Woolwich

  58 Director of Infantry

  Warminster

  59 Director Army Air Corps

  M. Wallop

  60 Military Secretary

  London

  61 Chief of Staff HQ Adjutant General Corps

  Worthy Downs

  62 Director General Logistics Support (Army)

  Andover

  63 Director General Engineering Support (Army)

  Andover

  64 Director General Army Medical Service

  Mychett

  65 Commander Medical United Kingdom Land Forces

  Wilton

  66 General Officer Commanding 2nd Division

  York

  67 General Officer Commanding London District

  London

  68 General Officer Commanding 5th Division

  Brecon

  69 General Officer Commanding Scotland

  Edinburgh

  70 Commander 3rd Division

  Bulford

  71 Commander United Kingdom Support Command Germany

  Rheindahlen

  72 Commander 1st Division

  Hereford

  73 Chief of Staff HQ ACE Rapid Reaction Corps

  Rheindahlen

  74 Chief Combat Support Ace Rapid Reaction Corps

  Rheindahlen

  75 Director Support Land Centre

  Heidleberg

  76 Commander British Forces

  Hong Kong

  77 Commander Land Forces Northern Ireland

  Lisburn

  78 Chief of Staff HQ Quartermaster General

  Andover

  79 Governor of Gibraltar

  Gibraltar

  Royal Air Force

  4* Posts

  80 Chief of the Air Staff

  London

  81 Air Officer Commanding in Chief HQ Personnel and Training Command

  Innsworth

  82 Air Officer Commanding in Chief HQ Logistic Command

  Brampton

  83 Air Officer Commanding in Chief HQ Strike Command

  High Wycombe

  84 Deputy Commander in Chief Central Europe

  Brunssum

  85 Controller Aircraft

  London

  86 Commander HQ Allied Air Forces North West Europe

  High Wycombe

  254

  Staff car and driver

  Posts open to more than one service

  Offices

  3* Posts

  87 Chief of Staff HQ Strike Command

  High Wycombe

  88 Chief of Staff HQ Logistic Command

  Brampton

  89 Deputy Commander Allied Air Forces Central Europe

  Ramstein

  90 Director General Saudi Al Al Yamaha Project

  Saudi

  2* Posts

  91 Air Secretary

  Innsworth

  92 Chief of Staff HQ Personnel and Training Command

  Innsworth

  93 Assistant Chief of Staff (Policy)

  Mons

  94 Air Officer Commanding Information Systems

  Brampton

  95 Air Officer Engineering and Supply

  High Wycombe

  96 Air Officer Commanding 1 Group

  Upavon

  97 Air Officer Commanding 2 Group

  Rheindahlen

  98 Air Officer Commanding 11 Group

  Stanmore

  99 Air Officer Commanding 18 Group

  North wood

  100 Air Officer Commanding 38 Group

  High Wycombe

  101 Air Officer Training

  Innsworth

  102 Air Officer Maintenance

  Brampton

  103 Commandant Staff College Bracknell

  Bracknell

  104 Commandant RAF College Cranwell

  Cranwell

  105 Director General Medical Services (RAF)

  Innsworth

  106 Director General Policy and Plans

  London

  107 Air Officer Administration

  High Wycombe

  108 Director General Support Management (RAF)

  Brampton

  MoD Civilians

  109 Permanent Under Secretary of State

  London

  110 Chief Scientific Adviser

  London

  111 2nd Permanent Under Secretary of State

  London

  112 Chief of Defence Procurement

  London

  113 Deputy Chief of Scientific Adviser

  London

  114 Command Secretary Logistics Command

  Brampton

  The total estimated cost of the driver posts for the financial year 1993–94 is approximately £2.3m. Entitled officers have the use of a Rover 800 car. The total costs of car maintenance are not separately identifiable, however, the available data suggests that the likely annual cost is in the region of £300 per vehicle per annum. The total annual cost of car replacement for the last three years is as follows:

  Year

  Vehicles bought

  1992–93

  131 costing £1.7m

  1993–94

  7 costing £100k

  1994–95

  0

  Correspondence
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many letters were received in the Department from hon. Members last month:

  (2) how many letters were sent to hon. Members last month by each Minister in the Department.

  Mr. Freeman
  During January, my Department received 657 letters from hon. Members on constituency business. Over the same period we sent 536 such letters
  255
  to hon. Members. Letters on a number of other issues will have been sent to and received from hon. Members, including correspondence between Ministers in other Government Departments, hut the number of these is not recorded.

  Security (Central Europe)
  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consideration he has given to the consequences of the US NATO Participation Act of 1994 on the security of central Europe.

  Mr. Soames
  Allied Heads of State and Government have made it clear that they expect and would welcome enlargement that would reach out to democratic states to its east, as part of an evolutionary process taking into account political and security developments in the whole of Europe. Active participation in the partnership for peace will play an important role in this. In common with other Allies, and in conjunction with partnership for peace, the US maintains its own bilateral co-operation programmes with states of central and eastern Europe; the US NATO Participation Act of 1994 provides for US assistance to appropriate partnership for peace countries to facilitate eventual transition to full NATO membership.

  "Partnership for Peace" Programme
  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which countries participating in the NATO "Partnership for Peace" programme have requested the transfer of military equipment from the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Soames
  Albania has made a request for some limited logistic support equipment which is currently being considered.

  Nagorno-Karabakh
  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what troops or logistical support he intends to provide for the proposed Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe peacekeeping force for Nagorno-Karabakh.

  Mr. Soames
  The OSCE is still planning a possible peacekeeping mission for Nagorno-Karabakh; a decision to deploy such a mission would be taken only after the conclusion of an agreement on a cessation of hostilities and an appropriate mandate. Any UK contribution would he judged against a range of factors including our other military commitments.

  Baltic Peacekeeping Battalian
  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what military equipment he intends to provide for the Baltic peacekeeping battalion.

  Mr. Soames
  The United Kingdom's contribution to the Baltic peacekeeping battalion initiative comprises infantry training conducted by a team of Royal Marines and English language training provided by the British Council. English will he the working language of the battalion. We have no current plans to provide military equipment, though some is being provided by our partners in this initiative.

  The Army
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to reduce the numbers in the Army over the next three months.

  Mr. Soames
  The trained strength of the Army at I January 1995 was about 112,000. In line with post "Options for Change" restructuring and the outcome of the defence costs study, we expect the trained strength of the Army at 1 June 1995 to he about 108,000.

  Haymes Garth
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer to the hon. member for Fareham (Sir P. Lloyd) of 10 February,Official Report, column 466, if he will identify the budget holder for Haymes Garth.

  Mr. Soames
  Since 1 April 1994, spending on Haymes Garth has been met from the top level budget of the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Personnel and Training Command. Before that date Air Officer Commanding RAF Support Command was the budget holder.

  Manpower Reductions
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for further redundancies among senior Army officers.

  Mr. Soames
  There arc no plans further to those announced in my answer to the hon. Member for Bolton. North-East (Mr. Thurnham) on 19 December 1994,Official Report, column 870.

  Government Art Collection
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many paintings lent to his Department by the Government art collection have been officially classified as missing; if he will list them with their painters; what action is being taken to investigate how they have come to he missing; what is the estimated market value of the missing paintings; if they were insured; and what evidence he has of theft.

  Mr. Soames
  A list of 205 works of art which the Government art collection was unable to locate was circulated throughout my Department at the beginning of the year. I shall arrange for a copy of this list to he placed in the Library of the House.

  The list was circulated with a request that individual members of staff check works of art for which they are responsible and report any which appeared on the list. As a result, 19 works have been located so far.

  The Government art collection does not provide my Department with valuations of the works of art it lends. In accordance with Treasury guidelines on Government property, my Department does not insure these works of art.

  The losses of 13 of the works on the list have been investigated by the Ministry of Defence police as apparent cases of theft. Unfortunately, in 12 of the cases the work has not been recovered, nor has the institution of criminal or disciplinary proceedings proved possible. A further case is under investigation.

  Golf Courses
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for how much the golf courses at(a) Whittington barracks, Lichfield, (b) RAF Binbrook, (c) RAF Swinderby and (d) RAF Halton were (i) valued at prior to sale and (ii) sold.

  Mr. Soames
  It is not my Department's practice to disclose the sale price of sites which is commercial in confidence to the purchaser.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which aspects of military training involve the use of land on which golf courses are situated.

  Mr. Soames
  The training aspects carried out are: navigation and map reading, fieldcraft, distance judging, fitness training, low-level tactics and surveying techniques.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what is the composition by rank of each of the golf clubs sited on his Department's land;

  (2) how many members are there at each of the golf courses sited on his Department's land;

  (3) what is the management structure and what remuneration for management is involved in respect of those golf courses sited on his Department's land which are not leased out to private golf clubs;

  (4) how much is the subscription fee charged for membership of each of the golf clubs situated on his Department's land for (a) service personnel, (b) civilian staff and (c) civilians otherwise unconnected to his Department.

  Mr. Soames
  No central record is held of the membership details, subscription fees and management arrangements of the clubs which use golf courses sited on land owned by my Department. It will take a little time for this information to be assembled. My noble Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Defence will write to the hon. Member when the information is available and a copy of his letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many of the golf courses sited on his Department's land in the United Kingdom are leased to private golf clubs; and, of these, how many cater exclusively for civilians otherwise unconnected with his Department.

  Mr. Soames
  Two of the courses sited on land owned by my Department, at Tenby and Canterbury, are leased to private golf clubs. The membership of those clubs is not a matter for my Department.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence to whom the golf course at(a) Whittington Barracks, Lichfield, (b) RAF Binbrook, (c) RAF Swinderby and (d) RAF Halton were sold.

  Mr. Soames
  The course at Wittington barracks was sold to the Whittington barracks golf club; the course at RAF Binbrook was part of a larger site sold to S.U.N. (Binbrook) Ltd. and C. J. M. Cottingham Ltd., and the RAF Halton course was sold to the Chiltern Forest Golf Club Ltd. My noble friend the Under-Secretary of State for Defence will write to the hon. Member about the course at RAF Swinderby.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which golf courses are at present being considered for disposal.
  258
  Mr. Soames
  The courses at Tenby, North Luffenham and Strensall near York are being considered for disposal.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence at how much each of three golf courses being considered for disposal have been valued.

  Mr. Soames
  It is not my Department's practice to discuss the commercial value of sites being considered for disposal as this could prejudice negotiations on their sale.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which section of his Department receives the £63,000 accrued from the leasing to private clubs of golf courses sited on his Department's land.

  Mr. Soames
  Receipts from lettings and licences for use of facilities on the defence estate accrue to the budget holder with management responsibility for the site.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the names and locations of the 23 golf courses sited on his Department's land in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Soames
  The following golf courses are sited on land owned by my Department in the United Kingdom:

  Tidworth Garrison Golf Course, Tidworth, Hants

  Upavon Golf Course, Upavon, Wilts

  Canterbury Golf Club, Sandwich, Kent

  Tenby Golf Club, Penally, Dyfed

  Catterick Garrison Golf Club, North Yorkshire

  York Golf Club, Strensall, York

  Bassingbourne Golf Course, Royston, Herts

  Waterbeach Golf Course, Cambs

  Wattisham Golf Course, Ipswich, Suffolk

  Wimbish Golf Course, Carver Barracks, Essex

  Army Golf Club, Aldershot, Hants

  Royal Armament Research and Development Establishment, Chertsey, Surrey

  Royal Military College of Science Shrivenham, Swindon, Wiltshire

  RAF Benson, Oxon

  Woodhall Spa, RAF Coningsby, Lincoln

  RAF Cottesmore, Leicestershire

  RAF Henlow, Bucks

  RAF North Luffenham, Leicestershire

  RAF Odiham, Basingstoke, Hants

  RAF Waddington, Lincoln

  RAF Lakenheath, Suffolk

  Southwick Golf Course, HMS Dryad, Southwick, Hants

  Royal Naval Aircraft Yard, Fleetland, Hants

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the security implications of allowing civilian golfers otherwise unconnected with his Department to use golf courses sited on land owned by his Department

  Mr. Soames
  I am satisfied that the security arrangements in place for the use of golf courses on my Department's land are satisfactory.

  Expenditure Reductions
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the actions, together with their relevant savings, his Department is taking to reduce defence expenditure in 1996–97 by the sum agreed with the Treasury.

  Mr. Soames
  An extensive range of measures is being taken to contain the costs of defence while continuing to maintain and enhance the front-line capabilities of the armed forces. It is, however, our practice not to publish
  259
  details of the contents of the Department's annual long-term costing. Major proposals and decisions that have been announced in Parliament are set out in the annual departmental report and the statement on the defence estimates, as well as in other publications, notably last year's report on the outcome of the defence costs study.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his Department's estimated percentage change in defence expenditure as a proportion of gross domestic product between 1994–95 and 1999–2000.

  Mr. Soames
  Defence expenditure is expected to fall from 3.3 per cent. to 2.8 per cent. of GDP between 1994–95 and 1997–98. Defence expenditure plans beyond 1997–98 have not yet been set.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Milk Quota
  Mr. Hanson
  To ask the Minister of Apiculture, Fisheries and Food how many farmers in the United Kingdom have(a) a milk quota but no longer have a herd

  The retail prices index: potatoes

  January 1987=100

  July 1994

  August 1994

  September 1994

  October 1994

  November 1994

  December 1994

  January 1995

  Raw Potatoes

  131.7

  197.8

  171.8

  169.4

  169.9

  177.6

  183.8

  Percentage of change over 12 months

  25.8

  53.3

  46.1

  51.7

  51.0

  58.7

  60.7

  All Potatoes (including Processed)

  132.6

  161.4

  150.0

  149.2

  151.4

  154.5

  159.0

  Percentage of change over 12 months.

  8.7

  22.6

  19.6

  20.8

  24.1

  26.3

  29.7

  Source:

  Retail Prices Index.

  Mr. William O'Brien
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what volume and value of potatoes have been imported into the United Kingdom over the past 12 months.

  Mr. Jack
  Provisional figures for imports of fresh potatoes into the United Kingdom for the period 1 January 1994 to 30 September 1994, the latest available information, are as follows:

  Imports

  Weight (tonnes)

  Value £000s

  Total

  392,835

  79,173

  of which

  from EC

  272,939

  45,622

  from non-EC

  119,896

  33,551

  Source:

  Customs and Excise.

  Correspondence
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, how many letters were received in the Department from hon. Members last month.
  260
  of cows producing milk, (b) a milk quota larger than their actual production, or (c) sold their total quota or partial quota in the past 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Jack
  The Intervention Board keeps a record of individual producers' milk quota but not their milk production, so the information needed to answer(a) and (b) is not available. Since 1 April 1994, when the Intervention Board assumed responsibility for the administration of milk quotas, 2,280 producers in the United Kingdom have sold their quota, either in whole or in part.

  Potatoes
  Mr. William O'Brien
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list details of the increases in the price of potatoes in the west Yorkshire area over the past six months.

  Mr. Jack
  Details of movements in retail prices are not available at an area level. The retail prices index represents the most accurate indicator available of price movements and is for the United Kingdom as a whole. Information on movements in the indices for potatoes for the period July 1994 to January 1995 is shown in the table.

  Mr. Jack
  The number of letters received by Ministers in this Department from hon. Members and peers in January 1995 was 1,127.

  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many letters were sent to hon. Members last month by each Minister in the Department.

  Mr. Jack
  The total number of letters sent to hon. Members and peers by Ministers in this Department in January 1995 was 962. Disaggregated figures for individual Ministers are not recorded.

  Rural White Paper
  Dr. Strang
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture. Fisheries and Food if he will list the organisations that have(a) sent a submission and (b) indicated that they intend to send a submission for the Rural White Paper; and if he will place copies of all such submissions in the Library.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  A list of organisations from which my Department or that of my right hon. Friend the
  261
  Secretary of State for the Environment had received written submissions by 20 February and which have not requested confidentiality has been placed in the House Library. A number of individuals have, in addition, submitted their views.

  Both Departments expect to receive a number of further submissions. The names of organisations making such submissions who do not request confidentiality will be made known after submissions have been received.

  Copies of submissions which we have not been asked to keep confidential will be made available for inspection in the departmental Library in due course. In line with normal departmental practice, a list of those who have up to that point made such submissions will he placed in the House Library.

  Agriculture Council
  Mr. Duncan
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the outcome of the 262
  Agriculture Council held in Brussels on 20 and 21 February; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  I represented the United Kingdom at this meeting of the Council.

  The main item on the agenda was a proposal to improve the protection of farm animals transported within the Union. I reported on this to the House earlier today. A presidency compromise remains on the table, though it is not acceptable to me in its present form.

  The Council had a first discussion of the proposals for 1994–95 farm prices. It will return to this item at its next meeting.

  I advocated that arrangements should he put in place allowing for the leasing of milk quota across national boundaries. This will now he finther considered at official level so that the Commission can decide whether to take the matter forward.

  The United Kingdom raised the question of veal crates. The commissioner said that he expected to make an interim report well before the end of the year.

  Western Sahara: Referendum
  Western Sahara: Referendum
  HIV/AIDS
  HIV/AIDS
  Mr. Bryce Taylor: Legal Aid
  Mr. Bryce Taylor: Legal Aid
  Taxis and Private Hire Vehicles
  Taxis and Private Hire Vehicles
  Fishing Fleet: British-owned Vessels
  Fishing Fleet: British-owned Vessels
  Probation Officers: Recruitment and Training
  Probation Officers: Recruitment and Training
  Victim Support
  Victim Support
  Bathing Water Improvements: Cost Study
  Bathing Water Improvements: Cost Study