Written Answers of 31 January 1995

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

  Judicial Powers
  Mr. Heppell
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many times judges have used their power of arrest in cases of contempt of court in each of the last three years.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  My Department does not collect data about arrests which are made under the Contempt of Court Act 1981. Such information for the last three years could be obtained only at disproportionate cost and its accuracy could not be guaranteed.

  N. M. Rothschild and Sons Ltd.
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will provide estimates for the total amount that has been paid to N. M. Rothschild and Sons Ltd. with respect to any work undertaken by it on privatisation programmes in which his Department has been engaged since 1979 after taking account of inflation.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  There is no record that N. M. Rothschild and Sons Ltd. has been involved in any privatisation programmes for the Lord Chancellor's Department.

  Ian Greer Associates
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department on how many occasions departmental officials met representatives of Ian Greer Associates(a) formally and (b) informally on 26 January to discuss matters relating to their clients' interests.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  As far as I am able to ascertain, no officials of the Lord Chancellor's Department met representatives of Ian Greer Associates on 26 January, either formally or informally, to discuss matters relating to their clients' interests.

TREASURY

  Nirex
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Chancellor to the Exchequer what will be the effect on the public sector borrowing requirement of the expenditure on the Nirex rock characterisation facility.

  Mr. Aitken
  Nirex's estimate of the cost of constructing the rock characterisation facility is approximately £120 million at 1992 prices. This will be 552
  funded by Nirex's public sector shareholders, whose external financing requirements are included within the PSBR.

  N.M. Rothschild and Sons Ltd.
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will provide estimates for the total amount that has been paid to N. M. Rothschild and Sons Ltd. with respect to any work undertaken by it on privatisation programmes in which his Department has been engaged since 1979 after taking account of inflation.

  Sir George Young
  The table lists the sales conducted by the Treasury in which N. M. Rothschild was appointed and the roles to which it was appointed. The fees paid to firms appointed within the privatisation programme are commercially confidential.

  Privatisation by Her Majesty's Treasury involving N. M. Rothschild

  Company

  Year

  N. M. Rothschild's role(s)

  Britoil

  1985

  Underwriter

  BP

  1987

  Financial adviser Underwriter

  BT

  1991

  French syndicate member

  BT

  1993

  Global syndicate member

  Public Expenditure Round
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the(a) exchange of letters between spending Departments and the Treasury, (b) official level bilateral meetings, (c) ministerial level bilateral meeting and (d) the EDX process—the Ministerial Committee on Public Expenditure—will take place during 1995 as part of the public expenditure round; and what part the representatives of local government will play in this public expenditure round.

  Mr. Aitken
  The detailed timetable for the 1995 public expenditure survey has not yet been set. The process starts in the spring, but Treasury and spending Departments are in regular contact throughout. Most of EDX's meetings take place in September and October.

  Ministers from Departments with an interest in local government and their officials have regular discussions on service and expenditure issues with the local authority associations and individual authorities, and consider written representations from them. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment and other interested Ministers meet the chairs of the local authority associations at the Central Council on Local Government Finance in July and October. Ministers take account of the views expressed by these means, along with those of other groups, in making public expenditure decisions.

HOMEDEPARTMENT

  Next Steps Agencies
  Mr. Kaufman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 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
  553
  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. Howard
  I will write to the hon. Member.

  Metropolitan Police
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers employed in the Metropolitan police area have been sacked for sexual or racial discrimination in each of the last three years.

  Mr. Maclean
  Sexual discrimination is not a specific disciplinary offence. One officer was dismissed in 1992 for discreditable conduct, following a series of allegations of sexual discrimination; there were no comparable cases in 1993 or 1994.

  Racially discriminatory behaviour is an offence under paragraph 9 of schedule 1 to the Police (Discipline) Regulations 1985. No officers were dismissed on this ground in 1992, 1993 or 1994. From the information that has been collected, it is not possible to say whether an allegation of racially discriminatory behaviour may have been a contributory factor in some cases of dismissal on other grounds, such as discreditable conduct, misconduct towards a member of a police force, or abuse of authority.

  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions in the months of(a) October, (b) November and (c) December 1994 officers of the Metropolitan police have been unable to attend magistrates courts in order to give evidence against those charged with offences due to budget limitations of the force; and on how many occasions in each month the persons concerned were discharged and no further proceedings taken.

  Mr. Maclean
  None, in each case.

  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many complaints of sexual or racial discrimination have been made against(a) policemen and (b) policewomen employed in the Metropolitan police area in each of the last three years.

  Mr. Maclean
  The following figures refer to complaints for which investigations were completed. It is not possible to provide the information in the form requested during the year in question.

  In 1992, 205 complaints of racially discriminating behaviour against Metropolitan police officers were investigated, and in 1993, 198 complaints. In some cases, the complaint may have involved more than one officer. It is not possible to identify the numbers of male and female officers involved.

  In 1994, the latest figures available indicate that a total of 287 complaints of racially discriminating behaviour were the subject of completed investigations. These related to 315 officers, of whom 259 were male and 43 female. The sex of the remaining 13 officers has not been recorded.

  Figures for complaints of sexually discriminating behaviour are not collected centrally.

  Policing of Protests (Costs)
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what compensation is available from EEC funds for the policing costs of enforcing EEC regulations against the protests in the United Kingdom; and if he will request support from EEC funds for police action at British ports in respect of(a) live calf exports and (b) fishermen's protests.

  Mr. Maclean
  Law enforcement is an area where the Community rightly has no competence and there is therefore no provision in the Community budget for such expenditure.

  Policing, Shoreham
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what extra funds he will be making available to the West Sussex police authority for the extra policing required at Shoreham port; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maclean
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to a question from the hon. Member for Shoreham (Mr. Stephen) on 19 January,Official Report, column 672.

  Prison Sentences
  Mr. Clifton-Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of prison sentences given by the courts are of the statutory maximum.

  Mr. Maclean
  The information is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Compensation Orders, Newcastle and Gateshead
  Mr. Clelland
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many compensation orders were made by(a) Gateshead magistrates court in 1993, (b) the Gateshead magistrates court in 1994, (c) the Central Newcastle magistrates court in 1993, (d) the Central Newcastle magistrates court in 1994, (e) the Newcastle Crown court in 1993 and (f) the Newcastle Crown court in 1994;

  (2) what is the total value of compensation orders which remain unpaid made by (a) the Gateshead magistrates court in 1993, (b) the Gateshead magistrates court in 1994, (c) the Central Newcastle magistrates court in 1993, (d) the Central Newcastle magistrates court in 1994, (e) the Newcastle Crown court in 1993 and (f) the Newcastle Crown court in 1994;

  (3) what was the total value of compensation orders made by (a) the Gateshead magistrates court in 1993, (b) the Gateshead magistrates court in 1994, (c) the Central Newcastle magistrates court in 1993, (d) the Central Newcastle magistrates court in 1994, (e) the Newcastle Crown court in 1993 and (f) the Newcastle Crown court in 1994;

  (4) how many compensation orders remain unpaid made by (a) the Gateshead magistrates court in 1993, (b) the Gateshead magistrates court in 1994, (c) the Central Newcastle magistrates court in 1993, (d) the Central Newcastle magistrates court in 1994, (e) the Newcastle Crown court in 1993 and (f) the Newcastle Crown court in 1994.
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  Mr. Mclean
  Information held centrally, which is given in the table, shows the number of compensation orders issued and the value of the amounts made for 1992 and 1993—the latest available figures. 1994 data will not be available until the autumn.

  Information is not collected centrally on the number and amounts of compensation orders that remain unpaid. However, for further information I would refer the hon. Member to the footnotes of the table given in my reply on 17 January, column 377.

  Compensation order data for Gateshead and Newcastle magistrates courts and Newcastle Crown court 1992 and 1993

  Court/Year

  Number of compensation orders

  Amount issues £

  Gateshead Magistrates court

  1992

  512

  65,400

  1993

  467

  63,600

  Newcastle Magistrates court

  1992

  1,094

  125,600

  1993

  1,078

  124,000

  Newcastle Crown court

  1992

  196

  90,000

  1993

  136

  99,700

  Source: Home office.

  Disabled People
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion and number of non-industrial civil servants in the Departments and agencies for which he has responsibility are registered disabled and disabled as defined by the Cabinet Office document "Focus on Ability".

  Mr. Howard
  On 25 January 1995, 229 members of staff in the Home Office and its agencies were registered disabled, representing 0.5 per cent. of all staff; a further 146–0.13 per cent. of staff—have declared themselves as disabled, but have not registered as such. There are likely to be others who have not responded to the Department's voluntary surveys.

  Mr. Daya Pal Singh
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when a decision is going to be made on the asylum application first lodged in October 1986 by Mr. Daya Pal Singh, ref: IMG/94 330/972/1(5); when Mr. Singh was last interviewed; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  Mr. Singh was last interviewed on 19 October 1994 and produced a number of additional documents which required translation before the application could be fully and properly considered. We expect to make a decision shortly. I will write to the hon. Member as soon as Mr. Singh has been notified.

  National Missing Persons Bureau
  Mr. Golding
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many children under the age of 16 years have been registered with the National Missing Persons Bureau since its opening.

  Mr. Maclean
  Information is not held in the form requested. From the opening of the bureau on 18 March 556
  1994 to 31 December 1994, a total of 2,363 persons under the age of 18 years were reported missing. Of these, 115 were still missing at 31 December.

  N. M. Rothschild and Sons Ltd.
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will provide estimates for the total amount that has been paid to N. M. Rothschild and Sons Ltd. with respect to any work undertaken by it on privatisation programmes in which his Department has been engaged since 1979 after taking account of inflation.

  Mr. Howard
  No work on a privatisation programme has been undertaken for the Home Office by N. M. Rothschild and Sons Ltd.

  Mr. Mahwood Hussein Mettan
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) pursuant to his answer of 20 January,Official Report, column, 695, relating to the papers relating to Mahmood Mettan's execution at Cardiff gaol in 1952, if he will give further consideration to the explanation given for the routine destruction of the relevant papers in 1986, having regard to the discovery of the papers in the Public Record Office; and if he will place a copy of those papers in the Library;

  (2) if he will supply a copy of all or part of the papers relating to the trial and execution of Mahmood Mattan in 1952 to solicitors acting on the family's behalf in pursuit of their request for a posthumous pardon.

  Mr. Howard
  No. Further inquiries within my Department and the Public Record Office have confirmed the destruction of Home Office records of this case.

  I understand that copies of documents from the Lord Chancellor's Department file at the Public Record Office were sent to the solicitors acting for Mr. Mattan's widow in September 1994.

  Betting
  Sir Ivan Lawrence
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals he has to amend the law on betting licensing.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  I have today issued a consultation document on possible changes to the law on betting permits and licences and track betting licences in Great Britain.

  Subject to the consultation, the Government intend to make an order under section 1 of the Deregulation and Contracting Out Act 1994 to implement these changes. It is hoped to bring the draft order before Parliament in spring 1995.

  The purpose of the consultation document is to give details of the proposed changes and to seek the views of interested parties. Briefly, it is proposed to:
  extend the duration of bookmakers permits and betting office licences from one year to three years,
  simplify the procedure for renewal applications, and introduce a renewal procedure for the licensing of betting tracks.

  Copies of the consultation paper have been placed in the Library.

  Electro-shock Equipment
  Mr. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his reply of 24 January,
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  Official Report, column 152, when a company was last granted authority specifically to possess electric shock weapons; if he will name the company or companies involved; and for how long that permission was given.

  Mr. Maclean
  [holding answer 30 January 1995]: No company has been granted authority specifically to possess electric shock weapons in the last three years. Information about the granting of authority for that purpose in earlier years could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Welsh
  To aks the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what further steps he is taking to review the operation of guidelines relating to the manufacture, marketing and supply of(a) electro-shock weapons and (b) weapons of torture; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) what assessment he has made that guidelines relating to the manufacture, marketing and supply of (a) electro-shock weapons and (b) instruments of torture are being fully complied with; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maclean
  [holding answer 30 January 1995]: Electric shock weapons are prohibited by section 5(1)(b) of the Firearms Act 1968, and cannot be possessed, manufactured or sold without the authority of the Secretary of State. The procedures for granting or refusing authority to possess prohibited weapons are kept under regular review.

  It is not practicable to control trade in the wide range of goods which could be misused for the purposes of torture. 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.

LORD PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL

  Ian Greer Associates
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Lord President of the Council on how many occasions departmental officials met representatives of Ian Greer Associates(a) formally and (b) informally on 26 January to discuss matters relating to their clients' interests.

  Mr. Newton
  None.

PRIME MINISTER

  Mr. Ian Henderson
  Mr. Galloway
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the capacities in which Mr. Ian Henderson, currently head of Bahrain's security and intelligence services, has been employed by Her Majesty's Government.

  The Prime Minister
  Mr. Ian Henderson served in the colonial police service in Kenya from 1948 until Kenyan independence in 1963. In that capacity, he was an employee of Her Majesty's overseas civil service.

  Standard Chartered Bank
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Prime Minister when he last met the chairman of the Standard Chartered bank; and if he will make a statement.
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  The Prime Minister
  The chairman of the Standard Chartered bank was present at a lunch given in honour of the Indian Prime Minister on 14 March 1994.

  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Prime Minister when he last met the Prime Minister of India; and if he discussed the position of the Standard Chartered bank.

  The Prime Minister
  I last met the Prime Minister of India when he visited the United Kingdom from 13 to 16 March 1994. We did not discuss the Standard Chartered bank.

  Engagements
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 31 January.

  Sir Peter Tapsell
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 31 January.

  The Prime Minister
  This morning I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in this House, I shall be having further meetings later today.

  Parliamentary Salaries (Deductions)
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will support a proposal that all remuneration received by hon. Members for parliamentary duties from outside sources should be deducted from parliamentary salary in the same way that deductions are made from income support.

  The Prime Minister
  Hon. Members are entitled to the parliamentary salary as the remuneration payable to them as Members of this House. There are well-established procedures for determining this.

  N. M. Rothschild and Sons Ltd.
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will provide estimates for the total amount that has been paid to N. M. Rothschild and Sons Ltd. with respect to any work undertaken by it on privatisation programmes in which his Department has been engaged since 1979 after taking account of inflation.

  The Prime Minister
  None.

  Lockerbie
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his letter of 25 January, whether in order to honour Her Majesty's Government's commitment in the letter to obtain justice for all the victims of the Lockerbie crime, he will discuss with Chancellor Kohl the possibility of the Scottish police interviewing Hafey Dalkamoni before such time as he is released.

  The Prime Minister
  There is no need for me to have such a discussion with Chancellor Kohl. My noble and learned Friend the Lord Advocate has repeatedly stated that he cannot make public details of what inquiries, including interviews, have been or may be carried out in this case. It would be a matter for him to request legal assistance from the competent German authorities, if the Scottish police and Crown Office did indeed consider it necessary for any one in Germany to be interviewed or re-interviewed.

  Ian Greer Associates
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Prime Minister on how many occasions departmental officials met representatives of Ian Greer Associates(a) formally and (b) informally on 26 January to discuss matters relating to their clients' interests.

  The Prime Minister
  None.

DEFENCE

  Bosnia
  Mr. Wareing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the present position in respect of the deployment of UN forces in and around Tuzla in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

  Mr. Rifkind
  The headquarters of UNPROFOR's sector north-east is located in Tuzla and a mechanised infantry battalion of some 1,200 Swedish and Danish soldiers, together with a Jordanian mortar-locating unit, are based in and around the town.

  Future Large Aircraft
  Mr. Brandreth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received concerning the development of the future large aircraft; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Freeman
  I have discussed the future large aircraft with both British Aerospace and my French and German counterparts. As my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Defence announced on 16 December,Official Report, column 823, we will rejoin the FLA programme at the end of the feasibility phase provided that it is managed on a commercial basis under the umbrella of the Airbus consortium. Resources will need to be available and our requirements on price and performance must also be met. A programme of work with our partners is in progress.

  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement concerning the prospect of his Department purchasing the future large aircraft consequent upon his decision to purchase Lockheed Hercules aircraft.

  Mr. Freeman
  As my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Defence announced on 16 December,Official Report, column 823, we will rejoin the FLA programme at the end of the feasibility phase provided that it is managed on a commercial basis under the umbrella of the Airbus consortium. Resources will need to be available and our requirements on price and performance must also be met. A programme of work with our partners is in progress.

  Married Quarters Housing Stock
  Mr. Norman Hogg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how his Department's budget has been affected by the lack of sales of married quarters housing stock.

  Mr. Soames
  The defence budget continues to assume a substantial receipt from the sale of married quarters in Great Britain. Although the original plans for a housing trust have been dropped, other options are being pursued.

  Inhumane Weapons Convention
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what new proposals he has to add new weapons to the inhumane weapons convention.

  Mr. Soames
  The United Kingdom has not proposed to add any weapons to the scope of the UN weaponry convention, but we are considering carefully those proposals made by others. Our main aim remains to strengthen restrictions on the use of anti-personnel land mines.

  Attack Helicopters
  Mrs. Lait
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to make a decision on the purchase of attack helicopters for the RAF.

  Mr. Freeman
  Evaluation of the bids received under the attack helicopter competition is in progress and we expect to make a decision on the purchase of this equipment for use by the Army Air Corps later in the year. I am, of course, conscious of the importance to industry of an early decision.

  Mr. Jopling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will define the threat which he expects a new attack helicopter to meet or match.

  Mr. Freeman
  British defence policy, in common with that of our allies, is no longer based upon defending against a single specific threat or threats. Instead, we aim to provide forces with a flexible capability to undertake a range of operations, from general war to peace support operations, and to respond to the changing demands which may be placed upon them in the future. However, a fundamental part of our defence policy remains the ability of our armed forces to defend themselves against tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles.

  We plan to procure an attack helicopter to replace Lynx in the anti-tank role for the early part of the next century. Its primary requirement will be to defeat any present and envisaged main battle tank which may be deployed against our armed forces. It will also be required to have a self-defence capability against enemy helicopters and ground to air threats.

  Mr. Jopling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what review of capability requirements in respect of a new attack helicopter he has carried out to underpin the purchase together with what review of alternative investments he has made.

  Mr. Freeman
  We have a continuing requirement for a capability to engage in high-intensity conflict, including operations against armoured forces. A series of studies has been conducted to examine the relative cost and effectiveness of various weapon systems with an anti-tank capability. These included multiple-launched rocket systems, ground-launched missile systems, tanks, mines, fixed-wing aircraft and attack helicopters. The studies have shown that the most cost-effective mix of weapons to meet our anti-tank requirement entails the procurement of an attack helicopter.

  Mr. Jopling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to decide which attack helicopter to purchase; from which aircraft he intends to choose; what will be the relevant factors in order of importance which will guide his choice; how many he intends to purchase together with the estimated total cost; whether the alternatives have flown or expect to fly; and if he will
  561
  make it his policy that the choice of machine will not be dominated by considerations of domestic employment.

  Mr. Freeman
  We expect to make a decision on the purchase of an attack helicopter later in the year. Bids were received from: Agusta—Al29; Atlas AviationRooi valk; Boeing-Sikorsky—Comanche; BAe/Eurocopter—Tiger; GEC/Bell-Textron—Cobra Venom; and Westland/McDonnell Douglas—Apache AH64/D. Tender assessment is based on four main parameters: operational effectiveness; life cycle costs; risk; and proposals for United Kingdom industrial participation. The precise number of helicopters to be procured will depend on affordability and on the solution chosen and, therefore, has yet to be determined. The estimated total cost of the programme is over £2 billion. Current versions of all the aircraft except Comanche have flown. It is our intention to equip the Army with the most cost-effective solution which fully meets its requirements. To that end, each bid will be considered on its merits.

  Armed Forces (Injuries)
  Mr. Heppell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many service personnel have been disabled as a result of injury in the armed forces in each of the last three years.

  Mr. Soames
  There are varying degrees of disablement, not all of which are serious enough to cause the service man or woman to be medically discharged. Statistics are not maintained centrally of disabilities which do not result in discharge.

  Falkland Islands
  Mr. Luff
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the defence of the Falkland Islands.

  Mr. Soames
  The British Government are committed to defending the right of the Falkland Islanders to determine their own future. As long as Argentina maintains its claim to the Falkland Islands, the United Kingdom will keep forces there to deter, and if necessary counter, any possible aggression. Force levels are kept under review and, if the need arises, can be reinforced at very short notice using the airfield at Mount Pleasant.

  Rescue Co-ordination
  Ms Rachel Squire
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the future of rescue co-ordination facilities.

  Mr. Soames
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 18 January,Official Report, column 547.

  European Army
  Mrs. Gorman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for a European army.

  Mr. Soames
  We have no plans for the creation of a European army.

  Former Service Personnel
  Mr. Nicholas Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he intends to make it his policy 562
  to make a single Minister responsible for all ex-serviice men's affairs.

  Mr. Soames
  My noble Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Defence is usually responsible for those issues relating to former service personnel with which the Department deals directly. The Government do not, however, propose to appoint a single Minister to co-ordinate matters concerning the ex-service community across the range of Government; I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Thurrock (Mr. Mackinlay) on 22 November 1994,Official Report, columns 461–62.

  Bombs, Llandwrog Airfield
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress he has made in the investigation being undertaken by his Department into potentially dangerous German chemical bombs which were buried at Llandwrog airfield, near Dinas Dinlle in Gwynedd after the second world war; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Soames
  My noble Friend the Under-Secretary of State wrote to the hon. Member on 24 January.

  Fishery Protection
  Mr. Gill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the adequacy of naval forces to carry out fishery protection duties.

  Mr. Soames
  The Royal Navy's Fishery Protection Squadron comprises nine vessels. The requirements for the provision of fishery protection services are reviewed annually with the fisheries Department. During this financial year, 1994–95, the squadron is contracted to provide these Departments with some 1,380 patrol days dedicated to fisheries work.

  Aircraft Safety
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he had made of the current arrangements governing the separation of civilian helicopter and fixed-wing aircraft from low-flying military jets; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Soames
  My Department has a wide range of measures in place to minimise the risk of confliction between civil and military aircraft. These are kept under continuous review in consultation with the Civil Aviation Authority and civilian aircraft operators as part of an on-going programme of work to enhance flight safety.

  Training Links
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he is taking to develop links between trainees in the armed services and other training initiatives outside the forces.

  Mr. Soames
  Whenever it is cost-effective and beneficial to do so, my Department is seeking to extend the close links which it already has with external training and education bodies and institutions. Unless there are operational reasons for retaining the work in-house, it is our aim to put as much of our training out to the private sector as is possible and draw on the considerable expertise which is available.

  Fuel Servicing Trucks
  Sir Nicholas Bonsor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the number, manufacturer, capacity and year of production of fuel servicing trucks currently held by (i) the RAF, (ii) the Royal Marines, (iii) the Army Air Corps and (iv) the Fleet Air Arm; what consideration he

  Service

  Quantity

  Capacity

  Year of Manufacture

  Manufacturer

  Royal Air Force

  176

  18000 ltr

  1987–1993

  AEC,

  166

  13000 ltr

  1970–1982

  Leyland/DAF,

  54

  4500 ltr (Tactical)

  1980–1989

  Bedford,

  83

  4500 ltr

  1981–1991

  Scammell

  Royal Marines

  12

  9000 ltr

  1987

  Bedford

  Army Air Corps

  122

  4500 ltr

  1965–1985

  Bedford

  6

  4500 ltr

  1987–1988

  Leyland

  Fleet Air Arm

  33

  9000 ltr

  1988–1993

  Leyland

  20

  18000 ltr

  1990

  Leyland

  The majority of fuel servicing vehicles in service will be considered for refurbishment or replacement—either by purchase of lease—over the next 10 years. The leasing of equipment is routinely considered as part of the replacement decision. In general, however, there is no commercial equipment which meets the specific requirements for military aircraft refuellers, and the leasing of purpose-built refuellers has been shown to be uneconomic.

  The operational requirements for 12 fuel servicing trucks for the Royal Marines commando operations and support cell dictates that vehicles must be of a specialised type, particularly in respect of their ability to operate in such extremes of climate as the Arctic and the Gulf. Furthermore, the operational requirement includes provision of a high degree of corrosion protection. The specialist nature of these vehicles ruled out leasing of commercially available types, and the high cost of refurbishment of existing vehicles precluded that option. Purchase was assessed to be the most economic means of meeting this operational requirement.

  Training (Sudanese Students)
  Mr. Bernie Grant
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Leyton (Mr. Cohen) of 29 November 1994,Official Report, column 618, how many foreign students from Sudan who have visited the United Kingdom for military training, were sponsored (a) by the Sudanese Government or (b) by the rebel forces in that country.

  Mr. Soames
  The details of training provided for overseas military personnel, including numbers, are not normally disclosed as they are' confidential between Governments. The inclusion of Sudan in the answer I gave the hon. Member for Leyton (Mr. Cohen) on 29 November 1994,Official Report, column 618, referred to two civilians who attended aviation medicine courses. Both students were sponsored by the Government of Sudan.
  564
  has given to (a) replacement of these vehicles and (b) leasing of commercial equipment; what factors led to the proposal to issue tenders for 12 fuel servicing trucks for the Royal Marines under tender No. SMC 31ARAF U15; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Freeman
  The information requested is as follows:

  Tornado
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the Tornado mid-life update will be complete.

  Mr. Freeman
  Delivery of the last aircraft to the upgraded standard is expected about the end of 2002.

  Employees, Salisbury
  Mr. Key
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list by establishment, including agencies, the numbers of(a) military and (b) civilian employees of his Department in the Salisbury constituency in (i) 1990, (ii) 1994 and (iii) an estimate for 1998.

  Mr. Soames
  It is not our normal policy to divulge the number of employees at individual Ministry of Defence establishments. Although my Department keeps no record of military and civilian employees by parliamentary constituency, we are able to provide the numbers of service and civilian personnel within the Salisbury local authority area. At 1 July 1990, there were 5,187 service and 3,765 full-time equivalent civilian personnel employed in the local authority area. The corresponding figures for 1 July 1994 were 4,923 service and 3,920 civilian personnel. It is too early to make accurate estimates of the corresponding figures for 1998.

  Mess Costs
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the estimated cost of messing for United Kingdom armed forces during the past year; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Soames
  During the financial year 1993–94, some £142 million, inclusive of VAT, was spent feeding regular and reserve armed forces personnel in the United Kingdom and overseas. As well as food served in messes, this figure also includes operational ration packs and allowances paid to personnel who were not able to eat in messes owing to the nature of their duties.

  Personnel (Civil Rights)
  Mr. Key
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether service men and women and their families enjoy the same rights as other citizens to make representations during public consultations and public inquiries kind to make complaints under the citizens charter; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Soames
  The families of service personnel enjoy the same rights as other citizens to make representations during public consultations and public inquiries and to make complaints under the citizens charter. The same rights apply to service personnel provided that the impartiality of the armed forces is not compromised, and that such representations do not involve the disclosure, without permission, of information obtained in the course of their official duties.

  Vehicles
  Mr. Key
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many vehicles are owned by his Department for use by(a) the Royal Navy, (b) the Army and (c) the Royal Air Force and issued with (i) civil vehicle registration marks and (ii) service vehicle registration marks by the Directorate General (Supplies and Transport (Naval)) for the Royal Navy and by the Directorate of Supply Management (Army) for the Army and for the Royal Air Force.

  Mr. Soames
  My Department owns 6,225 vehicles for use by the Royal Navy, 87,238 for use by the Army and 151,816 for use by the Royal Air Force. These figures include both operational and administrative vehicle types.

  Both service and civilian vehicle registration marks are issued by the Army on behalf of all three services. Of the 19,279 vehicles owned, 11,365 show civilian registration markings; the remainder, service.

  Atomic Weapons Establishment, Cardiff
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what quantities of defence nuclear material are stored in south Wales; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Soames
  The only nuclear material stored in south Wales is depleted uranium at the atomic weapons establishment, Cardiff.

  Although it has not been the practice of this or previous Governments to reveal quantities of nuclear material stored at the AWE sites, in accordance with our policy of greater openness, my Department is seeking to revoke this restriction in respect of depleted uranium.

  Details of the depleted uranium wastes arising at and discharged from AWE Cardiff are already in the public domain.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 20 January, to the hon. Member for Milton Keynes, North-East (Mr Butler),Official Report, column 751, what are the principal details of the decision-making process relating to the decommissioning and subsequent 'disposal of the site of the atomic weapons establishment, Llanishen, Cardiff; what consultations he has had with the management of the Atomic Weapons Establishment in relation to this decision; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Freeman
  We are prepared to consider any proposal for the future use of the AWE Cardiff site. If no 566
  such acceptable proposal is received, and if there is no alternative defence use which arises in the period before then, the site will close in 1997 as soon as work on Trident components is completed. These proposals have been developed in close consultation between Hunting-BRAE Ltd. and the MOD.

  The Ministry of Defence will then be responsible for the immediate decommissioning of the site and it will be disposed of in the normal way.

  There is no statutory requirement fully to restore land offered for sale, but it is my Department's policy to seek to identify instances of contamination on sites allocated for disposal. This information is made available to prospective purchasers and taken into account in agreeing the sale price. Decontamination work is generally limited to the removal of ordnance and other contaminants such as explosives, radioactive and microbiological materials.

  Sea King Helicopters
  Mr. Ainger
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Sea King helicopters will be in the search and rescue fleet in September 1996.

  Mr. Soames
  On present plans, there will be 25 RAF Sea King helicopters in the search and rescue role in September 1996. This includes two RAF Sea Kings based in the Falkland Islands. No Royal Navy Sea Kings are dedicated to search and rescue.

  Ian Greer Associates
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on how many occasions departmental officials met representatives of Ian Greer Associates(a) formally and (b) informally on 26 January to discuss matters relating to their client's interests.

  Mr. Freeman
  To the best of my knowledge, no officials from my Department met representatives of Ian Greer Associates on 26 January 1995 to discuss matters relating to their clients' interests, either formally or informally.

  European Integration
  Mr. Soley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on Britain's involvement in greater European defence integration.

  Mr. Soames
  The United Kingdom is fully involved in efforts to develop the Western European Union as the means to strengthen the European pillar of NATO and as the defence component of the European Union.

  Army Base Repair Organisation
  Mr. Duncan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he can report on the outcome of the consultation process for the Army Base Repair Organisation, Old Dalby.

  Mr. Freeman
  Following my 27 October 1994 announcement,Official Report, column 732, of plans to withdraw MOD activity from the Army Base Repair Organisation workshop at Old Dalby and to change the agency's market-testing programme to include tests for base and district workshops only after such reorganisation, I have received a wide range of comments from a number of MPs and local authorities. In addition, the trade union representatives of staff at the workshop have submitted detailed comments on the plans and

  567
  provided counter-proposals with a view to continuing operations at the site.

  The formal consultation period ended on 23 December. Since then, a detailed evaluation of the comments received and, in particular, the proposals from the workshop has been undertaken. In parallel, I have taken the opportunity to visit the workshop to understand better the local impact. I have also had discussions with representatives from the Donnington workshop, which would import the bulk of the work from Old Dalby.

  As a result of the consultation period, changes have been made to assumptions used in the analysis of various options for the future of Old Dalby.

  Having now considered all of the proposals, counter-proposals and their implications, I am convinced that the only viable option is to proceed with the withdrawal of MOD activity from the workshop and to implement the restructured market-testing programme which I announced on 27 October. None of the suggestions or counter-proposals resulting from the consultation process can deliver the necessary restructuring or offer of an equivalent level of savings to the taxpayer while preserving service to the Army. Any attempt to maintain MOD activity at the Old Dalby workshop would result in the Army continuing to have excess capacity beyond all foreseeable requirements. The resultant inefficiencies would inevitably be reflected in the costs passed on to the Army and ultimately to the taxpayer. Excess capacity would also disadvantage the agency teams in their attempts to prepare for the forthcoming market-testing process and could undermine their chances of making most cost-effective use of the facilities.

  The final version of the analysis undertaken changed the net benefit of withdrawal from Old Dalby rather than Donnington, but did not change the preference for withdrawing from the former. I am accordingly instructing the agency to proceed with planning for the withdrawal of MOD work from the Old Dalby workshop. I must emphasise, however, that I recognise the skill and success of the Old Dalby work force and their interest in continuing to undertake ABRO work. Prior to the implementation of the planned move of MOD work later this year, I have asked that, for each discrete package of work at the Old Dalby workshop, an evaluation be undertaken to ascertain whether these should be placed with the private sector, using either their own facilities or by taking over the workshop facilities at Old Dalby, or with other MOD units. Any decision to place work with such facilities must, however, show an improvement over the savings which would be achieved by placing such work at ABRO Donnington. No irrevocable action will be taken by ABRO until at least July 1995 which would prevent the successful placement of such packages of work elsewhere than Donnington.

  Representations made have clearly identified the potential effects of these changes on the local community and economy. Given that my Department is no longer able to make effective use of the modern, high-technology facilities at the site, every effort will be made to encourage the private sector to put forward innovative proposals for alternative uses which can capitalise on the skills and expertise of the work force. My Department intends to work closely on this with the local authorities and other employers in the area. An early start will be made to obtain appropriate advice within and outside the
  568
  MOD to market the skills of the work force and the existing facilities for alternative private sector usage in parallel with the cost evaluation of the individual work packages referred to.

  N. M. Rothschild and Sons Ltd.
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will provide estimates for the total amount that has been paid to N. M. Rothschild and Sons Ltd. with respect to any work undertaken by them on privatisation programmes in which his Department has been engaged since 1979 after taking account of inflation.

  Mr. Freeman
  N. M. Rothschild and Sons provided advice to my Department in respect of the privatisation of Royal Ordnance, which was achieved in 1986 and 1987. The fees paid to firms appointed within the privatisation programme are commercially confidential.

ENVIRONMENT

  Planning Inspectorate
  Mr. Gerrard
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what steps he is taking in the current review of pay and grading in the Planning Inspectorate executive agency to ensure that he meets the requirement set out in the first report to him of the advisory panel on standards for the Planning Inspectorate executive agency in respect of the need for planning inspectors to be of the highest quality and drawn from a variety of appropriate professional backgrounds; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) how many person-days of work were, or are planned to be carried out by (a) contract inspectors and (b) all consultant inspectors in the Planning Inspectorate executive agency in each year from 1993 to 1996; and if he will make a statement;

  (3) how many staff in the Planning Inspectorate executive agency he expects will be given early retirement (a) in 1995 and (b) in 1996; from what professional planning inspector or other grades they will be drawn; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir Paul Beresford
  I have delegated responsibility for all these matters to the Planning Inspectorate executive agency. I have therefore asked Mr. Chris Shepley, the agency's chief executive, to reply.

  Letter from C. J. Shepley to Mr. Neil Gerrard, dated 26 January 1995:
  The Secretary of State has asked me to provide the replies to your Parliamentary Questions about:
  the Planning Inspectorate's pay and grading review (PQ/903/94/95);
  work carried out by the Inspectorate's contract and consultant Inspectors (PQ/904/94/95);
  the number of staff expected to take early retirement in 1995 and 1996 (PQ/907/94/95); as these are all matters which have been delegated to the Executive Agency.
  (903)
  The purpose of our pay and grading review is to ensure that all staff are properly rewarded for their skills and their contributions to the work of the Agency. It is my intention to ensure the Agency

  569
  will continue to employ Planning Inspectors of the highest quality and of appropriate backgrounds to meet its needs.
  (904)
  On the question of work carried out by contract and consultant Inspectors, records are not kept in a form that allows us to find the information in the precise form you request. The figures given below are estimates based on our financial records and include not only days employed on casework but also attendance at the office for training, etc.

  Contract Inspector days

  Consultant Inspector days

  1993–94

  12,800

  11,200

  1994–95 (forecast)

  11,100

  8,750

  The use we make of these resources in 1995–96 will depend on the financial allocation we receive and the targets we are set for the coming year.
  (907)
  We expect two Inspectors to leave the Agency in 1995 following approval of their applications under our 1994 Voluntary Early Retirement scheme. There may also be departures following applications for early retirement on medical grounds. Currently we have no plans to run any further early retirement schemes. No staff have been asked to leave the Agency.

  Council Houses
  Mr. Thurnham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish a league table of councils' efficiency in letting council houses.

  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  On 11 January, I said, in response to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Ayr (Mr. Gallie),Official Report, column 134, that I was placing in the Library a list of local authorities ranked on the basis of numbers of management vacants as at 1 April 1994.

  The Audit Commission for Local Authorities in England and Wales requires local authorities to publish information annually about the number and percentage of dwellings that are empty and the average time taken to relet dwellings available for letting or awaiting minor repairs. The commission will publish comparative data for 1993–1994 at the end of March this year.

  Business Rates
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the secretary of State for the Environment how many appeals against business rates increases are outstanding at valuation offices in(a) Lancashire and (b) England.

  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  Appeals may be made against the entries in the non-domestic rating list for a variety of reasons. As at 31 December 1994, there were 8,788 appeals outstanding in the offices which cover Lancashire and 293,644 in total in England. Only a small proportion of these will have resulted from an increase in the rateable value of a particular hereditament, and these figures are not collected separately.

  Mr. Tipping
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will detail in the form of a table similar to that provided on 1 November 1994 to the hon. Member for Coventry, South-West, (Mr. Butcher)Official Report, columns 1005–6, showing the estimated increase or decrease in business rate bills for properties in each region in England between 1994–95 and 1995–96 as a result of the 1995 revaluation, in the absence of transitional relief.
  570
  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  I am placing this information in the Library of the House.

  Common Land
  Mr. Colin Shepherd
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what recent consultations he has undertaken concerning common land; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Atkins
  Over the last 18 months, officials of the Department of the Environment and the Welsh Office have held informal discussions with the major bodies concerned with common land. Those discussions confirmed the Government's view that there was a need to investigate practical ways in which improvements in both the registration process and the management of common land might be achieved. Officials have since been looking at what needs to be done to achieve those objectives, and I hope to report our conclusions to the House shortly.

  Footpaths
  Mr. Anne Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much has been spent or grant aided, in each of the last three years for which figures are available, on the repair of eroded footpaths by the Countryside Commission for England.

  Mr. Atkins
  Repair of the surface of footpaths is the legal responsibility of the highway authority, the landowner or the occupier, depending on the cause of the damage to the path surface. The Countryside Commission does not contribute grant aid towards this statutory duty, except in the case of national trails.

  In the last three years, the commission has spent the following on the surface restoration of trails:

  Year

  £

  1991–92

  700,000

  1992–93

  1,000,000

  1993–94

  850,000

  These sums were spent mainly on restoring paths crossing peat in upland area, particularly the Cleveland and Pennine ways.

  Mr. Anne Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of the areas in Great Britain most affected by the erosion of footpaths.

  Mr. Atkins
  In 1993–94, the Countryside Commission conducted a sample public rights of way condition survey in England. Walkers found that only 14 out of 11,847 links—a section of path between two junctions—surveyed were "impassable/unusable" on account of erosion. Some 103 links were "impassable/unusable" because they were muddy, boggy or flooded, but the causes for this will be varied. The full results of the survey are due to be published in the summer.

  Single Regeneration Budget
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the(a) successful and (b) unsuccessful bids for moneys from the single regeneration budget that exceeded in their submissions the recommended number of pages set out in the

  571
  Department's bidding guidance; and if he will specify (i) the numbers of pages and (ii) the length of any appendices.

  Mr. Curry
  Guidance on the preparation of bids for single regeneration budget funding was contained in annexe B of the SRB bidding guidance issued in April 1994, copies of which are in the Library of the House. Access to the 469 individual bids, plus supporting material, is available from the relevant Government office for the region. Copies of individual bids are available at a charge. Information about the numbers of pages and length of appendices of bids is not held centrally, and could be made available only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it his policy to require local authorities and other bodies submitting second round bids for moneys from the single regeneration budget to indicate the cost or preparing the submission, the number of staff allocated to its preparation and the number of person hours involved.

  Mr. Curry
  No.

  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many(a) successful and (b) unsuccessful bids for moneys from the single regeneration budget were (i) thematic in nature covering the entire area of the local authority and (ii) for a small area covering a discrete part of the local authority.

  Mr. Curry
  Guidance on the area coverage of bids for single regeneration budget resources was set out in paragraphs 15 to 25, annexe A and annexe B of the SRB bidding guidance issued in April 1994, copies of which are in the Library of the House. Information on the thematic coverage of bids by reference to geographical area is not held centrally. Of the 201 successful bids under the first bidding round, about 35 per cent. related to a small area—under 25,000 population—about 29 per cent. related to a local authority district, about 19 per cent. related to an area greater than a local authority district, about 10 per cent were county-wide and about 7 per cent. were region-wide. These figures are subject to the final agreement of delivery plans between the individual SRB partnerships and the Government offices for the regions.

  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his reply of 25 January,Official Report, column 206, if he will list the five local authorities which made unsuccessful bids for single regeneration budget moneys and the relevant regional offices.

  Mr. Curry
  The five local authorities are Cleethorpes, Great Grimsby, Halton, Nottingham and Pendle.

  Local Authorities (Internal Markets)
  Mr. Gapes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on Government policy with regard to internal markets for local authorities.

  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  The Government welcome the focus on the efficient delivery of, cost-effective services which stems from the creation of an internal market for local authority services. From 1995–96, local authorities will be required to prepare and publish a statement of support service costs, setting out the full cost of support services. Making costs transparent through the framework of this statement will further stimulate the development of internal markets.

  Local Government, London
  Mr. Robert Ainsworth
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received regarding the non-collection of service charges on ex-local authority properties in Westminster.

  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  Representations have been received from Councillor Andrew Dismore, the leader of the opposition, Westminster city council.

  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received concerning the future of local government in London; and what plans he has for a London-wide elected authority.

  Sir Paul Beresford
  Londoners' responses to the consultation paper "London: Making the Best Better", published in November 1993, showed little support for a London-wide elected authority. I am unaware of any formal representations made since then. The Government have no plans for an additional elected authority for London.

  Cabinet Sub-Committee for London
  Mr. Gapes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will now make it his practice to give details of the agenda of meetings of the Cabinet Sub-Committee for London;

  (2) if he will now make it his practice to give dates of the meetings of the Cabinet Sub-Committee.

  Sir Paul Beresford
  I do not propose to give details of the timing of meetings or the topics discussed by the Cabinet Sub-Committee for London. The Government will continue to make their decisions known to Parliament and the public in the usual ways.

  Licensed Premises
  Mrs. Helen Jackson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proportion of licensed premises have smoking free areas; and what studies his Department is conducting into the benefits of such areas.

  Mr. Atkins
  My Department has no information on the numbers of licensed premises with smoking free areas. The benefits of smoking-free areas in public places, including licensed premises, are outlined in the Government's code of practice on smoking in public places.

  Local Authorities (Social Index)
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will place in rank order all English local authorities according to where they fall in the social index.

  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  The requested information has been placed in the Library.

  Nirex
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he will announce the appointment of an inspector for the public inquiry into the proposed Nirex rock characterisation facility in Cumbria; and what the terms of reference will be for the public inquiry.
  573
  Sir Paul Beresford
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State expects to make an announcement about these matters within the next two weeks.

  Rates, Nottinghamshire
  Mr. Tipping
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list for each property type in Nottinghamshire the percentage increase in rateable values as a result of the 1995 revaluation compared with the 1990 list.

  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  Draft rateable values in Nottinghamshire have increased by 28 per cent. overall. The rateable value for shops has increased by 32 per cent.,

  Estimated increases or decrease in rate bills in England between 1994–95 and 1995–96 as a result of the 1995 revaluation in the absence of transitional relief—Nottinghamshire

  1995–96 bill as a percentage of 1994–95 bill

  Small properties

  Large properties

  All

  Number (000s)

  Change £ millions

  Number (000s)

  Change £ millions

  Number (000s)

  Change £ millions

  <50 per cent.

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  50 per cent.–80 per cent.

  —

  —

  —

  -1

  —

  -1

  80 per cent.—120 per cent.

  6

  +1

  1

  +2

  7

  +3

  120 per cent—200 per cent.

  16

  +16

  5

  +28

  21

  +43

  200 per cent.—500 per cent

  2

  +3

  -1

  +3

  2

  +6

  >500 per cent.

  -1

  -1

  -1

  +1

  -1

  +1

  All

  24

  +20

  6

  +33

  30

  +52

  All (after transitional relief)

  24

  +5

  6

  +10

  30

  +15

  Source: Inland Revenue.

  Notes:

  1. Totals may not sum due to rounding.

  2. Small properties have a 1 April 1990 rateable value less than £10,000.

  N. M. Rothschild and Sons Ltd.
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will provide estimates for the total amount that has been paid to N. M. Rothschild and Sons Ltd. with respect to any work undertaken by it on privatisation programmes in which his Department has been engaged since 1979 after taking account of inflation.

  Sir Paul Beresford
  None.

  Commission for the New Towns
  Mr. Day
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he will announce the pension he has determined for the retiring chairman of the Commission for the New Towns.

  Sir Paul Beresford
  In accordance with the provisions of schedule 9 to the New Towns Act 1981, I am today placing a statement in the Library of the House.

  Waterborne Viruses
  Mr. Ainger
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) how many coastal or estuarial sewage discharges under construction or planned include treatment to reduce or eliminate viral content;

  (2) how many sewage discharges receive treatment to reduce or eliminate viruses; and what percentage that represents of the total coastal discharges.
  574
  offices by 40 per cent., warehouses by 37 per cent., factories by 27 per cent., and other properties by 21 per cent.

  Mr. Tipping
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will produce a table in the same form as provided to the hon. Member for Coventry, South-West (Mr. Butcher) on 1 November 1994,Official Report, columns 1005–6, showing the increase in rate bills for properties in Nottinghamshire between 1994–95 and 1995–96 as a result of the 1995 revaluation, in the absence of transitional relief.

  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  Estimates for Nottinghamshire based on the draft 1995 rating lists are shown in the table. I have also given the change in bills once transitional relief has been taken into account.

  Mr. Atkins
  Sewage treatment which is at primary level or above will reduce the levels of viruses in discharges. The current and planned levels of treatment for sewage discharges into coastal and estuarial discharges under the urban waste water treatment directive are set out in the United Kingdom's report under article 17 A copy of this is in the Library of the House.

  Mr. Ainger
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what research has been carried out by his Department into the health impacts of viruses in sea and river water.

  Mr. Atkins
  The Government funded an extensive four year research programme into the health effects of sea-bathing, which was published in January 1994.

  Copies of the full report have been placed in the Library.

  Homelessness
  Mr. Robert Ainsworth
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what financial effect the inclusion of homelessness as an indicator has had on the grant settlement this year for(a) Coventry, (b) Wandsworth and (c) Westminster councils.

  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  There is no specific amount for homelessness within standard spending assessments. However, homelessness is one of a large number of general indicators that are included within composite
  575
  indices in the personal social services and all other services service blocks. They serve as an adjustment to increase or reduce the SSA, depending on the position of the authority relative to the average for all authorities. For the specified authorities, these homelessness indicators contribute the following adjustment:

  £ million

  Coventry City Council

  -1,790

  London Borough of Wandsworth

  +1,684

  Westminster City Council

  +3,519

  It is the overall value of an index which is important in determining an authority's SSA and not the value of an individual indicator within an index.

  Mr. Robert Ainsworth
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment which 10 councils gained most in this year's grant distribution as a result of homelessness being a factor in the standard spending assessment system.

  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  There is no specific amount for homelessness within standard spending assessments. However, homelessness is one of a large number of general indicators that are included within composite indices in the personal social services and all other services service blocks. The 10 authorities which have the highest contribution from homelessness indicators are:

  Birmingham City Council

  Manchester City Council

  London Borough of Lambeth

  London Borough of Hackney

  London Borough of Southwark

  London Borough of Islington

  London Borough of Walsall

  Bradford City Council

  London Borough of Haringey

  London Borough of Westminster

  It is the overall value of an index which is important in determining an authority's SSA and not the value of an individual indicator within an index.

  Local Government Finance
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list those authorities which have made oral representations to Ministers as part of the consultation on his proposals for local government finance for 1995–96, showing in each case the Minister seen by the authority, the duration of the meeting and the main topics raised.

  Mr. Gummer
  The table lists authorities which made oral representations to myself and other Ministers in my Department on the proposed locál government finance settlement for England for 1995–96. In addition, Home Office Ministers met a number of police authorities. The main topics raised in meetings with DOE Ministers are listed in the table. No note was made of the duration of meetings, but I and other Ministers have sought to make time available for the fullest consultation.
  576

  Class of Authority

  Minister

  Main topics

  Shire Districts

  Barrow in Furness

  Robert B. Jones

  Benefits, Remoteness

  Blackpool

  Sir Paul Beresford

  Data, rent allowances, credit approvals, capping

  Bristol

  Sir Paul Beresford

  Regional status, SSA methodology

  Burnley

  David Curry

  Data, capping, superannuation

  Castle Point

  Robert B. Jones

  Capping, Other Services

  Dartford

  Robert B. Jones

  Growth pressures

  Halton

  Robert B. Jones

  Benefit case load

  Harlow

  Sir Paul Beresford

  Other Services Block, debt, SSA Reduction Grant, capping

  Havant

  Sir Paul Beresford

  Population data, commuters

  Hyndburn

  Sir Paul Beresford

  Capital financing, capping, housing benefit. Other Services

  Ipswich

  Sir Paul Beresford

  Debt, data, capping

  Leicester

  Robert B. Jones

  Capping, SSA Reduction Grant

  Milton Keynes

  Robert B. Jones

  Growth factors

  Norwich

  Viscount Ullswater

  Capping, regional status

  Nottingham City

  Sir Paul Beresford

  SSA Reduction Grant, external support, data, SSA methodology, housing benefits

  Pendle

  Robert B. Jones

  Capping, housing benefits

  Ribble Valley

  Sir Paul Beresford

  Other Services Block

  Rushmoor

  Sir Paul Beresford

  Area Cost Adjustment, population

  South Norfolk

  Robert B. Jones

  Other Services Block

  Stevenage

  Sir Paul Beresford

  Area Cost Adjustment, New Town status

  Thanet

  David Curry

  Housing benefit

  Thurrock

  Viscount Ullswater

  Debt, Area Cost Adjustment

  Wear Valley

  Sir Paul Beresford

  Capital financing, capping

  Welwyn Hatfield

  Robert B. Jones

  Capping, benefits, other services

  York

  Robert B. Jones

  SSA Reduction Grant, sparsity, unemployment, homelessness

  Shire counties

  Cumbria

  David Curry

  National parks, SSA methodology, Area Cost Adjustment, fire

  Derbyshire

  David Curry

  Resource levels, capping limits

  Devon

  Robert B. Jones

  Area Cost Adjustment, community care education

  East Midlands Counties

  David Curry

  Area Cost Adjustment, capping, credit controls

  Gloucestershire

  David Curry

  Education, capping, Area Cost Adjustment

  577

  Class of Authority

  Minister

  Main topics

  Hampshire

  Robert B. Jones

  Fire, Education, Other Services, Fire, Area Cost Adjustment.

  Hereford and Worcester

  David Curry

  Capping, SSA methodology, data, community care

  Lancashire

  David Curry

  Area Cost Adjustment, SSA methodology

  Lincolnshire

  David Curry

  Capping, education, Area Cost Adjustment, sparsity, fire

  Norfolk County Council

  David Curry

  Fire, Area Cost Adjustment, community care, education, capping

  Northamptonshire

  Secretary of State

  Area Cost Adjustment, education, capping

  Northumberland

  Viscount Ullswater

  Sparsity, National Parks, Area Cost Adjustment, capping

  Nottinghamshire

  David Curry

  Area Cost Adjustment, fire capital financing

  Oxfordshire

  Robert B. Jones

  Area Cost Adjustment, Education, Fire, new burdens

  Shropshire

  David Curry

  Area Cost Adjustment, SSA methodology, balances

  South West Counties

  David Curry

  Data, community care, teachers pay, Area Cost Adjustment

  Warwickshire

  Robert B. Jones

  Area Cost Adjustment, Fire, capping

  Metropolitan Districts

  Barnsley

  Viscount Ullswater

  Capping, education, highways

  Birmingham

  Secretary of State

  Data, capping, Area Cost Adjustment, debt, credit approvals

  Bolton

  David Curry

  Education, capping, youth custody

  Bradford

  David Curry

  Education, capping

  Core Metropolitan Cities

  David Curry

  Area Cost Adjustment, Capital Financing, SSA methodology, capping

  Coventry

  David Curry

  Capping, community care, capital financing, Area Cost Adjustment

  Kirklees

  David Curry

  Area Cost Adjustment, education

  Knowsley

  Robert B. Jones

  Population, SSA methodology, Area Cost Adjustment

  Liverpool

  David Curry

  Capping, deprivation, debt. Area Cost Adjustment

  578

  Class of Authority

  Minister

  Main topics

  Manchester

  Secretary of State

  SSA methodology, capital financing

  Newcastle upon Tyne

  David Curry

  Education, social services, Area Cost adjustment, capital finance

  Rotherham

  Sir Paul Beresford

  Capping, deprivation

  Salford

  Robert B. Jones

  Data, education

  Sandwell

  Robert B. Jones

  Deprivation, capping, SSA Education Grant

  Sheffield

  Robert B. Jones

  Area Cost Adjustment, debt, highways

  Solihull

  Secretary of State

  Recoupment in education, levies, capping

  South Tyneside

  Robert B. Jones

  Deprivation, Area Cost Adjustment, capping

  South Yorkshire Districts

  Viscount Ullswater

  Supertram

  St. Helens

  Robert B. Jones

  Capital financing, area cost adjustment, education, community care

  Tameside

  Robert B. Jones

  Area Cost Adjustment, capping, levies

  Wigan

  David Curry

  Capping

  Wirral

  David Curry

  Capping

  Wolverhampton

  David Curry

  SSA methodology, SSA Reduction Grant

  London Boroughs

  Bexley

  Robert B. Jones

  Education, community care, pay, housing benefit, Area Cost Adjustment

  Brent

  David Curry

  SSA Reduction Grant, education. Area Cost Adjustment

  Croydon

  Robert B. Jones

  Education, community care., benefit case load

  Enfield

  David Curry

  Deprivation

  Greenwich

  Robert B. Jones

  Pensions, highways, social services, other services

  Hackney

  Robert B. Jones

  SSA Reduction Grant, data, community charge grant

  Harrow

  Viscount Ullswater

  Capping, capital financing, refugees, Area Cost Adjustment

  Havering

  Robert B. Jones

  Capping, capital receipts

  Hillingdon

  Robert B. Jones

  Education, refugees, Area Cost Adjustment

  Hounslow

  David Curry

  Education, refugees

  Kingston upon Thames

  Robert B. Jones

  Area cost adjustment, personal social services, notional amount

  Lambeth

  David Curry

  Capping, SSA Reduction Grant

  579

  Class of Authority

  Minister

  Main topics

  Merton

  David Curry

  Education, SSA methodology, Area Cost Adjustment

  Newham

  Secretary of State

  Resource levels, capping

  Sutton

  Robert B. Jones

  Education, Social Services, Area Cost Adjustment.

  Fire Authorities

  Merseyside Fire and Civil Defence

  David Curry

  Fire

  South Yorkshire Fire and CD Authority

  David Curry

  Fire, pensions

  Tyne and Wear Fire and Civil Defence

  Sir Paul Beresford

  Fire

  West Midlands Fire Authority

  Sir Paul Beresford

  Fire, Capping

  West Yorkshire Fire and Civil Defence

  David Curry

  Fire

  Police Authorities

  Lancashire Police Authority

  David Curry

  Pensions, Police Funding Formula

  Greater Manchester Police

  Robert B. Jones

  Pensions, Police Funding Formula

  Northants Police Authority

  Sir Paul Beresford

  Pensions, capping

  Suffolk Police

  Sir Paul Beresford

  Police Funding Formula

  West Mercia Police Authority

  David Curry

  Police Funding Formula, pensions, data, capping

  Unitary Authority

  Isle of Wight

  David Curry

  Reorganisation, Fire, Area Cost Adjustment

  Local Authority Associations

  Consultative Council on Local Government Finance

  Secretary of State David Curry

  SSA Reduction Grant, Capping, level of Settlement, capital financing

  90 Meetings in total with local authority delegations

  Ian Greer Associates
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment on how many occasions Departmental officials met representatives of Ian Greer Associates(a) formally and (b) informally on 26 January to discuss matters relating to their client's interests.

  Sir Paul Beresford
  Central records are not kept of meetings between departmental officials and external organisations, and the information requested could not be collected without disproportionate cost.

  Correspondence
  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when the hon. Member for Walsall, North will receive a reply to his letter of 5 December, reference G/BE/P50/27077/94.
  580
  Sir Paul Beresford
  I wrote to the hon. Member on 27 January.

  Planning Application Fees
  Mr. Alan Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what decision he has reached on proposals to allow local planning authorities to set their own planning application fees; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir Paul Beresford
  Last summer, we issued a consultation paper, "Planning Application Fees", which proposed giving local planning authorities the power to set their own fees for determining planning applications. Our intention was to enable authorities to recover the costs they incur in processing planning applications. We envisaged that fee increases would be subject to authorities meeting qualifying criteria—in relation to development plans and development control performance—and establishing, by 1996, an accounting system for identifying costs.

  We received over 300 responses, all of which have been carefully considered. We have concluded that the particular package of proposals we put forward did not attract sufficient support to justify legislating now for the devolution of fee-setting responsibilities within the proposed time scale.

  For the present, therefore, planning application fees will continue to be set centrally. However, we shall be giving further thought to refining the fees regime to see whether a better match can be achieved between the costs and price of the service provided by local planning authorities.

  Council Tax
  Mr. Congdon
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress has been made in settling initial appeals against bandings for council tax in England; when he expects the remainder to be settled; and how quickly new appeals will be dealt with.

  Mr. Curry
  A year ago, my hon. Friend the Member for Banbury (Mr. Baldry) announced that we expected the Valuation Office agency and the valuation tribunals to have settled four out of five of the initial council tax appeals in England by the end of 1994,Official Report, column 154.

  By 31 December last, 704,888 appeals had been settled—81.5 per cent. of those received during the initial period. The great majority of cases were resolved through discussion between the agency and the taxpayer.

  Progress was commendably consistent across the country. The settlement rate had reached or exceeded 80 per cent. in over three quarters of all billing authority areas; only in 16 areas was the rate less than 75 per cent. I have today placed in the Library a list showing the numbers and proportions of initial appeals resolved in each billing authority area.

  This has been an impressive achievement on the part of the agency, which has had other major tasks to carry out at the same time, including a rating revaluation of all non-domestic properties. The valuation tribunals have also had an important part to play. In the event, relatively few appeals have needed a tribunal hearing to resolve, but the readiness of tribunals to list cases for timely hearings has been invaluable in keeping up the pace of settlements. Tribunal members receive no payment for their services,

  581
  and I am extremely grateful to them and, above all, to their chairmen and presidents for their preparedness to give up so much of their time to help deal with this exceptional case load.

  Future progress is harder to predict, since the proportion of cases still outstanding that are likely to be resolved in discussion is lower than before. However, I very much hope that around 90 per cent. of initial appeals will have been settled by the end of March, and the remainder, or all but a handful, by the summer.

  Appeals can still be made in certain circumstances, for example following a change of taxpayer or a material reduction in the value of the dwelling. Once the bulk of the initial appeals have been disposed of, we expect that any such new appeals will generally be settled within 12 months from the date of the taxpayer's proposal.

  Waste Strategy
  Mr. Amess
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress has been with the plans for a waste strategy for England and Wales which he announced in July 1994 in response to the Royal Commission on environmental pollution report on incineration of waste.

  Mr. Atkins
  The Government are today issuing for public consultation a draft waste strategy for England and Wales. The strategy aims to use the principles of sustainable development to provide a coherent framework for waste management policy and practice throughout England and Wales. Copies of the document have been placed in the Library of the House.

  However well managed, waste always has the potential to cause harm to the environment. We must give priority to reducing the amount we produce, and to adopting better waste management practices. Much can be done harnessing the power of the market to encourage more environmentally friendly waste management. The Chancellor's announcement in his Budget statement of the introduction of a landfill tax is one, very important, development in this direction.

  Industry can do a great deal, and has a good incentive to do so because, as a number of demonstration projects have shown, better waste management frequently results in reduced operating costs. Good waste management practice is a competitiveness opportunity. Householders also have a major role to play by choosing not to buy over-packaged goods, by reusing goods and materials within the household, and by using the recycling facilities provided by their local councils.

  We hope that this draft strategy will start a wide debate about future aims and direction of waste management policy, and the role of industry, the public sector, consumers and householders in achieving those objectives. We are allowing an extended consultation period until 28 April 1995 to enable proper consideration of the many significant issues which the strategy raises.

  Property Holdings
  Mr. Garnier
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement about the establishment of the agency to be derived from Property Holdings when Departments take responsibility in 1996.

  Mr. Gummer
  As my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster announced on 26 May 1994,582
  Property Holdings is to be replaced by a new next steps agency, Official Report, column 225. The agency to be established from 1 April 1996, will be known as Property Advisers to the Civil Estate—PACE. It will be responsible for co-ordinating the Government's market activity on the civil estate; for promoting its rationalisation; and for providing Departments with advice and support in the management of their estates. It will be organised in accordance with the principles set out in the civil service White Paper—Cm 2627—with a flexible and non-hierarchical management structure, and with responsibility devolved to the lowest possible level. Its chief executive will be Mr. Neil Borrett, who has been director of Property Holdings since 1990. It will have a complement of about 200 staff, spread between six regional offices in London, Edinburgh, Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds and Bristol, through which it will help keep in close touch with developments in local property markets.

  Police Budgets
  Mrs. Gillan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give details of the police authorities' base budgets for 1995–96.

  Mr. Curry
  The basis of comparison used for police authorities' 1995–96 budget requirements is the sum of their budget requirements and police specific grants for 1994–95. These figures are set out in the table.

  £

  Avon and Somerset police authority

  137,801,214

  Bedfordshire police authority

  50,079,634

  Cambridgeshire police authority

  57,721,920

  Cheshire police authority

  84,377,320

  Cleveland police authority

  66,568,912

  Cumbria police authority

  53,672,404

  Derbyshire police authority

  81,857,892

  Devon and Cornwall police authority

  137,955,135

  Dorset police authority

  63,943,960

  Durham police authority

  59,299,640

  Essex police authority

  144,223,316

  Gloucestershire police authority

  53,473,574

  Greater Manchester police authority

  314,507,.793

  Hampshire police authority

  153,138,739

  Hertfordshire police authority

  78,575,516

  Humberside police authority

  90,113,658

  Kent police authority

  150,058,300

  Lancashire police authority

  145,649,262

  Leicestershire police authority

  78,315,062

  Lincolnshire police authority

  57,710,930

  Merseyside police authority

  213,231,625

  Norfolk police authority

  63,868,603

  Northamptonshire police authority

  58,313,439

  Northumbria police authority

  163,141,000

  North Yorkshire police authority

  61,631,113

  Nottinghamshire police authority

  99,867,903

  South Yorkshire police authority

  136,870,700

  Staffordshire police authority

  99,688,454

  Suffolk police authority

  55,866,441

  Surrey police authority

  82,052,000

  Sussex police authority

  125,569,887

  Thames Valley police authority

  189,675,443

  Warwickshire police authority

  45,252,617

  West Mercia police authority

  93,750,746

  West Midlands police authority

  315,741,174

  West Yorkshire police authority

  240,888,893

  Wiltshire police authority

  57,848,723

  National Parks
  Mrs. Peacock
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he intends to make available the national parks circular which he has undertaken to issue in connection with the national parks provisions In the Environment Bill.

  Mr. Atkins
  My Department has today issued for consultation a national parks circular which contains guidance on matters which have arisen in the context of the Government's proposals for the future of the national parks. Copies of the draft circular have been placed in the Library.

  Step-up Programme
  Ms Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if new moneys will be found to ensure the step-up programme is available to people in the London borough of Lewisham from January 1995.

  Mr. Curry
  [holding answer Friday 27 January 1995]: The step-up programme in South Thames training and enterprise council was funded from the business start-up scheme which has been incorporated into the single regeneration budget from 1 April 1994. All forward commitments arising from BSUS will be met, but funds for new start ups will depend on the implementation of successful SRB bids.
  584
  In preparation for these new arrangements, some TECs in London, including South Thames, have ceased recruitment to BSUS-funded schemes because allocated funds had been fully committed.

  Arrangements to support future enterprise activity in the South Thames TEC area are currently under consideration.

  Coventry Airport
  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer of 24 January,Official Report, column 98, what assessment he has made of whether the arrangements for airports to consult nearby local authorities about matters relating to noise and nuisance are operating satisfactorily; and what representations he has received asking for the arrangements to be strengthened.

  Mr. Norris
  I have been asked to reply.

  The power to require local consultation at aerodromes designated for the purposes of section 35 of the Civil Aviation Act 1982 was included in the review of powers to control aircraft noise in 1991. It was found to be working well and, after consultation, no changes were proposed when the Government announced their conclusions from the review in March 1993. We do not believe the position to have changed since then.

TRANSPORT

  Absenteeism
  Mr. Chidgey
  To ask the Secretary of Stale for Transport what was the absenteeism rate for(a) his Department, (b) HM Coastguard, (c) the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, (d) the Driving Standards Authority, (e) the Highways Agency, (f) the Marine Safety Agency, (g) the Transport Research Laboratory, (h) the Vehicle Certification Agency and (i) the Vehicle Inspectorate in each year since 1991.

  Mr. Norris
  The table shows for each year the number of days lost through sick absence per member of staff and the percentage of the working days in the year which the days of absence represent.

  1991

  1992

  1993

  1994

  Central Transport Group

  Average days lost

  7.1

  6.6

  7.5

  5.5

  Percentage of days lost

  3.2

  3.0

  3.3

  2.5

  Coastguard Agency

  Average days lost

  (1)

  (1)

  (1)

  4.7

  Percentage of days lost

  (1)

  (1)

  (1)

  2.1

  Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency

  Average days lost

  10.7

  10.4

  12.7

  11.1

  Percentage of days lost

  4.7

  4.6

  5.6

  4.9

  Driving Standards Agency

  Average days lost

  8.9

  9.0

  12.1

  9.7

  Percentage of days lost

  3.9

  4.0

  5.4

  4.3

  Highways Agency

  Average days lost

  (1)

  (1)

  (1)

  6.2

  Percentage days lost

  (1)

  (1)

  (1)

  2.8

  Marine Safety Agency

  Average days lost

  (1)

  (1)

  (1)

  3.9

  Percentage days lost

  (1)

  (1)

  (1)

  1.7

  Transport Research Laboratory

  Average days lost

  (1)

  4.2

  4.5

  3.8

  Percentage days lost

  (1)

  1.9

  2

  1.7

  Vehicle Certification Agency

  Average days lost

  3.9

  5.1

  5.0

  3.8

  Percentage days lost

  1.7

  2.3

  2.2

  1.6

  Vehicle Inspectorate Executive Agency

  Average days lost

  7.0

  6.1

  8.1

  6.7

  Percentage days lost

  3.1

  2.7

  3.6

  3.0

  Department of Transport

  Average days lost

  8.5

  8.1

  9.7

  7.9

  Percentage days lost

  3.8

  3.6

  4.3

  3.5

  Notes:

  (1) = Not an agency at this time. Figures included within Central Transport Group.

  The figures are based upon data available to the Department's personnel information system at 26 January 1995 and relate only to staff currently employed by the Department. Information for staff who have left the Department during the period is not readily available.

  Lifeguards
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the annual public expenditure for coastal lifeguards in the United Kingdom; what certification and training qualification are required by coastal lifeguards; and how many bathing beaches in the United Kingdom(a) possess and (b) do not possess trained lifeguards.

  Mr. Norris
  This is not a matter for the Department of Transport. The Royal Life Saving Society (UK), a registered charity, is responsible for the training of lifeguards.

  Stagecoach
  Mr. Gapes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the operations of Stagecoach in east London.

  Mr. Norris
  None.

  Bull Bars
  Mr. Gapes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will now state the conclusions of the Transport Research Laboratory study into additional injuries in accidents to pedestrians and cyclists caused by bull and roo bars on motor vehicles referred to in his answer of 26 May 1993,Official Report, column 568; and what action he intends to take in response to the conclusions of the study.

  Mr. Norris
  The Transport Research Laboratory study was a general study of pedestrian accidents, the sample for which contained insufficient data for any firm conclusions to be drawn about bull bars. However, impact tests using an instrumented child-size headform on a bull bar have shown that the severity of an impact on a bull bar appears significantly greater than on a flexible bonnet.

  Pedestrian injury accidents involving bull bars are currently being identified by the police for investigation by the Transport Research Laboratory. We will have a fuller picture when the reports of these accidents have been analysed.

  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of state for Transport what current proposals he has to restrict the use of bull bars; and what reports he has received of fatal accidents attributed to bull bars.

  Mr. Norris
  Pedestrian injury accidents involving bull bars are currently being identified by the police for investigation by the Transport Research Laboratory. We will have a fuller picture when the reports of these accidents have been analysed.

  Drivers (Eyesight)
  Mr. Chidgey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received from the British Medical Association about driving, glaucoma and the law; what response he has given; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Norris
  None.

  Mr. Chidgey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he intends to review the effectiveness of the number plate test in the context of implementing the second driving licence directive of the European Union.
  587
  Mr. Norris
  We will shortly be proposing regulations to implement the second driving licence directive, including the provisions on eyesight standards. These are unlikely to affect the number plate test.

  Mr. Chidgey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what survey his Department has conducted of research which indicates poor vision as a causative factor or road accidents.

  Mr. Norris
  We know of no survey where research has established poor driver vision as a systematic causative factor in accidents.

  Advertisements
  Ms Corston
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on how many occasions and in what circumstances in the last five years advertisements have been placed in newspapers or periodicals which have been described as being issued by or on behalf of Ministers in his Department rather than on behalf of Her Majesty's Government.

  Mr. Norris
  There is no practical distinction between publicity described as being issued by a single Minister or Her Majesty's Government.

  Many Government advertisements do not identify the sponsor but, whether explicit or implicit, all advertising is placed on behalf of a Secretary of State in pursuance of his or her powers on behalf of the Queen. The subject matter of the advertisement will determine which, if any, phrase is used.

  Most Department of Transport advertisements in this category are for road improvement schemes.

  Cradlewell Bypass
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what reply has been given by him to representations to him on the accuracy and validity of cost benefit calculations on the Cradlewell bypass, Newcastle.

  Mr. Norris
  My predecessor, the hon. Member for Salisbury (Mr. Key), answered a number of questions on this topic in the last Session of Parliament, 19 January 1994,Official Report, columns 593–94.

  It is not practicable for the Department of Transport to verify in detail the accuracy and validity of all the supporting documentation prepared by local authorities seeking financial support for their transport proposals. The system relies on good practice by local authorities and the detailed scrutiny afforded by audit and public inquiries. The cost-benefit analysis that Newcastle city council submitted for Cradlewell bypass gave an indication of the scheme's value for money that was within the normal parameters for schemes of this type.

  Coaches
  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many lives annually he estimates will be saved if coaches are banned from the right-hand lane of carriageways with more than two lanes.

  Mr. Norris
  We shall be able to make a full assessment of the safety benefits of the coach outside lane ban at the end of the two-year trial period when accident data are available.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what research has a been published on the 588
  risks related to coaches in the right-hand lane of three and four lane carriageways.

  Mr. Norris
  A report by Wootton Jeffreys Consultants Ltd. commissioned by the Confederation of Passenger Transport UK and submitted to the Department, concluded that exposure to risk might be reduced because there would be fewer lane changes and cases of harsh braking.

  London Bus Timetables
  Mr. Gapes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will take steps to ensure that arrangements for the free supply of London bus timetables will remain in place.

  Mr. Norris
  This is a matter for London Transport. I understand that it has no plans to introduce charges for bus timetables.

  Cyclists
  Ms Coffey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what was the number of(a) fatal and (b) non-fatal accidents to cyclists in each police authority area in 1983; and what is the latest available information.

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

  PQ 719/94/95—Number of accidents involving a pedal cyclist, by severity of injury to the cyclist, and by Police Force: GB 1983 and 1993

  Accidents

  1983

  1993

  Pedal cyclist— fatal

  Pedal cyclist— serious or slight injury

  Pedal cyclist— fatal

  Pedal cyclist— serious or slight injury

  Metropolitan Police

  32

  5,448

  17

  4,357

  Cumbria

  4

  227

  3

  178

  Lancashire

  8

  68O

  7

  580

  Merseyside

  2

  660

  4

  615

  Greater Manchester

  8

  1,534

  9

  1,238

  Cheshire

  10

  615

  6

  391

  Northumbria

  2

  438

  4

  382

  Durham

  4

  152

  1

  156

  North Yorkshire

  5

  441

  4

  324

  West Yorkshire

  7

  727

  4

  613

  South Yorkshire

  4

  394

  9

  378

  Humberside

  10

  733

  8

  674

  Cleveland

  2

  252

  2

  205

  West Midlands

  8

  1,162

  4

  863

  Staffordshire

  3

  594

  5

  415

  West Mercia

  10

  560

  5

  471

  Warwickshire

  7

  314

  0

  224

  Derbyshire

  6

  427

  5

  319

  Nottinghamshire

  6

  646

  3

  469

  Lincolnshire

  9

  393

  2

  308

  Leicestershire

  6

  546

  3

  414

  Northamptonshire

  4

  209

  1

  201

  Cambridgeshire

  7

  623

  7

  715

  Norfolk

  6

  483

  2

  396

  Suffolk

  11

  400

  6

  268

  Bedfordshire

  5

  338

  2

  194

  Hertfordshire

  7

  467

  4

  327

  Essex

  10

  809

  4

  611

  Thames Valley

  16

  1,135

  7

  904

  Hampshire

  14

  1,263

  4

  1,005

  Surrey

  3

  623

  0

  400

  Kent

  7

  777

  4

  548

  Sussex

  11

  806

  5

  634

  City of London

  0

  41

  1

  25

  Devon and Cornwall

  8

  607

  3

  560

  Avon and Somerset

  9

  637

  0

  486

  Gloucestershire

  7

  355

  4

  247

  589

  PQ 719/94/95—Number of accidents involving a pedal cyclist, by severity of injury to the cyclist, and by Police Force: GB 1983 and 1993

  Accidents

  1983

  1993

  Pedal cyclist— fatal

  Pedal cyclist— serious or slight injury

  Pedal cyclist— fatal

  Pedal cyclist— serious or slight injury

  Wiltshire

  6

  397

  0

  240

  Dorset

  7

  392

  2

  319

  North Wales

  0

  237

  3

  179

  Gwent

  2

  131

  0

  115

  South Wales

  4

  403

  2

  375

  Dyfed-Powys

  1

  128

  1

  88

  Northern

  3

  52

  1

  90

  Grampian

  3

  201

  2

  139

  Tayside

  0

  128

  0

  83

  Fife

  1

  109

  2

  57

  Lothian and Borders

  2

  335

  3

  289

  Central

  1

  91

  1

  80

  Strathclyde

  10

  645

  9

  405

  Dumfries and Galloway

  2

  60

  0

  20

  Total

  320

  29,825

  185

  23,574

  Barking to Gospel Oak Line
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has formulated since his visit to the Barking to Gospel Oak line in December to improve the service to passengers on that line; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Norris
  The provision of services on the Barking to Gospel Oak line is a matter for North London Railways, one of British Rail's train operating units. I have agreed supplementary credit approvals through the transport policies programme towards a joint bid by local London boroughs for selective station improvements along the line.

  Rail Franchises
  Mr. Channon
  To ask the Secretary of state for Transport when the franchising director is going to publish his proposals for the first passenger service requirements for franchises; and if these will be subject to consultation.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The franchising director is today publishing for consultation his proposals for passenger service requirement for the Gatwick Express, South West Trains, Great Western Trains and London, Tilbury and Southend Franchises. Copies have been placed in the Library.

  Next Steps Agencies
  Mr. Kaufman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 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 published 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 590
  corporate clothing and at what cost; and what is the cost of specially designed and printed corporate stationery.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The chief executives of each of the Department's agencies have written to the right hon. Member with the specific information for each agency. In 1987–88, before the first departmental agency was established, the total number of staff in the Department was 15,286. In 1994–95 the equivalent figure for the Department, including agencies, is 13,755. Further reductions in staff are planned for 1995–96. The creation of agencies in the Department has led to improved performance through better targeting and clarification of responsibilities.

  Letter from C. J. Harris to Mr. Gerald Kaufman, dated 30 January 1995:
  The Secretary of State for Transport has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question as this question deals with an operational matter, for which I have responsibility as Chief Executive.
  The answers to the questions raised are as follows:

  (1) The Coastguard Agency (TCA) HQ is located in Spring Place, Southampton. This property is shared with the Marine Safety Agency (MSA) HQ and the Southampton Marine Office. The move to this building has nothing to do with agency status. The Marine Emergencies Organisation (now TCA) HQ, the Surveyor General's Organisation (now MSA) HQ and the Southampton Marine Office were relocated from London to Southampton in May 1993 prior to Agency status. The annual rent on this property is £1.2 million, a saving of some £0.74 million on rented costs of previous accommodation.

  (2) The Coastguard Agency has recruited 3 permanent and one temporary member of staff to deal with the additional requirements of Agency status.

  (3) The Agency publishes a quarterly magazine "The Coastguard Magazine". This periodical predates the Agency having been published in a similar format for many years, and first produced in 1946. The current cost is £48,000 per annum.

  (4) No fleets of executive cars or single executive cars have been purchased by the Agency.

  (5) The costs of preparing a specially designed logo was £7,285.

  (6) Her Majesty's Coastguard which is part of the Agency has 473 staff who have been in uniform for many years. The 12 Marine Pollution Control Unit staff who may have to attend the scene of an oil spill are provided with protective clothing. No other agency staff wear corporate clothing.

  (7) Previous stocks of stationery were run down so that no additional costs were incurred for the design and printing of corporate stationery.

  Letter from R. M. Bradley to Mr. Gerald Kaufman, dated 30 January 1995:
  The Secretary of State has asked me to provide details for the Marine Safety Agency (MSA) in response to your Question about Next Steps Agencies.

  Headquarters building
  The MSA Headquarters is co-located in Spring Place Southampton with the Coastguard Agency Headquarters. Spring Place is a leased property and is part of the Coastguard Agency estate and costs are borne on their budget.

  Support staff
  The Surveyor General's Organisation (from which MSA was formed) took over most of its own support function (personnel, finance, IT, etc) in 1991. There have been no changes in support staff as a result of the move to Agency status.

  Periodical journals
  The MSA issues a staff newsletter six times a year. The cost is small as it is copied and distributed in-house.
  591
  Cars
  The MSA has no official vehicles and does not provide cars for any of its staff.

  Logo
  The MSA logo was designed in-house at no cost.

  Corporate clothing
  The only "corporate" clothing used by MSA is high visibility protective clothing for use by operational surveyors which incorporates the MSA logo. This cost £27k in 1993–94 and replaced previous protective clothing allowance.

  MSA stationery
  The MSA corporate stationery was designed in house by the Department's drawing office team and has replaced the Departmental stationery used by the SGO. The printing of the MSA stationery costs no more than the original DOT corporate printed stationery.

  Letter from Lawrie Haynes to Mr. Gerald Kaufman, dated 30 January 1995:
  With reference to your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State of Transport about Next Steps Agencies in his Department the information requested in relation to the Highways Agency is as follows:

  (i) The headquarters of this Agency has been brought together in St. Christopher House, Southwark Street, London, a building already on the Government's Common User Estate.

  (ii) In general the staff of the Agency are those who were previously carrying out its functions in the Department of Transport. Two senior staff have been recruited from the private sector following open competitions, the Chief Executive and the Finance Director. The arrival of the latter will be offset by the departure of one of the original directors who will leave the Agency later in the year. Since the establishment of the Agency in April 1994 staff numbers have reduced and this will continue.

  (iii) The Highways Agency has not instituted publication of a periodical journal.

  (iv) The Highways Agency has not acquired any executive cars not has it provided corporate clothing.

  (v) Revised stationery using Agency headings was introduced under standard supply and usage contracts.

  (vi) The fee paid for the design of the Agency's logo was £1,250.

  Letter from John Wootton to Mr. Gerald Kaufman, dated 30 January 1995:
  The Secretary of State for Transport has asked me to reply to your question on the cost of the change to Agency status. The answers to the points raised in your question are set out below:
  The setting up of TRL as an executive agency did not require the acquisition of new HQ buildings.
  TRL does not have any executive cars nor does it supply staff with specific corporate clothing. Some work and protective clothing has had the TRL logo applied to it a minimal cost.
  TRL publishes its research and findings widely as part of its dissemination role. Since becoming an agency these publications have been revised to include another, "TRL News", which costs £9,200 annually to produce.
  Prior to establishment as an executive agency TRL was required to increase its Personnel, section competence. One member of staff was seconded to TRL for approximately 6 months. Since then the number of support staff has been reduced in all areas of TRL operation in accordance with its published business plan.
  TRL, formerly TRRL, commissioned a revision of its old logo and the production of a design manual at the cost of £9,000.
  592
  Letter from L Manley to Mr. Gerald Kaufman, dated 30 January 1995:
  The Secretary of State for Transport has asked me to reply to your question about certain operational matters concerning the Driving Standards Agency (DSA).
  The information you requested is provided below:
  HQ building: The annual rental for Stanley House, Nottingham is £341,614. This replaced existing accommodation at 2 Marsham Street, London. The cost of providing in-going services at Stanley House was £712,000. An evaluation carried out after DSA relocated showed a benefit in net present value terms of nearly £3 million over 10 years, with payback occurring within 3 years of the move. Payback has been achieved.
  Support staff: DSA recruited 13 new staff to run the new building on relocation (including typists, support grades, office manager and deputy and administrative support). The costs were fully offset by a reduction in the charges made to DSA by Department of Transport (Central).
  Periodical journal: DSA does not publish any periodical journals.
  Executive cars: DSA does not have any executive cars.
  Corporate logo: The DSA logo was chosen from suggestions put forward by staff.
  Corporate clothing: DSA does not have corporate clothing.
  Stationery: Over the last 12 months the cost of DSA stationery for use in HQ and DSA's Regional Offices was £5,357. This replaced previous use of Department of Transport paper.
  Overall, there has been a substantial reduction in the level of on-costs paid to DOT(C) by DSA for services now provided in-house.

  Letter from Ron Oliver to Gerald Kaufman, dated 30 January 1995:

  Next Steps Agencies—Vehicle Inspectorate
  Secretary of State for Transport has asked me to reply to your question on Executive Agencies, on matters relating to the Vehicle Inspectorate (VI). Taking your points in turn:

  (i) VI has 2 sites which are occupied by staff undertaking HQ or support-type services. Both of these properties were occupied prior to the Agency being set up and were purchased, or rental contracts entered into, when VI was within the Department.

  (ii) The number of staff involved in support services has remained largely static since before the Agency was set up, though the activities undertaken have changed. Prior to its becoming an Agency, the Inspectorate had well-developed 'in house' Finance and Personnel functions.

  (iii) The actual number of VI employees (calculated in whole staff years) has reduced from 1,869 in 1988/89 (this figure has been adjusted to include the Traffic Examiner organisation which merged with VI in 1992/93) to a figure of 1,618 currently.

  (iv) VI does not publish periodical journals to customers, or to any other body, but does publish staff newsletters. These newsletters have an annual cost of approximately £10,000.

  (v) VI does not have any "executive" cars but does have a fleet of 43 "pool" cars for use by all staff. Of these, 6 are based at the HQ offices and the remaining 37 are located at our enforcement offices across the country. Some vehicles were also provided prior to the Agency being set up.

  (vi) The VI logo was modified at the time the Agency was established to incorporate the words "Executive Agency". This was undertaken at minimal cost.

  (vii) VI does not provide corporate clothing. However the Inspectorate does provide, and did provide prior to the Agency's establishment, protective clothing to staff.

  (viii) VI does use headed stationery incorporating the VI logo. This replaced the previous headed paper used by the Inspectorate prior to the Agency being set up.

  Please contact me if you need further information.

  Letter from Dr. S. J. Ford to Mr. Gerald Kaufman, dated 30 January 1993:
  The Secretary of State for Transport has asked me to reply to your question on Executive Agencies, on matters relating to the

  593
  Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA). Taking your points in turn:

  (i) DVLA has not acquired its own HQ building as a consequence of becoming an agency.

  (ii) Annual cost—not applicable.

  (iii) No additional support staff have been required since becoming an agency: DVL Directorate already exercised a considerable degree of delegated authority before agency status.

  (iv) DVLA publishes twice a year `DVL Today' mainly to inform corporate customers such as the motor trade, the police and the courts about key developments and changes. Annual cost £35,000. DVLA also publishes a monthly staff journal "LICENCE" at an annual cost of £40,000. This was published before DVLA became an agency.

  (v) DVLA now operates 1 official car compared with 2 before becoming an agency, and is about to surrender the remaining vehicle.

  (vi) The DVLA logo was produced by a member of staff in an internal competition with professional assistance at a total cost of £1,000 for the final product.

  (vii) The design of existing official clothing for messengers was changed and now costs £1,000 a year less than before agency.

  (viii) There was no extra cost in incorporating the DVLA logo on specially designed and printed corporate stationery as existing stocks of stationery had to be replenished.

  Letter from Peter Nicholl to Mr. Gerald Kaufman, dated 30 January 1995:
  In the absence of the Chief Executive on Agency business, I have been asked by the Secretary of State to reply to the questions you raised insofar as they relate to the Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA).
  Taking your questions in order:

  1. In April 1990, some 3 weeks after its establishment as an executive agency, VCA moved from a shared Government building in central Bristol to a new headquarters in rented single-occupier offices 2 miles from the centre. A study carried out at the time indicated that the move represented value for money. The current annual rent is £156,007.32.

  2. VCA now has 11 staff providing support services which were previously provided centrally. (VCA's staff numbers were 73 in the year immediately prior to its establishment as an agency, 80 in its first year, and 75 by its fourth year 1993–94).

  3. VCA does not publish any periodical journals.

  4. VCA does not have a fleet of executive cars nor any single executive cars.

  5. VCA's logo initially derived from an in-house competition. Its design was improved last year at relatively low cost. (Please see item 7 below).

  6. VCA's staff do not have corporate clothing.

  7. VCA's stationery was originally designed by HMSO at a cost which cannot now easily be traced. The design of the logo and stationery was upgraded last year at a cost of £1,163.25. Supplies of stationery in this form are obtained when needed at the most economical cost that can be found.

  I would be happy to answer any other questions you may have about VCA's operations.

  Road Schemes
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has reviewed cost-benefit analysis procedures on road schemes; if conclusions have been reached; and if he will place a copy of any new guidance on such analysis in the Library.

  Mr. Watts
  Cost-benefit analysis procedures for road schemes are kept constantly under review. I refer the hon. Member also to my right hon. Friend's reply to my hon. Friend the Member for City of Chester (Mr. Braridreth) on 19 December 1994,Official Report, columns 880–81.

  Ian Greer Associates
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of Slate for Transport on how many occasions departmental officials met representatives of Ian Greer Associates(a) formally and (b) informally on 26 January to discuss matters relating to its clients' interests.

  Mr. Norris
  (a) Once. I met with London Taxis International and one representative of Ian Greer Associates, to discuss taxi issues. Three officials of my Department were present.

  (b) None.

  Kent Coast Line
  Mr. Gale
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he has yet seen the British Railways Board's business case for the replacement, or otherwise, of rolling stock for the Kent coast line; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Watts
  Establishing the business case for this investment is a matter for the British Railways Board. My Department has been sent, for information, some of the material on the basis of which BR made its decision not to accept the offer made last year by ABB Transportation.

  Subsequently, BR has indicated a willingness to re-examine the commercial case if an improved offer were received from ABB.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Oil and Gas Development
  Mr. Spellar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he is taking to ensure that floating production facilities for oil and gas developments are built in Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Ancram
  The industrial research and technology unit of the Department of Economic Development is in discussion with Harland and Wolff about possible Government support for the development of a floating production storage and offloading unit for the deep-water offshore oil industry. The company has been invited to submit a formal application to IRTU which will be subject to the normal rigours of a technical and financial appraisal.

  Departmental Staff
  Mr. Donohoe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much his Department spent during 1994 on recruiting staff to his Department and its executive agencies; and how many staff were recruited.

  Sir John Wheeler
  From the information available in Northern Ireland Departments and the Northern Ireland Office, £1,142,112 was spent during 1994 in recruiting, 1,910 staff.

  N. M. Rothschild and Sons Ltd.
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will provide estimates for the total amount that has been paid to N. M. Rothschild and Sons Ltd. with respect to any work undertaken by it on privatisation programmes in which his Department has been engaged since 1979 after taking account of inflation.
  595
  Mr. John Wheeler
  N. M. Rothschild and Sons has been employed on only one privatisation programme—Northern Ireland Electricity. Details of the fees and expenses paid in respect of this contract cannot be released as it would breach commercial confidentiality.

  Ian Greer Associates
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on how many occasions departmental officials met representatives of Ian Greer Associates(a) formally and (b) informally on 26 January to discuss matters relating to their clients' interests.

  Sir John Wheeler
  None.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  N. M. Rothschild and Sons Ltd.
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Attorney-General if he will provide estimates for the total amount that has been paid to N. M. Rothschild and Sons Ltd. with respect to any work undertaken by it on privatisation programmes in which his Department has been engaged since 1979 after taking account of inflation.

  The Attorney-General
  None of the Departments for which I am responsible has made payments to N. M. Rothschild and Sons Ltd. with respect to any such work.

  Ian Greer Associates
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Attorney-General on how many occasions Departmental officials met representatives of Ian Greer Associates(a) formally and (b) informally on 26 January to discuss matters relating to their clients' interests.

  The Attorney-General
  (a) None: (b) None.

EMPLOYMENT

  Work-related Illnesses
  Mr. McCartney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the Health and Safety Executive's estimate of the number of people who die each year as a result of ill health induced by work activity.

  Mr. Oppenheim
  It is not possible to state accurately the number of premature deaths which are the result of ill health cased by work. It is estimated there are at least 2,500 such deaths in Great Britain annually. Figures have been published in "Health and Safety Statistics: Statistical Supplement to the 1993–94 Annual Report of the Health and Safety Commission", a copy of which is in the Library.

  Business Start-up Scheme
  Mr. Pearson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment which TEC areas(a) will and (b) will not provide business start-up programme type support in 1995–96; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Paice
  A list of training and enterprise council areas where there will be direct business start-up support 596
  in 1995–96 from the single regeneration budget is shown in the table.

  Start-up support will also be available through the training for work programme, from TECs' own reserves and from the Prince's Youth Business Trust which receives funding from the Department, but the TEC areas concerned cannot readily be identified. For this reason, it is not possible to supply a list of any areas which may be entirely without such support.

  The Areas with direct business start-up support from the single regeneration budget, 1995–96

  Avon TEC

  AZTEC (Kingston upon Thames)

  Barnsley/Doncaster TEC

  Bedfordshire TEC

  Birmingham TEC

  Bradford and District TEC

  Calderdale and Kirklees TEC

  CENTEC (Central London)

  CEWTEC (Wirral)

  CILNTEC (Inner London North)

  County Durham TEC

  Coventry and Warwickshire TEC

  Cumbria TEC

  Devon and Cornwall TEC

  Dorset TEC

  Dudley TEC

  ELTEC (East Lancashire)

  Gloucestershire TEC

  Greater Peterborough TEC

  Hampshire TEC

  HAWTEC (Hereford and Worcester)

  Hertfordshire TEC

  Humberside TEC

  LAWTEC (Lancashire West)

  Leeds TEC

  Lincolnshire TEC

  London East TEC

  Manchester TEC

  Merseyside TEC

  METROTEC (Wigan)

  Norfolk and Waveney TEC

  North Derbyshire TEC

  North London TEC

  North Nottinghamshire TEC

  North West London TEC

  North Yorkshire TEC

  Northamptonshire TEC

  Northumberland TEC

  QUALITEC (St. Helens)

  Rochdale TEC

  Rotherham TEC

  Sandwell TEC

  Sheffield TEC

  Shropshire TEC

  SOLOTEC (Bromley)

  Somerset TEC

  South East Cheshire TEC

  South Thames TEC

  Southern Derbyshire TEC

  Staffordshire TEC

  Sunderland City TEC

  Sussex TEC

  Teesside TEC

  Tyneside TEC

  Wakefield TEC

  West London TEC

  Wolverhampton TEC

  597
  Mr. Pearson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what plans his Department has for ensuring that unemployed people who wish to start their own businesses have an equal opportunity to do so following the placing of the business start-up scheme in the single regeneration budget.

  Mr. Paice
  Support for unemployed people who wish to start their own business will continue. The single regeneration budget projects recently approved will provide over 18,000 start-up opportunities. Training and enterprise councils are being encouraged to take advantage of arrangements which allow people in training for work to pursue self-employment and TECs may fund further start-up help through their own reserves. We also continue to contribute to the work of the Prince's Youth Business Trust which helps young people set up in business through the provision of grants and/or loans.

  Liquefied Petroleum Gas
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what powers are available to local authorities and to other agencies to regulate the storage, use and installation of liquefied petroleum gas cylinders(a) generally and (b) for use in permanent domestic central heating.

  Mr. Oppenheim
  The storage of 25 tonnes or more of liquefied petroleum gas requires consent from the hazardous substances authority—usually the local planning authority—under the Planning (Hazardous Substances) Act 1990.

  By virtue of its powers under the Health and Safety at Work, etc. Act 1974, the Health and Safety Commission has introduced the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1994 to control, among other things, the storage, use and installation of liquefied petroleum gas, both generally, and for use in permanent domestic central heating.

  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what responsibility suppliers of liquefied petroleum gas have towards purchasers of the product concerning its safe installation and use.

  Mr. Oppenheim
  The Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1994 place duties on a gas supplier. Duties under the regulations include a requirement that liquefied petroleum gas storage tanks be sited in such a manner that they can be safely used, filled and refilled.

  Health and Safety
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if Health and Safety Executive guidance note CS4 applies only to safety at work.

  Mr. Oppenheim
  No. Advice given in guidance note CS4 is to safeguard both people at work and members of the general public.

  National Development Agenda
  Mr. Pearson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what progress there has been with the national development agenda; how much money out of the total budget for 1994–95 has been spent; and if he will make a statement on its evaluation and plans for the future.
  598
  Mr. Paice
  The 1994 national development agenda described key objectives towards which the Department's support for the development of the vocational education and training system is being directed. Examples include the standards programme, and action to encourage employers to see training as an investment.

  There is no single budget for national development. The work is funded from a range of individual budgets voted for particular purposes. At 31 December 1994 £15.6 million had been spent out of available funds of £.410.2 million for the current financial year.

  Progress is being made in all the areas covered by the national development agenda, with a wide range of projects contracted.

  It is a requirement that all projects are evaluated, and that where appropriate there should be evaluation of the performance of linked groups of projects.

  The results of evaluation form an important part of the Department's dissemination activity for national development work. Project outputs are disseminated widely to relevant audiences through conferences, seminars, publicity and promotional events, reports and other publications.

  For the future, a second edition of the national development agenda is planned for publication in February, taking account of the developments announced in the 1994 White Paper "Competitiveness: Helping Business to Win".

  South Thames Training and Enterprise Council
  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will estimate the range of likely costs to public funds which will result from closure of and redundancies of providers at South Thames TEC.

  Mr. Paice
  I do not expect that any closures or redundancies will lead directly to costs to public funds. Consequential costs, for example any calls upon the national insurance fund, are not possible to estimate.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what he intends shall succeed South Thames TEC.

  Mr. Paice
  It is urgent to settle the arrangements for training and enterprise council coverage in London for 1995–96. I have today invited CENTEC to put proposals to me on how it would exercise the full range of TEC responsibilities in the London boroughs of Lambeth and Southwark, and SOLOTEC in the London boroughs of Greenwich and Lewisham, from the start of the 1995–96 contract. In the light of the views expressed about the future arrangements in the South Thames area, I expect this to lead to calls for a wider review of London TEC boundaries, and in particular to consideration of a central London TEC covering a broader area. I look forward to hearing the views of London TECs and other London interests on those issues in due course.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if the Government take priority over training provider creditors for cash from the receivers of South Thames TEC.

  Mr. Paice
  Yes. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is a secured creditor by virtue of a debenture held with the training and enterprise council.

  Jobcentres
  Mr. Chidgey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish a table showing for each region in the united Kingdom the number of vacancies in jobcentres that were(a) temporary and (b) permanent in each quarter since December 1990.

  Mr. Oppenheim
  The information requested is available monthly, but only for filled vacancies, from the NOMIS database in the Library.

  Job Advertisements (European Commission)
  Mr. Bernie Grant
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment, pursuant to his answer of 24 January Official Report, column 184, if the recruitment process for United Kingdom-based European Commission staff, including job advertisements, is subject to (a) the Race Relations Act 1974 and (b) the Sex Discrimination Acts.

  Mr. Oppenheim
  No. The staff regulations of officials of the European Communities, which form part of a regulation made by the Council of the European Communities under the EC treaties, provide that an official may be appointed only if he or she is a national of a member state. However, the regulations also require that, subject to the nationality condition, officials be selected without reference to race, sex or creed.

  Credit Guarantee Insurance
  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he offers credit guarantee insurance to TEC training providers.

  Mr. Paice
  No.

  Unemployment (Derbyshire)
  Mr. McLoughlin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the level of unemployment in Derbyshire in February 1986; and what is the latest figure.

  Mr. Oppenheim
  Unadjusted claimant unemployment in Derbyshire stood at 37,310 in December 1994 compared with 50,068 in February 1986. This represents a fall of 25 per cent.

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. Chidgey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people and what percentage of the labour force in each region for the United Kingdom as a whole were classified as being in temporary employment in each year since 1979.

  Mr. Oppenheim
  This information is not available as a consistent series from 1979. However, a consistent series for 1984 onwards is available from the labour force survey and can be obtained via the Quantime LFS service available in the Library.

  Food Service Industry
  Mr. Chidgey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what number of students work(a) full-time and (b) part-time in the food service industry; and what were the comparable figures for each year since 1989.
  600
  Mr. Oppenheim
  The information is given in the table:

  Number of students1 working in the food service industry (000's) in Great Britain

  Full-time

  Part-time

  Spring 1989

  —

  82

  Spring 1990

  —

  104

  Spring 1991

  —

  100

  Spring 1992

  —

  118

  Spring 1993

  —

  112

  Spring 1994

  —

  132

  Summer 1994

  —

  119

  Source:

  Labour force survey—not seasonally adjusted.

  Notes:

  —Less than 10,000 in cell; estimate not shown.

  1 Includes full-time students only.

  Pneumoconiosis
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is his latest estimate of the total sum of money paid out under the provisions of the Pneumoconiosis etc. (Workers' Compensation) Act 1979; and what has been the number of beneficiaries.

  Mr. Oppenheim
  As at 31 December 1994, total expenditure under the Pneumoconiosis etc. (Workers' Compensation) Act 1979 amounted to around £38.1 million. Some 5,700 people have received a payment under the Act.

  Work Permits
  Ms Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement about the issuing of work permits to Japanese nationals, and on complaints made by employees of Quick Corp., London branch, 65 Clifton street, London EC2, about the overseas labour service section at his Department.

  Mr. Oppenheim
  Work permits are issued to Japanese nationals on the same basis as those issued to other nationalities.

  The Department has not received complaints from employees of Quick Corp., London branch about the overseas labour service. OLS officials are considering representations from former employees of Quick Corp. about work permits issued to Japanese nationals employed by the company.

  N. M. Rothschild and Sons Ltd.
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will provide estimates for the total amount that has been paid to N. M. Rothschild and Sons Ltd. with respect to any work undertaken by it on privatisation programmes in which his Department has been engaged since 1979 after taking account of inflation.

  Miss Widdecombe
  N. M. Rothschild and Sons Ltd. has not been employed to undertake any work on the Department's privatisation programmes.

  Employment Service
  Ms Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) if he will make a statement about the inspection service in the London and south-east region of the Employment Service;
  601
  (2) if he will make a statement about the financial status of the London and south-east region of the Employment Service;

  (3) if he will make a statement about the London and south-east region of the Employment Service;

  (4) if he will make a statement about the level of achievement in the inspection service of the London and south-east region of the Employment Service in relation to its annual performance agreement;

  (5) if he will make a statement about redeployment of staff across the London and south-east region of the Employment Service and the reasons for it;

  (6) if he will make a statement about staffing in the London and south-east region of the Employment Service.

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

  Letter from D. Grover to Ms Harriet Harman, dated 31 January 1995:
  The Secretary of State has asked me, in the absence on leave of the Chief Executive, to reply to your questions about the London and South East Region (Region) of the Employment Service (ES).
  Unemployment within the Region has fallen by almost 15% during the twelve months to December 1994. Indeed, in some locations such as Andover in Hampshire, the fall has been almost 35% Such falls indicate that the economy is in much better shape and, in part, reflect the success of ES initiatives to help people back into employment.
  Falling unemployment means that the ES, whose staff deal directly with the payment of benefits as well as offering job and other opportunities, has experienced a fall in the number of people using its services. ES managers have reacted swiftly to these changes to ensure that they are staffed to meet need and that taxpayers" money is not wasted. Inevitably, at a time of falling unemployment, this has led to a reduction in staffing levels
  As regards staffing, you will appreciate that the ES receives funding for staffing on the basis of need, i.e. the level of unemployment. Falling unemployment means that we now need less staff and can anticipate lower staffing levels for the financial year ahead. We need to manage our budgets and staffing levels to meet this new need. There are over 300 Jobcentres across the Region and unemployment is falling at differing rates at particular locations, so balancing staffing levels to need is a particularly challenging task. It has been necessary to redeploy staff between offices and between functions to ensure that a balance is maintained between staffing levels and the needs of our clients. Inevitably, staff have undertaken work in different areas of ES activity in the short term to meet short term need.
  The response to these changing needs from ES staff has been commendably high, as you will note from our continuing performance in the delivery of services to our customers. As regards finances, in the nine month period from April to December 1994, the Region had spent £267.1 million or 73.8% of its annual budget.
  Performance across all areas of our business is strong. The help offered to unemployed people continues to increase; the Region has placed almost 380,000 people in employment (April-December 1994) and I estimate that this figure will have increased to approaching 500,000 people by the end of March. Over one in three of these placings are long-term unemployed clients. At this point in time, the Region are 12% above their unemployed placings target in this area. Indeed, in almost every area of work, the Region are ahead of their targets and continue to offer an improved service to jobseekers.
  As regards the Inspection Service in the Region, as at December 1994 its targets for the full operational year (to April) for authorised prosecutions and claimants withdrawing claims had already been almost matched or exceeded.
  I hope this is helpful.

  Ian Greer Associates
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of Slate for Employment on how many occasions departmental officials met representatives of Ian Greer Associates(a) formally and (b) informally on 26 January to discuss matters relating to their clients' interests.

  Miss Widdecombe
  I have no knowledge of any such meetings.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION

  Consultants
  Miss Lestor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many relatives of serving diplomats are currently employed by the Overseas Development Administration as consultants.

  Mr. Baldry
  We would not normally ask potential consultants about the occupation of their relatives. However, we are aware of two who are currently employed.

  Recruitment
  Miss Lestor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreiign and Commonwealth Affairs how many positions in the United Kingdom's overseas aid programme were filled from the Overseas Development Administration's own register of available personnel for each year since 1979; how many were advertised in the media; and how many were filled by outside recruitment agencies and consultancies.

  Mr. Baldry
  Information about the method of recruitment of the many thousands of overseas aid personnel appointed since 1979 is not available centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

  Training Courses
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list each training and tuition course with a total cost exceeding £5,000 paid for by(a) his Department and (b) his agencies during the last 12 months, showing the title and objectives of each course, the name of the organisations engaged, the total cost of each course, a summary of the responsibilities of staff members taking part and the process for course evaluation by his Department or agency.

  Mr. David Hunt
  I refer to the hon. Member to the answer given on 23 January 1995,Official Report, columns 25–26.

  N. M. Rothschild and Sons Ltd.
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will provide estimates for the total amount that has been paid to N.M. Rothschild and Sons Ltd. with respect to any work undertaken by it on privatisation
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  programmes in which his Department has been engaged since 1979 after taking account of inflation.

  Mr. Robert G. Hughes
  Nil.

  Ian Greer Associates
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster on how many occasions departmental officials met representatives of Ian Greer Associates(a) formally and (b) informally on 26 January to discuss matters relating to their clients' interests.

  Mr. Robert G. Hughes
  Officials in the Department for which I am responsible did not meet representatives of Ian Greer Associates either formally or informally on 26 January to discuss matters relating to their clients' interests.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Next Steps Agencies
  Mr. Kaufman
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade 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 published 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. Heseltine
  I refer the right hon. Gentleman to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster on 17 January,Official Report, column 400. Responsibility for the subject of the question has been delegated to the chief executives of the nine agencies for which my Department is responsible. I have therefore asked Mr. John Hobday of the Account Services Agency; Mr. David Durham of Companies House; Mr. Peter Joyce of the Insolvency Service; Dr. Richard Worswick of the Laboratory of the Government Chemist; Mr. William Edgar of the National Engineering Laboratory; Dr. Peter Clapham of the National Physical Laboratory; Dr. Seton Bennett of the National Weights and Measures Laboratory; Dr. Paul Hartnack of the Patent Office; and Mr. Jim Norton of the Radiocommunications Agency to arrange for answers to be given.

  Letter from W. Edgar to Mr. Gerald Kaufman, dated 31 January 1995:

  PARLIAMENTARY QUESTION No. 180
  The President of the Board of Trade has asked me to reply to your question relating to various items of expenditure incurred by NEL as a Next Steps Agency. NEL has not acquired its headquarters building. Since achieving agency status it has reduced from 13 to 5 the number of principal buildings it uses. Since achieving agency status NEL has reduced its support staff by about 43%. The only periodical journal published by NEL is its annual report which, unlike its pre-agency status annual report, is also used as a marketing document. Pre-agency there were two vehicles which could have been described as executive cars now there are three, the additional annual cost being £7900 per annum. All of the vehicles are available for general laboratory duties as required. NEL uses the same logo as it has had for almost 40 years. The number of staff issued with
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  corporate clothing has been reduced from 7 to 2 since NEL became an agency. There have been no costs incurred in the special design of stationery. As is normally the case, the stationery has been updated from time to time to add the symbols associated with the additional quality accreditations obtained by the establishment, no special design costs were incurred in incorporating these additions.
  I trust you will find the above information to be satisfactory for your purposes.

  Letter from Jim Norton to Mr. Gerald Kaufman, dated 31 January 1995:

  AGENCY MATTERS
  The President of the Board of Trade has asked me to reply to your question about certain Agency expenditure and resource requirements.
  The Agency has not acquired a new headquarters building as a result of becoming an Agency. The Agency will be moving to a new building in Docklands later this year since the lease on Waterloo Bridge House is about to expire.
  The Agency has 15 staff carrying out support functions which have been delegated to the Agency by the Department.
  The Agency issues a number of periodical publications, including the Annual Report, at a total annual cost of £120k.
  The Agency does not have any executive cars.
  The design of the Agency corporate logo cost £5k.
  The cost of corporate clothing is £12k per annum.
  The cost of Agency stationery in 1994/95 will be around £80k. However this is no increase on the equivalent DTI stationery.

  Letter from Peter Joyce to Mr. Gerald Kaufman, dated 31 January 1995:
  The President of the Board of Trade has asked me to reply to your Question about the costs of a number of Insolvency Service operational matters.
  The Service has not acquired any separate headquarters buildings since it was established as an agency in March 1990: both its London and Birmingham headquarters share buildings with Official Receivers' offices: its Edinburgh Disqualification Unit, set up prior to March 1990, shares a building with the Scottish Office.
  There has been a continuing process of delegation of support functions previously undertaken by central divisions of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI): the effect on overall resources, so far as I have been informed, has been neutral—any additional resources have been at least matched by reductions in central divisions' staffing.
  The Service is required to publish an Agency Annual Report: the publication cost for the last Report (1993–94) was some £13,000. It does not have or use executive cars. Its logo was designed in-house using ideas from staff: the cost was negligible. It does not have corporate clothing for any of its staff. It does not use specially designed and printed stationery beyond the incorporation of its logo on its letters etc, which is automatically produced by the word processing software, and where appropriate its corporate colour on its publications, replacing the DTI logo and colour.

  Letter from Seton Bennett to Mr. Gerald Kaufman, dated 31 January 1995:
  The President of the Board of Trade has asked me to reply on behalf of the National Weights and Measures Laboratory to your question about expenditure in Next Steps agencies.

  Buildings
  Prior to becoming an agency, NWML occupied a single building, part of DTI's estate, for which rent was paid. These arrangement were not been affected by NWML becoming an agency in 1989. The annual rent for the building is £239,000.

  Support Staff
  NWML currently has the same number of support staff as it had before it became an agency. The additional administrative duties associated with being an agency have been absorbed within the existing allocation of staff.
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  Journals
  Between 1 April 1993 and 31 March 1994, NWML spent £8245.67 on publications distributed to UK industry and Local Authorities.

  Executive Cars
  No NWML staff have executive cars. Prior to becoming an agency, NWML owned one pool car. Since becoming an agency it has disposed of the car and replaced it with a lease arrangement for a smaller car.

  Logos
  The agency has not spent any money on logo design.

  Clothing
  The agency has spent £1414.52 on corporate clothing (150 ties, 50 scarves and umbrellas) since 1989.

  Corporate Stationery
  NWML has not changed the design of letterheads, compliment slips or business cards as a result of becoming an agency. Its expenditure on these items in 1993–94 was £2,310.58 which is approximately the same annual expenditure as before becoming an agency.

  Letter from R. D. Worswick to Mr. Gerald Kaufman, dated 24 January 1995:
  The President of the Board of Trade has asked me to reply in respect of the Laboratory of the Government Chemist (LGC) to your Parliamentary Question (No. 180) about certain costs incurred by Next Steps Agencies in the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).
  The position on the points you raise is as follows:

  (i) LGC has not acquired any of its buildings. It has occupied premises, including its main laboratory, which form part of the DTI's estate at Teddington since 1988 (when it relocated from central London) and pays an annual rental to Property Holdings;

  (ii) as a result of organisational and operational changes which have affected LGC since it became an Executive Agency in 1989 it is not possible to give a precise response to the changing requirements for support staff over the past five years or so. The Laboratory's total support staff has risen from a complement of 64 in 1989/90 to a total of 67 in the current financial year. This increase reflects the considerable additional administrative responsibilities which the Laboratory undertakes. A range of tasks previously carried out by DTI centrally are now covered by LGC's Human Resources, Accounts and Finance and IT Groups and a Business Development Group has been set up during this period. A Strategic Research Unit (five staff) to support our scientific activity has recently been created but this is not included in the figures for support staff above;

  (iii) the Laboratory publishes an Annual Report and Accounts, and produces on average two issues of the Government Chemist bulletin a year. The cost of these in 1993/94 was approximately £30k;

  (iv) the Laboratory has no executive cars;

  (v) the Laboratory first used a logo in 1978/79 on headed stationery, publicity material etc. The design work was carried out within DTI;

  (vi) the Laboratory has a long standing policy of issuing clothing to staff primarily for health and safety reasons (in some instances as a statutory requirement) e.g. laboratory coats and gloves, external site working equipment such as helmets, boots and overalls. In addition staff in the Laboratory's Post Room are issued with uniforms including safety shoes. The total cost of these items in 1993/94 was approximately £7k;

  (vii) the cost of stationery (including letterheaded paper which incorporates an LGC logo) to the Laboratory in 1993/94 was approximately £4k.

  I hope this meets with your requirements.

  Letter from Dr. Peter Clapham to Mr. Gerald Kaufman, dated 31 January 1995:
  The President of the Board of Trade has asked me to reply to your Question concerning the cost of building etc., used by Next
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  Step Agencies. This reply concerns the National Physical Laboratory.
  Taking each of your questions in turn:
  Headquarters Building: NPL has not acquired any additional buildings to those occupied prior to becoming an Agency.
  Support Staff: While the balance of our support specialisms has changed, NPL has not acquired any net additional support staff since becoming an Agency. Such additional tasks as have been delegated to the Agency, eg wider personnel responsibilities, have been absorbed by existing staff.
  Periodical Journals: NPL has continued to publish NPL News once or twice a year—there has been no significant change in cost since becoming an Agency.
  Cars: NPL does not operate any executive cars.
  Logos: NPL has always maintained its own 'house style' and has revised it from time to time for promotional reasons. The East occasion was just prior to becoming an Agency, and the design cost was borne by the Department (about £3,000).
  Clothing: NPL has introduced no new corporate clothing, but a number of industrial staff now wear overalls bearing the current logo at negligible additional cost.
  Stationery: NPL has its own printing facilities for technical reports etc, and most corporate stationery is printed in-house at marginal cost. The Agency's total stationery costs are about £25k per annum.
  I hope this provides the information you were seeking.

  Letter from P. R. S. Hartnack to Mr. Gerald Kaufman, dated 31 January 1995:
  The President of the Board of Trade has asked me to respond to your Question about costs incurred by Next Steps agencies in his Department.
  The Patent Office became an executive agency in March 1990 and over the following two years we relocated from London to a new building in Newport, South Wales. In October 1991 we became a trading fund and acquired title to the new building at a cost of £17 million.
  Over the last five years we have reduced our cost base by about £7 million a year, partly because of lower accommodation costs, partly by efficiency savings, and partly because staff numbers have reduced in line with a long-standing decline in demand for our services following the establishment of a European Patent Office in Munich in 1978. We currently have 963 staff in post including 218 support staff (ie staff who are in support of our core functions of granting patents and registering trade marks and designs) compared with 1179 staff in post, including 285 support staff, on 1 March 1990.
  We publish a number of journals in line with statutory obligations: the Official Journal (Patents) at an annual cost of £77,890; the Trade Mark Journal at an annual cost of £78,528; and Reports of Patents, Design and Trade Mark Cases at an annual cost of £8,580. The cost of our Annual Report to Parliament for 1993–94 was £18,000. Non-statutory publications centre on free information about how to go about obtaining patents, trade marks and registered designs and we send out a total of nearly 250,000 information packs each year at a printing cost of £130,000. We also publish occasional material such as monographs on patent trends. Our total statutory and non-statutory printing costs are around £600,000 a year.
  We have no fleet of executive cars, and we have no single executive cars.
  Our logo (see heading of this letter) was created in 1986 by the DTI's Information Division at no cost to the Patent Office. The cost of overprinting standard stationery with the logo (1,500,000 sheets a year) is £4,000. We have a flag incorporating the logo which cost £268.
  We have no corporate clothing and we do not have corporate stationery other than that described above.

  Letter from John Hobday to Mr. Gerald Kaufman, dated 27 January 1995:
  Your recent Parliamentary Question to the President of the Board of Trade asked a number of questions about the costs incurred by

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  Next Steps Agencies in his Department in introducing their own corporate identities.
  The Accounts Services Agency was created in October 1991. Since when:

  (i) the Agency has acquired its one and only operational centre the rental for which for 1994–95 was £135,125

  (ii) it has not been necessary to increase the number of support staff

  (iii) ASA has not published any periodical journals other than its three Annual Reports the cost of which were £6,410.10 in total

  (iv) the Agency does not possess any official cars

  (v) the Agency's logo was designed at a cost of £100—the prize for an in-house staff competition

  (vi) no corporate clothing is used

  (vii) the costs of specially designed and printed corporate stationery was £19,147.15

  The costs quoted include VAT. Some of these costs would be matched by savings on the equivalent Departmental budgets.

  Letter from David Durham to Mr. Gerald Kaufman, dated 31 January 1995:
  You asked the President of the Board of Trade the following question: (PQ180)
  "To ask the President of the Board of Trade, 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 published 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."
  I have been asked to respond direct to you as Chief Executive of Companies House Executive Agency.

  Headquarters Building
  Companies House headquarters occupies a property in Cardiff that has been a crown freehold since it was built in 1975. No change in ownership has occurred as a consequence of CH becoming an executive agency. The property's book value in CH's balance sheet for 31 March 1994 was £13.8 million.

  Support Staff
  It is now over 6 years since CH became an executive agency, and the many changes in the nature of our operations make comparisons between staff functions over this period of time difficult. The total number of staff in post (measured as full-time equivalents) has fallen from 1081 on 3 October 1988 (Agency Day) to 1006 at 31 December 1994. Of these, 156 were classified as "support staff' in October 1988, compared with 184 in December 1994. However the term "support" staff includes computer, accounting, and building service staff as well as other functions such as personnel, typing, training and customer service. The largest single category of support staff are computer staff, whose numbers increased from 43 to 58, reflecting the much greater use of information technology to deliver CH's services.

  Periodicals
  Companies House publishes a periodical called "The Register", which is used to disseminate information about changes in company law, current prices for our services and details of new services, and information about our performance against published targets. It is distributed free to anyone who wishes to receive it, and published four times a year. The present annual cost of publication, including postage, is approximately £70,000 for a circulation of 22,000 per issue.

  Executive Cars
  There are no cars provided for staff, executive or otherwise. The costs of official travel by car are reimbursed by means of Treasury and Inland Revenue approved mileage rates. In certain cases, involving longer journeys, staff are encouraged to use hire cars where this is cheaper than standard mileage rates.
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  Specially Designed Logos and Stationery
  The present CH logo was part of a single, integrated corporate design exercise undertaken in 1990, which included corporate stationery designs as well as the logo itself. It is not possible to separate out the design cost of the logo alone. The total design cost was £30,000.
  The great bulk of our stationery costs arise from the printing and distribution of statutory forms and notes for guidance for companies. To try to answer your question, we have looked at our costs for standard A4 corporate letterhead stationery. We presently pay £320 per 10,000 sheets of 80gm 1 side, 2 colour paper. We understand that this is in fact less than that paid for comparable items by our parent Department, DTI.

  Corporate Clothing
  CH provides uniform clothing for all staff working in areas open to the public. Clothing is provided for 64 staff at an average cost per person of £105.

  Small Businesses
  Mr. Shersby
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list those Government measures of particular help for small businesses introduced since May 1992.

  Mr. Ian Taylor
  Government measures introduced since May 1992 focus on the establishment of a network of Business Links, to bring together in partnership and in one location, all the key local business support providers.

  Business Links will provide a range of integrated support services including advice on exports, innovation and technology and design. Sixty-nine Business Links are now open, with around 200 planned by the end of 1995.

  Other measures include:

  A new consultancy service which will offer both a diagnostic and consultancy service and a consultancy brokerage service for smaller firms.

  The small firms training loans scheme, launched in June 1994, will help very small businesses pay for both training consultancy and training related to business objectives. The training initiative for small firms, which will start in April this year will enable businesses to develop, in house, the training skills of key workers.

  Budget measures over successive years have encouraged both investment through the enterprise investment scheme and venture capital and trusts, and re-investment, changes to capital gains tax in businesses.

  The issue of late payment of debt has been addressed in a variety of ways including the development of proposals for a British standard for prompt payment and further prompt payment requirements on Government Departments and their agencies.

  Changes were introduced to the small firms loan guarantee scheme in 1993 to improve access to finance. These included offering established businesses 85 per cent. guarantee on loans up to £250,000 and reducing the premiums paid by borrowers.

  Many of the reforms introduced under the deregulation initiative—for example, the small firms litmus test to assess the impact of any legislative proposals on the sector—are of particular benefit to small firms.

  A new three-year programme for the small firms merit award for research and technology programme, which provides grants to small firms to help them with the development of new innovative products was announced this month. The related support for products under research programme continues to be available.

  Regional Electricity Companies
  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what meetings he has had with the regional electricity companies to discuss regional investment.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  DTI Ministers meet representatives of the regional electricity companies from time to time to discuss a wide range of issues.

  Mr. Cummings
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he intends to meet the Director General of the Office of Electricity Regulation to discuss proposals for the regulation of foreign owned the regional electricity companies.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  My colleagues and I discuss a wide range of issues with the Director General of the Office of Electricity Regulation from time to time.

  Arms Exhibitions
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his answer of 19 January,Official Report, column 593, to the right hon. Member for Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale (Sir D. Steel), if he will list for each overseas defence exhibition listed, the number of export licences granted to British firms to permit the temporary export of military technology for display.

  Mr. Ian Taylor
  The information requested could be extracted only by examining the original licence application papers for all the relevant countries of destination for the periods in question; and this could be done only at disproportionate cost.

  Non-fossil Fuel Obligation
  Dr. Michael Clark
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) what steps are being taken to quantify the market price of electricity to which renewables are expected to converge under the NFFO programme;

  (2) what steps are being taken to ensure that projects which are offered power purchase agreements under the NFFO programme have had cash flow forecasts certified as financeable by a reputable organisation;

  (3) what steps are being taken under the NFFO programme, to provide an initial market for new and renewable technologies awaiting demonstration in Britain;

  (4) what steps are being taken to provide wood with a separate technology band within which to bid under the NFFO programme.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  Renewable energy non-fossil fuel obligation orders for England and Wales have been laid before Parliament in 1990, 1991 and 1994, in order to facilitate an initial market for those renewable energy technologies which are both technically robust and can be deployed at a cost which, with the benefits of experience under successive NFFO orders, can be expected to converge towards the market price for electricity. The obligations under these NFFO orders were set at 103 MW, 457 MW and 627 MW respectively, that is, a total of 1186 MW, convering hydro, large and small-scale wind projects, sewage gas, landfill gas, municipal and industrial waste, energy crops and agricultural and forestry wastes.

  However, a proportion of the contracts made to meet the obligations under the orders are not expected to go forward to commissioning, for reasons such as failure to secure planning permission or project finance. As a
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  consequence, the level of the relevant obligation will be reduced by an amount corresponding to the capacity of the projects terminated.

  The Government are working towards 1,500 MW of new renewables-based generation capacity in the UK by 2000, mainly through NFFO-type arrangements.

  Specific provision was made under the third renewables order, requiring the regional electricity companies in England and Wales to secure capacity based on gasification by partial combustion of energy crops and agriculture waste. Three projects with an aggregate capacity of 19 MW were awarded contracts, each of which is expected to use wood grown specifically as a fuel.

  Over the next few months, the Government will be considering the possible size, shape and timing of the prospective fourth renewables order for England and Wales, taking account of representations made to them, including those on the market price for electricity from renewable sources, technology banding and the specific issue of an obligation for wood grown as a fuel. That fourth renewables order would be expected to be laid before Parliament in 1996, with a fifth order in prospect for 1998.

  Judgment of the commercial viability of individual projects is a matter for the Director General of Electricity Supply.

  Sizewell
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what discussions his Department has had with Nuclear Electric about the construction of a gas station at Sizewell C.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  My Department has had no such discussions with the company.

  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade when the nuclear installations inspectorate will be publishing the results of the long-term safety review on Sizewell A.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  I understand that the Health and Safety Executive expects to publish the findings of the nuclear installations inspectorate's assessment of the Sizewell A long-term safety review in early April 1995.

  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what timetable he set for the construction of Sizewell B.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  The CEGB's committed programme envisaged commencement of fuel loading 72 months after first permanent structural concrete. This was achieved within 73 months, on 17 September 1994. The committed programme envisaged full commercial power six months after completion of fuel loading.

  Nuclear Waste Shipments
  Ms Walley
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is his estimate of the number of shipments of high-level waste from the United Kingdom if the current proposal for substitutions(a) is and (b) is not adopted.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  This is a matter for the management of British Nuclear Fuels plc.

  Konver Funds
  Mr. French
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what progress has been made on the distribution of Konver funds.

  Mr. Eggar
  Konver I grants worth £17.9 million were allocated in 1993 to projects across the country. The introduction of Konver II, intended to cover the period 1994 to 1997, has, however, been delayed throughout the EU.

  On 1 July 1994 the European Commission published a notice on Konver II asking member states to send by 1 August lists of areas eligible according to stated job loss criteria; it would then issue a list for the whole EU by 1 October. The Government and other member states duly sent their lists; but the Commission, finding them too long, decided to modify the criteria. I wrote to Commissioner Millan complaining about this procedure on 21 November.

  Eventually, on 21 December, the Commission drew up a "provisional" list of eligible areas and invited member states to propose additional ones. A revised provisional list is expected to be published in the Official Journal shortly.

  Also on 21 December, the Commission announced that the United Kingdom would receive £79 million from Konver II.

  Member states' programmes for the use of Konver II, including their proposals for additional areas, are now to be sent to the Commission by 1 March. The first applications cannot be considered until programmes have been agreed with the Commission, probably in the summer of 1995. Allocations and payments will follow thereafter.

  Electricity
  Mr. Jack Thompson
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the ratio of United Kingdom imports to exports of electricity supply via the electricity supply link between the United Kingdom and France for the four quarters of 1994; and what were the amounts involved expressed in gigajoules.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  Imports of electricity from France, expressed in gigawatt hours and gigajoules, for the four quarters of 1994 are as follows:

  Gigawatt hours

  Gigajoules1

  Q1

  4,252

  15,307,200

  Q2

  3,981

  14,331,600

  Q3

  4,313

  15,526,800

  Q4

  4,394

  15,818,400

  Total

  16,940

  60,984,000

  1 Assumes 1 gigawatt hour = 3,600 gigajoules.

  There were no exports of electricity to France during 1994.

  Conference
  Mr. Ian Bruce
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he has yet finalised plans for the British Government's contribution to the February G7 conference on the information society.

  Mr. Ian Taylor
  I shall be attending the G7 ministerial conference on the Information Society in Brussels on 24 612
  to 26 February. Ministers will hold discussions on three broad themes: the regulatory framework and competition policy; development of information infrastructure; and social, societal and cultural aspects of the information society. The conference will also launch a number of pilot projects to demonstrate the scope for international collaboration in different areas of the information society. In my discussions I shall in particular be emphasising the importance of liberalisation of infrastructure in reducing prices, in order to encourage a wider range of services to be provided.

  N. M. Rothschild and Sons Ltd.
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will provide estimates for the total amount that has been paid to N. M. Rothschild and Sons Ltd. with respect to any work undertaken by it on privatisation programmes in which his Department, and the Department of Energy, has been engaged since 1979 after taking account of inflation.

  Mr. Eggar
  The following table lists the sales conducted by my Department, and the former Department of Energy, in which N. M. Rothschild and Sons Ltd. were appointed and the roles to which they were appointed. The fees paid to firms appointed within the privatisation programme are commercially confidential.

  Table of appointments (year of sale in brackets) Adviser to the Department of Trade and Industry:

  Cable and Wireless—feasibility study (1981)

  British Coal (1994)

  Adviser to the former Department of Energy:

  Amersham International Ltd. (1982)

  British Gas Corporation (1986)

  Export Credits Guarantee Department
  Mr. Byers
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) how many contracts involving Taylor Woodrow International Ltd. were supported by export credits guarantee between 1 August 1983 and December 1988; and what was their total value;

  (2) how many contracts involving British Aerospace plc were supported by export credits guarantee between 1 August 1988 and December 1992; and what was their total value;

  (3) how many contracts involving (a) Kleinwort Benson Group, (b) N. M. Rothschild and Sons, (c) TSB Group, (d) Balfour Beatty Ltd, (e) the Weir Group plc and (f) National Westminster bank were supported by export credits guarantee since 1991; and what was their total value for each company;

  (4) how many contracts involving Trafalgar House plc were supported by export credits guarantee between 1 February 1988 and December 1994; and what was their total value;

  (5) how many contracts involving (a) Hiscox Syndicates Ltd., (b) J. Henry Schroder Wagg and Co., (c) Foster Wheeler Ltd., (d) Bovis Construction Group and (e) GEC were supported by export credits guarantee since July 1993; and what was their total value for each company;
  613
  (6) how many contracts involving Hawker Siddeley Group were supported by export credits guarantee between 1 April and December 1990; and what was their total value.

  Mr. Needham
  It has been the policy of successive Governments not to disclose information about commercial relations between ECGD and individual companies unless the relevant parties have agreed to this.

  Exports
  Mr. Jenkin
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what proportion of United Kingdom exports, including services and invisibles, was exported to(a) Germany, (b) France, (c) Belgium, (d) Denmark, (e) Austria, (f) Holland and (g) Luxembourg in each of the last 10 years.

  Mr. Needham
  The available information is given in the table.

  Share of UK visible exports and invisible credits

  Per cent.

  Year

  Germany

  France

  Belgium and Luxembourg

  Denmark

  Holland

  1988

  8.0

  7.4

  4.4

  1.1

  5.1

  1989

  8.1

  7.7

  4.4

  1.1

  5.4

  1990

  8.9

  8.0

  4.5

  1.2

  5.6

  1991

  9.9

  8.3

  4.6

  1.2

  5.8

  1992

  10.4

  8.0

  4.5

  1.3

  5.7

  Radioactive Wastes
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will provide a list of the proposals put forward by British Nuclear Fuels plc to manage radioactive wastes in the United States.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  [holding answer 30 January 1995]: Proposals to manage radioactive waste in the United States are a commercial matter for British Nuclear Fuels plc and the other companies concerned.

  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if BNFL is negotiating for radioactive waste management services, including reprocessing contracts, with India.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  [holding answer 30 January 1995]: This is a matter for British Nuclear Fuels plc.

  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what date Scottish Nuclear and Nuclear Electric have to finalise their reprocessing contracts with BNFL.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  [holding answer 30 January 1995]: This is a commercial matter for the companies concerned.

  Patent Office
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) if he will allow Patent Office staff to bid for the marketing services of the Patent Office on equal terms with private firms; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) if he will allow Patent Office staff to bid for the information technology services of the Patent Office on equal terms with private firms; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Ian Taylor
  [holding answers 30 January 1995]: As my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade announced in his reply to my hon. Friend the
  614
  Member for Windsor and Maidenhead (Mr. Trend) on 14 December 1994, Official Report, columns 657–58, when he confirmed executive agency status for the Patent Office, new targets will encourage the office to contract out activities wherever this is compatible with its statutory role and good value for money. In areas identified as candidates for contractorisation, bids for managing contracted-out services will be evaluated against benchmarks for the forecast cost and quality of service from in-house provision. In principle, management and staff bids could be allowable, although not on the basis that management and staff would remain civil servants if their bid was successful.

  Security Equipment
  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the companies to which export licences were granted for the export of electronic batons in the last five years; what assistance his Department is giving to British firms selling security and paramilitary products to Peru, Colombia and other countries in south America in 1995; and if British Aerospace was assisted in the sale of electro-shock batons to Saudi Arabia in the mid-1980s.

  Mr. Needham
  The first part of this question could be answered only at disproportionate cost. British firms selling to south American countries are eligible for the DTI's range of export services, but it is not possible to isolate those operating in the general areas identified. British Aerospace has denied both publicly and to my officials that electro-batons have been supplied by the company to Saudi Arabia.

  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what proposals he has for further regulating the sale of equipment which can be used for and has been designed for use against persons in repressive conditions.

  Mr. Ian Taylor
  [holding answer 24 January 1995]: I have no such proposals.

  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) what evidence he has received that Hiatts equipment, manufactured in the United Kingdom, restricting body movements has been sold by United Kingdom companies and used by countries in the middle east;

  (2) what evidence the Government have that oversize handcuffs manufactured in Birmingham by Hiatts and modified at a later stage have been used in conditions of torture.

  Mr. Ian Taylor
  [holding answers 24 January 1995]: I am aware of the allegations made in the Channel 4 television programme "Dispatches", screened on 11 January. Hiatts of Birmingham has denied such practices, both publicly and to my officials.

  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade whether he intends to promote legislation for the regulation of the co-ordinated purchase of sensitive military equipment throughout the world by United Kingdom registered companies.

  Mr. Ian Taylor
  [holding answer 24 January 1995]: No.

  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade on how many occasions Ministers and civil servants have visited the covert and operational procurement exhibition, held annually in Esher, Surrey.
  615
  Mr. Ian Taylor
  [holding answer 24 January 1995]: Officials from my Department have visited the COPEX exhibition although precise figures on the number of visits are not available.

  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the total annual value of exports which can be used as shackles and leg restraints.

  Mr. Ian Taylor
  [holding answer 24 January 1995]: There is a wide variety of equipment that could theoretically be used as shackles and leg restraints and it is not possible to answer the question as posed. My Department would not issue export licences for leg-irons.

  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade on how many occasions officials from his Department met that person calling himself John Clarkson or that person calling himself Frank Davies to discuss matters relating to defence equipment exports.

  Mr. Ian Taylor
  [holding answer 24 January 1995]: The persons referred to in this question are fictitious names used by journalists appearing on the Channel 4 "Dispatches" programme on 11 January 1995. The makers of the programme did not contact my Department before transmission and a statement was provided.

  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade on how many occasions he has acted to prevent the export of equipment that can be used in torture in each of the last 18 months.

  Mr. Ian Taylor
  [holding answer 24 January 1995]: None. I have not received any information about any such proposed exports.

  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade on how many occasions representatives of his Department have met representatives of IPS and CAZ in the last five years.

  Mr. Ian Taylor
  [holding answer 24 January 1995]: It is not possible to answer this question on the information provided.

  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what financial support was given to Mr. Frank Scott to enable him to visit the far east for the purpose of selling electro-shock equipment.

  Mr. Ian Taylor
  [holding answer 24 January 1995]: There is no evidence of ICL Technical Plastics Ltd., or Mr. Frank Stott of that company, receiving financial support for this purpose.

  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if the British Overseas Trade Board has used public money to subsidise covert and operational procurement exhibitions related exhibitions overseas in each of the last five years.

  Mr. Ian Taylor
  [holding answer 24 January 1995]: Over the last five years contributions towards exhibitors' costs have been made under the DTI's trade fairs support scheme in respect of six COPEX exhibitions in the United States of America.

  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade on how many occasions in the last 10 years trade and investment representations of SAS have met officials or Ministers from his Department.

  Mr. Ian Taylor
  [holding answer 24 January 1995]: It is not possible to answer this question on the information provided.

NATIONAL HERITAGE

  Next Steps Agencies
  Mr. Kaufman
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage 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. Dorrell
  As indicated in the respective agency framework documents, it is for the chief executives to respond on operational and managerial matters and their respective replies are reproduced.

  In 1993–94, Historic Royal Palaces met or exceeded all its key performance targets including achieving a 2 per cent. target for an efficiency gain on running costs. For the same year, Royal Parks met all but one of its key performance targets, including achieving a 1.5 per cent. target for an efficiency gain on running costs. The one missed target was due to circumstances beyond the Royal Parks' control.

  Prior to the creation of these two agencies, central functions were provided by the Department of the Environment. In view of the expenditure transfers between Departments when my Department was established in April 1992 and the provision of some central services on an allied basis without repayment, details of these could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Letter from David Welsh to Mr. Gerald Kaufman, dated 25 January 1995:
  The Secretary of State for National Heritage has asked me to reply to your Question about the changes in the operations and costs of managing the Royal Parks that have become necessary since we became a Next Steps Agency.
  The Agency moved into the Police Station in Hyde Park. Since this building belongs to the Royal Parks, no rental is involved.
  We required eight staff to provide personnel, registry and reception functions that were previously provided by the Department of Environment.
  The Agency's logo cost £16,000 to design, and we spend £7,500 on supplying stationery for a year. We produce a brochure each year informing the public of the programme of free entertainment available in the Royal Parks. This cost £9,000 to produce and is available free to the public.
  The Agency has no corporate clothing and has no executive cars.

  Letter from David Beeton to Mr. Gerald Kaufman, dated 26 January 1995:
  The Secretary of State for National Heritage has asked me to reply to your question about the changes in the operation and costs

  617
  of managing the Historic Royal Palaces that have become necessary since we became a Next Steps Agency.
  We have not acquired any headquarters building and have not acquired any additional support staff. We do not publish periodical journals and have no executive cars.
  Our identities for each palace are based on a relevant Royal Coat of Arms.
  Staff uniforms cost £150,000 a year (including Yeoman Warders, Jewel House Warders at Hampton Court and Kensington Palace and shop and ticketing staff).
  The annual cost of specially designed stationery is £17,000.

  Disabled People.
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what proportion and number of non-industrial civil servants in the departments and agencies for which he has responsibility are registered disabled and disabled as defined by the Cabinet Office document "Forces and Ability".

  Mr. Dorrell
  The latest available figures show that 17 non-industrial staff employed by my Department and associated agencies identified themselves as disabled. This represents 1.6 per cent. of all staff. Of this total, three are registered disabled and 14 are not registered.

  Electricity Companies (Sponsorship)
  Mr. Clelland
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what discussions he has had(a) with Northern Electric and (b) with the other regional electricity companies about their sponsorship of regional arts and sporting events.

  Mr. Dorrell
  I have had no discussions with either Northern Electric or any other regional electricity company regarding its sponsorship of regional arts and sporting events.

  Library and Information Commission
  Mr. Spring
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what progress he has made towards creating the new Library and Information Commission.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The reaction since my predecessor announced in July 1993 his intention to draw up proposals for a co-ordinating body to advise Government on library and information issues has been very positive. Responses to the consultation document issued in February 1994 showed broad support for the proposals in the library and information community. Having regard to this, I announced in October 1994 that the Government would be proceeding with the establishment of the Library and Information Commission.

  I have now appointed as the commission's first chairman, Mr. Matthew Evans, chairman of Faber and Faber Ltd. His appointment will run for three years until 31 December 1997 and will be renewable by mutual consent. Among many other qualities, Mr. Evans combines the cultural and economic awareness the library and information sector must encompass if it is, as the Government intend, to make a significant contribution to the success of organisations and individuals as the United Kingdom moves into the next century.

  After further consultation with my ministerial colleagues and with Mr. Evans, I shall in due course announce to the House the remainder of my appointments
  618
  to the commission, which I envisage will number around a dozen.

  I can now confirm the formal terms of reference for the new commission, which state that it will:
  advise Government Departments representing the United Kingdom in European Union and other international policy-making bodies on the implications of their activities for library and information services;
  develop, in association with the relevant Government Departments as far as necessary to achieve consonance with Government policy, a strategy for research and development requirements in the library and information field, having regard to the needs and interests of all areas of library and information activity and of all parts of the United Kingdom, and secure the disbursement of the available funds in accordance with that strategy;
  advise on, and where necessary to draw the Government's attention to, the implications for library and information services, including the commercial information sector, of particular policy or technological developments;
  as necessary advise on and assist the Government in developing and keeping up-to-date library and information policies and support activity which gives effect to such policies;
  provide independent expert advice as necessary on specific issues referred to it by Government Departments or other relevant bodies;
  advise Government Departments which so request on co-ordinating, and avoiding unnecessary duplication between, information services of different types and assume such executive activities in support of this aim as the Government may specify and resources permit; and
  co-operate as it and the Government see fit with other relevant bodies.

  The Secretaries of State for Scotland, for Wales and for Northern Ireland have carefully considered the proposals to establish a new body. My colleagues in Scotland and Wales have concluded that, in view of the different traditions, statutory provisions, where appropriate, and the present organisational arrangements applying to Scotland and Wales, as well as existing mechanisms for co-operation, the remit of the new commission should not for most purposes extend to those countries. In the areas of international representation and research strategy, however, the commission's remit will he United Kingdom-wide. For each of these functions, the commission will operate primarily through sub-committees. The arrangements for these sub-committees, including their terms of reference and their representation of Scottish and Welsh interests, will be determined in consultation with my right hon. friends.

  I shall, as proposed in the consultation document, shortly wind up the existing Library and Information Services Council (England). At the same time, in close co-operation with the local authorities, I shall be establishing a new advisory council to advise me on my responsibilities under the terms of the Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964 and in particular on public libraries in England.

  Welsh Rock and Folk Music Council
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage, pursuant to his answer of 24 January,Official Report, columns 115–16, if he will place in the Library a copy of his report from the Association for

  619
  Business Sponsorship of the Arts on the circumstances of the award to the Welsh Rock and Folk Music Council.

  Mr. Dorrell
  [holding answer 27 January 1995]: No. The report was prepared for the use of my Department. Its conclusions will be taken into account by the Association for Business Sponsorship of the Arts in determining its response to the matters under review.

  Arts Grants, Wales
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will list those cultural organisations which have received grants from the Association for Business Sponsorship of the Arts in Wales under the business sponsorship incentive scheme, which also received a grant from the sponsorship scheme run by the Welsh Fourth Channel Authority, S4C, and the Independent Television Producers Association, TAC.

  Mr. Dorrell
  [holding answer 27 January 1995]: The information requested is as follows:

  Theatre Bara Caws

  Y Faner

  Dalier Sylw

  Ewrosgol

  Creu Cof

  Cwmni Dawns Camre Cain

  Welsh International Film Festival

  Wales Actors Company

  Arad Goch

  Hwyl a Fflag

  National Film and Video Archive of Wales

  Clwyd Arts and Exhibition Service

  Taliesin Trust

  Theatr Gorllewin Morgannwg

  Barddas: y Gymdeithas Gerdd Dafod

  Theatr Had

  Model House Llantrisant

  Rhiniog

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what consultations he has had with the chairman of the Welsh Fourth Channel Authority concerning the issuing of a new guidelines on the channel's relationship with the Association for Business Sponsorship of the Arts.

  Mr. Dorrell
  [holding answer 27 January 1995]: Any guidelines governing the Welsh Fourth Channel Authority's relationship with the Association for Business Sponsorship of the Arts are a matter for the authority in the first instance. My Department will be discussing this however in the light of my consideration of the reports to which I referred in my answer of 24 January 1995, Official Report, column 115–16.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what consultations he has had with the chairman of the Welsh Fourth Channel Authority and of the Association for Business Sponsorship of the Arts concerning the grant given by the' authority to the Celtic Film Festival, Zeitgeist Film Productions and the Society of Independent Television Producers of Wales.

  Mr. Dorrell
  [holding answer 27 January 1995]: My Department is in touch with both organisations on matters relating to the operation of the business sponsorship incentive scheme in Wales.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  World Summit for Social Development
  Miss Lestor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the final preparatory committee for the world summit for social development which ended in New York on 27 January.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The final preparatory committee of the world summit for social development took place in New York from 16 to 18 January. It made considerable progress on the draft declaration and programme of action covering the three core issues of the summit:(a) the enhancement of social integration; (b) alleviation and reduction of poverty; (c) generation of productive employment. The draft texts will be finalised at the summit in Copenhagen from 6 to 12 March.

  Chechnya
  Mr. Etherington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Russian Government concerning the invasion of Chechnya; what consideration he has given to suspension of economic aid and trade contracts with Russia; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The Russians are well are of our concerns about their handling of the intervention in Chechnya and, in particular, at the appalling civilian casualties. Most recently, on 24 January, my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister wrote to President Yeltsin recognising that there are no easy answers to this deep-rooted problem, but pressing President Yeltsin to put an early end to the fighting; allow humanitarian relief; and work for a political agreement which allows the Chechen people to express their identity within the Russian Federation.

  We have encouraged Russia to assist the Organisation on Security and Co-operation in Europe in its efforts to help find a solution to this tragic conflict. We fully support the OSCE's involvement. A senior British official was a member of the OSCE team which has just visited Chechnya. We are also assisting humanitarian relief efforts. The ODA has committed £1 million.

  Our aim remains to support democratic reform in Russia. At present, we believe it would be counterproductive to suspend our assistance programmes. Those that would be the most affected are reformers who are feeling most beleaguered at present.

  United Nations
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what consideration has been given by his Department to structural changes in the UN, including the Security Council, and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  In our continuing efforts to improve the performance of the UN, we look at all aspects of the organisation, including structures. For example, we have played a leading role in the restructuring of the UN's peacekeeping and humanitarian efforts. We support the proposed enlargement of the UN Security Council and are playing an active role in the debate in New York.

  N. M. Rothschild and Sons Ltd
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will provide estimates for the total amount that has been paid to N. M. Rothschild and Sons Ltd. with respect to any work undertaken by it on privatisation programmes in which his Department has been engaged since 1979 after taking account of inflation.

  Mr. Goodlad
  No payments have been made to N. M. Rothschild and Sons Ltd. by my Department for privatisation programmes since 1979.

  Burma
  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his current policy towards Burma.

  Mr. Goodlad
  The situation in Burma remains of great concern. Our policy and that of our European Union partners is one of critical dialogue with the State Law and Order Restoration Council. We have made it clear that normalisation of our relations depends on progress in key areas, including human rights and political and economic reform.

  Algeria
  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the current establishment of the United Kingdom embassy in Algeria; and what safety precautions have been taken.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  There are currently four diplomats at the embassy in Algiers. The staffing situation is kept under regular review in the light of the security situation there. The diplomats are protected by a team of nine Royal Military police. Major improvements have been made to the physical security of the embassy and staff accommodation.

  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about his current policy towards Algeria.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  We deplore the escalating violence on both sides. We call for a wider dialogue involving all those who reject violence with a view to holding genuine elections during the course of this year. We call on the Algerian Government to continue implementing its International Monetary Fund—approved programme of economic reforms.

  Lockerbie
  Sir Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will seek information from the US Government about the reason why the US air force intelligence document relating to Pan Am 103 produced in 1991 was provided to the parties in a legal dispute relating to the destruction of the aircraft.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  I understand that the document was released following a request under the United States Freedom of Information Act.

  Sir Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what representations have been made to the Government of Iran 622
  to seek information about Ali Akbar Mohtashemi following the production of the US air force intelligence document relating to Pan Am 103 in 1991;

  (2) what representations were made to the Government of the Republic of Syria to seek information about terrorist groups following the production of the US air force intelligence document relating to Pan Am 103 in 1991.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  None. As I indicated in my reply to my hon. Friend of 26 January,Official Report, column 332, the allegation contained in the document was first made at an early stage in the Lockerbie investigation, was examined at the time, but no evidence has been found to substantiate it.

  Sir Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when Mr. Edwin Bollier of the Swiss Company Mebo sought the opportunity to see the circuit board relating to the timing device in Pan Am 103; and whether permission has been given.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  My noble and learned Friend the Lord Advocate has repeatedly made it clear that it would not be proper to discuss communications between the prosecuting authorities and a potential witness in pending criminal proceedings.

  Ian Greer Associates
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on how many occasions departmental officials met representatives of Ian Greer Associates(a) formally and (b) informally on 26 January to discuss matters relating to their clients' interests.

  Mr.Goodlad
  To my knowledge, there have been none.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Next Steps Agencies
  Mr. Kaufman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security 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. Hague
  The Department of Social Security has six next steps agencies: the Benefits, Contributions, Resettlement, War Pensions, Information Technology Services and Child Support Agencies. Each agency is set demanding annual targets for efficiency and quality of
  623
  service, and running cost budgets are tightly controlled and subject to specific efficiency savings targets. Direct comparisons between pre and post-agency performance are difficult to make because of change in work loads and the introduction of new work such as that of the -Child Support Agency. It is, however, clear that there have been significant improvements as illustrated, for example, in

  Benefits Agency

  Contributions Agency

  Resettlement Agency

  War Pensions Agency

  Information Technology Services Agency

  Child Support Agency

  Headquarters buildings

  Quarry 1House purchased at a cost of 2£54 million. No.1 Trevelyan Square has an annual rent of 2£485,623

  3None

  3None

  The Agency is moving in February to a new building on the Norcross site, built at a cost of 2£12 million

  3None

  3None

  Periodical journals

  £528,000p.a

  £64,000p.a

  None

  £10,000p.a

  £90,000p.a

  None

  Executive car(s)

  None

  None

  None

  None

  None

  None

  Specially designed logos

  £11,900

  £19,800

  None

  £13,574

  Designed in-house at minimal cost

  £58,750

  Corporate clothing

  4£4,117,810

  4£18,235

  None

  None

  None

  None

  Specially designed and corporate stationery

  5£255,377

  5£29,204

  5£264

  5£9,364

  5£14,305

  5£32,930

  1 Quarry House is shared with the NHS executive.

  2 There was a good business case for moving to new premises, and the moves will result in long-term savings.

  3 The Contributions, Resettlement, Information Technology Services and Child Support Agencies headquarters occupy sites that were part of DSS before the agencies were created.

  4 Figure given is total to date.

  5 Figure given is expenditure to date in the current financial year.

  Executive Search Agencies
  Mr. Donohoe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 19 December,Official Report, columns 929–30, which posts were filled as a result of the employment of executive search agencies; which executive search companies were involved in this exercise; and what were the values of the individual contracts involved.

  Mr. Hague
  The information is in the table.

  Name of post

  Name of Executive search Agency involved

  Pensions Ombudsman

  Price Waterhouse

  Director of Resource Management and Planning

  Price Waterhouse

  Director of Procurement (not yet finalised)

  Purchasing and Materials Management Services [PMMS]

  The value of individual contracts is confidential.

  Civil Servants
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what proportion and number of non-industrial civil servants in the departments and agencies for which he has responsibility are registered disabled and disabled as defined by the Cabinet Office document "Focus on Ability."

  Mr. Hague
  On 1 July 1994, the number of registered disabled people in the Department was 1,574. This represented 1.8 per cent. of all staff. Figures for the number and proportion of all disabled people employed in the Department are not yet available. We are still 624
  the published evaluation reports on the Resettlement and Contributions Agencies.

  Because of changes in work loads and work organisations, it is not possible directly to compare the numbers of support staff before and after the establishment of agencies. The other information requested on agencies' expenditure is in the table.

  conducting surveys, but indications at this stage are that there are at least as many non-registered disabled people in the Department as there are registered.

  Child Support Agency
  Dr. Wright
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many complaints have been received by the Child Support Agency since its inception; how many complaints have resulted in financial redress; on what basis financial redress has been made; and if he will give details of the individual and total payments that have been made.

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

  Letter from Miss Ann Chant to Dr. Tony Wright, dated 31 January 1995:
  I am replying to your recent Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security on complaints about the Child Support Agency.
  From 5 April 1993 to 30 November 1994 the Agency recorded 29,621 complaints. No distinction is made between complaints against the operations of the Agency and those concerning child support legislation.
  A special payment will be considered where a clear and unambiguous error by the Agency has resulted in an actual financial loss to the client. To the end of November, 16 such payments had been paid, totalling £1,148.46. This figure includes single payments of £310.00, £300.00, £172.39, £105.91, £100.00, £65.80, £25.00; two payments of £15.00, and six payments for various amounts less than £10.00.
  I hope this reply is helpful.

  Pensioners
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his Department's estimate of the number of women aged(a) 60 to 65, (b) 65 to 70, (c) 70 to 75, (d) 75 to 80 and (e) over 80 years who have access-to (i) only state benefits, (ii) state benefits and state earnings-related pension scheme, (iii) own occupational pensions, (iv) own private pensions and (v) benefits from deceased partners.

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  The available information is m the tables.

  Table 1: Numbers of women pensioners with only state benefits, by age

  Age

  60 to 64

  65 to 74

  75 to 79

  80 and over

  Number

  200,000

  300,000

  200,000

  250,000

  N.B: these figures are for benefit units so that the husband's income is taken into account for married women.

  Table 2: Numbers of women pensioners with an Occupational Pension, by age

  Age

  60–64

  65–69

  70–74

  75 and over

  Number

  500,000

  650,000

  600,000

  550,000

  Notes:

  1. Due to sample sizes it has been necessary to merge age ranges from those requested.

  2. Estimates are rounded to the nearest 50,000, they are based on small sample sizes and should be treated with caution.

  3. Estimates are derived from the 1992 family expenditure survey and the 1991 GAD survey of occupational pensions.

  4. SERPS is a state benefit and is therefore included in table 1.

  5. Information on the numbers of women receiving private pensions is not available.

  6. Separate figures for women receiving occupational pensions and benefits by virtue of their deceased husbands are not available. They are included in the information in table 2.

  Privatisation Programmes
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will provide estimates for the total amount that has been paid to N. M. Rothschild and Sons Ltd. with respect to any work undertaken by it on privatisation programmes in which his Department has been engaged since 1979 after taking account of inflation.

  Mr. Hague
  The Department of Social Security has not engaged N. M. Rothschild and Sons Ltd. in any capacity.

  Ian Greer Associates
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security on how many occasions departmental officials met representatives of Ian Greer Associates(a) formally and (b) informally on 26 January to discuss matters relating to its clients' interests.

  Mr. Hague
  To my knowledge, there have been no such meetings.

  Correspondence
  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when the hon. Member for Walsall, North will receive a reply to his letter of 24 November, reference 5/3644/109.
  626
  Mr. Arbuthnot
  I wrote to the hon. Member on Friday 27 January 1995.

  Appeal Tribunal Cases
  Mr. Wareing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people in the Liverpool area have appealed to a social security appeal tribunal against a decision that they have been found fit for work or work within limits; what percentage of appellants was successful; and if he will give the figures for those who were represented and those who were not with the corresponding success rates.

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

  Appeals on invalidity benefit in the North West Region Year ending 1993

  Lodged

  3,775

  Heard and Decided

  1,754

  In Appellant's Favour

  56 per cent.

  Representative and/or Representative and Appellant Present

  882

  In Appellant's Favour

  76 per cent.

  No Representative Present

  872

  In Appellant's Favour

  36 per cent.

  Source: The annual social security appeal tribunal statistics 1993 produced by the Government Statistical Service.

  Government Actuary's Report
  Mr. Raymond S. Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he has received the report by the Government Actuary on the operation of the Social Security Acts since 1985.

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  I have today laid before the House a report that the Government Actuary has made on the operation of Social Security Acts between April 1985 and April 1990 in accordance with section 137 of the Social Security Act 1975. The report provides a detailed forward look into the next century of the possible future costs of benefits paid out of the national insurance fund and the contributions likely to be needed to pay for them. The report also takes account of proposals in the Pensions Bill and I welcome the extra information it provides to the debate.

HEALTH

  NHS Trusts
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will order a public inquiry into improper payments made to chief executives and senior managers of NHS trusts in the last three years.

  Mr. Malone
  No. National health service trusts have powers under the National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990 to determine the terms of their staffs' employment contracts. However, the Department has issued guidance to trusts—TEL(94)3—which makes it clear that they are expected to use these powers responsibly with regard to probity and value for money. Copies of the guidance are available in the Library.

  Surgical Procedures
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the number of surgical procedures carried out by persons not legally qualified to operate on patients in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

  Mr. Sackville
  None.

  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make it her policy to require all meetings of NHS trusts to discuss tendering to be fully minuted; and what assessment she has made of NHS trusts' compliance with European Community tendering regulations.

  Mr. Sackville
  No. Paragraph 8 of section 10 of the Public Supply Contracts Regulations 1991 already requires national health service trusts to prepare a record in relation to the award of all contracts and sets out the information to be recorded. We are satisfied that NHS trusts are fully aware of their statutory obligations under those regulations.

  Tranquillisers
  Mr. Jack Thompson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the mental hospitals in the northern region in which there are patients suffering from involuntary tranquilliser addiction.

  Mr. Bowis
  This information is not available centrally.

  Waiting Times
  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will carry out a study to determine the influence that private practice in the same unit or speciality has on the waiting list and waiting time for treatment in the NHS.

  Mr. Malone
  We have no plans for such a study.

  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list those NHS trusts where, over the past 12 months, waiting times in accident and emergency departments have been reported as being longer than five minutes for an initial assessment and longer than two hours for treatment.

  Mr. Malone
  Information on the percentage of patients at national health service trusts who are seen and assessed within five minutes of arrival and accident and emergency departments for the three months ended March 1994 was published in "The Patients Charter Hospital and Ambulance Services Comparative Performance Guide 1993–94", copies of which are available in the Library.

  Information on patients waiting longer than two hours for treatment in accident and emergency departments is not available centrally.

  Herbal Remedies
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what restrictions she proposes on the sale to members of the public of herbal remedies and other products currently available without restriction in health shops.

  Mr. Sackville
  The existing Medicines Act 1968 provisions governing the sale and supply of herbal remedies will continue to apply.

  Herbal products not covered by medicines controls may fall under the provisions of food safety legislation; there are no plans to change this position.

  Private Health Care
  Mr. Hayes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many beds there are in private hospitals;

  (2) how many people are currently employed in the private health sector;

  (3) how many beds there are in private nursing homes;

  (4) how many people are currently employed in private nursing homes.

  Mr. Sackville
  On 31 March 1994, there were 11,371 beds in private hospitals and 165,021 in private nursing homes. Figures are not available for the total number of people employed in the private health care sector and in private nursing homes, but the number of nursing staff in private nursing homes was 154,688—Source K036 returns.

  Disabled People
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion and number of non-industrial civil servants in the Departments and agencies for which she has responsibility are registered disabled and disabled as defined by the Cabinet Office document "Focus on Ability".

  Mr. Sackville
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Kingston upon Hull, North (Mr. McNamara) on 5 December 1994,Official Report, columns 85–87. No single definition of disability is given in the Cabinet Office document "Focus On Ability".

  Asthma, Rotherham
  Mr. MacShane
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the current incidence of asthma amongst children under 10 years of age in the Rotherham district health authority; and what the figures were(a) in 1985 and (b) in 1975.

  Mr. Sackville
  Information is not available centrally. The hon. Member may wish to contact Mr. John Neill, chairman of Rotherham health authority, for details.

  Special Transitional Grant
  Mr. Thurnham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list those local authorities which have failed to meet the requirement to spend 85 per cent. of the transfer element of the special transitional grant in the independent sector.

  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.

  Trade Union-financed Facilities
  Mr. Hayes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many beds there are in the trade union-financed hospitals;

  (2) how many beds there are in trade union-financed nursing homes.

  Mr. Sackville
  This information is not collected by the Department.

  Consultants
  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for FleaIth what assessment she has made of whether consultants are complying with their NHS contracts and whether private practice interferes with the function of the NHS or disadvantage non-paying patients.

  Mr. Malone
  National health service consultants are able to undertake private practice work as well as NHS work provided that it is not to the disadvantage of the NHS or NHS patients. NHS employers are responsible for ensuring that consultants are fulfilling their contractual commitments.

  Care Workers
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she intends to implement a compulsory register for all paid care workers.

  Mr. Bowis
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Newcastle-under-Lyme (Mrs. Golding) on 25 January,Official Report, column 254.

  Operations (Cancellations)
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health in which NHS trusts, over the past 12 months, it has been reported that operations have been cancelled on the day they were due to take place; and where, in such circumstances, patients have not been readmitted within one month.

  Mr. Sackville
  Information on the number of patients at national health service trusts who, having suffered two last minute cancellations, were not admitted within a month thereafter, is published, for the three months ended March 1994, in "The Patient's Charter Hospital and Ambulance Services Comparative Performance Guide 1993–1994", copies of which are available in the Library.

  Single-sex Wards
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health which NHS trusts do not currently admit patients to single-sex wards if that is their wish.

  Mr. Sackville
  This information is not available centrally.

  Hepatitis C
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answers of 21 November to the right hon. Member for Manchester, Wythenshaw (Mr. Morris),Official Report, column 29, and of 11 January to the hon. Member for Windsor and Maidenhead (Mr. Trend), Official Report, column 145, how haemophiliacs who may have received blood contaminated with hepatitis C will be traced for counselling and treatment if information is not centrally available to identify them; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Sackville
  Blood products Used in the treatment of haemophilia patients have been virally inactivated since 1985. Doctors treating these patients are aware that prior to this date blood products carried the risk of transmission of hepatitis C. We understand that the majority of haemophilia patients have been counselled and tested as part of the management of their condition.

  Nurses
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of whether a sufficient number of people are qualifying as nurses and of the Royal College of Nursing report "Opening the Door".

  Mr. Sackville
  The number of training commissions required to supply an adequate number of newly qualified staff is determined by local employers, to ensure a good balance between demand and supply of highly qualified trained nurses. Regional plans to commission training places are monitored and overseen by the national health service executive.

  We welcome the publication of the Royal College of Nursing report "Opening the Door" as it shows a healthy majority of both newly qualified and experienced nurses gain considerable job satisfaction from their posts and do not wish to work outside nursing.

  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many nurses were trained in 1994; how many are expected to be trained in(a) 1995, (b) 1996 and (c) 1997; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Sackville
  In 1993–94 22,829 students started courses of nurse education. Confirmed figures are not yet available for 1994–95, 1995–96 and 1996–97. Final figures for these years will be provided in due course in the annual reports of the English National Board of Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting.

  Cot Deaths
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what are the total number of recorded cot deaths in England and Wales for each of the past five years.

  Mr. Sackville
  The information is shown in the table:

  Cot deaths to infants and children aged under 5, England and Wales 1989–33

  Year

  SIDS1

  Sudden infant deaths2

  1989

  1,261

  1,367

  1990

  1,156

  1,246

  1991

  935

  1,051

  1992

  515

  579

  1993 (provisional)

  422

  457

  1 Deaths where sudden infant death syndrome—International classification of Diseases 9th Revision 798.0—is the only cause mentioned on the death certificate.

  2 Deaths where "SIDS", "Cot Death", or similar terms, was mentioned with other causes on the certificate.

  3 The figures for 1989–92 are based on annual registrations. The figures for 1993 are based on occurrences.

  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many of all recorded cot deaths in England and Wales in the last five years were attributable to(a) colds and bronchial conditions, (b) emissions from plastic bedding and (c) urine and its reaction with bedding.

  Mr. Sackville
  The causes of sudden infant death syndrome remain unknown and substantial Government-funded and voluntary sector research continues in this area. It is not possible to attribute incidence by the categories mentioned.

  Camden and Islington Health Authority
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action she is taking to reduce waiting lists for elective surgery in Camden and Islington health authority.

  Mr. Malone
  It is for Camden and Islington health authority to ensure that the shortest possible waiting times are available to its resident population from the hospitals with which it has contracts, and to ensure that at the very least the maximum waits guaranteed under the patients charter are not exceeded.

  Under the new patients charter which comes into effect in April we have reduced the maximum time patients will have to wait for elective surgery from two years to 18 months from the date of their going on to a waiting list.

  Cannabis
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what conclusions she has reached on the use of cannabis under the Medicines Acts for the relief of pain for sufferers of multiple sclerosis or glaucoma.

  Mr. Bowis
  None, but I have seen and heard representations on this issue.

  N. M. Rothschild and Sons Ltd.
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will provide estimates for the total amount that has been paid to N. M. Rothschild and Sons Ltd. with respect to any work undertaken by it on privatisation programmes in which her Department has engaged since 1979 after taking account of inflation.

  Mr. Sackville
  There are no such sums to report.

  Royal Northern Hospital
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what future plans her Department has for the Royal Northern hospital, Holloway road, N7; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Malone
  None. The hon. Member may wish to approach Sir William Staveley, chairman of North Thames regional health authority, for information about the future of this site.

  Reversal of Status Forms
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients in each regional health authority in each of the past three years are recorded as having signed reversal of status forms from(a) private to NHS and (b) NHS to private.

  Mr. Sackville
  This information is not available centrally.

  Capital Allocations
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer of 23 January,Official Report, column 14, on capital allocations, if she will set out the undershoot on external financing limits at November 1994 by region.
  632
  Mr. Sackville
  The external financing limits set for each trust are annual targets. Performance against them is measured at the year end and reported in trust annual accounts. External financing limits are equivalent to a cash limit on both revenue and capital expenditure by trusts. There is therefore no direct relationship between under or overshooting the limit and capital expenditure.

  Young Carers
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is her estimate of the number of children and young persons who are currently providing a substantial amount of remedial care to a sick, elderly or disabled relative.

  Mr. Bowis
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Newcastle-under-Lyme (Mrs. Golding) on 17 January Official Report, column 387.

  Patient Anonymity
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for health (1) what arrangements she has made to protect patient anonymity in the collection of medical records for statistical purposes in the area of(a) mental health, (b) cancer and (c) other categories;

  (2) what consultations she has had with the Data Protection Registrar concerning the future protection of patient anonymity in the collection of data from medical records for statistical purposes in the area of (a) mental health, (b) cancer and (c) other categories.

  Mr. Sackville
  Patient information is confidential.

  Information given by patients concerning their health and treatment is protected by the common law, the Data Protection Act 1984 and the ethical responsibilities of health professionals. This applies even when the information is anonymised and aggregated.

  We have recently consulted on draft guidance for the national health service on "Confidentiality, Use and Disclosure of Personal Health Information" which includes advice on the use of anonymised/aggregated information. Prior to the consultation we had a number of meetings and discussions with the Data Protection Registrar.

  We have since received comments from the Data Protection Registrar on the use and disclosure of personal health information, which are being considered.

  Ian Greer Associates
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health on how many occasions departmental officials met representatives of Ian Greer Associates(a) formally and (b) Informally on 26 January to discuss matters relating to their clients' interests.

  Mr. Sackville
  Officials receive representations about a wide range of matters. Central records are not kept of meetings with external organisations, and to the best of our knowledge no such meetings have taken place.

  Waterborne Viruses
  Mr. Ainger
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research has been carried out by her Department into the health impacts of viruses in sea and river water.
  633
  Mr Sackville
  The Government funded an extensive four-year research programme into the health effects of sea-bathing, which was published in January 1994.

  The study concluded that bathing in water that met the current bathing water directive standards was not associated with overt infection or serious illness.

  Capital Schemes
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what date each individual capital scheme received external financing limit approval; on what date it received final approval after being tested for private finance initiative funding; and what was its value for each region since April 1994.

  Mr. Sackville
  This information is not available centrally.

  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will provide a list of capital schemes that received initial external financing limit approval but were rejected for final approval after failing to achieve private funding under the private finance initiative in each region since April 1994, indicating the value of each scheme.

  Mr. Sackville
  No capital schemes have been rejected for failing to secure funding under the private finance initiative.

  Long-term Care
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what response she has received to the draft guidance on long-term care; when she expects to issue new guidance; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Bowis
  I refer the hon. Member to the replies I gave to the hon. Member for Leeds, West (Mr. Battle) on 10 January,Official Report, column 118, and to the hon. Member for Bradford, West (Mr. Madden) on 26 January, Official Report, column 343.

  Children (Residential Care)
  Mr. Sykes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made by the support force for children's residential care since September 1993; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Bowis
  The support force for children's residential care has recently reported on its progress in its first year. Copies of the report have been placed in the Library.

  This report demonstrates the significant progress made by the support force in its first year. It has worked in partnership with over 50 authorities and independent sector providers to help bring about improvements in residential care for children and young people.

  Private Dental and Medical Insurance
  Mrs. Beckett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is her Department's estimate of the number of people with the cover of private dental insurance, and of private medical insurance.
  634
  Mr. Sackville
  [pursuant to his reply, 20 January 1995, c. 765]: I regret that my previous reply is incorrect. It should read:
  "Information on the number of people with private dental insurance and medical insurance is not collected by the Department."

  Chronic Bronchitis and Emphysema
  Mr. William O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the length of time allowed for general practitioners to obtain adequate training to judge on applications under the chronic bronchitis and emphysema regulations, and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Hague
  I have been asked to reply.

  This Department has no responsibility for the training of general practitioners.

  Assessments of disablement for prescribed disease D12—chronic bronchitis and emphysema—are made by independent adjudicating medical practitioners, all of whom are fully registered medical practitioners.

  Prior to the introduction of PD D12 on 13 September 1993, the AMPs were given a training package approved by the DSS's senior medical advisers.

  The training package consisted of:

  (1) an introductory course of one day given by an expert in respiratory medicine;

  (2) half-day refresher training in spirometry—FEV1 test;

  (3) training in reading X-rays over a four-month period;

  (4) training manuals taking six hours to assimilate the information.

  The AMPs who assess PD D12 all have considerable prior experience in the examination and assessment procedures for industrial injuries and prescribed diseases.

EDUCATION

  Public Bodies
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to her answer of 20 January,Official Report, column 722, if she will list the 28 hoards, authorities, committees and other public bodies and the total amount of public spending relevant to each body.

  Mr. Boswell
  The information given is the latest available.

  Grant allocations to public bodies in FY 1994–95

  (£ million)

  Adult Literacy and Basic Skills Unit

  4.699

  Centre for Information on Language Teaching1

  0.832

  Education Assets Board

  0.118

  Fulbright Commission

  0.389

  Funding Agency for Schools

  237.026 (net)

  Further Education Unit2

  —

  Further Education Staff College2

  —

  Further Education Development Association3

  —

  Further Education Funding Council (including 9 regional committees)

  2,847.058

  Higher Education Funding Council in England

  3,436.079

  National Council for Education Technology

  5.391

  National Youth Agency

  1.394

  Royal Ballet School

  2.200

  School Curriculum Assessment Authority

  34.000

  Special Educational Needs Tribunal

  0.220

  635

  Grant allocations to public bodies in FY 1994–95

  (£ million)

  Student Loans Company

  16.638

  Teacher Training Agency4

  2.000

  University Commissioners5

  —

  Yehudi Menuhin School

  0.450

  1 In addition to the DFE grant, CILT will receive grant of over £100,000 from other government departments.

  2 The further education unit and the Further Education staff college ceased to be supported by the Department for Education after the end of the 1992–93 financial year, Government funding now falls under the FEFC budget.

  3 Government funding for the Further Education Development Association falls under the FEFC budget.

  4 The expenditure total of £2 million includes a small amount£68,000—of preparatory expenditure prior to the establishment of the agency.

  5 The university commissioners ceased to be supported by the Department for Education after the end of the 1993–94 financial year. In the 1994–95 financial year provision of £25,000 was made in the Department's running costs for the residual work of the commissioners.

  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to her answer of 20 January,Official Report, column 722, if she will list the appointees of each of the 28 boards, authorities, committees and other public bodies, and what the remuneration was of the appointees.

  Mr. Boswell
  I will write to the hon. Member as soon as possible.

  N. M. Rothschild and Sons Ltd.
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if she will provide estimates for the total amount that has been paid to N. M. Rothschild and Sons Ltd. with respect to any work undertaken by it on privatisation programmes in which her Department has been engaged since 1979 after taking account of inflation.

  Mr. Boswell
  The Department has not commissioned N. M. Rothschild and Sons Ltd. to undertake any work on privatisation.

  Postgraduate Support Scheme
  Mr. Bryan Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education which institutions or students are to lose funding as a consequence of the reduction in the postgraduate support scheme funding; what the level of the reduction is in total; and how much will be lost by each institution or student affected.

  Mr. Boswell
  Provision for the Department's postgraduate awards scheme will be reduced by 10 per cent. from 1995–96 to a total of £4.3 million.

  From the academic year 1995–96, bursary support will be withdrawn from postgraduate courses as follows:

  Journalism

  University College, Cardiff

  City University

  Tourism

  University of Surrey

  Language studies

  University of Bath

  University of Bradford

  University of Kent

  University of Westminster

  636
  Art gallery and museum studies

  University of Manchester

  University of Leicester

  The number of bursaries for postgraduate studies in librarianship and information studies in the academic year 1995–96 will be reduced by 10 per cent. at the following institutions:

  University College Wales Aberystwyth

  University of Central England

  Thames Valley University

  Leeds Metropolitan University

  Liverpool John Moores University

  Loughborough University

  Manchester Metropolitan University

  University College London

  University of Northumbria

  University of North London.

  Students already on courses will not be affected.

  It is not possible to give figures in respect of the financial effect on individual institutions or students since bursaries are means-tested and the circumstances of individuals vary significantly.

  Lay School Inspectors
  Mr. Ainger
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) what vocational training grants are available to individuals following lay school inspector courses;

  (2) what expenses may be claimed by individuals training to be lay school inspectors.

  (3) how many individuals have undertaken training to be lay school inspectors in England and Wales.

  Mr. Forth
  These are matters for Her Majesty's chief inspector of schools, who heads the independent Office for Standards in Education. I have asked Mr. Chris Woodhead to write to the hon. Member.

  Ian Greer Associates
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education on how many occasions departmental officials met representatives of Ian Greer Associates(a) formally and (b) informally on 26 January to discuss matters relating to their clients' interests.

  Mr. Boswell
  There were no meetings between departmental staff and representatives of Ian Greer Associates on 26 January.

WALES

  South Gwynedd Partnership
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he will be meeting the hon. Members for Caernarfon (Mr. Wigley) and for Meirionnydd Nant Conwy and a deputation from the South Gwynedd Partnership.

  Mr. Redwood
  21 February.

  Ministerial Visits
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he intends visiting Meirionnydd Nant Conwy.

  Mr. Redwood
  I visited the hon. Member's constituency in September last year, and have no other
  637
  immediate plans to visit Meirionnydd Nant Conwy again in the near future.

  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many hours he has spent in Wales during 1995.

  Mr. Redwood
  Information on my visits to Wales is not held in this format.

  Local Government Reorganisation
  Mr. Alan W. Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales to which categories of employee of county and district councils in Wales he expects the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 1981 to apply during the reorganisation of local government.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  I refer the hon. Member to the statement I made in Standing Committee A on 17 May 1994.

  Footpaths
  Mrs. Anne Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much has been spent or grant aided in each of the last three years for which figures are available by the Countryside Commission for Wales on the repair of eroded footpaths.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The Countryside Council for Wales does not grant aid routine maintenance of public rights of way unless they are of national trail status. It did, however, pay grants of £320,000 in both 1992–93 and 1993–94 on the enhancement of the public rights of way network.

  In addition to this, grant of £150,000 in 1992–93 and £240,00 in 1993–94 was paid toward the maintenance of national trails. In 1993–94, a further £32,000 in grant was paid on the development of a possible additional national trail. It is anticipated that similar sums will be paid in the current year 1994–95.

  Milk Industry
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what initiatives his Department is adopting to assist the milk industry; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The milk industry in Wales benefits from a variety of schemes designed to help business and industry and to promote the efficient marketing of agricultural products. No special initiative is required.

  Staff Commission for Wales
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many meetings he or other Ministers have had with the Staff Commission for Wales in the last nine months; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Redwood
  One. The Under-Secretary of State, my hon. Friend the Member for Cardiff, North (Mr. Jones), met the staff commission on 14 November 1994 for its annual review meeting.

  Dental Services
  Mr. Ainger
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) how many dentists in each Welsh family health services authority have stopped treating NHS patients in each year since 1992;
  638
  (2) how many dentists in each Welsh family health services authority have closed NHS registers to new patients in each year since 1992.

  Mr. Richards
  The information requested is not held centrally.

  Delegations
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish the attendance list of all those who were members of delegations received in the past six months by him, his fellow Ministers and his senior civil servants.

  Mr. Redwood
  This information is available only at disproportionate cost.

  N. M. Rothschild and Sons Ltd.
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will provide estimates for the total amount that has been paid to N. M. Rothschild and Sons Ltd. with respect to any work undertaken by it on privatisation programmes in which his Department has been engaged since 1979 after taking account of inflation.

  Mr. Redwood
  My Department has not paid any money to N. M. Rothschild and Sons Ltd. in connection with privatisation programmes.

  Health Common Services Authority
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what consultations he has had with the chairman of the Welsh Health Common Services Authority concerning the timetable for the running down of the stores service in Gwynedd and the establishment of the new service in Clwyd.

  Mr. Redwood
  None.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will place copies in the Library of his departmental letter of 24 January to consultees on the future management arrangements of the clinical side of the Welsh Health Common Services Authority.

  Mr. Redwood
  Copies of DGM(95)4 consulting on the future management arrangements of these clinical services have been placed in the Library of the House.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what consultations he has had with the chairman of the Welsh Health Common Services Authority concerning the increase in the share out of savings offered to the Gwynedd Hospitals NHS trust to secure its agreement to the closure of the Ysbyty Gwynedd site on 31 March.

  Mr. Redwood
  None. There are no plans to close Ysbyty Gwynedd.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the current review of the Welsh Health Common Services Authority Department of contracting and capital in north Wales; and when he expects the review's findings will be published.

  Mr. Redwood
  These matters are currently the subject of discussions between the Welsh Health Common Services Authority and its customers. The outcome of these discussions advising the future handling arrangements is expected in the autumn.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what consultations he has had and proposes to have with the British Limbless Ex-Servicemens Association
  639
  concerning the proposed changes in the management arrangements for the artificial limb and appliance service.

  Mr. Redwood
  The British Limbless Ex-Servicemens Association is one of the organisations currently being consulted about the proposed management arrangements for the artificial limb and appliance service.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will place a copy in the Library of each of the service evaluations of the financial and non-financial implications of change in the future management arrangements of the clinical side of the Welsh Health Common Services Authority by each clinical branch of the authority.

  Mr. Redwood
  Copies of the evaluation reports produced by each of the clinical services have been placed in the Library of the House.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the assets considered liable to transfer from the Welsh Health Common Services Authority under the proposed new management arrangements for the artificial limb and appliance service Wales and Breast Test Wales; what arrangements he is making for an independent valuation of those assets; and what estimate he has made to date of the fair valuation of any or all of such a list of assets.

  Mr. Redwood
  Established procedures governing the transfer of assets will be implemented once decisions are taken about the future management arrangements of BTW and ALAS.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what guidance he has given to the group director of the artificial limb and appliance service Wales and the director of Breast Test Wales concerning the applicability of the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 1981 to the proposed changes in management arrangements; what provisions he has had for expert legal advice to be given to them in the discharge of their personnel function following new management arrangements; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Redwood
  It is for the Welsh Health Common Services Authority to take legal and other advice at the appropriate time.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what arrangements he is proposing for the publication of the views of the staff of the artificial limb and appliance service and Breast Test Wales concerning the proposed new manning arrangements.

  Mr. Redwood
  Subject to individual confidentiality and requests being received, arrangements can be made to publish responses to the consultation exercise.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what arrangements he has made for separating those aspects of the artificial limb and appliance service in Wales which are regarded as suitable(a) for separating into three area-based services located at Rookwood, Morriston and Wrexham-Maelor hospitals and (b) only for a single site all-Wales provision under the options review for the clinical side of the Welsh Health Common Services Authority;

  (2) what consultations he is undertaking with respect to the arrangements for ring-fencing of the sums repatriated to the district health authorities equivalent to those currently allocated for purchasing by the artificial limb and appliance service in Wales;
  640
  (3) what consultations he is carrying out on the length of time and detailed arrangements for ring-fencing the resources to be repatriated to district health authorities for the purchase of breast screening services;

  (4) what is his current estimate of the time for further guidance on contracting for artificial limb and appliance service and Breast Test Wales services;

  (5) what consultations he has had with the management of Breast Test Wales concerning the required time period for ring-fencing of the funding for purchasing breast cancer screening services after repatriation of those funds to district health authorities, arising from the need to complete and evaluate the first round national screening programme; and how long he has given them and other consultees to express views on the suggested length and administration of the protection period for the funding of the service;

  (6) what are the arrangements for health authorities to consult each other with a view to setting up consortium or lead-purchasing arrangements for the artificial limb and appliance service; what consultation he has had with the management at the artificial limb and appliance service in relation to the pooling of purchasing arrangements; and what evaluation he has made of its benefits.

  Mr. Redwood
  Decisions on these issues will be taken in the light of the results of consultation.

  Reversal of Status Declarations
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many patients in each health authority area, or other convenient sub-division, signed reversal of status declarations from either private to NHS, or NHS to private in each of the last three years.

  Mr. Redwood
  This information is not held centrally.

  Patient Anonymity
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what arrangements he has made for the protection of patient anonymity in the collection of data from medical records for statistical purposes under the proposed new management arrangements for the Welsh Health Common Services Authority;

  (2) what consultations he has had with the Data Protection Registrar concerning the protection of patient anonymity in the collection of data from medical records for statistical purposes in the area of (a) mental health, (b) cancer and (c) other categories.

  Mr. Redwood
  Information given by patients concerning their health and treatment is protected by the common law, the Data Protection Act 1984 and the ethical responsibilities of health professionals. This applies even when it is anonymised and aggregated.

  We have recently consulted on draft guidance for the NHS, "Confidentiality, Use and Disclosure of Personal Health Information", which includes advice on the use of anonymised/aggregated information. Comments have been received from the Data Protection Registrar which are being considered by health Departments.

  The management arrangements for the Welsh Health Common Services Authority are still under review.

  Breast Test Wales
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will specify the time period within which trusts and prospective trusts can apply to administer the management arrangements for Breast Test Wales; what arrangements he has made to permit trusts and prospective trusts not currently involved in carrying out biopsies for Breast Test Wales to have equal status with Llandough NHS trust in applying for approval to manage Breast Test Wales; and what criteria he will use in evaluating the bids to manage the service.

  Mr. Redwood
  The consultation period on the future management of clinical schemes ends on 23 February. No restrictions have been imposed on consultees; bids for the management of Breast Test Wales will be assessed against their ability to maintain the quality, efficiency and cost-effectiveness of the service.

  NHS Trusts
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his answer of 20 January,Official Report, column 718, if he will list the external financing limit for each of the NHS trusts in Wales.

  Mr. Redwood
  The external financing limit for each of the NHS trusts in Wales in 1994–95 is shown in the following table:

  NHS Trust

  £000

  Glan Clwyd Hospital

  787

  Wrexham Maelor Hospital

  5,185

  Gofal Cymuned Clwydian Community Care

  9,116

  Llanelli Dinefwr

  334

  Carmarthen and District

  2,419

  Ceredigion and Mid Wales

  1,172

  Derwen

  947

  Nevill Hall and District

  (1,247)

  Gwent Community

  2,667

  Glan Hafren

  1,876

  Gwynedd Hospital

  1,562

  Gwynedd Community

  3,399

  Bridgend and District

  4,066

  Rhondda

  (650)

  East Glamorgan

  2,653

  Pembrokeshire

  (494)

  Powys Health Care

  1,412

  Llandough

  6,907

  Velindre

  (55)

  Swansea

  3,808

  Morriston

  6,038

  South and East Wales Ambulance

  407

  North Wales Ambulance

  321

  Mid Glamorgan Ambulance

  176

  Note: Brackets denote a negative external financing limit—this means that no new borrowing is required.

  Blood Transfusion Service
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what consultations he has had with the management of the National Blood Transfusion Service Wales concerning the ending of the ring-fencing for the purchase of tissue-typing services from the blood transfusion service by health authorities.

  Mr. Redwood
  The management of the NBTS(W) were consulted prior to the decision to end ring-fencing for tissue-typing services.

  Hospital Supplies
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to ensure that the capacity to replenish hospital supplies at short notice will be maintained after the proposed closure of the stores at Ysbyty, Gwynedd on 31 March.

  Mr. Redwood
  These are matters for the Welsh Health Common Services Authority and its customers.

  Ian Greer Associates
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales on how many occasions departmental officials met representatives of Ian Greer Associates(a) formally and (b) informally on 26 January to discuss matters relating to their clients' interests.

  Mr. Redwood
  None.

  Health Service Forms
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of the total number of forms collected by his Department for health service administrative purposes in each of the past five years, as measured by the(a) number of different forms and (b) volume and number of actual forms collected.

  Mr. Redwood
  Annual figures are not available for the period requested. However, in 1993–94, I ordered a comprehensive review of 106 financial and statistical forms sent to the NHS in Wales by the Welsh Office. These returns consisted of around 220 pages in total and, taking account of the frequency of collection and the number of respondents, an estimated 6,800 completed forms were collected in 1993–94. As a consequence of the first phase of the review, 35 forms—47 pages in total—equivalent to some 1,300 completed returns, were discontinued.

  A second phase of the review is in train and I expect to announce a further reduction in the form-filling burden on the health service in the near future.

  Breast Screening
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of state for Wales what consultations he has had regarding the Welsh contribution to the United Kingdom-wide evaluation of the effectiveness of the screening in the diagnosis arid treatment of and reducing the incidence of breast cancer, arising from the options review of the Welsh Health Common Services Authority.

  Mr. Redwood
  None. My Department is represented on the Advisory Committee on Breast Cancer Screening which promulgates advice on the United Kingdom evaluation of the breast screening programme. Breast Test Wales' contribution to the UK screening and evaluation programme will continue unchanged.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Calves
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what he is doing to develop alternatives to export for surplus calves from dairy farms.
  643
  Mrs. Browning
  I hope that, over time, farmers can have a greater opportunity of finding more markets at home for their animals and that as much as possible of the export trade can be in meat. I met the Meat and Livestock Commission on 19 January to discuss these possibilities.

  Disabled People
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what proportion and number of non-industrial civil servants in the Departments and agencies for which he has responsibility are registered disabled and disabled as defined by the Cabinet Office document "Focus on Ability".

  Mrs. Browning
  On 1 July 1994, there were 146 registered disabled people among the non-industrial civil servants in the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, including its agencies, representing nearly 1.5 per cent. of the total staff in post. In 1993, a voluntary survey of all staff, which achieved a 60 per cent. response, showed that between three and four times that number considered that they had a disability.

  Live Animal Exports
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will cut journey times allowed for transportation of live animals for slaughter to six hours.

  Mrs. Browning
  We have no such plans.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what account is taken of travel in British waters in the journey times allowed for the transportation of live animals for slaughter.

  Mrs. Browning
  Time at sea counts as part of the journey time under the Welfare of Animals during Transport Order 1994, except where the animals can be fed and watered on board the vessel.

  Live Animal Exports
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what provision was made for the feeding, watering and resting after 15 hours of the livestock held on a ship at Brightlingsea on 19 January; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Browning
  The ship used was a fitted livestock vessel and the sheep were fed, watered and rested in their pens once aboard. The animals were accompanied on their voyage by a Ministry veterinary inspector who was satisfied with the facilities available and the arrangements made for the welfare of the sheep during the sea journey.

  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the occasions since 1 October 1994 when livestock animals have died while awaiting export from the United Kingdom or during the crossing to the European mainland, giving in each instance(a) the dates, (b) the numbers of animals involved, (c) the types of animals involved, (d) the causes of death and (e) the location where the animals died.

  Mrs. Browning
  The information requested is not available. Those responsible for export consignments are not under any statutory obligation to provide it.

  Fishing (Swap Arrangements)
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what requirements exist for British consultation and consent in swap arrangements made between other EEC Governments in respect of British waters.

  Mr. Jack
  As my reply to the hon. Member on 20 January,Official Report, column 736, explained, the Commission must be notified when a swap has been agreed. The Commission then notifies all member states. There is no requirement for prior consultation with the member states in whose waters the quota may be fished.

  Fishing (Irish Box)
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what extra funding is available from the EEC for the costs of additional fishery protection efforts to control Spanish access to the Irish box from 1996.

  Mr. Jack
  Decisions on the detailed arrangements to apply from 1 January 1996 have yet to be made.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to his answer of 20 January,Official Report, column 738, to the hon. Member for Southend, East, (Sir T. Taylor), what assessment he has made of the relevant financial benefits accruing to (a) the Irish Government and (b) Her Majesty's Government in respect of the arrangements for the Irish box.

  Mr. Jack
  Discussions have not yet reached a stage at which such an assessment could be made.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many of the Spanish fishing vessels to be admitted to the Irish box have been inspected by British fisheries protection vessels for secret fish holds.

  Mr. Jack
  As I indicated in the reply given to the hon. Member on 20 January,Official Report, columns 735–36, under the agreement reached at the December Fisheries Council it is for each member state to inform the Commission, by the end of March this year, of its proposed reference list of named vessels which may have access to the fisheries covered by the agreement. Access to the Irish box—excluding VIIa and VIIf N of 50 °30'N—for Spanish vessels will not be permitted before 1 January 1996. From that date they will be subject to possible inspection by British fishery protection vessels when they are in UK waters within the Irish box and elsewhere in western waters.

  Fishing (Norway)
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what study he has made of Norwegian methods of access control and discipline in respect of foreign fishing vessels into Norwegian waters; and if he will make it his policy to introduce similar measures in British waters and to press for their acceptance by the EEC as a common standard.

  Mr. Jack
  Norwegian fisheries management procedures were extensively considered during Norway's accession negotiations. Within the EU, Council regulation (EEC) No. 2847/93 provides the framework for the effective and non-discriminatory enforcement of the common fisheries policy. At the December Fisheries
  645
  Council, it was agreed that further control measures should he adopted for western waters including provisions relating to the communication of vessel movements—hailing in and out—and the declaration of catch, to both flag and coastal states. These provisions are similar to those in force in certain Norwegian fisheries.

  Fisheries Council
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the nations which participate in the EEC Fisheries Council, indicating which of them presently fish in(a) the Irish box, (b) area VII, (c) the North sea, (d) the channel and (e) British waters as defined by the Fishery Limits Act 1976.

  Mr. Jack
  The Fisheries Council consists of the Ministers responsible for fisheries in each of the 15 member states of the EU.

  The following member states have quotas which may currently be taken in all or part of the areas listed:

  (a) The Irish box: United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, Belgium, France, Germany, Netherlands.

  (b) Area VII: United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, Belgium, France, Germany, Netherlands, Denmark, Spain.

  (c) The North sea: United Kingdom, Belgium, France, Germany, Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden.

  (d) The English channel: United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, Belgium, France, Germany, Netherlands, Denmark, Spain.

  (e) British waters as defined by the Fisheries Limits Act 1976: United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, Belgium, France, Germany, Netherlands, Denmark, Spain, Sweden, Portugal.

  Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what experiments have been performed involving feeding calves with BSE infected milk; and what results have been obtained.

  Mrs. Browning
  None. Other experiments have revealed that bovine milk contains no detectable BSE infectivity.

  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the dates of birth of the last five confirmed BSE cases in Somerset.

  Mrs. Browning
  The information requested is as follows. The exact date of birth for four of the cases is unknown.

  1987

  7 September 1987

  Spring 1988

  April 1988

  April 1989

  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what information he has available on the numbers and circumstances of confirmed BSE cases born after 18 July 1988.

  Mrs. Browning
  As at 23 January 1995, 15,771 cases of BSE had been confirmed in cattle born after 18 July 1988. Of these 8,955 were born in 1988, 5,995 in 1989, 812 in 1990 and nine in 1991. The great majority of the born after the ban cases have probably been exposed to ruminant protein in feed. The normal range of incubation period makes it inevitable that further cases will be confirmed in some animals exposed to infected feed and born in the months following the feed ban. Although it is still possible that BSE can occasionally be transmitted 646
  maternally or horizontally, there is no unequivocal evidence that either has actually occurred.

  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if the Southwood committee's report on BSE in 1989 took into account the numbers of confirmed BSE cattle from after the feeding ban of July 1988; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Browning
  Paragraph 6.2 of the report of the working party on BSE dated February 1989, stated that the estimate of the numbers of future cases of BSE contained in the report"Assume that no new infections have arisen or will arise after 18 July 1988, when the ban on ruminant protein in feed became operative."

  The great majority of the born after the ban cases have probably been exposed to ruminant protein in feed. The normal range of incubation period makes it inevitable that further cases will be confirmed in some animals exposed to infected feed and born in the months following the feed ban. Although it is still possible that BSE can occasionally be transmitted maternally or horizontally, there is no unequivocal evidence to indicate that either has actually occurred.

  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the number of BSE cases slaughtered and confirmed during 1994.

  Mrs. Browning
  The provisional figure for the number of suspect BSE cases slaughtered in 1994 is 28,257. The number of cases confirmed in 1994 was 25,578.

  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what progress has been made towards rapid detection of cattle infected with BSE prior to their final encephalopathic clinical illness.

  Mrs. Browning
  Research is in progress to permit more accurate diagnosis of BSE in the clinically suspected live animal. Studies include detection by post mortem and laboratory test of changes in the concentration of metabolites in urine, proteins in cerebrospinal fluid and detection of PrP peripheral tissues. None is sufficiently advanced to be of immediate use.

  Another study, based on work already published in the Veterinary Record by Austin and Simmons—27 March 1993, 132, 324–325—involves field trials where monitors are attached to cattle for detection of changes to heart and rumination rates. These studies are still in progress but will not result in instant diagnosis. It is expected that monitors would need to be attached to cattle for several hours if they are to be a valuable diagnostic indicator. They will only be of value for cases where clinical diagnosis is in doubt. It will not be feasible to use such equipment on all suspect cases.

  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many(a) renderers, (b) feed compounders and (c) farmers have been prosecuted for contravening BSE regulations annually since 1988.

  Mrs. Browning
  There have been two prosecutions taken by the local authorities concerned under the Animal Health Act 1981 for contravening BSE regulations since 1988, one in 1991, the other in 1992.

  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when the results of the vertical experiment, identified within the Southwood report at paragraph 8.1, will be published.

  Mrs. Browning
  The animal experimental part of the cohort study in maternal transmission in BSE is expected
  647
  to be completed at the end of 1996. Results of the study are expected to be available by mid-1997.

  Interim observations of this study were reported in Hansard on 12 December 1994, columns 523–24.

  EU Scientific Veterinary Committee
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the United Kingdom representatives on the EU Scientific Veterinary Committee.

  Mrs. Browning
  The following is a list of United Kingdom members of the European Commissions's Scientific Veterinary Committee:

  Mr. R. Bradley

  Dr. D. J. Alexander

  Dr. A. M. Johnston

  Dr. R. J. Gilbert

  Prof. D. Broom

  Prof. J. Webster

  The Commission appoints experts to be members of the various EC expert committees. These members do not represent their respective member states when participating in the work of the committees.

  Cattle Semen
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what volume of cattle semen from United Kingdom herds was exported to(a) New Zealand, (b) Australia and (c) Canada, annually, from 1992 to 1994.

  Mrs. Browning
  The information requested in respect of exports from Great Britain is set out in the table. The figures are based on the expected number of doses to be exported included in applications to the Department for official export health certification. It is possible that quantities actually exported differ slightly.

  Year

  1992

  1993

  1994

  Destination

  New Zealand

  —

  5,933

  10,653

  Australia

  2,500

  —

  200

  Canada

  8,107

  5,371

  4,495

  Offal Disposal
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what information he has available to identify the routes of disposal for specified offals from cattle prohibited from entering human food in November 1989.

  Mrs. Browning
  The Bovine Offal (Prohibition) Regulations 1989, which came into effect on 13 November 1989, prohibited the use of specified bovine offals, as defined, in food for sale for human consumption.

  The SBO controls, which are under review at present, require, subject to certain exceptions, that SBO must be sterilised or stained at the slaughterhouse. Movement permits are required for the removal of SBO from the slaughterhouse for disposal. The movement of protein material derived from SBO—after rendering—is prohibited except under licence for incineration or burial.
  648
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if the decision of 30 June 1994 to remove intestines and thymuses from calves under six months has been reported to EU member states.

  Mrs. Browning
  The European Commission and individual member states were informed of the decision on the 30 June 1994, and official notification to the commission under the technical standards directive—83/189/EEC—was made on 26 July 1994.

  N. M. Rothschild and Sons Ltd.
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will provide estimates for the total amount that has been paid to N. M. Rothschild and Sons Ltd. with respect to any work undertaken by it on privatisation programmes in which his Ministry has been engaged since 1979 after taking account of inflation.

  Mr. Jack
  From records held centrally, N. M. Rothschild and Sons Ltd. has not undertaken any work on privatisation programmes in which the Ministry has been engaged since 1979.

  Ian Greer Associates
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on how many occasions departmental officials met representatives of Ian Greer Associates(a) formally and (b) informally on 26 January to discuss matters relating to their clients' interests.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  To my knowledge, officials from this Department have had no such meetings.

  Shellfish
  Mr. Ainger
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list those inshore and estuarial fisheries where the collection of shellfish for commercial purposes has been banned because of the level of viral and faecal matters in seawater.

  Mr. Jack
  Since 1 January 1993 single market legislation requires all shellfish growing areas in the Community to be classified according to microbiological criteria. The classification of production areas as A, B or C carries specific requirements for the marketing of the shellfish—bi—valve molluscs.

  A areas—molluscs can be harvested for direct human consumption.

  B areas—molluscs can go for human consumption after purification in an approved plant, or after relaying in an approved relaying area, or after an EU approved heat treatment process.

  C areas—molluscs can go for human consumption, only after relaying for at least two months in an approved relaying area whether or not combined with purification, or after an EU approved heat treatment process.

  Molluscs must not be marketed from areas that are not classified, or fall outside the criteria.

  Shellfish growing areas are monitored continuously by local food authorities. The results for England and Wales are collated by the Ministry's fish disease laboratory at Weymouth and the classification is published annually. The latest classification, which contains a list of designated prohibited areas, was issued on 4 October and a copy is in the Library of the House.

  Next Steps Agencies
  Mr. Kaufman
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food 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 published 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. Waldegrave
  [pursuant to his reply, 26 January 1995, c. 358–61]: The letter to the right hon. Member from the chief executive of the Veterinary Medicines Directorate stated that he would write to the right hon. Member when the information on the cost of the VMD logo was available.

  I understand that the VMD has now written to the right hon. Member. The text of the letter is as follows:

  Letter from C. J. Lawson to Gerald Kaufman, dared 27 January 1995:
  I am now able to let you have the information about the costs incurred in the design of the Directorate logo, which was not available when I wrote to you on 24 January.
  The design costs were £360 + VAT.
  I am very sorry that I could not let you have this in my original letter and regret any inconvenience that may have been caused.

  Farm Incomes
  Mr. Luff
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the level of farm incomes in 1994.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  [pursuant to his reply, 26 January 1995, c. 356]: Total income from farming is estimated to have risen by 4.4 per cent. in real terms in 1994 compared with 1993. This is further evidence that the industry is responding well to common agricultural policy reform. 1993 saw a very large increase in agricultural income and I am pleased that overall there has been a further improvement in 1994. Detailed estimates of income, output and productivity of United Kingdom agriculture in 1994 were published this morning and have been placed in the Library of the House.

  Commercial Lobbying
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (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 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 on behalf of their clients at informal or unofficial engagements.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  [holding answer 25 January 1995]: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster on 25 January 1995, Official Report, column
  650
  197. Ministers and officials receive representations about a wide variety of matters, but the information requested is not collected.

SCOTLAND

  Health Care International
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to submit Health Care International hospital Clydeside to independent audit in respect of losses to public funds.

  Mr. Stewart
  At the request of the Public Accounts Committee, the National Audit Office is currently preparing a factual memorandum on the public sector funding of the Health Care International project. In preparing this memorandum, the NAO has had full access to departmental records on the HCI project and the full co-operation of my right hon. Friend's officials.

  The receiver has recently signed an agreement in principle with a preferred bidder for the continued operation of the Clydebank facility and there is therefore every possibility that the project will yet yield the economic development and job creation benefits which the public sector funding was designed to secure.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if the company that takes over Health Care International in Clydebank will be eligible for regional selective assistance; what promises have been given to the receiver on this matter; and what are the conditions for the release of any grant assistance.

  Mr. Stewart
  If a new investor were prepared to take the project forward, there is no reason in principle why consideration should not be given to transfer of the balance of the existing offer. Such a transfer would be subject to appropriate conditions and be based upon the project being taken forward as previously envisaged. No promises have been given to the receiver on this matter. If the offer was transferred, the unpaid balance of grant would be released in line with the job targets which would otherwise have applied to HCI.

  Employment (Children)
  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to include clauses on child employment in the forthcoming Children (Scotland) Bill.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  There are no plans to include provisions relating to the employment of children in the Children (Scotland Bill). The Government are committed, however, to making changes in the regulation of employment of children in line with the European Community directive on the protection of young people at work. The Scottish Office Education Department and the Department of Health are currently consulting education authorities about this.

  Student Finance
  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what would be the full amount of a student loan to be repaid, assessing the current rate of interests, if a student currently in the first year of a three-year course applied for the maximum loan in each of these years; and what is
  651
  his forecast for the total loan for a three-year course beginning in 1995 and subsequent years for which calculations on present information can be made.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The figures requested are set out in the table. In order to estimate them it has been necessary to make certain assumptions, the basis for some of which will be subject to review from time to time.

  The main assumptions used in estimating the figures are:

  (i) The move to broad parity between grants and loans for student maintenance will continue and will be achieved in academic year 1996–97;

  (ii) the value of the student maintenance provision will be increased in line with forecast price increases;

  (iii) movements in the retail prices index will be consistent with those underlying the Budget statement in November 1994;

  (iv) the students concerned are studying away from home outwith the London area; and

  (v) repayments commence in the April following completion of the course.

  Table 1: Total level of debt for student on a three year course

  Course beginning in academic year:

  Estimated total debt as at April following graduation

  1994–95

  £4,000

  1995–96

  £4,500

  Absenteeism
  Mr. Chidgey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the absenteeism rate for the Lord Advocate's Department in each year since 1991.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The average number of working days lost per staff year due to sickness is as follows:

  1994: 9.6

  1993: 8.1

  1992: 6.4

  1991: 9.6

  Mr. Chidgey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the absenteeism rate for(a) his Department, (b) Historic Scotland, (c) the Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency, (d) the Scottish Agricultural Science Agency, (e) the Register of Scotland, (f) the Scottish Office Pensions Agency, (g) the Scottish Prison Service, (h) the Scottish Record Office and (i) the Student Awards Agency in each year since 1991.

  Mr. Lang
  The average number of working days lost per staff year due to sickness is as follows for:

  a. The Scottish Office-excluding SPS;

  b. The Scottish Prison Service Agency-SPS; and

  c. The Secretary of State's Executive Agencies of Registers of Scotland and the Scottish Record Office-SRO:

  The Scottish Office (excluding SPS)

  SPS

  ROS

  SRO

  1993

  10.3

  15.3

  15.9

  10.1

  1992

  8.9

  12.6

  15.0

  7.2

  1991

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  Information on the disaggregation of the Scottish Office, excluding SPS, total into the core and each of its agencies is not readily available.

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

  Sir Hector Monro
  Official records on the number of sheep scab cases in Scotland are not available for the period following the deregulation of compulsory controls in 1992. The number of confirmed cases in the preceding three years were as follows:

  1990: 4

  1991: 5

  1992 (to 30 June): 17

  In the early part of last year, industry reports suggested a growing incidence of sheep scab throughout Great Britain and a surveillance exercise was carried out at sales and markets during the spring of 1994. In Scotland, this showed that sheep scab was present throughout the country, although the incidence related to flock numbers was relatively low.

  The Government carried out an extensive poster and leaflet campaign in the autumn of 1994 to urge farmers to dip their sheep and to remind them of their welfare responsibilities. Surveillance at markets was also stepped up and a further survey of the incidence of the disease will be made in spring 1995.

  Energy Recycling, Airdrie
  Mrs. Liddell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will outline the criteria used to approve the energy recycling scheme proposed by Shanks and McEwan Ltd. for the generation of energy from methane gas from the Greengairs landfill site near Airdrie;

  (2) if he will outline the criteria used to turn down the energy recycling scheme proposed by Monklands district council for the generation of energy from methane gas from the Dalmacoulter landfill site in Airdrie.

  Mr. Steward
  In setting the size of the waste-to-energy band within the Scottish renewables obligation, my right hon. Friend accepted the advice of the Director General of Electricity Supply that only those projects bidding at less than 4.2p per unit generated should be supported.

  Dental Services
  Mr. Donohoe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much additional expenditure each health board has incurred as a result of dentists de-registering patients following the changes in their pay structure implemented by the Scottish Office in October 1990; and how much of this expenditure has been reimbursed to them by the Scottish Office.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 26 January 1995,Official Report, columns 346–48, giving expenditure on general dental services over the past five years by each health board. It is not possible to to attribute changes in expenditure to specific causes. All legitimate costs incurred in providing general dental services are met from central funds.

  Mr. Donohoe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland which health boards have emergency dental services; when these dental services were established; how much it has cost to provide these services; and how many patients have received treatment from this
  653
  emergency dental service in each of the last five financial years.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Since 1990, general dental practitioners have been responsible for providing emergency dental treatment for their own registered patients. Health boards may also set up emergency dental services to provide treatment out of hours, at weekends and on public holidays where necessary, using general dental practitioners and/or community dental staff. The table shows which Scottish health boards operate formal emergency dental services and when these services were established. It is not possible to identify separately the cost of providing emergency dental services from the overall costs of the general dental service. Information is not held centrally on the number of patients who receive treatment under emergency dental services.

  Emergency dental services available

  When services established

  Argyll and Clyde

  —

  —

  Ayrshire and Arran

  yes

  1982

  Borders

  yes

  October 1990

  Dumfries and Galloway

  —

  —

  Fife

  yes

  1989

  Forth Valley

  yes

  1986

  Grampian

  yes

  1982

  Greater Glasgow

  yes

  1982

  Highland

  —

  —

  Lanarkshire

  —

  —

  Lothian

  yes

  1977

  Orkney

  yes

  Pre-October 1990

  Shetland

  yes

  Pre-October 1990

  Tayside

  yes

  1982

  Western Isles

  —

  —

  Mr. Donohoe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) how many patients were de-registered by their dentists in the financial year 1993–94; how many patients have been de-registered by their dentists in the financial year 1994–95 so far; and how many dental practices were involved in these de-registrations in each health board area in Scotland;

  (2) how many patients have been de-registered by their dentists; and how many patients in each of these years were still in receipt of dental treatment, in each of the last five years.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Formal arrangements for patients to be registered with a dentist were introduced in October 1990. Information supplied by health boards about de-registrations since that date is contained in the table. It is not possible to identify individual patients de-registered or to establish whether each subsequently received treatment from another dentist.

  October 1990–March 1991

  Health Board

  Number of patients de-registered

  1Number of dentists involved

  Argyll and Clyde

  3

  1

  Ayrshire and Arran

  —

  —

  Borders

  1

  1

  Dumfries and Galloway

  —

  —

  Fife

  1

  1

  Forth Valley

  —

  —

  Grampian

  —

  —

  Greater Glasgow

  7

  5

  Highland

  4

  3

  654

  October 1990–March 1991

  Health Board

  Number of patients de-registered

  1Number of dentists involved

  Lanarkshire

  4

  4

  Lothian

  18

  2

  Orkney

  —

  —

  Shetland

  —

  —

  Tayside

  n/a

  n/a

  Western Isles

  —

  —

  n/a—not available.

  Notes:1 Number of dentists involved in de-registration in a particular year.

  April 1991–March 1992

  Health Board

  Number of patients de-registered

  1Number of dentists involved

  Argyll and Clyde

  25

  2

  Ayrshire and Arran

  14

  10

  Borders

  11

  4

  Dumfries and Galloway

  11

  2

  Fife

  —

  —

  Forth Valley

  42

  12

  Grampian

  9

  5

  Greater Glasgow

  41

  36

  Highland

  19

  12

  Lanarkshire

  70

  10

  Lothian

  101

  21

  Orkney

  —

  —

  Shetland

  —

  —

  Tayside

  n/a

  n/a

  Western Isles

  —

  —

  n/a—not available.

  Notes:1 Number of dentists involved in de-registration in a particular year.

  April 1992–March 1993

  Health Board

  Number of patients de-registered

  1Number of dentists involved

  Argyll and Clyde

  2,241

  14

  Ayrshire and Arran

  1,309

  11

  Borders

  1,432

  4

  Dumfries and Galloway

  4,518

  10

  Fife

  295

  32

  Forth Valley

  201

  23

  Grampian

  257

  21

  Greater Glasgow

  579

  45

  Highland

  210

  24

  Lanarkshire

  252

  29

  Lothian

  483

  23

  Orkney

  —

  —

  Shetland

  —

  —

  Tayside

  2206

  229

  Western Isles

  37

  4

  Notes:1 Number of dentists involved in de-registration in a particular year.

  2 From July 1992.

  April 1993–March 1994

  Health Board

  Number of patients de-registered

  1Number of dentists involved

  Argyll and Clyde

  42

  1

  Ayrshire and Arran

  400

  13

  Borders

  683

  4

  Dumfries and Galloway

  1,388

  10

  Fife

  417

  21

  Forth Valley

  63

  18

  Grampian

  179

  18

  655

  April 1993–March 1994

  Health Board

  Number of patients de-registered

  1Number of dentists involved

  Greater Glasgow

  339

  49

  Highland

  73

  24

  Lanarkshire

  145

  25

  Lothian

  1,625

  17

  Orkney

  —

  —

  Shetland

  —

  —

  Tayside

  57

  11

  Western Isles

  16

  4

  Notes1 Number of dentists involved in de-registration in a particular year.

  April 1994–December 1994

  Health Board

  Number of patients de-registered

  1Number of dentists involved

  Argyll and Clyde

  —

  16

  Ayrshire and Arran

  65

  17

  Borders

  41

  4

  Dumfries and Galloway

  724

  16

  Fife

  439

  24

  Forth Valley

  184

  —

  Grampian

  140

  35

  Greater Glasgow

  893

  87

  Highland

  67

  32

  Lanarkshire

  47

  57

  Lothian

  650

  22

  Orkney

  —

  —

  Interactive

  Non-interactive

  Total

  29 October-20 November 1992

  573

  186

  759

  21 November-18 December 1992

  315

  395

  710

  19 December–15 January 1993

  383

  291

  674

  16 January–12 February 1993

  973

  330

  1,303

  13 February–12 March 1993

  621

  519

  1,140

  13 March–9 April 1993

  714

  500

  1,214

  10 April–7 May 1993

  472

  362

  834

  8 May–4 June 1993

  539

  436

  975

  5 June –2 July 1993

  579

  549

  1,128

  3 July–30 July 1993

  647

  589

  1,236

  31 July–27 August 1993

  366

  495

  861

  28 August-24 September 1993

  323

  478

  801

  25 September–22 October 1993

  420

  639

  1,059

  23 October–19 November 1993

  319

  446

  765

  20 November–17 December 1993

  285

  359

  644

  18 December–14 January 1994

  256

  305

  561

  15 January–11 February 1994

  543

  413

  956

  12 February–11 March 1994

  524

  515

  1,039

  12 March–8 April 1994

  346

  444

  790

  9 April–6 May 1994

  653

  512

  1,165

  7 May–3 June 1994

  398

  426

  824

  4 June–1 July 1994

  566

  714

  1,280

  2 July–29 July 1994

  360

  844

  1,204

  30 July–26 August 1994

  430

  626

  1,056

  27 August-23 September 1994

  734

  398

  1,132

  24 September-21 October 1994

  4,031

  337

  4,3681

  22 October-18 November 1994

  5,090

  1,554

  6,6441

  19 November–16 December 1994

  2,003

  428

  2,431

  17 December–12 January 1995

  514

  566

  1,080

  Total

  23,977

  14,656

  38,633

  1 Corrected and updated figures.

  656

  April 1994–December 1994

  Health Board

  Number of patients de-registered

  1Number of dentists involved

  Shetland

  —

  —

  Tayside

  361

  48

  Western Isles

  —

  —

  Notes:1 For 1994–95 the figures show the running total of dentists involved in de-registration from July 1992 to December 1994.

  Mr. Donohoe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment the Scottish Office has made of the impact of de-registration of patients on the dental health of the overall population.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The number of patients registered with general dental practitioners has decreased by less than 1 per cent. over the last 12 months from 2,650,925 to 2,632,878. Patients can be de-registered by their dentists for a variety of reasons. It is not possible to relate this information directly to the level of dental health in Scotland.

  NHS Helpline
  Mr. Donohoe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer of 17 January,Official Report, column 466, how many (a) interactive and (b) non-interactive phone calls were made to the NHS helpline up until 12 January.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The total number of interactive and non-interactive calls received by the NHS helpline between 29 October 1992 and 12 January 1995 is listed in the table.

  Local Enterprise Companies
  Mr. Donohoe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what guidelines exist for the declaration of business interests by the directors of local enterprise companies in Scotland; what interests they are required to declare; and what scrutiny procedure exists for these declared interests.

  Mr. Stewart
  The local enterprise companies are required by their operating contracts with Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise to maintain a register of directors' interests; to make that register open for public inspection; and to have in place procedures designed to avoid potential conflicts of interest. The approval and monitoring of the local enterprise companies' conflict of interest procedures is an operational matter for the enterprise bodies and I have asked their chairmen to write to the hon. Member.

  Long-term Care
  Ms Rachel Squire
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many NHS continuing care beds each health board in Scotland plans to close from 1 April 1994 in(a) learning disabilities, (b) psychiatric, (c) geriatric, (d) psycho-geriatric and (e) physical disabilities; over what timescales the closures will take place; and if he will make a statement on Government targets in these areas.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  There are no centrally imposed targets for long-stay bed provision in the NHS. The pace of change is directed by patient needs. The organisation of long-stay care and care services in the community are determined by continuous joint assessment of local needs involving health boards and local authorities. The aim is to secure the most effective package of services, both in hospital and the community, that meet the specific needs of patients and carers.

  Ms Rachel Squire
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much money has been transferred from each health board in Scotland to local authorities under resource transfer arrangements in respect of reductions in NHS continuing care beds in(a) learning disabilities, (b) psychiatric, (c) geriatric, (d) psycho-geriatric and (e) physical disabilities in each year since 1991; what is his assessment of the adequacy of the level of resource transfer to local authorities; and what proportion of the money saved by health boards will be transferred to local authorities.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Information on money transferred from health boards in Scotland to local authorities has only recently been collected centrally and is available for the period 1993–94 onwards. The data provided do not include an analysis of the different categories requested. The latest information available is given in the table:

  Health board

  Resource transfer 1993–94 £000

  Estimated resource transfer 1994–95 £000

  Argyll and Clyde

  —

  1,465

  Ayrshire and Arran

  642

  1,529

  Borders

  —

  608

  Dumfries and Galloway

  119

  857

  Fife

  1,018

  1,822

  Forth Valley

  987

  2,129

  Grampian

  2,404

  3,216

  658

  Health board

  Resource transfer 1993–94 £000

  Estimated resource transfer 1994–95 £000

  Greater Glasgow

  399

  466

  Highland

  549

  1,519

  Lanarkshire

  778

  2,105

  Lothian

  590

  3,926

  Tayside

  604

  1,401

  Orkney

  —

  163

  Shetland

  —

  101

  Western Isles

  144

  147

  Total

  8,234

  21,454

  In addition to the above, health boards paid £10.3 million to other agencies in 1993–94 for non-NHS care services, and are estimating £9.6 million for 1994–95.

  Resource transfers are to be regarded as a contribution towards the cost of alternative care services in the community. Health boards' contributions will reflect what can be afforded from the savings achieved through contractions in long-stay bed provision after any necessary reinvestment in alternative health care services. The level of reinvestment is very much dependent on local circumstances and need. It is not possible, therefore, to draw ready conclusions about either the adequacy or proportion of savings eventually transferred. I am, nevertheless, encouraged with the expected level of increase for 1993–94 to 1994–95.

  Development Corporations
  Mr. Donohoe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer of 17 January,Official Report, column 467, if he will list for each development corporation of Scotland (a) how many of their properties are currently leased to housing associations and (b) the name of the housing association in each case.

  Mr. Stewart
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to his question on 17 January,Official Report, columns 467–68.

  Footpaths
  Mrs. Anne Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much has been spent or grant aided in each of the last three years for which figures are available by Scottish National Heritage on the repair of eroded footpaths.

  Sir Hector Monro
  Expenditure on footpath repairs in each of the last three years has been:

  1991–92: £277,655—Countryside Commission for Scotland

  1992–93: £292,024—Scottish Natural Heritage

  1993–94: £272,566—Scottish Natural Heritage

  These figures exclude some expenditure on paths which is aggregated with other works to improve a recreation site or facility. They are grant costs at rates varying from 50 per cent. to 85 per cent. according to location of site and the range of organisations which are contributing to the costs.

  SNH also runs a footpath management project with aims of promoting more action on path management and encouraging high standards of work. This project is funded through SNH's research budget at around £20,000 per annum. In addition, SNH has undertaken surveys of the need for path management to establish better the scale

  659
  of the problem. Surveys of this kind have been undertaken in Wester Ross and are under way in the Cairngorms.

  Listed Buildings
  Mr. Maclennan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what is the number of buildings currently listed in category A and in category B;

  (2) how many applications have been received from the owners of listed buildings for financial assistance towards the cost of repairs and maintenance in each of the last five financial years; and what has been the total value of the grants awarded.

  Sir Hector Monro
  The subjects of the questions relate to matters undertaken by Historic Scotland. I have asked its director and chief executive, Mr. Graeme Munro, to write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from Graeme N. Munro to Mr. Robert Maclennan, dated 31 January 1995:
  You have tabled two Parliamentary Questions to the Secretary of State for Scotland for Written Answer on 31 January. As these Questions relate to operational matters undertaken by Historic Scotland, I have been asked to provide the information you are seeking. The terms of this letter will be reproduced in the Official Report and a copy of it will also be deposited in the Library of the House.
  I shall answer each Question in the order in which it appears on the Order Paper.
  Question: What is the number of buildings currently listed in category A and in category B.
  As at 25 January 1995, the number of buildings listed at category A was 2,987 and the number of buildings listed at category B was 25,093.
  Question: How many applications have been received from the owners of listed buildings for financial assistance towards the cost of repairs and maintenance in each of the last five financial years; and what has been the total value of the grants awarded.
  The total number of historic building repair grant applications received from owners of listed buildings and buildings situated within outstanding conservation areas over the past five financial years is as follows:

  1989–90 116

  1990–91 103

  1991–92 62

  1992–93 54

  1993–94 97

  Total 432

  The total value of historic building repair grants awarded for the last five complete financial years is as follows:

  1989–90 £8,848,360

  1990–91 £11,371,775

  1991–92 £12,317,845

  1992–93 £9,836,580

  1993–94 £14,644,413

  Total £57,018,973

  The relationship between the figures in the above tables warrants some further explanation. The award of a grant can take place in the same financial year in which the application was received, but that is unusual given the importance of a careful evaluation by the owner, his professional adviser and Historic Scotland of the building and its needs so that a comprehensive specification for repairs can be agreed. What is more, the amount of grant awarded for what are usually significant capital projects normally is paid over two or more
  660
  financial years and payments do not flow until recognised phases of the work have been completed.
  The actual grant payments in each of the last five complete financial years were:

  1989–90 £8,358,655

  1990–91 £8,954,716

  1991–92 £9,219,458

  1992–93 £10,291,158

  1993–94 £11,140,000

  Total £47,963,987

  I hope this information is helpful.

  Reversal of Status Forms
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many patients in each health board area are recorded as having signed reversal of status forms from(a) private to NHS and (b) NHS to private in each of the past three years.

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

  Scottish Homes
  Mr. Michael J. Martin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) how many Glasgow houses Scottish Homes intends to transfer to new landlords or housing associations;

  (2) if the ballot papers issued to Scottish Homes tenants will have an option for the tenants concerned to vote (a) to remain with Scottish Homes or (b) to be transferred to the local authority;

  (3) what guidelines he has issued or plans to issue to housing associations with regard to which organisation they can borrow from in order to acquire the property which Scottish Homes wishes to transfer;

  (4) what housing estates in Glasgow Scottish Homes will be seeking to transfer to new landlords or housing associations;

  (5) what is the current value of the houses that Gemini housing association has expressed an interest in buying from Scottish Homes;

  (6) what restrictions on borrowing have been placed on Gemini housing association by Scottish Homes; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The information requested is a matter for Scottish Homes. I have asked the chairman of Scottish Homes, Sir James Mellon, to write to the hon. Member with the relevant information.

  A74-M74
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many miles of the A74–M74 upgrading being financed by his Department is in England; what is the estimated cost of the work involved; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  None of the A74 upgrading being financed by the Scottish Office is in England.
  661
  The Kirkpatrick Fleming to Gretna contract, administered by my Department and opened in December 1992, incorporated a 1 km length of motorway in England, including an interchange at Guardsmill. This short section was necessary to enable the new road to be opened as a motorway and was financed by the Department of Transport.

  The Scottish Office and the Department of Transport are exploring the possibility of completing the remaining sections of route using a design, build, finance and operate solution. Should this proceed as a single joint contract, the costs would again be apportioned to each Department.

  Public Bodies
  Dr. Wright
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland which of the advisory non-departmental public bodies sponsored by his Department (i) hold open meetings, (ii) conduct public consultation exercises, (iii) conduct consultation exercises with outside commercial interest, (iv) publish a register of members' interests, (v) publish agendas for meetings and (vi) publish the minutes of meetings; and whether this is in each case(a) under a statutory requirement or (b) voluntary.

  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 16 December 1994]: The information requested by the hon. Member is as follows:

  (i) In the case of children's panel advisory committees, the meetings are open to the public but discussions relating to confidential matters affecting children's panels or individual panel members or candidates are taken in private.

  (ii) The Boundary Commission for Scotland conducts public consultation exercises by publicising proposed changes to electoral boundaries and holds inquiries under the Parliamentary Constituency Act 1986. The Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland also publicises its proposals and holds local inquiries under section 19 of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973. Local inquiries usually take place where there are major differences of opinion about the commission's proposals.

  (iii) No consultation exercises are held by any advisory non-departmental public body sponsored by my Department with outside commercial interests.

  (iv) No advisory non-departmental public body sponsored by my Department holds a register of members' interests.

  (v) Agendas of meetings of children's panel advisory committees are available to the public if required.

  (vi) Minutes of meeting of children's panel advisory committees are available to the public if required. Subject to confidential matters concerning individuals not being available, the boundary commission would be willing to consider making minutes of meetings available to interested parties.

  The requirement for children's panel advisory committees to make available the information recorded above is not statutory. The requirement
  662
  for the Boundary Commission for Scotland and the Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland to publicise their proposals is statutory.

  New Zealand Flatworm
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what studies he has carried out into the numbers of areas in Scotland where the New Zealand flatworm has been found; if it is increasing in numbers and areas affected; and what assessment he has made of its impact on native earthworms and soil structure.

  Sir Hector Monro
  [holding answer 26 January 1995]: In 1992 research was commissioned by the Scottish Office Agriculture and Fisheries Department into the distribution of New Zealand flatworm in Scotland and also its impact on agriculture and horticulture. The flatworm was found to be widely distributed, mainly in private gardens and allotments. There is evidence to show that it has not become widely established in agricultural land. The research was thus unable to assess fully the impact on earthworm populations and soil in an agricultural background.

  There has been an increase in sightings reported by the public. These are recorded by the Scottish Crop Research Institute, which monitors the position in conjunction with the Department. The need for further research into the impact of the New Zealand flatworm and methods of control is kept under review.

  Electro-shock Weapons
  Mr. Welsh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what information he has on the manufacture and supply of(a) electro-shock weapons and (b) instruments of torture by Scottish-based companies; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 30 January 1995]: I have no such information.

  Mr. Welsh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what information he has on the acquisition of electro-shock weapons by police forces in Scotland, the use for which they are acquired and the guidelines which govern such acquisitions.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 30 January 1995]: No police force in Scotland has acquired electro-shock weapons, nor has any force intimated an intention to acquire such weapons.

  Mr. Welsh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what financial assistance has been given by his Department to United Kingdom companies actively involved in the manufacture, marketing and supply of electro-shock weapons; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) what is the policy of his Department in providing financial assistance to firms involved in the manufacture, marketing or supply of electro-shock weapons; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 30 January 1995]: My right hon. Friend is not aware of any financial assistance having ever been provided to support the manufacture, marketing or supply of electro-shock weapons. Prior to 1989, regional development grants amounting to less than £5,000 were paid to ICL Plastics Ltd., but these grants did not relate to electro-shock weapons.

  Forth Rail Bridge
  Mr. Eric Clarke
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer of 25 January,Official Report, column 275, if he will publish the findings of any engineering or structural survey of the Forth rail bridge commissioned by his Department; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 30 January 1995]: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him on 25 January, Official Report, column 275.

  N. M. Rothschild and Sons Ltd.
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will provide estimates for the total amount that has been paid to N. M. Rothschild and Sons Ltd. with respect to any work undertaken by it on privatisation programmes in which his Department has been engaged since 1979 after taking account of inflation.

  Mr. Lang
  No work has been undertaken by N. M. Rothschild and Sons Ltd. on any privatisation programmes in which my Department has been engaged since 1979.

  CASSINI SPACE PROBE: SAFETY
  Lord Kennet
  asked Her Majesty's Government:

  Whether they have examined NASA's plan to send into space in 1997 a probe, Cassini, powered by 32 kilograms of plutonium and whether they have formed any views on the safety of this project.

  The Minister of State, Department of Trade and Industry (Earl Ferrers)
  The US National Aerospace and Space Administration (NASA) has issued a draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Cassini mission. In this document, NASA has estimated that the risks arising from any potential accidents during the Cassini mission are small and are less than many risks faced by the public from the construction and/or operation of large industrial projects.

  Her Majesty's Government have obtained expert advice on NASA's draft Environmental Impact Statement. This confirms that the risk to an individual member of the public is minimal.

  FINANCIAL SERVICES ACT 1986: OUTSIDE INSPECTORS
  Lord Clinton-Davis
  asked Her Majesty's Government:

  Whether they will identify those cases (or, in the event that they are unable to do so, the number of cases) in which the Department of Trade and Industry has appointed outside inspectors pursuant to the powers conferred by the Companies Act 1989 and the Financial Services Act 1986 respectively since 1st January 1992, stating in each case the length of time taken to complete the inquiries or to receive interim reports; and on how many occasions the report of the inspectors has led to prosecution, providing where appropriate the result of each such prosecution.

  Earl Ferrers
  There are no powers to appoint inspectors under the Companies Act 1989. Outside inspectors—i.e. non-departmental inspectors—have been appointed under Section 177 of the Financial Services Act 1986 in two cases since 1 January 1992; one in 1993 which is ongoing and one in 1994 which was completed in five months—no prosecution was commenced following receipt of the inspectors' report.

  Lord Clinton-Davis
  asked Her Majesty's Government:

  On how many occasions the Department of Trade and Industry has decided not to appoint outside inspectors in cases which have been referred to it by the regulators acting pursuant to the powers conferred by the Financial Services Act 1986 or by the Stock Exchange between 1st January 1992 and the present time.

  Earl Ferrers
  Regulators including the London Stock Exchange refer on average 40 to 50 matters a year to WA108
  the department's investigation division. Such references are not for the specific purpose of the appointment of outside inspectors and only one such appointment has resulted since 1 January 1992. In addition, 10 appointments of departmental inspectors have resulted.

  QUANGOS AND THE CIVIL SERVICE: EMPLOYEE NUMBERS
  Lord Barnett
  asked Her Majesty's Government:

  How many officials were employed in quangos and other non-departmental bodies at the latest available date; and how many civil servants were employed at the same, or nearest, date.

  The Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Earl Howe)
  At 1 April 1994, the number of officials employed in non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs), formerly known as quangos, was 110,200. The figure includes a number of officials working in NDPBs who are civil servants on secondment from parent departments. It also includes 5,200 staff employed by the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service, the Health and Safety Commission and the Health and Safety Executive, who, although directly employed by these bodies, are civil servants.

  The total number of civil servants employed in the Civil Service as at the same date was 533,000.

  LOCAL GOVERNMENT FINANCE SETTLEMENT
  Lord Broughman and Vaux
  asked Her Majesty's Government:

  When they expect to announce the outcome of consultation on the local government finance settlement.

  The Minister of State, Department of the Environment (Viscount Ullswater)
  We are today laying before the House the Local Government Finance Report (England) 1995/96, the Limitation of Council Tax and Precepts (Relevant Notional Amounts) Report (England) 1995/96 and the Special Grant Report (No.12). These reports establish the amounts of revenue support grant (RSG) and non-domestic rates (NDR) to be paid to local authorities in 1995/96, and the basis of their distribution; specify the amounts which are to be used as the basis of comparison for measuring increases in certain local authorities' budgets in 1995/96 for the purposes of capping; and provide for a special grant to be paid to certain authorities for 1995/96. Two hundred authorities made written representations and Ministers met 90 delegations from local councils.

  We shall be sending copies of these reports to all authorities as soon as possible, together with a table showing each authority's Standard Spending Assessment and its entitlement to RSG, NDR and special grant. We have also placed copies of the reports and the table in the Libraries and the Vote Office.

  PLANNING APPLICATION FEES
  Lord Brougham and Vaux
  asked Her Majesty's Government:

  What decision they have reached on proposals to allow local planning authorities to set their own planning application fees.

  Viscount Ullswater
  Last summer we issued a consultation paper,Planning Application Fees, which proposed giving local planning authorities the power to set their own fees for determining planning applications. Our intention was to enable authorities to recover the costs they incur in processing planning applications. We envisaged that fee increases would be subject to authorities meeting qualifying criteria—in relation to development plans and development control performance—and establishing, by 1996, an accounting system for identifying costs.

  We received over 300 responses, all of which have been carefully considered. We have concluded that the particular package of proposals we put forward did not attract sufficient support to justify legislating now for the devolution of fee-setting responsibilities within the proposed timescale.

  For the present, therefore, planning application fees will continue to be set centrally. However, we shall be giving further thought to refining the fees regime to see whether a better match can be achieved between the costs and price of the service provided by local planning authorities.

  WASTE MANAGEMENT STRATEGY
  Lord Brougham and Vaux
  asked Her Majesty's Government:

  What progress has been made with the plans for a waste strategy for England and Wales which was announced in July 1994, in response to the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution's Report on Incineration of Waste.

  Viscount Ullswater
  The Government is today issuing for public consultation a draft waste strategy for England and Wales. The strategy aims to use the WA110
  principles of sustainable development to provide a coherent framework for waste management policy and practice throughout England and Wales. Copies of the document have been placed in the Library of the House.

  However well managed, waste always has the potential to cause harm to the environment. We must give priority to reducing the amount we produce, and to adopting better waste management practices. Much can be done harnessing the power of the market to encourage more environmentally friendly waste management. The Chancellor's announcement in his Budget statement of the introduction of a landfill tax is one, very important, development in this direction.

  Industry can do a great deal, and has a good incentive to do so because, as a number of demonstration projects have shown, better waste management frequently results in reducing operating costs. Good waste management practice is a competitiveness opportunity. Householders also have a major role to play by choosing not to buy over-packaged goods, by reusing goods and materials within the household, and by using the recycling facilities provided by their local councils.

  We hope that this draft strategy will start a wide debate about future aims and direction of waste management policy, and the role of industry, the public sector, consumers and householders; in achieving those objectives. We are allowing an extended consultation period until 28 April 1995 to enable proper consideration of the many significant issues which the strategy raises.

  NATIONAL PARKS: DRAFT CIRCULAR
  Lord Cochrane of Cults
  asked Her Majesty's Government:

  When they intend to make available the national parks circular which they have undertaken to issue in connection with the national parks provisions in the Environment Bill.

  Viscount Ullswater
  We have today issued for consultation a national parks circular which contains guidance on matters which have arisen in the context of the Government's proposals for the future of the national parks. Copies of the draft circular have been placed in the Library.