Written Answers of 25 January 1995

NATIONAL HERITAGE

  Absenteeism
  Mr. Chidgey
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what was the absenteeism rate for(a) his Department, (b) the Historic Royal Palaces agency and (c) the Royal Parks agency in each year since 1991.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The absenteeism—sick absence—rate for the Department of National Heritage since it was created in April 1992, is shown below. The information for the two executive agencies, Historic Royal Palaces and Royal Parks, is not held centrally and is unavailable in the format requested. When the information is provided we will write to the hon. Member and arrange for copies of the letter to be placed in the Library of the House.

  Number of days absent

  Total number of staff

  1992

  280

  207

  1993

  516

  301

  1994

  459

  362

  Departmental Staff
  Mrs. Maddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage how many employees for which his Department is responsible were women(a) in 1991, (b) in 1992, (c) in 1993 and (d) in 1994; and of these, how many were (i) at grade 7 level, (ii) at grade 3 level, (iii) at executive officer level, (iv) at administrative officer level and (v) at administrative assistant level.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The information requested is as follows. The Department of National Heritage was created on 13 April 1992 and the Royal Parks agency on 1 April 1993. While Historic Royal Palaces has been an executive agency since 2 October 1989, a breakdown of staffing figures in the format requested is not available for 1991.

  Grade

  1992(Percentage of Total)

  1993(Percentage of Total)

  1994(Percentage of Total)

  Grade 3

  1(33)

  1(25)

  1(25)

  Grade 7

  6(19)

  11(22)

  16(27)

  EO

  30(43)

  52(48)

  62(47)

  AO

  48(29)

  76(37)

  91(37)

  AA

  52(55)

  69(50)

  80(39)

  Sports Council
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage how provision for disabled people will be 196
  included in the three new policy areas chosen for emphasis by the Sports Council GB.

  Mr. Dorrell
  Under the proposals announced by the Minister with responsibility for sport on 8 July 1994,Official Report, columns 584–92, I shall expect the Sports Council, and its successors, to give full weight to the needs of sport for able-bodied people and people with disabilities in spending its grant in aid from the Government. We have also asked the Sports Council to consider particularly the needs of those with physical or other disabilities in its distribution of national lottery funds.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

  Research and Development
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what was Government expenditure on research and development, civil and defence, for each of the last 10 years as a percentage of gross domestic product; and what were the equivalent figures for France, Germany, America and Japan.

  Mr. Robert G. Hughes
  The information requested is shown in the table.

  Government funding of research and development for civil and defence objectives (as percentage of GDP): 1983 to 1992

  Research and Development expenditure

  UK

  France

  Germany1

  USA

  Japan2

  1983

  Total

  1.32

  1.38

  1.14

  1.16

  0.52

  Civil

  0.66

  0.93

  1.03

  0.41

  n/a

  Defence

  0.65

  0.45

  0.11

  0.74

  n/a

  1984

  Total

  1.25

  1.43

  1.11

  1.19

  0.50

  Civil

  0.64

  0.95

  1.00

  0.40

  n/a

  Defence

  0.61

  0.48

  0.11

  0.79

  n/a

  1985

  Total

  1.19

  1.46

  1.15

  1.24

  0.48

  Civil

  0.63

  0.99

  1.02

  0.40

  0.46

  Defence

  0.57

  0.48

  0.14

  0.84

  0.02

  1986

  Total

  1.11

  1.42

  1.11

  1.26

  0.48

  Civil

  0.61

  0.94

  0.98

  0.39

  0.46

  Defence

  0.50

  0.48

  0.13

  0.87

  0.02

  1987

  Total

  1.02

  1.39

  1.11

  1.27

  0.48

  Civil

  0.57

  0.89

  0.97

  0.40

  0.46

  Defence

  0.45

  0.50

  0.14

  0.87

  0.02

  1988

  Total

  0.93

  1.36

  1.06

  1.22

  0.46

  Civil

  0.54

  0.86

  0.93

  0.39

  0.44

  Defence

  0.40

  0.51

  0.13

  0.83

  0.02

  1989

  Total

  0.90

  1.36

  1.06

  1.19

  0.46

  Civil

  0.51

  0.86

  0.93

  0.41

  0.43

  Defence

  0.39

  0.50

  0.14

  0.78

  0.02

  1990

  Total

  0.88

  1.42

  1.04

  1.17

  0.45

  197

  Government funding of research and development for civil and defence objectives (as percentage of GDP): 1983 to 1992

  Research and Development expenditure

  UK

  France

  Germany1

  USA

  Japan2

  Civil

  0.51

  0.85

  0.90

  0.44

  0.43

  Defence

  0.37

  0.57

  0.14

  0.73

  0.02

  1991

  Total

  0.88

  1.43

  1.05

  1.17

  30.45

  Civil

  0.49

  0.89

  0.94

  0.47

  30.42

  Defence

  0.40

  0.53

  0.12

  0.70

  30.03

  1992

  Total

  0.87

  1.39

  31.03

  1.16

  30.46

  Civil

  0.50

  0.92

  30.93

  0.48

  30.43

  Defence

  0.37

  0.47

  30.11

  0.68

  30.03

  Notes:1 For 1991 there is a break in series with previous year for which data is available.

  2 Data for Japan are adjusted by OECD.

  3 = provisional.

  Sources:

  Annual Review of Government Funded R&D, 1990 (Table 6.9)

  Annual Review of Government Funded R&D, 1991 (Table 1.6.5)

  Forward Look 1994 Statistical Supplement (Table 1.6.7)

  Commercial Lobbying
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster on how many occasions in the last four months of which he has knowledge any civil servants in his Department have been approached by commercial lobbying organisations on behalf of their clients at informal or unofficial engagements.

  Mr. David Hunt
  Officials receive representations about a wide variety of matters, but the information requested is not collected.

  Mr. Campbell Savours
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster on how many occasions in the last four months he or any of his Ministers have been approached by commercial lobbying organisations on behalf of their clients at informal or unofficial engagements.

  Mr. David Hunt
  Ministers receive numerous representations about a wide variety of matters, but the information is not collected.

TRANSPORT

  Coventry Airport
  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of safety at Coventry airport.

  Mr. Norris
  The Civil Aviation Authority's aerodrome standards department is responsible for ensuring that United Kingdom civil aerodromes meet prescribed safety standards. I have therefore asked the chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority to write to the hon. Member.

  Rail Safety
  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many rail passengers were killed or injured (i) by the opening or closing of carriage doors, falling through open 198
  doors or entering or alighting from trains and (ii) during train movement for each of the last five years (a) over the whole rail network, (b) in the Network SouthEast region, (c) in mark I electrical multiple unit slam door rolling stock in the Network SouthEast region and (d) in Networker 465 rolling stock in the Network SouthEast region.

  Mr. Watts
  The table gives the details requested of passenger injuries for all railways in Great Britain since 1989.

  The following table gives details for Network SouthEast and covers the period from its creation in 1992 to its reorganisation in March 1994, following the restructuring of the railway industry.

  Passenger Injuries All railways Great Britain Entering or alighting from trains

  Fatal

  Major injuries

  Minor injuries

  Total

  1989

  2

  51

  691

  744

  1990

  2

  55

  736

  793

  1991–92

  0

  39

  623

  662

  1992–93

  3

  34

  665

  702

  1993–94

  0

  9

  652

  661

  Total

  7

  188

  3,367

  3,562

  Opening or closing of carriage door

  Fatal

  Major injuries

  Minor injuries

  Total

  1989

  0

  5

  441

  446

  1990

  1

  13

  803

  817

  1991–92

  0

  5

  637

  642

  1992–93

  0

  8

  627

  635

  1993–94

  0

  2

  680

  682

  Total

  1

  33

  3,188

  3,222

  Falling out of carriages during running of trains

  Fatal

  Major injuries

  Minor injuries

  Total

  1989

  19

  16

  12

  47

  1990

  19

  9

  20

  48

  1991–92

  19

  4

  13

  36

  1992–93

  9

  6

  28

  43

  1993–94

  8

  2

  13

  23

  Total

  74

  37

  86

  197

  Passenger Injuries Network Southeast 1 April 1992–31 March 1994

  Fatal

  Major injuries

  Minor injuries

  Total

  Entering or alighting from trains

  0

  9

  551

  560

  Opening or closing of carriage doors

  0

  1

  414

  415

  Falling out of carriages during running of train

  2

  1

  14

  17

  Total

  2

  11

  979

  992

  199
  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what action he is taking to press British Rail to implement the recommendation of the Cannon street rail accident inquiry that class 415 EMUs should be replaced by new Networker units as quickly as possible; when he estimates that this process will be completed; and what plans he has to press British Rail to replace other mark I EMUs and against what time scale.

  Mr. Watts
  I understand that the last class 415 EMU will be withdrawn from the Kent suburban fleet on 13 April 1995, along with classes 413 and 416.

  The replacement and deployment of rolling stock, and the appropriate timing of an order, is a decision for BR. However, I understand BR's view is that all remaining "mark I" rolling stock on south eastern is likely to need replacement during 1999.

  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much it costs to strengthen a single mark I slam door railway carriage to the standard required by HM railways inspectorate in relation to recommendation 55 of the Hidden investigation into the Clapham Junction railway accident.

  Mr. Watts
  British Rail's estimate of the cost of strengthening mark I rolling stock is around £300,000 per coach.

  Vehicle Excise Duty
  Mr. Clifton-Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many successful prosecutions for contravention of the(a) showman's vehicle and (b) agricultural vehicle excise duty concessions have taken place in the last five years for which figures are available.

  Mr. Norris
  These figures are not collected separately by the Department.

  Transport and Pollution
  Mr. Etherington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what response he has made to the recommendations of the Royal Commission report on transport and pollution; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Norris
  The Government have welcomed the royal commission's report as a valuable contribution to the debate about transport and the environment. We are now studying the report's conclusions and recommendations and considering how we should respond.

  Integrated Regional Offices
  Mr. Denham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will list those of his Department's

  Local transport capital—1993–94

  South East

  South West

  West Midland

  North West

  Mersey-side

  North East

  Yorks & Humber-side

  East Midland

  Eastern

  London

  Total

  Transport Supplementary Grant

  77.718

  32.278

  61.856

  49.858

  15.098

  24.347

  54.584

  21.509

  35.283

  58.310

  430.841

  Public Transport Facilities Grant

  0.0

  0.0

  0.013

  00

  0.0

  0.0

  18.156

  0.250

  0.0

  0.0

  18.419

  200
  responsibilities which are administered by the integrated regional offices and, for each integrated regional office, the estimated annual expenditure on each of these responsibilities;

  (2) if he will list those of his Department's responsibilities on which integrated regional offices are responsible for preparing, advising on or implementing regional policy;

  (3) if he will list those of his Department's responsibilities on which the integrated regional offices are required to advise him on the allocation of resources and, for each integrated regional office, the annual expenditure on each programme.

  Mr. Norris
  The Government offices for the regions play an important role in advising Ministers on the regional implementation of national transport policies, covering all modes of transport. They advise on local authority transport programmes and policies and on the allocation of resources for local transport capital expenditure, including transport supplementary grant, public transport facilities grant—under section 56 of the Transport Act 1968—Industrial Development Act grant and associated credit approvals.

  The Government offices liaise with the Highways Agency on the trunk road programme and contribute to advice to Ministers on the programme's content and progress. They also provide advice to Ministers on the transport aspects of programmes administered by other Departments.

  Local transport capital expenditure in 1993–94, the last complete financial year, is shown in the table.

  The total running cost to the Department of the Government Offices for the current financial year is forecast to be as follows:

  £ million

  Eastern

  0.247

  East Midlands

  0.218

  London

  2.462

  Mersey side

  0.079

  North East1

  0.443

  North West

  0.180

  South East

  0.430

  South West

  0.260

  West Midlands

  0.227

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  0.230

  Total

  4.784

  1 The figure for the Government office for the north east includes running costs incurred in carrying out the Secretary of State's role in confirming orders promoted by local authorities under the Highways Act 1980 and for highways under the Acquisition of Land Act 1981, a national activity carried out for all regions.

  201

  Local transport capital—1993–94

  South East

  South West

  West Midland

  North West

  Mersey-side

  North East

  Yorks & Humber-side

  East Midland

  Eastern

  London

  Total

  Industrial Development Act Grant

  0.0

  0.124

  0.428

  0.276

  0.0

  0.494

  0.446

  0.0

  0.0

  0.0

  1.768

  Total Credit Approvals

  112.096

  50.632

  85.930

  76.810

  40.541

  38.456

  146.195

  34.690

  48.793

  83.770

  717.913

  Total

  189.814

  83.034

  148.227

  126.944

  55.639

  63.297

  219.381

  56.449

  84.076

  142.080

  1,168.941

  Note: All Figures in £ Million

  Bids for support are considered competitively on merit. There are no set allocations for regions, and funding will fluctuate from year to year according to need and progress on major schemes

  Commercial Lobbying
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) on how many occasions in the last four months of which he has knowledge any civil servants in his Department have been approached by commercial lobbying organisations on behalf of their clients at informal or unofficial engagements;

  (2) on how many occasions in the last four months he or any of his Ministers have been approached by commercial lobbying organisations on behalf of their clients at informal or unofficial engagements.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given earlier today by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.

  Fishing Industry (Accidents)
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many people were disabled as a result of accidents at work in the sea fishing industry in the years 1992, 1993 and 1994.

  Mr. Norris
  This information is not available.

  Motorways (Coaches)
  Mrs. Gillian
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to announce a decision on the proposal to ban coaches from the outside lanes of motorways with three or more lanes.

  Mr. Norris
  I have today laid regulations implementing such a ban with effect from 1 January 1996. The ban will be for a trial period and will be reviewed when two years' accident data are available.

EDUCATION

  Liverpool Education Authority
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if Liverpool education authority spent all its standard spending assessment for education in the last year for which figures are available.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  The latest data on provisional outtum expenditure indicate that Liverpool city council's education expenditure was some 3.6 per cent. less than its education standard spending assessment for 1993–94. But education SSAs are not prescriptive and each council is 202
  free to determine its spending priorities between and within services.

  Schools, Wolverhampton
  Mr. Purchase
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what was the cost of a secondary school place in a grant-maintained school in Wolverhampton in 1993–94; and what is the estimated cost in 1994–95.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  Information relating to the cost of secondary school places in grant-maintained schools in Wolverhampton for the years in question is held by the Funding Agency for Schools. I have asked the chairman of the agency to write to the hon. Member.

  Mr. Purchase
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what was(a) the total cost of the assisted-places scheme at Wolverhampton grammar school and (b) the average cost per pupil in 1993–94; and what is the estimated cost in 1994–95.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  The total cost of the scheme at Wolverhampton grammar school for the academic year 1993–94 was £792,715 and the average cost per pupil was £3,109. The estimated cost of the scheme for the academic year 1994–95 is £863,125 and the average cost per pupil is expected to be in the region of £3,230.

  Computers
  Mr. Nigel Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what measures she is taking to ensure that all pupils gain skills in using computer keyboards, word processing and spreadsheet software and information networks such as the Internet.

  Mr. Forth
  The Government are supporting the development of pupils' information technology skills through the inclusion of IT capability in the national curriculum; through a £187 million programme of grants for education support and training; and through the work of the National Council for Educational Technology. My right hon. Friend announced on 11 January an initiative on information super-highways for education, which will begin with a major consultation exercise in the spring.

  Further and Higher Education
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if she will publish for(a) England and (b) the United Kingdom, for the last three available years, the number of full-time students in (i) further education, (ii) higher education and (iii) further and higher education in total, indicating the percentage of women in each case.
  203
  Mr. Boswell
  The information requested is shown:

  Numbers of students in further and higher education in England and the UK—1990 to 1992 Full-time and sandwich only Home and overseas

  England Total 000s

  United Kingdom Women 000s

  Women Percentage

  Total 000s

  Women 000s

  Women Percentage

  1990–91

  Further Education

  402.9

  219.2

  54.4

  480.4

  260.9

  54.3

  Higher Education

  592.8

  277.3

  46.8

  747.0

  352.0

  47.1

  Total

  995.7

  496.5

  49.9

  1,227.4

  612.9

  49.9

  1991–92

  Further Education

  465.2

  248.0

  53.3

  542.6

  289.6

  53.4

  Higher Education

  670.7

  317.7

  47.4

  844.0

  400.0

  47.4

  Total

  1,135.8

  564.9

  49.7

  1,386.6

  689.6

  49.7

  1992–93

  Further Education

  498.0

  260.5

  52.3

  586.0

  305.9

  52.2

  Higher Education

  762.3

  365.0

  47.9

  958.0

  461.0

  48.1

  Total

  1,260.3

  625.5

  49.6

  1,544.0

  766.9

  49.7

  Sources USR, DFE (FESR), Welsh Office, Scottish Office and DENI.

  Education Authorities (Expenditure)
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what representations she has had from the North West Regional Association for Education Authorities in regard to the standing spending assessments and capping limits for its constituent authorities; what reply she has sent; what action she is taking; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  My right hon. Friend has received a number of representations from the North West Regional Association of Education Authorities. I have arranged for copies of the correspondence and my reply to be placed in the Library.

  National Youth Agency
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if she will list the amount of grant given to the National Youth Agency for each year since 1991 and the estimated grant for(a) 1995–96, (b) 1996–97 and (c) 1997–98.

  Mr. Boswell
  The grant paid or allocated to the National Youth Agency in the period 1991–92 to 1995–96 is as follows:

  £million

  1991–92

  1.840

  1992–93

  1.495

  1993–94

  1.687

  1994–95

  1.716

  1995–96

  1.655

  Funding for 1996–97 and future years will be reviewed as part of the annual public expenditure survey and in the light of the outcome of the policy review of the agency.

  Proposed School Closures
  Mr. Tipping
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proposals she is considering from 204
  Nottinghamshire county council for the closure or merger of schools; what schools are involved; and when she received these proposals.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  The following table shows the proposals, published by Nottinghamshire county council, under section 12 of the Education Act 1980, to cease to maintain schools. These are currently under consideration by the Departme

  Proposals

  Date received by the Department

  Padstow comprehensive

  1 July 1994

  Releigh Infant's School

  10 November 1994

  Windley Junior School

  10 November 1994

  Thomas Magnus VC Upper School

  5 December 1994

  Magdalene CE VC High School

  5 December 1994

  Lilley and Stone VC Upper School

  5 December 1994

  Sconce Hill High School

  5 December 1994

  The Department is also considering associated proposals from Nottinghamshire county council to establish a new primary school on the site of Windley junior school.

  The governing bodies of Thomas Magnus school and Lilley and Stone school have published proposals, under section 13 of the Education Act 1980, to establish new 1 I to 18 schools on the sites of Thomas Magnus school and Lilley and Stone school. These proposals relate to the county council's closure proposals. Padstow comprehensive school has submitted an application for grant-maintained status which will be determined with the closure proposal.

  Commercial Lobbying
  Mr. Campbell Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) on how many occasions in the last four months of which she has knowledge any civil servants in her Department have been approached by commercial
  205
  lobbying organisations on behalf of their clients at informal or unofficial engagements;

  (2) on how many occasions in the last four months she or any of her Ministers have been approached by commercial lobbying organisations on behalf of their clients at informal or unofficial engagements.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.

  Grant-maintained Schools
  Mr. Don Foster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many parents voted(a) in favour and (b) against in all ballots for grant-maintained status in those schools currently operating as grant maintained.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  In ballots at schools in England which are currently grant maintained, 450,819 parents voted in favour and 145,005 voted against.

ENVIRONMENT

  Energy Efficiency
  Mr. Robert Ainsworth
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress has been made across Government Departments towards meeting the energy saving targets given in "Climate Change: the UK Programme".

  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  I refer the hon. Member to tables one to three following chapter five of "This Common Inheritance: The Third Year Report," column 2549. Further data will be published shortly.

  Radioactive Waste
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what attempt will be made by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution to recover the costs of cleaning up the uranium dumped at the Chelveston farm in Northamptonshire from those responsible for the radioactive pollution of the area;

  (2) if he will ask Her Majesty's chief inspector of pollution to establish an investigation into the fly tipping of uranium at a farm in Chelveston, Northamptonshire; and if he will make it his policy to publish the report of such an investigation.

  Mr. Atkins
  The scrap metal containing uranium found on land at Poplar farm, Caldecott, Northamptonshire is of unknown origin. Investigations are continuing to try and trace the source of the material and those involved in its movement. As the results of this investigation may form the basis of a prosecution under the Radioactive Substances Act 1993, detailed information will not be published until any such enforcement action is completed by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution. The possibility of recovering costs of waste removal and clean up of the site will also be fully investigated.
  206
  Ms Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the process and timetable for the investigation of the Drigg low-level radioactive waste disposal site by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution.

  Mr. Atkins
  [holding answer given Thursday 19 January 1995]: Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution has already thoroughly investigated allegations made by Greenpeace about Drigg, following its illegal entry to the site and has confirmed that there has been no breach of the site's certificate of authorisation. The certificate of authorisation contains conditions and limits which impose specific requirements on the company, relating to the type of waste disposed of, the method of disposal and the radioactive content of disposals made. HMIP is satisfied that operations at the site properly protect the public.

  With regard to the more general question of the disposal of radioactive waste at landfill sites, the Government's consultation document "Review of Radioactive Waste Management Policy: Preliminary Conclusions", published on 5 August, proposed that there may be advantage in encouraging waste producers to make greater use of such controlled burial. This form of disposal is already used by major hospitals and universities and some sections of the nuclear industry for their low-level waste, and the proposals do not involve any deregulation. Encouraging greater use of controlled burial would help to relieve pressure on capacity at Drigg.

  However, this remains only a proposal, and there are no plans in relation to specific sites. The consultation document invited views on the subject, and these are currently receiving careful consideration. A statement of future policy will be made in due course.

  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment his Department has made of the effect of low-level radioactive waste dumping in landfill sites on house prices in the vicinity of authorised sites.

  Mr. Atkins
  None.

  Single Regeneration Budget
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received from local authorities submitting unsuccessful bids for single regeneration budget moneys alleging that they were encouraged to believe that their bids would succeed in discussions with the relevant regional office.

  Mr. Curry
  There have been five such representations from local authorities.

  Waste Management Licensing
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he proposes to conclude his consideration of the consultation on exemptions from waste management licensing for the recovery of scrap metal and the dismantling of waste motor vehicles; when he proposes to publish the new guidance and the new regulations; how many responses he received to the consultation; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Atkins
  We have received 115 direct responses to the consultation paper published on 8 November 1994 proposing exemptions from waste management licensing for the recovery of scrap metal and the dismantling of waste motor vehicles. Some respondents also requested Members of Parliament to make representations on their
  207
  behalf. Our aim is to conclude our consideration of all these responses and to lay the regulations providing any exemptions from licensing within the next three weeks. Our guidance is dependent on the terms of any exemptions provided and will be published as soon as possible after the regulations have been laid.

  Right-to-buy Scheme
  Ms Coffey
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many tenants have bought their homes under the right-to-buy scheme; and how many subsequently sold their homes(a) in total and (b) in Stockport.

  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  Between October 1980 and September 1994 over 1.2 million tenants of local authorities and new towns in England purchased their homes under the right-to-buy legislation. Of these, some 3,500 sales were to local authority tenants in Stockport metropolitan borough council.

  Information on housing association sales at local authority level is not available; sales for the country as a whole are estimated to be almost 27,000.

  Data on subsequent sales by former tenants are not collected by the Department.

  Departmental Employees
  Mrs. Maddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many employees for which his Department is responsible were women(a) in 1991, (b) in 1992, (c) in 1993 and (d) in 1994; and, of these, how many were (i) at grade 7 level, (ii) at grade 3 level, (iii) at executive officer level, (iv) at administrative officer level and (v) at administrative assistant level.

  Sir Paul Beresford
  The following information covers non-industrial staff in my Department, excluding PSA Services:

  Grade

  1991

  1992

  1993

  1994

  Grade 3

  4

  5

  5

  4

  Grade 7

  104

  118

  128

  138

  EO and equivalent

  544

  516

  553

  533

  AO and equivalent

  976

  962

  1,021

  972

  AA and equivalent

  574

  563

  558

  489

  Total female staff

  2,672

  2,628

  2,763

  2,630

  Home Renovation Grants
  Mr. Raynsford
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his oral answer of 18 January,Official Report columns 696–97 to the hon. Member for Normanton (Mr. O'Brien), if he will list the number of home renovation grants not including disabled facilities or minor works grants approved in 1993.

  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  Some 40,221 renovation grants were approved in 1993.

  Local Authority Mortgages
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will provide additional resources to local authorities that wish to offer mortgages to tenants who wish to buy homes which have been designated as defective.

  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  There are no plans to make additional resources available to local authorities for this purpose. Local housing authorities receive a housing investment programme allocation each year. It is for each authority to decide how best to use this allocation to meet local housing needs.

  Houses in Multiple Occupation
  Mr. Beith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has relating to the number of applications made by boarding houses and hotels for change of use to houses of multiple occupation or hostels since the relevant changes in the planning law.

  Sir Paul Beresford
  As planning applications are made to local planning authorities detailed information of this kind is not held centrally.

  Energy Saving Trust
  Mr. Robert Ainsworth
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proposals he has considered for funding the Energy Saving Trust after the gas market has been deregulated.

  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  The finances of the Energy Saving Trust are properly a matter for the trust, which is an independent company. However, the Government are currently considering a range of options for funding the trust and the schemes it promotes, including the involvement of private sector finance and input from the energy consumer.

  National Parks (Quarries)
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many(a) working and (b) disused quarries there are in each of the national parks.

  Sir Paul Beresford
  Separate figures are not available for working and disused quarries. The table shows numbers of sites for surface mineral workings—"quarries"—in each of the national parks in England and Wales as of 1988, taken from surveys carried out for the Department of the Environment and for the Welsh Office. Similar statistics for national parks in England for 1994 will be available later this year in the results of an updated survey.

  National park

  Number of surface mineral workings

  Brecon Beacons

  27

  Dartmoor

  9

  Exmoor

  Nil

  Lake District

  20

  North York Moors

  21

  Northumberland

  5

  Peak District

  121

  Pembroke Coast

  10

  Snowdonia

  92

  Yorkshire Dales

  13

  Air Quality Report
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what criteria underlay the decision to exclude the contribution of radioactive particulate material and radioactive gases, including krypton, from the report "Air Quality: Meeting the Challenge".

  Mr. Atkins
  "Air Quality: Meeting the Challenge" details the Government's strategic policies for improving air quality. It sets out a new framework for setting and achieving air quality targets and standards for the nine toxic pollutants of most concern. Radiotoxides are adequately addressed elsewhere.

  Urban Waste Water Directive
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) on what date he supplied the European Commission with a list of less-sensitive areas and copies of studies of them carried out in respect of such areas under article six of the urban waste directive;

  (2) what plans he has to request an extension of time from the European Commission in respect of listing and forwarding copies of studies of less-sensitive areas under article six of the urban waste water directive;

  (3) when he submitted to the European Commission proposals under article 8(5) of the urban waste water directive listing the areas subject to the proposals and the basis of those proposals;

  (4) what information he has provided to the European Commission on its implementation programme as required by article 17(2) of the urban waste water directive indicating the outline and nature of the information provided; and what extension of time for providing the information was requested.

  Mr. Atkins
  A list of the less-sensitive areas—known as high natural dispersion areas in the United Kingdom—identified under the directive was sent to the European Commission on 24 May 1994. Under the terms of the directive, comprehensive studies must be carried out following identification of the areas, before a discharge consent can be given for a minimum of primary treatment. The studies will be carried out in time for relevant discharge consents to be given for the discharges concerned before the end of the years 2000 or 2005, whichever of the directive's implementation dates applies to each affected discharge. The question of applying for an extension of time does not arise.

  Where relevant, proposals for applying article 8(5) of the directive will be made to the Commission after comprehensive studies have been completed and before the relevant implementation deadline. Such proposals will be made only where it can be demonstrated that no environmental benefit will accrue from the provision of a higher level of treatment than the requirements of article 6(2).

  Information required by article 17(2) of the directive was provided to the Commission on 25 November 1994 without application for an extension of time for its provision. The information given was that required by the Commission decision of 28 July 1993–93/481/EEC; OJ No L 226, 28.7.1993, p.23. A copy of the "Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive—UK Article 17 Report" has been placed in the Library of the House.

  Housing Stock Transfers
  Mr. Denham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish a list of those local authorities which have completed voluntary transfer of their housing stock, and the date on which the transfer was completed.

  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  Since 1988, 35 local authorities have transferred a total of 156,739 homes through large scale voluntary transfer. These authorities are listed, together with the dates on which they completed transfer.

  Authority

  Date of Transfer

  Chiltern

  15 December 1988

  Sevenoaks

  29 March 1989

  Newbury

  30 November 1989

  Swale

  28 March 1990

  Broadland

  4 April 1990

  North Bedfordshire

  13 June 1990

  Medina

  27 July 1990

  Rochester

  27 July 1990

  South Wight

  30 July 1990

  Mid Sussex

  9 November 1990

  East Dorset

  3 December 1990

  Tonbridge and Mailing

  15 January 1991

  Ryedale

  28 February 1991

  South Bucks

  26 March 1991

  Christchurch

  28 March 1991

  Suffolk Coastal

  22 May 1991

  Tunbridge Wells

  29 January 1992

  Bromley

  6 April 1992

  Surrey Heath

  15 January 1993

  Breckland

  30 March 1993

  East Cambridgeshire

  31 March 1993

  Hambieton

  29 April 1993

  West Dorset

  27 May 1993

  Havant

  31 January 1994

  Epsom and Ewell

  14 February 1994

  Hart

  9 March 1994

  South Shropshire

  23 March 1994

  Leominster

  25 March 1994

  South Ribble

  30 March 1994

  Hertsmere

  31 March 1994

  Penwith

  16 May 1994

  North Dorset

  6 September 1994

  Wychavon

  3 October 1994

  Mid Bedfordshire

  4 October 1994

  Thanet

  19 December 1994

  Integrated Regional Offices
  Mr. Denham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list those of his Department's responsibilities on which the integrated regional offices are required to advise him on the allocation of resources and, for each integrated regional office, the annual expenditure on each programme.

  Sir Paul Beresford
  In 1993–94 the Department of the Environment's regional offices advised Ministers on the programmes shown in the table. The Department of the Environment's regional offices became part of the Government offices for the regions in April 1994.
  211

  Department of the environment programme expenditure through the Government offices for the regions, 1993–94 ouuturn (£ million)

  North East

  North West

  Merseyside

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  West Midlands

  East Midlands

  Eastern

  South West

  South East

  London

  Total

  Housing Investment

  Programme

  83.0

  162.0

  53.8

  154.6

  194.7

  116.2

  142.4

  140.6

  187.5

  530.4

  1,765.2

  Estate Action1 4

  28.7

  60.3

  39.6

  41.8

  46.1

  27.0

  5.9

  12.2

  3.8

  85.3

  350.7

  Housing Partnership

  Fund

  3.6

  2.6

  0.7

  2.8

  3.4

  4.0

  3.9

  4.8

  3.1

  1.1

  30.0

  Housing Actions

  Trusts1

  —

  —

  16.0

  26.5

  2.0

  —

  —

  —

  —

  30.6

  75.1

  Flats over shops

  1.0

  0.8

  0.3

  1.0

  0.9

  0.9

  0.7

  1.0

  0.8

  1.9

  9.3

  Energy Efficiency

  Programme

  0.4

  0.6

  0.7

  0.8

  0.5

  0.7

  0.4

  0.5

  0.3

  0.3

  5.2

  Derelict Land Grant2

  7.8

  27.5

  8.0

  23.9

  19.9

  8.7

  0.8

  3.3

  0.8

  3.6

  104.3

  Urban Programme1

  UPF5

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  166.5

  City Action Team1

  0.8

  0.4

  0.4

  0.4

  0.4

  0.4

  —

  —

  —

  0.5

  3.4

  Task Forces1

  1.8

  1.0

  2.2

  2.3

  2.6

  2.3

  —

  0.6

  —

  5.0

  17.8

  Urban Development

  Corporations1

  78.5

  37.1

  22.5

  16.7

  62.4

  —

  —

  20.7

  —

  105.4

  343.2

  City Challenge1 6

  45.8

  31.8

  22.3

  27.8

  29.0

  21.2

  —

  —

  —

  52.3

  230.2

  Coalfield Areas Fund5

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  2.3

  Manchester

  Regeneration

  —

  23.3

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  23.3

  Docklands Light

  Railway

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  28.1

  28.1

  Merseyside Special

  Grant

  —

  —

  0.6

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  0.6

  ERDF3

  41.2

  28.2

  23.0

  32.6

  34.3

  10.4

  —

  2.4

  11.5

  —

  142.4

  Notes:

  1 Subsumed within single regeneration budget from April 199S.

  2 Transferred to English Partnerships from April 1994.

  3 ERDF payments, made on behalf of the European Community, include payments on projects which are the responsibility of other
  Government Departments.

  4 Figures for the urban programme, urban partnership fund (UPF) and Coalfield areas fund are not held centrally on a region by region basis. The Urban programme will be subsumed within the SRB from April 1995.

  5 Estate Action figures exclude resources for design improvement controlled experiment (DICE).

  6 City challenge figures include city challenge Housing Corporation expenditure in 1993–94 and exclude payments made 1993–94 for expenditure actually incurred in 1992–93.

  Mr. Denham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list those of his Department's responsibilities which are administered by the integrated regional offices and, for each integrated regional office, the estimated annual expenditure on each of these responsibilities.

  Sir Paul Beresford
  On my right hon. Friend's behalf, the Government offices for the regions administer the single regeneration budget, housing and regeneration programmes, undertake certain planning and environment functions and provide the main local points of contact between the Department and local authorities. In 1994–95, the Government offices expect to spend the following sums in pursuit of these functions:

  £000s

  Government Office for the North East

  3,174

  Government Office for the North West

  4,682

  Government Office for Yorkshire and Humberside

  3,532

  Government Office for Merseyside

  2,086

  Government Office for the West Midlands

  3,547

  Government Office for the East Midlands

  2,579

  Government Office for the Eastern Region

  2,063

  Government Office for the South West

  2,143

  212

  £000s

  Government Office for the South East

  3,177

  Government Office for London

  4,785

  The Department does not allocate running cost resources at the level of individual programmes or functions.

  Mr. Denham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the total number of staff working in each integrated regional office; and in each integrated regional office, what is the total annual cost of their employment.

  Sir Paul Beresford
  The information requested is shown in the table.

  Government office

  Total number of staff (as at December 1994)

  Total annual cost of staff employed – million

  North East

  289

  6.2

  North West

  383

  8.4

  Mcrseyside

  157

  3.5

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  340

  6.9

  West Midlands

  360

  7.5

  East Midlands

  264

  5.5

  Eastern

  191

  4.5

  South West

  234

  5.2

  South East

  241

  6.0

  London

  340

  8.8

  213
  The total annual cost of staff employed is based on the forecast pay costs of each office in 1994–95.

  Mr. Denham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list those of his Department's responsibilities on which integrated regional offices are responsible for preparing, advising on or implementing regional policy.

  Sir Paul Beresford
  The Government offices in the regions assist my Department in work on preparing and disseminating regional planning guidance, and on European regional development fund matters. They also advise bidders under the single regeneration budget on those bids of regional scale.

  Green Ministers
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many times the Green Ministers met as a group during 1994.

  Mr. Gummer
  Green Ministers met twice as a group in 1994, in addition to fulfilling their continuing responsibilities to integrate environmental considerations into their own Department's strategies and policies.

  Commercial Lobbying
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) on how many occasions in the last four months of which he has knowledge any civil servants in his Department have been approached by commercial lobbying organisations on behalf of their clients at informal or unofficial engagements;

  (2) on how many occasions in the last four months he or any of his Ministers have been approached by commercial lobbying organisations on behalf of their clients at informal or unofficial engagements.

  Sir Paul Beresford
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of Duchy of Lancaster earlier today.

  Dioxins
  Mr. Mans
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, if his Department has responded to the public review draft of the United States Environmental Protection Agency's report on dioxins.

  Sir Paul Beresford
  Yes. The Government have completed their initial study of the EPA's draft report on dioxins. My Department has summarised the results of the study in a factual and technical commentary that it has sent to the EPA.

  The commentary concentrates on the problems of assessing exposure to dioxins. It deals particularly with those aspects of exposure assessment that have been the subject of considerable recent research and analysis in this country and the rest of Europe. We hope this additional perspective may contribute further depth to what is already a very substantial and important draft.

  An expert review of recent scientific work on the health effects of dioxins—including work reported in the EPA draft—is being carried out for the Department of Health by the committee on toxicity of chemicals in food, consumer products and the environment. This review will not be completed for some months: it would, therefore, have been premature to comment in depth on those volumes of the EPA's draft that deal with the health
  214
  effects of dioxins. Meanwhile, established research findings indicate that the dioxin levels to which the UK population is exposed do not, on the basis of the COT's current advice, present a threat to health.

  A copy of the material my Department has sent to the EPA has today been placed in the Library of the House.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Dourine
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many cases of dourine were reported in each year since 1985.

  Mrs. Browning
  No cases of dourine have ever been reported in this country.

  Grubbing Out Grants
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what financial assistance is available from Her Majesty's Government or the European Commission for the grubbing out of(a) orchards and (b) vineyards.

  Mr. Jack
  Financial assistance is available for applicants who grub at least one hectare of culinary or dessert orchards. To qualify apple trees must be less than 20 years old, healthy, capable of bearing a full crop of fruit and planted at a density of more than 400 to the hectare. Grant rates are 5000 ecu—approximately £4,600—per hectare for total grubbing and 3500 ecu—approximately £3,200—per hectare for partial grubbing. The scheme closes on 31 January 1995.

  There is no scheme of financial assistance for the grubbing out of United Kingdoms vineyards.

  Fishing (Spanish Vessels)
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what information he has about the numbers of Spanish—owned vessels on the fishing register of each of the other EEC fishing nations.

  Mr. Jack
  The Ministry does not keep information on the composition of fishing vessel registers maintained by other member states.

  Departmental Employees
  Mrs. Maddock
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many employees for which his Department is responsible were women(a) in 1991, (b) in 1992, (c) in 1993 and (d) in 1994; and of these, how many were (i) at grade 7 level, (ii) at grade 3 level, (iii) at executive officer level, (iv) at administrative officer level and (v) at administrative assistant level.

  Mr. Jack
  The information for MAFF, including its executive agencies, is as follows:
  215

  1991

  1992

  1993

  1994

  Grade

  Women

  Total staff

  Per cent. of total

  Women

  Total staff

  Per cent. of total

  Women

  Total staff

  Per cent. of total

  Women

  Total staff

  Per cent. of total

  3

  1

  25

  4.0

  1

  24

  4.2

  1

  25

  4.0

  0

  23

  0.0

  7

  130

  957

  13.6

  134

  924

  14.5

  150

  920

  16.3

  161

  885

  18.2

  EO

  773

  1,721

  44.9

  786

  1,731

  45.4

  965

  1,946

  49.6

  928

  1,905

  48.7

  AO

  1,365

  2,064

  66.1

  1,377

  2,057

  66.9

  1,541

  2,274

  67.8

  1,656

  2,297

  72.1

  AA

  1,499

  2,056

  72.9

  1,576

  2,086

  75.6

  1,541

  2,065

  74.6

  1,564

  1,991

  78.6

  Notes:

  1. All figures are based on 1 April and are for permanent non-industrials and exclude staff on loan or secondment to other Government Departments.

  2. Figures for part-time staff in 1991 are counted as 1/2 units. Part-time staff from 1992 are counted by head count.

  Equine Infectious Anaemia
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many cases of equine infectious anaemia there have been in each year since 1985.

  Mrs. Browning
  There have been no recorded cases of equine infectious anaemia in this country since 1976.

  Sheep Scab
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many cases of sheep scab there were in each year since 1990 and in each month for 1994.

  Mrs. Browning
  The total number of confirmed cases of sheep scab in England for the years 1990 to 1992 was as follows:

  Number

  1990

  82

  1991

  96

  1992 (to 30 June)

  63

  The collation of official records on the number of outbreaks of sheep scab was discontinued after deregulation of compulsory controls in 1992.

  Industry reports have indicated that sheep scab has been discovered in every county in Britain. A surveillance exercise during spring 1994 identified 177 batches of sheep suspected of having sheep scab from 869 visits to sheep sales and markets. These and other reports confirm that the disease is probably present in all parts of the country.

  The Government announced on 17 May 1994 that they would conduct a publicity campaign and increase the official veterinary presence at sheep markets. To date, in Great Britain suspected sheep scab has been detected at only 14 of 1,982 market visits conducted since 1 September 1994. In total 189 animals have been withdrawn from sale and treated under the Welfare of Animals at Markets Order 1990, and a further 103 animals with suspected sheep scab were sent direct to slaughter.

  A further surveillance exercise will be carried out this spring.

  Generic Milk Production
  Mr. Clifton-Brown
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food for what reasons generic milk production is excluded from the Milk Development Council.

  Mr. Jack
  With a levy-funded budget limited to £6.5 million a year, the Milk Development Council would not 216
  have sufficient resources to run expensive generic promotion campaigns while at the same time undertaking its principal function of sponsoring R and D on dairying. Generic promotion was not therefore among the tasks listed in the polling papers sent to all producers in Great Britain last year and on the basis of which they voted in favour of the establishment of a Milk Development Council.

  Fishing (Northern Ireland)
  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he has taken to establish the origins of the 1,000 tonnes of fish reported as an extension of the Northern Irish fish entitlement as a result of the debate in the House of 18 January,Official Report, columns 771–822; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Jack
  As part of the swaps traditionally negotiated each year with other member states following the December Fisheries Council, the United Kingdom this year acquired 750 tonnes of Irish sea cod and 250 tonnes of Irish sea whiting from the Republic of Ireland.

  Live Animal Imports
  Sir Jerry Wiggin
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is his response to the recommendations in the recent Agriculture Select Committee report on health controls on live animal imports.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  The Government have today laid before Parliament a Command Paper which details its response to the various recommendations in the Agriculture Select Committee report on health controls on live animal imports. This welcomes the Agriculture Select Committee's thorough examination of the health controls which operate for agricultural animals, birds and fish and details our intentions for implementing them. We are also pleased to note the Committee's general endorsement of our current health controls on imported livestock and their recognition that these controls enabled the lifting of routine internal border controls to take place on 1 January 1993 without appreciable increase in the risk of livestock disease entering the United Kingdom.
  217
  The Government also welcome the important contribution which the Committee's report has made to the discussion about future policy on rabies. We believe the changes which the Select Committee recommended would be premature before the eradication programme for rabies in the European Union is complete, and while the new import arrangements for traded cats and dogs in the UK, as well as the rules operating in Norway and Sweden which the Select Committee has taken as a model, are novel and unproven. The Government will, however, continue to monitor closely the performance of these new arrangements and the progress being made within the European Union towards the eradication of rabies.

  Live Animal Exports
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food at what time his Ministry's vets reported the first animals loaded on the livestock trucks in respect of the first sailing carrying live farm animals from Shoreham to Dieppe; and at what time the last animals were unloaded and placed in a lairage in France.

  Mrs. Browning
  This first consignment on the Shoreham-Dieppe route was accompanied by Ministry staff from Shoreham port to the lairage at Dieppe. They reported that the convoy of livestock vehicles was at the dockside at 00.10 hours on 5 January. Loading was completed by 02.10 hours and the vessel left Shoreham at 02.30 hours, arriving at Dieppe at 12.50 hours. Unloading of animals at the lairage was completed at 13.25 hours—all timings are given in British time.

  Fishing (Decommissioning)
  Mr. Ainger
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many British fishing vessels he estimates will take up the additional £28 million decommissioning programme.

  Mr. Jack
  [holding answer 24 January 1995]: The decommissioning scheme operates through a tendering system in order to obtain best value for money for the available funds. It is not therefore possible to say in advance how many bids will be approved. Details of the uptake of decommissioning in 1993 and 1994 were given in the reply to the hon. Member for Banff and Buchan (Mr. Salmond) on 20 January 1995, Official Report, columns 736–37.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

  Commercial Lobbying
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Lord President of the Council (1) on how many occasions in the last four months of which he has knowledge any civil servants in his Department have been approached by commercial lobbying organisations on behalf of their clients at informal or unofficial engagements;

  (2) on how many occasions in the last four months he has been approached by commercial lobbying organisations on behalf of their clients at informal or unofficial engagements.
  218
  Mr. Newton
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster today.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  Commercial Lobbying
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Attorney-General (1) on how many occasions in the last four months of which he has knowledge any civil servants in his Department have been approached by commercial lobbying organisations on behalf of their clients at informal or unofficial engagements;

  (2) on how many occasions in the last four months he or any of his Ministers have been approached by commercial lobbying organisations on behalf of their clients at informal or unofficial engagements.

  The Attorney-General
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster today.

  Combat 18
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Attorney-General (1) what reports he has received from the Metropolitan police for proceedings to be considered under the Public Order Act 1986 against two men associated with Combat 18; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) if he will consult his counterpart in the United States of America to discuss whether invitations to readers of publications produced by Combat 18 in the United Kingdom to send information to Combat 18 via a PO box number for the Dixie Press in America about individuals to be harassed, intimidated or attacked, contravenes American law.

  The Attorney-General
  Neither I nor the Crown Prosecution Service has yet received a report from the Metropolitan police, whose investigation into Combat 18 continues. It is not possible to assess in advance of receipt of the police report what action or further inquiries may be appropriate.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Shipbuilding
  Mr. Nicholas Brown
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the size of the shipbuilding industry in Tyne and Wear in 1979; and what its size is now.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  Comparable data for the years in question are not available. Employment in shipbuilding and ship repairing in Tyne and Wear in September 1981 was 18,257 and in September 1989 was 5,229. Since then employment has declined further with the contraction of the industry in Tyne and Wear.

  Security Equipment
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the Government's policy on the export,
  219
  or arrangement of sale, by British companies of electronic riot shields and electronic batons.

  Mr. Needham
  The export of certain security and paramilitary police goods is controlled. This includes portable anti-riot devices for administering an electric shock or an incapacitating substance. In considering applications for licences for the export of such equipment the DTI, together with advisers in other Government Departments, takes special care and considers very carefully the political and military implications of allowing consignments to go overseas. Particular attention is paid to proposed exports to countries with poor human rights records, where the equipment might be used for internal repression.

  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what discussions he has had with BAe's Royal Ordnance division about the supply of electric shock batons to Saudi Arabia; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Ian Taylor
  None. The company has denied both publicly and to my officials that any such supply has taken place.

  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the occasions and the dates on which his Department(a) received information in respect of and (b) supported the export of electro-shock weapons to (i) China and (ii) Saudi Arabia.

  Mr. Ian Taylor
  [holding answer 18 January 1995]: A number of allegations have been made: they have been followed-up by my officials. The companies involved have made public denials. I am not aware of any support given for the export of electro-shock weapons to these destinations.

  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what electro-shock equipment has been exported by(a) the Royal Ordnance, (b) British Aerospace or (c) any other British companies in the last 10 years.

  Mr. Ian Taylor
  [holding answer 18 January 1995]: Controls exist on the export of portable anti-riot devices for administering an electric shock. Other equipment of this sort is not licensable under the Export of Goods (Control) Order. This question could be answered in respect of controlled equipment only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what measures his Department is taking to pursue the Government's policy of preventing the export of equipment and weapons which can be used for torture.

  Mr. Ian Taylor
  [holding answer 18 January 1995]: My Department gives careful consideration to applications for the export of weapons. In considering such proposals, special care is taken over the political and military implications of allowing consignments to go overseas. Particular attention is paid to countries with poor human rights records, where equipment might be used for internal repression. However, the list of seemingly innocuous equipment that can be used for the purposes of torture is endless and there is a real problem in controlling trade in legitimate goods which could be misused. The Government are willing to look at any tangible evidence of British companies knowingly involved in supplying materials and expertise for the purposes of repression.

  Uranium
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what quantities of reprocessed uranium have been exported under licence to the Russian Federation since 1991 for re-enrichment before return to the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  Since 1991 there have been no exports of reprocessed uranium from the United Kingdom to the Russian Federation.

  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what applications have been made by British Nuclear Fuels or Nuclear Electric for import licences for enriched uranium purchased from companies in the Russian Federation or other members of the Commonwealth of Independent States.

  Mr. Needham
  As a general matter, applications for import licences are treated as commercially confidential.

  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what memoranda of understanding exist between the United Kingdom and the former Soviet Union which have been inherited by the Russian Federation providing for a framework agreement for the import of uranium hexafluoride from Russia for commercial use.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  Before the former Soviet Union came to an end in December 1991, imports of uranium hexafluoride were made on a purely commercial basis. None of the Government's obligations in the field of nuclear non-proliferation required an inter-governmental memorandum of understanding.

  Nuclear Industry (Accident Liability)
  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what criteria were used in setting the level of nuclear industry's liability in the event of a nuclear accident at £140 million; and when he next intends to review this level of liability.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  The figure of £140 million is in line with the recommendation of the steering committee for nuclear energy of the OECD for countries which are parties to the Paris convention. It also takes account of the level of commercial insurance cover available. The figure is kept under review.

  Nuclear Reactors (Cracking)
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will instruct Her Majesty's nuclear installations inspectorate to investigate the safety of the similar AGR plant of Hartlepool in respect of cracking problems as discovered at the Heysham and Dungeness AGR reactors.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  I understand that a programme of periodic inspections is already undertaken at Hartlepool, where the superheater headers are similar to those at Heysham 1, where cracks have been found. The headers are included in the routine inspection programme. At the last such inspection at Hartlepool in June 1994, no cracks were identified in the equivalent header welds. As a precautionary measure, the Health and Safety Executive's nuclear installations inspectorate has agreed with the operator, Nuclear Electric, a programme of additional inspections.

  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what reports have been brought to his attention by
  221
  the nuclear installations inspectorate over the past two years in regard to the discovery of cracks found in the steam generator of the boilers at the Heysham A and Dungeness B nuclear plants; and what decisions he has taken in response to the nuclear installations inspectorate reports.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  The Health and Safety Executive's nuclear installations inspectorate does not report to this Department on its day-to-day inspection activities at nuclear power plants. The answer I gave to the hon. Member for Leyton (Mr. Cohen) on 19 January,Official Report, column 589, referred to the action being taken by Nuclear Electric on cracks discovered at Dungeness B and Heysham 1 and explained that both plants would be brought back into operation only once the NII is satisfied that it is safe for them to do so.

  Nuclear Reprocessing
  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what representations his Department received from German nuclear companies on their intentions regarding cancellation of reprocessing contracts into British Nuclear Fuels prior to the thermal oxide reprocessing plant being licensed; and what assessment he has made of them.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  No such representations were received.

  Aerosols
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) what steps he is taking to ensure that the risks of injury resulting from accidental ignition of aerosols and aerosol contents are minimised;

  (2) how many injuries are sustained annually from the accidental ignition of aerosols and aerosol contents;

  (3) what plans he has to encourage aerosol manufacturers to improve the safety of their products.

  Mr. Ian Taylor
  The Department's home accident surveillance system estimate, from a sample of accident and emergency hospital accident data, is that the number of injuries due to the accidental ignition of aerosols in United Kingdom is no more than 200 injuries in any year. There were 750 million aerosols sold in the UK in 1993. Aerosols are subject to the Aerosol Dispensers (EEC Requirements) Regulations 1977, as amended, the General Product Safety Regulations 1994 and the Consumer Protection Act 1987. Subject to the need to implement the recent Commission directive 94/1/EEC adapting to technical progress directive 75/324/EEC on aerosol dispensers and the thirteenth amendment to directive 76/769/EEC on the marketing and use of dangerous substances and preparations, I have no plans for any additional legislation.

  World Trade
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was(a) the total volume of world trade in dollars and (b) the percentage increase year-on-year in each year from 1990–91 to 1993–94.

  Mr. Needham
  The information, where available, is given in the following table:
  222

  World Trade1 in Goods

  1991 US Dollars (billions)

  Per cent. change on previous year

  1990

  821.6

  n/a

  1991

  856.3

  4.2

  1992

  901.0

  5.2

  1993

  927.3

  2.9

  Note:

  1 Trade is calculated as the arithmetic mean of exports and imports.

  Source:

  OECD Main Economic Indicators, December 1994.

  Trade Balance (Vehicles)
  Mr. Spellar
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his answer of 11 January to the hon. Member for Great Grimsby (Mr. Mitchell),Official Report, column 156, if he will make a statement as to his Department's analysis of the reasons for the worsening of the trade balance in cars and commercial vehicles.

  Mr. Needham
  Despite an upturn in the United Kingdom car market during the last two years, continued recession in continental Europe has drastically affected car exports from the UK to those markets. Similarly, the strong growth in the UK commercial vehicle market last year led European manufacturers aggressively to target the UK at a time when their domestic markets have remained in recession. UK car and commercial vehicle manufacturers are well placed to reverse this position as the economy of mainland Europe recovers.

  Merchant Banks
  Mr. Ronnie Campbell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade when merchant banks became exempt from legislation requiring disclosure of share purchases; and if he will review the procedure.

  Mr. Jonathan Evans
  Merchants banks as such are not exempt from the law on disclosure of interests in shares. Certain categories of interests in shares have been exempt from disclosure since a law on disclosure of interests in shares was first introduced in 1967. These categories have been updated subsequently and now include interests in shares held by banks and others by way of security; interests in shares held by market makers for the purposes of their market making business; and interests held by custodians in their capacity as such.

  The law on disclosure of interests in shares is now being examined as part of the Department's company law reform programme.

  Business Start-up
  Mr. Allason
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade by what percentage the single regeneration budget will be reduced in 1995–96; and what will be the impact in cash terms on the Devon and Cornwall training and enterprise council's funding for business start-up.

  Mr. Curry
  I have been asked to reply.

  Total national expenditure on the single regeneration budget in 1995–96 is expected, on current plans, to be 8 per cent. lower in cash terms than that in 1994–95. Expenditure on business start-up schemes by Devon and Cornwall training and enterprise council in 1995–96 cannot yet be estimated. Existing commitments will continue to be honoured, but contracts for 1995–96 have not yet been signed. In addition, Devon and Cornwall

  223
  TEC is a partner in three successful SRB bids which include business start-up and business training and advice project. The partnerships are currently preparing their delivery plans for these schemes.

  Coal Imports
  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many million tonnes of coal were imported into the United Kingdom in 1994; and what was the impact of coal imports on the United Kingdom balance of payments.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  Figures for the whole of 1994 are not yet available. Coal imports for the first three quarters of the year amounted to 11.9 million tonnes and were 13 per cent. below the level in the same period of 1993. The negative impact of these imports on the balance of payments figures will be about £400 million.

  Manufacturing Supplies
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) what capacity his Department has to supply comprehensive lists of manufacturing supplies in specific sectors to prospective purchasers of United Kingdom goods;

  (2) what progress his Department has made in producing an acceptable comprehensive system for priority information on United Kingdom suppliers in each section of the manufacturing process.

  Mr. Eggar
  The network of regional supply offices currently being set up in England by my Department will provide major purchasers with information on competitive suppliers in their region and more widely. Each of the 10 offices will focus on particular business sectors taking into account local strengths and weaknesses. The network will complement similar initiatives run by the Welsh and Scottish development agencies.

  In addition, the overseas trade services, jointly provided by my Department and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, supply information on United Kingdom suppliers to potential overseas purchasers through commercial staff overseas, either from the extensive information sources held overseas or by referral back to the United Kingdom to the source of supply service run on our behalf by Prelink Ltd.

  Retail Price Maintenance
  Mr. Clifton-Brown
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the policy justification for the continuation of retail price maintenance for(a) pharmaceuticals, (b) newspapers and (c) periodicals; and what other products or services for which retail price maintenance is still in force there are.

  Mr. Jonathan Evans
  Resale price maintenance is unlawful under the Resale Prices Act 1976, subject to the possibility of exemption by the restrictive practices court on public interest grounds. Two exemptions are in force, for books and for certain pharmaceuticals, which were exempted on the grounds that price competition between retailers would be likely to lead to a reduction in the number of outlets offering prescription services. No exemption exists in relation to newspapers or periodicals.

  Leeds Training and Enterprise Council
  Dr. Hampson
  To ask the President of the President of the Board of Trade how much funding his Department will be providing to Leeds TEC in 1995–96 for small and medium businesses; and how much was provided in 1994–95.

  Mr. Ian Taylor
  The DTI grant offer to Leeds TEC for small and medium businesses in 1994–95 was £410,000. The budget for 1995–96 has yet to be settled.

  Integrated Regional Offices
  Mr. Denham
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list those of his Department's responsibilities on which the integrated regional offices are required to advise him on the allocation of resources and, for each integrated regional office, the annual expenditure on each programme.

  Mr. Heseltine
  Regional directors advise on a range of programmes but do not hold programme budgets and are not therefore responsible for allocating resources to programmes. The 1993–94 expenditure proposed on each programme was detailed in the DTI's published MINIS 1994, available in the Library of the House.

  Mr. Denham
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list those of his Department's responsibilities which are administered by the integrated regional offices and, for each integrated regional office, the estimated annual expenditure on each of these responsibilities.

  Mr. Heseltine
  The range of activities undertaken by DTI in the regions has not changed with the introduction of the Government offices. The activities and the running costs associated with them for 1993–94 were published in MINIS 1994, available in the Library of the House.

  Mr. Denham
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list those of his Department's responsibilities on which integrated regional offices are responsible for preparing, advising on or implementing regional policy.

  Mr. Heseltine
  The Government offices in the regions assist my Department in work on a range of regional policy issues including regional selective assistance applications, the preparation of single programming documents for the structural funds and administering the regional innovation grants.

  Inward Investing Companies
  Mr. Deva
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) what the total value of the output of inward investing companies in the United Kingdom was in 1993;

  (2) what was the total value of the exports of inward investing companies in the United Kingdom in 1993.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  The information is not available at present. However, in view of the importance of the contribution of these companies to the economic performance of the United Kingdom, the Department approached the Central Statistical Office last month to ask it to produce the information.

  Green Minister
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what are the responsibilities of the Green Minister in his Department regarding oil and gas exploration and extraction.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  My right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade has designated me as the Green Minister for the Department. I take decisions on oil and gas exploration and extraction on the basis of a number of criteria, including the possible effect such activities may have on the environment. In reaching these decisions, I take account of advice from a wide range of environmental organisations, including the Joint Nature Conservation Committee.

  National Engineering Laboratory
  Mr. Ingram
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what additional funds have been made available to the national engineering laboratory; and for what reason.

  Mr. Ian Taylor
  The National Engineering Laboratory is subject to net expenditure control. Therefore it is required to recover its full economic costs from work carried out for my Department and third parties. Any additional cash provisions are dealt with as part of the annual public expenditure settlement and presented to Parliament in my Department's main estimates.

  Mr. Ingram
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade which organisations have expressed an interest in purchasing the national engineering laboratory; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Ian Taylor
  A number of organisations have expressed such an interest. Their identities are commercially confidential.

  Mr. Ingram
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what parts of the national engineering laboratory, including building and land, have been included in the prospectus for the sale of the national engineering laboratory.

  Mr. Ian Taylor
  My Department has offered for sale the business and assets of the national engineering laboratory. The buildings and lands are not owned by the Department.

  Glass Oven Doors
  Mr. David Young
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many cases have been reported of exploding glass oven doors; what safety monitoring of ovens with such doors has taken place; and what action is being taken by his Department.

  Mr. Ian Taylor
  [holding answer 24 January 1995]: The number of incidents involving exploding glass oven doors which have been reported to my Department's consumer safety unit is:

  Year

  Number

  1984

  12

  1985

  25

  1986

  32

  1987

  28

  1988

  34

  1989

  9

  226

  Year

  Number

  1990

  10

  1991

  8

  1992

  2

  1993

  2

  1994

  3

  Although very few injuries occurred, the increase in the number of reported incidents between 1984 and 1988 prompted my Department to discuss the problem with industry. This led to a significant improvement to British standard 3193—specification for thermally toughened glass panels for use in domestic appliances. Improvements were also made in the way in which glass doors are attached to cookers, and both aspects are reflected in the reduced number of incidents since that time.

  Although there has been a significant reduction in the number of incidents reported since 1989, my Department continue to monitor the situation and to contribute to the relevant European standards—CEN and CENELEC—safety committees on cookers and glass which now fully reflect the British standard.

  Internet
  Sir Wyn Roberts
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will encourage the establishment of a British-based equivalent of the Internet system in order for Britain to promote its interests worldwide.

  Mr. Ian Taylor
  [holding answer 23 January 1995]: The Internet is now so international and amorphous that its operation would be very difficult to influence in order to provide a national benefit. However, the DTI is monitoring its development and the prospect of other networks closely.

  The United Kingdom's interests are best served by the fullest development of new telecommunication networks and services, led by the private sector and reflecting the economic interests of businesses, public institutions and households. The UK is in a very strong position to use these capabilities because of the state of development of our communications infrastructure. The Government's policy of telecommunications liberalization has encouraged substantial investment in modern communications networks with the capacity to support the multimedia applications that the new communications networks require. There are many companies in Britain working on such applications.

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

  Immigration Appeals Authority
  Mr. Robert Ainsworth
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, how many special adjudicators are employed by the Immigration Appeals Authority; and what plans he has to increase that number.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The Lord Chancellor has designated 62 immigration adjudicators to be special adjudicators for the purposes of section 8(5) of the Asylum and Immigration Appeals Act 1993, 18 of whom are full-time adjudicators. Ten new part-time special
  227
  adjudicators were designated in December 1994 and further increases in the numbers are likely during the course of the year, the precise numbers depending on the work load of the immigration appellate authorities.

  Mr. Robert Ainsworth
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what is the total

  1. Adjudicators

  Adjudicators

  Centre

  Staff in post

  Full-time

  Part-time

  Courtrooms

  London

  52

  7

  17

  8

  West London

  43

  7

  26

  15

  Birmingham

  8

  2

  13

  4

  Leeds

  8

  1

  14

  3

  Manchester

  7

  —

  15

  4

  Glasgow

  7

  1

  8

  2

  125

  18

  93

  36

  2. Immigration Appeal Tribunal

  No.

  Staff in post

  12

  Chairmen

  Full-time

  3

  Part-time

  7

  Lay members

  26

  Courtrooms

  2

  Mr. Robert Ainsworth
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what guidance is given to special adjudicators of the Immigration Appeals Authority on the level of recognisance to be required when granting bail to persons detained under Immigration Act powers.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  No such guidance is given by the Lord Chancellor's Department. The level of recognisance in these cases is a matter for the special adjudicator's discretion.

  Mr. Robert Ainsworth
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many applications for bail were made to the Immigration Appeals Authority by persons detained under Immigration Act powers in(a) 1993 and (b) 1994 to date; and how many of these applications were successful.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  There were 531 such applications in 1993; 898 in 1994; and to date there have been 56 in 1995. The outcome of a bail application is recorded on the individual file but results are not collated centrally. The information requested could therefore be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Robert Ainsworth
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what was the total cost in the financial year 1993–94 to his Department of hearing applications for bail by persons detained under Immigration Act powers.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  I refer the hon. Member to my reply to him on 15 December 1994,Official Report, column 729.

  Mr. Robert Ainsworth
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what was the total budget of the Immigration Appeals Authority in the financial year 1993–94.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The total budget of the immigration appellate authorities in the financial year 1993–94 was £6,397,850.
  228
  establishment of the Immigration Appeals Authority; and if he will provide a breakdown of that establishment by function and location.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The information is set out in the tables:

  Magistrates Courts (Appointment System)
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what estimate there is of savings likely to the legal aid fund by the adoption of an appointment system in magistrates courts; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  No estimate has been made of potential savings to the legal aid fund.

  Solicitors Complaints Bureau
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what steps he is taking to ensure that practice rule 15 does not prevent the Solicitors Complaints Bureau from investigating a serious complaint.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The Law Society's statutory powers to deal with complaints about solicitors have been delegated to the Solicitors Complaints Bureau. The legal services ombudsman has paid particular attention to the application of practice rule 15 by the SCB and in his third annual report he warned that many complaints could only be dealt with effectively if investigated by the SCB. The SCB has a statutory duty to have regard to the recommendations of the ombudsman.

  Commercial Lobbying
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department (1) on how many occasions in the last four months he or his ministerial colleagues have been approached by commercial lobbying organisations on behalf of their clients at informal or unofficial engagements;

  (2) on how many occasions in the last four months of which he has knowledge any civil servants in his Department have been approached by commercial lobbying organisations on behalf of their clients at informal or unofficial engagements.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given today by my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.

PRIME MINISTER

  World Summit for Social Development
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will be attending the world summit for social development.

  The Prime Minister
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Bristol, East (Ms Corston) on 23 January,Official Report, column 23.

  Commercial Lobbying
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Prime Minister on how many occasions in the last four months of which he has knowledge any civil servants in his Department have been approached by commercial lobbying organisations on behalf of their clients at informal or unofficial engagements.

  The Prime Minister
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster today.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Parliamentary Questions
  Ms Janet Anderson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many parliamentary questions he has referred to chief executives of next steps agencies.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Since 1992, 16 parliamentary questions have been referred to the chief executives of the United Kingdom Passport Agency, of the Forensic Science Service and of the Fire Service College. The Prison Service Agency does not maintain a central record of parliamentary questions answered by the director general and the information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Prison Statistics
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list by prison(a) the target prison population, (b) the actual prison population, (c) the staff establishment in full-time equivalents and (d) staff in post in full-time equivalents for each year since 1991.

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

  Letter from Derek Lewis to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 25 January 1995:
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Questions about a list by prison of (a) the target prison population, (b) the actual prison population, (c) the staff establishment in full-time equivalents and (d) staff in post in full-time equivalents for each year since 1971.
  Individual Prison Service establishments do not have target populations. Information on the accommodation (at 31 March) and average population of prison establishments is published in the
  230
  Prison Service annual reports, copies of which are in the Library of the House.
  The annual report for 1993–94 has yet to be published but the information on total accommodations and average number of prisoners is as in the attached table (annex 1).
  Information on the average population of establishments for April to November 1994 is set out in the attached table at annex 2, together with the average certified normal accommodation (CNA).
  Copies of both annexes have been placed in the House of Commons libraries.
  I will write to you separately with the figures on staffing levels at establishments.

  Director General of the Prison Service
  Lady Olga Maitland
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what procedures were undertaken when the Director General of the Prison Service was selected; how many candidates were considered for this post; and what criteria were used in assessing the candidates.

  Mr. Howard
  The Civil Service Commissioners are required to approve all agency chief executive appointments and the appointment of the Director General of the Prison Service was approved by them in the normal way. The appointment was advertised and an executive search conducted. The First Civil Service Commissioner chaired the selection procedure. The board considered nearly 40 candidates and interviewed five. Three were assessed as of an acceptable standard and, in view of the importance of the appointment, the procedure adopted was that the board adjourned in order to allow the then Home Secretary to meet those candidates. The board then reconvened. The appointment was a matter for my predecessor but the candidate he appointed was approved by the board under the First Civil Service Commissioner's chairmanship. The main criteria for selection were set out in the advertisement for the post: experience, most probably at chief executive level, of leading a substantial organisation in the public or private sector; a track record of successful management of large-scale change, delivering improved quality and efficiency; first-class communication skills and good judgment.

  Prison Damage
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the cost of refurbishing prisons following damage by prisoners acting unlawfully for each year since 1990.

  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.
  231
  Letter from Derek Lewis to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 25 January 1995:
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the cost of refurbishing prisons as a result of damage caused by prisoners acting unlawfully for each year since 1990.
  The total costs for refurbishing establishments damaged by prisoners in each financial year since 1990/1, for which figures are available, are as follows:

  1990–91: £27.9 million

  1991–92: £512,000

  1992–93: £464,000

  1993–94: £5,072,000

  1994–95: £135,000*

  *Costs for the current financial year to date.

  High Security Prisons (Costs)
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the annual cost at current prices of keeping a man in a high security prison.

  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.
  232
  Letter from Derek Lewis to Mr. David Nicholson, dated 25 January 1995:
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the annual cost of keeping a prisoner in a high security prison.
  The annual average net operating cost per prisoner place in dispersal prisons in 1993–4 was £26,671.

  Blakenhurst Prison
  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to publish Her Majesty's chief inspector's report into Her Majesty's prison, Blakenhurst; and what are the reasons for the delay in its publication.

  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. Doug Hoyle, dated 25 January 1995:
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the publication of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector's report into Blakenhurst.
  It is expected that the report will be published on 1 February. Publication has not been unduly delayed. The report was received from the Inspector on 10 October 1994. Careful consideration is given to all such reports before publication and this has been so for the Blakenhurst report.

  Pucklechurch Remand Centre
  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prison officers have been on detached duty to Pucklechurch remand centre to cover 24-hour surveillance duty since 2 January; and from which prisons.

  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. Doug Hoyle, dated 25 January 1995:
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question abut the number of prison officers on detached duty at Pucklechurch Remand Centre to cover 24 hour surveillance duty since 2 January and from which prisons they have been sent.
  A total of seventeen offices have been used on detached duty from Swansea, Leyhill, Winchester, Stoke Heath, Portland, Usk, Guy's Marsh, Wandsworth and Bristol prisons.

  Electro-shock Equipment
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the commissioning of medical studies regarding the safety and effectiveness of vehicle mounted or fence or perimeter mounted electro-shock devices.

  Mr. Maclean
  The Home Office has no plans to commission such studies.

  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what arrangements are made between his Department and private companies or individuals to lease or rent electro-shock equipment;

  (2) if he will make a statement on the holding of stocks of electro-shock devices by his Department;

  (3) how many United Kingdom police forces hold supplies of electro-shock shields of electro-shock batons;

  (4) what information he has of fatalities attributable to the use of electro-shock devices;

  (5) how many United Kingdom, military, security or police personnel have attended training or instruction courses in the use of electro-shock devices with overseas manufacturers or suppliers.

  Mr. Maclean
  The Home Office does not hold stocks of this equipment nor is it party to any leasing or rental agreements with third parties. Information concerning the number of police forces holding supplies of electro-shock shields or batons is not held centrally. As I made clear in my written answer of 17 January,Official Report, column 383, some forces have obtained electro-shock equipment only to protect officers against ferocious dogs in pre-planned operations. The Home Office has no details of fatalities from the use of electro-shock devices. I have no knowledge of any staff in Home Office areas of responsibility attending manufacturers' or suppliers' training courses in the use of such equipment.

  Noise Pollution
  Sir Terence Higgins
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what instructions have now been issued to officers of the Metropolitan police to reduce unnecessary noise pollution by the use of police car sirens following the review mentioned in his answer of 23 June 1994,Official Report, column 258.
  234
  Mr. Maclean
  A copy of the Metropolitan police notice announcing an amendment to the Metropolitan police instruction manual has now been approved and a copy of the notice will be placed in the Library as soon as possible.

  Motorists (Retesting)
  Mr. Robert Ainsworth
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many motorists have been obliged to undergo compulsory retesting in the last two years for which figures are available.

  Mr. Maclean
  The information available to me suggests that some 1,000 disqualifications were imposed in 1992 in England and Wales which also included a driving test requirement. The figure for 1993 was 2,700.

  Electoral Fraud
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what new proposals he intends to make to eliminate electoral fraud caused by the depositing of fraudulent votes in ballot boxes.

  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  None. The Representation of the People Act 1983 contains provisions for the prevention and detection of fraudulent votes. The Act also provides for sanction in respect of illegal practices, corrupt practices and other offences. We have no proposals for any change.

  Commercial Lobbying
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) on how many occasions in the last four months of which he has knowledge any civil servants in his Department have been approached by commercial lobbying organisations on behalf of their clients at informal or unofficial engagements;

  (2) on how many occasions in the last four months he or any of his Ministers have been approached by commercial lobbying organisations on behalf of their clients at informal or unofficial engagements.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  I refer the hon. Member to the replies given by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster today.

  Visa Refusals
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information he has on the rate of refusals of visas for entry into the United Kingdom from(a) Thailand, (b) New Zealand, (c) Australia, (d) Canada and (e) India for each year since 1990.

  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  The available information is given in the table.

  Table 1: Refusal Rates(1) for entry clearance applications made in Thailand, New Zealand. Australia, Canada and India, 1990–1993

  Percentages

  1990

  1991

  1992

  1993

  Entry clearance made for temporary purposes2

  Thailand

  2

  4

  3

  3

  New Zealand

  1

  —

  1

  1

  Australia

  —

  1

  —

  —

  Canada

  1

  1

  1

  —

  India3

  12

  10

  8

  7

  235

  Table 1: Refusal Rates(1) for entry clearance applications made in Thailand, New Zealand, Australia, Canada and India, 1990–1993

  Percentages

  1990

  1991

  1992

  1993

  Entry clearance applications made for settlement4

  Thailand

  5

  16

  19

  21

  New Zealand

  —

  2

  —

  —

  Australia

  —

  1

  —

  —

  Canada

  —

  —

  —

  —

  India3

  19

  22

  20

  21

  Source:

  Foreign and Commonwealth Office (for Thailand, New Zealand, Australia and Canada) and Home Office (for India).

  Notes:

  1 Calculated as applications refused initially, as a percentage of applications granted (in total) and refused.

  2 Some applications will have been made by nationals of other countries.

  3 Ultimate refusal rate calculated as applications initially refused, minus applications subsequently granted on appeal, as a percentage of applications decided.

  4 Includes applications for a certificate of entitlement to the right of abode.

  —= less than 0.5 per cent.

  Football Pools
  Sir Ivan Lawrence
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans there are to change the Government's policy in relation to broadcast advertising of the football pools.

  Mr. Howard
  The Government have been reviewing the restrictions on the ban on broadcast advertising by the football pools as part of the deregulation initiative and have decided that it is not necessary in the public interest for the ban to be maintained.

  The Government have today invited the Independent Television Commission and the Radio Authority to consider amending their advertising codes. The ITC and the Radio Authority are required to consult with all interested parties.

  Immigration Detainees
  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were detained under Immigration Act powers in each month in 1993 and 1994.

  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  [holding answer 18 January 1995):The information requested is given in the table.

  Persons1 detained under Immigration Act powers

  Month2

  1993

  19943

  January

  852

  1,090

  February

  927

  1,000

  March

  878

  1,050

  April

  871

  850

  May

  881

  830

  June

  721

  820

  July

  927

  950

  August

  772

  1,080

  September

  799

  1,100

  October

  756

  1,100

  236

  Persons1 detained under Immigration Act powers

  Month2

  1993

  19943

  November

  771

  4360

  December

  966

  4250

  Year

  10,121

  410,470

  Notes:

  1 Passengers at ports detained overnight or longer, and persons detained as illegal entrants or under deportation powers (excluding persons detained pending deportation following completion of a custodial sentence).

  2 For persons detained as illegal entrants or under deportation powers, the month relates to when the illegal entrant was detected or when the notice of intention to deport was served, not when the person was detained.

  3 Data for 1994 are provisional and have been rounded to the nearest 10.

  4 Excluding passengers at ports detained in November and December 1994, the data on whom are not yet available.

  Drownings
  Mr. Hinchcliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons died as a result of drowning on bathing beaches, in each year since 1980 and(a) in England and (b) in each English coastal resort; and how many of these were under the age of 18 years.

  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  Statistics that would identify drownings off beaches in Britain are not collected centrally, but since 1983 the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents has produced and published annual statistics on drownings in the United Kingdom based on collation of press reports. I understand that they may hold information which could assist in answering the hon. Member's question.

  Scanners
  Mr. Hanson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the use of scanners to detect offensive weapons in places of public entertainment.

  Mr. Maclean
  A number of products are available commercially which are capable of detecting concealed metal objects, including offensive weapons. These are evaluated regularly by the Home Office police scientific development branch. Its evaluations are made available to the police and persons wishing to acquire such equipment may obtain appropriate advice from their local crime prevention officer.

  It is open to he owners of private premises used for public entertainment to make it a condition of entry that persons wishing to enter their premises submit themselves to a search. Such searches may be conducted by means of hand-held scanners.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Dairy Farmers
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what were the approximate average net profits for dairy farmers in each year since 1985.

  Mr. Ancram
  The net profits of dairy farmers is not determined each year as net profits is not one of the measures used to assess farm profitability in the United
  237
  Kingdom. Information on incomes of full-time dairy farms and other farm types is collected in the farm business survey and published each year in "Farm Incomes in the United Kingdom". The latest edition, "Farm Incomes in the United Kingdom 1992/93", shows estimates of several different measures of income for dairy farms in 1991–92 and 1992–93.

  To illustrate longer-term trends in incomes, index series are also given for net farm income, occupier's net income and cash income back to 1986–87—table 1.1 and appendix 1, tables 1 and 2—the earliest year for which data are available on a consistent basis.

  "Farm Incomes in the United Kingdom 1993–94" will be published in March 1995.

  Dourine
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many cases of Dourine were reported in each year since 1985.

  Mr. Ancram
  Dourine has never been recorded in Northern Ireland.

  Repossessions
  Mr. Spellar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the figures for house repossessions have been in each of the last three years.

  Mr. Moss
  Repossessions statistics are not provided by the mortgage-lending institutions on a regional basis and therefore are not available for Northern Ireland.

  However, I understand that the enforcement of judgments office issued 683 orders for repossessions in 1992, 492 in 1993 and 468 in 1994.

  Commercial Lobbying
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) on how many occasions in the last four months of which he has knowledge any civil servants in his Department have been approached by commercial lobbying organisations on behalf of their clients at informal or unofficial engagements;

  (2) on how many occasions in the last four months he or any of his Ministers have been approached by commercial lobbying organisations on behalf of their clients at informal or unofficial engagements.

  Sir John Wheeler
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer given him by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster earlier today.

TREASURY

  Exchange Rate Mechanism
  Sir Thomas Arnold
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 16 January 1995,Official Report, column 289, if he will outline the common procedure mentioned in paragraph 1 of the communiqué and the steps therein.

  Mr. Nelson
  Article 3 of the resolution of the European Council of Brussels of 5 December 1978 provides that"adjustments of central rates will be subject to mutual agreement by a common procedure which will comprise all countries participating in the exchange rate mechanism and the Commission. There will be
  238
  reciprocal consultation in the Community framework about important decisions concerning exchange rate policy between countries participating and any country not participating in the system"

  Any member state intending to change, establish or reestablish the parity, central rate or intervention points of its currency within the ERM is required to initiate a prior consultation procedure by informing the relevant authorities of member states.

  ECOFIN
  Mr. Matthew Banks
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the most recent meeting of the Economic and Finance Council.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  I represented the United Kingdom at the Economic and Finance Council of the European Union in Brussels on 16 January.

  The French presidency outlined its work programme for the coming Economic and Finance Councils, based on the three priorities: sustainable growth and the creation of employment; the enhancement of the credibility of European policies; and the completion of the single market.

  In reply, I welcomed the presidency's work programme, particularly its stress on improvements in the fight against fraud. I stressed that economic conditions in member states were now the best for several years and that it was vital to use this opportunity to tackle long-term unemployment and other structural problems through more flexible labour markets. I underlined the need to respect the convergence criteria on low inflation and reduced public deficits set out in the Maastricht treaty and stressed the need for a systematic review of the Community's balance of payments support outside the EU.

  The Council agreed to the presidency's procedural proposals for dealing with the follow-up to the Essen European Council on: the financing of trans-European networks; the parameters within which member states wishing to do so could introduce a CO2-energy tax; fraud and financial management; and the employment situation.

  No formal votes were taken at the Council meeting.

  Insider-Dealing
  Mr. Cummings
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he will be meeting the chairman of the stock exchange to discuss the rules on insider dealing and disclosure of marketing stakes.

  Mr. Nelson
  My right hon. and learned Friend meets the chairman of the stock exchange from time to time to discuss matters of mutual interest.

  Next Steps Agencies
  Mr. Kaufman
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will set out for each of the next steps agencies in his Department, whether they have acquired their own headquarters buildings and, if so, at what purchase cost or annual rental; how many support staff they have required which were not required when their operations were within his Department; how many of them publish periodical journals and at what annual cost; how many have fleets of executive cars or single executive cars and at what annual cost; how many have specially designed logos and at what cost; how many have corporate clothing
  239
  and at what cost; and what is the cost of specially designed and printed corporate stationery.

  Mr. Nelson
  The information sought falls within the operational responsibilities of the chief executives of the Royal Mint, Central Statistical Office, Paymaster and Valuation Office executive agencies and I have asked each of them to arrange for a reply to be given. The four agencies did not form part of the Treasury prior to becoming agencies.

  Letter from Mr. R. Holmes to Mr. Gerald Kaufman, dated 24 January 1995:
  The Chancellor of the Exchequer has asked me to provide, in relation to the Royal Mint, the information sought in your Question concerning Agency expenditure on a number of specific matters.
  I will respond to each of these as they appear in your Question:

  1. The Royal Mint is a Government Department which has been a Trading Fund since 1975 and an Agency since 1990. The change to Agency status did not result in any additional expenditure on buildings or staff.

  2. The Royal Mint issues a monthly staff newsletter at an annual cost of £4,000.

  3. The Royal Mint has no personally allocated executive cars.

  4. Coincidental with our new Agency status in 1990, the Royal Mint commissioned a new Corporate identity—for commercial reasons and totally unrelated to our new status. The total cost of this was £32,000.

  5. The Royal Mint provides clothing where there is an occupational or safety requirement eg protective clothing in the factory. The annual cost is approximately £95,000.

  6. The Royal Mint has incurred no costs in specially designed and printed corporate stationery since our logo was changed in 1990.

  I hope this information is helpful.

  Letter from W. McLennan to Mr. Gerald Kaufman, dated 25 January 1995:
  The Chancellor of the Exchequer has asked me to reply to your Question of 20 January about Next Steps agencies.
  2. The Central Statistical Office (CSO) became an Executive Agency on 19 November 1991. The following are the answers to the specific points raised in your Question:
  The CSO has not acquired its own headquarters buildings.
  No additional support staff were required when the CSO became an agency, because it was a separate department then and has remained one since.
  CSO has continued to publish statistics on a regular basis and the full costs of the agency are set out in its Annual Report and Accounts (copy attached).
  The CSO has no executive cars.
  The CSO introduced a new logo in 1993, which was designed in-house.
  No extra cost was incurred in printing corporate stationery for the agency compared with previous stationery costs.

  Letter from Keith Sullens to Mr. Gerald Kaufman, dated 24 January 1995:
  I am writing as Chief Executive of PAYMASTER in response to your written question to the Chancellor of the Exchequer about costs of the Next Steps Agencies in his Department.
  PAYMASTER continues to occupy the premises it was in prior to becoming an Executive Agency. Sutherland House, Crawley is a Crown building for which Property Holdings is paid a current rent of £1,327,000 pa. Due to restructuring of the Agency the space occupied will be reduced considerably by 31 March 1996, the rental will be £862,000—a saving of 36%.
  Historically the Office of the Paymaster General had been an autonomous unit within HM Treasury and therefore no significant additional numbers of support staff were required.
  PAYMASTER does not issue periodic journals, other than the Annual Report and Statement of Accounts as required by statute.
  There are no personally allocated executive cars in PAYMASTER. Two cars are hired for official business on a first
  240
  come first served basis and they are available for all staff. The annual cost of hire is £5,856 pa, excluding petrol and oil.
  PAYMASTER commissioned a design for a new corporate identity with new logo for the Agency launch, the cost of which was £12,500 excluding VAT.
  A very small sum, (less than £200) has been spent on corporate clothing for messengerial staff.
  A limited amount of new corporate stationery was produced at a cost of £15,000, excluding VAT. Design costs were included in the overall figure quoted.
  I hope that this answers your queries satisfactorily but if you need any further information, please do not hesitate to contact me.

  Letter from A. J. Langford to Mr. Gerald Kaufman, dated 25 January 1995:
  The Chancellor of the Exchequer has asked me to reply to your Question about the cost of certain operational functions since becoming an Executive Agency under the Next Steps programme.

  Headquarters buildings
  The Valuation Office's head office continues to be based in the same building as before. No additional accommodation has been taken for headquarters buildings.

  Support staff
  No additional support staff have been taken on by the Valuation Office in consequence of its move to Executive Agency status.

  Periodical journals
  The Valuation Office continues to produce a Property Market Report on a twice yearly basis. This is on sale to the public and is priced on a cost recovery basis.

  Executive cars
  The Valuation Office does not have any executive cars.

  Agency logo
  The Valuation Office's logo was designed in-house at no additional cost.

  Corporate clothing
  The Valuation Office provides uniforms incorporating the Agency logo for its messengerial and security staff in its head office. Uniforms were provided to this group of staff pre Agency status and the additional cost of incorporating the Agency logo was minimal. The annual running cost of uniforms is in the order of £1,950. There is no other form of corporate clothing.

  Corporate stationery
  As the move to Agency status developed, opportunities were taken to run down existing stocks of stationery and reprinting with the Agency title gradually introduced and no additional costs arose.
  Please let me know if I can assist further.

  Departmental Staff
  Mrs. Maddock
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many employees for which his departments are responsible were women(a) in 1991, (b) in 1992, (c) in grade 7 level, (ii) at grade 3 level, (iii) at executive officer level, (iv) at administrative officer level and (v) at administrative assistant level.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  The combined totals for the Chancellor's departments are:

  1991

  1992

  1993

  1994

  All women

  62,561

  62,379

  61,736

  59,205

  Grade 3

  4

  4

  5

  4

  Grade 7

  354

  420

  548

  563

  EO

  12,236

  13,147

  12,995

  12,703

  AO

  19,792

  23,006

  22,799

  22,860

  AA

  18,879

  20,207

  18,714

  17,311

  The figures mostly relate to 1 April for each year in question, however three of he Chancellor's departments do not have the data requested for 1991, and one has

  241
  shown its total female staff at the end of each year requested. Part-time staff are included by head count—not by full-time equivalent.

  National Audit Office
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the future role of the National Audit Office in vetting United Kingdom contributions to the European Union.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  [holding answer 24 January 1995]: United Kingdom contributions to the European Community budget are paid from the Consolidated Fund. As with all payments from the Consolidated Fund, the National Audit Office already approves all these contributions before they are paid. In addition, the NAO conducts a full annual audit of the Consolidated Fund.

  Yorkshire Electricity Group plc
  Mr. Ronnie Campbell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will set up an inquiry into the Swiss Bank Corporation's acquisition of Yorkshire Electricity Group plc shares; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Nelson
  Inquiries into transactions involving securities are matters for the appropriate regulatory authorities.

  Economic Prospects
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his current estimate of the prospects for the economy; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Aitken
  The latest forecasts available, published in last November's "Financial Statement and Budget Report", show continuing steady growth and low inflation. The economy is projected to grow by 3¼ per cent. in 1995.

  Group of taxpayers1

  Shares of total income tax liability

  Shares of gross incomes before tax

  Top 1 per cent.

  Top 5 per cent.

  Top 10 per cent.

  Top 1 per cent.

  Top 5 per cent.

  Top 10 per cent.

  1978–79

  11

  24

  35

  5

  15

  24

  1979–80

  10

  23

  34

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  1980–81

  11

  24

  35

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  1981–82

  11

  25

  35

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  1982–83

  12

  25

  36

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  1983–84

  11

  25

  36

  6

  16

  26

  1984–85

  12

  26

  38

  6

  17

  26

  1985–86

  13

  27

  38

  6

  17

  26

  1986–87

  14

  29

  39

  6

  17

  27

  1987–88

  15

  30

  41

  6

  18

  28

  1988–89

  15

  31

  42

  7

  18

  28

  1989–90

  15

  31

  42

  7

  19

  29

  1990–91

  15

  32

  42

  8

  19

  29

  1991–92

  16

  33

  43

  8

  20

  29

  1992–93

  16

  33

  44

  8

  19

  29

  1993–942

  16

  33

  44

  8

  19

  29

  1994–952

  16

  33

  44

  8

  20

  29

  1995–962

  15

  32

  44

  8

  20

  30

  1 For years up to and including 1989–90 married couples are counted as one taxpayer and their incomes are combined. Following the introduction of independent taxation in 1990–91 husbands and wives are counted separately.

  2 Provisional.

  Inward Investing Companies
  Mr. Deva
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much inward investing companies paid in tax in 1993.

  Sir George Young
  Corporation tax paid by United Kingdom companies with foreign parents accounted for about one tenth of the total yield of £15 billion in 1993–94.

  Green Minister
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will outline the main activities of the Green Minister in the Treasury, in his role as Green Minister, during 1994.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  During 1994, my predecessor and I have continued to ensure that environmental considerations are taken into account in the strategies and policies of the Department.

  Income Tax
  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the answer of 10 January to the hon. Member for Bolton, North-East, (Mr. Thurnham),Official Report, column 7, if he will reproduce the answer together with columns showing the share of income coming to the top 1, 5 and 10 per cent.

  Sir George Young
  [holding answer 24 January 1995]: The latest estimates for 1978–79 and 1983–84 to 1995–96 are given in the tables. Information for other years could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Estimates of income are based on information reported to tax offices and collected through annual surveys of personal incomes. For years before 1985–86, estimates exclude employees' contributions to occupational pension schemes and some investment income on which tax is deducted at source. For years up to and including 1989–90, married couples are counted as one taxpayer and their incomes are combined. Following the introduction of independent taxation, for 1990–91 onwards, husbands and wives are counted separately. Estimates are based on the surveys of personal incomes for years up to 1992–93 and projections of the 1992–93 survey for subsequent years; the latter are therefore provisional.

  Denatured Alcohol
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the products included in the list of denatured alcohol.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  [holding answer 24 January 1995]: Alcohol is exempt from excise duty when denatured to the standards set out in Commission regulation (EC) No. 3199/93 and the Methylated Spirits Regulations 1987. This allows United Kingdom business access to duty relieved alcohol for the manufacture of a wide range of industrial and scientific products.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Next Steps Agencies
  Mr. Kaufman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will set out for each of the next steps agencies in his Department, whether they have acquired their own headquarters buildings and, if so, at what purchase cost or annual rental; how many support staff they have required which were not required when their operations were within his Department; how many of them publish periodical journals and at what annual cost; how many have fleets of executive cars or single executive cars and at what annual cost; how many have specially designed logos and at what cost; how many have corporate clothing and at what cost; and what is the cost of specially designed and printed corporate stationery.

  Mr. Baldry
  Responsibility for the subject of the question has been delegated to Wilton Park under its chief executive, Richard Langhorne, and to the Natural Resources Institute under its chief executive, Anthony Beattie. I have asked them to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter from Professor R. T. B. Langhorne to Mr. Gerald Kaufman, dated 24 January 1995:
  I have been asked to respond to your question of 18 January, 1995, concerning Next Steps Agencies.
  In the case of Wilton Park the answers are as follows:

  (i) We have been in the same leased headquarters here at Wiston house since 1951:

  (ii) We have engaged three support staff since we became an Agency. Two of these followed upon a 60% increase in our programme of work and were not the consequence of being turned into an Agency. One, an additional book keeper, was needed in order to fulfil the accounting needs of Agency status:

  (iii) We do not publish a periodical journal;

  (iv) We do not have any executive cars;

  (v) We do not have corporate clothing, though we are under pressure at present from the Trade Union Side to introduce it;

  (vi) We have always had Wilton Park stationery, and no extra cost was incurred by reason of being turned into an Agency.

  Letter from Anthony Beattie, to Mr. Gerald Kaufman, dated 25 January 1995:

  1. Mr. Baldry has asked me to reply to your question about Next Steps Agencies as this relates to the Natural Resources Institute, which is an agency of the Overseas Development Administration.

  2. The answers to the questions you have posed are as follows:

  (a) The Institute moved to a single site at Chatham between 1988 and 1990 from nine sites previously occupied by the separate scientific units which it replaced. The majority of the staff were on three sites in central London. The
  244
  consolidation was planned in advance of the decision to move to agency status. The rental cost of the Chatham site (net of the cost of that part of it now occupied by the University of Greenwich) is £3,387,000 in 1994–95.

  (b) Prior to NRI becoming an agency it already operated as a specialised unit outside ODA HQ. Following its change to an agency NRI increased its support staff by 12 posts, mostly in finance and accounting, to meet new financial requirements and to help achieve increases in business from non-ODA customers. Subsequent staff reductions have brought the number of NRI support staff down to 132 as against 131 prior to the change of status.

  (c) The annual production and distribution cost of NRI's newsletter (which was in existence prior to agency status and which is sent to selected recipients in the developing world and the donor community) is £11,000.

  (d) NRI has no executive cars.

  (e) The cost of design and art work for the Institute's stationery and signage was £23,500.

  (f) NRI does not provide corporate clothing.

  (g) Annual stationery costs are of the order of £11,000 (the original design cost is given at (e) above).

  MI6 Headquarters
  Mr. Tyler
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the current annual cost per member of staff accommodated at the MI6 headquarters building at Vauxhall Bridge road-Albert embankment, London.

  Mr. Hurd
  It is long-standing Government policy not to provide detailed information about the expenditure of the security and intelligence agencies.

  Sri Lanka (Anti-paedophile Policy)
  Mrs. Golding
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made in co-ordinating an anti-paedophile policy with the Sri Lankan Government.

  Mr. Baldry
  We have kept in close touch with the Sri Lankan authorities about child prostitution. I discussed the matter with them most recently during my visit in November. At our invitation, their deputy inspector general of police responsible for crimes, in whose department there is a special section for dealing with paedophilia, visited last summer to study United Kingdom police techniques.

  Commercial Lobbying
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) on how many occasions in the last four months he or any of his Ministers have been approached by commercial lobbying organisations on behalf of their clients at informal or unofficial engagements;

  (2) on how many occasions in the last four months of which he has knowledge any civil servants in his Department have been approached by commercial lobbying organisations on behalf of their clients at informal or unofficial engagements.

  Mr. Goodlad
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster today.

  Mrs. Andleeb H. Khan
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when a decision is expected to be taken on the application—REF/C/7426—made to the United Kingdom post in Islamabad by Mrs. Andleeb H. Khan to join her husband in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Baldry
  I refer the hon. Member to the letter of 19 January 1995 to him from the migration and visa correspondence unit of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

  I have asked the high commission at Islamabad for details of any further progress in her application and shall arrange for the hon. Member to receive a substantive reply from MVCU as soon as possible.

  Iraq
  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will outline the Government's response to the interim report, prepared by Mr. Max van der Stoel, special rapporteur of the UN Commission on Human Rights, on the situation in Iraq.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  We welcome Mr. van der Stoel's report and share his condemnation of the Iraqi regime for the continuing deterioration in human rights in that country. We will continue to insist that Iraq complies in full with the terms of United Nations Security Council resolution 688, which calls for an end to the repression of the Iraqi people, and to demand that Iraq give access to UN human rights monitors.

  Kobe Earthquake
  Mr. Coe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance the British Government have provided to victims of the Kobe earthquake.

  Mr. Goodlad
  Immediately after the earthquake, we told the Japanese Government that we stood ready to send any assistance they required and gave examples of what we could offer.

  They made a specific request on 21 January, and the Overseas Development Administration at once chartered an aircraft to deliver a first consignment of relief supplies. The cargo consisted of over 18,000 blankets, 35 rolls of black plastic sheeting, 500 collapsible 20 litre water containers and 500 plastic bowls, totally filling the aircraft by volume. The aircraft arrived on Monday 23 January at Kansai international airport near Kobe.

  The Japanese authorities have requested some other items including bandages, dressings and sanitary napkins. The Overseas Development Administration sent a consignment of three tonnes on 24 January, British Airways donating the freight space.

  In addition, the International Rescue Corps, a British charity which supplies fully trained, self-sufficient rescue teams, has sent a 15-member group to assist in the rescue operations.

HEALTH

  Midwives (Northumberland)
  Mr. Ronnie Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many midwives there were in(a)
  246
  Northumberland health authority and (b) Cheviot and Wansbeck hospital in each year since 1990.

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

  Midwives in Northumberland District Health Authority 1990–92 at 30 September each year

  Whole-time equivalents

  1990

  1991

  1992

  Midwives

  110

  110

  110

  Midwives in Cheviot and Wansbeck hospital 1991–92 at 30 September each year

  Whole-time equivalents

  1991

  1992

  Midwives

  80

  80

  Source:

  Non-medical work force census.

  Notes:

  1. All figures are rounded to the nearest 10 whole-time equivalents.

  2. All nursing and midwifery figures exclude agency staff.

  Medical Students
  Mr. Ronnie Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many medical students worked for the Northumberland health authority in each year since 1990;

  (2) how many medical students are working in maternity units in (a) the Northumberland health authority and (b) the Wansbeck and Cheviot hospital trust.

  Mr. Malone
  These are matters for the Cheviot and Wansbeck national health service trust and Northumberland health authority. The hon. Member may wish to contact the chairman of the trust and the vice-chairman of the authority, Mr. Roger Baker and Mr. David Wright, for details.

  Research and Development Forum
  Mr. Connarty
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how she will ensure the widest possible input from the health profession into the work of the new NHS research and development forum;

  (2) what plans she has to invite representatives of user groups and NHS professional organisations to become members of the new NHS research and development forum;

  (3) if she will consult health organisations about the advice she receives from the new NHS research and development forum.

  Mr. Malone
  The national forum will bring together the major health-related research funders to provide advice to the national health service and the Government at a strategic level on health-related research and development issues. It will provide an important means of establishing closer working links between research interests in the national health service and in the research councils, the research charities, universities and industry.

  An important role for the national forum will be to help set the strategic framework within which the central research and development committee will advise on how national health service funds should be used to support research and development. Membership of the central

  247
  research and development committee reflects a wide range of interests.

  The central research and development committee will consult widely on national health service needs for research and development and will benefit from advice from regional research and development committees through the regional research and development directorates. These have a broad membership including representatives of the service and others who use research-based information.

  Research (Human Beings)
  Mr. Peter Robinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if her Department accepts the principles of recommendation No. R(90)3 of the Committee of Ministers to member states concerning medical research on human beings; and if she will incorporate them into United Kingdom legislation.

  Mr. Malone
  The Department accepts the principles contained in this Council of Europe recommendation on medical research and human beings. They reflect current good medical research practice across the United Kingdom, particularly in terms of informed consent which is underpinned by the Department's own guidelines on medical research given in the booklet "Local Research Ethics Committees", which was published in 1991. It has no plans to incorporate the principles into UK legislation.

  St. Bartholomew's Hospital
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what is her latest estimate of the cost of closing Bart's hospital and moving the facilities to Whitechapel;

  (2) what is her estimate of the annual revenue saving from operating Bart's and Royal London, Whitechapel hospitals on one side;

  (3) what is the estimated extra revenue cost of a two-site solution of merging Bart's with the Royal London hospital, over the one-site solution.

  Mr. Malone
  Estimated revenue and capital costings are contained in the East London and the City health authority's consultation document "Health services for the future", copies of which can be obtained from the authority.

  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is Bart's hospital projected trading surplus for the current financial year.

  Mr. Malone
  St. Bartholomew's hospital together with the Royal London and London chest hospitals comprise the Royal Hospitals trust. The hon. Member may wish to approach Sir Derek Boorman, chairman of the trust, to establish the availability of this information.

  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much capital has been invested in Bart's hospital over the years 1989 to 1995.

  Mr. Malone
  This information is not available centrally. The hon. Member may wish to contact Sir Derek Boorman, chairman of the Royal Hospitals trust, for details.

  Mental Handicap Hospitals
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many long-stay mental handicap hospitals have gained trust status.
  248
  Mr. Sackville
  This information is not available in the form requested. There are, however, 101 national health services trusts which provide long-stay mental handicap beds.

  Hepatitis C
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health on how many occasions blood collected by the blood transfusions service and contaminated with hepatitis C has been sold to private sector hospitals.

  Mr. Sackville
  The national health service does not sell blood. It has always been the policy of the NHS to meet independent hospitals' reasonable requests for blood on the basis of availability and clinical need. Independent hospitals will be included in the look-back exercise to trace, counsel and—if necessary—treat those who have been inadvertently infected with hepatitis C in this country, as I announced on 11 January 1995,Official Report, column 145.

  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has of hepatitis C infected blood volumes donated prior to current testing methods but during the period when other testing regimes were available to the blood transfusion service.

  Mr. Sackville
  Testing regimes were not available to the blood transfusion service until September 1991, when routine testing of all blood donations for antibodies to the hepatitis C virus was introduced. The blood transfusion service directors estimate that around 3,000 people may have been infected through blood transfusions prior to September 1991. The look-back exercise, which I announced on 11 January, will enable a more precise calculation to be made.

  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what level of expenditure has been committed to combat hepatitis C infection within the blood transfusion service from 1990 to the present.

  Mr. Sackville
  The cost of measures to combat hepatitis C infection within the blood transfusion service is not separately identifiable. Since September 1991, all blood donations have been routinely tested for antibodies to the hepatitis C virus.

  Mental Illness
  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she expects to publish the 1994 social services inspectorate monitoring report on the mental illness specific grant.

  Mr. Bowis
  This has not yet been received.

  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if the report of the 1994 survey of English mental hospitals initiated by the mental health task force has now been submitted to Ministers; and when its publication may be expected.

  Mr. Bowis
  No.

  General Medical Council
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the lay members of the General Medical Council; on what date each was appointed; what qualifications they hold; when each term of office ceases; and what is their remuneration.
  249
  Mr. Malone
  The current lay members of the General Medical Council are:

  Name

  Date appointed

  Expiry date of term of Office

  Mr. John Ifron Davies

  2 August 1992

  1 August 1997

  Professor Christine Chapman

  16 September 1992

  15 September 1997

  Mr. James Campbell Morton

  1 August 1993

  31 July 1998

  Mrs. Rani Atma

  1 August 1993

  31 July 1998

  Rabbi Julia Neuberger

  1 August 1993

  31 July 1998

  Mr. Rodney Brookes Yates

  1 August 1993

  31 July 1998

  Mrs. Angela Macpherson

  18 May 1994

  17 May 1999

  Mr. Roy Goddard

  18 May 1994

  17 May 1999

  Mrs. Johanna White

  18 May 1994

  17 May 1999

  Mr. William Darling CBE

  13 June 1994

  12 June 1999

  Mr. Roger Sims (Conservative)1

  1 August 1994

  31 July 1999

  Mr. Alec Carlile (Liberal Democrats)1

  1 August 1994

  31 July 1999

  Mr. Gareth Wardell (Labour)1

  1 August 1994

  31 July 1999

  1 Political nominations.

  There are no formal requirements concerning lay members' qualifications other than that a lay member must neither be a fully registered medical practitioner, nor hold a qualification registrable under the Medical Act 1983.

  Lay members receive no renumeration, but are able to claim their expenses for attending council and committee meetings.

  NHS Centre for Information Technology
  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if the staff of the NHS centre for information technology became civil servants when CIT merged with the corporate data administration to form the NHS information management centre in May 1988.

  Mr. Sackville
  The staff of the national health service centre for information technology remained employees of the NHS when CIT merged with the corporate data administration.

  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health which of her departmental colleagues were responsible for the setting up of the NHS centre for information technology in 1985; what considerations underlay the decision to set up the centre, and what documents have been published setting out the justification for the centre.

  Mr. Sackville
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State at the time was responsible for setting up the national health service centre for information technology. CIT was concerned primarily with the development and application of common standards and systems for the NHS. Further details were contained in the document "A National Strategic Framework for Information in the 250
  Hospital and Community Services" published in October 1986, copies of which are available in the Library.

  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer of 20 December 1994,Official Report, column 1145, if the agency agreement with the west midlands regional health authority was the sole legal basis for the centre for information technology.

  Mr. Sackville
  West Midlands regional health authority was given formal status within existing legislation to act as agents of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the employment of centre for information technology staff.

  Private Detectives
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many health trusts hired private detectives in the last year; for what purpose; at what cost; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health in what circumstances regional health authorities may make use of private detectives; and what guidelines her Department has issued on their use.

  Mr. Sackville
  The information requested is not available centrally. It is the responsibility of each health authority and trust, after seeking appropriate advice, to consider the circumstances under which they would wish to take such action.

  Special Transitional Grant
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list by authority the amount of special transitional grant for 1993–94 spent on(a) nursing home placements, (b) residential home placements and (c) non-residential services.

  Mr. Bowis
  This information is not available centrally.

  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health which authorities failed to spend 85 per cent. of the special transitional grant in the independent sector during 1993–94.

  Mr. Bowis
  Audited returns detailing community care spending in the independent sector by local authorities in 1993–94 were due to be submitted to the Department by 31 December 1994. Some returns are still outstanding and are being followed up through the Audit Commission.

  Blood
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will provide a full list of tests undertaken to identify pathogens in donated blood.

  Mr. Sackville
  In the United Kingdom, all blood donations are screened for hepatitis B surface antigen, and antibodies to hepatitis C and HIV! and 2, and syphilis.

  NHS Trusts
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make it her policy to require NHS trusts(a) to hold all meetings in public and (b) to publish minutes of all meetings.

  Mr. Malone
  No. National health service trusts are already required to hold one public meeting each year, at which they must present their annual accounts, annual report and any report on the accounts.
  251
  Mrs. Beckett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many trusts have introduced some aspect of performance-related pay for their staff;

  (2) how many trusts have negotiated their own pay awards for staff.

  Mr. Malone
  [holding answer 20 January 1995]: As national terms and conditions for management, ancillary, maintenance and ambulance staff have included performance-related pay for some time all trusts will have staff who benefit from such pay. Comprehensive information is not available centrally about the nature of new local terms and conditions being introduced in national health service trusts. However, from responses to a survey of trusts in autumn 1994, it is estimated that around 70 per cent. of trusts already had some staff on locally determined pay—involving over 10,000 nursing staff and a small but growing number of hospital doctors.

  EC Butter
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action she has taken or intends to take against Doncaster royal infirmary and Montagu Mexborough NHS trust in their selling to the public at the Doncaster royal infirmary coffee shop European Community intervention board butter; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Sackville
  We have been assured that no charge was made for the European Community intervention board butter when a small quantity was used in the hospital's coffee shop, and that all remaining supplies will be used, as the scheme intends, solely for the benefit of hospital patients and staff. The hon. Member may wish to contact the chairman of the Doncaster Royal and Montagu national health service trust, Mr. Raymond Tonkinson, for further details.

  London Ambulance Service
  Mr. Chidgey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what were the number and percentage of emergency ambulance calls in the London area that took (1) up to 14 minutes, (2) 15 minutes, (3) 16 minutes, (4) 17 minutes, (5) 18 minutes, (6) 19 minutes, (7) 20 minutes, (8) 21 minutes, (9) 22 minutes, (10) 23 minutes, (1 1) 24 minutes, (12) 25 minutes, (13) 26 minutes, (14) 27 minutes, (15) 28 minutes, (16) 29 minutes, (17) 30 minutes, (18) 31 minutes, (19) 32 minutes, (20) 33 minutes, (21) 34 minutes, (22) 35 minutes, (23) 36 minutes, (24) 37 minutes, (25) 38 minutes, (26) 39 minutes, (27) 40 minutes, (28) 41 minutes, (29) 42 minutes,

  Female

  All

  UG3

  UG7

  EO

  AO

  AA

  19911

  2,431

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  19921

  2,586

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1993

  2,552

  6

  108

  389

  494

  185

  1994

  2,584

  7

  135

  384

  537

  205

  Note:

  1 Individual grade data not available.

  Source:

  DH staff in post returns for 1 April in each of the years. Figures represent a head count of full and part-time staff.

  Conception Rates
  Mr. Nicholas Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the rate of conceptions among
  252
  (30) 43 minutes, (31) 44 minutes, (32) 45 minutes, (33) 46 minutes, (34) 47 minutes, (35) 48 minutes, (36) 49 minutes, (37) 50 minutes, (38) 51 minutes, (39) 52 minutes, (40) 53 minutes, (41) 54 minutes, (42) 55 minutes, (43) 56 minutes, (44) 57 minutes, (45) 58 minutes, (46) 59 minutes and (47) 60 minutes during (a) October 1994, (b) November 1994, (c) December 1994 and (d) in total since April 1994.

  Mr. Sackville
  The information requested has been supplied by the London ambulance service, and will be placed in the Library.

  The hon. Member may wish in future to write to Martin Gorham, chief executive of the LAS, asking for the information.

  Mr. Chidgey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the absenteeism rate for the London ambulance service in 1994.

  Mr. Sackville
  The London ambulance service states that in the year 1994–95 to date the absenteeism rate is as follows:

  Per cent.

  Accident and Emergency Service

  7.79

  Central Ambulance Control

  8.14

  Patient Transport Service

  10.51

  Appendicectomy
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health in respect of the recent appendicectomy case in Cornwall, what considerations underlay the decisions(a) to suspend the theatre sister, (b) initially not to suspend the surgical registrar and (c) to take no action against the anaesthetist.

  Mr. Malone
  This is a matter for the Royal Cornwall Hospitals national health service trust and the South and West regional health authority. The hon. Member may wish to contact Mr. John Williams, chairman of the trust, and Ms Rennie Fritchie, chair of South and West regional health authority, for details.

  Departmental Staff
  Mrs. Maddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many employees for which her Department is responsible were women(a) in 1991, (b) in 1992, (c) in 1993 and (d) in 1994; and of these, how many were i) at grade 7 level, (ii) at grade 3 level, (iii) at executive officer level, (iv) at administrative officer level and (v) at administrative assistant level.

  Mr. Sackville
  The information is shown in the table.

  under-16s for each of the last 10 years for which figures are available.

  Mr. Sackville
  The information is shown in the table.
  253

  Conception rates per thousand girls under 16 (England and Wales)

  Year

  1982

  7.8

  1983

  8.3

  1984

  8.6

  1985

  8.6

  1986

  8.7

  1987

  9.3

  1988

  9.4

  1989

  9.4

  1990

  10.1

  1991

  9.3

  The provisional figure for 1992 is broadly in line with the 1991 figure.

  Hospital Closures
  Mr. Nicholas Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS hospitals, overall and by region, have been closed since 1979; and how many NHS hospitals there are at present.

  Mr. Sackville
  There are at present, depending on definition, 1,600 national health service hospitals in England. Information about the numbers of hospital closures since 1979 is not available centrally.

  Consultants
  Mr. Nicholas Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of NHS consultant doctors currently opt for maximum part-time NHS contracts; and what is the average and median amount of hours per week that these consultants spend in their private practices.

  Mr. Malone
  At 30 September 1993, 28.7 per cent. of national health service hospital medical consultants in England were on maximum part-time contracts. Information is not available on the amount of hours per week that those consultants spend on private practice.

  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS hospital consultants also practise in the private sector of health-care.

  Mr. Malone
  This information is not available centrally.

  Compulsory Registration (Care Workers)
  Mrs. Golding
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make it her policy to introduce a compulsory registration process for all paid care workers.

  Mr. Bowis
  Many people in the care professions already have to be registered with a professional organisation. Proposals for a general social services council have been submitted to the Government. These include a recommendation that all persons employed in the personal social services should be registered. We are considering these.

  NHS Boards
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health who appoints those individuals who have responsibility for interviewing and assessing the suitability of applicants for positions as non-executive members of NHS boards; and what criteria are used to select them.
  254
  Mr. Malone
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health appoints the chairmen of regional health authorities, who are responsible for making recommendations to Ministers on appointments in their region. Regional chairmen are appointed for their personal qualities, knowledge and skills.

  Supplementary Medicine
  Mr. Couchman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to extend statutory powers to require continuing professional development in medical and nursing professions to professions supplementary to medicine.

  Mr. Sackville
  We are considering the scope for a review of the Professions Supplementary to Medicine Act 1960.

  GP Lists (Patients' Removal)
  Mrs. Beckett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients were removed from general medical practitioners' lists in each year since 1989(a) in total and (b) at the request of the doctor by regional health authority area.

  Mr. Malone
  Information is available only for 1992–93 and I refer the right hon. Member to the reply given by the Under-Secretary of State, my hon. Friend the Minister for Battersea (Mr. Bowis), to the hon. Member for Ynys Mon (Mr. Jones) on 19 July 1994,Official Report, columns 367–68.

  Medicines Expenditure
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will place in the Library a copy of the statistical model used by her Department to forecast future expenditure on medicines.

  Mr. Sackville
  No. The details of the Department's spending models comprise an important strand of the Government's internal public expenditure discussions, informing but not determining decisions about public spending priorities. It would not be appropriate to publish this material.

  Patients Charter
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what increased resources she has provided for the NHS to fulfil the standards and expectations raised by the patients charter.

  Mr. Malone
  The patients charter is about doing things differently, changing ineffective working practices, providing a more patient-orientated service and adopting good practice from elsewhere. This need not require additional resources. Funding for the national health service in 1995–96 will increase by £1.3 billion—that is 1 per cent. in real terms. In addition, we expect hospital and community services to improve efficiency by at least 3 per cent. which is equivalent to an extra £600 million for patient care. As a result patients will continue to receive improving standards of service across the whole of the NHS, including those set out in the patients charter.

  Operations
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the average number of operations carried out per NHS hospital surgeon per week.

  Mr. Sackville
  This cannot be determined from the data available. Information on the number of cases operated on in operating theatres in 1993–94 is available in "NHS operating theatres availability and use: England 1993–94", and the number of hospital medical staff at 30 September 1993 is available in the "Statistical Bulletin: Hospital, Public Health Medicine and Community Health Service Medical and Dental Staff in England 1983 to 1993". Copies of both publications are available in the Library.

  Asthma
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will commission a report into the level of asthma in rural areas; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Sackville
  We have no plans to do so.

  Waiting Times
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the average time it takes for a patient to be admitted on to a waiting list including time accounted for by self-deferral; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Malone
  Data on the time to first appointment are collected. It is not possible to separate data relating to patients who have out-patient appointments and who are then put on to waiting lists for in-patient or day case treatment; nor does it include time elapsed as a result of self-deferral.

  Cigarette Advertising
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the findings of a recent survey on the level of compliance with the voluntary agreement covering cigarette advertising at newsagents.

  Mr. Sackville
  As part of the 1991 voluntary agreement on tobacco products' advertising and promotion, the industry undertook to reduce the number of external permanent advertising signs for cigarette and hand-rolling tobacco brands at retail premises by 50 per cent. over five years. The committee for monitoring agreements on tobacco advertising and sponsorship last year commissioned an independent survey to monitor the industry's progress in this undertaking in the year from July 1993. The findings of the survey will be announced in the committee's eighth report, which is expected to be published in summer 1995.

  Commercial Lobbying
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) on how many occasions in the last four months of which she has knowledge any civil servants in her Department have been approached by commercial lobbying organisations on behalf of their clients at informal or unofficial engagements;

  (2) on how many occasions in the last four months she or any of her Ministers have been approached by commercial lobbying organisations on behalf of their clients at informal or unofficial engagements.
  256
  Mr. Sackville
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster gave him today.

  Abortions
  Ms Short
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what are the latest available data on the percentage of abortions which are funded by the national health service in each regional health authority area.

  Mr. Sackville
  The latest year for which the data requested are available is 1992.

  NHS funded percentage of total

  England

  56.8

  RHA

  Northern

  85.4

  Yorkshire

  58.3

  Trent

  70.6

  East Anglian

  82.9

  North West Thames

  47.0

  North East Thames

  56.2

  South East Thames

  53.6

  South West Thames

  41.4

  Wessex

  51.5

  Oxford

  55.7

  South Western

  79.2

  West Midlands

  53.0

  Mersey

  51.3

  North Western

  45.0

  Breast and Cervical Cancer
  Ms Short
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many breast cancer(a) cases and (b) deaths occurred in each health region in the latest available year.

  Mr. Sackville
  The information is shown in the table.

  Deaths and new registration of malignant neoplasm of female breast—ICD1 174—by regional health authority, for the latest years for which data are available.

  Deaths (1992)

  Registrations (1989)

  Northern

  796

  1,472

  Yorkshire

  888

  1,918

  Trent

  1,287

  2,166

  East Anglian

  593

  1,144

  North west Thames

  819

  1,821

  North east Thames

  938

  2,125

  South east Thames

  1,061

  2,069

  South west Thames

  885

  1,762

  Wessex

  871

  2,004

  Oxford

  648

  1,132

  South Western

  989

  1,976

  West Midlands

  1,402

  2,860

  Mersey

  646

  1,356

  North Western

  981

  2,032

  Wales

  824

  1,931

  1 International classification of diseases, 9th revision.

  Ms Short
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of female deaths were a result of(a) breast and (b) cervical cancer in each regional health authority area, in the latest period for which data are available.
  257
  Mr. Sackville
  This information is shown in the table.

  Percentage of all female deaths that were a result of (a) malignant neoplasm of female breast (ICD1174) and (b) malignant neoplasm of cervix uteri (ICD1180), by regional health authority 1992.

  RHA

  Breast

  Cervix uteri

  Northern

  4.2

  0.5

  Yorkshire

  4.2

  0.6

  Trent

  4.9

  0.6

  East Anglian

  5.3

  0.5

  North west Thames

  5.0

  0.6

  North east Thames

  4.8

  0.6

  South east Thames

  4.9

  0.6

  South west Thames

  5.1

  0.4

  Wessex

  5.1

  0.4

  Oxford

  5.5

  0.5

  South western

  4.9

  0.7

  West Midlands

  5.0

  0.6

  Mersey

  4.5

  0.6

  North western

  3.9

  0.6

  Wales

  4.7

  0.6

  1International classification of disease, 9th revision.

  Ms Short
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health which health authorities routinely carry out cervical smear tests every(a) two, (b) three, (c) four and (d) five years.

  Mr. Sackville
  This information is not available centrally.

  Dental Services
  Mr. Ainger
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many dentists were offering national health service treatment in September 1994;

  (2) how many salaried dentists were employed by English family health service authorities in December 1992, 1993 and 1994.

  Mr. Malone
  [holding answer 23 January 1995]: At 30 September 1994, excluding salaried dentists, there were 15,084 principal general dental practitioners on the dental lists of family health services authorities. Additionally, although not on family health services authority lists, there were 801 assistants and vocational trainees working under the supervision of a principal.

  The number of salaried dentists employed by English family health services authorities is shown in the table.

  Table 1: General Dental Service: Number of salaried dentists1 by family health services authority as at 31 December2 England

  FHSA

  31 December 1992

  31 December 1993

  30 September 1994

  All FHSAs

  66

  91

  115

  Cumbria

  —

  —

  1

  Derbyshire

  1

  1

  3

  Cambridgeshire

  2

  3

  3

  Norfolk

  1

  3

  Kensington, Westminster and Chelsea

  8

  9

  9

  258

  Table 1: General Dental Service: Number of salaried dentists1 by family health services authority as at 31 December2 England

  31 December

  31 December

  30 September

  FHSA

  1992

  1993

  1994

  Essex

  2

  3

  2

  City and East London

  8

  8

  9

  Kent

  3

  5

  5

  Greenwich and Bexley

  6

  7

  7

  Bromley

  —

  1

  1

  Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham

  28

  31

  31

  Surrey

  —

  3

  5

  West Sussex

  1

  1

  1

  Merton, Sutton and Wandsworth

  1

  1

  2

  Wiltshire

  —

  1

  2

  Isle of Wight

  —

  1

  2

  Buckinghamshire

  1

  2

  4

  Cornwall and Isles of Scilly

  2

  4

  3

  Gloucestershire

  —

  1

  3

  Somerset

  —

  4

  4

  Staffordshire

  —

  —

  1

  Cheshire

  —

  —

  8

  Liverpool

  2

  2

  2

  Lancashire

  —

  1

  2

  Manchester

  —

  —

  1

  Salford

  1

  1

  1

  Source:

  Dental Practice Board.

  Notes:

  1 This is the number of salaried dentists with contracts registered at the DPB. It is not the number of salaried dentists in employment at the actual specified dates.

  2 December data for 1994 are not available.

  Dental Services
  Mr. Ainger
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many unfilled vacancies for salaried dentists there were in English family health service authorities in December 1994;

  (2) how much was spent on providing the services of salaried dentists employed by English family health services authorities, including establishment costs for 1992–93, 1993–94 and to date in 1994–95; and if she will provide a breakdown of those costs.

  Mr. Malone
  [holding answer 23 January 1995]: The information is shown in the table:

  Expenditure on salaried dentists employed by English family health service authorities

  £ million

  1992–93

  Remuneration

  1.805

  Expenses

  0.594

  Total

  2.399

  1993–94

  Remuneration

  2.729

  Expenses

  1.907

  Total

  4.636

  259

  Expenditure on salaried dentists employed by English family health service authorities

  £ million

  1994–95

  Remuneration

  2.398

  (to November)

  Expenses

  1.439

  Total

  3.837

  Notes:

  1. The above figures show a gross expenditure by FHSAs for the provision of general dental services by salaried dentists and include National Insurance costs and superannuation contributions. These figures are reported by the FHSA through the financial information system.

  2. Figures under the heading of expenses, including establishment costs.

  3. Figures for 1994–95 are year to date to November.

  The information on numbers of unfilled vacancies in December 1994 is not available centrally.

  GP Surgeries
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if she will list the average value of capital projects(a) at general practitioner fundholders' surgery premises and (b) non-general practitioner fundholders' premises in each regional health authority area in each of the past three years;

  (2) what estimate she has made of the average capital value of the surgery premises of (a) general practitioner fundholders and (b) non-fundholders and of any change in the average value of such premises since 1991; and if she will make it her policy to carry out a full valuation of all surgery premises at five-yearly intervals.

  Mr. Malone
  [holding answer 23 January 1995]: General practitioners are independent self-employed contractors to the national health service. Under their terms of service, they are required to provide adequate practice premises from which to see their patients. The capital value of and investment in premises they own is a matter for them or the owners of any accommodation they rent.

  GP Fundholders
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much has been allocated to general practitioner fundholders for(a) computer hardware costs and (b) computer software costs in each of the last five years in each region.

  Mr. Malone
  [holding answer 23 January 1995]: Family health services authorities are not allocated separate funds for general practitioner fundholder computers. Available information about expenditure is shown in the table. It is not possible to identify hardware and software costs.

  Spend on information technology to Support GP fundholding

  £000s

  Region

  1991–92

  1992–93

  1993–94

  Northern

  736

  900

  835

  Yorkshire

  1,363

  2,193

  1,294

  Trent

  1,337

  2,949

  2,395

  260

  Spend on information technology to Support GP fundholding

  £000s

  Region

  1991–92

  1992–93

  1993–94

  East Anglian

  200

  612

  752

  North west Thames

  741

  1,411

  1,298

  North east Thames

  95

  398

  367

  South east Thames

  783

  1,455

  1,868

  South west Thames

  1,029

  916

  1,160

  Wessex

  952

  626

  939

  Oxford

  1,246

  1,377

  1,392

  South western

  1,165

  1,121

  1,149

  West Midlands

  1,152

  2,371

  2,413

  Mersey

  463

  731

  1,024

  North western

  361

  994

  1.619

  Total

  11,623

  18,054

  18.505

  Expenditure figures are estimates taken from FIS4 returns by English FHSAs.

EMPLOYMENT

  Lambeth College
  Mr. Fraser
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if his Department accepts responsibility for payments due from South Thames training and enterprise council to Lambeth college; and how much his Department estimates is due from the council to the college.

  Mr. Paice
  The Department is making payments for legitimate claims to providers, including Lambeth college, for training delivered under the terms of their contract with South Thames training and enterprise council between 7 November 1994 and 1 January 1995 for the following Government programmes: training for work, youth training/credits, careers and guidance years nine and 10, work-related further education, child care and careers libraries.

  For the period of three months from the appointment of the receiver the Department will make available to the receiver sufficient funds to ensure that providers receive payments for training delivered by them under the terms of their contract with South Thames TEC for the same programmes.

  The amount of money owed by South Thames TEC to Lambeth college prior to 7 November 1994 is a matter for the administrative receiver.

  Integrated Regional Offices
  Mr. Denham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) if he will list those of his Department's responsibilities on which the integrated regional offices are required to advise him on the allocation of resources and, for each integrated regional office, the annual expenditure on each programme;

  (2) if he will list those of his Department's responsibilities which are administered by the integrated regional offices and, for each integrated regional office, the estimated annual expenditure on each of these responsibilities;

  (3) if he will list those of his Department's responsibilities on which integrated regional offices are responsible for preparing, advising on or implementing regional policy.
  261
  Mr. Paice
  Government offices for the regions are primarily concerned with delivering the Department's training, enterprise and education responsibilities. The estimated allocation of resources for the administration and the programmes delivered through the offices in 1994–95 is shown in the following tables:

  Administration expenditure

  £000

  South East

  2,170

  London

  3,653

  Eastern

  1,960

  South West

  2,098

  West Midlands

  2,456

  East Midlands

  1,941

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  2,508

  Merseyside

  1,371

  North West

  2,904

  North East

  2,018

  Total

  23,079

  Programme expenditure

  £000

  Region

  Youth training

  Training for work

  Employer investment in People

  East Midlands

  57,644

  36,309

  3,440

  South West

  55,568

  28,115

  2,738

  London

  58,441

  58,430

  5,967

  South East

  68,028

  26,967

  4,488

  Eastern

  56,713

  22,892

  2,260

  Northern

  60,784

  39,137

  3,574

  North West (GM)

  46,958

  23,573

  3,089

  North West

  74,718

  37,914

  4,353

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  80,136

  47,047

  3,978

  West Midlands

  74,916

  44,052

  5,247

  Total

  633,906

  364,436

  39,135

  Programme expenditure continued

  £000

  Region

  Business start up1

  Local initiative fund1

  TEC management fee

  East Midlands

  7,230

  5,539

  9,259

  South west

  9,230

  4,638

  11,089

  London

  9,447

  6,497

  19,809

  South east

  7,868

  4,461

  13,031

  Eastern

  5,405

  3,094

  9,842

  Northern

  4,938

  4,933

  11,730

  North west (GM)

  5,869

  3,083

  8.720

  North west

  6,833

  2,845

  12,543

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  11,140

  8,373

  16,159

  West Midlands

  9,416

  4,206

  14,775

  Total

  77,377

  47,669

  127,303

  1. Programme expenditure based on 1993–94 estimated regional expenditure (latest available figures).

  1 Business start up and local initiative fund now form part of the single regeneration budget.

  Inward Investing Companies
  Mr. Deva
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what percentage of the British work force 262
  is employed by inward investing companies within the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Oppenheim
  In 1991, foreign owned firms accounted for 17 per cent. of manufacturing employment in the United Kingdom. The information is not available for the service sector.

  Mr. Deva
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many new jobs have been created by inward investing companies in the United Kingdom since 1979.

  Mr. Oppenheim
  According to figures notified to the Department of Trade and Industry's Invest in Britain Bureau, 320,104 new jobs were created and 302,143 jobs were sustained in the United Kingdom as a result of inward investment for the financial years 1979–80 to 1993–94.

  Commercial Lobbying
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) on how many occasions in the last four months of which he has knowledge any civil servants in his Department have been approached by commercial lobbying organisations on behalf of their clients at informal or unofficial engagements;

  (2) on how many occasions in the last four months he or any of his Ministers have been approached by commercial lobbying organisations on behalf of their clients at informal or unofficial engagements.

  Miss Widdecombe
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him today by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Child Support Agency
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security for how long the Child Support Agency has been logging telephone calls from clients.

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

  Letter from Ann Chant to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 24 January 1995:
  I am replying to your recent Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about the Child Support Agency logging telephone calls.
  The Agency has logged the number of calls received from clients since operations began in April 1993.

  Mr. Devlin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will instruct the CSA to terminate Mrs. Sandra Thurlbeck's (Ref. 1002139325) authority to act on her behalf in collecting maintenance.

  Mr. Burt
  I shall write to my hon. Friend separately.

  Mr. Ingram
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many appeals have been made to child support appeal tribunals since 1 April 1994; what is the total number of cases awaiting a Child Support Agency tribunal hearing; how many have been waiting more than three months; in how many of these cases the Child Support Agency has forwarded submissions; how many of these met the target of responding to the Independent Tribunal Service within 18 days; and what has been done
  263
  since his answer of 17 May 1994; Official Report, column 440, to improve the success rate.

  Mr. Burt
  I am informed by his honour Judge Bassingthwaighte, the president of the Independent Tribunal Service, that since 1 April 1994 it has received, 4,876 appeals. At 31 December 1994, 4,337 were waiting to be heard. On these cases they have received 1,022 submissions: six within 18 days of lodgement. The information requested about the number which have been waiting over three months is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. I am informed that the chief executive of the Child Support Agency set up a centralised appeals unit on 30 August 1994 as a measure to improve the production of submissions. Since then clearance rates have improved significantly.

  Mr. Ingram
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many child support appeal tribunal hearings have been held since 1 April 1994, how many of these have been adjourned; in how many cases(a) the absent parent and (b) the parent with care attended; in how many one of the parties was represented; and in how many cases the child support officer's decision has been overturned.

  Mr. Burt
  I am informed by his honour Judge Bassingthwaighte, the president of the Independent Tribunal Service, that 1,446 cases have been heard since 1 April 1994 and of these 132 were adjourned. In 229 cases one of the parties was represented. In 614 instances the child support officer's decision was overturned. The information requested on the number of absent parents and parents with care who attended the hearings is not available. However I can inform the hon. Gentleman that the appellant attended 976 hearings and the other party attended on 378 occasions. Both the absent parent and the parent with care can appeal against a child support decision.

  Family Credit
  Ms Short
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many parents are in receipt of family credit child care disregard;

  (2) what proportion of parents who are in receipt of family credit child care disregard receive (a) less than £10 per week, (b) £10 to £20 per week, (c) £20 to £30 per week and (d) more than £30 per week or the best available breakdown of the amount paid.

  Mr. Roger Evans
  In the three-month period to 31 December 1994, the latest date for which figures are available, 7,180 families received higher family credit awards as a result of the new help with child care charges. The amounts of additional family credit, and the proportion of families receiving these amounts, were as follows:

  (a) 35 per cent. received less than £10 a week

  (b) 27 per cent. received between £10 and £19.99

  (c) 38 per cent. received between £20 to £28.00

  The maximum extra help in family credit alone is £28 a week although families may benefit by up to £38.20 a week if they also receive housing benefit and council tax benefit.
  264
  Source:

  Five per cent. sample of family credit awards made between 1 October 1994 and 31 December 1994. The figures do not include claims made by 31 December 1994 but decided after that date.

  Back-to-work Bonus
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his most recent calculation on the financial consequences of the proposed back-to-work bonus.

  Mr. Roger Evans
  Our latest estimate of the financial implications of the back-to-work bonus is that the scheme will bring an estimated increase in benefit expenditure of around £20 million in 1996–97 and around £50 million in 1997–98. However, when behavioural effects are taken into account, the scheme is likely to be broadly cost neutral.

  Notes:

  1. Assumes 2.4 million unemployed.

  2. Estimates rounded to nearest £10 million in cash prices.

  National Insurance Fund
  Mr. Denham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what would be the cost to the national insurance fund of all current holders of an APP who make no additional contributions with an annual income of(a) £2,000 or below (b) up to £3,000, (c) up to £4,000, (d) up to £5,000, (e) up to £6,000, (f) up to £7,000, (g) up to £8,000, (h) up to £9,000 and (i) up to £10,000 opting back into SERPS.

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

  Mr. Denham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the total cost to date to the national insurance fund of national insurance rebates, tax relief and other incentives paid in respect of personal pensions contracted out of the state earnings-related pension scheme.

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  I refer the hon. Member to my reply of Tuesday 10 January to the hon. Member for Ealing, Southall (Mr. Khabra),Official Report, column 56.

  There is no cost to the national insurance fund of tax relief as the fund is continually reimbursed by the Inland Revenue for any payments of tax relief. Total tax relief to appropriate personal pensions amounted to £0.8 billion up to and including 1992–93.

  Mr. Denham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the cost to date to the national insurance fund of national insurance rebates, tax relief and other incentives paid in respect of personal pensions contracted out of the state earnings-related pension scheme of individuals with an annual income of(a) £2,000 or below (b) up to £3,000, (c) up to £4,000, (d) up to £5,000, (e) up to £6,000, (f) up to £7,000, (g) up to £8,000, (h) up to £9,000 and (i) up to £10,000.

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  The information is shown in the table.

  Rebates and incentives for Personal Pension holders with earnings under (£ per annum)

  Total up to and including 1991–92 GB, £ millions Cumulative by earnings

  2,000

  0

  3,000

  16

  4,000

  114

  5,000

  341

  265

  Rebates and incentives for Personal Pension holders with earnings under (£ per annum)

  Total up to and including 1991–92 GB, £ millions Cumulative by earnings

  6,000

  724

  7,000

  1,246

  8,000

  1,887

  9,000

  2,600

  10,000

  3,350

  Notes:

  1. Data is based on an analysis of a 1 per cent. sample of people who are recorded on the Department of Social Security national insurance recording system as contributing to an appropriate personal pension scheme.

  2. The figures are for accruals of rebates and incentives up to and including 1991–92 which are normally paid in the next year. The figures are therefore comparable with figures for total payments up to and including 1992–93.

  3. The cost of tax relief is not included as this is not a charge to the national insurance fund.

  4. Earnings are used, as a breakdown by income is not available.

  The following table shows estimates of tax relief.

  Tax relief for PP holders with earnings under (£ per annum)

  Total up to and including 1991–92 GB, £ millions

  2,000

  0

  3,000

  2

  4,000

  10

  5,000

  40

  6,000

  62

  7,000

  107

  8,000

  163

  9,000

  223

  10,000

  289

  CommercialLobbying
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) on how many occasions in the last four months of which he has knowledge any civil servants in his Department have been approached by commercial lobbying organisations on behalf of their clients at informal or unofficial engagements;

  (2) on how many occasions in the last four months he or any of his Ministers have been approached by commercial lobbying organisations on behalf of their clients at informal or unofficial engagements.

  Mr. Hague
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply to him by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.

  Severe Disability Premium
  Mr. Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what assessment he has made, following the recent appeal court judgment, of how many severely disabled people should have been receiving the premium between April 1988 and 1 December 1994, when the amending regulations were laid, but did not receive it; what steps are being taken to identify these people; and where the premium is now being awarded for the years in question, what policy he has with regard to suspending payment pending the appeal which he and the chief adjudication officer are seeking to bring to the House of Lords; and in how many cases a suspension has been imposed.

  Mr. Roger Evans
  The Court of Appeal decision given on 30 November 1994 resulted in entitlement to the severe 266
  disability premium being extended until the amendment regulation came into force on 2 December 1994. Consideration is still being given as to how the cases affected for these few days might be identified.

  It is our practice to suspend payment in cases which are subject of an appeal to the courts, or in cases where benefit would be affected by the outcome of such an appeal. The number of cases in which payment of the severe disability premium has been suspended in these particular circumstances is not known.

  Mr. Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people are currently in receipt of the severe disability premium as part of income support.

  Mr. Roger Evans
  As of February 1994, the latest date for which figures are available, the total number of claimants whose income support entitlement included the severe disability premium was 184,000.

  Source:
  "Income Support Statistics Quarterly Enquiry" February 1994—based on a 5 per cent. sample.

  Note:

  The figure has been rounded to the nearest thousand.

  Jobseekers Bill
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what assessment he has made of the impact of the provision of the Jobseekers Bill on the classification of unemployment benefit and analogous expenditure on income support into(a) planned expenditure and (b) cyclical expenditure; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Roger Evans
  [holding answer 16 January 1995]: Like the benefits which it is to replace, jobseeker's allowance will be, subject to passage of necessary legislation, cyclical social security expenditure.

WALES

  Dental Services, Gwynedd
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what emergency provision there is for dental patients in Gwynedd who cannot get access to NHS dental treatment.

  Mr. Richards
  According to information supplied by the Gwynedd family health services authority, there are 11 emergency sessions each week, at various times, on most days, including weekends, in clinics throughout Gwynedd.

  That authority is best placed to advise and assist patients who require emergency treatment. Patients can also be referred to the community dental service, which provides a "safety net" for those unable to obtain general dental services.

  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many representations he has received during the past three months on the subject of dental service provision in Gwynedd; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Richards
  Since 1 October 1994, 38 representations have been made on the subject of dental service provision in Gwynedd. During the same period, three questions have been asked in the House on the same subject.
  267
  I am aware that patients in Gwynedd who are not registered with a dentist may have difficulty in obtaining NHS treatment. I fully recognise the unsatisfactory situation in the county and officials are in frequent contact with the Gwynedd health authorities. I will continue to assist them in their efforts to find solutions.

  Nurses
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what proportion of those now being taken on in Wales for training as qualified nurses come as graduate entrants; and if he will make a statement on the changing qualification patterns for nurses in Wales and its implications for recruitment in future.

  Mr. Richards
  The current proportion of graduate entrants to Project 2000 student nurses is approximately one to 12. It remains the responsibility of the United Kingdom Central Council, as the statutory body governing nurse registration, to ensure that nurse training is tailored to meet the requirements of the NHS. This is monitored in Wales by the Welsh National Board.

  It was anticipated that the recent introduction of Project 2000-September 1991 in Wales—with its emphasis on a broader-based training would better meet the needs of patients. This diploma level qualification will be evaluated including the implications for recruitment.

  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make it his policy that the forthcoming increase in nurses pay will not be financed by a reduction in the number of nurses employed in the NHS.

  Mr. Richards
  This is a matter for individual health authorities and NHS trusts to determine.

  Police Funding
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many representations he has received on the standard spending assessment proposed for the North Wales police authority; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Redwood
  I have received 67 written representations on the proposed standard spending assessment for North Wales police. On 20 December, my hon. Friend the Member for Cardiff, North (Mr. Jones), the Under-Secretary, met a deputation from the police authority to discuss its concerns. I will announce my final settlement decisions shortly.

  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when the consultation period for discussion on the standard spending assessment proposed for Welsh police authorities will expire.

  Mr. Redwood
  Formal consultation in respect of my provisional standard spending assessment and capping proposals for Welsh police authorities ended on 9 January. I am considering all the representations received and I will make my final settlement decisions shortly.

  Training Providers
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the companies in(a) Gwent and (b) the Islwyn constituency that facilitate the work of training and enterprise councils by being training providers; and if he will make a statement.
  268
  Mr. Richards
  Gwent TEC has contracts with the following training providers who arrange placements for trainees in a wide range of companies across the country.

  Provider

  Location

  (a) Gwent

  Age Concern

  Ebbw Vale

  Agency for Caring Environments (ACE)

  Cardiff Office

  Gwent-wide

  Beacon Training Ltd.

  Pontypool

  Gwent-wide

  Blaenau Gwent Borough Council

  Tredegar

  British Steel Llanwern

  Newport

  British Steel Tinplate

  Ebbw Vale

  CITB

  Gwent-wide

  CTF

  Cwmbran

  Focal

  Gwent-wide

  Gwent NCT

  Blaina

  Newport

  Gwent Quality Training

  Newport

  Gwent-wide

  Gwent Tertiary College

  Newport

  Pontypool and Usk

  Ebbw Vale

  Hill Management Criteria

  Newport

  JHP Training Ltd.

  Brynmawr

  Newport

  Cwmbran

  Ystrad Mynach

  Link Training

  Cwmbran

  Brynmawr

  Lucas Automotive Braking Division

  Cwmbran

  Monmouth Borough Council

  Monmouth

  Newport and District GTA

  Pontypool

  Saunders Valve Co. Ltd.

  Cwmbran

  Torfaen Training

  Cwmbran

  Training Management (Wales) Ltd.

  Cwmbran

  Gwent-wide

  Victoria Training

  Ebbw Vale

  (b) Islwyn

  Gwent NCT

  Pontllanfraith

  Gwent Tertiary College

  Crosskeys

  Mates Training Design and Development Ltd.

  Blackwood

  Dairy Farmers
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the approximate average net profit for dairy farmers in each year since 1985.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  Information on incomes of full-time dairy farms and other farm types is collected in the farm business survey and published each year in "Farm Incomes in the United Kingdom". The latest edition, "Farm Incomes in the United Kingdom 1992/93", shows estimates of several different measures of income for dairy farms in 1991–92 and 1992–93. Definitions of these income measures are contained in appendix 2.

  To illustrate longer-term trends in incomes, index series are also given for net farm income, occupier's net income and cash income back to 1986–87—table 1.1 and appendix 1, tables 1 and 2—the earliest year for which data are available on a consistent basis.

  "Farm Incomes in the United Kingdom 1993/94" will be published in the spring.

  Next Steps Agencies
  Mr. Kaufman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will set out for each of the next steps agencies in his Department, whether they have acquired their own headquarters buildings and, if so, at what purchase cost or annual rental; how many support staff they have required which were not required when their operations were within his Department; how many of them publish periodical journals and at what annual cost; how many have fleets of executive cars or single executive cars and at what annual cost; how many have specially designed logos and at what cost; how many have corporate clothing and at what cost; and what is the cost of specially designed and printed corporate stationery.

  Mr. Redwood
  CADW: Welsh Historic Monuments is the Welsh Office's sole wholly-owned, executive agency. The body's corporate identity was established in 1984 when it was launched as a discrete management unit in its own headquarters, where it remains. No additional costs arose in this area when the agency was vested in April 1991. However, four additional support staff were required. A uniform or protective clothing is provided for some staff, but no additional costs arose from agency status. A newsletter is provided for members of Heritage in Wales—a subscription scheme which allows admission to CADW sites without further charge. The agency does not provide executive cars.

  Animal Diseases
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many cases of sheep scab there were in each year since 1990 and in each month for 1994.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The total number of confirmed cases of sheep scab in Wales for the years 1990 to 1992 was as follows:

  Number

  1990

  9

  1991

  15

  1992 (to 30 June)

  14

  The collation of official records on the number of outbreaks of sheep scab was discontinued after deregulation of compulsory controls in 1992.

  Environmental Policy
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will set out those matters in regard to environmental policy in Wales that are the responsibility of his Department and those which are primarily the responsibility of other Government Departments or non-departmental public bodies.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  Details of the Welsh Office's environmental policies and programmes and information on the environmental activities of its public bodies are given in the departmental report, Cm 2515, copies of which are available in the Library of the House. Information on the environmental policy responsibilities of other Departments and their public bodies is similarly available in their reports.

  Air Pollution
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what new measures he proposes to lessen air pollution in Wales.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  On 19 January, the Government published new proposals for improving air quality in the paper "Air Quality: Meeting the Challenge", a copy of which is available in the Library of the House. The measures detailed there will apply, as appropriate, in Wales as elsewhere in the United Kingdom.

  Council Tax
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the average council tax for a band D house in(a) Alyn and Deeside district council and (b) Westminster.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The average band D council tax for 1994–95 in Alyn and Deeside is £385 and in Westminster £245. The value of properties in valuation band D ranges from £51,000 to £66,000 in Wales and from £68,000 to £88,000 in England.

  Millennium Fund
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales for what projects under the control of his Department he will be applying for funds from the millennium fund; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  None. I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given on 20 December by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for National Heritage, which explains the relationship between Ministers, Departments and the lottery distributing bodies.

  Fluoride
  Mr. Jon Owen Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to implement the recommendation of Health Promotion Wales to add fluoride as a supplement to Welsh water supplies.

  Mr. Richards
  None. This is a matter for local determination.

  Through Ticketing
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he will be making to the rail regulator concerning the future availability of through ticketing from railway stations in Wales.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The Rail Regulator and Ministers are committed to continuing easy access to through ticketing for passengers. Ministers will consider carefully the Rail Regulator's decisions on ticketing obligations at railway stations after his wide-ranging consultations.

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the estimated number of(a) jobs lost and (b) new jobs created in each of the last five years for which figures are available for (i) each district council area in Wales and (ii) Wales as a whole.

  Mr. Redwood
  Comprehensive information on the number of jobs lost and created is not available. Information on employees in employment for district council areas is available from the 1989 and 1991
  271
  censuses of employment. Figures for Wales are available from the Employment Department's quarterly estimates series and are published in table 1.5 in the Employment Gazette. All these data are available from the NOMIS database which can be accessed by the staff of the Library of the House.

  Commercial Lobbying
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales on how many occasions in the last four months of which he has knowledge any civil servants in his Department have been approached by commercial lobbying organisations on behalf of their clients at informal or unofficial engagements.

  Mr. Redwood
  Officials may receive representations about a variety of matters, but the information requested is not collected.

  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales on how many occasions in the last four months he or any of his Ministers have been approached by commercial lobbying organisations on behalf of their clients at informal or unofficial engagements.

  Mr. Redwood
  My Ministers and I meet a wide range of people from many organisations at informal and official occasions.

  Training and Enterprise Councils
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to the letter from the Under-Secretary of State for Employment to the hon. Member for Cardiff, West of 11 January, concerning outcomes-based funding of training and enterprise councils, if he will give details of the consultation exercise referred to as it applies in Wales; and which organisations in Wales have been consulted.

  Mr. Redwood
  My Department is currently in the process of consulting TECs in Wales on the prospective changes in the funding arrangements for training for work before the determination of contacts for 1995–96.

  Mr. W. C. Powell
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his letter to the hon. Member for Brecon and Radnor (Mr. Evans) of 7 January, concerning Mr. W. C. Powell, what proposals he has to issue new guidelines to require the participation of general fundholders in inquiries such as the one agreed with Mr. Powell.

  Mr. Redwood
  There are no plans to issue guidelines. Informal inquiries of the kind offered to Mr. W. C. Powell, do not include powers to compel the attendance of witnesses. There is no distinction to be drawn between fundholders and non-fundholders.

SCOTLAND

  Higher and Further Education
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the number of students entering higher and further education in 1994–95.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The number of students who entered higher education in Scotland for the first time in 1994–95 is currently estimated to be 46,800.
  272
  Many FE students enter courses at different times or for studies of less than one academic year. The current estimate of the total number of students on all FE courses in 1994–95 is 169,200.

  Poverty
  Mr. David Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his best estimate of the number of people in Scotland living in poverty; what plans he has to reduce this figure; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Statistics on patterns of household disposable income are provided in "Households Below Average Income 1979 to 1991–92", published in July last year. The best response to low household income is to sustain economic recovery and to assist those in greatest need. The Government's policies address both these aspects.

  Nursing and Residential Homes
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proposals he has to modify the rules governing the ownership and management of both nursing and residential homes for elderly citizens.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  My right hon. Friend has no present plans to modify the rules governing the ownership and management of nursing and residential care homes for the elderly. Officials are, however, reviewing the procedures and standards in both sectors.

  Motorail Service
  Sir Russell Johnston
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the effect on tourism of the proposals to terminate the motorail service and reduce sleeper services to Scotland; and when he was consulted on these matters.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Responsibility for railways rests with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport. However, I understand British Rail has yet to decide the future of these services in the light of the franchising director's decision not to include certain services in passenger service requirements.

  Scottish Prison Officers Association
  Mr. Hood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last met representatives of the Scottish Prison Officers Association; what he discussed with them; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  My right hon. Friend last met representatives of the Scottish Prison Officers Association on 6 May 1994 when he met a delegation from the Scottish Prison Service trade union side.

  The subjects discussed were the Criminal Justice arid Public Order Act 1994, market testing and staff morale in the Scottish Prison Service.

  Local Government Reorganisation
  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of Stale for Scotland what further assessment he has made of the staff and other costs of work being undertaken by local authorities in preparing for the new authorities.

  Mr. Stewart
  I have nothing to add to my right hon. Friend's reply to my hon. Friend the Member for
  273
  Kincardine and Deeside (Mr. Kynoch), on 13 December 1994, Official Report, columns 595–96, which outlined his plans for funding the costs of local government reorganisation in 1995–96.

  Local Government Expenditure
  Mr. Robert Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received from local authorities in Scotland on their spending plans.

  Mr. Stewart
  The Convention of Scottish Local Authorities and some individual local authorities have made representations to my right hon. Friend about the level of the 1995–96 local government finance settlement and the implications for authorities' budgets.

  Health Care, Lanarkshire
  Mr. Ingram
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last met the chief executive of Lanarkshire health board to discuss the provision of health care in Lanarkshire; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  My noble and learned Friend the Minister of State regularly meets representatives from all health boards to discuss health issues. There are no immediate plans for a meeting with Lanarkshire health board.

  Manufacturing Industry
  Mrs. Liddell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has any plans to meet the chairman and chief executive of Scottish Enterprise National to discuss the state of manufacturing industry in Scotland.

  Mr. Stewart
  My right hon. Friend regularly meets the chairman and chief executive of Scottish Enterprise. He has, however, no immediate plans for a meeting.

  Floods, Strathclyde
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the recent floods in Strathcylde.

  Mr. Stewart
  I refer the hon. Member to the replies to his parliamentary questions answered last week and to his recent meeting with my right hon. Friend and me.

  Mr. Galbraith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to meet Strathclyde regional councillors to discuss flood prevention.

  Mr. Stewart
  Although there are no such plans at present, my hon. Friend the Minister with responsibility for agriculture and the environment, who is responsible for flood prevention matters, would be willing to meet the hon. Gentleman together with representative Strathclyde councillors, if this would be helpful.

  Proposed Bridge, Kelso
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will approve the financial consents necessary to enable Borders regional council to build a new bridge at Kelso.

  Mr. Stewart
  Final decisions have not yet been made about the distribution of roads and transport capital allocations for 1995–96. The case for a new Kelso bridge 274
  will be taken into consideration, along with other proposals, in setting the levels for individual councils.

  Prison Cell Searches
  Lady Olga Maitland
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the adequacy of prison cell searches.

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

  Letter from E. W. Frizzell to Lady Olga Maitland, dated 25 January 1995:
  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton has asked me to reply to your Question about what assessment has been made of the adequacy of prison cell searches.
  Cell searches are an essential element in a range of security measures, which includes the use of drug detection dogs, closed visits, rub down and strip searches, to prevent the introduction of unauthorised and/or prohibited articles into prisons. A comprehensive set of guidelines on the safe custody of prisoners, including cell searches, was issued to all Governors-in-Charge of establishments in 1991. These are subject to continuous review.
  In the year ended 31 March 1994, 2079 punishments against prison discipline were awarded by Governors to prisoners who either took or were found in possession of unauthorised or prohibited articles. We have no statistical information which would indicate how many of those offences against discipline were the result of cell searching, but Governors are aware of the importance of the security guidelines and of the need for cell searching to be properly carried out.

  Rail Privatisation
  Mr. Charles Kennedy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the impact of rail privatisation upon the economy of the highlands and islands; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Responsibility for railways rests with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport. However, the Government believe that private sector involvement in the railways will benefit users and the economy as a whole.

  Secondary Schools
  Sir David Know
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much was spent per pupil in secondary 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
  Current expenditure per secondary pupil in 1992–93 was 46 per cent. higher in real terms than in 1979. The latest figure is £2,914 per secondary pupil.

  Details of budgeted school running costs per pupil for 1994–95, for individual primary and secondary schools in Scotland, were published last month and a copy has been placed in the Library.

  Scottish Homes (Tenants)
  Mr. Michael J. Martin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make it his policy that tenants of Scottish Homes are entitled to remain with Scottish Homes if they vote against the takeover of a new landlord.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Disposal of housing stock by Scottish Homes must be in accordance with
  275
  guidelines issued by my right hon. Friend which promote substantial safeguards for tenants. These provide that the majority view should prevail and all the tenants in a ballot area will transfer if a majority of those voting are in favour. Throughout the consultation process Scottish Homes emphasises to tenants the importance of casting a vote. My right hon. Friend has no plans to change these arrangements.

  Forth Rail Bridge
  Mr. Eric Clarke
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he is going to publish the results of the Scottish Office independent engineering and structural survey of the Forth rail bridge.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  No such survey has been undertaken.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the result of the meeting arranged by the hon. Member for Edinburgh, West (Lord James Douglas-Hamilton) between Mr. Patrick Hetherington of the Scottish Office, Mr. Colin Aston and Mr. John Watson of Maid of the Forth in relation to metallic problems of the Forth rail bridge and of the subsequent inspection of the bridge by Mr. Hetherington in relation to bird remains, bird droppings in crevices and the non-function of lights installed by Scottish Power.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Inquiries are continuing and I shall write to the hon. Member when these are complete.

  Bank Holidays
  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what measures he has taken to safeguard bank holidays in Scotland.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The dates of bank holidays in Scotland are either defined in schedule 1 to the Banking and Financial Dealings Act 1971 or designated each year by royal proclamation under section 1(3) of the Act. There are no proposals at present to change these dates.

  Rented Housing
  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make it his policy to increase the supply of affordable rented housing in Scotland.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Our policy is to assist and enable provision of an adequate supply of housing, by monitoring housing supply and demand and encouraging housing agencies to identify and address local imbalances in the supply of housing.

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many men were in full-time jobs in Scotland(a) in June 1979 and (b) at present.

  Mr. Allan Stewart
  Information on male full-time employment is not available for 1979. The total number of male employees, in June 1979, was 1,205,200. In June 1994, there were 972,800 male employees, of whom 876,300 were full-time. The total number of employees in June 1979 was 2,102,300, and in June 1994 was 1,963,600.
  276
  In comparison, the total civilian work force in employment fell by 29,600 over this period. This includes an increase of 76,900 in the number of self-employed and the introduction of the work-related Government training schemes.

  NHS Waiting Lists
  Mr. Ian Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the trend in national health service waiting lists in Scotland; and what comparable statistics he has on waiting lists elsewhere.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  As the information requested is lengthy, I have arranged for a copy to be sent to the hon. Gentleman and for a copy to be placed in the Library of the House.

  Scottish Constitution
  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what pamphlets or speeches he wrote or delivered in 1994 setting out his views on the Scottish constitution.

  Mr. Lang
  During 1994, my belief that Scotland's constitutional future lies firmly within the United Kingdom was expressed on many different occasions.

  Barnacle Geese
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland further to his answer of 16 December 1994,Official Report, column 1055, if he will give details of the conditions attached to the licence issued to a farmer on Solway firth on 15 December 1994 for the killing of barnacle geese.

  Sir Hector Monro
  The current licence was issued on 11 November 1994. As the information requested is rather lengthy, I am arranging for a copy of the licence and guidance notes to be sent to the hon. Member and placed in the Library of the House.

  NHS Trusts
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much was spent by each hospital trust in Scotland on public relations for each year for which figures are available.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The information requested is not available centrally.

  The Arts
  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to fund overseas presentation of Scottish arts linked to efforts by Scottish businesses to win contracts.

  Sir Hector Monro
  None. Government support for overseas activities by arts organisations is primarily a matter for the British Council. The business sponsorship incentive scheme, which provides matching government funds for private sponsorship moneys, may also help.

  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to assist arts organisations to make themselves and their educational services known to individual schools and to the new unitary authorities.

  Sir Hector Monro
  The Scottish Office Education Department will draw the potential role of arts
  277
  organisations in education to the attention of the new local authorities in a guidance circular on the arts to be issued later this year.

  The Scottish Arts Council has identified education as a priority and has published a handbook "Now to Create: Arts and Education in Partnership", a copy of which has recently been sent to every school in Scotland, to every school board and to appropriate local authority officers.

  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to increase pupils' access to active participation in arts activities.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  National guidelines on the expressive arts, issued in 1992, offer schools advice on art education for pupils aged five to 14. The guidelines cover art, drama and music, and place emphasis on the value of active participation. They set out attainment targets and programmes of study in which performance, participation and appreciation have a place. The arts community generally has welcomed this advice to schools.

  Guidelines issued by the Scottish Consultative Council on the Curriculum for pupils aged 14 to 18 also ensure that the arts have a secure place within the curriculum. Scottish Examination Board and Scottish Vocational Education Council courses and qualifications are available at standard grade, higher grade, certificate of sixth year studies and national certificate in the areas of music, drama and art. Within the higher still programme, a unified framework of study programmes and qualifications will be developed in these areas.

  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what funding is available to arts organisations to assist them with tourism-related projects.

  Sir Hector Monro
  Relevant financial assistance is available to arts organisations from the Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise networks, including the local enterprise companies, and the Scottish tourist board. The Scottish Arts Council has a general responsibility for funding and encouraging the arts in Scotland; in partnership with the Scottish tourist board and the Scottish Museums Council among other public sector organisations, the council is actively involved in various initiatives to develop arts-based tourism.

  Tanker Terminals (Benzene Emmissions)
  Mr. Welsh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the levels of benzene emissions from tanker terminals in Scotland.

  Sir Hector Monro
  Benzene is a commodity chemical that has well-recognised toxic and carcinogenic properties and transfers of the chemical itself into tankers of all sorts are undertaken using closed vapour handling systems to prevent emissions leading to unacceptable exposures to the process operators.

  Benzene is also a constituent of petrol and its precursor component mixtures. Vapours given off by such materials contain only very low concentrations of benzene which is vented along with the displacement gases during tanker loading. The implementation of the stage 1 petrol vapour recovery directive, formally adopted by the European Union in December 1994, and intended primarily to reduce emissions of ozone precursors, will see the progressive installation of closed vapour handling systems at all road, rail and inland waterway terminals. For shiploading terminals such as Hound point and Braefoot
  278
  bay, the International Maritime Organisation is negotiating amendments to the MARPOL convention that, once implemented, will extend closed vapour handling systems to ships. An incidental benefit of these changes will be to reduce further the very low levels of benzene emissions arising currently during tanker loading.

  Monitoring exercises in the Grangemouth area have detected benzene at levels consistently below 1 part per billion-14-day average. Some at least of this concentration can be attributed to tanker loading, but when compared with the 1ppb air quality target recommended by the expert panel on air quality standards, it is clear that the operation of the tanker terminals in the Grangemouth area has a negligible impact on air quality in that locality.

  A recent monitoring exercise carried out around the Braefoot bay terminal during shiploading of natural gasoline, which contains low concentrations of benzene, and is used in petrol formulation, demonstrated that peak concentrations—eight-hour averages—in the Aberdour area were greater in numerical terms than the levels recommended by EPAQS for adoption as annual average air quality concentrations. The panel, in making its recommendation, noted that at concentrations occurring in the ambient atmosphere benzene does not have short-term, or acute, effects. In these circumstances, any carcinogenic effect is attributable to the total intake of the material over a lifetime and short-term peaks are of themselves of little import. Concentrations in the Aberdour area measured at times other than during shiploading of natural gasoline were found to be negligible.

  Student Finance
  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities on guidelines on the award of bursaries and students by the new unitary authorities.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The power to award bursaries to further education students is discretionary and it is for the authorities themselves to determine if and how these awards are to be made. Officials from the Scottish Office Education Department, COSLA, and the Employers Association for Further Education Colleges meet periodically to discuss the operation of the guidelines for existing education authorities. I expect such discussions to continue when the new authorities come into existence.

  Homelessness
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what was the level of additional capital allocations to Scottish local authorities for projects for homelessness people in each of the past five years;

  (2) what has been the level of direct Government subsidy to public bodies for tackling homelessness in Scotland in each of the past five years.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Specific supplementary allocations totalling almost £30 million for homelessness projects have been issued to local authorities in each of the past four years as follows:

  1991–92: £7.6 million

  1992–93: £15 million

  1993–94: £4.35 million

  1994–95: £2.62 million

  279
  Since March 1993, homelessness has been designated as a national priority for housing investment and some local authorities also received an increase in their mainstream allocations for 1993–94 and 1994–95 based on the homelessness strategies included in their housing capital programmes.

  Local social work authorities, new towns, Scottish Homes and health boards also make a contribution to

  1989–90

  1990–91

  1991–92

  1992–93

  1993–94

  Hostel housing support grant

  1.4

  1.3

  1.4

  1.6

  1.6

  Urban programme

  0.8

  0.8

  0.9

  1.1

  1.1

  Hospital Admissions
  Mr. Galbraith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the age profile of emergency admissions recorded for each health board for the last five years for which figures are available.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  As the information requested is rather lengthy, I have arranged for comes of the age profiles to be placed in the Library of the House.

  Dourine
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many cases of dourine were reported in each year since 1985.

  Sir Hector Monro
  No cases of dourine have ever been reported in Scotland.

  Equine Infectious Anaemia
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many cases of equine infectious anaemia there have been in each year since 1985.

  Sir Hector Monro
  There have been no recorded cases of equine infectious anaemia in Scotland over this period.

  Robes and Regalia
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his policy in respect of the availability for use on appropriate ceremonial occasions of robes and regalia used by office holders in the former Scottish boroughs.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 23 January 1995]: Following local government reform in 1975, ownership of the former burgh councils' civic robes, insignia and so on, passed to the new district councils. However, entitlement to the wearing of robes requires royal approval. The design and use of coats of arms on chains of office and other insignia are matters for the Lord Lyon King of Arms.

  Liver Transplants
  Mr. Galbraith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many liver transplants were carried out in 1994.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 23 January 1995]: Thirty-one liver transplants were carried out in 1994.
  280
  tackling homelessness. Normally, neither mainstream capital allocations nor the substantial grants in aid or other direct central Government subsidies given to public bodies are earmarked for specific activities.

  Exceptions to this relating to homelessness are:

DEFENCE

  Gulf War
  Mr. Peter Robinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what triggered the nerve agent immobilised alarm detectors alarms on the night of 20–21 January 1991 during Operation Granby.

  Mr. Soames
  We have found no record of such an incident. There are, however records of an incident in the Al Jubayl area on 19 January 1991 when chemical agent monitor—CAM—and residual vapour detector—RVD—indicated the presence of blister agent—mustard. Nerve agent immobilised enzyme alarm and detector—NAIAD—did not respond, however, thus ruling out the presence of nerve agent.

  An immediate follow up by explosive ordnance device—EOD—and chemical reconnaissance teams failed to find any evidence of chemical attack, which if it had taken place, would have included ground contamination, blister is a persistent agent, and weapon debris.

  The identity of the compounds which caused the CAM and RVD to alarm on 19 January 1991 is therefore not known. It was assessed that the most likely cause of the incident was a damaged aircraft jettisoning JP4 fuel which is consistent with reports of air activity at the time.

  Mr. Peter Robinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence to what extent the administration of nerve agent pre-treatment set, anthrax and plague inoculations would normally require a medical consultation with the patient to determine whether there are counter indications; to what extent these drugs were administered to military personnel involved in the Gulf war without such consultation; and for what reasons.

  Mr. Soames
  Standard peacetime medical practice is for consent to be obtained before immunisation with any vaccine. Specific details of anti-biological warfare medical counter-measures employed by British forces remain classified. However, in Operation Granby it was policy for vaccines against those biological agents identified as a threat to be made available to service personnel on the standard basis of informed consent. This entailed informing service personnel of the vaccines they were receiving, their purpose and their possible side effects. In the operational circumstances pertaining in the Gulf it is not possible to guarantee that this policy was universally adhered to.

  Standard text books on immunisation detail no specific contraindications for the anti-biological warfare vaccines used during Operation Granby.
  281
  The universal and regular basis on which the nerve agent pre-treatment set—NAPS—has to be taken do not allow for individual medical consultation. However NAPS is a licensed drug and the safety and efficacy of its active ingredient, pyridostigmine bromide, in giving protection against chemical warfare agents is internationally medically recognised.

  Mr. Peter Robinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) when personnel at Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment, Porton Down, acknowledged that chemical detectors, nerve agent immobilised alarm detectors and chemical agent monitors, could be activated by substances other than the toxic chemicals they were designed to detect; and by what means military personnel involved in Operation Granby were expected to know when they should use their personal protective equipment;

  (2) when a copy of the report by Major John Watkinson, the Officer Commanding 21 EOD squadron, was received by Major Parsons of M.0.1/MoD UK Army and Mr. P. Hearn of Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment, Porton Down; and when the memorandum written by Captain Michael Johnson, Commander of the US 54 Chemical Troop, dated 4 January 1994, was seen by MoD officials;

  (3) what assessment the MoD has made of the availability of the plague and anthrax vaccines; and what are their common applications.

  Mr. Soames
  These are matters for the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment, Porton Down, under its framework document. I have asked the chief executive, CBDE, to write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from Graham S. Pearson to Mr. Peter Robinson, dated 25 January 1995:

  1. Your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Defence asking when personnel at the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment, Porton Down, acknowledged that chemical detectors (NAIAD and CAM) could be activated by substances other than the toxic chemicals they were designed to detect, and by what means military personnel involved in Operation GRANBY were expected to know when they should use their personnel protective equipment has been passed to me to answer as Chief Executive of the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment at Porton Down.

  2. The role of the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment is to carry out work to ensure that the British Armed Forces have the most effective protective measures possible against the threat that chemical or biological weapons may be used against them.

  3. The staff of the Chemical and Biological Establishment have long recognised that any detection system for chemical warfare agents needs to have appropriate sensitivity and selectivity so as to respond to the chemical warfare agents and to minimise false alarms. The principal route by which chemical warfare agents attack the body is through the respiratory tract although some agents such as mustard and some nerve agents are percutaneously active. The aim in designing an effective detector is to obtain sufficient specificity without reducing sensitivity to a level in which personnel would be exposed to a harmful concentration prior to the detector responding.

  4. The British chemical agent detectors such as NAIAD and CAM are designed to be highly specific whilst having a sufficient sensitivity to ensure that those utilising such detectors receive a warning from the detector before they inhale a harmful concentration of chemical warfare agent. Although they like all other chemical warfare agent detectors can respond to substances other than chemical warfare agents, it is important to recognise that these other substances are very unlikely to be present on the battlefield in concentrations sufficient to produce an alarm. In practice, the use of more than one type of detector reduces the chance of possible false
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  alarms whilst retaining an undiminished capability for the detection of chemical warfare agents.

  5. Consequently, British Service personnel serving in Operation GRANBY donned their personal protective equipment when they were judged to be under a possible chemical warfare attack. This is known as the Immediate Action Drill and is designed to ensure that Service personnel are protected should they be subjected to an attack in which chemical weapons may be used. Likewise, if a chemical detector such as NAIAD or CAM alarms then full protective equipment is donned. The information relating to the possible attack is then passed to the next high level of command at which a judgement will be made as to whether chemical warfare agents have indeed been used in such an attack. Such a judgement would take into account whether other techniques for detection and monitoring of chemical warfare agents have indicated the presence of a chemical warfare agent or not. The equipment provided to the British Armed Forces to detect and monitor chemical warfare agents is highly effective and is second to none.

  Letter from Graham S. Pearson to Mr. Peter Robinson, dated 25 January 1995:

  1. Your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Defence asking when a copy of the report by Major John Watkinson, the Officer Commanding 21 EOD Squadron, was received by Major Parsons of M.0.1/MOD UK Army and Mr. P. Hearn of CBDE Porton Down; and when the memorandum written by Captain Michael Johnson, Commander of the US 54th Chemical Troop, dated 4 January 1994, was seen by MOD officials has been passed to me to answer as Chief Executive of the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment.

  2. The role of the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment is to carry out work to ensure that UK Armed Forces are provided with effective protective measures against the threat that chemical and biological weapons may be used against them.

  3. The report by 21st EOD Squadron was received in MOD in August 1991 and, in accordance with its recommendations, samples collected in Kuwait City were provided to CBDE Porton Down for analysis.

  4. A subsequent note from CBDE Porton Down to the Ministry of Defence dated 23 August 1991, prior to the receipt of the samples, stated that the brown fumes associated with the material, the destruction of the NBC suit material and the burns produced on skin suggests that the material may be fuming nitric acid, a highly corrosive oxidising acid which may be used as a rocket propellant. The damage to the NBC suit material and the brown fumes showed that the material was not liquid mustard.

  5. The CBDE analytical report dated 24 September 1991 showed that the samples had a definite yellow/brown colour compared to the original white of the resin and were labelled Sample 1 dated 10 August 1991 and Sample 3 dated 10 August 1991. Analytical results showed that there was a high concentration of nitrate in the sample and a pH that was extremely acidic. Extraction of the resin with dichloromethane and analysis by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry showed the presence of no material of CW interest. The samples were entirely consistent with the contents of the tank being nitric acid and there was no evidence of any CW agent being present.

  6. There is no record of a copy of the memorandum by Captain Michael Johnson of the US Army having been received by MOD officials.

  Letter from Graham S. Pearson to Mr. Peter Robinson, dated 25 January 1995:

  1. Your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Defence asking what assessment the MOD has made of the availability of the plague and anthrax vaccines, and what are their common applications has been passed to me to answer as Chief Executive of the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment at Porton Down.

  2. The role of the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment is to carry out work to ensure that the British Armed

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  Forces have the most effective protective measures possible against the threat that chemical or biological weapons may be used against them. As part of this work the potential hazard of possible chemical and biological warfare is assessed and the effectiveness of medical countermeasures evaluated.

  3. As part of this work, the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment carry out a continuing assessment of the availability and effectiveness of vaccines. Plague and anthrax vaccines are available from a number of countries which include the following:

  (a) Plague. This is available from Greer Laboratories in the United States of America and the Commonwealth Serum Laboratories in Australia.

  (b) Anthrax. This is available from the Centre for Applied Microbiology and Research at Porton Down and the Michigan Department of Public Health in the United States of America.

  These vaccines are produced to protect individuals at risk from the respective diseases; these include persons working with these microorganisms in laboratories and the pharmaceutical industry or at risk from the natural occurrence of the disease.

  Mr. Peter Robinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if plague vaccine used during Operation Granby was obtained on a named-patient basis.

  Mr. Soames
  Details of the specific medical countermeasures employed by British forces against the potential biological warfare threat during Operation Granby remain classified. All vaccines administered to British forces in Operation Granby were offered on the basis of voluntary informed consent. Any vaccines without a United Kingdom product licence were licenced in their country of origin, fully tested in the United Kingdom and cleared for use.

  Pyridostigmine Bromide
  Mr. Peter Robinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if licence No. 4537/0003 for pyridostigmine bromide, 30mg, granted to the MOD by the Medicines Control Agency governs(a) by whom the drug is supplied and (b) the chemical make up of the drug.

  Mr. Soames
  Yes. The licence specifies the manufacturer of the active substance as Raschig AG, Germany, and of the finished product as Duphar BV, Holland. The active constituent of the product is listed as pyridostigmine bromide and the other constituents are: pregelatinised starch, maize starch, lactose, colloidal silicon dioxide, talc and magnesium stearate.

  Atomic Energy Co-operation
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information Her Majesty's Government have received as to the disposition of plutonium sent to the United States under the 1959 amendment to the Anglo-American mutual defence agreement on atomic energy co-operation of 1958, Cmnd 859; and whether all plutonium sent to the United States under this agreement since 1965 was transacted under the barter arrangement.

  Mr. Freeman
  The disposition of plutonium supplied to the United States under the 1958 agreement is a matter for the United States Government. However, the United States Government gave an assurance in 1964 that plutonium originating from United Kingdom civil reactors would not be used in their weapons programme.

  Most plutonium supplied to the United States under the 1958 agreement has been transferred under barter arrangements. However, some plutonium has also been transferred under separate loan arrangements.
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  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what costs are expected to be incurred through the Atomic Control Office in implementing the 10-year extension to the 1958 United States-United Kingdom mutual defence agreement on atomic energy matter, Cm 2686.

  Mr. Freeman
  The articles of the 1958 mutual defence agreement that were recently amended have little bearing on the work load of the atomic control office, London. The additional costs that will fall to this office as a result of the amendment will therefore be negligible.

  Nuclear Materials
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will set out details of the nuclear materials accounting and central arrangements to which the Minister of State, the hon. Member for Boothferry (Mr. Davis) made reference in the Official Report, 15 December 1994, column 1237.

  Mr. Freeman
  These arrangements involve bookkeeping and auditing systems, similar to those in the civil nuclear industry, to control and monitor movements and inventories of nuclear materials. For reasons of security, it is not our practice to reveal further details of such arrangements.

  British Troops (Gorazde)
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of British troops in the Bosnian enclave of Gorazde; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Soames
  British troops in Gorazde are making a very effective and highly valued contribution to UNPROFOR's efforts to stabilise the situation on the ground and to assist in the delivery of humanitarian aid to the enclave. One of their current priorities is to facilitate the implementation of the four month cessation of hostilities agreement which came into effect on 1 January 1995.

  International Military Services Ltd.
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence at what date the staff council was first elected at International Military Services Ltd.; and if it is his general policy to encourage such staff councils.

  Mr. Freeman
  The MOD's support for staff councils is demonstrated through the long-standing Whitley council arrangements which have existed in their present form since 1956.

  The staff of International Military Services Ltd., who were not civil servants, were not covered by the MOD Whitley councils. As a private company, International Military Services made its own arrangements for staff representation. The Ministry of Defence played no part in these arrangements.

  Nuclear Co-operation Agreement
  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what joint actions are being taken in pursuit of the Anglo-French nuclear co-operation agreement.

  Mr. Soames
  There is no such agreement. We are, however, developing contacts on defence nuclear matters with France in a number of ways, including the
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  Franco-British joint commission on nuclear policy and doctrine. The work of the commission has shown an identity of approach between the UK and France on fundamental policy issues. The detail of this work is, of course, confidential between the two Governments.

  Joint Services Command
  Mr. Raynsford
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many acres of land are currently occupied by the Army Command and staff college at Camberley.

  Mr. Soames
  The staff college at Camberley occupies an enclave within the site of the Royal military academy, Sandhurst. The overall size of the site, including the married quarters, is some 883 acres. In addition, a training area serving the staff college and the academy occupies a further 1,176 acres.

  Commercial Lobbying
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) on how many occasions in the last four months of which he has knowledge any civil servants in his Department have been approached by commercial lobbying organisations on behalf of their clients at informal or unofficial engagements;

  (2) on how many occasions in the last four months he or any of his Ministers have been approached by commercial lobbying organisations on behalf of their clients at informal or unofficial engagements.

  Mr. Freeman
  I refer the hon. Member to the written answer today from the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.

  Combined Cadet Force
  Mr. Byers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much was spent in 1993–94 to support the Combined Cadet Force in schools; what schools received support; and what was the amount awarded to each school.

  Mr. Soames
  My noble Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Defence will write to the hon. Member.

  Mr. Byers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many(a) deaths and (b) serious injuries were caused to pupils taking part in Combined Cadet Force activities in each of the last five years.

  Mr. Soames
  Available records show that between January 1990 and December 1994 there were no deaths or serious injuries sustained by members of the Combined Cadet Force which were attributable to cadet activities.

  Defence Export Services Organisation
  Mr. Byers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the cost of running the Defence Export Services Organisation; and how many people were employed(a) in the United Kingdom and (b) overseas for each of the last five years for which figures are available.

  Mr. Freeman
  The information requested is as follows:

  Numbers employed by DESO:

  1990–91

  1991–92

  1992–93

  1993–94

  1994–95

  541

  626

  662

  673

  708

  1523

  1542

  2150

  2166

  1 UK based.

  2 Overseas.

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  Information relating to the breakdown between United Kingdom-based and overseas posts is not available prior to financial year 1993–94. The net cost of the organisation in 1993–94 was £16.02 million. Changes in accounting conventions make exact comparisons difficult with earlier years.

  Equipment (Exports)
  Mr. Byers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the total value of exports of United Kingdom military equipment to(a) all countries and (b) developing countries for each of the last five years in (i) cash prices and (ii) constant prices.

  Mr. Freeman
  Details of the value of exports of defence equipment by geographic region are contained in table 1.1 of "UK Defence Statistics". A copy of the 1994 edition has been placed in the House Library. The figures are published at current prices. There is insufficient data on the prices of such goods to enable satisfactory estimates to be made of defence exports at constant prices.

  Mr. Byers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what deliveries of United Kingdom manufactured arms to Nigeria have taken place since December 1993.

  Mr. Freeman
  It has been the policy of successive Governments not to publish details of individual exports.

  United States Bases
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 19 January, what jurisdiction the Visiting Forces Act 1952 gives to American military personnel to take action against those entering bases to make a peaceful protest; to what extent the powers exceed those of the Ministry of Defence Police; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Soames
  The Visiting Forces Act 1952 does not give United States service personnel jurisdiction to take action against United Kingdom citizens. In accordance with article VII of the NATO status of forces agreement, however, the United States visiting forces are entitled to police premises made available to them in the United Kingdom and, with due regard to United Kingdom law, to take all appropriate measures to ensure the maintenance of order and security on such premises.

  United States service personnel do not have more legal powers over United Kingdom citizens in this country than the Ministry of Defence police.

  Low Flying
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what was the sortie mission, operational height and actual height of the military jet aircraft that overflew the village of Clayton-with-Frickley in South Yorkshire at approximately 09.32 hours on 12 January; if the sortie transgressed the low flying transit area in that locality; what airfield the aircraft took off from; where it landed at the end of its sortie; at which squadron or unit it was based; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Soames
  A Tornado aircraft from the Standards Squadron at RAF Cottesmore overflew the village at approximately the time indicated. The aircraft, which was on a routine low flying training sortie; took off from and landed at RAF Cottesmore. We have no reason to believe the aircraft flew below the permitted height of 1000 ft within the low flying transit area.

  FOREIGN AFFAIRS COUNCILS, 28–29 NOVEMBER AND 19–20 DECEMBER
  Viscount Davidson
  asked Her Majesty's Government:

  Whether they will report on the outcome of the Foreign Affairs Council meetings in November and December.

  Lord Inglewood
  My honourable friend the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Mr. Davis) attended the Foreign Affairs Councils in November and December. The Council of 28–29 November covered the following subjects:

  On the White Paper on growth, competitiveness and employment, M Delors introduced the main themes for the Essen European Council. He said that there would be two discussions, one focusing on White Paper themes generally, and the second on employment questions.

  Ministers agreed to release a first tranche of 15 mecu of the 35 mecu of EU macro-financial assistance to Albania. The release of the second tranche (20 mecu) will depend on a favourable Commission report on progress in economic and political reform in Albania and a subsequent Council decision.

  Foreign Minister held discussions with Mr. Perez and Mr. Arafat and issued a statement which reaffirmed their determination to continue their support for the Middle East Peace Process, both politically and economically.

  Ministers reviewed preparations for the CSCE summit in Budapest (5–6 December)

  The Commission introduced a support package of some 200–300 mecu for Northern Ireland.

  The Council agreed to put forward for consideration at Essen the interim report of the Consultative Commission on Racism and Xenophobia.

  Ministers discussed preparations for the interim conference on the EU's Stability Pact initiative to be held in the margins of the CSCE Summit in Budapest.

  A Partnership and Co-operation Agreement between the EU and Moldova was signed on 28 November.

  The Council approved a negotiating mandate for Europe Agreements with Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia.

  Ministers discussed the Presidency's draft pre-accession strategy for the associated countries of Central and Eastern Europe. The text was agreed, apart from a passage on cumulation of rules of origin.

  The Council discussed the Commission's communication on a strategy for strengthening the EU's political and economic links with the Mediterranean countries, in preparation for a further discussion at the Essen European Council.
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  Ministers reviewed prospects for the Association Council with Turkey on 19 December. The Presidency underlined the importance of concluding negotiations on Customs Union at the Council.

  The Presidency reported on progress in the negotiations with Israel, Morocco and Tunisia. The agreement with Israel was close to conclusion, but the agreements with Morocco and Tunisia were delayed by unresolved questions on access for agricultural products to EU markets.

  The Council approved a draft report, to be issued by the Essen European Council, on measures to tackle illicit trade in nuclear materials.

  Ministers discussed a Commission proposal to provide balance of payments assistance to Ukraine.

  The Council discussed the EU position for the ministerial conference on the mid-term review of the Lomé Convention held in Brussels on 30 November and 1 December. Agreement was reached on a package of measures to be put to the ACP countries on the programming of aid.

  The Council discussed progress in implementing the Uruguay Round Agreements. It reaffirmed the determination of the Community and the member states to ratify the agreements before 1 January 1995.

  Discussion of the Commission proposal for the Council to approve the OECD Agreement on shipbuilding subsidies was postponed until 19 December.

  On Rwanda, the Council called for the UN to give high priority to actions to stabilise the region. Ministers supported a regional refugee conference, and endorsed an immediate rehabilitation programme to the value of 67 mecu, agreed by the Development Council.

  In a brief discussion of trade and the environment, the Commission confirmed they were preparing a Green Paper on the subject, and expected to issue this next year.

  On relations with the European Parliament, the Council noted progress on comitology and Temporary Committees of Inquiry. There was a brief discussion over lunch about some Member States' difficulties with the draft implementing provisions for the right to vote and stand in municipal elections of other member states (Article 8B1).

  At the Council of 19–20 December 1994, the following subjects were discussed:

  The Presidency listed items for action during the remainder of their tenure. M. Juppé highlighted five French Presidency Priorities.

  On relations with the European Parliament, the Council agreed texts on comitology, temporary committees of inquiry (TCIs) and consolidation of existing Community legislation. Denmark voted against the decision on TCIs. These texts were then adopted by the Commission and the European Parliament at an inter-institutional conference on 20 December.
  WA 81
  The Council unanimously adopted a directive which implements the right of EU citizens to vote and stand in municipal elections in member states of which they are not nationals.

  An Association Council with Turkey was held in the margins. It was agreed that a further Association Council should be held early in the French Presidency.

  The EEA Council on 20 December reaffirmed its wish to strengthen the political dialogue on foreign policy with a view to developing closer relations in spheres of mutual interest. The Norwegians are now preparing proposals for a framework for political dialogue under the EEA which they will present to the French Presidency.

  There was a discussion on ways in which the peace process in the former Yugoslavia could be taken forward.

  The Council agreed to discuss Russia during the French Presidency on the basis of an options paper.

  The Council agreed a new Community Generalised System of Preferences, to come into force on 1 January 1995. There were two votes. On the creation of a new scheme for industrial products the United Kingdom abstained, and set out its reasons in six statements for the minutes. The scheme passed by qualified majority. Renewal of the scheme for agricultural products was agreed unanimously; this scheme will be reviewed during 1995.

  Agreement in principle was reached on the EU/Israel Agreement. The agreement was expected to be signed at the January Foreign Affairs Council. There was no progress on the EU/Morocco and EU/Tunisia negotiations. Morocco has rejected the Commission's offer on access for tomatoes and courgettes. The question of Tunisian olive oil quotas remains unresolved.

  The Council agreed to endorse the results of the Uruguay Round comprising the Marrakesh Final Act, the Agreement establishing the World Trade Organisation, the Ministerial Declarations and Decisions attached to it, the Understanding on Commitments in Financial Services, plurilateral agreements on bovine meat, dairy products, civil aircraft and Government procurement, and the bilateral EC agreements with Australia on coal and with Uruguay on bovine meat. The Council also agreed an accompanying package of EC implementing legislation. All the above texts were formally adopted by the Council of Ministers on 22 December. All the necessary processes have thus been completed to allow the Community to ratify the Agreement establishing the World Trade Organisation: the instruments of Ratification of the Community and the Member States were expected to be deposited in Geneva on 30 December.

  The Council received a progress report from the Presidency on the three EU/US Working Groups established at the July 1994 EU/US Summit. The groups' work covers Central and Eastern Europe, Drugs and international Crime, and the Mechanisms for EU/US Political Co-operation.
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  The Council confirmed its Negotiating Directives, originally adopted in December 1991, for the Commission to negotiate a Co-operation Agreement between Euratom and the United States. The new agreement is to replace the existing US/Euratom Agreements of 1958 and 1960, the second of which expires on 31 December 1995.

  The Council approved the OECD Agreement on shipbuilding subsides and authorised the Commission to sign the Agreement. Signature took place in Paris on 21 December. The Council adopted a Commission proposal that the Commission and Council should make a joint declaration at the signing ceremony to the effect that they would monitor the implementation and respect of the Agreement by all parties.

  The Council agreed the adjustments necessary to the EFTA Accession Treaty following the non-accession of Norway.

  The Chairman of the Consultative Commission on Racism and Xenophobia gave an oral report on progress. This followed the Interim Report of the Consultative Commission, which was presented to the Essen European Council. The Consultative Commission will submit its final report to the Cannes European Council, in June.

  The Council approved Concluding Decisions allowing the entry into force of the Europe (Association) Agreements with the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania and Bulgaria and the Free Trade Agreements with Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Ministers approved in parallel implementing regulations governing the operation of the four Europe Agreements.

  DRUG LIAISON OFFICERS
  Lord Brougham and Vaux
  asked Her Majesty's Government:

  What contribution Drug Liaison Officers on attachment to British diplomatic posts overseas make to their efforts to develop international co-operation against the illicit drug trade.

  Lord Inglewood
  British Drug Liaison Officers, who are attached to diplomatic posts in a number of countries, play an important role in developing international co-operation in the fight against the global menace of the illicit drug trade. They are fully integrated into the work of the posts concerned, and carry out their duties in close co-operation with local law enforcement agencies.

  In their work, these officers fully observe Home Office guidelines. These state that no police officer or public informant should counsel, incite or procure the commission of a crime and make clear that an informant should be instructed that he must not act as an agent provocateur.

  KOBE EARTHQUAKE ASSISTANCE
  Lord Brougham and Vaux
  asked Her Majesty's Government:

  What assistance they have provided to victims of the Kobe earthquake.

  Lord Inglewood
  Immediately after the earthquake we told the Japanese Government that we stood ready to send any assistance they required and gave examples of what we could offer. They made a specific request on 21 January, and the Overseas Development Administration at once chartered an aircraft to deliver a first consignment of relief supplies. The cargo consisted of over 18,000 blankets, 35 rolls of black plastic sheeting, 500 collapsible 20 litre water containers and 500 plastic bowls, totally filling the aircraft by volume. The aircraft arrived on Monday 23 January at Kansai International Airport near Kobe.

  The Japanese authorities have requested some other items, including bandages, dressings and sanitary napkins. The Overseas Development Administration sent a consignment of 3 tonnes on 24 January; British Airways donated the freight space.

  In addition, the International Rescue Corps, a British charity which supplies fully trained, self-sufficient rescue teams, has sent a 16-member group to assist in the rescue operations.

  TREES: DAMAGE PREVENTION
  Lord Beaumont of Whitley
  asked Her Majesty's Government:

  What steps are being taken to prevent further destruction of the United Kingdom's national tree heritage from trenching in the light of the figures revealed by the recent survey in the London Borough of Havering.

  The Minister of State, Department of the Environment (Viscount Ullswater)
  The Department of the Environment has been working with the National Joint Utilities Group, the Cable Communications Association and the arboricultural industry to produce general guidelines on how to minimise damage to trees by utilities, and to utilities by trees. They will be published very shortly.

  CORMORANTS
  Lord Mason of Barnsley
  asked Her Majesty's Government:

  Whether they will co-operate with the Institute of Terrestrial Ecology in updating their report on the numbers of cormorants over-wintering on inland rivers, lakes and reservoirs; and to what extent stillwater trout fisheries are suffering from cormorant predation; and

  Whether they are implementing the recommendations of the Conference of Parties to the Bonn Convention regarding the introduction of a
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  management plan to maintain a favourable status for the cormorant and to prevent serious damage by cormorants to fisheries; and

  Whether they have been informed of the increasing number of cormorants invading inland fisheries; which organisations have made representations and whether protection of the cormorants should be temporarily lifted to allow a cull of the population.

  Viscount Ullswater
  Research leading to the development of a long-term strategy for the conservation and management of cormorants and other fish-eating birds is currently under consideration by the Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food and the Department of the Environment. The research will cover cormorant predation in both still water and rivers.

  The Fourth Conference of the Parties to the Bonn Convention in June 1994 adopted a recommendation giving guidance on maintaining a favourable conservation status for the cormorant and action to prevent serious damage to fisheries. The Government are following this guidance.

  I am aware that cormorant numbers are increasing on inland waters. Representations have been received from a wide range of angling and fishing interests. There is no scientific case for a general cull of the cormorant population but licences will continue to be issued, where justified.

  UNMANNED AIR VEHICLES, CROATIA
  Lord Kennet
  asked Her Majesty's Government:

  If CINCSOUTH, the (US) NATO Commander in Naples "has no command over land or air forces other than those assigned to NATO" (Baroness Chalker of Wallasey's Answer of 5th December, col. WA66) and the unmanned US air vehicles which are operating from bases in Croatia are "under US national command" (Lord Henley's Answer of 6th December, col. WA 78), under whose command are the unmanned air vehicles operating out of Croatia.

  The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Henley)
  The unmanned air vehicles operating from bases in Croatia are US national assets and their command arrangements are therefore a matter for the US Government.

  US DEFENSE COUNTERPROLIFERATION INITIATIVE
  Lord Kennet
  asked Her Majesty's Government:

  Whether the recently signed Memorandum of Understanding with the US to which the Minister of State for Defence Procurement referred on 16 December 1994 (H.C. Deb, col. 822) covers research, development, production, procurement, etc. connected in any way with the US Defense Counterproliferation Initiative.

  Lord Henley
  The Memorandum of Understanding signed recently by both the United Kingdom Secretary
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  of State for Defence and the United States Defense Secretary, relating to the principles governing co-operation in research and development, production, procurement and logistics support of defence equipment, replaced the previously existing arrangement, which was due to expire. It is not directly connected with the US Defense Counterproliferation Initiative. It is for British companies to decide whether to bid for any programmes arising from the US Department of Defense Report on Nonproliferation and Counterproliferation Activities and Programs.

  VAT NET RECEIPTS
  The Lord Bishop of Norwich
  asked Her Majesty's Government:

  What was the total amount of VAT paid in 1993 from all sources and not subsequently recovered by those who paid it.

  Lord Henley
  Net VAT receipts by HM Customs and Excise during the financial year 1993–94 were £38,959.2 million.